The Queens of Nightmares and Dreams: Book Two of the Pendragon's Requite Trilogy

By Victor C. Brice

King Arthur's royal court and the Knights of the Round Table are established in the 21st Century! In an all too brief period of peace, Guinevere gives birth to her husband's son and daughter. The fallen princess of Cornwall, Morgana the renegade Fey summons from the Dark Ages the supreme leader of her dark witch's coven, the hellish she-demon Rhapter. Morgana's aim is to once again usurp Camelot's throne. But Rhapter has her own secret plans for revenge against humanity and her personal nemisis: Vivian the Lady of the Lake and queen of mystic Avalon. From the frigid depths of space, Rhapter entices an evil race of aliens to attack planet earth with their futuristic war machines starting with Arthur's new kingdom!

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Oct 24, 2011
• ISBN: 9781462055180

Victor C. Brice

Victor C. Brice is a proud U.S. Army veteran as well as a freelance artist and writer. He has previously published two other books, PenDragon’s Requite and The Queens of Nightmares and Dreams. Born at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Victor traveled the world with his Army active duty father, along with his mother and siblings until voluntarily enlisting in the U.S. Armed Forces himself. Victor resides in Baltimore, Maryland (Home of the our Nation’s Star Spangled Banner) where he actively supports the community in which he lives.

Book preview

Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter Forty-Three

Chapter Forty-Four

Chapter Forty-Five

Chapter Forty-Six

Chapter Forty-Seven

Chapter Forty-Eight

Chapter Forty-Nine

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty-One

Chapter Fifty-Two

Chapter Fifty-Three

Chapter Fifty-Four

Chapter Fifty-Five

Chapter Fifty-Six

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Chapter Sixty

Chapter Sixty-One

Chapter Sixty-Two

Chapter Sixty-Three

Chapter Sixty-Four

Epilogue

Special notice of correction for the reader: In the first novel, PenDragon’s Requite: King Arthur Triumphant, King Uriens’ is described with hazel eyes. That was an error; King Uriens’ eyes are gray. Thank you for your understanding.

This novel is lovingly dedicated to:

My parents, Mrs. Bonnie F. and U.S. Army Sergeant Major (retired) Cleotha Brice

All mothers of the world and creation, for they are truly sacred in their ability to give birth to the lives that forge the future

To all the survivors of cancer and all the supporters of cancer research

To the honored memories of:

Lady Diana Frances Mountbatten-Windsor, the Princess of Wales

Mrs. Jacquelyn Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis and President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Sr.

Mrs. Coretta Scott and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr.

Ms. Diane L. Dobrzykowski

Each taken away far too soon

With respects to:

Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales

Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales

And a note of appreciation to

Matthew Trapper Jensen

Lastly but by no means least this novel is dedicated to:

All the readers who embraced this novel’s prequel, PenDragon’s Requite: King Arthur Triumphant!

Prologue

The Arch-Cardinal felt Guinevere involuntarily squeeze her hand upon hearing Morgana’s name.

I see… it would seem that there is some unfinished business between you and Morgana, the Cardinal said.

The Queen stoically replied, There is.

The Cardinal stood and said, Guinevere… remember, that Arthur wants an age of peace.

The Queen’s tone dropped to a whisper as she dried her eyes and replied, Then he shall have it.

Guinevere was not startled by the sudden sensation of weightlessness as her chair disappeared. She was in the presence of Merlin, after all. The tall enigmatic man had been called many things, necromancer, alchemist, magician, sorcerer, illusionist, and even druid. In truth, they were all only partially accurate. Merlin was the fairy tale manifestation of science and wonder. He was the super quantum theorist whose belief in infinite possibilities made all things possible. Merlin was the impersonal analytical counterpart to the Cardinal’s personal pure faith in the Divine. When the world became clear, again, Guinevere, the Cardinal and Merlin stood in front of a large doorway.

The wizard looked into Guinevere’s eyes and said, We are all tested in life, your majesty. Your tests are in direct correlation to your abilities. Those who go through life unscathed aren’t worth measuring. You stand at a defining point in your life. The choices you make after you’ve entered these doors will forever influence your place in the world… long after you have departed. You, now, know that your role is to protect… now do it… protect Arthur, so that he can go on protecting the rest of us.

With that, the white haired man and woman were gone. The Queen stood alone in what she knew was another section of the Fey’s estate. As the doors opened, Morgana’s proud frame stood center of the aperture. The Princess of Cornwall was dressed in a stylized modern costume that combined Japanese Samurai armor and medieval robes.

The black haired Fey addressed her servants in harsh stoic tone, Leave at once and close the door behind you.

The twin blondes bowed and quickly closed the doors behind them. With a flick of her wrists, Morgana dead bolted the door with a loud clang of metal. Guinevere stood with her feet spread shoulder width apart and her tiny hands hung at her sides in tight fists. The silk lingerie rose and fell in unison with her ample breasts as Guinevere tightened her lips and gnashed her teeth.

With her noble head held high, the Fey slowly walked towards the Queen and stopped at the waist high display stand that separated the ladies. The princess unfastened the broadsword secured to the front of her torso. With ritualistic reverence, Morgana placed the long blade on the stone display stand.

After setting the weapon, Morgana turned back to the center of the room where she ascended a staircase and stepped up on a tall dais. The Fey turned and presented her proud profile to the Queen and knelt down on the cushions covering the dais floor. Sitting back on her haunches, Morgana straightened her back. The princess produced an ornate dagger from her waistband. The silver blade flashed in the light. She, then, opened up the front of her costume to expose her belly. Morgana straightened her arms out and gripped the dagger with both hands. The point of the blade faced her exposed stomach.

Then Morgana spoke, Set before you is something that is very dear to me. It is my father’s sword. It is a monarch’s weapon. For centuries I have repaid, blood for blood and blow for blow, for the unjust loss of his life and the unjust slaughter of the citizens of Cornwall at the hands of Merlin, Arthur and the Arch-Duke Leon DeGrance. Whatever it took, I did it. I became a druid necromancer to rise to Merlin. I became a war general to rise to Arthur. As my father’s castle was taken, so did I seize Camelot. The cosmic powers demanded that the blood of the PenDragons unify England… then I used the strength of my hatred to combine their foul blood with my own, so that my heir could wear the unified crown.

The Fey paused and then continued, I have had my day and I have paid the price required to rise so high. I can say that though I am not satisfied… I am content. There is an unsettled debt between you and me, Guinevere. I had your premature child killed before your eyes… now it is time to balance the books. You cannot take the life of my son, for he has already been murdered. I offer you my life, instead. the warrior-princess said with her patented icy delivery.

Guinevere reached forward and gripped the gold and jeweled hilt of the broadsword. Using her other hand to stabilize the long scabbard, the Queen pulled the stainless steel blade free. It had been freshly cleaned and oiled and it shimmered in the artificial light. The Queen walked towards the dais with the long train of her evening robe trailing several feet behind her. Slowly, Guinevere ascended the steps until she stood facing Morgana’s kneeling profile. Taking one hand, Morgana took her long black hair and draped it down one side of her neck, exposing the bare flesh to Guinevere. The Fey arched her shoulders and straightened her neck.

The Queen took her left hand and slowly secured a handful of Morgana’s glossy mane in her tight fist. Guinevere pulled hard on the roots and did not stop pulling until the Morgana’s nostrils flared and veins in her neck and temples stood out. The Queen slowly raised the blade of Cornwall high over her regal head and paused to savor the moment.

Morgana used her stoic voice one last time, My life settles our debt… now allow me to give my parting gift. My gift is the only gift that matters most in the world of leaders. It is the gift of accurate information. Being informative does not make the contents of that information accurate. So, on my death knell, I give you the gift of accurate information. Queen Guinevere, know that you are complete. You struggled during the Dark Ages because your body was imperfect and it retarded your ability to tap into your sovereign powers. The ability that guided you most was your gift of intuition. In complete ignorance, you intuitively reasoned that Lancelot’s miraculous gift would secure the life of yours and Arthur’s unborn child. What you did not know… and still do not know is that the problem never lied with the fetus.

Guinevere’s grip on Morgana’s head loosened as the Queen continued to hear her prisoner out.

You are the feminine equivalent to Arthur. If he is virile, then you must be fertile. Your eggs and his sperm were fine, it was your womb. Lancelot did not give you the miracle of a single child; he healed your womb and gave you the ability to deliver all the future princes and princesses of Camelot. Now that your womb is restored, your powers are no longer blocked. If Arthur can level mountains, you can raise them. This is not just the story of the King’s return; it is also the story of the Queen’s return. You have earned this, sister-in-law. You have been taken to the lowest depths and through sheer will and perseverance, you have overcome. So strong was your resolve to fulfill your cosmic purpose as wife and mother to Camelot’s dynasty, that you risked the threat of death to bear your husband a child. You are not to be overshadowed in the pages of our history… you are to be celebrated… well done, sister. Well done. Of this, I swear on my mother, Queen Igraine’s grave that all I have said is accurate and true. It is an honor to die by your hands this day, Queen Guinevere PenDragon, Morgana continued.

Guinevere’s hands were trembling as crystal clear tears flowed down her face. It was the clang of metal that let her know she no longer held the sword of Cornwall. The Queen stood, with Morgana’s hair in her fist, and breathed. Guinevere slowly turned and stood directly in front of her kneeling sister-in-law. Cupping Morgana’s face in her hands, Guinevere lifted the Fey’s head so that their eyes could meet.

Pain wracked Guinevere’s face as she spoke, You have given me your life this day, but it will not be taken. I have not forfeited my right to claim it, Morgana… that right I still retain. The King has returned and he wants peace, so I will put this war away.

The Queen’s hands slid up the sides of Morgana’s face and into her hair as Guinevere secured two handfuls of the glossy mane. Guinevere’s eyes narrowed and she hissed, You are not forgiven, Morgana… I will not forget what you have done. I shall never forget! It is no longer my husband’s responsibility to watch over you… from this day forth, it is my mine. Out of respect for our King’s wish for peace, we will have a truce.

Guinevere tightened her fists on Morgana’s head, almost pulling the hair from the Fey’s scalp.

Another cascade of tears fell down the Queen’s face as she said, Heed well the words I say, Morgana Le Fey… for I am making a wardrobe.

As soon as Guinevere completed her sentence, a grand polished mahogany wardrobe constructed itself against the center wall of the stone face room.

Inside of this wardrobe I am placing a chalice of black onyx, said the Queen.

The double doors of the wardrobe opened wide and a top shelf appeared with a tall gemstone cup.

This chalice I am filling with all of my hatred for you… so that we might be sisters… and so that my children might know their aunt, Guinevere continued.

A liquid that was thick and heavy as syrup, and black as crude oil bubbled from the bottom of the chalice and spilled over the mouth of the cup. Steam smoked from the inky substance and it gurgled like molten black tar.

Morgana felt her knees, and then her feet leave the dais as the Queen broke the bounds of gravity. Guinevere maintained her steel vice grip on the Fey’s head as she slowly spiraled upward. The dagger fell from Morgana’s hands and clanged as it struck the ground.

Still looking down at the princess, fury raged in the Queen’s face and she said, Beneath that chalice of hate, I am placing my articles of war!

In the lower section of the great wardrobe, a magnificent solid gold suit of armor appeared. The glistening suit was custom made to fit a woman’s great bust and tiny waist.

Guinevere continued, I am now closing this wardrobe, Morgana.

The doors of the wardrobe slammed shut and a huge black metal cast iron band snapped around the standing closet.

I am locking this wardrobe with the Sword of Cornwall… and no hand, other than my own, will be able to pull that sword from its prison, said Guinevere.

The great broadsword spun end over end and then buried its stainless steel blade deep into the center of the wardrobe’s double doors and iron band.

Within this wardrobe, I have placed all of my hate and all of my rage for you. So long as that wardrobe remains shut, I will keep our truce and there will be peace between us, the Queen said.

Guinevere’s eyes turned into twin miniature suns and she snarled, But should you ever break our truce, Morgana… should you ever trespass against the welfare of my husband or my children in any fashion… I will come to open that wardrobe.

Morgana’s eyes went wide and filled with tears.

Guinevere was unmoved as she hissed, Tears will not save you on that day, Morgana… and you will know the hour of your reckoning has come. The bright day will turn black… as the sun tries to hide behind the moon, from dread… as the Queen of Camelot mounts the black stallion of war!

The Fey’s brunette hair disappeared and turned sterling bleach white as Guinevere continued, The stars, shining in the heavens because the sun has fled, . . . will fall as I pull the Sword of Cornwall from the doors of that wardrobe.

Morgana’s youthful facade disappeared and her true elegant seventy-five year old face appeared before Guinevere’s flaming eyes.

And as I put on my armor… the oceans will swell… then I will take that cup of malice and hate, Morgana… and I will drink… I will swallow every drop of hatred that has festered there… and when I have become drunk with venom… I will remember! I will remember how your machinations brought my husband to his knees… I will remember all that I endured… the night you killed my child… and the earth will quake in fear! Guinevere warned.

The Princess of Cornwall felt her bladder empty out as her urine poured down onto the stone floor, far below. Morgana’s face was bathed in the yellow-red light that burned from the Queen’s glow. Guinevere’s entire face had become like the radiant sun, her hair and sheer gowns billowed as if blown terrible winds.

Then, in a voice that sounded like a thousand thunders, Guinevere exclaimed, And I will have at you Morgana… I… will… have… at you! And when I finally… finally drag… what is left of your tortured soul… to God’s Holy Feet for the Final Judgment… there will be no level in all of hell and damnation… that will not feel like Heaven’s Paradise… after the wrath I will have unleashed on you! Then Guinevere released Morgana’s head, letting her drop as she the Queen spread her arms out wide.

Morgana felt herself falling.

The princess crumpled to the hard stone floor in a heap. Guinevere slowly lowered herself until she was standing in front of the dead bolted doors of the chamber. The fiery red-yellow glow, from the Queen’s face, reflected off of the doors as she stood there.

Guinevere looked at the double doors and saw every barrier and shackle ever placed on her and she said, Move!

Suddenly, the doors buckled and every creature and person on the other side of those doors scurried for cover. The doors exploded off of their hinges and down the long corridor. The back blast from the invisible explosion sent Morgana’s body sliding back until she slammed into the wardrobe standing there. The Fey looked up and saw the gleaming gold hilt, of her father’s blade, protruding from the center of the massive wardrobe. In convulsions, Morgana let herself cry… cry as she did on that first day in Avalon.

As Guinevere walked down the arched hall, she passed the art works and sculptures that chronicled the ages of man. As she passed each artifact it exploded. The future was in front of her and after a millennium of repression, she was impatient. Her pace went from a walk, to a jog, and then she leaned forward and for the first time in her life she took flight. The entire front façade of Morgana’s estate blew apart as Guinevere shot up and flew into the bright blue sky. Her clothing rippled as she rode the winds that filled her nostrils and lungs. Guinevere flung her arms wide open and threw back her head to let out a loud roar, letting the twenty-first century know that the fairy tale queen had finally returned.

~~~~~~~taken from PenDragon’s Requite: King Arthur Triumphant!~~~~~~~

And now we proudly present Book two of the PenDragon’s Requite Trilogy

The Queens of Nightmares and Dreams!

Yin and Yang are not opposing forces; rather they are compliments that reinforce one another to make a greater whole.

There is a special and unique bond between siblings that are born from the same maternal womb. Maternal siblings have shared the most intimate and sacred space this side of the Divine and are truly touched by their mother’s soul.

Chapter One

Before the age of man, there was the Age of Magics. It was the time when ancient man evolved from nomadic hunting and gathering tribes to stationary communities that mastered tools to farm the earth. The Age of Magics is when early man began to explain his universe with a child’s comprehension. From this innocent flame of imagination rose the first deities. Like the children that fabricated them, the physical representation of the first gods were simplistic. The god of the trees was represented as a big tree. The god of the waters was a body of water. All existed in peace, as children are simple gay and happy folk. But children mature into adolescents.

As man matured into the more complex adolescent stages of comprehension, the simple gods evolved into more complex manifestations. Gender roles were assigned and more diverse beings were produced, like the pagan pantheons and denizens of magic, the dragons, the unicorns, the hydras, trolls, and the faeries. In direct correlation and proportion to man’s adolescent self centered narcissi, these new pagan deities were bitter enemies and made war with one another. These wars spilled over onto the earth and man became instruments of those wars, producing demi-gods and demi-goddesses. Even more detrimental, these wars introduced ancient man to magical weapons that were too great for his adolescent mind to wield responsibly.

The first personified paranormals came together in an attempt to manage themselves and bring some measure of order to the chaos that was becoming more and more rampant on the earth. The paranormals were fearful that if they did not take some sort of action that the ONE GOD would intervene to their detriment. In what could have easily been the first multi-cultural summit, all of the sovereign leaders of the pagan deities gathered in order to quell the violence spilling over on the earth. Horrific violence that had destroyed whole nations, all but removing their material presence from the world, such as Atlantis and Lumeria. There were other examples as well. Less the Egyptian monuments, nearly all of Africa’s contributing superstructures were devastated and lost to antiquity. The motherland of humanity had become the center of bloodshed.

The summit agreed that the pagan powers would create a pocket universe, a fairy tale world where the empowering energies from mankind’s subconscious could be harnessed to sever the actual world from the fantasy one. Each nation and or culture would have their own kingdom and a means for their followers to access that pagan nirvana. Thus the fairy tale worlds came into being.

Once established, it was left to the sovereign leaders to establish the proper balance of Order and Chaos as it befitted their regions. If a region was to be natural, untamed and wild, Chaos would have the scales of balance weighed in oblivion’s favor. If a region was to be overly organized and to the point that it was a state of tyranny, then the scales of balance weighed in the favor of Order. In order for peace and harmony to reign the scales would have to become equally balanced – a perfect blend of the wild and the organized.

By universal vote, it was decided that two mortal siblings would wear the crowns of all fantasy. This would help bind the dream world to the real world of men. The siblings would be brother and sister. The brother would rule over the enchanted kingdom and govern men on their plane while the sister would support her brother logistically by ruling over the fairie kingdom. As long as this brother and sister lived in harmony, the Cosmic Scales of Fantasy would remain evenly balanced. The house of Order was tasked with selecting the female from whose womb would give birth to the first mortal dream monarchs. The reigning Lady of the Lake, Nimue, would oversee the fulfillment of this obligation.

In the land masses that would one day become England, Scotland, Northern and Southern Ireland, the mystic leaders and fairie beings met to establish the foundation of the fairy tale realm that would influence the world.

The far west European pagan mystics chose to create a super island as their base of fairy power. The island would be named after the Tree of Knowledge from the Christian’s Book of Genesis. The land mass became known as the Island of Apples in homage to the fabled apple that made the original caretakers of Eden aware of their nudity. The Island of Apples would be referred to in the fairy vernacular as Avalon.

Mortals who were either fortunate or unfortunate enough to find Avalon would become either empowered or enlighten just as Adam and Eve were from the bite of the forbidden fruit of knowledge. However, a great dispute erupted when it came to the decision of whether Avalon would be a place of Order or of Chaos. Would the fairy tale world would lead mankind towards harmony or discord.

It was already ordained that the sovereign of Avalon would be female. As fairy tales are ever regenerating, Avalon’s mistress would serve as the feminine counter-part to Far Western European’s masculine entity of regeneration: the Green Man. Of the females, who met the criteria of assuming the first mantle of Avalon’s crown, only two stood out. These two were the Badb Catha and the Fey Vivian.

The terms Badb and Fey were orders and associations within the fairie communities. The Feys were orderly magical beings that sought harmony and peace with humankind and their environment. The Badbs were chaotic magical beings that sought the reduction of humankind’s impact on the world and nature. Either Catha or Vivian would determine the aspect of Far Western fairy tales. The merlins gathered to discuss this very matter.

The term merlin was simply a title given to those males who had attained the highest level of wisdom and knowledge their given forms could attain without evolving beyond the mortal plan of existence forever. The merlins were the first of the alchemists. Some merlins were dragons; others were winged humanoid creatures that looked like miniature versions of people. Some were trolls and others still were of greater mythical diversity. The gathering was a somber one and with good reason. In the highest mountains, the fortress walls of the High Senate jutted up from icy snow caps. Too steep and too inclimate for any mortal man to scale or navigate, the merlins gave voice to their concerns in sanctuary.

Catha must not become the Queen of Avalon. She would use the citadel’s power to corrupt leaders and to destroy the ONE GOD’s precious creation known as man. Her rise to power would completely negate the creation of the fairy world. Her ill use of Avalon would bring the ONE GOD’s wrath and therefore our destruction. Spoke the mighty red dragon whose name was Y Ddraig Goch.

The winged Y Ddraig Goch was right and his peers knew it. Like the animal familiar they were associated with, the black ravens, the Badbs were looked upon as dark and evil beings. Destruction fed them, while peace and order starved them. Even amongst the merlins, there were those who reveled in the opportunity to misuse their abilities and they supported the idea of an Avalon born of chaos.

Rising from his throne chair, which was identical to the seats of all the other tribal kings gathered, Buri spoke next.

Clutching his great spear, the bearded blond Teutonic chief and elder god said, We have voted on this measure twelve times and twelve times it has been evenly split. There is no majority here. The two females must compete for Avalon’s throne, winner takes all. Since this is a matter that involves two females, I say let the females be responsible for designing the appropriate contest for supremacy.

The merlins agreed by unanimously saying, Aye!

Like their male counter-parts, the females of highest knowledge met. Rather than taking the label merlin, they referred to themselves as sisters all being daughters of the Divine Mother/Goddess. The Sisters’ Senate fortress was a floating piece of architecture that was hidden from the sight of mortal man by huge rolling white cumulus clouds. Taking on the task of creating a contest to decide the throne of Avalon, the sisters of knowledge had come to one stark realization. The winner of the contest had to be absolute—so absolute that there could never be a rematch between the same contestants. That meant that the crown would go not only to the winner but the sole survivor.

Males would have come up with a contest that would have pitted the physical attributes of the contestants against one another. Not so with the females, they devised a contest in line with their intrinsic natures. The feminine’s greatest strength is their will power, that same will power that enabled them to endure childbirth, to rear children and be a complementary mate. Measuring the physical body would not produce a queen but only the stronger brute. A physical contest actually played to Badb Catha’s advantage for she was a formidable personage.

The answer was to create a contest that pitted will against will, spirit against spirit, desire against desire… . soul against soul. The soul that conquered would return victorious and the soul that was defeated would return to die for broken spirits do not know how to live.

They called the contest the Omega-Resolution.

Since this contest would end the life of one of the contestants, the Sisters incorporated a ritualistic aspect to the challenge that saluted love and life. Since the sisters created the contest, the merlins insisted on being head of the Panel of Representation. The Panel of Representation would be comprised of a sovereign, a representative of science and a representative of religion. With his ever present enchanted club, King Dagda of the Tuatha De Danann would represent sovereignty. Dian Cecht would represent science and Morfessa would represent religion.

On the appointed hour of their duel, the two women met. Each dressed in their finest apparel. Since there would be no physical battle, the dress code was meant to reiterate that which was finest in the ladies… finest in life and love. On love’s count, each contestant would have this one opportunity to profess the true love of their life. By placing the palm of their left hand on the Pillar of Passion the cosmos itself would produce that person’s deepest love before the world. Prior to the contest, the combatant would see the one being in all creation that loved them above all else.

When Vivian placed her palm on the Pillar of Passion, the Panel and the observers were confident that the cosmos would bring forth Vivian’s secret lover. The cosmos could not be fooled or challenged in their authenticity. The ball of light that transported the combatant’s true love shimmered next to Vivian and produced a tiny human fetus. The audience was shocked, as was Vivian herself. Vivian did have a secret love in her present life, or so she thought. It was clear, now, that this current love of hers would be nothing more than a transitory affair.

An emerald glow surrounded the tiny infant then suddenly the full grown image of a woman with long curly red hair and green eyes sprung from the unborn daughter of man. The flame haired female wore the tiara and formal robes of royalty and the tattoo of an archaic raven branded the stunning woman’s left breast. The princess’ eyes were half-closed (as if a deep trance protected her from viewing the events unfolding before her birth on earth). A black mole rested above the woman’s upper lip as she smiled contently. Her proud cleavage rose and fell gently, as if she knew she was in the presence of her future heart’s desire.

Look, the fetus means that this daughter of Eve has yet to be born, announced the merlin and religious scholar, Morfessa with wide eyes.

What does this mean? asked King Dagda as he leaned against his great club with both massive arms.

It can only mean that Vivian is pre-destined to win this battle. Catha should step down and concede inevitable defeat for we all know that only one of you will out live this day, stated an elder female whose name was Wyrd. Wyrd would become the mother of the tri-fold Norns of fate: Past, Present and Future.

Catha and her supporters would not hear of forfeiting the contest.

That means nothing to those of us who believe in the theory of chaos! Spat Rhapter, sister of Catha and the supreme leader of the Badbs. The one constant in the universe is change! Random and ever changing realities and outcomes rule our day, nothing is ever written in stone or is permanent and your Vivian’s death will testify to that!

Catha spoke, And how do we know that my true love will not be brought forth from the future? You would ask me to step down before even granting me the chance to confirm and be validated by my true heart’s desire!

Vivian’s temper got the best of her as she shouted, Lets put that question to the test then, Sister Badb Catha!

Catha laughed and sneered at Vivian as she approached the Pillar of Passion and slapped the structure hard with the palm of her left hand as she roared, "You call that scrawny thing a lover? She is an extremely fair one; I will give you that but behold the greatness of my mate!"

The temperature dropped significantly and chills ran up and down the spines of the gathering as the sky cracked. The Panel of Representation was awestruck and recoiled in fear as the Badb Catha’s true life’s love was summoned forth by the cosmos. It was the thing known as Xaos. This thing was utter oblivion and it underscored the need for Vivian to win this contest. Xaos was beyond description. It was a thing that consumed and shattered anything it touched. Looking at it made one feel as if they were about to be sucked into the cold abyss of deep space. The most frightening aspect of Xaos was its sentience. The forum could feel Xaos peer into them as it assessed its whereabouts. When it did so, the object of Xaos’ stare felt as if the thing was sucking the heat from them.

"See, it is as I told you… Xaos is chaos! Chaos is eternal and ever present. How can you know if this be its present form or its future?" roared Catha with fierce pride and arrogance.

The gathering was stuptified, and thus, was obligated to see the Omega-Resolution through to its bitter conclusion.

The women completed their ceremonial dance and then embraced one another. Upon doing so, both were swallowed up into a ball of white light that changed into a deep vivid blood red color. Suddenly there was a horrific scream that tore through the pit of every witness’ soul. Then the red ball of light paled and then suddenly turned orange as two figures burst from the fireball and sprawled out on the ceremonial dais. Both figures were covered in slimy black gelatin ink. Slowly, ever so slowly one figure stirred and opened her eyes. They were not the jet black eyes of Catha but the clear aqua blue eyes of Vivian le Fey. The thing known as Xaos trembled and raged with fury before being expelled by the cosmos. They sent it back to where it belonged, far from the reach of men.

Before the cosmos gently transported the unborn female child back to the future, an odd thing happened. The supporters of chaos would not be denied one final searing taunt as they gathered Catha’s remains. Silently, one of the high priestesses stood next to the vertically sleeping princess and exposed her left breast to the crowd. In turn, each of the Badbs also exposed their left breast or chest. They all bore the same archaic black raven brand that the red haired human bore on her left mammary. They may have lost the present battle, but true to their beliefs… changes were going to occur in the fairy tale world of Order before this war would be won by either side.

To the delight of those who supported the Fey, Order had won over Chaos. The fairy tale world had been established as a place for peace. Now all that was needed was for the warring lands to become united so that Avalon could serve a Unified King and influence mankind towards their next level.

Vivian won but at a horrific price. So much of her pure life force was spent in the metaphysical duel that she barely clung to life. The Fey would never be the same after this conflict. No one would and it was agreed by all present to never advocate a repeat of the Omega-Resolution. Fearing for her life, Vivian’s mother, Nimue, sent Myrddin on a quest to bring forth the Green Man for only his emerald regenerative powers could save Vivian now.

His full name was Myrddin Ambrosius. This was the person that Vivian expected to see brought forth as her true life’s love. The young man was handsome in an odd sort of way. His clothes were baggy and his cloak and hood were far too long, even for his tall frame. When they first met, Myrddin was in a terrible mess. Myrddin was found by the youthful Vivian deep in the enchanted forests near her sea knoll. Sprawled out in a row boat and soaked in his own blood, many believed that the man was ingeniously insane.

They were right.

Myrddin had seen some of the foulest things during a brutal blood feud in the frozen regions of the Slavic lands. Plus, he was often confounded or terrorized by visions of things beyond his comprehension as he slept. Though a great soldier and swordsman, Myrddin’s prophetic visions and his off-character alienated him from his kinsmen and left him a nomad. Also, he gazed into the deep night at the stars far too often.

After escaping the Slavs, Myrddin was captured and taken to the king of the Saxons whose name was Vortigern. King Vortigern was told that a lost man would rid him of the curse that afflicted the construction of his castle. Each time Vortigern’s engineers laid the foundation of his new castle, great earthquakes tore it down. Myrddin was brought before the castle grounds to solve the riddle of the curse. Soon the off-character prisoner had a vision. Beneath the foundation of the castle, Myrddin saw two great dragons. The dragons were bitter rivals but trapped underground. As the castle grew, the weight of it came down on the separated dragons causing them to attack their cages. These attacks were the cause of the earthquakes. Vortigern, at Myrddin’s behest, freed the dragons. Once freed the two dragons, one white and one red, fought until the death. The red dragon survived and disappeared into the sky.

Then Myrddin made a mistake.

The wise man told King Vortigern that the white dragon represented the Saxons and the red dragon the Welch. In short, Myrddin had prophesized the rise of the Welch at the expense of the Saxons. This was not to Vortigern’s liking and he ordered Myrddin to be killed. The lost wise man escaped but barely. Somehow the release of the dragons caused Myrddin to have more visions and they tormented him. The youth decided to commit suicide to stop his sleeping and waking dreams. It was a botched job done after far too much alcoholic drink and insomnia. This is state in which Vivian le Fey and Daughter of the Lake first found the distraught Myrddin.

The earth mother in Vivian immediately nursed the ailing youth back from the brink of death. Somehow they fell in love, something Vivian would have never thought possible with a masculine creature. But there was something… extra-terrestrial about this male, for he was a halfling. He was part earthling and part other-worldly. Myrddin was a recluse, which suited Vivian just fine as she wasn’t prepared to make their affair public. Given her gender preference, Myrddin made things rather complicated.

The Green Man heard Myrddin’s plea on Nimue’s behalf and arranged to aid the new queen-designate of Avalon. The fragile Fey, as instructed, was carefully carried to the secluded spot of a thick forest. Vivian, being an earth mother, knew of the Green Man so she was not taken aback when he came to her in the deep woods. He rose out of the grassy floor; his naked body was composed of all the richness of the earth. Soil, trees, flowers, precious gems and stones took the form of a large man. Through a mane and beard fashioned from soft luxurious green leaves, the Green Man smiled affectionately at the battered Fey.

At this time, Myrddin wanted to study all of it, everything that made this place and the universe what it was. Myrddin wanted to transcend what he was and become something more. Something like the fairy world, itself. He and Vivian would have an exceptional love/hate relationship through the ages. They would kiss and they would spat back and forth. He and she would even have a secret love child together. That love child would be adopted by an arch-duke named Ban duLac and raised as the legendary Sir Lancelot. In time the world would forget the name Myrddin Ambrosius and only remember him as the wizard, Merlin the magician; mentor to the boy who would one day draw the sword from the stone.

As the Green Man healed Vivian, Nimue secretly cast a spell of omission on her daughter. Nimue did not want Vivian to remember her cosmic true love. The seal on the green eyed princess’ crown was that of Cornwall. Cornwall, why had the Fates chosen this family? Nimue meditated on this for a long time. The First Mother of Dreams would have to hail from an exceptional bloodline. Her body would be the fertile soil from which the tree of fantasy would nourish its roots for generations. Based on the clothing worn by Vivian’s true love, Nimue watched patiently as the fashions changed from generation to generation. Soon, she recognized the trend towards the fair one’s style of clothing. That is when Nimue studied the strong masculine leaders of Far Western Europe, particularly those leaders from the lands of Cornwall.

This was a perilous time for the builders of the fairy tale world. Rome’s influence had conquered the world… but change was coming. Far Western Europe was regaining her independence from the Roman Empire. A fiery tempered young man stood out like an exploding volcano during this time of rebellion: the young Cornish King Gorlois. This redheaded young man was a thunderbolt! He fought like a cornered lion hungry for the kill. This handsome man’s temperament concerned Nimue, until she discovered the mad lion’s mentor. That is when the Fate’s plan became crystal clear. Gorlois’ angry fire was kept under control by an even more exceptional man whose name was King Amladd Wledig, the Protector! Amladd Wledig led the joined forces of the Cornish tribes to repeated victory over the Roman invaders.

As Nimue began to study Amladd, she made a startling discovery. Gorlois was madly in love with Amladd’s beautiful blonde daughter, the virgin maiden Princess Igraine Wledig. When Nimue conjured up the image of Princess Igraine, she smiled broadly. Igraine had the same sparkling green eyes and distinctive black beauty mark above her lips as the Fair One! Igraine was the one Nimue had waited for years to arrive.

Amladd had a unique relationship with his daughter; he educated her on the same level as his sons. This made Igraine a war-chief’s future bride… this made Igraine a future queen of queens. So long as it was not a matter of the heart, Princess Igraine was a level headed as her father – and she too could cool Gorlois’ scalding temper. Yes, Igraine could use her influence to convert Gorlois to Christianity. This was excellent, Nimue thought. The female Sisters of Knowledge constantly maintained the both the Sacred and Divine relationship between the Masculine and the Feminine. Prince Gorlois Cornwall would character would demand that he honor his sacred relationship with his wife. Igraine was a daughter of the land, thus she would be amiable to becoming a true disciple of the Feys. Princess Igraine’s character would demand that she honor her divine relationship with her future natural born son—and who better than to educate the first Mother Dreams than Vivian, the first Queen of fairy tale Avalon.

Now that the parents of the first ruling family of the new enchanted kingdom had been identified, the Feys of the Sisters’ Senate convened to discuss the future dream lineage.

For their own protection, Igraine and Gorlois must never be informed that they are the progenitors of the mortal fairy tale bloodline, Nimue advised.

Wyrd reinforced that statement by saying, Well said, sister. They are mortals and given to boasting and the slip of the tongue. If their true status were made public, our enemies would destroy them before the Dream King’s conception.

Vivian frowned as she spoke, Destroy them? Should we not be more concerned with protecting Igraine? After all, it is her eggs and womb that we are going to fill with enchanted power and magics. After her conditioning she will be the first Dream Mother, every child born from her maternal line will near gods. We’re not going to do a thing to Gorlois, his phallus or his testicles. He is expendable.

You must be at odds with your male friend, Myrddin again, daughter, chastised Nimue, Else you would not have forgotten that mortals are fractured beings, and they must be paired to attain completion. Therefore, Gorlois is not expendable.

Wyrd added, You are correct, we Feys of the Senate will only infuse Igraine with our power but you undervalue Gorlois’ role. A Christian patriarch symbolizes THE ONE GOD’s role as the Provider and Protector of the Goddess. When he becomes a Christian, as Igraine’s husband and king, his blessed seed will grant Igraine’s male heirs the ability to wield both Christian and pagan might. Igraine’s son must come from the loins of a Christian king in order for him to properly use the swords Excalibur and Caliburn. Until that son comes of age, mother and child will need the protection of this lands strongest leader. After all, on the mortal plane it is a man’s world.

Very well, Gorlois and Igraine are to be wedded soon, replied Vivian, we must complete our magic on Igraine before her wedding night. However, Gorlois is not currently a Christian… doesn’t this present a dilemma?

Nimue, smiling slyly at her daughter, answered, "Not at all, we want Igraine’s first child to be a pure pagan female daughter. As we said, this mortal plan is the world of men. Just as Adam proved in the Books of Genesis, a good man’s greatest influence will always come in the form of a woman. Who better to protect the King of Dreams from the evil purposes of women than his very own blood sister? We will suppress Gorlois’ ability to plant