Guinevere stood at the bow of a ship headed for the shores of Camelot. The wind brushed along her skin, her hair loose in the breeze. The mist of the harbor slowly began to clear, and the sight took her breath away. Thousands of warships were in harbor. Each was large enough to carry at least five hundred men on board. She knew there hadn’t been this many ships a year ago.
Sliding into port she stepped off the ship and paid the captain for his service although he tried to refuse.
“It wouldn’t be right to take money just for helping a lady return home,” the captain said.
“All service deserves just rewards,” Guinevere said placing a small bag of coins in his hand. “Please take this with my thanks.”
Guinevere pulled up the hood of her cloak. It served to hide her armor and face as she walked through the cobblestone streets. The pavement was clean, the drainage and sewer system created by earth abilities when the city was first constructed. She watched columns of soldiers march past. Guinevere noticed the signs of militarization the more she moved through the city although the mood of the city was joyful, so this wasn’t the result of some siege.
“Excuse me,” Guinevere said stopping at a blacksmith. “Why are there are so many soldiers in the city? I’ve been gone… for a long time.”
“You haven’t heard about the war?” the blacksmith asked. “You must have been far away then. The King liberated Dracon last year we were in the process of rooting out all the old loyalists when barbarians from the Cursed Forest attacked.”
“We attacked Dracon?” Guinevere asked.
“Prince Arthur himself led the army and struck down their corrupt king himself,” the blacksmith said his sense of pride and patriotism evident.
“Thank you for your time,” Guinevere said leaving.
She continued to make her way to the palace. There were at least ten thousand soldiers marshalled around the city based on the patrols she was seeing. Pacing into the Gold District she was stopped at the gates to the palace grounds.
“Halt and state your business,” the guard at the gate said.
Guinevere pulled down the hood of her cloak. “I am Dutchess Guinevere of the lands of Logres, betrothed to Crown Prince Arthur.”
There was a shocked silence but a quick look at the description above her head confirmed who she was. Although it was possible to make up a false name it was not possible to fake titles and her title of the Winter Lady was evident in her status. Guinevere was brought into the palace and made to wait outside the throne room.
This was odd since as the betrothed to the Crown Prince she should have immediately been brought before the King and Prince. Crossing her arms Guinevere used the time to look up her status.
Guinevere the Winter Lady, Gifted- Veteran, humanoid/human*, Veteran Rank: 301
Available Rank Points: 157
Might:
70
Mind:
73
Speed:
72
Perception:
53
Toughness:
70
Spirit:
75
Endurance:
71
Power:
45
Maximum Stamina:
353
Maximum Mana:
289
Stamina Regen:
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70.8
Mana Regen:
64
Abilities
Oracle’s Ghost (Rank 20), Grace-of-the-Fey (Rank 20), Stand-your-Ground (Rank 20), Rime-frost Armor (Rank 20), Mirror Block (Rank 20), Royal Blade (Rank 20), Winter’s Aura (Rank 20), Winter’s Touch (Rank 20), Confessor’s Sight (Rank 20), Ice Flash (Rank 20), Frigid Blast (Rank 20), Blizzard Breath (Rank 20), Razor Edge (Rank 20), Agonizing Strike (Rank 20), Battle Insight (Rank 20), Cursed Crown (Rank 1)
Titles
Master Swordsman, Lady of Camelot, the Winter Lady, Immovable, Prodigy, Coldblooded, Aphrodite’s Image, Swift Blade, Fire Resistant III, Survivor III, Abomination Slayer, Dark Valkyrie
She had only gained one ability in the entire year she’d been gone. She’d gotten it after the cursed stag was slain due to her being the second largest contributor to that fight. She had also gained a title after killing the vampire abomination. The name and description of that title still made her uneasy and she wasn’t willing to equip it just yet or tell anyone about it.
*Dark Valkyrie: You can equip this title to appear after your name in your description. While equipped you deal x3 damage while fighting alongside a Void-bound entity within 60 feet of you, damage multiplier and range is halved while title is not equipped.
The implication of Mordred being void bound was not what shook her she had already known he harbored a spirit of the void. The fact that his presence was affecting her abilities and titles was what concerned her. Her ability she had gained was still at rank one but once upgraded would push her into Hero Rank, but she was hesitant to take that step.
Cursed Crown (Rank 1): You have slain a prince of the forest alongside a champion of the gods earning you the notice of both the gods of law and chaos. Your regal bearing now takes the form of a halo of flames above your head that lasts for 1 minute. All your attacks deal an additional minor amount of cursed damage any creature striking you with a melee attack receives a minor amount of curse damage.
Cost:
10 mana
Cooldown:
5 minutes
Upgrade this ability to increase the damage and duration of its effects. Each rank of this ability increases your Power attribute by 1.
The doors of the throne room finally swung open. Guinevere walked inside noticing how the usual courtiers were absent. Her father was there, which surprised her. Stopping the curtsied as was customary even if she wasn’t wearing a dress.
“My King,” she said respectfully. “Father.”
“Where have you been?” Merlin asked, his voice stern.
“Going to and for under the earth,” Guinevere replied. His harsh voice did not stinger her as much as it had once.
“And the Warlord?” King Arthur asked. “We were told you and him died in battle against eachother.”
“Who told you that?” Guinevere asked.
“Lady Kira,” the King replied. “Is it true? Is the Warlord dead?”
“I would not trust a word Lady Kira has to say,” Guinevere responded. “Last I saw him the Warlord was alive.”
“Why shouldn’t we trust the word of Lady Kira?” Arthur asked.
“Because she and her party betrayed me, they opened up portals and brought in a group of assassins to kill me,” Guinevere said. “I killed the rest of the ones that betrayed me, but she managed to escape.”
“That is a bold accusation,” Merlin said. “Do you have any proof?”
“Only that she fled and told others that both I and the Warlord died when that was lie,” Guinevere said.
“May I speak with Lady Guinevere alone?” Arthur asked.
Both Merlin and King Arthur looked at each other, than the prince. “Do you think that wise?” his father asked.
“It is necessary, I need to explain some things to Guinevere,” Arthur said.
Merlin and King Arthur left leaving Guinevere alone with Arthur. Turning her back to Arthur Guinevere walked over to the window overlooking the palace grounds. Hundreds of knights could be seen training and a tourney ground was being constructed by the edges of Lake Virviera.
“Confessor’s Sight,” Guinevere breathed out her voice so soft there was no one that could have heard her without her whispering it in their ear.
“Guinevere…I…” Arthur said the moment coming and he found himself at a loss for words. “A lot has happened since you left.”
“So, I’ve heard,” Guinevere said.
“You have?” Arthur asked, seeming surprised.
“Not all of it,” Guinevere said turning to face him. “Do you remember why I agreed to this in the first place?”
“To stop our fathers from going to war,” Arthur said.
“Yes,” Guinevere said coldly. “But when I return home, I find that not only are we on the edge of war but you yourself have already marched off and destroyed an entire country.”
Arthur flinched at her words. “It’s not like that,” he protested.
“Then what is it like?” Guinevere asked. “Because I only agreed to marry you in order to save lives, not to secure your father’s power base so he could wage war more effectively. The harbor is filled with a thousand warships, patrols of soldiers march the city streets.”
“Barbarians have invaded our lands,” Arthur snapped back.
“They are invading the lands you conquered,” Guinevere corrected. “You don’t get to strike first and then claim self-defense.”
Arthur let out a breath. “This isn’t what I needed to talk to you about.”
“And what was that?” Guinevere asked.
“I have a son,” Arthur said blurting it out.
Guinevere expected to feel something, but the admission of his infidelity didn’t give her any reaction. If she was honest with herself she felt relived.
“Was he conceived before or after you thought I was dead?” Guinevere asked.
Arthur was silent and wouldn’t meet her eyes.
“That’s what I thought,” Guinevere said. “Our betrothal is done.”
“Its not,” Arthur said with a sigh. “When we learned you were dead there were amendments made to the betrothal contract. I was to marry your sister this summer in place of you, however my father added that if you were to return the arrangement would change back to the old.”
“The old agreement required you to remain faithful,” Guinevere reminded him her voice like ice.
“My father used his authority as king to change it,” Arthur said with a sigh. “Whether you or I like it the marriage is going through.”
“And your mistress?” Guinevere asked her voice like a knife at his throat.
“I will not abandon the mother of my child,” Arthur said finally meeting her eyes.
Guinevere stepped in close, her voice growing low. “If you go through with this and force me into a marriage against my will… then know there is no place on this earth where your child or mistress will be safe.”
Arthur was stunned. “What happened to you Guinevere? Your threatening a child!”
“The Warlord happened,” Guinevere replied.
“I’m sorry,” Arthur said lowering his head as he assumed the worst.
“Don’t be,” Guinevere said. “Unlike you at least he keeps to his word. Goodbye Arthur remember what I said to you today, unlike you, I always keep my promises.”