The Salle, Monday Morning

[bitchprince]

Not that Arthur would admit it, but yesterday had helped to calm him down from the state of introverted confusion he'd been in since Thursday. He was no longer showing signs of such, or at least nothing that was as easily, visibly sedate.

He was, however, very focused on his own swordwork that morning. He'd asked Merlin to stand guard come with him into the salle, but now that what bothered him worst had gotten out, he was free to focus on his movements to ward off the rest of it. Slowly, carefully, and with full concentration, he lapsed into familiar patterns that were as easy as breathing by now.

[[ open salle, but I'll be SP in bursts until the evening ]]

Comments

[puppy_fair]

"I can imagine," Zack said soberly as he attempted to wiggle himself into a more guarded position with somewhat lacking results. "Being able to heal in the middle of battle and keep going with a fresh start kinda jumps to mind."

Not that Zack was going to be digging for the potions or anything anytime soon. But he would have been in pretty dire straits during his last spar with Deadpool if he hadn't had his Cure materia on hand, for example.

"Or did you mean something else?"

Too difficult to guard while attacking, and so Zack just wasn't going to bother. Up went his sword for another heavy downward swing, instead. Whatever Arthur had to dish out to his unguarded side, Zack would just have to cope.

[bitchprince]

Which meant that Arthur wasn't going to bother answering until he saw the result of his next move, which was a rather happy, full-on, weight-first bodyslam as his sword blocked and slid past the edge of Zack's. He might wind up stumbling after this one, but if it took Zack down before his own stamina gave up, it would be worth it.

[puppy_fair]

Well, it sent Zack stumbling, at least, cartwheeling one arm and trying to keep from ending up on his behind. What resulted was an almost humorous pose that involved one leg up in the air like... well, like a puppy taking a pee, really.

But dammit, he wasn't falling over!

[bitchprince]

Arthur was stumbling, too. That didn't mean he didn't see a good opportunity for a kick at Zack's remaining knee while he was at it.

It probably looked a lot like clowns beating each other up.

[puppy_fair]

Considering all of the wet paint, possibly even moreso.

Why didn't people bring video recording devices to the Salle on Monday mornings?

Aaand down Zack went, though the leg that was in the air was now swinging upward somewhere toward Arthur's behind even as Zack toppled. Arthur didn't expect him to fall over without at least making it worthwhile, did he?

At least he hadn't grabbed at him again.

[bitchprince]

Oh, for the love of--

Arthur's eyes went big as Zack did not just kick me in the arse flitted through his head. He had a footprint that said Yes He Did, but still.

Arthur glared down at him for a minute. "Don't," he said.

Then, after a moment, "No, it's not that."

[puppy_fair]

A big, innocent grin was all that Zack could really muster up in his own defence while he was being glared at like that.

"It was wide open," he shared, possibly even a little smugly, even while he was sitting on his own rear on the floor. And then, after another moment, "What is it, then?"

[bitchprince]

"I cannot accept new knights outside of our code," Arthur said, after a moment. He was going to trust Zack wouldn't share any of this, "And magical creatures threatening our lands? If blunt force doesn't hurt them..."

[puppy_fair]

Zack's grin faded to a grimace pretty swiftly, there.

"... People get hurt?"

Either innocents, being hurt by the monster, or else...

"Like, if somebody were to break the law, and use magic to get rid of it. They'd still be... breaking the law."

[bitchprince]

"They'd be breaking the law," Arthur agreed, taking a step back. Funny how when he lowered his sword, he wasn't giving it any fancy swoops or twirls to rub it in a little. "Which is punishable by death."

[puppy_fair]

Zack let that soak in a little before he found his feet again, and once again his sword was set to rest on his shoulder.

"I think... If someone were to step in, using magic to handle a monster that would have killed everyone otherwise and knowing what their sentence would be..." He hesitated a moment, not certain if he should really say it, considering the law. But then, maybe it was just something that had to be said anyhow. "They saw other lives as more important than their own. A person like that would be something of a hero, even if nobody else ever agreed."

[bitchprince]

Like Lancelot.

Or Merlin.

Arthur's mouth curled into a distant smile, and then he turned, pacing towards the racks to put his training sword aside. "There are things I wish I could do," he admitted; it'd been too long since he'd gotten to talk to anyone about honour and heroism, the way the knights knew it.

[puppy_fair]

"About the law?" There was another moment's pause as Zack thought the whole mess over, keeping his eye on Arthur. "My mentor back home keeps telling me, 'Embrace your dreams. And above all else, protect your honor as SOLDIER.' It looks to me that with something like this, it still holds, SOLDIER or not. And that doing one feeds directly into the other, as well."

Which was Zack's roundabout way of suggesting that, instead of wishing something could be done, maybe it was more important to start looking for avenues to do it.

[bitchprince]

"He is my father, Zack," Arthur pointed out; and it wouldn't be the first time he'd gone behind Uther's back. "It isn't my place to question his laws in public." There were certain kinds of careful phrasing he probably wasn't going to lose until his father well and truly died. "As prince of Camelot, I'm sworn to uphold its laws. That doesn't mean I don't do what I can."

[puppy_fair]

"Prince means you could be king someday," Zack noted. "I'm sure you've given thought as to what to do about it then?"

Zack couldn't ask Arthur to just take propriety and toss it from a window. Even if right and wrong seemed to be written in black and white in this situation, it was so much more muddled than that. It was Arthur's dad who was doing all of this.

[bitchprince]

"It doesn't mean I could," Arthur simply said, "It means I will, barring an untimely death."

You idiot implied.

It was Arthurese for 'yes, I have, and it scares the hell out of me but I'm not telling you that.'

[puppy_fair]

Hey, if someone had offered the throne to Zack on a silver platter, he would have turned it down in a heartbeat. Even if Arthur hadn't told him that, he could well imagine.

"Well, then don't die," Zack replied, letting the implied you idiot slide easily enough to the side. "If there's anything I can do, for you or for Camelot, let me know."

It was all said so soberly, compared to Zack's usual chirp. This was heavy stuff, after all.

[bitchprince]

In that moment, Zack reminded him so much of Lancelot it practically hurt. He wasn't going to insult that gesture with an 'I can handle it'; instead, Zack got a slight bow of Arthur's head.

"You're a good man," he said, "What your mentor said, about keeping your honour -- don't let anyone take it from you."

The practice sword fell back into place where it belonged.

[puppy_fair]

"I won't," Zack said dutifully with a small bow of his head. "And keep sight of yours, Arthur. It's that much more important for you, I think."

A king without honor would be...

Well. Terrifying.

[bitchprince]

"If I had none, I would never be worthy of being a king."

Which was something he spent his entire life trying to earn.

He glanced away from the sword, over his shoulder, at Zack. "No dishonour nor cowardice nor disloyalty, nor disservice."

[puppy_fair]

Zack really, really liked that. He'd have to remember it- it seemed to sum up all that he believed in, really.

"Protect your honour," he agreed, smiling faintly. "If you do that, sooner or later you'll get to fix the price of freedom."

[bitchprince]

"Mm," Arthur agreed. It didn't quite take the load off his mind, but at least the sentiments were familiar. "And don't go after a man with a broomstick."

[puppy_fair]

"Or, at the very least, not when you're just armed with an umbrella."

Zack had so totally kept that beach umbrella to practise with, yes.

"It's almost time for my next class, so I ought to change and shower and all that before showing up in Lady Ghanima's classroom looking like I just got my butt kicked by a toddler with fingerpaints. See you later?"

[bitchprince]

"See you later," Arthur returned, "Feel free to regale me with further tales of the small children who've managed to bludgeon you down to size, later."