Grail of Stars by Katherine Roberts

Author:Katherine Roberts [Katherine Roberts]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781783700127
Publisher: Templar Publishing
Published: 2013-08-17T04:00:00+00:00

8

The Return

Through the mist four Lights did gleam

When our damsel had a ghostly dream,

While across the sea a harp played long

To call her prince with its broken song.

As they left the Grail Castle behind, Rhianna kept expecting Lady Nimue to surface and challenge her with yet another riddle. Alba remained nervous too, snorting at every ripple. But when the mists closed around them, making Rhianna dizzy again, she sheathed her sword. The last thing she wanted to do was drop Excalibur out here in the enchanted sea.

She trotted Alba alongside the ship, where Cai hung over the rail with a big grin on his face.

“That was fun!” he shouted. “I almost fell off, galloping down all them steps! But Evenstar’s really sure-footed. D’you think Lord Avallach will let me have a mist horse of my own when we get to Avalon?”

Tell the human boy no, Alba said, with a disgusted snort.

“I’ll ask him,” Rhianna promised the squire with a smile. “Give me a hand, will you? I’m still feeling a bit dizzy from whatever Nimue gave me to drink last night.”

Cai helped her over the rail, where she staggered with the roll of the ship. At once Arianrhod began to fuss over her. She let the maid spread a cloak on the deck for her, and sat gratefully against the mast while Arianrhod dug into her pack for herbs and ordered Cai to fetch water. Rhianna closed her eyes with a sigh and let their voices wash over her. Now that the excitement was over, she felt very sleepy.

She kept thinking of the potion she’d drunk from Nimue’s cup. I drank it. What if she really had been poisoned, like her friends thought?

“Do not worry, daughter. I’ll look after you if you die.”

With an effort, she opened her eyes. King Arthur’s ghost knelt beside her on the deck, his hair blowing across his eyes.

He smiled at Rhianna and pushed one of her braids back behind her ear. “I’ve been talking to young Gareth. He tells me you accepted the challenge of the Grail and drank Lady Nimue’s potion. That was a very brave thing to do, but you shouldn’t have done it for me.”

“Father!” Rhianna said, turning warm inside. “You’re back!”

“Do you think I would abandon my only daughter?” The ghost’s fingers touched her cheek. They felt warm and strong, like the fingers of the living. “I’m sorry I had to leave you on your own in the Grail Castle. I refused Nimue’s challenge when I was alive. A king has responsibilities to his people and can’t undertake such quests himself however much he’d like to. I expect that’s why they wouldn’t let me in even now I’m dead.”

He gave her a wry smile.

“But you’re not dead! Your body’s healing in Avalon, and everything’s going to be all right now, because I’ve got the Grail of Stars! I think so, anyway…” She struggled to sit up, eager to show him the cup in Arianrhod’s pack.

King Arthur’s hand pushed her back down.

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