Part 2.
The Present
Chapter 26.
A big jolt brought us back to reality. Arthur was still in my arms, in bad shape. His eyes had closed, which was not a good thing. So, I turned to see where we had landed. I recognized my city, Lyon, and a sigh of relief came over me. I was finally home, in my own time. I was so happy to be back. We had landed near the hospital in the 4th arrondissement. We were actually right in front of the entrance. I didn’t exactly know how I did it, but it worked.
I did not have to shout for help, a man came directly towards us, spotting us and all the blood coming from Arthur’s body. His blue outfit told me that he was a nurse. After asking me a few questions about what had happened to us, he took charge of the king. I had to lie and tell him we were actors, and something bad had happened, but that I didn’t really remember what occurred, that all went to fast.
“But you're hurt too," he exclaimed in French.
Indeed, so absorbed by the fate of Arthur, I had not paid attention to my own injury. Gwaine had hit me well, and blood was still oozing from it.
Since Arthur was already taken care of, the nurse took me in and healed me. He cauterized the wound and then gave me some stitches and medication for the pain. Afterwards, I waited for Arthur to come out of the operating room where he had been taken. It took a while. I had been walking around in circles for hours, waiting and wondering how I was going to explain everything to my family, how I was going to contact them because I didn't have a phone.
Then I noticed something. In the waiting room, newspapers were laid out here and there. I took one and found out what day it was. It was the day of my departure. I had returned to the same day that I had disappeared into the past. I was relieved, because at least my family didn't think I had been missing for weeks. But I still had to explain to them what I was doing in the hospital.
After few more hours, a doctor came to see me. As I was the only person to know the patient, I was allowed to stay. I might have told them we were a couple, so that they won’t ask to many questions. It was not like I could reveal who Arthur really was without shattering their world.
The doctor told me Arthur was recovering and that he was going to be fine. Tears of joy came down my face.
“He just needs to wake up, then you could discharge him,” the man said to me, in French.
“Thank you, doctor,” I replied in the same language.
So, I waited again, not knowing what else to do. I was wondering about what to do next: how Arthur would react in this new world, how to explain everything to him and my family. Oh my god, just thinking about it was exhausting. It did not help that I hadn’t sleep since the day before.
After a few hours, Arthur woke up and I was able to go visit him. I was both anxious and happy to see him alive and well. It was strange to see him lying like that, in that white room and white bed. He turned his head to me. He was livid and exhausted even after sleeping multiples hours. But he was still recovering.
“Hello,” I said.
“Where are we?” he asked, ignoring my greeting.
“In a hospital. It is where people can heal, just like you after your injury.”
“I know what a hospital is. It does not look like Camelot.”
“Yes, we are in Lyon, my city,” I explained.
“In the Franc Kingdom?”
“Well, not really anymore. It is called France now.”
“Now?”
I sighed. That was the moment I was dreading. Having to explain to him what happened after his battle with Mordred.
“After your fight, you were badly injured. And we did not have time to take you back to Camelot or anywhere else. So, I took you with me, to my home to save you.”
“What is it you are not telling me?” pressed Arthur, angrily.
“We are in the year 2021.”
“What? How is that possible?”
“You know how,” I only replied, in a small voice.
“You possess magic, like Merlin?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
A big silence felt in. I was afraid of how he would react to this confession. But this silence was horrible.
“Just say something please,” I begged him.
“What do you want me to say?” he asked with rage. “That I feel betrayed. That you lied to me, multiple times. Everything you told me was a lie. And apparently, you were not the only liar in my court, Merlin was too. I saw him use magic against Morgana. The two persons closest to me lied straight to my face.”
“I am sorry, Arthur. You have to believe me,” I said, tears in my eyes. “It was for your own good, to save you.”
“Perhaps, but I do not want to talk to you ever again.”
“It might not be as simple as that. I am the only one who can help you. You are in my world now. A lot has changed since 1238,” I replied, starting to feel the anger too.
I could understand that Arthur felt betrayed because of our lies. That I hurt him. But he couldn’t say such things when our warfare wasn’t over yet. He couldn’t say such things just because of his hatred of magic, not when it saved his life.
“You can hate me all you want, but you cannot survive here without me,” I said with conviction.
“She is right,” said a familiar voice behind me.
I turned to see who had talked. And surprise felt over me as I looked into those friendly eyes.
“Grandpa,” I exclaimed as I rushed toward him to throw myself in his arms.
“Avalon,” he said, responding to my hug.
He looked like he always had. He was tall with his brown hair and his blue eyes. He wore a white shirt with a classic pant.
"Let's go home. And you are coming with us, young man," my grandfather ordered. "Everything has been settled and I have a lot of explaining to do."
In the year 1300.
All was darkness and chaos. But two small sparks of life remained. They struggled to stay alive, clinging to existence desperately, with a goal in mind.
Oblivion had taken over their entity. Few remembered who they once were. They became legend, of a lost kingdom.
They were between life and death and only time could decide what would become of them. Only time and fate.
Chapter 27.
We settled ourselves in my grandparents’ apartments. My grandma wasn’t there, surely doing shopping or out to the hair salon. My grandpa took place in one of the chairs in the living room, while I seated in the big beige couch, while Arthur stayed up on the other side of the room, as far away from me as possible. It was as if I were the plague or the cholera.
He was wearing new clothes, as do I, but it was weird seeing him in jeans and shirts. When we went out of the hospital, I remembered him being shocked and un-at-ease. Which was totally understandable. The poor guy. He saw for the first time cars going super-fast, people of all kinds talking about everything and nothing, dressing in pants while in his time, only men had to wear them. He was livid when my grandfather started the car to go to the apartment, probably out of fear since he had never been in a vehicle in his life. I was surprised that he didn't ask any questions, probably too shaken by what he was seeing and experiencing.
“How did you find us?” I asked, not able to contain myself anymore.
“Patience, Avalon, I’m going to explain it all to you,” my grandpa answered. “Maybe you should seat, it is going to be long,” he added turning to the king.
Arthur listened to him and took a seat, the closest to where he was standing.
“Good. First, you need to know where you come from, Avalon. It might be a shock, but it is essential that you learn it now. I am sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but you needed to do the trip in the past before.”
“What? You knew I had been time travelling?” I asked him.
“Yes, even before you were born. Just let me explain,” he said when he saw my face as I raised my eyebrows. “You are a descendant of Merlin, that’s why you possess such magic, and always had.”
“Merlin had kids? With whom?” questioned Arthur.
I was to surprise to even say anything. Merlin was my great, great, great… grandfather?
“Why didn’t he tell me?”
“He didn’t know when you meet him. He foresaw everything once you were both gone. And to answer your question Arthur, Merlin married a lady named Lily.”
“Lily? Oh my god!”
I was so happy for them. Wait! It meant that Lily, my maid, was also my ancestor. That thought brought me joy. I knew where my kindness came from, at least.
“Merlin took care of Camelot, after Morgana and Mordred. He ruled with kindness and with the help of magic, he build a world of peace in the land,” he continued on.
“He made Camelot a land full of magic?” asked Arthur.
“Yes, and thanks to him and his magic, Camelot thrived for a long time, before getting forgotten just like you, your majesty, and Merlin. You shouldn’t be so against magic, Arthur. It has saved you on many occasions,” replied my grandpa.
“Okay, so what happens next?” I said.
“First, I have some gifts to give you both. Then, we will give Arthur a few lessons on how to live in our world. And after that, we will see.”
He got up and went to search for something in his office, which was adjacent to the living room. He returned, his arms loaded with a large box. He turned to the young blond man.
“Merlin left that for you. You had abandoned it in the past, but it is rightfully yours and you will need it later,” my grandfather said, opening the box.
I got up from the sofa and approached step by step to see more closely the object in question.
“Excalibur!” exclaimed Arthur, taking it in his hands, his face full of joy for once.
“And for you Avalon, Merlin had only kept this. But it is in poor conditions.”
And then, he handed out to me my… my pajama? I couldn’t even be sure it was that. It looked like an old fabric full of holes. Why did he keep that? I only ever wore it the day I arrived in Camelot.
“Oh, thanks,” I replied with discomfort.
“Oh, one more thing, Avalon. Your parents do not possess magic and they do not know about it. It has to stay that way. That is why Arthur will stay with us while you go back to your parents. I warned them that you were with me for an errand but go home quickly so that they don’t worry. Come back tomorrow. I have more to tell but you need time to process what I said today.”
“Oh, okay. See you tomorrow,” I said to both my grandfather and Arthur, but the latter did not acknowledge me.
So, I left to go home. I missed my parents after all this time, but I was sad to leave as well. Arthur needed me to end whatever battle we were facing, however it was hard to see him behave like that with me. How could we end this if we weren’t talking? If we were ignoring each other? If we didn’t mend what was broken between us?
Chapter 28.
The following day, I returned to my grandfather’s apartment. I had a hard time sleeping, thinking about everything that happened in so little time. I didn’t know if we were safe now, even in the present. I kept wondering about what was to come, because the prophecy and Merlin warned me it wasn’t over.
But it felt great to be at home again, with my parents, like everything was normal again. However, it wasn’t. I could feel it. Even if my relationship with them hadn’t change, I could feel a gap between them and I. A gap made of lies and secrets.
When I arrived, I saw my grandparents talking with Arthur. They were having a big conversation, I assumed by the gestures they made. I got closer to hear them. They were talking about food. Arthur was amazed by the oven and micro-waves. It was all very new to him. That we could use technology in our everyday life, to cook food faster. I wondered how was going his adaptation to this world.
“Hi,” I greeted.
“Avalon, darling,” said my grandma while giving me a hug. “Your grandfather is trying to explain the wonders of cooking to your friend.”
I jumped at the word friend. Arthur and I were not friends at that moment. No, I didn't know what we were, but it definitely wasn't the word I would have chosen.
“It is not easy since he has to learn about everything,” she whispered to me.
“Yes, thanks for doing that.”
“Don’t worry about it. How are you doing, darling?”
“I’m fine,” I lied, because my injury was itching and my moral was a little bit down, maybe because I hadn’t slept much.
“Well, I guess we will let you talk with him then.”
“Oh, okay,” I said without enthusiasm.
And then, they were out of the kitchen, leaving Arthur and I in a huge silence. I didn’t know what to say to him nowadays. I didn’t want to fight again or hear him throw insults at me, like when he learned I lied about my life, about who I was.
“How are you doing?” I finally asked.
“Not good, but it will get better eventually. My wound hurts a little and I have a headache with all the information your grandparents told me. There is so much I need to learn to accommodate: the way I talk apparently is part of it too.”
“Yes, a lot have changed since 1238. Not only the way people talk, but also the way people stand, behave or act, and we have technology as well,” I replied.
“Yes, your grandparents tried to explain it to me. But I still think it is magical.”
“Oh,” was all I managed to say.
“Do you have something to tell me?” asked the young man.
I stayed silent.
“You did come here to see me, right? So, you have something to say?” he replied in a harsh tone.
His words hurt me. But I was tired of being treated that way. I knew what I did was wrong and that it wounded him too, however he couldn't treat me like that, not when it hurt like hell. I had strong feelings for him, but not when he was acting like a fool, like right now. I would have wanted to strangle him instead. However, I restrained myself.
“Why do you talk to me like that? Because I lied to you, to protect you. Yes, I am sorry I lied but I will not apologize to have saved your life. And I know Merlin would have say the same if he could,” I said with anger.
“Of course, you will know what he thinks, you are his descendant after all.”
“Is that why you are mad?” I asked him, bewildered.
“No, I am angry because I feel betrayed.”
“Oh, come on, get over it Arthur. Life is full of far worse betrayals than mine. If you can't understand that what I did, I did for you, then I guess we're stuck. Yes, I have magic, but I didn't know I had such powers until I came to Camelot. Does that make me a bad person? No, Arthur. No! And neither does Merlin, for that matter. And if we will have told you, you will have hanged us!” I screamed at him, starting the feel resentment toward the young man.
“You do not know that!” he yelled back. “I cared about you both, deeply. I trusted you with my life, and yes, you saved it, but it still hurts to see that I know nothing about you. I thought I knew who you were, but I was wrong. I liked the one you were in Camelot, but it was a fake one.”
He said these last few words with such sadness that I felt it too. There were so many secrets and lies in our life and I didn’t know what to do to overcome it.
“I am truly sorry, Arthur,” I finally said.
“Me as well.”
“Maybe we can start over, like we just met. Would that help?”
“Yes, but I do not think we can now. We cannot pretend. We know too much about what is at stake here.”
“Yes, and I think you should know about the prophecy,” I declared.
“Which prophecy?”
“Merlin’s! He revealed it to me just before the last battle.”
So, I told him everything. I told him about the prophecy, what I knew about it so far, about the deal Merlin and I made to save his life no matter the cost, about why I lied to protect both the wizard and me, about how I felt when I first arrived in Camelot. I told him everything and he listened carefully. It was a good first step to mend whatever was left between us. It was indeed a good start and I hoped it would continue that way, because we needed each other to complete the prophecy. Hard days laid ahead and I wasn’t sure if we would be ready for what was to come.
In the year 1400.
The light grows from year to year, healing the wounds and the damage done by a great tragedy that occurred eons earlier.
The two beings became more and more powerful through the years, growing step by step.
Life was breathing magic into them, making them gain strength. Strength to face this moment of darkness and many others, which could occur in the future.
Only fate knew what would happen to them. Only fate and time could mend what was broken in them. Only fate and time could change the course of things, for the better or for the worse.
Chapter 29.
“Eh, Avalon, Arthur needs some new clothes. Maybe you should take him to town and go shopping with him? And by the same way, make him learn more about life in this day and age?" my grandfather said as he stuck his head in the door frame.
“Yeah sure. Are you up to it?” I asked the young man, gesturing to his injury to know if it didn’t hurt too much.
“Yes, I am sure it would be fine.”
So, I took him to the town center, where the shops were. We went by foot, since my grandparents didn’t live that far. And it was good for him as well as for me to walk, especially because Arthur didn’t really like cars. They went too fast for him. He was still scared of them, even as we walked by. Maybe I could teach him how to ride a bike someday?
Arthur was still amazed by everything. The infrastructures, the architectures, every vehicle he saw, meaning cars, bus and motorcycle. By people too, because they were free to talk in a certain way, without the etiquette Arthur grew up with. Now, we didn’t have to respect rules (except the law), we were free to talk and be ourselves. And that was a real change for him as for me. I could finally live and be myself.
I took the young man into my favorite shop. While we looked at men clothes, I tried to explain to him the trends nowadays. I chose some garments for him to try.
“That would look good on you,” I said, showing him a classic white shirt and black chino pants.
“Really?” he asked.
“Yes, go try it on!” I replied, shoving the clothes in his arms, and pushing him to the fitting rooms.
However, I must have made a bad move because I felt my wound pulling me.
"Ouch," I shouted.
"What? What is it?" asked Arthur, worried.
"I think I pulled a stitch."
"What is that?"
"It's for my injury" I explained.
"What do you mean? When did you get hurt?"
"During the battle, when I fought Gwaine. He stuck his sword in my ribs."
"Show me," he ordered me.
I sat down on the stool in the booth and pulled up my shirt. When he saw that my wound was bleeding, Arthur made a weird face.
"If you hadn't already killed that traitorous bastard, I would have done it with my own hands," Arthur said, referring to Gwaine. “You should not have been hurt. I failed to protect you, I am sorry.”
“What? Why do you say that?” I asked him.
I took Arthur's face in my hands and raised his head so that he could look at me. I held his gaze, so that he would believe me.
“You couldn’t have known Gwaine was the traitor, that he would attack me, wound me. Do not apologize for that. Never. Do you understand me?”
“Yes,” he said in a low voice.
“Good. I will ask for a bandage while you try this clothes on. I will be right back!” I exclaimed.
“Deal. I like when you are like this,” he confessed as I was about to leave to find a band-aid. “Fierce and confident.”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I smiled and went to search for a seller in order to help me not bleed out. But I was happy. I liked it when Arthur was charming, as he was right now. It was a change from the last few days, and I was hopeful that it would continue that way.
Chapter 30.
At some point, we returned to my grandparents’ appartement. We found some great clothes and shoes for Arthur, and we were full of bags when we entered the room. The young man finally understood that fashion changed overtime. However, the most difficult part of his adaptation was the bathroom. And I could really relate. I remembered how confused I was when I had to take a bath or do my things in a bucket. It was terrible. Arthur, on the other hand, found that really interesting and wanted to learn everything about it, which was kind of weird to be honest. But I could understand his obsession over it. Technology is a real game changer.
We were welcome by my grandparents, who asked us how our shopping spree was. And it was good. I thought that it brought Arthur and I closer. That we finally were on the same page.
“Arthur, Avalon, can you come here?” ask my grandfather. “There is something I need to tell you”
“Sure,” I responded.
“As you know, Merlin is our ancestor,” my grandpa said to me. “He comes from my lineage, which mean your dad possesses some magic as well. But I never told him. I wanted him not to worry about it, to live a normal life. Your grandma knows everything, but she kept the secret as well.”
“So, you have magic,” I replied. “Do you know how to use it?”
“Yes, that is why I wanted to talk to you. Do you have any knowledge about how to use magic?” he asked me.
“Yes, Merlin taught me some lessons.”
“Great, we will then proceed his lectures. As for you Arthur, you must learn to handle Excalibur.”
“I beg your pardon? I already know how to yield my sword,” responded the young man in a harsh tone.
“Yes, I know. But Excalibur is special, you see. Merlin forged it with magic, meaning the sword has powers too,” explained my grandfather.
Arthur didn’t reply. He was astonished to the revelation my grandfather had just made. I was surprised as well. I didn’t know Excalibur has magic. I knew it was special because Arthur retrieved it from a rock, but beyond that, I didn’t even question it.
“What can Excalibur do?” I asked finally.
“It can counter a spell,” said Arthur.
“Oh yes, you told me”, I remembered. “And? What else?”
“It is a very powerful sword. With the knowledge of how to use magic, when you yield it, you will also be able to conjure spells,” my grandfather revealed.
“Oh wow, that would be awesome!”
“So, I have to learn the ways of magic?” asked Arthur.
“Yes, and that is why we are here today. Let me teach you about magic.”
I was shocked that Arthur didn't answer. He who was so against magic. He who lost everything because of it was willing to learn its powers? Wow, I must have been dreaming. He should have said he was against that idea, but for some mysterious reasons, he just nodded.
And then, we went outside, and my grandfather started to teach him, making me retrain at the same time. Arthur was a good learner. He already knew every word of Latin, helping him more than I thought. I remembered struggling to learn the language and it came naturally to the young man. I was a little bit jealous. But the magic Arthur had to learn was different from my apprenticeship. The blond man needed to have Excalibur in his hands for the spells to work. The powers didn’t come from Arthur, but from the sword. It was interesting to see it.
We spend hours doing charms over charms. Arthur was wrestling to get Excalibur doing some magic. However, he finally made it. And I could see a smile on his face when he did it. A smile on his tired face.
So, we stopped the lessons. It was already nightfall. I had to get back home, but I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to talk about magic with Arthur, to get his opinion on it, to speak with him for hours. But my parents would worry if I didn't come home for dinner. So, I gnawed on my own time, and went home.
In the year 1500.
Time continued to pass, changing the landscape. Life went on, people evolved, learned, forgot, focused on new things.
And our two beings continued to grow, little by little, gaining strength each year.
A certain power was emanating from them now. But it was impossible to determine if it was good or bad. Peace and anger fought between them, not knowing who would win.
The battle within carried on and only time and fate will tell how it will all end.
Photos Credits: Pinterest
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