Lionhearted [ON HOLD FOR NOW]

38. The Broken Kingdom

CAMELOT - PAST - MANY YEARS AGO - POOR VILLAGE

Young Arthur and Guinevere walked through the village.

"Look around," Arthur said. "Someday this village, will be the great kingdom of Camelot, and I will be King."

Guinevere laughed. "You have some very strange dreams."

"But they're not just dreams. Come on." Arthur and Guinevere laughed and ran up to Merlin's tree. "Can I trust you with a secret? This tree... a man is trapped inside of it. A great sorcerer known as Merlin. He spoke to me one night. He gave me a prophecy. Told me I would pull a sword from a stone and become King of Camelot."

"King Arthur?"

"Yes. And you will be Queen Guinevere." He handed her a pink middlemist. "And on your birthdays, I'll fill the kingdom with flowers."

"A middlemist? I love it."

"There's more where that came from. I'll show you." He led Guinevere to a replica of a sword stuck in stone.

"Arthur, is that the sword in the stone?"

"It's not. We should leave."

Kay walked up and pushed Arthur to the ground with force. "Go on, King Arthur. Pull the sword."

"Leave him alone, Kay!" Guinevere cried.

"His mother must have dropped him on his head before she took off, and now he thinks he's the orphan king. They call Camelot the Broken Kingdom because we have no king and we never will. And nobody in Camelot is ever gonna kneel to the boy who cleans the stables." He pushed past Arthur and pulled the fake sword out, before walking off with his friends.

"Maybe he's right," Arthur said.

"No, he's not, and you will find that sword," Guinevere told him. "All you have to do now is follow your heart."

CAMELOT - PAST - MANY YEARS AGO

Set right after "The Dark Swan" when Arthur discovered the sword was not whole.

Arthur pulled the sword out and Lancelot asked, "Where's the rest of it?"

"How will you take the throne with half the sword?" Percival wondered. "What will you tell the people?"

---

Arthur, Lancelot and Percival arrived back at the village where everyone was waiting.

"All hail King Arthur!" a villager exclaimed.

"Camelot," Arthur said. "Is no longer the broken kingdom! I give you Excalibur, the sword pulled from the stone!" He pulled the sword out, but purposely hid the missing part. The villagers cheered loudly and Guinevere watched on, smiling. Arthur dismounted and ran to Guinevere, hugging her tightly.

"I see you followed your heart, King Arthur," Guinevere stated.

"And it led me back to you... Queen Guinevere."

Guinevere chuckled and kissed him. "Something's wrong. Tell me."

"Our journey wasn't all I hoped for. Merlin speaks in half-truths. And now my quest has only just begun."

CAMELOT - SIX WEEKS AGO

Arthur watched on his subjects as David approached him.

David opened the doors and walked over to Arthur. "You wanted to see me."