Read Online THE CURSE OF EXCALIBUR: a gripping Arthurian fantasy (THE MORGAN TRILOGY Book 2) by Lavinia Collins - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lavinia Collins
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plaintive look at Morgawse, but I went willingly with Mother. When I reached my room, I was relieved to find that Uriens was gone.
Chapter Seven
There were serving women waiting there for me, and though I did not like being fussed by them, I was grateful for the warm bath they brought, and grateful to close my eyes and feel my hair being brushed. I dressed in one of my mother’s old dresses that she had given me at my wedding, a simple grey and silver brocade dress, and pulled my woollen cloak on top.
I found Merlin where I sought him. He had a room in the same tower as Arthur’s bedroom. It was dark and smoky, and I was sure he kept it stuffed with bizarre herbs and animal parts in jars in order to scare people. Nothing he had in that room looked particularly useful or felt particularly powerful to me. On my way up the stairs, when I was sure no one was around, I closed my eyes and imagined myself as Nimue. I had done it once before, so it came easily, and I felt my limbs change, grow smaller and lighter, and my shape become hers. I wondered if Merlin would be fooled.
I pushed the door open, and for a moment he was, but then a smug smile gathered on his face.
“Ah, Morgan. Have you come to reconsider my offer?”
I strode into the room and jumped up to sit on the table, resting my feet on the chair beneath me. I did not bother to allow my shape to change back.
“Why didn’t Arthur marry the woman you suggested?” I asked. My boldness sounded strange in Nimue’s soft voice. I wanted to distract him so that I could look at the spines of his books, see if there was anything I knew I could not get anywhere else.
Merlin scoffed and shook his head. “Your Seneschal lover told him that Isolde is a simpleton. It is the truth, but simpletons make good wives. The woman he has chosen instead is Leodegrance’s daughter. Many of the Bretons are still pagans, and the princess grew up without a mother’s guidance. The girl is half-wild.” He shook his head again. “He has insisted upon her because I told him that she has the blood of the witch-queen Maev of Cruachan in her veins. That was meant to dissuade him. Queen Maev cursed two of her husbands with her blood, and with one of them she took as her lover his finest knight. He seemed to think I was recommending the girl because of it. His god has cursed him for that bastard child he got on his sister. I have seen it. I warned him of his bad destiny. I warned him that the child would bring his death, but he has got this idea in his head that this princess of Leodegrance’s will give him an Otherworld child that will protect him from his god. It’s ridiculous. Destiny cannot be escaped. But he has set his heart on her, and where a man sets his heart he will not be dissuaded.” Merlin said this last sentence in a funny little voice, as though he were trying to imitate Arthur.
I saw something on the bookshelf that caught my eye. A thin leather book with macrobius printed along the spine. It was too thin to be either of the volumes I knew about. It must be the third volume, where Macrobius described how to change things other than oneself.
I pointed to it.
“Is that the Theory of Dreams ?” I asked. Merlin gave his skull-like grin.
“I hoped you would notice that. I am open to an offer of a fair exchange, Morgan.”
“I did not think that was the Theory of Dreams .” I climbed down from the table, still in Nimue’s shape. I crossed my arms. “You will not have the sword.”
“Ah, Morgan.” He pressed his lips together in disappointment. “Then you shall not have the book.”
I leaned closer to hiss at him, “That is what you said to me last time.”
And then I left. When I was on the empty stairs, I allowed Nimue’s shape to slip from me and became myself again. I had got information from Merlin, and I had seen his books. I knew what he had, and I had nothing with me in Camelot that he could steal in return that was worth anything near as much to me as
Chapter Seven
There were serving women waiting there for me, and though I did not like being fussed by them, I was grateful for the warm bath they brought, and grateful to close my eyes and feel my hair being brushed. I dressed in one of my mother’s old dresses that she had given me at my wedding, a simple grey and silver brocade dress, and pulled my woollen cloak on top.
I found Merlin where I sought him. He had a room in the same tower as Arthur’s bedroom. It was dark and smoky, and I was sure he kept it stuffed with bizarre herbs and animal parts in jars in order to scare people. Nothing he had in that room looked particularly useful or felt particularly powerful to me. On my way up the stairs, when I was sure no one was around, I closed my eyes and imagined myself as Nimue. I had done it once before, so it came easily, and I felt my limbs change, grow smaller and lighter, and my shape become hers. I wondered if Merlin would be fooled.
I pushed the door open, and for a moment he was, but then a smug smile gathered on his face.
“Ah, Morgan. Have you come to reconsider my offer?”
I strode into the room and jumped up to sit on the table, resting my feet on the chair beneath me. I did not bother to allow my shape to change back.
“Why didn’t Arthur marry the woman you suggested?” I asked. My boldness sounded strange in Nimue’s soft voice. I wanted to distract him so that I could look at the spines of his books, see if there was anything I knew I could not get anywhere else.
Merlin scoffed and shook his head. “Your Seneschal lover told him that Isolde is a simpleton. It is the truth, but simpletons make good wives. The woman he has chosen instead is Leodegrance’s daughter. Many of the Bretons are still pagans, and the princess grew up without a mother’s guidance. The girl is half-wild.” He shook his head again. “He has insisted upon her because I told him that she has the blood of the witch-queen Maev of Cruachan in her veins. That was meant to dissuade him. Queen Maev cursed two of her husbands with her blood, and with one of them she took as her lover his finest knight. He seemed to think I was recommending the girl because of it. His god has cursed him for that bastard child he got on his sister. I have seen it. I warned him of his bad destiny. I warned him that the child would bring his death, but he has got this idea in his head that this princess of Leodegrance’s will give him an Otherworld child that will protect him from his god. It’s ridiculous. Destiny cannot be escaped. But he has set his heart on her, and where a man sets his heart he will not be dissuaded.” Merlin said this last sentence in a funny little voice, as though he were trying to imitate Arthur.
I saw something on the bookshelf that caught my eye. A thin leather book with macrobius printed along the spine. It was too thin to be either of the volumes I knew about. It must be the third volume, where Macrobius described how to change things other than oneself.
I pointed to it.
“Is that the Theory of Dreams ?” I asked. Merlin gave his skull-like grin.
“I hoped you would notice that. I am open to an offer of a fair exchange, Morgan.”
“I did not think that was the Theory of Dreams .” I climbed down from the table, still in Nimue’s shape. I crossed my arms. “You will not have the sword.”
“Ah, Morgan.” He pressed his lips together in disappointment. “Then you shall not have the book.”
I leaned closer to hiss at him, “That is what you said to me last time.”
And then I left. When I was on the empty stairs, I allowed Nimue’s shape to slip from me and became myself again. I had got information from Merlin, and I had seen his books. I knew what he had, and I had nothing with me in Camelot that he could steal in return that was worth anything near as much to me as
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