Chapter 23 Vikings

" Why do you work out all the time? Look at those muscles and your height, I think you can probably knock out a bear with your bare hands."

Halfdan laughed at Guinevere's remark while lifting the log with his hand, each exercise made him sweat and bleed but the weight of heavy wouldn't bend his knees.

" Because this is what I am. You might wake up in a warm sheet in your home as you know nothing about the struggle to live. We live in a different world."

Guinevere shut her mouth while saying nothing to him because what he said was true. Especially after spending a week here, she realized how far she was from the truth as her life was sheltered by the shadow of her father who protected her.

However, unlike her Halfdan always trained and fought with fire in his eyes while facing against stronger people than him. Even if he was beaten to the point of exhaustion, he wouldn't say anything except to get up from the ground to try again.

" I think I know why I lost to them."

Lancelot came next to her with a black eye while touching the wooden sword in his hand. To his eyes, they were beasts in the cage that was shackled to this territory. They feared no man and death, marching toward anything with valiant hearts.

" If Welsh people were like them, perhaps we might have won against the crown. Alas, life isn't fair and that is our world."

Lancelot sighed with pity, recalling the history of his ancestors who fought against the crown without any fruition. The blood that they shed would cover entire territory but they never managed to reclaim their liberty for they were fragmented, unlike Vikings who lived like a big family.

" But isn't it strange? Arthur is the young lord of this territory, yet he behaves like Vikings despite having systemically swordsmanship."

Guinevere found Arthur was unusual boy unlike most of the nobles because he mixed himself with people and acted like he was one of them. Moreover, people adored him like he was part of their families.

" Maybe this is what he wanted to show us. He wanted to say we were fools."

Lancelot was a wise young man and mature compared to Guinevere. He saw the essence of this punishment in his mind, imagining this had to do with Halfdan's actions. He would always let them accompany him to his routines like he was teaching them.

" Peace is hard-fought victory. To conserve that my brother does everything because he saw the worst of war."

Arthur turned around from the corner, holding a hard bread in his hand. The warm steam was still coming out from the bread, showing it was fresh from the oven.

Tear*

He then tore it into three parts while eating one by himself. The hard yet kindness-filled bread was the most delicious pastry in this world in his eyes.

" My brother never doubted your identities because he knows bad people. He realized you were too quick-tempered to be a noble because if you had hurt or even worse died during your journey, many would suffer from the wrath of your father.

That is why he asked you to be his servant for a week. Obviously, I have been observing your actions for a week and I apologize for it but you have to understand that I will do everything to protect my people and my family."

Guinevere bit the hard loaf with silence, pondering her decision for a minute before raising her head up to match his eyes. Perhaps after being with him for a week, she might have developed some affection for this crude young man who seemed to be both mature and innocent at the same time.

However it wasn't a romantic feeling, it was rather a platonic feeling that was similar to friendship.

" Why do you respect him so much? I know he is smart and strong but he isn't from our land and he will leave this place in the future. Why do keep insisting on helping him?"

Arthur smiled wryly at her question, recalling the first moment when they met first. It was the most memorable day of his life and that day changed his life forever for the better.