The Once and Future King Book 1, Chapter 20

Six years pass at the castle without much change. Kay continues to bully Arthur and make fun of people meanly, even though he doesn't seem to want to. It seems like he cannot help himself. Arthur continues to like Kay and be altogether pretty naïve. They grow apart, because Kay will be knighted soon, and Arthur will have to be his squire, so they cannot be friends in the same way anymore. Arthur is very unhappy about not getting to be a knight. He asks Merlyn what becoming one is like, and Merlyn tells him it's mostly unnecessary fuss. Arthur tells him he would take it very seriously if he were to be a knight. He would want to confront every evil in the world, so that he could either destroy it or take the blame himself if he failed. He relates all this in a very innocent but heartfelt way. This seems to upset Merlyn, but he doesn't discuss how he feels.

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