Summary: No one was quite expecting Vy to summon Mordred. He was going to come up in conversation eventually, simply because Vy already summoned everyone else in the Round Table aside from Agravain, Gareth, the original Arturia Lancer, and the ever-so-silent (and equally stubborn) Galahad himself; not to mention her own luck. It didn't make Mordred meeting Arturia any less concerning, because every single Servant close to Vy knew what she would do when fights broke out.
Note: Written in honor of the Original Blue Saber Arturia Pendragon reaching Bond Level 10 with me as of this note's writing (5/31/2021), and how Mordred ended up spooking me during the Saber Class Pickup Banner earlier this month (on 5/10/2021, to be exact!). I was just doing a YOLO ten roll that day to destress, so Mo-san coming around was a happy surprise. Now it's about time to explore the consequences of said surprise.
The song I will recommend for the theme of this chapter is the first opening to the Cosmos in the Lostbelt arc of Fate/Grand Order, being "Gyakkou," sung by Maaya Sakamoto. For a softer rendition, I will point you to YouTube pianist marasy8's cover of the same song. For an alternative song, if you're asking? Phantom Minds, the theme for the first Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha movie, sung by Nana Mizuki herself.
Otherwise? Please enjoy something that I wish FGO would let us experience properly in canon.
Day 16: Father and Son
"Servant, Saber. Mordred, the one and only successor to Arthur Pendragon has arrived. Is my father here?"
Every single Servant could feel their blood run cold at the sight of Clarent and the armored figure holding it. It was no surprise that Vy had amazing luck. After all, it wasn't every day that, in the span of a year, almost all of the Knights of the Round Table were reunited at Chaldea. That didn't make the eventuality that Mordred would come any less mortifying, because as much as Mordred was powerful—
"Um…"
Vy being bonded to the original King Arthur would certainly prove to be a problem.
Heck, no one present in the Summoning Chamber could blame Vy for staring at the armored Knight of Rebellion with an open gaping mouth, a hesitant little squeak echoing in her throat. Another shy "Uh," came out after a good moment or two of hesitation. Then, she slowly said, "What would happen if I said yes?"
Even without seeing Mordred's eyes, everyone knew that was the wrong thing to say. It didn't help that the door to the Summoning Chamber opened right then and there, revealing the King herself walking through and calling Vy's nickname.
"Princess—?" Green eyes widened.
Red flashed between the cracks in Mordred's helmet, mana crackled like lightning, and there was a rush of wind.
No one was exactly sure what had happened. But the only thing that was clear to any bystander watching was that once the smoke settled, Vy was standing between two Servants, Clarent to her throat and her brown eyes flashing with determination as she raised her own extendable hiking stick to Mordred's own neck past the armor. Mordred had stopped barely a few centimeters before his blade could pierce skin, and even if he wanted to move, he couldn't.
Excalibur was pointed past Vy's shoulder and towards Mordred's head. To Vy's right side, Robin Hood was suddenly there, brandishing the Yew Bow threateningly against the Knight of Rebellion with a poison bolt in clear view as his left hand protectively grasped Vy's shoulders. Over Mordred's own shoulder, Achilles' lance in the Diatrekhōn Astēr Lonkhē was pointed against the other side of Mordred's neck that wasn't covered by Vy's pointed hiking stick.
"…What's this about, Master?" Mordred said in a deceptively calm voice, the red aura exuding off his armor all the more foreboding as something flashed past the eye holes in his helmet. "Are you actually interfering with my fighting Father?"
"Less 'interfering,'" Vy said in complete deadpan, "but interrupting."
"Why?" Mordred replied, armor trembling enough for everyone to hear the groaning of metal.
Robin Hood pulled back at the string of his crossbow, Achilles grit his teeth, and Vy simply sighed. The sound was enough to fool any unknowing bystander into thinking it was a normal thing and not something uttered with a sword in threatening view. "We're in Novum Chaldea, you just got summoned, Art-san was about to say something, so can we drop the tension and just move this fight elsewhere? And without using my throat as a sword sheath, please."
"Wha—"
No one moved. The Servants around Vy were still poised to retaliate at any notice of danger, and the only clue anyone had of the crackling tension aside from the sparks of mana flying through the air was the tight grip Robin Hood had on Vy's shoulders. Mordred might've blinked once or twice before Vy nudged the side of his helmet with her hiking stick, some stray strands of brown hair falling out of her neat ponytail to brush the back of her neck with the motion. "I'm not stopping the fight from happening," she added in a quieter voice, "I'm just asking, as your Master now, Saber, to take this elsewhere. We have a much better simulator room made for any fights you want to take up with Arturia-san."
Everyone could hear the sharp intake of breath that followed, even if it was somewhat concealed by Mordred's helmet. Clarent was trembling and Vy took a breath of her own.
"Please, Mordred?" Vy asked softly, her free hand clenched against her chest.
Mordred said nothing in response, the only visible movement he made being a rough toss of his head towards the King of Knights still raising Excalibur protectively past Vy's shoulders.
"Sir Mordred," Arturia said in an equally quiet voice, "As your former King and now as a fellow Servant, I will gladly take any challenge you have for me. Considering our shared past, it is the least I can do. But I ask of you, do not needlessly involve our Master in our squabble."
She is our Princess and you will not hurt her.
The statement didn't even need to be said. That was how strong the air was. And whatever Arturia had infused in her voice was apparently enough for Mordred, because he lowered his sword and let Clarent disappear in a rush of sparkles. "Fine," he growled, turning his head away to cross his arms. "I'll go explore this new place for a while. Call me when you're ready to die, King Arthur."
Mordred proceeded to fade away into spirit form, the last visages of his presence being the quiet footsteps that passed the entrance and exit of the Summoning Chamber.
Once those footsteps faded away too, Vy was then stumbling backwards, her hiking stick held limply in her hands.
"Vy!"/"Princess!" rang out all at once as Arturia and Robin caught the Master in their arms, Achilles hastily dropping his lance just to get to Vy's sitting height. Saber and Archer carefully lowered Vy to the ground, their own weapons forgotten, and by the time she was resting against them both, everyone could see the budding tears in those brown eyes.
"Th-That," Vy said shakily, ducking her head in time with her bottom lip quivering, "was terrifying as all fuck."
"Language, Princess," Arturia said weakly, Excalibur fading away at her side.
Robin shook his head, reaching past Saber to take Vy up into a tight hug just as the Yew Bow disappeared from his right hand. "Saber, I think the little sparrow has every right to curse right now," he muttered past Vy's hair, contrasting his hand petting the top of the girl's head. "It's okay, little sparrow, the other guy's gone now…"
"I-I know he is," Vy whimpered, all strength having evaporated from her voice as she reached up with a shaky hand to clutch the back of Robin's cloak like a lifeline, "but that doesn't mean it'll be forever, Big Robin."
It was in a time like this, with the enemy gone, that all Servants remembered that Vy was still a human girl. Not just their Master, but a caring, breathing girl who had seen no bloodshed until she became the only Master at Chaldea. The contrast between Humanity's last hope and the simple Vietnamese girl named Vy was stark enough to make everyone quiet down at that moment.
I still have to help him— echoed through all their minds as Vy sniffled.
"I'll throttle him," Achilles said immediately with a fist hitting his open palm, a dark look in his yellow eyes. "If he ever does that again, I mean."
"P-Please don't, Achi!" Vy screeched past Robin's chest, raising her head to give the Rider an incredulous look. "That's not what I was getting at!"
"He still threatened you, Princess!" Achilles retorted hotly, and if Robin Hood's vigorous nodding above Vy's head was any indication, the Archer was feeling the exact same way. "We can't just let that go!"
"Not when I want to help him, Achi!"
Vy's outburst was enough to make both males pause, and Arturia was then grasping Vy's hand that wasn't holding her hiking stick, squeezing tightly. "Princess, are you—"
Vy was still crying if the tears in her eyes were any indication, but strength was slowly coming back into her voice as she turned to Arturia. "I-I'm sorry, Art-san," she said in a softer tone, "but if it's okay, are you willing to fight on short notice?"
Arturia tapped the front of her chest armor with one fist. "For you, Princess, I could do anything."
Robin and Achilles exchanged a weary look above Vy's hair as Vy smiled, a stray tear streaking her cheek on its way down as she raised her head to look at Arturia straight on. "Thankie. Th-Then, I need you and everyone else here to do something for me before we go meet with Mordred again…"
"Senpai, this is—"
"It's fine, kouhai," Vy said softly, shaking her head. The Winter Chaldean uniform on her person made her look more like a Master than a person at that point, her fists clenched through her fingerless gloves. "This was going to happen sooner or later."
Mash still was shooting a worried look Vy's way, her bottom lip quivering. "But Master—"
"Mash." Vy said softly. The call of her name was more than enough to make Mash go quiet, and Vy gave her a small smile. "I'll be okay. And if I'm not, you have full permission to slap me later."
"What do you mean by that—?"
Vy took a step forward towards the simulator room of choice, shrugging her shoulders. Her left hand with all three red Command Spells gently brushed Mash's right one as she passed Mash by. "Exactly as I said," was all Vy left Mash with before the door to the simulator room closed with a tight click of the lock. "Just rest outside, alright? It'll be okay."
I love you, beloved kouhai. Don't wait for me.
Vy already knew she didn't want Mash to witness something horrifying.
"So," Mordred tapped one armored boot against the floor, eyes shining red past his helmet as he shouldered Clarent between his helmet and shoulder. "You didn't run."
Arturia didn't do so much as flinch, merely chancing a glance towards a princess cloaked in all black in the Simulator Room before carefully opening her mouth. "There is no way I could, Sir Mordred, considering the earlier challenge," she started politely, keeping her voice level and even. "But the conditions are fair, are they not?"
"Fight till one of us makes a near-fatal blow, all that jazz?" Mordred waved one hand in the air, clearly rolling his eyes if not for his helmet concealing everything away. Had it not been for their shared history, Arturia had a feeling even she wouldn't have been able to read what Mordred was feeling. "Yeah. I wasn't going to complain when it's fair shit."
Arturia still gave Mordred a searching look but chose to say nothing, readying Excalibur. She already knew Archer and Rider were on standby in case something happened.
Don't worry about me, Art-san, carefully echoed in Arturia's mind. Even after crying, Vy's mental voice was gentle and determined as ever as the walls around them flickered to change into the trees of an open forest clearing. Fight as much as you want.
If you're sure, Princess… Arturia didn't like it.
Still, Mordred was there. He let out a noise caught between a grunt and a scoff of vague approval once Arturia was making eye contact with him, the metal arms of his armor grinding against his chest plate just as Clarent appeared in a rush of red lightning in his hands. "Come at me, Father," Mordred said in a confident voice, his grip on Clarent tightening with the words. "Let's see who's truly fit to be King."
That's right. It was always about that, wasn't it…?
Arturia let herself blink once, briefly allowing herself the comfort of taking in the warmth of a girl's presence nearby, and then Mordred was there in her face. She automatically parried the first incoming sword strike with Excalibur, nimbly turning on her heels to adjust the grip she had on her own sword to fend off the resulting force that could've ran up her wrists. Mordred made a "tch" noise with his tongue once she did, reversing his grip on Clarent just to thrust the weapon forward in desperation. Predictably, Arturia ducked, closing her eyes and instead letting the opposing sword cut stray hairs.
"Why—" Slash. "Aren't you—" Swing. "Looking at me!"
Mordred. The child of Morgan, my sister, and…
Arturia took another breath, carefully looking up at her opponent as he caught his breath with trembling huffs past his helmet. She did her best not to focus on the worry starting to bleed into her mind from a certain Princess nearby, instead saying in a calmer voice, "There's a difference between looking and fighting, Sir Mordred."
How long were you so desperate for someone to see you?
"Then fight me, King Arthur!" Mordred was starting to scream, red lightning starting to exude from his horned helmet in waves as Clarent glowed with magical energy. "Fight me like you MEAN it!"
Arturia bit down on the inside of her cheek, standing up to full height and readying Excalibur again.
Princess…
Trust reverberated through their bond as Vy gently spoke up again, her voice tickling the back of Arturia's mind. I'm okay, Art-san. You're going to be okay. I'm with you.
Even with it said like a promise, Arturia couldn't shake off the vaguest of feelings that Vy was lying.
"Saber's hesitating," Achilles whispered.
Robin didn't turn his head away from the fight, merely loosening the clasp on his cloak to take it off his shoulders. Vy, as much as she was doing great in putting on a brave face, was still shivering in her Mystic Code, so something had to be done. Even if Robin wasn't liking the fight as much as either of his fellow Grailed Servants did. "You can tell too?" he said instead.
"She's not charging forward like she usually does," Achilles continued in the same quiet voice, absently nodding his head towards Robin in acknowledgement once he placed the No Face May King over Vy's head. "She's not using as much mana either, and that's saying something when I usually charge in headfirst."
"It's not like you and I both can't understand why," Robin quipped dryly. Neither of them missed how Vy stilled once Robin wrapped an arm around her back past No Face May King. The shocked look sent in Robin's direction through the mantle's hood was hard to ignore too, and Robin did his best to smile at her.
A little Princess to Saber and Rider, and his own little sparrow. Vy meant a lot to all three of them. So when this battle was inevitably running on her energy, that made things a lot more complicated. It didn't help when Vy could feel all the emotions running around the simulator room, one way or another. That was how she was, Master or not.
How ironic the fate of the world was to be found on the shoulders of a kind yet sensitive soul.
You doing okay, Vy? Robin thought through their connection.
…T-Trying, Vy eventually said, having ducked her head to rest her nose against the protective bundle of No Face May King. Robin could already tell she was doing her best to not show weakness. What about you and Achi?
No need to ask us, Princess, Achilles interrupted with a tiny huff, crossing his arms enough for Robin to feel the disapproval radiating off of him. We're not the ones getting the prana drained out of us.
Rider, Robin said warningly.
Er… Vy paused, clearly caught off guard by her deflection not working. I asked you two beforehand?
Doesn't help, Rider growled. This isn't a good idea, Princess.
Without thinking, Robin commented, This coming from the guy whose chariot takes too much prana to power up anyway?
Shut it, Archer.
Robin raised one pointer finger in Achilles' direction while ignoring the urge to pick up a smoke. You didn't deny it.
Wanna throw down—
With barely a hint of frustration, Vy proceeded to headbutt both of them in the shoulder, wincing the entire time, and the conversation stopped there. No. Just no. Referee the knights, not fight amongst yourselves, guys. No squabbling.
…Princess, Achilles started, a hint of fond exasperation leaking into his mental voice and thus breaking the tough front that he was toting around earlier, was the headbutt necessary?
Yes!
No, Robin disagreed immediately.
I also second that no, Achilles added dryly.
Muuu, I don't regret it! Vy pouted, ignoring the few messy strands of brown hair starting to fall out of her ponytail and down onto her forehead. Besides, the prana use isn't as bad as it was during the Incineration!
That's… not exactly better, Princess, Achilles said after a moment, albeit in a weaker voice, as a gloved hand reached over to pat the top of Vy's head, smoothing the matted patches of hair away from her face. Robin made sure to step back a little to give Achilles the space to do so, still keeping his own arm around Vy's waist the entire time. But you're still set on doing this?
Robin felt himself open his mouth, but closed it once Vy was glancing up at him through the No Face May King. She was shooting him a smile — her usual smile that should've promised good things — before looking in Achilles' direction. Always have been since Mordred came to the Wandering Sea.
…You'll probably be unable to farm for the rest of the day, Robin said softly. Maybe lose your voice too, little sparrow. Prana drain was very much like anemia after all, with the fatigue and loss of facial pallor. It didn't make it any less concerning when it happened to Vy on a near daily basis now thanks to the Lostbelts. For it to happen in Novum Chaldea, and with Vy's nonchalance…
It's okay. Vy turned her head to smile up at him again, almost as if she wasn't aware of the icy pit of dread starting to form in Robin's stomach. You two were already telling me I needed to rest sometime. And the knights in front of us need to work out their drama before we fight the next Crypter. I say it works out.
That doesn't mean… Robin trailed off, chancing a moment to glance at his fellow Servant and Achilles looked just as perplexed as him. Vy…
Vy rocked back and forth on her boots for a second, her smile faltering in that very moment before resurging as she raised her head to meet Robin's gaze once more, pink dusting her cheeks. I'll be fine, Big Robin, she said, her mental voice tickling the back of his mind as she beamed up at him. Don't worry about me. With a turn of her head, Robin could then hear her mental voice open up a bit to add, Same thing to you, Achi.
This is normal to me now, was left unsaid, but Robin knew both he and Rider heard it through their shared connection with Vy and his heart ached. Mommy and Daddy went through worse.
Robin forced himself to take a breath and carefully hid the shakiness of it by pulling Vy in by the waist, pressing his cheek to the top of her head through the No Face May King once she was effectively and protectively nestled into his left side. Achilles had long since pulled his hand away at that point, leaving Vy to freeze up again before inevitably squirming underneath Robin's touch, an innocent, ironically child-like, confusion reverberating through their bond.
"Robin?" she whispered underneath all the metallic clangs of battle going on in front of them.
"I reserve the right to step in if you're pushing yourself," Robin muttered vehemently, raising his other hand to brush away some stray strands of hair from Vy's neck. "I don't care about poisoning the new guy."
He hurt you. You matter more to me.
Vy's smile faded for a thin line as she slowly raised one hand to grasp the one Robin was using to brush her hair away. "…Thankie," was all she said, intertwining their fingers. "But I'll be okay, Big Robin."
Robin didn't have to see Achilles' expression to know he was sharing the same horror at the one thought brushing the both of them through their mental connection.
Still dunno if I deserve the protection, but thankie for staying with me anyway.
"Why—" Clang. "Aren't you—" Slash. "Facing me, Father!?"
Arturia could taste metal in the back of her mouth as she dodged another swing of Clarent, the wind starting to rustle her hair as Mordred continued to attack. She already knew she was supposed to charge in, to face Mordred properly, but every single swing of Clarent that Mordred made only served to hurt Arturia inside.
This is the child I—
"Fight me, King Arthur! Hate me like you acted back when we were alive!" Another clang. "ACKNOWLEDGE ME!"
Something in Arturia finally snapped.
"I never hated you!" For the first time in the entire fight, Arturia felt herself sprint forward, and this time, it was Mordred's turn to be taken off guard once their swords clashed. Arturia caught a glimpse of widened green eyes through the horned helmet before Invisible Air activated, throwing Mordred back and making him crash through the simulated trees behind him. "You were always my knight, Sir Mordred!"
"B-But why couldn't I be your successor?!" Mordred yelled back once he caught his breath, struggling to get up from the broken trees and the noticeably large crater that had formed in the wake of Arturia's attack. "Why couldn't I have been your son, King Arthur?! Why couldn't you acknowledge me?!"
Why couldn't you have let me help you?!
Bile was starting to bubble up in Arturia's throat and before she could stop herself, Excalibur was limp in her hands and she was screaming back. "HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU WHEN I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO RAISE A SON?!"
For the first time in their entire confrontation, Mordred stilled, the red lightning exuding off his armor flickering as Clarent trembled in his hands. "…No knowledge? No idea?" he echoed weakly after a moment, an audible crack sounding in his previous bravado. "What do you mean by that, Father?"
It took a moment for Arturia to realize tears were starting to bud in the corners of her eyes, and she took a shaky breath. She could already feel Vy's horror start to bleed through their bond (more so when Vy knew what Arturia was talking about firsthand, it all hurt hurt hurt), and she shook her head. "I… I wasn't supposed to say that."
"Wait, Fa— King—" Mordred shakily got to his feet, the light behind his helmet dimming with the gesture as he used Clarent almost like a cane for balance. "Don't do that. Explain! What do you mean by that?!"
Arturia could feel the regret, the despair — all the emotions from Camlann — start to spill over and then some, if not for a small tiny voice tickling the back of her mind.
Art-san…?
My Princess… Arturia shut her eyes. I'm sorry you have to see me like this. I am not the perfect king anymore. All I am now is…
"I'm not a perfect person, Mordred," Arturia outwardly confessed, tightening her grip on Excalibur. "I'm not claiming to be one. Hindsight is a cruel mistress and back then, I perhaps should have done more for you when you revealed yourself to me. But I can't take those years back."
I can't go back and hurt my own sister for hurting you when it could result in the time we have now becoming meaningless. I may have been a perfect king to the people, but I was no perfect family to you.
Mordred stood up straighter in response, metal grinding starting to echo in the clearing. "Then… then what are you going to do, King Arthur?" Strength was starting to come back into Mordred's voice as flashes of red lightning started up around him again, blanketing his armor and Clarent with a fierce vigor. "What are you going to do, facing a rebel like me?!"
"You wanted me to acknowledge you," Arturia said simply, raising the Promised Sword of Victory up to her eye level. "And it's about time that I do just that now, in the only way I can as a Heroic Spirit."
Excalibur glowed just as Mordred's helmet let out a clanking noise.
"Alright, Father." Clarent began to glow red too, just to match Excalibur's bright yellow. "Come at me like you mean to kill me."
"Ah, fuck!" Robin cursed aloud once Vy was slumping against his side and nearby, he could see Achilles stand to attention with widened eyes. After all, it was hard to miss the bright shine of the two swords only meters away in front of them. "Two Noble Phantasms that are at least A Rank?!" AND THE LITTLE SPARROW AGREED TO THIS, was roaring in his brain. There was only so much selflessness could do before it outright straddled the line between lack-of-self-care and simple reckless destructiveness, and this was one of those times.
"Archer, you make sure Princess doesn't collapse!" Achilles ordered gruffly, placing a hand to his head for barely a second as his eyes closed. "I'm calling backup — goddammit, Saber! Both Sabers!"
Goddammit, Vy, Robin couldn't help but think, glancing down at the rapidly-paling Master in his arms. Vy was clearly fighting to keep her eyes open, bright blue Magic Circuit lines starting to cross what visible veins could be seen on her skin through her Mystic Code, and Robin gave himself a single second to think on it. Segmenting his own mana elsewhere wasn't anything too hard, and the hand he had on Vy's shoulders was good enough physical contact for the transfer to start. The effect was instantaneous — the blue Magic Circuit lines crossing Vy's face dimmed a little as the mana flowed from Robin to her, the stress lines between Vy's brows fading with them as she let out a small breath.
Th-Thankie, Vy's mental voice eventually said, tickling the back of Robin's mind and almost tempting him to lower his guard if not for the pale look on her face. But I have gem candies from Ishtar for this, Big Robin.
That doesn't mean—
I-I have to do this, Archer. Vy's voice was firm in spite of the stammer, making Robin lurch back a little. Vy hadn't used his Class Name in months. This was— I'm the only Master left here, Archer. Vy was shaking her head, hugging herself, the blue lines on her face flickering ominously. I-I can't—
A hand was then landing on top of Vy's head through the No Face May King in a fierce chop motion, making Vy wince, but the blue Magic Circuit lines were fading faster now as Achilles glowered from above.
"Workaholic," Achilles voiced in gruff displeasure, but it easily contrasted how his hand lingered on Vy's head, his fingers relaxing on top of the No Face May King enough for Robin to feel the mana start to move through the air. "You can rely on us in times like this. You're not the only one seeing this through, Princess, seriously." Achilles was pointedly looking away from Vy's gaze, but he notably kept his fingers in place against Vy's hair, refusing to move. "Only Master left, my ass. You're not alone, dammit." The fact his palm started to absently rub the place where he had whacked the girl didn't really match his tone of voice. "It's about time."
"About time for what—"
Vy's voice died once the entrance to the simulator room flew open and Robin got a glimpse of white hair, followed up by a familiar bulky shield.
Mordred's about to attack, I have to engage, Princess, please hang on a bit longer—!
"CLARENT—!"
Arturia raised her sword in spite of the weight falling onto her shoulders. "EX—!"
The last thing either party was expecting was a white-haired figure to fly in-between them, a familiar yet eerie yellow vessel bursting out of her chest. "Beloved Grail, SING!"
In that split second moment, Arturia could've sworn she saw Mordred's helmet fall away with audible clanking noises, exposing wide green eyes and messy blonde hair for her to see. "Wha—"
"Irisviel—?" Arturia ducked her head away once light flashed from the center of the area, cloaking the entire simulator in its beams. Everything was suddenly bright, all-encompassing, and blinding, to the point Arturia wasn't sure if she was holding her sword through it all.
"I believe this fight is over now, Sabers," Irisviel interrupted in a stern voice, just as the light started to fade as quickly as it came, exposing the homunculus woman crossing her arms over her chest at the two of them. "As much as the spectacle is something amazing to watch, I will have to exercise my authority as a former Master to call this match a tie."
"Tie—?" was stuck in Arturia's throat just as Mordred gaped at the homunculus woman standing between them, rage starting to bubble up in his posture if his tight grip on Clarent was any indication.
"What do you mean by 'tie', you bitch, we aren't done yet—"
Before Arturia could even open her mouth in retort to the sheer disrespect that was thrown out into the room, Irisviel turned her head towards Mordred, hiding her face away from Arturia's gaze. In spite of being unable to see Irisviel's expression, her response conveyed everything else. Hell, her cold voice alone sent chills up Arturia's spine. "If you ever want to be King, Sir Mordred, you should start looking out for the little Master who was allowing this entire fight to occur to begin with!"
Vy.
Arturia could feel her heart give out in her chest once she swiveled her head towards that one corner in the simulator, and just as the surrounding trees started to dissipate back into data to expose the white walls of Novum Chaldea, she already knew she had made yet another mistake she couldn't take back.
"I-Iri-san… no, no, i-it's okay…" In contrast to her words, Vy was paler than a sheet when Arturia finally was looking in her direction, blue Magic Circuit lines flickering in and out of existence on what visible skin her Chaldean Winter uniform showed past all the black fabric. The No Face May King on her shoulders barely assisted in concealing the fatigue shining in her normally kind brown eyes, and Arturia had a feeling that if not for Robin Hood's hand around Vy's waist, Vy would've fallen over right then and there. The matted look of her long brown hair flowing out past No Face May King's protective bundle to the point of some locks haphazardly shrouding her chest merely cemented that as the truth.
Vy's hair tie had broken somewhere during the chaos, Vy's knees were shaking against each other (from visible prana drain, why didn't Arturia stop fighting sooner), and her hands were clearly barely able to hold onto the No Face May King and what appeared to be a bright red gem clutched in her palms.
Princess…
"S-Senpai…!" Mash said quietly, her Ortinax armor hissing as her shield left by Galahad creaked against the floor of the simulator room, purple eyes wide with disbelief and horror. She must have rushed in during the flash Irisviel had generated with the Holy Grail earlier. "W-We have to get you to the infirmary. Now."
Vy shook her head right then and there, preventing Arturia from moving her feet and just dashing over to her Princess' side. "I-I'm okay, kouhai, I'll be…" Vy blinked blearily, clearly having difficulty trying to speak if her fading voice was any indication, and Arturia didn't have to glance over her shoulder to know Mordred was staring in Vy's direction now too. Achilles was already keeping a bare hand against Vy's head, his other armored one touching his own head as he muttered something inaudible. "I'll be… okay…"
"…Master?" was all Arturia heard Mordred say (in what — was that a child's voice just now, or Sir Mordred's?), right before Vy's legs finally gave out and she was falling against Robin Hood's chest.
"VY!"
"What were you all thinking — she was still recovering from Koyanskaya's poison in China!" The little Da Vinci scolded from over her shoulder, her hands covered with medical gloves as she raised her scepter over Vy's slumbering form, sparkles falling from the large blue gemstone in the center and onto Vy's blankets. The sparkles faded just as they touched Vy's figure, each one making the blue Magic Circuit lines on her face start to recede back into Vy's visible skin past the pale blue hospital gown she was put into. Color then started to return to Vy's unconscious face just as Da Vinci muttered, "Even if we succeeded in getting an antidote, there were still side-effects to weather through, hence these past few months of assigned rest! So who decided to—?!"
Arturia hung her head in silence just as Mash carefully raised her hand in the air. "It was—"
"I asked for it."
Arturia raised her head as quickly as she lowered it, finding herself looking at Mordred — her son — not wearing his armor anymore and clad in all red as he glanced away from everyone in the infirmary. "I…" Mordred rubbed the back of his neck (when was the last time Arturia had seen him so humble?) as he said, "I asked Father for the fight. Master was the one who agreed to it."
"…Hm," Da Vinci said thoughtfully, the heat in her voice dissipating with Mordred's (surprisingly) honest admission, but her eyes were still narrowed in Mordred's direction. "What does everyone else have to say in response to that?"
Robin and Achilles exchanged a look from their places sitting at Vy's other bedside, and Arturia didn't miss how they slightly glowered at her and Mordred before turning to Da Vinci and nodding their heads in almost unison. "The Saber of Red summarized it pretty well, I guess," Achilles said with a nonchalant shrug, nudging Robin in the shoulder with one gloved fist. "Unless you have anything to add, Archer?"
Robin Hood opened one unimpressed green eye to look at everyone else in the room, his gaze softening only slightly when it landed on Vy still unconscious in her infirmary bed. "If anything," he started quietly with a tiny tilt of his head towards the young woman in question, "the little sparrow was insistent we go through with it. She didn't take any 'no's' back then, and if she was awake right now, I have a feeling she'd insist that it was all okay. That the pain was worth it."
Da Vinci shrunk at Robin's words, leading Mash to rest a hand on her shoulder, resulting in Da Vinci letting out a loud sigh. Irisviel shook her head from her seat next to Arturia, resting one gloved hand against Arturia's knee as Da Vinci opened her mouth. "…That sounds like Vy, all right. My old self's memories were really insistent on making sure she didn't overwork herself, but I guess desperate times called for desperate measures in her head."
Mash laughed weakly. "Th-That's Senpai for you, Da Vinci-chan."
"Still…" Da Vinci let her scepter disappear into sparkles as she turned on Mordred next, her eyes narrowing in a glare. "Don't do this again, alright? I don't know who exactly taught you to rampage around like an angry bull with no regards to the people around you," Arturia winced when Da Vinci shot her a look too, "but Vy's not a Magus, Saber of Red. You best start remembering that if you want to stay here."
Mordred lurched back just as Mash raised a hand again to voice, "D-Da Vinci-chan, I'm sure Mo-san didn't mean—"
"Shushie, Mash. I get it, you're sweet on him because Mordred helped you back in London and China, but that's not the point here," Da Vinci interrupted hotly, her tone enough to make the teenager fall silent. It was telling to see Mash's hand lower itself back into her lap. "There's consequences to our being limited to one Master. And as much as Vy has been a miracle worker and a downright angel sometimes, we can't expect her to hold together forever. That's why we're supposed to support her and make sure she doesn't be reckless. She's human, Mash, and we can't have any of the Servants here forgetting that, even if they're trying to work out their own problems in a healthy manner."
"Ouch," Achilles whistled dryly.
Arturia shut her eyes in shame, the words coming out on guilty impulse. "I'll… I'll better instruct my son for the next time this could happen, Da Vinci. My apologies." She could've sworn she heard Mordred inhale sharply, at least for a second, before there was wind and the door to the infirmary opened and closed with a quiet Whoosh.
Mordred…
"Drama king," Da Vinci huffed once it became obvious Mordred had left the vicinity, shaking her head before getting up from her seat. "You three and Caster — stay on watch for when Vy wakes up, okay? Mash, come with me. Your Ortinax suit needs another tune-up if Sion has anything to say about it."
Mash, previously despondent from the conversation, immediately perked up at Da Vinci's call, following the smaller genius once she started walking towards the door. "G-Got it, Da Vinci-chan!" To everyone else, Mash said in a lighter voice, "G-Good luck with the watch!"
Then, with another quiet whoosh of the infirmary door, Mash and Da Vinci were gone, leaving the Servants alone.
Irisviel's gloved hand was still on Arturia's lap, rubbing her knee comfortingly. "…Are you okay, Saber?" was the warm whisper in her direction, and the words alone were enough to make tears start to bubble up in the corners of Arturia's eyes as she hunched in on herself in her seat.
"I… I don't know," was the eventual admission, and even then, it felt inadequate because Arturia could close her eyes and still feel the lack of Vy's mental voice tickling the back of her mind. Their bond wasn't cut off, thankfully, but it didn't make the absence of Vy's normally warm presence any less jarring. Arturia clenched her hands, tasting iron in the back of her mouth as she went on with, "I should've noticed it sooner. I should've stopped Mordred sooner. Princess… Vy…"
I should've stopped the fight before it came to this point. Vy shouldn't be the one suffering from my mistakes. She shouldn't be the one thrown into unconsciousness.
To Arturia's surprise, brown boots were suddenly coming into a corner of her vision, a hand gently nudging her head enough to unbalance the crown still sitting on top of her hair. "Stop that," Robin Hood said quietly, making himself apparent with another light nudge. "Vy wouldn't want you to blame yourself, Saber. Even if we might have differing feelings on that."
Arturia looked up at her fellow Grailed Servant, frowning. "What do you think then, Archer?"
"That's a dangerous question, Saber," Robin responded in the same quiet tone, shaking his head. He proceeded to reach into one of his many pockets on his tunic, taking out a stalk of mint to chew on, turning his head away from Irisviel and Arturia both before muttering, "…I honestly wish Vy didn't push herself this hard. What worth is there in resolving others' drama when it inevitably hurts her?"
"I think we all wished for that, Archer," Achilles interrupted loudly from his seat, putting a hand to his mouth once Irisviel was glowering at him. Vy thankfully didn't stir from her bed, still breathing evenly, thus allowing Achilles to continue with a softer, "But knowing her, she would've done it anyways, even if we weren't there to stop her."
Arturia felt herself laugh harshly before she could stop herself. "Indeed. That's just how our Princess has been."
Irisviel glanced between all three of them, red eyes softening as she then added, "Do you three at least know what to do now?"
Arturia shared a look with her fellow Grailed Servants for only a single second of consideration.
"Hey, honor student."
Bedivere wasn't one to startle easily. He was Arturia Pendragon's former attendant and one of the Knights of the Round Table, after all. Still, it didn't make him any less surprised when turning from his newly brewed pot of tea to find an unarmored Mordred of all people standing behind him, a hand rubbing the back of his neck.
"Sir… Mordred?" Bedivere couldn't help but narrow his eyes at his former ally, a frown covering his face. No one could forget the sensation of Vy's mana fading from Novum Chaldea's air, all because of what happened in that one Simulator Room. To find one — if not the — instigating party here… "What are you doing here?"
Mordred refused to meet his eyes, kicking at some of the kitchen tiles while keeping a hand to the back of his neck. "Sir… Sir Bedivere, I think I need help. I-I messed up. So, do you…" A light pink flush dusted his cheeks as he raised his other hand to scratch at his nose. "Do you know what kind of flowers Master would like?"
Oh. Bedivere smiled. "Princess Vy, you mean?"
"…You call her that too?"
"Why wouldn't I? You'll find the other Knights doing just the same."
"…Darn honor student."
Vy felt the world slowly come back to her in small fragments of consciousness. The first thing that registered was the sensation of what felt like heavy blankets covering her body. The second thing was how both her hands were being squeezed by somebody. The third thing was, well…
"Princess?"
Vy wasn't alone.
Blinking didn't help much in clearing her vision, but in spite of the blurriness that came from the apparent disappearance of her glasses, Vy could vaguely make out Arturia looming over her, worried frown on her face.
"Art-san…?" Vy couldn't say anymore before she was coughing, and someone was already moving her away from the pillows and blankets to let her sit up, a cup of water coming into a corner of her blurry vision. "Wh-Where— When—"
"Drink some fluids first, Princess," Achilles said quietly, making himself known through the calloused hand rubbing gentle circles into her back as Vy continued to cough. "Drink, then talk."
Vy did her best to slowly gulp down the offered water, breathing shakily once it was all gone. The coughs disappeared along with the beverage, but looking down at herself made it clear someone had changed out her Mystic Code for hospital scrubs, matching the surrounding infirmary room. Opening her mouth again proved talking definitely wasn't going to be happening anytime soon, and Vy swiveled her head around to try observing everything that had changed since the last time she was conscious before a familiar whiteboard was gently being pushed into her hands, water cup getting taken out of them at the same time.
"Better rephrase your previous statement, Rider," Vy could vaguely hear Robin Hood say in a dry voice, accompanied by a green-capped dry erase marker and her glasses being folded into Vy's right hand. "You can just write out what you want to say instead, little sparrow. I don't think your Magic Circuits will let you talk for a little while."
Mental talk is a bust too, I guess.
Vy couldn't deny how much her head hurt. So all Vy could do was unfold her glasses to put them on, closing her eyes slowly to let her brain adjust to taking in the more clear versions of her Grailed Servants sitting around her bed before uncapping the marker. Green ink flowed out rather smoothly on the whiteboard surface (since thankfully, her hands could still move), allowing Vy to eventually scribble to her Servants, What happened?
"The fight has been over for the past few hours," Arturia began, taking Vy's left hand in both of hers to squeeze softly. "Irisviel and Mash put a stop to it."
Vy carefully inclined her head at her best Saber before turning back to her whiteboard again, tucking a stray strand of tangled brown hair behind her ear all the while. Who won? I can't remember if someone did… she wrote.
The question prompted a scoff from Achilles, and turning in his direction resulted in Rider pointedly looking away from Vy's questioning stare. "Caster put it as a tie," he muttered after a significant pause, displeasure clear in his posture. "You collapsed just as both Sabers decided to use their Noble Phantasms, Princess."
Vy couldn't miss how Arturia winced. Ah, was all she could write at first. Vy squeezed Arturia's fingers before adding on, albeit shakily, with her right hand, I… I guess an apology won't cut it right now?
"Not if you're planning to do it again," Robin Hood answered for his fellow Servant, giving Vy an unimpressed look over his crossed arms. "You knew you could collapse from this, but still went with it anyways, little sparrow. I dunno what that says about you or us, Vy."
"Archer," Arturia said sharply. "That's uncalled for."
Vy still shook her head, squeezing Arturia's hand a bit more before turning back to her whiteboard. She could feel the anger and concern from Archer without him even having to say anything else. His comments were well-deserved. I'm sorry for worrying you, Big Robin, Achi, Art-san, she eventually wrote, turning the board over to let all three Servants read the words. I thought I could handle the prana drain this time.
Arturia was the one to let out a sigh this time, matching Robin putting a finger to his forehead as he closed his visible eye in discontent. "Princess," Arturia started in a softer voice, almost cradling Vy's left hand as she turned to meet Arturia's green eyes in eye contact, "it's not about whether you could handle the mana usage, it's about how you recklessly put yourself out there to fuel two Servants in an outright death match. Why?"
Vy blinked, emphasizing the last part of her response with a large green underline. You're… asking why?
"Yes," Arturia affirmed in a stern voice, matching Achilles' own steely nod. It was obvious Robin felt the same way, if his silence was any indication. "As much as you are kind, Princess, you didn't have to fuel both Sir Mordred and I in our fight to try and resolve our… our issues." Vy didn't have to push on their mental bond to know Arturia was still reeling from that last part. "You could have asked the staff of Novum Chaldea to power up some of the backup generators in the Wandering Sea just so that you could rest. So, why?"
Why did you have to sacrifice yourself when we're the Servants who should be doing that for you?
Vy had to think about her response for only a second. She then took her whiteboard back from Achilles to start scribbling hastily. It looked like you were dealing with family troubles, she eventually "said", passing the whiteboard to Arturia once she finished writing. And, I know it's a little too selfish and reckless of me, but I didn't want to see another family leave their problems unresolved before the end.
Robin and Achilles in particular both froze, eyes stuck on the last few words of Vy's "reply" as Arturia carefully held the whiteboard in her free hand to stare down at it. A moment of silence passed between all four of them, then Arturia raised her head to meet Vy's eyes. "Vy…"
Vy gently tugged at the whiteboard, mouthing a quiet "Thank you" once Arturia passed it back to her, and scribbled one more thing for Arturia to read. You and Mordred are Servants now, Art-san. In a way, you have a second chance to amend things, because you're both equals now. I didn't mind being the instigator if it meant I could help make one more difference for the better. Vy hesitated, feeling her hand freeze up at the last thought that lingered in her mind, but after a second of consideration, she wrote it down in fine, careful lettering at the bottom of the board. I don't know when I'll be able to do the same for my own family until the Lostbelts are all gone. So back then, I thought helping you and Mordred was the least I could do, Art-san.
Arturia inhaled sharply once her eyes scanned over all of Vy's "answer", and at the same time, Vy could see Robin put a hand to his eyes. Achilles turned his head away from the rest of them by the time he finished reading too, arms tightly crossed over his chest as his shoulders trembled once.
"You silly little Princess," Arturia said finally after a long moment, and Vy did her best not to flinch at the feeling of a hand winding around the back of her head to pull her in. Arturia's forehead proceeded to bump hers, the hand on her head starting to stroke her hair, and Vy blinked owlishly. The bump… didn't hurt? "For something like that… you shouldn't have to sacrifice your well-being for that reason alone, even if it all worked out."
Vy already could tell she messed up when she could see tears start to bubble up in the corners of Arturia's eyes, even with her eyelids closed. "Princess… no, Vy." Arturia opened her eyes to meet Vy's own in direct eye contact, a wry sad smile covering Arturia's face. "You are my Master. The last Master of Chaldea, the last Master of Humanity, and my Princess. You have no idea how much you've done for me, for Archer, for Rider, for Mash, and for all of us with your kindness. I understand your reasoning and I even appreciate it, but please, don't do this again."
Vy opened her mouth in an attempt to say something, just to stop when Arturia shook her head, keeping up the forehead touch while stroking her hair. "It… it terrified me when I saw you collapse, Princess. We all were scared of losing you. And as much as we are Heroic Spirits, we are still human at the cores of our Spirit Origins. And there's something concerning about seeing someone we care about needlessly sacrifice herself because she doesn't see worth in her own life." Arturia lowered her head, just in time for a single wet droplet to fall onto Vy's blankets.
I-I didn't mean it like that…
Arms were wrapping around Arturia and Vy both this time, and Vy felt herself blink again once a chin bumped the top of her head. "I-If you didn't mean to make it come out that way, then don't let it happen a second time," Robin said in a choked voice, a corner of the No Face May King coming up to cover Vy's shoulders through her hospital scrub. "You're my little sparrow too, Vy. I can't lose you after I lost everything else to my name." Robin let out a long, heavy sigh after the admission, his gaze elsewhere when Vy was glancing at him. "…I've definitely gotten soft if I can say something like that. Dammit, Vy."
Vy could feel her nose start to seize up as she nodded shakily, leaning into both Servants while keeping back the urge to wail. "I-I'm… sorry…" left her in a weak attempt at words. "I… love…"
The last one to join in was Achilles, who, true to his strength as a hero of the Trojan War, wrapped everyone up in a final tight group hug, a shaky yet loud laugh leaving his lips. There was lots of elbow bumping, but aside from Vy's little "Ah!" noise, no one protested. "No more self-sacrifice or dangerous prana drain, got it, Princess? Not everyone is destined to be heroes." He paused mid-laugh, affection bellying his usual casual tone as he then finished with, "We all love you too."
Vy felt herself smile at all three of them before letting her whiteboard go and hugging them back.
A day later, the peace broke with one single question.
"Is Father here?"
Mordred wasn't surprised to see King Arthur (and the two lackeys in the one green Archer and Rider of Red — no, Robin Hood and Achilles — what did Master see in them to give them Grails?) stand up to attention from Vy's bedside in the infirmary. Vy looked up from her book just as Robin and Achilles took out their weapons, but the strange thing was seeing King Arthur — Father — not even taking out Excalibur, leveling Mordred with a calm look instead.
"I am here, my son," Arturia said quietly, using that title again as her lips quirked upwards a little at the corners. "What do you need?"
He called me his son again. That's never happened before.
"Uh, it's less what I need, per say," Mordred fumbled, desperately trying to squash the heat starting to climb up his cheeks in favor of holding onto the parcel hidden behind his back, "But I-I needed your permission for something, Father, if that's alright."
Arturia carefully tilted her head at him, blinking. "Permission for what?" At the same time, Robin and Achilles slowly lowered their weapons, but were still pinning Mordred down with suspicious looks.
"I…" Mordred gulped, squashing the urge to curse and instead opting to kick at the floor with one of his boots. "I wanted to apologize to your Princess, but I felt the need to get your permission to do so first, King Arthur. Since she, uh, is your Princess and all."
If I didn't ask, Bedivere would have my ass on a plate.
It was obvious no one in the room except Father was expecting Mordred's response, though, because the other Grailed Servants were exchanging shocked looks and Vy was left sitting up in her infirmary bed, gaping a little. Father himself blinked, mouth knit into a thin line before it morphed — morphed into an actual small smile. Mordred couldn't remember a single moment when he had seen Father smile. "Then by all means, Sir Mordred. I don't believe the little Princess should have any objections." Arturia turned her head back towards Vy, the same smile on her face as she asked, "Unless if you wanted to say anything, Master?"
Vy's glasses slid down her nose as she shook her head vigorously in a silent "no", her hands coming up to form an "X" to Arturia's question, warmth flooding the room as she smiled. "Go ahead, I'm okay with it," Mordred could vaguely read from Vy's lips, and he stood to attention once Arturia looked back to meet his eyes.
"Vy says it's fine, son," Arturia said warmly, nodding her head. "So go on."
"If you try anything, you're getting a poison arrow to the head," Robin warned, but he lowered his crossbow at the same time Achilles let his lance disappear. Still, in spite of the warning, both Servants sat back down in their respective chairs, scooting backwards some to make a path for Mordred to walk forward.
Vy looked up at Mordred with bleary brown eyes past her glasses, tousled brown hair framing her face, but she still tilted her head at him as he approached, blinking owlishly as her book lay limp in her lap against the blankets.
Shit, I've never been good with formalities. But I messed up before and I can't mess up now — not when Master's human and not like… like…
Mordred took a breath, pushing away the memory of tobacco smoke for later before considering his options. He ended up saying, albeit gruffer than he'd like, "Could you close your eyes, Master?"
Vy blinked at him again, brown eyes wide again with confusion, but whatever she could see in Mordred's face seemed to be enough for her because she proceeded to nod. A second was all it took for her to push her glasses back up her nose once her eyelids fluttered closed.
Mordred considered again. In any other case, it'd be easy to cut her head off now. But I'm not the rebellious knight here. I'm…
Ignoring the gazes of everyone else but Father's, Mordred unwrapped the parcel he was holding behind his back, careful of the blossoms in-between his fingers, and brought his arms forward to keep the darn thing above Vy's head. Then, with a little hesitation and regret, he let it go.
The myriad of yellow roses and pink cherry blossoms contrasted the brown hair on top of Vy's head once the decoration had landed (perfectly too, HELL YEAH!), but it was enough of a stimulus to make Vy open her eyes again, blinking as she registered the crown on her person. Mordred let himself smirk just a bit at the gobsmacked face she was making (just like the absolute doofus of a Master she was back in London) before schooling his emotions and getting to one knee at her bedside.
"Mordred…?" left Vy in a barely audible whisper.
Mordred bowed his head. "I entrust you with my sword, my honor, and my life, Princess Vy." After all, you helped the King I looked up to start their path to being human again. I don't know of anyone else who accomplished that. "I might be a third-rate knight who's not worthy to be king, more so because I nearly killed you after everything in London and China, but…" In spite of the fear, in spite of his own questioning self-worth, Mordred looked up into those big brown eyes and let the heat show on his face. "Are you still okay with that?"
Vy opened her mouth to make a small "Eh?" noise, staring at him the entire time, and the moment was enough to make Mordred fumble.
"Shi— I mean, ugh — Tristan's better at the poetry and all that jazz," Mordred ran a rough hand through his hair, looking at everything else but Vy. "But hey! You… You let me fight my Father for real, Master." His entire Spirit Origin felt shitty about how their first reintroductions went, but since that fight and exploring Novum Chaldea, Mordred knew he couldn't deny what Vy had done in the time they hadn't met.
Gawain and Lancelot had been playing chess in one of the break rooms without a care in the world, Tristan was actually awake and focused on helping what appeared to be some of the more overworked staff get some sleep, Bedivere was actively smiling alongside the rest of the kitchen staff, and—
Father was actually calling Mordred "son." That never happened before.
"If you're still okay with keeping me as your Servant, Master, I will do everything in my power to prove that my blood stained sword will cut down whatever enemy is left in your path. Alongside Father and his knights, as your knight." Mordred turned back to look into Vy's eyes, and he gently took the hand with her Command Spells in his. "Third-rate and all."
Had I met you before Mother, how would things have been different, Master? Mordred still wasn't sure.
A soft pink flush dusted Vy's cheeks once Mordred squeezed her fingers, but to his surprise, an equally soft smile bloomed on her face as she shook her head, slowly pushing her blankets back to get out of her bed and kneel to Mordred's sitting height. Without a single word, she reached over with her free hand to gently cup Mordred's cheek.
"Always… okay," Vy eventually choked out past the apparent lump in her throat (was it prana drain?), the same smile on her face. The flower crown in her hair merely illuminated the joy in her eyes as she finished with a shier, "If you're… okay with me… Mo-san."
Mordred froze one last time before feeling a laugh bubble up in his throat, tugging at Vy's hand. Vy proceeded to squeak out loud, enough for Mordred to hear the other Servants (except for Father again) start to get out of their seats, but Mordred carried her up in his arms easily, arms tight enough around her waist so that Vy wouldn't fall.
He couldn't let her fall again.
"Mo… san?" Vy croaked, hands barely keeping a hold of his shoulders.
"You really are a dork, Master, sticking with a rebel like me!" Mordred grinned up at Vy, taking in her surprised face before lowering her to the ground, straightening her flower crown. "But then again, I've never served a Princess before. I'm no King, but a rebellious knight with a weak little Princess—" Mordred smirked, leaning over to flick Vy's forehead before she could open her mouth again. "Let's have fun, Master!"
Vy blinked one last time before smiling back. "Aye aye… Mo-san!"
Mordred let himself rest a bit easier with the thought that Father might've been smiling too over Vy's shoulder.
Note: This chapter took two months to finish, but then again, work has been a lot this year with employee turnover and losing another supervisor.
I'll dedicate this to Di Thuy, my beloved aunt who would've turned 51 this year (2021) on July 26th. I love you, Di Thuy. Please rest with the Buddha. Be Vy will be okay.
Otherwise, this is Vy, signing out. I'll see you all next time with another Servant.