"Peace?"
As if he had heard the funniest joke of the century, Uther laughed very loudly. The man finally stopped his streak of laughter, before Emery thought the former had gone crazy.
With an incredulous look on his face, he bellowed, "Are you serious?! You want to talk about peace when you threaten my life?"
Before Emery could respond to the man's outrage, Arthur said his piece first. "Please father, let's listen to him first!"
King Uther was about to continue his lashing when he heard that, causing the man to turn to his son with a glare.
"Arthur! Did you hear what you just said yourself? If I didn't know you have been like this for a while, I would have believed this wizard had enchanted you! What exactly happened to you?!"
Arthur tried to convey his intention, "Father, all I want is the best for the kingdom… Actually I..."
Alas, the king seemed utterly enraged as he interrupted his words.
"Huh! What do you know about what is best for the kingdom!!" King Uther, who was clearly emotional at the moment, returned his glare to Emery and said as he gritted his teeth. "Speak! Say your piece and be done with it!"
Despite the bubbling rage of the human in front of him, Emery still decided to take his time, as he wasn't much of a talker, let alone a diplomat. He had to think through the words he wanted to say thoroughly, because these kinds of things were new, even foreign, to him.
From the lectures he attended back at Magus Academy or, to be more precise, from Magus Minerva's class on ethics and principles, Emery did learn some basic understanding on magus' roles and their involvement with society and politics.
However, his current line of thought was far simpler and closer to home when compared to the things he had learnt.
The infallible honor of a knight his father taught him about and the High Priestess's story about the past and her wishes. All of these had led Emery to today's discussion and all he had to do now was conveying it.
Emery looked at the king calmly and asked the question he always wondered ever since.
"Your Majesty, why do you hate the Feys so much?"
Initially, Uther seemed to be annoyed by such a question thrown from the young man. However, he decided to answer it as best as he could when he recalled the situation he was currently in and his role as the king of a Logress.
Honestly, the first thing that came out of the king's mouth mildly surprised Emery.
"I didn't hate them. I, no, we. We fear the Feys."
Emery was silent as he listened to the king's answer.
"Being a knight commander of the Divine Order, I have access to virtually anything, including our history, or rather, the 7 kingdoms' history. The good and bad the Fey did for the kingdoms."
"Being a king, I also undoubtedly know how the others, knights and nobles alike. Other than the one who bore deep seated grudges for losing their loved one 20 years ago, most of them are afraid of the Feys."
Arthur suddenly slipped into the exposition. "Father, we should not be afraid! If we continue like this, we will never progress from where we stand!"
"Arthur, you were just born at that time... So you didn't see what we saw. Even now, I can clearly remember the faces of my friends... That witch!" King Uther bellowed at the last part, releasing a roar that contained pain and hatred, yet also helplessness.
"Therefore, no. No, Merlin. The things you showed today only further prove how dangerous the Feys can be. So, no. There won't ever be peace between us."
Emery's face didn't change as he heard King Uther narrating his reason.
"Thank you for your honest answer, Your Majesty. I can definitely feel the sincerity of it. Now, let's get into the main point."
King Uther and Arthur's ears perked up when they heard Emery's words. Realizing he had gotten their attention, Emery continued his words. "What if, I can guarantee that as long as I am alive, there will be absolutely no Fey who will cause trouble with and within the kingdoms. We will even help with any threats you will face in the future."
The king answered Emery rather quickly, which surprised the latter.
"I say, either you are too young and too naive, or your brain is full of shit!!"
It was apparent the man didn't even calculate the feasibility of the plan based on how fast he responded.
In the meantime, Uther's words caused Morgana to react in anger, which Emery swiftly stopped by grabbing and stroking the young girl's shoulders gently.
"I am young, that is indeed true. Might even be a bit naive as you said. However, that didn't give you a reason to insult me."
Emery's cold frigid tone gave a slight chill to him, but Uther continued to persist in his resolve.
"Hahaha!" Uther once again laughed. "I don't care if you kill me right now. I am an honorable man! While you... you are a killer! Whatever your reasons are with the old knight, just admit it! You lost control! Is there really a reason for you to kill all those knights?!"
The king took a pause in his outburst for a breath before continuing in a more calm manner.
"This is what I am saying… You are young and naive, just like my son here." Uther said, as he glanced toward Arthur before returning back to Emery. "Even with the best intentions in mind, all young people don't really know what they want. You might believe your promise now, but who knows later?! Who's going to stop you from stepping back from it? No! I will never believe you could honor such promise"
This time, Emery was startled for a moment. He actually thought there was wisdom in those words. He did lose control and kill Sir Badgemagus out of his free will.
Now that he thought about it again, the old knight was always trying to help him. The old fogey was surely a liar, but he never really tried to hurt him, other than to capture them both.
It was indeed unfortunate he wasn't able to control his strength at that time. However, he was now different.
Emery was confident he could lift up to his words this time, making sure it was done till the end.
"Fair point, King Uther. I am young, but believe me as I will stay true to my word."
"Hahaha... Not good enough, young wizard. Not good enough. Your word itself means nothing in the future."
Uther let out a smirk and turned his attention to his son. "Arthur, tell us what you saw a few days ago. What exactly happened to Sir Rendi, Sir Afton and the rest of their knights."
Arthur was caught off guard by the sudden question and he was speechless for a moment. Unfortunately, the king was so impatient that he answered his own question.
"You should know that just a few days ago, The Cantiaci knights died a horrible death. They were killed by magic and if my suspicion is right, the culprit is Fey."
Uther finished with his words and turned to Emery. "Tell me, young wizard. Was it you? Or someone that you knew?"
Emery ignored the blatant accusation and only shook his head. "No, it wasn't me and yes, I know who it was. I believe you also know who she was."
This time, Uther was surprised by the unanticipated answer.
"Her name is Meave and I believe she was the same witch that you saw 20 years ago."