The True Legend Of Arturia: King of Knights

The Beginnings of a Legend

Some will believe this tale to be purely fantasy, a fiction written for amusement or as a story from my take on the legends of the King of Knights, noblest of all the realms. If that is your belief, so be it. The truth is that this tale, contained in the pages and words I transcribe are not some mere fantasy but the tales passed down my family for at least a thousand years. I swore to tell this tale to those who will listen as I have grown old and have no family to pass the history and legacy of King Arthur, carried only by descendants of his most trusted, still awaiting the return of the Once and Future King.  The truth has remained much too long shrouded in mystery and hidden in the mists of time. Now I will reveal the true origins and life of Arthur Pendragon, King of the Britons. The arguments and conflicting tales surrounding this legendary heroic spirit continue to this day, but will be resolved in this book, or tale as it should be called.

Some say that King Arthur of Camelot was born from a marriage to unite the Romans and the Britons. Some would argue that he was purely Roman or purely Briton. Some believe that Arthur was a Roman general of legions, some believe a mere squire that had a great burden thrust upon his shoulders. Some would even go so far as to say that Arthur was a woman who was forced to be a male for the sake of her people.

The truth is that Luther Pendragon was Roman, marring a Briton wife to grow his own power and ambition. His wife gave birth to a daughter gifted with magic, her heart as black as Luther's own. Morgana was feared across his lands for her cruelty. He wished for nothing more than a son to take the throne. His wife wife could never birth another child, though, without dying. He was angered by this, seeking out a mage to help his wife give birth to a child with a pure and noble heart.

Merlin did as he was asked, combining the hearts and souls of two noble and pure dragons and forcing them into an unborn child created of magic in the womb of Luther's wife. The birth of the child brought death to the mother. The baby was a girl, named Arturia, a fact hidden from the people. They believed the child to be a male, the heir of the throne. A prophecy spread across the land concerning the child. This baby would become the noblest and strongest king of Briton. The Once and Future King, King of Knights, protector and servant of the people. A beacon of hope to the weak and suffering and the sword of the just to the wicked. Luther became enraged and planned to kill this child blessed by Merlin and magic. Morgana, in a rare moment of kindness, took the child to Merlin and assisted in hiding her sister. Shortly after the child was whisked away, Luther died and the kingdom fell into chaos. The Romans returned in force to stomp out any rebellion and taking the children to fight in their wars on the mainland.

Arturia was given to a family out of reach of Luther's great influence and the Romans' cruelty, the knowledge she would need to know to be king forced into her mind by Merlin. She was treated little better than a slave in the small village she had been sent to, never being shown an act of love or kindness. Her knowledge and skill with a blade was unmatched by the age of four. Merlin took her to the Sword in the Stone, the sword slipping out easily. She knew the burden she now carried, embracing her fate. She returned to her village to continue training as a knight, never complaining to the harsh treatment. She was envied by the knights of the village for her control, nobleness, kindness, and humbleness. The older knights were sent to fight in the north, leaving the village with no protection.

The Romans came like thieves in the night, killing those who opposed them. The squires and other able body youth were rounded. A Roman screamed in pain as a sword slashed the backs of his knees. He fell, the tip of a sword protruding from his chest. The other Romans froze, turned, and watched as a small child, just turned five years old, fought many of the soldiers and was victorious. When the child was surrounded, the sword was sheathed. The Roman captain knew it was not an act of cowardliness or in surrender, but as an act of peace.

"I am Arthur Pendragon, protector of this village and king of these lands. I will freely go with you if you spare the other townsfolk and never return to this village." The child's voice never shook, her eyes locked on the leader's. The passion the Roman captain saw in those emerald eyes caused him to agree. She was placed on a horse and taken from Britannia with a promise, heard by a young squire named Lancelot, that she would return one day to free them. He spread the news and promise across all of the lands and the people had hope once more. She became a hero and legend to her people from that act of selflessness alone, becoming loved even as she was forced to become a soldier for the Romans.