General Genesis paced along the inner castle wall. He had been on the wall after his branch of the Military finished with their morning training. His gaze looked outward, keeping watch for any enemy forces. The sky was becoming brighter as the sun rose above the horizon. The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of dew-covered grass from the courtyard, the village, and the nearby forest. He sighed.

  He had his orders when it came to an enemy. He didn’t like them. He hoped they weren’t say the key words to grant them safe passage to the heart of the castle where the entire court of Camelot stood in a couple hours, watching, and waiting to see who will be the Next King. It would be disastrous if the enemy decided to attack the Court while they were inside the Heart of the Castle.

  “So,” Reno, his second in command, spoke up. He had been standing feet away from Genesis throughout the morning . “Who do you think has the best chance of becoming King?”

  "No man in attendance today. It won’t be a man who sits upon the Throne," Genesis murmured, almost to himself, but knowing Reno was listening intently. His eyes scanned the horizon, searching for any sign of movement that might indicate trouble. "It will be a woman."

  Reno’s surprise was palpable. He glanced around, ensuring their conversation remained private despite the proximity of the other soldiers. Leaning closer, his voice dropped to a whisper, "How can you be so sure?"

  Genesis glanced at him. He already knew who would be the next Ruler of Camelot and it wasn’t going to be a man. His mind drifted back to the letter he had received that morning from his father, claiming everything his grandmother’s letter had said was correct and his younger sister should be arriving within days to the Estate. He knew otherwise. His sister was somewhere within the Castle. He wrote a quick note before sending it back to the Estate, informing his father of recent events. That was a reminder of familial duty and the secrets that bound the White Hall lineage. There were times where it was hard to juggle his two main duties - to his Kingdom and to his family.

  He glanced around again, “Because it has been done before. It was covered up due to the woman’s age and she forced to leave Avalon as a result, to allow the Holy Sword to chose another. Merlin had to cast a major spell to remove the memories who already knew to protect her.” He sighed. “It was a major mess.” He stared forward over the village, over the tree tops. “The only reason why I know of this is my grandmother kept saying there will be another White Hall sitting upon the Throne again.”

  Reno stared at him. “How does she know that?”

  Genesis sighed, “She remembers who pulled the Holy Sword twenty years ago. The spell didn’t affect her.” He shifted on his feet. He felt antsy. He needed to be doing something. He started to walk along the walk. He heard Reno follow him. “I spent most of my childhood, listening to Grandma discuss the Glory of the White Hall House coming back to Camelot and how the Kingdom will thrive with a White Hall back on the throne.”

  Reno raised an eyebrow at that. “She really thinks the next Chosen King will be a White Hall.” He paused. “There are so many options there.”

  “You weren’t listening, were you?” Genesis almost snapped back, half turning to his second in command, resting a half glare on him. “The Next Chosen Ruler will be a woman. Right now, there are two White Hall women by birth within this land, Valentina and Natalie.” He paused, getting his emotions under control. “I’m sorry for that. Valentina is the only one who would fit the age. 20 years ago, we have the Kingless Era because none of the Ruling Family was the Chosen ones. It was only through my sister leaving Avalon that King Charles of House Drake became the Chosen Ruler, taking the throne, and his Wife, Queen Susan, became High Queen.”

  Reno stared at him for a long moment. His eyes widened with surprise. His lips parted as he breathed, “She confessed.”

  “Last night,” Genesis’ shoulders slumped, “It was more of a rant then a true confession. She is still planning to leave the Castle, I think, tomorrow or the day after. She didn’t know if she wanted to explore the countryside, visit the Estate, or head back to wherever she was living. She doesn’t have a desire to pull the Holy Sword out. However, with what actions the Kingdoms of Frank and Mercy have taken, I fear the decision may already be made.”

  “What happens if you are force to make her try?” Reno asked the question The Explosive General feared.

  “I will do what I have to do,” Genesis's jaw tightened with determination, his voice a low rumble, “I shall not falter.”

  Silence fell between them with that statement as they continued their vigil along the wall. They watched as the morning sun ascended higher, casting long shadows that stretched across the courtyard, over the village, and spread to the Dead End Forest. Genesis watched the far horizon as they walked on the walls encircling the Castle, wondering how many times in the past did other Generals went through a similar situation. The Inner castle walls seemed to echo with the whispers of history, the tales of honor and betrayal that had shaped their kingdom as the two men listened to the distant calls of birds and the rustling of leaves in the morning breeze as the village below slowly woke up and the people of the Kingdom began to do their daily lives.

  Walking around a bend, Genesis spotted the growing line of men with the desire to be King, to test their worth, and bring Honor to their family gather at the gate, leading into the Main Courtyard where servants had been busy since the first light, setting up tables and chairs for the Court to bare witness to the Chosen Ceremony.

  "The Court," he murmured finally, his thoughts returning to the imminent gathering where the fate of their kingdom would be decided. His mind raced with the intricacies of court politics, the alliances and rivalries that threatened to unravel Camelot from within. Trying to understand the complex court politics always gave him a headache, but he had to understand them for his sister’s sake. He wanted to be there for her, helping her understand what was going on, which alliances were important to the Kingdom and the White Hall Family, and which families to avoid testing if she didn’t want a knife in her back until she did marry a man she trusted and loved. He resisted to snort. That might take a while since her last relationship ended not too long ago and it was clear that she wasn’t interested in entering another relationship. He knew she wouldn’t be able to avoid various assassinations attempts or marriage arrangements. Valentina would be the first woman in the History of Camelot to be the Chosen Ruler, after all. She would be flooded with marriage proposals once word had travel through the countryside and into neighboring Kingdoms. If marriage proposals didn’t work, assassinations attempts would be next.

  "We must ensure the Court remains vigilant," Reno declared, cutting through Genesis’ internal musings and echoing Genesis's own resolve on the Court. The General glanced over to see the flicker of determination in his eyes. "We cannot afford to let our guard down, especially with the Kingdoms of Frank and Mercy making their own moves.”

  Genesis nodded in agreement. His gaze wandered toward a side courtyard where the servants and castle staff were allowed to gather. It didn’t surprise Genesis some of them were already gathering. They were too feeling a mix of curiosity and anticipation for the day's events.

  In the middle of the courtyard's hustle and bustle, Genesis caught sight of movement that gave him pause. Seven figures emerged from the castle, their presence drawing his attention like a magnet. He spotted Ichigo’s light red hair as the teenager stepped out in to the morning sunlight, followed by the rest of his brothers. Tina brought up the rear and she held a basket in a hand. A flash of tension passed between them, evident even from this distance, before Ichigo accepted the basket with a terse nod and turned away, striding purposefully in the opposite direction, leading his brothers in retreat.

  Luke, the youngest among the brothers, lingered behind, casting furtive glances back toward Tina. His reluctance to leave was palpable. However, he followed Ichigo out of the courtyard and disappeared into the village.

  Genesis clenched his jaw, frustration simmering beneath his calm exterior. Ichigo's steadfast refusal to join the Camelot Military had long puzzled him. The teen could have been provide for his brothers - food where they didn’t have to wonder where or when they will get food again, a roof over their heads with a warm bed, and fresh clothes.

  "Always a mystery," Genesis muttered to himself, his voice barely audible over the distant hum of activity within the castle walls. He exchanged a meaningful glance with Reno, who mirrored his concern with a furrowed brow.

  "Why does he resist?" Reno mused quietly, more to himself than to Genesis, “The benefits are clear.”

  "Ichigo has his reasons," The Red Headed General replied, his tone tinged with a mix of resignation and determination. "But now is not the time to dwell on that."

  He turned away from the courtyard, his mind refocusing on the task at hand. The Choosing ceremony loomed ahead. They had to be focus on preventing any attacks and The security of the Former High Queens and the entire Court was paramount, their safety a non-negotiable priority.

  Reno nodded in agreement, his expression reflecting their shared determination. "I will coordinate with the men," he affirmed, his voice resolute. "We will ensure every detail is accounted for."

  “I will be meeting with Batholomew and Honor to go back over security plans,” Genesis stated, "Our vigilance must be absolute."

  Reno's lips curved into a half-smirk, a hint of camaraderie in his eyes despite the gravity of their task. "Ah, the Explosive Brigade," he remarked lightly. "Always ready to make a bang."

  Genesis couldn't help but chuckle softly, the tension momentarily easing in the face of Reno's dry humor. "Let's hope today's 'bang' is merely a metaphorical one," he replied, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

  “Yes, sir,” Reno saluted him before he turned on his heel and strode away.

  Genesis watched Reno's departure briefly, his thoughts already shifting back to the meticulous planning required for the day's events. With a deep breath, he turned toward the Generals’ office near the Barracks, his mind focused on ensuring that every detail of the security arrangements was in place. There was a lot riding on him and the other two Generals for the numerous security measures they had put in place. He turned to look at the sky and sent up a small pray to God, asking for peace and strength to get through the day.

  Lady Rosemary of House Clover blinked in surprise as she spotted her cousin, Lady Valentina of House Armstrong, wearing a simple day dress, as she head up the white rug of the White Hall Wing of the Castle. Rosemary called out, “Good morning, dearest Valentina.”

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Valentina jerked her head up to give Rosemary a wild eyed look for a long moment before she blinked and replied, “Morning, Rose. I thought I told you to call me Tina.”

  “You did,” Rosemary gave the other woman a teasing grin, “I must say that dress isn’t suited for the Ceremony today.”

  Tina chuckled, slightly, saying, “Well, I was seeing those boys off.” She grabbed the knob. “You know the ones from last night.” She paused, her expression thoughtful. “I just wanted to help them.”

  Rosemary nodded. She didn’t understand why Tina would want to help a group of street rats like them, but she didn’t protest either. The idea was a strange one for Rosemary to compared. She was sure those boys would grow up to be thieves or assassins that would target herself or Tina if they had been given a price. She hoped Tina realized that.

  “Well, why are you wondering about this early, Rose,” Tina asked.

  “I’m coming to help you get ready for the day, Tina,” Rosemary replied, “That dress may be suitable for a family evening, but it is not suitable for a day at Court.” She saw Tina rolled her eyes and opened the Armstrong Family Suit door, walking in. Rosemary followed her cousin. “We are trying to find ourselves a husband before Lady Freya does for us and personally, I think it would be best if we did instead of her. Her choices in possible marriage partners have been questionable of late.”

  “Oh?” Tina voiced as she head to the main bedroom with Rosemary hot on her heels.

  “Lady Freya had been discussing renewing treaties for this generation and which ones would help grow the White Hall Family strength both nearby and overseas,” Rosemary explained before she launched into the various treaties that needed to be renewed in their generation. She watched Tina’s expression as they changed dresses and prepared for the day.

  They were heading to the Southern Courtyard for the Choosing Ceremony. Rosemary pushed a strand of her fiery red hair behind her ear, thinking about her mysterious cousin and the interesting events leading up to this moment.

  She had planned to travel to the Court of Camelot for nearly a month. She really didn’t want to wait for the Family Matron, Lady Freya of House Whitehall, to find her a suitable husband. Lady Freya already managed to find her other cousin, Lord Jacob of House Morning Gale, a wife from the Northern Isles and rumor was the missing eldest daughter of Lord Bardock was the next on Lady Freya’s list. Rosemary was already packed and was itching to leave for the Heart of the Kingdom when word came that King Uther was sick with the effects of the Curse, she jumped at the chance to represent her branch of the family at the Funeral. On the way to Camelot, Jacob and Rosemary had ran into another cousin, Lord Remus of House Lunar, and he joined them.

  However, before the trio arrived at the Castle, King Uther passed away from the Curse. What took Rosemary by surprise was the fact the Ruling Family waited until Father Innocent III arrived from Roma with his group of Paladins and Brothers to have the King buried in the Crypt of the Chosen where he joined his first queen and the previous Chosen Kings and their queens. Another thing that Rosemary was taken by surprise was Lady Valentina Armstrong’s introduction to the Ruling Family and their Court. She still couldn’t believe Tina, as she would like to be called in private and among friends, sassed the Warrior Queen Belladonna of House Black and took charged of the aftermath of the Generals’ punishments.

  “Hey Rose,” Rosemary blinked, seeing a hand waved up and down in front of her face. She jerked her head back, slightly and saw the woman she had been thinking about staring at her with a concern expression, “You home?”

  “No, I’m not home,” Rosemary raised an eyebrow at Tina. “I’m here, in Camelot, not home at the Floral Manor.”

  Tina sighed, her shoulders slumping a bit. She closed her eyes, shaking her head a bit before she opened her eyes and explained, “I meant are you here, physical. It looked like you were off in space, thinking about something really important.” Rosemary tried to understand what Tina was saying. “Ah, never mind, Rose. Are we at the Southern Courtyard, yet?”

  “Almost,” Rosemary knew it was best to change the subject. The way Tina talked sometimes, was difficult to understand and too strange. It was like Tina was from an entirely separate world where they strung words together in a hap hazard way. “The entrance to the Courtyard is down the hallway on the left.”

  “Then come on,” Tina grabbed Rosemary’s hand and started to drag her down the hall, “I want to see what all the fuss about, this Choosing Ceremony.” Rosemary matched Tina’s pace.

  “As you know, Tina,” Rosemary started, looking over to the other woman. “The Choosing Ceremony is extremely important. It’s how Camelot gets its next King.”

  “But why?” Tina asked. “That mage - Merlin, right? - tried to explain it a bit, but I still don’t get it.” She let go of Rosemary and crossed her arms over her chest. “Having a sword chose the next ruler is not a form of government. There is too many things that can go wrong with that. I mean if the Chosen King decided to destroy the Kingdom, would anyone have a say in it or would they be forced to allow it to happen? Not to mention, there are better forms of governance.”

  “For Camelot, The Choosing Ceremony is the best form of governance,” Rosemary argued, “It has been this way for centuries, ever since King Arthur I of House Pendragon ordered the Battle Mage Merlin to re-cast the Choosing Spell on the Holy Sword.” Tina gave her a side eyed look. “Yes, I do agree, it is not the best way to get a new King, but it has worked.”

  Tina nodded, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” Rosemary nodded, slowly. Her cousin saw the look of confusion and explained, “It means it works, don’t try to fix it since it’s not broke.”

  This time, the Lady of House Clover nodded in understanding before she continued, “Over the centuries, the rumor of a curse developed. It appeared there hasn’t been a King chosen by the Holy Sword ruled more then 10 years.”

  “I heard about that,” Tina admitted, frowning “I didn’t know there was any truth to it.” She paused, “That would kinda suck when you think about it. You decide to marry the King, fell in love with him, have his children, but to lose him after perhaps 9-10 years of marriage, that would suck.”

  “There is Truth behind the curse,” Rosemary said, “Perhaps, while you are here in Camelot, you should look at the Kingdom’s History of the Ruling Families. However, you would be set for life. You would be able to move into the Queen’s Tower and raise your children there. Of course, you could easily have an estate somewhere in the countryside and only visit Court when it came to dealing with Important Matters involving the Kingdom like a Funeral or a marriage or even times of war.”

  “Maybe,” Tina gave Rosemary a distanced smile. It was something Rosemary had noticed about her mysterious cousin. The red head woman didn’t try to make any plans on staying in Camelot longer then the Choosing Ceremony and when asked where she was planning on going next, Tina would shrugged, saying she thought about traveling the Countryside for a while then head home…wherever she called home was.

  They turned a corner and came to a stop, seeing the Southern Courtyard. Rosemary’s lips parted as she took in the various small round tables she had only seen at the local bakeries with those cute chairs sitting around the courtyard. The Knights walked around the courtyard in small groups of two or three, talking among themselves. Upon the wall, the military stood facing the courtyard, but she did spot there were troops facing the town.

  “Have you heard, yet?” a lady asked another lady as they past Rosemary and Valentina, entering the Southern Courtyard. “About the folks who requested help from the Queens over the wicked storm?”

  “Yeah,” Lady B replied, “I can’t believe the Queens did that.”

  “I hope they will be able help out after the Holy Sword chooses the Next King,” Lady A said before their voices faded.

  Rosemary glanced at Valentina with a pair of raised eyebrows. Valentina twitched into a smirk, “Let’s go and find us a seat. I’m sure there is a lot interesting talk gonna take place while we wait for the Holy Sword to chose the Next King.” Rosemary felt her lips pull into a smirk. Apparently, her cousin loved hearing some of the Court gossip as much as she did. They walked into the Courtyard, intending to find a good spot to watch the Choosing Ceremony.

  BONG! BONG! BONG!

  The booming toll of church bells jolted Merlin awake, his head lifting off the mahogany desk with a start. Disoriented, he blinked rapidly, the imprints of scattered parchment still visible when he closed his eyes. What day was it? Why were the bells ringing at this ungodly hour? His mind fumbled to place the significance through the lingering haze of sleep. He pushed himself into a sitting position. His back protested the action as it straightened from its hunched position. He should have went to his bed before he had fallen asleep at his desk, but there was so much for him to do in the wake of King Uther’s passing - Updating the Wards within the Royal Wing of the Castle, Trying to find a cure for the Curse, Informing the Magical Creatures within the Kingdom - the ones who dared to challenge Camelot’s laws - about the New Ruler, and the list went on. He rubbed his eyes, wishing there was a faster to recover his magical powers faster then rest and sleep. Unfortunately, that discovery hadn’t happened, yet. Granted there was a way to do it over short period of times, but it would extend the recovery process to be longer.

  "I cannot keep burning the candle at both ends like this," Merlin muttered to himself. His voice filled the silence of his study. He glanced around the circular room. "But what choice do I have? The kingdom needs overdue answers. The people need hope. We can’t experienced another Kingless Kingdom Era, again. I don’t think the people would allow it."

  He lend against the back of his chair, keenly feeling the burden of his role. Adviser, protector, scholar, sorcerer... The titles accumulated year by year, each one bringing a fresh weight of responsibility. There was a couple more he would have been glad to add to the list - Mate and Father - but he long gave up hope for those titles. He shook his head, trying to remove that thought, trying to ignore the longing feeling he felt.

  Merlin glanced around his study. It was a mess, like always. He frowned. He needed to find the time to organize his study. There were piles of important documents over the various aspect of his role within the Kingdom, the wards expiring soon, letters from The Blackthorn Academy, various leaders of the Non-human population, and notes on curses. He paused, thinking. There might be a council meeting this evening after the supper. He wasn’t for sure. He lend forward and looked over the documents on top of his desk. He was sure he had written that info down.

  BONG! BONG! BONG!

  For odd reason, the Church bells were being louder then normal. Merlin glanced at the door, wondering why. He ignored it and turned his attention back to the document covered desk. He grabbed a random document and held up it as he read it. He paled as the words “Public Choosing Ceremony” and “at High Noon” registered in his head. He push back his seat and stood up. He couldn’t believed he overslept. He usually would have been up for hours, now, no matter what time he went to bed. He silently cursed. The magical drain had effected him bad this time.

  Merlin hurried over to a nearby mirror and ran a hand through his hair a couple times, trying to straightened it up. It didn’t help much, but the action made his black hair slightly more presentable. He snapped his fingers and his outfit changed colors. He heard the thump, thump of his boots from their place by the door. He stepped into them. He rushed from his study, slamming the door behind him.

  Merlin gathered what magic he dared to use and created a strong wind current, lifting him up. He heard the surprised screams from the ladies as the wind knocked off their hats, messed up their neatly done hair, or almost pulled at their pretty umbrellas. He ignored them. He allowed the wind current to die as he approached the slated roof of the castle.

  He landed in a crunch. He stayed like that for a long moment, trying to catch his breath. The magical drain was worst then the last time he had experienced. Maybe it was time for a week or two long vacation. Somewhere he didn’t have to use his powers. He could take Morgana with him and they could recover their magic together.

  He frowned, thinking. It would be nice to do something like. They could visit the Magical School called Blackthorn Academy. The school was created by a group of 5 pupils him and Morgana taught once upon a time ago when Magic was legal within the Kingdom. To this day, they never visited it. Maybe it was time to change that. The Academy should be letting out for the summer soon or at least the younger years wouldn’t be there. The school kept some of the older years that year round for some of the time sensitive courses they taught. He sighed. It could be a topic Morgana and him would discuss at length after the new King was Chosen and settled into the position. Hopefully, there wouldn’t any danger for a while, but he knew better to think that. He had seen a number of Kings murdered within the first couple years for various reasons. The ones who had managed to survive the first couple years created strong alliances with several houses.

  He shook his head. He turned his attention to the courtyard below as he waited for his magic to recover a little bit more, watching the members of the Court to settle into their spots for the Public Choosing Ceremony. He eyed the line for the candidates. It extended into the village. Merlin just hoped his magic held out until evening time where he could call it off until the following morning.

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