Authur adored his kingdom more and more after each battle he returned from. He was not a leader that ruled with fear or ego because he was hiding insecurities he didn't want to show. He wanted his people to feel proud when they looked at him he didn't want to frighten them because he was king and his word was final. He liked to be thanked for his bravery and to be appreciated for his protection because he remembered when he failed to protect someone he had loved dearly.

Over 30 years ago when his father was the King of Lomond he saw an example of what a leader should never be, a drunken and overweight womanizer who was prone to throwing a tantrum when things were not going his way, that was how he showed his weakness in front of those that followed him. His father always needed his men around him and he needed their input constantly, these were men who only fought to celebrate but author kept celebraitions few and far between to keep himself blade sharp. As for his men, he had selected them very carefully and each had their own matters to deal with as well as their matters of helping to keep the kingdom in perfect balance.

He sat on his throne and gathered them all with his eyes, his people, the ones that depended on him. Oh how he loved them and loved seeing them well fed and happy. He stood from his throne to address them.

'Today we returned home from the finest battle this kingdom has ever seen. We lost people who we loved dearly but we hold pride in the fact they fought as hard as they could. Tonight we thank them for their bravery' Arthur  said as he picked up his goblet. His people did the same and made a toast to their fallen fighters.

Arthur's father King john had an advisor named Glenet, a tall think sneaky man who reminded authur of a black snake as he only spoke in whispers and had a sickly smile whenever Authur saw him. He would tell his after false tales, tricking him to believe that some of his own people were against him so that they would be killed for amusement when they had done nothing. Authur caught onto this when his best friend Nate had been blamed for stealing food but authur told his father Nate had been with him all day. By this point King John was weak, thin and pale, authur noted two holes on his wrist and had seen the blood on Glenets lip. He ordered his men to seize Glenet but against his father's wishes. King john was no longer fit to be king, he was deep under glenets spell.

'He cannot live without me you fool, he needs me' he shouted as he was dragged from the hall laughing. Aurthur took the throne at just seventeen years old and a few days later his father died. Glenet had spent no more than a week in the holds beneath the castle when Arthur went to see him, chained to the wall secure so he could talk to him.

'My father has died, now I'm king' was the first thing he said to him.

'I know he is, he won't last longer than a few days without my blood' the creature told him.

'You turned him into a puppet' authur said.

'He needed my help, I gave it to him for a price'

'Total control over his kingdom?' Authur asked smugly feeling like he was one step ahead.

'That was just a bonus for me, never my real intention'

'Then what was it? '

'You'll find out soon enough'

Authur got up to leave but turned to the creature. 'Before he died my father said eighteen, what could that mean'

'who knows, could be the number of places under his rule, could be the amount of kingsmen he had... or it could have something to do with with what I wanted from him' he started to laugh and authur could hear him as he walked up the spiral steps to the castle.

Aurthur set up a celebration for his younger sister Anya, all her friends had came and the town's people were there to see her but authur had not seen her the whole day and it was almost time for the princess to address her people in thanks. Authur asked everyone in the castle of her whereabouts but none had seen her. Her room was in the tallest tower so he decided to check there when he left the hall.

Anya was sat at her dressing table brushing her hair, still in her night clothes.

'Sister, you should be ready by now, celebrations have started without you' Aurthur said

'No hurry broter' she said not turning to look at him. 'There will be hundreds and hundreds more to celebrate' she said.

'Well this Is rather important Anya, I mean after all you are.... eighteen' he said and felt the sting of saying that word when he looked at the reflection of his sister in her mirror, he would have seen her teeth dripping in blood if he could even see her reflection. And if her turned around he would see Glenet's teeth dripping in his sisters blood as he approached him.