Knight of Avalon
Chapter-2
Kay, Artoria
The Winter Hall, Camelot, 2019 EoHQ:
The Winter Hall, the High Queen's throne room. Some of the lower-class fairies in Camelot call it so because of the rumors of a constant winter chill that permeates through the room. Some say this Winter chill is the remnant of the extinct Rain Clan in Orkney, which came with Queen Morgan from Orkney in the Winter War, and is said to represent the Rain Clan's vengeance and selection of Morgan as their champion. This winter chill always let those who enter know that they were in the presence of the Winter Queen.
At the back of the Winter Hall before the terrace was the Ashen Throne of Morgan, a spectacular beauty whose wooden base is said to have been taken from the World Tree itself, while the throne itself was the masterpiece of the Earth Clan, gifted to Queen Morgan on her coronation day with its golden designs over its emerald body and pearl seat shining in the halls of Salisbury Cathedral. The throne had the Queen's secretaries standing on its two sides.
Across Britain, this throne was regarded as the 'Pillar of Order'.
The Ashen throne was raised on a platform with six other thrones being placed at ground level below the platform. These were the smaller thrones of the Six Lords of Britain, each modeled after the crafts of each Lord's city. Each throne had a mirror on its backrest, a way for any Lord to participate in sessions even if they are unable to physically attend.
Near the walls to the sides and front of the queen's throne, hundreds of fairies sat in their seats. This was the Seelie Parliament, the Queen's advisory body that discussed state matters in their sessions, with speakers coming up to the podium in the middle to speak their piece.
The stands were collectively regarded as the House of Paupers and the Six lords constituted the House of Lords. Only members of the House of Lords could speak at the podium, while the House of Paupers merely held preparatory sessions with each member of the House of Lords regarding which issue to raise in the Parliament's session.
At the moment, Lord Spriggan was the only one sitting on his throne, going through some papers. Lady Murian, Lady Aurora and Lady Cnoc Na Riabh were watching the session from their throne rooms in their capitals while Lady Ainsel's and Lord Woodwose's thrones were empty.
Other than the Queen, the House of Lords and the House of Paupers, there were smaller seats by the Ashen Throne that belonged to the Queen's Husband, Beryl Gut, and the Heir Apparent, Princess Spinel, also known as Tam Lin Tristan. Both of the people in question were lounging on their seats with sadistic smiles on their faces.
"Come on…where is that mutt?" Tristan spoke in annoyance.
"Doesn't he know how much I hate these long and boring parliament sessions. You would think he'd have showed up by now."
"I don't know, Lady Spinel. Maybe the doggie's finally rebelling against its owner." Beryl spoke, chuckling.
"Stay your tongue, husband. Lord Woodwose is still the most senior member of the Seelie Parliament and the one who protected Britain from the Morse before the Tam Lin. Maintain some decency."
"Sorry, sorry. It's just…Woodwose isn't usually late like this? Especially when he goes off to find a 'Child of Prophecy'." Gut replied, making air quotes with his fingers.
"Ugh, Child of Prophecy? I bet the old dog's back finally gave in, and he's just using the Child of Prophecy as an excuse to skip out on this." Tristan spoke before looking at Morgan.
"Mother, can I…"
"You may not." Morgan spoke coldly as Tristan pouted as she took out a doll and began pricking it with her long nails.
"Woah there, Lady Spinel. Somebody in Britain could be screaming in pain right now." Beryl spoke with a smile.
"That's the point, Mr. Gut. It helps me relax knowing I can hear the screams even from this big box's confined space." Tristan replied with a relaxed expression.
"Your Majesty, may I speak?" Lord Spriggan spoke up.
Morgan nodded to her secretary Meredick. "...The Ashen Throne recognizes the Chair of Norwich."
"Thank you. I propose we do not waste further time waiting for Lord Woodwose and proceed with the parliamentary session immediately. We can discuss Lord Woodwose's report once he arrives." Spriggan spoke.
"Hm, and you're sure he's going to come?" Murian spoke dismissively.
"I'm sure he will. Lord Woodwose has never ever been physically absent at parliamentary sessions." Aurora spoke up.
"To be fair, Lord Woodwose did hate the Throne Mirrors back when Her Majesty built the in 1700 EoHQ. He's always been a stickler for the old rules." Spriggan added in.
"What an old mutt." Tristan spoke giggling.
"I believe you are deviating from your proposal, Lord Spriggan." Morgan spoke as Spriggan coughed.
"Apologies, I reinstate the Chair of Norwich's desire to begin the session without Lord Woodwose. I'm sure he'll arrive sooner or later."
Murmurs erupted in the room.
"The High Queen accepts the Lord of Norwich's proposal." Morgan spoke.
"I henceforth, under my authority as the High Queen of Britain, declare this Seelie Parliament to be in session. As is expected, no one shall speak out of turn during my speeches or engage in altercation…otherwise I shall consider the punishment of execution."
Morgan's gaze flickered to Tristan at the mention of execution, clearly sending a silent message who will be the 'executioner'.
Morgan then nodded.
"Now, are the representatives of the House of Lords ready with any issues of deliberation?"
All the houses nodded.
"Excellent. The Ashen Throne appoints the Chair of Norwich as the first speaker. Lord Spriggan, the podium is yours."
Spriggan got up from his throne and walked over to the podium.
He bowed to Morgan before pulling up a bunch of papers.
"Your majesty, after discussion, Norwich wishes to move the session towards the account of the Gloucester-Norwich roadway."
"And what is this roadway?" Morgan asked.
"It will be a wide road paved with fine quality granite stretching from the mines between Gloucester and Wales to the Ironbridge district in Norwich. The aim of the roadway is to simply facilitate transportation of minerals to Ironbridge's factories for manufacturing the Royal Army's weaponry and continue supplying Britain with its farming applicants."
"Boring…" Tristan spoke before shutting up as Morgan shot her an ice-cold stare.
A murmur of pleasant surprise rolled through the House of Paupers.
"But the roadway stretches into Gloucester's territory, Lord Spriggan. Has Lord Murian been informed?" One of the House of Paupers members spoke up.
Morgan looked at Murian. "Have you?"
"Yes, your majesty. Lord Spriggan and I met a few days back to discuss the terms and conditions of the roadway passing through my lands towards Wales. We have reached upon an agreement and so Lord Spriggan has chosen to pass up the issue to the Seelie Parliament."
"A road connecting Gloucester to Norwich, how interesting." Aurora spoke with a smile as Cnoc na Riabh kept a frown.
"Hm…and what about the Guilds of Norwich?"
"Pardon, your majesty?"
"You have discussed with them, no?"
"I…have done so, yes."
"Very well, then I shall put in a suggestion. The funding of the project will come from their pockets. The Royal treasury will contribute a minor sum to the building of the roadway."
"Your majesty, may I inquire the reason for this act?"
"This roadway is mainly concerned with Gloucester and Norwich. I do not believe the Royal treasury should be anything more than a minor supporter, unless the other lords wish to make some alternative proposition."
"Your majesty, may I speak?" Aurora asked.
Morgan nodded.
"The Ashen throne recognizes the Chair of Salisbury." Meredick spoke.
"Thank you. I do think this project is wonderful. Perhaps Salisbury could join in as well." She spoke.
"Salisbury wishes to contribute?" Morgan asked.
"Indeed. We can extend the roadway to Salisbury as well. After all, we are the agricultural center of Britain, teehee." Aurora spoke.
"House of Lords, what is your opinion on this proposal?" Morgan asked.
"Well, I believe it can be accommodated. More support would be helpful. The Chair of Norwich accepts the Chair of Salisbury's proposal" Spriggan spoke.
"Hm, if Spriggan's fine with it, I guess there's no problem with Aurora's proposal. We'll expand the Gloucester-Norwich roadway…or is it Salisbury-Gloucester-Norwich roadway now? But anyways, the Chair of Gloucester accepts the Chair of Salisbury's proposal for the SGN roadway." Murian spoke
"SGN…I like the sound of that." Spriggan muttered, stroking his beard while Aurora smiled.
Cnoc Na Riabh remained silent.
"Chair of Edinburgh?"
Cnoc Na Riabh smiled, closing her eyes. "Apologies, your majesty, but the Chair of Edinburgh must refuse the proposal of the roadway altogether."
"Oh? You reject the Lord Spriggan's proposal itself?"
"Indeed. It is my opinion that such a roadway will see a lot of activity, seeing as it is connecting two of Britain's most important economic centres. Such a large amount of fairies moving on the roads will be sure to attract Morse, and that will put financial pressure upon the treasury." Cnoc Na Riabh spoke.
Spriggan shot her a death glare, to which Cnoc Na Riabh responded with a smug grin.
Truth be told, the only reason Cnoc Na Riabh was rejecting the proposal was because such a roadway would make for an excellent point of mobilization for the Queen's forces in her future war against Morgan. For her army's sake, she could not have that roadway be allowed to be built.
"We can always send in armed escorts." Spriggan argued.
"Really? I don't agree with that. I think something like that would attract a large number of Mors which only one of the Tam Lin can handle."
"Lady Cnoc Na Riabh raises a good point, Lord Spriggan." Morgan spoke. "This roadway will definitely attract a large number of mors, and I do not wish to have one of my knights occupied with protecting one road."
Spriggan grimaced while Cnoc Na Riabh smiled.
"So…I shall make a proposal of my own."
Spriggan perked up.
"The road will be registered as Imperial property once it is complete. I shall regulate the movement of fairies on the road and give permissions to the guilds to use it."
Both Spriggan and Cnoc Na Riabh frowned at that.
"Chair of Edinburgh, this ensures the morse don't come in large numbers and have one of my Knights occupied. I trust you have no objections to that."
Cnoc Na Riabh forced a smile. "N-No, your majesty."
"Your majesty, this proposal…the Guilds of Norwich will not accept it. They'll take it as a sign of encroachment upon their freedom…"
"Have they forgotten where they are?" Morgan's cold voice cut through Spriggan's argument.
"They may have played a role in Norwich's development, but Britain is still mine. I hold the power as its High Queen. Whatever 'freedom' they have is in reality my leniency. A leniency they are trying to test at the moment."
"..."
"Lord Spriggan, once this parliament concludes, you will discuss my decision with Guild Counts. You will be the mediator between the Guild County of Norwich and the High Queen."
"As you wish, your majesty." Spriggan spoke, bowing down.
"Very well then, while it would be preferable to hear out the opinion of the Chair of Oxford in this matter, Woodwose still hasn't arrived. Thus, as High Queen, I shall make my decision on this matter."
The Winter Hall quieted down.
"I give my permission for the construction of the Salisbury-Gloucester-Norwich roadway. Lord Spriggan, you shall go to the Guilds and make a contract with them. I shall give my seal after that."
"And if they…?"
"You know what will happen if they act as troublesome obstacles in this endeavor." Morgan replied calmly as Spriggan gulped at the veiled genocidal threat and went back to his throne.
"Now, let us…" A bell rang in the Winter Hall as a Human Slave Knight walked in.
"Announcing the presence of his Lordship Woodwose, Duke of Oxford." The Slave Knight announced before stepping aside and kneeling as Woodwose walked past him, his lips curled in a sneer as he walked into the Winter Hall.
"Hey, the doggie's here!" Tristan exclaimed as Woodwose's enraged eyes looked in her direction.
"Princess, I think Lord Woodwose is in a nasty mood right now. Provoking him only would…"
"No need, Lord Spriggan." Woodwose spoke taking a deep breath.
"Greetings to you, your Majesty."
"Why are you late to the session, Chair of Oxford? I have already given a verdict in the span of time you took to come.
"I…apologize for my tardiness, your highness. I had to rush from Cornwall to Camelot and it took some time. I shall accept whatever punishment you give me."
"Ooh, doggie's in trouble now!" Tristan spoke giggling while Beryl sharpened a knife with a care-free smile.
It took a lot for Woodwose not to simply bound up the throne and rip that little vampire's head off her shoulders.
But he did have a glint in his eye. As long as he remains patient, that bratty princess will be begging at her mother's feet by the end of this.
"Hm, 200,000 Morpounds as a fine."
"Thank you for your kindness, your Majesty." Woodwose spoke.
"Wha…but mother…"
"Silence."
"..."
"Now, Chair of Oxford. Since you've arrived, I nominate you as the speaker. I trust you are aware of what I expect you to deliver on?"
"Of course, your majesty." Woodwose spoke.
"Tintagel has been wiped out. It is nothing but a splotch of ash and soot on the land."
Murmurs erupted again.
"Wiped out?"
"But wasn't it just supposed to be picking up the false child of prophecy?"
"Did the villagers upset him?"
"Contrary to what the parliament seems to think, I am only partially responsible. By the time I arrived at Tintagel, the fairies had clearly succumbed to their violent desires and were attacking each other and burning their own homes down."
Many in the House of Paupers gasped.
"At that point, Your Majesty, letting any fairy live risked them turning into Mors, and if we let too many fairies alive, Tintagel would have become a Mors Pool."
"Is that why you asked for Incinerator Artillery?" Spriggan asked.
"Yes." Woodwose replied. "I didn't think I would need them, but once the massacre began, I sent in my men to look for the child of prophecy before I was forced to pull them out and bombard the village with the Incinerators."
Morgan nodded. "You have done an excellent job ensuring Tintagel did not become a cursed black site, Lord Woodwose."
"All in yours and Britain's service, your majesty." Woodwose spoke with a bow, as Tristan gagged.
"But I must ask…what about the Child of Prophecy?"
A bead of sweat went down Woodwose's snout. "Um…we didn't find the one the messenger talked about. I…I suspect they've escaped further into the Cornish woodlands."
"Then they're bound for the nameless woods. Clearly our 'Child of Prophecy' is a fool." Murian spoke.
"Oh dear…perhaps the pressure got to them?" Aurora observed.
"Are you sure the Child of Prophecy fled further into Cornwall?"
"Well…there is a chance they could have gone to a different city?" Woodwose spoke.
"I hope they aren't setting out for Londinium. The last thing we need is the Round Table Army getting excited and launching an attack on one of our cities." Spriggan spoke.
"And again, I assure you even if they did, they wouldn't. Oxford is just upstream on the Thames River from Londinium. Those pesky Round table pests will have to pass through my city if they wish to launch further attacks…which I have no intention of allowing." Woodwose spoke.
"They could ally?"
"The only allies they'll find right now is Boggart in Sheffield. And I assure you my compatriot is too stubborn to work with humans as equals."
"Again, we are deviating from matters. Chair of Oxford, you shall speak of this in the war council."
"Apologies, Your Majesty. I am mostly sure the Child of Prophecy has fled further into Cornwall. I have left some men to keep searching the area and stay away from the Nameless Woods."
"So, you didn't get the child of prophecy?" Tristan spoke.
"I…"
"It is alright. They might have been another faker claiming publicity, and besides…even if they were so, they do not pose a threat to me."
Woodwose opened his mouth before closing it. "Of course, Your Majesty."
"Do you have any confirmation about what they look like?"
"No. But there was a strange sight, according to my soldiers."
Morgan raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"They say…a human knight broke through their ranks and led some fairies into the nearby woods."
"A human knight? Are you saying a human managed to break through your fang clan soldiers? Why, Britain is doomed if that's the state of your troops, Woodwose." Murian spoke.
"Quiet, you!" Woodwose snarled. "That human was covered head to toe with iron armor and had abnormal abilities that looked suspiciously like magecraft, according to eyewitnesses."
"An escaped Slave Knight?" Cnoc Na Riabh spoke with a hint of disgust in her voice. "I wouldn't put it past humans to do something like that."
"Impossible. Any rogue Slave Knight would have been put to death by her Majesty by now." Spriggan spoke.
"Indeed. You forget why they are called 'Slave Knights', Chair of Edinburgh. But let's entertain that possibility. In that case, did you see their face?" Morgan spoke
"No. The knight was as expected wearing a helmet, hence we couldn't get anything in regards to face. Their armor was also archaic by comparison, looking like something out of the Fae Era."
"Hmm…Well, leave it."
"Your Majesty?"
"Again. This human knight has not done anything that should really garner my attention. I shall leave them to whichever Lord's territory they are wandering through at the moment. If you see him, bring him in for questioning, and do not waste my time by sending him to Camelot unless you have a good reason."
"Yes, Your majesty." The House of Lords spoke.
"Anything else to add, Chair of Oxford?"
"Yes. I would like to file a formal complaint." Woodwose spoke. "...Against the Princess and your Husband."
"Huh?" The two culprits in question leaned forward.
"What the hell? What did I do to you?" Beryl asked. "Did I, like, replace your steak with some dry munchy bones?"
"Hm? A complaint against my daughter and husband?"
"Come on, Your majesty. Whatever nonsense the mutt's barking can't be worth the attention of the Parliament."
"Oh, I assure you, Lord Gut." Woodwose spoke with fake politeness and a smile.
"This complaint is something pertinent to the grievances of the House of Lords and two-thirds of the House of Paupers."
"Is that so? What do the Houses think?"
The House of Paupers responded with a cacophony of agreements.
"Hehe, a complaint against the princess? Oh yes, please do so, Lord Woodwose." Spriggan spoke with a smirk.
"Hm…I don't know, but Lord Woodwose must be having a good reason…so I think we should do it." Aurora spoke with a hum.
"Hm, I don't know. The Princess has quite a accommodating sense of fashion, so…" Murian spoke.
"Complaint against Tam Lin Tristan? This should be interesting." Cnoc Na Riabh spoke, bringing her hands up.
"Very well, The Ashen Throne accepts the opinion of the House of Lords and recognizes the Chair of Oxford's complaint."
Woodwose cleared his throat.
"Ahem, this is regarding the disappearance of one of my generals. A couple of weeks ago, they left Oxford for New Darlington on an 'invitation'. Days later, I come to know that my general's dismembered corpse was used along with many others to expand New Darlington and several eyewitnesses confirmed Tristan was cutting him up into pieces with her bow, with your husband laughing off to the side as he practiced throwing knives."
Beryl looked at Tristan. "Lady Spinel…"
"Of course I cut him up! He was ruining everyone's fun with his barking!" Tristan spoke as Beryl put a hand to his forehead.
Woodwose chuckled. "And…as you can see, Your Majesty, your own daughter has confessed to the crime. Now, I leave the punishment to you."
"I see. That is indeed serious."
"Your majesty, the Chair of Norwich wishes to add on to the complaint, as precious funds are being wasted in the maintenance of the slaughterhouse theatre in New Darlington." Spriggan spoke up.
"As does the Chair of Edinburgh for Tristan's violation of the treaty between you and my mother, your majesty, in New Darlington's expansion." Cnoc Na Riabh pitched in.
"Not to mention the unsanitary state of the city and the rotting human corpses. There's a saying in Gloucester, by the way: You can be sure to reach New Darlington when your nose smells the scent of death." Murian spoke.
"Hey! Shut up, you three!" Tristan spoke.
"Daughter." Morgan spoke as Tristan looked at her mother.
"Keep quiet. I am afraid that I cannot overlook the transgressions that you have committed."
Tristan's eyes widened while Woodwose let out a barking laugh.
"The only reason I allowed your venture to continue was because there were no complaints regarding it so far. But clearly…you've finally tested the limits of Woodwose's patience. Very disappointing."
"M-Mother…"
"Thus, I will punish you in accordance with the Lords you've upset."
"First…my apologies to the King Clan for violating the treaty with Mab. In compensation, I shall declare New Darlington to no longer be Imperial Property and hand it over to the King Clan."
Cnoc Na Riabh smiled. "I thank you, Your Majesty."
"W-WHAT?!" Tristan screamed.
Morgan's gaze flicked to her as a number of cheers erupted in the crowd.
Beryl frowned at Morgan, who ignored him.
"Second…you will pay back Norwich for all the funds they've pooled into the theatre."
Tristan's mouth fell open.
"And third…in compensation for killing Woodwose's general…that I shall let Lord Woodwose decide."
Tristan's eyes widened in fear as Woodwose licked his lips before shaking his head.
"Well, usually in this case I would skin you alive, put your skin as the doormat in my office, use your spine as a cane and serve your flesh as a five-star meal in my restaurants…" Woodwose spoke.
"...But you are Her Majesty's daughter, and our future Queen, so I shall be lenient. You will work under me."
"W-Work under you?"
"Indeed. Do whatever I say and address me in a respectful manner and I shall be satisfied. I will declare when you can leave. I trust that is fair, your Majesty?"
"Mother…!"
"It is the fairest punishment you could have given, Woodwose. And considering your recent penchant for teaching courtesy to your subjects, I suppose you can also teach my daughter how to conduct herself in the Winter Hall and other aristocratic places."
"It will be my humblest pleasure, Your Majesty." Woodwose spoke bowing, before opening one eye and looking at Tristan's shell-shocked face, savouring her shock as much as he could.
"Finally, the brat got her due punishment." A fairy muttered.
"Sick and tired of her killing us all the time. Remember she just barged in, took one of our heads off and walked out."
With that, the fairies grew louder with their accusations and cheering at Tristan's punishment.
"Order! I said ORDER!" Merdick yelled but the noise did not die down.
Merdick looked at Morgan, who sighed and closed her eyes before raising her spear and striking its rear end against the floor.
The strike sent a reverberating metallic clang across the hall, silencing all fairies as a blue glow shone from Morgan's spear.
Morgan opened her eyes and silently stared at the fairies gathered in the courtroom, seeing if anyone was still causing a commotion.
"Uh, Your majesty?" Beryl spoke up.
"Yes, husband?"
"Could I just ask one thing?"
"What?"
"Just let me keep my workshop, at least."
"..."
"..."
"...On the condition that you do not cause anymore trouble."
"Thank you. I'll shut up for the rest of the session now." Beryl spoke.
Morgan stared at him for a few seconds before looking back at Woodwose.
"You may take your seat now, Lord Woodwose. If you find any information on this escaped 'Child of Prophecy', you may present it later. Whoever they are, I'm sure they're facing difficulties hiding."
"Gah!" Kay rolled to the side as a curse shot past him.
"Watch out, Kay! Those curses can paralyze you if they hit you!" Artoria called out.
"I am aware, master! And I would also appreciate it if you shot back some spells of your own!" Kay yelled back.
On their journey to Salisbury, they'd already encountered lots of difficulties. First were Mors.
According to Artoria, these Mors were basically fairies who've lost their purpose and degenerated into nothing but clumps of curses that harmed whatever fairy touched it.
Of course, that gave Artoria the brilliant idea to stand back and let him deal with the Mors.
At least my Artoria would actually make an effort in helping me back when she was my squire. Kay thought.
But he couldn't blame her. If these Mors could cause serious harm to fairies with just a touch, then keeping a distance was much better than actually fighting in close combat.
"At least fire back your own spells!" Kay snapped as Artoria sent discs of light at one of the Morse, chopping it into three pieces.
Kay, meanwhile, dodged a Mors swiping at him with a claw and cut it off before decapitating the mors in a swing.
As the fight went on, Artoria began getting more involved, shooting spells at the right time to stun the Mors and leave them vulnerable to Kay's sword and flames while also destroying any Mors that tried to sneak up on Kay.
In return, Kay made sure no Mors got within 20 feet of Artoria, using either his sword or his flames to destroy them.
As Kay stabbed another Mors, he noticed the last one charging towards Artoria, throwing a curse at her.
"Eek!" Artoria exclaimed and sent a spell of her own to stop it.
Before the Mors could fire another curse, Kay conjured a flaming spear and threw it at the Mors, impaling it.
"Woah!" Artoria exclaimed as the Mors disappeared.
"You can throw fire spears?!" Artoria asked as Kay stared at her with a deadpan.
You're getting excited about me throwing a spear of fire, after having conjured discs of light the entire fight? You really need to work on your self-esteem, Artoria. Kay thought.
"I want to ask something, Master." He spoke before pointing at what looked like wheat fields in the distance.
"Do those wheat fields mean we're near Salisbury?"
"Yes! Salisbury's the wheat belt of Britain. If there's wheat, that means we're not far off."
The two continued walking on the pathway, passing by Fairies working in the fields and occasionally stepping in when some Mors managed to slip into those fields.
"Well, once we get inside Salisbury, more of your brilliant plan will be revealed to my eyes." Kay spoke.
"I have no such brilliant plan, and you're acting like a child, not at all meeting the expectations of a knight. So there!"
"Ho, ho, Master. It seems you have a grasp over our relationship. But unfortunately, many people tend to judge by looks and not personality, so if they spot us, we both know who will be considered the child."
"W-Well…" Artoria tried to come up with a rebuttal but found her tongue twisted.
I'll never let you win a verbal battle against me, Artoria. Never. Kay thought with a smile.
"But on a more serious note…Master, what really is our plan in Salisbury? You say the objective there is to ring its bell of pilgrimage?"
Artoria nodded. "I-It is…but I don't know exactly where…"
"Not even a clue?"
"...Maybe?" Artoria spoke timidly.
Kay nodded. "Well, then we'll just have to go with 'maybe'. Where do you think?"
"I think it might be at Salisbury Cathedral."
"Cathedral?" Kay spoke in confusion.
The fairies of this world worship God? I didn't think fairies were religious. Kay thought in confusion.
"Well, it is the place where Queen Morgan was crowned." Artoria spoke. "...And where Lady Aurora resides."
"The head of the Wind clan."
Artoria nodded. "Yes! We're going to talk to her!" She spoke with a wide grin.
Kay looked at Artoria. He could hear the nervous twitch in her voice, which she was trying to hide behind a confident facade.
If I wasn't her brother and didn't know her personality better than her, I would not have seen through that. Kay thought.
"I didn't feel a breeze." Kay spoke entering the city, where apparently there was a constant breeze blowing through.
"True…but, it feels so relaxing." Artoria spoke with a lazy smile. "This feels…nice."
Kay's head swivelled towards her. "Wait a minute…I'm feeling the same." He spoke before straightening.
Relaxing Breeze.
Aurora, Lord of Salisbury.
Head of WIND clan.
Ah, here we go. First city, and I can already see the fairy magic working it's charm. He thought.
But the breeze didn't seem to do anything beyond that, so maybe its safe.
"This feels…weird." Artoria spoke, looking at the clean water of a fountain.
"I know, right? There are no open drains with the people's piss and shit on the side of the street nor anyone trying to relieve themselves. This is a bit too clean." Kay spoke.
"Yeah…wait, how did you know I was thinking about the clean things?" Artoria asked.
"...Because I am a powerful mage who knows everything about you." Kay spoke as Artoria scoffed.
"Don't be a clown."
"How do you know what a clown is, Ms. Fairy?"
Artoria flinched.
Kay smiled. "Anyways, I suppose that massive spire looming over the rest of the city is the cathedral?"
Artoria nodded.
"Well, let's go, in that case."
He started walking, while Artoria stood, still processing Kay's idea.
"W-Wait, we're going NOW?!" Artoria exclaimed as Kay turned back.
"Of course we are. It was your idea." Kay spoke, pointing a finger.
"I didn't say that we go as we enter the city! Can't we do…something else?!" Artoria replied.
"We can. But let's first see if we can get an audience immediately." Kay spoke.
While he wouldn't normally suggest something so brazen, he'd watched Artoria barge into the courts of local kings and essentially charm them into helping her against Vortigern and his Jutish mercenaries led by Hengist and Horsa.
Who knows? Maybe something like that could happen here in Salisbury?
"Um…hehe, I just realize something…"
"...And that 'something' is coming with me to Salisbury Cathedral." Kay spoke, grabbing Artoria's arm.
"I'm not coming!" Artoria spoke with a huff.
Kay stared at her in silence.
Really, Artoria? You're trying to throw a tantrum like a small child? Kay thought shaking his head in disappointment.
"As I expected, master. Now, whatever you do, try not to look at other people." Kay spoke before picking up Artoria in a bridal style and walking off with her.
"Hey, what're you doing?! Put me down!" Artoria yelled trying to get free from Kay's grip, but Kay held on.
"Kay…people are watching!" Artoria whined.
"Don't worry, people! My sister's just reluctant to go to a tavern! She's a bit of a delicate flower!" Kay spoke as the bystanders looking at them turned back and went their way.
"...Your sister?" Artoria spoke as Kay grinned.
"Yes." Kay spoke, before Artoria spit in his face.
"Wha…did you just spit in my face?!"
"You're not putting me down!"
"That doesn't mean you get to spit in my face, you ill-mannered brat!"
"I can, because you're taking me against my will, you knucklehead!"
"Rapscallion!"
"Idiot!"
"Flat board!"
"...! What was that last insult for?!"
"You deserved it!"
"Oh yeah! Then…then…"
"Look at us…bickering like children." Kay spoke exasperated.
But of course, this is Artoria. Even after she pulled out caliburn, she and I wouldn't stop lobbing insults at each other in our journey. Kay thought.
People would not believe the things that would come out of their mouths when he and Artoria butted heads in an insulting contest. At that moment, it wouldn't look like the King of Britain and her knight arguing with each other, but two vagabonds trying to see who has the dirtiest mouth among them, while Merlin would watch with a stupid grin on his face. He and Artoria stopped by the time Bedivere joined them.
But god did I love those insult contests with Artoria. Kay thought with a smile. He honestly wished he could have had one with Artoria in front of the entire Round Table. He would have loved to see the faces of people like Gareth, Bedivere and Lancelot as they watched their 'Perfect King' spit out insults that would shock a vagabond at her most senior knight.
People stared as they watched Kay and Artoria yell insults at each other the entire way to Salisbury Cathedral.
Kay loved making fun of her for some reason.
And he was…far from what she imagined of the whole 'knight rescuing a princess' thing when Merlin taught the spell. Sure, he'd been quite useful getting her and Ector out of Tintagel, but after that, he'd shown an affinity for teasing her at whatever chance he got.
The entire trip from Tintagel to Salisbury, he taunted her, making fun of her at every opportunity he could find. It made him destroying Mors almost not worth it.
The annoying part was that he did not mean any malice with his taunts. Artoria could hear the malice in the voices of her village's fairies whenever she talked with the…it made things easier knowing that they said such words because they disliked her.
But Kay…that annoying knight did not even have a drop of malice within his taunts. He just teased her for no particular reason, and knowing that really got on her nerves.
What he pulled as they entered Salibury, however, was his biggest one yet. Carrying her like a bride on his arms as he lobbed more insults at her, each more inappropriate than the last.
How did this foul-mouthed man become a knight?! Artoria thought as the two of them reached Salisbury Cathedral.
"Kay…" Artoria spoke.
"Look, you said that the clan leaders are not necessarily loyal to Morgan, right?" Kay spoke.
"Yes…"
"Worst case…she tries to arrest us. We'll break out in that case. Best Case…actually, first we have to reach her." Kay spoke before putting Artoria down.
O-Oh… Artoria thought before noticing a bunch of human guards standing at the gates of the cathedral.
Artoria felt her body freeze up as she turned around, only for Kay's hand to land on her shoulder.
"Calm down. If you're really not in for it, I can…"
"I'll do it." Artoria spoke, standing straight.
Don't lose it, Artoria! You're the child of prophecy. She thought, not noticing Kay's disappointed expression as they approached the guards.
The guards sighed. "Halt. This is the residence of the Lord of Salisbury and Head of the Wind Clan." They spoke in a bored tone.
"If you have anything to show you have been invited, please do so. Otherwise, just turn around and leave.
Don't let that get to you, Artoria! Artoria thought, taking a deep breath.
Here goes.
"We are sorry…but we must talk to Lady Aurora, even though we do not have any invitation." She spoke, mustering the most confident voice she could.
The guards looked at each other. "...You'll have to state your reason, then. We'll have to see that before we take you to Lady Coral."
"Who is that?" Kay asked.
Guards looked at him slightly surprised.
"She is Lady Aurora's personal servant and the functional head of the Salisbury Cathedral. Any who wish to speak to Lady Aurora have to go through her…unless they receive a personal invitation from Lady Aurora herself. What, you didn't know?"
"They might not be from Salisbury. Everyone knows us as 'that town'. We're not exactly like Gloucester or Norwich, even though her majesty was crowned here."
"Speaking of which, have you heard that New Darlington's being handed over to the King Clan?"
"Really? About time. That place is nothing but a death sentence to live in. I'm not particularly fond of Cnoc Na Riabh's racist attitude towards humans, but at least she's better than that demonic princess."
"Excuse Me?" Artoria spoke. "You're…sort of ignoring us…"
"You're still here? Oh, well out with it. What's your reason?"
Artoria noticed Kay glance at her.
Here it comes. She thought.
"I am the Child of Prophecy. I want to talk to her."
The guards blinked.
W-Why are you staring at me? Come on, say something! Artoria thought, hoping that her cheeks weren't red in embarrassment
"The Child of…Prophecy?" The guard spoke as Artoria nodded, struggling to hold herself from just running away in the opposite direction.
"..."
"..."
"Well? Are you going to let me in? What do you think?" Artoria asked.
Maybe this is actually going to work! Artoria thought, feeling a bit of confidence swell within her.
"...I think you must have cracked your head against a rock or something." A guard spoke.
"Grk…!" Artoria grunted, all her confidence fizzling out at that one sentence.
"Listen. We're really tired, and we don't want to stress ourselves dealing with nutcases…"
"You're saying that as if she has rational thought." Another guard spoke up.
"Oh yeah…shouldn't nutcases not be able to comprehend sound advice?" Another spoke as a vein appeared on Artoria's forehead, as she tried to contain her slowly boiling rage from spewing out with a smile.
"Well, you know in that case…" The other guard spoke.
"Wait, wait, wait. How many fairies come running toward you claiming they are the child of prophecy?" Kay interjected.
"Well…about 2 in a number of months. And usually they turn out to be a bunch of scum trying to scam us out for a couple of morpennies."
"I can't believe I even considered that bumbling old man could even be the prophesied saviour." A guard spoke as Artoria gagged internally, imagining herself as a wizened old woman.
"Still…you did try to check if their claims are true, no?" Kay asked.
"Well…yeah. Except for that old coot, we asked for proof from everybody else. They didn't have proof."
"And that proof is?"
"Confirmation of killing Mors."
"Oh, I hate those slimy black jelly bastards." Another guard spoke. "Always we humans get thrown at them because…" He continued grumbling about the Mors.
"Well, my dear fellows. We actually have killed quite a few Mors here."
"How do we…"
"You may check with the farmers in the northeastern direction of the city. All of them can testify to the fact that they saw me and her fight off the Mors from their fields." Kay replied in a very polite voice.
"Who're you?"
"Oh, I am a human serving under her. You know how it is among us."
A guard sighed wistfully. "But it's all worth it if we get to serve Lady Aurora…"
"Yes, she is the best. Murian would have had us choking in ridiculous outfits for all her flamboyant parties, Spriggan would have experimented with how little salary he can pay us, Woodwose would have roasted us alive and served us as a five-star meal in his restaurant, Cnoc Na Riabh would have put leashes on us and paraded us around like dogs, and worst of all, Her Majesty would make us one of her Slave Knights."
"Slave Knights?" Artoria asked.
"Oh no, no. I'm not explaining that. That is one big taboo among us human soldiers. Some think of Slave Knights as the best position a human can attain in Faerie britain, some think of Slave Knights as the pathway to losing stripping of their humanity. Only goes to show how generous lady Aurora is with interacting with people."
"But still, bugger off. We'll see if we can let you in." The guard spoke, but Kay simply hummed.
"Oh well. Shame really, I thought this was the city of freedom, whose 'lady is generous with interacting with her people'." Kay spoke as the guards spluttered.
Artoria simply stared at him. Only moments before, he'd been running his mouth at her like an angry earth clan fairy, but right now, the man had lost his earlier amusement and was staring at the guards with a stone-cold expression. Even if not directed at her, Kay's words felt like daggers sinking into her body.
Wow…Kay can sure be nasty when he's serious. Artoria thought.
"W-Well, yes…"
"And besides, are you sure you have the authority to turn us away without a valid reason? Last I remember, you mentioned that is with the head of this cathedral, Lady Coral." He spoke in that same biting voice that made the guards flinch.
Is he…actually convincing them? Artoria thought in wonder
"What is going on here?" A different voice spoke as Artoria noticed a pink-haired fairy with massive pink wings walk up.
"Lady Coral!"
"She's got wings?" Kay whispered.
"Well, wings are rare among the wind clan. And even then, they're just for show. They're actually too heavy for them to actually fly. Only the Wing Clan fairies can fly."
"Milady, this person here is claiming to be…"
"A child of prophecy, yes, I got some of the commotion." Coral spoke with disdain before looking at Kay.
"This human…is he with you?" She asked.
"I am her servant…"
"Let. Your master. Speak." Coral cut him off.
Kay shut his mouth and looked at Artoria.
"Yes, he is my servant."
"...And which ranch did you buy him from?"
Urk! Kay's not from any ranch! Artoria thought in panic. She sent Kay a pleading look, who simply shook his head.
Damn it! Coral's not going to let him speak, is she? Artoria thought.
"Um…uh…I think the ranch is somewhere near Cornwall."
Coral narrowed her eyes. "...There is indeed a ranch. I am a bit suspicious, but probing further is unnecessary. So, you are not some vagabond, it seems. It still doesn't mean you are the child of prophecy."
Artoria slumped.
"I did say you can…"
"If you continue speaking in such an insolent manner, human, I will ask you to be removed from the grounds and only speak to your master."
"He's saying we have killed mors. You can check the statements with the farmers in the outskirts." Artoria spoke.
"...And you think that makes you qualified? You're parading that achievement as if that is only something the child of prophecy can do!" Coral snapped, her face getting red with anger.
"If that was really the case…why does Britain have human soldiers and the fang clan to defend from the Mors?!"
"Agh!" Artoria grunted.
"So much time has been wasted here! Get out, I said!"
Artoria's eyes widened. "Wait, please…"
"I have nothing else to hear from a charlatan like you!" Coral snapped. "Look at you! Your magical energy is sub-par for a fairy's! You are so pathetic even humans would be able to match you if they get strong enough!"
"...!"
"Go join that Pauper king Oberon in one of his plays! You'll have a better place entertaining people there rather than trying to waste our time!"
Artoria bit her lip at the harsh words, but nodded.
"Now, listen here…"
"Kay. Let's go." Artoria spoke as Kay looked at her. The two stared at each other before Kay nodded.
"...Very well." Kay spoke as the two of them walked off.
"Next time, don't just gawk like fish without air the next time someone tells you something like this!" Artoria heard Coral snap at the guards as they walked off.
The two of them soon got away from the cathedral grounds, before Kay stood in front of her.
"...What is it, Kay?" Artoria asked with a serious expression on her face.
"...Drop it."
"What do you…"
"Drop that tough act. You really think someone like you would actually be unaffected after a verbal lashing like that?"
"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Artoria spoke, trying to walk, before Kay's hand fell on her shoulder.
"...Yes, you do." He spoke.
Artoria's grip on the staff tightened.
"I…"
Kay's hand tightened on her shoulder.
"Okay, okay!" Artoria snapped. "That may have hurt a little!"
Kay narrowed his eyes. "Just a little?"
Artoria glared at him.
Kay looked back with a stony expression.
"If you think you can tiptoe around this, I am just as stubborn as you. I'm not backing down."
Artoria stared at him before sighing.
"...I'm serious, it's fine. I'm used to this."
"The verbal abuse?"
Artoria opened her mouth, before closing it.
What am I doing? She thought.
Why was she acting so agitated around Kay?
Being agitated means she was doubtful.
And as the Child of Prophecy, she couldn't be like that, right?
Artoria thought back to Ector's words.
"You are the child of prophecy."
I am. That means…I can't afford to be so pathetic. Artoria thought.
Coral's words had hurt her a lot more than she thought.
Ector died because she was the Child of Prophecy.
Tintagel had been destroyed because she was the Child of Prophecy.
If she wasn't actually the Child of Prophecy…then all that pointless bloodshed would be for nothing.
But then…aren't fairies pointless beings? Artoria thought. They did things because they liked doing it, not because they actually considered the past and future of their actions.
It wouldn't be even surprising if Ector had been delusional…or that the Tintagel's fairies just hated each other that much.
Those were as much of possibilities, and there was more solid evidence of her not being the child of prophecy than the alternative.
She was weak.
She lacked charisma.
She didn't know how exactly she was supposed to stop Morgan.
If she can't even get past the first obstacle…
…Then am I really a savior? Artoria thought, despair further seeping into her mind.
Could she really save the same beings who hated her and would never give her the gratitude for all that she would do for them?
"Hey! Hey! Cut out the self-deprecation!" Kay snapped, shaking Artoria, who blinked.
"I have some advice for you, master."
Thanks, Kay, but I don't think consolation will…
"Drop any dreams of beating Morgan and saving Britain." Kay spoke.
…What?
Artoria's staff almost fell from her hands as she stared at Kay.
"I'm serious, if you're thinking of saving Britain…then leave it. As much as I hate to say it, Coral's right."
Even he doesn't believe in me. Artoria thought, her heart growing cold.
"Before you jump to conclusions…my point in all of this is that first we need to get a better base for ourselves."
"...But how?"
"Really obvious, we see if there's a place really under trouble and save it, as simple as that."
"W-What?!"
"It sounds simple, but it will obviously be hard. And anyways…the best way for you to gather prestige and legitimacy is by doing something special. Coral is again right in that killing Mors isn't going to be enough. We need to do something crazier, and only that way can we be legitimized."
Artoria stared at Kay. "Y-You already have a plan?"
"Of course I do. My entire life I've had to deal with disappointment after disappointment, and honestly, after some time, you realize you're better off planning your next move after a failure then sulking about. Better that you see why you failed and work on making yourself better and then succeeding."
He's not even fazed. Artoria thought in wonder. Kay didn't even seem to be upset at being thrown out.
And then look at me, getting all torn up. Artoria thought.
Maybe Merlin was onto something when he said the spell will help her summon a powerful and steadfast warrior.
"Yes, yes, I am the greatest. Now let's stop gawking and figure out a way to speak to Aurora."
"Huh? But didn't we…?"
"Alright, another piece of advice, master. People are selfish and fairies are even more selfish. I am betting 300 morpounds that what Coral said isn't actually what her mistress wants. It hasn't been the first time some arrogant secretaries decided they knew what their employers wanted, so unless Aurora herself tells us to bugger off, we'll not back down."
"So, you're saying…we break in?"
"Exactly. Now, that embarrassing tale of yours can actually have some significance."
Artoria flushed. "L-Lock picking's useful!"
"Yes, I have no doubt it is. It's just that you were given an offer by one of the greatest mages of history to be his student…and the first thing you wanted him to teach you was lockpicking."
Artoria huffed and turned away.
"So, we should be planning on breaking in." Kay spoke.
"And you have a plan for…?"
"No. I can't just make up a plan for break-in in a jiffy. I need information. And until we are ready…we need to find some accommodation."
Artoria bit her lip. "But…that requires…"
"Money. Yes, I know. It might seem a little lackluster, but we have to make do…"
Kay's hand shot out, grabbing a green sleeved arm and pulling its culprit back in.
"...And it seems we also have a little thief trying to steal what we have left." Kay spoke with a scowl as he looked at a rather short man with red curly hair and a mischievous smile wearing a green tunic and red baggy trousers, his hand close to the pouch on Kay's waist.
"Well! Congratulations, good sir! You managed to catch me!" The man spoke with a giggle.
"You must be quite used to thieves if you were able to see through my ruse…"
"I spotted you materialize out of nowhere while talking to Artoria. Not to mention you were eyeing my pouch as you approached us. Quite simple to expect a pickpocket when you can read their intentions."
The man shrugged. "Well, you got me."
Artoria narrowed her eyes. Usually, her eyes allowed her to look into souls and discern the true emotions of those she talked with.
But for some odd reason…there was nothing in the man's voice indicating that he was hiding something, even though he was a faerie.
Strange. That's the first time my eyes have failed me. Artoria thought.
"Who are you?"
"Who am I? Why, Ms. Child of Prophecy, I am a tricky thief! What else?"
Artoria gasped.
How did he…
"You eavesdropped on us talking to the guards, didn't you?" Kay spoke.
The man smiled.
"Now, why would you assume that, good sir?"
"..."
"Don't answer that. Those are irrelevant things."
"What?! You knowing I am the Child of Prophecy is irrelevant?!"
"And how can you claim so, little girl? Do you have proof?"
"Grr!" Artoria glared at the man. First Kay, now this man. Both had managed to get under her skin within seconds.
"Ignore the whole 'Child of Prophecy' business. What is your name?"
The man bowed. "Well…I am the…"
"Mysterious!"
"Cunning!"
"Enigmatic!"
"PUCK!" He finished with a loud yell, spreading his arms wide.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Artoria tilted her head.
"Um, who's Puck?"
Puck slumped.
A/N: Well, I'm right now in the middle of shifting to college, so stuff has been hectic as of now and I took way longer than expected in getting this chapter out. Plus, I was contemplating whether I should scrap it or continue it and thus decided on continuity.
Anyways, I got to hand it to Nasu for being able to write the characters of the clan heads in such a variable manner, makes it really simple to get a hand of writing their characters.
Aurora : Airhead
Murian : Disinterested
Spriggan : Cunning and Greedy
Cnoc Na Riabh : Smug prick
Woodwose: Straightforward and brutal
Besides that, I wasn't satisfied with Morgan's throne room, so I decided to make the whole concept of the Seelie Parliament. Anyways, Kay and Artoria enter Salisbury, and as expected, no one believes them. But hey, Kay's not going to let Artoria walk into the Nameless woods. Dude's going to be ready with an upliftment speech which I also wanted to show that Kay isn't the type to console at every opportunity. I think Kay is much more of a hard person and would prefer to speak the reality rather than say 'don't worry, I believe in you!' to Artoria.
Anyways, I'll have to see what to do about Kay's and Artoria's stay in Salisbury while not making it a copycat of canon. I do have a plan for the first major divergence but I first need to get through Salisbury.
And we have a sort of OC - Puck. I'll be adding a few more for Kay's journey in this fanfic, but the canon characters will be there. So, Puck's the first non-canon character.
Hope you guys enjoyed and constructive criticism is appreciated!
Foot Notes:
Seelie Parliament: The Seelie Parliament is an idea derived from the idea of a 'Seelie Court', which in Faerie britain refers to the advisors of the Six Lords. Morgan too had her Seelie court until Britain's faerie population started increasing and spreading, because of which Morgan increased the membership of her Seelie Court to reorganize it into the Seelie Parliament in 1241 EoHQ, in imitation of the English Parliament of Proper Human History established by the Magna Carta. Some fairies believe this to be Morgan allowing some autonomy to her subjects, but in truth...the parliament is just a glorified bunch of advisors, with the High Queen still holding the executive authority to make decisions. The Seelie parliament can only propose solutions that Morgan may adopt in her verdict.
The Seelie Parliament has a Lower House - The House of Paupers (Established in 1241 EoHQ, consisting of fairies from across Britain) and the House of Lords then(Consisting of the Six lords, who have constituted Morgan's faerie court since the beginning of her rule). As of now, only the House of Lords is allowed to the position of speakers, with the House of Paupers only interjecting and inquiring to each lord's proposal.
Slave Knights: The Slave Knights are elite Human bodyguards of Morgan. They were founded 1021 EoHQ, after an assassination attempt on Morgan was conducted during the Mors War. The slave knights function as her personal slaves over whom she has near unchallenged authority. The slave knights begin as children taken from human ranches and to Camelot, where they are trained by the Queen's knights until they are of age to serve as Morgan's Slave Knights. The Slave Knights are said to be the only humans in Faerie Britain who can match the Queen's knights in combat, and can even kill multiple by themselves. In proper human history terms, Slave Knights are about as strong as servants, although they are far from matching the likes of Tam Lin Gawain and Lancelot. None of the clan leaders have any jurisdiction over the operations of Slave Knights, with only the High Queen and the Tam Lin exercising any authority over them. It is said that the leader of the Round Table Army, Percival, would have been a Slave Knight if not for Aurora taking him under her care.
Wings of the Wind Clan: It is noted that some of the Fairies of the Wind clan have majestic wings with a vibrant array of colours. Such a trait is exceedingly rare among Wind clan fairies and it was never known how do some Wind Clan fairies have wings. While this might make it difficult to distinguish them from the Wing Clan, it is to be noted the wings of Wind Clan fairies are incapable of flight, being too heavy for something like that. Some say Wind fairies with wings could fly at some point of time...but were cursed to forever be anchored to the ground, unable to freely travel with the wind. At the moment, only the Lord of Salisbury, Aurora, and the head of the Salisbury Cathedral, Coral, are Wind clan Fairies who actually have wings.
Response to Reviews (Good gods, there's 20):
Kleave guy: Yep! Although you have to hold on a little longer.
Vortigernmiles: I did consider that Artoria might not consider burying Ector, but the justification that Kay doesn't exactly follow faerie britain rules made it slip out of my mind and I forgot to add that point. I've fixed it now.
Kaleidoscope's beauty: Indeed. The plan for this story is Kay's reflection upon his Artoria's tragic fate in life and his desire to change that with Castoria. Also, yeah, Cai was just stupidly broken (Although he wasn't really described as having a sibling relationship with Arthur in welsh myth).
Reaper200851: I know! I heard Bedwyr (Bedivere) might have even been derived from some Brittonic war god. And your information does match up with some of my own research into Welsh myth, so I think most of it is solid.
Seeking the Miraculous Dream: Kay will most likely be disgusted, but not too surprised. I'm pretty sure Kay already has a pretty low opnion on the scumbag fairies not just from stories, but their role in completely driving Artoria down the path of self-destruction that led to her death. I mean, with them complicating the matter of Britain's succession with a supernatural element through caliburn, granting Artoria Excalibur, I think their involvement would have reinforced Artoria's belief that she should act like the perfect king for Britain. So, Kay would definitely be expecting anybody in faerie britain to pull some scumbag move on them.
And I mean...Fairies I noticed have a disturbingly similar mentality to children. Just like how children are too young to understand the levity of some of their actions and are unable to comprehend the concept of morality, faeries do the same thing. They do stuff because it's fun...and I honestly think our reaction to the Fairies are LB6 is pretty much that of adults when dealing with asshole kids who have no business running their smartass mouths in a disrespectful manner.
Guest (1): Pretty much why I decided to write this fanfic. Actually, this might end up a rewrite of the last two lostbelts of LB2 (Because I have some of my gripes with LB7 as well).
Hatred and Love: I'm pretty sure Kay already has a low opinion of fairies. This is just going to make things worse.
Love-to-peace: Huh, that actually feels pretty weird to be the first to put Kay as a main character in a Fate fanfic. I mean, this has happened before (I chose Sigurd to be my protagonist for my first fanfic ever - Remnant: The Soulless Plains), but I guess I haven't gotten used to it. And besides, for something like that, this story's growing at a much faster rate than expected. I mean, 58 favourites and 86 follows while I'm at Chapter-1? That's pretty insane for my stories so far.
Guest (2) : I...don't actually have much of a plan for making Kay leagues stronger than he is right now, since I'm putting him above those like Agravain and Bedivere in terms of power. If he plays his cards right, he can definitely beat powerhouses like Gawain, Lancelot and even Artoria. After all, this is the dude who slew Cath Palug in Welsh myth. Even if Nasuverse seems to be tiptoeing around that and trying to imply Kay didn't kill Cath Palug in Fate, I still want to make sure that Cath Palug's slayer isn't some particularly weak knight, and is able to overcome obstacles in his own way rather than through power like Artoria or Lancelot. But, I might have to buff Kay slightly at some points.
ObviousHUN: Sorry about that, I fixed that issue.
King0fP0wers: Kay isn't really in case files as he is as a cube. Kay having fire abilities comes from his welsh version, Cei, who is said to have 'produced supernatural heat from his hands' (As quoted from the Pa Gur Yv Y Porthaur), along with several other abilities like growing as tall as a tree, not sleeping for nine days straight and being capable of inflicting wounds with his sword that cannot heal. In a way, Cei is like a Welsh Cu Chulainn and Diarmuid rolled into one, and was nerfed later on as Kay.
Meeting the lostbelt versions of the Round table knights will serve as Kay's own backstory moments.
surya25addanki: Well...we'll see about that.
fermento101026: Thank you.
THOTSLAYER9000: Ah, hello again. Glad to see you decided to drop a review that isn't 'Your paragraphs suck' like you did the other times. I also saw a 'This story is shit' review from you in another story. Honestly, I feel so flattered that you graced another one of my stories with your review. Great, maybe you could actually drop more than one review this time (Not that I would particularly care unless it's actually something constructive.)
And speaking of your review, I don't know why Kay's a modern American. Maybe he went through some hocus-pocus courtsey of the grail that gave him knowledge of the USA. Maybe he could introduce Artoria to Burger King and then be horrified watching her shove Whoppers into her mouth and inhaling them within seconds.
Felab: Heck yeah Morgan's getting some screen time. I'll be writing chapters focussed on exploring her internal thought process and views of the history of Faerie britain and maybe have her story go down a different way from canon.
Guest (3): Well, you know how it is with trolls.
riderzigit: I'll have to see about that. Let me think.
Rotciv557: As someone who as a Lv 100 Sigurd sitting in his FGO account, that profile picture is just a joyful sight to see. He's the protagonist of my crossover 'Remnant: The Soulless Plains', and it's always nice seeing someone who likes him.
Anyways, I am going to be trying to change a lot of stuff about LB6. I'll deviate from canon multiple times. Although, I highly doubt Castoria's going to get impostor syndrome because she doesn't seem to admire PHH Artoria (In fact, she looks like she just pities her and doesn't want to emulate her. So, Impostor syndrome might not happen.) Although, Castoria being a different Artoria will play a role in Kay's character arc later on.
Kay's noble phantasm is apparently stated to be 'Camelot Image', which is a watered-down version of Lord Camelot that reflects its enemies attack back on them. But, it's going to be difficult figuring out an NP for Kay that doesn't turn out to be the exact same as some other servant's (Because a lot of details in his legend can be noble phantasms with the same abilties as the NPs of some other servants). I didn't exactly want Kay to have the same power level as Cei, because I like TYPE-MOON's approach to making him not much of an unstoppable force of nature. But he's not particularly weak either. Kay is still a Round table knight, and having him be completely ordinary just does not feel right. Even balancing him out, I'd place Kay to be in 4th place in terms of power, after Artoria, Lancelot and Gawain, and that's only because all of them have supernatural blessings that are much more powerful than anything Kay has. I'd put him above Gawain as well if it came down to just pure skill and only below Artoria and Lancelot.
