“Where did everything go wrong?” King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot whispered to himself in the dead of night as he lay in his bed. Alone. Fitting, since he felt more lonesome than ever these days.
As expected, the only answer to his rhetorical inquiry was a deafening, painful silence.
Staring up at the high ceiling of his bedchamber, his hands resting behind his head, the king thought back to earlier in the day when he’d picnicked with the attractive and vivacious Princess Mithian. Not only was the woman a dark-haired beauty and a royal, she was witty and a fine conversationalist. Even though she made every effort to put Arthur at ease, the king found himself completely awkward around this charming princess who had just arrived at the castle
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No matter how Arthur felt, he would marry this woman. Their union would secure an alliance between Camelot and Mithian’s kingdom of Nemeth. Once King Arthur and Princess Mithian wed, their two kingdoms’ age-old dispute over the lands in Gedref would cease, and any lingering hostilities between Camelot and Nemeth would be put to rest. That was important – the fact that Arthur’s heart still ached for his banished former love and fiancée, Guinevere, didn’t matter at all. When it came to marriage, love – or lack of it – was of no …show more content…
He stood and lit the bedside candelabra, then began to dress. Perhaps a brisk nighttime walk in the refreshing evening air would wear him out and help him find sleep.
Yet as he fastened the clasp to his cloak, he heard light footsteps and some rustling sounds near his door. He turned and saw someone had slid a note into his chamber, a peculiar occurrence at such a late hour. Curious, he strode to the door and picked up the folded parchment from the floor. He couldn’t determine whose seal secured the note, but he popped open the wax and read. When he’d finished the last word, he dropped into his chair at the dining table. Then he read the note again. And again. And he felt panicked.
“This is what Mithian wants,” he whispered, folding up the parchment after having read the careful, neat handwriting a good ten times. Regardless, he read the note yet