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“The fae called the sword Excalibur,” Arthur went on. “The weapon was said to make the one who wielded it utterly invincible. The fae stole the sword from us and hid it. Now you will retrieve it for me. And for the people of Pendrath. I do this for their protection.”
“Of course,” I murmured. “It is only that...”
“Yes?” Arthur’s voice was hard.
“It sounds like a storybook tale. An enchanted weapon. One lost centuries ago. How do we know it still exists?” How did I know Arthur was not just sending me on a wild goose chase? But then, why would he go to all of the trouble? He could send me anywhere and I would have to obey. There was no need for such an inventive pretense. Unless he truly believed what he was saying.
“I have reliable sources,” he replied shortly. “You must trust me on that.”
“Why not send an entire battalion of soldiers to retrieve this weapon if you believe it is so very crucial to our success against Rheged?” I asked, still disbelieving that he meant to send me and a few guards on a quest across all of Eskira.
“No, it has to be you.” He met my eyes stonily.
“What aren’t you telling me?” I asked. “Please, Brother. Talk to me. Trust me.”
“Trust you?” Arthur’s gaze became downright flinty. “I care for you, Morgan. We are family. But how could I ever trust a fae-blood?”
I was caught off guard. “I have always done everything in my power to care for you, Arthur. To protect you. You know that.” I swallowed. “Even if the blood of the fae does run in me, it is nothing compared to the ties of my own family. You and Kaye are everything to me.”
It was the truth. No matter what Arthur was, no matter what he had done, no matter what he was becoming, a part of me still cared for him. Felt a fierce loyalty to him.
He was my younger brother. He always would be.
“You have my loyalty. You are my king,” I said quietly.
His gaze softened ever so slightly. For a moment, he looked young and open and familiar again. Then his expression became closed once more. “I know you believe that. And in fact, this is a rare opportunity for you, Morgan. To prove your supposed loyalty as no one else can do. Your fae-blood is the very reason I have chosen you for this quest. It may make you uniquely suited to finding the weapon and bringing it back. Think of this as a long journey, nothing more. You’ve always wanted to see more of the world, haven’t you?”
I was quiet. How could I challenge such a drastic understatement? A journey through an all but unknown foreign kingdom was one thing. Traveling merchants did visit Cerunnos, though it was said to be an inhospitable, dangerous place.
But the Bloodlands... Oh, they were not called that because they ran with blood or anything so gruesome. But they were distant blighted lands. There was a reason they had not been claimed by any kingdom though they lay near Lyonesse and directly south of Cerunnos. They were a wilderness. The history books were mostly blank pages when it came to the Bloodlands.
Past the Bloodlands was said to lie another place lost to history.
The abandoned fae kingdom of Valtain.
“Valtain is our destination then, I take it?” I asked hesitantly.
Arthur rose to his feet. “You don’t require those details now, Morgan. Go and concern yourself with packing.”
I felt as if I’d run up against a brick wall but tried again. “I assume we will have maps? That I will hear more specifics about how we will make this journey and where exactly our final destination lies?”
Arthur waved a hand. “One of the men accompanying you will have everything you need. Explicit instructions and directions from me.”
“And if we fail. If we cannot find the place or if we find the place but cannot find the sword... What then?”
Arthur had been moving away from the table. Now he turned and faced me. “You will return to Camelot, of course, Sister. A hero for having made the attempt.” His eyes were hard. “But a most zealous attempt it must be. There will be no returning until all avenues have been absolutely exhausted.”
“Of course.” My heart was racing but I was losing patience, too. “A dangerous journey where I don’t know where I’m going or exactly how I’m supposed to find the object you want me to bring back. I’m sure it will be a triumphant success.”
Arthur’s face flushed with anger and I swallowed hard. “You say you wish to help the people of Pendrath. You claim to be loyal to your king, to your family. Then you had best do this, Morgan. Succeed and you will have my gratitude upon your return. Not to mention your choice of the two futures we discussed.”
I already knew which one I’d be sticking with.
“But if you fail me,” he continued. “Or if I believe your reluctance may contribute to your failure, then may I remind you that ultimately the course of your future lies with me. If you return without the sword in hand, then it may not be necessary for me to break our father’s promise to the temple at all. A word in Merlin’s ear about your great sin and she won’t want you in the temple ever again, Morgan.”
I clenched my hands into fists beneath the table. There was no need for him to elaborate. I knew precisely what he was referring to.
If anything, I was surprised he had not threatened me with this earlier, when he first suggested I marry Florian.
