𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 ( arthur pendragon ) ¹

008. the once and future queen

𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔒𝔫𝔠𝔢 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔉𝔲𝔱𝔲𝔯𝔢 𝔔𝔲𝔢𝔢𝔫

VICTORIA WAS SURROUNDED BY FIRE. It didn't burn her, but it engulfed her. The room was red and she could hear a child's cry. Her heart begged to reach out to it, wishing to comfort whoever it was. And suddenly she was falling, the floor crumbling under her. She came up on the other side of the floor, surrounded by murky water and fog. In front of her were ruins, covered in moss and stones littered on the ground.

She was thrown forward to the bricks, allowing her to peak through them and see a woman standing there, leaning over a cup.

Victoria stepped closer and was able to hear her whispering into the cup," The unborn child of Victoria Klaxon and Arthur Pendragon."

She stumbled back, breathing heavily as she laid eyes on the cup. She fell into the water, gasping for breath and awakening. She grabbed a piece of paper from her bag and a charcoal pencil, hurriedly drawing out the cup she had seen while it was still fresh in her mind with hope that someone would be able to recognize it.

Victoria knew it couldn't have been a coincidence. The dream a few days before about Nimueh and now her standing over a strange cup murmuring the words of Victoria's loss. It had to mean something but what would be sending her, a woman of no magical prowess, visions. Although they may have just been dreams, Victoria had trouble fathoming how her mind would come up with such things.

Althea did not know what the cup stood for, leaving Victoria's only remaining option: Gaius. So when they arrived back in Camelot, she immediately went to his chambers to see him.

"Welcome back, princess," he greeted her, bowing his head. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

She placed the piece of paper with the drawing of the chalice onto the table in front of him. "I need to know what this is."

Victoria watched his face as he studied it, seeing his eyes widen ever-so-slightly when he actually recognized it.

"I have no clue, my lady," he lied, walking away from it. "Where did you see it?"

"Doesn't matter," Victoria shut down. "Why are you lying to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I saw your face, you recognized the drawing. Why are you lying to me?"

Gaius sighed. "It's something that should not be toyed with."

"I'm not going to use it!" She exclaimed, cornering the old man. "I just need to know what it is."

He finally relented, "It's called the Cup of Life." At the raise of her brow, he elaborated, "It is used to save someone's life. One life... for another."

Victoria stumbled back, her mind working overdrive to connect the pieces of the puzzle. To save a life for a life. Arthur was dying and suddenly she had a miscarriage. Someone had sacrificed her child and that person was Nimueh.

"Where can I find the person who holds this cup?" She demanded.

"Your majesty—"

"Tell me, Gaius!"

"The Isle of the Blessed."

"Do you have a map?"

"My lady, I really must caution against this," he attempted to reason with her.

"Gaius. Where is it?"

He sighed and reluctantly told her, fearing that she would be using the Cup for ill intentions because as far as he knows, Nimueh was dead.

The ferry boat rolled to a stop on the store of the Isle of the Blessed. Victoria stepped out, hood pulled over her head and hand on her weapon. She snuck up the side of the hill, staying low to gain the element of surprise. Victoria then saw Nimueh, standing in the center of the circle. She stepped behind a wall and observed her surroundings, hoping to gain the element of surprise.

"It is time to pay for what you have done," Victoria announced herself, stepping out from behind a crumbled stone wall, sword outstretched and eyes narrowed with determination.

"You can't kill me," Nimueh grinned, "Not even the great Emrys could achieve that."

"You killed my child. I will find a way," Victoria persisted, twirling her sword in her hand.

"Oh, please, you won't need anymore children. You'll have enough on your hands in the future," she told her, daring to step closer.

"It doesn't matter!" Victoria shouted. "They were still mine and you will pay for it!"

She charged but Nimueh pushed her back with magic. She fell to the ground before springing back up and and retaking her stance.

"You don't want me to pay for it. I can tell you all about your future children," she taunted, throwing Victoria back once more.

This time her sword clattered away from her and into the water. But Victoria took her chance, having landed in the perfect position to slip her grandmother's dagger into her sleeve without Nimueh noticing.

"You might as well never have children," Nimueh growled, walking closer. "You have no idea what lies in store for them."

Victoria didn't respond, lunging at the priestess once more and feigning a punch, getting her to move to one side where she stabbed her in the stomach. Nimueh gasped, feeling the abnormal metal of the blade pierce her skin. Despite her cockiness, she knew this blade would be her downfall.

Victoria held onto her as she lowered her to the ground, whispering into her ear, "Too bad you won't get to see it."

Nimueh smiled despite herself, using the last of her strength to lean into Victoria's ear and whisper words that she knew would haunt her for years, "Your own son will be your down fall, named after your greatest foe. He will bring an end to you and Camelot..."

Victoria turned to her as the sorceress collapsed, eyes staring lifelessly at the dark sky. Tears ran down Victoria's face, both for the prophesy and the remaining feeling of emptiness in her stomach. She had hoped revenge would take it away but it seems she was wrong.

And so she stared up at the sky, rain beginning to fall as the universe cried for the loss of the last priestess, the water mingling with her own tears and the thunder sounding with her sobs.

author's note
short but the final scene is very important and will be mentioned again in the last chapter.

this chapter is dedicated to @ssailormercury because the entire rewrite was spawned because they pointed out one of my original ideas and caused me to rethink what i had already rejected. thank you so much!

ALSO TELL ME, do y'all like the shorter chapters or the 5,000 word chapters better?