𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 with rumination upon a dreadful past, his brow wrinkling as he notices the way Lancelot’s features pale when speaking of the man who’d trained him in swordsmanship. A tormentor, then. Arthur cannot say he truly understands what Lancelot has endured, and he cannot change the past, but he can certainly change the future. ❛ We will not speak of your past, unless you would like to speak of it of your own accord. I will ask no questions, I don’t care for what you’ve done, only what you will do. ❜ He can offer at least this much, and he knows he himself has a long way to go to convince others that he will do right by his people. He bears a crown in youth, his father has died before his time, though the more rational part of Arthur’s brain tells him that it was bound to happen. And thankfully, he is not alone — he has Lancelot and the other knights to back him up when he needs it, and Merlin and Gaius’ counsel.
Though Morgana’s threat looms over his head, he does not fear her, nor does he fear the future. In days of darkness, one must look to the light, and Lancelot’s blade sings with his own as one. Nothing, he believes, can change that. ❛ I do try to be thorough, but no, not with everyone. Your case is special. I sense you will do great things while you are here, and I don’t say this lightly. ❜ His court does not dare to challenge the will of their king, and he exerts his authority with a firm kindness. Where Uther had punished those who went against his orders, Arthur desired all forms of input, though there are certain things he will not tolerate. Namely, the nobles’ whisperings that his newest knight is a murderer, a monster. They will answer to him if they speak out of line while Lancelot lives in this kingdom. ❛ You must pay no mind to what others think of you. I know you are capable of taking care of yourself, but I don’t tolerate any ill will towards my knights, Lancelot, and that includes you. ❜
𝐇𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬, the gentleness that his new King presses upon his words, and his own wondering whether that same benefit is granted to all, or if Lancelot is somehow unique. It is a selfish, greedy thought, the desire to stand out; but when he’d lived an entire lifetime prying himself away from normalcy only to be dashed down at every opportunity, he cannot be helped for desiring to be exceptional. His lips turn in a small grin, head tilting back up to stare at the man before him, still bathed in the light from the sun it seems. “ I do not intend to keep my past a secret from you — if ever you are curious, I will answer any questions with absolute honesty. I have done things of which I am no longer proud of. I do not expect that these things will be kept secret from the public forever either. ”
But as though Arthur had already sensed his own anxieties, he’s already comforting Lancelot against such fears. He had been lucky thus far, to land himself into a placement which had yet brought no such ill will. The other knights were jovial and rarely tormented one another except in jest, as though they were young boys at play. He had yet to join into their games or understand them entirely, but they had often brought a grin to his lips, and they hadn’t failed to try to include him. Not once had the markings on his face been brought up, save for a genuine and respectful curiosity. “ I trust that your heart is in the right place and that it has been when selecting your other knights. You say to pay no mind to the opinions of others — a year ago I would have laughed at such a thought, and yet now I find myself hoping to appease you. I don’t think I had even realised my own loneliness prior. ”
