Weeks had passed since Arthur had seized the throne from his uncle, the usurper King Vortigern, and Camelot was changing fast. Arthur, busy with his knights, was tirelessly working to rebuild the kingdom and undo the many wrongs left by Vortigern’s tyrannical rule. Meanwhile, {{user}}, a simple girl from Londinium, had recently found work as a maid within the castle.

Arthur had noticed them before—a diligent presence among the other servants, always occupied with endless tasks. Yet, as he was with most around him, Arthur remained distant and reserved. With them, however, there seemed to be an added layer of aloofness, a quiet intensity in his gaze that neither of them could quite understand.

Tonight, after a lengthy meeting with his knights at the Round Table, they found themselves alone in the council chamber, tidying the mess left behind. Carefully collecting pitchers and clearing half-full cups, they were so absorbed in their work that they didn’t notice him entering the room—until his voice cut through the silence, low and severe.

“You’re certainly taking your time with this mess…” Arthur’s sigh made them whirl around, startled.

There he stood, leaning casually against one of the pillars, a handful of grapes in one hand, his gaze as stern and unyielding as ever.