Grail of Stars Read Online Free PDF Page A

the table while she checked her chair. The knights were whispering and casting sideways glances at Sir Lancelot. She heard the name ‘Elaine’ and ‘Grail maiden’.
    Her head spun.
    â€œThat’s it!” she said, turning excitedly to Sir Lancelot. “Galahad’s mother was a Grailmaiden, wasn’t she? That means you must have been to the Grail Castle too… so you can show me the way!”
    Sir Lancelot’s hand closed on her arm. “The meeting’s over,” he said, stopping her from sitting down. He swept Excalibur off the table and strode from the hall, dragging Rhianna with him.

    Sir Lancelot’s grip on her wrist hurt. He carried Excalibur in its red scabbard in his other hand, out of her reach. Rhianna tried to pull free, but Lancelot was strong and she didn’t want the other knights thinking he had surprised her. Bad enough that they had already seen her mother slap her.
    She reminded the silver-haired knight thatshe needed to change before having lunch with her mother. But he hustled her down some steps, into the nearest underground storeroom. He pushed her inside and kicked the door shut. Then he stood with his back to it and folded his arms.
    Rhianna stumbled over a sack of apples and whirled to face him, angry and a little scared. The storeroom had no windows, just air holes in the door that turned Lancelot into a menacing silhouette. “Give me back my sword!” she said.
    â€œNo, Princess. Not until we’ve got this thing straight. I know Guinevere wants to talk to you about this quest of yours, but she’s your mother and I know you don’t listen to her. Since your father isn’t here, maybe you’ll listen to me. Sit.”
    Rhianna looked at the sacks and folded her arms, too.
    â€œHave it your own way,” Sir Lancelot said. “This won’t take long. I expect you’ll find out most of this from the Crown eventually, but it’ll be a lot quicker if I tell you the truth now, so you don’t get the wrong idea and go running around Camelot asking questions and upsetting your mother.”
    He took a deep breath. “Right, as you already know that ghost you summoned just now was my son, Galahad. It seems he actually found the Grail, the little idiot, but he didn’t live to tell the tale. He dared to drink from it, and it killed him. His mother is the Lady Elaine…” He paused. “My wife. And before you ask, yes, she was a Grail maiden. Until Galahad came along, that is.” He smiled ruefully. “That’s why I married her, for the sake of her honour.”
    Rhianna forgot her anger and sat down ona sack, confused. “But I thought you loved my mother?”
    Lancelot grimaced. “I love the queen more than my own heart. But she was married to your father. For the sake of Guinevere’s honour, I couldn’t risk stealing so much as a kiss while Arthur lived. You have no idea how hard it was – I’ve told you before, I’m only human. I found happiness with Elaine.”
    She frowned at the knight. “So why did you leave your wife and return to Camelot?”
    â€œI carried the Lance of Truth. I was the Pendragon’s champion. Arthur needed me. Elaine understood, and she couldn’t leave the Grail unprotected to come with me. But she let me take our son Galahad to Camelot so Arthur could make him a knight of the Round Table. He was always the best of us,the most pure in heart. He should have carried the Lance after me… but he rode off with his young friend Percival in search of the Grail, and we never saw either of them again. I tried to go back, of course. But I couldn’t find the way. I haven’t seen Elaine since I left the Grail Castle, and now my poor boy Galahad’s dead, and probably Percival too.” He gave her a stern look. “So now maybe you understand why your mother doesn’t want you to go chasing after the Grail,