POV: Artoria Pendragon
The Round Table Chamber, Camelot's Castle
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The names of knights long gone inscribed into the polished wood pulsing faintly, like the past itself was waiting to be reborn.
The chamber of the Round Table still hummed with the residual energy of the Throne of Heroes, the air thick with lingering mana. The intricate golden runes upon the table pulsed softly, reacting to the divine power still settling after Mordred's summoning.
I stood at the head of the table, arms crossed, my regal white-and-gold armor gleaming under the soft sunlight.
Mordred, still clad in her crimson and silver armor, sat lazily in one of the chairs, her feet kicked up, arms behind her head, smirking like a fox that had just raided the henhouse.
I exhaled, rolling my shoulders as I allowed herself a moment of relief. It was done. Mordred was here. That conversation, while filled with sarcasm and a bit of headbutting, had ended far better than I had feared.
And they now had access to my thoughts, my regrets, my emotions thanks to the Holy Grail resting within my divine core. I will have to ask Raphael about that later.
"So, when are we getting the rest of the clowns in here?" Mordred asked, tapping her boots impatiently on the table.
"Or am I supposed to run this place by myself? Because, uh spoiler alert, I'm not a paperwork person."
I sighed. Deeply.
"No, Mordred, you will not be handling bureaucracy." That would be the single most dangerous decision of my reign. I straightened my posture, Rhongomyniad's glow responding to my will.
"We must summon the others. I cannot rule alone, and Camelot will need the full Round Table if we are to truly establish a sanctuary for humanity."
"But this is… not as simple as it sounds," I admitted, gripping Rhongomyniad tightly in my hand.
"Oh, come on, what's the holdup?" Mordred groaned, throwing her hands in the air. "You're actin' like they're gonna try and shank you the moment they show up."
I gave her a flat look. "You tried to kill me the last time we fought."
She blinked, then shrugged. "Technicalities." Her smirk widened. "Besides, I wasn't the only one who rebelled, y'know."
She had a point.
From across the room, Merlin (The female one, i still wasn't used to that yet.) was lounging in one of the grand chairs, her chin propped against her hand, looking far too entertained by our conversation. Her long silver hair cascaded down, her violet eyes practically sparkling with mischief.
"Oh, my dear King, you must admit, things have been far more entertaining with just the three of us so far."
I shot her a glare. "I would hardly call this a jest, Merlin."
Mordred snickered. "Oh, c'mon, let's be real. You love the chaos."
"I do not."
"That was way too fast," Mordred deadpanned, raising an eyebrow.
Merlin smirked, tapping a single finger to her cheek. "Mmmhmm. Sure."
"Honestly, my dear King," Merlin mused, tapping her fingers on the table, "for someone who rebuilt an entire city overnight, you certainly hesitate a lot when it comes to your knights."
I shot Merlin a glare, my expression unamused. "And if I recall, you hesitated to tell me that you were a woman."
Merlin's lips curled into an infuriatingly charming smile. "Ah, yes, but surprises make life so exciting, don't they?"
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. This was going to be a long day.
I turned back toward the Round Table, mentally preparing herself to begin the ritual. This time, I wouldn't just summon one knight, I would call upon all of them.
But just as I took a deep breath.....
A knock echoed through the grand chamber doors.
The doors parted, and one of the Enforcement Knights strode in, clad in their signature silver-and-white armor. The knight bowed briefly before speaking.
"My King, I bring urgent news." The knight's voice echoed through the chamber.
I turned, expression immediately shifting to a more serious one. "What is it?"
The knight hesitated for a brief moment. "Nick Fury, of S.H.I.E.L.D., has arrived. He requests an audience with you once again."
I blinked. "Again?"
I huffed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Of course, he has."
Mordred turned to Merlin. "What's S.H.I.E.L.D.? Sounds like a fancy helmet."
Merlin hummed. "Oh, it's modern chivalry, dear Mordred. But instead of swords, they wield bureaucracy and endless paperwork."
Mordred made a face. "Eugh. Sounds awful."
Merlin nodded solemnly. "It is."
I rubbed my temple. "It is an organization of modern warriors, dedicated to the protection of their world. They are persistent in their curiosity about Camelot."
"Ohhh, that guy," Mordred smirked, looking way too entertained. "Didn't you just talk to him yesterday? What, he already misses you? Wait, dammit...having someone elses memories is pretty werid"
I exhaled, muttering something about modern government officials being persistent.
Merlin hummed in amusement. "I wonder what he could want this time. Perhaps he realized that Camelot is simply too fascinating to ignore?"
"Or he's here because something else has happened," I muttered, rubbing my temple. And I had a feeling it was the latter.
Merlin leaned forward in interest. "Ooh, political intrigue! I must say, I do love it when a king is sought after by powerful figures."
Mordred looked between them, frowning. "So... what? You got government people poking around? Should I scare them off? Politely, of course."
I shook my head. "No, Mordred. We are not in our era anymore. The world has changed, and we must change with it."
Mordred rolled her eyes but didn't argue. "Fine. But if they try anything shady, I'm putting someone through a wall."
I stood, adjusting my divine armor, which gleamed in the chamber's ethereal glow. I turned to the Enforcement Knight. "Escort him to the Grand Hall. I will meet him there."
The knight bowed. "As you command, Your Majesty."
"Well, there goes the summoning party," Mordred sighed dramatically, stretching her arms over her head. "Guess we'll have to wait."
I shook my head. "It won't take long. If Fury came all this way, it's likely something important."
Merlin gave her a knowing look. "You're intrigued by him."
I frowned. "I am curious, nothing more. He seems… driven. And his world seems to be on the brink of something immense."
"Oh, don't worry, my dear King," Merlin teased, her eyes sparkling. "I'm sure you'll handle it gracefully."
My eyes narrowed, feeling zero trust in Merlin's definition of "graceful."
As the knight exited, I exhaled slowly,
I walked over to the stain glass window overlooking my kingdom, and started to think about the events to come.
I make sure to speak inside of my own mind instead of speaking out loud as I use to. Which.... now that I think about it, probably wasn't the smartest thing to do around other people.
'Raphael, if this is the year that I understand it to be, and if Fury is already coming to see me again. It is more than likely because of one of the important events that will occur during this year. What do you think is happening right now Raphael?'
[ From your memories of your pass life and the fact that the current year is 2010. It is highly probable that one of the events that took place during Fury's Big Week is likely taking place at this moment. But I would advise not to share your knowledge of the future with anyone from this universe as to not bring to much attention to yourself. ]
I sigh to myself as I look out upon my kingdom, the streets of Camelot more lively than when I first created it. But I don't think it'll be possible for me to give out free housing to everyone. Maybe I should summon someone to help me with these kinds of issues.
Merlin gets up from her seating place and walks over to stand next to me a twinkle in her eyes. "Is there something the matter my dear King? You are showing a awful lot more emotion than you used to. You know that's just going to make it easier for me to tease you right?"
I look over at merlin giving her a deadpan state then turn away from the window.
"I was just contemplating how I'm going to manage Camelot. I going to need people I can trust to manage things like my kingdom's economy and finances. But I will figure all that out after our talk with Fury."
I exhaled, glancing at Mordred and Merlin one last time before I start to make my way to the throne room.
"Think he's got another request for you, oh glorious King?" Mordred teased as she got up from her seated position.
I sighed once again. "If he does, I'll listen."
Merlin smirked. "Oh, my dear King, you are far too noble for your own good."
I shot her a pointed glare. "And yet, I keep summoning you."
Merlin gasped dramatically. "You wound me."
Mordred snickered as I walked up to stand beside her. I looked down at her, my daughter, then one I completely failed as a parent.
And in a rare moment of softness, I lightly placed a hand on her head, gently ruffling her blonde hair before she could react.
Then I pulled away and walked off.
Mordred stood there, frozen.
Her face turned beet red.
I look back over my shoulder to Mordred who is still standing there speechless and give a light smirk.
"Oh, and since your the daughter to the king now, I am going to expect you to learn royal etiquette and mannerisms. Especially how to dance. Wouldn't want the Kings daughter to make a fool of Camelot when we have to go to high society events would we?"
Merlin, watching, slowly covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking.
Mordred clenched her fists, eyes twitching as she whirled around to glare at Merlin. "D-Don't. You. Dare."
Merlin immediately lost it. She doubled over, laughing hysterically, slamming the table as she gasped for air.
"You—You should've seen your—HAHAHAHAHA—your FACE!"
Mordred growled, pointing at her. "S-hut the fuck up, Merlin, unless you wanna get launched across the room!"
I called back casually, not bothering to turn around. "Language, Mordred."
Mordred sputtered. "B-But she—!"
I shook my head smiling as chaos unfolded behond me, mentally preparing myself as I walked toward the throne room.
Nick Fury had returned.
And I had a feeling things were about to get very, very interesting.
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Heya everyone! I apologize for this chapter coming out so late. One of my closest friends at university died and I was having a difficult time dealing with it. But not to worry, I am back now and going to be uploading more often. Thanks for reading!
Question: What is your favorite Mythological story? Mines obviously is the Arthurian legends.