“A friend and knight who betrayed your father. A knight with your father’s price on his head,” said Rhian warily. “Maybe the Snake is taking revenge in your father’s name. If Dot hadn’t captured him, your mother might very well have been next.”
Tedros stiffened. “All this time, I thought King Arthur’s son could never be a villain like the Snake. I never considered he could be a villain because he’s Arthur’s son.” He looked at Rhian. “So it is possible, then. The Snake might be Camelot’s real king.”
“Don’t fear, sire. The Snake is in prison where he belongs. When you return, you will try your hand at Excalibur again. And this time, I’m sure it will give you the answer you deserve,” said Rhian warmly. “In the meantime, you have a kingdom to take care of. A wedding to plan.” He paused. “And a mother to be there for.”
Tedros looked at him, his mouth quivering. “I’m dreading going back, Rhian.”
“Tedros—”
“You don’t understand. I hated Lancelot after he took my mother away. I wanted him to die. But in the end, I learned to love him like my own dad. My mother won’t be able to live without him. Lance was her whole life. And to watch her stand there at my wedding alone . . . I can’t do it. I just can’t. I don’t know why she made Lancelot come with me into the Woods. I’m not enough for her—”
“Yes, you are,” said Rhian. “You said it yourself. She knew the risks of sending Lancelot into the Woods. But you’re worth those risks to her. Or she wouldn’t have made Lancelot go with you.”
Tedros sniffled, dabbing at his eyes quickly. “So you don’t just save kings’ lives, you talk sense into them too.”
“All part of a knight’s work.”
“Is dying part of a knight’s work too?” said Tedros morosely. “Because every knight I have ends up dead.”
“I’ll take my chances,” said Rhian. “My duty as a knight is to protect you, with all the risks that incurs.”
Tedros looked at him, wiping his nose with his shirt. “Where were you when I was at school? You could have saved me from . . . you know . . . girls.”
Rhian laughed.
Behind the tree, Agatha spied on them, conflicted. On the one hand, she was so relieved Tedros had someone to talk to after such a terrible loss. On the other hand, she was envious that he wasn’t sharing these feelings with her. She couldn’t remember a time when he’d been this open with her during the last six months. Or ever.
“Seriously, how could the School Master not take you?” Tedros asked.
“Beats me,” said Rhian. “I’m from Foxwood, which sends more boys to the School for Good than any other Ever kingdom. And I tried to be a Good boy growing up. But on kidnapping day, I didn’t get a Flowerground ticket. Sometimes I think my mother hid it. She never wanted me to go to that school. But I also wonder if I’d be here today if I’d been in your class at the School for Good. Out in the Woods, I could prove myself to you by being there when it mattered: fighting the Snake at the Four Point or riding across the Ever and Never lands, beating back the Snake’s thugs, and saving your friends’ quests. At school, I would have just been another Everboy trying to curry your favor. At school, there’s no real way to prove that you can be a good knight.”
“Or a good king,” said Tedros.
“Or a good son,” sighed Rhian.
Tedros raised a brow.
“From what I know of your story, we have a lot in common,” Rhian explained. “My father died too. My relationship with my mother is . . . difficult. And when neither parent is a comfort, you live haunted by their shadows instead of finding your way out from under them. But hearing The Tale of Sophie and Agatha showed me a path. Camelot has a divine duty to unite the Woods in times of crisis. That’s why I idolized your father over mine. His power transcended Good and Evil and made both sides look to him as a leader. Maybe he didn’t always use this power the way he should have, but he was more than a king. He was a legend. And that’s why I’m here to help you. Because I realized it’s my destiny to make sure the one true king rules Camelot and that you and your queen earn your rightful place.”
Tedros took this in, silent for a moment. “So you risk your life . . . you risk your name . . . you put everything on the line . . . for me?”
“For you. And for Camelot.” The young knight cracked a smile. “And for Sophie.”
Tedros burst out laughing. “Now we have the truth! Be a knight to me and my queen and you can snake your way to the queen’s best friend! Of all the girls in the Woods . . . Sophie!” He thumped Rhian on the back. “Godspeed, friend. You’ll learn your lesson in time.”
“Unlike you, I know how to handle her,” Rhian ragged, tripping him.
“Only one way to handle her. Hide in a cave until she’s gone,” said Tedros, booting him in the behind.
Both boys bent over, cracking up; fairies careened out of the young king’s hair.
Tedros’ laughter ebbed. His expression changed. “Fitting, isn’t it? Lancelot dies and you appear,” he said quietly. “As much as I loved Chaddick, I wasn’t bonded to him like my father was to Lance. I never had that kind of knight. I never had a brother. At least not one I knew about. Perhaps I resented Sophie so much because of how close she was with Agatha. And I never had something like that with a boy—or at least nothing that ever lasted. Maybe because I never could fully trust one after what happened between my father and Lance. . . . But you’re different than all the rest. It feels like I finally have my own Lance.”
Rhian smiled. “A Lance that isn’t after your girl.”
The two boys gazed at each other.
“Want to get dinner?” Tedros asked. “I’m famished and Marian’s Arrow has a back room that actually serves decent food—”
Rhian grinned. “If it was any other night . . .”
“You dog! You have a date with Sophie!” Tedros said.
“At Beauty and the Feast. Dot helped me use Camelot’s courier crow to make reservations before I came here to check on you. Turns out Dot’s heading there for a date too.”
“Beauty and the Feast! Where a piece of bread costs more than a new carriage? Where a cook once killed himself because he served a gold-truffle-coated steak two shades overdone?”
“Have to make an impression, don’t I? Bring Agatha. We can all sit together.”
“First things first, I’d rather go on a date with Hort than sit at dinner with Sophie. Plus, getting Agatha to go to Beauty and the Feast would be like trying to get a cat to swim. She’d spend the whole meal ridiculing the place. Besides, we shouldn’t be wasting what little money Camelot has. You and I can do dinner another time. Especially since you’ll be my knight at Camelot for a long while to come.” Tedros hesitated. “If you want to come home with me, that is.”
Rhian locked eyes with the king. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He put his hand on Tedros’ shoulder. “And if you need someone to stand by you when you first see your mother . . .”
“Thank you, Sir Rhian . . . but I’ll have Agatha with me,” said Tedros softly.
Rhian straightened. “Of course, Your Highness.”