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!!Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā i am not sure you do! ā Leon yelled. There were people in town who talked of magic in soft whispers, excited giggles like children who were up late and sleeping side by side on the floor of a drawing rooms fire; they believed it was an opportunity to be entertained. They wanted magicians and jugglers, as though it was a circus and not their own livelihoods. The red hair about his face flopped as he stepped back, his hand running through it in a stressed motion. Arthur was a good king, and more importantly a good man, but he was more than a little intimidating to some of the newer guardsmen of Camelot; they were scared. His leader was not his father. As much as it made him cringe away to think it, Uther was a hard man and cruel in some of his endeavours.Ā
āĀ Ā there is a way to do this without losing half of your banner men!ā the knight threw his hands up and pressed gloved fingers to his forehead in frustration. Words werenāt his forte- leave that to the poets and maesters. Hadnāt Arthur been the one walking the walls to practice poetry with his manservant? Or had that been just another lie to protect him? He sniffed and squinted upwards at the ceiling, great and painted high above them. Arthur was making sense but it was too scary to consider the battle the decision might cause,Ā ā of course they donāt deserve to live in fear, but neither do your own subjects!Ā Ā ā
his voice was small when he spoke again, the realisation that his argument made him sound like a monster looming over his head. Blue eyes found Arthurās, ā I was there for near every raid on druid camps- do you not think I am haunted by what we did as well?Ā Ā ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā theyĀ Ā haveĀ Ā livedĀ Ā inĀ Ā fearĀ Ā longĀ Ā enoughĀ Ā leon!Ā Ā iĀ Ā understandĀ Ā theĀ Ā penaltiesĀ Ā andĀ Ā theĀ Ā dangersĀ Ā toĀ Ā myĀ Ā decision.Ā Ā butĀ Ā itĀ Ā isĀ Ā inĀ Ā theĀ Ā endĀ Ā āĀ Ā myĀ Ā decisionĀ Ā andĀ Ā mineĀ Ā alone.Ā Ā oneĀ Ā iĀ Ā haveĀ Ā thoughtĀ Ā veryĀ Ā deeplyĀ Ā about.Ā Ā iāmĀ Ā notĀ Ā justĀ Ā decidingĀ Ā thisĀ Ā onĀ Ā aĀ Ā whim!Ā Ā āĀ Ā itĀ Ā hadĀ Ā beenĀ Ā aĀ Ā longĀ Ā ongoingĀ Ā battleĀ Ā sinceĀ Ā hisĀ Ā daysĀ Ā asĀ Ā prince.Ā Ā magicĀ Ā hasĀ Ā neverĀ Ā beenĀ Ā aĀ Ā clearĀ Ā thingĀ Ā inĀ Ā arthurāsĀ Ā life.Ā Ā heĀ Ā wasĀ Ā raisedĀ Ā toĀ Ā hateĀ Ā it,Ā Ā butĀ Ā heĀ Ā seenĀ Ā theĀ Ā goodĀ Ā inĀ Ā itĀ Ā too.Ā Ā āĀ Ā magicĀ Ā mayĀ Ā beĀ Ā seenĀ Ā asĀ Ā vileĀ Ā andĀ Ā evilĀ Ā toĀ Ā some!Ā Ā butĀ Ā soĀ Ā canĀ Ā theĀ Ā averageĀ Ā man!Ā Ā weĀ Ā cannotĀ Ā hideĀ Ā awayĀ Ā fromĀ Ā somethingĀ Ā justĀ Ā becauseĀ Ā weĀ Ā fearĀ Ā it.Ā Ā ā
Ā nowĀ Ā theĀ Ā kingĀ Ā hasĀ Ā gottenĀ Ā toĀ Ā hisĀ Ā feet,Ā Ā byĀ Ā pushingĀ Ā hisĀ Ā chairĀ Ā backĀ Ā withĀ Ā theĀ Ā horridĀ Ā soundĀ Ā ofĀ Ā woodĀ Ā quicklyĀ Ā scrappingĀ Ā againstĀ Ā wood.Ā Ā āĀ Ā iĀ Ā willĀ Ā notĀ Ā ruleĀ Ā inĀ Ā fearĀ Ā likeĀ Ā myĀ Ā fatherĀ Ā did,Ā Ā iĀ Ā willĀ Ā notĀ Ā letĀ Ā thatĀ Ā orĀ Ā hatredĀ Ā ruleĀ Ā forĀ Ā me.Ā Ā āĀ Ā handsĀ Ā comeĀ Ā toĀ Ā harshlyĀ Ā landĀ Ā onĀ Ā theĀ Ā surfaceĀ Ā inĀ Ā frontĀ Ā ofĀ Ā him,Ā Ā hisĀ Ā eyesĀ Ā doĀ Ā notĀ Ā pullĀ Ā awayĀ Ā fromĀ Ā hisĀ Ā knight.Ā
Ā butĀ Ā slowly,Ā Ā theyĀ Ā bothĀ Ā beginĀ Ā toĀ Ā calmĀ Ā andĀ Ā whenĀ Ā leonĀ Ā nextĀ Ā speaks,Ā Ā arthurĀ Ā picksĀ Ā upĀ Ā onĀ Ā howĀ Ā muchĀ Ā hisĀ Ā volumeĀ Ā hasĀ Ā comeĀ Ā down.Ā Ā arthurĀ Ā takesĀ Ā aĀ Ā deepĀ Ā breath.Ā Ā āĀ Ā iĀ Ā knowĀ Ā youĀ Ā areĀ Ā hauntedĀ Ā byĀ Ā thoseĀ Ā days,Ā Ā becauseĀ Ā iĀ Ā amĀ Ā too,Ā Ā weĀ Ā allĀ Ā are.Ā Ā butĀ Ā weĀ Ā canĀ Ā amendĀ Ā forĀ Ā thoseĀ Ā horrorsĀ Ā weĀ Ā committed.Ā Ā weĀ Ā canĀ Ā rightĀ Ā now,Ā Ā makeĀ Ā certain,Ā Ā thatĀ Ā suchĀ Ā aĀ Ā thingĀ Ā willĀ Ā neverĀ Ā happenĀ Ā again.Ā Ā āĀ Ā hisĀ Ā toneĀ Ā matchesĀ Ā leonās,Ā Ā smallĀ Ā andĀ Ā quiet.Ā Ā āĀ Ā theĀ Ā druidĀ Ā peopleĀ Ā wonātĀ Ā haveĀ Ā toĀ Ā continueĀ Ā toĀ Ā liveĀ Ā inĀ Ā fear.Ā Ā myĀ Ā fatherāsĀ Ā banĀ Ā canĀ Ā notĀ Ā continue.Ā Ā ā
