ARTHUR'S SEED, THE RETURN (Chapter Five)

ARTHUR’S SEED

THE RETURN

Chapter Five.

On discovering that Myrddin would soon return to Cuddfan, Izzy’s mood had lightened. After telling George about her planned family memorial service, she asked him where she could find Daniel so she could share their plans with him. George informed her that Daniel had recently become obsessed with making himself his own armour. So after arriving back on the ground in the lift, George had left Izzy to seek out his brother, suggesting she would find him in the Armoury. But as she got closer to the workshops she thought perhaps it would be better to first go and clear the air between her and her mother by returning her cape and apologising for sneaking out in the early hours of the morning.

When Izzy finally made it to her apartment door she was surprised to find no guards standing at the entrance. “Odd,” she thought to herself as she opened the door. Izzy walked into the room and placed her mother’s cape on the bed before turning around to leave but the door opened, it was Bronwyn.

“Ah there you are Izzy,” she said calmly.

Izzy was expecting to be scolded by her mother for her earlier actions and surprised by her relaxed manner simply replied, “yes, I just nipped out to see George and Ambrosius.”

Bronwyn walked towards her daughter and put her arms around her, “Look my darling, I want to apologise for my overzealous behaviour towards you recently, can you forgive me?”

Izzy, overjoyed by her mother’s response gently pulled away from her grip and took her hands in hers, “Oh mother, it is I who should apologise. I have not been myself since I returned but Ambrosius has told me that Myrddin is to return so hopefully, he will be able to sort my head out for me and we can all get on with our lives.”

“Yes, I know, I have just returned from a meeting with your father who told me the news and persuaded me to stop distressing you and myself by trying to restrict your movement in the palace.”

“That’s nice of him, I was surprised to learn from Ambrosius that father had asked him to contact Myrddin using his special gift to ask him to return because I needed to talk to him about my fears.”

“Yes Izzy, your father is a good man. He understands both our needs and to make things even better, he is arranging for us to move out of this fortress to the Hunting Lodge.”

Izzy smiled, “Oh wow, that’s great news, I always loved being at the Hunting Lodge, it was the first place you and I met.”

Bronwyn laughed and said, “Yes, I suppose it was, but not a happy encounter on your part I seem to remember.”

Izzy smiled and in tears, hugged her mother tightly around her waist.

An elated Bronwyn said, “Come Izzy, let’s go and tell the Good King of Cuddfan our news and beg him to share with us his plans for our new home.” Like two giggling schoolgirls, they rushed out into the corridor hand in hand to invade Arthur’s inner sanctum and fill it with happiness and joy.

It was late afternoon by the time Izzy parted company with her happy parents and made her way alone to the armoury to find Daniel hunched over a bench tapping away at the surface of a piece of armour on a small anvil. He was so engrossed in his work he didn’t notice her standing behind him. She was so enthralled watching him work she hadn’t the heart to disturb him, so stood in silence for twenty minutes or so in admiration for her brother’s newly acquired skill.

Daniel paused for a moment, placed his hammer on the bench beside him then picked up the piece of armour and inspected it closely from all angles.

Izzy chose her moment and coughed to announce her presence. Daniel at once turned around and when he realised who it was, gave her a big hug still holding onto the piece of armour in one hand. “Why hi Sis, for what do I owe the pleasure?”

Izzy gently pulled away from his embrace due to the smelly leather apron he was wearing and brushed off the dirt from the front of her gown. She smiled at him and replied, “I was just curious to see why my big brother had decided to make himself his own armour when he had been fitted out in a perfectly good harness by Tristan.”

Daniel blushed and placed the piece of armour he was holding on the bench. He looked around to see if anybody was close enough to hear what he was about to reveal, grinned and whispered, “I’ve asked Angharad to marry me…it’s a secret so please don’t tell anyone.”

“Oh wow Dan…that’s brilliant... you sly old dog you,” she hugged him as tight as she could despite the smelly apron and whispered in his ear, “but why don’t you want anyone to know?”

Dan pulled away from her embrace and said, “Tradition. I have learnt since being here in Cuddfan that it’s extremely important that we follow their ancient traditions when it comes to getting married. Out of respect for Angharad’s parents, I must first ask her father for permission to seek his daughter’s hand before we let anyone know of our intentions.”

“Oh, I see. But why the interest in making your own armour?”

“Being that her father used to be the King’s champion and was good enough to teach me the finer skills of self-defence before the tournament I wanted to make every effort with my appearance when I presented myself to him. So, I decided to make my own armour to wear on the day I asked his permission so he would see for himself how much I loved Angharad and would protect her with my life as he has done. I’m just hoping I will impress him so much with my skills that he would give his permission without question.”

Izzy looked around and picked up the piece of armour Dan had been working on when she arrived. Studied it and said, “Looking good, can I see the rest of it?”

Daniel took the piece of armour from her and placed it back on the bench, “Sorry, Sis, no, it’s not quite finished yet and besides, I want it to be a surprise. Master Emrys has very kindly been teaching me the finer points of armour-making, he has a critical eye, so out of respect for him, I want him to be the first person to see it when it’s completed and judge my workmanship.”

“I think mum and dad would be very proud of you if they were here and over the moon to find out you were planning to get married.”

“Do you really think so Izzy?”

“Definitely…talking of which, the real reason I came to see you. George and I are planning a little family memorial service aboard Nicole for mum and dad and hoped you would join us.”

Daniel hugged his sister and said, “That’s a wonderful idea, I would love to get involved…when do you have in mind?”

Izzy gently pulled away from her brother’s embrace and replied, “As it happens we, mother, father and I, are moving away from the palace to the Hunting Lodge, it is to become our new home very soon. Once it is enlarged it will become the new palace. As Nicole is anchored a few miles away on the estuary it will be the perfect opportunity. And of course, the fact that a certain person lives with her parents at the Hunting Lodge it would be the ideal place and time for you to ask Angharad’s father for her hand in marriage…once you’ve finished your armour of course.”

Daniel laughed, picked up his hammer and held it up level with Izzy’s face saying, “Oh well, in that case, I better get on with it then…hadn’t I.”

It was now late evening at Gorawen’s house. Jacob was getting very nervous; he hadn’t heard anything from Collins in the last two hours. Suddenly there was a loud continuous knock on the front door. Jacob grabbed a gun from the hidden case in the cupboard under the stairs and went to the door. With the gun held tightly in his hand and cocked, he nervously cried, “Yes, who is it?”

“It’s me boss, Jimmy.”

Jacob yelled, “thank goodness,” uncocked the gun and opened the door to find a soaking-wet Collins in front of him. “What the hell…look at you…why didn’t you ring?”

“No mobile signal is there and the tides too high over the causeway to drive over so had to wade through up to my waist…can I come in boss please, I’m freezing to death here?”

Jacob let him pass and peered outside, “where’s Tyler?”

“Oh, he’s still in the car fast asleep in the back seat.”

Jacob slammed the door shut and bolted it before leading Collins into the room. “You better come in and get those wet things off, you can borrow a pair of my trousers for the time being.” He placed the gun in a drawer in the dresser and turned to go upstairs, “You go and warm yourself by the fire while I go and get them.”

Luckily for Jimmy, Jacob had left his bath towel hung over an old-fashioned wooden clothes horse by the side of the fireplace to dry after his clean-up. So he grabbed it after removing his sodden trousers and pants to dry himself off. By the time Jacob returned Jimmy had wrapped the towel around the lower half of his body to save his modesty. Jacob gave him the pair of trousers and underpants as he passed saying “You get changed while I nip into the kitchen and make us coffee.”

As Jimmy hopped on one leg trying to put his foot into the hole of the pants without the towel slipping from his waist said, “I would prefer a whiskey boss rather than coffee.”

Jacob peered out from the side of the kitchen door just as Jimmy lost his balance and his towel fell to the floor, revealing his masculinity for all to see. Jacob grimaced and replied, “Sorry Jimmy no can do…none left,” he laughed and returned to the kitchen.

By the time Jacob returned from the kitchen with two large mugs of hot coffee, Jimmy was fully dressed and sitting in the armchair by the side of the hearth.

“Here you are,” Jacob said as he walked up to him and passed him a mug, “get this down you.”

“Thanks Boss,” Jimmy replied as he took the steaming mug from him and took a swig, “Ooh, that’s good.”

Jacob sat down on the sofa, took a swig of his coffee and said, “Look we’ve got an hour to kill before we can bring the car over, so I have a little job for you.”

“Certainly boss…what’s that?”

Jacob took another swig of coffee, “Lillian had a little accident this morning…she fell and hit her head on the grate…she’s dead.”

Jimmy nearly choked on his coffee on hearing the news, “Oh my god boss, I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“Well, so was I…saddened I mean by what happened, but we have to hide her body for when Tyler gets here. He doesn’t need to know his mother’s dead. I will tell him she is staying in some hotel somewhere.”

Jimmy looked around the room and asked, “where is the body boss?”

“It’s in the cellar…over there," pointing to the cellar door. "I couldn’t bear to look at it all day, so moved it in there out of sight.”

Jimmy stood up and placed his now empty mug on the mantlepiece. He walked over to the cellar door and tried to open it. Jacob took the key from his pocket and threw it to Jimmy. “Here, you’ll need this.”

Jimmy unlocked it and opened the door. He switched the light on by the side of the stone steps and peered below. “Oh my god boss…your poor missus…what do you want me to do with her?”

Jacob placed his now empty mug on the table beside him, stood up and walked over to where Jimmy was standing. Peered over his shoulder and pointed to the chest freezer at the end of the cellar, “in there, it will be safer to hide it in there for the time being while Tyler’s here, he can be a nosey little sod at times…just like his mother…always asking bloody questions…I just need a hand to put her in there then you can fit a padlock on it to make sure no one can lift the lid.”

They gingerly walked to the bottom of the steps together before grabbing hold of Lillian’s body and carrying her towards the freezer. Then lowered her back to the ground so Jimmy could lift the lid open. He peered inside and shrieked. “Oh, hell boss… there are two more bodies in here…a man and a woman.”

Jacob replied, “What…can’t be.” He peered inside and yelled, “bloody hell, it’s the Moorefields…I told mother to tell Meyric to get rid.”