Emrys was quietly sitting in his chambers, a book open in his hands, when someone knocked on the door.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Rou appeared in the doorway.
"Your Majesty, do you have a moment?"
"That depends. Is this going to be a pain in the ass or not?"
Rou entered and closed the door behind him before sitting down opposite Emrys.
"I wanted to give you an update on the situation with the alliance with the fairies."
Emrys looked up from his book.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, quite the opposite. Things are going rather well."
Rou leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.
"Cooperation is progressing as planned. Exchanges are becoming more frequent, and the fairies seem satisfied with the way we're handling things. Some have even started coming to Ulster regularly."
"That's good news. I'm not sure Dahlia will agree with that, though. But then again, knowing him, he probably won't care one way or the other."
"Even if most of them don't wish to settle here permanently, their presence is becoming increasingly frequent. They seem to appreciate being able to come and go freely without having to abandon their territory."
Emrys closed his book and placed it on the table.
"Has anyone complained about the imposition of the confidentiality geis?"
"There have been a few stubborn ones, but nothing we couldn't handle."
"Good, then. But are you sure you're okay?"
Rou seemed embarrassed by the question and scratched the back of his neck.
"Seeing Gerhearde again as the representative of the fairies wasn't easy, that's for sure. But it seems she doesn't hold a grudge against me. Or at least, she doesn't seem interested in getting revenge."
"Really? That's surprising."
Hopefully, it'll help ease his guilt a little. Iklia told me he's been screaming apologies in his sleep up until—
"But that's not the only reason I came to see you."
Emrys gave him an inquisitive look.
"I'm listening."
"I received an invitation from the king of Camelot."
Emrys' expression remained impassive.
"The king of Camelot?"
"King Allister. He's heard about Ulster, its development, and how we've managed to unite different races under one banner. He's also learned that the one governing it is the hero Faker."
Emrys remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he picked up his book again.
"I refuse."
Rou blinked.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
"You haven't even taken the time to think about it."
"I don't need to."
Rou sighed.
"Emrys, this is the king of Camelot we're talking about."
"I know perfectly well who he is."
"Then you should understand the importance of this invitation."
"I understand that it's a pain in the ass."
Emrys turned a page.
"If MacAllister or whatever his name is wants to discuss something concerning our two kingdoms, he can always send an envoy. I don't see why I should travel all the way to Camelot for a simple meeting."
"Because a meeting between two sovereigns can help strengthen relations between their kingdoms."
"And because refusing a royal invitation would be considered inappropriate, I suppose?"
Rou didn't answer immediately.
Emrys looked up at him.
"That's exactly what I thought. Politics is such a pain in the ass, just like everything else."
"It's not just a matter of protocol. Allister seems genuinely interested in what we've accomplished in Ulster. A meeting could allow us to establish good relations with Camelot."
"We already have relations with several kingdoms. I don't see why Camelot should be any different."
"Because Camelot holds an important position in the region."
"So what?"
Rou ran a hand over his face.
"Could you at least listen to me until the end before making a decision?"
"I listened. My answer is still the same. So far, you've handled all the diplomatic exchanges quite well, and everything has gone smoothly. Why should that change now?"
He reopened his book, making it clear that he considered the conversation over.
Rou stared at him for a few moments.
"Sometimes, I wonder why I even entrusted you with the regency."
"So I wouldn't have to deal with this crap."
"No, seriously. You're getting more and more bitter with age. I'm starting to wonder if you're becoming senile."
Silence settled over the room.
Rou watched Emrys, who seemed to have already forgotten his presence.
He eventually let out a sigh.
"Fine. Since you refuse to listen to me, I'll have to use my secret weapon."
Emrys didn't look up.
"Go ahead."
Rou stood up and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?"
"You'll see."
He left without saying another word.
Emrys watched him leave, then shrugged slightly.
He had no intention of letting himself be dragged into a diplomatic meeting whose purpose he couldn't see.
After all, he already had more than enough to deal with in Ulster.
---
A few minutes later, the door opened again.
Emrys, who had resumed reading, looked up.
Rou had returned.
But this time, he wasn't alone.
A three-year-old girl accompanied him, holding his hand tightly.
She had the curious gaze of someone discovering a place for the first time and seemed to be carefully observing everything around her.
When she spotted Emrys, her face lit up with joy.
"Uncle Emrys!!!"
She ran toward him and jumped into his arms.
Emrys' face immediately stiffened.
Damn it, that bastard really brought out the heavy artillery.
But when he saw her running toward him, a broad smile spread across his face.
"Well, if it isn't little Gerhearde!!"
He grabbed her by the shoulders, lifted her above his head, and then settled her onto his lap.
The little girl was bursting with excitement.
"How long has it been since I last saw you? Six months? Look how much you've grown! You're almost as tall as me now!"
"Hey, Uncle, is what Daddy said true?"
Emrys was still smiling, but Rou could sense an extremely murderous intent directed at him.
"And what exactly did he say?"
"He said you had to go to a meeting with the King of Camelot and that you were doing it because you love all of us and want everyone to be happy."
Shit! What the hell did that asshole go and tell her?
"I don't really understand what that means, but you're going to do it, right?"
Emrys wanted to contradict her, but when he saw the hopeful expression on the little girl's face, he didn't know what to say.
Rou, meanwhile, had already started smiling.
"Y-Yes, of course I'll go. After all, it's my responsibility."
It's in the bag, Rou thought.
The little girl let out a squeal of joy and immediately hugged Emrys.
"Yay! I knew you loved us, Uncle Emrys!"
Emrys gently patted her head.
Yeah, I never stood a chance from the beginning.
---
The following day, just as Emrys had barely left his chambers, he spotted Rou waiting for him in the corridor.
He stopped.
"What now?"
Rou crossed his arms.
"Are you really planning to go to Camelot like that?"
Emrys looked down at his outfit, then raised his eyes again.
"What's wrong with my outfit?"
"Nothing. It's not about your clothes. It's not uncommon for kings to visit one another wearing armor. Though it would be better if you took off your mask, but I know you'll never agree to that. The problem is that you're the king of Ulster. You can't travel alone without an entourage."
"I don't see what the problem is. I do it all the time."
"The problem is that you're going to meet the king of another kingdom. A visit like this requires a minimum amount of preparation."
Emrys sighed.
"Rou, I'm simply going to meet Allister. I'm not planning to invade Camelot."
"I know. But that doesn't change the protocol."
"Protocol..."
Emrys looked away, visibly unenthusiastic about the idea.
I really hate politics.
Rou continued:
"We need to prepare an escort, organize the journey, and inform Camelot of your arrival. We also need to make sure everything goes smoothly."
"It's unnecessary."
"It's necessary."
The two men stared at each other for a few moments.
Finally, Emrys raised a hand in surrender.
"Do whatever you want."
Rou smiled.
"Perfect. I'll take care of it immediately."
"But don't make a big deal out of it."
"I'll make sure everything is ready as soon as possible."
Rou immediately walked away, leaving Emrys alone in the corridor.
He let out a long sigh.
He should have known Rou wouldn't let him leave so easily.
---
Preparing the expedition took longer than expected.
Rou didn't want to leave any detail to chance.
They had to determine the route, gather a sufficient escort, and send a message to Camelot announcing their arrival.
Emrys, for his part, wanted nothing more than to get it over with as quickly as possible.
When he learned that the escort was finally ready, he joined Rou in front of the castle.
The sight before him made him stop dead in his tracks.
Members of the Gáe Bolg unit stood in orderly ranks. Several mounts had been prepared, and servants were bustling around the vehicles intended for the journey.
Emrys surveyed the scene with an utterly weary expression.
"What part of 'don't make a big deal out of it' did you not understand?"
Rou, who was standing beside him, answered calmly:
"It's a perfectly reasonable escort for a king."
"If you say so."
"Everything is ready. We can leave whenever you wish."
Emrys cast one last glance at the castle.
"Let's go."
"Try not to embarrass us over there."
A black bolt of lightning suddenly descended from the sky and struck right next to Rou.
He barely reacted, merely letting out a sigh.
"You don't have to react like that."
A second bolt of lightning, this time red, descended and struck even closer than the first.
"I get it. I'll shut up. Have a safe trip."
Rou gave the signal to depart.
The escort set off, gradually leaving the castle grounds and heading toward one of the exit points.
When they reached it, the leader of the escort at the front spoke the password.
"My body is made of blades."
Emrys, seated in the carriage that had been reserved for him, leaned back against his seat.
He watched the scenery pass through the opening.
Beautiful scenery, but scenery he'd seen so many times that it no longer stirred anything in him.
The rest of the journey passed without incident.
With nothing else to do, Emrys spent the trip mentally insulting Rou.
That bastard. I even gave him Balisarda and Rule Breaker, and he still keeps putting me in these stupid situations.
Let's go back a little.
Not so long ago, during Rou's first year as regent, he had come to see Emrys about something.
He had asked Emrys to publicly hand him an object that would serve as a symbol of authority passed down from one regent to the next. According to him, it was meant to "legitimize the regency in the eyes of the population."
At the time, his argument had been flimsy and unconvincing. Emrys had even suspected that Rou simply wanted a really stylish weapon.
He had then handed him Balisarda and Rule Breaker during a ceremony.
Balisarda, the sword of Roland and Ruggiero, which was in a way the sword counterpart of Gáe Dearg, and Rule Breaker thus became the symbols of the regency.
Ever since then, just as he had suspected, Emrys could frequently sense Rou having fun cutting through spells that mages from Rho Aias or Gáe Bolg threw at him.
After finishing his train of thought, Emrys, who was getting extremely bored, decided to "sleep" for a while during the journey.
He only left the carriage at night to talk, eat, and drink with the members of the convoy.
None of them were surprised by this. Emrys was used to occasionally coming to teach lessons to Ulster's soldiers, so almost all of them were familiar with his personality.
The convoy crossed several regions before the first buildings of Camelot appeared on the horizon.
Emrys raised his head slightly.
"Finally."
---
The walls of Camelot stood before them, imposing and solidly built.
The city appeared prosperous. Travelers moved along the roads leading to the gates, while guards kept watch over those coming and going.
At the sight of Ulster's escort, the sentries sprang into action.
A guard atop the walls immediately raised his voice.
"Behold the arrival of the King of the Kingdom of Ulster! Honor and glory to him!! Our king welcomes you wholeheartedly, my lord!!"
The gates opened.
The convoy entered the city.
Emrys observed the streets stretching out beyond the walls.
The buildings were well maintained, and the inhabitants seemed to be going about their daily lives without paying much attention to the visitors.
A few nevertheless stopped to watch the procession pass.
"It's a prosperous city."
After crossing several streets, the procession arrived in front of the royal castle.
The building towered over its surroundings, surrounded by high walls and several courtyards.
Guards stood on either side of the entrance.
A man dressed in formal attire stepped forward to meet them.
"Welcome to Camelot. His Majesty is expecting you."
Emrys stepped down from the carriage.
"Let's go."
He followed the guide inside the castle.
The corridors of Camelot Castle were spacious and meticulously maintained.
Emrys walked alongside the guide, who was leading him toward the audience chamber. The man seemed uneasy because of his proximity to Emrys.
Guards stood at regular intervals along the walls.
Emrys barely spared them a glance.
He wasn't particularly impressed by this kind of display.
After passing through several corridors, they arrived in front of a large door.
The guide stopped and turned toward him.
"His Majesty is waiting for you inside."
He signaled to the guards.
The doors slowly opened.
A vast hall appeared before him.
Columns supported the high ceiling, and large windows allowed daylight to stream inside.
At the far end of the room sat a man on a throne.
He wore the clothes of a sovereign, and his demeanor reflected his authority.
Several advisers and guards stood beside him.
When Emrys entered, the man stood up.
"Welcome to Camelot."
He wore a bright, relaxed smile.
Allister descended the few steps leading to his throne.
"I am Allister, King of Camelot. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, King Faker."