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tamingthemuseTitle: Before the end
Fandom: Arthurian legends
Prompt: Prompt 391 - Damage assessment
Warnings: None.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: The Arthurian legends are in the public domain. I make no reference to any copyrighted work. So all is mine.
Beta: None, so any mistakes you see are mine.
Summary: Arthur and Kay share a moment the night before the final battle.
Arthur stood on top of a small cliff, observing the wide valley below him. It was a perfect shade of green, lush with life. It seemed to be waiting to nourish herds of cattle or welcome flocks of playing children. He smiled for an instant, forgetting what the valley was really going to be used for in the morning.
He sat down and closed his eyes. He could hear the distant noise of his men getting ready for yet another battle. There was a strain to their murmur. They were tired of fighting and only wished to go home to their wives and children. They did not want to fight in yet another pointless war. Arthur couldn't blame them. The fight against Lancelot had been an orchestration that had led only to misery. No one was happy to have won. They had lost some of the best knights they had known, some of the best men they had shared adventures with. They had wanted to come back and heal. They needed to forgive themselves, and to forgive Arthur most of all. He knew a huge task awaited him. He needed to rebuild his kingdom but this time without the help and enthusiasm of Guinevere, without the courage and bravery of Gawain, without the heroism and energy of Lancelot. He wondered if he would ever have a chance to try.
He laid back on the grass. For an moment he could pretend he was still a young man living at Hector's farm. He had been happy then. It hadn't seemed like a perfect life but in retrospect he wished it could have been his life. He would have liked to spend his days in peace, farming the land, hunting for meat, and maintaining the castle with Kay. He chuckled briefly. Kay would not have helped at all. He would have played king while Arthur would have done all the work. Almost like it had really happened, thought Arthur, except I had really become king and Kay had not.
"The view is beautiful," he heard Kay's deep voice state.
He hadn't heard him coming. He was getting tired.
He opened his eyes slowly and stared at the sky.
"Yes it is. I wished it would remain so."
"Don't be so defeatist Arthur. There is still time for peace," Kay volunteered as he sat down next to his brother.
"Kay... ever the optimist," Arthur joked lightly while sitting up.
"Someone has to counter-balance your pessimism," he replied while pushing Arthur gently on the shoulder. "We're starting the day with talks, not with arms. You'll do well to remember that."
"We are talking about Mordred. It's all a show."
"You don't know that. The boy is young. What he is about to do is a huge task and he could very well coward out of it."
"I didn't. And he is my son," Arthur added in a whisper, his glance falling to the ground.
"All the more reason for him not to want your death."
"Do you really think so Kay," Arthur questioned in a shaky voice.
"I do." Kay looked away to the valley and added in a low voice. "I have to."
The king followed his seneschal gaze to the fields below, unable to bear the pain that transpired through his companion's features. They remained silent for a while.
"We really did mess up," remarked Arthur as the sun was setting low in the horizon.
"We also really did accomplish a lot," Kay echoed, a boyish grin spreading on his face. Arthur shoved his shoulder gently.
"It's been a good life Arthur. We did good," Kay added in a more serious tone.
"Yes. It's been a good life," Arthur repeated, remembering the early days when they had built Camelot and the round table to welcome all knights proudly around him. "A good life," he murmured, his voice trailing off into silence.
"I'm sorry it has to end like this, everyone dead or a traitor," Arthur started again. He stared at Kay, his eyes pleading for his brother to prove him wrong.
"It wasn't your fault Art... Merlin left you an impossible task to accomplish when he left." He placed his hand on Arthur's shoulder. "And you did well at it. You did a brilliant job."
Arthur threw him a quizzical look.
"You did," reiterated Kay. "You united the people and gave them hope. You showed them peace can be won."
"What of tomorrow," Arthur asked, his voice rough and low.
"If it comes to the worst, it's not tomorrow that your people will remember. It's not the deaths and traitors they'll sing. It's you. It's your strength, your victories, the peace and joy your brought wherever you walked. It's Camelot, the round table, the knights and all their good deeds." Kay grabbed Arthur and held him close. "You did good brother. I am very proud of you. Father would be amazingly proud of you too."
Arthur leaned against Kay's body, letting his brother embrace him protectively. He closed his eyes, silent tears flowing freely along his cheeks.
Fandom: Arthurian legends
Prompt: Prompt 391 - Damage assessment
Warnings: None.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: The Arthurian legends are in the public domain. I make no reference to any copyrighted work. So all is mine.
Beta: None, so any mistakes you see are mine.
Summary: Arthur and Kay share a moment the night before the final battle.
Arthur stood on top of a small cliff, observing the wide valley below him. It was a perfect shade of green, lush with life. It seemed to be waiting to nourish herds of cattle or welcome flocks of playing children. He smiled for an instant, forgetting what the valley was really going to be used for in the morning.
He sat down and closed his eyes. He could hear the distant noise of his men getting ready for yet another battle. There was a strain to their murmur. They were tired of fighting and only wished to go home to their wives and children. They did not want to fight in yet another pointless war. Arthur couldn't blame them. The fight against Lancelot had been an orchestration that had led only to misery. No one was happy to have won. They had lost some of the best knights they had known, some of the best men they had shared adventures with. They had wanted to come back and heal. They needed to forgive themselves, and to forgive Arthur most of all. He knew a huge task awaited him. He needed to rebuild his kingdom but this time without the help and enthusiasm of Guinevere, without the courage and bravery of Gawain, without the heroism and energy of Lancelot. He wondered if he would ever have a chance to try.
He laid back on the grass. For an moment he could pretend he was still a young man living at Hector's farm. He had been happy then. It hadn't seemed like a perfect life but in retrospect he wished it could have been his life. He would have liked to spend his days in peace, farming the land, hunting for meat, and maintaining the castle with Kay. He chuckled briefly. Kay would not have helped at all. He would have played king while Arthur would have done all the work. Almost like it had really happened, thought Arthur, except I had really become king and Kay had not.
"The view is beautiful," he heard Kay's deep voice state.
He hadn't heard him coming. He was getting tired.
He opened his eyes slowly and stared at the sky.
"Yes it is. I wished it would remain so."
"Don't be so defeatist Arthur. There is still time for peace," Kay volunteered as he sat down next to his brother.
"Kay... ever the optimist," Arthur joked lightly while sitting up.
"Someone has to counter-balance your pessimism," he replied while pushing Arthur gently on the shoulder. "We're starting the day with talks, not with arms. You'll do well to remember that."
"We are talking about Mordred. It's all a show."
"You don't know that. The boy is young. What he is about to do is a huge task and he could very well coward out of it."
"I didn't. And he is my son," Arthur added in a whisper, his glance falling to the ground.
"All the more reason for him not to want your death."
"Do you really think so Kay," Arthur questioned in a shaky voice.
"I do." Kay looked away to the valley and added in a low voice. "I have to."
The king followed his seneschal gaze to the fields below, unable to bear the pain that transpired through his companion's features. They remained silent for a while.
"We really did mess up," remarked Arthur as the sun was setting low in the horizon.
"We also really did accomplish a lot," Kay echoed, a boyish grin spreading on his face. Arthur shoved his shoulder gently.
"It's been a good life Arthur. We did good," Kay added in a more serious tone.
"Yes. It's been a good life," Arthur repeated, remembering the early days when they had built Camelot and the round table to welcome all knights proudly around him. "A good life," he murmured, his voice trailing off into silence.
"I'm sorry it has to end like this, everyone dead or a traitor," Arthur started again. He stared at Kay, his eyes pleading for his brother to prove him wrong.
"It wasn't your fault Art... Merlin left you an impossible task to accomplish when he left." He placed his hand on Arthur's shoulder. "And you did well at it. You did a brilliant job."
Arthur threw him a quizzical look.
"You did," reiterated Kay. "You united the people and gave them hope. You showed them peace can be won."
"What of tomorrow," Arthur asked, his voice rough and low.
"If it comes to the worst, it's not tomorrow that your people will remember. It's not the deaths and traitors they'll sing. It's you. It's your strength, your victories, the peace and joy your brought wherever you walked. It's Camelot, the round table, the knights and all their good deeds." Kay grabbed Arthur and held him close. "You did good brother. I am very proud of you. Father would be amazingly proud of you too."
Arthur leaned against Kay's body, letting his brother embrace him protectively. He closed his eyes, silent tears flowing freely along his cheeks.
