![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
amaranthine-7.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
tamingthemuseTitle: Lessons in warfare
Fandom: Arthurian legends
Prompt: Prompt 388 - Architecture
Warnings: None.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: The Arthurian legends are in the public domain. I make no reference to any copyrighted work. So all is mine.
Beta: None, so any mistakes you see are mine.
Summary: Morgause comes to give a warfare lessons to Mordred.
Mordred lay on the ground, his back against the grass. He was shirtless, enjoying the refreshing touch of the vegetation against his skin after hard hours of work in the stable. His mind was empty, the physical work having drained all energy from him. He wasn't even trying to remember his lessons as he knew he should. Morgause wouldn't be happy if she knew but he was sure she wouldn't come out at this hour to check on what he was doing. She hated the sun and the heat.
A shadow formed over him, shielding him from the comforting warmth of the sun. At first he thought it was just a passing cloud but the darkness wouldn't go away and soon he felt the tips of hair tickling his chest.
He opened his eyes slowly. Morgause was leaning over him. He jumped up, surprised at seeing her fiery hair so close to him.
"Mo... Mother," he stumbled.
"Yes my boy. It is I." She paused as she sat next to him. "I do enjoy a bit of sunshine now and again."
He nodded as he brought his knees against his chest in a vain attempt to protect himself.
"Don't be ashamed of not having worked on your lessons today," said Morgause as she brushed his hair with her hand. "Everyone needs a break from time to time. And you just had yours," she added as her fingers trailed along his cheek.
"Now, tell me what is a kingdom?"
Mordred opened his mouth but no words came out. She looked at him patiently but he knew it was a trick. His time was ticking out and he needed to produce an answer quick.
"A kingdom is...," his voice trailed slowly as his brain span madly back to life trying to find a decent enough answer. "It's... it's the sum of all the territory and people that are controlled by one king."
"Is that so dear?"
"I think so." He was trying to sound sure of himself but his tone betrayed him.
"It is not so." She smiled at him. "A kingdom is much smaller than that. It is a very fragile architecture of key figures." She looked at the castle, their home. "The Orkneys kingdom is not our possessions or even our people. Those things cannot last my boy, they can be stolen from us, go away, or they can even be expanded. A kingdom is the king and a few others key figures. What do you think would happen if Lot were to die, if I were to die, and if your brothers were not strong enough to control the power?"
"The kingdom would die," whispered Mordred.
"Yes my boy. The kingdom would die. Our neighbours would storm the land and divide it between themselves, claiming it through the blood of our people. They would replace our kingdom with theirs." She paused as she stared hard into his eyes. "So you see my boy, it is important to maintain a strong architecture within our family, within the people in power. We need to know that if we are attacked and one of us fall, others will rise and maintain the structure. We always need to be strong."
Mordred nodded as Morgause rose and started to walk away. "Equally, you need to recognise the architecture of power in other kingdom if you want to make them fall. Do not go to war, this is useless, attack a kingdom from within and poison it." She stopped in her steps and turned her head to him as she added, "this is how you destroy a kingdom."
Fandom: Arthurian legends
Prompt: Prompt 388 - Architecture
Warnings: None.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: The Arthurian legends are in the public domain. I make no reference to any copyrighted work. So all is mine.
Beta: None, so any mistakes you see are mine.
Summary: Morgause comes to give a warfare lessons to Mordred.
Mordred lay on the ground, his back against the grass. He was shirtless, enjoying the refreshing touch of the vegetation against his skin after hard hours of work in the stable. His mind was empty, the physical work having drained all energy from him. He wasn't even trying to remember his lessons as he knew he should. Morgause wouldn't be happy if she knew but he was sure she wouldn't come out at this hour to check on what he was doing. She hated the sun and the heat.
A shadow formed over him, shielding him from the comforting warmth of the sun. At first he thought it was just a passing cloud but the darkness wouldn't go away and soon he felt the tips of hair tickling his chest.
He opened his eyes slowly. Morgause was leaning over him. He jumped up, surprised at seeing her fiery hair so close to him.
"Mo... Mother," he stumbled.
"Yes my boy. It is I." She paused as she sat next to him. "I do enjoy a bit of sunshine now and again."
He nodded as he brought his knees against his chest in a vain attempt to protect himself.
"Don't be ashamed of not having worked on your lessons today," said Morgause as she brushed his hair with her hand. "Everyone needs a break from time to time. And you just had yours," she added as her fingers trailed along his cheek.
"Now, tell me what is a kingdom?"
Mordred opened his mouth but no words came out. She looked at him patiently but he knew it was a trick. His time was ticking out and he needed to produce an answer quick.
"A kingdom is...," his voice trailed slowly as his brain span madly back to life trying to find a decent enough answer. "It's... it's the sum of all the territory and people that are controlled by one king."
"Is that so dear?"
"I think so." He was trying to sound sure of himself but his tone betrayed him.
"It is not so." She smiled at him. "A kingdom is much smaller than that. It is a very fragile architecture of key figures." She looked at the castle, their home. "The Orkneys kingdom is not our possessions or even our people. Those things cannot last my boy, they can be stolen from us, go away, or they can even be expanded. A kingdom is the king and a few others key figures. What do you think would happen if Lot were to die, if I were to die, and if your brothers were not strong enough to control the power?"
"The kingdom would die," whispered Mordred.
"Yes my boy. The kingdom would die. Our neighbours would storm the land and divide it between themselves, claiming it through the blood of our people. They would replace our kingdom with theirs." She paused as she stared hard into his eyes. "So you see my boy, it is important to maintain a strong architecture within our family, within the people in power. We need to know that if we are attacked and one of us fall, others will rise and maintain the structure. We always need to be strong."
Mordred nodded as Morgause rose and started to walk away. "Equally, you need to recognise the architecture of power in other kingdom if you want to make them fall. Do not go to war, this is useless, attack a kingdom from within and poison it." She stopped in her steps and turned her head to him as she added, "this is how you destroy a kingdom."
