Wizard's Wish - (Kinda) Yandere SGE x reader

Chapter 97: The King's Speech

(I've already uploaded this fic on both Quotev and Wattpad, but I've decided to also have it on ao3, so it's even more backed up. So if anyone sees it on there, it's me who's uploaded it, not someone else.)

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A few hours earlier, Y/n and Rhian had been riding together in a carriage towards Maker's Market, while the rest of the team was already ahead of them.
"Camelot is certainly in a state," Rhian said, looking at the castle. The walls were dirty, the windows were dusty, there were weeds in the front garden... and the draw bridge was still not repaired, instead it was an awful and unsafe rope bridge.
"You'd think a year of trying to raise money would help," Y/n sighed.
"I mean, appearances don't matter that much anyway, right?" Rhian said. "It's not that bad."

"If it's anything I've learnt from Sophie is that sometimes appearances matter more than you think," Y/n said. "The people won't have trust in the new regime when they're constantly reminded of the old. If magic wasn't banned, per a king who isn't even alive, the city would at least look like we had everything under control, we could make the people believe that we actually could change things for the better, give them hope..." Y/n hesitated before continuing. "If I could decide, I would honestly take away everything that comes from Arthur's legacy. I know he was a great king, but with all the reminders of him, the people will never get over him. Tedros will never actually be king in the eyes of the people, Arthur will. But it's hard to do since, you know, Tedros is Arthur's son. And of course I understand he doesn't want to take away all that is a reminder of his father... but I just want what's best for the kingdom and the people, and in the long run Tedros."
Rhian watched her, rain pattering against the windows. "Anything else, King Y/n?"
"Don't call me that," Y/n said, looking out the window, her face filled with shame. Like she said something so awful that it was unforgivable.

"Once we get to the Market, we need to stay alert. We can't let the Snake's thugs infiltrate our army," said Rhian, trying to change the subject.
A buzz grew outside the carriage, and Y/n and Rhian looked out opposite windows to see the streets packed with people at the base of the hill.
"Well, it won't be easy to march in and put together a functional army from this mob," said Y/n as the carriage wove down the slope. "For one thing, they're all from different kingdoms. For another, we don't have the slightest idea of their skills or abilities. And third, we have no way to know if they're really saying who they are and that they're honest. Plus, they'll be hard to even control. Tedros still hasn't pulled Excalibur and the media hasn't really put him in the light. What if they won't listen to his authority?"
"Authority comes from doing your job," said Rhian, his flat, dark brown pulling in. "That's where Tedros and I differ, perhaps. But the people already see you as their queen, I'm sure you won't have any trouble."

Y/n noticed a group of teenage boys walking along the streets towards the Market. Two of them wore gold-foil Lion masks that looked just like Rhian's old mask.
She turned to the knight. "What do you mean that's where you and Tedros differ?"
"No knight shouldn't speak thoughts of his king without that king present," said Rhian.
"Would you speak these thoughts to Tedros directly?"
"Certainly."
"Well, then I'm sure he won't have a problem with you telling them to his princess," Y/n said. "Plus, I've been here pouring my heart out about my thoughts and feelings. I think it's only fair if you do the same. If you want to pursue a relationship with me, I need to know more about you, that includes your inner thoughts and opinions."

"I suppose," he said after mulling this over. "Well, here's what I'd say to him. Tedros believes it's Arthur's sword that gives him authority. That being Arthur's son is all he needs to be king. But that's what made him vulnerable to the Snake in the first place. The moment the Snake claimed he was Arthur's son, Tedros fell into the trap of fighting the Snake's claim instead of fighting the real war: the war for the people's hearts. Think about that story The Lion and the Snake. The Snake may have become king by playing a game of Truth and Lies. But the Lion didn't play that game. The Lion became king by saving people. The King became king by action. That's what Tedros keeps missing." Rhian's eyes sparkled like a sunlit ocean. "Because in the end, it's not Arthur's sword that gives a king his authority. It's the king's authority that earns him his sword."
"Well, you could see it the other way around, can't you?" Y/n said. "The Snake used the people, the eagle and fox, to get his way to the throne. He said what the people wanted, to get to the throne. The Lion was the one playing a game of Truth and Lies, claiming the Snake got to the throne on a lie and that's why he should rule instead. In the end, The Lion and the Snake is a tale of parallels. The Snake could easily be the Lion and the Lion the Snake."
"You are quite clever, aren't you?" Rhian said with a smile. "But then again, everything Tedros has done has led me to being here in this moment with you... so maybe the story is working exactly as it should."
"Depends on how it ends," Y/n said.