Bond Between King and Knight
My love,
I will defeat whatever or whoever comes in the way of us.
It matters not of their strength or fame.
It matters not of their name.
My love,
I only desire to be with you and I will do whatever it takes.
It matters not of who I must kill.
It matters not whose deaths come.
Such a young and beautiful woman should not have even thought of stepping foot in the hell that was the battlefield. Maidens' faces were predestined to be given to only those worthy of their beauty, only the greatest, the handsomest, the bravest of men. They were never to even lift the weapons of their husbands while cleaning. Their faces were supposed to stay unscathed, untouched, unstained, yet there was a woman covered in the blood of her fallen opponents, standing before them. Her whole face was stained with remnants of those that dared face her. Her boots were covered in the brains, intestines, and organs that had been mercilessly squashed underneath them.
It was a rare sight to see – a female warrior. It was even rarer for a woman to be hired by a king to become the general of only the most elite warriors of his army as well as the mentor of his young daughter, who had to stay hidden from the public eye. "Gawain, Bedivere, Lancelot, Merlin – I would like for you to meet our new general. Her name is Alodine. She will also be the one training Arturia to fight."
He could remember the horrified faces on his fellow Knights of the Round Table. Never had they seen such a gory sight before that moment, not even on the most gruesome of battlefields. This woman was dangerous. They could tell from just the aura that surrounded her. "She arrived here from Katanta along with her fiancée, Zoal, and adoptive daughter, Felicity. I have also decided that Zoal shall become my retainer until my inevitable death."
Nobody had given their thoughts on the situation the entire night; it had been the following evening that Gawain had finally spoken about it, questioned it. All they knew was that she must have been a former Katantan soldier who miraculously escaped from the government's clutches, but she seemed rather odd to them. It was as if she hadn't been just another pawn of the army but a much more vital piece instead.
Two and a half years had passed, and Alo was given the order to save one of God's maidens as the King called them. The warrior nodded her head without hesitation and headed for France immediately to save the prophet for a reason unknown to everyone except for the King. It was only six months later that she had returned with a fragile-looking blonde with violet eyes. Her forehead had a scar, and the Knights of the Round Table could see what looked like burns and blisters on her feet and legs. "I am Jeanne d'Arc," she had introduced herself as. "I am here to serve King Uther."
Once again, none of the soldiers had any idea why she was there, what her goal was. According to the French maiden, she had planned to die at the stake and allow God to take her soul, but God apparently had other plans for her. "All I remember is falling from the stake in which my life was supposed to end and being caught by someone. I did not ask to be saved, but I understand that God desired for me to keep on living. If that is what He desires, however, that is what I will do." And with that, the British army now had two foreign soldiers not only fighting but commanding for them as well.
The females had earned their inferiors' respect slowly but surely after years of the two being there, but they soon lost it all at once with the loss of their king. "It was them," the public had yelled in the streets after learning of their origins. "They're traitors, both of them." Even as they were accused though, they still held their ground. They wouldn't back down from the British army as well as the Round Table and council no matter if they lost their lives, and that is what caused the purple-haired knight to not only envy them, but fear them as well.
Lancelot had witnessed both women fight. Although Jeanne hated taking others' lives, she did it to please her King. He had seen her on many occasions stab her opponent's heart without even a bit of hesitation with either her sword or the tip of the flag that she carried onto the battlefield as duty of being a flagbearer. It seemed that nothing mattered as long as Uther was content with her actions.
Alodine, on the other hand, was simply merciless on the battlefield. He remembered the first time he had witnessed her skills as a warrior in battle. A second would pass, and there would already be five heads on the ground as well as their owners' blood on the blade of Demontal. He recalled even watching her crush the skulls of her enemies with the bottom of her shoe as she stated that "you have to keep the dirt on the bottom of your shoe."
It was for those reasons that he was horrified to find out what would happen if he opposed them, especially after they had sworn loyalty to Arturia after pulling Caliburn from the stone. After she had been crowned as king, their protectiveness must have quadrupled. There had even been a time when a soldier had shown disloyalty to the young King and stepped too close to the throne, causing Alodine to step forward with no hesitance whatsoever and take the warrior's head.
Those were the reasons why the lovers took years and years to plan their rebellion, to build their army. The ones who followed the King followed the King with absolute obedience, absolute trust. They believed that she was the one who would bring Britain back to its former glory when her father ruled the nation, and so they stepped onto battlefields wholeheartedly following her even though she was known to never be able to understand her disciples. She would never be able to, because that was what made a King. Kings were supposed to follow their own ideals, not their soldiers', even though it was incredibly wrong.
Yet, she swore that all she wanted was her people's absolute happiness even when she did not understand them. He questioned that, however. She knew of the Queen's plans to overthrow her, knew of his treason. Yet, she did nothing to cease it. Jeanne and Alodine both knew of it as well; they were the only ones who opposed it. Yet, the council ignored them, and he was forced to lie to the entirety of the Round Table, saying, "I am unsure of what you both are speaking of. I have sworn complete and utter loyalty to my King. I am offended to think that you would go back on my word." Now, he had finally committed his crime, and the people were now both angry and scared. They were far from happiness, yet Arturia did nothing to stop it.
Even then, however, he still supported her with all his heart; he had been ecstatic when he heard that she had chosen a retainer, a retainer who had been trained by the strongest warrior in all of Ireland as well. He had cried tears of joy; she had been saved in his mind. He knew that her near future would be filled with many, many tears, but he was aware that now she had a better chance of overcoming those upcoming obstacles. She had a better chance of prevailing, a better chance of continuing her legacy.
He cared not of whether he lost his life or not; he knew that that was the punishment for treason. He knew that that was the inevitable destiny he had – the same exact fate as his lover, but as long as he was with her he would be happy, living or dead.
What bothered him was the burden of having betrayed the woman who had trusted him with all her heart for years. What bothered him was the burden of having betrayed the people who felt safe under his protection. What bothered him was the burden of having betrayed all his friends, fellow knights, and brothers-in-arms. It was as if he was being stabbed in the soul he felt so awful about having made them misplace their faith. It was what kept him awake at such an ungodly hour.
"Lancelot," the knight suddenly heard his lover call out to him. "You need to get some rest. We have a long and tough day tomorrow, or shall I say today." Her bluish, green irises stared into dark ones with what looked to be all the worry in the world. Lancelot simply nodded before lying back down, his love resting her head upon his toned chest after having placed a kiss upon his cheeks and lips. "It is alright, love. We shall take the throne; I am confident of that. And afterwards, we will be able to live a long life filled with joy. All we have to do is wait. Now please, my love, get some sleep."
"Of course, milady."
"I love you, Lancelot," the woman whispered, snuggling her head against the former British warrior's torso.
"I love you, too, Guin – more than anything in the world."
"Arturia, …?" The King's eyes widened before she shook her head, trying to get herself out of her daze. Her head tilted upward toward her retainer in question, who sat next to her on the large sofa of her living quarters. What was it that he asked her? She was unaware, off guard. She couldn't help but be glad that he was there, because even the loudest and unskillful of assassins would have probably been able to kill her.
"Hm?" she hummed as she met his amber eyes. He sighed and offered his signature, light smile that could comfort any soul and swoon any maiden. She hated to admit it, but he was like her very own knight in shining armor that one would hear in tales and the stories that a mother would tell her child at night to make them dream well. Or, maybe he was more like a Prince Charming.
"I asked you if you were alright. You have seemed a bit off ever since the incident occurred las night and now you seem rather vulnerable, staring off into the distance as you just were. I was just making sure that you were okay. You just seem very stressed out right now," spoke Diarmuid softly. He watched her as she nodded slowly, looking down with sadness in her eyes. He knew what was wrong, but he didn't want to come right out and say it. "Is this about Lancelot betraying you?" Once again, he already was aware of what her answer was going to be; he did not need a skill like Zeon's clairvoyance to know such an obvious response.
"Yes, I just did not want to believe that he would be the one to help lead the rebellion. I knew that it was him, but I just did not want to admit it. He was one of my most trusted and loyal friends, yet he decided to commit treason." Her voice sounded gloomy, raspy, almost as if she was about to cry, but Diarmuid knew that she wouldn't, knew that she couldn't. One had to be strong as King, so there was no way that the pillar of kings would be the one to show weakness.
He placed a hand on top of her own, squeezing it gently, "Arturia, my King," he started quietly. "This may not help, but friends becoming enemies is more common than you think. Trust me. You are not alone in this battle. I know that Cu has had to kill many of his former allies in the past. I have not yet, but I am positive that that will change. Things like this are inevitable. Fate is just merciless." His other hand made its way under hers, and he dropped down onto one knee. "I know I've said this too many times to count, but you are my King, my one and only King. Lancelot may have abandoned you, but I promise with all my being that I will always be beside you through thick and thin, guarding you." With that, his soft, pale lips met the back of her hand.
The King chuckled. Maybe he's a combination of both my knight in shining armor and Prince Charming. She put her free hand on top, leaning in closer. "I know, Diarmuid; I know," she replied, simultaneously looking at the amber irises that were staring up at her with an infinite amount of support and the lips that had been placed on her skin only a moment prior.
She couldn't help but note how close she had grown to him in only the past few months. She wondered if he had noticed the same. When they had first met, she had a feeling in her gut that he was special, but now she was feeling it more in her stomach and cheeks than anything else. It was an odd feeling. It wasn't one of nausea nor of any kind of sickness really. It almost felt like nervousness, but there was no reason for her to become anxious around her guardian. After all, they had seen each other every day since Diarmuid had arrived.
Arturia recalled what the man had complimented her the night before. "I never got to tell you this, but you look absolutely stunning this evening. I mean, you look stunning every evening . . ." She had been caught off guard then as well. She questioned what the hell kind of spell he had put her under, or maybe she was just getting careless. However, there was something about the man that led her to becoming vulnerable, as if she could show him her whole self and not be bothered by the fact the he would know every inch of her body.
Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when a knock on the door sounded, scaring both warriors and making them jump. Diarmuid got up from kneeling on one knee and took his previous seat beside her. The King straightened herself up before calling out, "You may come in!" With that, the door opened and in came her best friend as well as her "hound." "Ah, hello, Jeanne. Hello, Cu. What brings you here?" She kept her voice calm even though she knew that the French maiden was there to bring her some unwanted news.
The two met eyes before Jeanne spoke. "The village of Polperro is under attack. Your orders, Your Majesty," she explained simply but reluctantly. She hated having to stress her King and best friend out even more than what she already was, but those were her duties as a general and Arturia's duties as King. All went quiet, and she was worried that Arturia would lose consciousness. "I apologize for reporting this disheartening news. We simply needed to know what you would like done."
Arturia nodded slowly before hesitantly speaking. "O-of course, have one of the stable-hands retrieve my horse. I-I shall lead the way to Polperro with a small battalion of warriors as well as the Knights of the Round Table; there I shall make my decision of whether to attack or not. Inform the other royal members as well; tell them it is up to them whether they come or not."
Jeanne bowed slightly, "Yes, Your Highness." She and Cu then hurried out of the room to report her orders. "I hate reporting such things. All it does is stress her out," she stated angrily, looking in front of her. She could hear the footsteps of her protector behind her. "This war is pointless. The rebellion is pointless. Do they not understand that even kings have feelings? That they hold the weight of an entire nation on their shoulders? I cannot disagree with Alo when she says that all of this chaos will only lead to unnecessary destruction."
"Jeanne, please calm down. Obviously, they have a reason to rebel against her. It may not be a very good reason, but I'm sure they have a reason. However, I must agree that this will all lead to pointless ending of lives," Cu added, not wanting his lovely liege to grow enraged.
She sighed. "I know, but all I want is for Artie to be happy at all times. But, that's a little difficult when there are rebels getting in the way of that." The hound simply nodded in agreement before following Jeanne to the training grounds where Gawain, Merlin, Bedivere, Tristan, and Alodine stood waiting. When they arrived at their destination, the Frenchwoman commanded two of the young men sitting outside of the stables to fetch both Arturia's horse and the horse that had been granted to Diarmuid by Cu the night prior as a gift for his accomplishments. She commanded the others to inform the foreign royals as well.
Afterwards, the two made their way to the other generals who stood waiting for directions. They watched as the maiden and the hero of Ulster came walking up to them. "The King plans to lead us to Polperro, where she shall make her decision of what our actions will be. We just have to choose trusted warriors for a small battalion."
"Wait a second; the King is coming with us? Why the hell is she doing that? She could be killed! What's the point of waiting for her decision of whether or not we should attack? They are killing our people! Does she want more to be killed?" Gawain questioned. He was certainly not shy about expressing his opinion, especially since he was Arturia's relative.
"It's most likely because the ones who are invading Polperro are rebels trying to kill off our men. I'm sure it would be rather disadvantageous if their main enemy showed up to give the orders. Unlike us, they know not of how courageous a leader should be, how they should enter the battlefield alongside their fellow men. In battle, it doesn't matter how famous you are; it matters how strong you are. Only the strongest are chosen by Caliburn; only the strongest are able to wield the Sword of Promised Victory, Excalibur with the sheathe that heals any wound, no matter how fatal it is, Avalon. Do you not think that seeing her on the battlefield with such lowlifes would stir their past beliefs of how she cares not of her people?" Alo questioned the blonde. "That is the reason why all Kyllalian heirs are trained from the age of their first steps on how to wield a weapon."
"So, you are saying that it will catch them off guard if their main target enters a battle to fight?" Bedivere questioned the Katantan, who nodded in return. He had to admit it made sense. One would never expect the main force driving warriors to fight would arrive on the battlefield, having the chance of being killed and losing his or her country. "I, myself, have to admit that I would be surprised if either Lancelot or Guinevere took part in the first battle of the war."
"Exactly, it's the element of surprise. And anyway, we may be able to kill two birds with one stone. If they give Arturia information about the rebellion then and there, we would not have to face the dangers of trying to get them back to the capitol," Jeanne chimed in, earning a nod from Alodine.
"The information would not become skewed as well," a feminine voice interrupted them. Their eyes went behind them, meeting the golden jewels of a woman with dark orange hair and a green warrior's dress shaping her fit and muscular body. "That is an incredible tactic. I must admit that I am impressed by how brave your ruler is and how much loyalty her generals show her," the female commented.
"Atena, I was not expecting you to be riding along with us. I would have assumed that a Kyllalian Royal would wait and see if their potential ally was worthy of his or her country's strength," Alodine informed her, earning a small smile from the archer.
"Things have been much different there than what one would normally state. Things have changed since the former King passed down the throne to Likenia. You should not always believe what you hear, Alo. You of all people should be well aware of the fact. However, those matters are currently irrelevant. Arturia has already shown excellent prowess to my Queen, so she ordered me to help in taking back Polperro. Well, I guess that is a bit of a lie. After all," the Likenian general paused for a second before stepping towards the other woman. "I would enjoy to see such a legend from our sister nation as yourself in action." Alo only grunted at this.
"Um, my apologies, but may I ask who you are?" Tristan questioned, claiming Atena's attention. She put a hand up to her chest.
"Oh, I am sorry. I was being rude by only focusing on Alo here. My name is Atena Erikin, general of the Likenian army. It is lovely to make your acquaintance. May I ask for what you are called?" Tristan nodded, introducing himself and shaking her hand. He couldn't help but notice the archaic type speech that she spoke. It reminded him of how Alodine first spoke when she first arrived. Maybe that was how they knew of each other. There was something else about her that seemed familiar.
"Ah, are you by chance related to Zeon and Ottoman Erikin? Unfortunately, I am unaware if Erikin is a common surname or maybe you are married." Atena bobbed her head.
"I am their elder sister, and no I am not married. Unfortunately, I am currently having, er, issues in finding a suitable mate," she blushed.
"Heh, I'd be grateful if you gave me a chance to get inside y-" Gawain began to mumble, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his side caused by a certain someone's elbow, making him cease from continuing his sentence. "Hey, you're wearing armor! That hurt!" he exclaimed toward his superior.
"Yeah, and I also have an axe in arm's reach that I could have easily hit you with, but I was kind enough to not do as such. I will if you even think something like that again though, so I would watch out." Gawain backed off at the statement. He knew that look that Alo gave him. She was serious, and he knew that she had done it before.
Gawain glanced at Atena, who looked rather confused as to what was happening.
"My apologies for his crude behavior. He knows not of what is right and wrong to say at most times," Alo informed her, earning a smile.
"A-ah, um, it is quite alright. I was unsure of what he was going to say anyway, so no harm done," she laughed. The knights of Britain sighed in relief, glad that such a high ranking general of their ally did not hear Gawain's attempt at swooning her. They then aimed their eyes toward the king and her warrior making their way to them with their horses' harnesses in their hands.
"Lady Atena, I cannot even begin to express my gratitude for your assistance in this battle. I have received dozens upon dozens of letters from your queen praising your ability to lead and fight. It is an unbelievable honor to have you fighting by our side," Arturia stated to the woman as she approached. "I only hope that this will not be a waste of time."
The Kyllalian shook her head reassuringly, aiming her bright green eyes at the female king. "No, it is I who am and should be honored. I was given the chance to brawl beside one of, if not the greatest king in history. I feel like I am being awarded an opportunity that I do not deserve."
"Oh, please. I do not and cannot believe that statement even a little bit. However, we can discuss this more when we are finished with the battle, if there even is one. I have had all of the knights that I wished to participate in this event commanded to meet by the gates, so they should all be present there by now." The ruler then shifted her gaze toward the stable boys, who had made their way over with their king's and the royal retainer's horses.
"Please retrieve their mounts as well; it is about time we take our leave." The young men nodded before returning to the stables where they would recover the warriors' respective mounts (except for Jeanne's for Cu had insisted she ride Liath Macha instead while he ride Dub Sainglend). When they returned with the horses as well as Atena's Sirrush, they then made their way to the rest of the army - Chilla, Zoal, Long, Ottoman, Medusa, Zeon, Weston, Raven, and Manning as well as some of the elite troops of Alo's battalion. In the front also stood Arthur, looking rather enthusiastic.
"Good morning, everyone. I hope you are all well, because I am sensing a battle to come when we arrive at Polperro. I recommend that you all make haste to wake yourselves completely, for if this is a battle against the rebels there will most definitely be blood spilled on our land. And I would much rather it not be ours." Everyone nodded in agreement, determination in their eyes.
Diarmuid couldn't help but envy his liege a bit. It seemed as though that every warrior who followed her would let go of his or her life just for the King. He recalled the Celtic soldiers being quite a bit different. They would kill whomever ruled if he had done something wrong, whether it be that he had made a treaty with a rival land, allowed the country to be invaded without a blink of an eye, or just blatantly lied to them. Irish warriors were much more into the idea of having someone they believed in rule the country, which is why Cu had been offered to become heir to the throne of Ulster at one point in time (which was also offered due to the royal blood flowing through his elder brother's veins).
The soldiers of his new country, however, would follow their leader through whatever hell she caused without hesitation, would kill whatever citizen they were commanded to, would do whatever it takes to please her. Yet, why was it that Lancelot, the most trusted of them all, was the one to betray her? From the stories she told of him from the past, he seemed like the pillar of honor and loyalty. In the end, however, he was the one who built an army against the one he followed.
The Irishman had no doubt in his mind that what the man, who he also looked up to as a knight, deserved was the only punishment reserved for such a treacherous action - execution. In Ireland, it was the same. Any direct treason within the kingdom was punishable by death, which was normally executed by Cu with a flick of his wrist. Any indirect or happened outside the provinces (such as Oisin's treason the night prior) were dealt with in a different manner. Past victories of the warriors who committed such crimes were also taken in consideration (but even then most treason was dealt with by the punishment of death).
"Well then, let us be on our way to Polperro. We will arrive there and make our decision whether or not to attack. Come, my knights! For Britain!"
"For Britain!" the warriors repeated before they charged their mounts towards the direction of Polperro.
Diarmuid took his position beside his king, glancing at her to meet her eyes. She gave a small smile before whipping the halter in her hand to make her horse charge. He followed suit as his wild horse, Grádán, pressed quicker, still not even an eighth of her top speed.
Looking back to what was in front of him, he could only think of the possibilities of why Lancelot decided to leave his life of honor to become a traitor. The guardian wondered if he regretted rebelling against the woman he served for years. There was no possible way that he couldn't regret it.
After about twenty minutes, the battalion slowed their horses down while the flying units lowered their mounts to the ground to rest their wings. Everything was silent for a moment, allowing for Chilla to try and detect if there was anything or anyone nearby. "There is nothing around for miles. I'm not detecting anything like an enemy army."
"Wonderful. My thanks, Chilla," Arturia nodded to the Silvecore gratefully.
"Of course, Your Highness"
"Cu Chulainn, it is your first battle in quite awhile. Am I correct?" the king questioned her guardian's kin, who nodded with a smirk.
"It is, and as someone who was born to be on the battlefield it feels great knowing that I can finally use my skills once again. Seriously, it feels as though the last time I raised my spear was when I was back in the Land of Shadows with Scathach and Ferdiad. That was at a time when Dia was still wetting his bed! Ha, only seems like yesterday."
Everyone started to laugh as Diarmuid's face lit up bright red. "Cu! That's not even remotely true, and you know it!"
"Pipe down. I'm only jesting. That phase ended a year before I left," the hound of Culann let out a loud chuckle, causing Diarmuid to grunt in annoyance. "Take a joke, little brother."
"Of course. Look at the bright side, Diarmuid. At least you weren't wetting your drawers when you were awake like Arthur. I remember every time that either me or Gawain would go up and scare him, we would have to call a servant to go and clean the mess!" Arturia laughed.
"Hey! When did I get in this conversation?"
"Never, but it is entertaining to tease you," the king told the prince. "Haha, it seems that no matter where your origins are located the elder sibling will always wrestle with the younger one! And unfortunately for the younger child, the older one will always claim victory!"
"I wouldn't exactly say that. I would always beat my elder brothers in brawls. However, I, unlike they, knew how to use pans and kitchen appliances, so I had the upper hand in our feuds!" Jeanne exclaimed, earning many chuckles throughout the army.
Arthur then sped up his horse a bit to ride beside his sister's retainer. "I think we need to make an alliance to go up against my sister and your brother."
"I would love to do that, but I must side with your sister unless I want my ass kicked by her. And Cu is not even close to a pushover. He would most likely just ask Jeanne for some of your embarrassing stories that he can exploit."
"Damn."
"Yeah. It-" Diarmuid was interrupted as his horse neighed abruptly and stepped back, almost making him gasp. He stroked the mare's mane calmingly. "Sh. Calm down, girl." Suddenly, Liath and Dub did the same causing Cu to grab Jeanne's hand to help her keep her balance.
"Chilla, what's going on? Can you smell or hear anything?" Cu questioned her, causing her ears to start twitching and her nose to start wiggling. She then looked to their left.
"Enemies approach from the west - most likely trained assassins from the smell of them. Hmm, it seems that they are mostly British, but there are a few Montalonean soldiers mixed into the bunch." The Chinchilla's ears went back as she thought of what she just said. "Montalonean? What the hell? Why am I picking up their scent? Have they already made alliances?"
They heard simultaneous grunts erupt from Alodine's and Atena's lips. The King looked at them before speaking. "I am aware that both of you originate from Kyllalia, and I know for a fact that Alo has fought some warriors from Montalonea in the past. Is there anything that we should know about them? I have not had the chance to figure out their techniques and such. This will be my and possibly many of my men's first battle facing her soldiers, so I would be grateful if you two filled us in on what you know. Oh, and I am sure that you have knowledge of them as well, Cu Chulainn," Arturia stated, earning a nod from her best friend's protector.
He opened his mouth to explain. "Atena, Alodine, please add anything I miss." They nodded before he continued. "Montalonea is the kingdom directly underneath the Katantan-Likenian border. It has a colder climate, but there are numerous hot springs located within it. I like to think of it as a cold paradise. However, you can get the same experiences in both Katanta and Liken, so they do not get very many visitors, which is a reason why their army is so strong. They had a goal to kill all of the remaining royal family of both Katanta and Liken, but their army was almost completely demolished by Katanta after they murdered Queen Marie, the biological mother of Tybalt.
Tybalt was able to escape, however. Nobody has come forward as to how he did speaking that he was only eight years old at the time, but he did. After that, they raised their army for years, not even using it to defend their borders. They took young men from their homes to serve the court, using them as pawns to avoid being invaded. At this time, Liken made the decision to isolate itself from all other kingdoms, only meeting with them for trade."
"So what you are saying is that if Guinevere and Lancelot somehow managed to create an alliance with them, we will be going up against battalions that have had years and years of training on their hands?"
Atena spoke up. "Precisely, it is the reason why Kyllalia has been at peace for so long. Even though the Katantan battalions practically obliterated every single warrior that Montalonea had to offer, she still took many damages to port cities as well as small, innocent villages. The idea was to make the low-ranked Katantans believe that it was Marie's fault."
"So, if we go up against them it's likely that innocent civilians' lives will be lost."
"Exactly. Montalonea is just a nation of cowards. They will take however many lives it takes to conquer other lands. I hate almost all of them. The only ones I don't are the ones who are discriminated there, because they share the same hatred for those bastards." Eyes went to the Katantan woman who looked rather annoyed. "Do not stress yourself. I will take care of those imbeciles. I will make sure that their bodies will be impossible to confiscate, and I will make sure to burn some of them to death for you as well, Jeanne. That's what they deserve. And when they descend to hell, I'll be right there in their memories haunting them."
Jeanne stayed quiet, allowing the soldiers to be overcome by silence. Cu neared her and Liath, placing his hand on top of hers, meeting her amethyst-colored eyes. He then turned to the King. "I think it best if we hurry to Polperro. As much as I have enjoyed this time, I would rather not be jumped by a band of Montaloneans. It would slow us down, and ultimately become a deciding factor in some of the villagers' lives.
Arturia nodded in agreement before beginning the charge toward their destination once more. They still had quite a ways to go, but if they hurried they could get there in another twenty or thirty minutes. Most likely thirty as to not tire themselves or their horses out.
Diarmuid watched as the trees beside him started to look like streaks, the leaves hitting him in the face every once in awhile. He could hear Chilla keeping them up on where the Montaloneans were through scent and sounds. He honestly had to be a bit envious of the Silvecore's hearing ability. It was outstanding.
They arrived at Polperro in good timing, ten minutes less than what Arturia stated. And luckily (or maybe not depending on the way you looked at it), the invaders were still there. They adorned a brown and purple crest on their armor and flags, the same crest that Queen Guinevere accented her outfits with.
The warriors of King Arturia readied their weapons as they approached the terrorized village, not being able to avoid seeing blood-soaked or burning bodies of the innocent people who were just rampaged without warning. Such was part of a rebellion, but the brutality of the scene was worse than any other the Irish guardian had witnessed. He had only heard of such vore in the tales his brother came home with that he himself caused.
"H-how could they do this?" Diarmuid heard Ottoman whisper. "What did these innocent lives have anything to do with this?"
"They had nothing to do with this. That was the entire point. The escapees must already be gone, telling all who they encounter that the King is not there for her people in their desperate times of need. Sick, but very intelligent strategy," Gawain responded.
"It's used more often than one would like to admit, but I must say that many of the provinces of Ireland use such strategies if they are without honor. Which more often than not, they are without honor," the hound of Ulster joined in, causing Diarmuid and Ottoman to glance at each other. Everything was silent for a moment as they all prayed. Even Alo, who did not believe in such beings as higher-up idols, prayed.
When all were finished, the King motioned for them to carry on and continue through what looked like a hell on earth with the ones leaving being the chosen demons to carry out their evils. "Are you worried?" Diarmuid asked when they were finally through the village. "About your people going against you, I mean."
Her green eyes landed on him, as if she wasn't expecting that question. She looked at him with complete surprise. He didn't even notice that raindrops were starting to sprinkle over them and their equipment he was looking into her eyes so deeply. She finally lowered them with a shake of her head. The other knights luckily could not hear her, for they had returned to their personal conversations. "No, I am not. When Guinevere and Lancelot started building up their arms, it made it inevitable that my people would follow, but if they turn against me then they are not my people anymore. Any traitor, whether noble, landowner, poor man, or slave, is treated the same, so there is no need to worry about them turning against me. They are not my people if they do so, so I shall kill them with no hesitation."
She seemed as if she was speaking the absolute truth. Her posture was still as fixed as always, and her hands hadn't twitched like one's normally would if they had been lying. Diarmuid was surprised to see that such a large amount of betrayals would not faze her even a tiny bit, but unsurprised about her reasoning as to why they didn't. He recalled the many times that Cu Chulainn had come home raging because of how infuriated he was that one of the lowly soldiers spoke against Conchobar even without meaning to. It was what one never did as a part of a kingdom - speak improperly of their leader.
"Thank you," she suddenly spoke, surprising him. There was no reason for a thanks, so why was she doing so?
"Arturia?" he questioned before she led her horse to walk right beside his. Color brushed across his face almost like an artist taking paint across their art as his liege leaned her head up against his muscular arm. "I-is something wrong?" Diarmuid asked, trying not to stutter but failing miserably.
"Nothing. I am thanking you after all."
"I know, but why?"
"No reason," was her blunt reply, causing silence to overcome the two of them. He was honestly unsure of what to do. Would his fellow knights look down upon him for letting her lean against him as if he was her lover? However, a guardian must always be there for his employer, so maybe there was nothing wrong with it.
"Arturia," the familiar voice of Jeanne spoke up from behind them, catching both the King's and his attention. "I must ask you something." The two of them looked at her in confusion as Cu Chulainn simply stared at her. There was a moment of silence, a moment of hesitation, before she continued. "Are you sure that you want to do this?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know what she means Arturia. She is asking you if you are sure you want to remain as-" Alodine was interrupted.
"I have already drawn Caliburn from the stone; I have already been chosen. I have already decided who is my retainer, and I have already been betrayed. At the stage that I am currently in, there is no turning back, and kings are not supposed to do such things as have regrets or retreat. It is our duty to remain as we are - kings."
"But if you are unsure-!" the Frenchwoman attempted to protest.
"There is no such thing as an unsure king. As soon as I made the decision to become one, the term uncertainty became foreign once I took the throne. I am positive that you were the same way once you became a general of France."
"God wished for me to do so, and I would never let Him down. He was the one who saved us all; He was the one who gave His life for the forgiveness of our sins. If He wished for me to lead my country, then so be it. I will listen. But you-you had a choice, Arturia. I was spoken to by God, and Alodine had no other option. You, however, had the option to live without stress, to live without the weight of an entire country on your shoulders, and you turned it down. You can still go back to that life; you can still hand the throne to Arthur. But, it seems that you are too-"
"Because I knew that I would protect my country. Arthur would have done so yes, but I was elder yet still young. The sword chose me as King, so I must obey fate."
"And I would do so now, so why are you not handing the crown to me? If you were to do so, maybe this pointless war could be stopped," Arthur finally spoke up. All eyes landed on him, some in agreement while some in anger. He shook his head, "I am not saying that you are not worthy or strong enough to be King, Arturia; I am saying that maybe if you look at it from a different angle then you may see why both Alo and Jeanne are questioning you."
Everything went silent. The only thing that could be heard was the chirping of crickets and the sounds of the forest. Arturia was glaring at her younger brother. It seemed as if time had stopped, the only thing moving being the horses and mounts beneath them. A deep sigh erupted from one of the warriors before he spoke, "Although I am unaware of what it is like here in Britain, I am aware how royals tend to hand their thrones down. And I must say, that the option that Arthur brought up may be a better option to civil war."
Green met red in a moment of surprise. Cu had been the one to speak up, and he was the one to continue as well. "Even if the switch would only be temporary, it may be the key to putting an end to starting up a war."
"No."
"What?"
"No."
The warriors shared glances between them after they had clarified that that had truly been the answer that she gave.
"I spent my entire life training to become a king. If I would hand it down to Arthur, I would not know what to do. So, I will not give up my crown. I will remain as King whether the lot of you enjoy it or not. I know that both of you, Jeanne and Alo, are concerned for my safety, but nothing will come between me and protecting my people."
"You think that I will sacrifice some of my treasures for the sake of your cause. How foolish are you? I only give up my treasures when I need to, which is only when I have my own personal issues to take care of. Such a low-rank queen as yourself is not worthy of my assistance in a battle in which I have no part or point of being. What reason did you even have for assuming that I would consider assisting mere mongrels like you? Hell, I would even say that you may be beneath mongrels, at least they have the use of picking up scraps in which nobody wants."
Guinevere and Lancelot stood before the renowned King who sat upon a gold throne in a country that he did not own. Such was his egotistical personality. He thought himself as one as high as the gods, no matter which one the people believed in. He was better than the mongrels of humans that he saw each angle he turned his head.
"You are correct that you have no part in it, but there may be something or rather someone that you have been after for ages in this fight. If you reinforce our army with your most elite troops, I will cease from killing the woman whom I hate most of all and instead bestow her to you," Guinevere tied to persuade him. The King chuckled amusingly. What woman could she offer to him as a sign of thanks for causing their victory? There was only one female he had his sights on or would ever look at intimately.
"Hmph, I would only take the greatest of women, who stands above all else that stands in her way. She is the pillar of beauty, the epitome of the perfect woman. Any else shall be demoted into my slave whether she be a princess or a farmer. From what you are describing, you would be giving me a woman who has taken something from you, which sounds like a personal quarrel to me. Why you are even creating an army to get that something back is beyond me? What could be so important that you would ruin both your own and your lover's reputation?"
"The throne."
"But are you not already queen of the-"
"I want the throne for my love and me. I do not consider marrying into a royal family as very memorable or historical. Think about-"
"Never interrupt me, bitch. You were already getting on my nerves when you strolled in here as if you owned the place. Get to the point. I do not give a single damn about what it is that you want. I only care about what I get in return for sacrificing my valuables for a foreign cause."
Red eyes with the pupils of a lion looked into the brunette's irises. She stayed quiet while her lover stayed back, not wanting to cause both of their deaths before they could even set out their plans to take over Britain.
"My apologies, Your Highness," Guinevere curtsied politely with a bow of her head. She knew the only ways to win his trust and his reinforcement for her cause were politeness and the promise of a reward comparable to all the treasury he would lose. However, she had heard many a tale of who he wanted, and she was content if they would come into agreement based on the terms. She could not help but let her heart beat in anticipation for the moment that she would witness the horrific screams of her nemesis who took no consideration of her feelings; she could not help but feel aroused at the imagery of hearing the splatter of the King's younger brother's and guardian's blood landing on the castle's marble flooring.
"Now tell me. Who would be my payment for helping you? I must admit that I am a bit interested in knowing who it was that you thought would delight me."
"King Arturia Pendragon, Your Highness. It is to my knowledge that you only target her to become your wife and to bear your children. Arturia Pendragon is the one who we are attempting to overthrow. If you assist us, her fate will be sealed within your palms rather mine. There was no way that I would consider handing you a peasant or a slave, for Arturia Pendragon would be the best payment you would receive."
"Do not jest with me, bitch!"
"Oh, but I am not jesting. Such would be a disgrace to both you and me. Arturia is the one who I will overthrow and the one who will become your queen."
Guinevere tried to comprehend what look the King was giving her. She knew not of whether he was or was not satisfied. His eyes remained blank as his posture, slouched and bored, remained the same. She normally could read anyone's expression, but his was different. It was as if he had had the greatest experience in hiding his excitement. Suddenly, that expression wiped away and with a smirk he informed the two rebels, "If you present me with Arturia Pendragon as payment, then you will no doubt receive the blessings for my reinforcement. However." He stopped, eyes filled with warning. The former Queen of Britain stepped back in intimidation. "If you shall go against your words and say either take her or kill her yourself, your nation in which you fought so hard to conquer, will be mine for the taking. I shall take both of your heads as well as whatever pathetic soldiers you have with you. No mercy will be given, so you best keep your word."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you so much," Guin bowed. "Now, I would like to discuss with you the exact reason why we need your assistance, King Gilgamesh."
"You mean you did not need my reinforcements for your cause?" Gilgamesh questioned suspiciously. He watched as she shook her head and raised it to look him in the eyes.
"We have quite a few problems actually. Since you carry all the treasures in the world, there is no doubt in my mind that it will be easy to rid of those problems. Our first problem is the one and only Cu Chulainn, who I put under a geas, but it seems he somehow got around it. I am unsure of how he did so, but he can be in a whole different area as his liege - the one who I stated he must always stay by."
"You mean to tell me that the famed Hound of Culann is fighting for Britain?"
"He has promised to stay there to help defend his brother, his liege, and Britain. It was because they needed more soldiers to help defend the kingdom. And that brings me to our next problem, Cu Chulainn's liege - Jeanne d'Arc. She is the maiden of Orleans who was guided by god, taken to the stake, and saved once more."
The King of Uruk raised his head in genuine interest. He would have never guessed that two renowned warriors such as the Hound of Culann, Setanta, and the Maiden of Orleans, Jeanne, would be opposing him. Not that it mattered, for he could take both of them out within seconds - well, maybe not.
With Jeanne's divine protection, she was sure to carry an endless mana supply, which he was sure that she would use in times of desperation. Not only that, but she was a mere farm girl who had grown strong enough to lead an entire army. Cu Chulainn, on the other hand, was born from the beginning to walk on the battlefield. He had been trained by the famed godslayer Scathach and was even trained in first-rate magic. The hound was known not to use the runes very much, but he did so when needed. What could possibly be the deciding factor between the hound of Culann and the King of Heroes was that Cu Chulainn had protection from arrows, was able to stand with a fatal blow, as well as heal himself when things were looking rough. Not only that, he knew how to create an Athn Gabla, a cut-off arena that did not allow either party to back off from the fight until one was dead.
"Hmph, hopefully my men can take care of them. Who I will go after is Arturia."
"I do not mean to be rude, but they are not the only problems. We still must fight Alodine, Queen Likenia, King Iskandar, King Tybalt, and Atena of Liken," Guinevere warned. "All of them together will most certainly pose a problem. If they stand in our way, you will never be able to claim Arturia."
"Not that I see them as a problem, but what damn thoughts did you possess that led you to believe that you had the potential to overthrow a king with such renowned and strong warriors. I personally have heard the stories of all of the warriors you speak of with the exception of the Likenian Queen and Katantan King. All else, however, have strengths that no average warrior possess. Now, how could a useless queen and her reluctant lover do to such an armed nation with such a beautiful and flawless king. If I had known about that before hand, I may have rejected your request just to hear of your overwhelming defeats from my messengers. However, I have already given my consent, and as King I will not take my words back. Not only for that reason, but because this way is the only opportunity I will have to pronounce Arturia as my queen."
"Exactly, but I hope that we are not asking for too much when there are so many renowned and strong warriors opposing our cause. Cu Chulainn alone is a huge risk to go up against. Tales of his victories against entire armies alone are frequently heard. Add on to that the King of Macedonia, and the younger brother of the hound. It is going to be a battle in which many of our most elite warriors lose their lives," Lancelot finally chimed in.
"It is true that they are some of the most elite warriors around with their skill on the battlefield, but against me they are nothing more of a waste of time, a barrier between my love and me. They are nothing. With my treasures, I shall kill all of them and maybe objectify them if I have the time. All they are are toys offered to me by the gods. I will pierce the heart of Culann's precious hound, cut the cursed arm off of Alodine, and cancel the life of that lowlife from Liken. If they stand in my way, they shall be treated worse than criminals."
Guinevere gave a smirk and looked toward her love, who looked a bit reluctant to go against such fine warriors, but she would talk him out of his fear. There was no reason to fear a girl acting as a king. There was no reason to fear a peasant wielding a flag. There was no reason to fear a dog off his chain. They had nothing to fear, nothing to fear at all. And especially when they had the assistance of King Gilgamesh, who owned all the treasures of all heroes in history, there was nothing that could stop them.
And even if she couldn't take Arturia's head and have it stuffed like a boar's to allow it to hang on the wall of her castle, she was pleased that her torture for the rest of her life would be sure. She, who brought herself to the stone and withdrew the sword, Caliburn, from its depths, would be forced to bear the children of her most hated enemy. Her virginity would be taken without consideration of her feelings, and at the same time she would struck if she did not listen to her husband.
Guinevere could not even begin to express her happiness at the fact that Arturia would have to be treated as what she was once treated - nothing but an object for men to impregnate and objectify. She would be below a peasant even as queen, because even peasants had the ability to leave their bedchambers after being taken from their husbands. Queens, however, had no power whatsoever in the decisions her husband would make as king. Well, that is if she had been sold off by her father and not truly loved by her lover.
It was why she chose such a damning path. If she succeeded, she would forever be with her true love, who had given up everything in his name just to have her. If she failed, the worst that could be done is that her name would be known as a symbol of hatred and treachery for the rest of human history. But even if that happened, she would know that the one she loved desired her affection back.
Arthur Pendragon was not like that. He had had his eyes set on what seemed to be a lower-class girl from Camelot. Her name was Ayaka if she recalled correctly, and that was all he would talk about. He would describe her with the traits such as beautiful, sweet, flawless even. But never would he admit that he even thought of his own fiancee as any of those things, because he did not love her. She was only there to create an heir to the throne, a child she did not wish for because it would be one without love. It would be one made out of necessity.
She would rather kill that child then let it continue the royal line of the Pendragons. The Pendragons were nothing special. They did absolutely nothing except draw a sword from a stone. They did not care for the feelings of the people, so why should they continue their line?
No, their royal blood would cease after Arturia was overthrown. After that, it would be her own and Lancelot's children, grandchildren, and later descendants that would remain as the kingdom's rightful heirs. They would hold the responsibilities of keeping her and Lancelot's name carved in history as a god-given miracle. They would continue the legacy of Britain rather than allow the country to tear itself apart, because of their disability to care of the people like the Pendragons had.
No matter who or what she had to kill, she would make sure that her children had the future that they deserved - the future of royalty. She would do anything for it. She would do anything to remain at her lover's side no matter his feelings toward the king they were to overthrow. They would kill Cu Chulainn. They would kill Jeanne d'Arc. They would kill Diarmuid. So long as they would gain the throne, those who needed to be killed would be killed.
She would never accept defeat. No, she didn't want to fail anymore. It wasn't worth it. Guinevere looked up at Gilgamesh. "Of course. I am forever in your debt, Your Highness. There are no words to truly express how greatly appreciative I am."
"Hmph, you shall be in my debt no longer once I am given Arturia. Now, leave my sight. I must ready my bedchamber for her arrival."
Guinevere curtsied as Lancelot gave a bow. Taking his hand as they walked out, she leaned her head upon the armor on his shoulder. "We-we are going to succeed, my love. We will be happily married, and our children will have the future we desire them to. Shall we rejoice, my love?"
"Of course, milady."
