Kay's tall tale worked like a charm, and Morgana happily slipped the ring on, vowing never to take it off. The moment she did, Morgana felt a physical lightness, as if a great weight had lifted. She didn't pay it much mind, attributing it to simply feeling great because of the happy occasion.
The two of them got a little mushy, which was tough on the three single people watching. Arthur, in particular, was surprised. He never knew his older brother had such a romantic side. He'd always thought Kay was a carbon copy of Uther, the only difference being that Kay was a little more approachable. Otherwise, the two were very similar: stubborn, uninteresting, domineering, and strong-willed.
Finally, Morgana remembered they had company. She awkwardly pulled herself away from Kay, brought him over to the dining table, and started discussing serious matters while they ate dinner.
With Kay's plate ready, Arthur, Kay, and Morgana started their meal. After a few minutes, and a lot of signaling from Arthur, Morgana broke the comfortable silence.
"Kay, I heard you... turned away a boy named Lancelot today. Can you tell me why?" Morgana put down her fork and knife, took a sip of wine, and asked casually, just like she was making small talk.
Kay didn't rush to answer. He deliberately and slowly finished the last bite of his short rib. He had to admit, the palace chefs were excellent. Kay was a good cook himself—after his parents passed away from illness, he had mostly lived alone and often cooked for himself. He had a real knack for it, which often made him think that if he ever quit being a police officer, he could open a restaurant and do just fine.
But he only knew how to make food; Western cuisine wasn't his strong suit. For example, he couldn't make a short rib that tasted as good as the palace chef's. In an era severely lacking in seasonings, it took real skill for the chef to make the short rib so tender and delicious.
After finishing the short rib, Kay wiped his mouth with a napkin and smiled at Morgana. This was a habit he brought over from his past life; he didn't like talking to people with food in his mouth because it was impolite. He had to finish what was on his plate and put down his utensils before speaking.
"Since you're asking, I'm sure you already know what happened, right? You're not like Arthur; you're not so foolish as to come to me without knowing anything." On this point, Morgana was certainly better than Arthur. Of course, in Kay's view, Morgana's advantage was limited. This wasn't because Morgana wasn't smart; on the contrary, she was very clever, but she just lacked experience and naturally couldn't compare to an old hand like Kay. Simply put, King Uther had protected them too well—they were a bit like hothouse flowers.
Arthur's eyes widened when he heard Kay say this. Although Kay had called him an idiot since childhood, Arthur didn't believe it; he always thought he was quite smart. It was just that, this time, he had been tricked by the person closest to him. Thinking this, he glared fiercely at Merlin.
Morgana had heard Lancelot's situation and believed he was an honest and kind person who deserved a knighthood. So, she wasn't ready to give up. This was a common affliction among hothouse flowers: they easily trusted people. Simply put, they were too confident. They believed that if they were kind to others, those people would never betray them. Just like Arthur now; even though he knew Merlin had tricked him.
After Merlin explained his reasons, Arthur still chose to trust him again. He still believed that Merlin meant him no harm.
"I know Lancelot's actions were wrong, but there was a reason! His village was destroyed by northern barbarians, and everyone in his hometown died. That's why he wanted to become a knight. And Lancelot has enough talent; we shouldn't dismiss him because of his background. That's not fair to him! I think we should give him a chance. At least let him try, Kay!"
Morgana held Kay's hand and spoke sweetly, a slight tone of pleading in her voice.
Kay gently rubbed Morgana's little hand but didn't answer her. Instead, he looked at Merlin and Gwen.
"Merlin, you forged Lancelot's noble credentials, didn't you?"
Merlin had anticipated Kay's question. He had planned to step forward immediately, admit everything, and take all the responsibility himself. But facing Kay, his courage melted away as quickly as snow under the sun. While he didn't try to pass the blame, he couldn't stand up for himself with a clear conscience. He could only stand there, flustered and unable to string together a complete sentence.
Kay had interrogated hundreds of people in his previous life, so he naturally carried an air that could make anyone feel like a criminal under questioning.
"And you, Miss Gwen, you played a part in this, too, didn't you? Otherwise, even if Morgana were inexperienced, she wouldn't have agreed so quickly to plead with me." Merlin had only known Morgana for a few days, maybe a few months at most, and they hadn't spent much time together during that period. To agree so easily to Merlin's request—a request that violated at least three of Camelot's laws—would be utterly reckless.
"I..." Gwen was also at a loss for words.
Kay didn't press them. Instead, he turned to Arthur. "Next is your turn, Your Highness! What exactly are you trying to do? Or do you even know what you're doing?"
"I... I... I certainly do!" Arthur's composure was better than the other two's; at least he dared to defend himself. "I just... think Lancelot is talented, and it would be a shame to send him away. I think we can give him a chance. There are so many nobles with no talent at all; letting them become knights is the real disgrace to Camelot. So why shouldn't we try Lancelot? Birthright shouldn't dictate everything!"
Arthur was fully prepared to be scolded or even physically disciplined. But to his surprise, Kay didn't get angry; instead, he nodded appreciatively.
"God, the fact that you think that way is excellent."
As a young man who grew up in modern society, Kay naturally scoffed at rigid class distinctions. A person's ability was always the most important thing, with background being secondary. Of course, Kay wouldn't be so naive as to completely deny the advantages that come with birthright. After all, some things are just realistic.
Arthur was ecstatic. Like many parents in traditional families, Kay rarely praised his sibling. So, Arthur was seldom complimented by Kay in this manner.
"So you agree? That's great—"
Arthur was cut off directly by Kay before he could finish. "I agree to what?"
"Didn't you just say—"
"Your idea is spot on, but what does that have to do with that Lancelot fellow?" Kay's attitude turned cold. "I just praised you for being smart, and now you're acting foolish again!"
Arthur felt Kay's mood changed faster than flipping a book page. He wasn't sure what to say.
"Do you even understand what I was saying? Lancelot wants a chance? Fine, what's wrong with that? He could have just told the truth. Yes, a knight must be of noble birth. But who ever said he can't become a noble?"
While the Celtic kingdoms had rigid social classes, there weren't absolutely zero opportunities for upward mobility; it was just very difficult.
"It is difficult, yes, but if he had been honest from the start, and with your support, is it really that hard for someone capable to earn some merit? Who would try to stop it?" It was hard for a commoner to become a noble, but if Lancelot truly had the ability and Arthur supported him, the difficulty would drop significantly. While still challenging, the odds would be much better than for others.
King Uther was very rigid, but even he wouldn't be completely unreasonable with his own son if it didn't violate the law, right? Besides, if Lancelot was really as good as they claimed, would Kay truly stand by and do nothing?
No way!
Once Lancelot accumulated some merit, combined with the persuasion of Arthur and Kay, it was highly possible for him to become a low-ranking noble. King Uther was also a man who appreciated talent.
"But what did Lancelot do? He resorted to deception! He chose a shortcut to gain something for nothing! He was making a fool of Camelot's law! And you? You are the heir to Camelot, the beneficiary of the law, and its natural protector, yet you are pleading for a clear-cut fraudster, undermining the very foundation of your rule? Do you realize you're subverting your father's authority? What's in your head? Rocks?"
"And you, Merlin! You forged a noble identity document, deceived your prince, and deceived your sovereign. Now that you've been exposed, you show no remorse and continue to manipulate Arthur into going further down the wrong path? I initially thought you were just young and naive, so I decided not to pursue charges before, but now I need to change my opinion. You are no longer fit to remain by Arthur's side. Guards!"
With that, Kay slammed his hand on the table and loudly called for the guards.
Merlin snapped out of his daze and cried out, "I just felt it was unfair! Lancelot..."
Kay was extremely disappointed. He had always thought the legendary Merlin was a wise man, but now it seemed he was just a self-righteous kid!
"Fair? You think it's unfair? Then what about your deception? Is that fair? You want Lancelot to have a chance? Fine! Just say it openly! If he really is as good as you claim, he will get an opportunity! But how did you handle it? You forged documents and deceived Arthur. What do you take Arthur for? A tool to be used? Is that fair to Arthur? Is that fair to all the others also vying for a knighthood? Plus, did you truly think your deception would go unnoticed?"
"Not to mention me, the Grand Vizier knows the details of that noble family. What were you planning to do then? Stop the Grand Vizier from doing his duty? Prevent him from telling the King the truth? Fine, even if you could convince the Grand Vizier, what about the Duke of Northumbria? His family isn't extinct! If they heard about this, what would you do? Were you going to force them to acknowledge this non-existent fifth son?"
"You're coming to me with a completely baseless argument, screaming about 'unfairness'? Then you tell me, where is your fairness? Even worse, you repeatedly used Arthur, and after the truth came out, you were unrepentant and continued to egg Arthur on to support your so-called fairness, even if it meant undermining his own interests... How am I supposed to trust you? You completely prioritized your own beliefs over Arthur's well-being! You never even considered the consequences for Arthur. If everything had gone your way and then it was exposed, what would happen to Arthur? Given all this, what good influence can you possibly bring to Arthur?"
The guards knocked and entered the room.
"Throw him in the dungeon! No one is to release him without my command." With that, Kay had the guards take the shaken Merlin away. Arthur could only fret on the side. He wanted to intervene, but he knew Kay's personality—exactly like King Uther's! Trying to stop him now would only make things worse. On this point, Kay was even more unyielding than Uther. Uther might soften because Arthur was his son, but Kay wouldn't!
Kay might genuinely draw his sword and chop off Merlin's head!
"Alright, Arthur, now tell me, where is that Lancelot?"
Arthur was also unsettled by Kay's furious dressing down.
"He... he left. Merlin and I tried to stop him, but he felt he wasn't worthy to stay, so he left... We were planning to convince you and then go after him..."
"Hmph! At least he has some sense of shame. Otherwise, he'd be meeting the sharp end of my sword!" Kay's mood finally improved slightly. Just a moment ago, Kay had seriously considered executing Lancelot. Because Kay finally remembered where he'd heard that name before.
This Lancelot was the one who would give King Arthur a certain notorious "hat" later on!
(In my experience reading the Merlin legends, I always found it frustrating how Merlin constantly courted trouble. Though his intentions were always good, he managed to mess things up every time, so this handling of the situation comes completely from the author's personal grievances.)