The Making of Camelot
"That was a good story old man," said a
voice from the ever growing audience. This voice shocked Merlin because
this voice didn't belong to a child at all, but a full-grown man!
Merlin looked up and saw that his audience that had started with a
young boy had grown into a large crowd of not just children, but adults
as well. All were awaiting another story from the old Merlin.
"Tell us of the beginning of Camelot!" shouted a man from the back of the crowd.
"No, tell us of Sir Lancelot!" shouted a little girl in the front.
"Why don't I tell you about both?" replied Merlin with a smile. It had been ages since Merlin had really been in the public eye. "Arthur had only been king for about five years, and he had decided that he needed to make a new kingdom. One that would be perfect in every way imaginable..."
"Look at this new kingdom, Merlin!" said King Arthur excitedly, as he and Merlin were walking through it. It was still under construction in many parts, but it was nearing completion. "Is it not the most perfect place that you've ever seen?"
"It certainly is magnificent, my king," Merlin replied. "I just have one question. What is it going to be called? Every kingdom has to have a name."
"I haven't quite decided, Merlin. I have been thinking about it and I've narrowed it down to two names, but I can't make up my mind."
"Well, let's hear them," said Merlin. "I sure do like naming things. I had a rock once that just sat outside my house. It never moved, so I decided to name it Leroy. I'm not exactly sure why he chose my house. Maybe he liked the smell of my cooking." Arthur just looked at Merlin with a smile on his face. He had grown accustomed to Merlin's weird ramblings.
"No, that's alright, Merlin, I'm sure I can figure it out," said Arthur. "I'm going to go on a walk and look at the new kingdom from a distance."
"I would love to come with you, my king, but I have some things to attend to in the forest. I ran out of the herbs that I put in my famous spaghetti sauce. I can't wait to eat some tonight. Perhaps I should invite Leroy. I've never had him over to eat," replied Merlin. Then they departed and went their separate ways, or so Arthur thought. The truth is that Merlin actually followed him at a distance. Merlin never let the king go very far alone. He had put too much work into making him king to let him get killed while walking in the forest alone.
King Arthur had walked to the top of a hill that was about two miles away from his kingdom and he turned around and just gazed at its beauty in the setting sun.
"It would be a gorgeous view if that ugly castle wasn't in the way," said a voice behind him.
"What are you talking about? You don't think the castle adds to its beauty?" Arthur asked the man who was leaning against a tree.
"No, nature is beautiful. Man-made structures are hideous and don't belong to be in such a beautiful place," answered the man.
"What is your name? I want to know the name of the man who has insulted my kingdom, and the man I'm going to kill," said Arthur as he drew his sword.
"It's Lancelot," he answered as he drew his sword, completely unmoved that he was talking to a king. With that they began an intense battle. It went on for what seemed like a lifetime. They even had to have a break because their arms got so tired from swinging their swords. Merlin was watching the whole time, ready to use some of his magic if he needed to help Arthur. The battle lasted so long that it became dark before they could determine the winner, so they built a fire and they were going to wait until the morning to finish.
"I could use a knight like you," said Arthur as they were sitting around the camp fire. "I'm willing to spare your life, if you're willing to come lead my knights. What do you think?"
"I would consider it, but I like living in the woods," answered Lancelot gazing into the fire.
"How about this: I will let you live in the woods, but you have to come when I summon you," said Arthur, trying to persuade Lancelot to join him and his knights.
"I'll give it a try," replied Lancelot after long consideration. "What is the name of this kingdom being built?"
After thinking for a little while King Arthur responded "Camelot." Then they both slept, and when morning came they both made their way towards Camelot.
Merlin was very happy watching all of this unfold before his eyes. Arthur was becoming the king that he had hoped he would. A king more concerned with the welfare of his people than his royalty. A king willing to treat everyone as equals.
"Tell us of the beginning of Camelot!" shouted a man from the back of the crowd.
"No, tell us of Sir Lancelot!" shouted a little girl in the front.
"Why don't I tell you about both?" replied Merlin with a smile. It had been ages since Merlin had really been in the public eye. "Arthur had only been king for about five years, and he had decided that he needed to make a new kingdom. One that would be perfect in every way imaginable..."
"Look at this new kingdom, Merlin!" said King Arthur excitedly, as he and Merlin were walking through it. It was still under construction in many parts, but it was nearing completion. "Is it not the most perfect place that you've ever seen?"
"It certainly is magnificent, my king," Merlin replied. "I just have one question. What is it going to be called? Every kingdom has to have a name."
"I haven't quite decided, Merlin. I have been thinking about it and I've narrowed it down to two names, but I can't make up my mind."
"Well, let's hear them," said Merlin. "I sure do like naming things. I had a rock once that just sat outside my house. It never moved, so I decided to name it Leroy. I'm not exactly sure why he chose my house. Maybe he liked the smell of my cooking." Arthur just looked at Merlin with a smile on his face. He had grown accustomed to Merlin's weird ramblings.
"No, that's alright, Merlin, I'm sure I can figure it out," said Arthur. "I'm going to go on a walk and look at the new kingdom from a distance."
"I would love to come with you, my king, but I have some things to attend to in the forest. I ran out of the herbs that I put in my famous spaghetti sauce. I can't wait to eat some tonight. Perhaps I should invite Leroy. I've never had him over to eat," replied Merlin. Then they departed and went their separate ways, or so Arthur thought. The truth is that Merlin actually followed him at a distance. Merlin never let the king go very far alone. He had put too much work into making him king to let him get killed while walking in the forest alone.
King Arthur had walked to the top of a hill that was about two miles away from his kingdom and he turned around and just gazed at its beauty in the setting sun.
"It would be a gorgeous view if that ugly castle wasn't in the way," said a voice behind him.
"What are you talking about? You don't think the castle adds to its beauty?" Arthur asked the man who was leaning against a tree.
"No, nature is beautiful. Man-made structures are hideous and don't belong to be in such a beautiful place," answered the man.
"What is your name? I want to know the name of the man who has insulted my kingdom, and the man I'm going to kill," said Arthur as he drew his sword.
"It's Lancelot," he answered as he drew his sword, completely unmoved that he was talking to a king. With that they began an intense battle. It went on for what seemed like a lifetime. They even had to have a break because their arms got so tired from swinging their swords. Merlin was watching the whole time, ready to use some of his magic if he needed to help Arthur. The battle lasted so long that it became dark before they could determine the winner, so they built a fire and they were going to wait until the morning to finish.
"I could use a knight like you," said Arthur as they were sitting around the camp fire. "I'm willing to spare your life, if you're willing to come lead my knights. What do you think?"
"I would consider it, but I like living in the woods," answered Lancelot gazing into the fire.
"How about this: I will let you live in the woods, but you have to come when I summon you," said Arthur, trying to persuade Lancelot to join him and his knights.
"I'll give it a try," replied Lancelot after long consideration. "What is the name of this kingdom being built?"
After thinking for a little while King Arthur responded "Camelot." Then they both slept, and when morning came they both made their way towards Camelot.
Merlin was very happy watching all of this unfold before his eyes. Arthur was becoming the king that he had hoped he would. A king more concerned with the welfare of his people than his royalty. A king willing to treat everyone as equals.
Author's Note: I wanted to make a story
kind of about the very beginning of
Camelot. I also wanted to write about how Sir Lancelot became one of
King
Arthur's knights. The problem was that I couldn't really find any of
these
stories on a web site that was credible, so I made one up. That's right
I made
up this whole story. I wanted a story where I could catch Camlot in its
early stages, and that's when I wanted to bring Sir Lancelot into the
picture.
In tradional stories Sir Lancelot was raised by the Lady of the Lake when his parents were run out of their kingdom by a mortal enemy. Then the Lady of the Lake sends Sir Lancelot to King Arthur to become a knight where he goes on to be King Arthur's best knight. As far as Camelot, not a whole lot is known. It's thought to have been a fictional a fictional place. If it were to have existed, historians think that it would b located somewhere in Britain.
Merlin is also not as big a character in this story. He's more of an onlooker of all that is going on. He's more watching Arthur and seeing what kind of king he is starting to turn into. I also added some adult listeners to the story to show that Merlin is starting to gain some popularity with his story telling and he's starting to attract the attention of everyone in the town square.
Image: Camelot's Glory by Lee Hunt
Bibliography: Camelot (Wikipedia), Lancelot (Wikipedia)
In tradional stories Sir Lancelot was raised by the Lady of the Lake when his parents were run out of their kingdom by a mortal enemy. Then the Lady of the Lake sends Sir Lancelot to King Arthur to become a knight where he goes on to be King Arthur's best knight. As far as Camelot, not a whole lot is known. It's thought to have been a fictional a fictional place. If it were to have existed, historians think that it would b located somewhere in Britain.
Merlin is also not as big a character in this story. He's more of an onlooker of all that is going on. He's more watching Arthur and seeing what kind of king he is starting to turn into. I also added some adult listeners to the story to show that Merlin is starting to gain some popularity with his story telling and he's starting to attract the attention of everyone in the town square.
Image: Camelot's Glory by Lee Hunt
Bibliography: Camelot (Wikipedia), Lancelot (Wikipedia)