Chapter 4: Chapter 4 (Rewrite)
===Godrick, age ten, two years after killing Gorfyddyd===
"How is his progress?" Artoria asked, seated at her table while she looked at documents pertaining to the finance of the Kingdom.
She was speaking to Lancelot, who stood by her window, looking out across the land.
"He is…" He stopped for a moment and thought of the right word to describe the boy who had been given to him as an apprentice.
"Vicious. He has a hard time controlling his strength, and as such, more times than not ends up hurting those he trains with." Lancelot answered.
"Have you given any thought to having him train with any of our brothers?" She asked, referring to the Knights of the Round Table.
"We have, though only the more powerful members would be able to handle him." He answered his King.
"Have Galahad train him in controlling his strength. He should be able to handle Godrick for now." She commanded, looking up from her paperwork.
"Yes my King." Lancelot said.
"And what of Mordred?" She asked.
Lancelot just gave a long sigh before looking away from the window.
"He is… hot headed and rash in his decisions." He answered.
"He is impulsive, and doesn't listen to his councilors, often making the wrong decision in matters that require his attention." Lancelot finished.
Artoria just hummed as she leaned back into her chair, thinking what to do about her children.
Godrick was training to be a Knight of the Round Table, while Mordred was being prepared to take over as King, and run the Round Table herself. But things weren't going as well as she had hoped.
"Continue monitoring both of them. If things get extreme with either of them, notify me, and I will handle it." She said to Lancelot before he bowed, and walked out of the door.
===
"Alright Godrick, I want you to hit me with everything you've got alright?" Galahad said, tightening the straps of his shield as he looked towards Godrick who stood opposite.
The boy was now ten years old, but stood at six feet already, taller than some of the Knights of the Round Table.
"You mean I can go all out?" The young man asked, removing his shirt.
"All out. Give me everything right here!" Galahad said, slapping the center of his shield.
Godrick stretched a small bit before taking a deep breath and getting into a fighting stance.
"I want you to go berserk. I need to know what your upper limits are so we can teach you how to control your strength better alright?" Galahad said, getting into his own defensive stance.
Godrick nodded before blitzing forward, and throwing his fist into the center of the shield full force.
Galahad's eyes went wide as he had to take a step back from the force before he heard Godrick sigh.
"Sorry, I'm just not feeling it right now, just give me a moment." The boy said before backing up and shaking his arms back and forth to get the blood going.
He stayed like that before his expressionless face turned dark, letting himself feel his more negative emotions he had been taught to suppress.
He started breathing more heavily, as he swayed back and forth, eyes still locked on the center of Galahad's round shield.
Galahad saw Godrick clench his fists, the veins in his arm popping out as he flexed before he once more blitzed forward, releasing a bellow that the Gods themselves probably heard.
Godrick threw his right fist into the shield with all his might, forcing Galahad back a couple steps.
Galahad was about to speak to the young boy before his shield was knocked back once more, but this time, with more force.
A third and fourth punch continued to knock the Knight back before it was all he could do to stay on his feet. Godrick was screaming, continuously throwing his fists into the shield.
"Godrick, that's enough!" Galahad said, having his shield smashed into his face over and over again.
Godrick's pent up resentment and trauma fueled him on, his punches growing in strength and ferocity with each ring of the shield before finally, he lashed out with a right haymaker that threw Galahad into the wall behind him.
The Knight went through the wall, and laid there for a moment before he sat up, a deep gash on the right side of his face where the shield's rim had smashed into his face.
He picked himself up and dusted off the dust and flakes of stone that littered his body before stepping through the hole in the wall, tossing his ruined shield to the side as he looked at the younger man.
"That was a damn good shield you just ruined. Got me through a lot of battles." Galahad said, looking down at one of his favorite shields.
It was made of extremely hard materials, and had even been able to withstand Lancelot's barrage of slashes without so much as a scratch.
"GODRICK!" Came an angry distorted voice.
The young man, who was still breathing heavily, trying to calm himself down, suddenly snapped his head up and around to see Artoria walking towards the two of them.
"WHAT HAPPENED?" She demanded before standing in front of her adoptive son.
"I- I-" Godrick was interrupted in his explanation, when Artoria slapped him across the face with her gauntleted hand.
The sound rang through the training area, making some of the Knights around flinch at the sound.
Godrick held the left side of his face before tears started to form in his eye as he looked down in shame, having embarrassed himself and his mother.
"You lost control." She said sternly.
"We have taught you better than to lose yourself to rage. Now take him to his quarters!" Artoria commanded one of the maids before she turned from Godrick to Galahad.
"Your Majesty, I was the one to-" "Be silent!" Galahad began to say before being cut off by Artoria.
He did so, and lowered his head in submission as the maid whisked Godrick away.
"All of you. My study, NOW! And someone tend to his face." Artoria commanded, pointing at her office window before pointing to Galahad, directing a maid to him before turning away.
Godrick was lead to his own chambers where were right next to Mordred's before the maid sat him down and began to clean his face.
The door was opened without a knock, and Morgan walked in before commanding the maid to leave.
She did so, and Morgan walked over to Godrick, who was sniffing still.
"Let me look." She said before taking his face into one of her hands.
She clicked her tongue before forming ice in a pitcher next to one of the tables, pulling out an ice cube to press against his face.
The young boy winced as she did, but made no complaints.
"What happened?" She asked.
"I- I lost control in a fight with Galahad. Mother got angry and slapped me." He answered.
Morgan said nothing as she continued to press the ice into his cheek before it finally melted, grabbing another to keep the swelling down.
===Artoria===
As she stared out her window, she reflected on the conversation she had with her knights.
Galahad had explained what had happened, and she had to admit, she had lost her temper with her son, something that had never happened before.
Galahad was actually optimistic about what had happened, saying he had a good point where he could begin training the boy to control his anger.
They had discussed how and who would help with Godrick's training before Lancelot proposed an idea for Godrick's and Mordred's ascension to the order of the round table. A test, to see if they could become her Knights.
"You know it's a good idea. We have about five years before they both come of age. We could see how both of them fair on their own, and take out two problems in the process." He had said, the other Knights agreeing.
"It would be a good indicator of where Godrick's strength is as well. He's already stronger than some of us, think of the monster he would be in five years." Agravain said, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Do not call him that." Artoria commanded, turning from her window.
"He is still a child. He is not a weapon." She said. But Agravain did have a point. The young boy would be something terrible in the future.
She had then told them all to depart, leaving her with her thoughts before the door was suddenly thrown open.
"I asked you to lea-" Her words were cut off by an angry Morgan, who stormed into her office, slamming the door behind her.
"YOU STRUCK HIM?" She hissed in anger.
Artoria was taken aback at her sister's venom, unaccustomed to her showing any emotion other than cold apathy.
"What were you thinking?" Morgan asked, her anger in check.
"He had lost control, and had to be snapped out of it, so yes, I struck him." Artoria defended.
"With a fully armored hand!" Morgan said, starting to lose her temper.
"What is this? Why do you even care what I do with MY children?" Artoria said, ripping off her helmet before slamming it onto the table between them.
"I AM JUST AS MUCH THEIR MOTHER AS YOU ARE!" Morgan yelled, finally breaking.
Artoria's eyes went wide as she heard this before she laughed lightly in disbelief.
"You? A mother? Don't make me laugh!" She hissed, setting her hands on the table.
Morgan suddenly lashed out with her right hand, slapping Artoria in the face. Artoria hardly reacted, but Morgan saw the disbelief in her eyes.
"Don't you ever say that to me again, do you understand me?" Morgan said, pointing a finger at her sister.
"I have been trying to make up for what happened for years, and you know it." She said.
"Make up? You vindictive bitch, you have made my life a living hell for the last twelve years. You first break my sword Caliburn, then, you not only steal my DNA to impregnate yourself, you also have the gall to show up with said child, and expect me to care for it with you. You also made me lose my scabbard, Avalon, then you seduced Merlin, and now we have no idea where on God's green earth he is! Do you understand how messed up this all is?!" Artoria was screaming by the end of her sentence, almost flipping the table over in her anger.
Morgan was seething at this time, slapping her hands on the table as well.
"Well if you had given me the Throne, which was MINE BY RIGHT we wouldn't be in this situation!" She screamed in her sister's face.
The two of them seethed at each other before Artoria threw her hands in the air and sat back in her chair, looking at her sister who began to speak.
"We have both had our faults. I am trying to make up for mine, and I expect you to do the same. The Warlord forced us into the same camp, and we have to make it work, or else there will be nothing left of Britain." Morgan said, leaning over the table.
"But I have somehow come to care for those two children, and I will not see them hurt. If you even touch either one of them like that again, so help me Gods, I will ruin everything you have tried to build. I understand that you might hurt them in training or something like that, but you will never hit them out of anger again." Morgan said before standing tall and walking out of the room.
Artoria sat in her chair for a few minutes, thinking about what had transpired before she closed her eyes and sighed.
She finally got up, placed her helmet on her head, and walked out of the room.
She walked the long corridors before she entered her own room and took her armor off, making herself look like any other servant girl as she walked out of her own room.
She then found herself standing in front of her adoptive son's door before she knocked lightly before walking in, hearing his light breathing.
"Godrick, are you awake?" She asked quietly.
She got no reply, but she could hear him muffling his breathing.
She quietly walked over to her bed and leaned over him.
"I'm sorry I lost my temper with you today." She said to him, gently kissing him on his forehead.
He suddenly turned around towards her and wrapped his arms around her neck surprised her as he pulled her towards him.
"I'm sorry I lost control mama!" He said, his voice shaking.
"It's OK. I shouldn't have told Galahad to push you. And I shouldn't have let you go that far." She said.
"Now, scoot over my little lion cub." She said before snuggling up next to her son.