"Arthur, you shouldn't have done that. Lancelot is a good man, and he deserves to be called a knight. He even saved me earlier! Plus, he's a noble!" Young Merlin, the prince's attendant, complained as he helped the equally young Prince Arthur out of his armor. "You can't just throw him in the stables; that's for servants!"
"Shut up, you idiot! You're just a servant, and you don't have the right to decide who gets a knight's title!" the young prince snapped impatiently, tossing his gauntlet onto a stand. But after the outburst, Arthur hesitated and, trying to sound casual, explained his overly harsh tone. "You better not let Father hear you say things like that. He doesn't like commoners discussing matters that don't concern them."
But Merlin was too indignant about his prince failing to accept a truly worthy knight, so he completely ignored the scolding and the explanation. After all, Merlin was a seasoned hand; he'd lost count of how many times he'd angered Arthur's dad, the notorious King Uther. Yet, strangely enough, King Uther, who was known as a tyrant by the outside world, had forgiven Merlin's mistakes time and time again.
Of course, this wasn't due to kindness; it was because Merlin had a good teacher and a good friend. With their help, Merlin always managed to turn the tables and get through every crisis safely. This, in turn, made Merlin bolder and bolder, to the point where he even dared to forge a noble's proof of lineage.
"Oh, by the way, Merlin. Which family did you say that Lancelot fellow was from?" Arthur suddenly remembered that Merlin had introduced Lancelot's background, though Arthur hadn't paid much attention at the time. He hadn't expected Merlin to introduce anyone important. Arthur had only agreed to let Lancelot take the test because Lancelot had saved Merlin from a griffin, and he never thought Lancelot would actually pass. Even though Lancelot's method was a bit too straightforward, Arthur was still willing to give him a chance.
Naturally, he didn't need to tell Merlin that. Arthur was afraid that Merlin would tell Lancelot his thoughts, and if that happened, it would be cheating. That wasn't what Arthur wanted to see.
In short, Arthur felt that Merlin hadn't misjudged the man this time, so he needed to learn more about Lancelot. If he truly had the qualifications, Arthur was willing to accept him into the Knights of the Round Table.
But this simple, casual question instantly startled Merlin. Yes, when I said Merlin forged a noble's proof, it was for Lancelot!
Lancelot was handsome, tall, and imposing, with an innate captivating demeanor. Everyone who saw him fight couldn't help but admire his courage and skill. In Merlin's opinion, if a man with all these excellent qualities couldn't become a knight, then no one in the world deserved the title.
But Lancelot had just one problem: he was a commoner. A commoner whose ancestors had been farmers for generations, with not a single noble connection in the past eight lines of descent.
"He's the fifth son of Lord Lothian," Merlin said, appearing composed on the outside, but his heart was pounding because he'd just made it up. He could only pray that Arthur hadn't heard of that family. Merlin had chosen that origin for Lancelot because he thought the family was too obscure and low-key.
Perhaps heaven heard Merlin's prayer, because he actually managed to pull it off.
"Oh, Lord Lothian, is it?" Arthur's eyes were slightly unfocused, but he pretended to know the name. Arthur didn't want his friend and attendant to look down on him.
Well, Arthur was a terrible student... All he ever liked to do since he was a kid was fight and play with swords. Over the years, besides acceptable court etiquette, he was barely literate. How could he possibly remember all the nobles' crests and family names? The study of noble heraldry alone took up three books, each as thick as a stone on the castle wall. Handing those books to Arthur as a shield was fine, but asking him to memorize them all? Don't make me laugh!
Even though Merlin and Arthur had only known each other for a few months, Merlin understood his prince's character—simple, almost endearingly foolish. Seeing Arthur's expression, Merlin knew he had successfully pulled the wool over his eyes.
Since Arthur didn't know anything about this so-called Lothian family, he naturally wouldn't continue the topic for fear of revealing his ignorance. And Merlin certainly didn't want to continue it either, so it worked out perfectly. With that, they both instinctively avoided the subject. After quickly getting ready, they headed to the dining hall. King Uther happened to be free today and planned to have a nice dinner with his son and daughter, which was why Arthur had made a point of returning early from the Knights' barracks.
Walking down the castle's pristine white corridor, Arthur suddenly noticed that the roses in the garden were starting to bloom. Seeing this, Arthur stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at his attendant.
"Merlin, what month is it?"
Merlin was startled by Arthur's sudden stop and nearly bumped into him. He was still preoccupied with how to help Lancelot.
"May? Why? Is there something special about it?" Merlin knew his prince was an idiot who couldn't even get dressed without help and was usually oblivious to everything except fighting. So, he wasn't surprised that Arthur didn't know the current month or year. He was just curious why Arthur suddenly cared.
"May... that means, has it been ten years already? Kay..." Arthur didn't answer Merlin's question, instead murmuring a name.
Merlin found it odd that Arthur suddenly spoke a name he'd never heard before. Kay? That's a strange name. Just as Merlin was about to ask who Kay was, Arthur suddenly walked forward without another word.
Merlin saw the usually energetic Arthur suddenly become downcast and felt a sense of foreboding. After all, a person who is an "energetic idiot" always finds a reason to keep their spirits up; they're never quiet unless they're asleep. For him to suddenly become like this... was the world ending?
---
In the dining hall, Merlin noticed the atmosphere was strange. King Uther, Arthur, and Arthur's sister, Princess Morgana, all seemed to be lost in thought. Although King Uther wasn't a cheerful man, and family dinners weren't exactly boisterous, the atmosphere was usually tolerable. Today, however, the low pressure in the dining room felt heavy, as if a downpour was imminent.
Arthur listlessly poked at the food on his silver plate with his utensils, his head bowed, saying nothing.
King Uther, leaning back in his tall-backed chair, held his beloved golden wine cup and drank glass after glass, his eyes staring blankly ahead, lost in thought.
And Princess Morgana, the gentle princess who was always wearing a warm smile, had lost her cheerfulness. She just stared blankly out the window at the newly blooming roses, silent.
Seeing the beautiful and kind Morgana like this, Merlin's heart suddenly ached.
All of Camelot knew that Morgana was the most beautiful and kind-hearted princess in all of Camelot, if not the world. Her beauty could make birds flying overhead lose focus and fall from the sky, and fish in the stream stare in wonder, forgetting how to swim. Her beauty could even make the bright moon hide behind the clouds and cause the loveliest flowers to wither in shame.
More importantly, Princess Morgana was famous for her kindness and was the only person who dared to offer counsel to King Uther. Though her advice usually didn't work, as Uther was notoriously stubborn, her kindness was enough to earn the gratitude of everyone. Her good deeds in Camelot could be spoken of for three days and three nights.
She was every man's dream woman and every woman's aspiration.
Merlin was no exception. Merlin had only lived in a small village before, and the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen was the tavern owner's daughter on the east side of the village—a simple woman with a few freckles. It wasn't until he saw Princess Morgana on his first day in Camelot that Merlin realized a woman with a beauty comparable to a deity truly existed in this world.
In that moment, Merlin completely forgot about the tavern owner's daughter. Princess Morgana became his new dream girl.
Seeing his dream girl so downcast and heartbroken, Merlin wished he could... well, Merlin only thought about it. He was just a servant and had no right to comfort the princess, let alone anything else. As for King Uther and Arthur, Merlin couldn't care less.
King Uther was a cruel monarch; Merlin didn't like him. And Arthur... Arthur was an idiot, so who would worry about him?
After a long time, Morgana was the first to speak.
"Father... is there truly no news of Kay? Not a single word?" A strong hope could be heard in her voice, as Morgana wished her father would give her a different answer.
This was the second time Merlin had heard that name today.
King Uther looked up at his son and daughter, his usually stern, even gloomy, expression finally softening, becoming sorrowful and gentle. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but finally shook his head dejectedly.
Morgana closed her eyes, turned her head away, and covered her face with her hand.
Arthur, however, looked up and said loudly and emphatically, "Kay is fine! He must have just been delayed! He's the strongest knight! No one can defeat him! Not even death!"
Arthur's eyes were filled with determination.
King Uther desperately wanted to comfort his children, but the words caught in his throat. He, too, was holding onto hope. After all, he had known Kay longer than his children. He didn't know what others thought, but he knew he had always considered Kay his son, just like Arthur.
But as a king and a father, he also needed his children to know what reality was, so King Uther was deeply conflicted...
Just as King Uther was about to make up his mind, the bells of Camelot suddenly began to ring. As the King of Camelot, he instantly recognized the sound—it was the warning bell from the castle wall. This meant an enemy attack!