"Guinevere, don't you like Lancelot? He's the most virtuous knight under my command."
The King of Knights and Guinevere rode ahead on horseback, while the accompanying knights tactfully trailed behind.
"Your Majesty," Guinevere said, "if you truly consider me your wife, you must never allow other men to stare at me again. Not only would it anger me, but it would also undermine your authority as King."
"Why?"
"Because a Queen should be the King's exclusive possession, the object of your greatest possessiveness. Besides, would you enjoy them staring at you so openly?"
"We are comrades-in-arms... No, you're right. Their gazes are too reverent. I dislike it, but accepting their reverence is my duty as King."
In the King of Knights' eyes, there was no question of subordinates disrespecting their sovereign, nor any consideration of proper distance between men and women.
After deliberately changing the subject only to receive this answer from the King of Knights, Guinevere felt like she was throwing a seductive glance at a blind man.
Guinevere sighed. "Just promise me you won't do anything so foolish again," she said. "As for Lancelot, just think of us as naturally incompatible—his mere presence makes me uneasy."
Because of her past-life memories, she knew the King of Knights' downfall began with the illicit affair between Guinevere and Lancelot as depicted in the books.
Therefore, whether Lancelot stared rudely at her, prompting Guinevere to lament her difficult fate, or if he behaved impeccably as a loyal subject, she would never see him favorably. She would always guard herself against this noble knight.
"Your Majesty," Guinevere said, her voice earnest, "if Lancelot isn't married yet, arrange his marriage soon to settle his heart."
These words came from the bottom of her heart, though she didn't know if her suggestion would be effective, or if it might inadvertently hasten the very fate she feared.
In her previous life's memories, she clearly recalled that Lancelot had a son named Galahad. Galahad's birth had occurred after Lancelot fell in love with Guinevere...
Once, when Lancelot visited the Fisher King, the Fisher King used magic to transform his daughter into Guinevere's likeness.
Then, Lancelot slept with this disguised princess.
At this thought, goosebumps nearly erupted across Guinevere's skin. She took several deep breaths to suppress her nausea.
If the story were merely a story, she would have pitied Lancelot for being a fool of fate. But now that she had become one of the tragic characters in that tale, she resolved to crush fate itself.
While Guinevere was lost in thought, the King of Knights, concealed beneath their helmet, secretly observed her, trying to gauge her reaction to their gaze—whether she was sensitive to it or outright repulsed.
This was the King of Knights' first real opportunity to truly examine their betrothed.
Guinevere, you truly are beautiful. But is it right to choose her, to condemn her to a marriage destined to be childless?
In this era, from royalty to commoners, everyone placed immense importance on lineage and posterity.
Moreover, the King of Knights knew that most of their time would be devoted to state affairs, leaving little room to give Guinevere the attention she deserved.
"Guinevere," he said suddenly, his voice muffled by the helmet, "if you ever come to love another, I won't mind."
A gentle breeze stirred, the river flowed steadily, and the King of Knights' sudden declaration jolted Guinevere out of her reverie.
A fierce fire ignited within her heart, and she nearly stripped the King of Knights bare, wanting to show them through action that she would never love another.
Yet she resisted the impulse, desperately suppressing the flames of her fury.
The knights behind them maintained a distance beyond earshot, but kept the pair in sight at all times.
And this was precisely how the King of Knights had acted in the stories Guinevere knew.
In those tales, after discovering the affair between Guinevere and Lancelot, the King of Knights had chosen to turn a blind eye. This indulgence only emboldened the pair, leading to increasingly reckless behavior that ultimately exposed their secret. Several knights perished as a result.
In the stories, Guinevere was sentenced to be burned at the stake, only to be rescued by Lancelot, who declared his rebellion and led an army to seize her.
Taking a deep breath, Guinevere silently reminded herself that the King of Knights lacked understanding of human nature and needed proper guidance.
"Your Majesty, promise me! I won't love anyone else, and neither will you!"
At that moment, Guinevere couldn't suppress her anger. Her words, spoken with fierce intensity, conveyed her emotions clearly to the King of Knights.
Shifting her gaze from Guinevere's flushed face, the King of Knights felt a surge of confusion. She couldn't understand why Guinevere was so enraged. After all, she was merely granting her the freedom to choose her own happiness.
Though she didn't understand Guinevere's anger, the King of Knights decided to keep the promise to herself, since Guinevere clearly disliked the idea. Moreover, the King of Knights had never intended to fall in love with anyone. She declared:
"I can promise you this: I will never love anyone else."
Perhaps Guinevere's fury had awakened a flicker of emotional intelligence in the King of Knights, making her realize Guinevere genuinely loved her. As the words left her lips, she instinctively replaced "anyone" with "anyone else."
By the time the King of Knights' steady voice, filtered through her helmet, reached Guinevere clearly...
Guinevere opened her mouth, wanting the King of Knights to repeat the entire sentence. But the King of Knights had already lightly kicked her horse's flank, urging it forward a few steps to end the conversation.
"Bastard!" Guinevere cursed under her breath. After her outburst, she sighed. At least she had secured a personal promise from the King of Knights. Whether she herself would fall in love with someone else shouldn't have required the King of Knights' guarantee anyway.
Taking another deep breath, Guinevere realized she would have plenty more to be angry about after marrying the King of Knights.
But I brought this on myself, didn't I?
Thinking of the face beneath the King of Knights' helmet, Guinevere chuckled, a smile returning to her face.
If they weren't betrothed, her boldness might seem brazen. But since their marriage was inevitable, she considered it playful banter between partners.
She urged her horse forward, riding alongside the King of Knights, and changed the subject.
"King of Knights, you know my name—Guinevere L-... No, after we marry, I'll be Guinevere Pendragon. So, can you tell me your true name?"
"Art..."
"I know you're Arthur, but I want to know the name you had as a girl."
The King of Knights fell silent, her thoughts drifting. Ever since drawing the Sword in the Stone, she had never used the name Guinevere longed to hear.
"Artoria Pendragon."
Hearing this, Guinevere couldn't resist pumping her fist in the air, her smile genuine and radiant. She urged her horse forward, reaching out to remove the King of Knights' helmet, but Artoria flinched back, slightly flustered.
"Lia, can I call you Lia... just when we're alone together?"
"...Haven't you... been calling me that already?"
For some reason, a flicker of happiness stirred within the King of Knights' heart. Was it because even Merlin and Kay no longer addressed her by that title?
After letting Guinevere approach and gently tightening the reins, it was the King of Knights' turn to take a deep breath. She was grateful her helmet remained on, knowing she hadn't completely controlled her emotions; the corners of her lips must have curved upward.
Ultimately, Miss Artoria wasn't without human warmth. It had been merely a few years since she drew the Sword in the Stone at the age of fifteen, leaving her still in the bloom of youth.
Conversely, if Guinevere were to count her past life's age, she would be the one described as "an old ox grazing on tender grass."
"Hehe, Lia... hehehe... My Lia... Mine..."
Saber.
Guinevere only murmured the word Saber in her mind.
Hearing Guinevere's foolish giggling and sensing her manic excitement, the King of Knights unexpectedly felt an urge to chop someone down.
"Guinevere, compose yourself!"
"Hehe, yes, My King."