Sparks flew as two swords collided, their owners staring challengingly into each other's eyes. One sported a grin, the other a focused frown, as their blades flew apart and they both jumped away, calculating their next plan of attack.

Sparring with Lancelot was always a fun respite from everyday governance, and it never failed to put a smile on Arthur's face. Deep in the woods, away from the eyes of the others, the two practiced their swordsmanship, pushing the other to his limits, growing and improving together. Out of respect for Arthur and in the spirit of fairness, Lancelot had removed his helmet and chest armor to face off with him, and Arthur saw every muscle in his arms ripple as he swung his blade, saw every little calculating shift in his eyes.

He loved it.

It went to show why Lancelot kept his visor down so often, too; the dark knight's eyes gave away all of his plans. His crimson gaze hardened, and Arthur dodged neatly to the side before Lancelot's charge forward even got close. Then, as a taunt, he struck out behind him, only to meet Lancelot's blade. His dear friend had anticipated his move two steps ahead, and the thought made Arthur laugh.

"You know me too well, my dear Lancelot."

"You're far too predictable, Arthur." The sound of his name, bereft of titles and formal addresses, was like music to the king's ears as he whirled around, quickly stepping out of the way of yet another blow. "Your speed is remarkable, but one cannot win by dodging alone. You won't wear me out."

"Oh really?" Arthur challenged with a mischievous grin. "Not at all? Because I seem to recall only a few nights ago when I-"

Lancelot's hands fumbled and Arondight slipped out of his grasp, only for the knight to catch it in midair and hold it in a defensive position. His face had gone as red as his eyes and Arthur was living for it. "Y-You! You dirty cheat! Don't say such things when… when…"

"When we're alone?" Arthur teased in response, aiming a jab which Lancelot easily parried. "Then when else can I say them?" Lancelot's eyes widened and shifted all over the place, trying their hardest not to look directly back at him, and Arthur took the opportunity to take a step closer. "After all, I do so love to see that handsome face of yours become so-"

"What did I say about being a dirty cheat?" Lancelot snapped, his fingers tightening around his sword, and Arthur laughed again.

"What? All I did was call you handsome!"

A growl left his opponent's mouth, his teeth bared in a snarl, the redness of his cheeks making his scar stand out against his face. Arthur couldn't take back his compliment even if he wanted to.

"I swear I'll… I'll make you stop, even if I have to hold my sword to your neck to do it!" Lancelot shot back. A hollow threat, and Arthur knew it; Lancelot had never been able to keep his sword pointed at him for long.

But he responded to the threat in kind, eyes glimmering with the challenge. "I'll make you eat those words."

Their match resumed, their swords clashing against each other with Arthur making more of an effort to fight back rather than keep dodging. Lancelot was incredibly strong, most of his strikes causing Arthur to skid backwards as they met his own blade, and Arthur felt the rush of adrenaline and excitement that came with battle, a welcome feeling amidst the rising uncertainty and pressures that came with running a kingdom under the threat of an invasion at any point. To spar with Lancelot like this was so freeing, it felt as though his soul was singing and he was flying on his feet, without any thoughts of Saxons to ruin his day.

A surge of joy rushed through him, the inevitable result of enjoying his time with the one he loved, and in an inspired move, Arthur dodged once more, using one hand to swing around a tree trunk. Predictably, Lancelot followed him, but with a second swing around, Arthur had made his way behind his knight, and with one more move, he had him pinned against the trunk with his sword to his neck. The force of the impact caused a few loose quills to shed to the ground, but neither paid those any mind as they stared at one another.

Arthur lowered his sword. "I win," he gloated, sheathing the blade while keeping Lancelot pinned in place with one arm. He knew his friend was strong enough to escape easily, yet when he looked back up at him, the dark hedgehog's head was lowered in shame.

"Lance? Is something the matter?"

The knight's face rose again, though he turned his face away. "I must get better," Lancelot muttered, his body tensing under Arthur's arm. "I must get better reflexes and focus, better strategies… If I cannot protect you, then what kind of knight am I?"

Arthur sighed in exasperation. This again. "Lance, do I really have to say it?"

"That I'm still your best knight?" Red eyes fixed on his face, mollifying him more than they should. "I know that's what you're about to say."

"Because it's true," Arthur insisted, much gentler now. His arm fell from Lancelot's chest, but neither moved from his position. Instead, Arthur's hands raised to cup Lancelot's face, and even through his gauntlets, he swore he could feel his knight's face burn under his touch. "Even if you're never satisfied with yourself, know that I always will be."

Lancelot's eyes darted to the side, his face growing red anew, and his own hand raised to cover one of Arthur's as the king stroked his thumb along the scar on his knight's face. Lancelot's eyes slid closed as he lost himself in bliss, and Arthur's heart pounded at the effect he caused in such a powerful, incredible, strong-willed, kind-hearted man as his Lancelot.

"You truly are handsome."

The corners of Lancelot's mouth quirked in a semi-smile, and the sight delighted Arthur to the heavens and beyond. "Such a gorgeous smile…"

"I'm not smiling," Lancelot protested, eyes opening as he smiled wider, and Arthur felt the remainder of his self-restraint crumble.

He leaned forward, his breath ghosting over the knight's lips, and Lancelot stiffened for a moment before raising both hands, fingers slipping though Arthur's spines in an unspoken gesture of consent, and with that, their lips met. Once, twice, thrice… The slow, languid kisses were like an addiction, where one was never enough, and the gentle brush of their noses was one of the only things anchoring them to reality as joy sparked between them.

Breaking apart was inevitable, but always a disappointment, yet, Arthur couldn't help but feel pleased at the faraway, lovestruck look in Lancelot's eyes. Brushing his thumb against the scar one more time, he murmured, "Told you I'd make you eat those words."

For a split second, Lancelot's eyes clouded with confusion, and then widened as he remembered Arthur's earlier taunt. To Arthur's incredible delight, Lancelot's smile returned, and then evolved into a soft laugh, and it was akin to being struck by lightning, because dear Chaos, there was no sound more glorious on earth or in the heavens than Lancelot's laugh. Arthur stared, enthralled, as Lancelot's laughter only increased in intensity, his own heartbeat speeding up to record levels.

He loved him. By the gods above, he loved this man. Lancelot always looked at him as though he were the sun, but…

But what was a sun without his world?

The thought was like an arrow through the chest. Lancelot, his closest friend, his most trusted knight, the love of his life, his world… Right before him, laughing at his jokes, red-faced and embarrassed but not hiding away from him. For the second time that day, Arthur felt his self-control crumble and melt away as he leaned forth again, pressing his lips against Lancelot's cheek, along the scar.

The knight's laughter halted, transforming into gasps, and his fingers dug into his spines again, pulling him forth, closer. Arthur's hands fell from Lancelot's face, choosing to wrap around his body instead, pulling him as near to him as possible as their lips met in a fiery kiss. Arthur felt Lancelot's weight shift in his grasp, his knight going weak in the knees at the unrestrained display of passion, and he felt another flutter of delight at the effect he had on him.

The Ultimate Knight. The strongest of all at the Round Table. Slayer of armies, battler of countless foes… coming absolutely undone by him, and him alone.

It was an absolute honor to be able bring him to that point. It was a privilege to see Lancelot so vulnerable, to be trusted so completely by him, and Arthur cherished it beyond what he could convey with words, so he spoke instead with his actions, with his arms holding him tight and his lips speaking without words as they pressed against his lover's. Even as they broke apart for breath, Arthur didn't let go; his hold on Lancelot stayed strong, and their foreheads rested together as their eyes blinked open, glazed over and seeing nothing but the other.

Arthur's fingers lightly massaged at his knight's back as he wondered what to say next. He didn't want to hold back when it came to showering Lancelot with affection; the knight had gone through far too much, waited far too long for him… and Arthur wanted to give him everything he could, whenever he could.

But before he could even get a word forward, a third voice reminded them that they weren't in fact, alone.

"Are you two quite done?" came the irritated voice of Caliburn from Arthur's hip, and two pairs of eyes went wide as Lancelot broke out of Arthur's hold, his face even redder than before.

Arthur bit back a disappointed sigh, frowning down at his sword. "Oh Caliburn," he taunted as Lancelot scrambled away to put his armor back on. "If you keep interrupting me, I'll start thinking you want to join in."

"What I want," the sword replied, terse and tired, "is to go one day without having to watch you two all over each other. It's no fault of mine if you forget that I'm still around, yet I must suffer the consequences."

Arthur laughed lightly as Lancelot made his way back toward them. "Fine, fine… I'll try to remember from now on."

"You say that every time," the sword grumbled. "In any case, it's time you head back. I won't be providing any excuses for you if you are to face consequences for staying out longer than allowed for your private time."

"Of course, Caliburn," Arthur returned, yet no sense of urgency made its way into his voice. Instead he patted the hilt of the blade with one hand as the other gripped on to his knight's. Lancelot, in turn, slammed his visor down, and Arthur could only imagine the look of embarrassment on his lover's face.

Together, they walked back to the castle. They could have run, have made certain that they made it back with time to spare, but neither wanted to. With or without interruptions, this was their time to spend together, and they were going to make the most of it.

High up in the trees, a dark figure watched the two hedgehogs leave with gentle surprise. "Incredible," he murmured to himself as he slid down from the branches, an incorporeal mist of darkness, down to the base of the tree where he had seen them display their affections. "To think that I would find him here, of all places… just as I have found her."

The mist stopped before the shed quills on the ground, wrapping itself around one of the black ones as it began to shift and change. The vapor condensed, forming a torso and limbs, and up above, a head took shape, with long, upturned spines. Pale gray stripes appeared along the new body, and from the middle of the face, a pair of dull green eyes blinked open. The creature held up a hand, observing the new form, and hummed in interest, despite lacking a mouth.

"If nothing else… this should persuade him to listen to what I have to say."

Yet the being hesitated, glancing back down at the discarded quills at his feet. Cautiously, he picked up three more; one black, two blue.

"Extra proof," he murmured as he put the black quill away. "As for these…" He held the blue quills up to the dying sunlight. "I could use these as a bargaining chip with him… the more pawns, the more players… the more fun this game shall be."

The dark being stored the rest of the quills away, a dastardly chuckle leaving his being as he faded back into mist and departed from Avalon. Now was the time to act.

WHO'S READY FOR THE SEQUEL?

Thank you all for reading this piece. It was a lot of fun to expand on the other knights and people living in the castle, and it was good practice for the upcoming sequel. Expect Return to Avalon to come around later this month!

Until then, catch you next time!

~Smash 50