Paris, France
Unnamed Hotel
March 17, 1999
~9:00 AM
Emelia didn't like waking up. Who did, really? So when the hotel assistant yelled at her to wake up at 9 AM, citing a need to "disinfect" all of the rooms, suffice to say she was not pleased. I know they're just worried about this sudden "disease", but is this really necessary? she thought angrily. And it's not like disinfecting rooms is going to stop the Grail from doing what it wants.
Sighing, she stood up from the admittedly very comfortable bed and walked over to the window, still in the oversized shirt she had gone to sleep in. The hotel she was staying at supposedly offered a view of the western part of the Seine River, which was part of the reason she decided to book there. The hotel made good on that promise… if you were willing to go to the roof and stand on some boxes.
Oh stop it, you're not here to sightsee, remember? Emelia chided herself lightly. Still, she would've liked to be able to look out her window at the river at night. Propping her elbow on the windowsill and resting her chin in her left hand, she allowed herself to take a short look out at the city. Not that there was much to see from the angle she had, but it was better than nothing, she supposed.
Emelia extended her right hand out of the window, her eyes easily drawn to the Command Seals that had formed recently, not long after she entered the city. To her, the bright red marks resembled a phoenix, with long tail feathers, ornate plumage, and two large wings curled in. If she was being perfectly honest with herself, she didn't know how to feel about being chosen by the Grail. On one hand, she could die a horribly painful death courtesy of her fellow Masters. On the other… Well, suffice to say some of her problems could be solved.
The blonde was forced out of her stupor by a sudden banging at her door. "Can I help you?" she asked in French, doing her level best to hide her annoyance and rather rusty French.
"I believe I told you already," came the voice of the hotel assistant. "You must leave your room so it can be disinfected. I woke you twenty minutes ago. Miss, I will give you twenty more. If you are not out, I will be notifying the authorities." With that, the woman walked away, her footsteps echoing on the floors."
With a start, Emelia realized that it was indeed 9:20. Was I really lost in thought for that long? Oh, stop it, me! Get dressed, now! With a flurry of speed that could likely only be matched by a certain fictional hedgehog, the young lady got dressed and hurried out of the hotel.
She'd forgotten the mirror. Of all the things to forget in the hotel room she wouldn't be allowed back in until the evening, it had to be the damn mirror.
Calm down, it's not like anyone is going to know what it is, or take it. Emelia told herself, taking a few deep breaths. The girl was sitting at an outdoor table of a nearby cafe, a tasty crème brûlée in a bowl in front of her, enjoying both the treat and the nice weather. Despite rushing to get ready in only twenty minutes, she didn't think she looked that bad when she briefly stopped to look at her reflection in the cafe window.
She had put on a white silken sundress, ruffled, and with orange flower designs here and there. The dress had thick shoulder straps, but was otherwise sleeveless, and was fairly low-cut, exposing quite a bit of her rather bountiful chest. On her wrists she wore a pair of matching gold bands, one on each wrist, along with a simple silver watch on her left wrist. In addition, she wore a pair of white thigh-high stockings, complete with a garter belt. On her feet, she wore a pair of tan high-heeled wedges, with their straps wrapping about her ankles. Rounding out her ensemble was a crimson bow around her neck, tied at the front by a glimmering sapphire. Her long, blonde hair was kept straight, reaching down her back past her slim hips. A white lily was pinned in her hair, just above her right ear, adding a splash of elegance to her look. Finally, her nails had been painted a soft green, matching the color of her eyes. Overall, the entirety of her outfit radiated a sort of plain elegance, often drawing glances from passersby, though never for more than a second or two. In addition to her outfit, a small handbag was seated on the table in front of her, in which she carried all sorts of things she'd need for the day. Except for the damn mirror.
As she watched the city come and go around her, Emelia couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. This city is amazing. What I wouldn't give to be able to just go around the city and see the sights. Reluctantly, she finished her treat, paid, and left the cafe, heading in the direction of the Bois de Boulogne. Although the large forest was a public park, it also served as a good location to perform magic, due to the leylines that ran through it.
Emelia entered the forest park as if she was a normal tourist, sticking to the public paths and stopping to take photos. She was also stopped multiple times by park staff, warning her about the recent outbreak, but she assured them all she'd be fine. Why does everyone assume I don't know about it? Emelia thought to herself after being stopped for the fifth time. Do they just see me as a dumb forigner? Or could the Grail be increasing the paranoia people are feeling? Whatever the answer was, it was certainly beginning to get on her nerves.
As soon as she was sure nobody was around her, Emelia quickly ducked off the laid out paths, heading into the deeper parts of the woods. Once she was far enough in, she quickly channeled mana into her fingers and snapped twice. A small orb of water formed just above her palm, before quickly molding into the shape of a small bird. Smiling, she let the familiar fly off, deeper into the woods, leaving a small trail of vapor in the air for Emelia to follow. The bird led her further into the woods, eventually coming to a secluded clearing, in the center of which sat an unfinished summoning circle. Emelia quickly used her familiar to check if the barriers she had set up around the clearing were still active. Once she confirmed that fact, she called the bird back to her hand, dismissing it for the moment.
Over the past few days, Emelia had been slowly building the summoning circle in the woods. It was a tedious process to be sure, since she needed literal buckets of blood to do it, but it was a necessary one. She needed to fight in this Holy Grail War. Even if she never intended to join it, now that she had her chance, she was not going to let it go.
The tricky part, however, came in making the summoning circle. The small bit of research she was able to do, along with short chats with her sister, noted that the circle needed to be made of blood. Not knowing what else to do, Emelia had been using her bird familiars to hunt down and kill other small birds in the forest and city. She didn't like having to kill animals, but again, she didn't have any other choice.
Truthfully, Emelia knew that there was a lot to the War she didn't understand. She only had a vague idea what it was from her sister, and until her command seals had formed, she'd dismissed it as one of those things you hear about, but never actually watch or partake in. Sort of like those really niche sporting events that got featured on the odd daytime tv station when there was literally nothing else to watch.
Sighing, Emelia took a seat under one of the trees at the edges of the clearing. Channeling her mana, she created a pair of her water bird familiars, both slightly bigger than the one she had used before. Instructing them to both be back before 5:00 PM, she sent them off on her task, leaving out the bucket she had left there before hand. The Bois de Boulogne was fine during the day, but at night it became a rather infamous den of prostitutes. The police had been trying to crack down on it for ages, but still they persisted. Suffice to say, Emelia wanted no part of that. At all.
Still, during the day, she could easily see why the forest was a popular place to visit. Even though it was March, Paris' generally warm climate and Emelia's own fairly good cold tolerance made the soft breeze blowing feel quite pleasant. The grass beneath her was soft and comfortable, almost like a freshly washed sheet. Gazing up at the clear blue sky through the treetops, she allowed herself to think back, if only for a short while.
Was it really so short a time ago? Those long chats into the night, laughing and talking about whatever we could think of? The days I spent learning from her? Emelia shut her eyes tightly. She'd see her again. Even if it was impossible, she'd make it happen. And to make it happen, she would need to win this Grail War. Relaxing her body, Emelia let herself drift into a light slumber, having nothing to do but wait for her familiars to return. Plus, she'd been rather rudely awakened that morning. As she drifted off, one thought was at the forefront of her mind.
I will win this War. No matter what, I will win.
xxx
Emelia wasn't sure what had happened while she was sleeping, or how her bird familiars had managed it, but waking up to no less than seventeen dead rats in front of her was certainly not something she was ready for.
After recovering (more or less) from the slight shock, as well as confirming that it was indeed 5 PM, she set about to her rather gruesome task. Even if her bird familiars had been able to pour the blood of the rats into the bucket themselves, drawing the actual circle was something else entirely. Reaching into the nook of a slightly hollowed out tree, Emelia drew out a large (and annoyingly dusty) book. Flipping it open to the dog-eared page, the young woman reviewed her progress on the summoning circle. By her estimation, she would be able to finish the circle today, provided she didn't make too many mistakes.
Swallowing hard in a futile effort to quell her disgust, Emelia splayed her palms in front of her and began to slowly channel mana through them, the bands on her wrists and her fingertips beginning to glow blue with magical energy. Since she was mainly versed in water magic, she could use it on blood outside of a body, to an extent. It didn't serve much use most of the time, but was perfectly suited to a situation like this. In no way was she going to touch blood from the shit-infused rats that roamed Paris if she had any say in the matter.
The blood in the bucket began to swirl, before slowly twisting up like a funnel into a singular tube of rat blood. Tightening her focus, Emelia willed the funnel of blood towards the circle. Carefully and painstakingly slowly, she began to fill in the rest of the circle, referencing the book as much as she could. As Emelia worked, sweat began to form on her forehead and her breathing became ragged, clear indications of how tough it was to control the blood in front of her.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, the last bit of the circle was completed, Emelia having just barely enough blood to do so. She collapsed onto her back almost immediately, exhausted from having to use so much magical energy. Thankfully, her wrist bands helped ease the load, as they served as external magic circuits, of sorts. They still forced her to use her own mana, but not as intensely as she would've had to otherwise. She would have enough left over to actually perform the summoning of her Servant, as long as she took a short break.
Sitting back against the tree again, Emelia reached into her bag and pulled out another item. It was a gift from her sister and her summoning catalyst: a small Japanese style fan, orange in color, with black dragon-like designs on the outsides. Opening it slowly revealed a flame design on the fan blades, as if it was trying to burn itself away. And judging by how a good chunk of the fan seemed to be burned, Emelia didn't think it was too far from the truth. Still, she wondered what kind of Heroic Spirit would be called by this fan. I don't know of any legends that feature a burned fan… so what even is this thing? Fiore told me that it should help me summon a strong Heroic Spirit, but who exactly? Sighing, she closed the fan. Only one way to find out.
Flipping through the dusty book once more, Emelia went over the summoning chant that she would need to use. She thought she had the basic chant figured out, but the part that worried her were the extra verses. Her sister had told her that slight modifications could be made to the ritual to change certain attributes of her Servant, but information on those modifications was not exactly easy to discern from the mountain of other spells and rituals that the book contained. After a pair of sleepless nights spent going through the massive tome, she finally found what she was looking for. Or so she hoped.
Feeling refreshed from her earlier exertion, Emelia stood up, grabbing the fan that would serve as her catalyst. It was time. Taking care to not disturb the circle, she carefully set the fan down in the middle before exiting the circle with the same care as she entered. Taking a final deep breath, Emelia extended her hand to the circle, beginning the ritual.
"Elements of silver and iron. Foundation of stone, and the Archduke of Pacts."
"Raise a wall for the wind that should fall. Close the gates of the four directions."
"Come forth from the Crown, and follow the forked road leading to the Kingdom."
The circle began to glow brightly with blue light as pale smoke began to swirl around the fan, ruffling the leaves of the trees around her. The wind whipped around Emelia's face, blowing her hair to and fro as she performed the ritual.
Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny!"
"If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason… then answer me!"
"I hereby swear: that I shall be all the good in the world. That I shall defeat all evil in the world."
As the wind and glow grew in intensity, Emelia narrowed her eyes. All she had left was to add the modifications.
"But thou who comes to me shall have their eyes clouded in… confusion."
"I shall lead you to glory, and you shall serve under my rule and aid me in riding off into the sunset, for I shall wield your chains!"
For a second, Emelia thought she saw the summoning circle flicker, the glow dying for just a second. Did I mess up? Surely not, right? Regardless, she only had one line left to chant.
"Thou Seventh Heaven, clad in the great three words of power, come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Scales!"
The light from the circle exploded upwards into a brilliant pillar of light as the smoke shot outwards, forcing Emelia to shield her eyes and take a step back from the impact. After a few moments, the glow faded and the wind stopped billowing around the clearing.
Opening her eyes slowly, Emelia quickly realized she had succeeded in her summoning. In the middle of the circle, a young (and rather short) woman now stood. She was dressed in a beautiful teal kimono that hung over her shoulders and was tied by a yellow obi in the front. The kimono offered a small glimpse at the girl's modest chest which appeared to be covered by a bright yellow bikini top. Her long hair was a lighter shade of turquoise, flowing lightly down her back past her hips, to about her knees, and was decorated with light yellow hair ribbons. She also wore long white stockings along with black sandals that had yellow straps and bows. The strangest thing about her was that a pair of white, dragonish, horns appeared to be sticking out from the middle of her head, curing around her head towards the front. In her right hand she held a long naginata, colored a deep green and with blue gems embedded in the shaft near the tip.
Her yellow eyes opened slowly as she took in the sight of her new Master. However, her eyes soon softened and filled with… something that Emelia couldn't place. Her lips formed a smile, before she let out a cute giggle. "Oh my, it seems it's finally time for our fated reunion! I've waited so long for this, you know?" Her voice was soft and clear, but it carried a slight edge to it. Or so Emelia thought. "I truly hope my appearance doesn't seem weird to you, even though I'm carrying this naginata. It doesn't, right? Right?"
Emelia shook her head. "N-No, it looks… you look fine."
The Servant's smile widened as she giggled again. "Hehe, it does me good to hear you say that. I'm not entirely sure why, but my Servant class is that of Rider. It's very nice to finally meet you, Master. My name is Kiyohime. Please know, I won't let anything, or anyone, harm you."
As she was about to approach her newly summoned Servant, Emelia noticed something odd: the summoning circle was still on the ground. Wasn't it supposed to disappear once I summoned my Servant? Ah well, I don't think it matters. I've got a Servant to talk to.
Smiling, she extended a hand to Kiyohime, who eagerly took it. "It's good to meet you, Rider. My name is Emelia. Emelia Lugnica Yggdmillennia. Well, not really anymore, but it's still my name, hehe. I hope we can get along, Kiyo!"
The Servant's eyes widened in surprise at the nickname, causing a worried look to come across Emelia's face. "O-Oh… was that rude of me? I'm really sorry if it was. I was really just trying to be friendly but nicknaming someone you just met is rather rude and I want to be on good terms with you so please don't be mad."
Kiyohime giggled softly as her Master continued her rambling apology until she was out of breath. "No, don't apologize, Master. You can call me whatever you want, so 'Kiyo' is perfectly fine. I was just a bit surprised, is all. Please do not worry about it, Master."
Taking a deep sigh of relief, Emelia smiled back at her Servant. "If you say so, Kiyo-chan. Say, how about we go for a walk? I know that Servants can assume spirit form, but I think it would be a good way to get to know you and the area. Plus, I don't imagine it's pleasant being summoned to the middle of the woods."
The green-haired Servant answered back with a smile of her own. "I would like that very much, Master. After all, there's so much for us to talk about, now that we've finally been reunited."
Her Master gave her a quizzical look. "Hm? What was that?"
"Oh, n-nothing. Shall we be off, Master? Heehee~" Kiyohime said, shaking her head with a smile.
Unnoticed by the pair walking away, a black shadow began to overtake the leftover summoning circle, occasionally glowing a sinister red. Eventually, they'd look back at this moment and wish they'd paid more attention to what they had done. For soon, they would deeply regret it.
Paris, France
Paris Streets
March 17, 1999
~6:30 PM
It didn't take long for the pair to reach the main path of the woods, and not much longer for them to exit into the city proper. It was getting late, the sun beginning to set, casting long shadows across the city and bathing the streets in soft orange light. Birds flapped overhead, going wherever they pleased, adding to the vibrant life of the city. Already, beautiful lights in the distance shone in the sunset. Seeing this sight, Emelia could easily understand why Paris had earned the moniker of "City of Lights".
The Master-Servant duo walked together through the streets, familiarizing themselves with the city. Well, perhaps 'walking together' wasn't the right term.
"U-um, Kiyo?" Emelia asked her Servant, looking over her shoulder. The green-haired dragoness was following a small ways behind her. Her naginata had been dismissed to wherever Servants kept their weapons, having been replaced by the same fan that had served as her catalyst, or at least a replica of it. "Is there a reason you're walking so far behind me?"
Kiyohime smiled innocently back at her Master. "What do you mean? Do wish for me to be closer to you? Do you not like being far from me?"
Emelia sweatdropped slightly. "W-Well, it's kind of awkward to talk to someone that's five feet behind you."
"Well then I suppose I should walk closer to you, Master," the Rider responded, giggling as she quickly increasing her pace to walk in pace with Emelia.
"You know, Kiyo, I really expected you to be more surprised by the modern world. I mean, this must be pretty different from your time, right?" the blonde Master asked as the pair passed by a boutique that seemed to have some really cute clothes. Emelia made a mental note to remember the place so she could go there later.
Kiyohime nodded. "Yes, this large of a city is certainly very different from the secluded mountain village that I grew up in. But I'm not really surprised by it, strangely enough. When Servants are summoned, the Grail automatically instills knowledge of the modern world into them. So I already know about all sorts of modern things like cars and trains, heehee~"
"Ah, right. I forgot about that," Emelia said, scratching at her forehead in embarrassment. "I guess all of this walking around must be pretty boring if you know about everything already, huh?"
The Rider shook her head quickly. "No no, it's not boring in the least. Even if the Grail taught me about the modern world, it's still amazing in its own way. In my time, it took days for you to get anywhere, especially if you wanted to transport anything. But now, people can just hop on a train and travel miles in mere minutes. Houses used to be made of plain old wood, but now people live in metal buildings so tall they touch the sky. It's fascinating, really."
Emelia chuckled. "I suppose I'd be fascinated myself if I was pulled years into the future, hehe. Truthfully, I've been looking for an excuse to walk around the city, so I'm glad you're enjoying this."
"Of course. I'm glad to spend any time with you, Master~" Kiyohime replied, smiling a sickly sweet smile. "Although, I do have something to ask you, Master."
"Alright, and what would that be?"
"Your wish. For the Holy Grail, that is. I want to know what it is, so I know what my Master's dream is."
"Oh…" Emelia's voice trailed off, her head drooping down to look at her feet. "That… that's not important. At least not for now. I'll tell you later, ok?"
"Are you lying to me, Master?" Kiyohime had stopped dead in her tracks, her voice dangerously flat. Emelia turned to look at her Servant, feeling a small shiver run up her spine. The dragoness's eyes appeared dead and cold, her bangs casting a dangerous shadow over her face.
Emelia swallowed hard. Oh crap, did I get on her bad side? And why the hell is she so scary like this!? "O-Of course not, Kiyo. I mean, we're a team now, right? We're going to have to trust each other to win, so that means no lying. Anyway, what kind of Master wouldn't trust their Servant? I promise I'll tell you later, alright?"
Kiyohime seemed to relax, if only just a bit. "That's good. If you were lying to me, I might have to burn you alive… Anchin-sama~"
The blonde Master felt her blood run cold as she turned to look at her Servant. The green-haired dragoness had a smile on her face, but her golden eyes showed a very different story, carrying a barely concealed threat and that...something she had noticed earlier. Burn me alive!? What kind of Servant did I summon? And who the hell is Anchin? Still, I should probably go along with what she says for now… right?
Trying (and failing miserably) to quell the unease in her stomach, Emelia forced a smile. "W-well, it's a good thing I don't want to be b-burned alive, right? Hahaha…" her voice trailed off with her incredibly unconvincing laugh, but thankfully, Kiyohime didn't seem to notice. Her Servant was still staring at her with a smile, appearing lost in her own little world. Alright, time to change the topic, and fast.
"A-Anyway, Kiyo. Would you like to go get some dinner? I-I know Servants don't need to eat, but I wouldn't feel right to not offer."
The Rider nodded happily. "Of course, Master. I'd be more than happy to spend any and all time with you. Heehee~"
As the pair continued to walk through the streets, one question lingered at the forefront of Emelia's mind. What the hell have I gotten myself into?
Paris, France
Maison de Laval
March 17, 1999
~7:20 PM
Meanwhile, on the opposite edge of the city, in a fancy maison, a young noblewoman was decidedly annoyed. The package she had ordered was late. Didn't the postal service know who it was for? Ophilie de Laval, sitting in her favorite recliner, tapped her foot on the floor impatiently. The setting sun cast its orange glow into the lavishly decorated room, adding to the fancy look it gave off.
Seriously, who do they think they are, giving something to me late? The lot of 'em ought to be sacked. Turning her head to the right, she could see the summoning circle she had prepared hours in advance. At this rate, she wouldn't have the chance to use it until she was old and gray.
Huffing, the fifteen year-old stood up. At the moment, she was dressed in a stylish black dress, complete with a large white bow around her waist, helpfully tied at the back by one of her maids. The dress itself was long and frilly, covering most of her petite frame, reaching down to just above her ankles. Ohilie's jet black hair was kept short and tied into a single bun at the back of her head, exposing her neck, around which a violet pendant on a silver chain was hung, complimenting her eyes, which were the same color. The pendant was also engraved with her family's symbol: a silver lion. She had a rather pale complexion, and her rather long nails were painted the same violet shade as her pendant and eyes. She also wore black leggings that reached up to her thighs and a pair of black flat-bottomed dress shoes, with interlocking black stripes covering the top of her feet. She was every bit as refined as one would expect her to be, seeing how she was the daughter of Marco de Laval, one of the most influential mages in all of France, and possibly even in all of Europe, if it weren't for the Clock Tower.
Speaking of clocks, Ophelia was further angered by what she saw on hers. 7:20! I was told my package would be here by noon! What in the name of all that is good have they been doing?
"Excuse me, Madame Ophelie?" The girl looked up to see one of her maids, Simone, walking into the room, holding a box in her hands. The middle-aged lady was dressed in a typical maid's outfit, and her silver hair was kept in one long ponytail reaching down to the middle of her back. Her blue eyes were soft and gentle as she looked at the young lady she served. "The package you sent for has arrived."
"Hmph. Finally. I trust you gave the courier a stern talking to?" Ophilie inquired, taking the box from Simone.
"Of course," the maid replied, before shifting her voice to a monotone. "How dare you keep the beautiful and peerless Ophelie de Laval, heir to the prestigious Laval family, waiting for a package to be delivered?" She had recited similar variants of that same speech to all manner of people that had some reason to knock on the door of the maison, of course hastily followed with an apology. For all her good points, her mistress was rather insistent in her dislike for all things related to the postal service.
"Yes, yes, very good," Ophile said, dismissing her with a wave. Normally, that'd be a cue for Simone to leave, but she had a question she needed to ask. But first, the maid would let her mistress open her package. Heaven only knew what she'd do if she was kept waiting any longer.
Opening the box, Ophilie carefully withdrew the object from within. It was a thin rod, silver-blue in color and seemingly snapped on one end. Magical energy seemed to radiate from it, clearly marking it as a powerful artifact of some sort.
"Madame, are you sure about this? I'm certain your father would object," Simone pressed, watching as the girl carried the rod over towards the summoning circle. She had asked this question before, but each time she had been ignored, or just waved off.
"Simone, please. You know he hardly cares. I don't see why you must be so difficult about this," Ophilie answered, placing the rod at the center of the circle. "This is my choice. Besides, you are merely here to serve me, not to question me. So please just shut up. If you must watch, fine."
Simone sighed heavily, wrapping her left arm around her right. Why did her mistress have to be so stubborn? "If I may ask then, what catalyst did you send for? I at least want to have an idea of the type of Servant you're summoning."
The young girl laughed. "Ahaha! I'm very glad you asked! For this catalyst is a broken piece of a legendary spear, wielded by a warrior that was even more legendary!"
"I see, and who would that warrior be?"
"I… don't know… actually…" Ophilie replied, blushing and looking away. "But that doesn't matter! Not when all we need to do is summon them and find out!"
Simone facepalmed. Truly, her mistress was one of a kind. But why did it so often have to be in ways you didn't want to be original in? Sighing heavily once more, the silver-haired maid watched as her mistress began to chant the summoning ritual, the circle's blue glow filling the whole room.
"Elements of silver and iron. Foundation of stone, and the Archduke of Pacts."
"Raise a wall for the wind that should fall. Close the gates of the four directions."
"Come forth from the Crown, and follow the forked road leading to the Kingdom."
Ophilie smirked slightly as she began the ritual. Finally, she'd show them.
Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny!"
"If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason… then answer me!"
"I hereby swear: that I shall be all the good in the world. That I shall defeat all evil in the world."
As the smoke billowed forth from the summoning circle, Simone wondered if she should've secured the breakables in the room. As a matter of fact, she definitely should have done that.
"Thou Seventh Heaven, clad in the great three words of power, come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Scales!"
A large pillar of light shot forth from the circle, temporarily blinding all those present. On the back of Ophilie's right hand, a burning sensation briefly overtook her as Command Seals manifested in the form of a two-headed serpent.
After a short while, the smoke cleared, offering both Master and maid a look at the Servant that had been summoned. It was a tall man, appearing to be in his mid-twenties. He had short and slightly messy blonde hair that reached to the middle of his neck, with some short bangs covering his face. Silver, medieval style armor covered his rather muscular frame, with parts of the armor having decorative blue designs. Behind him, a long blue cape billowed out, giving him a heroic aura of sorts. On his head, a golden crown sat, identifying him as a king. In his right hand, he held a shining silver-blue lance that looked as if it swirled around the grip. As he opened his green eyes, Ophilie noted that they seemed serious, but not exactly stern.
"Servant, Lancer," he began, his voice commanding, but somehow at the same time gentle. "My name is Arthur Pendragon, of Camelot. Master, I swear by my sacred lance, Rhongomyndiad, I shall allow none to harm you."
Drinking in the sight of her new Servant, Ophilie's grin widened.
Paris, France
Maison de Laval
March 17, 1999
~9:30 PM
Arthur knew that he was a Servant. One summoned by the Holy Grail to serve under a Master and fight to claim his wish. He understood that. He wouldn't have accepted the Grail's call otherwise. But…
Was the butler's outfit really necessary?
His Master's attendant, the silver-haired woman named Simone, had profusely apologized when she had handed him the outfit (how had they had one that fit him already?), telling him that his Master wished for him to wear it. He had no real reason to object to the rather stylish black tuxedo, but a small piece of him questioned why this in particular had been chosen for him. Still, he supposed, it didn't really matter.
"Ahaha, well aren't you a sight?" a voice suddenly called out, prompting the King to turn around. His Master was walking down the stairs towards him, a smirk on her face. "A great king of the past, now dressed as my butler. It's almost too funny."
The Lancer Servant sighed. "I don't know why you wish to humiliate me like this, Master. I know that I am your Servant, and I assume you must be upset at my inability to take spirit form, but I must question this attire."
Ophilie smiled sweetly, leaning forward and lacing her hands behind her back. "I'm simply treating you the same way I'd treat anyone else under my wing. I am in charge here, after all."
"That's well and good, Master, but you seem to be forgetting that I'm a person of my own. And it's not that I mind this outfit. But if your intention was to simply degrade and mock me, well, I don't take too kindly to that."
"I'm not trying to degrade you, Lancer," Ophilie responded with a huff. "But what I am trying to do is make sure you know how our relationship is going to work. I'm the Master, you're the Servant. That means you do what I say, no questions asked."
Arthur sighed again, suppressing the urge to facepalm. "Master, I'm really not sure you understand how the Holy Grail War works. Yes, I'm your Servant. But if you think I'm going to do everything you tell me to do, no matter what, then I'm afraid you'll be in for a shock. Besides, isn't it nearly bedtime for you, Master?" he asked, giving her a teasing smile.
"I-I-It is most certainly not!" Opilie exclaimed indignantly, a furious blush rising to her cheeks. "Just how young do you think I am!?"
"Oh, are you sure?" Arthur asked, his smile still on his face. "I could read you a bedtime story, if you want."
"I… you… ARGHHHHH!" With a scream of pure frustration, the young Master bolted back up the stairs to her room, shutting her door with a loud slam.
"Embarrassing her to get her off your back. Not bad, I must say," Simone suddenly said, stepping in from the next room over.
Arthur chuckled. "I suppose you'd know more about dealing with her than I do. I'm just trying to not lose my cool, heh."
Despite his joke, Simone frowned. "I must apologize again for her behavior. I know that my mistress is a… difficult person to deal with, so I appreciate your patience, Lancer. Especially when it comes to your outfit."
"Please, don't. I actually quite like this, all things considered. I just wanted to make sure my Master understands that she can't expect everyone to just bend to her whims," Arthur said, giving the maid a smile.
Simone nodded. "Yes. Regrettably, that is a lesson my mistress has yet to learn. I'm afraid practically running a household for the better part of her life has had some ill effects."
"If I may inquire, where are her parents? Surely they'd be around their daughter while she's still a young age?" Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow.
"My mistress' father is often away for business, so he leaves her in my care. As for her mother… nobody knows. She just disappeared one day, and hasn't been seen since," the maid replied sadly, her voice soft.
Arthur frowned. Clearly, he'd touched on a sensitive subject. "I'm sorry. I should not have asked."
"No please, do not apologize. You had no way of knowing, after all," Simone said quickly, raising her head.
Arthur was about to reply further, when a sudden shout of "Simone! Come here!" was heard from the top of the stairs. Clearly, his Master needed something from the silver-haired woman.
Said maid offered him a quick smile. "I should go see what she needs. And if I may be so bold as to ask this of you; please look after my mistress. I was personally against her joining this War, but of course she ignored my worries. I don't wish for her to get hurt, or worse. So please, make good on the vow you swore when you were summoned, alright?"
"Of course, Simone. Though, in exchange, could I ask a favor of you?"Arthur asked, nodding in response to her request.
"And what would that be?"
"Please, if you will, just call me Arthur. At least while we're not around other Servants or Masters. It'd be a welcome change of pace from my time, if you can understand that."
The maid's eyes went wide briefly, before her face settled into a smile. "If you say so, Arthur." With that, she hurried up the stairs to attend to Ophilie.
Now left alone, Arthur walked towards the window and gazed out at the City of Lights. For whatever reason, something felt off to him. About the city, and about this Grail War. Whatever it was, he prayed that he would not come to regret not knowing what it was sooner. No matter what, I will make our wishes, mine and my Master's, reality. I will not accept anything less.
Chapter Two: The Maiden and the King
Summoned Servants and Masters:
Saber: Susano-o, Master: Tatsuya Horibe
Archer: ?, Master: ?
Lancer: Arthur Pendragon, Master: Ophilie de Laval
Caster: ?, Master: ?
Rider: Kiyohime, Master: Emelia Lugnica Yggdemillenia
Assassin: ?, Master: ?
Berserker: ?, Master: ?
-7 Servants remain in the fight to answer the Grail's call-
A/N: Before I sign off, I want to give a HUGE thanks for CelestialSkyDragon for creating Emelia! She's a fantastic character, and I'm excited to be able to have her as a part of this story. On that note, please feel free to leave any and all comments, concerns, or just plain criticism in a review. I'll try to reply to them, to the best of my ability haha ^-^
Anyway, tune in soon for Chapter 3: The Fox and the Huntress! See y'all then!