Trial by Combat

Mordred was Arthur's unacknowledged, dishonorable bastard son. Everyone who knew the truth had sworn to keep it secret before God, so in the eyes of the world, Mordred possessed the same right of succession as Gawain.

Gawain's mother had married into Northern Europe, while Mordred's mother had married into Cornwall. Thus, Mordred naturally enjoyed the support of Knights of the Round Table and nobles from the Duchy of Cornwall.

At the same time, because he had been active in Britain and had become a Knight of the Round Table half a year before Gawain, basking in boundless glory, there were quite a few knights who secretly supported Mordred and were willing to back him as king.

After all, there was a saying: the nearer the water, the sooner one sees the moon. Mordred had appeared before everyone ahead of Gawain, and coupled with Arthur's preferential treatment born of guilt, everyone had once believed that Mordred ought to inherit the throne.

That was until two months ago, when another of Arthur's sisters arrived in Britain with her son, instantly causing a nationwide uproar.

Didn't Prince Gawain supposedly possess the right to inherit the Kingdom of Denmark?

The Viking Kingdom believed in the gods of Northern Europe and worshipped Odin, as did the Saxons in faith and spirit. The Kingdom of Camelot now believed in Protestantism. Though some nobles might secretly cling to the old faith, they still had to pretend, at least outwardly, to be devout believers in God.

Even as Arthur's nephew, Gawain had no right to inherit the throne of Camelot. He was not even a Christian.

Camelot and the Kingdom of Denmark could not become a unified kingdom merely because they shared the same monarch.

To become King of Camelot, one had to believe in God. To become King of Denmark, one had to devoutly worship Odin. Between two kingdoms and two gods, one could only choose one.

That was until Gawain's first return. The Queen of Denmark, Uther's daughter and the eldest of all his children, directly brought Gawain to St. Stephen's Church in Camelot to be baptized, making Archbishop Arnold Gawain's godfather.

That decisive move instantly made everyone realize that Gawain's mother and Mordred's formidable mother were both King Uther's daughters. Neither side was to be trifled with.

Gawain obtained his ticket to eligibility for inheriting Camelot's throne, and he also entered Sir Ector's knight training school. This meant that, as Sir Ector's student, Gawain was at least under Sir Ector's protection. Those who had graduated from Ector's knight training school instantly became Gawain's fellow disciples.

Who did not know that Sir Ector's son, Sir Kay, was Camelot's seneschal, the banner and core of the old guard and royalist faction among Camelot's nobility?

Even Gawain, with Viking blood, could be accepted by Camelot's upper ranks.

In truth, this only narrowed the gap between Gawain and Mordred's starting lines by a little. It could not change the fact that Mordred had gotten a six-month head start.

Among the nearly one hundred and fifty Knights of the Round Table, who represented all the major forces in the Kingdom of Camelot, it was impossible for there to be no factions.

The most illustrious was the old guard. They had all been important ministers during Uther's reign, such as Merlin and Sir Ector. Yet apart from Merlin, who remained active on the political stage, the others had already retired.

The knights who had followed Arthur while he was still a prince were represented by Sir Ector's son, Kay. As Arthur's brother, he was regarded as the representative of the royal in-law faction.

Then there was the old noble faction, once opposed to Arthur but now subdued, such as Lamorak, son of King Pellinore, who had once broken Arthur's Excalibur.

Every noble knight among the Knights of the Round Table possessed a noble background. Either his father was a king of Britain, or his uncle was a king. Even Lancelot was a foreign prince. Yet during the long years of war, many men of less distinguished birth had been elevated by Arthur into the new noble faction because of their extraordinary valor and merits.

Within the Knights of the Round Table, these complex factions were further divided by region. For instance, Uther had once fallen for the King of Cornwall's wife, leading to war between them. Thus, after Arthur ascended the throne, the Cornish knights who had once suffered Uther's discrimination often preferred to band together for warmth, prompting other knights to follow suit.

These Knights of the Round Table took members of the Twelve Round Table Knights as their faction leaders, competing with one another for benefits and influence, creating an intricate situation where factions were intertwined and interwoven.

In the tales of Gawain from Arthurian legend, Gawain had three younger brothers. Once he and his brothers had all entered the Knights of the Round Table, they became an immensely powerful faction, the nephews' faction, holding an overwhelming advantage over Mordred.

Now, Gawain was no longer the fledgling newcomer who had just arrived in Camelot and had no one to rely on.

He could now draw Excalibur, a weapon of immense importance to the kingdom. If the Church held a popular selection, would he not be the king chosen by God?

Moreover, with his achievements in defeating the Green Knight before and slaying the dragon now, as well as inheriting the power of Cú Chulainn, the great hero of Celtic mythology, Mordred's political suppression of Gawain through his early advantage was soon no longer going to work.

Yes.

Mordred had spun the Green Knight's earlier provocation as something Gawain's mother had orchestrated—a game deliberately using lies to grant him glory—and guided public opinion accordingly. Thus, the Knights of the Round Table had postponed their recognition of Gawain's qualifications.

But the matter of defeating the dragon had been witnessed firsthand by the Knights of the Round Table in Camelot. Even the dragon that Sir Kay, Sir Lamorak, and Sir Tristan had failed to defeat together had been brought down by Gawain. Did that not prove Gawain's strength?

Of course, the people involved all knew that Gawain had taken advantage of an elemental counter. Had they been prepared beforehand, or had they fought during the day, they would never have ended up in such a sorry state.

But the common people were ignorant. They would endlessly praise Gawain's achievements, and the Church seemed to favor him more as well. This was the first time Mordred began to take Gawain, this enemy, seriously.

"You must understand that even if Gawain is sentenced to hanging, the king may pardon any criminal."

Sir Kay spoke in a measured tone. In his view, the proposal to hang Gawain was simply absurd. Even if that was what the law required, he could only punish Gawain according to procedure as a "thief." But the king's command was law as well.

"Camelot's laws came from Arthur. Yet if Arthur, who made those laws, breaks Camelot's law, what authority would those laws retain? We revere the laws of Camelot established by Arthur, and we correct Arthur's violations of those laws. Is that right, or is it not? Sir Kay, you are the royal steward, chief minister, and keeper of the seal. You are the king's brother. No one here can represent the king better than you. So tell us, what should be done?"

Mordred looked up at Sir Kay and spoke in an even tone. This uncle, who had once doted on him, had completely shifted to Gawain's side after Gawain arrived in Camelot.

Sir Kay rose to his feet and threw his scabbard onto the Round Table, fury boiling within him. It had actually come to this, being pushed around by this brat.

"I'm telling you, the king's command is law! No matter how unwilling you may be, Arthur is king, so his word is final. Even pardoning any sinner is his prerogative. If the king believes Gawain has done nothing wrong, then Gawain has done nothing wrong. If the king believes some noble is guilty, then he is guilty!"

Sir Kay spoke fiercely, naturally defending Arthur. But as soon as those angry words left his mouth, he sensed the strange looks from the Knights of the Round Table and instantly came to his senses. He had said the wrong thing.

Blinded by anger, he had just said something that completely tarnished the king's reputation.

Everything Arthur said was right. Even when Arthur was wrong, he was still right.

That was not remotely realistic. Even Arthur himself would never claim to possess the power to do whatever he pleased. He had always exercised his authority with great caution.

"Call a vote, Sir Kay! According to the operational charter of the Knights of the Round Table established by Master Merlin, only the king or someone authorized by the king may convene a Round Table Council. Those attending are Knights of the Round Table currently in Camelot, and the meeting place is the chamber of the Great Round Table. Therefore, even if fewer people are present than usual, we may still convene it. Should we respect the royal laws established by Arthur, or should members of the royal family and the powerful be permitted to stand above the laws Arthur established? Should the king respect the laws he himself created?"

After Mordred finished speaking, the Knights of the Round Table all drew sharp breaths. With a turn of the conversation, the question of whether Gawain should be punished had become a question of whether the law should be respected.

There had been a proverb in Rome: laws that could not protect commoners could not protect emperors either.

In England, kings claimed to be protectors of the law, while for judges, the laws they upheld were in fact protecting the king.

If it had been Sir Bedivere, he would likely have spotted Mordred's problem long ago. But after Mordred had trapped Gawain through a loophole in the law, the Knights of the Round Table had no choice but to unanimously support Mordred's punishment of Gawain.

"Gawain is Arthur's nephew. You wish to kill Arthur's nephew. Do you really think this matter can simply be erased clean under the name of the Round Table?"

Sir Kay shouted, making one final appeal. Yet those threatening words nearly made Tristan faint on the spot. Are you sure you aren't on Mordred's side?

He was plainly trying to put Gawain to death. If anyone had still hesitated over Gawain's judgment just now, then under that threat, in order to protect their own reputations, to avoid being seen as cowards before royal power who had stained the law, and to preserve Arthur's name, they could only force through a guilty verdict.

A smile appeared at the corner of Mordred's lips. His goal was actually very simple.

There were only two heirs to the throne. Remove one of them, and Arthur would have no choice left.

When the Prince of Qin, Li Shimin, carried his brother's head before his father, Emperor Li Yuan, Li Yuan had faced the same situation. If he did not give the throne to his only remaining son, who else could inherit it?

"Of course the king will take the lead in obeying the laws he himself has made and uphold their authority. He will not casually grant pardons and trample his own laws. But do not forget that Gawain is now a knight as well. Camelot is a kingdom of knights, and knights possess a privilege: when they believe themselves wronged, they may undergo trial by combat. You may find Gawain guilty and sentence him to death, but do not forget that Gawain may also clear himself through trial by combat."

The doors of the Round Table Council chamber were pushed open, and a one-armed young man strode inside and spoke loudly. It was Bedivere.

The king's steward, and also his cupbearer.