May Christ's peace be upon thee on this blessed day and throughout all your remaining days.
I had planned to continue my narrative in chronological order, however the holiday has pressed upon my mind another story about my life. Therefore, I have decided to jump ahead and tell that story, for it began on another Christmas Day.
As you may know, Arthur revealed himself as the true heir when he drew the sword from the stone. This act occurred on Christmas Day. Once he became king and peace reigned o'er the land, Arthur celebrated the holiday, and the beginning of his kingship, in high style. He would gather his valiant knights to his hall in Camelot for a glorious Christmas feast.
It was during one of his feasts that a messenger approached the king. Reluctantly, he informed Arthur that uninvited guests had arrived and had requested an audience. Ever magnanimous, the king invited them to enter. Three gentlemen, dressed in elaborate togas and with their heads held haughtily, approached the throne. They gave the king the barest of nods. Arthur ignored the slight and asked them to state their business. The chief of the three then read a proclamation from Lucius, self-styled Emperor of the Romans. This Lucius claimed Britannia as a fief of the Roman Empire and Arthur as his subject. Due to his inferior status, Arthur owed the Emperor his oath of allegiance and tribute to Lucius.
The hall erupted in rage. Arthur's knights vociferously denounced the ambassadors. The sound of swords being drawn rang throughout the chamber. Although himself enraged, Arthur held up his hand in a signal for calm. The room quieted as the crowd anxiously awaited the king's response.
Arthur calmly thanked the ambassadors for their service to their emperor for making such a long and difficult journey. Then he stated that he could not make an immediate answer without soliciting advice from his councilors. He invited the Romans to return the next day for his answer. Then he adjourned the feast so he could confer with his most trusted advisers.
The next day, the ambassadors returned for Arthur's response. Rather than submit, as they expected, Arthur issued a challenge to Lucius. Arthur denied Lucius's overlordship to Britian. Instead, he asserted his own claim to the Roman throne. He warned the ambassadors of his plan to gather an army and march upon Rome itself. He then had the ambassadors escorted from the kingdom so they could deliver Arthur's message to Lucius.
Soon, all of Britain was bustling with activity in preparation for Arthur's expedition. I was no exception. At the time, I was a squire to a minor knight from the environs of Caerleon. We made our preparations and booked passage to the continent on a ship sailing from my hometown.
Duty calls at the moment. I shall continue with my narrative at a later time.
OOC Notes:
Although not as well known as many of the other legends of King Arthur, his conquest of the Roman Empire is recounted in various sources. This provides the perfect opportunity to board a ship for the continent, which as you will see will play a key role in my backstory.
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