The Mists of Avalon Page #2

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How dare you play the shrew with me!

l told you to avoid him!

-I'll teach you!

-Think...

...before you strike me, Gorlois...

...or l will teach you that a daughter

of the Holy Isle is the servant of no man.

And so, my father was caught up

in Viviane's plots.

Sire!

A messenger for the High King.

He waits at the gate.

He will speak with--

l have come, my lord--

To ask for my troops

to aide the Pendragon.

it is the High King's bidding.

l need my men here in Cornwall.

The Saxons are massing off our coast.

The king believes it's just a feint, Gorlois.

He's ordered all his war dukes

to assemble on the south coast.

Uther Pendragon can't know

the mind of the Saxons.

-l must keep the safety of my land.

-Sir.

This is not a request.

it's an order from your king.

He's asked you to bring your army

to him straight away.

l am the Duke of Cornwall, Captain.

Uther Pendragon is not.

But as his Duke,

you've sworn your army to him.

Are you going to betray him

at the first test?

Watch what you say, Captain.

When I've seen off this Saxon threat,

then I'll consider...

...whether I'll be able to help

the Pendragon in his schemes.

lf you refuse the High King now...

...he will become your enemy.

lf Uther Pendragon thinks

he can fight the Saxons...

...and then fight me after...

...let him try!

l was too young then...

...to understand why my father

hated the High King so much.

But the moment he rode out

to hold the Saxons at bay at Cameldun...

...the magic of Avalon began to work.

Sister?

Sister, hear me.

Viviane!

Igraine...

...you must listen if you want

to see Uther alive again.

l will not see him.

l will not betray my husband.

Then the man you love will die tonight.

l do not love Uther!

Sister, listen,

because there isn't much time.

Gorlois is planning

to surprise Uther while he sleeps.

You must warn him.

Save him, and save Avalon.

But like all of us of the old ways...

...you must believe that this is not

the only life where we could have met.

There's something

between our souls already.

Now my mother could see

how she could save Uther's life...

...but she did not see the terrible price

we would all have to pay.

There he is,

sleeping away his last night on earth.

l want Uther deep in his dreams...

...when l drive my sword in his chest.

Uther!

What was that?

There's magic at work. l can feel it!

Uther?

Gorlois is not at Cameldun.

His men are in the hills above your camp.

Save yourselves.

Save yourselves.

Igraine?

Sir, are you not well?

Let's prepare, Captain...

...to show how we best welcome a traitor.

Uther!

We can stop this now, Gorlois.

it's up to you!

Mother, where are you?

Mother?

-She'll be all right.

-Iraine!

There are herbs that will cure her.

Let's get her into bed.

Open the gate!

The Duchess is ill.

-We have to find the herbs!

-Open the gate.

We have orders not to, my lady.

What?

Neither you, nor Lady Igraine

can leave the castle in the Duke's absence.

My mother is dying.

I'm sorry. l have my orders.

-Be careful, Morgaine.

-All right.

lt's over there, by the trees.

See Morgaine there? Fetch her.

Come along, Morgaine.

Would you fly in the face

of your father's authority?

The herbs are for my mother. She's dying.

Captain! That's enough.

Now let me pass.

Not you, Merlin, nor any man.

Not even your Lord Gorlois.

Sir, l recognize your armor.

But, sir, l must do as you commanded me.

l must ask to see your face.

Show him your face, Gorlois.

Let my daughter go.

Father!

l was overjoyed that my father

had come safely back to us...

...but then l saw the dragon...

...and l began to understand.

What are you doing here?

I'm waiting for my father.

He's upstairs, with your mother.

My father is dead.

Well, if your father is dead...

...then who would that be upstairs?

The man with the dragon.

The man of the prophesy.

You be wary of Viviane, child.

She'll catch you in her web...

...like a little fly,

just as she's tried to do to the rest of us.

She won't have me, though.

I've learned how to keep

a step ahead of her.

This is witchcraft.

He challenged the High King.

it was not Uther's wish to kill him.

He had no choice.

What went through my mother's mind...

...as she saw her husband lying dead

at the hand of Uther Pendragon?

None of this mattered...

...to my Aunt Morgause...

...because in King Lot of Orkney...

...she saw at last, her own path to power.

For the first time,

l saw Uther Pendragon face to face...

...and began to understand

the power of Avalon.

Britain's greatest Christian warrior

was dead.

King Uther alone

would turn back the Saxon hordes...

...and Avalon would be saved

by one who believed in the Goddess.

Uther took us to his castle at Camelot...

...and made my mother his High Queen.

All the unhappiness of the past

seemed to be swept away...

...when l saw my little brother, Arthur,

for the first time.

Help me.

Arthur! Morgaine!

What are they doing?

They're praying to the Goddess

for a good harvest.

The Goddess?

The one Father Cuthbert doesn't like?

And now she'll look after their seeds,

and make them grow...

...all through spring.

So these people don't like Jesus Christ?

Some of them do.

But others still pray to the Goddess.

Can there be a God and a Goddess

at the same time?

Of course. it's just like

having a father and a mother.

it was a time of happiness for me

and my little brother.

And it seemed my new father...

...King Uther,

would keep the Saxons at bay forever.

Then one day l heard a familiar voice

down in the royal chamber...

...and l knew that everything

was about to change again.

You shall now teach your son.

But he's still a boy.

Arthur must be fostered

to protect his future destiny...

...and to protect him from his enemies.

lt was an agreement

you made a long time ago.

And with this...

...you must give me Morgaine

to foster in Avalon.

Never.

She has the Sight.

She was born with it.

She can never escape the Unseen.

I'd rather raise her as a Christian woman.

No!

At worst, no harm could come to her

behind convent walls.

The girl was born to be a priestess.

She must be properly trained to her gifts.

Enough of this, woman!

You're in my land now, where l'm king.

You are king.

But who put you there?

How long do you think

you'll hold on to the throne...

...if Avalon withdraws its support?

You'd bring ruin to your own sister

in order to have your way?

I'd do anything to see that

Arthur and Morgaine fulfill their destinies.

You can't take both my children

from me at the same time.

Your children will be safe and happy...

...each growing toward their own fate.

You must learn to be content with that...

...and with each other.

You will always be in my heart, always.

Goodbye, Mother.

Father.

-What are you doing?

-Mother?

-Where are you taking him?

-You must understand.

You each have training to undergo.

it must happen in different places.

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