A World of Another Kind

Chapter 39 The Forest of Eternal Night

Narrated by Kaylee

     As we walked, suddenly, a pigeon swooped down and landed on Snow's shoulder. It appeared to have something tied to its leg. "What is this?" Snow questioned, taking the pigeon into her hands and examining its leg.

     "It looks to be a letter," David said, untying the pigeon's leg and opening the letter up. "We used to send letters to each other this way." He then read it, his expression growing worried which aroused our curiosity.

     "Well, what does it say?" Regina asked eagerly.

     "It's word from Lancelot," David replied. "Guinevere is seriously ill, and because she is pregnant, her child is in danger too. She is in a very weak state and needs our help."

     "Then there is no time to waste. We must leave at once," Snow urged.

     Regina appeared us all to the castle, and we met up with Lancelot. "Oh, thank goodness you are here!" he exclaimed. "You must have received my letter. I am in desperate need of your help."

     "Can we see her?" Snow asked.

     "Yes, right this way," Lancelot replied, then he led us to Guinevere's bedchamber. She was propped up by pillows and continually coughed. A nurse bathed her feverish head with a wet rag, and Guinevere looked deathly pale. She faintly called for Lancelot, and he approached her bedside and put his hand into hers. "You're going to be okay, my darling. I've sent help."

     Guinevere turned her gaze to all of us and smiled weakly. "I'm glad to see you all." She then ended with an explosion of coughing, and Snow sat on her bed, comforting her.

     "So do you want us to heal her by magic?" Regina asked.

     "No, Merlin warns me that magic would only harm the baby, but there is another way to heal her that I will need help in finding," replied Lancelot. "I am willing to pay you much treasure in return."

     "We don't need payment," said David. "We only care about helping Guinevere get well. What is it that you need help in finding?"

     "Merlin told me of a very rare and magical flower that is equipped with many powerful healing properties," Lancelot began. "It lies in the Forest of Eternal Night in the land of Castlevania. This flower goes by the name, the Sundrop Flower; it's a golden lily that glows like the sun."

     "We must leave at once," David said. "I assume you have a map with you to the location of this flower."

     "That I do," Lancelot replied, nodding. "You have no idea how much this means to me. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I am deeply gratified."

     "That's what we do for each other," David said with an outstretched hand, and Lancelot shook it warmly.

     It was decided that David, Hook, Aubrey, and I would accompany Lancelot on the trip. We packed up and got the horses ready. As Lancelot tacked up his horse, Merlin appeared. "Lancelot, I need to speak to you about something important," he said.

     Lancelot stopped tacking up his horse and replied, "Speak then. You have my undivided attention, Merlin."

     "I am afraid that you will not like what I have to say, but it must be said," Merlin began in a grim tone. "Your child, or as I should say, Arthur's child, has the potential for great darkness. If the infant lives, so does the child's dark fate. The flower you will give to Guinevere will give your unborn baby great powers that she will use for evil; for she is destined to a fate worse than death."

     "But I cannot in good conscience let Guinevere's baby die," Lancelot replied indignantly. "The child may grow up in darkness, but I will still love her as my own. I've already made my choice."