Albion, the place once known as England, as the United Kingdom, minus Ireland.
Today, it had fully thrown off the weight of that era and had completely transformed into something new.
No longer was it a fallen world-spanning empire, an empire on which the sun never set.
In fact, these days, it was nearly completely isolated.
While the borders weren't officially closed, most people had little reason to leave due to international sanctions, which made the new local currency nearly worthless around the world.
Something that very much meant few people went out on vacation.
As for people entering, that was also limited due to the same reasons. There was still a small but steady stream of international tourists who got themselves the necessary visas to visit.
Though the reason this was possible was largely due to other nations still wanting a way to get spies into the nation, which forced them to allow people to enter despite the diplomatic issues between Albion and the rest of the world.
After all, Arthuria had broken the status quo, she had broken the established system, she had severed the rules of international commerce, the laws of war.
She had done the impossible, she had forced the world to change, to bow to her will.
Something that many nations had a hard time accepting. The world was, after all, full of egos, and she had bruised more than a few of them.
Yet despite the sanctions, despite the isolation, Albion was a paradise.
Its people were happy, they were safe, they were fed, and they were free.
Free from the fear of war, free from the fear of crime, free from the fear of poverty.
Of course, to some, that freedom came at a price.
Arthuria was a dictator, a tyrant, a queen who ruled with an iron fist, but her people loved her, they saw her as a god.
In their eyes, she had saved them, she had given them a new life, a new hope.
And they would follow her to the ends of the earth.
Even the old nobility didn't resist much, as Arthuria was herself a king, and as such, she returned power and privilege back to the noble class.
As long as they behaved themselves, at least.
Noble or not, if they abused their powers and privileges, she wouldn't let them escape harsh punishment.
Those hit hardest by her reforms were those who took advantage of the old system, landlords who grew fat on people having no choice but to pay whatever they demanded in rent.
The bankers, who rigged the system, and the stock traders who dealt in insider information to get rich by selling worthless things to hopeful, ignorant people.
The powerful executives, who cared not for their employees or their customers, who cared only for earning themselves and the shareholders money.
The kind of people who would drain the wealth of a nation into the hands of the few.
Arthuria's Albion was the home of the people, not a playground for the rich.
A far cry from the old United Kingdom.
Now, it had returned to its old days, ruled by a king, with knights with swords and armor walking about, and with people smiling as they lived simple but happy lives.
All of this was backed by magic, fueled by infinite energy from huge-scale arc reactors from Tony Stark and the righteousness of Arthuria's knightly code.
Yet running a kingdom was by no means easy. Arthuria often lamented how difficult it was, how draining it was.
Thankfully, her knights offered her their help, and together, they managed to steer this ship through these turbulent times.
Yet now, Arthuria was gone.
Most of her knights were all gone.
With only a few left behind to take care of things.
This would already be difficult enough on its own, but the remaining knights didn't just have to keep the kingdom running, they also had to do it while ensuring people didn't realize that Arthuria and the rest of the knights were gone.
Sir Agravain remained within the castle, constantly buried beneath mountains of paperwork as he did his best to ensure everything ran smoothly, dealing with whatever problems appeared while his king was away.
It was by no means easy, but it was his honor and duty to do whatever he could to help his king.
"Sir, a message from Sir Dagonet. He reports the same as before, the people are asking questions," a young squire reported, a girl by the name of Ria, a bright kid who had risen from among the Widow children.
"Let me see," Agravain said, not even looking up, holding out his hand.
He had long since mastered the art of not giving anyone his attention, even if he was listening to them with full concentration. While it was often considered rude, it also often pushed people to be more direct and to the point.
Saving them all valuable time.
He also wasn't the type to beat around the bush, so he appreciated it when others did the same.
He wasn't popular among the nobles or even the other knights, but no one could argue with the results of his methods.
He was efficient.
"Here you go, Sir," Ria said, handing over the tablet, a device given to them to help with the massive amounts of information and data they had to handle.
Even in the new age of magic, modern technology still had its uses, even if the knights still liked to pretend otherwise.
Agravain glanced at the tablet; it was just a daily report.
The same kind he had been getting for the last week.
His king had left more than three weeks ago and had not returned.
Nor had any of the knights who went with her.
And keeping that fact hidden became increasingly difficult as time went by. After all, many of the missing knights were usually seen daily.
While their not appearing for a few days wouldn't raise any questions, their not showing up for a few weeks surely did.
And for good reason, too. The knights were, after all, celebrities. And just because their social media profiles were still going, it didn't stop people from talking about it online.
The internet was truly a place where conspiracy theories could form and spread quickly.
"Any news about the king? They have been fighting the forces of hell for three weeks now," Sir Agravain asked. He tried to remain calm and composed, but he couldn't help the slight tremor in his voice.
"None, Sir," Ria said, her voice soft and sympathetic.
She knew how much he cared about the king, how much he worried about her.
"Very well, you can go," he said, dismissing her with a wave of his hand.
She bowed her head and left, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
He leaned back in his chair, a deep sigh escaping his lips.
He was worried, of course he was. He was worried sick.
But he couldn't let that show. He had to be strong, for the sake of the kingdom, for the sake of his king.
He had to believe that she was okay, that she would return.
He had to.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and then turned his attention back to the tablet, to the endless stream of data and reports.
But no matter how hard he tried to focus, his mind kept drifting back to his king, to her safety, to the battle she was fighting.
He couldn't help but feel helpless, stuck here in the castle, while she was out there, fighting for her life.
He wanted to be by her side, to fight alongside her, to protect her.
Yet he understood that he was needed here, though that didn't mean he was happy about it.
He pushed his worries aside and focused on the task at hand, on the mountain of paperwork that awaited him.
It was a long, tedious process, but he knew that every report he read, every decision he made, was for the good of the kingdom, for the good of his king.
And so he worked, long into the night, a solitary figure in a castle full of secrets, a guardian of a kingdom in turmoil.
It was a lonely existence, but it was his, and he wouldn't have it any other way.
For he was Sir Agravain, a Knight of the Round Table, a loyal servant of his king, and he would do whatever it took to protect her, to protect her kingdom.
Even if it meant sacrificing his own happiness, his own life.
It was a price he was willing to pay.
-----
Other than Sir Agravain, another knight who remained behind was Sir Dagonet, Court Jester and Knight, a man known for his wit and humor.
He wasn't asked to stay behind because of his administrative skills.
No, he stayed back because his disappearance would have been impossible to hide, given that he, more than anyone, appeared before the people of Albion often.
That was, after all, what he did best: he cheered up the people, he put on performances, entertained them, and he was the knight closest to the people.
So even now, his role remained the same, someone to distract the people, to keep them smiling, to reassure their hearts.
Though that wasn't his only mission. After all, with the war against the Hell Lords happening in secret, it was entirely possible the lords of hell and their minions would try to cause problems on the home front.
Forcing Arthuria and the knights in Hell to turn their focus back home.
So Sir Dagonet had to keep an eye out for any signs of this, and therefore, he traveled through the kingdom, visiting big cities and small towns, and brought laughter to the land, while watchful eyes watched the shadows.
It was a heavy burden, but he carried it with a smile, for he knew that he was doing his part, that he was serving his king.
He had just finished a performance in London. He had done what he always did; he made the people laugh, he made them forget their worries, for a little while.
The show was a success, as always. The people had cheered and applauded, their faces alight with joy.
But as he walked through the streets, he couldn't help but remain shocked at how much it had changed from the Londinium of old.
Back then, it had already been large, second only to Camelot itself, but today? It was massive beyond scale, housing more people in one city than the entire kingdom had back then.
If that wasn't something to be impressed by, he didn't know what was.
Yet, tomorrow he would leave once more, heading instead for Cardiff, or Caerdydd as the locals called it. He had been there quite a few times before, and he rather enjoyed the city. The people there were simple, honest folks who reminded him more of the old days than the people of London did.
Chapter end/author's note
Alright, we aren't done with the sentinels just yet, and before we wrap them up, we will be seeing Camelot during the past few weeks, then have a big old machine bash, I'm sure. But yeah, the current chapter is in the past, compared to when the sentinels attack.
(End of chapter)
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