The Legend of the King by Gerald Morris Read Free Book Online

Round Table, with Sir Mador running errands for him, but this pleasant reverie was broken by a sharp voice.
    "My lady!"
    Agrivaine looked up to see a knight at the edge of the clearing, and with surprise he recognized Sir Lamorak, a cousin of Lancelot's. Many years earlier, Lamorak had been a noted warrior on his way toward becoming one of Arthur's foremost knights, when he suddenly seemed to lose interest in the Round Table and disappeared from court. It was rumored that he had been bewitched by a faery beauty and now spent his time serving her.
    "Yes, my love?" said Agrivaine's mother.
    Agrivaine gaped at them, putting the pieces together in his mind. His sense of propriety was mildly offended—Lamorak was younger than Gawain—but he said nothing.
    "Riders coming, three furlongs off."
    She turned quickly back to Agrivaine. "Go! We mustn't be seen together.
I
mustn't be seen at all. Go to Mador and give him my instructions."
    "My plan, you mean?"
    "Yes. Your plan. Go now!" Then she slapped his horse's haunch, sending it into a startled gallop. With an effort, Agrivaine managed to stay in the saddle, even though sudden motions made his pounding headache feel very much worse, and he started back toward Camelot, where at last he was going to take his rightful place as one of the most influential knights in England.

    Agrivaine did not enjoy his interview with Sir Mador much, and the pleasant dream that he had cherished all the way back to Camelot, in which Sir Mador respectfully fetched and carried for him, faded quickly before that thin, sardonic face. Agrivaine found Mador sitting in the taproom, alone but within earshot of several other courtiers. By subtly winking at him and jerking his head toward the door, Agrivaine managed to convey the message that Mador should follow him. Then he led Mador to a quiet place behind the royal chapel.
    "Ah, good," Agrivaine said brusquely as Mador approached. "I wanted to talk to you."
    "I thought that might be what you meant by all that twitching," Mador replied. "Either that or you were having a seizure of some sort."
    Agrivaine couldn't think of a reply to this, so he decided to ignore it. Raising his chin, he said, "I have just met with my mother."
    "I know," Mador said. "I'm the one who pushed her note under your door, as I'm sure she told you, so I was well aware that she had summoned you for this morning."
    Agrivaine tilted his chin higher. "But how did you know that I would obey her
summons?
"
    A faint smile curled Mador's lips, but when he replied, his voice was respectful. "Why, because my lady assured me that you were a faithful and honorable son who would not reject his own mother the way that your brothers have."
    Slightly mollified, Agrivaine nodded. "Well, I need your help, Mador."
    Mador bowed elaborately—Agrivaine wished he could be sure that Mador wasn't mocking him—and said, "I am entirely at your service, my lord."
    "I've had an idea," Agrivaine announced.
    "Indeed?" said Mador. "I am, er, glad to hear it."
    "What we must do is spread..." Agrivaine hesitated, trying to remember his mother's word. He gave up. "Spread
trouble
in the court. You remember how last night I got Gareth drunk and thinking about Lancelot and Guinevere?" Agrivaine paused, watching Mador closely to see if he would dispute this account.
    But Mador only nodded. "Indeed. It was excellently done, my lord."
    Encouraged, Agrivaine said, "Well, I think we need to add feed to the fuel."
    "Er, add
fuel
to the
fire,
perhaps?"
    Agrivaine shook his head dismissively. "You know what I mean. We must try to catch Lancelot and Guinevere together, to prove that they're still betraying the king."
    "A brilliant idea, my lord. In this way, we may be able to separate Lancelot from the king."
    "Yes, Mother thought it was a good idea, too."
    Mador's lips wore that annoying half smile again. "I'm sure she did. How shall we go about it, Sir Agrivaine?"
    "I'm ... er ... better at the big picture. Why don't