-The bow startled her, slightly, but it was the smile which truly had the Knight surprised. She couldnât remember Mordred being so relaxed or, perhaps even agreeable in the times past- Had time changed him so much?
Maybe not. It wasnât as though Percival had honestly paid him an exceptional amount of attention. Though she was by no means against making amends and repairing what had fractured - Gawain was proof enough of that - the girl hadnât felt the need to pursue the other by any means. Who one another were, and what they did- It wouldnât be inaccurate to say either of them hadnât much cared to know. Serving at the same table meant little when it came to the membersâ bonds with one another, as their families had often played far more to those whom theyâd fraternized with than their shared status as Arthurâs Knights. As it had been, Percival felt sheâd gotten enough grief from her siblings over her friendship with Gawain, and, to a lesser extent, Gaheris and Gareth. Thereâd been very little incentive to attempt to win the good graces of the more ill-tempered children of Orkney.
âOh, Iâd never doubt you capable of being summoned, Sir Mordred.â
She clarified relaxedly, expression easing ever so much as she spoke. It wasnât that Percival felt genuinely, truly at peace with him, but there was still something familiar in engaging with an old comrade of sorts.
Still, the girl never wouldâve thought sheâd find herself missing conversing with Sir Kay in place of someone else.
ââŚNo, it was just that Iâd never thought to imagine weâd happen to meet again- Not in a place like this, anyways.â The Knight gave her own shake of the head, looking away for a moment as she considered her words. An amused thought made itâs way through her head, she she couldnât help the sheepish not-quite-smile that it brought. ââŚAha, but I guess that means in a sense, we all ended up on a quest for the Grail, right?â
ââŚIâm glad itâs like this, though, and not something moreâŚUnpleasant. Iâm certain most any of us from back home could meet the criteria- ButâŚI really donât want to fight any of you, you knowâŚ?â
Was it luck that had allowed her not to in the first place? Percival wasnât quite so sure of that- She wasnât sure that leaving her friends behind, never getting to see the sun set over Grannis that sheâd looked forward to, and being unable watch who her children had matured into could count as luck. Even so, it had been the one major mercy sheâd been granted in her ending. There had never been a side to take, never been friction between blood and water. The King whom sheâd admired, the family who had protected her and the friends sheâd loved as dearly as her blood- Theyâd all always been together.
Lancelot had been her senior, and a friend- And, in her eyes, through Galahad by their blood, and Bors in their bond, they were as much as family.
But her King, and siblings- One, sheâd sworn her fealty and allegiance to, and the others were as precious to her as sunlight was to the plants.
Wouldâve she turned against her cousins for the sake of her siblingsâ lives, and her liegeâs honor? Or wouldâve she left behind that court she thought of as home, and taken her dearest friends as her blood in place of the ones who had gone?
Percival had thought of that-
She didnât know, and she didnât want to.
Meanwhile, it wasnât that she feared Mordred- Respected his power and prowess, undeniably. The girl was not so foolhardy as to think of the other Knight as a pushover, or imagine his abilities to be anything less than what they were- But, the thought of him did not bring any form of anxiety to her heart, did not produce any such shuddering or cowering. If sheâd had to fight him to serve Arthur, she wouldâve done so readily, if nonetheless unhappily.
But the Round Table, all of them - Even Mordred, and Aggravain, and Kay, with whom she had not gotten along - were dear to her by their nature. Friends they might not have been, but they had all served under one leader, and had fought to create a righteous and just Kingdom. Perhaps not companions, but nonetheless, brothers-in-arms.
As with the feud between her family, and the Orkneys- It would be pointless. It would accomplish nothing and have left only broken hearts and pain.
A fractured table that couldâve never been mended.
While there were many things Percival had wanted to live to see-
That, certainly, was something she was glad to have missed.
Mordred had no more reason to be angry, or to give fire to a feud long since dead. His victory meant that there was no need for any of it, he had lived his life and he had won. Thus becoming a good man, a good soldier, and a good son. Killing the great pretender, fulfilling the prophecy of Clarent, and refuting the prophecy of that priest. So to see the woman that his mother had degraded as silly, uninspired, and weak willed bothered him not.
âYes, that damn cup will never escape us will it? Our beloved creator must be a roman. They always did love their bloody games, and he seems to have the same sense of humor.â
Mordred detested the Romans just like the rest of Britain at the time. Arthur left to fight them and that was the only thanks he had to give those brutes. Living this future life gave him peace in many ways, the thought of that empireâs downfall was both pleasing and comforting. One of his duties at king was to defeat its enemies and he fully intended to if Arthur had not returned so soon. That âgreatâ empire falling made his own fall seem much more natural, it helped him get over the anger of dying to his nemesisâs hands.Â
âSir Percival, that grail is something worth seeking as Iâm sure you know. Iâm delighted to be after it this time, for when you had gone out I was still very young.â
Mordred was a very young knight, dying well before the age of thirty he had little hope of understanding the Percival from back then. However the grail seemed to summon him in a prime that he did not make it to. Stronger, faster, and even smarter, but it was just as likely it was merely the grail increasing his power to that of a heroic spirit instead of a human man. In fact, as his mind wandered to him being summoned like this he looked at Percival as a woman of equal value, if not even a bit higher as he did look down to her eyes.Â
âHmhm... itâs nice to see you like this now. My vision did not include your beauty as I can comprehend now. Quite the knight you are indeed. Hmhm.â A soft laugh followed as his winter green orbs tried to look past her own eyes.Â
âOf course though, our chivalry does not demote women to house roles. So I will fight against you as an equal when the time comes to claim the grail for one of us. My only disadvantage will be you shall know the Grail much more closely than I. A challenge I graciously accept.â
Thinking of the grail was dangerous, the geas on his face burned his face as his mind thought of it for only a second. ĘĚĚąĚĚŁÍĚŻÍĚŹá´ÍĚĚ ÍĚ°Ě Ě Í̹̲̤ÍpÍÇÍĚĚ ĚźĚĚÍĚłÇĚÍĚ̳̏u ĚĄÍIĚśÍ,Í ÍĄĚźI ĚĄwaÍÍĚnÍÍtÍÍĚĚŤ ÍÍÍÍĚŠĚÍi̧ÍĚťĚĚŚtÍ̺̼̏ĚĚĽÍ,ÍĚşĚĚ°ĚŚĚ Ě¤ĚĽĘĚ´ĚŁĚšĚĚŽĚá´Ě˘Í̲ Í̟̤̊ÍÇÍÍ
Ę̰ÍÉĚĽĚŁÍÉĽĚ ÍÍÍÍ Ě§lĚlÍÍĚÍÍḬ́á´ÍĚŹÍĚĘĚŞÍ
ĚšÍ ĚľĚI̢,ÍĚĚŽĚ iĚÍÍĚłt̺̚Ě̟̹̹ ĚˇĚŁĚ bÍÍĚ ÍeĚĽÍÍĚ̲̎lÍÍo̢ĚĚĚŠÍnÍĄgĚťÍĚłĚĚšÍĚşsĚŚ Ě´tÍ ĚŻoÍĚĚÍĚąĚ̹̌ ÍĚŞĚŻÍĚĚŻmŇĚĚĽÍ
Í
ĚŠÍÍeĚĽĚŚ,̺̯ ÍĄĚŻĚąÇĚĚŞĚĚĚÉŻĚŽÍÍ ĚŹĚłĚťĚÍÍĚŞoÍĘÍĚĚĚŞ ÍÍÉšĚĚÍÍĚ ĚŞĚÇ̳̎ĚÍÍ
ĚšÍÉĽÍÍĚĚŤĚ̝̯ Ć̝͢ĚẸ̹̺̌uÍ̼̚á´ĚĚɚ̧̲̯ÍĚŽÍqĚŚ,ÍĚ ĚÍĚĚ ĚŁĚÍÍĚĚ BĚĽĚŁĚŽĚŤĚşÍĆŇÍ
Ě ĚťĚĚŞĚźHÍÍĚŞĚťÍĚąOĚĄÍĚËĽÍĚĚÍĚĚDĚĄÍĚ ĚĽĚąĚłĚŻ ̧TĚŹĚÍĚŻĚĚŚHÍÍĚŤĚŤĚ̲ÍE̡ÍĚĚŠÍĚ Í Í
ĚĚŤĚŤÍפĚ̹̤ĚRâÍÍĚ ÍÍI̧Ě̤̏˼ÍĚÍÍĚłĚÍÂ
What a terrible pain it would bring every time. Nevertheless he would have that grail, even if he had to butcher the entire world and consume the blood of all those in it. That Grail... was his new obsession. Turning a sword against knights was not unknown to him, but it was always with purpose. A purpose as strong as this? Doing so would leave him without hesitation. His armor stabbed into his body, however it was a pain he was used to. All of this externally would appear as if he simply zoned off for a moment.
He smiled at her, a genuine and bright smile. Seen only by three in his lifetime, three people he hated dearly. Now perhaps it meant something else in this life to smile. Yes indeed, this life everything was different.