The Desired Fate

"Yo, Gawain." Lamorak looked at the little boy and smiled kindly. "Not with your brother today?"

The little boy Gawain shook his head, pouting, "Brother Agravain has to receive Mother's tutelage; he has no time to play with me at all."

Gawain was the second son of Morgan le Fay, a princess of Britain, and the king of a small nation, while Agravain was their eldest son and Gawain's brother.

Morgan le Fay had not united with Anno, so she had been married off early by King Uther, giving birth to Agravain at the age of fourteen or fifteen.

Women of this era married and bore children early; frequent wars demanded a large population.

Gawain walked over and sat down next to Lamorak.

"Why does Brother Lamorak sit here every day?" Gawain asked, puzzled.

Lamorak was nineteen this year, so Gawain could barely get away with calling him brother.

"I'm waiting for someone," Lamorak sighed. "Waiting for the King of Britain, and also for my commander, my idol."

"Brother Lamorak's idol?" Gawain was surprised. In his eyes, Lamorak was already incredibly strong. "Is he even stronger than Brother Lamorak?"

Lamorak grinned, "That's for certain! Commander Anno's martial arts are the pinnacle of all humanity!"

"Commander Anno?" Gawain thought for a moment. He truly couldn't imagine what the "pinnacle of human martial arts" looked like, but he did recall something else. "I remember Mother mentioning that name."

"It's normal for your mother to know Commander Anno; I recall they were acquaintances." Lamorak reminisced, "I felt that Princess Morgan le Fay seemed a bit afraid of Commander Anno back then."

"Eh? Why would Mother be afraid of that Anno?"

"I don't know." Lamorak shook his head; he generally wasn't interested in such court gossip.

Just then, a group of people appeared at the gates of the royal city of Camelot.

Anno was the same as ever, wearing his bright silver Treasure Armor, his expression solemn.

Standing in front of him was Artoria Pendragon, dressed in male attire. She was also wearing armor with a long sword at her waist. She currently had a pinched expression, nervously playing with her ahoge to distract herself.

Anno looked at Artoria helplessly and walked over to the guard post.

"Please halt, Knight, please—" The gate guard had just intended to stop Anno, but then he clearly saw Anno's face.

"You, you are Lord Anno!" The guard looked astonished. "And Lord Merlin has returned as well!"

Anno nodded, and Merlin waved with a smile from behind.

"May we enter the city?" Anno inquired.

"Ah, yes, of course!" The guard's face flushed red, and he excitedly made way.

Anno smiled, stepped aside, and extended a hand. "Please, everyone."

The group filed in, and Anno patted the gate guard on the shoulder before following them inside.

"Lord Anno and Lord Merlin have returned, which means..." The guard's gaze swept between Kay, Lancelot, and Artoria, who was walking at the very front.

"I hope the people these lords brought can end the chaos within Camelot as soon as possible. Britain has been in turmoil for too long." Although he was a guard, he was also a knight capable of mounting a horse for battle.

Anno and Merlin led the three of them toward the Knights' Cemetery.

There, awaiting Artoria, was the destiny she yearned for.