Best Knight Ever
A Kinda Fairytale
Cassandra Gannon
Text copyright © 2019 Cassandra Gannon
Cover Image copyright © 2019 Cassandra Gannon
All Rights Reserved
Published by Star Turtle Publishing
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Also by Cassandra Gannon
The Elemental Phases Series
Warrior from the Shadowland
Guardian of the Earth House
Exile in the Water Kingdom
Treasure of the Fire Kingdom
Queen of the Magnetland
Magic of the Wood House
Coming Soon: Destiny of the Time House
A Kinda Fairytale Series
Wicked Ugly Bad
Beast in Shining Armor
The Kingpin of Camelot
Best Knight Ever
Coming Soon: Happily Ever Witch
Other Books
Love in the Time of Zombies
Not Another Vampire Book
Vampire Charming
Cowboy from the Future
Once Upon a Caveman
Ghost Walk
If you enjoy Cassandra’s books, you may also enjoy books by her sister, Elizabeth Gannon.
The Consortium of Chaos series
Yesterday’s Heroes
The Son of Sun and Sand
The Guy Your Friends Warned You About
Electrical Hazard
The Only Fish in the Sea
Not Currently Evil
The Mad Scientist’s Guide to Dating
Broke and Famous
Other books
The Snow Queen
Travels with a Fairytale Monster
Everyone Hates Fairytale Pirates
Captive of a Fairytale Barbarian
This book is dedicated to the many thoughtful fans who wrote me over the course of two years and asked me one or more of the following questions:
1. Will Trystan have a book?
2. Will Galahad have a book?
3. Will Trystan and Galahad have a book together?
Yes.
And I hope you like it.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Prologue
Look, everyone knows that the First Looking Glass Campaign was a direct response to the gryphons’ violent natures. King Uther had no choice but to prevent the winged devils’ inevitable attack on Camelot, by attacking them first.
And their attack was coming. Make no mistake, listeners. If not for Uther marching into Lyonesse, we would all be speaking that heathen gryphon dialect right now.
They were monsters and we needed to kill them all!
“Stopping the Savages” Podcast
Sir Dragonet of Camelot- Former Troubadour of King Uther and Host of the Program
__________________________________________
During the last days of the Meliodas Cycle, the wingless came from the east and invaded our lands. Their knights carried godless weapons. Their numbers shook the ground as they marched. They killed every living thing that crossed their path, simply for crossing their path.
Within days, all gryphons knew that these men were not warriors, at all.
They were nothing but monsters. And so it was just that we kill them all.
How the Wingless War Happened
Skylyn Welkyn- Gryphon Storyteller
Thirteen Days Ago
Camelot
“People say Galahad is perfect.” Guinevere Skycast, Queen of Camelot, explained in a very serious tone. “I’ve said it myself. But, really he’s just a sweet, humble, regular guy.”
Trystan glanced at the woman he considered his sister, remaining quiet.
“Sure, he’s a gorgeous, successful, famous knight, who had a couple of highly-rated TV shows and who invented those candy-coated potato chip thingies.” She nodded earnestly. “But, if you focus on his sweet, humble, non-perfect qualities and see him as just a regular guy, I think you’ll really like him.”
Trystan said nothing.
That was apparently enough.
“Yes, I know. You’re right.” Gwen held up her hands, like Trystan had won her over with his argument. “Galahad was on the wrong side of the Looking Glass Campaigns. Everyone in Camelot was wrong for what happened to the gryphons and I will do everything I can to fix it. I swear.”
She would try. Trystan knew that. His honorary sister was small and wingless, but she was mighty in her determination. Gwen was a great queen, who would do all she could to help his people. But she was too late. The gryphons were all but gone, now. Camelot could pour its unlimited resources into helping the small group of Trystan’s people who remained, but no one could buy them a future. No one could undo the past.
A past that Sir Galahad was at least partially responsible for destroying.
Trystan zipped up his bag, ready to begin his idiotic journey. His bedroom in Camelot’s castle was bare and free from gaudy furnishings, just as he preferred. His clan was gathered around pestering him, just as he preferred. Leaving it all to go questing after some asshole knight was not what he preferred, but he would do it for Gwen.
He would do anything for his clan.
Trystan had lost two clans in the War, so he knew what the world was like when you were alone in it. Having people to care for was a blessing that he did not take for granted.
“Gal is a Good man. He was with me when I was completely alone and scared.” Gwen rushed on, unconsciously matching his thoughts. “He wanted to leave the King’s Men, after Uther died, but he stayed to protect me and Avalon. His banishment was all my fault. No other knight would’ve sided with me over Arthur.”
Galahad’s devotion to Gwen and Avi was the main reason Trystan didn’t plan to kill him on sight. The knight had protected them, long before Midas had married Gwen and Trystan knew she and Avalon even existed. He owed the man something for that, regardless of Galahad’s soulless nature.
“Gal will always do what he thinks is right, no matter the consequences.” Gwen insisted. “He’s my family and I want him home. All of Camelot does.”
That was also true. Galahad had been banished for treason and still won every popularity pol
l in the land. How the hell was that even possible? Who put his name on the ballots?
In Camelot’s eyes, their favorite son was exceptional at everything. Galahad had done it first, done it best, starred in a successful movie about himself doing it, and gave all the profits from doing it to wild rhino preservation. Then he cheerfully went on to do something else that no one had ever dreamed possible, all the while staying modest and generous and disgustingly handsome.
It was… unnatural.
The knight might be the Golden Child in Camelot, but outside the walls of the kingdom, people knew better. Trystan knew better. The knight’s beautiful face and charity work were all a façade. The mass graves at Legion spoke for themselves.
Gwen sighed again, as if she completely understood Trystan’s continued silence. She probably did. Trystan and Guinevere understood each other in most things. “The point is… I know you don’t like knights and I don’t blame you. I know you’re only finding Galahad for me.” She nodded, her blue eyes on his. “Thank you, Trystan. Thank you so much.”
She gave him a smile that made this entire enterprise worth the wasted effort.
Trystan grunted.
“Fucking hell, did Galahad really invent those potato-chips with the sugary stuff on them?” Midas complained from the doorway. He was a huge wingless man, with an unhandsome face, abysmal fashion sense, and an unparalleled intellect. There was no one Trystan trusted more. “I love those things.”
“Everyone loves Gala-Chips.” Gwen turned to arch a teasing brow at her husband. “Galahad concocted them on a whim one day, in between teaching Avi to finger paint, protecting Camelot from that octopus-monster, and becoming the world’s foremost expert on antique firearms. Then, he donated the recipe to a non-profit that benefits underprivileged children interested in STEM subjects.”
“Jesus.” Midas pinched the bridge of his nose, like he was tired.
“Focus on his non-perfect qualities.” Gwen stressed again. “He’s always collecting random junk that he wants to fix, but he rarely has the time to actually do it. And he can be a little bit boring and beige, because he’s so unrelentingly Good, all the time. Oh! And he loses all his hats and sunglasses. It’s crazy how many he manages to misplace.”
Lyrssa save him…
“His Good and Bad qualities do not matter to me.” Trystan told Gwen, not wanting to hear any more stories about the jackass’ brilliance, philanthropy, or daring deeds. “You and Midas asked me to locate this man. I have taken on the duty of caring for you all, no matter how pointless your wishes. So, I will retrieve Galahad for you. That is the end of it.”
“If anyone can find Gal, I’m sure it’s you.” Gwen sounded confident in Trystan’s abilities, which was appropriate given his skills. “I’m just worried that Galahad’s in some kind of trouble. He doesn’t usually get into trouble, because he’s so capable at… everything.”
Midas and Trystan rolled their eyes in perfect unison.
“It’s true!” Gwen insisted. “But, now no one has seen him in such a long time. I’m really worried. Something must have happened to him.”
“Probably.” Trystan agreed. The wingless were a dim bunch and knights were particularly stupid.
“I want you to be very careful.” Gwen straightened Trystan’s jacket and gazed up at him worriedly. “Okay? Don’t take any unnecessary risks. I don’t want two brothers lost.”
“I will be fine.” What could possibly befall him that he couldn’t handle? Trystan was the best at all he tried. “I always avoid unnecessary risk. You know this.”
Gwen frowned. “Do I? Because I’ve seen you do some pretty risky things when you’re angry, Trystan. You killed half the population of Celliwig to protect me that time.”
“That was necessary.” What else could he have done? Allow those bastards to harm his sister? No. They needed to die. It was very clear to him. “My behavior was justified and logical. Feelings never sway me. Gryphons are generally born without emotions.”
“Generally.” Midas chimed in and his tone was… amused?
Trystan glanced at him sharply.
Midas arched a brow in contrived innocence.
Trystan’s eyes narrowed and he decided to end this pointless discussion. “Gwen, you will be in charge in my absence. Try to keep everything running smoothly and I will sort out whatever problems you create, once I return.” He emphatically pointed a finger at her and then Midas. “Do nothing dangerous. I mean it.”
Midas made a rueful face at that, because he was technically the king. He didn’t argue, though, because how could he? The man was helpless. It was good that Midas had originally hired Trystan as a bodyguard, because the former gangster never would have survived on his own. Trystan was uneasy leaving him even now.
Trystan looked back a Gwen. “I entrust you with our clan.” He warned, slinging the satchel over his shoulder. “Protect Midas and the child.”
“Always.”
“I’ll be fine, Trystan.” Midas sounded amused. “Stop worrying.”
“Gryphons do not worry.” He muttered, wondering what else he could do to secure his clan before he left. They seemed very vulnerable. The three reasons for his existence were all terrifyingly helpless and utterly ridiculous most of the time. If he knew how to worry, that would certainly worry him. “Perhaps we should hire more guards.”
Midas had had enough. “Stop obsessing, j’ha.” He slapped a hand on Trystan’s shoulder, calling him “brother” in the gryphon dialect. Midas had been raised by a gryphon, so he spoke the language fluently. “Attempt to consider this a vacation.”
“Gryphons do not obsess, either. Or vacation.” Seeing no logical way to put the hellish trip off any longer, Trystan stalked out the door, starting down the hallway. “Fine. I will return with the knight in a few weeks. I do not promise he will be in one piece.”
“Try not to kill everyone you meet along the way.” Midas sounded amused, again. “And remember to call.”
“Hang on… A few weeks?” Gwen blinked and hurried after Trystan, blonde hair bouncing as she tried to keep up with his long strides. “You really think you can find Gal that fast, Trystan? No one else has been able to track down even a trace and Midas has hired every detective in a dozen kingdoms.”
Trystan snorted, unsurprised. Why was everybody else so incompetent? “A month at maximum.” He predicted, stalking down the stairs. “The man is probably passed out in a bar, somewhere.”
It wasn’t like he could go unnoticed, looking as he did. In photos and on television, the knight seemed to glow with some kind of magical glow-y light. It remained a mystery how Galahad accomplished the trick, again and again, but it was always there. Trystan often found himself staring at the images, baffled and irritated by the pull of the man. Galahad had to be relying on makeup and fakery. Had to be. No one was that golden and shiny and… bright.
Maybe some kind of magic was involved.
“You know, you really do remind me of Galahad sometimes.” Gwen told him, hurrying down the stairs in his wake. The woman liked to talk. Trystan kept an eye on her to make sure she didn’t fall in her rush to continue haranguing him. “You both like children… You both do crazy things for the people you care about… You’re both heroes…”
“All the heroes died in the War.”
Gwen ignored that grim truth, undeterred from her ridiculous lecture. “You’re both very honorable. Very handsome. Very protective. Very sweet. If you think about it, you and Galahad have a lot in common.”
“This conversation is ludicrous.” He told Gwen in a very reasonable way, because he was conscientious of her strange feelings. The wingless were such an emotional species. “And do not rush down the steps. Why must I continually tell you this?” He reached the landing and paused for a second, so she could safely catch up.
While he waited, his gaze fell on the wall of the stairwell and a giant gilded painting of an angel battling demons. It was the one piece of art in the world he didn’t detest. He w
asn’t sure why but he found himself looking at it often.
“Just give Gal a chance, before you decide to be your most Trystan-ish, okay?” Gwen reached his side. “Galahad was going through a lot, even before he was banished. And it can take a while for him to connect with people. It was years before he’d call me ‘Gwen’ and not ‘your majesty.’ Gal is so sensitive.”
“The man starred in a film about himself. I doubt he is shy.”
“That movie was before the last Looking Glass Campaign. He changed after that.”
“Burning peaceful villages can change a person.”
“I promise you, he wasn’t a part of that, Trystan. I would never ask you to do this, if I thought he was involved in any of those atrocities. Uther, yes. My ex-father-in-law was a monster. Arthur, too. But Gal would never hurt innocent people. He doesn’t talk about the War, but I know in my heart he acted honorably.”
Trystan grunted and continued down the steps, unwilling to disillusion her.
Gwen had no idea what men at war were capable of. He hoped she never knew. Trystan still dreamed images that he wished he could forget. Flashes of violence and screaming and death. Felt his mother’s hands grasping for him as soldiers ripped him from her arms. Heard the sound a wooden stick made when you ran it back and forth against the bars of the zoo. Smelled the acrid scent of decaying bodies in the sun.
He wanted none of those memories for his new clan. Wanted none of the horrors of battle to ever touch them. There was no reason in the world to try and explain to Gwen what the Looking Glass Campaigns had truly been like.
“You can make your own judgement, once you get to know Galahad.” Gwen insisted innocently. “You’ll see I’m right. Just be nice to him, okay?”
“No. Why would I do such a pointless thing?”
“Well… he really is very handsome.” She offered very casually.
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