The Flower of King and Knights

The Return of the Nordic Plague

Cecilia’s breath brushed Ector’s chest as she slept next to him in their bed. Ector looked around him, the room was in a low mist, the result of Cecilia and him interacting in his dreams. A month since they’d arrived to Britannia, the two had become lovers in the dream realm where they could be together. He caressed her hair, and held her closer to him as the dawning sun began to rise. She slowly opened her eyes, “Is it morning already?” she asked groggily.

Ector wished to say otherwise, “Yeah, it is.”

Cecilia groaned with a little disappointment. “I’m really starting to hate this Ector.”

“I know Cee, I know,” Ector kissed Cecilia gently on her lips, “I wish we could be together, outside if this nightly loop hole you’ve discovered. Outside of this realm of dreams, outside in the real world, out to where we can be together finally.”

“But at least we’ve been able to spend time together here,” she said with some cheer.

Ector looked into Cecilia’s eyes, almost losing himself, forgetting everything that has happened as he gazed into those beautiful brown eyes. “God I love you Cecilia.”

“I love you too Ector.” They kissed each other passionately as their passion for one another became greater.

Once Ector awoke from his slumber, dressing himself before he journeyed to the Round Table. But before he left, he quickly grabbed Caliburn and journeyed down the hallway passing a few of the new servants and lords who were attending the castle. Ector heard Cecilia’s voice coming from the sheath. “The place seems to be looking nicer now that you have some people to spruce the place up, uh?”

“I know, it doesn’t look like a moldy old dust trap anymore. Gives the place a nice feel that it isn’t a tomb anymore.”

“Yeah, I think I’ll avoid tombs from now on.”

“What, you don’t like those anymore?”

“Oh shut up, you little prick.”

“By the way, now that this has nothing to do with the current subject, when did you get that tattoo on your side?”

“Oh shut up!”

Ector smiled, walking further down the hall and towards where the lords and knights sitting at the table. Several seats were filed by men sponsored by the new lords and dukes of Somerset, Elmet, Dyfed, Mercia, Powys, Deira, and Hwicce, along with their knights who came to represent their lands and people. All had come with pride to support Ector’s throne. But Ector knew that with every lord who supported him, another took up arms against. The kingdoms of Orkney, Raund Lands, Sorlayse, the Vale and Lonteyse had all voiced their opposition to his claim. The Saxon kingdoms of Essex, Wessex, and Sussex, as well as several of the Viking kingdoms had yet to throw their support, though many in Ector’s court doubted on their reliance in the coming war.

The King of the Hundred Knights, along with his allies, David of Scotland, and Cormac of Ireland, and Mark II of Cornwall had also made their neutrality clear to both sides. Ector now knew that procuring an army was no longer and issue, keeping them from getting killed was an entirely different problem altogether. As he entered the room and took his seat at the table, he already knew what was to be discussed before he even called the meeting to order.

Before the first five minutes had passed, the knights were yelling and bickering about which province to conquer, whose head should be cut off and put on a plate, or which women could be taken and used to increase the population. Ector rubbed his head as the scene gave him a headache. Merlin who stood up next to Ector, leaned and whispered, “There will be a messenger arriving shortly, he has a message that you’ll find important.”