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Morganna Le Fay

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Morganna Le Fay

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Long ago, there was once a fair maiden with whom High King Artorius became deeply enamored with. First introduced to him as Anna the daughter of King Lot, she was someone whose intellect and beauty completely charmed Artorius. These traits and much more captured the High King's heart and made him romantically pursue Anna as he sincerely felt that there was a real connection between them. Such was his love and it was even purportedly said by many at the time that the feeling was mutual. Alas, tragedy most foul struck when the truth about Anna's actual identity and motives came to light.


How exactly was the truth about this maiden actually discovered is a bit disputed. There are seemingly multiple accounts about how it was discovered however a good many if not most are conflicting with some having slight differences in the small exact details and others telling completely different scenarios altogether. The different versions ranged from Sir Caius exposing the deception with the aid of some contacts of his, to Merlyn recognizing but revealing too late the maiden's true identity, to Artorius himself being the one to find out the truth in a manner that could be said to be similar to what happened during the other infamous love related incident that occurred later in his life. Much of these discrepancies stemmed not only from different scribes and interpretations having over time muddled certain facts up as is usually the case with such matters, but also from the whole actual affair having been covered up at the time due to certain damning things and what the High King did in response when these things were revealed to him much to his horror. Regardless of how it was exposed however, what remained constant in every differing account about this particular aspect of this whole affair was the indisputable tragic truth which was unearthed. Anna was in reality a sorceress by the name of Morganna Le Fay and her so called father King Lot was actually a traitor who had employed her for the purpose of seducing Artorius and stealing various secrets in order to blackmail the High King.

This treachery by King Lot and Morganna Le Fay done against Artorius was truly a heinous crime especially after certain condemning details came to light. Although it's generally accepted by most scholars that Lot had employed Morganna to commit this grave offense for malicious and selfish reasons based on what certain sources strongly suggest, Morganna's very own reasons for why she did this however aren't exactly as so ascertainable per se as those of Lot's. As far as existing verified sources go, certain aspects about Morganna's true character during this specific incident are actually rather unclear and a bit of a mystery due to lack of documentation and otherwise. Thusly, there's apparently no record of any sort that goes into specific detail or makes it very clear what her own exact reasons for her involvement in this very plot were. That being said, there are matters else from the era as well as a number of other sources which may to some degree help discern what possible reasons she might've had. Counted among these in particular are a few rare surviving manuscripts that expressed rather unpopular opinions critical about Artorius, some of which are widely speculated to may have been by Morganna herself. From what can be surmised by taking these issues into careful consideration, it would be appear that just what reasons Morganna might've had for seducing and betraying the High King's feelings were evidently far more complicated or at the very least much grayer than what most commonfolk would initially assume about this infamous sorceress.

The first thing that immediately comes to mind as to possible reasons Morganna might've had for what she did would be because she had issue with Artorius' father Uthyr Pendragon and for the transgressions that Uthyr had done, a stance actually all too commonly held by a good many Britons at the time even well after Artorius had finally succeeded his father as ruler. When Uthyr was still alive, despite what feats he achieved and what praises were sang of him, it can't be denied that he did some really morally questionable things and wronged a good deal of people, more so especially after he became king. He was a greedy tyrant whose lasting testament to the people of Britannia was having had imposed a completely absolute monarchy which not only got worse in his twilight years when he implemented controversial measures that destabilized the country, but also had no fail-safe whatsoever in the event that he died, a detail which had huge ramifications for the whole country. It therefore was an understandable cause for concern when Uthyr's son suddenly showed up out of the blue like some sort of invader to claim his birthright with some seeing Artorius as a second Uthyr and a return to the tyranny that was still very much fresh for many. Even after Artorius proved himself worthy with approval from most of the country, this view still lingered with some especially among those of the much poorer peasantry for which Morganna apparently had a strong affinity with and for. Such grievances against Uthyr were thus a likely reason for anyone to collaborate against his son. Of course though, Morganna also had her own personal grievances against Uthyr separate from what was commonly shared amongst others which undoubtedly must've been a major motivation, if not the sole primary one then at least a prominent part of what plausible ones she must've had.

While grievances against Artorius' father and displaced retribution would be enough for anyone to collaborate against the High King, they alone apparently weren't the only possible reasons Morganna might've had. According to certain manuscripts if they are to be believed, many of those who hailed from Lot's kingdom apparently held an isolationist sentiment, a matter most worth taking into consideration as Morganna had spent much of her early life there. Because of what happened with Uthyr, there were those who felt they were better off separated from the rest of Britannia rather than being reunited once again under a single ruler who oppressed everyone else from afar, more so if said ruler happened to be Uthyr's progeny and successor. None apparently held this view more than many from the backwater that was Lot's kingdom. Unlike most of Britannia which collapsed after Uthyr's fall, Lot's kingdom actually relatively fared well on its own in isolation thanks in some small part to its remoteness. It was a thing that supposedly fostered a sense of independence and self-reliance among the kingdom's subjects unlike any they've ever experienced in spite of certain hardships they still faced. Thus Lot's kingdom being subordinate in any degree to any sort of outside power would've been cause for opposition from some of its subjects regardless of what benefits were gained under Artorius. As Morganna incidentally was a subject of Lot's kingdom, having literally grown up alongside its people during a time wherein they supposedly had an actual sense of agency, it wouldn't be hard to fathom that she might've shared this particular separatist opinion that her countrymen had and decided to take drastic measures. Whether or not she actually harbored such political views to motivate her in Lot's scheme though is unclear however, what is clear is that her upbringing amongst people considered by most other Britons at the time as a commune of shit covered filth collectors deeply influenced her if certain views definitely known to have been held by her are any indication. Said known views by the way, are also considered possible reasons she might've had for what she did.

Based on what else is known about Morganna during certain other known parts of her life, certain viewpoints of hers definitely put her at odds with those of Artorius'. As a matter of fact, despite having deceived Artorius as Anna, Morganna being a sophisticated and intelligent individual who shared similar philosophies of fairness and justice with Artorius was no lie. She just however saw certain things differently from Artorius for although he had established much of his rule on justice and equality, certain injustices and inequalities inherent with the times they lived in still existed. Case in point, while Artorius had implemented a just code of chivalry amongst his court, most in particular with his Knights of the Round Table, to maintain peace and order throughout Britannia, this in Morganna's opinion wasn't enough as the code didn't take into account certain situations wherein typical knightly attitudes and heroics did more harm than actual justice and that the code at times bordered on being very chauvinistic. In another similar case, while Artorius promoted equality such as by making his government somewhat devolved in order to give the varying regions and vassals under him semi-autonomy as opposed to what his father tyrannically did, inequality as Morganna saw it however still existed as Artorius' government was still very much structured around a feudal system which divided and dictated people by hierarchical classes. These arguments and more in many scholars' personal opinions made Morganna someone quite ahead of her time as many of the things she was against would indeed be considered wrong especially by modern day standards. For many other scholars though, such opinions made her come off as a moral crusader who's out of touch with how the actual time period and world she lived in really worked to a point of seeming practically out of place with everything else if not outright anachronistic. Regardless, these arguments nonetheless were some of the causes which motivated Morganna against Artorius later in their lives. It thus would be valid to think that such issues may have motivated her earlier in life also to commit the reprehensible crime for which Lot employed her for, a crime which Morganna would later come to truly regret for the rest of her life upon learning much to her horror the full extent of what exactly Lot had employed her for.

Whether it was for the sins of Artorius' father, separatist sentiments shared with her fellow countrymen, her views against unfair medieval conventions, or a combination of reasons, what truly motivated Morganna to collaborate with Lot's plan to deceive and blackmail the High King may never be clear or understood. Truthfully, it probably wouldn't matter anyway if her own reasons that led her to seduce Artorius and steal secrets were actually ever known as ultimately Lot was the one pulling the strings of this abhorrent scheme. Morganna was essentially very much Lot's pawn hence probably why most sources of the incident focus more on her crime than what her own actual motives were since in reality she never had any real say in the matter to begin with as far as existing records go. What precisely was her exact relationship with Lot anyway to compel Morganna's collusion is like most everything else involved not really all that clear. A majority of surviving manuscripts however peg Lot as being a father figure of sorts to Morganna and apparently a particularly nasty abusive one at that if what a great many of these manuscripts not so subtly seem to suggest holds true. Bearing that in mind, the lie that Lot was her father therefore has some half-truth to it. Unfortunately though, it thus also carries some very uncomfortable connotations as well. Considering the full damaging details of what exactly the detestable wretch known as Lot was going to blackmail Artorius for, such implications wouldn't be without merit.

When Lot was confronted and the exact full details of what the villain was going to blackmail Artorius for were divulged, the appalling truth centered in the middle of it all absolutely mortified those who first came to know it. Among those first few to learn about this much to their horror were none other than Artorius and Morganna themselves. Evidently, in order to get Morganna to fully cooperate in a completely atrocious act, Lot with absolute deliberate malice withheld from her specific details related to her and Artorius. It's also probably for this very same reason why Lot had her deceive the High King under another name in order to not arouse suspicions not only from Artorius and his court but from her also. Had Morganna been fully aware of how monstrous her crime of seducing Artorius would actually be beforehand, she would never have willingly collaborated with Lot's horrid plot. Thus when the awful reality kept from her was finally revealed to Morganna after it was far too late, it utterly horrified her more so considering she apparently had at the time delivered more than what Lot expected from her. So great was Morganna's revulsion upon finding out how abominable her crime truly was that some documents say that she had contemplated suicide at that very moment for her grave sin. Sadly, such a thing wasn't afforded to her as the tragedy soon further escalated after the revelation.

While the shock and horror from learning what Lot exactly made her do would've been unfortunate enough for Morganna, or anyone else for that matter, things however quickly got further worse, way much worse. For upon having likewise learned the dreadful truth as well, Artorius in response flew into a great and unspeakable rage. Although Artorius felt just as shocked and horrified as Morganna was, his emotions prior were already in turmoil due to his heartbreak from learning about Morganna's deception as Anna. Thus when the cruel reality of things was fully revealed unto Artorius, his already turbulent feelings turned into unbridled anger and he demanded revenge. That revenge that not even his wisest of councilors could talk him out of was exacted upon Lot and the entirety of Lot's kingdom, the land which Morganna called home for a good portion of her early life.

On the grounds that Lot's entire kingdom was in cahoots with their king who had wronged him, Artorius blinded by utter rage decided to completely raze the kingdom along with its subjects. He decided so caring not for anyone's feeling or objections on the matter especially those of Morganna's since the land and its citizens, despite everything else that happened, were still very much essentially her home and the people she grew up with. Whether the High King exacted his furious retribution simply alone with his fiery sword Caliburn in hand or with aid from his knights and men is unknown though truthfully it probably didn't matter either way as his vengeance nonetheless was fierce and merciless, a thing of which Morganna no doubt most assuredly experienced firsthand. Like an enraged dragon on a rampage decimating everything and everyone within its path across the countryside in a blaze of hellfire, the vindictive wrath which Artorius inflicted unto Lot's kingdom and its people was the likes of which no one knew he could be capable of. None were spared from Artorius' ire and as horrendous enough as this already was, it became outright unforgivable when not even babies were spared from his savagery, a matter Morganna found most grave and personal of all for she knew exactly what caused him to cross such a line.

To expound on Artorius' act of herodism, the High King in the midst of everything had gathered all the babies from Lot's kingdom born within the month or so of his onslaught and placed them on a ship which he then set adrift to crash and sink to a watery grave along with its infant passengers. This was truly an unspeakable atrocity and what's more, there are some later accounts that make bold claims that Artorius did more than just simply taking and sending a shipload of babies off to their deaths alone. They allege that as the ship left port, he with the aid of Caliburn's blazing powers also either set the entire ship on fire, or outright caused its very crash by straight up attacking it from afar. Whether these allegations also happened or not, what Artorius did was nevertheless horrific and went completely against everything that defined the High King as a paragon even more so than anything else he did during his rage blinded rampage across Lot's kingdom. As such, there have been a number of manuscripts and the like over the ages that have tried to mitigate Artorius' infamous crime of mass infanticide by either justifying his actions, or outright deflecting any sort of blame unto others. Most noteworthy among these in particular, especially considering certain events which happened much later, is the claim that Artorius in reality had acted upon a prophecy from Merlyn that among those young babes would be the one to cause Britannia's and his downfall. Regardless of what defense could be given for Artorius' actions though, it ultimately just couldn't be excused that what he did was unforgivable and there was none who couldn't forgive Artorius for this more than Morganna especially since it was something intrinsically connected to her.

After Artorius' rage induced bloodlust subsided, all that remained was nothing but scorched and ash covered ruins of what was once Morganna's home. The desolation was so extensive that even Artorius upon coming back to his senses was appalled at the senseless and needlessly cruel destruction he had caused. As this wretched deed along with everything else unearthed from this awful affair threatened Artorius' name and all that he had built should it ever be exposed to the rest of Britannia, it was decided amongst those few among the High King's court who knew the full details to cover up the entire incident and keep it all a secret. That being said, there were at least two who survived the High King's wrath and among them was Morganna. For her, the devastation of this home was just as anguishing as the lost of the one she had before it especially considering both were destroyed by men kin to one another. All that Artorius did, especially the mass murder of newborn babies, she took as an egregious sin against her and thus she swore revenge against the High King. However despite having survived what was arguably Artorius' worst moment and swearing vengeance upon him for it, she could not expose his sins as a weapon against him lest she reveal her shame as well.

Her shame which was both hers and Artorius'. The crux of Lot's repulsive blackmail plot. The revelation which horrified both of them upon learning it. The very thing which spurred Artorius into a blind vindictive frenzy. That which caused this whole tragedy and all the other hostilities between these two which came afterwards.

The truth which was that Artorius and Morganna were actually brother and sister.

Notes:

On the matter of Morganna and Artorius being half-siblings and that there was a forbidden relationship between them, this is kinda not that big of a shocker especially if one is familiar with King Arthur and whatnot. Depending on how one sees it, this detail is kinda pretty par for the course as evidenced by various King Arthur based works that incorporate it such as the Merlin miniseries, The Mists of Avalon miniseries, the 1981 Excalibur film, and many others. True some works have opted to omit it however, I chose to include as it has undeniably become an ingrained part of King Arthur's story just like Excalibur and any other aspect most modern audiences know about Arthur.
Furthermore on the matter of Morganna and Artorius, for my interpretation I wanted the whole tragic discovery that they're actually siblings to be the main driving force of all of their conflicts with each other. Shame, anger, regret, angst, awkward lingering feelings, and all those other emotions expressed by two lovers who to their shock find out they're actually related are basically what I'm trying to go for.
For the subjects of Lot's kingdom and their views, the idea behind them I based in part on the anarcho-syndicalist peasants from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. In general, I was going for otherwise dirty peasants who were greatly opposed to Artorius due to having different views on certain things.
On a side note, while it's meant to be a serious matter, the whole Artorius razing of Lot's kingdom is my slight take that against those anarcho-syndicalist peasants from Monty Python. Dennis who looks like an old woman from behind sure was a smug smart-ass for a filth gathering peasant. If he mouthed like that to an actual medieval king, or at least a less comedic fantasy based one, he and possibly anyone associated with him definitely would've experienced actual violence inherent in the system.
On the matter of Artorius killing babies, this is based on the May Day Massacre wherein King Arthur after being warned by Merlin that a baby born in May would cause his downfall in the future, decides to have all the babies in the kingdom born in May gathered and placed on a ship to be set adrift and sink. It's a much lesser known and darker story about King Arthur however I included it in my interpretation as I found it interesting especially considering who this story is really about. Obviously though, I escalated this event more than just simple infanticide as well as made it more than just killing babies based on a prophecy. What I kinda ultimately want to convey by including this incident is to show that Artorius as much as he was regarded as a paragon of virtue, was still very much a flawed human susceptible to his emotions and capable of making really horrid decisions. I also escalated the incident in order to convey a sort of the higher a paragon is propped up, the much further they'd fall scenario type of thing. Think Harvey Dent from Batman, Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars, or any other fallen paragon-like character for a sense of what I guess I'm trying to get at.

Other Bios:

• First Bio: [link]
• Third Bio: [link]
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AlexRichardon's avatar
Amazing art and amazing read!Oops!