The eternal suffering

That's not Emrys part 4

King Alator smiled, as he turned to one of his advisors.
"Prince Arthur. Finally done and dealt with. I honestly don't know what the druid meant. He wasn't hard to get rid off.", he shook his head. Almost delighted to have accomplished what the men he had tortured for this information, claimed was impossible.
He took a sip from his wine and leaned back in his chair.
He was sitting in his chambers, celebrating his victory about the one and only Arthur Pendragon.

"What now, Sire?", his advisor seemed nervous.
"Don't you think the king will get suspicious, if his son doesn't return before the feast tonight?"

Alator chuckled to himself. He merely send the sorcerer a glance. Wasn't that kind of the point?
"We dumped his corpse in plain sight. It won't be long, until he's found.", he confirmed with a shrug.

"Don't you think, the king will suspect it was you?"

Alator shook his head. It looked almost fond, if there wasn't the self satisfied smirk gracing his lips. Now it looked rather pitying instead.
"You're right. I'm perfectly certain he will. And how dare he, when I was in my chambers all morning? I haven't seen the prince around.
Such unwarranted accusations have consequences, the king should be careful."

His smirk widened.
"It's just enough justification to start a war, don't you think?"

The advisor shuddered a little.

------------------------

"You've got to be kidding me."

The feast was held in all it's glory. King Uther was cheerfully talking to some noble men, while servants handed out pastries and juice. The servants themselves looked stressed, but rich people never paid them any mind.

No one here seemed all too worried.
Least of all Arthur Pendragon himself.
In calm, almost elegant strides, the prince walked by Alator. His bearded face barely acknowledged him, but when he did, he wore a challenging expression.
"I know what you're planning, but I won't let this continue.", the man whispered when he walked passed, so that only Alator could hear it.

The foreign king, however, was too busy staring at the unscathed man.
Prince Arthur may be looking a little pale, but all in all he seemed.... perfectly fine. No limping, not even a sign of discomfort.
As if he had never been stabbed at all.

"I don't know what you mean.", Alator gritted back. He couldn't exactly outright ask the prince how on earth he survived!
He was DEAD for god's sake. They CHECKED. TWICE. Alator was incredibly careful when it came to making sure his enemies were dead.
Arthur was dead! Alator had been 100 % certain of it.
Except, here he stood.

"You've bewitched the cook to spread chaos over the serving stuff. You kidnapped my personal manservant. You will pay for this.", the man pointed a finger at Alator, eyes narrowed, as if ready to poison him with just his glare.
Alator blinked. THAT'S what he will pay for? Not for trying (and apparently failing) to kill him?

Then Arthur turned around and left. As soon as the next noble woman talked to him, all his anger had dissipated and he nodded at her politely. Pretending to be interested in whatever topic she chose to talk about. But he joked around as if nothing at all had happened.

Alator was still staring.
"Sire...", another of his personal sorcerer guides moved closer to him.
"This is not possible.", they said, and they too were whispering. It was hardly necessary with all the noise surrounding them, but Alator still appreciated the attempt at carefulness.

"You've seen him. It is. What more proof do you need?", he growled. Alator couldn't blame his sorcerers. This made no sense. Not even Alator himself had an explanation for this.
And he had studied magic too. Maybe not as intensively, but enough to know that this was beyond unusual.