For The Love Of A Pendragon.

Chapter Twenty-Nine...The Round Table

'I have a solution to the problems at court,' I told Eleanor and Drusilla at breakfast, I had ridden fast after I had woken in the rowan wood, my new knowledge was a gift and I owed its formation to Ector. 'Your husband provided that solution,' I insisted firmly, but kindly.

'The acorn?' Eleanor whispered reverently.

I nodded, Drusilla watched me with a grateful but tired expression, her grief was much evident in the dark half-moons beneath her eyes and the lank, unkempt nature of her hair. 'I had a vision,' I informed them both, Eleanor's awe was replaced with outright excitement as she momentarily forgot to be sad. 'I saw a great oak tree, not far from now, growing in a meadow outside Camelot – it had grown from Ector's acorn – it gave Eleanor a sign and then we had it felled.'

'What was my sign?' she asked, wonderment in her tone again at the understanding that she had a legitimately vital role to play in the future I spoke of.

'The tree shook violently,' I replied allowing myself a small smile, 'when it was cut down it was constructed into a circular table which was divided into twelve sections. It is the legend your grandfather spoke of Eleanor. We will make the table and the elected knights of Camelot will sit in equal partnership with one another, even the king.'

She gasped, 'even my uncle?' she repeated.

'He will still be king,' I assured her, 'and you will still be his heir, but it will allow a council of equals to discuss the kingdoms problems and act to protect it.'

'Will it be enough to stop those who were opposed to Eleanor?' Drusilla asked, speaking at last. Her voice sounded older, it cracked as she spoke, as if she had not opened it for speech or nourishment since she had said goodbye to her husband. She had not touched her breakfast plate.

'I believe so, it will appease them at any rate. It seems Geoffrey saw it to be so as well. Where is he Drusilla? I had quite forgotten him,' I admitted chastising myself internally.

She shook her head, 'we left him in charge of the estate when we moved south but a year later we received word that he had vanished, they had sent out search parties but he was nowhere to be seen. By that time Arthur and Cei had already agreed to gift the land to King Pellinore, as we no longer needed it. He set one of his nephews up there I believe he wanted his sons nearer home or else at Camelot.'

'I shall write to Pellinore's nephew and enquiry into this matter, perhaps some servant of the house can remember more than they let on at first; especially if persuaded by the request of the kings high advisor.'

'It is worth a try,' Drusilla agreed quietly.

...

We urged our horses forward, we had lightened our entourage for speed and yet having Troilus, Tor and Geraint with us still felt like a surplus weight. If only we could ride free like we did as children, I thought, wondering whether Arthur would hear my sentimental wish. I prayed feverishly that we would make it in time, I believed I would feel it if he passed before we did, and yet I felt nothing. I was empty of divine signs. Divine signs were Nimue's forte even though she had rejected them often enough in her own grief. It was not for me to feel the parting of the living.

Sometime later we finally reached my parents' house and I knew then that we had lost him without goodbyes. I reigned my horse in and gestured to Arthur to follow suit.

'We are too late,' his breath rattled.

I swung down gently and handed my mount over to the servant who had come running, looking pale. We did not need the stable boy to tell us the news, the shutters of the house were closed tight against the outside world despite the fine whether, the servants in the yard moved with a slow, respectfulness, and even the animals were unnaturally quiet. There were no tenants waiting to meet with my father or petition him, it was as if his death had taken with him half of the life-force of the estate.

'We will go see to our mother,' Arthur intoned with quiet authority, 'the kitchen staff across the yard will feed you, and show you to some rooms.' The other three nodded, and with the same slow solemnness as the servants made their way to rest.

We did not speak but at the main door we were greeted by Albert the steward, who with polite and genuine sorrow told us we were too late, he led us to the smaller of the two entertaining chambers where we found Eleanor and Nimue.

Nimue and Arthur embraced the moment we were left in private and he shed his tears into her warm, lavender scented hair. Eleanor ran to me and I crouched to her level. We too remained closely together in grief for some time. Eventually we each separated. 'Drusilla is in bed,' Nimue spoke for the first time, 'she is very much undone by it all, she could barely manage a bite to eat at breakfast this morning, nor more than a string of words.'

'They were each other's life and light,' Arthur replied with a welling of emotion.

Nimue nodded dashing away a tear with edge of her finger, 'such things have befallen us,' she lamented quietly. Arthur took her in his arms again, although more lightly and with a greater sense of composure.

The four of us sat about the fire, having decided that we would pay our respects when our mother woke again. 'There is a little bit of good news though,' my daughter interjected into the contemplative silence after a long while.

Arthur raised an eyebrow, 'do tell?'

Eleanor looked to Nimue for permission, she nodded and gestured to Eleanor to continue. 'Grandfather gave Nimue an acorn and told her it will grow fast. She then had a vision, we are going to grow an oak tree and turn it into a circular table of equals for the council.'

'A round table?' Arthur repeated, his tone doubtful his expression slightly concerned.

Eleanor nodded with some enthusiasm, 'Nimue says it will appease the court,' when Arthur continued to look sceptical her face grew graver. 

'It was grandfathers' dying wish,' she said with finality.