I do not own "Quest for Camelot". Some of the dialogue is word for word from the movie and belongs to Warner Brothers and the original scriptwriters.
King Arthur led the way as he and his knights left Camelot, an ox pulling a cart behind them. His heart and mind were heavy with the duty he now had to perform, one he hadn't ever thought he'd have to.
How do I tell her and that wonderfully spunky little girl this? He thought, the snow falling upon his head and face.
It had all happened so fast. They had just walked into the castle and sat down at the round table when that wicked Ruber had lunged at him. His knights had immediately sprung into action, ready and willing to protect their king. Swords clanged against both metal and shield as the fight ensued. Bodies flew in every direction as Ruber pushed his way past. He ran towards Arthur who, on instinct, drew Excalibur from behind him. With one final clang as Ruber's mace met Excalibur, Ruber flew backwards.
"One day that sword will be in my hands," he bellowed. "And all will be mine!"
Ruber rushed out of the room, locking the door behind him with a wooden plank. Spears flew towards the door and ended up stuck in the wood, missing their target by a mile. At first everything seemed ok. Now that it was over, Arthur took a deep breath, willing his heart to stop beating so fast. He took stock of himself and knew he wasn't injured. Then he noticed the fallen body of one of his knights next to the table. His body was sprawled out, one leg bent at the knee and the other straight in front of him. His sword and shield had flown behind him and his blue eyes were closed.
"No," Arthur whispered.
Slowly, the other knights noticed this and gathered around the light-brown haired man, some kneeling and trying to wake him. In his heart, from the moment he saw the man, Arthur knew he would never wake again. The knight had made the ultimate sacrifice for his country and his king. He knelt down next to the man and put a hand on his shoulder, tears welling up in his eyes.
My best friend. You saved my life. Rest well, for you have earned it. I'll look after them. I promise. He thought, removing his hand from the fallen knight's shoulder and standing up.
At that moment, servants who had heard the commotion opened the door and saw what had happened. Arthur quickly assured them and the other soldiers that he was fine.
"Go get Merlin," he ordered.
Moments later Merlin came in and declared what they already knew, the knight was dead and there was nothing they could do. From what Merlin could determine, he must have hit his head very hard on the concrete when Ruber had fought him off. Arthur quickly made arrangements for the ox and cart, sending one of the knights to make sure everything was done quickly. He didn't want the knight's family to have to wait any longer than necessary. Within minutes, they had the ox cart ready outside. As gently as possible, the knights surrounded their fallen comrade and picked him up. Arthur picked up the shield and led the way through the halls of the castle, the weight of the moment not lost on him. He moved like a man who had aged ten or even twenty years in an instant. Worry for the knight's family filled his head and his heart. How would they get along without their husband and father? How would he get along without his trusted friend and confidant?
When they got to the doors, he lowered his head and moved to the side as the knight was carried outdoors and placed on the cart. Once he was secured, Arthur quietly stepped forward and placed the shield atop his friend and confidant. No one else in Camelot seemed to have noticed the procession yet, as they were just going about their business. Little by little, they finally turned and Arthur heard a few gasps and murmurs as the people tried to guess which knight they had lost. The knights returned, horses in hand and one walked up to Arthur.
"Your horse, your Majesty," he said, sadly, holding the reins out to him.
"Thank you," Arthur replied as he took hold of the reins, his voice almost a whisper.
Another deep breath and Arthur turned to face his knights.
"Mount up!" he said.
The knights could hear the hint of sadness in their king's voice despite his attempt to cover it up.
No one dared bring it up for fear of not only the king, but them as well losing it as they thought of the loss they'd just had. All mounted up and began the procession. The gates closed behind them as the last of them passed through.
And that brought them to this moment, the snow swirling around them, Arthur thinking over the last few hours, wondering how things had gone so wrong so quickly. The miles had seemed to stretch on forever and he began to wonder if they'd ever make it to their destination or if somehow God had made it where this trip would never end. That, at least, would spare the family the pain of hearing of the death of their beloved husband and father.
After what felt like decades, he could finally see the house. Through the snow, he could just make out the little girl's purple outfit and her horse. Her mother stood on the porch next to her. As they got closer, he could just make out her voice.
"Mother, listen!" she said. "Father!"
The words were like a dagger in his heart. How was he going to do this? He prayed to God for strength, not only for himself, but for this little girl and her mother. As the little girl ran up towards them, he couldn't bring himself to make eye contact with her. Neither could many of his knights. She looked, smile on her face, between the two rows of knights, hoping to see her father. One knight looked her right in the eye for all of a second before sadly turning his face away. She must have laid eyes on the ox cart because the next sound he heard was her gasp and a barely audible "no."
The caravan approached the house and dismounted, one knight staying near the ox cart. Slowly, Arthur walked up to the woman standing in front of the house. She wore a yellow dress and was holding a broom in order to sweep off the falling snow. As he approached, she searched his face for any sign of what news he bore. His heart beat quickly and he couldn't keep the tears from forming. They were cold against his cheeks.
"Your Majesty?" the woman asked.
He took a deep breath before beginning.
"Julianna, I…I'm afraid I have some…very bad news."
"No," Julianna said, her hand flying to her mouth.
The little girl rushed up to her mother, and he could see tears in her eyes as well.
"What happened?" Julianna asked after a moment.
He told her to come with him and follow him to the stone grave that was already made, ready for such a moment. The knights had already begun to carry the body towards it, leaving the shield on the ox cart. As they put the body in the grave, one knight brought Arthur the shield. The weight heavy in his hands, he turned towards Julianna.
"Your husband died, saving my life," he said, handing her the shield. "And saving Camelot. Lady Julianna, the gates of Camelot will always be open to you."
He looked at the little girl, her hair brown like her mother and father's, as she wiped a tear.
Lord, give me strength. He prayed.
Closing his eyes in an attempt to both remember his friend and stop the tears, he continued.
"Sir Lionel was my most trusted knight. And also my dear, dear friend. We will always remember how he bravely upheld the ideals of Camelot."
He reached for Excalibur and raised it in a salute to the fallen Sir Lionel, tip pointing towards his grave. The other knights quickly followed suit. Lionel's brave little girl (Kayley, he remembered) walked up to the grave, her fingers tracing the three intersecting circles at the point of the grave- the symbol of Camelot. The emotion became too much for her and she ran to her small pony. Her cries were ones he would not forget. Julianna wiped the tears from her face and looked towards her daughter, trying to be strong. He knew she felt torn between being respectful to the king and comforting her daughter. He returned Excalibur to it's sheath and turned towards his best friend's grave, his hand gently resting on the Camelot symbol.
"Good-bye, Lionel. I never got to thank you for saving my life, but I hope you know how thankful I am. My dear friend, I will miss you." he whispered.
He released the breath he didn't know he'd been holding and turned towards the knights. With a quick gesture from Arthur, the knights turned their horses around and Arthur made his way to his horse. Once he was mounted, he bid Julianna and Kayley good-bye. With a promise that Lionel would never be forgotten, he urged his horse forward. With a final turn, he saw Julianna hugging her daughter, and hoped they knew he had meant what he said. His heart broke for them and for himself. With the snow still falling (which somehow felt appropriate given the circumstances), Arthur and his knights made the long trek back to Camelot, knowing that they would forever be short one knight of the Round Table.