#or running as fast as he can in a blind panic because lucius scared him that badly honestly-

[ofglories]

In general Arthur doesn't usually feel fear.

Not true fear, that is. And dreading facing an angry Gareth or an upset Bedivere is not true fear.

But he has felt it, three specific times in his life to be honest. The first time was when Bedivere lost his arm. Arthur was terrified that he was about to lose his best friend forever, that he couldn't defeat the enemies surrounding them fast enough to get Bedivere help. In that moment his fear made him move faster, fight far more visciously than he ever would have normally. All to ensure he could save Bedivere's life.

The second time was when he fought Vortigern for the first time, though it only truly kicked in once he unleashed Excalibur's power...and nothing happened. Seeing the way Vortigern was able to shrug off the blast released by the holy sword left Arthur frozen in fear and dread since he didn't know what to do at that point. Especially since Excalibur's blast was always his last resort and he was already fairly injured. Had it not been for Merlin dragging him away to seek out what would later turn out to be Rhongomyniad... Well, Arthur doesn't like to think about it.

And then there's the final time. The first and only time Arthur faced Lucius Tiberius in person on the battlefield was also the moment where Arthur felt truly afraid. Not because of Lucius' strength though that was certainly a thing to dread. Nor was it because of the emperor's armies, massive though they were. It was because of what he saw shining through Lucius Tiberius' eyes. Like a black hole of ego, confidence, charisma, and obsession that grew stronger the longer their battle went on. An obsession that shone brighter and brighter like the flames of madness as Arthur rejected him over and over and each time the man's sword drew blood. It was this fear that made Arthur instinctively unleash Excalibur in the end, saving him from death or capture at the hands of the maddened emperor. But even then the nightmares remained for years.