The King's Lost Knight
BlackHadou
Bunny-Sensei
"Aye."
"Aye."
"Aye."
The various voices that called out were not surprising. Dragon slaying was called one of the highest callings of knighthood. A heroic act that was the pinnacle of knightly virtues, you would even get a fair damsel at the end, or so they said.
I'd been there before. Unfortunately, Lancelot took all the fun. I wasn't particularly eager for a repeat.
"Aye." Lamorak's voice rang out from beside me. I just glanced at him.
"You do know Lancelot will hog all the fun, and what he doesn't, Bors will."
"Gotta be in it to win it." He retorted playfully. "Not interested?"
"The king will be more fun." I answered bluntly. "More things to slice up. I've had my fill of house sized monsters for now anyway."
"I suppose you would have." He noted to himself. "I thought you hated Lothian though."
"It's not my home. That doesn't mean I'm not obligated to go defend it." I grumbled. "The worst part is being anywhere near mother, really."
"I doubt she will be a problem with the king right there."
"That's not the point." I just didn't want to deal with her right now. I nudged Lamorak's shoulder forward. "Well go on, guts and glory."
"Yeah, yeah. Take care, Mordred."
Take care, that was a new one. I just rolled my eyes. Now he was just being Gawain.
My eyes steadily travelled the room. Some of the nobles had begun to mingle, the knights were excitedly working out who was going to be a vainglorious hero, and the king was just staring at the map, as if something great weighed down on his mind.
Yet there was one person who seemed to be trying to make himself small in the corner. This might be the only chance I ever actually get, too. So I put a childhood of being the littlest to use and darted my way towards the side of the room.
"You know, never thought I'd actually get to talk with the other lucky number thirteen." My voice was somewhere between sarcastic and awed. Tristain was not exactly a small figure. Of all of Arthur's knights, only Lancelot was perhaps more famous. But then, Tristain was not a knight of the round table anymore. He was the one who decided to walk out.
"The other? Oh, then you replaced me." Traistain sounded surprised for only a moment, his eyes steadily studying my helmet. "Oh… oh my..." He seemed to do a double take for just a moment. I felt my eyes narrow.
"Excuse me?"
"Sorry, you just have the same face."
"You're kidding me. You can see through my helmet?"
"Is it supposed to be a secret? I won't tell." He glanced away from me, his eyes steadily examining the room, almost lazily really. "People watching." He explained. "Fun, sometimes, but this isn't a very interesting crowd."
"I suppose not. Kings and knights become predictable." I mused. Tristain shook his head.
"It's not that. I know these faces. A few are new, sure, but not enough to outweigh what I've already seen." He answered. "Some haven't changed at all, some have. Most are just hostile. The room is colder then it has ever been."
"Colder?"
"Yes. The king does not understand people." He muttered. "But I suppose you disagree with that."
"..." I didn't immediately answer. I could defend the king, but really, Tristain had already left Camelot. This was probably a part of the difference of opinion that led to that. "If you say."
"If I say. That's an unusual response." He muttered. "Tell me, how were you knighted, sir… uh..."
"Mordred." I finished for him. "I walked in, demanded a sword and beat up half the table."
"I see." Tristain looked at me again, then looked away. "I suppose for someone like you, that wouldn't be hard." I could see the side of his lip twitching. "Did Gawain pull his punches?"
"No, I threw him out the window." I retorted drily.
"Pity I wasn't there. Sounds like it was amusing, at least." He mused, shaking his head. "Just be careful. His Highness won't understand when he finally looks at you."
"What do you mean?"
"You'll work it out. I promised not to lure any of his men away." Tristain answered. "You don't wish to go dragon slaying?"
"Lancelot stole the glory last time. Besides, I've had my fill of fighting things the size of houses." I answered. Tristain just nodded.
"He does that. He doesn't even realise he's doing it." He answered. "It's the curse of someone whose ability to fight is so far beyond what he actually knows."
I could only agree with that. Lancelot was an amazing warrior, one who probably didn't realise just how good he actually is.
The meeting seemed to grind on in eternal tedium. Pledges were made and the king gave orders, yet at the end of it all, we numbered only twelve.
Eleven of us of the Knights of the Round Table, and one member who had once belonged to our group. The kings and nobles and even many knights had simply retired for dinner. Thankfully, my mother was amongst those who left.
No, saying we numbered twelve was not quite true. Merlin was here too.
"What a mess." Gareth spoke up. "Dozens of pledges and we raised barely two thousand men between them." My sister sounded strained, her hands rubbing her temples.
"It will have to be enough." Arthur declared. "If you have something to say Tristain, now would be the time."
"No, nothing." Tristain's voice seemed smooth, yet quite tired. "You seem to have it all well in hand."
"That's a change from your previous position." Kay's voice was almost accusing, yet Gawain simply held up a hand.
"This is not a time for recriminations." He stated. "I think we did enough of that already." He looked almost guiltily at me. "You might imagine we've had this discussion before."
"Yes, discussion." Tristain rolled his eyes at the claim. "Don't worry about it, Gawain."
"Ahem." Several people looked like they were about to speak, but Percival's voice drew everyone's attention to him. "To business. You say you have no memory, Mordred?"
"Not of the fight." I admitted. "I remember the picts, but then it gets blurry."
"Some sort of sorcery?" Kay asked, though Merlin simply shook his head.
"More likely just a nasty bop on the head." He stated. "I can't see anything particularly wrong with Mordred." He looked like he had something he wanted to add, but refrained regardless. "Arthur, someone will have to remain in the capital."
"I will." Really, Merlin and Gawain were being polite. We all knew already who would be attending to the state while Arthur was abroad. "Kay, you mind dealing with the numbers."
"Not a problem at all. I've gallivanted enough for the month." The knight nicknamed the fire giant seemed perfectly content to stay and relax. Arthur just nodded, his brow furrowed.
"Lancelot, Gaheris, Percival, Palamedes and Bors have all volunteered for the hunt." He muttered. "Mordred, Gareth, Bedivere, can I trouble you to accompany me?"
"Yes, your highness." We all answered as one, without a single question. Arthur just nodded, his gave going to Gawain and Kay.
"Get the others up to speed if you would, and if you see or hear of Galahad, do send him our way. He would be of great assistance, but I fear his quest may take priority." Sometimes, I had to wonder if the kings voice was sarcastic or merely tired. "You may retire if you wish. Mordred, given the situation, I will lend you a sword."
"Thank you, your highness." I nodded, bowing.
"Is there anything else?"
[ ] Ask a question?
-[ ] Who?
--[ ] What?
As I turned to leave…
[ ] Merlin's voice rang out. "Mordred, if you have a moment."
[ ] I got the distinct feeling of dread, as if meeting my mother was near in my future.
[ ] I headed down to the streets. I needed a blacksmith urgently.
[ ] Gareth's voice spoke up. "By the way, brother, family meeting."
"Aye."
"Aye."
The various voices that called out were not surprising. Dragon slaying was called one of the highest callings of knighthood. A heroic act that was the pinnacle of knightly virtues, you would even get a fair damsel at the end, or so they said.
I'd been there before. Unfortunately, Lancelot took all the fun. I wasn't particularly eager for a repeat.
"Aye." Lamorak's voice rang out from beside me. I just glanced at him.
"You do know Lancelot will hog all the fun, and what he doesn't, Bors will."
"Gotta be in it to win it." He retorted playfully. "Not interested?"
"The king will be more fun." I answered bluntly. "More things to slice up. I've had my fill of house sized monsters for now anyway."
"I suppose you would have." He noted to himself. "I thought you hated Lothian though."
"It's not my home. That doesn't mean I'm not obligated to go defend it." I grumbled. "The worst part is being anywhere near mother, really."
"I doubt she will be a problem with the king right there."
"That's not the point." I just didn't want to deal with her right now. I nudged Lamorak's shoulder forward. "Well go on, guts and glory."
"Yeah, yeah. Take care, Mordred."
Take care, that was a new one. I just rolled my eyes. Now he was just being Gawain.
My eyes steadily travelled the room. Some of the nobles had begun to mingle, the knights were excitedly working out who was going to be a vainglorious hero, and the king was just staring at the map, as if something great weighed down on his mind.
Yet there was one person who seemed to be trying to make himself small in the corner. This might be the only chance I ever actually get, too. So I put a childhood of being the littlest to use and darted my way towards the side of the room.
"You know, never thought I'd actually get to talk with the other lucky number thirteen." My voice was somewhere between sarcastic and awed. Tristain was not exactly a small figure. Of all of Arthur's knights, only Lancelot was perhaps more famous. But then, Tristain was not a knight of the round table anymore. He was the one who decided to walk out.
"The other? Oh, then you replaced me." Traistain sounded surprised for only a moment, his eyes steadily studying my helmet. "Oh… oh my..." He seemed to do a double take for just a moment. I felt my eyes narrow.
"Excuse me?"
"Sorry, you just have the same face."
"You're kidding me. You can see through my helmet?"
"Is it supposed to be a secret? I won't tell." He glanced away from me, his eyes steadily examining the room, almost lazily really. "People watching." He explained. "Fun, sometimes, but this isn't a very interesting crowd."
"I suppose not. Kings and knights become predictable." I mused. Tristain shook his head.
"It's not that. I know these faces. A few are new, sure, but not enough to outweigh what I've already seen." He answered. "Some haven't changed at all, some have. Most are just hostile. The room is colder then it has ever been."
"Colder?"
"Yes. The king does not understand people." He muttered. "But I suppose you disagree with that."
"..." I didn't immediately answer. I could defend the king, but really, Tristain had already left Camelot. This was probably a part of the difference of opinion that led to that. "If you say."
"If I say. That's an unusual response." He muttered. "Tell me, how were you knighted, sir… uh..."
"Mordred." I finished for him. "I walked in, demanded a sword and beat up half the table."
"I see." Tristain looked at me again, then looked away. "I suppose for someone like you, that wouldn't be hard." I could see the side of his lip twitching. "Did Gawain pull his punches?"
"No, I threw him out the window." I retorted drily.
"Pity I wasn't there. Sounds like it was amusing, at least." He mused, shaking his head. "Just be careful. His Highness won't understand when he finally looks at you."
"What do you mean?"
"You'll work it out. I promised not to lure any of his men away." Tristain answered. "You don't wish to go dragon slaying?"
"Lancelot stole the glory last time. Besides, I've had my fill of fighting things the size of houses." I answered. Tristain just nodded.
"He does that. He doesn't even realise he's doing it." He answered. "It's the curse of someone whose ability to fight is so far beyond what he actually knows."
I could only agree with that. Lancelot was an amazing warrior, one who probably didn't realise just how good he actually is.
The meeting seemed to grind on in eternal tedium. Pledges were made and the king gave orders, yet at the end of it all, we numbered only twelve.
Eleven of us of the Knights of the Round Table, and one member who had once belonged to our group. The kings and nobles and even many knights had simply retired for dinner. Thankfully, my mother was amongst those who left.
No, saying we numbered twelve was not quite true. Merlin was here too.
"What a mess." Gareth spoke up. "Dozens of pledges and we raised barely two thousand men between them." My sister sounded strained, her hands rubbing her temples.
"It will have to be enough." Arthur declared. "If you have something to say Tristain, now would be the time."
"No, nothing." Tristain's voice seemed smooth, yet quite tired. "You seem to have it all well in hand."
"That's a change from your previous position." Kay's voice was almost accusing, yet Gawain simply held up a hand.
"This is not a time for recriminations." He stated. "I think we did enough of that already." He looked almost guiltily at me. "You might imagine we've had this discussion before."
"Yes, discussion." Tristain rolled his eyes at the claim. "Don't worry about it, Gawain."
"Ahem." Several people looked like they were about to speak, but Percival's voice drew everyone's attention to him. "To business. You say you have no memory, Mordred?"
"Not of the fight." I admitted. "I remember the picts, but then it gets blurry."
"Some sort of sorcery?" Kay asked, though Merlin simply shook his head.
"More likely just a nasty bop on the head." He stated. "I can't see anything particularly wrong with Mordred." He looked like he had something he wanted to add, but refrained regardless. "Arthur, someone will have to remain in the capital."
"I will." Really, Merlin and Gawain were being polite. We all knew already who would be attending to the state while Arthur was abroad. "Kay, you mind dealing with the numbers."
"Not a problem at all. I've gallivanted enough for the month." The knight nicknamed the fire giant seemed perfectly content to stay and relax. Arthur just nodded, his brow furrowed.
"Lancelot, Gaheris, Percival, Palamedes and Bors have all volunteered for the hunt." He muttered. "Mordred, Gareth, Bedivere, can I trouble you to accompany me?"
"Yes, your highness." We all answered as one, without a single question. Arthur just nodded, his gave going to Gawain and Kay.
"Get the others up to speed if you would, and if you see or hear of Galahad, do send him our way. He would be of great assistance, but I fear his quest may take priority." Sometimes, I had to wonder if the kings voice was sarcastic or merely tired. "You may retire if you wish. Mordred, given the situation, I will lend you a sword."
"Thank you, your highness." I nodded, bowing.
"Is there anything else?"
[ ] Ask a question?
-[ ] Who?
--[ ] What?
As I turned to leave…
[ ] Merlin's voice rang out. "Mordred, if you have a moment."
[ ] I got the distinct feeling of dread, as if meeting my mother was near in my future.
[ ] I headed down to the streets. I needed a blacksmith urgently.
[ ] Gareth's voice spoke up. "By the way, brother, family meeting."
