36. Will
Chapter thirty-six
Will
It serves us all
D orothy brushed my damp hair from my face, murmuring soft words of praise and love and adoration in my ear. Thankfully, all her bruises and cuts she’d gotten from earlier had disappeared once she’d entered the pool. I hadn’t been sure how fast or effectively the water would heal us, but it had worked quicker than I’d thought it would. I wondered if it worked so quickly because of the magic in our veins, including Arthur’s curse. But despite being healed, Dorothy’s eyes were still rife with tension.
Because even though Morgana was finished, we didn’t know if the same could be said of her army.
Arthur still had his back to us, his gaze on the archway Viviane had disappeared through. But as I exited the healing pool, his gaze found mine again and I discovered it full of cautious hope.
“Come on,” I said, smiling as I tugged him to his feet and started moving farther into the gardens. “I think there’s something you deserve to see.”
Arthur allowed me to drag him up the path until we came into a section of the gardens where the wellhead lived. When he saw it, he hesitated, his jaw working, his grip on Excalibur tightening.
“This is where he died?”
I nodded. “Yes. I know it doesn’t make up for your pain, but I thought it was important that you know he never stopped trying to save you. He might have done a lot of questionable, horrible things in his life, but he never gave up on you.”
Arthur’s green eyes filled with unshed tears, and he nodded. “Thank you. It does help.”
Dorothy hovered in the distance, not leaving us completely while trying to give us a semblance of privacy. I knew we didn’t have a lot of time, so after giving Arthur’s hand a squeeze, I let him go.
I descended toward the well, that residual feeling of magic thick in the air. As I knelt down toward the grate covering the opening, a pulse echoed up from the bottom.
Carefully, with the help of Arthur, we removed the grate, and I peered down into the darkness below.
Foliage grew along the stones lining the well’s interior, and I could see water at the bottom.
With a sigh, I shifted around and dangled my body into the well. Looking up into Arthur’s face, I said, “So help me, if this turns into another Saint Nectan situation, you owe me big time.”
He laughed as I dropped. I splashed into the bottom of the well, landing in water several feet deep. It was dark and dank down here, but I didn’t need more light. Because as my fingers skimmed along the stones, low beneath the surface of the water, I felt the deep carving of something in one of them.
My heart sped up as I felt the outline of Merlin’s mark.
With my touch, the symbol glowed, and I had to cover my eyes as blinding light illuminated the water. When the almost-painful brightness dimmed, I squinted my eyes open.
And there, coming from the slot, was a brilliant, pulsing gleam.
My hands shook as I reached inside, grasping the cold metal base of a chalice.
I pulled it out, gazing in awe at the tiny jewels embedded in its rim. A few leaves were embossed on the golden surface of the cup, and brimming from within, copper-tinted water.
Gazing upward, I beamed at Arthur, finding him gazing at the Holy Grail in reverence.
He helped me climb out of the well since I didn’t have any magic remaining, and when I stood, I closed the distance between Arthur and myself.
Cupping his face, I brushed my thumb along the freckles of his cheekbones. “King Arthur Pendragon.” His eyes were glassy as he shifted his free hand up to caress my own face. I smiled, the Grail held between our bodies. “I think it’s about time I fulfill Merlin’s oath.”
His hand shook as it dropped to accept the Grail from me, and the moment his hand touched its gold exterior, a current of wind enveloped us. It cocooned us from everything else, and from the whirlwind, memories popped in and out like jumping fish.
“I am sorry, My King,” Merlin said. “But I swear upon my blood, the Grail will be found and thee shall rise again ... ”
Another showed Morgana speaking to Merlin. “I am only doing this because I owed thee a favor. But my debt is paid hereafter. As thou hast asked of me, I shall keep Arthur safely hidden in Avalon.”
“Only until the time comes to raise him. He is not thine to keep forever. I have sworn on my blood that he shall return, Morgana. The Grail shall be found, and Arthur shall rule once more...”
Another memory appeared. Merlin’s eyes overflowed with tears as his power pulsed all around him as the grand, abandoned city sank beneath the ground. Above, ash rained down, aiding in the city’s burial. “No one must know what happened. And when the time is right, we shall rebuild Camelot.”
In the next several visions, it showed Merlin hiding the Treasures throughout the lands.
Merlin entered an old bookshop, a bag with something square and glinting gold peeking out of the top.
Head bowed, Merlin reburied his friend and late king, sealing the coffin with his magic.
In a cavern full of giant statues, Merlin placed a large cauldron on a dais...
Then the scenes changed to more recent ones.
“No,” came my voice. “I’ll find a way to slow the curse. There has to be something, okay? I don’t know how long it will take to find the Grail. And I refuse to leave him down there to suffer any longer...”
I hugged Arthur to me on a rooftop beneath a sky full of stars. “So we’re going to find the Grail, we’re going to lift your curse, and you’re going to become the king you were destined to be. I promise...”
Arthur kneeled before the ghosts of his knights, his son. “I failed you. All of you. And I’m so sorry. So terribly sorry. I never wanted any of you to die because of me. Each of you has served me honorably and diligently, and though I know you’re tired, I must ask of you one more thing. Forgive me. Please, please forgive me...”
The next several played out our quests and growth over these last several months as we retrieved Treasure after Treasure.
Then the final one from today.
“And I keep my promises,” I told Arthur, offering my hand to him. “It’s time to show her we’ll meet whatever challenge she puts before us. That we won’t let her destroy us.”
When the wind settled and the memories faded, I stared down at my hand. Because where there once was a red crown marked into my skin, it was now unblemished. When I glanced at Arthur’s hand, I found the same.
We grinned at each other. Because I’d done it. We’d done it.
But we were far from finished.
Retrieving the Chariot from my pocket where I’d secretly stored it, having a feeling we’d be needing it, I pictured what I needed and the little toy MINI Cooper flared hot against my flesh. With a flash, the toy dropped from my hand and transformed into a sporty, black and white car with a little silver shield logo on its front.
“Your dad is going to be so jealous when he hears about this,” Dorothy said in awe, running a hand over the sleek exterior of the car.
Since there were only two seats, Dorothy drove, leaving me to sit in Arthur’s lap. Not that either of us complained. At least the Chariot was an automatic this time.
We sped off in the direction of the campground, not even sparing the gardens another glance. My heart wouldn’t slow down, even when we reached the fields and found the magical moat empty except for a mere drizzle. But still, at a certain point, the car couldn’t go any farther due to mud and pockets of standing water, and we hopped out.
All around, people sat tearing off armor or sipping from canteens. Gerry’s siblings laughed with glee as they ran around setting fire to the corpses of Morgana’s army.
When people noticed us, though, they stood, moving to form a row on either side of the path through the campground.
We looked for any sign of our family, needing to know where they were. If they were okay.
Then there they were, rushing toward us from the end of the path.
Arms, too many arms, snared us in hugs, and I laughed as my dad peppered kisses over mine and Dorothy’s faces. He even spared a few for Arthur, who looked pleased to be included.
“We were so worried,” he whispered, looking us over in search of injuries. When he spotted the Grail, his eyes widened. “You found it.”
“Yes,” I said.
“And Morgana?” he asked hesitantly, almost like he feared my answer.
“Dead.”
His shoulders sagged with relief. Then Otto was there, jostling him out of the way and yanking me into a tight hug. “I was so fucking worried about you. About all of you.”
I patted his back, tucking my face into the crook of his neck. “We’re okay. I promise.”
Gerry pranced closer in his feline form, and I reached down to scratch at his head. “What happened after we left?”
“We won,” Nana said, leaning heavily on her cane. She was covered in blood and dirt. Arthur’s Mantle still hung around her shoulders.
My dad nodded. “It definitely helped when the dome disappeared. A majority of their weapons disappeared along with it.”
“Honestly, I think Gerry’s family made the biggest difference,” Otto said, smiling down at Gerry. “They took down most of the army.”
“It is our specialty. War and destruction,” Gerry said, studying his claws with a fat grin on his face. “Our parents will be so proud once they hear about today.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m so glad you’re all safe.”
“What’s the plan now?” Otto asked as people continued to watch us.
“Well, someone needs to help clean this up,” I started, and Gerry grinned.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “We’ve got that covered. Trust me.”
I nodded, glancing toward Arthur. “But Arthur and I still have one more thing left to do.”
“We do?” Arthur asked.
I smiled. “You have a promise to fulfill.”
It didn’t take long for me to find him. Though, I was surprised to discover just where that location was.
I sat in Arthur’s lap as we crossed through the mists to Avalon. With one arm cradling my satchel to my chest, I kept my free hand firmly on Arthur’s leg as he rowed, needing as much physical contact as I could after earlier at the Chalice Well Gardens. His eyes were tight with tension, long after the pressure had lessened, but he didn’t complain. I knew his stress had little to do with the magic and everything to do with this being the place of his suffering for so long.
When the mists parted and we caught our first glimpse of Avalon again, I gasped.
It was still withered and dead, but now, there was no storm. No darkness cloaking the lands in shadows. And there, along the shores of the lake...
“There are more who live here?” I asked Arthur, watching the figures staring up at the sun.
He nodded, his grip tightening on the oars. “Yes. It was not just the queens and their army. Avalon has always been a land with many beings and creatures.”
“And they’re not...” I fumbled for words as we continued closer. “They’re not like those in the army?”
Arthur shrugged. “I’m not certain. But there’s only one way to find out.”
And I supposed he was right.
Avalon Castle seemed to shimmer under the sun, its pale stones still wet from hundreds of years of rain and storm. A few birdlike creatures dove through the air, their calls filled with joy and excitement.
Splashes around us in the water had me glancing around, finding scaled creatures, both humanoid and not, swimming right alongside us.
But I didn’t fear them. Because when they looked at us, their eyes were bright with relief.
We spotted a lone fishing boat tucked away on a sandy shore, and we rowed toward it.
When our boat settled on the beach, Arthur helped me climb out. And to my excitement, I didn’t stumble once.
Slowly, we trekked closer to the solitary figure resting in his boat.
Pell sat with his eyes closed, his face tilted up toward the sky.
He must have heard us approach, but he made no move to look at us.
“King Pell,” Arthur said, moving to kneel on the rocks.
Finally, he opened his eyes. Eyes full of tears. When he looked at us, those tears flowed freely down his weary face. “You came back.”
“Yes,” Arthur agreed. “I promised you I would find you again.”
The former Guardian of the Grail smiled a wobbly grin. “So you did.”
Arthur took the old king’s hand in his, giving the older man’s a squeeze. “Pell, I have something very important to ask you.”
“Then ask.”
“Whom does the Grail serve?”
More and more tears stained Pell’s cheeks, and his hand shook in Arthur’s. “The answer is simple: It serves us all.”
“So it does,” Arthur agreed, and I stepped forward, retrieving the Grail from my satchel. When Pell’s eyes fell upon it, he smiled brighter than ever before.
I held it toward him in offering. “I think you’ve suffered long enough, don’t you?”
Hesitantly, the Fisher King reached for it, his hope bright in his eyes. Then, with one last strained smile, he lifted the Grail to his lips and drank from the cup that was always full, but never spilled.
The change in him was immediate. The trembles in Pell’s hands slowed, the strain creased in every etch of every line of his face relaxed, and with his next breath, he sighed.
We backed up slightly as he stood and climbed out of his boat. His limp, any sign of pain, was gone.
“Thank you,” he whispered, closing his eyes as he smiled upward once more. “ Thank you .”
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something moving among the trees. And when the white stag appeared, looking toward us with its ghostly eyes, I grabbed Arthur’s shoulder.
When he spotted the stag, he stilled, watching it move closer with every step.
When it stood before us, the stag bowed its head toward Pell, antlers grazing the ground. The old man breathed out a laugh, reaching out hesitantly to run a hand along the creature’s back. “Are you here to guide me home?”
Rising to its full height, the stag gave a single nod.
Pell turned to us, joy and relief glowing in his gaze. “I suppose this is farewell then.”
“This isn’t farewell,” Arthur said. “Not truly.”
Nodding, Pell turned away, letting the stag lead him on his next journey.
We watched as they disappeared into the trees, and when I looked out and found the people of Avalon watching on in the distance, my heart kicked up once more.
“There are so many,” I whispered.
Arthur followed my gaze, and his throat clicked. “These lands, these people, have suffered for so long. It’s time to fix that.”
Kneeling, he dipped the Holy Grail into the water, keeping it submerged, and a golden glow seeped out, cleansing everything it touched.
We both knew it would take time for the magical artifact’s effects to fully restore Avalon and we couldn’t risk leaving it here right now, but that was okay. Because we had to start somewhere, and we could return with the chalice to do this properly.
“What do I do now?” he asked me, staring at the people and creatures wandering closer to watch the Grail heal the waters.
I took his free hand, grinning brightly. “That’s the best part. Anything you want.”
Oh, how he smiled. Because he was free. Finally free to choose his future.
And I couldn’t wait to be there right alongside him.