The Knight Standing Between FATE

Chapter One: The Child of the Lake

(Play the above music after the timeskip)

"𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗴𝗼 𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀... 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻... 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄𝘀. 𝗔𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲."

- 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗨𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗵𝗮

.

.

.

Unknown POV

A woman with pale white hair stood by the lake, holding a small child in her arms. Her eyes were brimming with tears as she looked at the child that she would have to give up all for the greater good of humanity.

The sounds of a horse approached closely, and slowly the woman brought her face down, kissing the forehead of her child.

Footsteps were then heard as a pink-haired male wielding a long wooden staff approached with a grim face "is the child ready, Vivian?" Merlin asked.

Vivian, although reluctant placed the child in Merlin's arms nodding "his name is Alaric...Alaric of the Lake, and yes he is ready but please Merlin I beg of you to not let our child suffer with the wrong people," she begged.

Merlin gave a solemn smile "you know, I can't promise that Vivian," he said before climbing back onto his horse, holding his son in one hand while the other gripped the horse's saddle rope firmly. With a shout, the horse moved once more.

Rain began to fall as Vivian watched her child and ex-lover depart when they were finally out of her sight. Vivian broke down onto her knees, watching as the child she bore was taken away "I hope your happy Merlin..." she whispers bitterly, then disappears from her spot on the ground in a burst of water.

-Time skip many years later-

Alaric POV

The sun seared brightly upon me as I began to pick away at the vegetation my arms were shaky, yet I continued swinging the garden tool, knowing the punishment that would come if I dared to slow down "work faster, boy!" my master barked sending a strike at my back.

I grunted in pain, increasing the speed of my slashing I ignored the pain that came from my back I was used to it by now.

Sweat trickled down my face I could feel myself about to collapse, but I could not allow that to happen. Less I receive an entire day of whipping, but fate was oh, ever so cruel for I had finally collapsed "BOY!" my master shouts with anger grabbing me by the ear while my fellow slaves paused from their work to glance at us.

He moved his hand to my hair and began to pull me towards a log from his free hand he grabbed a piece of rope from his pocket before knotting my hands together around the log "how dare you waste my time boy!" he shouted, grabbing his whip.