"I am Artoria Pendragon. I ask this of you."

Father was here.

Father was here.

Mordred's breath was caught in her throat, the knight feeling lightheaded. There was a loud, pounding sound in her ears. Her body felt light and heavy at the same time, her heartbeat elevated. A flurry of images flashed before her eyes.

Seeing her father as a young child from an alley. Kneeling before the King of Knights for the first time. Being tasked to subdue a rebellion in the name of King Arthur. Gazing up at the one she had held above all others in a dimming courtyard.

The blank expression as she was rejected. Those emotionless eyes up close as Mordred received that mortal blow at Camlann, seconds before striking down her killer.

And now, her father stood before her once more.

"Yes, I am Ritsuka Fujimaru. Welcome to Chald…"

Maybe it was just her imagination. Maybe it was just everyone else realizing the rising tension, but everything was quiet. Her breathing grew quicker, and it took all of her willpower to keep herself from shaking.

Yes, things had ended poorly between the two in life. But perhaps, fate, or the Throne of Heroes, had given her a second chance.

"F-Father?" Maybe, just maybe, she could be acknowledged by her father. It didn't have to be much, not anymore. She no longer wanted the throne. Just a nod could do, just as long as Arthur acknowledged her existence as his son.

"Master, are these all the Servants that have already answered the call, or are there more?"

And just like that, Mordred knew what that meant. What her father thought of her.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Just like mother. At best a tool. Someone best left in the shadows. A third-rate knight.

A fucking tool.

In the back of her mind, a voice sounding eerily like her mother's was urging her to summon Clarent. To repeat the 'lesson' she had taught Arthur on that blood-soaked hill all those centuries ago. However, a quick glance at Jacob, and the others that she had come to realize were her friends, and then imagining the disappointed look of her last Master, and she ruthlessly stamped down on that urge.

Tears began welling up in the corner of her eyes. Unlike the last time this happened, that dark thought aside, there was no overwhelming surge of anger, no desire to rip, maim, burn, and destroy. She no longer wanted the throne. She wouldn't cause a second Camlann.

But she couldn't be in here either. Mordred couldn't take the look of sympathy from Jacob or the others. Without a word, and choking back a pain snarl, the Knight of Rebellion spun around on her heels and stomped out into the hallway.

Then, when she felt that she was safely out of sight of the others, she activated her Mana Burst ability, running aimlessly, just as long as she was away from everyone else.

"I am Artoria Pendragon. I ask this of you," The newest Servant of Chaldea said, staring at Ritsuka with intense teal eyes, just a few shades lighter than that of the stiffened blonde next to me. The last time I heard that voice, it was in a horrible set of memories.

King Arthur. Mordred's father, and killer.

Someone whose praise and acknowledgement Mordred had become virtually obsessed over, and whose rejection sealed the fates of both the English blondes.

"Yes, I am Ritsuka Fujimaru. Welcome to Chald…" Ritsuka's cheerful tone trailed off as he realized that the newest addition to Chaldea wasn't paying attention. Even Astolfo, newcomer though she was, kept silent, eyes flickering back and forth between parent and child.

My mouth was dry. The tension was thick. Jeanne, Mash, Da Vinci, and even Astolfo seemed to tense up, ready to intervene between the two should either attempt to start exchanging blows. Only Artoria seemed to be unphased.

Finally, Mordred broke the silence with a single word.

"F-Father…?" Mordred asked, her voice trembling with emotions. I held my breath as father and son stared at one another. Finally, she looked back at Ritsuka.

"Master, are these all the Servants that have already answered the call, or are there more?" She asked in a regal, yet cold-sounding tone. The door whooshed open and Mordred stormed out, the last thing I was able to see before she turned around being the hurt expression in her eyes. I looked at her, then to Jeanne, who was starting at me with concern. I leaned over to her.

"I'm going to go find her. Mind giving Astolfo an abridged tour?" I asked quietly and rapidly. Without an ounce of hesitation, the kind-hearted saint nodded. I gave her a faint smile of relief, before looking back at Ritsuka.

"You can start the tour without me, Rits," I said, not waiting for an answer before dashing out of the room, hurrying to catch up to Mordred.

Preferably before she did something brash and stupid!

Goddamn idiot!

Damn it, why didn't I consider this possibility? I bit back a snarl of frustration. A surge of anger flared up. Anger at Morgan for being such a horrid mother to Mordred. Arthur, or Artoria, or whatever name they went by, for refusing to acknowledge even now their own child. Anger at myself, for my short-sightedness. However, I refused to allow myself to slip into a bout of self-anger over this lapse of judgement, however.

That could come later, after I dealt with calming my precious Saber.

I first went to the training room, on the hunch that perhaps the headstrong knight had gone there to vent her thinly-veiled frustration on practice dummies. To my mild disappointment, all I saw was an empty and dark room.

Next, I tried her room, knocking on the closed door. After a few minutes, I mutter a silent apology and press my ear to the metal, and hear nothing. She wasn't there, either, then.

Nor was she in the cafeteria, nor the vast library. Though why she would be in there, I wasn't sure, but I was starting to run out of ideas. Damn it, where was Mordred?!

I paused, stiffening at hearing the sound of metal slamming against metal. I strain my ears, and when I hear the sound being repeated, I start to make my way over to the direction it seemed to be coming from, running as fast as I can. It seemed to be close by my room, too.

I gasped slightly as I saw the Knight of Rebellion, my friend and partner, slamming a gauntlet-covered fist into the wall. The Saber had apparently been at this for several minutes at the very least, seeing as how there was already a sizable, deep indentation in the wall roughly the size of her fist.

"Mordred…" I said softly, drawing her attention. Her green eyes were rimmed with red, trails of bitter tears falling down

"Father just looked at me…then he asked if there were any other Servants at Chaldea…"

"Mord—"

"Just a simple nod! Would that have been so difficult for the King of Knights to do?!" Mordred screamed, slamming her gauntlet once more into the wall, deepening the dent, as well as cracking the armored glove protecting her knuckles.

"I'm just the incestuous bastard child of a cruel witch and an uncaring king! A pretend knight. A traitor!" Her words flowed up angrily, the level of self-loathing growing stronger and stronger. "A reckless idiot who gets her Masters killed. An immature brat!"

"Mordred," I tried to say, before she snapped furiously.

"Don't patronize me!" She sneered. A part of me wanted to flinch, but I steadied myself, ready and willing to confront every last drop of her ire.

"I'm just a worthless third-rate knight," Mordred snarled bitterly, refusing to look up at me. I could feel my heart aching for her. My first Servant who has fought for and alongside me since the beginning, in the flame-covered ruins of Fuyuki. The proud and bold Knight of Rebellion, who never backed down from a challenge, and was always willing to speak her mind, and damn the consequences. The Servant I trusted most.

The warrior I love.

"No."

"But—"

"You are not a third-rate knight!" I snapped, causing Mordred to snap her mouth shut with an audible click.

I gazed at her, my brown eyes boring down into ones of emerald. "You're a fearsome and proud knight, Mordred Pendragon. I'm proud to have you as my friend and partner. Don't ever think you are worthless."

To my dismay, I could see that the words had little, if any, effect on her. Mordred scoffed, and took a half-step forward, trying to move. I bite my lip, thinking fast. Finally, I push her back against the wall, leaning my face close to hers.

"Wha—"

I press my lips clumsily against hers, both silencing and stunning her. I close my eyes tightly, expecting to be punched through the wall behind me at any moment.

"You…you are incredible, Mordred," I finally said, feeling my cheeks blush slightly. At any moment, I expect Mordred to break out of her shocked stupor.

The blow doesn't come however. Mordred's cheeks pinkened slightly, eyes wide. "A-A-And, I love you," I added softly, hesitantly, doing my best to not stutter like a fool, but sadly failing.

The knight's jaw tried to work itself open and close several times, but no words escaped. Her eyes were wide. Finally, she managed to speak, speaking softly.

"You're crazy," Mordred said in a mixture of disbelief and resignation. Her lips were red and swollen, as my own felt. I smirk, leaning in closer.

"Maybe, but would you have me any other way, Mordred?" I asked, mustering everything to sound as earnest as I felt. Mordred growled softly and punched my right shoulder, but I could tell that it wasn't intent on causing harm.

"Just shut up," she muttered, her voice still a bit hoarse as she wrapped her hands around me tentatively, leaning up towards me.

I closed my eyes as our lips crashed together, and we drew closer into one another, taking comfort in one another's presence and passion…

"Do you think Jacob found Mordred, Senpai?" Mash asked Ritsuka, naked concern on her face as he and the Demi-Servant walked towards their rooms. He had asked if Astolfo and Artoria would be okay with waiting for a full tour to be given to them come morning, and they both accepted the offer.

Well, Astolfo did. His newest Servant? In a way, her mannerisms felt vaguely reminiscent of Altera's…without the whole 'burn, slash, destroy' vibe. While Ritsuka wouldn't say that her answering the call of duty wasn't appreciated, he couldn't say the same thing about the drama and baggage she had apparently brought to Chaldea.

Tomorrow, he should talk to his friend and fellow Master about what he felt would be the best way to deal with this newest mess.

"If anyone can help the Knight of Rebellion out, it's Jacob," he said confidently, and Mash nodded in understanding, though now with a sad expression on her face.

"You look down, Mash. Thinking about Nero?" He finally asked. Mash nodded her head slightly.

"Yes. Our parting with Nero was so sudden. I feel bad about leaving her," his friend admitted to him, closing her eyes with a sigh. "Even if it ended up never happening, in that last moment, she was alone. She defeated the people she respected, and said goodbye to her rivals—and she was left all alone to rule that huge empire of hers, with no one to rely on." Ritsuka noticed the melancholy tone the Shielder's voice had taken, and he tilted his head, looking at her with concern.

"Was this battle hard for you?" He asked quietly. To his relief, the pink-haired girl shook her head.

"It was a hard battle, yes. We almost died many times, and I'm still scared of fighting," she admitted, momentarily throwing him for a loop. Then she gave him a brilliant, heartwarming smile. "But, it was a fun journey. Partially thanks to Nero's glamour, but it was a lot of fun."

Ritsuka smiled heartily at his kouhai. "It was a fun empire, just like Nero," the Master of Chaldea said, shaking his head as he recalled the various antics he had witnessed being around the Emperor of Roses. And who knows? Perhaps before the next deployment, some or maybe even all three of the allied Servants which they had met would answer his and Jacob's calls!

"Yes. I'll never forget that sky and land, that's for sure." Suddenly, the shy girl perked up with a shy smile, an odd look in her eyes. "By the way, Senpai, about what the Doctor said before we performed the summonings…"

Ritsuka cocked his head slightly, his brow furrowed as he tried to figure out just what she was exactly referring to. "The thing about a massage?" He asked cautiously. Apparently, it was a good guess, because Mash nodded emphatically.

"Yes, you need to take care of yourself. Shall I give you a massage?" She sounded almost like his mother with the first part, with her endearing 'older persona' tone she had at times. "I know several effective methods: shiatsu, deep tissue…"

"Huh. Sounds good," he said with a shrug. He almost blinked in surprise at the wide smile his response elicited from Mash.

"Really?" Her eyes widened, and then she coughed, fidgeting with the red tie of her uniform. "Ahem. I really wanted to try it. That's all," Mash tacked on quickly, trying to sound more like her normal self, complete with the addition of one of her looks of hesitation.

"What's up?" Ritsuka asked his partner, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. An expression he had been working on emulating after seeing his own senpai (in a way) perform the action. Mash rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, and he was reminded in a way of how similar it was to the one that Doctor Roman did.

"I tried it once before, and they said it really hurt…oh! T-That shouldn't happen anymore. I practiced after that," she admitted, before adding a soft "in my mind". Suddenly, Ritsuka's interest in the offer seemed to be shrinking, and he let out an instinctive, nervous titter of laughter. He started to step to the side, hid mind trying to figure out what the best way to escape from this latest pitfall.

"Huh? Senpai? What's that….up….ahead…." Mash's voice got progressively quitter until she finally trailed off. Looking back ahead, Ritsuka did a double take, then rubbed his eyes, blinking several times in rapid succession, before finally staring.

Jacob was pressing up against Mordred, his hands on her shoulders. The Saber's were locked around his waist, and the two were pressed up against one another. Intimately so. Just as the passionate kissing they were, ahem, performing.

Ritsuka felt his cheeks explode into warmth, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see a similar reaction taking place on Mash's face. The pink-haired girl started to open her mouth, but before she could potentially announce their presence to the two, Ritsuka quickly placed a hand against her lips.

"Snpi?" Mash tried to say, her voice muffled by his hand. Still unable to look away from the sight before them, Ritsuka shook his head slightly.

"On second thought, let's get started with that massage," Ritsuka said, finally managing to tear his eyes away from the sight. Mash perked up once more, and almost dragged the confused Master to the opposite direction, leaving Jacob and Mordred alone once more.

Original Endnotes: And done! What did you guys think? First time I actually tried writing something like this, so I hope it was passable! Big thanks to both DraketheDragon and TheReaperD for giving me feedback and support for this chapter. Without them I have a bad feeling that I would still be staring at my computer screen trying to figure out just what the hell to do! Let me know what you guys think, though again, keep in mind that this is something I've never really worked with.

Now, whose happy that Jacob and Mordred finally kissed?

I know it's a short chapter (a little under 400 words compared to my normal minimum requirement of 3,000 words a chapter), but in this case, I felt that it was better to focus on the main points, and skim out anything that could be considered filler material, ya know? Especially in this chapter, it's a case of quality over quantity!

Also, what are your thoughts on what's going to happen next? :)

Now, for the question(s) of the day: Who would be interested if Studio Type-Moon created a series covering the very first Holy Grail War? The second question is: anyone got any exciting plans for New Year's Eve? And for the third time ever, what is the best worst movie or movie series you have ever seen? (Example given being the *shudders* Sharknado franchise).

Thanks a bunch to everyone for the love and support y'all have given me, and for giving this work a try! Eager to see how you guys react to what I've done. Finally, I really hoped you enjoyed the chapter, and see you next week with the aftermath! :)

Updated Endnotes 8/29/21: I'm still very damn proud of this chapter. Anyways, also posted a new chapter on the up-to-date version of the story on AO3 if you want to go ahead and check it out. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and see you in the next update on this site.