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This was a necessary part of becoming king, a rite of passage for each newly crowned king to endure. There was an order to how the swearing of fealty and paying homage from the nobility and knights should go. Despite the importance of the spectacle, most of it felt meaningless to Arthur. His father had died, now he was king, and that was the only reason most of them were here. These men were pledging because he was the newly crowned king, not because they really thought he deserved it. It wasn’t about him; it was about a title.
His knights though, his men. They meant their vows to him, to Arthur, not just whoever wore the crown. It made their loyalty, their pledges, mean all the more to him. It’s why he handled them privately, separate from all the others. This wasn’t a spectacle. This was him acknowledging the loyalty of some of those closest to him.
“Thank you for giving me your pledge as your king,” Arthur said quietly to Gwaine, Percival, and Elyan. “You made your initial vow to a prince who had no right to ask anything of you, but who had great need. You stayed in service to a Prince Regent who made you his household knights. But I am now king, and I can grant you all the knight’s fees you should have had from the beginning.” Smiling gently, he assured, “With Leon’s aid, I prepared a list of potential stewards for each of you. Most of my knights spend the majority of the time on their lands keeping the peace in the name of the king. But I keep you here so that’s not an option and as befits my inner circle, your lands are larger than what most knights hold. You’ll need help to administer your knight’s fee lands. There will be time to discuss it all later, I promise.”
Merlin, smiling proudly, held a tray out for Arthur bearing the declarations of their lands and fee. An equally as proud Leon stood at his side.
Elyan’s eyes widened and his gaze flickered to Leon for a moment before returning to the scroll in his hands.
“I thought you’d appreciate that land,” Leon said quietly, answering the unspoken question.
Gwaine raised a brow.
“It’s the parcel of land next to Leon’s family’s land, near where Gwen and I grew up and…not far from where our parents are buried,” Elyan explained quietly.
Arthur nodded. “When looking at what was available for me to grant, we agreed that was most appropriate for you.”
Elyan smiled even as he blinked away tears.
“Thank you, sire,” Elyan replied.
Arthur smiled.
Turning to Gwaine he said, “Unfortunately, the previous knight who held your new lands was…well. You wouldn’t have liked him. You have your work cut out for you to prove to the people who live in the village there that you’re better.”
Gwaine smirked. “I’ll take that challenge.”
Arthur grinned.
“I knew you would,” Arthur told him. To Percival, he said, “The village on your lands has seen strife these last few years. Their previous knight was well respected, but his only son preceded him in death leaving the holding vacant for me to bestow.”
Percival straightened. “I’ll take good care of them, sire.”
Arthur smiled. “I don’t doubt it.”
Gwaine glanced over at Leon.
“So that takes care of us, but I admit I’m incredibly curious about what happens with Leon,” Gwaine admitted.
Leon shook his head in fond amusement. It didn’t surprise him that even in this Gwaine cared nothing for propriety.
“And you’ll have to remain curious,” Leon told him.
Gwaine sulked at that, but sauntered out of the room with the other two when Arthur dismissed them anyway. Merlin smiled fondly at Gwaine's grumbling as he followed the knights out of the hall.
Arthur turned to Leon, his most trusted, longest serving knight.
“I’d have allowed them to stay if you wished,” Arthur told him.
Leon shook his head.
“Better for this to be private,” Leon assured. “I can see the weight on your shoulders, Arthur. We needn’t add to it between us.”
Arthur laughed softly at that.
“They say heavy is the head that wears the crown, but yes it's my shoulders that feel as if they’re carrying a heavy weight now, not my head,” Arthur admitted.
Leon moved to stand in front of Arthur, then deftly went to his knees. He held out his joined hands and Arthur took them without hesitation. They’d discussed it between them before. In all the ways that mattered, Leon had given his fealty oath the moment he joined Arthur at the Round Table. He was already one of Arthur’s most trusted then, despite technically being one of his father’s knights. Leon wasn’t swearing an oath to Camelot for the first time like the others did that day. More officially, Leon had given it again when making his vow as First Knight to Arthur as Prince Regent. Arthur knew he had Leon’s fealty. He didn’t need Leon to make the same vow a third time, ridiculous protocols be damned.
But the offering of homage…of receiving Leon’s surrender and giving in turn promises of protection...that was something they’d not done. Arthur hadn’t considered it necessary. How could a symbolic act of kneeling and offering his hands be a greater sign of Leon’s loyalty than refusing to betray him and join Morgana? How could it be a more meaningful sign of Leon’s fealty than Leon proclaiming his loyalty in the face of the threat of execution? How could it be more important than Leon risking his life and riding at Arthur’s side to face a dragon or reclaim Camelot from an army that could not die? It wasn’t. Arthur had all the proof he could ever want or need of Leon’s loyalty and devotion. But when it came time to prepare for Arthur’s coronation and the oaths of fealty, Leon had asked if he could do it when he realized he wasn’t on the list. Arthur hadn’t had it in him to refuse. And he supposed, for all he’d received Leon’s pledge over and over…he’d never properly offered the response he was meant to. He hoped it was understood, but he’d learned better than to assume.
“Kings greater than I am, have not been granted the sort of loyalty you have long shown me,” Arthur said, holding Leon’s hands firmly between his own. “I accept your homage gladly and hope to always deserve your devotion. I promise to protect you and yours as long as I draw breath.”
Leon smiled. “And I promise to be your knight as long as I live.”
Arthur squeezed Leon’s hands for a moment.
“Rise, my friend,” Arthur insisted. “I don’t need to see you on your knees to know I have your respect and loyalty.”
Taking to his feet, Leon bowed his head. “Thank you for indulging me, sire. I know you felt this was unnecessary.”
Arthur inclined his head.
“It mattered to you though, and I should have realized sooner that it did,” Arthur replied. “You shouldn’t have had to ask.”
Leon shrugged.
“As Regent you asked for the reaffirming of fealty oaths, but all you wanted was a statement,” Leon said. “If you’d asked for more, it likely would have been viewed as you acknowledging your father would never rule again.”
Arthur winced. “I couldn’t bring myself to admit it aloud, but I…I knew. That he’d never recover himself enough.”
Leon placed a hand on Arthur’s shoulder.
“I knew,” Leon told him. “Many of us did, but we knew what you needed from us and did our best to provide it.”
Arthur placed a hand atop Leon’s forearm.
“I am grateful beyond words,” Arthur told him. “I’ve given the others the lands they were owed since they first swore with more for being my inner circle, but I’ve given you nothing to acknowledge your place there.”
Shaking his head, Leon replied, “I need nothing more, Arthur. My lands are more than enough for me as it is.”
Arthur considered this for a long moment.
“Think of something,” Arthur finally said. “Or I’m giving you an actual title.”
Leon’s eyes widened, though Arthur wasn’t sure if it was surprise or horror.
“Arthur!” Leon protested.
While not common for a titled lord to continue in service as a knight, it did happen. The more Arthur thought about it, the more he rather liked the idea.
Grinning, Arthur replied, “Do you have a suggestion then?”
Leon’s holdings were larger than most knights. It was close to a barony as it was and as he held them directly from the crown, there was no law preventing Arthur changing the terms. He didn’t think the rest of the Round Table knights would be bothered by the difference and while some of the lords would complain, they wouldn’t outright protest the move.
After a heartbeat, a still flustered Leon muttered, “Are you trying to cause half your Council to have heart attacks, sire?”
The laugh bubbled up and burst from his lips faster than Arthur could stop it.
“It’s not the intent but if it's an additional benefit…” Arthur allowed.
Leon sighed heavily and shook his head, but his eyes glimmered with fond amusement.
Perhaps this particular rite of passage had its uses after all.