VI.
Louise was still processing how close she had come to death when the new threat made itself apparent. After a few seconds though, she had recollected herself and stood to face the opposing Master, while all the others present were still being forced down by the weight of the Servant's power. As the Saint-Hermine Master climbed to her feet, the other mage on the balcony cast an angry, disapproving look on her.
"Young lady you seem to forget yourself. You are in the presence of those of a higher station." The mage accompanied her words with a sign of her hand which acted as a signal for her Servant.
"Kneel!" The Servant brandished her weapon at Louise as she issued the command.
Louise felt some sort of magical pressure push down on her suddenly, the same pressure that was now redoubled on Leo and the Servants, forcing all of them further into a submissive stance. Louise, though she certainly felt the magical force, did not find herself pushed to the ground. It caused her balance to sway for a few seconds, but she quickly reasserted her defiant stance.
Lancer's face momentarily showed a modicum of surprise, but it was just as quickly replaced with one of understanding. "Mistress." She said, turning slightly to face her Master.
"Indeed." The older woman replied. "I suppose I may owe you a sort of apology, my dear impudent intruder." She said louder, addressing Louise. "Considering you are unaffected by my Servant's Noble Authority perhaps you are not of the low birth I initially thought." She offered a curtsy that was more a wave of her dress than anything, as she refused to bend her knees to Louise. "I was not anticipating having to entertain tonight, but allow me to make my introduction. I am Henrietta Lorenza Fenix, Grand Matriarch of the Fenix clan, and its representative in the Holy Grail War."
While not the individual, Louise at least recognized the name Fenix as belonging to a particularly well respected mage clan. She also knew that Fenix was a clan that had been wiped out under mysterious circumstances nearly twenty years ago. "I mean no disrespect, Madame, and please correct me if my information is wrong, but I was under the impression that the Fenix clan, who made their home on the western coast of Brittany, no longer existed."
"An impertinent statement by an impertinent child. You doubt my heritage?" Though her words were full of venom and anger, Madame Fenix did not let her rage show on her features as she answered Louise's slight.
"I only wished to confirm if there were perhaps two Fenix clans so that I may not confuse the standing of the one whose presence I now have the honor of being in." Louise gave a slight bow as she offered the somewhat disingenuous apology.
"As though such an illustrious name could be shared by another family." There was an almost amused tone to Madame Fenix's reply. "Listen here, child. There always has, and will be only one Fenix line. And if it must die with me that is the fate it will suffer. But make no mistake that no others shall ever claim our distinguished title."
"So you can then account for the reported destruction of your family line?" Louise felt extremely ill-at-ease with the current situation. Things were incredibly bleak for both her and Rider, their lives hanging by the thread of Madame Fenix's whim. All Louise could do right now was buy herself and her Servant time to think of some sort of escape option.
"You dare interrogate my Mistress?!" Lancer's temper had flared suddenly, a strange red glow in her eye as she raised her spear toward Louise again. The rage seemed to subside immediately though with a raised hand from her Master.
"Though her manner of statement is rather blunt, I do agree with my Servant. You ask terribly many questions for someone who has yet to introduce themselves." Madame Fenix's face continued to show little emotion.
"I apologize for any perceived slight on my part. I am Louise Bernyce Saint-Hermine. Second heir to the Saint-Hermine bloodline, and one of its representatives in the Holy Grail War."
A subdued laugh that was equal parts genuine amusement and condescension escaped Madame Fenix's lips as Louise finished her introduction. "Oh my dear. My sweet little princess. You are of the Saint-Hermine line, and yet you deign to question me on the account of my clan's obliteration? I apologize for insinuating you were rude before, as I see now what you truly are is callous."
Rather than its seemingly intended effect of offense or anger, the only emotion the response stirred in Louise was confusion. "Madame, my esteemed host, I don't mean to imply that you are in some way mistaken, or admit ignorance on my own part, but I don't think I fully grasp what you mean."
"Don't you?" Any tone of amusement was gone from the older mage's voice, replaced only with stoic antipathy. "You are young I suppose. You could not have been terribly old when it happened. But, it is strange. Perhaps Elzear never spoke of one of his greatest victories? One of his greatest crimes?"
"I would beg you, Madame, to not slander my father's name to me." Louise's natural reaction was to immediately speak to her father's defense. However, given recent events, she had found her certainty somewhat shaken.
"Slander is only when someone speaks something that is not true my dear. You asked me to speak to the account of the slaughter of my clan, well I now speak to it. Does the truth offend you so that you cannot hear it? Is it blind loyalty, or mindless stupidity that leads you to defend that man so ardently? Not that there is much difference between the two." Madame Fenix at first was relishing having the heir of her greatest enemy in her power. But all amusement was gone as it became clear how ignorant Louise was of the source of her ire.
"You have proof of your claim? That the Saint-Hermine were responsible?" Louise tried her best to sound confident, but her assurance was slowly being chipped away by the composure and conviction of her opponent.
"Listen well, little girl. I have no need to prove to you what is written in the mutual history of our two families. Elzear Avitianus Saint-Hermine saw fit to destroy everything I hold dear based solely on his own capricious whim. There is no forgivable explanation for the extent to which he murdered every single individual with attachment to the name Fenix. As such, there will be no mercy given on my part to him or any who hold his accursed name, whether they be legitimate, or introduced into the family via furtive and unscrupulous means!" The emotionless veneer of Madame Fenix's features had cracked, a somewhat unhinged malice visible on her face as she made her declaration of war. "I am almost glad that none of my blind attacks on the various inns and hostels of Paris managed to claim your life. It will be all the sweeter when you die before me."
"Blind attacks?" Louise was confused by what the statement meant, though a dark thought was wriggling its way into her mind.
"Yes. Surely you encountered the people in the levels above. Your average peasant is so quick to abandon sanity and reason when presented with the right impetus. And it is so easy for Lancer to introduce that incentive. Once turned, they casually slaughter their own, roaming the streets at night at my command. I was hoping to catch other members of the Grail War as they arrived, before they had even time to ready defenses. I do not believe they have managed any success yet, but now I'm almost glad for it."
A look of horror was plastered across Louise's face as she remembered the scene at the hotel Camille and herself had stayed at upon first arriving in Paris. Dozens of innocents, people who had no relation to the Grail War, butchered by their brainwashed neighbors. All because of the very contest Louise was now herself a participant in.
She was about to condemn Madame Fenix and her inhuman actions, when she found herself interrupted by the unexpected words of l'Archer Noire, who had only just regained some of his mobility from the magically induced pressure holding him and the others down. "Marguerite! My sweet, my queen, my love! Is it really you!? Or do my eyes deceive me that there could be any other with beauty such as hers?"