That night, after soaking in the hot spring, Guinevere and the King of Knights donned their yukata and sat together at the manor's highest point, twirling sparklers.
"Lia, didn't I tell you soaking in the hot spring would be so relaxing?"
"If you'd stop staring at my sister like that, I'd be even more relaxed."
"But we're all girls! We should be comfortable around each other! Besides, I invited them here to build camaraderie. If I kept looking away on purpose..."
"But you can't stare intently and then start comparing yourself to her, can you?"
"Isn't that just what girls do? When bathing together, they're bound to talk about figures and stuff, right? I get it now—you're just salty about losing! You can't win against her now, but you'll definitely crush her when you're older!"
Guinevere's silver tongue left the King of Knights speechless. She playfully nudged her with a gentle bump of her shoulder, but inwardly, she couldn't help but wonder if Guinevere's words held some truth.
From childhood, she had been raised as a boy. When she drew the Sword in the Stone and wandered the land in her White Lily Dress, Kay and Merlin were her only companions.
The King of Knights genuinely didn't know whether girls talked about each other's figures while bathing together.
"Guinevere, it was my Sister's fault for coveting us."
"Pfft! Yes, yes, let's just say that. Sulking Lia is so adorable."
Firework blossoms bloomed in their hands, dancing sparks that burned to ashes, leaving only the smell of gunpowder and charred sticks.
"Lia, the moon is so beautiful tonight."
It was mid-month, and the moon over London was exceptionally round. Under the clear, starlit sky, everything within sight seemed bathed in frosty moonlight.
"Lia, the moon is so beautiful tonight!"
When the King of Knights didn't react to her first remark, Guinevere emphasized her second sentence, even forcing Lia's small face to turn towards her.
In the moonlight, the King of Knights' cheeks flushed faintly, her curved cowlick bobbing playfully.
Clearly, the King of Knights had heard her words and understood their meaning.
Without turning away or swatting away Guinevere's hands cupping her face, she reached out and wrapped her arms around Guinevere's waist. Leaning forward slightly, she pressed their lips together in a kiss.
Since their wedding, they had kissed countless times, yet each new kiss still made their hearts flutter, evoking fresh sensations.
After a long moment, their lips parted, drawing out a glistening strand of saliva. Guinevere, beaming, watched the King of Knights turn away and said, "Ah, the moonlight is beautiful tonight."
"Heh, hee hee hee, ha ha ha, keh keh keh!"
"Hey, try to laugh a little more seriously!"
As she spoke, the King of Knights attempted to mask her flustered state with a stern expression, deliberately keeping her tone even. But when Guinevere playfully pinched the soft flesh of her waist, she jerked as if struck by lightning, causing Guinevere's laughter to grow even more unrestrained.
Watching Guinevere collapse backward, rolling on the tiled roof in fits of laughter, the King of Knights couldn't help but smile. She shook her head before leaning back, still smiling, to lie beside her.
"Guinevere, do you think we can win?"
"I'm confident we can. But even if we lose, it won't matter, right? Even if we die again, we can just have Merlin or Sister Morgan summon us back. Next time, we'll be more careful and make sure everyone participating in the Great Holy Grail War is on our side. With the profits from the Albion Spirit Tomb, we can afford to fail ten more times without wasting our resources."
"You just have an itch to fight, don't you?"
Guinevere stopped laughing and rolling around, no longer denying the King of Knights' conclusion.
Ever since she returned from the Camelot Singularity as Ruler, she had been pondering how to achieve "Return to Simplicity" and how to take another step closer to First Hassan's Sword of Death.
Now, her first step was to validate her years of training in a life-or-death battle.
As for the King of Knights, she had acquired the Lion King's memories, but her mastery of the Holy Lance far surpassed her skill with the Holy Sword.
It was worth remembering that her current Class was Saber.
"Lia, did you retrieve Gray's Holy Lance?"
"Mm-hmm, I've got an itch to fight too."
"But you're the Master! You can't just jump into the fray! Besides, if you use the lance, won't your Luck drop to Rank E?"
"Even the Lion King's Luck wasn't Rank E, was it?"
Guinevere stuck out her tongue, not caring whether the King of Knights saw. Moments later, as dark clouds began to obscure the full moon in the sky, the King of Knights suddenly recalled something: the first Command Spell Guinevere had used on her as her Master during the Fourth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki.
Lost in thought, the King of Knights raised her hand, gazing at the sword-like Command Spell on the back of her hand. She spoke, her voice clear and firm:
"Guinevere, by the power of this Command Spell, I order you: tonight, in bed, you shall only be on the bottom!"
Guinevere was stunned, utterly incredulous. She had never imagined the King of Knights would expend her first Command Spell for such a purpose, especially at this moment.
Yet, did she dislike it? Not at all. Even if she had to stay on the bottom tonight, that only meant this was a playful indulgence between them—it didn't dictate their usual dynamic.
"Lia, you're really something else... Then I'll leave it all to you tonight."
Without resistance, Guinevere allowed the Command Spell to take effect, resigning herself to stillness. The King of Knights, feigning annoyance, scooped her up and scurried back to the bedroom.
Morgan and the children were still in the hot spring. They had snuck away earlier, and if they were caught sneaking back to the bedroom now, both women would lose face entirely.
But as fate would have it, the moment the King of Knights carried Guinevere through the bedroom door and flipped on the light, they found Morgan, Mordred, Sakura, and the others—all clad in bathrobes.
"I can't sense your presence here. I thought you were all still in the hot spring room. Lady Morgan, is this your doing?"
In the room, Gareth, a centimeter shorter than the King of Knights, covered her face. She had been summoned in her twelve-year-old form, her emerald eyes framed by blushing cheeks.
Witnessing the King and Queen's intimacy was still too early for her.
Sakura and Gray had secretly helped Guinevere organize her sketchbooks, so they were already well-versed in theoretical positions.
"Ahem, since everyone's here, let's discuss our vanguard for this Great Holy Grail War.
Shiki Tohno and Amakusa Shirou remain unreliable for now. Kiritsugu Emiya's servant hasn't arrived yet, and Waver's King of Conquerors isn't suited for vanguard reconnaissance.
So, Mordred, can I entrust you with this vanguard role? I want you to charge straight into the enemy lines and force out their servants as quickly as possible."
It wasn't just the King of Knights and Guinevere who were itching for action. Mordred was also fed up with daily schoolwork and babysitting, even though she adored her two foster sisters.
She sprang to her feet with characteristic nonchalance, exchanged a determined glance with Sakura, who was equally eager to go, and together the master-servant pair declared happily:
"Father, Queen Mother..."
"Mama Lia, Mama Guinevere..."
"Leave it to us!" ×2