The Deathwalker Queen

"Ah. The newbies are about to arrive."

Iris remarked, glancing at the holographic display on her bracelet.

She stood, bowing gracefully, "I must take my leave, Your Majesty. The newcomers will be here shortly, and I have been tasked with welcoming them."

Guinevere's eyes sparkled with mischief, "Ah, welcoming newbies. Such fond memories. I can still recall the sensation of their blood trickling down my arms after I introduced their faces to the tarmac."

Surprised, we stared at her and Iris quipped, "It seems face-planting is a royal tradition. Who knew?"

Turning back to me, Iris said, "I should get going."

We shared a lingering kiss before she headed out.

"Be careful, you maniac.", I cautioned, "I should accompany you."

She pressed a finger to my lips, "Nah. You should spend some time with your family. Carlo offered to assist."

I frowned, "Carlo? Really?"

Iris smirked, "Jealous?"

I shook my head, "Nah. I'm just worried he might dampen your enjoyment from beating the shit out of cocky newbies."

"Oh I won't let him.", Iris chuckled.

Bowing to Guinevere and Gawain, she added, "I'll take my leave, Your Majesty, Your Highness."

I raised an eyebrow, "What about me? I'm royalty as well."

Laughing, Iris pulled me into another quick kiss, "How's that?"

I grinned, "Better."

"See you later, love.", she turned around with a smile and left the lounge area.

"Now I am getting jealous.", Gawain remarked, giving me a huge grin.

Guinevere laughed softly, "Well, considering you're known as the 'Knight of Maidens,' I have to give credit to Ragnelle. She managed to win you over amidst some stiff competition."

I looked at Gawain, "Ragnelle?"

He gave me a sheepish grin, "Yeah. My girlfriend."

Ah, the tale of Gawain and Ragnelle.

In my previous life, he'd broken her curse, transforming her from an old hag back to her true form, and they had fallen deeply in love.

It seems like Ragnelle and Gawain are meant to be together no matter the universe.

How sweet.

I am getting diabetes from just thinking that.

I must say that the names of medical conditions are quite interesting.

Guinevere sighed, "I envy Morg. Her children are enjoying the spring of their youth."

"Oh?", I turned to the High Queen, "What about my delightful and loving sisters?"

She winced at my obvious jab, "You can't let it go, can you?"

My expression hardened, "Never."

Guinevere sighed, "Alright. Morgan is as committed as ever. As the Crown Princess, she's swamped with responsibilities."

She rolled her eyes, "Honestly, she's a workaholic with her guard perpetually up. And she's only 21!"

I smirked, "I see that Morgan is still the same as ever."

"I wonder...", I met Guinevere's gaze squarely.

"Mother. Do I exist in Morgan's eyes now?"

Guinevere held my gaze, her eyes unreadable, "Why don't you ask her yourself when you return?"

"Seems even you can't decipher her.", I remarked.

She gave a small smile, "Morgan has always taken after her father."

I shifted my focus, "And what of Elaine?"

Guinevere's smile faded and expression darkened, her concern evident, "Elaine... has changed."

I raised my eyebrows, "Changed?"

Both Guinevere and Gawain nodded in agreement.

"She's become reclusive, spending most of her days locked away in her room," Gawain added.

"Ever since you left, she's distanced herself from her friends and her demeanor has completely shifted.", Guinevere elaborated.

"She's become timid and is neglecting her training and studies. She doesn't talk to me, mother, dad, and Morgan.", Gawain sighed.

"Heck, she doesn't even interact with the little one."

I frowned. Could my actions towards her have caused this change?

Oops.

I definitely don't feel bad about that.

But there seems to be something else. Something Guinevere and Gawain are hiding.

Something else has happened that caused Elaine's current behavior.

Oh well. What's it to me? 

But I bet my salary that it involved her getting beat up in some way or another.

Hehe. Now that puts me in a good mood.

I chuckled and asked about one more person, "How is Trinity?"

Trinity Pendragon, the third High Princess born to the High King and Guinevere just two years ago. 

Looks like sending me to the Shield put the High King in a good mood.

Guinevere's eyes sparkled at the mention of her daughter, "Oh she is just the cutest! She really wants to see you."

Gawain joined in with a grin, "We had to slip out while she was asleep. Otherwise, she'd have thrown a fit wanting to come along."

"Wow. Two years old and already throwing tantrums. She really is your daughter.", I teased, earning a shared laugh.

"But back to the matter at hand.", I said, the levity fading from my voice, "We've gotten sidetracked."

Guinevere nodded in agreement, "You're right."

"So," I leaned forward, "You and my mother were both Deathwalkers?"

She nodded, "Indeed we were."

Drawing back the sleeve of her sweater, she touched the skin below her wrist.

Her skin rippled as if it was a mirage and a Deathwalker mark appeared underneath her phoenix tattoo along with many horrible scars.

"A masking code.", I guessed as I looked at the five vertical lines signifying five years of service.

"I never came across any mention of you being a Deathwalker in the histories I've read.", I observed, my gaze returning to Guinevere. 

Guinevere gave me a bitter smile, "As you know, surviving Deathwalkers are never treated kindly by the people."

"And if the citizens learn that their beloved Queen was one of them, things will get quite hairy.", I guessed.

She nodded, "I hate doing this, masking the scars and suffering of fighting the daemons."

"But if it eases their minds, I'm willing to conceal my scars until my last breath.", she affirmed.

Gazing at the mark on her, I replied, "I understand. To be a king or a queen, one must be the perfect being in the eyes of the people, someone they could revere and look up to even during the darkest of times."

Damn. I am such a wise guy.

Sometimes my wisdom is frightening.

My smile met hers as our eyes locked, "I've heard the adoration the people have for you, Mother. You truly are an exceptional queen."

She looked moved, shaking her head slightly, "Thank you for saying that. But your mother was a more exceptional High Queen than I ever was."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Mum was?"

Guinevere nodded, her eyes distant with memories, "She was beloved by not just the Kingdom but the entire world."

"Her kindness was boundless, and her ferocity in battle was utterly terrifying. No woman has ever reached the level that Morg reached during her life." 

Tears shimmered in her eyes as she reminisced about her time with Morgause.

"She remains the greatest friend I've ever had. When she died, the whole world mourned for her. Millions, from the lowliest beggers to the mighty Crowns appeared for her funeral."

She sighed, "I am nowhere near the queen she ever was."

Turning to Gawain, I asked, "You never shared this side of Mum with me."

He looked guilty, "I feared you'd resent her for leaving you in this world. That's why I kept much of it from you."

He lowered his head, "I am truly sorry for that, Mordred."

"No need to bow your head, Gawain. It's unbecoming for the High Prince to do so.", I said with a gentle smile.

I then turned to Guinevere and spoke, "So Mum was a Deathwalker."

She nodded, "She was. In fact, she was born here."

I frowned, "What does that mean?"

Guinevere leaned back with a sly smile, "You do know about the red light area on the fifty-second floor."

I nodded, "Yeah. I and Iris are banned from entering."

Gawain raised his eyebrows, "Banned?"

"Iris was quite horny for a thirteen-year-old.", I began, trying to keep a straight face.

"So a late friend of ours asked the Commander to ban her. This being the Commander, he banned Iris and then later me from entering the red light area until the end of our sentences.", I explained with a sigh.

Guinevere nodded, "Yeah. That sounds like something Kay would do."

She continued, "Anyway. Many Deathwalkers go to the red light area to have passionate lovemaking without Minerva breathing down their necks."

"Some of these results in pregnancies."

Her expression grew somber, "Sadly, the Shield isn't an ideal environment to raise a child. Many of these pregnancies end in abortions," she said, her eyes reflecting deep sadness.

Yet, within that pain-filled gaze, I noticed a glint of hope.

"But there are exceptions", she added, "There are Deathwalkers who are prepared to raise children, and they bring new life into the cold confines of the Shield."

Guinevere sighed heavily, "The tragic thing is, being a Deathwalker is quite incompatible with living."

"Many of these parents die on the battlefield, leaving their children as orphans in the Shield.", I guessed.

The High Queen nodded, "They are called the Shield Orphans."

"Being the children of Deathwalkers, many of them are unwanted, even by the families of their parents. Only a few are taken in and adopted.", she explained with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Then there are those who are born to Deathwalkers, who themselves were once orphans. Many Shield Orphans find their homes in Necropolis, raised by Crafters, Healers, business owners, and even other Deathwalkers.", she explained.

"Many of them get jobs in Necropolis and some even take the bloody path of a Deathwalker."

Guinevere looked at me, "Morgause was a Shield Orphan, born to parents who were both orphans."

"Her father was a normal guy sent here from a prominent orphanage while her mother was from a long-forgotten ancient lineage."

"A descendent of the Vampire of the Purple Rose.", I interjected.

Guinevere nodded, "Yes, sadly, her parents passed away shortly after Morgause was born."

"She was raised by Crafters.", a warm smile graced her lips as she continued, "She had a special fondness for Master Lorvar."

I furrowed my brow, "That old man never breathed a word about Mum."

"Perhaps he thought you might hold resentment towards Morg.", Guinevere suggested with a gentle smile, "And besides, he's quite old."

"Bullshit. He can still break every bone in my body with his shoulder smacks.", I scoffed.

She laughed, "Spoken just like your mother."

"Morgause was unique. Even at a very young age, she was fierce, cunning, strong, and ruthless with quite the confidence and charisma.", The High Queen spoke in a voice filled with awe.

"She was as strong and fierce as a lioness, yet as cunning and lethal as a snake."

"By the age of fifteen, she had surpassed even the Reapers in both notoriety and power. During her life, in the Shield, your mum earned many titles."

"The White Lioness, The Serpent Wit."

"But the most legendary of them all was..."

Guinevere's eyes twinkled as she spoke,

"The Deathwalker Queen."

***

Arthurian Legend Fun Facts!

Gawain was often referred to as the 'Knight of Maidens' in various tales. He was celebrated as a champion of women, and while he wasn't typically linked with a specific woman, he did have wives in different versions of the Arthurian stories.

One such tale is The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle. In this 15th-century English poem, Gawain marries the cursed Ragnelle. By granting her "sovereignty" in their relationship, he breaks the spell that had cursed her with a hag-like appearance.

In Parzival, Gawain weds Orguelleuse, the widow of the Duke of Logres. However, in Perlesvaus the deranged Orguelleuse plots to kill Gawain and then seeks to entomb herself with him. She is known as the Maiden of the Narrow Wood in the tale of Hunbaut.

In Mériadeuc the Queen of the Isles declares that she will marry only Gawain.

Numerous other literary works depict Gawain's relationships with various women. Interestingly, in these stories, he is often portrayed as unmarried at the story's beginning.

I chose Ragnelle because I believe she played a supportive role for Gawain in the original poem.

And also because I am the author of Mordred's Rebirth. So deal with it.

So yeah. That's all for this section of fun facts. I hope I haven't made any mistakes. If you guys find any mistakes, please be sure to let me know in the comments.