Chapter 2: King Ulrich Pendragon
"So my young lord, since you have proven that you have the deep pockets necessary for this transaction, could I interest you in some of our 'select' stock." The shady man's voice and demeanor were that of a man without any scruples. He looked like the type of man who would sell his own mother just to make a profit. The man he spoke to wore a black cloak that concealed much of his identity. The cloaked figure looked around the seedy building and noticed that there were no windows and no clear sight of another entrance. He smirked and replied, "Well, I have been looking for some cheap labour and some...", the figure then whispered in the man's ear, "personal entertainment.
The man's mouth twisted in to a devilish grin. "Well good sir, I may have just the thing for you. If you would follow me into my warehouse, I'm sure you'll find what your looking for." The two then walked through a door that was hidden behind a bookcase. After walking through a long corridor, they arrived in a large warehouse that was filled with multiple cages. As they walked through, the hooded man was able to see the contents. All were filled with humans, fairies, and even humanoid beings such as succubi.
"I can see you have a wide selection of options. Tell me, how is that your able to accomplish such a task?" The hooded figure then stopped the man. "Tell me about this one."
"Oh! Well, you seem to have a good eye for this sort of thing. That there is a half succubus that just so happens to be a princess of Babylon." The man then stroked his chin as he admired his catch. "As you may know, Babylon is one of the few kingdoms in the South to allow those non-human freaks to live in their city. That's where we snagged her up. Only a couple days ago. Took using all our connections in the city guard to manage it. As she took a lot of effort to nab, she isn't available to just anyone, in fact, we already have someone that is paying. So, we'll find you another." The man began to turn and walk away before the figure stopped them.
"Who'd take her that thought they could hide her away forever?" The figure refused to budge until the man said something.
"A young King in command of a small province east of Camelot. Um, Claremont or whatever. I only tell you because I can see that look that says you want her. Maybe, his convoy would be ambushed on the way home and she's nowhere to be seen. In return, I hope that you'll consider buying more for such information to slip out of my mouth." The man looked at the figure while shrugging his shoulders slightly. The figure seemed to contemplate before answering.
"Well, maybe I should go grab more gold in case I buy more." The man smiled with the same twisted look as before. He then bowed to the figure before walking him out. The figure walked out of the building and down a long alleyway before reaching his horse. Waiting for him was a knight in leather armor.
"Sir, what are your orders?" The figure removed his hood, revealing short, black hair and light brown skin. His blue eyes, which had been concealed, conveyed his feelings to his subordinate. Put simply, kill all of them. The knight bowed before shooting a whistling arrow into the sky, shortly after, the cries of men were heard in the distance. "King Ulrich, allow me to deal with this. There is no need for your hands to be sullied by a slaver."
"No, Lawrence." Ulrich grabbed his sword from his horse and began walking back. "This was happening in the lands under my protection. I let these people down." He stopped and looked back, "Also, I want to kill him myself." He then continued back to the warehouse, looking for the slaver, finding him hiding in a empty cell.
"You may have tricked me but I was prepared. I'm locked in here, captured. You have to take me in, that's the law." the slaver cowered in the corner of the cell.
"Oh? You know the law do you? You have to be taken alive since your captured? Normally, that'd be the case, however, in this case I am the law." Ulrich unsheathed his sword, revealing Excalibur, "Allow me to formally introduce myself, I am the King of Camelot, Ulrich Pendragon." Ulrich's eyes seemed to have a sinister glow in them. He swung his sword at cell the door, easily cutting through it. "For your crimes, I sentence you to death!"
Outside of the warehouse, Sir Lawrence waited patiently, until he heard the screams and cries coming from the direction Ulrich walked into. Most knights would run to the king, however, none knew Ulrich as well as Lawrence. If the king was backed into a corner, his sword would have activated, destroying whatever remained of his opponent. The only thing he could do was wait. Footsteps were then heard coming from the corridor. Lawrence then saw his king emerge from the shadowy alley. His royal blue tunic was now red, blood was dripping down from his blade, and his face was also stained red, his eyes had little emotion in them. "Sir, what are your orders?" Lawrence's voice was slightly shaky at the sight of his king.
"Make contact with Sir Richard, tell him to finish up with the eradication of the rats. After he is finished, tell him to move in and free the prisoners. Those who have no home to return to will be offered sanctuary in Camelot, those who wish to return home will be escorted by any available knights." Ulrich wiped his sword with a cloth from his horse's saddle and sheathed it. "Also, the princess from Babylon is inside. I am entrusting you to escort her back home safely." Ulrich then grabbed a sack of gold from his horse. "When you arrive, give this to their king as an apology for not putting a stop to this sooner." Ulrich handed the heavy sack of gold to Lawrence, though he wished to interject, he knew Ulrich's mind was set in stone.
"It shall be done my king, however, don't you wish to speak to the princess yourself?" Ulrich stopped his movements.
"No, I'm afraid she'll just be frightened of me." Ulrich hopped on his horse. "I will be returning to the castle. My business isn't complete until I punish those responsible." Lawrence could only watch as his king rode back towards Camelot, alone.
When King Ulrich returned, he relayed the information of what had happened to the council of the Round Table. Instead of debating further action, Ulrich simply left and returned to his room. He was in a daze the entire ride back home. He hadn't slept in a few days and the blood that had stained his face and tunic had already dried. He decided to wash off the blood when he came to his senses. When washing himself, he noticed that his hands were also still stained with blood. He scrubbed his hands fervently, shortly before realizing that there was no blood on his hands. He looked into the mirror, his facial hair had begun to grow out and his hair was slightly longer than before. He noticed that he no longer looked like a young king of sixteen. His face and body seemed a few years older after all of the training and issues that had been springing up. Ever since he took over as king, he noticed that his young traits had begun to slowly disappear. His eyes grew heavy, he made his way to the bed before passing out.
"King Ulrich, I've returned from my trip to Babylon!" Knocks on Ulrich's door had waken him from his slumber. The first thought that came to his mind was about how quick Lawrence's trip was. He then put his armor, new blue tunic, and fur lined royal cloak on, before opening the door.
"Lawrence, that trip should have taken a week to finish. Was there a problem along the way?" Ulrich grabbed his sword before beginning his walk down the hall. Lawrence bowed and began to follow his king.
"Well, sir, I've been gone for a week. I was informed upon my return that you hadn't emerged from your room. It seems you have been asleep for quite awhile sir." Ulrich's eyes widened. "The King of Babylon wished to express his thanks for rescuing his daughter. He asked me to pass on a message. 'Don't blame yourself for my daughter's capture. We appreciate the gift you have bestowed upon us and I hope to repay that kindness one day.' It also seemed that the princess was looking forward to meeting the young King of Camelot. She admitted to feeling some fear of meeting you, however, it had nothing to do with your 'punishment' of the slaver. I informed her that the two of you would meet properly when you were next in Babylon."
"Thank you, Lawrence. I appreciate all you do for Camelot." Ulrich made it to the main castle throne room, he viewed his throne in the middle. Ulrich took a seat on his throne. The throne itself wasn't to immaculate, it seemed to be created for comfort, rather than a show of status. Most kings had highly decorated thrones and throne rooms, however, whatever decorations the throne room did have, Ulrich sold and gave to his people. The throne room still looked regal, in spite of looking so plain, in fact, many thought it was indicative of King Ulrich's rule. The citizens all viewed Ulrich as a kind king that had no qualms about giving up all he had to give his citizens comfortable lives.
"Also sir, the knights have informed me that the prisoners we freed, the ones that had no place to go, have arrived."
"Good, tell Sister Therese to find proper lodging for them, then I want you to find them a way to make a living here. If there are any problems that arise from their status as inhuman, then I would like you to inform me and I will sort out the problem personally." Lawrence bowed and left to fulfill his duties. As Lawrence left, a member of the council walked in to greet the king.
"It's good to see you King Ulrich, I have some distressing news." The knight's armor was lightweight and modified, appearing similar to Ulrich's, the chainmail had shortened sleeves, and the armor was incredibly lightweight. Rather than full plate, it was steel armor meant to be placed on top of leather gear. The difference in this armor, however, was that it was dyed red.
"What is it, Agravain?" He dropped to one knee and lowered his head.
"Well, my lord, it seems like Lady Maria has left and has not returned since your mission to put a stop to the slave trade." Agravain looked up and saw King Ulrich's fist become tightly clenched in anger.
"Before I lose my temper, tell me you know where she is." Agravain simply shook his head. "I wasn't gone for long, yet, I return from a personal mission to find that my friend is now missing? Actually, I believe I told you to watch over Maria, my cousin, and my sister while I was gone. So, tell me why it seems like you didn't do your job right?" Ulrich was holding back his rage, however, it wasn't hard to see that he wasn't doing a great job of hiding it.
"I apologize King Ulrich, I take full responsibility. After Maria's last application for the station of bodyguard was shot down again, she seemed to take it harder than usual. When I went to check on her, her room was empty and none of the other knights had seen her around the castle."
"Alright, well send some of our people out to look for her right now." Agravain quickly stood up and nodded, "Agravain, I want her to return home safe and sound. Despite what the council may think, I need her by my side. Understood?" Agravain once again nodded before leaving the throne room. Ulrich let out a heavy sigh, "Maria, you idiot, where are you?" Ulrich's thoughts remembered how Maria had always been by his side. Whether it was a sense of duty or friendship, it didn't matter to him, as long as he knew he had her support. Ulrich thought about what his mother told him when he was young.
"Ulrich, you will be the King of Camelot someday. When that happens, you'll have to make a lot of hard choices. Some won't be popular, people will disagree with you. When that happens, remember there will always be three people in your life who will tell you if your going astray. In fact, I think one of them will follow your lead, even if you are wrong." Ulrich's mother always spoke in a half joking manner when it came to Maria.
"Well mom, it looks like you were right." He then looked at his hands, he remembered how he cut down the slaver with no remorse. "What will Alicia and Leanna think of my choice? Definitely not looking forward to those conversations." Ulrich smiled slightly. Suddenly, the door once again opened. In walked a female knight, however, instead of wearing traditional armor, she wore a knee length kimono with eastern style armor. Her medium length, silvery blonde hair contrasted the style of dress she had chosen. She had grayish blue eyes, a clear indicator of her bloodline. She had an appearance similar to Maria, most in Camelot might've mistook the two for sisters if they had the same hair color.
"King Ulrich sittin' on his throne for once? Either the city's in trouble, or you have somethin' troublin' you that you wanna forget about." She spoke with an strange accent that was unusual for someone related to the royal family.
"Always a pleasure when you come to visit Leanna. What makes you think that I'm troubled? Sometimes, I do have work to do." Leanna walked up to the throne and plucked the crown that was hanging on top of it.
"Well, when ya' do work, you usually wear this." Leanna placed the crown gently on Ulrich's head. The crown was simple, yet also, ornate in design. It looked like it was forged by a minimalist who wished to convey the wearer's authority by using only the finest metals and jewels in it's construction. "Now, are ya' goin' to tell me what the issue is?
Ulrich grabbed the crown from his head and began inspecting it. "Do you remember when we were kids?" Even though Ulrich smiled, Leanna could tell that something was troubling him. She took a seat on the stair at Ulrich's feet.
"I remember Alicia used to distract Auntie while you, Maria, and myself would sneak in and take the crown. I remember all of us playin' in the gardens, pretendin' we were fightin' monsters as knights, while you would lead us around as king." Leanna smiled with a sad look in her eyes.
"Our dreams came true faster than any of us expected. I know that you and Maria were forced to begin training earlier than normal because I was given the responsibility of being king. Even Alicia began training as a saint after that, in spite of her sickness. I guess what I'm saying is, what if it was a mistake that I became king?" Leanna quickly stood up and grabbed the crown from his hands.
"First of all, we all decided to train and get stronger of our own free will. I understand why you would think that we did it for your sake, it partially is, but ya' can't dwell on such thoughts when it was our decision. So, tell me why your actin' strange. You've had your doubts about being king before, but now? What happened?"
"There was a slave trader who I found out was operating in the lands under our protection. Lawrence and I went undercover for a good amount of time to infiltrate the compound they were being held in. During the clean up, the slave trader locked himself in a cage to escape any harsh punishment." Ulrich looked at his hands, remembering all of the blood that had been spilled. "I proceeded to cut the cage and then the slaver into pieces. My emotions had gotten out of hand. He would have been sentenced to death, but after I saw all the people he had captured, I turned into a monster. Killing someone doesn't bother me, but what I subjected him to wasn't exactly kingly." Leanna looked at Ulrich, she remembered what her father had told her before he died.
"Leanna, we are descendants of Mordred, the knight who betrayed King Arthur. We have the blood of King Arthur in us, but we were cursed to never be able to wield Excalibur. Some of our ancestors saw that as unjust, however, I don't envy the burden the sword brings. Your cousins, one of them will wield the sword one day. When that day comes, you must be the one to help them bear that burden. Alicia is a kind girl and is very talented, however, Ulrich has something in him that will make him one of the most powerful kings Camelot has ever seen. Without you there to help him little Anna, I fear he may implode."
Leanna once again placed the crown on top of Ulrich's head. "I can't answer whether or not you made the right choice, only you can do that. I can tell ya', you aren't a monster cousin. What kinda' monster would give up so much for his kingdom?"
"Well, I guess you'll have the chance to judge that for yourself. I found out that Claremont kid was the person who hired the slaver. You often travel to the far east, so I'd like you guide me to his land." Leanna looked at Ulrich with a concerned look in her eyes. "Maria isn't here and my sister, well, you know I can't involve her in this kind of thing."
"Well, yeah I can do that, however, do ya' think that's the best choice right now cousin?" Leanna looked towards Ulrich and could see his hand slightly tremor. "You know what, I think it would be a good idea for ya to see lil' Alicia. We can leave when Maria returns."
"How has she been?" Ulrich stood up from his throne and motioned Leanna to walk with him. "I've been gone for awhile and I haven't seen her since I returned."
"Her trainin' has been goin' well. I think it helps to keep her mind off of it. Saint Elizabeth has said she is close to completin' the trainin'. Apparently, she is immensely talented."
"She was always talented, definitely more talented than I. What did she say about her ability?" Ulrich and Leanna walked through the castle and into the garden before stopping. "Is that what's been causing her to be sick?"
"Well, it's a possibility. Her medicine definitely helps with her pain. Without it, there's nothin' to keep her pain away. You would never think she was sick though. She always has a smile on her face." Leanna looked deeper into the garden and saw the table and chairs that Ulrich had placed there. Sitting at the table, drinking tea, was Alicia. "I have some business to take care of at the blacksmith, I'll leave you to speak to her alone. I'm sure it'd be better if you went alone anyways." Leanna then began to walk away before Ulrich stopped her.
"I appreciate you talking to me Leanna. We will wait until Maria returns. I'd like you to keep an eye out for her." Leanna smiled at Ulrich before nodding and continuing on. Ulrich then began to walk towards Alicia. She never wore dresses when training or in private, opting instead to wear leather and furs that she had made from animals she hunted. When in the eye of the public, she would wear a summer dress that was decorated ornately. As soon as she was done, she would immediately change, claiming that she was uncomfortable. No matter what she wore, people would often claim that Alicia was one of the most beautiful and enchanting women that had ever set foot in Camelot. She had blue eyes, porcelain skin, and straight, long blonde hair that seemed to enchant any who looked upon it. She had a small frame, most likely from her young age, that being two years younger than Ulrich. Ulrich walked up to Alicia and slowly crept up behind her.
"I know that you're behind me Ulrich." Ulrich suddenly stopped in his tracks. "I saw your shadow." Her voice was high and sweet, like a harp. Ulrich looked down and noticed that his shadow seemed somewhat distorted. It appeared as if Alicia's shadow had somehow attached itself to his. Alicia took a drink of her tea before standing up from her chair. She turned and walked up to Ulrich, smiled, and wrapped her arms around her brother. "It's good to see you wearing your crown for once." Ulrich responded by returning the hug, seemingly able to move his body again.
"Yeah, well someone wouldn't leave it alone. If I knew that you wanted me to wear it more, then I would have started wearing it a long time ago." Alicia let go and smiled at Ulrich.
"Well, what do you think of my ability? It's getting better right?!" Alicia's demeanor changed from the tea drinking princess, to an excited young girl who wished to share her happiness with her brother.
"It is getting better, but you know what I think of you using your ability to much."
"Oh, don't be so worried. I've been getting better and I feel pretty great right now. So you can stop worrying." The two then sat at the table, both seemingly happy to be in each other's presence.
"It's my job to worry about you and you know that. Mom told me to watch after you if anything happened to her. Saying that, I am proud of you and your progress." Ulrich smiled with a full smile and reached across the table and took her hand. "Listen, I'm going to have to make another trip." Alicia's smile faded slightly at Ulrich's announcement. "Don't be upset, I won't be gone long this time. I have to pay a visit to that Claremont lord to the east." Alicia pulled her hand away and stood up.
"No, the only way you can go, is if I go with you this time" Alicia's eyes grew serious and her face was stern and unflinching. "Otherwise, I won't allow you to go." Ulrich's neck went limp before snapping it back to look at Alicia.
"I can do it alone. I know you want to get out and go on adventures and missions. However, I don't think it's safe. What if something happened to you?"
"You'll be there, also I'm guessing that our cousin and Maria will be going. With all three of you there, I'll be fine. I'm not as helpless as you make me seem brother." Alicia crossed her arms and stared at Ulrich with a fire in her eyes. "Give me a chance to show you what I can do. I'll listen to whatever you tell me to do." As she finished her sentence, Alicia then began coughing. Ulrich stood up from his chair and stood beside his sister. She put her hand up to stop him, before reaching into a bag on the ground and grabbing a vial. She popped the cork on the top and took a swig from the small bottle. Her coughing slowed before finally stopping altogether. Ulrich looked at his sister's eyes and noticed a sad look in them. Her shoulders slumped down as her eyes began to water.
"Alright, I'll let you come with us." Alicia's shoulders popped up and her eyes quickly lit up. "But you have to listen to what I tell you and you have to bring your medicine. If it starts to become hard for you, then I want you to tell me so we can take a break. Those are my requirements."
"I can do that! I promise that I won't let you down brother!" Alicia hugged Ulrich really quick before grabbing her bag and hurrying back to the castle. "I'll need to prepare but that shouldn't take long."
"You don't have to rush, we still have to wait for Maria to return from her trip." Ulrich smiled at the sight of his excited little sister floating to her room. She waved her hand in response, her smile and eyes shined brighter than even the north star. Ulrich sat back down in the chair. He looked around at all the flowers and trees that dotted the garden's landscape. His favorites were the roses and cherry blossom trees that Leanna had planted when she returned from the eastern lands. Something about the way they bloomed brought a certain peace to Ulrich's mind. Ulrich breathed in the wonderful scent of the flowers and trees as he closed his eyes. His mind slowly faded into a deep sleep.
When Ulrich awoke, it was already midday. He stood up and travelled back to his throne room. The walk seemed a bit tedious after he had just awoke. As Ulrich opened the door to the throne room, he saw Maria standing in front of the throne with a package in her hands. Ulrich had a small smile emerge on his face before straightening it out. He walked toward his throne, Maria could hear his footsteps and turned to see her king. No words were spoken by her, instead she only bowed. Ulrich stopped in front of Maria and proceeded to lift her head up from it's bowing state. "I thought I said you didn't have to do that Maria." He smiled at her before noticing her strange clothing. "Huh, you going for a new look now?" Maria's eyes watered up, shocking Ulrich, before she proceeded to wrap her arms tightly around him.
"My king, there's something I must inform you about." Maria paused for a moment, tears had now begun to fall down her face. "I don't think I can be by your side as your bodyguard." Ulrich's eyes widened. "Let me tell you what happened."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone