Arthur considered this and then stated, "We are not going to give up on Morgana."
That much was certain. Neither King Uther nor Arthur were the types to easily change their minds; simply put, they were both stubborn. The idea of them casually abandoning a family member? Impossible.
Even if Gaius had given Morgana a death sentence, they would still do everything in their power to cure her.
"We'll use any method we can think of to heal Morgana!" Arthur was smart, and by this point, he had probably figured out the killer's plan.
Now even Merlin understood the intentions of the sorcerer who had cursed Morgana!
King Uther was the King, and Arthur was Uther's biological son, the most legitimate heir to the entire Camelot throne! Security around them was the tightest. It was incredibly difficult for any stranger to get close, let alone a malicious sorcerer!
Therefore, directly attacking Uther and Arthur was extremely difficult. Morgana, however, was different. (As explained before, her vulnerability was why she was targeted.) In short, Morgana's security detail was the weakest within the entire Camelot royal family, making her the easiest target to strike.
Moreover, she was deeply beloved by King Uther and shared a strong bond with Arthur. If her life was on the line, the two men would naturally drop their guard, providing the perfect opportunity for the culprit to approach them.
Think about it: If things progressed exactly as the killer hoped, and with Gaius completely stumped, what if someone showed up claiming they could cure Morgana? Would Arthur and Uther still worry about whether this person was lying? When things reached this point, Uther and Arthur would have no other choice but to try whatever they could, whether it worked or not.
This would give the killer the perfect opening to get close.
Seeing that everyone understood, Kay didn't elaborate but moved on to the next steps.
"Your Majesty, I believe the killer will surface soon. So, I need you to announce that Morgana is gravely ill, and then pretend that you don't suspect anything."
"You want the killer to come to us himself, and then..." Uther had been King for twenty years; he had some cunning. His concern for Morgana had clouded his judgment earlier, but now that he understood the situation, he knew what to do.
"Exactly. However, I ask that you don't rush to execute the killer. Let's see what the perpetrator's full plan is first," Kay sincerely advised.
"You mean you want that criminal to cure Morgana?" Uther immediately realized Kay's intention. "That's impossible! I will not allow that filthy degenerate to lay another finger on Morgana!"
Uther was unwilling to let a malicious sorcerer get close to Morgana again; he couldn't handle the devastation of losing her.
But Kay didn't back down; he just looked calmly at Uther.
Seeing that familiar look in Kay's eyes, Uther was suddenly at a loss for words. Since childhood, Kay had been a good child: obedient, polite, and mature. At times, Uther even thought Kay was too smart for a boy. But this didn't mean Kay was a yes-man. On the contrary, Uther knew Kay had a strong will, and once he made up his mind, few could change it.
Uther remembered when he forbade Kay from leaving Camelot to travel the world. Kay had given him that same look—he didn't argue or throw a tantrum; he was perfectly calm. Then, the next morning, he was gone...
Followed by ten years of silence.
If Kay had been like Arthur, prone to loud arguments and emotional displays, Uther might have held his ground. But seeing the steady, water-blue gaze in Kay's eyes, his resolve faded.
Uther took a deep breath, then reluctantly said, "You must guarantee that bastard cannot harm Morgana any further!"
"Of course!" Kay broke into a sincere smile again.
---
The atmosphere throughout Camelot immediately became extremely grim because their Princess was gravely ill!
Everyone was praying for the kind and beautiful Princess, not just because of her immense popularity in the city, but also because they couldn't imagine how King Uther would react if Princess Morgana truly passed away.
The likely outcome would not be good, as King Uther's reputation as a tyrant was built upon a pile of severed heads; he truly would kill in anger!
Uther's temper had been noticeably worse these past two days. Five servants had already been severely punished by the King for minor mistakes... The entire city was now shrouded in gloom.
It was at this moment that a man, his face hidden beneath a hood, arrived outside the palace, pleased to see his plan unfolding perfectly.
---
King Uther's temper was genuinely terrible these past two days—this wasn't an act. Every time he saw Morgana lying in bed, hovering between life and death, Uther felt like his heart was being fried in a vat of oil, suffering immensely.
Consequently, anyone who messed up in front of him was in for a miserable time. Even Kay had been reprimanded by him.
Arthur wasn't having an easy time, either. Worrying about his sister Morgana's critical condition was bad enough. But despite the circumstances, his training hadn't stopped; in fact, it had been doubled...
Kay felt Arthur was too young and emotional, and if he accidentally gave anything away that the killer could spot, it would be disastrous. So, Kay simply confined him to the training yard to keep him from dwelling on things. Worse still, Kay used the same reasoning to confine Merlin and Gwen (the maidservant), preventing them from having any contact with the outside world.
The reasoning for their confinement was similar to Arthur's, and King Uther was quite satisfied with this. Only a few people knew the truth, and while Gaius was naturally trustworthy, Uther didn't have the same patience for the two servants. The fewer people who knew about this scheme, the better.
However, Merlin and Gwen weren't suffering like Arthur. Kay had only confined them, not abused them; in fact, they were well-fed and treated kindly. Aside from a lack of freedom, it was practically a paid vacation.
Only Arthur was truly miserable.
Fortunately, Kay was currently in Morgana's room looking after the unconscious Princess, so no one was keeping tabs on Arthur at the moment. Distraught and fed up, Arthur finally found a chance to slip out. He planned to take a walk through the city to clear his head and see if he could bump into the killer. He felt that waiting around was a bad idea—he could actively go look for a cure!
Wouldn't it be perfectly reasonable for a brother to go searching for a treatment for his sister's recovery?
However, Arthur didn't expect that the moment he stepped outside, he was immediately stopped...
What happens after Arthur is stopped, and who do you think stopped him?