The Call of Camelot

Chapter 20 - Scream

Blood pounded in my ears, my heart thudded in my chest and my throat grew tight from panic as I wound and pushed my way through the packed corridors to the oldest part of the palace and into Mordred's chambers.

His room was an assault on the senses.  The air tasted sticky and was heavy with the scent of strangely sweet perfume, it was stuffy and hot from the heat of the hundreds of candles stuck on the steel torches that stood around the edge of the room.  Physicians were gathered at the foot of Mordred's bed, all huddled together and whispering loudly in a way that made them seem frightening and sinister.   It was as though they were there as a formality, just waiting for Mordred to die and I loathed them for it.

My presence wasn't noticed at first, but one of the physicians spotted me as I made my way to sit beside my dying guard, the skeletal bald man daring to wrap his bony fingers around my arm to stop me going any further.

"This is no place for a woman" he dared to hiss at me, my answer to him was to push him sharply with my free arm and retreat to Mordred's bedside where it seemed my body reacted faster to the sight of him than my mind, my legs trembling from the shock of him and my stomach erupting into a flurry of anxious butterflies.  I didn't want to display too much emotion and give the misogynistic physicians any reason to get me to leave so I was grateful when I felt Percivals hands on both my arms as though he sensed the weakness of my limbs.

Keeping my emotions hidden though was difficult, and I did my best to stop the wobble of my lip and the burning of my throat as I took a seat beside Gawain who was watching his dying companion with a hollow, expressionless stare. It was so strange to see Gawain this way, I truly liked the knight and always enjoyed his company, it was almost impossible not to! He was always full of cheer and oozed charisma and charm but today there was no sign of that comforting warmth.

"He has been asking for you for sometime" Gawain croaked, offering to swap chairs with me so I could sit and hold Mordred's hand

It was impossible to hide my emotions, and I hurried to wipe a few escaping tears before it was noticed by the cold, unfeeling monsters at the bottom of the bed.

Mordred was ghostly pale, his skin grey and clay like, covered in a sheen of sweat that soaked both his hair and pillow. Though he was sleeping his breath was unsteady and ragged with effort. My eyes travelled to his bare chest and to the gruesome wound across his collarbone, which I could see was red and angry with infection, its stitches torn and clinging to the bloody fluid oozing from the wound.

Seeing him like this, on the very line between life and death made me think of my own parents. I'd lost both of them in the space of five years, each time I'd been there to hold their hands as they passed and though it was traumatic it was still peaceful. Neither Mum or Dad had been in pain, both of them went in the knowledge that they were loved and had slipped away as though they were in a deep sleep. I felt even more grateful now for their peaceful departure then I had ever been, because it was tearing my heart apart to see Mordred like this!

"Is there water? To cool his fever?" I asked, Gawain nodding silently and passing me a bowl of cool water and a cloth from a nearby table

I knew this would do nothing to help him, his fate was sealed, but I hoped it did enough to at least ease his discomfort

"Cara" Mordred croaked, his eyes fluttering open to find my face

"Hi" was all I could say as tears instantly spilled down my cheeks

"I wanted you"

"Sssh, ssssh, don't speak. Gawain told me you wanted to see me, I'm here now, I'm not going anywhere"