The Man in The Cave

Chapter 26

The funeral had passed, and Morgana had received what she hoped was the last condolence she would receive in a long time. Urien wasn't a man that pushed out of his way to make many friends, but those ha had made had showed up to the funeral to grieve the death of a good man. Arthur, Guinevere and Aethel had shown up to give Morgana their condolences. Even some members of important families had appeared to do little more give Morgana a half assed condolence and then depart back to their houses.

In her mind, it would have been better if they hadn't shown up at all.

With the lack of an heir, arrangements were being made so Urien's brother could take over the throne. He claimed that Morgana, as Urien's widow and soon-to-be former queen could stay in the castle for as long as she wanted to, but without Urien, it would no longer feel like a home anymore.

It was strange for Morgana when she had gotten the news of him dying in battle. As such, he was buried in his armor. The man had been as stubborn as few and insisted that although the deal had been that Arthur would aid in protect his kingdom, he considered only a fool would not go and check for himself that the other part remained true to their side of the deal. They had won, but Urien would not return to his castle.

As strange as it might sound to others, Morgana would miss to hear him complain, from his brother being a bore, to the weather, or how on the few occasions when they visited other people -occasions where he would complain about the road- he would mutter to Morgana in hushed whispers as to no offend their hosts that the food in his kingdom was better.

Morgana knelt on the floor, eyes glowing blue as a dark red flame flickered on the carefully arranged candles in her bedroom.

She took a deep breath; a long time had passed since she had done that. Her eyes glowed, one by one the candles turned off and lit up immediately after. A man dressed in the clothes of a king slowly began to take shape until it was the form of a dark-skinned man with a long beard and dark eyes that blinked perplexed when they saw Morgana in front of him, he then looked at his own hands and the room around him that remained unchanged since he had last been there.

"What is this?" he mumbled, barely above a whisper, Morgana shrugged, "Morgana is that you?"

"Of course, I'm your deeply saddened widow, you didn't really think they'd get rid of me that easily did you?" Morgana tried to jock, but the hint of sadness in her voice didn't go amiss by the man, who smiled softly, putting a hand in his chest.

"Thanks to heaven you aren't dead," he exaggerated, even if there was a genuine feeling behind his words, "Don't give me scares like that woman, you know how weak my heart is." Morgana couldn't help the chuckle that erupted form her throat.

"The world already took the loss of a good man, let's not make it an even deeper tragedy." she shrugged, he nodded vehemently.

"How am I here...?" he questioned looking around again, tapping the stone floor with his boots, "sorcery, I suppose?"

"A very special branch of it, made for impatient people like you who can't wait just enough to arrive home and say goodbye to their family," Morgana explained, "I wanted to give you my last goodbye, And listen to you complaining about how unfavorable rides home were to injured men, you... you were a very dear friend," Morgana smiled with sadness, tears at the corners of her eyes.

His previously confused expression softened, he knelt at her level. Remaining close to her, he would not be able to touch her, or go beyond the carefully made circle.

"As were you. If you had been a man, you would have been the only one in my heart," he gave her a half smile, eyebrows knitting together before turning to Morgana with a worried expression, "How is..."