I remember it all. From the towering stone walls to the many paintings and tapestries that lined them. Memories of the castle staff going about their daily work and the many warm scents that emanated from the kitchens. These are the memories I have of my home and memories are all that is left.
The day of the invasion started off as any other, being rudely awakened from my peaceful sleep by one of the many maids assigned to me. I knew which maid it was from the moment the water hit my bed. The oldest of the maids, Olive. She was a spindly old woman who carried herself like one of the knights and demanded the same respect.
“Honestly, Young Master, you would think that after seventeen years of life. Waking up with the sun wouldn’t be such a hassle for you.”
The sound of more water being added to the bucket was enough to pull myself from my now soaked mess that was my bed with my mess of long dirty blonde hair sticking to every inch of my face.
“If I am not mistaken, a warning is usually provided before you resort to the bucket, is today a special occasion?”
As I went about getting dressed and removing my soaked through night clothes, I mussed to myself that it must be the case as Olive was dressed in the staff finery that was reserved for only the most important of times. The outfit wasn’t all that much to look at, a simple leather tunic with the Pendragon dragon crest embroidered in the center and lined with golden stitching. The male staff of the castle wore matching trousers while the female population was expected to wear a matching skirt.
The very fact Olive was wearing the finery and not her usual plain looking staff attire did not bode well for me.
“Zanifel-
Uh oh, I really did mess up.
“-have you forgotten that today is when your father is due to return from his tour of the kingdom? Your mother is expecting you in the throne room and you best not make her angry again.”
The idea of my mother, the Queen, being angry with me once more was not a pleasant idea. The last time I drew her ire, I spent the day cataloging the entirety of her herb garden, including each blade of grass.
“Message received. I will get dressed and meet her right away!”
Without a moment to spare, I rushed to finish dressing myself and tying my hair into a tight knot before leaving Olive to finish her morning duties in my room, not taking the chance to tell her how important she was to me. This was a choice I would come to regret as that would be the last time I saw dear old Olive.
Making my way through the castle halls was never anything of note. The same walls, the same scents and the same people. The castle workers never needed to be told what to do throughout the day as it was rare for anything expected to happen. As I passed by the various halls and rooms on my way to the throne room, you couldn’t help but notice the change in energy. The excitement at the return of the king, after his months long tour of the kingdom, was palpable.
It was hard not to smile and engage in conversation with each person I passed. My father was beloved by everyone, from the oldest adult to the youngest child. We’ve experienced a two decade long period of peace and prosperity under his rule, with a third on the horizon. Seeing their smiling and happy faces was everything to my parents and I.
Rounding the last corner to the throne room, my attention was caught by someone I didn’t immediately recognize. Being raised as I was, it was made imperative that I knew each member of the castle staff by name. So why was I at a loss when it came to the name of the woman who I had now set my eyes on? I definitely would have made a point of knowing her, given the sheer level of beauty that she radiated.
She stood before the door to the throne room, speaking to one of the guards stationed there, her very presence seeming to have captured his attention in its entirety. Long golden hair cascaded down her back as though it were liquid sunlight, while her piercing ice blue eyes drew you in. Her appearance that day would be ingrained in my memory for years to come.Whether it was a curse or blessing, only time would tell.
Once I finally managed to pull myself from the trance I had seemingly fallen under upon seeing her, I began to make my way towards the two of them. Each of my footsteps were purposefully louder and echoed against the stone walls and flooring, so that my presence was known. That must’ve been enough to pull the guard out of his trance as well, what with his eyes shooting towards me and returning to reality.
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“Oh! Your Highness! My apologies for not greeting you sooner. Shall I announce your arrival?”
The guard’s name was Bathrew. He was still fairly new himself, only recently having moved up from being the squire of one of our knights and earning himself the very prestigious position of throne room door guard. Not all heroes are born on the battlefield, or born for it.
With a casual wave of my hand, his nervous jittering was dismissed and he quickly regained his proper and more professional composure.
“Not yet, mother can wait a bit longer. What you can do is introduce me to your new friend. I take it you are a new addition to the castle staff? You have my greatest regrets for not making myself known to you sooner.”
The way her eyes turned to meet mine was almost enough to cause me to flinch away. The piercing blue seemed to look right through me and for the briefest of moments I thought I saw a flicker of regret.
“Your highness, my name is Kerine. You are correct in your presumptions that I am new to the staff. I’m working under lovely Olive for the time being but have aspirations for future positions. But oh no! I really should be returning to my duties before I am reprimanded on my first day! If you’ll both excuse me.”
Before I could speak up and process everything she had just said, the bottom of her dress disappeared around the corner, leaving Bathrew and myself in confused silence.
“I shall have to question Olive about her some more, once the opportunity is made available. Now if you wouldn’t mind, Bathrew, you may announce my coming to the people in the throne room.”
The throne room was abuzz with activity as staff and soldiers busied themselves with preparations for my fathers arrival. The tall stained glass windows were spotless, spreading their colours across the walls and floor to create an otherworldly atmosphere throughout. At the far end stood the king and queen's thrones, neither standing larger or higher than the other and both draped with the red and gold of the pendragon family. They were simple wooden chairs and were mostly only used for when dealing with other kingdoms and their delegates.
The center of the throne room was devoted to a single piece of furniture, if it could even be called that. The round table of camelot was carved from the very same stone as the castle and stood as though the rest of the castle was formed around it. There were no chairs surrounding it, no designated seats or positions, not even for the king. To stand at the table was to be seen as an equal. The foundation of the utopian kingdom my father and mother had built and the legacy I had to live up to. No pressure or anything.
Standing in the multi-colored light of one of the windows was my mother. Her long and flowing raven black hair tumbled past her shoulders in a braid that took an hour each day to do. Porcelain white skin absorbed the colours of the window and made her look inhuman, which honestly made sense given that she wasn’t in the least. Being the high priestess of Avalon and subsequently pseudo-ruler of the fae people that resided there. Her marriage to my father was one of the many reasons for the prosperity and peace that Camelot was known for. Two kingdoms united with a bond forged by true love. You would find anyone wanting to break it hard pressed, and most likely short lived.
“Ah, I see you have finally deigned to grace us all with your presence. I do hope that summoning you to help with the preparations for your fathers arrival isn’t going to impede on any of your very important duties you had prior to this.”
The way my mother spoke to me was polite and inviting me to answer, but her eyes showed the truth behind her words. She was not happy with me and most likely sent Olive specific orders for the rude awakening. I’ll have to pick and choose my words carefully or it's back to counting grass.
“My deepest apologies, mother, in my excitement for father’s return I found myself with a restless sleep and slept in as a consequence. I shall take greater care to make sure such a thing never happens again. It was not my intention to put you or the staff out because of my own negligence.”
As I spoke, my body was in the deepest bow I could afford without breaking something, and so I couldn’t see if my attempt had actually worked. That should suffice in appeasing her enough to let me coast on through without any worries, right? When I looked back up from my bowed position, she had a satisfied smirk on her face and motioned for me to stand.
“That was very good. A little too proper near the end but not your worst attempt at sounding like the prince you are. Did you enjoy the quick bath you received?”
Ah so it was by her design that I woke up with a bucket full of water, I should’ve known sooner. I brought myself to stand next to her and gaze out the window over the castle town. Chimney smoke created a black and gray blanket across the horizon, obscuring the view of the surrounding forest and farm lands. While the sounds of the townsfolk going about their daily lives with preparations for the kingdom wide celebration echoing through the streets. Our people truly knew nothing of hardship and strife.
“The King and his knights should be arriving before midday, if all has gone according to plan and schedule.”
“Should? The way you speak, it sounds as if you have some misgivings about the certainty of their return time.”
Her brows had furrowed, staring out past the city and tree line. The intensity of her eyes gave me a sense of dread, drawing my own attention to what she was trying to see. Was that one of our scouts riding at full gallop to the city? I couldn’t make out many more details from this distance, but my mother saw something I apparently had missed. She quickly swung around to the guards and staff working.
The next moments flew by with very little time to process what was happening. I remember my mother shouting orders to the soldiers. The scout we had seen come riding in, had barreled their way into the throne room, covered in blood and holding my father’s sword. Something had gone wrong, so very wrong.