After the battle of Camelot, the popularity of both Norgales and Iceni among the masses dropped, as the news of them siding with the invaders broke out.
Their loss in the battle caused the deaths of thousands of knights and fighters and left them with no means to defend themselves from the anger of the people.
The situation was so bad, even nobles and common folk banded together to cause a massive riot, breaking the castles' walls and putting most of the kingdoms' officials to the sword.
Both kingdoms were ground to dust within a matter of weeks.
The fact Arthur managed to win the battle despite the overwhelming forces of evil with the sword of divinity really endeared him among common folk and nobles alike.
When King Arthur came to confront them, he didn't even need to bring any knights. The two crumbled kingdoms opened their gates and immediately announced their surrender.
Most of those people accepted him, the king of Logress, as their Lord and official sovereign.
Within the first two months since the battle was won, the name of Norgales and Iceni were no more.
In addition, Arthur did not forget the aid shown by the Danes. The king gave them a portion of land in between the border of Iceni and Norgales. The land was located near the shore, in the north east of Britannia.
The decision was not one easily accepted by the people, but thanks to Arthur's newfound popularity, peace was achieved in Britannia. Not only that, the gesture of goodwill Arthur made earned him a favor with them, resulting in the Danes willingly helping them to protect the eastern part of the Britannia border from the Northern tribes' invasion.
It was a win-win solution. Everyone was willing to accept the truce. Their trust in their new king only increased.
Now, Logress territory has broadened multiple times, with the newly added Nogales and Iceni lands, including the former Lioness territory, it has grown too big to compare with its two allies, Gangani and Demetae on the west.
To minimize the risks of future conflicts related to territory disputes, in the last six months Arthur has been working hard to merge the three kingdoms into one entity.
Thus, the Britannia Kingdom was born.
From this alliance, the members of the other kingdoms' royal families received the title of first class noble as the Western barons, and the new kingdom, 'Briton' will be led by Arthur and his chosen knights, serving as both his most loyal protectors and his personal council.
They were the protectors, the guardians of the land, the twelve knights that would help the king rule the land and uphold the values of justice, truth and honor the Knights of Divine Order once espoused.
They were the Knights of the Round Table.
"Merlin, I know you already have the Wizard title with you... but I always thought of you as a fellow knight... I would like you to fill in one of the empty seats to become the twelfth knight and part of the knight council... What do you say?"
On one hand, Emery appreciated the gesture, but on the other he saw no need for titles, nor was he interested to be involved in any matter revolving around any kingdom at all.
Arthur had foreseen this outcome, so he quickly added the position was nothing but an honorary thing. There was no need for him to get involved in any of the kingdom's matters at all.
Despite that, though, Emery was still wary of accepting Arthur's offer. But before he could refuse too firmly, Arthur insisted and announced to his knights.
"Anyone who agrees on Merlin taking the position of an honorary knight, please make your voices known."
All 10 knights standing in front of the table knocked the stone table at the same time with their swords, a sign of their mutual agreements on the matter.
In the end, after reassurances, Emery decided to accept the honor. To his surprise, it seemed Arthur had prepared for the whole thing, including a set of uniform and a specially made sword for him. Even a name that surprised him: Sir Lanzelot Dulat.
Seeing Emery's surprised expression, Arthur laughed and said. "Hahaha! It was actually Gwen's idea, I hope you like it-"
As soon as the name was spoken, a set of footsteps could be heard from outside. Someone came into the room. It was Gwen herself, whom Arthur just mentioned.
The golden-haired beauty wrapped in a dashing, gleaming silver gown decorated with diamond jewelry came into the room with hurried footsteps. As soon as she saw him, she was stunned and silent. She quickly recovered, however, and greeted him to cover it.
"Merlin, welcome to new Brittania."
Emery gave the girl a slight but sincere smile and said "Yes, this place looks great..." Emery looked at Arthur, then Gwen and said "Seeing what you two have done to Britannia in such a short time is amazing."
This kingdom Arthur created was everything Emery could have even hoped for. Britannia, a kingdom built upon the ideals that Gwen wished to achieve and more. Its core aim was to give the best to the people, something Arthur wished to do since the beginning of his tenure as king.
Gwen's expression told him she wanted to ask more, but Emery decided not to waste time and asked for the purpose Arthur brought him to this room.
"Yes, I understand, come with me…" Arthur led him to the place at the end of the room, where the majestic throne of Logress used to sit.
Now, in its place, there was a stone pedestal carved to look like an altar, with a slot for the sword. It was stabbed into the stone, letting the jewel-encrusted handle catch the light of the sun streaming through the window and shine in seven colors.
The simplest way to describe it was glamorous.
The two came close to the expertly carved stone altar and Arthur explained.
"I lay the sword here and only take it out during important ceremonies... the thing is no one is able to pull the sword except me... but I'm sure it's different for you. I have seen how you use it. So, give it a try"
Emery approached the altar where the sword lay, and grabbed the handle with his arm tightly.
All the knights in the room stared at him curiously. Could Emery really pull the sword? What would happen if he did?
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Written by Avans, Published exclusively by W.e.b.n.o.v..e.l,