Camelot

Spoiler warning! This article contains plot details for the newly released One True King. You have been warned.

Camelot is the kingdom as we know that is ruled by Tedros. In the first three books, he is known as the prince of Camelot. However, in Quests For Glory, he turns sixteen and inherits the throne, with Agatha as his queen.

However, in the "Quests of Glory" book, Tedros fails to pass his father's test during the coronation. Instead, he finds out he has a half-brother Rhian, who is actually the eldest son of King Arthur, at the end of the book. At the end of the story, Rhian completes the task and becomes the King of Camelot.

In A Crystal of Time, it is revealed that Rhian has a twin brother called Japeth. Towards the end, Japeth kills Rhian and Tedros succeed his father's true test and now has the Camelot's Storian ring that was thought to be destroyed.

Leadership

According to legend, an early King of Camelot wrote the tale The Lion and the Snake, portraying himself as the Lion and his brother as the Snake, to strengthen his claim to the throne.

Around the time of the Great War, Camelot was ruled by a king called Constantius. He was against Bloodbrook's population of man-wolves because one ate his daughter.

Arthur became King of Camelot by pulling Excalibur from an anvil where it had been set by the Lady of the Lake to settle the question of who would rule Camelot after a violent period of chaos and anarchy.

Camelot was ruled by King Arthur until his death, upon which the Council of Advisers took over Camelot until Arthur's son, Tedros came of age. These advisers allied with the rich and plunged the middle-class into poverty. When Tedros came back to be crowned, however, he had these advisers thrown in the dungeons.

Castle

The castle has bone-white gates streaked with rust and sits on jagged grey cliffs over the Savage Sea. Its towers are faded by weather and soot, but the white spires are still impressive with their rounded blue turrets. The drawbridge was broken during Tedros' coronation, so entrance to the castle must be made over an unsteady rope bridge. The drawbridge was rebuilt when Rhian came into power.

The hallways are gold with soaring arches, but after years of misuses the friezes of knights on the walls are damaged and there are holes in the plaster. The floors are dull gold stone.

For Tedros' coronation, a stage was temporarily erected. It was cheap, rickety wood painted to look like stone and was decorated with wobbly candelabras from the chapel. This is destroyed and burned down later by the crowd.

Gardens

Pool Garden

The royal gardens are a landscape of reflecting pools in a variety of shapes and sizes with a maze of paths swirling around them. When Rhian came into power, the grass was reseeded and brilliant blue rosebushes were planted.

Orangerie

A garden of perfectly square plots of orange trees in the pattern of a giant chessboard with a titanic stone fountain of a Lion at its centre.

Sunken Garden

A garden of paths.

Rosefield

A garden of lawns.

Reflecting Pool

A long pool crowned with a marble statue of Rhian hammering Excalibur into the masked Snake's neck. For the royal wedding, the surface was magically frozen and the ice was strewn with blue and gold rose petals, forming a stage. After the disastrous end to the wedding, the statue of Rhian and the ice stage exploded.

Queen's Quarters

The Queen's Quarters, Agatha's room in the castle, is three times the size of her old house in Gavaldon, with dusty gem-encrusted mirrors, a sagging settee, and a two-hundred-year-old desk of ivory and bone. The tiles are cracked and robin's-egg blue and the matching walls are inlaid with mottled gold flowers.

After Rhian took over and Sophie moved in, the room was freshly remodelled, including the blue marble tiles with Lion emblems, the silk wallpaper textured with gold lions, the flawless gem-encrusted mirrors, and a clean white settee stitched with a gold Lion's head.

Blue Tower Dining Room

The royals have breakfast in this room on occasion. After Rhian came to power, the table was replaced with one of glass mosaic forming a Lion's head at the centre.

Blue Tower Sitting Room

This room has a tattered mohair carpet, a dead palm plant, water-bubbled powder-blue wallpaper and a leaky, cracked ceiling.

Blue Tower corridor

One of the corridors in this tower was immediately placed under renovations when Rhian came to power. Columns were repainted with fresh Lion crests, marble floors were refurbished with a Lion insignia in each tile, the broken chandelier was replaced with one dangling a thousand tiny Lion heads, and frayed blue chairs were replaced with spruced up seats with Lion cushions. The bust and statue of Arthur was replaced with ones of Rhian.

Blue Tower Ballroom

When a meeting of the Kingdom Council was held here, a constellation of round tables that looked similar to moons orbited Rhian's throne, which gleamed on an elevated dais at the centre of the room. The walls and columns were retiled in mosaics of blue, the floor was embellished with a gold Lion crest and the ceiling was fitted with a colossal blue glass Lion's head.

Gymnasium

The gymnasium is a collection of training equipment surrounded by weapons and armour from Camelot's history enclosed in glass cases, including Excalibur.

King's Cove

King's Cove is a sunken bathing pool in the bowels of the castle. It used to have flowering vines around tall piles of rock and a steaming-hot waterfall. Fairies used to tend the pool in service of Camelot, but after years of misuse, the pool is dark, cold and algae-green. The plants are dead and the waterfall is barely a drip. The fairies, too, were banished by Arthur after his loss of trust in magic following Merlin's abandonment. There is a statue of Arthur in the centre of the pool.

While working out to become strong enough to pull Excalibur from the stone, Tedros tied a rope to the ceiling for climbing. He also carved out the eyes of the Arthur statue in the pool.

The Prison

The castle prison is located under King's Grotto, with the entrance being a secret white stone door behind the waterfall. It is mostly mould-speckled walls and thick bars. The Mistral Sisters were kept there following Tedros' ascension to power. A hole was broken through its wall when Agatha's team broke the crew of the Igraine out and Rhian had a stage built over the hole to hide this.

Gold Tower Ballroom

Pollux teaches Agatha the waltz and etiquette in this room.

Library

Located in the Gold Tower. A two-story collections that is now, after years of neglect, a heap of cobwebs, moth-eaten books and dust. There are colourful sheets flung over the bookcases and desks.

Map Room

The traditional meeting place of the Knights of the Round Table. Floating maps of the Woods hang in the air.

White Tower Guest Room

Originally built for guests, but became the room Arthur would shut himself in following Guinevere's abandonment. No one used to be allowed in this room except Arthur himself. Once in Tedros' youth, he snuck in during a game of hide and seek and his father beat him for it.

It has a marble floor with a patterned brown and orange rug, a sunken leather sofa and a modest bed. The walls are bare and beige. It shares a bathroom with Lady Gremlaine's room.

Lady Gremlaine's Room

The room has lavender wallpaper, a dark purple carpet, and a crisply made bed. A plate of half-eaten biscuits and an empty glass sit on the nightstand, a dried-out lemon on the glass' rim. Next to the glass is a leather-bound notebook.

Hall of Kings

A circular hall located in the White Tower with a cracked mosaic floor depicting the Camelot seal. The walls are covered in dozens of framed paintings depicting the past kings of Camelot, one of which being a painting of Tedros painted by a seer shortly after his birth. Each king's coronation picture is surrounded by smaller paintings of triumphant moments. A portrait of Rhian was temporarily put in when he took the throne.

Throne Room

The throne is gold and has Camelot's crest carved into the back and Lion claws at the end of its arms. It sits on an elevated stage with short steps down from it. Behind the throne is a floor-to-ceiling glass window. A colossal rug sits at the base of the throne, stitched with Rhian pulling the sword from the stone while Tedros is forced to his knees by guards. It also depicts Sophie staring lovingly at her new husband.

King's Quarters

The walls are covered in gold and crimson silkprint, matching the rug on the dark wood floor. The chairs are refinished with Lion crests woven into the gold cushions and the bed is curtained in red and gold.

King's Bathroom

The king's bathroom has a lot of mirrors and Lion crests are carved into every tile and tap. The tub is vast and perched on gold-sculpted lion claws. There is a separate nook for the toilet tucked away into a dark corner.

Staff

The maids of Camelot Castle wear draping robes in different shades of pastel - peach, pistachio, grapefruit and rose. They are lead by Lady Gremlaine, the Chief Steward. Tedros also mentions a further four male stewards that take care of him specifically. After Rhian came into power, the maids wore white lace dresses and wide white bonnets and Hort was employed as Sophie's personal steward.

The kitchen staff consists of several chefs kitchen boys, lead by Chef Silkima. She was ushered out and replaced when Rhian came into power.

Locations

• Camelot Zoo
• Books & Crannies
• Spansel Club
• Maker's Market
  • The main thoroughfare of Camelot City.
• Harbor
  • Where Igraine is docked.
• Camelot Park
  • Town Hall
• Camelot School

Culture

The Camelot Courier

The Camelot Courier is a popular Camelot-based news publication. They mainly cover stories about goings-on within Camelot, such as the Royal Wedding, and are generally more in support of the monarchy than the Rot. Bettina is one of the reporters for the Courier, and she interviews Agatha about the wedding. However, her overly personal line of questioning angers Agatha and the interview ends early.

More notable Camelot Courier stories include:

• Chaddick's obituary.
• an announcement of Arthur's coronation.
• 'King and his steward hard at work in the early days of his reign'
• 'Snake Eyes Camelot! Is the Lion Our Only Hope?'
• 'Identity of Snake Still In Question - Castle Refuses to Comment on the Face Under the Mask'
• 'Snake's Body Missing, Says Cryptkeeper - Garden of Good & Evil Has No Reports of Snake's Burial.'
• 'Doubts Raised About King's New Liege - Where Was Japeth When the Snake Was on the Loose?'
• 'Message in Bottle Found: "Snake Is Still Alive!"'
• 'Mistral Sisters Hired As King's Advisers? Sighting Through Castle Window'
• 'Princess Sophie Secretly Trades for Friends' Release'
  • 'Until now, the people of the Woods believed that Lionsmane was the pen of the King. Indeed, at his coronation, King Rhian made it clear that unlike the Storian, which was controlled by shadowy magic, his pen could be trusted. His pen would care about all people, rich or poor, young or old, Good or Evil - just like he cared about all people when he saved them from the Snake. / But according to an anonymous source, last night Princess Sophie and King Rhian struck an unusual deal over a dinner of fish soup and pistachio cake. The deal was this: Sophie would be the one to write Lionsmane's tales, not Rhian. And in return, Sophie's friend and former suitor, Hort of Bloodbrook, would be set free from the Camelot dungeons. / Our source offered no reason for this deal, but made it clear: it's the princess who is composing Lionsmane's words, not the king. / What does this mean? First, it means King Rhian lied about Lionsmane being his pen, since Sophie writes its tales. At the same time, Tedros loyalists have been hoping Sophie is secretly still on Tedros' side and working against the new king. But if Sophie is writing Lionsmane's messages, then those hopes are misguided and she is firmly behind the king's agenda.'
• 'Agatha Safe at School for Good and Evil - Leading a Rebel Army Against "King" Rhian'

The Royal Rot

The Royal Rot is another Camelot-based news publication. They are, however, generally more critical of the monarchy than the Courier, calling Agatha in particular things like 'a gilded celebrity from an amateur fairy tale destined to bring more shame to Tedros than his own mother once did.'

More notable Royal Rot stories include:

• an interview from an Ingertroll that insisted Merlin was having secret trysts with Professor Dovey at the School for Good.
• a sighting of Lady Gremlaine in Nottingham.
  • 'Has Lady Gremlaine been fired from Camelot for a second time? Fifteen years ago, King Arthur's once-steward was exiled from the castle by Guinevere (rumour has it for being too chummy with the king, which both Lady Gremlaine and Guinevere have vehemently denied). But in an ironic twist, Guinevere's son Tedros - our so-called new "King" - latched on to Lady Gremlaine as his own steward, just like his father once did. However, the last two nights, Lady Gremlaine has been seen in her hometown of Nottingham by numerous observers. Said Bertie, an attendant at the Nottingham Prison: "No one's been in the house at 246 Morgause Street for several years now, but neighbours sayin' that haughty woman's back." / We asked Bertie: Could she be in Nottingham to visit family? / "She ain't got no family here," Bertie replied. / What about a vacation? / "No one vacations in Nottingham except stupid tourists thinking they might see Robin Hood." / So what's Bertie's conclusion? / "She ran afoul of the king and came back to lick her wounds. Good place to hide your face, Nottingham. No one's gonna find ya here except nosy neighbours." / And the Royal Rot, of course. Stay tuned as we pursue an exclusive interview with the "King's" (disgraced?) steward.'
• a claim that Agatha and Sophie are secretly sisters.
• 'GUINEVERE WHO? How Lady Gremlaine Is the Real Secret to Arthur's Success!'
• 'Dreamy Lion In Love With Tedros' Ex-Flame?'
• a claim that Merlin is extending his life with leprechaun blood.
• 'Cryptkeeper Debunked! Snake's Burial Confirmed in Necro Ridge'
• 'Japeth Reveals - "My Brother Stopped Me from Fighting the Snake - Rhian Wanted to Protect Me!"'
• 'Courier of Lies - 80% of Stories Proven False!'
• 'Tedros Still on the Loose! King Raises Bounty for Rebels' Heads!'
• 'Princess Sophie Missing! Kidnapped by Tedros? Or in League with Rebels?'
• 'More Attacks in the Woods! Rebels Sack Bloodbrook and Ladelflop!'
• a report about Agatha and Tedros' wedding
  • 'Tonights, King Tedros and Princess Agatha will be married at the School for Good and Evil by their own choosing, even though every king of Camelot has married at Camelot Castle since the founding of the realm thousands of years ago. In an exclusive interview, Tedros insisted this is because he wants to 'show unity between the School and Camelot,' after Rhian and his brother sought to overthrow the school and the Storian kept within. But privately, sources tell us King Tedros moved the wedding because the castle is under repair, due to a 'de-Snake-ification,' which the king ordered to rid Camelot of every last vestige of Rhian and Japeth's reign. / We at the Royal Rot will keep a keen eye on the king's expenditures, now that the Camelot Beautiful funds have been unfrozen. Word is he's also spending a pretty penny to revive the Camelot Courier with a new staff, so the Rot isn't left unchallenged.'

Camelot Beautiful

Camelot Beautiful is a queen-led campaign to raise funds for the broken-down castle started by the Council of Advisers after Arthur's death. However, the funds raised by Camelot Beautiful were actually being siphoned off into the pockets of the wealthy for years.

The Lion and the Snake

One of Camelot's most famous fairy tales about the origins of Camelot and mainly told within its walls. It wasn't written by the Storian, but instead by an early King of Camelot. Every child in Camelot knows this tale. As told by Agatha, it goes like this:

"Once upon a time, a beautiful new kingdom appeared at the edge of the sea.

Only it had no king. Every kingdom must have a king, so it waited for someone to take the throne. But to be king requires strength and cleverness, values rarely found in the same being. In the end, only two came forward to claim the crown. The Lion. And the Snake.

No one knew how to decide between them, so a vote was held. Those who believed the new kingdom should be ruled with strength chose the Lion. Those who believed the new kingdom should be ruled with cleverness chose the Snake. Both drew an equal number of votes, the kingdom in perfect balance.

And so the Eagle was brought in to make the final choice, since he flew high above and saw the world in a way no one else could. The Eagle asked each rival a single question: 'If you were king, would the Eagle be subject to your rule?'

The Lion said yes. As long as the Eagle flew over his kingdom, he would receive his protection, but also be bound by his rule. The Snake said no. If he were king, the Eagle would be as free as he was before.

So the Eagle chose the Snake.

That night, without protection, the eagles were attacked. The Snake and his minions hid in the trees, decimating the eagles before the Lion and his friends came to their rescue. Soon, the Lion caught the murderous Snake. As he prepared to kill it, however, the Snake warned him...

"You dare not kill a king. The Eagle chose me because he wanted freedom. He got that freedom. What happened after doesn't change the Truth. The throne is mine. I am your king. Just because you do not like the Truth does not mean you can replace it with a Lie. And if you kill me, your new king will be a Lie. Kill me and I shall return to take my crown..."

The Snake's warning was ignored. The Lion became King of Camelot and defender of all creatures. And to atone for his earlier mistake in choosing the Snake, the Eagle became the Lion's loyal adviser from that day forward, defending the realm in case the Snake should ever return.

And that's how the kingdom of Camelot came to be."

Traditions & Festivals

• Spring Fair
• Excalibur (Main article: Excalibur)
  • Excalibur is a magical sword forged by the Lady of the Lake. It is used to crown kings of Camelot.
• Coronations
  • Kings-to-be must wear the coronation gown. Traditionally, the drawbridge is lowered and the citizens of Camelot are allowed onto royal grounds. The crown of Camelot is a five-pointed fleur-de-lis, each with a diamond in the centre. The oath kings must say is as follows: "By thy Lord, on wrest that Godes doth place on my head, I swear to uphold the honour of Camelot against all foel. I swear to be a beacon in the darknell to thy enlightened realm."

Population

Royal Family

• Tedros
• Agatha
• Arthur (deceased)
• Guinevere (deceased)
• Constantius (deceased)

Citizens

• Lady Alessandra

Trivia

• Agatha and Tedros run a study abroad program there.