Happy New Year's Eve! Genuflect to the King!

This will make the last upload of the Louise Summons series for the year. I've published over 200k words in this series this year (and this series ain't the only thing I've been working on), and given that I only started planning it since September 2019, I'm pretty proud of myself. It's gotten more popular than I expected, and has 2020 may have been a terrible year worldwide, but I've made the most of it. Before reading the chapter, take moment to think about your highlights of the year.

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Aight, moment over. Enjoy the chapter!

Louise woke up groggily to the sound of heavy knocking on her door. It took her a moment to realize that this was not her room in the academy. This was an extravagant suite of the castle. Even when he had visited the Princess as a child, she had not been given a room as fancy as the one she was currently in. Louise could only assume it was because she was now associated with a foreign king.

The knocking on her door persisted, prompting the young mage to call out, "Who is it?"

"Sir Verde," came the response. "Breakfast with King Gilgamesh will be served within the hour. Afterwards, you will have an audience with the Princess. Would you like me to request a maid to help you get ready?"

Louise was tempted to say no, as she had been taking care of herself just fine at the academy. But then again, she was about to meet the Princess again for the first time in what felt like ages. She wanted to look her best.

"Yes, please do," she replied.

Forty minutes later, Louise was dressed in a silk white dress with gold trim. It was fancier than what she usually wore, but was simpler than a ballgown, which made it the perfect choice for the meeting she would be attending.

Louise momentarily questioned why a guest room in the castle had a closet full of clothes that fit her almost perfectly, but decided she had bigger concerns.

Gilgamesh was already seated when Louise arrived at breakfast. They were located at a small dining hall, meant for entertaining small company. The table was still large enough to easily fit a dozen people, so it was awkward being one of the only two seated at it. Especially since the only other people in the room were the two knights, Cain and Abel, and one trembling maid.

Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow when he saw Louise. "A change in attire, I see."

"It would be discourteous to formally appear before her highness in my usual wear," Louise said primly as she sat down in the chair Abel pulled out for her. For a knight, he did well acting as an attendant.

"I suppose I should get dressed properly as well," Gilgamesh mused. Louise noted that he was dressed in the clothes he had conjured the previous day. While they would look perfectly normal before the princess, she approved of his suggestion to dress up.

"Shall we make a detour to your room after breakfast then, your majesty, so you can change before meeting the princess?" Cain suggested.

"There is no need. I shall change when necessary."

Cain was visibly confused by Gilgamesh's response. He glanced at his fellow knight, who was equally at a loss, then to Louise, who gave an understanding nod. Seeing that someone seemed to make sense of that odd statement, Cain also nodded and said, "As you wish, your majesty."

After breakfast, the knights led Louise and Gilgamesh to a pair of doors that Louise was very familiar with. After all, she had approached this room multiple times as a child. As Cain and Abel moved to stand on either side of the doors, Gilgamesh decided that it was now the opportune time to change his attire.

The king's formal clothes and cloak disappeared into sparkles. The golden motes coalesced into a noticeably foreign outfit. On Gilgamesh's head was a small turban which had two tails of cloth that fell down his back. He wore a shirt had a high collar and sleeves that reached halfway down his forearm, but it left his chest almost completely bare. His pants were baggy and had long slits cut into their front and near his thighs, exposing most of his legs in a borderline indecent way. On his right hand was an armored gauntlet that covered his fingers in golden claws.

The knights were stunned by the transformation, but true to their discipline, only hesitated a moment before pushing open the doors. Cain announced, "Presenting his majesty, King Gilgamesh of Uruk! And Miss Louise de la Valliere!"

Inside the room were two people standing in front of a pair of sofas. The first was Princess Henrietta, a teenaged girl with blue eyes and violet hair that fell to her shoulders. She wore a lavender dress that was tight around her waist and bust, but billowed out at her feet. Over her dress she wore a royal purple robe.

Beside the princess an old man, Cardinal Mazarin. He wore the distinctive white robes of the clergy. Thick locks of silver hair peaked out from under his tall, navy blue hat.

"Greetings, King Gilgamesh," said Henrietta as she bobbed in a small curtsy. "It is my honor to formally welcome you to Tristan. I am Princess Henrietta de Tristan, and this is Cardinal Mazarin, my regent." The cardinal bowed as he was introduced. "I apologize for not meeting with you sooner, but I recently returned from a journey and was not expecting a visit from a foreign royal. Please, have a seat." She indicated one of the sofas as she and the cardinal moved to the other one. The gesture was not stiff, but it was clearly rehearsed.

Louise bowed and moved to the sofa, waiting for Gilgamesh to follow before she sat down. Gilgamesh did so with only a nod of acknowledgement to Henrietta's words. His gaze was transfixed on the princess's face as he scrutinized her.

Eventually, the king said, "Your delay is forgiven. I have no rush, though I have been eager to meet the one my summoner regards so highly." Gilgamesh rested a hand on his chin. "Honestly, I can't see the reason for her obsession. Your pedigree is noticeable, but you haven't accomplished anything of note. So tell me, princess, what makes you so special? Why would Louise reject my invitation of service to serve a child such as yourself?"

The reactions of the other three people in the room were very telling.

Cardinal Mazarin's jaw briefly dropped before he caught himself and kept his mouth firmly shut. King or not, Gilgamesh's brazen audacity caught the old man completely unawares. To not even bother with pleasantries before openly criticizing the ruler of another country was clear show of disrespect.

Henrietta, against her better training, instinctively averted her eyes from Gilgamesh's judgmental gaze. While she didn't know much about him, she knew his assessment of her was correct, much to her embarrassment. Compared to a king who could summon airships on a whim, she didn't have anything to be proud of. She wasn't even official a ruler yet, and her future was undecided.

Louise shot to her feet, red in the face with a mixture of embarrassment and indignation. "I politely request that your majesty apologize to the Princess!"

While Henrietta and Mazarin's eyes widened in alarm, Gilgamesh seemed unperturbed by Louise's response. In fact, he broke out a small smile as he pressed Henrietta, "I would like my question to be answered."

"With all due respect, your majesty," said Cardinal Mazarin. "It is quite discourteous—"

"Did I ask you to speak, mongrel?" Gilgamesh interrupted. His ruby eyes glittered dangerously as his attention shifted to the elderly man. "My concerns are with my summoner and her princess. Learn your place."

As regent, Cardinal Mazarin technically did have the authority to speak on the princess's behalf. However, he knew better than to vocalize that. Gilgamesh was an unknown in many ways, and he'd rather not risk needlessly inciting the king.

While the men were establishing their pecking order, Henrietta sent a confusing glance at Louise. Louise could only shrug helplessly. When Gilgamesh's attention focused on Henrietta again, the princess didn't have a clue what to say.

So, she decided to speak from her heart.

"I honestly do not know why Louise thinks I am special," said Henrietta. "It is true, I am young, and I have no accomplishments. I am a triangle class water mage, but that is nothing out of the ordinary for a royal my age. You, King Gilgamesh, have a royal presence that sets you apart, and your magic is beyond recreation by even Halkegenia's finest mages." Despite Henrietta's self-depreciating words, her lips upturned to a small smile. "However, Louise is my most faithful and trusted friend. If she has decided to put her trust in me, then I most graciously accept."

"Princess…" Louise said breathlessly.

Gilgamesh was silent for a long moment. Then, to the surprise of everyone, he snorted. The snort grew into a chuckle, which turned into a full bellied laugh. The cardinal and princess looked to Louise in bewilderment, but she could only offer a shrug. She may have spent the most time around Gilgamesh, but she didn't understand why everyone assumed she knew what went on inside his head. She'd known him for barely more than a day!

"Friendship," Gilgamesh finally said through his laughs. "I offer her the power to rule the world, and she gives it up for friendship. I must say, I underestimated you, Louise."

"How so, your majesty?" Louise asked cautiously.

"You pleasantly surprise me at every turn," Gilgamesh remarked. "We are more alike than meets the eye."

Louise's expression went from wary to hopeful. "Does this mean—"

"Patience," said Gilgamesh, raising a hand. "Just because I take amusement in you doesn't mean I respect you, yet. You'll have to earn your acknowledgement."

"Pardon my asking, but I feel like I'm missing some context," Henrietta interjected.

Louise looked to Gilgamesh, silently asking for permission.

The king rolled his eyes. "Do what you wish. I'm not your minder."

Louise then warily looked to Cardinal Mazarin. While she had no ill will against the man who was supporting Henrietta, she also knew that he was connected to the church. She had heard rumors that he was offered the position of pope, but had turned it down to serve the Tristan royal family. Gilgamesh's magic and teachings were borderline—if not outright—heresy, and she'd rather not spend the rest of her life locked away by the church.

Henrietta caught on to Louise's expression. "I suppose we shall speak afterwards," she said. "After all, we have a lot to catch up on."

"Don't pretend to entertain me," Gilgamesh commented. "My curiosity has been satisfied. I have no further interest in this meeting." With that, he stood up to leave.

"But we must speak about diplomatic relations!" Cardinal Mazarin interjected.

Gilgamesh gave the old man a withering glare. "I have no wish to go to war against my summoner's country. However, I will not hold back if a mongrel incites my wrath. This meeting is over." With that, he turned and walked away. As the door swung closed behind him, Louise saw Sir Cain hurrying after Gilgamesh while Sir Able stood awkwardly by the door.

After the door slammed shut, Louise whispered to Henrietta, "Don't worry about him, princess. He's not mad."

"I never assumed him to be touched in the head."

"N-not that type of mad!"

"I jest, Louise," said Henrietta with a smile. "Honestly, it is good to see you again. I had hoped to visit you while you were at the academy, but you surprised me."

"I think I surprised everyone, including myself," Louise admitted. "I thought I was going to die when I summoned a king."

"And how did that come about?" Cardinal Mazarin interrupted. "I'm terribly sorry to interrupt you ladies, but the security of Halkegenia is at risk. If his country decides to invade us due to kidnaping their king, Tristan could fall."

"That will not happen," Louise stated.

"You cannot be certain."

"I can, and am," Louise affirmed. "King Gilgamesh of Uruk will not have his armies marching against Tristan. Not that he can't destroy the country on his own if he wanted to." She muttered the last part under her breath. She had felt the power of some of the magic items he had in his vault. Call it a gut instinct, but she felt that the only reason Gilgamesh hadn't covered Tristan in blood was because he was more amused than angry despite Louise's rude summoning.

"Miss Valliere, I must insist—"

"Cardinal Mazarin," Henrietta interrupted. "While I appreciate your concern, Louise has already made herself clear. If she believes that Uruk is not our enemy, then I will trust her word. Unless you wish to cast doubt on the only person who has maintained a full conversation with the king in question?"

The Cardinal frowned, but nodded. "As you wish, your highness," he said. "Still, take caution. A man with eyes like that is likely blinded with his own ambition and greed. Be warned so he doesn't take anything precious."

"I don't think there's anything in Tristan he wants," Louise said, thinking back to the vastness of Gilgamesh's available treasure. "Aside from me, that is."

"But what about your engagement with Wardes?" Henrietta asked.

"Not in that way!" Louise protested. "And, well, it's a long story."

Louise and Henrietta sat on the edge of Henrietta's bed. It had been years since Louise had been to the Princess's room, but it hadn't changed much. The room was filled with luxurious furniture: imported wood cabinets, silk draperies, and the finest clothes and accessories money could buy. However, there was precious little of Henrietta's personal belongings out on display. Those were safely stowed away out of sight of prying eyes.

Louise had just finished explaining the situation with Gilgamesh. Henrietta had listened to the explanation silently, not interrupting and letting Louise finish before she said anything.

"You summoned a copy of the ghost of a famous king from another world, and he'll accept you as his master if you manage to get his respect. Did that I get that right?" Henrietta asked. Her tone was neutral, and her face was unreadable.

"Yes," Louise half-whispered. "I know it sounds crazy, but I'm telling the truth!"

"I know, Louise."

Louise jerked up in surprise. "Y-you do?"

"Of course," said Henrietta with a gentle smile. "I trust you, Louise. I know you wouldn't lie about something this important."

"Princess…" Louise said, heartwarmed.

"Also, you're a terrible liar. I doubt that has changed."

Louise pouted. "You shouldn't tease me so, your highness."

Henrietta laughed. "Honestly, I appreciate your candor," she said sincerely. "Even when we were little, you always were polite to me. But whenever I wanted to do something foolish, such as climb out of my bedroom window like the princesses in my story books, you would always speak your mind and scold me like you were my mother."

"I-I never scolded you!"

"See? That's a lie right there."

Louise crossed her arms with a huff as Henrietta laughed at her expense.

"I'm sorry, Louise, but it's been a long time since I've been able to have this freedom." Henrietta's expression turned sour. "Preparing for the throne has been… troubling. Even now, I still feel like I am unprepared."

"You will be a great queen, I guarantee it," Louise vowed. "I will support you in every way I can."

"Thank you, Louise. You're a better friend than I deserve."

"No! In fact, I'm humbled by your praise, your highness."

Henrietta reached out gripped Louise's hands in her hers. "Please, Louise, call me Henrietta, just like when we were young."

"B-but I couldn't be so impolite!"

"Just when we're alone?" Henrietta pleaded. "While Louise le Blanc de La Valliere may be the most loyal supporter of Princess Henrietta de Tristan, Louise is the very dear friend of Henrietta. I want us to be able to be close again. Please?"

The forces of formality and familiarity waged war across Louise mind. Eventually, a decisioned was reached. "Very well. If you ask, then I can't say no," Louise conceded. "But only in private!"

"Of course," Henrietta said gratefully. "That is more than enough for me."

Silence.

"Louise?"

"Yes, Pri—Henrietta?"

"Thank you. For everything."

"…You're welcome, Henrietta."

Well, that was short. Y'all waited patiently for 3 months on a chapter that was less than 3k words long.

Let me slide you a little bonus. It's on the house.

The King Takes the Reigns

An Omake

The author sits down in his chair, typing away on his laptop. The stage is set, the characters are ready, and it is time begin the story. Now, Gilgamesh is set to be summoned as Louise's familiar, and proceed to alter the timeline—

"Of course. Did you expect me to follow the plot like a lowly mongrel?" the king asks.

The author pauses in his typing. Gazing into his screen, he can see the spirit of Gilgamesh floating on the page. "Well, no," the author admits. "But I already prepared a bunch of character interaction at the academy—"

"This place is dry and boring," Gilgamesh interrupts. "I refuse to waste my time here."

The author ponders for a moment. "Well," he says thoughtfully, "I suppose I could have you go out at one point… As long as enough major plot points are hit, it doesn't matter what you do."

"Come along, Louise."

"Yes, your majesty."

The author sits up in his chair. "Wait, hold on a bloody grail second!" he interjects. "That's not where Louise's room is!"

"Why would I go to this girl's room?" Gilgamesh asks mockingly. "I have better things to do with my time. I'm off to the royal capital!"

"You can't just off and—hold up, how are you summoning Vimana? You're a Servant without a master right now!"

"The Gates of Babylon cost only a paltry amount of my sizable reserves," Gilgamesh brags. "You should know this mongrel, if you had properly done your research."

"Low mana cost doesn't mean you can just use it willy milly whenever you want!" the author argues. He sighs and slumps back in his chair. "Alright, fine. Go have fun at the royal capital. Go see the sights, interact with nobility—"

"Meet the princess who has stolen the loyalty of the only person I see worthy of remaining in my presence."

"…Please don't threaten the princess of the Tristan."

"I will do whatever I please."

"Please don't start a war with the country your summoner is a part of," the author rephrases his request. "It will be a huge inconvenience, unless you want to bathe the world in blood like some people think your obsessed with doing."

"I have no reason to slaughter the mongrels who tread in this garden," Gilgamesh says assuring. "I only remove the ones that offend me. Like this one." He points to Viscount Wardes.

"You are a threat to my plans," Wardes mutters, his hand on the handle of his sheathed sword.

"And you are snake under my heel," Gilgamesh remarks as golden portals open behind him.

"Can you two get along?" Louise requests.

"Yes!" the author agrees enthusiastically. "Please, don't kill each other!"

Wardes takes his hand off his sword. "Very well, I will not upset my fiancé," he says charmingly.

"I will let the mongrel live, so long as he doesn't interfere with what is mine," Gilgamesh declares.

"I hope you're not declaring my fiancé to be yours," Wardes says with a tight-lipped smile.

"I hope you're not assuming I'm ignorant to your scheme," Gilgamesh responds in kind.

"What's going on?" Louise asks.

The author sighs. "Ignore them, just focus on the plot," he says. Then, his eyes widen in realization. "This isn't right… Gilgamesh can't set up roots in the capital. Half of the early events happen in the Academy! You two need to head back!"

"Well, I do have classes to attend—" Louise begins.

"I refuse to leave until I meet the princess!" Gilgamesh declares.

"I really don't think the Princess should meet with you right now," the author says resignedly. "She just got back from Germania according to the canon. But knowing you, you're going to have your way anyway."

"But of course."

"It is an honor to meet you, King Gilgamesh," Princess Henrietta greets the king.

The author throws up his hands. "Seriously? Why is everything going the way Gilgamesh wants? I'm the author! I'm supposed to be in control! Not him!"

"Silence, mongrel. The only reason I tolerate you is because your presence amuses me. Otherwise I would erase you from this world."

"…I really don't think that's how this works," the author remarks.

"Then I will make it so."

The author buries his face into his hands. "Please. Someone. Do something to prevent Gilgamesh from derailing this plot any more than he already has. Princess Henrietta?"

"I'd rather not insult a foreign royal as powerful as he," the princess responds. "Besides, I have full confidence in my dear friend Louise."

The author tries the next voice of authority. "Cardinal Mazarin, a little help?"

"I would, but the king clearly has no desire to speak with me," the old clergyman replies.

"Louise?" the author attempts.

"I'm learning more from King Gilgamesh than I did with my teachers," says Louise. "I see no reason to stop him. Also, he's scary."

"Wardes? Come on. You hate this guy!"

"I have no reason to walk into an early grave."

"Osmond? Colbert?"

"You didn't even give me a scene in this story!"

"I wish to keep the violence at a minimum. Surrendering is the best option."

The author bangs his head against his keyboard. "Okay, since all of you are apparently easily persuaded—or frightened—I'll have to do it myself." The author raises his head and types. "Gilgamesh, by my power as an author, I command you to integrate yourself into the plot of this story!"

"I refuse, mongrel."

"Gah!" the author recoils. "How can this be? I'm the author! This is my world! You all are characters that should bend to my whim and wishes!"

"Do you think I am some lowly flower in your garden that you can uproot and transplant at will?" Gilgamesh counters. "My Independent Action defies even your world altering abilities, and my aspect of self is powerful enough for me to remain true to myself regardless of what the plot demands!"

The author stares blankly at Gilgamesh. "So basically, you have such a large EGO that I can't force you to do anything against your character?"

"Crude, but you are correct, for once."

The author sighs, powers down his computer, and walks away. "Just a few more chapters," he mutters to himself. "I just need to find a way to end this story before Gilgamesh drives me crazy. Just a few more chapters. Just a few more…" He continues this mantra as he slowly walks out of sight.

The Omake took a fraction of the time I spent writing the actual chapter, that's how much Gilgamesh slows me down. I write this story knowing it would be difficult, but... it seriously is draining.

Audience: Why didn't you use Kid or Caster Gil? Why torture yourself with Archer?

I'm a Masochist!

...

No, I'm not. But I felt it would be cheap to summon an easy version of Gil. Besides, who says this version is Archer? It could be the previously unseen Rider, or even Berserker!

...

Fine, don't believe me. Whatever. Gilgamesh has broken the story mold and will be doing his own thing until Louise manages to establish a proper Master/Servant relationship with him. Then the story will end. As for when that development will happen, I don't know. But this story is not going to last 10 chapters.

Leave reviews. Gil makes me want to reach through my screen and strangle him. I need an uplift to end my year. Remember, reviews are food for a writer's soul!