Answering a few Guest reviews:

"Nitpicking:The ringwraiths have been killed numerous times in the past, except for the Witch-King. The problem is that they eventually regain their bodies as long as Sauron is in power, and that they're really freaking powerful. So Arwen's wrong when she says that they can't be killed. "

Notice, that the Nazgul spoke to Saber saying that they "killed" her as in Perma-kill, or else they won't be that shocked that Saber managed to stab them. Thus, Arwen is surprised that Saber killed them. Maybe she can question a little longer, but what would honestly be the point of writing that additional line of dialogue? She'd still be shocked.

"Reader:Nice edits. Though I have to make a point about blades and armor: it's nearly impossible to cut through plate or chainmail with a blade, especially armor made for a King and infused with prana. Most damage comes in the form of blunt trauma. Even thrusts with a blade will only travel a few centimeters before being stopped, which is why you would stab at joints and gaps in the armor rather than the thick metal part. Bodkin-point arrows can get through plate because of their velocity and their small and uniform cross-section.

If you want to limit Saber to being a mere human, you at least need to make sure that her armor isn't paper-thin when the plot demands it."

Perhaps, but judging by the Witch King's strength in the 3rd movie… I think the Nazgul would be pretty good at breaking armor. Two, Saber's armor on her back is actually limited and has a rather large joint at the back that is a good target. I didn't write it this way, but now that I think about it, Saber's armor could be broken there.

But enough of me going on, this chapter is large so enjoy. I'll be keeping in mind the OPness of Saber as time goes by. (wwaaaat she is OP in LOTR terms) It's just those earlier chapters were written before I fully comprehended how powerful Saber was. For LOTR fans, I'll be sure to balance her against everybody else though. I'm not saying she isn't going to be weaker than Legolas… she's stronger for sure, but she can't take on anything too big and has a rather big limit on her Excalibur that… eg. welllll that's spoilers.

Chapter 3: The Council

Saber made her way to the balcony where the Council of the Ring was to be held, Excalibur sheathed in Avalon, armor clinking as she marched. She wore her blue dress that the Elves had cleaned and sewed. Her armor had also been mended by the elves, to the point where she could not tell that it had been damaged in the first place. Her left arm was covered with a short blue cloak trimmed with ermine. She had been feeling a bit chilly so the elves had lent it to her.

Saber chuckled to herself softly. If she had her crown, she'd look like her old, kingly self, but as it is, it was better to make an impression, but not reveal her Royal lineage. She had no kingdom to rule over after all.

Dwarves, elves, men, a hobbit and a wizard were all sat around in a rough semi-circle. Saber took the empty seat next to Frodo, who had Gandalf to his left. Several of the men and the dwarves raised their eyebrows at her regal dress, but did not comment on it.

"Strangers from distant lands ... friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite...or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate...this one doom…" said Elrond ominously.

Elrond gestured to the centre of the council "Bring forth the ring, Frodo." The Hobbit did as he was told, and as he sat it down on the pedestal, shocked expressions washed over the councilmembers features. Saber's remained unflinching, as did Strider's, Gandalf's and Elrond's.

A man, around forty, with dark brown hair and a well-shaped beard stood, an eager expression on his handsome features. Saber had inquired as to the other members of the council from Gandalf and Elrond. She believed his name was Boromir, Captain of Gondor, from the Kingdom of Gondor that was closest to Mordor.

"It is a gift... a gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, held the forces of Mordor at bay... by the blood of our people are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy...let us use it against him!"

Saber thought these weren't bad reasons, but the idea of using the ring against its own master seemed preposterous to her.

Strider evidently felt the same. "You cannot wield it. None of us can. The one ring answers to Sauron alone...it has no other master."

Boromir looked at Strider, his eyes cool. "And what would a ranger know of this matter?"

An elf, with platinum hair and perfect features that all elves had, stood. "This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, heir of the kingdom of Gondor. You owe him your allegiance."

As the elf berated Boromir, Saber blinked and stared at the ranger who had accompanied them. Strider was the heir to the Kingdom of Gondor? She narrowed her eyes, why was he not ruling Gondor? He should be protecting his people from the evils of Mordor! Not running around in the backcountry as a ranger of all things!

Yet, Aragorn seemed almost embarrassed and reluctant. He even gestured and asked the elf, Legolas, to sit down in that odd language of his.

Boromir snarled. "Gondor needs no king."

"Every kingdom needs its king." Eyes turned to stare at Saber whose green eyes had hardened. Raising an eyebrow, Boromir strolled over so he stood in front of Saber's chair.

"What would you know of anything, young man?"

Aragorn spoke up. "She's a woman, Boromir, and she slew two Nazgul when confronted with five. And it appears she killed them permanently." Saber noticed that Aragorn's eyes were still observing her. Not suspiciously, but out of keen interest and curiosity.

Boromir's eyes widened, but Saber continued to meet his gaze as she slowly rose to her feet. She was almost a foot shorter than Boromir, and had a more slender figure, but she somehow seemed to equal his stature.

"My sex is of little consequence, but as the last knight of a fallen kingdom, I would know better than most about what a kingdom needs." She glared at the ring, and its admittedly beautiful, golden sheen. Gandalf and Elrond had told her a little more about the folly of its previous wielders like Gollum, and the more she learned, the more she detested such a thing.

Stepping past Boromir, Saber addressed the council as she did when she was king to her knights. "Aragorn is right. The Ring cannot be used against Sauron. Besides, its effective uses are limited. It makes one person go invisible, but it cannot hide them from a Nazgul, who will always follow the Ring." She glanced at the lone hobbit on the council. "Frodo was nearly killed on our journey here, despite using the Ring at one point, and this was through territory that had not been conquered by our enemy. There is little point in using this ring as a weapon against its own master. We have but one logical choice." She paused. "The ring must be destroyed."

"Then what are we waiting for?" said a red-bearded Dwarf. Before anybody could stop him, he charged forward and smashed his axe on the Ring. Upon contact, the axe shattered, sending pieces flying. Saber barely managed to block several splinters with her armored arm, and once she had brushed the splinters away, she fixed Gimli with a glare.

It was not that she was mad at Gimili for trying. Just at the mess he made. She had considered using Excalibur, but after asking for Frodo for a look...

A few days ago…

"Frodo, may I have a look at the Ring?" asked Saber. The pair were walking from breakfast. Rivendell provided excellent fare that Saber enjoyed with great gusto, and Frodo had been eating quite a lot since his recovery.

Frodo jumped his eyes filling with fear. "Why?"

"I want to see if my blade has any chance of destroying it," explained Saber.

Frodo nodded. He had seen Arthur's invisible sword kill a Nazgul. Perhaps it could destroy the ring? He lifted the chain and pulled the ring out for Arthur to see.

In an instant, Saber stepped away her eyes wide. The One Ring was like nothing she had ever encountered and the sheer density of prana she could sense from it… her own prana paled laughably against it. It was an item more potent, more powerful than the Fuyuki Grail itself, and by many times over.

Even more insidious was the fact she could hear the whispers of a sibilant voice in her mind. Avalon and her innately high magic resistance seemed to make the voice incoherent, but the fact she could hear anything at all through both of those shields…

"You heard it?" asked Frodo.

"Yes, do you?"

"Sometimes. You can't destroy it can you?" asked Frodo quietly.

Saber shook her head. Even though the 13 Restrictions seal could be lifted, even Excalibur's Noble Phantasm would not be able to destroy The Ring. It simply was that well protected.

Named by the knights of the Round Table, The13 Restrictions of Camelot formed part of the two-part seal that locked Excalibur Proto, her original blade, not the servant item she used. If she released Invisible Air, and if half of the restrictions criteria were fulfilled, the seal would be lifted and she could use Excalibur's devastating prana burst attack. The conditions were:

Innocents must not be in target area of attack or possibly endangered by the attack

Sir Bors, one of the achievers of the Holy Grail in Britain, had chosen this particular restriction. He had been a jolly man, but also incredibly pious and righteous, though he was forced to side with Lancelot.

Innocents must not be affected by the after effects of the attack (Percival)

Sir Percival, another achiever of the Holy Grail, had chosen this one in order to elaborate on Sir Bors restriction. He had been another incredibly righteous knight in her service, but had retired shortly after seeing the Grail to become a hermit.

Innocents must be in immediate, perilous, danger

Lancelot. The knight of knights. The right hand that had turned itself against her when she had been forced to order Guinevere's execution. He had made this restriction in order to allow Saber to use Excalibur, but only when the time was right.

The battle must be an honourable one

Gawain, her most loyal supporter, but in some ways the one who hurt her the most. He had always strove to promote the king's ideals and place her on the highest pedestal. Yet, in doing so, he was one of the catalysts that escalated the division between her knights and Mordred's supporters.

The battle must be for the glory of Britain

Sir Caradoc, Guinevere's father, her father-in-law. He never liked her, and though he had joined her service he was always wary of her abilities. This was likely why he had made this restriction, in order to make sure she used Excalibur's prana burst abilities only for Britain. Now it acted as a permanent restriction, as Britain had fallen. She grimaced, even now Caradoc was causing problems for her.

The enemy must be more powerful than yourself

Sir Ector, her foster father, had been a wise knight who taught her that great power must be exercised sparingly, and thus created this restriction. Secretly, she suspected he did this to prevent her from being alienated from the rest of her knights due to her overwhelming might.

The enemy must have pushed the king and her comrades to the brink of defeat

Kay, Ector's son, her foster brother, he had thought the same as her father. They hadn't been the closest of siblings, but they had been raised together, and thus Kay sometimes saw his king as his sister. He had thereby created the restriction in the same spirit as his father, which made sense given Excalibur's mana cost and area of effect also made it impractical in small unimportant engagements.

Your comrades or the Knights of the Round Table must be in danger, but not be endangered by the upcoming attack

Gaheris, was Gawain's brother and while not a particularly great knight, had been incredibly loyal to his comrades and his older brother, whom he exalted. He made this restriction to help protect Saber's comrades from Excalibur's attack. Not that he didn't trust Saber, he just realized that decisions are not as easy to make in the heat of battle.

One of your comrades or a Knight of the Round Table has requested you unleash this attack despite the danger

Gareth was Gaheris's twin. Also loyal to his fellow knights, he nonetheless realized Gaheris's restriction was a difficulty that had to be balanced, so he created this restriction as opening for Saber to justify her use of Excalibur.

The attack must be made to uphold the king's ideals

Galahad, Lancelot's illegitimate son and one of her most gallant knights as well as the most pure had dictated this restriction, but also an opening for her to use Excalibur. He was as loyal to her as Gawain, and more chivalrous than Lancelot. Yet, he never tried to put Saber on a pedestal like Gawain, and always tried to play the peacemaker. Some of her knights had said he had ascended into heaven after seeing the grail. Galahad had actually embarked on a journey around the world to spread the legends of King Arthur and his Knights, as well as to save all innocents. She knew because he had told her, Lancelot and his mother before leaving.

The king's attack must be made to save those or that whom she is in love with

Tristan, one of her most troubled knights, but the most stalwart believer in true love, which was why he worded his restriction this way. Thanks to a nefarious potion, he had fallen in love with Iseult, wife of King Mark who was his mentor, which forced him to commit adultery with her. When it had finally worn off, Tristan and Iseult continued to see each other, until Iseult was tried for adultery. Tristan had saved her, and eventually made peace with King Mark, before settling down with a Iseult of a different name. He had advised her to spare Guinevere and make peace with Lancelot, but she could not as the duties of a king and to justice outweighed her duties to her friend. He did not question her decision, but had fallen at Camlann like so many others.

The king must not endanger her life through the cost of using this attack

Sir Bedivere, the only senior knight that had survived Camlann and who after denying her two times, carried her last wish to return Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. She knew he had been in love with her, not in the romantic sense, but in that he loved her for the woman she was, and also wished for her true happiness, and so created this restriction to protect her from overexering herself. He had thus been close to her, but while she never spurned his attempts, she had been too immersed in her duties to respond to them.

The king must truly wish to unleash this attack

The final restriction had been created by Mordred, her illegitimate daughter that had disguised herself in order to become a knight. She was a homunculus made by Saber's half-sister's Morgana's sorcery and Saber's own quasi-sperm, which Merlin had temporarily granted her the ability to produce. Morgana had promptly stolen the sperm through seducing Saber with a spell, then apparently combined that with one of her own eggs to give birth to Mordred.

Morded… she had been disgusted at her own imperfection and method of creation, and was always jealous of normal people, but had always possessed a childhood innocence. This had shaped her to become the knight that admired her king, Arthur, the most. As the years passed, she only strove harder to become the very image of her "godlike father."

From this admiration did Mordred create Saber's opinion, perhaps the wisest of all the restrictions that bound Excalibur. Though the restriction was conceived out of the homunculus's innocent nature, it would help prevent Saber from ever being blackmailed, or coerced into using Excalibur's devastating power, but also entrusted the judgement of appropriateness of the attack to Saber's hands. It was the ultimate declaration of admiration that would also protect the king she worshipped.

Mordred eventually was told that she was the result of her mother's plotting, but instead of hatred, she was filled with joy. She was closest to the king in blood, and it gave her the belief that she, the "son" of the king was fit to be her successor.

However, when Saber had rejected Mordred, the knight, her daughter, had turned on her with all the rage of a thousand dragons. She had thought Saber dismissed her because of her relation to Morgan, that the king viewed her only as a child born of wedlock. Britain and Camelot's fall had been the outcome, as well as a recurring question that Saber kept asking herself.

For Saber hadn't rejected Mordred due to her lineage. She had never even blamed Mordred for her mother's plotting. She had refused to recognize her because she did not have the capacity of a king. Mordred was a great knight, but Saber had known that her great jealousy of normal humans, and her uncontrolled temper, would make her a terrible king.

But now, Saber could only ask herself this. Would Camelot's fall have been avoided, had she let Mordred down just a little easier? Or could she have bent the rules for once in her life to allow Mordred to have at least a chance?

"Frodo," said Saber finally. Frodo blinked. Arthur had been silent for a long time as if she as remembering a distant memory. It was something Frodo observed time and time again with the knight, who always looked a bit sad when she did that.

"I may not be able to destroy the Ring, but I can promise you that I'll do my best to protect you," said Saber smiling.

A bit relieved, Frodo returned her smile.

Back to the present...

"The ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess," spoke Elrond, snapping Saber's memory back to the present.

It was then Elrond's eyes hardened. "The ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom...only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor, and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came." Examining the entire council, Elrond made his final pronouncement.

"One of you must do this."

Silence. No one in the council spoke.

Boromir was the first to break the silence. "One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep and the Great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust...the very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly."

Saber agreed wholeheartedly. As depressing as the picture Boromir was painting, she had perused some maps of Middle Earth and Mordor appeared to have only one entrance. It was the enemy's stronghold and to take the weapon that would complete their enemy into his heartland was madness.

Sitting back down in her chair, Saber tried to think, but it wasn't helped by the bickering that erupted between the dwarves, men, and elves on who would take the Ring. Even Gandalf was getting involved.

"I will take it." Saber blinked and turned to Frodo, her eyes wide. Had he just said what she thought she had said?

"I will take it!" yelled Frodo rising to his feet. The council was silenced as they turned to Frodo, stunned.

"I will take the ring to Mordor." Frodo paused. "Though I do not know the way."

Saber turned to Gandalf and shook her head. Frodo was too small. He had already been nearly killed, but the wizard, though he looked like the most sorrowful man in the world, took a deep breath.

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear," said Gandalf solemnly.

Aragorn stood up next, " If, by my life or death, I can protect you, I will." To Saber's surprise, he then knelt at Frodo's feet. "You have my sword."

Legolas also stood forward. "And you have my bow."

"And my axe," declared Gimli.

Boromir walked toward Frodo, a look of respect on his features. "You carry the fate of us all, little one." Glancing towards Elrond and Gandalf he nodded.

"If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done," said Boromir, his lips turning up, just a little.

Finally, Saber strode forward. "Despite my best efforts, my kingdom fell." Her breath caught in her throat as she remembered that bloody field.

Shaking away her memories, she lowered her head and placed her right hand over her heart. "I will not let an entire free land fall to darkness as well. Besides—" Saber smiled at Frodo "—I made a promise to you and I will keep it."

Frodo swallowed, his eyes wide as he stared at all the fighters pledging themselves to help him. Arthur in particular. He had been told she was willing to sacrifice her own health just to make sure he'd survive the poison without any ill effects.

"Thank you, Sir uhhh Arthur," said Frodo.

Sensing Frodo's stumbling over her gender Saber thought for a moment. "You can call me Arturia," said Saber, a small smile on her face.

"Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me!" yelled a voice. Samwise Gamgee sprung out. Saber glanced at Elrond. Wasn't this supposed to be a secret council?

"Or us! We're coming too! You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us," declared Merry, popping out from behind Sam.

"Anyway...you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission...quest...thing…" said Pippin.

"Well, that rules you out, Pip," quipped Merry, almost breaking Saber's stoic mask.

Elrond examined the group with a thoughtful smile. "Ten companions, you shall be the "Fellowship of the Ring"."

The pride that Saber felt welling in her heart raised her chin just a little higher. A straightforward quest like she had gone on with Merlin in the earliest days of her reign. This one was far more important and dangerous than any she had undertaken, but at least her course was clear. This… was something she could do.

"Great. Where are we going?" asked Pippin.

Saber pinched her forehead with the fingers of her armored gauntlet. Pippin would need to be watched.

She never thought she'd be so sad to leave Rivendell, but as Saber, her pack and supplies on her shoulder, walked toward the mustering area, there was a longing in her heart to stay. This place… was what she wished Avalon to be. What she had been striving for all her years as king. To be able to live like this for a few days... It was good enough, but her greedy heart wanted more.

Her greedy stomach was also telling her to stay. Since she needed food to produce the Prana that enabled her combat prowess, she always ate a lot, and she had never had such great food in her life. The fact that most of the dishes had been vegetarian or food that usually was too light for her liking had opened Saber's eyes to some new culinary choices.

"Arturia," said Elrond, approaching her.

"Lord Elrond, thank you once more for your hospitality," replied Saber, bowing, but instead found Elrond raising his hand.

"You need not bow to a lord, Your Majesty," said Elrond, bowing instead.

Saber blinked, and stared up at Elrond. "How long have you known?"

"Ever since I met you, for you bear yourself like king Elendil himself. Only a rare group of people in history can even begin to imitate that kind of bearing," remarked Elrond.

One might think it odd that Elrond could actually tell a person's identity through their posture, but Saber knew Elrond's explanation was true. It was just like how she read enemy servants when she first met them in order to glean clues as to their identity. Elrond, an immortal elf who had interacted with countless people, would easily be able to tell the difference between a normal person, and a person of authority.

Unable to meet Elrond's eyes, Saber's gaze dropped to the floor. "Then you know my kingdom fell." Elrond nodded. It had been fairly obvious task to connect the dots after he had realized she was a king.

Saber sighed, and bit her lip. "Is the king of a fallen kingdom truly a king, Lord Elrond? Or is she a failure of one?"

"If the kingdom fell despite the fact the king did her best to lead her people and protect them as righteously as she could, then how can the king be labeled a failure?" asked Elrond.

"But what if that king never truly led her people? What if that king followed her own ideals to the point where she was abandoned?" asked Saber her tone bitter. Alexander's words, the servant Rider, his words continued to ring through Saber's head.

You saved your subjects, but you never led them.

She remembered the bloody field, Camlann, the mass of deaths under her feet and the screams of the dying. It was a slaughter as Britain torn asunder by civil war involving its own protectors.

You are but a little girl, bound by the false idol of a king who serves others but not himself!

"Then perhaps that person is a horrible king," said Elrond. Saber winced, and then blinked as Elrond placed a hand on her shoulders in a comforting gesture. "But she is also in my opinion, the only king worth admiring. For despite blood, privilege, or status, she put herself above the lowliest peasant and shouldered the heaviest load. People may not admire her burden, but they will admire her courage."

Saber swallowed, hard, as Elrond reached into the long sleeves of his robes and drew something out.

"Take it, for the journey ahead, so that you may never be alone, even in your darkest hours."

It was a small, stuffed lion, beautifully sewn with durable threads and tough, but reasonably soft cloth. Saber hastily placed it in the space behind her breastplate and collarbone.

Bowing, once again, her arms tightly clasped to her sides, Saber croaked. "Lord Elrond...thank you." She was glad her eyes were hidden by her hair.

Author's note: I like fatherly Elrond. In the books (I've read the lotr wiki) Elrond is actually a pretty nice guy, just concerned for his daughter (for understandable reasons) and it's no wonder he's rather grim in the original trilogy movies, but shows more brevity in The Hobbit. The times were darker after all. Also, as a former confidant to Isildur and mentor to Aragorn, I'm pretty sure Elrond is one of the best people to help guide Saber. To what? Well only time will tell.

I've taken a couple of liberties with the Knight of Round Table lore combining it with what the wiki says on them with what I know of them and what popular Arthurian lore seems to be. Mordred… well there's a reason why I went into so much detail for her. ;)

Also, since this was a long chapter, so I'll be delaying on updates until I finally get the Moria arc/chapter completely written.