Scroll down a bit--the story starts with Part One.
Pretty much, the first thing Arthur had to do was fight all the barons who didn't think he should be the High King. Quite a few supporters had emerged, some from across the channel. According to Malory, his first battle saw him outnumbered, and the whole turned into a game of musical horses, where they all went around knocking each other off their horses, and snagging the horses to mount one from their respective side who had been unhorsed. I think the entire horse population of Britain changed hands during that battle. Arthur emerged victorious, of course, and the barons subsided, grumbling.
One of the kings who had been defeated in the battle was headed home past Cameliard, home of Leodegrance and his lovely daughter Guinevere. Just for grins and giggles, he decided to lay siege. Leo sent word to Arthur, and Arthur came galloping to the rescue. Arthur and his Gwen were married shortly thereafter, and all the allies went home to rest up for further adventures.
While Arthur was having an adventure, involving a fight with an unknown knight, the sword from the stone was broken. The ubiquitous Merlin said, "Hey, I know where to get another," and took Arthur to a lake. There were two odd things about that lake. First, there was a lady wandering the shores, and second, there was this arm, clothed in white samite, sticking up out of the water, holding a sword. "There's your sword," said Merlin, "Make nice with the Lady, and she might give it to you." So he did, and she did, and that's how Arthur acquired Excalibur. Merlin asked him which he liked better, the sword or the scabbard. Arthur, thinking it was a silly question, said, "The sword, of course!" Merlin told him not to lose track of the scabbard, for it was magic, and that he could not be killed while he had it. Arthur said something like, "Whatever," and tossed the scabbard onto his saddle and proceeded to polish the sword.
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