Arthur might be thinking a little differently...

PART THREE

THE WAR

Chapter Thirty-Five

Arthur's Battle

ARTHUR LOOKED OVER THE FIELD, glad that there was little of the familiar red and gold cloaks as possible. Just the sight of the cloak made him miss his own to the extent that he knew that if he had to flee Camelot again, he would have to take it with him. If this war was for nothing, he hoped that his father's crest would mean something whether he went up north or across the sea, and if it meant something, it would mean that he would be greeted in court with open arms.

He knew that he shouldn't be thinking about defeat or otherwise he was lining up the outcome for defeat but he also knew of the importance of having a backup plan. With the Sarrum being overconfident, Arthur felt like he could allow himself to not be so confident. The problem was with the way that Morgana was conducting herself. She was taking things diplomatically and she hadn't so far pushed for the law against magic to be made legal. It was like she was either biding her time or waiting for him to come back to show everyone that she would make the better monarch. He was so certain that if the Sarrum's men were let loose on Camelot, he might not have as many people to rule in the great city as Morgana had currently. He was so sure that they would kill, rape and loot their way through the city and it was the last thing that Arthur wanted.

How could he prove himself to be the better person and monarch when the men he was using had no code or honour?

The Sarrum had also got better on judging his mood as well. He somehow just knew when Arthur needed to be reminded of why they were doing this and other times being told to not to be so sentimental. This was war after all. There had never been a war when someone didn't die. Most wars were started by someone killing someone else. Arthur had a feeling that this war would fall into that category as well but that was something for him to think over later. He sighed as the Sarrum walked up to him.

"Just another patrol and a few scouts. I think the bitch is sizing us up."

"Wouldn't you? I would like to know what I was up against before I actually faced the enemy." Arthur replied.

"Lose the code, Arthur. You can pick it up again when you become king."

It angered Arthur. He was proud that he had a little pride and that he still tried to at least follow the knight's code. There was a reason it was enforced. So that those noble enough could take the role of the protectors of the realm. It stopped the mess of soldiers that the Sarrum had.

"I'm sorry?" He said as the Sarrum started to walk away.

"Lose the code. It is holding you back. War isn't for men with codes and pride. War is messy and needs men that are hungry for whatever they fight for." The Sarrum paused. "You are hungry for the throne of Camelot."

"It is my birthright. Of course, I am."

The Sarrum started to laugh. "Birthright means nothing now. Not when you are fighting that bitch for a throne."

"Stop calling Morgana a bitch," Arthur shouted.

It was enough that the Sarrum would question him and his motive but he had enough of him referring to Morgana in the manner as he had done. She didn't deserve that. Maybe Arthur was becoming soft but it just didn't feel right to call her that. He felt like she had been pushed into the role, even if she was doing a good job of it. Not that Arthur would ever say that to the Sarrum.

"I'm sorry?"

"Stop calling Morgana a bitch," Arthur repeated.

"She doesn't deserve the respect that not calling her a bitch deserves. She is some common whore to you. Toughen up, Arthur."

Arthur wanted to say more but felt like he wouldn't get the Sarrum to stop calling her a bitch. He wanted to scream but knew that would only attract attention to him that he was frustrated in some shape or form. Instead, he marched towards where the servants were making up the camp for the night. He just hoped that his tent was already up.

Arthur knew that there would be someone waiting for him in his tent before he even reached it. The Sarrum had spoken to him like their small argument earlier didn't happen and even stopped referring to Morgana as a bitch, even if it did mean that he said that everything was an attack on Camelot to get Camelot back into the hands that it belonged to. It seemed like the Sarrum only knew how to say well down and apologise through his vast number of prostitutes in his grasp. It didn't really surprise Arthur to see the man on his knees in the middle of the tent.

For a moment, Arthur thought that the man was Merlin before he lifted his head up. The man looked terrified and Arthur wondered whether it was even worth teasing the man or just allowing him to leave now. Arthur wouldn't have said that he was that way inclined. He always found beauty in women and never thought of a man like that. But there was something about overpowering another man that sparked something in him. He had seen many of the Sarrum's men take one of the serving boys, bend them over before gaining some sort of pleasure from the way that the poor serving boy squirmed underneath them and crying out in pain.

Arthur shook his head before he almost dismissed the man. He didn't need to sink any lower. Or at least that was what he was trying to tell himself.

"Isn't he beautiful?"

Arthur hadn't expected the Sarrum to follow him but felt uncomfortable by his presence and his sentence.

"You don't have to like them in that way to still do what you want to them." The Sarrum continued. "Half my men don't like men in that way but you must see how it is to overpower them. We are men. We are the top. Women are there to look pretty and give us the heirs that we need. They don't need conquering unless they want to rebel, then you have to show them who is the head of the table and household. But men. As a noble, we are at the top of the top. He is just a poor scout that wasn't killed with his friends." He paused for a moment. "Break him, Arthur. Get him to tell you all his secrets. Leave him as some whimpering mess that wants to die. Make him not feel like a man."

With a pat on his shoulder, the Sarrum turned back to the entrance of the tent.

"If you need anything, just shout. But I think I have left you everything you might need."

The man bent his head over again as it was just the two of them again. Arthur walked a few steps to stand in front of him before seeing the table laid with a number of things, half of which Arthur knew that he would have to guess what they were for.

But Arthur knew this was it now.

Was he going to be a man like his father and the Sarrum? Or was he going to be a better man?

Was he going to put this man through a world of pain? Or was he going to offer him an ultimatum?