"Mr. Anno, Lancelot, and... Teacher Merlin?" Artoria was tending horses in a meadow. Seeing the three of them riding toward her on fine steeds, she looked surprised.
She was surprised because Anno had returned so soon. Less than two months had passed since his last visit.
And this time, he had brought Merlin with him.
A dreadful suspicion crept into her heart.
"Lia." Lancelot greeted her warmly.
Merlin smiled beside him without saying a word, while Anno looked at the young girl with a complicated expression.
Above all, he felt sorrow for her.
Artoria had never experienced the things a girl her age should have. She had been raised as a boy since childhood, and now, before she was even fifteen, she was about to become the king of a country.
Anno had indeed considered preventing this girl, who was still in her early teens, from becoming king and taking the throne himself. But every time he saw King Uther's aged face, every time he remembered Artoria solemnly promising to protect the country, his already faint desire quietly faded away.
It was just this child who would suffer.
Anno reached out to pat Lia on the head, but his hand stopped in midair. In the end, he let it fall.
She would be his king. Even if she wasn't yet, he had better stop overstepping his bounds.
"Lia, we've come this time... to bring you some news." Anno's voice was low.
Artoria swallowed, her hand trembling slightly on the reins.
Lancelot turned his head away, his heart heavy. During his years in Camelot, he had met King Uther many times. The stern yet kind-hearted elder had taught him a great deal about knighthood, and Lancelot was deeply saddened by his passing.
Merlin let out a soft sigh but said nothing.
"Your birth father, the Knight King of Britain, Uther Pendragon, has passed away." After Anno spoke, silence fell.
Artoria stood rooted to the spot, as if struck by lightning.
The wind swept over the grass, making it rustle.
"How could this be?" Though she had only met her father a few times, Artoria still had some affection for him.
"We came to take you away and make the final preparations for your coronation," Merlin said beside them.
"Let's go to Ector's house first and talk there." Anno shook his head and patted Merlin on the shoulder.
A moment later.
"That's how things stand. So we'll be leaving with Artoria now," Anno told Sir Ector.
"My king... My king..." Sir Ector wept bitterly, overwhelmed with grief.
He had been at King Uther's side since the king was young. He was the most loyal man to him in all of Britain, and the one who had loved him most.
"Uncle Anno, I want to go with you too!" Kay didn't feel the loss of King Uther very deeply; he only wanted to protect his adopted sister.
"As long as your father agrees." Anno nodded.
"We'll take Lia to the Non-Human Realm to train for a year. Then we'll return to Camelot, and she'll draw the king's sword," Anno continued.
It took Sir Ector quite a while to compose himself. "Go, Kay. Go, Lia, future king of Britain." As he spoke, he waved them away.
Artoria was still lost in grief and didn't hear a word Sir Ector said.
Anno rose to his feet and bowed to Sir Ector. "I'll bring back a mature and reliable king for Britain."
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