Zuria Kingdom

It was an interesting thing, watching Sir Cador become more and more complacent over time. She was acutely aware of the nature of his body and more over of his desire to continue in their endeavors into lewd activities. Of course, with her own finish came his, this time without resistance. Sir Cador loosed his seed into Merlyn's mouth and her constantly glowing eyes lit up at this action. She was a succubus after all, though well-behaved in general, she still had certain leanings at the end of the day. She was also quite right about the nature of that which spilled directly from this man's body. Because of her demonic nature his seed tasted of sweet cream to her, instead of how such things normally tasted. One might consider this strange, but it was far from the worst thing to discover upon ending up in a magical world. Succubus physiology was definitely winning on the idea of making eating people seem like a good idea. She imagined the vampires also had such exquisite tastes when it came to their favored cattle as well. She scooted forward just a bit looking back at the man below her while licking her lips. "You're pretty tasty, Sir Cador. Between this and the dreams, you're definitely my favorite meal~" she said offering the man a cheeky wink. What else would they do? How far would they go? Well, desire said as far as they wanted to... though time would eventually be catching up to them.

Reprieve at last. Cador couldn't realize how much time was passing, nor how much of a buildup he was dealing with each time Merlyn brought about his end, but he knew exactly how easily he was apt to approach each following stage. There was even a thought, that this could have been the case regardless of succubus physiology and the like. Merlyn's slight forward movement accompanied by the licking of her lips, likely would have functioned as a reset for any beholder. Of course, there was also the rather interesting statement on offer to go along with the visuals. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Merlyn," he spoke with a snide grin, taking his breather against the tree. "I've already put everything on the table, after all. There is hardly a thing left to gain from the likes of me. That is, unless your succubus magic has some way of multiplying infinity. Surely that isn't possible─"

Little did he know, it technically was... in a certain way. Nevertheless, time was steadily progressing. The two were able to enjoy this time, when no guards of the kingdom would enter the dungeons due to fear for their own lives... but how long would that actually last? Soon, perhaps, they would be finding out. Until such a time came, though, indulgence was not a thing Cador intended to go without.

Merlyn was still full of cheeky commentary, and given the reaction of Sir Cador's body, she could tell they had a bit more fun to have. His words were just as snarky as ever, which she quite enjoyed of the Spirit Knight, whether she'd already mentioned it or not. "Oh, Sir Cador you have the wrong idea about me~" Merlyn managed just as sweetly as she always did. "I don't just want my words to get me somewhere... I am already where I wish to be, flattery is just extra~" she said as she slid down his body. With him against the tree like this and her facing away she aimed to lower herself onto him again. He'd already offered himself and she was acutely aware of the passage of time even here, she could take a little more. He'd already offered it anyways. A gentle sigh escaped her as this angle was well worth vying for, as for his words she had a little left to say. "Combining dreams with infinity multiplies both, no? That's a walk in the park for me~" she said with a snarky smirk as she moved her hips back and began this gentle ride along Sir Cador. Oh the fun they will have, besides... there was at least one thing she could take from him one day, whether he realized it or not was something completely different.

As the time passed in a state of Dream and Reality for Merlyn and Sir Cador, Guin and Emilia had hardly left each other's sight. They'd both cleaned the Queen's Chambers while she was missing and were running off towards their own rooms. The time of day was well beyond waning. And dinner had already been served and everyone had mostly been released for the day. Small whispers occurred between these two white haired individuals as this pair made their way towards their room first. "Eh, I'm taking first bath okay. No wandering off... we can switch in a bit," Emilia said. Apparently this pair had become so paranoid of what would happen to them, neither of them wanted to be completely alone even in such instances as quick trips to the bathroom. Such habits seemed strange to most in the world they were from, but here, were kidnappings, rapes and murders were being plotted by people who were supposed to care about you, such a thing was a basic precaution. "Alright, I'll be here. Just yell if anything happens," Guin mentioned. Her watch would take place right here. As she waited for the other lass to have a quick bath. She was vigilant, clutching that little doll. Such a thing might seem out of place for one Guin's age, but there was much more to this doll than it appeared. Her eyes crystal blue watched with intensity, nothing bad would befall her friend while she was around and she knew the other girl felt just as strongly as she did.

If nothing else, dinner in the Kingdom of Zuria was a thing to look forward to. Arthur, for one, had even managed a decent and peaceful meal. He'd been seated, oddly enough, three seats away from Kolin's left, despite being such a new addition to the castle. Perhaps this distance was what made things easier. Either way, dinner reached its conclusion soon enough, with Arthur rising and bowing to the queen before a timely exodus of himself and a few others. He did not travel very far, but he did move far enough to see none other than Guinevere standing alone in a nearby corridor. Strange; he remembered Cador's advice for her and Emilia to remain near each other. Being new as he was, he hardly gave a thought to the idea that... the door next to her was to a bathroom.

"Ah, Guinev─ ahem... Guin," he greeted, stopping to offer a most respectful bow. "Is everything alright here?" The knight's eyes shifted to and fro, scanning either end of the hall. He didn't see Emilia running off in either direction, nor did he possess the ability to sense her presence. As such, it was only proper of him to be curious as to why these two were separate while Guin clutched the doll she carried around. Could it have been a nervous reaction to Emilia being lost? He absolutely had to check, but remain as inconspicuous as possible while doing so. "Where is..." He paused to clear his throat. "That other servant girl? Not off causing trouble for the queen, is she?"

While Merlyn and Sir Cador indulged their desires. Arthur found himself before Guin in front of the bathroom door that Emilia had gone into. She took pause watching him approach and his words, hit her ear and made her look at him strangely. Guin was quite well known around the castle. After all, she was previously its princess, because of this, she was known to give scathing looks to all of the Knights especially the ones who currently had favor with the Queen Kolin. Hearing Arthur's words, she was clever enough to realize he was keeping up appearances but also checking on their welfare. She gave a little curtsy with the full weight of those eyes of hers while she spoke, politely but curtly as she would have to any other Knight. "We've been at this quite a while longer than you would think, Sir. Emilia wouldn't cause trouble for the Queen..." she said with a tone which implied her annoyance though it wasn't necessarily true.

"We've finished our duties and she's currently having a quick bath here... there is little to be concerned about," she said softly. "Your room has also been cleaned this morning and fresh linens applied to your bed. Anything else?" she asked though her words were friendly those eyes of hers swirled with much greater emotion than she was currently allowed to show. "We do thank you however, for your kindness in checking up on us. We don't mean to be a bother," she added at the end, this of course was just for Arthur. After all, he was kind to both of them, she had no reason to distrust him as of yet, especially not when Sir Cador found him favorable. As a complete aside Guin herself found this man nice to look at, and the spirits surrounding her never discouraged his talking to her, nor her talking to him. She could believe his sincerity, even if she knew this world wasn't the place for it.

Guin caught on quickly to his little act. That was for the best; Kolin was far too close for any other form of conversation to occur comfortably. Even so, her act was incredible enough that Arthur actually felt the sting of her words and glares. He had to actively keep in mind that they were simply pretending... at least, he hoped she was also doing so. "None of that matters. As long as Her Grace isn't troubled, I guess I'll spare the two of you for now," he said, keeping an ear and eye open for the queen herself.

Ah, so that was a bathroom door. He had little to worry about as long as they were near one another, and perhaps just as importantly, he wouldn't have to report anything to Sir Cador. "I see. I only hope she keeps her visit short. What if the queen is taking this hall out of the dining room, and feels the need to drop in? She should not have to wait for a lowly servant," he claimed. In truth, he would have preferred the idea of Kolin taking a very different path out of the dining hall; he could talk normally if she did. Though, perhaps he could even guide Guinevere elsewhere in the castle. . . Nevertheless, he would keep up the show for the time being. Ah, but that was it! Guinevere gave him the perfect opportunity to do just what he thought! "My room is clean, is it? How can I be so sure you haven't sullied it with your filthy, common hands that were just used to wipe out a latrine?"

"Oh? How very kind of you, Sir." Guin replied in her usual icy tone. Arthur's words might have stung others but they had no real effect on her. Besides if she changed the way she addressed Arthur it would bring him unwanted attention. She too knew this information, she treated another person just as close to her similar within the confines of this place, lest he wind up on the Queen's list as well. It was all fair at this point, she could easily keep pretending to be this way.

What was more, he had a way of phrasing his questions which made it much easier for Guin to answer. She could understand his caution given their current placement within the castle. Still, there were very few things which had to be said here and now. Most of them would make the lass sound exceedingly snarky, but such was owed at this point all for the sake of keeping up appearances. A bowed head and the following words would leave this lass' lips... "Hm? I was unaware the Queen's new favorite wasn't privy to her habits and living conditions," she said with a tone which was fake cheerful as ever. "No distress can be caused to the Queen, she very much enjoys all amenities within the privacy of her own quarters. Those are far too close by and closer to the dining room than a place such as this... but I assume you are far too new to understand that much... pity," she said with a casual roll of her eyes. Still she didn't waver, she found herself watching this lad as he claimed his room might not be as clean as he'd like given what they could have been doing before. Her eyes for just a moment appeared a lighter shade of blue as if some ice settled into their color before immediately returning to normal. She'd borrowed the eyes of a certain spirit just for a moment to fully comprehend Arthur's plan of action. He wished to speak to her semi-privately for a few moments. And she could spare them given Emilia's normal bath time. What was more this could all look like a normal arrangement. "I can assure you that we have never failed in such a task. But, if it will set you at ease, I would, happily.... accompany you while you inspect your chambers and fix any misgivings you have..." she said before giving a gentle nod. Of course this entire sentence likely sounded cold and sarcastic to an outsider much as it was supposed to, they couldn't look chummy at all. She tapped the door, enchanting it with the smallest touch to keep Emilia within her sight and keep watch over it while she was away. She would never leave the other lass unguarded and nor would Emilia do anything of the sort to her.

"It is about all I'm willing to offer a servant," Arthur stated on the matter of his kindness toward Guin and Emilia. When the woman spoke next, she revealed very useful information indeed. Kolin would not be traversing this hall in all likelihood, so their discussion would be relatively safe. Even so... additional care was a requirement. Upon offering his verbal response, Arthur waved his right hand about in the air, almost as if blown away by this new knowledge. "Ah, how could I think otherwise? Of course, of course! Our lovely queen deserves only the most effortless trips to her own comfort. I'm a terrible knight for thinking otherwise," he ranted, seeming to let the sarcasm leak more blatantly through his words now.

For the safety of their conversation, Guin went along with the pretend distrust of Arthur. To his room, they would go. "That will do. I'll make sure you clean it spotless." With that, Arthur began moving down the corridor. He was especially cautious to wear a stern expression along the way, considering the dangers of running into Kolin due to being housed so closely to her chambers. Just in case, he would keep up the act of being infuriated with the terrible cleaning staff in this castle. That would be the case, at least until he stepped through his chamber door. . .

Arthur was surprisingly good at pretending to be hateful. Guin might have worried if she'd not already spoken to this young man before this point. Whatever the case, his next few statements contained more blatant sarcasm than most would have understood. It took all the young woman had to suppress a giggle, which almost seemed a scoff but that was far better than laughing outwardly at this Knight and having that reported back to the Queen in any real manner. At the point of that Guin kept her mouth closed, nothing she would have said would have helped this matter any further. It seemed they were still playing this entire scenario rather safely, as such she would continue on. "Of course," she managed at the idea of his room being cleaned spotless. It was indeed already spotless, that was simply the case. Though not by her and Emilia taking any extra care, they'd found the room in more than reasonable condition to begin with and had literally only changed the linens and taken away the nightly laundry.

Soon enough she was following along with the young man being very careful to avoid making any unnecessary noises. Where was the Queen during this time? She'd taken a detour to visit a certain tower bound mage to make sure they were ready to receive any potential causalities from the excursion that she'd sent Hector on. So they were much more safe than they realized. Even so, appearances. Guin would wait for the young man to reach his chambers and follow in expectantly. Of course, once inside her face would relax just a tad, but only once the door was properly shut.

Perhaps the greatest positive note of the day thus far, was that these two made their journey to Arthur's chambers without encountering Kolin. Even while taking utmost care to avoid looking too friendly as it were, there would certainly be some required explaining if she'd seen them together for any reason. Much to Arthur's elation though, fortune favored them both for the moment. They set foot in the room, and both parties' relief was visible in their expressions. Arthur stepped aside to allow Guin first entry, and took the liberty of closing and locking the door after stepping forward himself.

"Finally," he mumbled. That act could only have gone on for so long. Eventually, some guard or other knight, if not Kolin herself, would have been an issue. Someone may have even seen their little 'spat' happening, and stepped in just to break things up and separate them. No outcome would have been good. Ah, but here they were in private─... oh. Private. Private, as in... alone, together. When he turned away from the door to face Guinevere, Arthur could hardly stop himself blushing at the thought, even gulping and scratching his head for a moment. "Ahem! Right, I should apologize. Thanks for putting on that act back there, but do forgive me for laying it on so thick. You... were acting, right? Or have I actually done something to upset?" he asked, apparently a bit bashful so suddenly.

Luck did indeed favor everyone this day. Perhaps it was because of all the negative karma built up around certain individuals within this place, that a backlash of positive was bound to happen at some point? Regardless of this question... Guin and Arthur would make it to his room without incident. And once they were both inside and the door was both shut and locked there was a certain amount of relief in the lass. Beyond this point she was now alone with Arthur. Yes... alone. Whoops. That word became way too loaded in her own mind. Such a thing was highly unlikely in the first place, but once again, that doll in her hands was quiet and once again she looked up to find Arthur blushing as well. The young man's words hit her ear and made her face shift into one of curiosity. He thought to apologize for his words and actions from before and even question greater if he'd actually managed some offense against her. Her eyes widened just slightly and she covered her face with one hand shook her head back and forth from left to right. "Yes, of course I was acting," she said wondering if she appeared a bit too cold in the moment. That was her usual manner around the castle for various reasons. "No, it's nothing like that..." she said softly seeming embarrassed. "You really don't have to apologize. I generally act like that to all the Knights, even Sir Cador," Guin mentioned with a softness in her eyes. "Usually everyone is more prepared for that sort of thing..." she finished up.

The truth of the matter was, if Kolin thought any woman was being too nice to any man, that woman would go missing and that man would end up enchanted. Guin found herself being cold even to her own brother after seeing this happen enough times. Not that she wasn't well and truly angry at the blonde woman who usurped her throne. She obviously was, but that wasn't the fault of every knight or gentleman who showed up, though most would end up under her spell at some point or another. She wasn't the type to be angry at those who weren't deserving of her ire, Kolin had earned it, along with every single knight she brought with her, who acted like this world and its habitants were NPCs in a video game. But that was an entirely different, she wouldn't be thinking about that too much longer. "Is there something you needed to talk to me about?" she asked sincerely, she would be helpful to Arthur until he proved himself untrustworthy in some way.

"Oh─" he said, quite relieved that there wasn't something actually amiss. He had once considered the idea that his demeanor toward Kolin would be taken earnestly in passing glances. Arthur had become rather dedicated to the act as of late, if only to ensure his own ability to aide the others who were caught up in this mess. "Don't fret. I just wanted to clear anything up if something was wrong. You're quite the actor though, Guin," he offered with a smile. Moving on, Arthur stepped deeper into the room and took a seat on his bed. Excalibur was taken from his side, propped against the mattress as well.

Did he have something to talk to her about? There was much, in fact. Arthur cleared his throat, letting the thoughts accumulate for a moment before divulging. "A few things, yes. Firstly... I still have your knife. Hoping you wouldn't mind, I took the liberty of cleaning it. I may still need it, if you don't mind me keeping it for another night or two," he requested, bowing his head as he did so. There were matters of far greater importance, though, and it was hardly worth waiting to reveal them. "As for the other thing, there are some very sinister things happening here. Kolin revealed her greater plan to me earlier, and... I wonder if anyone realizes how bad it really is─"

According to Arthur Guin was a good actress, and she could agree with this information somewhat bashfully. "Occupational hazard..." she said seeming a bit sheepish about the whole thing. She was glad at least that this lad seemed to understand her a bit. Regardless, he also seemed to have a fair bit of skill in such a manner considering he'd completely fooled Kolin into thinking him loyal to her. He went on to claim he had cleaned her knife and might need it a bit longer. She thought about it for a moment looking down at her doll for a few seconds and nodded. "Yes, that's fine. I do appreciate you cleaning it for me. You can keep it until you don't need it anymore..." she said softly. It was one of those strange moments when she felt she was truly normal again, and that was very rare indeed.

She watched the lad get comfortable and explain that the Queen had taken enough favor of him to reveal her greater plan to him. Her brows rose gently, such a thing was mostly unheard of, but she wasn't really surprised given the Queen's change in temperament around the lad. She gave a gentle sigh, of course none of them had any idea how bad her plans could be on the whole, but they did know how bad she was already. "We are more aware of the crazed temperament she possesses than most of you can be. As girls we have watched her get rid of every other female attendant, maid, and cook... bar myself, Emilia and that devil of a court-mage. We know she has no problem treating everyone else as if their lives don't matter and have watched her systematically ruin this Kingdom when the Gamer Knights she brought with her are all treating every single person in this world as if they are only here for their amusement, so..." Guin stopped for a moment, giving a gentle shrug. "You can't really surprise me at this point. And if you manage to... well..." she said giving a gentle wave of her hand. "Go ahead." she said waiting to hear the worst of Kolin that apparently Arthur had come to know.

An occupational hazard, was it? Fair enough. Dealing with the sort of madness Arthur had seen in only the past day or so, he could only imagine one such as Guinevere needed to develop a few tricks to survive. The truth of this assumption became clear when the ashen-haired woman explained what happened to all the other ladies of the castle... bar three. Regardless of the dangers to herself, she seemed fine to let Arthur continue borrowing her precious dagger. The knight was somewhat reprehensive about this, even though Cador himself had spoken of Arthur's importance to keeping good people safe within Zuria. "You're sure? You obviously have the ability to take care of yourself, but is there anything I can offer in exchange? I don't have weapons other than my own sword and your knife, but maybe a secret code in case you're in danger? I just... hate to leave you more defenseless than you have to be."

As for the insanity of Queen Kolin, Arthur found it hard to even mention. Guin implied that there was no dealing of Kolin that could surprise her, but... what if she, and everyone else, had been underestimating that dastardly woman all along? Whatever the case, the knowledge he had required sharing. Arthur's words would come in the wake of a deep, exasperated sigh. "Kolin's plans are to leave Zuria in ruin to fuel a new kingdom of her own, across the impassable desert. Things aren't as simple as that. She has access to some magical seal, and she plans on using it to trap people in this new kingdom... including people that will be enslaved there. You, Emilia, and many other women are to be transformed into brainwashed whores, whom Kolin would use as stepping stones for patrons she thinks will be vying for her attention. Of course, she plans on doing nothing with them. She wants her new kingdom elevated into the sky. She wants to take the form of a goddess after trampling all over the livelihoods of good, innocent people. She wants knights like Sir Cador, Sir Lot, and myself to be her playthings while the devotion of her kingdom rises enough to help her seek old vengeance in some strange world above this one, including a vendetta against the current King Arthur... whom I am almost positive is my sister."

Arthur soon asked Guin if she was sure about the knife. While he explained that his sword and the knife she'd given him were his only weapons, he didn't want to leave her without the ability to protect herself. A chuckle left Guin's mouth in this moment because she truly didn't need the knife, it simply had sentimental value to her. She held the doll within her hands and squeezed it gently before speaking. "Truly, you can keep the knife, I don't keep it for protection... I keep it because it is the last memory I have of a happy childhood, lived a second time in this world," she said softly. And she gave him a shrug. "I am in less danger than most, no one who would hurt me can get past Viy," she said looking at the doll in her hands. Still the offer of help even when he was the one who needed it most gave her a bit of hope in the world. "Such a summer child to offer a thing when you have less. I need little but I do not turn down help, if I need you... I'll call upon you, Arthur..." she said. In the same way that she'd agreed to Sir Cador's help when she realized she couldn't simply kill Kolin, she'd take all the help she could get, against these toxic gamers.

Ah, but the toxicity of gamers wasn't all there was to deal with, there was the deranged mind of an actual woman at work and that was something else entirely. Arthur went on to tell a tale of many deeds planned by Kolin. She was to leave Zuria in ruin and fuel her new kingdom across the desert. Old news. Plans to use magic and trickery to enslave people and make them do things she would not do herself. Pretty much her MO. Guin and Emilia to be brainwashed whores... that also wasn't really surprising. When she'd first come to this Kingdom she'd tried to get Guin and other women inside the court on her side while she tried and failed to seduce the King. Kolin wanted all of the knights to continue to be her playthings while she whored herself for power? Par for the course. The only truly surprising part of this situation was that Arthur thought his sister was the King Arthur of Legend. But... Guin had been in this world quite a long time, she grew up in this place so she knew the tales of the Knights of the Roundtable. "The Queen of Knights is your sister, truly? That is the most surprising thing you've said..." Guin asserted. "The world above is supposed to be like fairytales. Calm and peaceful, ruled by just kings and queens with their people's best interests at heart. Only small kingdoms here ever get that way and most crumble before they ascend, due to the actions of those who are unable to comprehend the greater good." she said softly. Ascending this place had been one of her greater aspirations. She thought she could have ruled Zuria as her parents did, and take it farther, see it as a shining jewel within the sky, but such dreams were dashed the moment Kolin stepped into sight. She was quite sure any who truly understood what kind of person Kolin was, would be less than shocked by her current actions than Arthur appeared to be. If anything the only thing shocking about this situation is the lengths she went through to get her revenge. "I may not have known she wished to become a goddess, but when you want all attention on you, rising to godhood is about the best you can do. Sir Lot is among the knights who serves her interests willingly, he isn't counted among the trustworthy, he'd be happy as one of many so long as he felt he remained important. The only truly shocking thing about that plan, is how many extra steps she is taking to simply want revenge. Who is she showing off for?" Guin couldn't fathom why this woman was so very scorned, but she imagined whatever happened to her before was not so big a deal as she was making it. At her core the girl behind Guin may not have been a gamer, but she'd been a young woman and gone to school with many kinds of people. She knew the over-dramatic popular reject fallen from grace when she laid eyes on them. The only problem in this world, was that instead of getting pregnant right out of high school and ending up fat, this one got to abuse magic and stew in her crazy ideations.

No protection? Well, that set the knight at ease... sort of. If she claimed to be capable of defending herself without that knife, he could only trust her honesty. Besides, her mention of that doll by name while embracing it, implied something of a superior identity to the object. Regardless of whatever abilities she had, his concern would not waver. At least she accepted his offer to be available, in case she actually required his assistance; that set things at ease a bit more. "Alright. I will accept that much, and try to worry less. All things considered, I'm not liking this world very much so far."

Arthur offered so much disturbing information, yet none of it came as a surprise to Guinevere. This was just a testament to Arthur's distaste for the current world. Of everything he said, the only shocking thing Guin took from it was that his sister was likely the present King Arthur. "Wow, really?" he questioned in shock, wondering how bad life truly had to be here. There were clearly the horrors he'd seen thus far, but things could have only been worse for Guinevere to be so nonchalant at the time. "Yes, my older twin sister and I joined this game with twin characters both based on King Arthur. I never got to really join her in the game, but I plan on fixing that here. According to Kolin's plan, though... she expects me to behead the current King Arthur so she can put her head on a pike or something." Everything about that woman was so extreme. The same could even be said of her legitimate followers, such as Sir Lot─ Arthur certainly didn't need to be told that he wasn't on the list of trustworthy people here. As for who Kolin was showing off for, Arthur couldn't have hazarded a guess if he tried. He knew far too little, and honestly, he didn't want to know as much as he did. This experience could have been so great, yet here it was spiraling out of control day after day. "Whatever she's doing, it has to stop in Zuria. I'll do what I can to make sure that happens, hopefully without being turned from a man into a madwoman's boy toy along the way."

It seemed her words granted Arthur some form of ease. A small smile appeared on Guin's face, if she could have properly told him he had nothing to worry about she would have, but she couldn't right just now. "You can worry less. This world is only truly bothersome if you try and go through it alone. And when people who played that godforsaken game act like everyone besides them is NPCs," she said softly. "Rather, the only worry here is humans and how toxic they are translating to the core of their beings here, with the power to not have to bend to rules of decency," she said and that was the truth. Here the only problem was, there was no establishment to keep people like Kolin from going completely off the rails. No individual would come and stop her and instead she was just left to carry on with her evil unchecked.

Apparently beyond this point Arthur was surprised that she found his relation to the Queen Artoria Pendragon more surprising than anything else. It did speak volumes for her experience in this world, but she was sure there were many who knew worse than her losing her parents by the time the reached the same age here. "Of course that is more surprising. There is an entire class in school here about Queen Artoria and how she and her Knights lifted Camelot," Guin explained. Having to go through school again hadn't been pleasant for her, but that learning experience had been among her favorites. And a Future Queen should always know history. She could hear her father's words in her head. So that she can decide which of her predecessors to copy and whose footsteps should be left to blow away in the snow. For Kolin to want someone with such an untarnished legend dead, could only mean the woman stole some man's attention from her. Or more likely some man decided another woman was worth more attention than Kolin. As that was what happened when her father was killed. Still Arthur spoke fondly of his sister, such things gave Guin a great deal of hope, regardless of the unsavory plans that Kolin had. "The Queen of Knights is one I believe might live up to her legend. If that is the case, I can believe you'll find that happiness eventually," Guin said, she was more than a little willing to place faith in this lad and his family as it was all she really had left. Still, a soft warning would come with that... "That pike thing is very much a her thing to do. She is quite serious about it," Guin mentioned flatly. She'd returned from a short outing and found her mother's head on a pike attached to the castle wall. She was forced to stare at it by Kolin so she wouldn't get any unsavory ideas about doing anything stupid around her. And she'd agreed to keep someone important to her safe. Beyond this his words gave her a bit of comfort, she didn't really know why but knowing that he wasn't properly interested in Kolin gave her a bit of relief. She was quietly looking down for a moment and then she looked up. She'd heard the voice of her doll for the first time in Arthur's presence but it wasn't warning her against him, instead it offered him a warning instead. "Viy says... you can't trust the Witch's temperament." she said with a careful shrug. "That's all though, strange she usually doesn't care what happens to others. I do hope you manage it though... I'll do what I can as well. As I always do," she said giving a soft smile. She should really get going. It would be bad if she was caught in this place having a friendly chat with this man.

"I'm not so sure that's the limit, even if you say it is. I could hardly imagine even being here in a group without struggling for some semblance of happiness." Arthur was not quite beaten by this world, but he had a hard time seeing how those who'd been here for extensive periods of time, hadn't been utterly destroyed. There was a decently-sized group in Zuria already, and all of them seemed a bit... jaded. Could he do something about that during his journey? Things looked grim, but there was hope.

Possibly the greatest beacon of hope, was one Artoria Pendragon. If he could ascend, if he could find her one day, surely things could be different. Hopefully, he could even be of use to Ashikaga Kimiko, wherever she was in the world right now. She had to be well-off; there was no doubt in Arthur's mind. Over time though, he wondered if that greedy, rich girl could be negatively influenced by the realm she was certainly in. Kolin couldn't have always been the way she was, right? Even with an inkling of her current self present throughout her life, he refused to believe she was always this. "I'll do my best to reach Camelot, at all cost. There is only one thing I care to do before that, but maybe even Camelot could help me with that. I guess I'll find out over time," he said. Something strange occurred just then. Guin conversed with her doll, which he'd been assuming had some greater purpose than simple comfort. Even so, it was an odd thing to hear about. That doll had a warning for him? Well, it was at least good advice that he wouldn't think to go against. "My thanks to Viy, and you as well, Guinevere," he offered while an arm crossed over his chest. "I'm looking forward to making it out of this untroubled. All of us."

A smile came to Guin's face. He was quite right, even with other people it would still be a struggle to find one's own happiness. "I mean, life is generally exactly that anyways, right? I am sure somewhere there are people who are cooperating and having a great time of it," she said feeling it was likely true despite how terribly her own situation had gone. If she was behind honest, she was pretty certain, that those like Kolin and her band likely felt they were living the best possible life, they just happened to be ruining other people's lives in the meantime.

Apparently beyond it all, this lad had dreams of reaching Camelot. That was a great dream, it seemed so far off into the future, and yet, Guin had high hopes for this man yet. Whatever other goals he had, she hoped he reached them as well. "A spring time dream, I have high hopes for it..." she said softly. Of course, they were about to part, but she'd passed on the message from the spirit she shared a connection with, and though she expected to be met with some skepticism the lad simply thanked both her and the spirit. Her eyes widened. "Yeah, it's no problem. I'll see you Arthur..." she said giving the lad a curtsy. She approached the door and tapped it. Of course, she wouldn't just be walking out into this hallway without making sure she wouldn't be seen first. That would have been disastrous. "I hope you can remain as you are... it's refreshing at least," she said of the lad coming through unscathed. Those she'd already interacted with, she knew would likely never view people or the world the same after their experiences. Perhaps though, Arthur could make it through without this world utterly damaging him. After Viy's eyes flashed within her own and cleared the door for exit, she'd slip out, taking a path which would leave her back where she belonged at this time in the evening. No more problems would plague her this day, but there was still the next day to worry about.

"Oh, I agree. I actually have two other sisters, and I'm sure they're all up there in Camelot having a great time," he said, never failing to assume his sibling trio stuck together through everything. Guin's hope being added to his own was a matter of comfort for the young knight; it gave him further confidence to press onward on this terrible journey. One might wonder if Guinevere had a place on that journey as well, but alas, that wasn't something he could allow himself to think about here and now. Never would he be able to allow himself pipe dreams like that, while others were fighting for their very lives around him. Another day, perhaps. . .

Ah, yes... another day indeed. With Guinevere's heartwarming farewell, Arthur was off to bed until the next day came about. On that day, he reported to the throne room shortly after rising. What he'd find there was far from the norm, though. Cador and Lot were present as usual, and even an oddly-silent Leorio was seated in his throne. There was a group of strange bodies, though. Among them were two red-haired males, one clearly a knight, and the other clearly a jester... and there was another with white hair, who looked oddly familiar. These three stood among the usual row of knights as if they belonged, bar the jester who seemed just barely out of line at the bottom of the throne's stairs. All were simply awaiting the queen's arrival. Today... would soon become a rather interesting day indeed.

The previous night had gone so well, what could it be but the calm before the storm? It rode in on the backs of these Knights and the singular jester among them. Still this morning everyone was in wait for the Queen. They only needed her to arrive to find out about the story of the Knights. But of course, being the sort of dramatic entity she was, she hadn't shown up just yet. Even after receiving word of the Knights' arrival she was taking her time with her morning preparations. Leaving them to wait until she was ready to show up. She'd called for several others to be waiting as well. This day, to the left of the thrones off to the side a busty white haired woman stood seemingly exhausted. She hated being outside of her workshop and looked outright disgusted that she'd gotten ready to be here only to have to wait on Kolin's arrival. If she didn't seem like the best bet to something interesting this particular woman wouldn't have bothered siding with her. 'Stupid cow, bitch. At least be ready when you're demanding everyone's attention...' the thought crossed that woman's mind and seemed evident on her face. There was an eye atop her witch's hat which bounced around like mad, while they waited. At the same time within the cells of the dungeon sat the sorceress confined for her disrespect, a twinkling in her eye as she peeked in on the throne room.

Eventually Kolin would enter and move towards her throne. She sauntered in, fully dressed freshly bathed, and even well-fed. "Good Morning~ I'm pleased you've all returned in one piece. Now, who will be reporting the news of your excursion? I hope you have good news for me..." she said taking time to address the Knights standing but not her tardiness. After all, everything happened at the Queen's leisure waiting on her was their honor bound duty. Beyond all of that she was basically asking who would be falling to her anger should this tale include information which was less than pleasing to her, but they didn't really need to know that information. Kolin's cold expression contained fake warmth, as if she was amused and happy to see this group of people. The truth of the matter was, half of her plans had gone astray since Arthur's arrival. She'd planned to have several pieces out of the way by the time this expedition returned and here they were and none of her plans had ended. By this point she might actually have to sacrifice a few of her knights in order to make this trip if she couldn't get Guin and Emilia to go along reasonably. Ah, but that was something to worry about later, now she needed to see how the biggest of her plans was coming along.

Time passed, and passed, and passed. Kolin eventually decided to grace the court with her presence, as boastfully and demanding of attention as she always did. It was clear to all that she'd taken her sweet time on purpose, though even those who took issue with this had nothing to say about it. In fact, none of the actual knights had anything but respect to offer the late queen, whether they wanted to or not. Who would be the one to deliver news from the recent expedition? Two high-ranking knights were on the journey, but the speaker of the trip would be... the red-haired jester. He slid out into the open, twirling and bowing in the most flamboyant manner, his left arm widely outstretched all the while. "Queen Kolin, it is I~. Who better to sing the song of an epic journey than your most humble~ merrymaker!~" he said, his speech extending words almost as if he were singing when he spoke. Continuing to behave in a rather foppish manner, the veritable clown seemed to make use of magic to conjure... balloons? Yes, balloons. Various colors and shapes were used to create caricatures of himself and the others who embarked on Kolin's epic quest. There were other figures added, including a rather large boat of sorts with a thick-handled yellow mop atop it.

"Only two weeks ago, our queen's finest warriors journeyed far and wide~ all to meet with the blonde hero~," he explained. Every segment of his story was, and would continue to be animated by balloons that moved about like poor cartoon characters. By the time large beasts (basilisks, behemoths and the like) began to appear, certain balloons began popping one by one. "Many were lost in the desert~! Humble servants drew their final breaths, not in laughter, but in pain~ and agony~! Monsters aplenty, their songs nearly ended~ until a mighty gondola happened upon them~! Barely escaping with their lives, the remaining heroes of our tale met Jason~ whose hedonistic ways outstretched the length of his ship, just as our beloved king in the state of his own dreams, no~? Could its length even be greater than the jester's tale~? Yes~ it is so~! Longer yet was convincing the great lord Ja~son to meet the beau~tiful queen Kolin to make an agreement for transport~!"

Kolin almost scoffed. Of course, it would be the the fop who wanted to tell the tale. At least she'd long since done away with the annoyances of his speech which were aimed at her. In fact, he was a bit closer to tolerable when the jokes he made weren't at her expense. "Ack, it's always you... but fine," mentioned Kolin. She wasn't completely displeased but this jester had been particularly annoying when he first showed up. It'd taken personally enchanting him to make him more palatable, but it'd been worth it in the end. So, what story did the lad have to tell. Kolin watched the balloons and listened to the man's voice. She managed to sit in her chair as if completely bored but at least the information was being conferred. According to the clown and his balloons a great many monsters had been faced by this party. Many of their number had died along the way. A tsk came from Kolin at this news. it was rather disappointing that she'd lost so many men. Of course, she wasn't really surprised, the strongest ones were kept at her side, she'd only sent Hector to make sure it wasn't a total wash. Imagine her surprise when among those still here were this annoying jester and the white haired male. She cut her eyes in his direction but said nothing. No, her attention returned to the red haired young man who was still speaking. Apparently at a point of great change, they'd managed to find Jason. And what was more, that man had saved them and apparently was very muscular with a large boat to boot. A wicked grin spread across her face in the moment.

The pot shot taken at Leorio hadn't been missed and such things were always worth a chuckle or two. "You know what since you bring good news and you made me laugh, I'll forgive this longwinded storytelling of yours... Dagonet," mentioned the Queen. She waved her hand to send him on about his way and thought through her next move. She was cleared for a meeting with Jason, securing it was all but guaranteed at this point. This would of course mean that she needed to ready her group to get on the move. Ah, but there were still so many things to do. She needed them locked away so she could freely do what she needed to do to convince Jason to move her and the people she needed. Though if his physique was anything close to his balloon representation, maybe she'd have a good time as well. She also needed to test the use of her new method of transport, for the young women who may not come willingly. "Hector, will he be coming here, or does he expect us to meet him in the desert?" she asked of the more serious redhead in the room. All the while her eyes were moving about. What thing to do first? Well that mostly depended on Hector's answer. Though this group had only just arrived home, they would receive no rest if she needed to act immediately.

Indeed, it was always the one called Dagonet. The others could have spoken, but their tales were so boring. No excitement, no build-up, no fun at all! The jester would always take the initiative to deliver information if granted the chance, so it was essentially Kolin's own fault that she had to deal with it. Even receiving Kolin's forgiveness, he seemed no more or less animated than he'd been at the start. One could even assume his show wasn't quite done yet. "O mighty, radiant, generous Queen Ko~lin! Forgiveness is almost as great a reward as your la~ughter. I am but a humble slave to your will; I would accept only the latter if need be~!" he explained with a bow, stepping aside as ordered thereafter.

Since the jester had been silenced, it was time for a knight to speak, according to Kolin herself. She spoke the name Hector, snatching the attention of a more stoic-looking knight with shorter, crimson hair. This man's bow was not quite as deep and extravagant as the other knights serving Kolin, though it was not devoid of subservience. "The Argonaut will not be moved, my queen. The majority of our discussion was, sadly, a failed attempt to sway Jason. He insisted that since it is a favor of his you seek, there is no point in him leaving his ship to meet you. Though... he does seem excited to grant you passage across the desert, after hearing of you in... finer detail. I should also add that he was perhaps not as respectful as Her Grace would prefer, from my limited understanding."

Dagonet's manner of speaking annoying Kolin to no end. Even so, the words he spoke were ones which she enjoyed. How conflicted she often found herself while the jester spoke. If he was less annoying in his delivery he'd be a perfect addition for her nightly amusement. But, he was annoying to her, and beyond that before she properly enchanted him, he was liable to say something about her which caused murderous reactions from her. Neutering his speech pattern was the best of the options, but he was still a bit of a handful. Ah, but that didn't really matter, he'd stepped aside and done as asked. It was mostly all she needed from those who served her. In the meantime the sorceress in her cage heard the words of Dagonet and frowned. 'Nobody hears him asking for help... people really don't understand how much power words have here...' she thought in the most absent way. Maybe this situation would be changing soon enough. Given what was happening right now, she was right to take her leisure time the previous night.

Hector a man of better speaking quality gave her the information she needed without hesitation and with the insight of a well-seasoned Knight. Beyond that his words maintained a level of respect which kept Kolin pleased with him. What was a bit alarming were the words he shared. Apparently this Argonaut thought himself above her summon. He likely didn't know who she was, or maybe he was simply vying for her attention by making himself different from her perceived type. There were a few options for this and none of them made her completely upset. After all, her true type as unknown to those who occupied this low world. What she truly desired was a different type of man all together and everyone else was simply place holding. What she would say aloud didn't have any misgivings in it. "I'm pleased you'd inform me of all of this Hector. There is nothing to give me great concern, all good dogs come to heel with the right treatment~" she said with nothing shy of her normal confidence. Still, nothing shy of a strong statement needed to be made. If this man was truly a hedonist, he could probably be quelled with a gift and she could take the best of her Knights with her for protection if anything went awry. There was hardly any real risk involved when men were the targets. Nothing to worry about. "Leorio, make sure you are fully ready for transport to the desert." she gave him that order and expected it to be followed. But her mind was racing... there were several other things she needed to do. Who should she potentially offer as tribute to this man and his crew if she alone for him wasn't enough? Well, her eyes travelled over the white haired court mage. That one was not really worth keeping. Yes, she'd helped with her coup, but... it was hardly worth trusting a woman who turned on people so easily. She'd not even been broken nor had anything happen to her. Her loyalties were questionable. Maybe that one wouldn't be enough though... she could probably offer Guin and Emilia as well just to make sure. If she seemed benevolent enough to allow them to travel with the group, the Knights looking after them wouldn't really object. Then... she could leave them with the crew and order the Knights to leave them to pay off her debts with them. It wasn't above question for the Queen to offer lessers in her place. Anyone would understand. Ah, that Merlyn girl too probably, but she'd have to actually deal with her directly. She couldn't enchant women and he had nothing to hold over her. Perhaps an offer of kindness which ended with either death or servitude would work in the long term, then she could be seen as kind in the eyes of Arthur, right?

Hector bowed his head upon hearing that the queen was pleased with his information. He did as he always would, sparing no truth when reporting to his superior. "I have faith that you will spare no wrath for those who cross you," he stated. Cador heard this exchange, and felt strangely about it. Jason... he knew of that name from his own visit to the desert, though he'd never met the man himself. The stories he heard made him wonder how things would truly turn out, for the one known as Jason was considered quite twisted in his own right. Well, that wasn't the problem of most people here. The big problem was how ready Kolin was to set out immediately. A quick glance occurred between Cador and Arthur, both believing things were soon to take an earlier turn than they'd hope for.

Most excited of anyone (bar perhaps Dagonet, as he generally was) was Leorio. Finally, his darling queen had proper use of him! The king wore an ear-to-ear grin as he rose, more than prepared to escort Kolin at her leisure. "Of course, my darling!~ I'll summon our Love Chariot right away~" the young king said, wasting no further time before making his way out. He would go on to summon a large chariot boasting a blue and silver motif, seemingly self-driven and large enough for three riders. In addition to this vehicle, there were numerous smaller chariots each large enough for two. This was Leorio's ability─ the mounts to carry forth a small army with his own power. The courtyard would soon be used as a runway for his mounts' takeoff, whenever Kolin emerged from the castle and gave the order to transport her forces. Meanwhile, Cador spoke up at last. "Your Grace, may I ask if you intend to deliver our full forces right away?"

Yep, Hector was definitely one of Kolin's favorites. He understood her very well, if the ship's captain didn't simply go along with what she wanted. She'd make sure he suffered after she got where she wanted to be, after all, she was quite patient, as was made obvious by the long and drawn out plan she had. Though most would just consider that sheer madness if they knew both the plan and the reason behind it. "I'm pleased Hector, though I can not allow you rest at the moment, you will be rewarded at some point for your words," Kolin stated plainly. She did love having her ego fluffed, even if that wasn't the intention. Though this wouldn't last too long as a sigh would soon escape her. If she managed to get all of them passage across the desert she'd likely heave Leorio overboard at her earliest convenience. She'd have him to wander the desert for the sin of possessing such a tiny dick and such a random amount of infatuation. It was as if he actually thought himself worthy of attention. His words even managed to irritate her further, their 'Love Chariot'? Transport was about the only thing the boy king was good for, but no matter. If her performed properly at least his departure wouldn't be a death for him. She scoffed and shoo'd him away with a wave of her hand, it was about as much acknowledgement as he'd ever receive from her.

Still there were other more pressing problems to deal with, and Cador seemed most apt to speak. Since he'd approached that sentence in the proper way, she'd make sure to praise him before sending him to do his part. "Yes, that is my plan. How very clever of you, Cador... you aren't my best for nothing it seems," she said offering praise to one while shaming the others, another way to keep them mostly on edge around each other. She'd go on to explain herself very carefully as if the plan wasn't obvious to all present. "If we can be off quickly it would be for the best. I'd like to move on from this frozen wasteland and to somewhere warm," she exclaimed seemingly happy about the potential change in climate. "Ah, but I haven't forgotten there are several loose ends to take care of, bring the sorceress here. I've decided what I am going to do with her," she mentioned with a knowing smile. She also knew Cador was the only one besides one of the new ones brave enough to broach that woman for whatever reason. No matter, it would be fine. She'd turn her gaze towards the court mage and gesture to the area in front of her. With a sigh the buxom woman stood before her, tapping her staff on the ground. This would create the anti-magic circle of Kolin's creation for the sorceress to stand on. 'Stupid cow is nothing but cautious when it comes to her own safety. Well at least there isn't any worries of magic flying at us this way,' thought the woman. "I'm glad you still take orders without being told, Nerys." Kolin mentioned as she wait for the sorceress to be brought before her.

"Thank you, my queen. I will look forward to it. As always, I await your command," Hector stated. Meanwhile, the jester Dagonet was experiencing mock outrage due to the compliments paid to Hector. "What a sha~me. I deliver a most amu~sing tale, yet all credit goes to a lowly knight. Is it the folly of comedy that puts me in this situa~tion? I should consider being more stoic after all~!" he chanted to the universe at large while Hector awaited further instruction.

The praise of Cador's assertion warranted nothing more than glances from most knights... though Lot was an exception among them. The king's own brother, the knight who truly expressed the highest dedication, should have been the one treated in such a way. He should have been even greater, beyond Kolin's top knight; he should have been king! Enough of Cador; that wretch would be dealt with in due time. For now though, he had his uses... like being the one sent off to retrieve that damn sorceress. The purple-haired knight was off after a bow, quick to make his way into the dungeons where Merlyn waited. It would be mere minutes before he stood in front of an open cell, thinking there was little need to explain the situation. "It's half past showtime, Merlyn. And here I thought we had another full day to wait. Oh well; what's to be done about it?"

Hector took his praise as gracefully as ever, Dagonet on the other hand, was full of jokes. Perhaps the queen wasn't as easily amused as she thought, something about that man's speech pattern always seemed to annoy her. Her took a jab at the extra praise offered the others and Lot looked about as pleased as a wet cat when Cador was giving praise. This sort of discord was exactly what she aimed for though, so she was nothing but satisfied with it. While the court bristled in its chaotic climate, Merlyn opened her eyes beneath the cover of her hood to view Sir Cador near her open cell door.

He claimed it was half-past showtime. And asked what was to be done about it. A little smirk came over this woman's face, there were a few things which could be done, and all of them would happen in the order they needed to. "Oh, Sir Cador... I thought you liked not being in the know?~" she teased the man as she stood. She pulled that hood of hers just a little bit further down, so that it cloaked the entirety of her face in shadow, and hid all of her person from view. It was rather important that she not be properly seen for a while. "I knew she would falter sooner rather than later, can't trust the timeline of a chaotic psychopath with a god-complex~" she said with a knowing smirk. She wouldn't keep the Queen waiting, there were funny things about to take place. The Queen's plans for her and the others were quite rushed, not well developed or thought through. "I can tell you, it is her general plan to get everyone onto Jason's boat, and then give away myself, Emilia and Guin to Jason in exchange for safe passage. She's even going to offer me a deal... it's so very generous my refusal will get me into a load of trouble~" she said as if the entire thing was amusing. And it was... but that was because there was a bit more to what was going to happen here than what most could know.

Merlyn was indeed prepared for departure. Cador didn't truly expect to be told anything; he'd simply been talking for the sake of doing so. "Well, whether you share or not doesn't matter. I was mostly venting frustration as a question," he said with a shrug. Even so, Merlyn did divulge the queen's plan. It sounded about right; Kolin would easily reduce other women to the playthings of men who sought her favor. On that same note, she would just as easily have them thrown aside for speaking negatively in her presence. Such a thing would be what Merlyn chose to do, without a doubt. "My my. I'll be sure to get a front-row seat, and maybe I'll be lucky enough to take part in the show. Now... my apologies," he concluded as he reached out to take Merlyn by a shackle applied to her neck, while applying a smaller set to her wrists. He could only drag her into the queen's presence in this state, lest things go sour before anything proper could begin.

As if she actually needed to, Merlyn spoke of the 'trouble' she'd be getting in. Cador chuckled, knowing this day would be filled with nothing short of excitement, at the very least. One could only wonder what she would say. How quickly could she antagonize the queen, and how much could said queen actually do in response? What would the attempt even be? There were so many questions, with only the ability to... wait and see.

According to Sir Cador it didn't matter if she shared information with him or not. He was apparently just venting is current frustrations. He seemed responsive enough about the plan she'd divulged, and she'd done it so he wouldn't react too quickly to the news of such things. Of course, she'd left out all of the juicier bits, since there needed to be some excitement in their lives. Perhaps it wouldn't be quite so exciting to him, since she'd already told him the secret of her existence. Regardless, she was soon being pulled along by the chain on her neck with new little shackles on her wrists. "I am aghast. Chained like an animal... whatever will I do?~" she said in the most dramatic way possible. Though if she was being fair, she didn't really mind getting led around by Sir Cador in such a way... maybe he'd develop some new desires from this day and they could revisit this in a more... comfortable situation. Still, Merlyn could do nothing but look forward to this particular climax and smile. She'd keep her head tilted down looking at her chained hands as she was dragged along. Of course, that hood of hers covered her entire face in shadow, if only to spare those around her.

While the prisoner and Cador made their way back, Kolin waited none too patiently. After making everyone wait for her to get to the throne room this morning, at the very least the court wizard, Nerys as she was apparently known was disgusted with her lack of tact. One day, she'd be rid of this woman, perhaps one day soon. She planned to say here, in her enchanted tower, perhaps with an uneasy alliance with Kolin. She couldn't have taken this place from the former Prince and Princess. So, working with Kolin had been ideal... knowing the woman was planning to leave made all of Nerys plans that much easier. Granted she would have preferred if that cur Leorio hadn't funneled literally all the wealth of this place into Kolin's whorehouse. But... money could be remade once the woman was gone. Whenever Cador appeared Kolin would offer him a bit of a warning. "Leave her in the magic circle but do not cross it. I can't lose my best Knight to a punishment meant for a sorceress..." she said as if it was a kindness. In all honesty she might need Cador to be fighting fit in a bit she'd rather not have to figure out how to undo her own magic. She expected Merlyn to be found within the circle shortly.

As was very much her typical way, Merlyn had jokes to offer. Indeed, she was chained like an animal. Would he develop new desires from this, as Merlyn thought? Not quite. One could not develop something they had long since given consideration to, but the idea was also presently swimming around in his head. He would even offer some insight to the current workings of his mind, if only through his response to Merlyn's jest. "What else can you do? Go along with the plan, like a good girl," he said with a snarky grin, continuing to move toward the throne room.

Lo, there was a spell placed in the center of the throne room when they arrived. Cador was advised by the queen herself to guide Merlyn into that magical circle, albeit without crossing it himself. To keep up appearances, he walked to the barrier's edge and stepped behind the sorceress, shoving her toward the designated area with distaste in his visage. "I am grateful for your consideration, Your Grace," he said to Kolin before stepping aside. Whether he would remain near Merlyn at all, take up his post, or anything else, was up to the queen. Cador simply stood aside and awaited further instruction, simultaneously taking note of the daggers being stared in his direction by Sir Lot.

"Yes, sir~" Merlyn said with a cheekiness in that voice of hers that could not be missed. "You'll have to make sure to tell me how good of a girl I am though~" she said offering the man a wink from beneath her hood while they walked. But alas careless flirting had to come to an end sometime. Entering the room, Kolin who looked more than a bit anxious gave an order to Cador which had the lass actively stumble within the magic circle on the floor. All for show of course, Merlyn could see the future she knew this would happen, she also knew it was necessary to stumble here to trick Kolin into that strange sense of security. "Oh, how gentle is the Knight's demeanor. If I'd been blessed by the whore goddess I would have fallen on my face~" Merlyn said, and the mage known as Nerys had her eyes widen as she coughed to stifle an involuntary laugh. That would not be going over well, and she knew it, but that was still a funny sentence. Merlyn wasted no time, but she'd also said nothing directly to Kolin in the moment. No, that was said only for those who knew of her prior visit to this same room. She looked down at her feet from the shadow of her hood. "Hoh? You've redecorated..." she said those eyes of hers deep in shadow as she looked at everyone present in this room. Thinking of them as the objects Kolin saw them as... "I don't like it." Still the magic of this anti-magic circle was an extreme detrement to the Queen, because it suppressed magic. So, the enchantments of Merlyn's clothing which kept her from being overly appealing to the opposite sex all the time by her nature, were being stripped for the duration of time she stood here. Though the effect wouldn't be immediate, any man who looked at her for too long would begin by smelling the sweetness of her pheromones.

Kolin's eyes cut in Nerys' direction, but she'd recovered enough for her to assume it was a cough. "Truly days in the dungeon have done nothing for your attitude sorceress," she mentioned with a lax wave. Even so, she had to seem much nicer than she planned to be. "Still, I could simply blame that on you being mad. I am willing to be a bit forgiving," she started which made Merlyn took up at her though those eyes of hers were still hidden. "I'll give you one chance. Remove your hood, give an oath and beg forgiveness. I'll even give you the grace of accompanying us on our little trip to let you prove your worth. Arthur has already sworn himself to me, it would keep you in his company as you are obviously far more attached than he is. You should think it through, within that circle your magic won't work. Take my kindness now, it will not be offered again." Kolin's request might have seemed reasonable but from its inception it was unreasonable. She literally wanted an apology for someone telling her the truth. She rubbed in the idea that Merlyn had some vested interest in Arthur that he didn't share with her, and claimed she could be of use. Classically all of these things were her trying to manipulate someone she couldn't actually control. Merlyn wasn't willing to give this woman the satisfaction. A small smirk appeared on Merlyn's face, she was about to cause a stir, she could feel it in her bones.

"I surely will, so long as you don't act out~" Such was the final retort of Cador prior to their arrival before the queen. He shoved the sorceress into the anti-magic field, and strangely thought nothing of doing so. In fact, the knight wondered if she actually fancied the aggression. Ah, but wait... he shouldn't have been thinking like that, should he? The things he'd said to Merlyn thus far had all been reactive, naturally flowing with the conversation; it wasn't as if his mind passively went to such things─ Or did it? Oh, no; he understood what was happening.

Anti-magic field. The answer was right there. Merlyn couldn't have her attractiveness to the opposite sex taken away; it was a simple fact of her existence that created such an effect. Surely then, there had to be something magical to conceal that part of her. Moreover, Cador was in closer proximity to the sorceress than anyone else; he was the first to feel its effects, and had already been exposed to it enough to take it in a more natural way. This was going to be interesting indeed.

Ah, but Kolin's order, her kind offer, was dangerous for her followers. She wanted the woman to pull back her hood and offer an apology? As if things couldn't become bad enough for the queen in the next few minutes or so, that would surely cause a ruckus... and Merlyn's excitement was almost tangible to Cador. What would he do, then? There was one thing he considered. He could do something while keeping up appearances─ he could strip the sorceress' hood himself. Well... Cador was a man of action, as Merlyn herself said many times. Upholding the visage of an arrogant knight, he grinned and took the initiative. "If I may?" he asked, outstretching his hand and letting it hover just outside the magical field. His query may have seemed to be for Kolin, but no... he was asking the chained sorceress.

That shove wasn't necessary something Merlyn was against. She did say she enjoyed men of action and those who made choices of their own accord. Sir Cador happened to be one of those types of men, he fit a lot of her personal preferences, a bit of aggression was included in what Merlyn enjoyed. The same could be said of the woman sitting on the throne, though she was less likely to be obvious about that particular aspect of herself. Whatever the case, with all the current players in place, Merlyn was indeed giddy at this offering. How amazing was it, that the mechanizations of the Queen fit perfectly into helping Merlyn fully manifest her powers? It helped that she was currently blind, that she was tainted by her madness and couldn't tell the difference between a human sorceress and a succubus. Of course, Merlyn went out of her way to appear as human as possible through magical means, but stripping away magic mean they were left with... well everything else.

Going along with Sir Cador's plan Merlyn could have chuckled. Instead, she gave a singular sentence, which also could be taken as being meant specifically for the man in front of her, but instead of it being a negative it was actually aimed at Kolin. "You will regret it." Merlyn said in response to Sir Cador's question, but that was permission for him. Much like he'd granted her when she'd slept the platoon of Knights her first evening in the dungeons, it was a warning opposite of what she intended. Of course, Kolin, in all of her selfish delusions assumed that Cador was asking her permission. And because Merlyn had dared to imply that something negative would happen, she went on to give said permission. "I'll regret it? You have no power here, are you trying to hide some horrible disfigurement?" Kolin questioned while laughing. There would be nothing funnier than the girl pretending to be Merlin being hideous. "Remove her hood!" she exclaimed. She was still waiting on the answer. "And you will give your oath!" Kolin seemed very demanding, and Merlyn only smirked. Today really was worth waiting two days for, she really did enjoy knowing these types down a peg or two.

Regret? That seemed about as clear a sign as any. Additionally, Kolin gave the order to remove Merlyn's hood. What a foolish decision that was. "Kuku~" the Spirit Knight laughed, reaching out farther to take the sorceress' hood in hand. "I hope my lady is pleased," he continued. This, again, was not a statement truly meant for Kolin; it was another for Merlyn herself. With that, he jerked her hood back quickly enough to flutter that nest of white locks atop her head.

Cador was already transfixed, and Arthur felt no overpowering desire for Merlyn aside from accepting her attractiveness. The other men in the room, however, were taken aback immediately. Even Lot, truly Kolin's most loyal servant among the bunch, was enamored with the succubus' visage. How? How could she be more enchanting than that buxom bombshell of a queen? She was shapely, yet so modest that the desire to bed her overthrowing the thirst for Kolin made no sense! Ah, but that modest look was so very appealing in its own way, any man would be a fool to want anything else, right? These were the thoughts flooding Kolin's knights' minds; even the magical jester, Dagonet, was smitten. In fact... he was the first to speak, despite previously being enchanted by Kolin herself. "Sou~desuka~. It seems our prisoner is without a blemish, nor fault, nor cellulite~. She is too magni~ficent to kill, no~? I have o~ther plans for the sorceress, if the queen wishes it so~!"

Merlyn's smile got much wider than it had been. This was way too much fun, her nest of silver white hair was tossed by the movement of her hood. And that little cowlick of hair on top of her head bounced ever so slightly. Again, the only person in the entire room who was obviously unaffected by her was Arthur which she expected. Kolin herself didn't see what the big deal was, she was a cute girl, but not much more in the eyes of the queen. But the Queen was protected from Merlyn by her own madness, still she looked far too similar to the male Merlin for Kolin's liking. "So you made yourself a copy of that annoying mage employed by that flat-chested bitch. So what?" Kolin had started to make further demands, until she had a look around and noticed that all the eyes in the room were on Merlyn. She was trying to keep control of this situation, but it was spiraling too quickly.

Still, Merlyn looked up slowly opening those glowing magenta eyes of hers, as the smitten Dagonet sung her praises before his Queen. Nerys looked onwards. Though she wasn't physically smitten with Merlyn, Kolin's court mage... felt the lass was obviously beautiful. Beyond that Nerys got the strange sensation in her chest. She would do what Merlyn asked of her, no matter what it was. She felt like a trustworthy individual, way more worth connecting to than one such as Kolin. A simple laugh left Merlyn's lips, she couldn't help it, this whole thing was too funny. "Haha~ The magically enchanted jester, really? Poor Dagonet... I did warn you~" Merlyn mentioned, as the chains around her wrists rattled from her random movement. She wanted no more than to toss the locks of her hair with her fingers. "Dagonet is mine!" this is what Kolin responded which only made Merlyn laugh more. "Really? Did he choose that or did you... when you enchanted him so he wouldn't tell jokes at your expense?" Merlyn asked, she still hadn't even begun to say anything about that supposed deal she was offered. "SILENCE!" Kolin had gotten down to single words now, that was making this more amusing. "Nerys what is happening here, did you screw up my spell?" she asked making the assumption that Nerys was responsible for this obvious magical influence that Merlyn was causing. All the while, Merlyn continued to passively effect this group at large, they could see those glowing eyes of hers now, and she turned them to Dagonet. She truly felt pity for this man, who'd been enchanted against his will. Though if he was smitten and since Kolin hadn't given him any orders specifically, if he followed his desire to be nearer to Merlyn and stepped into the Anti-Magic Circle, Kolin's control over him would be lost. She had no intention of taking it, any who knew her... would find that obvious. But here and now as about Knight's Rights.

A little spat between Merlyn and Kolin was of no concern to the men of this room. Bar Arthur, all eyes were on the white-haired sorceress. It would not be solely Dagonet who encroached upon the chained woman, either. Dagonet, Hector, and even Lot drew closer and closer, until all but Arthur and Cador were inside the anti-magic zone. Of course, the former was the only enchanted male among the group. Dagonet had been suffering forced loyalty to a queen he didn't otherwise have reason to not serve; he'd simply been reduced to such a state because she disliked his choice in comedy. What a poor end for a jester, but it would be no more as the enchantment lost its effect. "Finally~! So many jokes unspoken, so many acts never put on~! The wrathful queen's spell is bro~ken? Will she next be melted in the way of the Wicked Witch~?" the redhead chanted while reaching out to place a gentle hand upon either of Merlyn's cheeks. "And what of the so~rceress? With so many vying for her attention~ will she take them all as her playthings now~? Will it only be one? After another? A single choice? Far be it for a humble merrymaker to assume~!"

Of course, during the jester's tangent after being so recently freed, it would be Lot to grab the smaller male by his collar and pull him aside. There was but one way for this to end in the knight's mind. This delectable little spellcaster would be his to tame, and only he could truly answer the call her body so clearly sent out to the masses. "Be silent, clown," the knight said as both of his hands reached out to Merlyn's chest. "The obvious choice here, is none other than myself. The rest of you are far too weak to satisfy this body."

All the while, Cador fought every urge to laugh. Was this what he'd become like on the previous day? Perish the thought! He and Arthur seemed to be the only remaining men with a sense of self at this point, with the latter never leaving his post and simply... watching, waiting for events to truly unfold.

Nerys snapped to attention when she was spoken to, of course, Kolin was trying to blame her for what was happening here. "What? I couldn't even mess something like that up. It is far from complex. Obviously, it is doing its job, undoing the magic around the sorceress... it even freed..." she didn't have to say. Kolin could hear it in Dagonet's voice. Why had all her knights approached this woman? In the seconds it took for her to begin her argument with Nerys every Knight but Cador and Arthur were swarming towards the other woman. And Dagonet was free and making those annoying jokes at her expense. "Ugh, next time I'll just cut his tongue out," Kolin uttered. What a harsh response for such a light jest. "Maybe his eyes too, how dare they all be looking at her and not me!" In truth they really couldn't help themselves. Even so the fault of this was Kolin's so passing blame in this case was completely uncalled for. "Nerys! What is actually happening, what use are you as a court mage if you can't even figure out what sort of sorcery is being cast here!?" she questioned the female wizard. Of course, the man who was the base of her personality scoffed. Leave it to a bimbo with no real magical understanding to blame the other woman in the room for what was happening here.

At the same time, Merlyn found herself being spoken to directly by Dagonet. The man was now free of his need to answer to Kolin, even so because of the lack of enchantments on her person, he couldn't resist her either presently. Still, he was rather funny and his wicked witch comment would cause the white haired lass to giggle. "Hehehe~ that's pretty funny. You're going to be great!~" Merlyn mentioned, she could see very clearly into the future. This one wouldn't remain at Kolin's side. But a slight bit of sadness flashed through the eyes of the succubus. She wouldn't take advantage of this man's lack of ability to resist her. "Not that I don't think you're adorable and all, but I'm no date-rapist and you aren't quite yourself, Sir Dagonet... how about we talk when you are? I only wished to free you, after all, I could hear you asking for help," Her words were a suggestion but she meant for the man to step back and given her power that suggestion could have been one he took to heart. Still there was the matter of Sir Lot, who grabbed for her chest, Merlyn had no outward reaction, but her body still began to feed on this man, though admittedly not in the friendly way she'd fed herself upon Sir Cador previously. Besides that, this energy taking wasn't magical either, it was simply due to the fact that he'd touched her in a manner which could feed her that her body took energy from him, but it wasn't kind. No, if he didn't unhand her... he'd find himself so drained of energy, his physical strength dwindling along with the inability to use magic. He'd be on his knees in seconds, if his hands remained in place. "Are you quite sure about that... I've seen the truth of you Sir Lot, and you truly aren't up to task. No matter what dumb ideas the Queen fills your head with, there is a reason you aren't the best..." she said with a wicked smirk. "Or haven't you noticed that your competition aren't so easily moved?" she asked of him with a singular raised brow. Soon after her eyes shifted to Sir Hector. She looked at him for several seconds, though he had approached he'd made no moves to touch her. A wide grin spread across Merlyn's face. "Oh to know the depths of a person, we must know what they'd choose of their own accord. As scary as that might be as an unknown, the choice must always be in their hands~" Merlyn's last sentence was for Sir Cador and a play on his own words. She could see Sir Hector clearly and he was here and sworn by Sir Cador's will, but not necessary his own. What would he choose if given the choice, they needed to know for the best possible outcome.

"Naturally~" Dagonet said, despite being so recently thrown aside by Lot. It seemed justice would soon be served, as Sir Lot's knees buckled shortly after making contact with Merlyn. How strange─ Dagonet hadn't experienced such a thing at all. "Many thanks for the assistance~. I will respectfully bow out as a show of gratitude~" he concluded. As for Lot, it was not the draining that made him move aside. He was far too simple to feel anything but satisfaction when having his energy taken, but the comparison to Cador and that damned Arthur, could not be tolerated. What set those two apart? Releasing the sorceress' chest, he reached for the lance kept at his back. Cador would have to go, and Arthur would follow suit. "You spare them of your enchantment to make a fool of me? You will see what it means to play favorites," he announced.

Meanwhile, Arthur sighed. He didn't see what all the fuss over Merlyn was about. He could see numerous features he would have preferred over the ridiculousness that was Kolin's physique, but what were they all crowding around her for? When would things really begin? With bated breath, he waited still... while Merlyn set her gaze on Sir Hector. The more mysterious of the knights here, was a mystery even to his former king─ but Merlyn knew better. Words were shared with Cador, while the purple-haired male kept a hand at his sword's hilt to prepare for Lot's potential onslaught. Could it truly be so simple? "That is, by far, the most ridiculous thing I've heard all day," he said. Even so, Hector looked to the other male as if awaiting his order instead of one from Kolin. Tides were turning, and there was only one way to shift them in the right direction. Even Sir Hector understood this, but there were oaths that would never be broken. . .