by Paul Green
Uther sighed. "Perhaps you are right, Bors. Perhaps it is better this way."
"I would never want for such a gift. To truly see the blackness which is in all men's souls? No. Truly that would be a curse above all curses. Such a man would know more aloneness that any other man in all the world. Better to only be suspicious than to know for certain."
"Bors?"
"Yes, my liege?"
"I am promoting you to Master Knight and General Commander of the armed forces, effective immediately."
"WHAT!?" Now it was Bors' turn to stop in place.
Uther stopped and turned to face him. "You are my Second, Bors. If anything happens to me ... you are the man."
"I ... I do not wish to be ... the man!"
"Welcome to the club." Uther sighed.
"But..."
"Who else, Bors? Besides you, who else can I trust? I am serious. If I died tomorrow, who else could I entrust this entire kingdom to?"
"I ... I ... I do not know."
"Exactly. There is no one else. Effective immediately, you are hereby Master Knight and General Commander of the armed forces."
"I must object. I would make no better a king than...". But Bors suddenly stopped himself.
Uther raised his eyebrow.
"Err, what I meant to say was..."
"Do not bother, Bors. I know very well what you meant. I am the first to admit I make for a terrible king; that is no secret."
"May I speak freely?"
"You do not even need to ask, Bors."
"Very well. There was a time ... and it was not so long ago, when I actually thought you might make a halfway decent king."
"Was ... there a compliment hidden in there, somewhere?"
"There was a time ... when I actually respected you; even though I did not always agree with you."
"Ah. So no compliment, then."
"Is that man still in there, Uther Pendragon?"
Uther shrugged. "Was he ever?"
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Uther turned and began walking, again. "The Chief Advisor was right. There needs to be someone in place, should something ever happen to me. That someone is you. Can you ... tell Alfred..."
"...that he has his old job back? As well as his head? Of course."
"Have our friend Alfred and the scribes draw up the necessary documents and I shall approve them. Congratulations on your promotion, Bors."
Bors sighed again. "Why do I get the feeling it is not a promotion?"
Welcome to the club, Bors. Welcome to the club."
*** *** ***
Just as they turned the last corner into the front castle courtyard, they were surprised to see a disturbance going on at the front door. Two guards we arguing with an old peasant woman and were threatening to haul her off to prison.
"Great." Uther sighed as he stopped. "Just what I needed." Then he turned around and started walked back the way they had come. "I do not want to deal with this, right now."
Suddenly, the old peasant shrieked out with a loud voice.
"PELLEAS!?"
Chapter 25
Uther spun around in shock.
"CEOLA!?" he gasped.
And the old woman instantly burst into tears as she dropped to her knees.
Uther sprinted across courtyard and fast as he could and slid to his knees beside her. "CEOLA!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!? WHERE IS REGAN!?"
Then Ceola's entire body began to be racked by sobbing.
"OH, GOD IN HEAVEN! NO!!!"
It took her a moment, but Ceola finally raised her head and looked at Uther with tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Pelleas ... they took her!"
"WHAT!? WHO TOOK HER!? WHEN!?"
"Gorlois."
And Uther's heart dropped to the deepest pit of his soul.
By this time, Bors had finally caught up and demanded of the guards "Who is this woman!?"
The two guards shook their heads at the weeping woman and pointed at Uther. The color had just drained from Uther's face and he looked like he was about to faint when Bors grabbed him to steady him.
"When?" Uther finally managed to rasp.
"Eight weeks ago." Ceola wept.
Uther looked at Bors with cold fury. "I am going to Cornwall. Now. Prepare my horse."
"I am going with you."
"Fine, but do not slow me down. I shall not stop."
"It is a fortnight to Cornwall! You shall kill your horse!"
"I DO NOT CARE!! DO IT!!"
"IF YOUR HORSE IS DEAD, YOU SHALL NEVER MAKE IT TO CORNWALL!!!"
Uther instantly reached out and grabbed Bors by his front chestpiece. "GET ... ME ... TO ... CORNWALL!!! NOW!!!!"
"We shall rest, when the horses need to rest."
"THEN I SHALL RUN ON FOOT!!!"
Bors looked at the old woman. "This ... Regan you spoke of. This is his wife?"
Ceola nodded.
Bors looked at Uther. "Duke Gorlois of Cornwall?"
"...is a dead man!" Uther spat.
"We are not enough. We shall take a centuria."
"EIGHTY MEN WILL SLOW ME DOWN!"
"We are not enough against Duke Gorlois."
"PLEASE, BORS!!!" Uther pleaded, tearfully. "HELP ME!!!"
Bors saw a distant and wild look in Uther's eyes; and he didn't like what he was seeing. It was a mixture of both terror and a slight hint of madness.
"HELP ME!!!!"
Bors reached down his hand to help Uther to his feet.
"WAIT!!!" Ceola said, attempting to regain control of herself. "THERE IS MORE!!"
"WHAT!!?" Uther screeched. "WHAT MORE!!? TELL ME!!!"
Ceola pulled back her heavy traveling cloak and revealed what she had been secretly concealing. For strapped snugly around Ceola's waist and chest was a sleeping baby.
Uther stumbled when he saw who it was and Bors had to catch him from falling. Uther was clearly losing control of himself, and it was happening quickly. This new shock seemed to hit him all the harder. "My ... son!?" Uther exclaimed.
Ceola tearfully nodded. "Regan gave him to me so that I night run and hide him, as she gave herself over to Gorlois. Gorlois ... took her. And ... killed all the rest."
"WHAT!?" Uther exclaimed. "ALGER!?"
Just then Ceola began to gasp as a terrible tight pain gripped her heart.
"CEOLA!!!"
"Take him." she whispered, offering the baby to Uther. "I have brought you your son. I can bear it no longer."
"CEOLA!!!" Uther screamed, as he took his infant son from her.
But Ceola's heart had already begun giving out. It was a miracle that she had made it that far all on her own, all that way from the village. She had given everything that she had to bring the child Arthur to his father, and she simply had no more left to give.
"Pelleas..." she whispered as the light began fading from her eyes.
"WHAT!?"
"Regan ... with child..."
"WHAT!?"
And then Ceola was dead.
Uther stared in horror at the son he was holding in his arms. His son, who needed him. But at the same time ... he had to go and try to save Regan. Even though he knew he was probably already too late. But he couldn't do both.
So ... he did the only thing he could think of doing.
Uther spun around had held the baby out to Bors.
Bors eyes widened in shock.
"By your life, Bors." Uther ordered.
It was the most honor-bound and sacred thing a king could ever command of a Knight. A command which no Knight could refuse.
With his hands trembling, Bors had no choice but to reach out and accept the tiny infant into his giant hands.
Uther then jumped up to his feet and pointed at Bors. "My son." Then he pointed to himself. "My wife." And Uther took off sprinting towards the horse stables.
*** *** ***
In stunned disbelief, Bors found himself standing at the front castle steps ... with two equally stunned guards ... a dead woman lying on th
e ground ... and a tiny High Prince in his hands.
Ordinarily a man quick to think and quick to action, Bors was, for several long moments, unable to think.
It wasn't until he saw Uther come tearing around the horse stables and galloping away at full speed when his mind finally returned to him.
Bors spun around and began barking orders at the two guards.
Within ten minutes, Bors had all of the leaders of all of the ground troops standing before him, including most of the Knights.
His first announcement was that Uther had only recently promoting him to Master Knight and General Commander of all of the armed forces. Bors was now, in effect, the number two man in the kingdom.
No one actually seemed surprised at the announcement, nor did anyone dispute it; for all knew very well of how highly favored Bors was in Uther's sight.
His next announcement, however, was more of a shocker.
The 'wife' of their High King ... whom no one had even known about ... had just recently been captured by the Duke of Cornwall.
Which was tantamount to an act of war.
Bors then gave them a very brief speech.
"On the night before we reclaimed the throne from Vortigern, our High Prince Ambrosius told us, 'What matters is the throne. Without the throne, there are no people.' Now ... whether you believe that or not, is irrelevant. What is relevant, is that the throne ... our new High King Uther Pendragon ... has just left. And the throne ... has single handedly declared war upon the Duke Gorlois of Cornwall. Why has he done this thing? Our High King is greatly distraught over the capture of his wife. You have not known of her; but I have. For I now hold in my hands ... the firstborn son of our High King. This child in my hands is High Prince Arthur Pendragon. Remember his name; one and all. For someday you shall know this name, well. Our High King now goes to reclaim the mother of our High Prince. Alone. Are we going to be shamed into letting our High King Uther fight for us!? WHAT SAY YOU ALL!?"
And in one loud and resounding voice, all of the Knights and all of the leaders began shouting and chanting, "DEATH TO GORLOIS!!! DEATH TO GORLOIS!!!"
"SO BE IT! WE RIDE THIS DAY!!!"
And so it was that Bors gave his very first order as Commander General of all of the armed forces and Uther's Second in Command. They were going to war.
With no time to waste - as Uther had already gotten a head start, Bors planned and formed three waves of attack. The first wave was twenty of their fastest riders; whose primary objective was to try and catch up to Uther. The second wave would consist of the same seventy men who had joined Bors and Uther and Ambrosius in re-capturing the fortress from Vortigern. Their job was to get to Cornwall as quickly as possibly; hopefully not too far behind the first wave of twenty riders. The third and final wave ... was the entire armed forces with all of their military might; over 120,000 troops in all. For as Bors had pointed out earlier, Uther was the throne. And wherever the throne was, so also should be the military.
Granted it was somewhat of an overkill; the kingdom's entire military force against a small duke's castle in a small corner of the kingdom. But as the military commander, Bors felt it was crucially important for all of the Knights and all of the men to get fully behind in support of their new High King; and that this would surely be a great cause towards that end.
But Bors was also a shrewd and intelligent man and a great strategist. And he had one more reason why he had done this. As he held the infant child Arthur in his large hands before all of his leaders, and had sparked their loyalty and commitment to fight on behalf of the tiny prince and their future High King, Bors had effectively instilled Arthur Pendragon into all of their hearts and minds.
Because Bors knew ... that Uther's days as king were numbered.
*** *** ***
And so it was that the entire massive military might of the kingdom took off in hot pursuit of their High King, to follow him all the way to the most southwestern tip of the kingdom.
All, that is, save one.
Bors, himself.
For Uther had charged Bors with the care and oversight of his one and only son, the future High King; and had given the most sacred of royal commands.
Thus ... the Master Knight and General Commander of the entire armed forces ... upon his very first day on the job as the number two man in the entire kingdom ... and who even now was watching his troops march off to war ... he himself, had been reduced to being ... a babysitter.
After Bors bid farewell to the last troops of the massive deployment, Bors sighed and looked at the tiny infant in his hands. He marveled at how good natured the child was, for it had not cried once the entire time.
Until now.
Bors figured the tiny prince was either hungry or needed to be changed. Having no idea how to deal with either emergency situation, Bors had already decided where he would go for strategic assistance. For Bors had recalled that the soldier Frederick, had a sister who was still weaning her most recent child.
Then, after Bors had taken care of his first and foremost priority, the High Prince and future High King, and seeing to it that Arthur was fed and changed, he would then return to make arrangements for the poor old peasant woman to receive a full and proper state burial, complete with royal honors including a stone memorial for her profound and noble actions.
Because even though she had been nothing but a lowly peasant woman, Bors saw her to be the most noblest of heroes he had ever known.
*** *** ***
And in the midst of it all, neither Bors ... nor Uther ... had either one caught nor understood Ceola's last words as she died. That Regan had once again been pregnant with Uther's child.
Chapter 26
Cornwall
One month earlier
"Master! I have returned!"
"Good, good; yes, yes. Did you find the girl human?"
"Yes, Master! Igraine was there, just as you had said!"
"Did you bring Igraine with you as I asked?"
"Yes, Master! She is here!"
"Why then, is she not standing before me?"
"You said she was mine!"
"Gorlois, when I give you a command, I expect you to obey. Do I need to punish you, again?"
"You said she was mine! You said she would bear me a son! You have lied to me!"
"I have not lied to you. Do you not already have four sons?"
"Yes, Master! I took four infants from four mothers in the village, just as you had commanded me!"
"And did you then kill the four mothers?"
"Yes, Master!"
"And the four fathers?"
"Yes, Master! I killed all of those filthy refugees in the village! There are none left alive!"
"Then you now have your four sons, just as I had promised you."
"But you said Igraine would bear me a son! Yet she has not!"
"WHAT!?"
"Igraine was with child when I found her! This very day, the child was born!"
"WHAT!? WHY WAS I NOT TOLD OF THIS!!?"
"You said Igraine was mine! You said she would bear me a son!"
"WHERE IS THE SON OF IGRAINE!?"
"Igraine did not bear a son! You lied to me! She has borne me another filthy daughter!"
"WHAT!?"
"Why did you lie to me!? You promised Igraine would bear me a son!"
"ARE YOU CERTAIN IT IS A GIRL CHILD!?"
"Yes, Master! Igraine spat at me and said she had named the filthy animal! She said its name is Morgan le Fay!"
"This does not make sense! The Prophecy said the Daughter of Kemuel was to bear a son!"
"It was not a son, Master! It was only another filthy animal!"
"THEN TRY AGAIN! I WILL HAVE HER SON! TAKE HER EVERY DAY UNTIL SHE BEARS YOU A SON!"
"I ... I cannot, Master."
"WHAT!?"
"I have killed Igraine."
"WHAT!?"
"You lied to me, Master! You said she would bear me a son! But she bore me yet another filthy daughter! Now she has b
orne me three daughters! Why did you lie to me?"
"GORLOIS! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!?"
"When I saw she had borne another filthy animal, I became angry! I threw Igraine from the upper window! Her body now lies below in the field."
"SHE IS DEAD!?"
"Yes, Master. Even now the wolves and scavengers surround her body. Soon, there shall be no trace of her and no one shall know."
"Gorlois?"
"Yes, Master? Have I ... displeased you?"
"Yes, you have greatly displeased me. Take your sword and cut off your right hand."
"Yes, Master."
"WAIT! What of Igraine's girl child!?"
"Shall I throw it to the wolves, also!?"
"No. Keep the girl child alive. I shall have need of it, someday."
"It is but a filthy animal!"
"Do not disobey me again, Gorlois; or I shall have you cut off your own head."
"Yes, Master."
"Have your nursemaiden see to it the girl child remains alive. Perhaps Morgan le Fay is the one the Prophecy speaks of, and not Igraine. When the girl child becomes of age, you shall take her until she bears you a son."
"Yes, Master. I shall obey."
"Now, Gorlois; cut of your right hand while I watch."
"Yes, Master."
Chapter 27
Cornwall
Six weeks later
The twenty fastest riders never could catch up to Uther. Though he ran the horse hard, Uther at least knew enough to rest the poor animal, else he wouldn't make it to Cornwall at all. But as High King, Uther had the strongest and fastest steed of them all, and thus he arrived at the castle of Duke Gorlois hours before the twenty riders. But Uther was not the one who needed to be protected. It turns out, it was the other way around.
Castle Cornwall was a very small castle, as it was a very small dukedom. With only a handful of nearby hamlets to rule over and no threat from the open western sea, there will little need to have many guards and sentries, nor was there much need for security.
There was another reason, however, why there was little security and few posted guards and sentries. For years there had been rumors of a dark and evil presence within the small castle, and everyone feared going anywhere near Castle Cornwall. And no one volunteered to serve or work there. The only ones who did serve at the castle, did so only by forceful insistence by the Duke. Or his cruel and evil Mistress Companion, Gytha. Together, they were both feared by the few servants and guards who were unfortunate enough to have serve their time, as it was more like a prison sentence, than a job.
