The rest of my day was spent attending a grand feast and celebration hosted on the floor of Camelot’s throne room. I was back in my favorite-not-so-favorite monkey suit, with Lydia possessively hugged against my arm while she exchanged mindless pleasantries with whoever would bother talking to us. All the Renalian servants except Anna and Idyia were assisting Arthur’s own with providing service to the various lords and ladies gathered. Anna still wasn't feeling well and I wanted Idyia close, just in case. The Avalon staff didn’t want her nearby, anyway.

I noticed that Lydia’s tone and demeanor were frigid whenever any single lady from Avalon tried to chat us up. She tried to hide it, but it was obvious Lydia had no interest in letting another woman come within 10 feet of me. To my surprise, quite a few young men congregated around Idyia. She seemed a bit flustered at all the attention, and her elven beauty was only enhanced by her uncharacteristic, girlish modesty. Either the men of Avalon weren’t nearly as pious as the rest of Valeria, or Idyia was just that sexy in her maid uniform. I knew from personal experience it was more of the latter than the former. If the sex was good enough, men could ignore everything else.

“Master Levin, please help me,” Idyia pleaded in a rare use of our telepathic bond. We didn’t dare speak through it while Morgan was nearby.

“This is good for you. Look, you are attracting so many people. Flirt. Lean into it. Socialize. Show off a bit.” I teased.

“I am an Assassin!”

“And I’m a Soldier. Now, look at me! I’m being paraded around like a trophy husband!”

I saw a slight smile grace Idyia’s face at my little joke.

“Perhaps you are right. Some of these men are very handsome. One even invited me to work as his personal servant in his castle. Compared to Veles Citadel, Avalon’s standard of living is much higher.”

“I’ll kill them. Who is it?”

Idyia pushed through the crowd surrounding her and came to my side, opposite Lydia. She hooked my free arm with hers but said nothing. Her would-be-paramours gave me all bitter looks but slowly dispersed to mingle with other ladies. I guess none of them wanted to take away a Hero’s maidservant.

“Thank you, Levin.”

“I didn’t do anything, though?”

“Yes, you have, for me and my people. You don’t realize it, but I doubt any Dark Elf has ever set foot in this hall. Or had an audience with King Arthur Pendragon. You’ve given the tribes of Dark Elves a real home; a place where we can feel safe and live our lives without suffering persecution.”

It wasn’t that romantic. All I did was bastardize what the US had done to the Native Americans and their reservations. It was hardly a perfect solution. In some ways, it was worse, because, on any given day, a member of the royal family could just kill them all using the geas. If my kids grew up in such a racist environment, it wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility that they would do something so heartless and cruel. When I started a family with Lydia, I needed to ensure they wouldn’t be influenced by her society’s ingrained hatred for Dark Elves.

“Idyia? What are you doing?” Lydia asked after the last of the nobles trying to talk to her left us.

“Ensuring no other woman intrudes upon your property, Your Majesty,” she answered back with her usual, soulless tone.

I blinked once. “Property?” I parrotted.

“Ah. So you understand your role. Good. In light of recent events, I’ve decided you may become Levin’s third wife. Thank you for protecting Anna. She means the world to me.”

“Y-Your Majesty?!” Idyia gaped like a fish, then tamed her expression. Her lips curled into a small smile. “I am honored.”

“You should be.”

I blinked again. This was huge. Lydia was slowly accepting Idyia’s Dark Elven heritage! Here, in a tiny corner of this extravagant party, Lyudimilla just named a Dark Elf a Queen Consort, like Anna. She had no political or military power unless it was specifically granted by Lydia, but in terms of noble standing, she was now the third most powerful person in all of Renalis. This was a watershed, historical moment.

However…

“P-property?”

“Levin, you were always my most prized possession,” Lydia said with a straight face as she caressed my cheek. “Now, look handsome, my love. King Arthur descends from his throne.”

She tilted my chin toward the throne as Arthur and Morgan stood as one, with their hands gently clasped together.

I can’t stop thinking about it. Seriously, your own sister, Arthur? C’mon. That’s gotta be a bad look, even in your time. No wonder Mordred took over, holy hell.

Morgan shot me a dull glare from across the throne room. She could even read my surface thoughts from that far away. Though it wasn’t as obvious and she never flaunted it, I knew Morgan le Faye was a Hero, a Wizard. Idyia said as much. That meant Avalon had two powerful people leading its country. I knew from my own Strength that a Hero could easily take over an entire city single-handedly. And I was only 6th Level; I was sure Arthur could level an entire kingdom if he wanted to. Morgan was probably stronger than I was.

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“My Lords and Ladies, Clergymen of the Primaries, and honored guests from Renalis, I have called you all here to bear witness to the return of a long-lost ally. You have all seen the power the Kingdom of Renalis now commands. Ranger Levin is a formidable and trustworthy ally. Please, step forward, Queen Lydumillia of Renalis, and Ranger Levin.”

I did so along with Lydia. She ascended to the throne while I remained on the floor and stood beside Morgan.

All eyes were on Arthur as he reached for the stone holding Excalibur. With a carillon, he drew it free, bathing the entire room in a warm and gentle light. There were gasps from the crowd.

“Kneel, Ranger.”

I dropped to one knee and bowed my head as Arthur took slow and deliberate steps to descend from the throne. He stopped two stairs above me and set Excalibur upon my shoulder. I gulped. Now that I could fully appreciate its splendor, the golden sword of Camelot was the most beautiful piece of weaponry I’d ever seen. It looked forged of solidified starlight, with a deep blue wrapping around the hilt that was purer than any ocean. Suddenly, I understood why Laevatain shattered in one blow. It wasn’t just Arthur’s god-like power. Excalibur itself was a god-like sword.

“As the leader of the Alliance, I acknowledge your strength, skill, and valor. I name you General of the Renalian forces. Rise, General Levin, Ranger of Renalis.”

I slowly stood. Arthur placed a hand on my shoulder and then looked at the audience. I followed his gaze to the Clergymen of the Primaries, all Archbishops of their various Churches. There was something wrong. They all looked apprehensive, even livid

What is he about to drag me into?!

Arthur smiled in their direction. “May our bond of fellowship never be broken. I look forward to the day we draw swords together, my brother.”

A simple gesture. Normally, I wouldn’t read into it that much, but Morgan’s, Lydia’s, and the Clergy's face all twisted in surprise.

My brow twitched at everyone's reaction. What kind of political intrigue bullshit just happened? This was not the RPG I signed up to play, god fucking damnit! Charisma was my dump-stat!

The rest of the ceremony was filled with the typical stiff introductions, handshakes, customs, and courtesies I came to expect. None of the Clergymen attempted to greet or congratulate me. I was already an international pariah for safekeeping Dark Elves, now I also had to deal with whatever shit Arthur just dragged me into. Lydia must have sensed my foul mood because she and Idyia took it upon themselves to socialize on my behalf. I had an inkling I'd never truly fit into this sort of environment. I was a different type of leader: the down-in-the-dirt kind. Being paraded like a show dog and eating lavish food and drinks went against the very fiber of my being. I'd rather have some chicken strips and a cold beer. Arthur and I shared this in common if his dull and bored expression was anything to go by.

When it was finally over, Arthur dismissed himself and Morgan, but he called on Lydia and me to follow suit. I eagerly retreated and pulled my wife away from whatever conversation she was having. She looked irritated but didn't press. Idyia trailed behind. Anna must have seen us leave because she fell in line next to Idyia.

Arthur guided us deep into the citadel, through dusty hallways and cold, spiral staircases. With a wave, Lydia manifested over a dozen dancing flames that floated all around us.

Morgan hummed in muted approval. "Passible."

Lydia scowled but said nothing and we continued our descent into the depths of the mountain. Lydia naturally exuded more warmth than any normal person, so Anna and Idyia stuck close to her out of reflex. Arthur's Constitution was so grotesquely high I doubted he felt any discomfort. Morgan gently folded her arms into her sleeves. I walked next to Arthur.

"Welcome to the Camelot Catacombs, where all those who served and died for the realm are honorably entombed." He announced, a chilling wisp visible with each breath. He led us further in until we arrived in a particularly clean chamber with only a single, ornate sarcophagus. Over it stood a tall statue of a knight in half-plate holding a bow.

The bow itself stood out. It was a recurve bow, meant to be used on horseback, and had an indescribable, inexplicable weight of existence similar to Laevatein and Excalibur. An ethereal silver-white sheen covered the entire weapon.

"This is Failnaught, the bow of Sir Tristain." Arthur stepped around the coffin to stroke the bow once.

"None save another Ranger can wield it. Tristain imbued the bow with his very life to ensure it."

"Can't you just force the string to draw?" I had a hard time believing Arthur lacked the Strength or power to do so.

"I have tried, but to me and all else, the bow is as rigid as stone. I feared the bow would snap before succumbing to my will."

"Do I just take it?"

Arthur nodded.

I took a deep breath and reached out for the bow. It glowed brightly for a moment then faded. I scanned the item prompt from my Menu and then dismissed it. I pried it free from the statue and drew it back with a grunt.

Holy shit! The poundage on this bow is unreal!

"So you can draw it. Then this is fate. Failnaught is yours."

"What happened to Sir Tristain?" I asked as Arthur stepped out of the chamber. He paused but didn't turn.

"He was killed. Defeated in the Rift when he tried to slay the Demon God of Chimeric Beasts, Beur. He escaped but was poisoned by Beur's fangs. Rather than die slowly, he poured his very essence into Failnaught. May it serve you well, as his successor."

Arthur's back was hunched, and I finally saw the weight of two lifetimes upon his shoulders.

"I wish you good fortune in the wars to come, Ranger Levin of Renalis."

Arthur didn't see us off after we left Camelot the following day. Morgan bade us farewell. Even as I watched her gently wave at our procession, I wondered how much the legends surrounding these two tragic figures were true and what would come about from them in the future.

Given a chance to reflect, I recalled one of the stories where Morgan and Arthur reconciled. She was the one who brought him to Avalon and healed him. Maybe that story was closer to the truth. I'd like to think it was. I wouldn't ever truly forgive Arthur for hurting my family, but that didn't necessarily mean I wanted the same to happen to him.

"Levin. Levin!"

I turned toward Lydia who held my military uniform.

"Don't you want to change?" She smiled.

I grinned back. "Oh, hell yeah."