May's Workshop Stories

The Long-Awaited Return

"The chosen one, you are finally here," an elderly voice said.

The fact that I had no idea where 'here' was or who the voice belonged to didn't sit well with me. It was no wonder since the last thing I remembered was being on a plane, flying over the Pacific Ocean. Then suddenly I was standing on the firm ground.

When my eyes finally adjusted to the bright sunlight, which blinded me for a few terrifying moments, I saw an old man with a long grey beard and a funny hat. He was standing proudly before me, looking at me with an odd reverence.

He was glowing with a powerful emotion that I couldn't identify, which only served to creep me out even further.

"I am not the chosen one. I am just the plain old Barrett," I said cautiously.

"There is nothing plain about you, my dear," the man said with certainty. "I never thought I would see the day the once and future king would return."

"What are you talking about? I am just a thirty-year-old woman. I have no connections whatsoever to King Arthur," I said.

"You see! You immediately knew who I was talking about! That only confirms that you are the one," the man said, bowing reverently.

"Of course I know who king Arthur is. I've been studying about him. As a matter of fact, he has been a bit of an obsession of mine," I said when it dawned on me. The long robe, conical hat, the beard. "And who are you supposed to be dressed like that. Merlin?" I asked.

"At your service," he said, bowing once again.

"This isn't funny. I demand to know how I got here," I said sternly.

"Well, that's easy. I brought you here with a small help from my friends," Merlin said, drawing my attention to the nearby trees with one sweeping gesture.

The sight of strange-looking trees made me question my sanity, although there was something oddly familiar about them. It was as if I had seen them before, but I couldn't remember when.

Their tall trunks and unusual crowns didn't really help me understand what the delusional guy was talking about. Still, I could feel power and ancientness radiating from them.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, my liege, I am powerful, but even my power has limits. To get you here, to this holy place, I used the power of the spirits residing in the baobabs that they were happy enough to share with me, for you," Merlin said.

"You can't really be Merlin, and I am most definitely not Arthur," I said.

"All your life, you have been hurt by the injustices of the world more than anyone else. You always tried to be fair and just even though the world around you was anything but," Merlin said.

"Well, yes, but that doesn't mean I am some kind of savior of the world. I know all the Arthurian legends and trust me, that's not me," I said urgently.

"Tell me then, what do you feel right now?" Merlin asked, squinting.

"I feel like for the first time in my life, I am myself. The humming of power in the trees resonates in my blood, and I know that I finally belong, that I have a purpose," I said without realizing what I was saying.

"Exactly. That's because you are finally ready to embrace your destiny, to save our kingdom, the world," Merlin said with emphasis.

"That's impossible," I said, unable to wrap my mind around the enormity of what he was saying. "I am a woman, and Arthur is a man. King Arthur can't be a woman."

My final argument sounded ridiculous even to myself. Yet, I needed to find some reason why it couldn't be me. If I dared accept it as the truth, it would mean becoming responsible for the fate of the whole world. That was too much for anyone to bear.

"You know as well as I do that your gender is beside the point. What makes you the once and future king is what's in your heart, and there has not been a nobler heart in existence since the olden days," Merlin said.

Though I didn't really believe that, I couldn't help but accept the possibility that I might be the reincarnation of Arthur. After all, that would explain my obsession with Arthurian myths and legends, my inability to fit in with the rest of society. Furthermore, it would explain my need to be just, to protect the weak and help the poor.

"If that's true, what happens next?" I asked.

"We start your training for the war that is to come. Are you ready to take up the mantle, my king?" Merlin asked.

"I am," I said with doubt.

My brain was telling me that I had gone insane, but my heart knew better. It was my heart that spoke and embraced my destiny.

My journey has just begun, but I will do my best to ensure that justice and chivalry prevail. The Knights of the Round Table shall rise again. I will bring forth the time of Camelot once again.