The Sovereign Prince: Book Three of the Pendragon's Requite Trilogy

By Victor C. Brice

Reluctantly, the aged Arthur accepts that the weight of being the King of all fantasy and dreams is too great. Being the heir to his fathers crown places Prince Michael in grave danger from the lord of the most ancient, deepest and darkest pit known: Tartarus. The Tartarus pits hold the old Greek gods called the Titans as well as the most wicked of humans.

Unbeknownst to his son, Arthur allows Michael and Morganas two children to travel back in time to 5th Century Camelot in order to protect them. However, Michael has learned that the romanticized affair between his mother Guinevere and Lancelot was real and true. The eighteen year old youth seeks to avenge his mothers dishonor by killing Sir Lancelot before he ever commits his crime of passion.

Should Michael succeed, he will never have been born and the modern day 21st century Camelot will never have existed!

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Aug 12, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491737118

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.

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Copyright © 2014 Victor C. Brice.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-4917-3710-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-3711-8 (e)

iUniverse rev. date:   08/06/2014

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

Epilogue

This novel is lovingly dedicated to:

The fathers of the world who embrace and understand the need to be loving, responsible and positive examples for their spouses, daughters, sons, extended family members and their communities

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

My brothers: Nathaniel, Army veteran Steven, and Daniel as will as my cousin

Army veteran (retired) Kenneth W. Berry

Friend and supporter:

Carlos Ford

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.

Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan) and his son Brandon Bruce Lee

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr.

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

All the readers who embraced this novel’s two prequels, PenDragon’s Requite: King Arthur Triumphant! and The Queens of Nightmares and Dreams: Book Two of the PenDragon’s Requite Trilogy

"…I hear babies cry.

I watch them grow.

They’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know.

And I think to myself…

What a wonderful world."

as sung by

~~~~~~~~Louis Daniel Armstrong~~~~~~~~

from lyrics written by

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Bob Thiele and George David Weiss~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prologue

Britannia, 5th Century A.D.

Standing behind their campfire, the vagabonds leapt up and drew their weapons. Two of them had cheaply crafted metal swords that were only sharpened at the point. The other four men produced home made spears. The tattered group shoved the two women traveling with them into their mobile shanty and bared their teeth like animals at the intruder.

The rider trotted up and halted his ebony horse. Lifting his right hand, in a gesture of peace, the rider dismounted and pulled back the great riding hood which hid his face. The vagabonds narrowed their eyes at the man who looked no more than eighteen years old. It was the youth’s eyes that gave away his age because he already sported a fully trimmed beard. Above those brown eyes was a uni-brow.

As the vagabonds eased forward with their weapons, the black stallion snorted fire and then leaned his massive head forward. From out of the center of the equine’s forehead spiraled a jet black spear transforming the beast into a unicorn. The rag-tag group fell back in a fright.

That’s enough, Apocalypse, whispered the tall youth into his mount’s ear.

The horse snorted and whipped his tail. The horn spiraled back into the beast’s forehead and vanished. The young man stepped towards the warm fire and knelt down. It was a bright night.

I come in peace, the youth said with authority. I am returning to Caerleon and my countrymen. I would be grateful if you would suggest the best way to travel.

The bearded youth stood and walked over to his horse. Reaching into a saddle bag, he withdrew two items. One was a flask of sweet mead; the second was a bag of dried sweets. Returning to the group, the young man measured the people in front of him. They were clearly frightened by the magic of Apocalypse. He thought of paying them with coin but reconsidered. They were not money managers.

Smiling the young man said, Gentlemen, have some mead? And ladies, some sweets?

The men snatched up the flask and the women darted off with the sweets and the group immediately drank and ate as they mumbled, Tank ye, master…tank ye!

The young nobleman did not need their guidance or direction. His steed already knew where to take him; he was being kind towards these poorly conditioned people. Even though the young man was in a hurry to rejoin his army, he did not feel comfortable riding past this camp without at least acknowledging their presence. Also, allowing this group to believe that they were helping him might give them a greater sense of self worth and self value. The youth liked making people feel better about themselves.

Master, what be ye proper name…if’n ye don’t mind us askin? asked one of the men.

I am called Arthur, the PenDragon, replied the young man calmly.

The group’s eyes widened as they gasped, Be ye the one who wants to gather all de lands together…be ye de very King of Caerleon?

Arthur smiled and continued to warm his hands as the group assessed him. Though young, their noble guest bore the healed scars of battle on his hands and face.

Welllll…de ways you needs to go, master is de path dat follows de nort by de bright star, replied one of the men.

Then another said, But ye must go thru the valley of white stones…be ye careful there master. Best to go in de morn…yes master…you sleeps wit us tonight. We gives ye de women tonight…for ye pleasure master.

The women smiled brightly and tried to freshen themselves in anticipation. Arthur smiled as his face turned bright red. This was going to be tricky, Arthur was not like other monarchs – his crown was dual: the land of reality and the enchanted land of fantasy. As the enchanted fairy tale king, his mentor Merlin the magician and the Lady of the Lake made him take a vow that he would only have physical relations with his harem. It was to protect his bloodline and prevent illegitimate heirs to the throne.

A most generous gift and compliment, Arthur said, But I am pressed to return as soon as possible, so I am traveling through the night. Other wise, I would succumb to that lady’s beautiful eyes and her companion’s shapely hips.

Apocalypse neighed insultingly behind the young king’s back and gave his rider a look of disbelief. Arthur, as nonchalantly as he could, stood and pitched a stick from the flame at his horse and mouthed: stop it. The vagabond ladies were quite unfortunate looking. The women were clearly disappointed and the men were slightly relieved. Standing, the king bid the group goodnight and departed.

The black unicorn, Apocalypse, trotted carefully over the barren landscape. Arthur’s brown hair fell three inches past broad shoulders that tapered into a small waste which was encircled by a wide leather belt. Hanging diagonally across his torso was an ancient weapon that resembled a Roman short sword. The steel sword was forged in ways far more advanced than any weapon of the Dark Ages and was reinforced with magic beyond mortal comprehension. Ironically, this sword hardly looked as it was worth a king’s ransom but in the hand that it as created for, the sword Caliburn was invaluable.

As Arthur rode his horse, the two bickered back and forth.

Shut up…I would not have slept with either of them even if I have just escaped being jailed for a month, hissed Arthur, and stop insulting those women, it’s not becoming a nobleman…or noble creature.

Soon the two were arguing to the point where the young king leapt off his horse, yelling, Is that so? I’ve saved you as many times as you’ve saved me. If you don’t think that I can’t make it back to Caerleon without you…well we’ll see about that. Get out of here you blackguard!

Dejected, Apocalypse snorted and galloped off into the night. Soon, a stubborn and lonely Arthur walked into the valley of white stone.

Son of PenDragon, whispered a voice.

Arthur spun around and drew Caliburn. The king narrowed his eyes and focused.

Son of PenDragon, said the voice again.

Arthur followed the voice until he fell through the ground and landed with a thud.

Leaping to his feet, the young king swung his sword out of habit. Convinced he was safe Arthur pulled a small stone from his belt pouch. Whispering a few words, the stone became a bright flashing marble of light that illuminated the space.

The king was inside a cave that was made entirely of white stone. In the middle of the space were the petrified remains of two men delivering death strokes to one another. The men were comprised of the same white stone that covered the cave.

Son of PenDragon, before you are two brothers who killed one another out of malice and greed. The voice said.

When the voice mentioned malice and greed, Arthur noticed that the bare headed warrior was reaching for the massive crown of his brother. Both men’s faces were contorted into masks of angry wide-eyed suffering.

Looking at the man with the massive crown prompted Arthur to ask, One was a king?

Yes, sibling jealousy destroyed all aspects of family loyalty and devotion. These siblings forgot that all community values are built on the cornerstone of the family unit. How parents relate to their children is how children will relate to elders; how siblings relate to one another is how they will relate to their fellow citizens. Remember this and you will be one of the greatest kings the world has ever known, Son of PenDragon, said the voice.

Arthur considered himself fortunate. His adopted family was his Uncle Sir Ector and his first cousin Sir Kay. Both of which have always been loyal and caring family members. The words of the voice resonated in the back of the young king’s mind. King Arthur had an older sister who was under political asylum on the mystical island of Avalon. One day, thought the King, he would return her to their homeland of Cornwall but first he would make Britannia safe.

All of Britannia was in the midst of the Unification Wars, the war to end all wars and unite the lands and tribes under one single monarchy. Thus far, the young king had been successful in gaining most of the lands. Now that he had escaped, yet another, imprisonment – he was ready to lead the charge once more.

A massive wind came out of nowhere and the petrified men fell. When they hit the ground, their remains crumbled to dust leaving only their armor intact. The light reflected off something on the fallen crown. Arthur carefully picked up the large crown and studied it. White stoned covered all of it but there was a crack which hid something that sparkled.

This crown is encrusted with diamonds of all the colors of the rainbow. These gems were once clear from their purity. But they became tinted with the colors of misery, sadness, unrequited love and desire. These poor conditions stemmed from the hatred that corrupted the bond between the sibling nobles and now curse these diamonds. Take them and create a way to make them pure, again. Do this in a positive manner and your reign of peace will last longer than any king’s reign before you, the voice whispered.

Taking the crown in hand, Arthur set it down and began to knock off the stone covering with the pommel of his sword. Once revealed, the nine magnificent diamonds took his breath away. Eight were plus size stones but the ninth was as large as a man’s closed fist and held a deep blue color. Arthur used is dagger to remove the diamonds and he packed them in his pouch. All save the largest one, which was too big to fit.

Arthur heard a neigh and looked up.

By enchantment, Apocalypse lowered the rope that was tied to the rider’s saddle on his back. Using the rope, the king climbed out of the cave and once he was on his feet, he quickly hid the biggest of the diamonds in his saddle bag.

Stop it…this is not another rescue on your part. I was hardly in any danger, hissed the young man in frustration as he gleefully mounted his great equine.

Long after he had unified the lands of Britannia, Arthur would sponsor a tournament called the Diamond Jousts. The winner of each joust would earn one of the nine diamonds with the largest diamond being won in the final contest. The champion would be a man of valor and integrity, qualities which would exorcize the gemstones and bring King Arthur his time of peace.

Nearly forty years later, on a great Icelandic ship, the sorcerer Nilrem watched Kraken shackle the kidnapped girl to the inside of a cage made of iron bars. Slamming the cell shut, the Icelandic ship captain turned back to his sorcerer.

We are now the most feared naval force in the world, Nilrem. Next we shall sack Britannia by storming the shores of Cornwall. Do we still have the favor of the gods, asked the Icelandic warlord.

The old wizard pulled his wide brim hat down and concentrated. After a moment he said, King Arthur’s Britannia is strong and has never been breeched by sea. If you are going to take the gleaming castle, now is the time to do so. Camelot is astrologically imbalanced, thus she is weak and vulnerable to attack.

And how is Britannia imbalanced? asked Kraken.

Nilrem said, Camelot functions under different laws than the world of men. Camelot is at its strongest when their four elements are working together. Air, Fire, Water and Earth when in unison make Camelot near invincible. However, the kingdom has lost the element of Fire. All we need to do is remove one more element and we can be assured success.

And which element would you recommend? asked Kraken.

Nilrem responded, "Arthur and his queen are Air and Earth it would be impossible to separate them as quickly as we would need. However, of the remaining two, water would be the easiest to eliminate at this time."

And which person represents water, in other words, who do we assassinate? asked Kraken.

The sorcerer smiled and produced a long pipe and said, Why none other than the man born of water, the knight known as Sir Lancelot duLac. When Lancelot falls, we shall be off the shores of Cornwall. His demise will be our signal to pillage Britannia.

And rape her! finished Kraken as he smiled at his female captive wickedly. So, when should we prepare to invade old friend?

Nilrem reclined back in his chair and thought for a bit. Then he said, "This year, Arthur’s strongest knights will compete for the grand prize of the Diamond Jousts. Nine jousts, of which, Lancelot and Tristram have won four a piece. As fate would have it, the two men have never competed in the same joust or against each other.

When Lord Mark the Second spies our ships off his coast, he will send for his adopted ward and knight, Sir Tristram. This will leave only Lancelot to compete. We shall select a warrior and give him weapons and strength that will lay waste to the mighty Protector of the Grail. The tournament is the perfect cover for a murder."

Nilrem stood and walked over the frightened girl in the cage and said, Now let’s have at this little wench.

Nilrem’s eyes turned white as he chanted Teutonic words that transformed him into a massive silver back gorilla. The kidnapped girl screamed at the top of her lungs and just when she did not think she could scream any louder, she saw that the gorilla had become sexually aroused. The beast opened the cage and dragged the screaming woman out.

Come on, come on…turn me into something too, Kraken complained. A tiger, make me a tiger!

Absolutely not…you butchered the last wench with your claws when we tried that. No…this should do, Nilrem said.

The sorcerer pointed at Kraken and repeated his Teutonic chant. Slowly, Kraken transformed into a powerful shaggy brown stallion. The gorilla smiled as he held the poor kidnapped woman in place for his sea captain. The stallion trotted up behind the unfortunate young woman and neighed loudly.

The sleek Icelandic flagship navigated the swelling seas followed by the Icelandic fleet. Behind the marauders lay what was left of a sea town burning in flames. The screams of the villagers were only surpassed by the screams of Kraken’s chained captive. The black smoke rising from the fires of the sacked village billowed and expanded until everything in eyesight was smothered by darkness.

Chapter One

Present day 21st Century.

Hidden deeply in the Asteroid Belt of the Milk Way Galaxy, the incredible kingdom of New Avalon resides. Surrounded by spectacular architecture, two of the highest queens in fantasy held council. Guinevere and Morgana were reviewing highly sensitive dream cases of the inhabitants of Earth.

The new hierarchy for the mystical branches of the Feys and the Badbs was approved. Now that Morgana was the supreme leader of the Badb order or coven, Arthur had to integrate Avalon’s former adversaries into the governmental system of New Caerleon. This accomplishment did not come without some dispute and challenges. The original proposal was to disband the Badbs and have all those members become Feys. The advantage of that proposal was that Avalon would be the single entity for all fairie folk.

Morgana rejected the idea, vehemently. Regardless of her personal intimate relationship with Vivian, Queen of Feys, this was the business of power and authority. More importantly, for Morgana, it was also a matter of autonomy. Under that proposal, Morgana’s mantle of power would be lost to Vivian and ultimately Guinevere. The Queen of Gore had won the title of Supreme Badb through fire and she was not going to relinquish it by the stroke of a pen.

The charter that was finally agreed upon was that Vivian would reign over the light, air, water and star fairies, which aligned with the modern day scope of New Avalon. Morgana would reign over the terrestrial fairies, all those bound to the earth such as wood fairies, cave fairies and mountain fairies or desert fairies. These earth bound fairies would convert over to the Badb order, thereby preserving the Badb legacy. Queen Guinevere would have supreme authority to task either order of fairies (Badb or Fey) as needed for special projects.

In addition to overseeing the Badb’s, Morgana was now co-managing the realm Slumber with Guinevere. Guinevere managed the happy dreams of mankind while Morgana managed the nightmares or bad dreams of mankind with both branches of the dream world reporting directly to the Dream Emperor: King Arthur PenDragon.

Both Guinevere and Morgana had full access to the Field of Dreams located deep in the space station New Avalon in order to accomplish their missions. Holda executed the nightmare decrees of Morgana while Glenn-da executed the happy dream decrees of Guinevere. Merlin and Vivian would supply the magical power and logistics for both queens, however Merlin and Vivian could only be held accountable by King Arthur. When all was said and done, Guinevere was the first of three equals amongst the queens of fantasy.

The woman history knows as Morgana le Fey smiled and motioned for her executive aide, Holda, to pass a stately dossier to Glenn-da who was the executive aide to Guinevere PenDragon, the Unified Queen of the Enchanted Kingdoms associated with mankind. Holda held up the folder and Morgana placed her palm against the richly sculpted seal adorning its cover. The seal was of faerie design and was onyx black. Once Morgana removed her hand the seal was no longer black but was now bright gold.

It is pleasing to hand this case back to you, Gwen, said Morgana whose emerald green eyes sparkled as she spoke. This individual has shown remarkable improvement and has re-earned your care.

Guinevere returned her sister-in-law’s bright smile and replied, That is delightful news.

After receiving the file from Holda, Glenn-da placed the folder atop a stack of like dossiers with gold seals. With ceremony, Glenn-da selected two folders with opaque white seals and presented them to Guinevere. Guinevere glanced over the files one at a time and shook her head disapprovingly.

These two are a disappointment on the other hand, stated the queen in a stoic voice as she passed the files to Morgana. Morgana opened the first file and perused it. With the lift of an eyebrow, the Queen of Nightmares placed her palm on the white seal and turned it a light grey.

One or two sleepless nights should do the trick, Morgana judged.

Taking up the second folder, the red haired fury gave it a quick look through. Morgana lowered her eyelids a bit and a slight wicked closed mouth grin played on her red lips. Closing the file, Morgana pressed her palm on the opaque white seal and turned it jet black. Guinevere and Glenn-da both involuntarily shivered after observing the seal’s transformation.

Passing the files to Holda, Morgana said, That last one warrants your team’s… special attentions my dear.

Holda was the living personification of a fairy tale witch. Her skin was green; her eyes and her hair were jet black. Holda’s pointed nose and pointed chin even had a single tiny wart each for cosmetic affect. Receiving the files, Holda produced a soft cackle and replied, As you wish, my queen.

Both sets of women were polar opposites in function and dress for this forum: Guinevere and Glenn-da (with her great full and curly mane of blonde hair) were dressed in bright happy colors with the professional elegance expected from their respective stations. Morgana and Holda were dressed in dark monochrome form fitting robes of black and grey.

Lastly, Morgana held up a black sealed dossier and gave it to Guinevere. Speaking of disappointments, Morgana said, I’m presenting this one to Arthur.

Just before placing the folder in Guinevere’s hands, Morgana placed her palm on the black seal. When she removed her hand, all could see that the color red had been added to the artistic design of the black seal. This was the seal the risked death to the dreamer, Morgana wanted to give this case either a heart attack or a stroke in the hopes of forcing this case to see the light and change their wicked ways and become benevolent.

Morgana was simply informing her sister-in-law as a courtesy, she did not need Guinevere’s permission or approval to address King Arthur regarding any case that was one of nightmares. This particular case was one that Guinevere gave to Morgana so Morgana was keeping her sister-in-law updated as a kindness.

Shan’t be surprised if even those extremes fail to bring that one around, Guinevere sighed with sadness; it was clear that this was a hopeless case.

Glenn-da said with a happy voice, Should the worst occur, the surviving family members will be much better off without the individual of this case your majesty.

We concur. Gwen, if that concludes our business, Morgana said, would you like to reconvene to less formal surroundings for tea?

The suggestion was unanimously agreed to as these ladies were equally friendly acquaintances outside of their formal duties as well.

Do lets, exclaimed Guinevere with genuine sincerity, After all, we do have some successful black to gold cases to celebrate thanks to our teamwork.

On the earth, Michael was getting prepared to show his family the project he’d been working on for weeks. When he felt he was ready, he dropped the curtain partition that separated his father, Sir Ector, Merlin and Sir Kay from the display. The group smiled and cheered in proud support of the young lad’s accomplishment. Michael had constructed a miniature model replication of New Camelot and New Gore to exact scale. The entire model took up half of the boy’s studio room floor.

See, over here in New Camelot all of the buildings and cars run on battery power and over in New Gore everything runs on hydro power, Michael pointed out with pride.

The King was amazed at the detail his son put into the miniature nation. New Gore was Queen Morgana’s kingdom and his aunt ran an entirely green economy. Nothing ran on fossil fuels and all things were recyclable. The cars and busses ran on electricity, water or solar energy. New Camelot did incorporate many of Gore’s emissions and pollution innovations; however Camelot mirrored the rest of the world’s industrial economy. With the exception of toxic waste, using the power of New Avalon the King removed all pollution from his kingdom and fed it into the sun.

No one was more proud of Michael than Arthur. His son was walking in his father’s footsteps as an architect of communities. This miniature city demonstrated that the crown prince had an intimate understanding of the industrial pulse of his future kingdom. To celebrate, Arthur set aside some time to spend with his son. The King enjoyed riding Apocalypse with the crown prince as they surveyed the lands of the enchanted kingdom. Although Michael could fly under his own power, his mother absolutely forbade him from flying more than three feet off the ground. Little Michael sat behind his father strapped to a passenger seat. Going against his mother’s will, Michael freed himself to stand and latch onto his father’s neck. Soon the little prince was telling Arthur where to fly and what to look at, much to his father’s chagrin.

Sit down and fasten your belt or your mother will kill me, Arthur snapped.

Michael, ignored the directive and asked, Why, papa? I’m safe with you, you’d never let me fall.

Arthur smiled. Michael had absolute confidence that he was safe so long as his parents were present.

When will you let me fly Apocalypse? the little prince asked.

Arthur laughed and said, When I believe in my heart that you are ready to be king.

That’s a deal, Michael replied as he cast his head back and extended his arms out to feel the wind blow away all of his cares.

Arthur smiled. His son was growing up and moments like these would become treasured memories before long.

Puberty manifested itself in the children of Guinevere and Morgana. Both Wayne’s and Michael’s voice went through a period of breaking or cracking. Wayne slowly developed a pronounced Adam’s apple, like his deceased father Uriens. Morvyyd’s body became curvaceous, like her mother’s.

With puberty comes sexual awakening, the child’s body begins to prepare itself for procreation. The sweat glands that serve to keep a child’s body cool take on additional functions. As a result of the applicable levels of progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone began coursing through Morvyyd’s, Michael and Wayne’s bodies. To those who could detect it, the maturing children’s sweat glands also revealed stress, emotion and sexual excitement. During these early stages of puberty, both Morgana and Guinevere kept their kids under strict supervision. The mythical and magical creatures of the enchanted kingdom were elemental, raw, and they could literally smell the virgin heirs to the kingdom becoming ripe for sexual promiscuity.

Of course, from the eyes of the young teens, life had become a series of clumsy comedic mishaps. Morvyyd outgrew her training bras, rapidly and did her best to strap down her breasts. These new curves conflicted with her tom-boy image. Always a popular girl for her quick wit and sharp tongue, it seemed that her curves were fast becoming the first and lasting impression in spite of her pithy retorts.

When Morvyyd complained to her mother about her new circumstances, Morgana smiled and said, My dearest, once you’ve learned how to leverage your looks with the skill that you leverage your intellect…there will be nothing that you cannot achieve.

There was a noticeable shift in how Wayne and Michael wore their shirts during the early stages of masculine puberty. It became much easier to wear their shirts untucked and over the outside of their pants…and much less embarrassing. It seemed the young men were constantly trying to hide their excited states. By wearing their shirt tails out and making fists in their hand pockets, the teens were able to hide their crotch tents. Guinevere picked up on Michael’s clothing shift, although she completely missed her son’s purpose.

Michael, it is the middle of summer and you’re wearing a pullover. Take that off before you dehydrate yourself, the Queen hissed.

Michael vehemently shook his head and said, I like dressing like this…and I’m not dehydrated. I’m drinking lots of water and stuff.

Michael, take that sweater off, you look silly, Guinevere insisted.

Michael raced over to his father and blurted out in a panic, Papa, can you please tell mom that I can wear the pullover?

Guinevere and Arthur were both stunned.

This was the first time in Michael’s entire life that he had ever rebelled against his mother and then recruited his father’s support in the rebellion. It was the perfect copy of a classic Lizzie moment. Arthur was so proud of the male bonding incident that he instantly granted Michael his wish.

Fortunately for the teens their acne phase was relatively mild. One or two pimples appeared and then disappeared. Morvyyd was educated by Vivian and her mother regarding menstruation and celebrated her coming of age with the Menarche Ceremony. Wayne developed facial hair and his good uncle, Prince Lot, was there for his nephew’s first shave.

This was also a time of deep sadness for the PenDragon homestead.

The Arch-Duke, Sir Ector the Elder quietly passes away in his sleep. The original Golden Age Knights of the Round Table were few in numbers, now. The funeral proceedings for the grand gentleman was worthy of a king, for in Arthur’s eyes his adopted father and blood uncle was a king. But Arthur never forgot his cousin Kay.

I have a special boon to ask of the citizens of New Caerleon and ancient Britannia, said Arthur as he stood at the speaker podium of the royal Cathedral of Camelot, "I ask that we remember to demonstrate proper respect towards our lord Ector’s house. The world remembers Ector as the man who was forced to adopt an orphaned infant thrust on him by Merlin. That is his footnote, the man who unknowingly adopted his future king. After that, Ector is forgotten…replaced by the presence of Merlin.

But Merlin did not become a factor in that adopted boy’s life until the boy was twelve years old. Those of us who are parents know full well that by age twelve the value system of that child has by and large been set in stone. The adult that child will become, his character and his personality has generally been put in place. In short, if your king is a good and noble man it is because his adoptive father presented the example of a good and noble man. Merlin increased your king’s knowledge and mind but he did not increase your king’s heart and love for the commonwealth. Our lord Ector is to be credited for those things. But that is not his greatest gift to our kingdom or to his family. Ector’s greatest gift was the gift of honor and humility.

What man, in the Dark Ages during the time of the Unified Wars, would not have sought the crown for himself? I remind you, that our lord Ector and I are blood kinsmen. Ector and my father, King Uther, were born of the same mother. Ector could have easily claimed the throne of Caerleon for himself after Uther was killed. Ector could have easily turned his back on his adopted ward when Caliburn was pulled from the stone; after all he managed the kingdom of Caerleon in the absence of a ruler. Where would Camelot have been then? Ector sacrificed more than that.

How difficult was it for Ector to bend his knee to the page boy he raised to serve as squire to Sir Kay, who is also a prince? Not only did Ector surrender the throne to the house of PenDragon, he also denied the throne to his biological son. However conflicted Ector was over this, he chose to surrender the throne because it was the right thing to do…it was the noble thing to do. So, my request of the citizens of New Caerleon is that when we write about our Lord Ector, write about him with honor and devotion. Do not overshadow his contribution to this land and to history. Do not forget Prince Sir Kay, who is more my brother than my cousin. Do them honor and remember that it is Sir Kay that has lost a biological father so it is Sir Kay that is deserving of all solaces and condolences."

Merlin beamed with pride as he listened to his adult pupil’s speech. Kay was in tears, so great was his emotion. Guinevere rubbed her cousin-in-law’s back as his wife supported Kay’s head with her shoulder. The Queen sat back and let Kay’s wife continue to comfort her husband.

Every time I think that your father is incapable of surprising me, Guinevere whispered to Michael, …I’ll be … I’ll be darned if he doesn’t do so yet again.

The Queen hugged her son and kissed the side of his head through her veil. Elizabeth quietly rose from the opposite side of Michael and sat in her mother’s lap. The little princess’ big sad eyes conveyed all of the misery her father felt.

Chapter Two

As members of the elder generation passed on, the members of the younger generation grew strong. Such is the natural way of things. Deep in the jungles of the New Caerleon Rainforests, two fifteen year olds moved through the night as silently as the wind. The brother and sister were tired but they were committed to completing their task. The goal was to reach Dagma’s River alive and together.

This was their secret Badb test of consideration devised by their mother, Queen Morgana of Gore. The reason for the clandestine activity was because Arthur did not want his niece and nephew educated in the Badb ways of magic until they were eighteen. Morgana was smart enough to not debate the matter with her brother as she understood his concerns. Badb ways were still perceived as evil. So, Morgana had to tread carefully. The task was simply to reach Dagma’s River within thirty days. If they succeeded, they would be considered as plebes for induction into the Badb coven. The youths were magically kidnapped in the middle of the night and discarded in the middle of the rainforest. Both were stripped naked and let loose like adolescent Adam and Eve to survive in wilds of nature unaided by their parent.

The first thing that became apparent was that both youths had been completely stripped of the magical and superhuman abilities. They would have to complete their task in a completely mortal fashion. For the teens, the first matter to address was their nudity. Not from the sense of embarrassment or being uncomfortable being exposed in front of each other but for health reasons. Unlike the natural creatures of the jungle, their genitals were not as completely protected from harm as their animal counterparts.

Morvyyd quickly fashioned loin cloths for her and her brother as well as a bikini top for herself out of soft leaves. Wayne immediately chiseled ancient weapons from tree limbs which he edged with the sharpness of cracked stones. That was nine days ago. Now the dusk was coming, the two would need to seek shelter and rest soon.

Back in New Caerleon, Michael was still fast asleep in his comfortable California king size four poster bed.

Where’s Michael? Arthur asked at the breakfast table.

Elizabeth answered with mischievous glee, "He’s still sleeping papa."

Arthur grumbled to Guinevere, All that boy of yours ever does is eat and sleep…MICHAEL! He’d eat the nation bankrupt if you let him. MICHAEL!

The King’s sudden shouts for his son startled the kitchen staff as they attended to the royal family.

Guinevere hissed over at her husband, Oh, do be serious…he’s been sleeping longer because he’s about to have another growth spurt. Leave him alone, Arthur, we’re three buildings from his bedroom. He couldn’t possibly hear you bellowing.

Another growth spurt, he is only fifteen and he’s six feet tall! How many more spurts does the boy have left in him? complained the King as he glanced over his shoulder half expecting his heir to appear.

Guinevere narrowed her eyes and contemplated the question. Then she answered, I think he’s going to stand about six feet and four inches when he’s done…maybe five. Not all at once but by the time he’s full grown that should be about right.

Arthur frowned, Six feet and five? That’s three inches taller than I am…not sure if I like that.

Elizabeth laughed, Mikey’s going to be bigger than papa!

Arthur stood from his seat and snapped, If that boy of yours is late for school again, so help me. MICHAEL!

Guinevere gave her husband a facetious look and said, By the way, the university called and said that Michael’s current grade point average is on target for early admittance. All he has to do is maintain his current level of studies.

Actually, Michael (thanks to Merlin’s covert tutoring) was already on par with many of the world’s greatest quantum and engineering geniuses. However, the young man had become so accustomed to pretending to be at the same level of his high school peers that he hardly seemed exceptional. So much so that even his parents often forgot their son’s true level of intelligence.

Arthur proudly adjusted his pants at the waist as he cleared his throat to say, Naturally my son’s grades are on target. That is rather good news.

Guinevere rolled her eyes and lip synched: ‘Naturally my son’s grades are on target,’ with theatrical affect - much to Elizabeth’s delight.

Thoroughly ignoring his wife, the King returned to his sour mood and bellowed out, Though only God knows how he manages to study anything between sleeping and eating! MICHAEL YOU GET OUT OF THAT BED!

I’m here already…geez dad, Michael said as he entered the breakfast dining area.

Michael kissed his mother on the cheek. Guinevere, out of habit, moved her bangs from over her forehead so that her son could see the maternal fairie symbol glowing there. The Queen smiled and ran her fingers over Michael’s smooth chin. Unlike Wayne, Michael still did not have facial hair.

After greeting his mother the prince walked past his little sister’s seat and affectionately smacked the back of Elizabeth’s head lightly as he whispered, Morning Dizzy.

Elizabeth struck her brother with the base of her fist and hissed, Butt breath.

She hated being called Dizzy.

Elizabeth Diana, Guinevere snapped harshly, that is not how we speak, young lady.

The princess of Camelot pouted and narrowed her eyes at her older brother.

Arthur frowned at his son and said, Stop teasing your sister and do not tell me that you’re going to school dressed like that.

Like what…I’m in compliance with the dress code, Michael rebutted as he tore into his breakfast.

Guinevere took a deep breath and thought: here we go, again.

Arthur sternly snapped, It is supposed to be a uniform, Michael. You look like you just crawled out from under your bed. Can’t you tuck your shirt in under your school sweater? Look at your sister; see how smart she looks in her school cardigan and dress? You’re the nation’s prince and look at you. And when are you going to start combing your hair?

Lizzy beamed with fashion model pride at her father’s appraisal of her attire.

Arthur looked over at Guinevere and continued his tirade, Why are we allowing him to go out like this?

"Mom, please tell dad there’s nothing wrong with the way I’m dressed and that my hair is styled," Michael rebutted in defense of his fashion sense.

Guinevere snapped at the father and son, Alright that will be quite enough from the both of you. I am certain that there are greater tragedies in the world than Michael’s hair and frumpy clothes. Besides, Arthur, you gave your son permission to wear his shirt tails out. Leave him alone.

The morning sun greeted the twins of Gore with bright yellow rays. They made it to the mighty Dagma River without the use of their supernatural abilities. A sleek yacht rose out of the waters of the rainforest. A team descended from the yacht and drove a small boat to meet Morgana’s son and daughter on the shore.

Once on the yacht, the Queen of Gore embraced her children with fierce pride. Vivian smiled and gushed over the twins’ success in passing their first of many rites before becoming eligible Badb members. Sir Lot congratulated the youngsters, as well. The twins’ uncle was always a welcome sight. Spread out on a great table was a feast set for a king or in this case a future king and his twin sister. The twins would have to work hard to make up for the time they missed in school, but this would be worth it.

The children of Guinevere and Morgana bonded like extended siblings by the teens’ sixteenth year. The teens were fast idol favorites of their peer groups throughout the lands. Being well educated in music, the young trio even played together as a popular music band named ‘a Harlequin and her Fools.’ The band’s symbol was that of three brightly colored jester hats and three mock scepters over the Happy and Sad face masks of the theatre.

A Harlequin and her Fools was not the first name Morvyyd came up with for the band. Her original suggestion was the name the Bodice Rippers which was immediately shot down by Michael. By no design of his own (and much to Merlin’s glee) Prince Michael could link his mind into every intelligence data base used by humans. There wasn’t a protective firewall that could block him from accessing information and his presence or invasion was impossible to detect. It was difficult but Michael eventually learned how to control this ability so as not to involuntarily access restricted information such as military nuclear codes and sealed personal medical data. When his cousin suggested the name the Bodice Rippers, Michael’s brain automatically tapped into the world’s data bases and saw every reference in every language associated with the name in a micro second. The term Bodice-rippers is an expression for romance novels in which the heroine is ultimately saved from peril by her hero, after being misused by evil characters naturally. The covers of such books often depicted a disheveled damsel either clutching to her hero for support or pushing away her hero in a last attempt to resist the inevitable carnal consummation of their passion in the name of love.

In Morvyyd’s defense, the origins of the term had nothing to do with choosing that name. A bodice was essentially the upper part of a woman’s dress generally known as the corset. The young teen princess had taken to incorporating corsets in her apparel as a rebellious statement. Given her physical proportions, Morvyyd’s bosom nearly burst any corset which in her mind was a metaphor that the young could never be confined by conformity; given their royal stations, she and her cousins were ripping the social bodice. Michael wasn’t buying it.

Michael’s father wasn’t buying the name A Harlequin and her Fools. It took both Guinevere and Morgana to stop Arthur from chastising the kids regarding the name of the band.

That name is an affront to our stations, fumed Arthur, they are saying we’re buffoons and clowns. Look, these jester hats are insulting versions of our crowns!

Guinevere fired back, Oh, do stop reading into it. The drooping three points of a jester’s hat represents the face, ears and tail of a donkey. The jester is a part of our traditional plays after all. They offer and provide candid insights that decorum prevents in the other characters. It is all for entertainment value.

With a quick dash of magic, Morgana placed a jester’s hat on her brother’s head and said, Let it go, Arthur, you’re being an ass.

Fortunately, the whole thing was short lived, for Michael just could not commit himself to the rock star lifestyle when his passion was engineering and politics. The trio’s farewell live concert was well received but not without a bit of controversy. Morvyyd and Wayne both primarily played lead guitar and Michael primarily covered keyboards and electronics. Morvyyd and Wayne took turn with lead vocals while Michael harmonized and on very rare occasion led in vocals.

The final concert was an open air event during a festival week. The trio came on at dusk. Cameras were present and mid way through the evening show, Michael made a special request of Morvyyd which she firmly refused. Michael was adamant; he wanted his cousins to perform their cover version of a song titled ‘Fuckin Perfect’ off of the popular artist known as Pink’s album entitled: Greatest Hits…So Far!!! Morvyyd had made the song a personal dedication to her eldest brother.

Morvyyd, Michael said, This will be the last time that we shall ever play publicly as a group. The way you perform that song deserves to be witnessed by an audience.

Morvyyd agreed but only on the condition that Michael, himself, sang the lead vocals for the final song of their show. It was a stiff condition because Michael did not like singing lead. With that, Morvyyd complied. Before beginning, the lights dimmed leaving a single strobe on Morvyyd.

In perfect Gaelic language, Morvyyd said, This song is in honor of mine and Owain’s eldest brother. In the words of mine and Owain’s uncle, Sir Lot, we are family…we are blood.

It was an awkward moment for the mature generation, that generation that knew of the rumors concerning Mordred’s bloodline to Arthur. New Caerleon understood that Mordred was Arthur’s nephew, so he was to Arthur’s legitimate children. To have the son of King on stage and contributing to a song dedicated to the whispered illegitimate Dark Age son was unnerving to say the least. Unbeknownst to the adolescent heirs of Arthur and Morgana, the lies designed to protect them were slowly becoming their cages. Elizabeth and Michael were strictly forbidden to interact with Mordred during their visits to Avalon and the Field of Dreams. The teens and Elizabeth innately knew not to challenge the restrictions regarding Prince Mordred not even amongst themselves.

Moving forward, the princess of Gore poured all of her heart and soul into the vocals of ‘Fuckin Perfect’ and Wayne and Michael were there with the accompaniments.

Deep in the space citadel and kingdom of New Avalon a ball of light suddenly appeared in the study of Mordred. With a wave of his massive hand, the master of horrors expelled all present with a vanishing spell. Standing with his wolves, Garm and his mate, Mordred allowed the ball of light to reveal its contents. Streaming live from Earth was the band A Harlequin and her Fools performing ‘Fuckin Perfect.’

In ethereal yet clinging black robes, Morvyyd shed tears that were not clear but jet black as if her mascara had run. Morvyyd seemed to channel all of her brother’s frustrated and rejected personal emotions – none of which Mordred would ever dare to display for anyone. Nor had Mordred ever spoken of King Arthur with his siblings, at their mother’s request. Morvyyd seemed to have a unique bond with the Prince of Nightmares and she felt is inner rage and turmoil. Morvyyd’s stage presence channeled Mordred’s pain and suffering – his dejected rejection. She moved to and for in a hypnotic motion that slowed the pace of the song without compromising it. When she was done, the crowd was stunned into silence. Then, one by one, people began to cheer until a thunderous ovation shattered the silence and swelled the trio’s chest with pride. In that moment, the twins of Gore became Goth gods to a new following.

Once the roar of the crowd died down, the ball of light carrying the scene to Mordred disappeared. Kneeling down to his wolves, the Lord of Nightmares hid his face in the comfort of his majestic canines.

True to his word, Michael sang lead on the final vocal piece. He covered the classic rock music band known as Journey’s massive hit: Anyway You Want It from the album ‘Departure.’ This choice made it easy for the audience to chant along with full force. Michael did an incredible feat of magic or display of raw power. During the final chorus, the sovereign prince levitated himself, the band and the entire audience. With his eyes blazing like miniature stars, Michael took everyone up far enough into the air so that he could spin the audience in orbit around the band and their instruments. To ensure no one became ill, Michael also monitored the inner ear of every creature in orbit to prevent motion sickness – all while he continued singing with his cousins. The concert was full of life and climaxed with the twins’ signature dual lead concerto at the end of Anyway You Want It. Morvyyd and Wayne, without the use of magic, had the uncanny natural ability to simultaneously play the same piece of music in unison and make it sound as if only one performer was at work. It never failed to bring down the house. The twins used this natural talent to replicate Neal Schon’s lead guitar solo. As the twins ended their joint guitar solo, At the end of ‘Anyway You Want It’ the teens immediately went into the closing chorus of Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ from the band’s ‘Escape’ album while Michael returned everyone to the seats and stage positions.

Far away from the music and the concert, Phoebe the fairie danced and sang out loud the closing chorus of ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ as if she were part of the event. Thus is how they ended their short lived musical careers and returned to being household teenagers.

Naturally, news of Morvyyd’s dedication reached the teens’ parents because they were not present at the youth concert. The adults kept their thoughts on the matter silent and let it pass without reaction – which facilitated its short lived controversy. In private, Morgana would embrace her daughter as she slept and rain soft kisses on her forehead. In private and utterly alone in the pitch black darkness of a quiet place…a Dark Age king with one eye would take a moment, one moment to let him self feel the anguish of a wayward son denied.

Time passes and life, especially young lives, move on.

Inside of Camelot city’s indoor ice skating rink, the royal children were out on the ice. The rink was filled with fantasy creatures of all ages and all types, each one of them enjoying the rink. The rink had an inner floor for figure skating which was separated from an outer ring by a thick clear partition. The outer ring was used for the citizens who wanted to speed skate in laps.

Wayne and Michael were battling it out in a heated race, the boys were hunched over and rhythmically moving their legs to attain as much speed as possible. Then they leaned into the loops of the ring with Olympic skating skill. The troupe that was skating with them shared the same oblong helmets and goggles as the royal lads. The long steel blades on their feet whipped over the sheet of frozen water like cyclones.

In the center of the rink, Morvyyd was wearing a purple hued top with the Charm City Roller Girls logo on the front in honor of Baltimore, Maryland’s all female roller derby association. The daughter of Morgana le Fey was coaching the daughter of Guinevere in the art of free style figure skating as they performed ballet on ice. The two girls were moving in perfect synchronization, Morvyyd in her purple and black and Lizzie in a pink ballerina ensemble. They performed step sequences and spirals as they went through their field moves. Then the pair went into twin donut spins sometimes referred to as horizontal Biellmann spins. From there, the duo fluidly transitioned into the traditional Biellmann spin, movements which were named after the 1981 Olympic skater Denise Biellmann.

Both girls spun on one straightened leg and reached back to hold their free leg behind their head during the horizontal spin and above their heads for the full Biellmann. Once they were finished, Morvyyd and Elizabeth glided to the benches where they met up with Lizzie’s female security knights and the Princess of Gore’s guardian she-wolf.

Oh, you’re skating so well, Miss Elizabeth. Of course, you were superb as always Miss Morvyyd, praised one of the security knights.

Morvyyd laughed and said of her cousin, She’s doing well now that she’s mastered the sequences. You were royal pain in the butt while you were learning.

That’s because the practices were too hard…and you were mean for not letting me rest, rebutted Elizabeth.

Morvyyd half-grinned and said, Well, you skinny little bean, you’re a champion now. We’re done for today.

Elizabeth kissed Morvyyd on the cheek and stood to depart with her security guards. Bye, Mikey and Wayne, Lizzie shouted to her brother and cousin.

As soon as Lizzie and her royal guards were gone, Morvyyd took to the ice again. This time she went through a series of extreme acrobatic movements that were more to her style of showmanship. After all, Morvyyd had the fairie of the seas as an ice-skating teacher, Vivian the Lady of the Lake. Morvyyd saw her brother and Michael whip by on the other side of the bulletproof glass partition. A wicked grin appeared on Morvyyd’s face and she magically appeared on the outer ring. With a movement, her figure skating ice blades became the elongated blades of a speed racer. Morvyyd adjusted her speed skating helmet and goggles and then darted off. From out of nowhere, Wayne and Michael heard a witch’s cackle.

Morvyyd shot past the boys and looked over her shoulder and shouted, Catch me if you can!

The princes and the group were completely caught off guard and went sprawling all over the ice. Struggling to their feet, Michael and Wayne nearly tripped over each other. They hissed and did their best to get back in the race to catch the daughter of Gore. Morvyyd leaned into her turn and extended her arm to help balance her form but before she could pull out of the turn she had been transported to the inner rink’s bench next to her she-wolf. The wolf barked and Morvyyd’s temper blew.

Why do I have to get fitted again? It’s just a silly dance. Just pick a dress…any dress and I’ll wear it for crying out loud, hissed Morvyyd into the air.

In two flashes, Morvyyd and her she-wolf were gone.

The Princess of Gore reappeared in the tree society of the leprechauns. In the bole of a gigantic tree was the little people’s fabric shop. The tiny ladies ran all about as they set up the stand for Morvyyd to position herself.

What is it with you and this archaic dance, muhmaw? Just pick a dress and I’ll wear it. It isn’t that big a deal, Morvyyd snapped with as much anger as she dared.

Morvyyd looked over at her mother and then snapped her mouth shut. It was the only appropriate reaction to the maternal fairie symbol blazing like beacon on her mother’s forehead. Morgana had the look of pure venom and fire on her face. The Queen of Gore simply pointed to the stand centered on three full length mirrors. Morvyyd dropped her raven tressed head as she walked over and took her place. Standing with her arms out, she crucified herself as the lady leprechauns had their way with her hair and body.

For the past three months, Morvyyd and her mother had been fighting like two hellcats trapped in the same cage. Morvyyd was not your typical young lady, she was a tom boy which was something Morgana did not mind cultivating. However, Morvyyd was sixteen and her formal Debutantes’ Ball was approaching. Morvyyd just could not become enthusiastic about a formal she dubbed as the night of the under-aged Barbie dolls. Morgana was more on edge than she had been in years regarding the Debutantes’ Ball. The Queen of Gore snapped at everyone and every thing. Even Vivian walked on eggshells around her life-mate.

Your mother must be on her cycle, Vivian jokingly whispered to Wayne and Morvyyd while casting furtive glances over her shoulder.

Wayne rolled his eyes and jokingly whispered back, she and Vye must be in sync then!

The process of making a proper lady of Morvyyd was a nuclear war between mother and daughter. The older Morvyyd became, the more intensely she rebelled. This ball was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Mother and daughter were engaged in another heated debate. Vivian simply sat there in silence, when those two went at it with full force it was best to just let them at it. Morvyyd never disobeyed her mother but she had become more and more vocal with her displeasure with her mother’s expectations regarding her social femininity.

Out of nowhere, Morvyyd blurted out to her mother, I hate you!

Morgana was completely caught off guard by the retort. The look on Morgana’s face lasted less than a second but it was branded on Morvyyd’s mind forever. The Queen of Gore suddenly vanished from sight and Morvyyd felt as if a part of her soul had departed with her mother.

Immediately after Morgana’s departure, Vivian stormed up to Morvyyd and the earth trembled as she roared, You selfish, self absorbed and hurtful little bitch!

It took every fiber self restraint for Vivian not to literally assault her step-daughter and Morvyyd knew it.

Ana, Vivian desperately screamed into the air, You know she doesn’t mean what she just said; you know it darling. Oh, Ana…please! Suddenly, the atmosphere became artic cold as and Vivian’s eyes became twin miniature stars as her voice thundered in the fairie language, Get thee from my sight granddaughter of Igraine…before I…before I forget that you are born from my eternal love’s chalice.

Trembling, Morvyyd fled from Vivian

Reviews for The Sovereign Prince

[mahallett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

slow to start. but moved right along.

[roguebelle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of Plaidy's more comprehensive works -- whereas many of her novels offer only a single point of view, because Loves is actually the conflation of three other novels, each with two narrators -- for a grand total of six very different women -- the depiction she gives of Charles II is in some ways much more thorough than the treatment other historical figures have received at her hands.