Arthur stood, watching imperiously as his guests settled and turned their faces to him. “I promise you will not have to listen to me overmuch this night—”
“Aye, we all know how you love making speeches,” Bedivere interrupted from his table below the dais, brotherly grin bright enough to light the night.
Arthur acknowledged him with an expression colored by a mix of amusement and annoyance before turning back to the assembly. “It is by no coincidence I picked this night to bring you together. It is the new year, and as the wheel of time turns once more, it is a time for celebrating, a time for new beginnings and unity. In that same spirit of brotherhood, I wish to introduce all of you tonight to our newest member. As many of you know, Mark of Cornwall has ruled the kingdom of Dyfneint in
