"Mistress Niniane, there is a lady here to see you."
Niniane glanced through her gauzy veils at the messenger from over her book. "Tell her to come back some other time. I'm very busy."
The messenger timidly said, "I believe that she is somewhat important..."
Niniane sighed in an exasperated manner. "As if that's ever mattered to me. And don't act so scared. I'm not really all that bad."
The messenger bowed obsequiously. "I am sorry, my lady..."
"I'm not a lady," Niniane said crossly. "And I'm very busy."
"But she said that she was a sorceress..."
Niniane's face brightened. "A sorceress?"
"And she is wearing robes very much like your own."
Niniane frowned slightly. "I wonder...well, I suppose that I ought to meet her...send her up here immediately!"
The servant scurried out and Niniane returned to reading until she heard a knock on her door. She grumbled slightly and rose to answer it.
"Hello," she said, changing her "I hate doing this" face to a "how marvelous that I have a guest" face.
"Hello," the woman said, walking into the room. The servant was right. The woman was wearing robes like her own, although they were, to Niniane's eyes, not the same. There were slight differences, between the fabrics, folds, and ornamentation that told her that this girl could not be her replacement. Not to mention, there was something really strange about her. Her hair was far too short, her eyes were golden, and she was not wearing a veil or any sort of head covering, for all that, except for a slim, golden band.
"I am Niniane," Niniane said, smiling, but not offering a hand. "I am Lord Arthur's, the Dux Bellorum, court sorceress and the student of Merlin. I am also Lady of the Lake, disciple of Diana, and Initiate of Vesta. And you are?"
"Eris," the woman said, looking about. "I'm a follower of Rezo the Red Priest and a koppi sorceress."
"Oh," said Niniane, looking slightly confused. "I've never heard of him. And I'd thought that I'd heard of everyone. You must be from very far away."
"Yes, I think that I am," Eris said, looking confused as well. "Where exactly am I?"
"In Britania," Niniane said. "Or Albion, if you will. Why? Are you lost?"
"I don't quite know," Eris said looking around. "Oh, Rezo-sama, where are you?"
Niniane shook her head. "There is something very odd here, and I want to find out what it is. Maybe Merlin will know..."
"It is good to see you again," Merlin said, rising from his chair to greet the visitor. "It has been years since we last met."
Rezo greeted him with the slight smirk that he always seemed to wear and said, "Yes, although it may have to be a short stay. I must return to my world to attend to some unfinished business."
"Ah, as do I. I have a girl in training now who I think could surpass anything that I had even dreamed of for Morgan. And yet...she is unwilling, or unable." Merlin frowned. "At times I wish that I had just kept Morgan."
"How is she?"
"Well enough, I suppose. She has become a menace, though. I almost wish that I had not bothered to teach her. But, then again, things would be so boring without her continual threats on Arthur's life." Merlin smiled. "If it were not for her, I would have to set up some of the diversions that she creates."
Morgan was busily eating a large supper while trying to figure out how to steal Excaliber yet again when a short, red haired girl walked into her room and rudely demanded a meal.
"Bug off," Morgan le Fey said. "I'm eating."
The redhead screamed "Fireball" and next thing Morgan knew many of the things around her had been reduced to ashes.
"What in the hell did you do that for?" Morgan screamed angrily. "It took me years to collect all of this stuff. Some of it is worth a fortune!"
"You mean all that old stuff was treasure?" the redhead asked incredulously.
"Of course!" Morgan said throwing up her hands in disgust. "And you destroyed it all, you...you..." She frowned for a moment and then screamed an unintelligible syllable.
"You didn't turn to stone..." she said, looking at the girl incredulously and then thought for a second. "Maybe we would be better learning from each other than fighting...You see, there's this magical sword called Excaliber that I can focus powers through that I've been dying to get my hands on. Perhaps, with your help, I could get it and we could share it. Or maybe, then, with the power of the sword, we could find something else that is good and split it."
Lina Inverse nodded.
"But first we should talk to my sister," Morgan le Fey said. "She's a sorceress too, although a very poor one, and she might know of some neat magical treasure that we could share."
Margawse was enjoying a large meal with plenty of drinks and gorgeous young men when the stranger walked in.
The stranger was clad only in a leather bikini and a black, spiked cape. Margawse had found her soul mate.
"What marvelous fashion taste!" the queen said.
"Thank you," Nagha replied. "I, Nagha-sama, designed it myself."
"Oh, how marvelous!" Margawse said. "Here, come and sit down. I've been so lonely since my husband died of...uh...mysterious causes."
At that the two both let out a deafening roar of laughter in perfect unison.
"I can see that we'll have fun, together," Margawse said, beckoning to a young, handsome knight. "Hey, you," she said, and leaned over to whisper something in his ear that made him blush bright red.
Margawse smiled. "Just don't tell mother about it. My mother, God bless her pious soul," she rolled her eyes, "Will be coming shortly to visit..."
"You have a new lady," the man said, ushering a straight haired, green eyed girl into the sewing room.
"Oh, how lovely," Igraine said. "What is your name, dear?"
"Sylphiel," the girl said. "How do you do, your highness?"
"Oh, no need for the formality," Igraine said. "After all, we are all equal in God's eyes. Tell me, dear. How did you come to be here?"
"I...I don't know. Gourry-sama went falling down some sort of magical porthole, and I followed and then..." and tear dripped from her eye, although her voice was completely emotionless.
"Oh, you poor dear," said Igraine, no doubt feeling every ounce of pain. "Here, you have a place here as long as you need one. If you need, I will even ask my grandson to aid you. He's one of Arthur's best knights, you know..."
Gawaine had been riding out to rescue a buxom young damsel in distress when he met up with a lanky golden haired man in partial armor.
"Greetings," Gawaine said, dismounting. "What brings you here?"
"I dunno," Gourry said. "I'm looking for Lina. Have you seen her? She has orange hair, she's short, she has a really flat chest..."
"Nope," Gawaine said. "I'm sorry. But hey, I'm going on a quest to save the beautiful damsel Katrina from an evil magician. Want to come with me?"
"I probably should find Lina," Gourry said, scratching his head in a rather vacant way. "But alright."
"Wonderful," Gawaine said. "I'm supposed to meet my brother along the way. We'll ask if he's seen her."
Mordred had been plotting mischief when above him in a tree appeared a man with closed eyes, an irritating smile, and purple hair.
"What are you doing?" the man asked.
"It's a secret," Mordred said.
The man hopped down and peered over his shoulder.
"I think that I know a better way of doing that..."
"Do you? Hey, who are you?"
"My name is Xellos," the purple haired one said. "I'm the rogue priest."
"Oh," said Mordred. "I'm Mordred, Prince of the Orkney Islands and rightful heir to Arthur."
Smiling brightly, Xellos said, "I might have a way to do that...."
"Would it involve mass destruction and pointless desecration of holy objects?"
"It's a secret."
"Then let's go...but first, I want to bother my aunt. I'm busily thinking of how to least tactfully tell her that I'm her husband's son."
Guenivere had been just about to indulge in a massive feast when someone knocked on the door.
"Go get it," she said, properly imperious.
The door opened and a small girl dressed in a white outfit and cape stepped in.
"Who are you?" Guenivere asked.
"I'm princess Amelia of Sairoon!" the girl said, "And the champion of justice!"
"I'm the Princess Guenivere," Guenivere said. "Come in. Would you like something to eat?"
"Of course!" Amelia said.
"And we'll do something after this. I hate sewing, but maybe we'll go riding. But not hunting."
"Yes, no hunting." Amelia said. "It's so unjust to kill those poor defenseless little animals." She bit into a steak.
"I know!" Guenivere said. "I don't see what my husband sees in it."
Arthur sat in his gloomy study trying to determine whether he should cut taxes to help the peasants out but then tax the churches to make up for it or leave things as they were when he heard a knock on the door. He wearily answered it to find a cloaked, cowled and veiled man. "Hello," he said. Nothing surprised him now.
"May I come in?" the man said.
"Certainly," Arthur said, taking a seat. It had been a long day.
"I am here on a mission," the man said. "I was told that there is an object in your kingdom that could restore me to my true self. I was directed to you. You are King Arthur."
"Dux Bellorum," Arthur said. "And you?"
"Zelgadiss. Does this item exist?"
"I wouldn't really know," Arthur said. "Magical items are more in the realm of Merlin and his pupil than in my concern, although I have been curious of an item called the Holy Grail, which is said to restore the land when used appropriately."
"Yes, that would be it," Zelgadiss said, trying to mask his excitement. "Where is it?"
"No one knows," Arthur said, frowning. "Or if they do, they have not told. Perhaps if you asked Merlin...he's said to know everything as result of being half devil...or perhaps his apprentice, or it's said lover, Niniane, who's an Initiate of Vesta and a favorite of the Moon Goddess. You should ask them...but one thing. If you do find this Grail, please bring it here after you are done. The land needs the restoration which only the Grail could bring."