Chapter 51: Seeking Help

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Merlin was well-connected, and not just casually so—his connections were solid and influential. Not only was he a close friend of Prince Arthur, but he was also the adopted son and apprentice of the royal apothecary, and a good friend of the princess’s personal attendant. (There was a reason why Gaius was said to be Merlin’s adoptive father. Remember the letter Honice sent to Gaius? In it, Honice requested Gaius to become Merlin’s guardian, and Gaius agreed. Although it was puzzling why a man nearly twenty years old still needed a guardian, that was the reality.)
With such connections, Merlin quickly sought out Arthur, hoping to arrange for his mother to have an audience with King Uther. Upon hearing the full story, the young and impetuous Arthur didn’t hesitate. He immediately accompanied Merlin’s mother to meet King Uther.
Thus unfolded a remarkable scene: a common woman with no status, who had been in Camelot for less than an hour, boldly stood in the royal hall before the king himself.
“Winter in Eldo is harsh. We have many children, and many of them are on the brink of death. We have almost no food left,” said Lady Honice, who proved herself an outstanding woman. Though she had no experience in court affairs, she calmly and clearly stated her identity, purpose, and appeal with a voice choked with grief.
“If Kanan steals our harvest, our children will starve.”
She knew exactly how to touch hearts—not speaking of the adults’ plight but focusing on the children’s fate, for everyone naturally feels compassion for children.
“Please, we need your help!”
Indeed, Honice’s words stirred sympathy among most in the hall, especially Morgana, a sensitive young girl who was moved to tears, eager to replace King Uther in granting Honice’s plea.
Yet King Uther, seated on his throne, remained expressionless.
Only after Honice finished did Uther speak.
“Eldo is part of the Kingdom of Sendrid. It is their responsibility to ensure your safety.” His words were clear: Honice had come to the wrong place. This was Camelot’s domain; they could not intervene in Sendrid’s territory.
Honice understood and hurriedly added, “We have appealed to our king, but... he does not care for remote regions like ours. You are our only hope.”
She looked at Uther with hope, yearning for his aid.
Uther clenched his fist but reason prevailed.
“My deepest sympathy is with you. I too wish those savage, evil men would vanish from this world.”
The gulf between hope and disappointment is hard for anyone to bear; Honice could not remain stoic—it was a matter of life and death for all of Eldo.

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“So you will help us, won’t you?” This was truly the last hope.
King Uther lowered his head, closed his eyes tightly, then coldly said, “I wish I could.”
Arthur, unable to contain himself, quickly exclaimed, “Of course! We can send soldiers! We have enough troops.”
“That’s not the issue. We have no shortage of soldiers.”
Morgana, standing beneath the throne, could no longer hold back. “Then what is the problem?”
Though Morgana’s relationship with King Uther had improved, the kind-hearted girl still struggled to understand him. To her, they were doing a good deed; if it was a good deed, what could possibly be wrong?
Kay could only shake his head in response. The problem was that neither Morgana nor Arthur saw the matter from a truly elevated perspective.
King Uther also felt a bit disappointed by their reactions. He was not truly heartless—who would enjoy seeing others suffer? No one. But things were never so simple, and no one wanted to consider that side of the equation. This weighed heavily on him as he faced his own children.
Seeing Uther close his eyes and fall silent, Kay stepped forward to explain.
“Eldo lies beyond the Astir Ridge, within Sendrid’s territory. If Camelot sends troops there, it means war. No nation allows foreign armies to set foot on its land.”
At this, Honice could no longer hold back. She knelt, adopting the most devout and humble posture, pleading, “I know you are a good king, a merciful man. I beg you, please help me!”
Faced with such a plea, Uther could not remain indifferent, but as king, he had to think from a ruler’s perspective.
“I have spent many years reaching an accord with King Odinda of Sendrid to secure peace between our realms. I cannot sacrifice thousands of soldiers to fight a pointless war over a village with fewer than a hundred people. That would only lead to more death. I am sorry, but fearsome Camelot cannot help.”
Honice, a strong woman until now, finally broke down in tears. Morgana was deeply displeased, convinced that Uther was too cold-hearted. Seeing Morgana’s angry gaze, both Kay and Uther felt a headache coming on.
Morgana stepped forward to support the weeping Honice, then shot a resentful look at Kay. She felt her fiancé had grown as cold and unpleasant as her adoptive father. Merlin shared her sentiment, his eyes brimming with disappointment.
Kay shook his head and finally spoke.

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“Morgana... things are not as simple as you think. His Majesty and I do want to help, but...”
Unfortunately, Morgana, already inflamed, ignored Kay’s explanation and interrupted, “But what? Kay! What could possibly justify turning a blind eye to their suffering? You’re not yourself anymore—you’ve changed!”
As she spoke, Morgana’s eyes shot a sharp glance at King Uther, who rested his head in his hand. The implication was clear: she blamed Uther for making Kay this way.
Kay felt both amused and exasperated.
“Fine. How do you propose we help them?” Kay asked resignedly.
A proud gleam flashed in Morgana’s eyes. She enjoyed seeing Kay yield to her; in her mind, it was proof of his love. Like most young girls, she believed that only a lover’s concession proved their affection, though it was quite naive.
“Send troops! We only want to drive away those bandits. We have no interest in their land. I believe Sendrid would be grateful—we’d be protecting their people from thieves.”
Kay shook his head speechlessly; Uther mirrored the gesture. “Is that your plan? Eldo pays tribute and swears allegiance to Sendrid. And you want Camelot to protect them—on Sendrid’s soil?”
Morgana didn’t see the problem and prepared to argue, but Kay cut her off.
“Never mind that—it’s just bandits, not a big deal. We can disregard Camelot’s contribution and the soldiers’ casualties. But do you really think Sendrid will be grateful? Morgana, you’re smart. Think carefully: what would you feel if soldiers from another nation crossed your border without permission and fought on your land?”
“It’s like your child misbehaving, and your neighbor barges in without your consent, beats your child as punishment, then walks away!”
“Worse still, no matter how King Odinda feels, he must respond with strength. Otherwise, his people will doubt his ability to protect them. War will be inevitable, regardless of our motives. If he doesn’t act, his reign will end. The resulting casualties will be greater for both Camelot and Sendrid.”
Sovereignty is an issue no sovereign nation can ignore or tolerate—this is more humiliating than a direct invasion.
“Kindness is not recklessness, Morgana. Such actions bring no good outcome.”