The Witch of Camelot

Thirty-one....night time talks....

Thirty-one…

Tor staring in shock, his mouth hanging open. Arthur, older, his eyes full of fondness. Percy riding furiously into the courtyard of the castle on a fine black stallion – clearly not a mere stable boy any more. The blond woman again, laughing as before. Another woman, hair like midnight, with a familiarity which sent tingling down my spine, cradling a baby, her face void of motherly affection and determined protection. Morgana her eyes wide with judgements and disgust. Arthur, his head buried in his hands, weeping? And then a vast, never ending cavern which darkened as it deepened but shone as if lit by some ghostly light, reflected from thousands of pure crystals set into the ancient stone walls…

I blinked awake to find I had fallen asleep beside the fire in our main room, curled up in the largest of the armed chairs we owned. A singular candle remained burning brightly on the heath and the fire had burnt down so low that the flames flickered only gently and threatened to extinguish altogether due to a lack of fuel. It was late, far past midnight judging by the darkness seeping in from outside through the window.

Sitting up I looked about myself and concluded that I was most definitely alone. I heard footsteps close at hand then the door opened which led to Merlin’s bedroom and my uncle walked slowly into the room a concerned smile resting on his face.

“Ah Nimue you are awake.” he stated.

“Uncle…”

“You fell asleep in the chair as we all sat around talking and we thought it better to leave you here rather than carry you upstairs.” he explained lightly.

“Shall I go to my room now I have woken?” I asked knowing full well the answer. I had been left to sleep there so that Merlin could seize the chance to speak to me in private when I woke. There were certain topics which could not be breached with Arthur in the room and it was rare to get me alone. It was likely that what Merlin was about to tell me he had been meditating on for a long time and that this opportunity to share his thoughts with me was not to be missed.

Sitting opposite me my uncle confirmed my belief by replying, “There is something I wish to discuss with you first.”

I nodded and settled back in to the chair ready to listen, judge and contemplate as I was expected. “Go on.”

“Nimue you and I both know that one day Arthur will be king, and a good, brave, honest, successful king he will be…you and I have both seen this.” I nodded, not in the least bit surprised that Merlin knew what visions I was sent before I had even had the chance to tell him.  “However beside him over those years, which will be at times difficult and dangerous, he will need a friend, a true friend. An adviser, with whom he can trust and rely on for everything, do you understand me?”

I nodded, “Yes uncle, an adviser just like you are to his father.”

Merlin bit his lip slightly, he knew more about our futures than me even then; he knew that an adviser just like himself was exactly what the prince would need and what he would get, only there would be one vast difference which I would not learn about until that day arrived. “Well the problem is that I am getting old Nimue,” I snorted in disbelief my uncle was not so very old and his powers could certainly elongate his life if he so desired them to. At an anxious look from him I became instantly sombre again, he was being serious I realised with a jolt of fear.

Taking my stunned silence as a cue for continuation Merlin made a proposal, “you and Arthur are good friends, he already trusts you and each one of us knows that you are entangled somewhere in the future and must remain so for the good of Camelot. Lately I have been sent visions in the depths of the night that concern me, I see Arthur grown strong and crowned king, I see you at his side doing all I do for his father,” he paused and then added into the cold still space between us, “but I am not.”

“Uncle?” I asked uncertainly, a familiar feeling of fear gripping me from the inside and constricting around my heart.

“I believe by that time I shall be dead Nimue by natural or human causes I do not know but I am certain I will not be alive to see Arthur's rise to power, therefore I must leave someone I trust, someone I care about, ready to succeed after me and take on the job that I have started but it seems will leave unfinished.”

Merlin was so infuriatingly calm about his impending doom that I could not hold it in any longer, “Uncle how can you be so accepting about it?” I examined almost angrily, “you’re talking about death the way you talk about what we’re having for dinner! Aren’t you sad or scared or worried?” I felt suddenly so alone if my uncle died then there would be no one left who really fully understood me.

                “Hush Nimue or you'll wake Arthur.” my uncle said gently laying a hand on my shoulder. “Of course I was sad and scared and worried when I first worked it out but now I am feeling so much better about the whole affair.”

                “How?” I choked; tears were now running their wet tracked way down my face.

                “I have known for some time now and I have come to accept it. I know I will be leaving Arthur, leaving Camelot, in good, more than capable hands which will guide both the man and the kingdom right through peace and through turmoil you will be there Nimue and I know that you will never fail me my child.” his voice was so gentle so reassuring that it was difficult not to believe every word he was saying.

                “What if I’m not good enough? I never be as good as you.” I whispered in reply allowing my self-doubts to ebb from my mind.

                He laughed quietly, “No Nimue you will never be as good as me…you will be better! Far better. thanks to you the kingdom and the king who rules it will flourish and thrive and grow into something so beautiful, so stable and peaceful, so admired that it will be remembered for thousands of years to come, it will be written about, sung about, talked about for time out of mind, no one will ever forget how without his trusted aid Arthur, high king of Britain, would never have been able to conquer his foes and build the land which will be his legacy. Your legacy.”

                Lifting my chin with his figure so that I was forced to look him in the eyes Merlin smiled and said, “for now this is all you need to know, all I have time to tell you but from now on I will require you to cut your lessons with Troilus short, leave Arthur and the boys to their warring and return here so I may instruct you privately in the arts which Arthur will never have a talent for but will certainly have use for in the future. Do you understand me?” I nodded slightly, “off to bed with you know and sweet dreams.” with that Merlin stood up stooped down to kiss my forehead and went back into his room and to sleep.

                As if already in a dream I floated upstairs and crawled silently into bed, my mind was so full I thought I would never sleep. But the moment my head hit the pillow I lost myself to unconsciousness.