Arthur could hardly believe that he was now being subject to treatment as his old friend's child. Perhaps thinking that he was just his student once more might make him feel a little better. But it was still rather annoying to know that for such a haphazard reason as simply hiding him for a while that he was made to return to the worst time of youth. The Teen stage. At least let him be the age of an adult and well past the worst growing and awkward stages.
"~Fine, I suppose that is a reason enough. But am I to learn from tomes and writings if not from you or are there others that will support my new education in this world? Do we still have knights willing to serve even after so long?~" Thinking perhaps Merlin had established a secret order of followers once the kingdom had fallen.
"~No. I'm afraid we will be the only ones to know about your revival for some time if we are lucky. Most do not even realize my true identity. The only ones that still do know me personally are those that hide even even deeper and darker places than where to lowest of scum choose to go. Ancient beings that refuse the new world and hope to wait it out rather then adapt.
While there will be many tomes to read, they will not be as you remember them. But you will also learn in the means that the young of the current age do as well. You will attend a place where scholars are paid to teach numerous youths at the same time. Much of the knowledge they teach is superficial, but there is still much to see and catch up on. For instance, how to use the new tools of the world, or navigate its social circles. While magic has faded from the worlds sight, humanity has come up with a number of ways to mimic its wonders through metal and craft.
But before I am able to send you to such a place, you must learn to speak in the current tongue, as well as some of the basics of the current world. I will help you as much as I am able, but before you at least learn the tongue, you'll have to be confined here.~"
"~So, I am a prisoner in a castle of my friend until I can learn to speak to the common man? Such an interesting quest. Haha, I don't think I've been confined like this since my father punished me for sneaking out to wander among the common folk in disguise. But to learn a whole language? Such a thing might take years. Do you have a spell or something that might hasten such a thing?~" Arthurs thoughts raced, but he was most worried about living a life of a prisoner in a new world. Wasting time and staying still were never his forte.
"~I am afraid no true spell can force the knowledge and its use into your mind. I have already helped in a way though. I have giving you many potions that will help in your future growth. They will help your mind and body to grow much faster and sturdier then in the past. You will be able to outpace even most current people with the help of these potions. But as for the time to learn a language, I imagine it will take several months. There has been much advancement in teaching methods since the old days, so it will at least be be over within a season. Maybe two if my lord chooses to be slow haha.~"
Arthur felt such things sounded wonderous and might require further testing later, but he was glad that at least he wouldn't be stuck alone for years. "~Very well. But why must I attend a place where so many others are just to learn? Surely you can teach me far faster and more thoroughly then some scholars that must teach so many?~" Worrying that he might easily give them away or just get lost in listening to scholars whose job it was to simply talk at people all day, much as some of his tutors did before.
Merlin uncomfortably scratched his neck before saying, "~My lord, while I am ancient and know much of the world and could surely teach you as I did in the old days. I do not know everything of this world. Much of my time has been dedicated to researching a method for your revival and gathering the resources and knowledge to do just that. I still am needed to maintain the business with which I used to gather our current resources so that we may grow in the future to truly achieve Albion. Therefore I cannot dedicate all my time to your tutelage. With the help of the scholars of today, you will at least know as much as the higher end of this age know, as well as what I am to teach you.
But you will also be able to meet and experience the people of this age. Much has changed and people aren't as simple as they once were. You may also find allies among your fellow students if we are lucky.~"
Nodding in thought at Merlin's reasonable explanation, Arthur felt that at the very least he wasn't just being dumped to the side while Merlin worked for the both of them. He never liked Nannies or the stooges that would act as kingsitters when something people didn't want him knowing was happening. Thinking about it, he wasn't exactly in the worst position. It was more of a second life then just starting over. Perhaps he could do even more this time around with the experience of living more then thirty years in the body of a teen.
"~Very well, I will dedicate myself to learning in this new age so that we might grow and obtain our goals. But I must ask first. What exactly happened after the battle. What happened to everyone? I need to know.~"
Merlin sighed, knowing that his friend would need time to grieve the fallen and these next couple of months should help him get past things. "~After your fall in battle, I was able to hide you and preserve you with the help of Avalon. But even with the knowledge that you were only just gone temporarily, the court began to slowly fall apart without you. Guinevere took the throne with my and the knight's help, and she ruled fairly as you might have for several years. But the surrounding kingdoms and even the court itself grew restless with her on the throne. There was no heir, and Camelot was as lusted after as ever before. While the Saxons were turned back at the battle, they continued with small raids for many years to come.
The knights did their best to support the Queen for many years, but year after year, they slowly grew tired and fell. Some in battle with outsiders. Others against each other through some foolish conflict with one another. Others just to sickness or age. Without you there, the binding glue of our kingdom slowly grew loose and tore apart. Finally, as the Queen passed her first decade on the throne, the kingdom fell from within. A noble of the court dared to conspire with on of the southern kingdoms and assassinate the Queen. He allowed a party of infiltrators into the castle and before I could stop them all, the Queen was stabbed through the heart.
She died in almost and instant. I am sorry Arthur. I could not save her.~" his voice lower and muffled as he spoke. Eyes wavering and fist clenched as if he could still see the scene in front of him.
Arthur could only picture the tale as some far off story, but he could still imagine his love being covered in blood in her last moments and he could only shake in anger and grief at knowing her end and how he wasn't there to help her. They both sat in silence for several minutes. Just remembering the Queen quietly.
It took all his strength, but he was able to ask "~And...the kingdom. What of its fate?~"
"~The kingdom was split into numerous factions. I tried to gather loyal retainers to establish order, but there were so many frictions even before the Queen's passing that the whole kingdom just fractured once the only living link to you was gone and the Pendragon line ended. The other kingdoms slowly ate at our borders while we fought to establish true rule, before finally we were left with but a castle and some farms. Knowing the kingdom was gone, and only a few knights remained, I asked those loyal to simply go into hiding until I could bring you back. Unfortunately, I wasn't able. The kingdom's lands were split and warred over for several years, but eventually it was divided in three.
From there, the britons and saxons warred back and forth for a century until an even worse enemy came to the isles and decimated them. The norse drove all kingdoms to the brink, reforming the borders as they pleased until a frankish norseman came and united half the isle under his banner. The briton kingdoms held out for several more centuries, but eventually, the isles and the old ways fell to the foreign settlers and much of what we once knew is now lost. Even our stories and history have just become legends. Told to children and playwrights as folk tale that hold little truth past their lessons. Camelot itself was torn down and used over the years by saxons and norse for other things until nothing remained of the once mighty castle. The old kingdoms that used to hate us fell and passed alongside us, but our name was at least able to rally to britons of the western coast into a people that still hold some of the old ways.
If you can believe it, you're one of the most known names in all of history my lord. Even if our lands have fallen into other's hands and our people no longer swear loyalty to you. Your story has passed the test of time, though, with a little help from me, if I do say so myself." A chuckle and smirk coming to his lips as he tried to lighten the heavy mood from earlier.
It was too weird to think of himself as a legend since he was still alive, but Arthur was at least satisfied that though his kingdom and friends were gone, their names and stories lived on in the hearts of men. Perhaps this wasn't the best outcome they could have hoped for. Perhaps he had lost much, but there was still a small silver lining in these things.