Chapter 12: The Camelot
When King Uther and his entourages made their triumphant march towards Camelot, a wave of anticipation and excitement swept through the capital.
The grand city of Camelot, with its towering white walls and magnificent spires that seemed to touch the heavens, stood as a beacon of hope and glory.
The sun bathed the land in a golden hue, illuminating the intricate carvings and stained glass windows that adorned the castle.
Massive stone structures stretched across the landscape, connected by elegantly arching bridges, and the fortress at the heart of the city, with its majestic halls and ancient banners, exuded an aura of both sanctity and power.
Meanwhile, in the bustling heart of the city, countless civilians praised King Uther with fervent admiration.
Their voices rose in unison, expressing their gratitude for the monarch who had returned not only with victory but with the wealth of nations.
The sight of carts overflowing with treasures, distributed generously by the knights among the people, further solidified the king's reputation as a ruler who truly cared for his subjects.
The streets, paved with smooth white stone, were filled with citizens wearing expressions of awe and reverence.
"What a magnificent king we have," they murmured in awe. "If this were any other ruler, they would have hoarded the treasures for themselves, greedily keeping the spoils of war. But not King Uther. He is different. Not only is he generous to his loyal men, but he extends that generosity to the common folk as well."
King Uther did not merely bring victory to this land; he brought with him an abundance of wealth and the promise of honor.
These acts of benevolence and leadership deepened the people's loyalty to their sovereign, especially in contrast to the decadent state the kingdom had fallen into during his prolonged coma.
Now, as he returned from the brink of death, resurrected and restored to his rightful place on the throne, the civilians began to grasp the true meaning of cherishing something that had once been lost.
The shimmering towers of Camelot, which had once seemed distant and untouchable, now felt like a beacon of hope that was within their grasp once more.
In the past, when Camelot was resplendent in its full glory and valor, the people took everything for granted.
They basked in the kingdom's strength, believing it to be an unchanging reality.
The city had been a jewel of civilization, its palaces and temples glistening under the midday sun.
However, after King Uther was grievously wounded in battle by the treacherous Vortigern, everything changed. With the king confined to his bed in a coma, Camelot entered a period of rapid decline.
The once lively courtyards, where knights trained under the watchful eyes of their commanders, fell silent.
Heavy taxes were imposed on the people by the nobles, who grew ever more corrupt.
The grand halls, once filled with noble banquets and celebrations, became barren and lifeless.
The once-protective knights turned a blind eye to the atrocities committed against the populace.
All of the Camelot territories in the south fell to the Saxons, and many of the kingdom's people were slaughtered on a massive scale, forcing countless civilians to flee as refugees to the capital, where they lived in abject poverty.
Fear became their constant companion as Saxon raids continued to devastate their lands. They were left with nothing—stripped of their wealth, their loved ones, and their dignity, all trampled underfoot by the invaders after the king fell into his coma.
The pristine streets that once brimmed with prosperity became overrun with beggars, and the grand marketplaces that once displayed the finest wares now held only remnants of what they once were.
So many evils were laid bare before them during this vulnerable time for the kingdom. Now, they began to see with newfound clarity that only King Uther could save this land. But not just the kingdom—he might be the savior of the entire world.
Whispers spread that he could be the prophesied king, the one foretold by Sage Merlin himself.
The people had already witnessed the immense difficulty of pulling the Sword of Stone from its resting place, yet King Uther had done so with astonishing ease.
He carried it as if it were as light as air, and handed it over to Sage Merlin with the same casual grace.
Even a legendary sword such as this did not seem to warrant his attention, underscoring just how truly epic King Uther was in the eyes of all who beheld him.
The Sword of Stone had always belonged to King Uther; he had wielded it in the days of old. It was a relic, not only of his own past but of his lineage—a possession of his father, Maximus, the last ruler of Rome in Britannia.
Therefore, when many who had attempted to draw the Sword of Stone themselves acknowledged the overwhelming evidence of King Uther's identity as the man of prophecy, they did so with a newfound reverence.
They had experienced firsthand how arduous and exhausting it was to even attempt pulling the Sword of Stone, pouring all their strength and effort into the endeavor, only to fail.
And yet, King Uther had succeeded effortlessly, solidifying his status as the destined savior of the island.
Now, with Camelot's towers gleaming once more and the kingdom regaining its former splendor, the people looked to King Uther with renewed hope, believing that under his leadership, the future was brighter than ever before.