UWTD 375: Camelot

The next day, court officials almost had a heart attack when Artoria declared her decision to marry Adam.

Although the lords and officials respected Adam for his help and abilities, they wanted Artoria to marry someone with a better pedigree. At least that is what they tried to play it off as.

However, Artoria remained staunch and didn't bend an inch; she told them that she had made up her mind, and anyone who wanted to change it would do better not to waste their energy.

The lords and officials had to accept their defeat while looking at the smiling Adam; only they knew how many times they had tried to throw their young daughters at him. Now the two highly sought-after marriage candidates were marrying one another.

Shaking their head in dismay, the news reached the commonfolk a week after the court session. The marriage was to be held upon the completion of Camelot. The common folks and army rejoiced that the royal blood that had ruled the lands benevolently for years would continue.

The court wanted to achieve this as a female ruler, a first in this land's history, who had caused some unrest among the people. No one could deny Artoria's capabilities on the battlefield, but the masses still feared her competence in maintaining the domain. Even after her decision changed things for the better, many still thought that it was the court official's work instead of hers.

The people understood her power with the sword through bards who sang her praises from the sea to the mountains; however, they wished she'd marry a competent man. So, when the news of Adam and Artoria's marriage hit the town…

"I've talked with that lad, Adam; he has a good head on his shoulders. Real smart."

"Since he came around, trade's been booming. I heard he played a big part in the unification battle and the one with the Saxons."

"He's a good match with our queen's mighty power."

The men, from old to young, talked about their experiences with Adam. He had been quite active around the cities promoting trade and establishing newer, faster routes. They all toasted to the bright future ahead, wishing for long-lasting peace while drowning in drinks.

"They say he was our majesty's first supporter. He was also there at the trial and the only one who believed in her."

"Even if he can't fight, he stayed with our majesty through the entire campaign; he became her arms and legs, so she only had to focus on battles. I am so jealous!"

"My husband came from the war… he said that her Majesty and Sir Adam often met late at night in her tent during the war."

"How lovely. They must've liked each other long before everything started."

The women on the other side had their noses deep in the fabricated romance born out of bored soldiers' gossip.

But one thing was certain: information about Adam had spread far. A bit too far in this case. He had stayed in the back and tried not to catch too much attention, yet the information had spread nonetheless.

Another thing that caught Adam's attention was the common populace's view of Artoria. To them all, she boiled down to a strong ruler. They had no idea of her policies and decisions that had turned the court upside down in the past year.

Even if the society was backwards and men didn't think well of female rulers in these parts, this situation seemed artificial.

'It was the same with the court's insistent advice for Artoria's marriage.' Adam went around and checked out all of the court officials afterward, and he found the reason for their weird behaviour.

"A trace of charm magic…" Sitting on the cliff, he closed his eyes and started to track the flow of magic.

From the victim, to the one who delivered the magic, and lastly to the source of it. Like tracking a boar in a forest through their footprints, it took him only a moment to determine the location of the caster.

The person wasn't in this country, no, it would be better to say that the person wasn't in this world. He had located the magic to have been funneled in from outside using a citizen of this world. He had to commend the counter force's creative strategy, but this wasn't a threat to this world.

'It seems they have misunderstood the base of this world. Trying to disturb the people with petty lies and creating a fault point won't break this, after all, this isn't an illusion or a dream.'

"This is an entirely new history, shaped by the wish of one duty-bound, guilt-ridden woman. It won't break down." He muttered, stepping off the sheer cliff that would lead to a rocky demise.

However, the wind carried Adam straight to his and Artoria's new home, the symbol of her rule. Camelot of White Walls. In the city of Londinium, she chose the old citadel that Vortigern had used as a stronghold against her.

It took a few years to remodel the place into a castle with tall walls and beautiful towers. Although the fairies were ready to mix into the human craftsman and build the structure for her in one night, Artoria wanted the people and army to build this place with their own hands.

Previously, she didn't have enough time, and the lands were in turmoil, so Artoria had accepted the help of the fairies to create a stronghold and give people much-needed security. This time, with relatively peaceful times thanks to her abilities, she wanted the people to build the structure they could put faith in. She wanted them to feel that Camelot belonged to them as much as it did to her.

With the magic of the fairies boosting them, the human craftsman created the current Camelot. A structure they filled with their hope and pride. And with the fairies' blessings, a stronger Camelot took form.

The sun had just risen, and Adam would usually find Artoria in one of the lookout towers; she'd go there for fresh air before her morning training. However, she wasn't there today.

"Did she go out again?" Scanning the whole place, he still couldn't find her. The training grounds were occupied by knights, but she wasn't there like usual. She wasn't in the kitchen either.

"You're looking for Artoria, Adam?"

Someone called out to him when he left Artoria's private chambers. Adam turned to face the white-haired mage, an important part of Artoria's court. Merlin.

"I was." Adam knew this crafty teacher of Artoria well.

However, he had to allow Merlin, or technically a copy, to enter this world because Artoria believed she needed the sage's wisdom to better the kingdom. Adam did believe that this person was helping Artoria, but some things pissed him off about Merlin.

"Such a passionate gaze you have, it's making me blush." The Merlin in front of him wasn't male, but female. And he was squirming around like a maiden, but his eyes held a mischief that most wouldn't notice. It was testing his patience.

"Ah… he left." Merlin wilted like a flower in winter. Since her arrival, Adam hadn't talked to her much.

It had been a year since Adam and Artoria's marriage and the completion of Camelot. Unlike what the common populace thought, the marriage between them was a private affair. It happened so quietly that even the court officials didn't know of it. Only Merlin knew that the marriage wasn't real, but a lie created by Artoria to stop the constant barrage of marriage proposals.

The thing that surprised Merlin the most was Adam's willingness to let her enter this world. She had many questions regarding his motives and the sources of his powers; however, just asking wasn't fun. She wanted to figure it all out, just what Adam was, with her mind. However, she had no ill will towards him.

"He's good to Artoria, so I guess I'll let it be. It's good to see a couple in love, heh." Merlin skipped through the white hallways, held up by clean, pristine pillars.

Wondering what the two were talking about, Merlin smiled and wished them the best for the future.

***

See ya'll on monday.