Zuria Kingdom

[Apollymi]

Guin also gave a minor curtsy she had little care for much else. She had no problem answering questions posed by Arthur. All the while she knew that Kolin was starring daggers through her, but unlike many others, she had no obvious fear of the woman in a direct manner. In fact, she was one of few who looked back at Kolin as if she didn't care. Truly Guin was not nearly as fearful as others, but she also knew the truth. That without whatever deal she'd worked out with the Executioner, Kolin was weak enough to be taken out. Maybe not all at once, but she was far less of a physical threat than many of the magical creatures this world contained. Whatever the case, Arthur wasn't quite done asking questions. In fact, the next question he posed made the eyes of every young woman in the room widen, Kolin herself included. Why on earth was he asking these sorts of questions, especially of girls she had no intention of ever letting become anything more than sex slaves. He had to know her intentions hadn't changed right? Or was this another matter of simple pacification to lull them into a false sense of security before he crushed their hopes and dreams all at once. Kolin couldn't wait to see something like that... perhaps she'd get to.

All the while, Merlyn found herself smiling happily. She really was a good matchmaker... they really had no idea. She'd seen this pair together in a vision and knew they could work. She could even see that same thought crossing Arthur's mind. Merlyn needed to be given way more credit for her abilities. All the while, Emilia and Guin looked at each other with casual glances. As girls they never really considered what being a wife would be like... so they'd need a few moments of consideration. Nerys having been asked another question really wanted to tell this man to stop before Kolin actually realized what he was doing. "I would think a wife for anyone really should be someone they find attractive, who is ambitious and responsible... they would be the ones looking after their husband after all," Nerys said quickly, shrinking back into nothingness. She really needed to flee this place before anything negative came of this situation. After a few moments, Emilia thought about it and spoke in turn. "I never really thought about it, but I guess a wife for someone should love them and they should trust them? Marriage implies permanence it wouldn't do without those two things..." Emilia said, but she had far fewer requirements than most people did. Ah, but what of Guin?? What would she say... a smirk came to the face of Merlyn as Guin began speaking.

"Well, if one is choosing a wife, it should be about chemistry. Not in one sense but in all of them, someone you can work with, someone who can motivate you and help you be better, someone whose ambitions and at least their core beliefs align with your own. Not just in one aspect but in all of them because marriage is a lot more permanent thing than most things. Trust can come with time, so can love and responsibility if the situation is right. but if something integral to your beliefs was too different or if your likes and dislikes were too vastly different without the ability to compromise, then everything about that pair would just become chaos."

[Bloodedge]

Once again, there was a series of incredible answers. Nerys' rebuttal was quite by the books, once again, though at least part of it was acceptable. One shouldn't be stuck with someone they didn't find attractive, ambitions and responsibility were always good, and spouses were meant to look after one another. Emilia's clause functioned as the proper closure for what Nerys had to offer. Emotional bonds were the most important thing to any lasting relationship, no matter the type. Then, there was Guin, who managed to shock Arthur once again. Arthur's eyes widened; he couldn't help the reaction at all. Chemistry was a thing that was all-encompassing, something to be considered a requirement above requirements. She was right, and he wouldn't dare pretend she was anything less.

Ah, but there was more yet again. He previously needed an answer from everyone else to the same question he'd asked Kolin before them. Now, there was a different matter at hand. All who'd been questioned, had been presented another query. Not all had answered. As such, Arthur said a single word for the sake of bringing this to light. "Kolin," was the word he used. He didn't look at the queen; he didn't look at anyone, bar a few subconscious-driven glances in Guin's direction after hearing her piece. This was the final piece of information he needed; Kolin's thoughts on being a wife, as well as a queen. One could wonder if she even had a concept of both in that twisted head of hers.

[Apollymi]

The random instances of eye contact between Arthur and Guin were noted by three of the other females in the room. One of them Emilia who happened to always be watching Guin and thus would have seen it. One of them was Merlyn who was watching everything as she blended into the background of this room. And the other was Nerys who already understood what such a thing meant, not specifically as a woman but as a man. Oh, this was going to be a debacle. Nothing related to finding a way to tell Kolin off would ever work out in anyways favor. It'd be best right now if this simple line of speaking questions and receiving answers stopped and someone started a fight. Yes, that would be great and in the scuffle Nerys could disappear never to be seen or heard from again. She could probably get passage to one of the other continents, and start over. That's what she would do, and hope to never lay eyes on anyone in this group of people again.

But before such a plan could be enacted, Kolin would be addressed rather directly. Her brows furrowed in the moment because the question and the reasoning for it being asked of her was completely lost upon her. "That question is too strange. I've never considered what anyone looks for in their wife... someone like me I assume. Since the bonds of marriage never seem to mean much of anything anyways, it isn't really about that. You simply have to match with someone who can provide whatever elevation you seek," she said and that was simply her answer. Emilia's eyes widened. This woman literally tore apart the Kingdom they were staying in, after trying to ruin someone's marriage and she hadn't even considered the emotional investment of marriage. She simply wanted the title of Queen. Of course, this shouldn't have been too shocking considering the way she treated Leorio but the idea that she saw marriage as nothing other than a material upgrade was shocking and kind of disgusting when combined with the rest of her attitude. Merlyn in the moment really wished she could palm her own face, but alas she was still confined within the shackles of her day. What a shame, if anyone considered that Kolin might not have been so bad, the fact that literally everyone including her husband was just a disposable piece to upgrade at her leisure was just sad really. In the moment she just sounded bitter which made her outright shows of jealousy and manipulation even worse as well, as she truly only cared about things as they related to her own perception, and only cared about how things affected her. Even Nerys was outright aghast by someone actually speaking a sentence like that aloud.

[Bloodedge]

All things came to a close with a single statement from Kolin. The one missing truth to her identity, was laid bare in the throne room of Zuria for all to witness, and it was repulsive. Romance? Such a thing was nonexistent. Arthur had been of the opinion that there was a chance to salvage something within the queen, but her line of thinking was skewed beyond his ability to fathom it. "I see," Arthur stated, sighing thereafter. There were a few simple facts in his mind. While rubbing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, he gathered his thoughts to share them with the would-be Round Table, as well as the women presently inhabiting the throne room. "Shall I be frank? If I had to choose a queen to serve, I would want one like Emilia. If I felt myself lacking, I guess I would choose one like... uh..." Ah, it seemed Arthur didn't know the court mage's name. It was a small hiccup during a speech for a would-be king, but Cador thought to bail the blonde out a bit. "Nerys," he said. "Nerys. Thank you, Sir Cador. Sorry, Nerys. Anyway... if I wanted the full package, I would choose Guin─ uh─ a queen like what Guin mentioned."

Bit by bit as the Future King spoke, his point was coming to the surface. Never could he imagine a queen like Kolin; never would such a totalitarian woman succeed as anything more than a hateful, and hated, tyrant. How would she take this information, though? Well, the turning point of this entire ordeal was here and now regardless. "I don't believe a queen who has a king, can exist without being a wife. I think the same about a king with a queen. If two rulers aren't in sync, the people they rule over won't have the guidance they need. What sort of kingdom would that make?"

[Apollymi]

A sigh escaped Kolin, it seemed all was fine. What the hell did he bother asking such a question for? Better yet, why did every woman in this room have a look on their faces somewhere between pity and outright disgust. What could possibly be the reason they looked like that? Did they honestly believe 'relationships' were worth more than what they could get them? Were they the types waiting on some man to sweep them off their feet so they could feel special? No, no one was that type of special. You make yourself special and then you get everything you want and you take it because its yours. You don't let anyone else have it and you make sure they don't get any stupid ideas about feeling special in your presence. It didn't matter, Arthur was now speaking and it was far from what she wanted to hear. His frank speech came with some very interesting moments. Including a mention of how given the answers presented he would have devoted himself. Emilia? If he wanted to serve? That flat-chested half-elf was barely more than a child... what did she know of anything but how she felt in the moment. A virgin's ideology. An eye roll followed that thought and his conclusions. He'd have chosen Nerys if he thought he was lacking? Nerys was lacking herself. Not flat-chested but barely more tolerable than the average woman, besides that Nerys was a coward, there was hardly any other way to describe her. "Don't worry about it..." she said softly, she was truly trying her best not to be seen and people just kept bringing her up and that fear she felt at the back of her throat only intensified as Kolin's eyes shifted towards her in the moment. Arthur didn't understand these comparisons would make them into targets of her ire, though she was already the type to torture others for no reason... he was giving her fuel for her hatred. Helping her legitimatize the parts of her that didn't like these women already.

That last comment struck a nerve... Guin. He'd choose her because she was the full package? Or rather the Queen she thought ideal... where? It sounded like just another woman stuck under the thumb of some lesser man. Every one of these women had to go... and quickly, Kolin didn't like the idea that they were being compared in a way that was even remotely favorable. Guin's eyes widened at Arthur's words. She heard them and heard him clarify and she still understood what he meant. It took all of her composure to have her face remain flat because she knew... she new that Kolin would hate her more than she already did. Still that didn't stop Guin from meeting this woman's eyes in the moment. That same bit of defiance which was always present still very surely there. Kolin wasn't something she actually feared and Kolin still didn't understand why... why she could hold her head so high in front of her. Kolin scoffed by the end. "All of this conjecture just about people... Comparisons between my ideas and those of lesser women, why does it matter? The Kingdom and everyone else is here to serve... me. They don't need guidance so long as they don't act against me..." these words were so crass. So devoid of actual logic and desire necessary to be a leader, Merlyn's being would have rejected her physically from existence. In all the years of her life, she'd never ever looked upon a person she was more sure was unfit to be a ruler. But... looking at Kolin she was certain she had negative amounts of the traits necessary, not just lacking in some areas... literally as far negative as one could be in all of them. "Now then, my kingdom will function as I wish it to... speaking of... what are you doing about this entire debacle, we have an immortal prisoner whose punishment you stopped and a group of knights who almost mutinied... all need to receive their punishment and then we need to go. All of this conversing about Queens and wives doesn't matter you're already mine. Now... get to it. Either you mete out punishments or I will. This isn't an option, you will do as I say or you'll be next..." Kolin was being demanding once more. As if she hadn't realized the reasoning for the entirety of the conversation. Or maybe she had and she was giving him a chance to remember that he was sworn to her service and couldn't act against her... they would do as she wanted and nothing else he wanted mattered. The threat of violence returned so swiftly heads could have rolled.

[Bloodedge]

After all of that, Kolin still didn't get the point? How bothersome. He was no longer expecting her to save face, but she was actually managing to make herself seem even worse with every word. No matter. Arthur had gone through what most would consider far too much deliberation for the ongoing events of Zuria, but at long last, he'd made his ultimate decision. These people were not here to serve Kolin. These people were neither tools, nor stepping stones for her grand scheme of achieving godhood. None should have to bow to a queen such as Kolin, be it now or in the distant future.

She still thought he was her knight, her future king, a person who'd sworn an oath to serve her. Those things could have been true. "I made an oath in honor of my future queen. There is something I want all of you to understand," he said blandly, seeming as if he would actually follow her orders. Arthur rose. That aura leaking through his eyes intensified once more, encompassing his full form. Now, it was almost a true energy source not Arthur's own, but... feeling it within himself gave the young man an unquestionable amount of certainty. It involved... his sister. He wasn't sure why, but he felt as if she walked with him down the throne room stairs, where he joined his knights, Emilia, Guin, Merlyn, and the somewhat captive Lot. He could feel the hope of the world coursing through him, as his namesake in this world once felt; it connected them. Once he stood amongst the others, he raised Excalibur overhead... only to turn himself toward Kolin before making another move. "My queen and my wife will be one and the same. My kingdom will not be a place of terror, bigotry, misogyny, misandry, or anything of the sort. I will claim Camelot in whatever state it is in, I will do my best to be the king my people need, and I will make sure the queen is nothing short of ideal. Kolin... my oath was not for you; you could never be my queen. Surrender yourself."

[Apollymi]

A long deliberation had taken place but finally the moment of truth was at hand. It'd been a long time coming, especially for those who'd been waiting for such a moment from the beginning. Even so, Arthur eventually made his way down the steps, though none were too surprised by Kolin's idea that Arthur had taken an oath to her. It seemed for a second that Arthur might have intended to do what the mad queen wished. But... Merlyn hadn't moved or spoken nor did anyone else. As much as Arthur felt like his sister stood with him as he made his descent, Merlyn could easily see such a thing happening. A gentle smirk came to her own face as she wished she could have glanced to her left to see... Oh well. This would do for now. She was quite proud to see him make a stand in this moment and watched as visible relaxation overtook bodies of ones such as Guin and Emilia who would understand what he meant. Kolin hated everyone, men, women and the world at large. She only had love for herself and everything she touched ended in discord and chaos. Knowing this no one would ever want to bow to her when there was anything resembling a reasonable alternative. Even Nerys looked on in marked surprise. She began at least to consider that her selfishness and cowardice might have helped her displace her loyalties. If something like this were actually possible maybe she should have kept her alliances were they were originally, but alas such choices couldn't be changed.

But how did Kolin take this? She watched Arthur rise and make his way down. She watched his sword raise... she expected him to admonish the knights, perhaps make an example of one of them for good measure, but what did she get instead? A speech... about all the things he wouldn't have in his kingdom and how his oath was made to his future queen, who would be his wife, but... not her?! Those blue eyes of hers widened and her whole body seemed to swirl with rage, he claimed she should surrender. "MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!~" Maniacal laughter escaped her. Was he truly serious? Did he think he could do this to her? He planned to replace her with someone else? "You think you could replace me with someone else?? I am the ideal woman... I am the goddess all should worship me, there is none better than me. I won't surrender to you or anyone else. You will do as you're told or you will suffer... whose head needs to roll for you to behave yourself?!" she asked like it was an easy question. It would be Nerys who looked around... no matter what the odds of this weren't good. Kolin and Lot against 4 Knights, 4 Mages? How the hell was that supposed to work? Nerys had already started shaking her head, backing herself away and shrinking down into a corner. She hoped Kolin's rage would allow her to remain unseen and she could slip away finally.

[Bloodedge]

Arthur was such a fool to stand against the magnificent queen, Kolin. He would be felled easily for such ridiculous words as what he spoke to those others, and Lot would enjoy watching him be reduced to the sniveling dog he was... after he personally dealt with the others, of course. Sadly, this would not be. The moment Lot moved to lift his spear, there was nothing in his hand but a mere fragment of the tool. He seemed baffled, but upon looking to Cador, he saw the Spirit Knight winking. Hector was already pulling back his sword, and delivering a swift pommel strike to the unarmored knight of Kolin's abdomen. It was Elyan who followed this up with a leaping kick to Lot's face, whilst Cador took the time to speak. "Are you just going to stay chained like that, Merlyn? I think there are much better uses for bindings," he said cheekily, having the thought that such things were best suited to Kolin's personal lapdogs. Of course, there were other thoughts crossing his mind as well, but... there was a time and place for that.

Meanwhile, Arthur kept his focus on Kolin. A bright light seeped through all corners of the castle, filling the air and accumulating around Excalibur's blade. He'd seen enough. So many days of slaying giant beasts─ it was time he turned his blade on people, for people. "In a way, I agree with you. Physically, you are incredible. When I first arrived, the thought of turning against you when you spoke of being my queen and all that... it wasn't all pleasant to think about. That doesn't matter, though. You're sick, and I prefer women who can offer me something more than lustful thoughts," he explained. As something of a butler himself, Arthur felt badly about what would soon happen. He knew the repercussions of using his sword, but he didn't have much choice but to brandish it inside this broken kingdom's castle here and now. Still... he could at least be polite about it. "Guinevere... Sir Elyan... sorry─"

"Ex─" Once more, he would call upon the hopes of humanity through that second-hand blade of his. In addition to the grand lightshow, the pressure erupting from Excalibur's blade burst forth, filling the atmosphere and causing the castle to tremble furiously. Excalibur was lowered, gripped at Arthur's side with both hands, and eventually... it was swung. "CALIBUR!" The Future King failed to realize one thing: Excalibur behaved not based on his own power, but on its own. Due to the purpose of wielding at present, the Divine Construct could unleash a far greater power for the sake of thwarting evil at its roots. An arc would appear, but far too large. Arthur knew his slash would lay waste to the throne room, but this... would endanger the entire castle, along with a large chunk of the kingdom surrounding it.

[Apollymi]

Sir Lot found himself on the receiving end of a combination of attacks which left him without movement for a time. Merlyn watched with a gentle chuckle hearing the words of Sir Cador. Right, she should have taken off her shackles... "What, I was respecting the court, just like I respected my imprisonment... " said Merlyn in response to the statement about her being in chains. "Sir Cador, I could think of much better uses for them. But I suppose if you want them... I'd be remiss to keep them from you," Merlyn said snidely. She very easily stepped out of the magical circle which had kept her magical enchantments from working. As she did the desire for her which was caused by the state of her being, disappeared within seconds as she lifted her own hood. From her body came the shackles and her chained collar seeming to just slip off of her person as if they'd never properly been in place to start with. She'd hand them off soon after, "Nice kick~" she mentioned to Sir Elyan finding that particular maneuver to be one of her new favorites.

But there was a show happening now and it would soon require the attention of all. As light began to gather Merlyn scoffed. Maybe she should have been a bit more firm with Arthur about his use of that particular skill. Oh, this was going to be a joy to fix. His words to Kolin hit her ears, and sounded like nothing but the excuses of a weak man. He wanted something more than lustful thoughts? How stupid, no man wanted more than to steep himself in his lusts. Any one who said any different was just lying and she knew it as a fact. Never mind that she was absolutely psychotic and wanted no more than to abuse every individual until she got to the one she desired. There was nothing he could do. "This little light show means nothing... you literally cannot harm me!!" she said her entire body became a hard shell of diamond magically enhanced. She was a veritable fortress of hardness that nothing could pernitrate. Or so she thought... Elyan and Guin received an apology and Guin who was very conscious of magic herself understood why this was the case. She sighed. "I told you there is no need..." it was only a castle... there was hardly anything left of her home anyways. Ah, but just a she resigned herself to this... a whisper from her doll brought her eyes down to it. A smile spread across her face, and she watched as a beacon of light and hope formed on this very day, to wipe out the evil that was Kolin. Of course, she recognized this, literally everyone should right? The cry of Excalibur was one which ended battles far and wide and brought hope to those downtrodden.

Arthur's attack hit Kolin and everything surrounding her and and she felt the cracking of the diamond. That should have been possible but Kolin felt herself shattering. If she'd stayed that way, she surely would have died if it reached her one flaw no matter. She did her best to protect it until the very end and got to reveal in the fact that at least this lowly kingdom would fall with it. Ah... but that wasn't to be either. Merlyn had already appeared at Arthur's side, clapping her hands together, she said a single word in the moment. "Shift." and this ignited her ability to manipulate. She shifted the reality of this attack turned the surrounding area into a dream for the duration. So that more of it focused on Kolin and not the true landscape of Zuria. She condensed the attack further, because it was now part of the dream. The parts which would have destroyed the castle instead reached for more of Kolin, ravaging her diamond body to the point of reaching her fault. A sigh escaped Merlyn, she'd almost been too late. She reached out and firmly aimed to smack Arthur across the back of the neck in the wake of this attack. "Are you crazy?! You can't just do that anywhere... you are literally borrowing the power of the hopes of the world as protected by one of the highest level players in existence. You basically are using the closest thing to a god-tier skill a human can possess, against a mid-tier mage." she exclaimed. Had she been the one to tell him about such an attack... yes. Did she tell him to perform it that way... yes. But she figured he would have learned between those monsters and now how little power was needed to fell a creature. Ah but what of Kolin her body now back to human form was well beyond saving. She coughed blood and felt her body still cracking further. "Ner-ys... heal... me." Her body was coming apart and without tending she would surely lose this face.

[Bloodedge]

"Oh? Well, I can't be mad at that. Good girl~" Cador said to the succubus, claiming her shackles when offered and leaping toward the stumbling Lot. Off his balance, Lot could do little against the superior knight's swift movements which bound his arms in mere seconds. Lot continued to stumble back as a result, finding himself further disoriented by... a blinding light, and the psychedelic effect of Merlyn shifting the castle to a dream-like structure. What was even happening?

Palpable awe filled the room as Kolin's crystalline body was struck and crumbled by the Future King and Grand Sorceress of Camelot. What could have been a very epic moment, though, was topped off by... Merlyn slapping Arthur's neck in the wake of his attack, even after contributing to its effectiveness herself. In an almost comedic fashion, Arthur lowered his sword and jerked himself toward Merlyn, holding the back of his neck. "MERLYN! You're the one who told me what to do and how to do it! You never said it was going to randomly jump to a new level of power!" he whined. How was he to know precisely how that sword functioned? He'd been under the assumption that his own input was the determining factor, only to wind up accidentally adding more to an attack already considered 'anti-fortress' by all means.

While this exchange took place, the Knights of the Round Table who were present... snickered. All of them, almost in unison, had a laugh at their to-be king's expense. Alas, this was also a time period utilized by Lot. He heard Kolin's order for healing by Nerys. No true knight could allow his precious queen to be in such a state, so his vendetta had to take a back seat, in a manner of speaking. Quickly he moved, aiming to use even his chained arms to join Kolin. If he managed, he would even be pulling her ─ and Nerys ─ along toward where his useless little brother awaited outside.

[Apollymi]

Cador calling Merlyn a good girl, made the succubus giddy. Yep, more fun to be had... not now but later. Now, she was being a proper teacher and good general influence on the world. She was helping Arthur navigate his abilities, but not without immediately punishing him for overuse of a skill. Yes, she'd made it more effective, and yes she'd taught him exactly how to do this but that wasn't really the purpose. "Yes, I taught you that..." she said about the attack. "Against monsters, in the wilderness... not in the middle of civilization. Time and place lad. Time and place." she said. "Keeping in mind the power level and fortification of what you are attacking is key. There are some minor things... I couldn't tell you before, but at least be aware of your connection. You should feel it by now..." Merlyn chided. All the while Lot aimed to capture both Kolin and Nerys. The latter of whom still just looked scared. After Lot got Kolin he was coming for her. And she was backing away. Nerys was above all things, a coward. She did what was necessary for her. If she stayed here... she'd likely be sentenced to death for her actions against the former King and Queen. Even so, Kolin's madness was infectious... would helping her secure her spot or leave her at the woman's mercy. She couldn't know... which decision was the right one.

Lot was going to have a hard time reaching Nerys, because Merlyn was going to be speaking to her. A look in that direction and all was still but Merlyn's face as Nerys looked at it. "Making the same choice more than once and expecting a different outcome is madness, Nerys," she said with finality. "There are things in life worse than death..." she also mentioned. This was a choice. A point of impact. Nerys could go with Lot and fix up Kolin or she could stay here and receive whatever punishment Guin and Elyan thought for her. She thought it death and death was too permanent. "I'm not so stupid as to think I can get away with anything. You can speak like I have a choice but are you really able to tell me life is worse than death when you literally don't have to fear it? No... then don't blame a coward for the choice they make to save themselves..." said Nerys and that was all. That distance closed again and Sir Lot would succeed in dragging along Nerys who would try to begin healing Kolin, but... there wasn't much she could actually do. Her diamond form had been shattered, which broke apart her body. She could delay it, but she couldn't actually stop the death. "All of them will suffer..." Kolin mumbled. "All of them will pay..." she uttered. "But none more than Arthur Pendragon!" her words were practically a curse, she truly now held a vendetta against him. She hoped they'd make it off. But as Merlyn had released Nerys' consciousness, she also knew they were getting away. "The other prisoners aren't nearly as respectful of the court as I was..." Merlyn mentioned. All the while the dream state of the castle returned to normal and Guin looked at it in amazement. Merlyn was truly magical as an entity and she looked so calm and poised. She also told Arthur off for his folly, she was obviously a very good teacher. Guin was very familiar with Queen Artoria's exploits though and she knew of Merlin how could he be here and a woman at the same time? These were questions worth asking right?

[Bloodedge]

"I should feel─" Arthur stammered halfway through a response, halting abruptly. Yes, he could feel something akin to a connection. Before that attack was unleashed, it was almost as if Artoria Pendragon had a hand on his shoulder to offer direct guidance against his foes. With that in mind however, he could only feel as if that amount of force was necessary. "Would you have done anything less, Merlyn? She isn't even dead from that," he said. Following a brief exchange between Merlyn and Nerys, Lot had managed to use the distracted state of all present to whisk the former queen of Zuria away. Arthur could already see Leorio's chariots racing off in the distance. Perhaps they should charge after them?

No. There was no use following the crumbling queen and her band of three servants. These people had been through enough, and Arthur was certain they would be brought together again one day. One sigh of relief after another occurred in Zuria's throne room; peace could be enjoyed, if only temporarily. "Everyone's alright then?" the blonde knight questioned. In response, those who had been deemed future Knights of the Round Table, simply took a knee. Cador, Hector, Elyan and Dagonet were all in perfect health. Kolin may have escaped with her life and a few of her lackeys, but they would never stop preparing to fell her properly. "All is well, King Arthur," said Cador, the first to speak for the group. He couldn't help it; something about the showing of Excalibur was more comforting than his wildest imagination. Some others could say the same, whether it was voiced or not. Slightly shocked, Arthur cleared his throat and looked to the women of the throne room. "Guinevere? Emilia?"

[Apollymi]

It seemed Arthur at least understood what she was talking about with the connection to the other... Queen Artoria. A smirk came to her face, when asked if she would have done anything less, Merlyn could only scoff. "No... I wouldn't have done any differently. Unfortunately, we are quite similar in that regard. Just two younger twin siblings," she mentioned with a chuckle. "And all is well, young King Arthur. I can tell you with authority that the woman known as Kolin cannot be healed from the wounds she has. She will die... and it will not be pleasant..." Merlyn said that wasn't an angry sentence though it could have been. Truly she was just more saddened by that stain on the face of a brilliant showing of humanity. Ah, but now was not the time to worry and frown. No... it was the time for celebration and for the coronation and acknowledgement of the young King by his current court.

When Guin and Emilia were called both did small curtsies as well. They seemed to be calmer as well thanks to the sight of Excalibur. "We are fine, King Arthur..." said Emilia who took a moment to give waving eye brows to Guin who still seemed a bit star struck. "Yes, we are fine indeed. Thank you... still it's surprising, you're truly King Arthur, Excalibur and all..." she said trying to recover and seeming flustered. Merlyn's voice would be the next one heard, always one to help a fellow lady out of a jam. "Yep, easiest to think of it as twin stuff... and just be happy with our Future King~" she mused, which gave the girl enough time to be able to raise those eyes of hers without feeling embarrassed. Mostly due to the fact that the man kept using her name to address her. "And thank you as well Merlyn for saving the castle," she offered the mage. Which made Merlyn scoff, "Oh please, I planned to save as many as I could when I came here. I didn't just include things physical in that ideal... it's one of those twin things... speaking of twin things..." Merlyn said turning to Arthur with devious light in her eyes. If the young Guinevere was embarrassed it was her duty as court mage to see to it, that all things would be balanced, at least a little. She turned her head away from the girls and spoke a little to Arthur about something he'd said, in a whisper so soft it would only be heard by him. "You know that thing you said about incredible bodies Arthur? Those proportions are standard in something like sixty percent of the women in this world. It is an ideal of beauty after all... Lady Guinevere is truly going to be the whole package~" she teased before sauntering off, to join the Knights as a group.

[Bloodedge]

Just as he thought, Merlyn's approach to dealing with Kolin would have been no different to his own. There was a reference added to the other Merlyn connected to the other King Arthur. Strangely enough, it felt as if a strong bonding moment was present between the two. Both of them were younger twins, and both of them were quite different compared to their respective siblings. Perhaps this was for the better; perhaps it was for worse. Whatever the case, it seemed Merlyn knew that Kolin would experience a rather unpleasant death in the near future. "You can tell that? What makes you think it won't be pleasant?" Merlyn's statements were always so very cryptic to Arthur. He understood that she had some strange foresight, but there was always a lack of clarity.

Emilia and Guin, too, were fine. Good. It felt strange, however, being addressed as King Arthur so many times in a row. He may have announced himself as such before, but hearing it from a group before properly claiming Camelots throne was... odd. He actually seemed a bit embarrassed as Excalibur lowered to his side, and his free hand rubbed the back of his head. "You guys don't have to call me King Arthur or anything," he said, though the first of his knights, Cador, spoke quickly. "Nonsense. Your kingdom begins with us; you should get used to being called King Arthur, even if you don't have a kingdom just yet. Or a queen," he added cheekily, knowing of the shared attraction between Arthur and a certain former princess. As if this wasn't bad enough, Merlyn also had something to say, though she spoke of Guin directly to the blonde male.

Oh... right. He did say something about incredible bodies when speaking to Kolin, didn't he? What did that have to do with anything, though? Of course, it had to do with Guinevere. One more instance of foresight came from Merlyn, though far less cryptic this time around. Guinevere was going to be... what? Arthur couldn't resist his eyes immediately shifting toward the white-haired lass. His eyes were wide, his face was beet-red, and there was a quick vertical switch or two in his gaze that he fully failed to resist. "Uh─"

[Apollymi]

Merlyn might have been the Queen of Cryptic statements. But she knew the death Kolin would suffer would not be pleasant because of how the woman would handle it. She wouldn't go peacefully. She wouldn't free her servants and send them off into the world. No, she'd drag them all down with her, kicking and screaming. And she was going to meet her match as she tried to drag herself across the desert. "Yes, I can tell. I've already seen it..." Merlyn said those eyes of hers glowing beneath her hood. Back to being a relative unknown and definitely neutralizing the effect of her existence. "It won't be pleasant because she won't accept it. Kicking and screaming... aimed at the Argonaut, unmoved by her tantrums," Merlyn stated, it was no less cryptic than her original statement but maybe, the exact details of this situation were very much unnecessary. Since he wasn't involved in what would happen she could be more clear in her description of these things than normal. Ah, but she couldn't really explain why she knew these things, nor could she explain the depths of her own Clairvoyance.

"I'm sure a King worth following should always be called a King..." these words were said by Emilia who managed to further nudge Guin. Merlyn for her part in handing off information to Arthur saw clearly that beet-red face of his as he tried nobly and failed to not scan the current form that belonged to the blue-eyed lass. In he meantime, Guin managed to find the wandering eye of Arthur once more, why was he embarrassed? What had Merlyn said to him in that moment of passing? Perhaps she didn't need to know? She looked down at the doll in her hands and her own eyes widened as well... Viy was no less meddlesome than Merlyn, luckily enough Guin was the only one who could hear her.

While the embarrassment of the situation settled, it seemed the Kingdom of Arthur and his Round table were coming together, nicely. Merlyn was pleased, the least number of lives had been lost today. The least amount of trauma had been applied to the group... best possible outcome. Still she paused before Sir Hector and Sir Dagonet offered and offered them a smile... beneath her hood her lonely eyes showed true sorrow. Merlyn had Sir Cador release Hector from his oath, knowing he would sacrifice himself for someone else, yet another thing she'd bear in her conscience. She truly meant every word she'd spoken in his eulogy. As for Sir Dagonet, Merlyn used herself as bait to free him and she also felt strangely about that use power. Though she was long-lived she enjoyed the freedom of the Knights. Especially the freedom from herself.