Resolute : Reward

Following the departure of Rosemanis and her attendants, Gawain wasn't even given the chance to introduce the next group as, apparently having waited long enough, the Sylphs burst into the Throne Room, bringing tempestuous winds and laughter along with them. Though he didn't mind people being willful and whimsical, Vahn's gaze sharpened when he saw this disrespectful display. He might not have done anything to earn their respect just yet but this did not grant them the impunity to act however they pleased.

Since they had been flittering in the air previously, the trio of Sylphs, standing only 30cm in height and possessing semi-transparent skin, felt the wind elemental energy around them suddenly out of their reach, causing them to crash to the ground unceremoniously. The leader of the group, with light-blond hair, dragonfly-like wings, and garments formed from a wispy green fabric, stared back at Vahn with pale-pink eyes and visible frustration on her face.

The moment their gazes overlapped, Vahn squinted his eyes, a solemn expression on his face as he stated, "It is our intention to treat all Fae with the respect they deserve. However, if you cannot show even a basic amount of courtesy, do not expect any in kind." Though Merlin had warned him not to make an enemy out of the Sylphs, Vahn didn't feel like going through the hassle of tricking them. If they were going to cause trouble and ignore the rules, they had no place in Avalon, a place of peace and sanctuary to other races.

While rubbing the bump on her forehead, the leading Sylph exclaimed in a high-pitched tone, "You are a big bully! Jerk! Meanie!" Then, creating a small ball of electricity in her palms, she attempted to send it toward Vahn but, before it could fully form, a dozen Homunculi had surrounded her with very real Halberds. This caused the Sylph to quickly hide her hands behind her back, pretending she had done nothing wrong as she looked at the surroundings and asked, "What, do you need something?"

Despite being surrounded and unable to use most of her power, the petite Sylph showed absolutely no sign of being afraid. Instead, she actually had a challenging glint in her eyes, something shared by the other two Sylphs at her back.

Seeing how things were developing, Vahn resisted the urge to rub his temples while saying, "Stand down." in a commanding tone. This caused the leading Sylph to puff out her non-existant chest but, before she could say anything rude, Vahn caused a mountainous pressure to descend upon the trio as he added, "Your actions have resulted in the expulsion of the Sylph from Avalon. In the future, no Sylph will be allowed to venture into Avalon without the express permission of the Imperial Family."

Hearing Vahn's decree, the yet unnamed Sylph acted like a cat that had its tail stepped on, her wings flittering rapidly as she stamped her feet and exclaimed, "Hey, hey, you can't just decide that! We like this place! You can't make us leave!" As the air around Avalon was completely devoid of pollution, it was a very comfortable environment for all the Sylphs. They had been enjoying their time playing around over the last month so, hearing Vahn say they were no banished, she couldn't just accept it.

Without showing any change in expression, Vahn stated in a firm tone, "You have given us no reason to tolerate your presence. The Empire does not need troublemakers who act without consideration. This land is not your playground, nor are its people subject to your whims. If you cannot live among others in peace, you have no place here."

Apparently not taking Vahn's words seriously, the leading Sylph adopted a pouting expression, her brows furrowed deeply. Then, to further exacerbate matters, she shouted with a red face, "Just you wait! I'll see to it that this smelly island never has a sunny day again! Hmph! Hmph!" With that said, she attempted to exit the Throne Room in a huff, only to find that the surrounding temperature had dropped by several degrees. At the same time, her body became paralyzed by the pressure that was being emanated by Vahn as he stated in a cold tone, "If you cannot accept responsibility for your actions and intend to attack my Empire, do not expect leniency."

Vahn was very aware that the Sylph could easily cause severe thunderstorms and flooding, damaging the island in the process. Though he could easily deal with this, he would rather avoid having to use force to expel them from the Empire.

Feeling the severity of Vahn's threat with their bodies, the Sylphs trembled as they stared back at him with their pale-pink eyes quivering. Despite this, he could see indignation deep within, causing Vahn to sigh as he released his pressure and reminded, "You have been warned..." in a solemn tone. After this, the three quickly alighted from the Throne Room, moving faster than the natural eye could see as they exited the castle and ascended into the clouds above.

Almost immediately following the Sylphs exit, Merlin apparated out of thin air, a wry smile on his face as he remarked, "That certainly could have gone better." To this, Vahn gave another sigh before commenting, "There is a myriad of creatures and Spirits who will call Avalon home in the future. If the Sylph cannot coexist without being pandered to, they have no place here. Feel free to negotiate with them at your leisure, but I will not compromise on the safety and security of all our people for a single group of selfish Fae."

With an understanding nod, followed by a courteous bow, Merlin stated, "His Majesty's concerns are the same as my own. Please, leave this matter to me." Then, with Vahn returning an approving nod, Merlin's figure vanished into an illusory mist. Though Vahn may not be willing to take advantage of the Sylph's nature to trick them into a contract, he was more than willing to act as a proxy. Having a proper balance of Fae was necessary to ensure Avalon's stability and, though there were a few viable replacements for the Sylphs, they were much harder to convince than the relatively simple species of Fae.

After Merlin's departure, Vahn gazed over his surroundings, stating in a commanding tone, "If there are any other matters, bring them forward now." Since this was his first time holding Court, it was the best opportunity to address important matters, especially those concerning the governance of the Empire. Though they could easily be discussed in private, officiating them during court proceedings was the standard and, if he intended to treat his position as Emperor seriously, Vahn needed to start familiarizing himself, and others, with the proper proceedings.

Following his statement, Gawain was the first to bring several matters to light, allowing for the other members of the Court to make arguments for, or against, the proposed changes. After hearing both sides, Vahn would make the final decision as an Imperial Decree, setting in motion policy and other important changes. This time around, most of the matters discussed were just a formality, as they were things that had already been decided, but it was still important to discuss them to address any oversights.

With the most important matters taken care of, the proceedings moved to the segment where the members of the Court were allowed to make personal requests and voice grievances. Though this seemed unnecessary with their small numbers and close interpersonal relationships, it was still a necessary practice to establish. If everything happened behind closed doors, it would complicate matters when his Court expanded beyond the people that occupied the Inner Sanctum.

Surprisingly, the first to come forward was none other than Karna, requesting, "Your Majesty, if it would not inconvenience the Empire, I would like to venture forth into the outside world. It has been several millennia since I walked the Earth and there is much I wish to see with my own eyes." As he said this while bowing low and almost reverentially, Vahn felt a bit of pressure, even if it didn't show on his face.

Since this was a good opportunity, Vahn made a show of considering the matter, remaining silent for several seconds before answering, "So long as it does not compromise the standing of the Empire, it is the right of everyone here to freely pursue their own path. Though there are obvious restrictions regarding age and status, I will not prohibit anyone from leaving the island, so long as they have a proper reason for doing so. If you wish to travel the world, please accept a Quest to that end and, to the best of your ability, avoid causing trouble."

With another respectful bow, Karna answered, "Thank you, Your Majesty." before rising to his feet and resuming his place on the lowest step. Despite being a Demi-God that had already attained a Tier 4 Soul, Karna was not an arrogant and prideful man. Though he could seem cold, detached, and unapproachable, this was largely due to his propensity to overthink things. He would carry out full conversations in his mind and properly considered all of his words, something you wouldn't expect when first seeing his sharp, seemingly unforgiving, gaze.

After Karna's request, the next to step forward was Gareth, causing Vahn to internally sigh as he wondered what the puppy-like woman would request. She had a vibrant smile on her face as she stepped into the Throne's well and kneeled. Though it would have been more proper for her to curtsy, Gareth had a somewhat boyish personality, despite the fact she was wearing a pleated skirt with skin-tight leggings.

Rather than a request, Gareth decided to use the opportunity to publically pledge her loyalty to the Empire or, more specifically, Vahn himself. She practically had stars in her eyes as she proclaimed her intention to follow him loyally for the rest of her life, earning a few chuckles and one very profound sigh from the other members of the Court. Vahn felt pity for Gawain's plight as an older brother but, as he didn't want to embarrass Gareth, he dutifully acknowledged her vow and offered a few words of encouragement.

Fortunately, though he somewhat expected Gareth to have started a trend, she was the only one who went out of her way to pledge her loyalty. As for people like Fenrir and Medusa, they didn't feel the need to do something so embarrassing as the only person they needed the recognition of was Vahn himself. Gareth was just doing what she thought was necessary as a former member of the Round Table, even if he also knew she just wanted an excuse to follow him around even more in the future.

Following Gareth's outburst, there were a few other small matters brought to light before the session was brought to an end after Luvia's requests. She wanted to establish a permanant point of contact with the outside world and, as it had been growing rapidly since being transplanted at the bottom of Vivian's Lake, she also wanted to make use of [Das Rheingold] to supplement some of her family's expenses. Since Da Vinci had already established a means to send messages to the outside world, Vahn readily agreed to the first request but told Luvia she would have to discuss the matter of [Das Rheingold] with Illya.

Though Illya had given the treasure to him as a gift, Vahn still felt it was not a decision he should make alone as he wanted to respect Illya's intentions. Since she had not been in attendance, due to it being almost impossible for her to sit still in her pseud-transformed state, they would have to talk it over in private. Luvia had no problems with this so, without further ado, Vahn brought the session to an end after dismissing everyone. The only ones who remained behind were Artoria, Gray, Gareth, and Gawain. The former and latter wanted to talk about how things went while Gareth and Gray had essentially become Vahn's and Artoria's shadows.

Other than the incident with the Sylph and his attempt to act casually with the Dwarves, everything else had gone smoothly. Gawain had a few tidbits of advice, as he had held Court hundreds of times in the past, while Artoria supplemented with her own take on things. Overall, they commended him on a job well done as, despite how things had gone with the Sylph, it was important to stand firm on issues, especially if they pertained to the core ideologies of the Empire.

After thanking Gawain for his advice, Vahn allowed him to return to his duties before making his way toward the Inner Sanctum alongside the three girls. He could hear Gray praising Gareth's display of loyalty, earning him an amused smile from Artoria in response to his own wry smile. Fortunately, as the two were following a respectable distance behind, so as to allow their Emperor and Empress a bit of privacy, this had gone unnoticed by the faithful duo who, for the last few weeks, had gotten along splendidly with each other.

Vahn was somewhat worried that Gareth would be influenced by the fact that almost everyone she associated with was sleeping with him but, as he had already accepted the inevitability of things, he made no effort to address the matter. He fully expected Gareth to eventually find her way inside his bed at some point, most likely when he was visiting the Menagerie in the near future. Though they were being very secretive about it, he was pretty sure she had already come to an agreement with Medusa who, after an additional molt, had become slightly taller.

Though Medusa seemed confident that her bust would eventually start to grow, the fact she was already 153cm, with almost no development in that regard, seemed to indicate otherwise. Previously, she hadn't really cared about such things, much like Fenrir and Circe, but Gareth's presence seemed to have awakened her competitive spirit in a strange way. She had even considered putting on a bit of weight so she could ask him to alter her appearance with Modify but, as Vahn refused to accede to such demands, as it would set a dangerous precedent, she quickly gave up that train of thought.

Vahn would never understand the need for some of his women to compare themselves to others as, from his perspective, they all had their own individual charm. Medusa was flexible to an extent that was completely impossible for others to emulate, due to her bones themselves being flexible. She also had pliant and well-shaped thighs, complimenting her perfectly round and plump butt. This, combined with her ability to manipulate her hair as they snuggled in a decidedly intimate way, gave her more than enough unique traits. He had even pointed out that, if her breasts grew too large, she wouldn't be able to cling to him as much as she currently did, causing her to have an expression like she was on the verge of an existential crisis...

Remembering the conflicted look on Medusa's face, Vahn's wry smile turned more natural, causing Artoria to ask, "What are you thinking about...?" in a curious tone. Since he knew she would be able to determine if he was telling the truth, Vahn immediately seized the opportunity to tease her, asking in a casual tone, "I wonder if my Empress won't give me a reward for doing my best during the court proceedings~?" As he asked this, Vahn began to stroke Artoria's hand with his thumb as they had already been holding hands during their walk.

For a brief moment, Artoria seemed confused by his words, asking in an innocent tone, "Reward...?" It was only after this that she noticed Vahn's mischievousness, causing her face to turn red as she quickly averted her eyes in a bashful manner. Though he was good about not teasing her in most situations, the only people present right now were themselves, a woman who often shared their bed, and her completely oblivious, puppy-like niece. This caused Artoria to put more thought into Vahn's words than she ought to, resulting in her seriously considering the matter.

Vahn was thinking about teasing her even more but, as if she had made up her mind, Artoria gave a nod in response to his earlier words before stating with an apple-red face, "S-So be it..." Then, after they turned the approaching corner, she added, "Just for today...I'll dress up..." This caused Vahn's mind to blank for a brief moment, followed by his eyes blazing with divine light as his face formed into a large grin. This caused Artoria to lightly elbow his side but, as she had already sealed her fate, Vahn slightly increased their pace as he practically dragged her toward their bedroom.

Noticing the increased pace of Vahn and Artoria, Gareth's ears perked up as she immediately moved to catch up with them. As for Gray, she was momentarily confused but, with her bond only losing out to people like Fenrir, she quickly realized what was going on. This caused her own face to flush as, if things went the way they normally did, there was a good chance she would be able to participate in whatever her Master had decided. Though this would have made her unbelievable nervous in the past, the current Gray quickly increased her speed, matching pace with Gareth as she began looking forward to spending more time with her Master and Mistress...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Come up in my house like you own the place!?','Gareth is quite bold','Doki Doki Gray-chan (UwU)~!')

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