The Dragon War (4)

The return back home was glorious. Or at least it was in my humble opinion.

Once the celebrations were over, I made sure that the parts of the army which had been formed by those volunteers I rallied during my steady retreat from the uppermost section of Scotland were regrouped and sent back home to their villages. While a monarch of this age and time would have been wasteful and ordered them to come and visit Londinium, I knew that their priority was to be back home for now. I would send emissaries to properly begin a process of integration, and I wasn't planning to burn any friendly point in doing so. I knew they were all eager to be properly called Britannian, but it was going to take time. Time and improved infrastructures.

With the bulk of the army dispatched to leave, only those that had been there since the beginning remained within the armed group I was leading and… we made the steps needed to reach the capital. It was the last lap to finally rest on some warm beds and enjoy nights without having to alternate shifts.

Also, I would finally drop Morgan somewhere that wasn't a room with me in it and preserve my sanity from her stares, glares and comments. After the discussion we had with Ria just after the end of the war I had little word to spare with her. She was embittered by the fact that, in her opinion, I had taken her sister's side just to spite her. I ignored her, something that only fueled her ranting as she tried to attack me as much as she could. Where one moment she would eagerly praise me and stroke my ego by using me as the match Ria couldn't be equal to, now I was the epicenter of her current hatred. It was all in vain as I didn't really care. I was tired, and I wanted only one thing now that the worst was sorted out and we were finally enjoying peacetime.

The march wasn't particularly long. After just a week of slow retreat to Londinium, I felt a smile appear on my face as I spotted the city from afar as I led the tired soldiers back to their families. Everything seemed to be in order, with nothing in the scene that would suggest anything worrying unfolding in that very moment. The main doors were opened as the men assigned to guard the gates spotted us approaching, and soon a mass of people started to form by the entrance, leaving just the space for the army to march inside and thorough the cities' streets. Children, young boys and girls, and elders- everyone stared as an army of warriors was back home, victorious.

I waved at the large crowd, their voices increasing at my gesture and soon some started to actually stop the soldiers to hug them. Some were siblings greeting each other, sometimes it was parents and grandparents warmly reuniting with their children and then the wives, the girlfriends- it was a joyous moment that lasted just a fair bit as I had to order the army to move up to the palace so I could bring an end to our journey.

The people of Londinium followed, waiting for the grand parade to finally reach its climax. As I arrived at the main entrance of the palace, I descended from my horse, and so did my group of close knights. I turned and took a few steps towards them. Those men that were staring at me with trepidation, with pride, with awe and admiration. I couldn't help but feel the weight of the war finally dropping onto me before… vanishing as if the content was all but water. Tumultuous water at that. Taking a long sigh, I smiled at them all with as much cordiality and pride I could muster in that moment. And then… I spoke.

"Men of Britannia, warriors of the Just, Swords of Christianity, I, King Joseph Britannia, first of my name and protector of the Britannian Christianity and of the Weak, I wish to say that I honor you and… that I thank you for your service," I started to proclaim with a loud voice, gaining the full focus of the army and those around me before such an important speech. "You braved conditions many wouldn't have, situations that just a few of the legendary heroes of hold would have fiercely fought against, and… and you have given your all to bring victory not only to me, but to this Kingdom and the people that are part of it. A victory that isn't just just for us, but righteous for those men and women that have lived under the yoke of tyranny for almost centuries now."

I paused, closing my eyes and taking a moment to reflect on those that didn't live to see this moment. Those that gave their lives in their respective sacrifices and that now were remembered just by a few. Those that had lived to see their gestures, to appreciate them and… to mourn their upsetting passing.

"But of course, my thanks are not just aimed at you, those that are there in front of me. My thanks reach those that joined our army when a greater threat came to us and that threatened our livelihood through madness and hellish despair. You have given proof of faith, you have given yourself a badge of justice and honor that only Saints would normally wear when facing monsters you have seen and slain," I remarked with an even more serious look. "And those that are no longer there with us. Those that now are in Heaven, those that have gained the merits and the praise of the Lord for their actions. Those that didn't kill for the sake of kill, but for the sake of protecting. For those that didn't praise the violence, but a closure through an everlasting peace. May their memory, of those that you have lost, the fathers, the sons, and even the brothers, be forever remembered. For they were the heroes that couldn't be here, but that they will always be with us, regardless of how dark the hour shall be for us all."

There was a deafening silence that ensued my speech, with many still pending to my lips since I wasn't over yet. I sighed again, breathing and allowing new air to fill my voice.

"And now… the war is finally over. No more threats within the Isles shall dare to hurt those we care for- no more we shall fear for the safety of those that have pledged their lives to our duty of protectors," I prepared to finish the speech, knowing that I was going for too long. "Which is why I hereby proclaim an official end to the State of War. All volunteers are discharged with honor, and I will personally seek to establish a special committee whose role shall be to find those that have been behind some of the more virtuous and valiant moments of this lengthy campaign so they can receive medals and other honorifics for their determination, drive, and loyalty.

More silence, I thought that they were expecting for more but… it was just a little trick of theirs. As soon as I pondered about the pause, I was blasted with loud cheers and applause from both the army and the people that have listened, either directly and indirectly, my words. It was so surprising, so amazing and I witnessed it all before being reminded by Lancelot that we had to greet the others. With most of the soldiers leaving to get back to their homes and their works, it was time for me to finally take care of the last few issues before going for the 'grand finale' so to speak.

As we entered inside the gates of the castle, we found two familiar old men bickering. It was minimal but some old habits were hard to just kill and so the 'infamous' dislike between Altuos and Felicianus was happening before us over some menial reasons. They paused as they noticed us, taking a respectful and polite approach as I nodded to greet them.

"Altuos, Felicianus, it's good to see you two are well."

"Y-Your majesty, we should be the ones to say this. You were in this heinous war to protect the Christendom from those… monsters!" Felicianus interjected nervously, surprised by my calm tone and mood. "I've heard of the letters- the cadres from Hell, Demons used to secure a part of God's own creation."

"It was a dreadful finale to this campaign, yes," I admitted with a nod. "But alas, the threat has been vanquished as expected. The death of Vortigern led to the banishment of these creatures and we made sure no loyalists managed to gain hold of the tools he used to attain this kind of power."

"About this circumstance, your majesty," Altuos muttered with a nod. "I wish to ask you a few things if possible."

I nodded. "I assume it's about how he gained access to the material needed for this large scale summoning?"

He sighed. "That would be the case."

"Arthur is currently working on seeing if someone managed to sneak through his kingdom and bring the material to his uncle, but I believe it didn't come from his side nor ours," I admitted with a tense tone. "We are not completely sure about it, but we have strong beliefs that suggest it came through neutral manners and that before I conquered the petty kingdoms the men responsible for this exchange passed through these territories right to Vortigern's old kingdom."

"That would suggest an external involvement," Felicianus hummed, sounding troubled by this information. "Heathens?"

"I believe it was from Christians actually," I confessed with a grim voice. "It's mostly hypothetical right now, but I believe Vortigern's claim, albeit worthless within these lands, holds a higher status within those lands that still believes in those rulers that have a strong attachment to Rome's dying leadership."

Altuos frowned, realizing what I was implying. "You mean that… Soissons might have-"

"They wouldn't!" The Arch-bishop refused. "Even though the merchants might have come from Gallia, Soissons would never give support to those that fought against a legitimate vestige of Christianity in these territories."

…

"They would if they could write that history went differently," I remarked with a tense voice. "If Vortigern had won, they would have just shaped history in a way where the man was a good guy, we were the worst kind of barbarians with all Christians held hostage or mind-controlled by the force of Hell and then had him viewed as the rightful owner of Britain."

There were apprehensive looks on both their faces, but I didn't let go of the matter.

"Of course, that would have been a thing if Vortigern hadn't done something that would have cost him his claim regardless of his win," I pointed out. "When I was fighting him together with Arthur, the man drank a small bit from a potion that turned him into a Dragon."

…

"W-What? The Devil-"

"Can be created through some expensive ingredients a petty merchant couldn't own in these trying times," Altuos interrupted his pseudo-rival. "Which means the one that sold these materials had to be able to gain these objects with ease and be willing to dispense those to Vortigern, one of the last generation Romans rulers that lived in the Isles."

Felicianus remained speechless for just a few minutes, soon he was bubbling in pure anger. "T-These fools dare to attack Christians and try to usurp their rights!? Shame on them, I shall write a letter to the Pope and see them chastised for once and… and… I need to return to my private chambers. Apologies, your Majesty."

I nodded. "It's alright, I assume you have much to think about and to calm down before making any hasty decision."

He nodded back, bidding a quick farewell before leaving our general proximity and… gave me the chance to discuss with Altuos about another matter.

"By the way, I believe I have a task I need to assign you, Altuos," I started to say with a serious look. "And for now, I have to ask you to not inquire about the information I'm about to tell you about as I plan to give you the truth once I've talked with Mya with a few things. It's important that no stress is made about this and that the details are kept a secret beyond those entrusted with this duty."

The Magus looked surprised at this but… still nodded. "I assume it's something that you believe I can handle, am I correct?"

"I believe so. And it has to do with Morgan le Fay."

He tensed up, but he still listened as I mentioned where she currently was and what was his duty for the time being. Altuos was, of course, annoyed by a few elements about this matter that made him curious about some real problems over her current whereabouts, but I was keen to remind him that I had taken some precautions to keep her stuck and that he would just need to check on those and put others if he believes the security can be updated.

With that issue out of the window it was time for me to finally greet Myasviel and see how she fared ever since I left. I knew from the messages that she was a little bit lonely and that she spent a lot of time with Scathach as they both bonded a lot during my absence and that she would regularly check on Marcus to make sure he didn't lose his mind. From what Altuos could confirm on these claims as I asked him about those, he mentioned that the military commander wasn't exactly a lover of the burden I would normally have minor problems with. The Magus added that since he knew I was going to come back soon, the warrior had started to count the time before my possible arrival and then bailed from my office as soon as he heard the news of my return to Londinium. He was either back in the barracks or back to his lair to catch some rest and sleep the whole day.

I was amused but also saddened by the news since I would have wanted to mention to him how we fought demons. While it was a terrible experience for us, I could tell the man would have been incredibly annoyed by the fact he wasn't there to fight scary monsters. After arriving before the doors of the throne room, I decided to relieve all the knights of my private guard to their own matters, something that was surprisingly enough accepted by Lancelot as he desired to catch some rest after so long. The Twins were a little more stubborn on the case, but they eventually conceded on it and gave me the chance to handle Mya on my own.

The doors opened and, as I waited with delight to see a certain white-haired woman to bolt from the big chair up to greet m, I ended up freezing up as I found the room was empty. No one was in there and I could have sworn that Altuos confirmed Mya had made plans to wait for me inside the room. A private greeting of sorts that she had been fairly excited about since earlier that week. I was thrilled to see what it was all about, but I paused at the fact the place was definitely empty.

Could it be that she had forgotten something and had left the room without telling anyone?

Knowing how perfectionist she was when it came to surprises, I wouldn't have been shocked to learn that it was actually the case. So, instead of waiting there like a moron, I started to slowly walk towards the throne, making small plans of sitting there and countering her surprise with a surprise of mine. I was so certain that she was just running around to get everything prepared flawlessly that I was caught off-guard when I felt a pair of soft hands suddenly cover my eyes from behind, a familiar giggle reaching my ears.

I tensed up and frowned. "Mya?"

"Yep."

She released me, and I turned around as I was still grasping the fact that I didn't hear her approach me. Even though her footsteps were soft, my hearing should have picked up her arrival behind me and… as I turned around I was given an answer to that confusion. An answer that left me even more confused.

Mya giggled as I gave her a shocked reaction at her current situation. She wasn't exactly standing but… floating. She was hovering slightly over the ground and she used my current state of surprise to lean in to give me a swift kiss on the lips. That definitely woke up as I found myself trying to bring her closer and, as if understanding what I was planning, the young woman descended just enough for me to capture her in a bridal hold, keeping her close as the kissing continued.

As she pulled out, satisfied and mostly amused by the reaction she got at her surprise, Mya finally grinned at me.

"Did you see? I trained my magic with Altuos," The girl admitted without hesitation, enjoying the awed look I was giving her. "I bet you didn't expect that!"

"I sure didn't, Mya," I said while chuckling, soon starting to caress the back of her head as she nuzzled her chin onto my shoulder.

"Welcome home, dear."

My smile doubled at those words and I nodded. These were the words I had sought to hear when I came back home. Finally I felt my shoulders sag as I hugged her tighter and enjoyed the warmth she was giving me with that closeness.

"I'm home, love."

We spent a few hours alone by the throne room, then it was time to talk about what happened in the war, about her time in the castle while I wasn't there, about our soon-to-happen marriage and… the situation with Morgan.

Something that would, much to my annoyance resurface right as I finished handling the last few things needed for my return.

The special cell room that was picked to house Morgan was packed with numerous runes and seals meant to nullify her capacity to use magic. Albeit Magecraft shouldn't have any major capacity against magic, in this case the process wasn't meant to directly strip her of magic, but of the capacity to use it.

Some of the seals would drain Morgan's reserves to only give her the energy to live, with the funneled mana being then redistributed among the runes that reinforced the materials of the stuff keeping the cell's intact and difficult to destroy. The rest was also a little ambitious new set up that was meant to prevent teleportation from within the room.

While it was impossible to create a seal to do this but for the outside, it wasn't the same from the use of this spell from within the walls. Morgan was effectively confined in that room until she was ready to both be present at her trial. I didn't plan to move her out when it was time for her to deliver Mordred, with the room more than big enough to allow medics to do their own magic to get the entire situation solved without any issue.

The problem wasn't her capacity to use magic. No, the real issue was her capacity to do something stupid without having to resort to that. About two hours after the little feast at lunch to celebrate my return, I took a moment to actually visit her and check her. First I spoke with Altuos as to why I had her as a prisoner rather than have her killed outright. He didn't fully understand through the whole mercy/trial reason, but he decided to trust me as I brought up the child's identity and parents. He sure looked surprised when I brought up who the father was but… magecraft. If it is crazy, but still tied to some normal natural law, then yes, it is possible.

The very moment I entered the room I noticed something really disturbing that I hadn't taken into account, but that I was planning to solve at once. I was a dumbass, but I was relieved to know Morgan wasn't any dumber when it came to the opportunity to make my life insufferable.

AS I entered the cell, I was greeted by two elements that left me perplexed. The first one was Morgan lying on her bed, wearing her usual clothes even though I made sure she received new ones for her to wear during her stay. Clothes that were dirty and probably in need of a change and, since the room had an inner small section where she could bathe in peace, she had no reason to go through that and put on a new spare.

Yet here she was, reading a book without a care for the world.

By the bedside, I spotted a good reason to worry. I approached the bed calmly and she spared me just a brief look before resuming her reading. I paused by the small table where a plate with some apples and a knife was resting. I crouched down, silently peeling off the fruits and cutting them to pieces for her to eat. This time the blonde paused reading and glanced at me as I went through that simple task. It was nothing difficult, but she easily saw what I was doing by getting that done and taking the knife with me.

"I wasn't going to use it for anything malicious," Morgan lamented dryly.

"I don't doubt you wouldn't right now," I calmly admitted. "But a mind as complex as yours shouldn't be unable to drop from the highest to the lowest point when in a corner."

"Once again, I would never steep that low."

I didn't reply this time, merely picking a chair and sitting down to look at her. She shifted so she could see me better and we just… stared at each other. A curious look appeared on her face as she decided to press on the circumstance rather than just let the chance for her to speak with me go to waste.

"I thought you were planning to stay away from me until at least the trial."

"That was the plan," I confessed without restraint. "But then I realized that I should at least pay a personal visit and see how effective your current stay is in keeping you from doing anything silly or concerning. Small elements that aren't caught on until someone expecting the worst pass by to notice them."

"Then you are a fool to even consider the chances of me dying in such a manner."

"You wouldn't need to die to make a point with a knife. Even a small wound would be enough to raise concerns. To make demands," I pointed out flatly. "And before you repeat again how you are so prideful and unwilling to go this low about morals of the self, how about we discuss the chances of you changing your idea the moment the thought that this is going to be your home from now on settles in?"

…

"You will not succeed in… making me regret my 'evil deeds'."

"Once again, it's not the purpose. One thing I really don't understand right now of your concept of prison is your idea that this is all an effort to redeem you somehow," I remarked with a serious tone. "Trust me, this is a punishment to put you away for good."

"You would have killed me already-"

"Or not. It's all up to perspectives of what death entail within its logic," I interrupted with a blank look. "The death of the flesh, the freedom of the soul… but what happens when the flesh remain and the soul is tortured by a general sense of discomfort. A state of mind that is of torture but not truly. In a certain sense, this kind of punishment brings up a curious question about most living beings."

…

"And… that is?"

Oh, is the curiosity already devouring her now that she got some food for her brain?

The explanation was going to be tragic then as I didn't plan to pull any punch with what I had in mind to say.

"Can anyone die by loneliness?"

There was a perplexed look on her face. "What?"

"By loneliness, I don't mean having someone to talk to or even hear them. But to actually be starved of another one of your kind. To be subjected to a forced solitude where the only contacts are some faceless and silent warden giving you food and water for your three meals for each day," I muttered quietly. "You will not see faces, with the last one possibly being your daughter when she will be born. And then you will be left there to rot."

…

"So this is how I end?" The blonde asked. "Like this?"

"Yes."

…

"And there is no-"

"Are you asking me to grant you a lighter sentence because you are afraid of this one? I thought you were going to be fine with this one."

A lovely scowl appeared on her face. "Of course I would think this was the best- before you mentioned how unnatural of an imprisonment this is."

"Once again, I don't see where the real problem is-"

"You can't be serious, Joseph!" Morgan explained with a furious look on her face. "You want me to believe this is fine as a prison?"

"For someone like you? Yes."

"That's petty!" She accused me and I shrugged.

"Partly-petty, mostly you worrying about a punishment that is specifically meant to contain you and… yeah, punish you."

"It's still unfair," The blonde tried to climb out of the hole she willingly let herself fall in. Sadly for her, I had the perfect counter.

"Not by the trial that you will stand by. You will be judged and then you will be sentenced to this after the judge and the jury will learn about the crimes you have committed, most of which proudly I want to remind you."

…

"Then I will…"

She paused, finding nothing to say at the moment and I decided that this was more than enough today. I stood up from my chair, my action gaining her attention once more. She almost scrambled to stop me but I held my hands up to stop her.

"You have the trial to think about. Worry about that first, I'm sure that would make things easier on you."

…

"W-What?"

"I will not say anymore, but there is actually something you could do to make your life easier. And that can be done only if you play your cards right at the trial. I'll give you the time to think up something to help yourself. See you… maybe later."

She was speechless as I left her to her thoughts and… I didn't blame her. I set her up in a dilemma that would require some big thinking and masterful planning. The idea wasn't for her to get out of jail- none at all. She was still going to serve her life-long sentence, but it was up in the air how cruel the imprisonment will end up being. It was all up on her and her capacity to bargain what she can still offer in that circumstance.

The next few weeks were sure packed with events… and a new threat loomed as I only scraped at the massive issue that was going to be my next worry in the next months. But for now… it was time to prepare a wedding.