The Man in The Cave

Chapter 29

The chapel was dimly lit by the lights of candles placed meticulous all around the room, Morgana was standing above the throne room in a balcony, invisible. Leaning on the stone railing, a knight clad in a green armor beneath her standing straight with an axe in his hand. She smiled softly at him as her heart beat fast in pure anticipation.

The doors opened with a loud bang, a sixteen-year-old boy wet from the rain, clad in a borrowed armor stepped inside. Morgana noticed the green belt the boy had never worn before, nor had it belonged to the previous owner of the armor. Morgana stood straighter, an uncomfortable anger to set on the pit of her stomach, wondering what would possess them to allow him to go on such journey.

Gawain's steps stopped in front of the knight in the middle of the room who held an axe in between his hands. Morgana watched the scene with interest when her nephew took off his helmet and the sword out of his sheath laying them at the feet of the green knight.

"I've come to fulfill my part of the deal," Gawain knelt, hands in the air.

Morgana's heart skipped a beat when the knight rose the heavy axe above the boy's neck. His eyes were closed shut and he flinched the moment the sword brushed by his side. Morgana felt a pang of guilt in her chest.

"Are you scared young man?" The knight taunted with a deep voice. Morgana rolled her eyes, trying to make a mental note to talk with the knight about it later. Gawain shook his head and turned his lips into a line.

The axe swung again, this time falling at the other side of the boy, this time, there was barely a reaction from the boy beyond the closed shut eyes. The knight laughed again.

"I seem to have missed," there was a hint of mocked frustration in the knight's voice "Don't worry young man, it won't happen again".

"I hope not," Gawain spoke, a strange confidence in his voice, Morgana lifted an eyebrow "It would be ashamed if I had come all this way only to leave with my part unfulfilled because of your difficulty to land an effective blow,"

There was a hint of a smile on Morgana's lips she found herself unable to avoid.

The knight lifted the axe, and a single drop of blood fell to the ground. Morgana let out a breath of air when the boy's eyes opened slowly, hand moving to his neck. He looked at the knight and then back at his hand, eyebrows furrowed. He stretched his hand for the sword and tensed his fingers around its grip.

A loud laugh resonated in the room.

"Stand," the knight commanded, and so did Gawain, eyes widening when the green knight took off his helmet revealing Accolon behind it.

The boy took a step back, sword held tightly in his hand, Morgana knew he had recognized Accolon.

"How was the journey young man?" Accolon questioned. Gawain's mouth hung open. Morgana rolled her eyes, as the rest of the candles lit up one by one making everything in the room clearer than what it had been mere minutes before.

"What is this?" the boy questioned, brown eyes looking around. Morgana turned herself into a raven flying, passing close to the boy, transforming back into herself to stand next to Accolon who had a smile in his face.

"This was all her idea," Accolon pointed at Morgana who tilted her head in a slow nod.

"Aunt... aunt Morgana?" Gawain stammered. "What is happening?" Morgana approached the boy, holding his arms and touching the armor.

"How did the Bertilaks treat you? Good, I hope, Regina said they were nice to you, but she's always been one to go up on pranks," Morgana smiled softly, Gawain furrowed his eyebrows.