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across to keep the warmth in. A fire crackled in the enormous stone fireplace, and maids scurried hastily out of the way, curtsying as they backed out of his chambers. He groaned, when he took in the pitiful sight that Molly created. If pure steel did not run through his blood he would have already collapsed to his knees at Molly’s side. But he could not betray his weakness.
    He had to maintain his composure no matter how much of a challenge that stoic attitude presented to him.

    “Where is Merlin when you need him?” he asked wearily. Touching his hand to Molly’s forehead again, he cast his eyes to the heaven. “Help me to save my daughter. Dear God, show me the way. “ After what seemed to be an age, Morganna broke the silence with her richly hued voice.
    LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 35

    “Adria has gone to search for Lord Merlin. She realized that you were too pigheaded to argue with. Saints above, my brother, you accept the magic of Excalibur, and with it you heed the counsel of Merlin and yet you will not allow us to whisk Molly away to the magical shores of Avalon. It is most distressing, not to mention very aggravating. You will be the death of me, to be sure. “ He inclined his head at the odd cadence in her tone.

    “If I allowed you to take her to Avalon, you might never return. I could not bear that,” he muttered. Clasping Molly’s blood encrusted hand tightly he brushed a light kiss against her forehead. A shiver ran through her at his feathery touch. The wasted look that had taken hold of her sent an unbridled fear rushing through him. He was losing her.

    “Well, brother, you should have told that to Merlin a year ago. Lord Merlin has been taking Molly there to train with him, and it makes me wonder why you did not know this beforehand. Brother, you are too enthralled with your lady wife! Perhaps, if you spent less time trying to humor and cajole her, you would have had more time to follow the whereabouts of your only child!” Morganna spat out.

    An electrical current flowed between Arthur and Morganna. He flattened his lips into an unreadable line. Though he loved Morganna, she sometimes did grate on his nerves. He cocked his head to the side. His sister seemed different somehow. Her visage had altered slightly. She did not seem the same as she had yesterday. He shook his head. It did not make any sense.
    How could his sister alter in the course of the passing of one day? Molly seemed different as well. She had muttered the name of someone called Collin. Who was this lad, and why did he not know him? A father deserved to know the man that sought his daughter’s affections.

    Just then, Gwen charged into the room, with her arms laden with her medical supplies.
    Without being able to control himself he let out a long suffering groan. Now the never-ending battle of wills between Morganna and Gwen would start once again. They never had liked each other, on a good day, and he could see that Morganna was getting prepared to battle it out with Gwen over the well being of Molly. Good Lord, he needed someone to come help him handle the two formidable women fighting over Molly. What really confused him was that they both believed they were acting in Molly’s best interests.

    “Out of my way, witch,” Gwen spat out, giving Morganna a searing gaze. Arthur didn’t really care for the contempt that leaked through Gwen’s voice. After all, his daughter was a witch, just like Morganna.

    “Watch your tongue, my lady wife, you speak to my lady sister,” Arthur chastised, frowning at Gwenhwyfar. When he had first married the fair Lady Gwen and inherited the Round Table through her dowry, he had believed that she was a soft-spoken whimsical creature.
    As he had gotten to know Gwen, he had discovered that she had a short temper, and that her only passion of any sort was to the Christian religion that he himself had only recently accepted.
    Sometimes her frigidity blasted him and everyone else in her