Friend- or not? (4)

~Different Perspective~

There was an unpleasant amount of silence.

Artoria never liked the absolute quietness of these circumstances, but there wasn't anything in her power that she could genuinely do to avoid those.

Thus she kept quiet as she stood sitting over the unconscious form owned by her supposed rival.

The entire ward had been mostly deserted as of now, mostly because all healers had been working continuously in treating the wounds she and Joseph had sustained against Morgan.

Part of her was frustrated by how things had concluded, especially when she learned from Merlin that Caliburn hadn't been meant to be wielded in its full power by her.

It had been only a symbol of her power, but one that wasn't meant to be used in life-threatening battle against her foolish sister.

Merlin was starting to slowly become more of a pain than before. It was odd how someone that was supposed to be a powerful wizard was actually this pompous and infuriating… but he was also a wise teacher whenever he knew he couldn't make jokes about.

Despite his own dislike directed at Joseph, the Mage of Flowers had been the one to spearhead the use of magic to help the fellow King's recovery.

And thanks to everyone's support, the man's condition had properly stabilized. Now lying upon that small bed, the sight of Artoria's curious acquaintance and possibly friend was a state of peace within the uncertainty.

Because, while Joseph was away from death's grasp, the fact that he was still resting despite how many hours had already gone by since the battle was enough to increase Artoria's own worries over the matter.

But she wasn't alone to keep watch over the sleeping monarch, as an ever-watching Lancelot and a restless Myasviel had decided to stuck around their sovereign.

The knight was dutifully making sure that nothing happened to his king now that he was in the frailest of positions, while the white-haired woman was resting her head and arms over Joseph's chest.

Tears had been flowing out from her for several hours, and even though she had lost interest in crying, some sobs would still leave her lips from time to time before the sleeping man was put out of danger's zone.

It was a strange sight for sure. In fact, Artoria was confused as to why she was so influenced by such a natural reaction. It was only legitimate for someone to feel sorrow before the horrible ordeal suffered by those they cared for.

And yet, by looking at that, the blonde couldn't help but feel mortified. While she knew that feeling more than sadness over the unfortunate development would be a sign opposing the ideal of a true king, the fact that Joseph was so open to show genuine compassion and emotion before those beneath him in status was more than enough to leave her… perplexed.

Merlin had taught her that monarchs weren't meant to show any resemblance of 'fragile humanity', all because the people needed a fearless leader that led them to victory.

But what if the people needed more than just a commander?

She had experienced war. She had killed before. But she had never seen someone close to her die before her eyes.

It was that innocence that was meant to be shattered through indifference rather than experience… and yet she felt afraid at what would ensue in that circumstance.

Was this the right path for her?

When she took Caliburn out of the stone, she didn't do it just because it was her 'destiny'. It was also a mean for her to bring peace, stability, and happiness to those that truly deserved it.

How could people be happy if the king is unwilling to accept the joy and the brightness of success itself. Not as the sole conqueror of such emotions, but also as the bringer of harmony to its people.

Humbleness, but without coldly ignoring the rewards.

She sighed, keeping her stare directed at Joseph, but ending up noticing that Lancelot was glancing at her with a fascinated look.

"Sir Lancelot," Artoria started with a careful tone. Not enough soft to sound uneasy, but enough to sound uncertain about the wording of this complicated question. "May I ask you something about Lord Joseph?"

The tall man blinked, minor surprise flashing just briefly from his eyes before he offered a nod. "You may, Lord Arthur."

"Lord Joseph… does he ever worry that he might be wrong with his actions?" She asked calmly. "That he might end up making a mistake in each moves he make?"

Lancelot looked uncertain for a moment whenever or not confessing this little detail would be proper in these circumstances.

He glanced at Mya and… the Einzbern was staring at Artoria with a blank expression. The sight was slightly chilling considering how intense her red eyes were.

Magic?

There wasn't anything malicious, but the sheer density of her raw power was enough to make the blonde tense up at what this scene was causing within her.

In her mind, the very sight resembled a silent battle between a dragon and… a pale-scaled wyvern. While the Dragon was expected to win, the lesser creature was driven by sheer emotion and determination to protect those that she cares the most for.

It was… absurd. But so fierce and… admirable.

"King Joseph isn't perfect. I would even dare to say that what truly makes him stand out aren't his skills in combat or his capacity as a diplomat," The knight of the lake finally answered with a confident tone. "It's the way he can understand his people… and how his people understand and love him in return."

"But what if that's not enough?" Artoria forced her stare away from Mya. "What if… a king should be more?"

Lancelot blinked at that. "More of what, Lord Arthur?"

"A king should be leading by grace and resolution. He should be able to exert power with his truest superiority and-"

"I think this was a discussion milord had with your trusted knight, Sir Agravain."

Truly? She hadn't been aware of this. Maybe Agravain didn't feel the need to mention this, or maybe there was something that was best kept untouched within that conversation.

"King Joseph believes that a king should lead first to make sure that the people are protected and helped with their plights," He continued to speak, undeterred by the silence coming from the fellow knight. "He mentioned that heroes should be the one that go in mission of good, that theirs is the duty of directly going for the deeds of justice."

"It makes him sounds like a..."

She stopped just in time, well aware that giving out that word in a room with Lancelot wouldn't be proper. Especially when the person they were talking about was still resting.

"A good man with a curious opinion of how things work," The tall man suggested politely. "His idea of how a king is meant to rule isn't flawed. Not at all. In fact, while the argument might make him sound as if he shies away from the battlefield, the truth is that he would ride to the fight among those in the first line."

"I still don't… I don't understand. What is good in a king that prefers the throne to intervening directly and solving problems."

"You mistook my words, Lord Arthur," Lancelot pointed out with a nod. "And I think your understanding of what 'sitting on the throne' means is actually mistaken too."

"What?"

"While you might not have the experience of working through the system of rules during peacetime, a ruler is supposed to be handling the paperwork needed to rebuild the land that are now his. It wouldn't be proper for an honor-driven king to just ignore the suffering of those that have sworn to his cause just to end a bloodshed."

And Artoria remembered how she had yet to handle the complicated mess that was the disposition of the lands in her new kingdom.

While Camelot was a must to create as a new beacon for hope in the British Isles, she hadn't truly given a look over the costs and the resources needed to achieve such a task. Would it still leave enough for any relief for her subjects?

The blonde really needed to have a serious talk with Merlin about it. Especially if her kingdom was supposed to be eternal.

How could she become the sovereign of something infinite if said rule is driven by fake intentions?

"If I may… say something, Lord Arthur."

Artoria blinked, her attention shifting back to reality. "Uh- I mean, yes?"

"I don't wish to offend you or your honor with my words, Lord Arthur, but I think now it's due to ask," Lancelot started with a careful manner, almost as if he knew what he was going to say might spark some indignation. "But while I can attest that you've been trained properly into knighthood, I wish to know out of personal curiosity if you actually learned of the ways to rule a kingdom."

She blinked, a delicate frown settling on her visage.

"Are you questioning my capacity as a King?"

"I find myself doing so upon your queries. Not as a mean to diminish your value-"

"But to see if my interest over the subject is driven by inexperience and uncertainty," She quickly interjected and… she could feel the need to gnaw her teeth at how accurate that thought was.

It wasn't unreasonable for the fellow knight to be intrigued by this strange turn of events, but Artoria couldn't exactly commend the man for reaching this astute conclusion.

But before she had the chance of continuing with her words, she was interrupted by a new 'opponent'.

"You're confused."

Curt, stern and… indifferent. The blonde shivered a little at the comment, but her eyes were met with a molten inferno offered by Mya's rubies.

"You think that your idea of kingdom was flawless. That your ascension was confirmed and undeniable," The white-haired young woman continued. "That Joseph was a mere pawn to befriend until he would've to submit peacefully. He would've still ruled, but under you. As a good friend and advisor, but also as a trump card to use whenever you required to cover for some openings."

W-What?

Just as the King tried to reject such notions, she felt her body bathed in a slight amount of warmth. It wasn't scorching her, but it wasn't pleasant either.

Not only the lady had managed to peek at her mind, but she was also increasing the temperature of the room by sheer willpower through her magic.

"Myasviel-" Lancelot tried to intervene, but the young woman was unwilling to listen to words.

"She wants to control him," Mya interjected furiously. "To use him like a puppet, and then forget about his existence upon his last breath strikes."

Artoria felt incredibly nervous at this, with her mind screaming for her to find something to use as a weapon before things ended poorly for her.

Yet, as the standoff grew into something fairly unpleasant and close to a brawl, Mya stopped and tensed up, with her eyes going wide open, as a hand reached for her head and started to caress her scalp.

Joseph blinked, a tired and weary look plastered on his face as he glanced at the surprised Einzbern.

"Mya."

The girl turned her stare to properly look at me.

"She wants to-"

"Are you sure she was meaning it within his thoughts?" He asked calmly, his tone a little sleepy but still easy to discern. "Can you tell me if he wasn't just pondering over the possibilities?"

Mya blinked. "Does it matter?" She inquired with a curious tone.

"Yep."

A pout replaced her surprised gawking. "Why?"

"Mya, I think you're well capable of knowing when people can make silly thoughts of silliness. It doesn't mean that what they think they will go through with it," He stated with minor irritation. "Like, can you please tell me what I'm thinking about?"

Surprise returned on her visage, with the Einzbern actually peering over the mind of the weary monarch and… her eyes widened again.

"C-Chocolate? What is it?" She licked her lips, as if feeling the flavor in her mouth.

He snorted. "A sweet drink that can be made with some beans that are not in Europe."

...What?

Artoria was confused, but soon Mya looked slightly annoyed.

"T-That's bitter! What's coffee?"

Joseph smiled a little bit. "Similar to Chocolate, but slightly bitter. It's supposed to be a beverage that helps waking up properly."

…

"Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

The Einzbern blinked in surprise. "You can… manipulate thoughts?"

"Everyone can. It's just that it's either through conscious process or even unconscious," The man pointed out. "Maybe Arthur thought of it as a distant thought. And I would even dare to say that you gave him quite the fright to try anything about it."

The blonde didn't waste any time in nodding at that, confirming that distinct understanding.

She had thought of it much before actually meeting Joseph in person and… that plans had been scrapped away out of uneasiness over doing something like that to him.

It just felt horribly wrong and deceitful. Something against her moral code.

Still, her mind finally allowed her to realize that Joseph was finally awake and… that she had much to say about what had happened.

Especially about the fact that Crocea Mors was broken the very moment that Caliburn was.

This is definitively worse than a hangover. While alcohol would leave my brain burning in pain for a couple of hours, I could feel that degree of uneasiness spread all over my body.

I felt sore, tired and, worst of it all, surprised to see Mya actually making a display of her magic.

I could remember Altuos making some comments about the young woman being interested over the topic, but that she had just brushed over the early theoretical bits of true magic.

In layman's terms, she wasn't meant to be mind-checking and heat-manipulating so easily. I blamed her paranoid mood for making her easy to anger… thus I blamed myself for putting her in that kind of emotional distraught.

There wasn't much I could've done to avoid the extent of damage I had received, and yet I was apologetic over the awkward circumstance this outburst had created.

Lancelot looked relieved that I was now awake and that I had defused this hot bomb from dropping so suddenly over this strange state of peace. He looked absolutely unaware of the fact that Mya had been referring Artoria with feminine pronouns, and I really hoped that it was indeed the case and not a misunderstanding from my part.

I turned my attention to Ria, the blonde having lost a couple of mental years with that fright, but holding strong and well-composed as her status demanded from her.

"Joseph, if I may… I wish to apologize for having made that kind of plans. It all happened before we sparred."

That sounded way earlier than I had initially thought and… I wasn't sure I could actually trust her about it.

I glanced at Mya and… she looked less annoyed than before. I felt the air being freer than a moment ago, making me suddenly realize that the young woman had stopped making use of her magic in that instant.

Now that I actually needed it to test Artoria's truthfulness. Dammit.

Knowing that I couldn't exactly expect Mya to become a lie detector with how faulty her understanding of Mind-related magic was, I had to trust my own instincts in how to handle the current predicament.

I sighed. "I will pass over it as I feel that you're being genuine, but don't think I will just show you any kindness if I learn you've plans to attack me, Arthur."

Artoria actually flinched at my emphasis over her masculine name. I guess that she wasn't expecting that kind of steel in my response, but she seemed to not be much deterred by it from continuing.

"I wouldn't hope for less from you, Joseph," The blonde said while nodding. "But I wish to discuss about something I would like to solve at once instead of waiting until the visit is over."

I blinked, trying to understand what she was referring to.

"It's about your assistance in repelling Morgan," The girl continued. "Or rather, the way you concluded that fight."

Oh-

Oh, OH NO!

I panicked a little bit at that, my entire body tensing up as I had slightly forgotten about that big issue that came from that battle.

Caliburn and Crocea Mors-

"I'm sorry." "I'm sorry."

We both stopped, looking at each other with mutual confusion.

"I was the one that ended up breaking it," I reminded quickly, only for Ria to shake her head.

"I was the one that allowed Morgan to take Caliburn. I should've remembered that she was capable with swords other than magic."

We offered each other a serious look, trying to understand how we were meant to deal with this quandary when we were both feeling quite guilty about it.

And there was no way I was backing away now that I had stacked my reasoning to feel guilty, the same applied with Artoria.

…

"How about a compromise? Nobody is at fault, it was an accident."

"I think I should repay for Crocea Mors reparations-"

"Nonsense!" I rebuked fiercely. "It wasn't your fault."

"Nor was yours!"

…

…

"Are we having a fight over the fact we are trying defend each other?"

Mya hummed. "You're both silly."

I actually deflated at that, and I could see a pout settle on Artoria's face at the comment.

"We should deal with this by sparring again."

At this I found myself sighing. "I think Quintus wouldn't be that much happy if we broke another pair of training swords."

The Einzbern giggled at this exchange, clearly enjoying this.

"Why you two just don't… hug?"

My jaws dropped at that childish suggestion, and even poor Lancelot had to step in about it.

"Lady Mya, I think that wouldn't be proper for two Kings. It would be quite awkward for both to accept such an interaction out of this important discussion."

Just as he said these words, I glanced at Artoria with a serious look and… she offered a sigh before standing up from her chair.

"If we continue with this endless conversation, we will never come to a conclusion about it," The blonde stated tensely. "Which is why… I think this foolish proposal might be the chance to end this frustrating exchange."

The Knight of the Lake froze for a moment at that, glancing at me in an effort to see me deny such a situation but-

I nodded. "I can see your point, Arthur."

She took it as a nudge to go forward with the interaction, with Mya retreating away from my chest as I adjusted more on the bed. Artoria approached, the girl leaning a little bit as we both shared a hug.

"If I had been more careful, you wouldn't have been hurt this much. It's my fault."

I huffed at her, tightening the embrace much to her surprise. "Morgan surprised us both, don't beat yourself over it."

Her groan was muffled on my shoulder, and the hug lasted a few more seconds before she pushed to let go. I complied and I noticed her irritated look.

"We are settled about it."

Her irritation swelled twice at that, but I didn't budge from my position about it.

I wasn't allowing someone way shorter and less sassier than me to actually push me around.

…

"I suppose you're correct."

Yes!

"But I wish to keep a close exchange of letters from now on," She quickly continued, her tone growing more serious. "With Morgan on the loose, we can't allow ourselves to drop our guard. Not even for a moment."

I nodded at that. "I agree. And I hope you're not allowing Merlin to check on these."

A sigh left her lips.

"After what has happened in the last few days, I will be more attentive about giving him any important paper to look at."

At least I wasn't going to face other issues with that annoying bastards through official documentations.

After this much was done, Artoria decided to leave the ward after a quick 'farewell', ending this discussion in the most friendly manner possible.

But as she walked out of our sights, I turned to Lancelot with a genuinely worried look.

"What is the current status of Crocea Mors?"

The plum-haired man offered me an uneasy look, and I gritted my teeth in annoyance.

I had seen Caliburn crack and collapse, but I couldn't exactly remember what happened to my own sword.

The weapon had cracked, I could remember that, but after that everything turned blank and confused.

"The blade… survived," Lancelot finally answered with a tight voice. "There are numerous cracks on its surface and… Altuos confirmed that the enchantments have mostly faded away in that last battle."

Sighing, I tried to keep calm over the fact Julius Caesar's sword had been lost in that simple skirmish. It wasn't even one that killed Morgan, but one that just pushed her back to her lair.

The sacrifice wasn't worth the rewards considering that the woman was surely going to strike once more by the time her wounds were healed.

"It can be repaired."

The knight tried to sound positive about it and I knew well enough that it wasn't that easy.

"Not quickly enough," I interjected quickly. "Nor it would've the same efficiency as before. Only its creators can restore the full essence of the sword."

"Surely you could create a new sword out of it," Lancelot pressed up once more. "Many knights ended up with their sword shattered during a battle, and they were able to find a resolve by forging a newer and stronger blade."

"The issue isn't the metal," I rebuked with a hum. "What made Crocea Mors capable of standing out from the usual blades was the enchantments applied from the Romans."

That seemed to finally dissuade the man from keeping up with that argument. There wasn't much to do about it if Altuos had said the sword was in such a terrible state.

Maybe I was being overly-dramatic about it, but that was one of the few blades I exactly knew where to find and I had the means to recover it. Now I was left with other legends that I wasn't even sure I could end up finding on my own.

I wasn't even going to try my hand in retrieving Excalibur, well-aware that Merlin wasn't going to allow me to pick up something possibly stronger than Caliburn.

Eventually I ended up being allowed out of that bed after a full day of rest and checkups. Quintus was incredibly serious with his interest in making sure I was fine as the people of Venta Belgarum wouldn't have been happy with their hero being left injured before leaving.

The gloom prospect of having lost Crocea Mors was mostly balanced out when Altuos stated that Artoria, despite her 'reluctant acceptance' to not try and repay for what had happened during that fight, decided to leave to us what remained of Caliburn.

Maybe, just maybe, there was something that could've been done with this.