Read Online THE CURSE OF EXCALIBUR: a gripping Arthurian fantasy (THE MORGAN TRILOGY Book 2) by Lavinia Collins - Free Book Online
Authors: Lavinia Collins
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did his father any good not knowing who his parents were, did it?” I supposed that she was right.
“Should you have him here? Isn’t it dangerous?” I asked.
Morgawse spoke gently, still gazing down at her child, but her words were harsh. “It is safe enough. I wrote to Arthur before we came saying that I was bringing him. I told him, if he ever tried to harm any of my sons again, I would let it be known throughout the whole land that it was he, not Merlin the witch, who played Herod to all the little boys in Lothian, and then he would have war on his hands again.”
I was glad that she had found a way to be safe.
There was a knock at the door. I gathered the cloak more tightly around myself as Morgawse walked over and opened it with one hand. But I didn’t need to; it was our mother. She kissed Morgawse on the cheek brusquely, casting her a look of disapproval as she came into the room and Morgawse closed the door behind her.
“You brought the child with you, I see,” she said, her tone thick with distaste.
“Yes, mother, I brought my child with me. I had to, because I was afraid that his father would try to have him killed again.”
Mother ignored her, and came over to kiss me on both cheeks and take my face in her hands.
“Little Morgan.” Her kind eyes crinkled into a smile. “Not little Morgan any more, but a wife and a mother.” She kissed me on the forehead. “It suits you well.”
I did not think it suited me at all. Then my mother’s face turned to confusion as she looked at me properly.
“Morgan, why are you here so early? Why are you in your bedclothes?” She asked, her tone halfway between concern and reprimand.
I opened my mouth, unsure of whether to tell her the truth or not. Morgawse stepped in for me.
“She slept here last night,” Morgawse told her, firmly, striding over to stand beside us, Mordred still in her arms. He seemed to be sleeping.
“Why?” Mother asked softly. I glanced at Morgawse. She was as unsure as I was. I did not think I could bear a speech about duty.
“Uriens has been hurting her. Look.” Morgawse grabbed my wrist with her free hand, holding it up in front of our mother’s face. I had not thought she had noticed the blue-black marks of his fingers through the woad, but she had, and I was grateful. I did not know why I was surprised; she had felt them herself.
My mother sighed heavily and gently took my wrist from Morgawse. She laid her fingertips against the marks lightly, as though trying to soothe it better.
“Men can be rough. Perhaps I was wrong to send you to the abbey. Marriage must have been a shock for you. Just,” she sighed again and drew me into an embrace, pressing a kiss to the top of my head as though I were a child, “Try to do what he wants. Marriage does take some getting used to. And don’t listen to your sister too much. She frightened you about it, didn’t she?”
“I told her the truth ,” Morgawse shouted. Mordred woke in her arms, and began to scream.
“Oh!” My mother said, suddenly moving me back from her, holding me by the shoulders. It was as though she thought the matter entirely dealt with. “I forgot – I came to tell you that Arthur and his knights are meeting the new Queen at Dover today, and the wedding will be tomorrow.”
I nodded. I didn’t care.
“At Dover?” Morgawse asked as she shushed Mordred quiet again, seemingly utterly distracted by this news as my mother was. “So it’s a foreign princess. Isolde?”
My mother shook her head.
“He didn’t want Isolde. She seemed like a lovely girl to me, but Arthur didn’t take to her. She was Merlin’s choice.” My mother made a little noise of disapproval in her throat. I was not sure if she disapproved of Merlin, or of Arthur ignoring his advice. “Anyway, we should make ourselves ready to welcome this new Queen. Now,” she turned to me and took my hand, “you had better go back to your own room, Morgan. To your husband.”
I cast a
“Should you have him here? Isn’t it dangerous?” I asked.
Morgawse spoke gently, still gazing down at her child, but her words were harsh. “It is safe enough. I wrote to Arthur before we came saying that I was bringing him. I told him, if he ever tried to harm any of my sons again, I would let it be known throughout the whole land that it was he, not Merlin the witch, who played Herod to all the little boys in Lothian, and then he would have war on his hands again.”
I was glad that she had found a way to be safe.
There was a knock at the door. I gathered the cloak more tightly around myself as Morgawse walked over and opened it with one hand. But I didn’t need to; it was our mother. She kissed Morgawse on the cheek brusquely, casting her a look of disapproval as she came into the room and Morgawse closed the door behind her.
“You brought the child with you, I see,” she said, her tone thick with distaste.
“Yes, mother, I brought my child with me. I had to, because I was afraid that his father would try to have him killed again.”
Mother ignored her, and came over to kiss me on both cheeks and take my face in her hands.
“Little Morgan.” Her kind eyes crinkled into a smile. “Not little Morgan any more, but a wife and a mother.” She kissed me on the forehead. “It suits you well.”
I did not think it suited me at all. Then my mother’s face turned to confusion as she looked at me properly.
“Morgan, why are you here so early? Why are you in your bedclothes?” She asked, her tone halfway between concern and reprimand.
I opened my mouth, unsure of whether to tell her the truth or not. Morgawse stepped in for me.
“She slept here last night,” Morgawse told her, firmly, striding over to stand beside us, Mordred still in her arms. He seemed to be sleeping.
“Why?” Mother asked softly. I glanced at Morgawse. She was as unsure as I was. I did not think I could bear a speech about duty.
“Uriens has been hurting her. Look.” Morgawse grabbed my wrist with her free hand, holding it up in front of our mother’s face. I had not thought she had noticed the blue-black marks of his fingers through the woad, but she had, and I was grateful. I did not know why I was surprised; she had felt them herself.
My mother sighed heavily and gently took my wrist from Morgawse. She laid her fingertips against the marks lightly, as though trying to soothe it better.
“Men can be rough. Perhaps I was wrong to send you to the abbey. Marriage must have been a shock for you. Just,” she sighed again and drew me into an embrace, pressing a kiss to the top of my head as though I were a child, “Try to do what he wants. Marriage does take some getting used to. And don’t listen to your sister too much. She frightened you about it, didn’t she?”
“I told her the truth ,” Morgawse shouted. Mordred woke in her arms, and began to scream.
“Oh!” My mother said, suddenly moving me back from her, holding me by the shoulders. It was as though she thought the matter entirely dealt with. “I forgot – I came to tell you that Arthur and his knights are meeting the new Queen at Dover today, and the wedding will be tomorrow.”
I nodded. I didn’t care.
“At Dover?” Morgawse asked as she shushed Mordred quiet again, seemingly utterly distracted by this news as my mother was. “So it’s a foreign princess. Isolde?”
My mother shook her head.
“He didn’t want Isolde. She seemed like a lovely girl to me, but Arthur didn’t take to her. She was Merlin’s choice.” My mother made a little noise of disapproval in her throat. I was not sure if she disapproved of Merlin, or of Arthur ignoring his advice. “Anyway, we should make ourselves ready to welcome this new Queen. Now,” she turned to me and took my hand, “you had better go back to your own room, Morgan. To your husband.”
I cast a
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