Arthur raised his eyebrow at her use of formality, but let it slide. “I understand, lass. Were it I in yer place, I would have been far less courteous than ye have been, I am certain.”
“Please explain to me what you mean by the connection to me and I will do my best to keep from interrupting.” Cleo made herself sit still with her hands in her lap and met his gaze.
A spark of humor flared in Arthur’s eyes at the sight of her attempting to be demure. He chuckled but went on with his explanation. “Berkana, this symbol,” he tapped the one that looked like a pointed ‘B’ with his finger. “It represents the womb and the fruit of that womb.”
“A child?”
“Aye, a child. In this instance, I believe that it represents yer maither’s child, yer faither’s child. I believe that it represents ye. As I explained before, Guinevere ne’er gave Arthur a child, nor tae my knowledge did she beget a child with any o’ the rumored adulteries that she fell prey tae.”
“What of Mordred? I remember reading something about him being a possible son of King Arthur.”
“Depending on what account o’ Arthur’s tale one goes by, he had a son or nephew, whichever ye wish tae call it, with his sister Morgause, or in other texts, it is his sister Anna before he wed Guinevere, but there has nae been a reference to such incest or an illegitimate child in any o’ the riddles yer faither had left ye.”
“How can you be so certain of that? I cannot make any sense of them myself.”
“The runes speak o’ true love and light, nae trickery and deceit. Mordred killed King Arthur in some of the texts, such as Geoffrey of Monmouth’sHistoria Regnum Brittonumfrom 1136. Sir Thomas Mallory did nae paint him in a flattering light either. I have nae seen any sign o’ patricide in any o’ the riddles either. All o’ the riddles speak o’ love and truth. Nor do I believe that yer faither would have put a riddle on the back of yer maither’s portrait, let alone one pertaining to betrayal and murder, if she was nae involved in some meaningful way.”
“There is certainly a murder connection to be had if one wished to see it that way,” Cleo replied bitterly, thinking of her own dear father’s demise.
“Aye, there is, but look at the riddles before us,” Arthur spread the pieces of paper out before them in order. “The first riddle pointed us tae yer maither.”
Cleo read the words aloud.“Her smile opens the gate to the Fairy Glen.”
“Aye, and ye kenned what yer faither had meant immediately when nae one else that would have read that message could have known what it meant. Ye were literally the only person in the world who could have deciphered that message.” Arthur met her eyes and she could see the importance that he was placing on the connection.
“That is true,” she nodded.
“That riddle, led us tae yer maither’s portrait, a verra intimate connection tae ye both.”
“That is also true. In truth, I would be hard pressed to find a more intimate connection between us, short of our shared blood, in all the world.”
Arthur nodded. “The next riddle, though certainly cryptic and Arthurian in nature, speaks of love and sacrifice.”
“He the great,
he who pulled
sword from stone,
for doomed love
he swallowed fire,
the truth you find
beneath his feet.”
“My mother paid the ultimate price of love and sacrifice when she died giving birth to me.”
“Aye, indeed, she did and nae greater love or sacrifice could there be.” Arthur laid a reassuring hand on Cleo’s arm, squeezing it in sympathy. “I dinnae think that this particular riddle was placed there by chance. In the Arthurian legends, it is the pulling o’ the sword from the stone that makes Arthur king. It is Excalibur that gives him his strength and power. The sword chose him because it saw within him the potential for greatness and that knowledge led him tae do great things, just as a man’s child will lead him tae be a better, greater man, if he is a good man to start with.”
“That seems a bit of a leap of faith to me,” Cleo frowned in concentration.
“Perhaps, but hear me out afore ye judge me tae be wrong.”
Cleo nodded her agreement and he continued.
“What greater treasure is there to any parent than their children?”
