The Poison Rose: A King Arthur Tale Read online

“It is only selfish if you make it selfish Arthur. Do it for your people and for your daughter. If you leave her there she will surely be lost. She will become the next witch and your kingdom, and family for that matter, will be lost. Is that what you want?” Arthur did not respond. “Don’t you understand? Their lives are at risk whether you attack or not. If you don’t attack the witch now the new witch, your daughter, will use her magic to destroy you. Now is the opportunity, while the witch is weak. Attack! Your people want to destroy the evil witch as much as you do. They will follow you. Arthur, gather together your knights for one last council, and then you will see that they believe in you and will follow you against the witch.”

  Arthur nodded. There was a long moment of silence. “So be it. I have trusted your judgment before and you have never led me astray. Merlin, gather my knights in for council. We meet as soon as they are ready.”

  Merlin nodded and was about to leave until he suddenly stopped. “Arthur there is something else that I must tell you. Now that you have evaded the love of this woman you should know something. There is a price to be paid for magical love that fails or is corrupted. The price the witch must pay is death, for she has failed in luring you into her grasp despite all her magic. So she, against her will and like a rose, will gradually fade away and die. The price the man must pay, however, is even more severe. The man who defies magical love must live the rest of his life without true love. Know this Arthur—living your entire life, but without love is the worst punishment that can ever be granted. The older I get the more I realize that life is short because love is often so short. And the most powerful and exciting part of life is the part where love permeates most powerfully.”

  Arthur looked down towards the table, and then back up to Merlin. He didn’t want to hear any more bad news. “Is there no way out?”

  Merlin nodded. “There are ways out of it. The man who evaded the love of a witch may be killed by a witch, any witch. If this happens justice is said to be served and the man may die peacefully and move on and experience true love in the next life.”

  “But that doesn’t help me,” replied Arthur. “I want to destroy witches forever and not die.”

  “Then you must be willing to sacrifice your own happiness Arthur. Know that there may yet be another way, for not all magic is certain. But now is not the time to reveal it. Now is a time to fight the witch! Well Arthur, I will go now and get the knights.” Thus Merlin left Arthur in the room for a short time. There he stood silently pondering and praying.

  ******

  After the knights ate what little food remained in the castle and had, at least partially, mended up their wounds, they met together again in the council room. There, again, the knights met to discuss what was to be done with the witch. But, because of the incompleteness of the Round Table and the informality of the occasion, they disbanded the formal ceremony of a meeting. The knights simply stood around the table with Arthur at its head and Merlin standing at the side of the room. After the knights surrounded the table, for several moments the table was silent.

  Then Arthur spoke boldly and solemnly: “I had a dream once knights, a dream when I became king. I dreamed of a world with flowers, a light that never died, and a joy beyond belief for my kingdom. But somehow that dream faded, being replaced by the beauty of the witch’s skin, the smell of her body, and the sound of her voice. But now knights we meet to bring this dream back alive again, only this time for the whole world! Indeed, we have come here to answer one question knights. What is to be done with the witch who has now fled, with her new apprentice Alice, back to her mountain? I put this question to you knights now because we must make this decision together. This time I will not be going to the witch’s mountain alone.”

  “Indeed, that is the reason why we are here,” said Merlin. “We must decide what is to be done next. Now that the witch has gained the allegiance of Alice, Arthur’s daughter, the witch will not fear remaining in hiding for as long as she can. She knows the price Arthur had to pay for resisting her love and she will more than gladly sacrifice her life for Arthur’s suffering and eventual inevitable future death to another witch—his own future daughter. Even though she has lost this city her ultimate goal was still accomplished. She knows that we have just as much, if not more reason to fight as she does us. Word has reached my ear of an army brewing near her palace. The army is large and consists, not only of those who had fallen for her love previously, but also all those men throughout the kingdom who have decided to side with her. Because Arthur defied her love, she is weakening and will weaken gradually until she dies. However, be wary knights, for a witch that is weakening is just as deadly, if not more so than a witch that is strong! Know that I doubt she will risk an attack on Camelot. Instead, she will stay in her palace unless she is challenged. If she is challenged her anger may drive her to leave her protective palace.”

  “Challenged?” asked Galahad. “What do you mean challenged?”

  “Witches are very proud,” exclaimed Merlin. “All we must do is challenge her pride. Just go as far as Badon Fields and she will see us and know that we are challenging her to battle. This will be enough to get her to come and fight us on equal grounds.”

  “Why do say that?” asked Arthur, surprised that Merlin would make such a bold claim.

  “Because of two reasons: for one, her magic is waning. Second, she is very angry at you.”

  Arthur nodded. “I agree with Merlin. This is our best hope of attack. We gather as many people from the city that we can and march to Badon Fields. Some of those who are wounded, like many of you, will still want to fight. Once we have gathered our men there we must be prepared for the fury the witch will unleash upon us.”

  The knights all looked back and forth at each other, hoping someone would speak because, in all reality, none of the knights wanted to talk about the witch and none of them felt that this plan was reasonable. The wounds they suffered by her hand were still all too vivid and near.

  “Just let her die!” said Percival as he banged his hands down on the table. “She failed in making you fall in love with her and so she will die! I do not fear Alice as I do this witch. And if what Merlin says is true, and her powers will now be more horrifying than ever. Then we won’t stand a chance. I would rather fight hundreds of thousands of the world’s greatest fighters than one witch.”

  Tristan nodded. “I am sorry Arthur, but I must say that I agree with Percival on this one. We have simply lost too many men in this civil war already. We have maybe three-hundred good fighting men here, plus a few women who may desire to join us in this fight. But this is certainly not enough to go on another full-out assault. Plus there is the witch’s magic to contend with, which now she will no doubt not fear to use.”

  “Even if we do draw out the witch and her armies what is to be done with Alice?” asked Galahad. “I doubt the witch will risk losing Alice. She will keep her in her palace.”

  Merlin nodded. “Galahad is right Arthur. The witch will hold Alice in the palace while this fighting occurs.”

  “Then our fight must be a diversion!” exclaimed Arthur. “We draw out her armies and, especially, the witch. Draw the witch to the front of the battlefield. Then once she and her men are occupied I may sneak out and go for Alice.”

  “That is a long journey Arthur,” said Lancelot. “You will be forced to travel miles through the dark forest and then make the long trip up to her palace from there. There may not be an army by the time you return.”

  “Plus there is no knowing if the gate surrounding her palace will be open,” said Percival. “If the gate is not open it will all be for naught. We cannot beat the witch through strength of arms, and surely the witch will destroy all of us after a while and then it will be over. You Arthur will be the only one left and the witch will return to Alice and it will have all been to her advantage. Alice, the new witch, will then have an entire kingdom for her taking.”

  “Then it all relies on this one hope,” said Arthur.
“Yes, it is plan with flaws, but all plans have flaws. And what other options have we? If we remain here the witch automatically wins. And I don’t know about you but I will not let that happen, not as long as I draw sword.” Suddenly Arthur drew Excalibur and pointed it up towards the oculus.

  “I agree! I don’t know about all of you, but I cannot wait knowing that this evil witch is still alive,” said Lancelot as he drew his sword. “Who knows when she will attack again? I cannot imagine myself returning to my province now claiming victory when I know that in my soul I fear for my kingdom’s future. In addition, the vegetation and creatures of these lands still feel the tainted evil of this woman’s evil love. We must go after her, no matter the odds, for this woman is a threat to all we hold dear.”

  “I do not ask any of you to follow me. This is beyond the duty I have asked of you as knights,” said Arthur. “But I have decided to go after the witch, with or without an army.”

  All the knights were silent. They looked back and forth at each other in distress. Lancelot stood next to Arthur and placed his hand on his shoulder. “Arthur, I don’t know about the rest of the knights, but I will go with you with this witch to the death, if it is necessary.” Lancelot smiled and pointed his sword up towards the giant oculus above the table.

  “It is good to have you brother,” said Arthur.

  Arthur stopped and looked around the table. After Lancelot Gawain stepped in towards the table, looked at Arthur and smiled, saying, “I am in also, for she killed my dear brother.” He then drew his sword and pointed it up towards the oculus. “Although I am wounded I can still draw sword and will draw a sword against this witch until the end of my days!” More and more knights then gradually drew their swords until all eleven knights had their swords drawn and agreed to follow Arthur on this great quest.

  “We are knights Arthur,” exclaimed Galahad. “And will be sure to fight until the end.”

  “So it is!” boomed Arthur gleefully. “You men have now pledged your lives, not to me as your king, but to the great cause of love. Now go! Depart and gather as many men from your kingdom as you can, but do as I have. Force no man to fight for this cause, for the cause of love is a cause that must be fought for willingly. Thank you great knights! I will not risk fighting the witch in the dark, and so we must rest here only one night and then as soon as the sun rises, we depart this city for the plains of Badon fields.”

  “So,” said Merlin, holding up his staff towards the ceiling, “here in the last days of this age, as prophesied, it will be those who believe and want to live by true love verse those who don’t. Indeed it is the battle of all battles to end this great age!”

  The knights then all erupted in cheers and separated to prepare for the battle ahead.

  Chapter 19: The Witch Prepares for Battle

  After Alice and the witch were transported back to the witch’s palace, Alice needed to find time to be alone and so she immediately wandered outside of the witch’s palace. While outside she decided to take a stroll through the witch’s garden in front of her palace. The sun was beginning to set and the garden was still completely visible. Her workers still labored vigorously in the garden and every few moments took the occasion to stop and look up at this new visitor—a type of visitor they rarely saw in the witch’s territory.

  Alice stopped momentarily to look around at the poor hideous decrepit workers that the witch had allied to her cause. “Are these the people who will serve me when I become witch?” she thought. Although she felt the world’s great injustice in her life she didn’t want this. Her head sunk low and although she was upset at her father she realized that her father was still her father, and this natural connection still seemed to live within her.

  “I will free you all when I become witch,” she declared to the witch’s laborers, who stopped working momentarily, but whose expression remained the same.

  Alice then resumed her walk around the witch’s palace, pondering the tragic situation she found herself in. There soon would be no going back from her decision. She looked around the garden and up at the palace and she wanted it. But this was never how she expected to be forced to earn it.

  Suddenly Alice heard a voice from behind her. “Why so sad my dear?” asked the witch, as she appeared on the pathway behind her. “Do you not enjoy my garden?”

  Alice looked up at her, but did not reply. She knew what she had done. For so long her thoughts drifted to her loving mother Guinevere. She wished that Guinevere were here now, to hold her, comfort her and be there for her. Intellectually she knew why she turned to the witch. The witch was kind to her. The witch offered her freedom and power. And perhaps most importantly, the witch was a woman and provided that motherly care and guidance she so desperately wanted.

  “Tell me, is your father on your mind? Your thoughts must be drawn to your father…a father who you no doubt know will never turn his heart to you now that you have betrayed him. No, I am afraid that you are both destined to be great enemies.”

  Alice looked up at the statue of a great warrior in front of her. “Did you do this?” she asked.

  “No my dear; you see, this is but an example of what men do to themselves,” said the witch. “And it is this evil that we must fight against. A great injustice was done to you by your father and so now you must fight against him.”

  “I do hate the world,” replied Alice. “People can be so evil.” Again her thoughts were drawn to her friendless and restricted life growing up in Arthur’s castle.

  “Excellent!” exclaimed the witch with joy, wrapping her arms around her like a mother would her child. “Come and I will take you on a tour of this great garden and palace, a tour of what shall soon be yours, and then I will show you the army that I will have assembled. It shall be a grand army, an army meant to destroy the kingdom of men forever and grant you, as my beloved heir, all power.”

  The witch took Alice on a tour of the palace, showing her, like Arthur, everything in the palace but the basement room (the room that contained the hearts of men possessed by witches since the beginning of witches.) Alice was quite impressed with everything she saw, except for the rose that stood in the center of the witch’s collection room. There she noticed that the rose was beginning to wilt. Indeed, the rose was not its usual vibrant red, but was now a dark orange-brown hue. And the rose was no longer full of petals, but many of the petals had fallen to the ground.

  “Why does this rose suffer so?” asked Alice.

  The witch looked sad. “Yes, well you see, my life is connected to this rose. Arthur did not love me just as he did not love you and because of this I am dying like this rose. Arthur is a murderer Alice. He will take me away from you just as he took your mother away from you.”

  “What? What are you saying?” asked Alice.

  “Yes Alice,” replied the witch. “Arthur killed your mother.”

  Inside the witch cheered to herself. She knew that Alice was now in a confused and uncertain state of mind—an excellent state of mind for her to use all of her persuasive powers. This was a state of mind the witch enjoyed, a mind the witch could manipulate and use to her advantage to fully bring her to her side. “Come Alice, come out to the balcony. There are things that I must tell you, things that your father, in his deception hid from you. I will now be your teacher of truth and not your corrupt father.” The two then moved out onto the balcony and looked over the garden. “Your father heard of me, of my beauty and greatness, and like all other men, went to seek me out. But he did so in secret and when he saw me he wanted me. I was so beautiful and powerful. But your father had one problem. He was married to Guinevere. So he had to devise a way to rid himself of his commitment to her so that he may have me. What did he do?” The witch suddenly pulled out a black-colored potion that read, “DEATH” and handed it to Alice. “Yes Alice, your father killed your own mother, poisoning her secretly in the night. You see, it only takes one drop for the poison to work. And sadly, it worked perfectly. Guinevere was dead and he was
free to seek me.”

  Tears streamed down Alice’s cheek as she quickly handed the phial back to the witch. “No, he couldn’t have! My father wouldn’t kill her! He couldn’t! He loved her and spent every day by her bedside!”

  “I am sorry, but you must finally know the truth,” said the witch. “The good news, however, is that your father ultimately failed in his quest to get me. Witches always win over men because of their great pride. In fact, I foresee that once the sun rises tomorrow your father will lead an army to Badon Fields where he will challenge my power and try to win my heart one last time.”

  “They won’t come here?” asked Alice.

  “No, they fear my palace. But it is here, within the palace, that you my dear daughter, must remain. You must remain protected. I could not bear the pain if something happened to you.”

  Alice nodded. “But if you go out to Badon Fields they will surely overwhelm you. We will lose. We don’t have near enough men and you only have a limited amount of magic.”

  The witch laughed. “Oh, my dear, you are young and still do not know of my power,” said the witch. “Come and you will see the army that I have prepared.” The witch escorted Alice to the balcony on the highest floor of her mansion where they could look over the backside of her garden.

  Alice looked down and expected to see a perfectly healthy garden, like she saw in the front of her palace. However, what she saw now was something quite different. There was no garden. Instead, all the trees had been hacked down and the grass burned. Smoke lingered in the air. The statues that used to be in the garden were all pushed to the side. And there below, standing in rows, were thousands of the witch’s servants. In front of each group of a hundred as it’s leader was one of her most loyal of servants—her black-hooded servants. Then, behind them were her other servants, except now they were not crippled, but their deformities were miraculously mended by the witch’s magic. So they stood upright, all armored in a dark-black armor, their faces now all branded in red. The witch smiled and extended her arms outward as if revealing to Alice a final testament to her own greatness.