For the first time since she's summoned, Crown Prince Mordred - Former King but demoted due to predecessor's existence - is finally alone.
It's a surprisingly difficult thing to accomplish, actually. She was used to the attention a King of her status demands from those around her, but this is something else! Every single servant from every side of the facility wants to meet her. From the cute and fun child servants to the insane berserk servants who want to fight her as a means to get to know each other, all want a piece of her. Hell, it's easier to pick out those who don't want to see her at this point. Her fathers (save for Lily), her alternate self, Archer (for some odd reason), Merlin (for now (she should prepare for that)), and….
Lancelot….
Tell a truth, she was expecting to see him around accidentally. She wanted to talk to him. To get to know this man who she both knew and didn't know. The version that both hated and despised her for many reasons. The version that didn't raise her like a surrogate daughter. She wanted to know what that man was truly like.
But how the hell can she do that when for the past three days she's been here, she hasn't even gotten a sniff of his location?
The Red Prince sighed as she walked the empty halls of Chaldea. Her boots make the only noise she hears. She should be at the southern area of the facility. She hasn't gone this far in her exploration yet, so this should get Interesting for her. An intersection that leads to three new directions. Her mind's curious about the path forward, though her instincts are telling her that something at the left needs to be looked at with all of her attention. She doesn't sense any danger, so this might be like those times where she met someone cool like Achilles or that Hound. But when the first thing she saw was a red shoe, she knew who it was.
"Oh." Both Mordreds said aloud as they stopped at the sight of one another. The Knight of Treachery was just walking around with Clarent on her shoulder, causing the Red Prince to flinch at the sight of it. It's not like she was scared, it was just… different from the one she uses.
"i-i was just exploring you see." The Red Prince started before getting shocked at the Knight who just turned around and left the scene.
"W-w-ait!" The Red Prince caught up to the annoyed knight who sneered at her. "I just want to talk."
"What now?" The Knight of Treachery turned around, unknowingly swinging Clarent towards the Prince who had to dodge its sharp edge.
"We clearly got off the wrong foot." The Red Prince said as she regained her breath from that harrowing moment. "You don't like me. That's fine. But with things going the way they are, it feels like you're gonna kill me at this rate!"
"Tch." The Knight threw her head to the side. She was definitely thinking of going that route. Why not though? Is it so wrong to kill someone you really really hate to the very core? And why doesn't this pansy-ass 'Prince' think the same as her? Does she think she's better than that?! That she's above her in some way or form?
"Calm down! Calm down." The Red Prince raised her hands at the Knight. "Your killing intent is radiating out of you just now. Why don't we take things slow and start with helping me out around these parts?"
"Didn't master give you a tour already?" the Knight raised her eyebrow. "Why are you lost all of a sudden? You bad at directions or something?"
"She got caught up with that summoning spree of hers." The Red Prince sighed as she remembered the look on the orange girl's face. "Something about getting a chest of quarts and using them for a new servant."
"Sounds exactly like our master." Sighed the Knight who shook her head in dismay. "She did that to me too. But at least she had the courtesy to take me around after that. Looks like she didn't do the same to you."
"Tell me about it." The Red Prince crossed her arms. But internally, she was somewhat happy at the way things are going. This is the first time the Knight of Treachery's opened up to her without having a cold shoulder. Looks like the avenue of getting around the Knight is through mutual agreement when it comes to complaining about things.
"You looking for Lancelot?" The Knight of Treachery asked all of a sudden, causing the Red Prince to look at her in surprise. "It's the only reason you'd go around these parts."
"He has a room here?" The Red Prince asked hopefully, but was left confused when a scoff left the mouth of the Knight.
"Nah, he just sits outside by the ice shelf." Mordred pointed towards the hallway. "He's a sappy bastard like that. Always moping around like some drama queen."
"I wonder why…" The Red Prince looked at the hall wistfully. Her frown turned solemn and morose. The Knight of Treachery shivered at that face. She didn't even know that it was possible for her to make one like that! Especially when talking about that man.
"Come on." The Knight of Treachery walked without prompt. Her face hung low to hide her emotions. "I'll take you to him."
"You would do that?" For Me? Asked the Red Prince with surprise.
"I won't offer twice." The Knight of Treachery hastened her pace. The boots of the Prince clunked loudly as she tried to catch to up to her counterpart. Now that they started their journey, they did not have anything to talk about. At least, not that the Knight wanted to converse in the first place.
…
…
…
Okay, who was she kidding? She's damn well interested in one thing at the moment. And that's the Prince's relationship with Lancelot.
"So Lancelot's your daddy of sorts?" The Knight asked bluntly. "What happened with you and Father?"
"Father's… father like always." The Red Prince answered calmly, clearly not ready for this subject matter. "He- or she - wasn't really that attached to me. She raised me, cared for me, and taught me everything I knew. That cannot be discounted. But love? Well…"
The Knight of Treachery and the Red Prince looked towards the opposite walls of the hallway. Both flooded with their own memories of their fathers. The Knight had to admit, even though the Prince had it all she still didn't truly get what she wanted. Kinda like her in some- what? Stop it with this train of thought! Where the hell is this coming from anyways?!
"Lancelot… Well…" The Red Prince continued as a long glass window appeared on her side of the hall. "He was the only one who saw me more than my titles. He rescued me from Morgan and took care of me as I grew up. He was everything I wanted Father to be. He was-"
"Perfect, I know." The Knight of Treachery gritted her teeth. "Bastard's always perfect, huh? Even in different timelines. Lucky guy."
"Why are you mad at him?" The Red Prince asked curiously. "I understand that he played his part in the downfall of our Kingdom, but you also tore the Kingdom down with your rebellion. Why such harsh treatment for a man who is as guilty as you are?"
"..." The Knight of Treachery took this time to think. Why did she hate the man? It's gotta be deeper than, 'I hate the Knights in general'. But after deeper analysis… The answer she got wasn't exactly something she agreed with herself.
"Because he can take it." the Knight looked away from the Red Prince, in fear of revealing more than she wanted. "He can pack a punch and absorb it at the same rate. He loathes me as much as I loathe him, so no hard feelings there. Overall, he's the perfect punching bag."
The Knight of Treachery felt a gloved hand on her shoulder. She turned to see her father glaring at her disappointedly. But once she blinked, that image was gone. Replaced with her alternate self who was not too pleased with what she said. The Knight's blood boiled for a second there. Why did she think that this Prince was her father a moment ago?
"Listen." the Red Prince glared. Her emerald eyes became sharp as her prana was instinctively activated due to her anger. "I know you've been through some horrible things. Trust me, I know I was the lucky one between us. But I've seen rage like yours and no matter what you've been through, it's unequivocally unjustifiable to lash it out on your fellow Knights. They carry your guilt and do not deserve what you are doing to them. Lancelot especially."
"The hell did you bring the others up for? Lancelot's who we've been talking about this whole time." The Knight of Treachery irritatingly shrugged off her alternate's hand.
"Instinct. It gets things right most of the time." The Red Prince smiled knowingly. "I have the same A-rank as my father, so I know that what you just said applies for the others you've hurt. And like Lancelot's case, what you are doing to them cannot stand."
"Why the hell do you care?!" The Knight exclaimed as she pierced Clarent on the ground beside her. "You're not me. You said it yourself, you got the better end of the stick. You got some guts to call me out like some counsellor with a broom up her ass."
"Has father tried to tell you what I'm saying to you?" the Red Prince asked suddenly, causing the Knight to remember the latest bout she had with Lancelot.
"Yeah, Lily-" the Knight tried to answer but was immediately waved off by the Prince.
"No no no." The Prince hastily stopped her alternate self. "You know she doesn't count. As sweet as she may be, she's not father."
"Then no." The Knight crossed her arms. "What does that have to do with this anyways?"
"Because you already know that father doesn't care what you do!" The Red Prince waved her hands in the air. "You're probably doing this so that you can attract father's attention, aren't you? Only Lily cares enough to tell you what you're doing isn't good. So, it's either you get your act straight or you continue this miserable, painful path of just lashing out at everyone you knew until they don't care about helping you anymore."
Damn, the Knight thought. She got her there. She got read like a goddamn book, and she doesn't like it a bit. Is this what being King does to her? It imbues her with the ability to fuck with people's minds like just now? Moving back, what can she say to that? That she's wrong and willing to change? Fuck no! She's the damn Knight of Treachery. She bends to no one. Not even to herself.
"This conversation is over." The Knight muttered as she took Clarent off the ground. Leaving the shocked Prince to stand in her lonesome before following her to their intended destination.
The Red Prince knew that she didn't get through the Knight, so she just left it at that. That red bowman was right. This was going to be a hard nut to crack, after all. She will not give up though. She would rather not let this end in a battle to the death. If only God can give her the patience to see this through without taking the drastic option of wielding the blade.
