Legacy Forgotten

Chapter 17

Monolo slept fitfully that night. He dreamed of Morgaine. He was standing at her feet on a hill in the middle of the daylight. He bowed his head to her. "I have failed you." He said.

"No you haven't. She answered with a smile. "It is never too late." She said with a knowing smile.

"I still can't find the answer." He said.

"But you have already found it." She said. "You have just been so busy trying to see how you could use it to your benefit." She was gone then. He screamed for her over and over again but she did not return. He heard someone calling his name. He woke with someone shaking him. He lunged on the person with full animal instincts. He woke on top of Marilyn fully changed. He could see in her face that she was very frightened. He jumped off of her changing back as he did so.

"I am so sorry." She said getting from the bed. He could feel himself returning to normal. He risked a look at her as she was getting up to hurry from the room.

He caught her arm, once again feeling the current traveling through him. "Why are you here?" He asked.

"I... I heard you call out." She stammered. "I thought you must have been dreaming. It sounded awful. I couldn't bear it any longer."

He knew it was a bad idea to place her in the room next to his. He had to fight himself every night not to go to her. He should let her go while he was still in control. Yet, he could not bring himself to do so. The centuries alone had taken their toll on him. For the first time, he was realizing that what he set out to do and what he'd done were two different things.

He was overwhelmed with feelings that he had suppressed long ago. Marilyn's face suddenly changed and she looked wary.

"I am sorry to have bothered you." She said. "I will leave you now."

Monolo realized that he must have looked angry. "No." He said. "Please, don't go." She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

"Please." He asked. "Sit." She sat on the edge of the bed where he had sat when the feelings threatened to overwhelm him. He said nothing for a few moments. He looked at her. "I have done terrible things." He stated. "Unforgivable things, in the name of what I thought were my duties." He continued, sorrow and shame washing over him. "I didn't start out like this you know. I don't even remember when I got like this." Marilyn just sat there and listened. He averted his gaze to his lap. To his horror he felt tears well up in his eyes.

She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. "Look at me." She said. He obeyed. "What is it you want?" She asked.

"I don't know." He stated. "I wanted to fix all that had been brought on our people. I wanted to be the one to mend the indiscretions and allow everyone to go back to Avalon. But the longer I went not finding the answer, the more off course I got. I promised her when she died that she would not have to wait long to go back home. They can't go home!" He told her urgently. "Do you know that?" He asked desperately.

"Morgaine, Arthur, all of them are stuck in some sort of everlasting limbo. Even as the veil closed, we were not allowed admittance even in death. They are stuck there waiting for me to fix this and I can't do it. It has been eating at me for centuries." He stopped and looked into her eyes. He did not see pity there only compassion and something else he could not define.

"I believe," He started. "I have lost my way." He finished as self loathing overtook him. He gave in at that moment. He cried like the child that he was when his promise was made. He cried like the child that he was when he lost everyone he loved.

***

Marilyn did not laugh at him or make any move to walk away. She simply pulled him into her arms and held him as he cried for all the things that he'd done and would now be forced to live with. She knew the road ahead of them would not be an easy one. But it had to be taken. The first part of her sacred duty was done. This was what she was here for after all. This was her station. She was and always should have been his loyal servant.