Guinevere:
Fifteen years old when we meet her. Queen of Camelot. Strong-willed and intelligent. We see her progress from a smart but naive young teen to a mature, strong woman. She’s talented with languages and translates the Grail’s text from Hebrew. We learn her strength early on, when she defies her father on arranging her marriage to Arthur.
Secrets of Camelot, Chapter 1:
“Father! What have you done?”
“Only what was best.”
“For whom? Because, definitely, it wasn’t for me.”
“Queen of the country is not good enough for you?”
“Marriage to a man I don’t know…”
“You’ll have your whole life to know him.”
“How could you do this?” I shouted. He was supposed to protect me.
“Lower your voice!” His eyes blazed.
“Or you’ll what?”
Lancelot:
Twenty-four when we meet him. Knight and mage; Guinevere’s lover. Brave, with a strong personality and there for Guinevere in times of trouble. A balancing force in Guinevere’s life and later a charismatic leader. As a mage, he uses cuffs to block his magic, so that he can serve as a Knight of the Round Table, and later First Knight.
Secrets of Camelot, Chapter 13:
I knew that as long as Lancelot and I were together, there was nothing we couldn’t face. He was my reminder of who I was—of the strength that was in me, that got suppressed by Arthur’s dismissive behavior and by my recent worries. In Lancelot, I met my match. I thought of his cuffs that blocked the magic: he didn’t need spells; he could take the world with a broken sword, if he chose.
There would be a way for us. We would find one.
Secrets of Camelot, Chapter 15:
He got to know the knights slowly, from training with them. They wanted to learn his skills with the sword, that had been passed down in his family. Through building one-on-one relationships, he gained their trust, and over time he won them over. He made decisions quickly and always followed through. When he gave orders, he made sure people were motivated and understood the reasons behind what had to be done.
…And his view of the law gained the trust of the commoners. He had a talent for seeing the good even in the accused. When a case arrived at court, he’d try to acknowledge the human error and not just rule by the cold law. Word spread quickly.
Full text from the scene under the video:
I had to somehow focus. If I could run in one constant direction, I would eventually have to come out of these woods. I just had to persevere. Ignore anything I saw. I could do it. I could fight the hallucinations.
I ran on. I passed an angry dwarf that chased me with an axe, a large fire-spitting frog, and a blue-skinned huntsman who threw arrows that passed through me.
“You impress me,” I heard Meliagrance’s voice.
After what seemed like an hour, the mist started to clear a little. Was I finally getting out? But then the mist returned—that was an illusion too. Like a mirage in the desert.
I was getting tired from the constant running. My legs were bruised, and my elbow was bleeding badly from a fall. I ignored the pain. I had no choice but to continue.
Then, right in front of me, I saw a giant snake.
There were no snakes like this in the country. “Enough!” I yelled. “I’m not stupid.”
But it didn’t disappear like the others. Instead, it came closer.
I stopped and looked it in the eyes. It began to rise up and tower above me. I will not move, and it will vanish. I forced myself to breathe slowly, giving it a piercing stare.
“What are you doing!” Someone tall, in half-plate armor, stepped between me and the creature, sword drawn. With one swift, concise movement, he chopped off the snake’s head and it fell to the ground.
“That thing was real?”
“Of course! What were you thinking?”
I noticed the foreign accent before he turned to me and I saw his face. “Lancelot!”
“Yes. How…? Never mind.” He grabbed my hand and we started to run.
It was really him! And he was here—almost impossible to believe.
But, wait, no. He was just a hallucination too, right? Just like everything else here that vanished when I came close. Except…he didn’t vanish. And he was holding my hand. This was real.
“Duck—there’s a low tree in front of us,” he called.
His voice had a strange effect on me. We were in the worst peril I’ve ever encountered, but with him I strangely felt safe.
He took us through the paths, navigating them without difficulty. The roads became wider. His large hand was warm, reassuring.
“Can you keep running?”
I nodded. I never ran that far. My feet hurt, but I felt I could go on forever if he asked, as long as he never let go. What?! Whatwas this? How was I feeling this way?
Uncannily, the sensation was identical to how I felt when I saw him in that portrait, or in my dreams.
“How did you find me?”
“I passed a peasant who said a woman came this way.” He glanced at my face. There was such warmth in his grey eyes! And something passed between us, like an almost magical spark. “My family said you went missing four days ago. I had just come home and headed right back out.”
“No. That can’t be. I only left a couple of hours ago.”
“Merlin was working on some time spell around here. You must have stepped into it at some point.”
“What? How do you know all this?”
“My family lives here.”
Right. Of course.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get you home, Guin.”
Guin! I couldn’t hide my surprise. Nobody had ever called me that. Except for him, but that was in my dreams. To the real Lancelot, who was a knight of my kingdom, I was “Your Highness,” or at least “my lady.”
And yet, these titles seemed suddenly redundant between us. From his expression, I knew he had noticed he said it too, and he was embarrassed, but didn’t correct himself.
It was a novelty, actually. He talked to me as if we were equals. Unlike the men of court who spoke humbly around me, never challenging me in any way—but I knew the truth, ever since my husband took measures to ensure I had no real rank and position there.
Finally, here was someone who wasn’t faking anything.
“You’re very brave. Few women evade Meliagrance this long in his forest.” He observed me with wonder and amazement. His hand tightened around mine.
We were at the mercy of a terrible mage, and yet, weirdly…I didn’t want him to take me out of these woods. When I was with him like that, his hand in mine, it felt like there was nothing else in the world. What was happening to me?
We kept going until the trail opened. Even with the mist, you could tell there was more space ahead.
“This might be the clearing I know. We’re close to the main forest roads.”
“Ah…but will you make it that far?” I heard Meliagrance’s all-too-familiar voice. He suddenly appeared from behind one of the trees, a large grin on his face.
We froze. My heart skipped a beat.
Lancelot drew his sword.
Oh no! He stood no chance against the mage.
We’d only just met. He couldn’t die now. I didn’t have time to realize how emotional these thoughts were, or notice that I didn’t have any fear for my own safety—I just didn’t want him to die! With him, I finally felt…alive.
Lancelot advanced and Meliagrance laughed. “You think you can win against me using a weapon?” With a wave of his hand, he lifted Lancelot off the ground.
“No!” I watched in horror as Meliagrance sent Lancelot’s body crashing into a tree. I rushed to him.
“Run!” Lancelot yelled.
Never!
Heavy footsteps came behind me and then, I felt Meliagrance grab and pull my hair violently. I fell to the ground, screaming in pain, as he pulled me backward.
“Guin!” Lancelot rose to his feet and rushed to free me.
He punched Meliagrance in the face—faster than the mage could duck.
Meliagrance kicked him and pulled me back. He grabbed me again, twisted and threw me fiercely on the rugged ground once more. The pain was immense.
His focus returned to Lancelot. One final wave of his hand, and Lancelot’s own sword moved in the air. He let out a terrible cry as it magically sliced through his gauntlet, chopping off his right hand.
“Lancelot!” I screamed.
A cuff fell to the ground—just like the ones I’d seen him wear in my dream.
Lancelot bent, his face tormented with teeth clenched as blood rushed out of his arm.
And then it happened. A flash of blinding light shined on Lancelot’s wound. And his hand reappeared!
“What?!” Meliagrance cried.
“Healing powers.” Lancelot waved his own hand, now free from the cuff.
Meliagrance fell, releasing me.
“But you are a knight!” Meliagrance shouted.
“And a mage.” Lancelot stepped between us, shielding me.
“Mages don’t heal like that.”
“I do.”
Meliagrance launched a green glowing ball at Lancelot, but Lancelot stopped it midair, threw it back, and it turned into a cage around Meliagrance. Meliagrance waved his hand at the bars, but nothing happened.
“Who are you?” Meliagrance said.
Lancelot ignored the question. A golden glow appeared around both of his hands. The light spread instantly in all directions and the mist vanished. I could now see the skies above. A cloudy late afternoon. Lancelot glanced up for a moment, and the clouds cleared. What?!
He turned and gave me a quick look and then bent down and touched my bare, injured leg.
The sensation was intoxicating. Heat, passion, and warmth spread through me to all the places where I had been wounded. I looked down to see my cuts and bruises heal, and my torn dress stitch itself back together.
I turned to Lancelot, shocked. Who was he, indeed?
“We need to go. The cage spell will only last until tomorrow. I need to get back and tell Merlin where to find him.”
I nodded, speechless.
“Are you all right to walk?” He offered me his hand.
As I took it again, I felt that wonderful surge of heat. He did too. I could tell. He looked at me for a second, his eyes questioning. But we couldn’t linger for too long.
We crossed the clearing, now at a slower pace.
“So…Merlin knows I was here?”
“Not yet. Or maybe by now he does. My family didn’t want anyone to find out that…we lost you. Kay and his men had left before anyone realized you were missing. When I arrived, Bors and Vivienne were out searching for you. We never thought you’d go out alone.”
“I wasn’t planning on it. I thought I was still right near the castle—I got lost. I hope everyone else is all right.”
“Bors is a strong mage, and Vivienne is immortal.”
The way he said it made me laugh.
He stopped to look at me, and we had another blissful moment.
I couldn’t believe this was all happening. I felt that nothing was more right than to be with Lancelot, wherever we were. “So…you’ve just returned home.” I tried to make a sensible remark.
“It’s only for a visit. My duty is to serve the Round Table abroad.”
“But wait, how come you’re a knight at all? Isn’t it forbidden for mages?”
He smiled and held up the loose cuff. “The cuffs block my spells when I wear both of them. I really wanted to be a knight. Like my father.”
“Your father was a knight?” All I knew about him till now was that Vivienne adopted him. I never asked her who his real parents were.
“He served Pendragon. My mother did too. They both fought in the battle of Kardoel.”
…(I removed a bit to avoid spoilers)…
We took it very slow. He told me about growing up in Frankia, and the interesting cultures he got to know when he traveled the continent for tournaments. How he loved the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea.
He also said that he was born just a few weeks before the battle of Kardoel, and Vivienne took him to safety in secret.
A full moon rose above us when the towers of Benwick came into view, a silhouette against the, starry night.
“Home,” he said with a tone of regret.
I sighed.
A bright figure walked toward us, just as we emerged from the trees into the moon-lit road. It was Vivienne.
“Thank goodness. I was so worried.” She smiled and then, she suddenly stopped, eyes wide open. “Lancelot, put the cuff back on your hand. Quickly!”
I turned back. Where Lancelot had held my hand to help me walk, there was now a strange blue glow. It marked where my fingers had touched him. It shined, sparkling in the moonlight.
The moon sign! Merlin had told me about this—it came when a mage met his Charge.
“Guin!”
“Lance…”
He was my Guardian!
A mixture of emotions rushed through me. Everything from that irresistible longing to be with him, to a terrible fear of what this meant. But at least, one thing finally made sense: what I felt around him, and how intensely and rapidly it came.
We were bound by the irresistible force of Guardian love. Meant for each other since birth. His powers were given to him so that he could protect me—maybe that was why we met now, when I needed him. And this same magic would keep us together for centuries.
Except…I wasn’t free to choose him!
“Lancelot. Cuffs. Now!” Vivienne commanded, staring at the blue glow that we had to now hide.
He put the cuff back on and the moon sign vanished.
Behind Vivienne, Arthur and his men appeared.
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