Page 24 of The White Enchantress

“I want to go back home. This is where I came through. What if a portal opens up again? I don’t want to miss my opportunity.”

“Your destiny is here, Guinevere. Excalibur brought you here for a reason. You have been chosen to bring it forth into this world.”

“I don’t want to be chosen. You said I could forge my own path. This is me, forging.”

“Guinevere, you do not understand. The magic of the lake is a mystery. I do not think you will be able to return to your home.”

“But you don’t know.”

I’m on the verge of tears again, thinking of Josh, how desperate I am to see him. All I want is to hear him sing, play his precious guitar, kiss me on that sensitive dimple on my throat, watch his face lose control during our lovemaking. I want Josh. Why did it take me losing him, losing my whole life, to know what I want?

“Vivienne, if I go to Camelot, well, I don’t know exactly what will happen, but I have an idea. Arthur will want to marry me. Even if I say yes, I will inevitably fall in love with Lancelot and commit adultery, destroying the fragile unity of this realm. How can the people trust a king to lead them when that same king has trusted those who betrayed him?”

“You do not know this will be the outcome. You said it yourself. There will be many stories told about King Arthur. Who is to say that any of those stories have truth to them? Push them from your mind and create your own story.”

“Easier said than done.”

“Have you developed feelings for Lancelot?”

I freeze, stopping my leg from bouncing around in a nervous panic. “No,” I lie. “I don’t know.” Still a bit of a lie. “He does have an effect on me. But I have someone back home whom I love. He is everything to me. I need to get back to him.”

“I understand that you have lost all your loved ones upon arriving here. You need to prepare yourself for the actuality that you may never see them again.”

Vivienne doesn’t understand. There isn’t anything I can say to change her mind, but she also can’t make me go against my will. “I’m not going, Vivienne. If Arthur wants his damn sword he can come here and get it himself.” Excalibur mirrors my anger, vibrating at my side in its new sheath. “Though I don’t know if she would go willingly either.”

“Are you speaking on behalf of the sword?” Vivienne has heard me personify Excalibur before. She doesn’t think I am crazy but is in awe of how I bonded with this mystical sword. “What did she say? Did Excalibur tell you she does not belong with Arthur?”

“Not exactly. She just vibrated angrily after I said that Arthur can take the sword for himself. Though I’m not certain if she is angry because I am or because I would just hand her over so easily.”

It’s strange to feel a bond with an inanimate object, yet Excalibur isn’t just a sword. I can feel her. She has a soul or something that makes her alive. And she feels like an old friend, someone I knew in another life maybe.

I wouldn’t say the sword is haunted. But it is possessed by something that used to be human. Or perhaps an elf or fairy? I giggle at my absurd thought then quickly straighten my face when Vivienne asks her next question.

“Why exactly are you so afraid of Arthur?”

“If I amtheGuinevere, Arthur is supposed to become my husband. I don’t want to marry him.”

“You would be queen. Think of all the good you could do with that power.”

“I don’t want power. I don’t want Arthur. I want to go home.”

“Guinevere, you cannot go back home. This is where you belong now.”

“If I knew those voices would have led me here, I never would have followed them. I had been running from a wedding I never wanted. I was free. My father and I had mended our bond. I was building a bed and breakfast in New Jersey. Josh and I…we could have an amazing life together. I need to go back to that. That is the path I want.”

“You chose your path when you followed those voices. They were calling you here and you answered.” Vivienne scoops my hands in hers, forcing me to look her in the eyes.

“I will not force you to do anything you do not want to do, Guinevere. Let me just tell you this. Arthur is a good man. I have known him since he was a boy and he has grown into a brave, intelligent, kind man. Too kind for a king some might argue. He will not thrust matrimony upon you if that is not your wish. I only ask that you meet him and make your decision then. As for my son, I have known many women to fall in love with him. I have not seen him return such affection wholeheartedly. But he is loyal to Arthur and committed to his king. I am certain he would never betray Arthur and he would never take advantage of you.”

Silent tears fall down my face. This is the path I must face, for now. If there is no way for me to return home, to get back to Josh, I must move forward. But Iwillwrite my own story. No one else will write it for me. Excalibur hums at my side in agreement. “Okay, I’ll go.”

Chapter 13

Lancelot

As I sit onthe same rock Guinevere frequents, I think of Arthur. My king, my cousin, my friend. He is a great warrior, a man to fight with and for. Arthur rules his people with kindness and strength. He fought hard to bring peace to the land and is still fighting to unify the kingdoms of Britain.

When King Uther died, Arthur was only fifteen. My father was one of his first supporters, offering Arthur allegiance and men. After the Romans left Britain, kings from every corner were greedy to take what they could from the ruins. It was not until Arthur inherited his father’s throne that the kingdoms began to unite, seeking peace and prosperity. My father fought alongside Arthur against anyone who rejected his claim to power, wanting it for themselves. And when my father was killed and his kingdom taken by King Claudas, Arthur was there, rallying his men to seize back our lands.

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