The ultimate proof of commitment from a child who owned nothing but his own shadow, the highest evidence demonstrating the king's first fault turned out to be both thankfulness and sympathy toward the new ruler.
Being reluctant to accept a flaw when being shown unprecedented acts toward all of the citizens would have been nothing else but a severe mistake for the child who could identify his future self in Arthur's declarations. His hands grabbed each other in a weak embrace, and the boy's knees buckled as he sincerely bowed to the king, who had yet to refill his lungs.
For Arthur, the world was spinning. The abrupt concept that was reflected in the child's eyes, the one that stated he was similar yet different from the youngling, made his throat dry. A ringing in his ears blurred out every other sound around, his balance started to fail him as he made one hesitant step back.
