King Uther understood exactly what Kay was saying, but just like any parent, he was a little resistant to backing down to his own kids. It's a pretty common thing.
So many times, even when parents know deep down they're wrong, they'd rather use a tough, uncompromising attitude to cover it up than just offer a simple, heartfelt apology to their children. It's like they think saying sorry somehow chips away at their authority as a parent.
King Uther was the worst offender. His pride made it incredibly hard for him to yield to anyone, especially since he truly didn't think he'd done anything wrong. In his mind, it was Morgana and Arthur who just couldn't grasp the depths of his good intentions.
That's why Kay had to step in and play the peacemaker.
Morgana and Arthur aren't unreasonable people. Once Kay laid out the context of King Uther's worries and intentions, they finally understood the true depth of the blow their so-called "righteousness" had dealt their father. He had desperately tried to protect them, to shield them from danger, and how did they repay him? By clinging to their own sense of justice, they felt perfectly fine deceiving and hurting King Uther, even taking it upon themselves to blame him for everything.
That kind of mindset was not only irresponsible but, frankly, felt a little ungrateful.
After they got that perspective, Morgana still didn't think it was wrong to let a child go free, but she realized they had absolutely wronged King Uther. They shouldn't have judged or treated their father that way.
And so, thanks to Kay's smooth negotiating, the relationship between father and daughter, and father and son, greatly improved.
---
While the Royal Family was having this happy reunion, the former enemies of Camelot weren't about to stay quiet—they were back on the scene.
Under the cover of darkness, a sorceress arrived at Camelot. She looked at the city, still thriving and prosperous, and the fury inside her was impossible to contain.
"It's time for you to pay, Uther!"
---
With Kay's return, an important ceremony that had been prepared a while ago was finally ready to happen: The Prince's Investiture!
"The Investiture of the Prince? Which Prince? Kay? Isn't Kay the adopted son?"
Nope.
In the kingdoms of the Celts, the term "Prince" was just a form of address, not a formal title. Because of this, Princes always received a formal noble title once they came of age. For instance, Kay was a Prince the moment King Uther took him in as his adopted son, and Arthur was a Prince from birth—neither needed an official ceremony for that designation.
What was truly being bestowed was a title of nobility, a peerage! Take Kay, for example: he's a Prince, but his formal title is Sir, which means he has his own land. A Prince needs a noble title, otherwise, they lack formal official standing. This is also a crucial opportunity for the heir to start building their own staff and inner circle. Most importantly, it's the formal ceremony that officially establishes the heir to the throne.
Think about modern British history: the King's eldest son is named the "Duke of Cornwall," and the second son the "Duke of York." While the King's eldest son is the theoretical heir, the formal title for the heir apparent in Britain is the "Prince of Wales." But since the monarch usually has more than one son, other princes also need to be granted peerage titles.
Arthur was already an adult, so this investiture should have happened ages ago. But back then, Arthur was King Uther's only male heir, so there was no rush, and it kept getting postponed. Now, though, everything was different. Kay's return meant that the heir to the throne needed to be formally and quickly established.
Don't forget, Kay has a claim to the throne, and his reputation and capabilities are outstanding. If King Uther kept delaying Arthur's ceremony, it could cause instability in the kingdom. In a feudal society, the importance of succession trumps everything else.
The knights needed to know exactly who their future liege lord was to prevent the kingdom from possibly splitting apart due to an unclear line of succession.
Even though King Uther completely trusted Kay, he couldn't let his personal feelings interfere with this. In fact, it wasn't even entirely up to Uther's own will. In the two months since Kay's return, many nobles had already found subtle ways to advise the King to quickly confirm his heir.
Simply put, the investiture of Arthur was vital to the stability of the entire kingdom—King Uther didn't have the luxury of letting emotion rule the day.
---
On the evening of the third day after Kay's return, the investiture ceremony officially began.
Nearly every noble in Camelot came to the palace that day. Their presence wasn't just for a party and a meal; this was a crucial political event. Here, their primary duty was to swear fealty to the undisputed heir of Camelot. It was also a vital social event for the internal politics of the kingdom.
In a time with such low productivity, it wasn't easy to get all the kingdom's nobles together. Even though they all lived in the same kingdom, the distances between them were pretty significant. There were no highways or cars, and the roads were full of raiders, bandits, wild animals, and monsters—the cost of travel and communication was just too high.
Gathering all the kingdom's nobility usually only happened for extremely important events, like the King's wedding, a King's coronation, a King's death, or a Prince's investiture.
Today, Kay's older brother and sister-in-law were present. They had traveled with Kay from their family estate, though Kay had rushed ahead to Camelot after receiving Morgana's messenger. They arrived the day after Kay did.
Normally, Kay's father, Sir Hector (adapting the name Sir Ector for better recognition), would have attended, but unfortunately, Sir Hector's old back just couldn't handle the long journey to Camelot. Sir Hector is slightly older than King Uther and, having suffered severe injuries in past battles, his physical condition is much worse than the King's.
King Uther was disappointed by the absence of his old friend; he hadn't seen Sir Hector in two years. He knew that as time passed, their opportunities to meet would become fewer and fewer. However, he was very warm and welcoming toward Kay's older brother, Eric (adapting the name Éric).
Eric is Sir Hector's heir, and by sending him, Sir Hector's message was loud and clear.
Thinking of his friend's thoughtful action, King Uther was pleased and also thoughtful about himself. He felt that formally investing Arthur now was absolutely the right choice, as he wasn't that much younger than Sir Hector.
That evening, everyone gathered in the Great Hall. In front of all the kingdom's nobles, Arthur knelt on one knee before King Uther.
"Do you swear that you will govern the land and the people of this kingdom, following the customs and laws handed down by your ancestors?"
Arthur swore solemnly: "I do, Sire."
"Do you swear to strive for justice and mercy in all your words and deeds?"
"I do, Sire."
At this point, King Uther placed a golden scepter horizontally in front of Arthur.
"Do you swear to Camelot that you will fulfill your duty for your entire life?"
Arthur grasped the scepter and swore loudly, "I, Arthur Pendragon! I swear by my life to serve and protect the Kingdom and its people for as long as I live!"
King Uther smiled, released the scepter for Arthur to take hold of, and then received a crown from Kay's hands.
"Now, starting immediately, you shall begin your own era."
King Uther placed the crown upon Arthur's head, officially proclaiming Arthur's title.
"In the name of the Kingdom and our Ancestors, I invest you as the Crown Prince of Camelot."