2
Celebrations
Over the course of the following weeks, Mordred had grown accustomed to the castle and its workings as well as the people; bother those who live in the citadel and in the villages below. He is welcomed by all – except perhaps Merlin – and Mordred finds himself enjoying the company of those who he would normally avoid. He quickly learns that, just like a family, the Knight, those in Arthur's inner circle at least, all seem to have their own roles to play.
Arthur, of course, being King, is their leader: The one whom they all look to for orders. Sir Leon is one of Arthur's most able advisers, wise and loyal. Sir Percival is by far the strongest, yet although some would believe him to be fierce, judging him only by size, Percival is nothing but friendly. Sir Elyan is the Queens brother and he shares not only some of the Queens looks but the ability to be incredibly considerate and kind-natured whilst at the same time quite the fighter when practising out on the training grounds. But, despite having grown to like each of the Knights equally, Mordred can't help but feel slightly closer to Sir Gwaine. The older man's ability to be forever the jokester and the most care-free of all the Knights had drawn Mordred in. Also the fact that, whereas Mordred wasn't much of a talker, Gwaine had the ability to continue talking for a surprisingly long period of time without ever stopping for breath, therefore making Mordreds job easy as all he had to so was listen.
Mordred was… Well, he was the newcomer, the youngest, and with that came being treated slightly differently from the rest. The Knights enjoyed playing pranks on him, all though it was all good-natured and even Mordred laughed along. They also took more care with him during training and only Arthur seemed to push Mordred, stopping just whenever it became too much but pushing far enough to help Mordred gain more skill with his sword. Perhaps, Mordred often thought to himself, it was because Arthur, being the King, had also received the same treatment Mordred was getting, maybe even more, as most people were hardly likely to properly fight and injure there King.
Tonight, inside the citadel, preparations are being made and a feast is being held and it takes Mordred almost no time at all to figure out the reason behind it.
"It's the anniversary of the Kings coronation." One of the servants tells him and Mordred feels the excitement and anticipation begin to catch. He might never have been present at one to witness it for himself but he had heard stories about the unforgettable feasts at Camelot which always seems to make quite the impression on those visiting. So much so, that their legendary celebrations were one of the many things that Camelot was known for.
The feast itself is much more impressive than Mordred could ever have imagined and this is why, sitting at the round table between Elyan and another Knight whom he didn't know the name of, Mordred has to fight to stop the full blown grin from showing on his face. Instead, he looks around the table happily, watching the other Knights laugh loudly, shouting across at one another cheerfully whilst piling more food onto their plates and pouring more ale into their tankards. It is at this point that Mordred notices Arthur sitting some seats along, his expression solemn. Curiosity sparks in Mordreds chest as he notices the sad look in Arthur's eyes.
"He's always like this on the anniversary of his coronation." Elyans voice sounds in his ear and Mordred turns his gaze away from Arthur to look at the other Knight for a moment before returning to stare at the King.
"I thought it was a cause for celebration." Mordred almost shrugs, smiling slightly and Elyans laughs, a light chuckle.
"It is." The other Knight agreed lightly. "But it's also the anniversary of Uthers death." He added matter of factually. Mordred paused for a moment, his gaze turning away from Arthur to stare down at his plate. He hadn't thought of it like that but of course the day that Arthur had become King meant that Uther was no longer King and Mordred could remember the elder Pendragon well. He would not have stepped down from the thrown unless he had no longer been around to sit on it. However, unlike Arthur, Mordred didn't feel sorrow for the death of Uther Pendragon. He felt for Arthur, of course, that the celebrations which were held each year to celebrate his coronation were held under such a dark cloud as having lost his father.
Mordred watches as Arthur rises from his chair, leaving the table and exiting the room to where, it is unknown to Mordred, and he almost wishes that he could get up and follow him but, instead, he turns his attention back to the food on his plate. If anything, Arthur would want to spend some time alone, perhaps in silence and Mordred was in no position to deny him of his wishes.