Author's Note:
Bad news, nothing serious, just a little writing block and some of my thoughts got pretty muddled.
I want to develop the stories I've created, but I also want to bring to life the stories I've had in my head for a long time, especially those that were born from bizarre but pleasant dreams.
Unfortunately, it's easier said than done, and the heat wave currently hitting the country isn't helping: inside you're baking, and outside you're melting.
Good news, I saw the movie [KPop Demon Hunters] , I absolutely love it and recommend it to everyone, but I warn you that these songs get in your head and they won't come out easily.
Rimu is my favorite protagonist of the trio, but Zoey is definitely my type, I like girls who are a little nerdy.
PS. Happy birthday, Mom, I love you so much!
PSS. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
XXX
Story Arc: A New Nation and a New King for the Earth
Episode 1: The King of the Witches and Hydro Nation (II)
Chapter 2: The Dueling Champion
Plot: Francis Le Fay and Luvia reach Palais Mermonia, before reaching the office and speaking with Francis' parents, they meet an acquaintance of theirs and offer her a gift.
XXX
POV Narrator
Palais Mermonia is located in the northwestern part of the Court of Fontaine, and has its own Statue of The Seven.
Palais Mermonia is the main administrative building in Fontaine, where the Maison Gardiennage, Maison Gestion, Maison Cardinalice, Maison Ordalie and the Marechaussee Phantom are based out of.
A vortex-like portal has opened in front of the Palais Mermonia and from it are the Prince of Fontaine and a Duchess of Fontaine.
Francis Le Fay stands before the Palais Mermonia, showing no signs of weariness from the magic he has used or discomfort from having passed through a portal.
Instead, Luvia felt briefly dizzy, the blonde aristocrat clung to the prince's arm, resting her head against the Witch King's shoulder.
"My Prince, it's truly convenient to be able to reach every corner of the country with a single spell," Luvia comments, imagining how comfortable her life would be with such an ability.
"If this is yet another attempt to convince me to teach you this magic, I must repeat that you are not compatible with it, and above all, you do not have enough magical energy to fuel it." Francis Le Fay replies, knowing that Luvia's dizziness is a sign that she is not cut out for space magic.
Prince Fontaine ascends the stairs of the government palace, accompanied by Luvia, who will not leave any time soon unless forced.
The blonde-haired Duchess never misses an opportunity to prove to everyone that she is the Prince's beloved and will one day become a Princess of Fontaine.
According to Luvia, public affection not only serves to demonstrate that they are a happy couple, but also to discourage other women from pursuing Francis Le Fay.
"I could solve the power problem by using my gems charged with my magical energy." Luvia said, confident in her abilities, being one of the world's greatest experts in Jewel Magecraft.
"You would need a pure diamond the size of an apple and that can hold about thirty days of your magical energy." Francis Le Fay said, knowing full well Luvia's magical abilities and what she would need to do to use the long-distance transportation spell.
Luvia tightened her grip on Francis's arm, so that her chest was pressed against his.
"Then it's possible I could do it. It wouldn't be something you could use every day instead of the water bus, but a hidden ace to use at the last minute," Luvia said, already imagining in her mind who she should contact to find the right diamond.
"It would be more useful to invest your family's wealth in my research. Not only is my magic making progress, but so is my science," Francis Le Fay said, trying to persuade Luvia not to waste time and resources on something that would become obsolete in the near future.
"This reminds me of one of our first meetings, a young Prince with many dreams, but too little allowance for his plans, asking for a loan from the richest young Duchess of Fontaine," Luvia said, feeling nostalgic.
"Your investment has paid off more than you can imagine. Just look up and you'll see one of our greatest masterpieces." Francis Le Fay said, reaching the front door of the Palais Mermonia.
"Later, you and I will have a lot to discuss in private and catch up on unfinished business." Luvia whispers in her Prince's ear as she opens the door.
XXX
The golden couple of Fontaine have entered the Palais Mermonia, the administrative center of Fontaine, it is filled with Humans, Melusines and Therianthropes.
Humans are, well, humans, the most prevalent species on Fontaine, making up approximately 79% of the Hydro Nation's population.
Melusines are an amphibious, all-female species in Fontaine.
Melusines are bipedal creatures of a short stature, and are almost faun-like in appearance. They have large tails, mitten-like hands, and stubby feet, and some have small wing-like appendages on their backs.
They also have long "feelers" on their heads that resemble the rhinophores of sea slugs, as well as human-like head hair.
Melusines typically wear simple shirts or dresses with a small neck bandana or choker. When they are working as Gardes or Aquabus guides, they wear special uniforms suited to their roles.
Melusines make up 20.7% of the Hydro Nation's population.
Finally, there are the Therianthropes, a new race that appeared in Fontaine in the last decade through not-so-natural means.
Therianthropes make up 0.3% of the Hydro Nation's population, and currently 70% of therianthropes are children age ten and under.
Therianthropes are mutant humans capable of transforming into hybrid forms of species.
Therianthropes appear as normal humans until they transform into the animal they are compatible with. Once transformed, they take on the characteristics of the species they transform into, such as manifesting fur, scales, fangs, ears, paws, claws, etc., with few (if any) of their human characteristics remaining.
Francis Le Fay de Fontaine is responsible for the creation of the Therianthropes, as one of his first major projects to improve Fontaine.
Previously, the Hydro Nation had as its neighbor Snezhnaya, the Cryo Nation, famous for its strong military, great ambition, and production of Delusion.
The first of his great projects was the creation of the Therianthropes, a race of superhumans, capable of competing with an enemy soldier armed with Delusion.
Delusions are powerful Vision-like items produced by the Fatui and the Cryo Archon, Tsaritsa.
Their production method and the number of specimens in circulation are unknown, but they appear to use the remains of deceased deities and other powerful beings.
Like Visions, Delusions grant their wielder the ability to manipulate certain elements, but unlike Visions, they can be used by anyone and are also presumably much more powerful than Visions.
However, Delusions come with immense and potentially lethal drawbacks in exchange for their power, possibly draining the user's vitality or backfiring on them.
Meanwhile, as the Prince of Fontaine's adoptive parents play diplomacy with Snezhnaya and the Fatui, Francis Le Fay decides to create something that can oppose the Delusions, making his country a less palatable target to conquer.
Among his many projects to improve the Hydro Nation, creating super-soldiers capable of defeating Vision and/or Delusion users was one of his first ideas.
One thing led to another, Francis Le Fay started the Therianthropes Project.
While the basic idea was great, problems arose from the very beginning.
Not all humans are eligible for the Therianthrope transformation; among those eligible, only those who passed a thorough screening process were invited to undergo the operation.
Francis Le Fay didn't want to create a supervillain or a criminal gang of Therianthropes.
Unfortunately, the operation to become a Therianthrope produced some unexpected side effects.
One, it has been found that Therianthropes are very fertile, if they do not use protection, the probability of getting pregnant is almost certain.
Two female Therianthropes, depending on the type of animal they transform into, can give birth to an entire litter. The first female Therianthrope (wolf) to become pregnant gave birth to seven babies only once.
Three, the children of Therianthropes will be Therianthropes themselves, without having to undergo an operation.
These three reasons explain why 70% of Therianthropes are children.
The idea of a superhuman army has been replaced by the creation of small special forces groups composed of Therianthropes.
Going back to the beginning, Francis Le Fay and Luvia find themselves in front of a large group of government employees who are stuffed to the gills with work.
Once Prince de Fontaine showed up, all the people stopped their work and looked in silence at Francis Le Fay de Fontaine.
"As always, you just have to walk into a room to silence it," comments Luvia, accustomed to being the center of attention.
Francis Le Fay, unlike Luvia who is calm and serene, maintains a stoic expression that hides his annoyance.
"Even with Morgan Le Fay's imprint on my mind and a life spent as the son of the famous Furina de Fontaine, speaking to the masses is not pleasant," thinks Francis Le Fay, never feeling completely at ease in such situations.
In Francis Le Fay's mind, the idea appears of passing on his government responsibilities to his father and dedicating himself exclusively to the management of the Clock Tower.
But something in Francis Le Fay's subconscious immediately nipped this idea in the bud.
'The throne of Fontaine is mine! The crown brings great responsibilities and privileges, now it's time for responsibility.' Francis Le Fay thinks, freeing his arm from Luvia's grip and taking a step forward.
"I'm not as theatrical as my mother, Furina, but I'll be brief and concise with you, my dear subjects," declares Francis Le Fay, speaking like a true, self-confident leader, showing no trace of his inner turmoil.
"The mere fact that you are here in this time of uncertainty working to the best of your ability demonstrates that you are worthy of your uniforms, badges, and upgrades," said Francis Le Fay, praising those present for what they are doing.
"The worst is over, our country is safe, our city is still intact, our families are alive, we just have to keep working and calm the people's fears," said Francis Le Fay, letting everyone know that the situation is under control.
"I will go and speak with Iudex Neuvillette and former Hydro Archon Furina. You continue to perform your duties, and for what you have faced today, I will see to it that you receive a generous bonus at the end of the month." Francis Le Fay said, promising his subjects a reward for their services.
The promise of a generous bonus or Francis Le Fay's words of reassurance had an effect on the people present.
The humans, Melusines, and Therianthropes began to applaud.
"Long live our Prince!" exclaims a Melusine who is part of the Maison Gardiennage, that is, the Fontaine Police.
"Thank you for your support, but we all have work to do," Francis Le Fay said, trying to calm the crowd.
The uniformed subjects moved aside, clearing a path for the Prince and Duchess to pass.
"As always, you know how to charm the crowd," Luvia comments softly, appreciating seeing her fiancé behave like a true prince.
"Personally, I'd rather be in my tower, sitting on my throne exploring the depths of magic or reading a book from Inazuma." Francis Le Fay replies, not hiding his preferences from Luvia.
"I'd also like to be inside the Clock Tower, away from prying eyes and ears, just the two of us, but we both know we'd be busy for a long time," Luvia said, under no illusions that she'll have a free schedule in the near future.
"You save the country from Divine Wrath, you may have to lose seven nights of sleep to keep people from doing crazy things," said Francis Le Fay, being on the same wavelength as Luvia.
"At least we're together," Luvia said, taking Francis Le Fay's hand.
"I agree with you, Darling." Francis Le Fay replies, appreciating Luvia's gesture.
The two remained silent, walking through the corridors of the Palais Mermonia.
XXX
Soon, the golden couple arrived at the door of the office of Hydro Nation's Iudex, Neuvillette.
Francis Le Fay, instead of immediately entering and speaking to his parents, greeted the woman who was guarding the door.
"Good morning, Clorinde." said the Prince of Fontaine, greeting the woman who holds the position of Champion Duelist and once served as Furina de Fontaine's bodyguard.
Clorinde is a tall, beautiful woman, with a generous chest.
In terms of age, Clorinde is one year older than Francis Le Fay and Luvia.
Clorinde has long dark blue-purple hair with a lighter blue streak, tied in a low ponytail, with part of her hair partially covering her right eye and bright purple eyes.
Clorinde's outfit consists of a white dress shirt, a purple ribbon, like tie with gold and light blue accents that sits on her chest with her Ousia-aligned Electro Vision at the center, and white gloves.
She also wears a black underbust corset, which has a light blue inner part and four golden buttons, black, a high-waisted pencil skirt worn over nylon tights, black thigh garters on her legs, and black and white ankle-length heeled boots.
She also wears muted blue, water droplet-shaped earrings and a bycocket hat. Over her uniform is a short blue cape with epaulets that hangs off her shoulders.
A longer patterned blue cape with gold tassels hangs off her left shoulder and reaches past her knees.
"Good morning, Dueling Champion." Luvia said, greeting the woman who can defeat a hundred clockwork meka by herself.
"I'm glad to see you safe after what happened, Prince Francis and Lady Luvia," Clorinde said, her voice full of professionalism.
"You know, Clorinde, if you want, you can choose not to call me my prince. We've practically been childhood friends, although since you joined Fontaine's forces of order, you've become a sort of royal first knight," comments Francis Le Fay, having known Clorinde before and after she became the Duelling Champion.
"When I am on duty, you are my prince, and I am the strongest sword in the Court of Fontaine." said Clorinde, making it her principle to keep her private life and her professorial life as separate as possible.
In short, when Clorinde puts on her uniform and carries her sword, she has no friends, only subordinates and superiors.
"I agree with Clorinde, when we perform our duties we must maintain appropriate decorum," Luvia said, maintaining the demeanor of a polite noblewoman.
Although, inside Luvia, she is a slightly jealous girlfriend and considers her Prince's childhood friend a possible threat.
Unlike almost all the other women who desire the Prince of Fontaine, Clorinde is not only beautiful, but possesses the skills and power of a hero of myth, which makes her fearsome and unattainable to ordinary people, but extremely attractive/threatening to other extraordinary people.
"You are always such a diligent and dedicated woman, you certainly deserve a reward for your service," comments Francis Le Fay, having heard a similar response before over the years.
Francis Le Fay joins his hands, a flash of magic appears around them.
The Prince of Fontaine separates his hands, but a small sphere of magical energy follows his right arm.
Clorinde remains silent, but follows the movements of the Prince de Fontaine.
Luvia, on the other hand, crosses her arms, not liking the fact that her beloved is performing magic tricks for another woman, even though there are clearly no feelings of love involved.
Francis Le Fay reaches out to Clorinde, his hand is open and his palm faces up.
The small magic sphere begins to stretch, changing shape, from a sphere the size of a cherry to a thin, rectangular shape, similar to a tarot card.
"Here is a gift for the first sword of the Court of Fontaine." Francis Le Fay declares, as the magical light becomes something solid.
Now a golden card with a knight in armor and a raised sword floating above the Witch King's palm.
"I cannot accept." said Clorinde, unable to accept such gifts during her working hours, as they could be considered an act of corruption.
"Clorinde, as your Prince, I command you to accept my gift." Francis Le Fay said, playing his countermove to convince the Champion of Duels.
Clorinde, unable to say no, raises her hand and grabs the golden paper and stares at it, trying to understand what it really is.
The gifts of an individual who is nicknamed by many as the Witch King can be full of surprises, some good, some bad, but almost always they make life interesting.
"This is one of my latest masterpieces, the Class Cards, precisely this is the Class Card, Saber." said Francis Le Fay, giving Clorinde the name of the object he holds in his hands.
"This isn't tabletop role-playing game material, right?" Clorinde asks, just to be sure.
Once, in the past, Francis Le Fay gave her a prop for his board games, believing it to be a real magical object, Clorinde used it during a fight, ending up losing her hat.
"Perhaps when I have a free evening, I could try creating some new material for a new board game," said Francis Le Fay, pondering the possibility of a real gift.
The Prince of Fontaine felt Luvia's stern gaze falling on him.
"Of course, Luvia and Navia are invited, the more the merrier," Francis Le Fay said, adding this phrase to appease Luvia's more territorial side.
Luvia's stern gaze softened.
"What is this card and how does it work?" asks Clorinde, realizing that in her hands is a magical object with considerable power.
After all, Francis Le Fay does not use the word masterpiece lightly.
"We can define the Class Card as a high-level Code Mystic based on the theory of the Third True Magic," said Francis Le Fay, providing an academic introduction.
"Prince Francis, I am a Duelist who uses a sword to fight, not a female student of the Clock Tower who studies magic." Clorinde said, reminding Francis Le Fay that she does not possess the basic knowledge of a member of the Clock Tower.
"The Dueling Champion is right, she swings her sword day and night, she's not like us, reading books and studying the many branches of Magic. My Prince, you should deliver a simpler explanation, below the level of a beginner," Luvia said, as if to imply that Clorinde isn't smart enough to be with them.
"The Class Cards are a very powerful magical artifact. How it works isn't important to you, but what it does." Said Francis Le Fay, convinced that talking about the Third True Mage will be pointless.
"In short, a Class Card can be used in two ways. One, it can temporarily grant you a Noble Phantasm, an extremely powerful magical super-artifact. Two, it can grant you a class change and temporarily gain 50 levels," Francis Le Fay said, using simple, easy-to-understand language.
The information has been assimilated by Clorinde who looks more carefully at the Class Card Saber, which she holds in her hand.
"How do I use it?" Clorinde asks, wanting to know what she has to do to use a Class Card.
"You'll find out when the right time comes," Francis Le Fay said in an enigmatic voice, imitating the mysterious magicians in the books.
"Is this really a gift or delivering a new experimental weapon to a suitable subject?" Clorinde asks, knowing that the Class Card isn't the usual gift she receives from the Witch King.
Luvia seems to interpret Clorinde's words as an offense or an insult to her beloved and the Clock Tower he represents.
"The Clock Tower is an organization dedicated to studying and promoting the development of magic for the betterment of the world. We have a strict code of conduct and severely punish any transgressions," Luvia said, caring for the Clock Tower almost as much as she did for her relationship with Francis Le Fay.
The Prince of Fontaine reaches out and places his hand on Luvia's shoulder to calm her down.
"Clorinde, as you saw with your own eyes, Fontaine just escaped divine punishment, we are safe now. But we are in an unfamiliar area and new threats could arise, so it's best for our best men and women to be prepared for the worst." The Witch King explains why he gave her the Class Card.
"I have managed to produce eight Class Cards. You are the first to submit them. Seven other prominent figures from Fontaine will receive a Class Card, such as Rin Tohsaka or Shirou Emiya." Francis Le Fay declares, preparing those who could become the heroes who save the Hydro Nation if disaster strikes.
"I don't really like Rin, but I recognize that she has some talent. Her boyfriend, Shirou, is a good man, a great blacksmith and creator of Mystic Code." Luvia thinks, reluctantly accepting that Rin and Shirou are suitable candidates to receive the Class Cards.
"Understood, Prince Francis, I will keep my eyes open and my sword ready. When the time of need comes, I will use the gift you have given me for the good of the Waters of Fontaine and the Crown." Clorinde said, placing her hand over her heart and bowing slightly.
"When I become King, you, Clorinde, will be the first person to join the Knights of the Round," declares Francis Le Fay, his expression full of ambition.
"King?" Luvia murmurs in a surprised voice, having never heard her beloved aspire to a greater title.
"Fontaine is about to live through a time full of change. I will not be a prince forever. One day I will become King and I will need a Queen at my side." Francis Le Fay said, shifting his gaze to Luvia.
The golden-haired Duchess's expression of surprise was replaced by one full of love and joy.
In a sense, Francis Le Fay promised her that he would marry her, making her the Queen of Fontaine.
"I'll be by your side no matter what happens," Luvia said, trying not to get lost in a fantasy of a wedding dress and a fairytale wedding.
"We've wasted enough time talking about the future. I have to meet Mom and Dad." Francis Le Fay said, opening the door and entering the Office of the Iudex de Fontaine.
Luvia prepares to follow her Prince, but the Dueling Champion stops her.
"Lady Luvia, only Prince Francis may enter, direct orders from Iudex Neuvillette." Clorinde said, standing in front of Luvia, blocking her from entering.
"Looks like I'll have to wait until the wedding to attend the Hydro Trinity family reunion," Luvia thinks, watching as the doors close behind Francis Le Fay.
Continues ...
XXX
Author's Note:
I repeat, writer's block is a terrible curse. I had trouble writing some parts of this chapter. I wanted to make it longer, but I didn't like what was coming out. I hope you like what I've achieved so far.