Morgan Le Fay; The True Story

Chapter Two

If only he hadn’t said that! I ran, more determined than ever to get away. Fears and doubts raced through my mind, and I didn’t stop until I was in the furthest field from the house.

What if he sends a guard with mother, so she can’t collect me? What if he comes after me? What if I can’t get away and he marries me off to some horrid old man? What if… What if? my heart was pounding in my chest and sweat dripped off my body despite the cold winds.

Tears spilled down my face as I stood there, surrounded by the tall grasses and weeds with the little dirt road to my left and open expanses to my right. A wall stood before me to keep out invaders, and I knew it was a triple defense.

Nearest me was a tall, straight, smooth wall of logs sharpened to spikes – a final layer of protection from attackers. Beyond that was a natural defense- a fast moving river ran, crossing my path to freedom. The third defense was a thick stone wall, surrounding my father’s lands. I’m told that it took three generations to build that wall, but I know not whether that is true or otherwise.

Tiredly I rested against the wall of logs, listening to the river rushing relentlessly on the other side of it. The path went along with the river for a few yards, to a crudely built bride – which the guards who manned the gates of the log wall were under strict orders to burn if an intruder made it past the first defense.

My freedom lies beyond these walls, I thought, listening hard for the wheels of the cart or a wagon and the hooves of father’s work horses.

I don’t know how long I sat there waiting for mother but she finally came. With her were a younger maid and an old soldier, both of whom stayed with her to the end. The cart pulled to a halt while the gats were opened and I darted out of my hiding place and climbed into the back with my mother.

“I was afraid you wouldn’t make it,” she whispered, the only sign that she had noticed me. Lying on her lap was a piece of clothing that she had been embroidering, but now she stared at it without seeing it. “You need to stay hidden from the guards, Morgan.” I nodded and ducked down into the straw that lined the back. A blanket was thrown over me and I lay still like that for a long time.

The rest of the trip was uneventful and I recall sleeping fitfully through most of it. When we finally arrived at my mother’s old home – the land of her brother, at that time – she woke me before getting out of the cart.

Her brother had been waiting for us, it seems, because I remember his entire family waiting, greeting mother happily and commenting on how I had grown since I had last seen them. They brought us into the great hall, where a scrumptious feast had been laid out, and we all ate until we were full.

My uncle had a son close to my age who thought it would be great fun to challenge me to an eating contest as the deserts were being passed around and, by the time our mothers had learned what we were up to, we had made ourselves sick from eating too much.

Aunt Mary who was a religious woman gave us both a lecture on the sin of gluttony and sent us to bed with our aching stomachs. Later his older sister snuck up with some peppermint tea to ease the pain a little and for many years after that event it was a lovely joke between the two of us. I wish I could say that life with my uncle was always as happy as it was that first night. I wish I could say that everything became better once we moved in with uncle’s family. But then I wouldn’t have much of a story, would I?

As king as my uncle was I could tell that he thought that my mother was a disgrace. He never said anything directly, but the way he treated her – almost like she was contaminated with something – gave it away. He, on the other hand, was nicer than Aunt Mary and her older daughters – who blatantly scorned and were rude and cruel to mother.