Chapter 17 — Leaving as a Conqueror

Duke Lucius raised his head slowly from the bow and tried his best not to show the confusion he so deeply felt.

What were the newly crowned prince and his tutor doing here?

That was the question that ran through the mind of everyone in the duke’s palace. They had awoken to find the prince and his army at their door, bearing down on them. Preparations were hastily and fearfully made to accommodate the crown prince, but no one could stop themselves from asking what they were even here to do in the first place.

As duke, it was Lucius’ role to find the answer to that question.

“Please, Your Highness, take a seat.” Lucius gestured to the large decorative chair where he typically sat, standing patiently by the side as Arthur pulled the chair out and settled in.

"Duke Lucius, it is good to see you looking healthy," Arthur said, by way of a conversation starter.

“Thank you very much, Your Highness. It is an honour to have you here. if I may ask, why… why are you in this part of the kingdom?”

“Heading straight into the matter, are we? I hear you have a Saxon problem, duke. I am here to help you solve it.”

“Thank you very much, Your Highness,” Lucius said automatically. “S-Saxon problem?” he asked, once he had processed the statement.

“Yes, Saxon problem. Do not make me repeat myself, duke.” Arthur rose from the chair, towering above the short man. “I have intelligence that there is an imminent attack to occur here at the western border.” Hands in his pockets, Arthur turned his back to the room and faced the window overlooking the duchy.

“The information I have tells me that the forces the Vikings are amassing are beyond what your duchy can handle. The king is worried that the incursion might endanger other territories and so,” Arthur turned to gesture around the room, “I am here with my army to defend this territory.”

Lucius followed Arthur’s gaze and observed the people that had entered the study with the prince. His tutor and a few knights that served in his private guard stood around the table.

"You are very welcome, Your Highness," Lucius said and he meant it. For the crown prince to visit him just after his coronation… Lucius could only take it as an expression of goodwill but Saxons?

“We have no information regarding any impending incursion and certainly not one of considerable size. May I ask, Your Highness, where this information came from?”

Arthur did not speak; his only reply was the arching of an eyebrow. Lucius swallowed the question, apologizing profusely. He nervously eyed the long swords on Arthur's waist. Rumour had it the prince received the swords as a gift at his 18th birthday and yet, the swords already had a reputation.

Excalibur, the sword of destruction and Clarent, the sword of decoration.

Lucius knew that he did not want to be on the receiving end of either of the swords and so, he let go of his enquiries.

“My servants will escort you to where you will stay, Your Highness. If you so desire, we can convene in the evening to discuss battle strategy.”

“That is fine by me.”

Lucius directed his servants accordingly and bowed deeply as the prince and his entourage left the room.

***

"This is the area we are expecting the Saxons to invade from." Arthur tapped the map twice. "We will split into two groups. You and your men will head into the Saxon territory and block their path of retreat. I will approach from the front and lead the offence. This battle should be over within a few days. Do you have any questions?"

Lucius fought the urge to wipe off the sweat beading on his upper lip. Did he have any questions? He had about a thousand of them. The prince made it sound so straightforward. Like the Saxons were a bunch of unruly children.

Blinking, Lucius looked to the people in the room to see if there was any help to be had. The woman beside Arthur was his tutor, an obscure baron’s daughter. He doubted that she had enough brains to understand the conversation.

The prince's aides and guards were also present but Lucius knew that even if they had something to say to the prince, they definitely would not say it. He alone could object.

“Your Highness, I feel…” The crown prince raised his head and glanced at the duke and Lucius felt the words dry up in his mouth. “I feel like this is a very good plan. You will find success."

“You may leave now. I will discuss more with the duke,” Arthur said, dismissing his entourage including Guinevere.

Arthur did not want to be here but he understood the role he had to play. And so, he engaged the duke in a bit of after-dinner conversation. They settled down at the table and wine was brought out.

“I understand that Your Highness is of that age. I do not wish to be forward but my daughters are well-trained and very elegant. If Your Highness will consent to a meeting with my eldest…”

Arthur raised his hand, cutting off Lucius before he could continue. “I am sure your daughters are lovely but I am currently focusing on the matters of the kingdom. Forgive me but I will have to turn down that invitation.”

“Of course, of course. I recognize the magnitude of your responsibilities.” Eager to make up for his gaffe, Lucius raised his goblet in a salute. “To the prosperity of Camelot.”

Arthur copied the gesture. “To Camelot.” He brought the goblet to his lips and thanked the stars Guinevere was not present to hear the conversation lest the issue of a wife arises once more. He could still remember what happened the last time his marriage came up. He had to pull strings to get out of that situation.

She had suspected him and while he was indeed guilty as charged, he did not want her losing her trust in him. He loved her too much for that.

Dropping the goblet back on the table, Arthur winced internally when he noticed Lucius was gearing up to say something else.

“Your Highness, please allow me to ask this question. I have always wondered why you selected a woman as your tutor. Surely, there are other qualified people. Other qualified men.”

It took all his years of experience not to react outwardly to the statement. Despite not having any weapon on him, Arthur was certain he could kill the man in less than a minute.

He is still useful. He has to remain alive for now.

“Duke, I do not fancy the tone of that question. Are you somehow doubting my capacity because I was trained by a woman?”

The blood drained out of Lucius' face before rushing back in, painting him a blotchy red and white. Hurriedly Lucius dropped to the floor, a cup of wine spilling on the lush carpet. "Your Highness, I… Please, I beg for your forgiveness."

Arthur looked at the whimpering man and fought the urge to inflict some kind of pain. Instead, he rose from the chair and walked to the door. Hand on the knob, he tilted his head to briefly glance at the duke.

“Get ready for tomorrow, duke. It will be a dynamic day.”

***

The next day, the prince and the duke gathered their forces and fell into position on the vast plains of the Western Duchy.

“You should have stayed behind, Your Highness. I do not feel comfortable with you here.”

Guinevere kept her horse stable beside Arthur. Her helmet visor was up, allowing Arthur to see her reaction. She truly was not happy. Arthur was her only hope for revenge. They had come so far. It would be the worst thing if anything was to happen to the prince during the battle.

Arthur, with his visor also up, his amusement plain in his eyes. "I like it when you are worried about me, teacher. It gives me great comfort. But be assured, I have learnt enough from you to handle a battle like this."

“Yes, but these men are meticulously trained and are battle-hardened. If Your Highness was to get injured or harmed in some way…”

“You say that, yet you are so eager to risk your own life in such a manner. If you had agreed to stay behind in the palace, then I would have gladly stayed with you, teacher. But since you are here, then I must be here with you.”

As the last word left his lips, a battle horn sounded loud in the camp. The Saxons had arrived. Dropping her visor, Guinevere saluted the prince and rode off to the front of the formation. She would handle the command of the vanguard while Arthur would command the central army.

If an individual had a bird’s eye view of the battleground, they would immediately notice that something was wrong.

The entire army of the prince was out of position. If they truly wanted to charge the Saxons, then they were too far east. Of course, if the individual understood the true objective of this battle, then he would immediately notice that the position Arthur and Guinevere had selected for the offence was perfect.

Yes, the true objective was not to fight the Saxons but to bring the Western Duchy under Arthur's control. Back in the crown prince's palace, they had debated the merits and demerits of charging the Western Duchy and they had concluded.

The Duchy was too strategic an area to keep under the control of a staunch Uther follower. They needed to place an ally in control of the area. The fact that the diamond mine that financed most of their operations was also in the area sealed the decision for Arthur and Guinevere.

If they wanted to take over the kingdom, they needed to take over the Western Duchy first.

Exhaling, Guinevere pulled her sword free and held it firmly in her hand. This place, this very plain. This was where she had everything taken from her. Now, she was the one doing the taking. And as her attackers had shown her no mercy, she would show none.

Lifting the sword high in the air, she bellowed. “Charge!”

***

Lucius dismounted his steed and observed the scene before him. The bodies of the vanquished Saxons lay on the earth, their weapons and sometimes their heads beside them. Something was wrong. Was this all the Saxons?

The crown prince had said their numbers were about five times what Lucius had seen. Where were the supposed rest of the Saxons and where was the prince himself?

Maybe they were fighting elsewhere under which circumstances Lucius should rush to provide the prince with assistance but there was a strange feeling in his chest. Something was wrong. But what was wrong?

The duke did not have to think too much about that. The familiar sound of hooves hitting the ground rose a distance away and no one had to tell the duke's soldiers what to do. There was an approaching army and until proven otherwise, they were foe.

But as the army came into sight with the flag of the crown prince raised high, the duke’s men fell into a lapse of confusion. Why were the prince’s men charging them with swords drawn? Were they Saxons behind them?

Lucius saw what was happening and it suddenly dawned on him what the prince was doing here in the Western Duchy. He was here to take the Duchy.

I have intelligence that there is an imminent attack to occur here at the western border.

Get ready for tomorrow, duke. It will be a dynamic day.

Lucius cursed viciously when he connected all the dots. The crown prince wanted his duchy but he was not going to surrender that easily. His conviction rose even further when he sighted the soldier leading the vanguard.

A woman. He was not going to lose to a woman.

Mounting his steed, Lucius shouted at his men. “Charge! Kill them all.”

Needless to say, his attempt at battle was fruitless. After three hours, Guinevere watched as Lucius was dragged into the study and thrown on his knees before Arthur who leaned on the large table.

“What is this, Your Highness? I have done nothing wrong. I have done nothing wrong.” Lucius struggled against the men that held him, shouting his innocence.

Arthur raised a hand, gesturing to the men to let the duke go. There was nowhere he could escape to.

“Your Highness…,” Lucius started but Arthur stopped him.

“I heard you the first time, duke.”

“Then why? Why, Your Highness, why did you attack my men? Why?”

Arthur beckoned one of the servants behind Lucius and the servant stepped forward with arms full of scrolls. He plucked one of them and unfurled it. Lazily, he read off the list of accusations on the scroll, beginning from tax fraud to illegal killings.

“You have quite the record, Lucius,” Arthur said, dropping his title. There was no need for it now. “Your heinous crimes have come to the attention of the crown and you will pay for your evil deeds with your life.”

Lucius' eyes progressively widened, becoming as wide as saucers by the time Arthur finished speaking. The crimes the prince had just listed were things he completely buried. No one knew of them. He had always made sure to clean up after himself. How on earth did the information get out?

Lucius glanced at Arthur and got the feeling that the prince knew exactly what was going through his mind. Swallowing his confusion and fear, he tried to plead once more. “B-but… These accusations are false. And even if they were true, should I not appear in front of a court? Am I not to be granted a fair trial?” Lucius panted, the idea of losing his life shortening his breath.

Arthur nodded slowly, folding his arms. “Yes, you will be given a fair trial. You are a duke of Camelot, after all.”

Before Lucius could express his gratitude, however, the door to the study opened and three knights stepped in, each one escorting a woman in with a blade to her neck. Lucius craned his neck to see if anyone was coming to save him but his face promptly lost all colour as he saw the swords held to his daughters' necks.

The women were led to the centre of the room, besides their father, all of them with expressions of terror and dread.

Straightening, Arthur took a step towards the disgraced duke. “You want a fair trial. I will give you one. But understand that I am your Judge, Jury and Executioner. And despite the horrible things you have done, there is still a chance to save your duchy and your daughters. Are you interested?”

Lucius nodded eagerly, sweat from his temple rolling down his face. “Please, I will do whatever you command me.”

"I know very well that you have supporters in the king's court that will defend you till their last breaths. It would be a little difficult to make you pay for your sins if people are saying otherwise. So, this is what you will do. We will head to the capital tomorrow and you will confess to the king and his court all of your misdeeds. Or else…" Arthur gestured to the three girls, "your daughters will have no heads."

The desperation in Lucius’s eyes reached a breaking point and it turned him into a rat willing to fight a tiger. He tried to surge forward, roaring in anger. He did not move an inch; the men holding him refusing to budge.

“You demonic sod! I will kill you. I will destroy you. I will destroy you." Lucius's wild gaze swivelled to Guinevere. “You witch! I will rip out your lying tongue and your breasts. I see why he kept you beside him. You are a whore.”

Guinevere was taken aback. Why was Lucius speaking to her?

Before he could say another word, the soft screech of a sword being drawn sounded beside her followed closely by the whip of the sword travelling sharply through the air. The next instant, Lucius' head fell to the ground and rolled a few feet away.

A single drop of blood hit her left cheek as the three daughters screamed in unison, their voices reaching a crescendo.

The chaos in the study evoked a memory of her former life. She had been here in this very study with Lancelot. The duke had said something rude and Lancelot had pulled out his sword just as Arthur did.

The difference? Lancelot did not—could not—kill the duke. No matter how offended and angry he was. It would simply be a death sentence for both of them.

With Arthur, however, such a restriction did not apply. He was the most powerful person in Camelot. He had no reason to tolerate what offended or irritated him. He simply… got rid of them. That was what she taught him. That was how she raised him.

So what was this nagging feeling at the back of her mind? Was it because she could see herself in Lucius's position? Kneeling before Uther, hopeless and despairing.

Guinevere turned back to reality to see each of Lucius' daughters dead, their screams cutting off and bodies hitting the carpeted floor with a thud. Arthur had killed them too.

Handing his stained sword over to one of the servants, he turned to her and raised a hand to gently wipe the blood from her face. “I am sorry about that.”

Guinevere looked into his dark eyes and wondered what the apology was for. Was it for the bloodstain on her cheek? Or was it because he had killed Lucius and derailed their plans? Or maybe it was for what Lucius had said before he died?

She did not know.

“Worry not, Your Highness. We should send word to the king and return to the capital as soon as possible.”

“Yes, we should.”

As the prince and his man marched out of the room, Guinevere lingered behind, inhaling the familiar scent of spilt blood. In the months to come, when Arthur rained hell on the royal family, she would be surrounded by much more than this.

She could not afford to quake or quiver. This was her destiny.