The Future of Camelot

Judgement

Ygraine was very hospitable to the travelers. She sent the knights to their old chambers and gave Merlin servant's quarters. She put Morgana in maid's chambers, but there was no protest. Morgana knew that Ygraine would be merciful to put her in the cells for all eternity. She had no reason to show any kindness to the result of her husband and her best friend's extramarital affair, and yet she did.

Arthur had kept his protests silent after his mother's threat, but Gwen knew him well enough to not trust this newfound obedience. The queen had given them guest chambers, but they were Arthur's old rooms. The years spent in the other world seemed even more like a dream than before as she walked around her old home.

"Arthur, are you alright?" Gwen asked. He was standing over the desk, his back to her. He turned around and smiled at her.

"Of course, my love." Arthur went to her and placed his hands on her hips, but she sidled past him and looked at the desk. On it lay neat stacks of parchment and a bit of fabric. Upon closer inspection, Guinevere realized that the fabric was emblazoned with the royal seal. The seal of the Pendragons.

"Arthur," Guinevere said, looking at him, "I'm sorry about your father." He picked up the cloth and rubbed it between his fingers.

"I know," he said softly. "I am too."

"But it is pointless to fight your mother," Gwen said seriously. "Arthur, you know that, don't you?" Arthur didn't look up. He rubbed the cloth hard.

"My father worked so hard to fight magic," he said as if he hadn't heard her before. "And now he is defeated by his own wife! She is the reason he hates magic."

"Not in this world," Guinevere reminded him. "Remember what she was saying when we got here? That he tried to heal Vivienne's broken heart, and it killed her." Arthur scoffed.

"So he doesn't love my mother enough to stay true to her, but he loves her too much to kill her. Excellent," he said sarcastically.

"Arthur," Gwen said firmly. "You don't know everything that happened between your parents. It's their business."

"And my father's about to die because of 'their business'." Gwen looked at Arthur sharply, and he smiled. "I'm sorry, Guinevere. I know I can't do anything about his execution. You needn't worry." There was something in his voice, a falseness in his smile, that made Guinevere know he was lying.

0O0O0O0

After Ygraine sent the people from the other world to their beds, she visited her husband in the dungeons. He looked up when she stood in front of her cell.

"What are you doing here, Ygraine? Have you come to gloat?" Ygraine laughed.

"Of course not, Uther, my love. I've come to tell you a story. You know that ours is not the only land, of course. Well, some are quiet similar to ours! Their times run differently and sometimes, very rarely, you may learn of the consequences of a simple action, what might have been. You see, in another world, much like this one, our life was different." Ygraine crooked her finger and beckoned to Uther. He turned away, but a moment later he was magically pulled to the bars.

"What do you want?" he asked again. Ygraine seized his chin and turned his face towards her and brought it close. They were so close their noses were almost touching. When Ygraine chuckled, Uther could feel the breath softly tickling his mouth.

"In this world, you did something you didn't do here. You killed me." At Uther's shocked face, Ygraine moved forward quickly and planted a harsh kiss on his lips and then backed away. "You wanted an heir more than you wanted me."

"No," said Uther, understanding. Ygraine laughed without humor.

"Yes! The other Uther used magic to help me bear a son, but it killed the other Ygraine."