Commission -- A Peaceful Summer at Last 005

Ritsuka was encased in a soft, warm cloud that he never wanted to leave. Awareness threatened his sleep-addled mind, a sigh escaping his lips as he burrowed deeper into his pillow to escape it. It would have worked, if only his pillow didn’t sigh back in response, a strange thing for a pillow to do. Inhaling deeply, his lungs were filled with the sweaty musk of sex, and it was then that his mind focused, his eyes fluttering before opening fully, met with damp brown skin.

Right. Scheherazade.

Memories of the previous afternoon and evening assaulted his mind all at once. Her desperate moans and cries. The never ending pleasure. Her hot, molten core throbbing around his cock. The ecstasy of climax, firing endless ropes of his potent cum deep into her needy womb. Between long sessions of mindless rutting, they’d ordered food service and when he looked next to the bed, he saw half eaten plates of pan fried fish, lobster drenched in garlic butter, oysters in a half shell and a variety of fruits and desserts.

They’d indulged – in more ways than one.

His cock felt sore, overworked. Still sensitive from their marathon love making, his balls just as tender. Scheherazade’s sweaty skin stuck to him but it wasn’t uncomfortable, an alluring sensation that calmed his mind rather than stress it. Perhaps it was an instinct of man, feeling content with the naked flesh of his lover against his own.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t bask in the feeling much longer.

He needed to pee.

Ritsuka didn’t want to wake her up, so he slowly extracted himself from her embrace, one limb at a time. Her beautiful face wrinkled cutely as he peeled his body away from hers, and he couldn’t help but admire her amazing body.

The amazing body he’d spent hours of intimacy with.

If he hadn’t already exhausted his libido, his shaft would have been swelling with lust at the very sight. Scheherazade’s body was sex personified, the very vision of a fertility goddess if there ever was one but it didn’t even give a twitch. His cock was well and truly worn out, and it would require time to recover.

He tiptoed to the bathroom to relieve himself which was a bit of a struggle, the awkwardness of a guy peeing after sex striking home. He somehow managed not to make a mess, and after washing his hands, he intended to dive back into bed. But when he entered the bedroom once again, he stopped dead in his tracks.

They were no longer alone.

“Master,” Barghest greeted with a curtsy, dressed in her maid uniform. Her eyes appeared sharper than usual, staring at him with intent. “Good morning.”

His mouth fell open and then shut with a click, his brain rebooting quickly. “Barghest,” he said. “Good morning.”

“I have come to clean up,” she gestured at the room and the many trolleys of food, and then at the bed where the Caster of the Nightless City lay tangled in the sheets. “I would be remiss in my duties if I were to leave the room in such a state.”

“Oh, right – of course,” he then shook his head. “Um – Barghest?”

“Yes, Master?” she leered at him.

He scratched his cheek. “Maybe give Scheherazade a little time to wake up first.”

She nodded. “Of course, Master. Do you require clothes for the day?”

It was her words that suddenly reminded him that he was butt naked, his hands falling instinctively to cover his crotch. All of a sudden, her leering eyes made sense. A smile pulled at her lips but it did not put him at ease. For some strange reason, he felt like he was in danger.

Those unique eyes of hers smouldered, “Clothes, Master?”

“Uh, yes,” he cleared his throat. “I require clothes.”

She curtsied again. “I will return shortly. Take this time to freshen up, and awaken Scheherazade. I will need to change the sheets.”

“I’m awake,” Scheherazade muttered sourly, clearly not amused by Barghest’s tone. “In spite of my best efforts.”

“Excellent,” Barghest said coolly before nodding at Ritsuka, “Master.”

She stepped out, giving them some privacy.

“That dog is sniffing around,” Scheherazade said with a yawn, stretching her arms above her head. It did interesting things to her body. “She is on a hunt.”

“Oh,” he didn’t know what that meant. “Should I be concerned?”

She smiled slyly. “Very.”

But she didn’t elaborate, slipping out of the bed and approaching him, her hips swaying sensually. She cupped his cheek, leaning in and giving him a gentle kiss.

“You spoiled me, Master,” she said coyly. “You made me feel like a Queen.”

She slipped by, moving towards the bathroom. “Will you join me?”

Any other time, they would have engaged in more than just a shower but even Scheherazade was worn out by their time together, more than content with washing his back and allowing him to return the favor. When they returned to the bedroom, it was spotless, the trolleys gone, the bed made, the curtains thrown and windows open, and a set of clothes neatly folded waiting for him. That same bell was resting on the bedside table, should he need it.

Scheherazade slipped into her summer wear from the previous day, and then pecked him on the lips once again.

“I shall take my leave, for now,” she gifted him with a radiant smile. “Thank you, Master.”

“Anytime,” he replied, and he watched her sashay out of the room with a playful wink.

He dressed slowly. The clothes she had prepared weren’t things he packed but they fit perfectly, another pair of swimming shorts – these ones green with white stripes – and a light, breathable shirt. A glance out the window showed the glittering ocean in all its splendor, and he could feel the heat of the sun.

Breakfast was waiting for him in the living area, a tray set on the bar. Instead of an English Breakfast, this was a more traditional Japanese set; white rice, miso soup, grilled fish with soy sauce and an assortment of extras like tamagoyaki – rolled omelet – and pickled ginger.

A slice of home, and one that Ritsuka greatly appreciated.

Clapping his hands together, he said, “Itadakimasu,” before picking up the provided chopsticks and digging in.

The fish was moist and tender, flaking apart at the briefest touch. The rice was sticky, just as he liked it, and the tamagoyaki was well seasoned. Dabbing some of the pickled ginger in the soy broth, it added a different texture alongside the fish and a sharp tang, only enhancing the entire dish. Utterly consumed in his meal, it wasn’t until he was sipping his miso soup that he realized that Barghest had returned, dusting various surfaces even though they appeared spotless.

“Did Master enjoy his meal?” she asked when she noticed his attention.

Finishing the last of his soup, he set down the bowl. “I did. Thank you very much, Barghest. It was wonderful.”

“As your exclusive maid, it is my duty to see to your every pleasure.”

That was a little much, wasn’t it? And didn’t she understand just how that sounded? But she was completely earnest, and he wasn’t about to complain.

There was a sudden commotion outside of his door, and they both turned to look at it quizzically. Loud shouting could be heard, quickly growing closer until the door rattled violently, as if something had crashed into it.

“It appears we are under attack,” Barghest intoned, ready to enter battle at the flick of a switch. He was no longer looking at Barghest, the maid. No, this was Faerie Knight Barghest. “I will take care of this, Master.”

Thankfully, it wasn’t Demon Hound Barghest. He could deal with Faerie Knight Barghest.

“No need,” he said quickly, having recognized the voice – or rather, voices. “It isn’t anything so serious.”

He quickly approached the door and opened it, and peered down with amusement at the tangled limbs of his ‘attackers’.

“Chloe, gerroff me,” Illya bucked wildly like an ornery cat, “You’re heavy!”

“I am not!” Chloe snapped, offended. “We weigh the same!”

The pair bickered as they fought to untangle themselves, only getting themselves even more wrapped up in each other. Ritsuka continued to watch them in amusement, turning his head when Barghest came up behind him.

“See?” he said. “It’s just Illya and Chloe.”

“Danger is low,” Barghest confirmed, slipping back into her maid persona. “Master, I will take care of things here. Please go enjoy your day.”

“Right. Thank you again for breakfast.”

She curtsied, and then rushed off into the bedroom to continue her work, leaving him with the two Servants fighting on the floor.

“Ouch, don’t touch me there,” Chloe roared.

“Get your fat butt off me~!”

“What did you say!?”

Ritsuka sighed, reaching down to separate them. They tensed when they felt his hands on their shoulders, peering up at him sheepishly.

“Good morning,” he said cheerfully.

“Master,” Illya greeted quickly, rolling away and standing at attention. “Doesn’t Illya look cute?”

Chloe scoffed, climbing to her feet with a disgruntled expression but Ritsuka focused on Illya as she twirled, her white summer dress flaring out. The material was light and floaty, the thin straps showing off her delicate collar. Her skin was almost as pale as the white material of her dress, her matching hair combed to a fine sheen. She would have been entirely colorless if not for her brown sandals and blood red eyes, giving her a dangerous, ethereal look.

“You do look very cute,” he confirmed, her smile stretching widely.

“Hah~! I told you Master would think so.”

Chloe rolled her eyes, “Whatever.”

Chloe was dressed almost exactly the same, the only difference was that her summer dress was pitch black, a pair of matching black sandals on her feet. Unlike Illya’s hair that was combed straight and fell about her shoulders like a sheet of silk, Chloe’s hair was pulled to the side in a loose tail, falling down her front in a wave.

“You both look cute,” he added, Chloe perking up.

Illya snickered. “She really liked that.”

“Shut up,” Chloe grunted, crossing her arms. Her nails were painted in alternating colors; black and white. “No one asked you.”

Illya just snickered harder.

“Why are you two here?” he asked, curious.

“We wanted to spend the day with Master,” Illya chirped.

“Mash told us to come get you,” Chloe elaborated. “She’s waiting for us downstairs.”

A pair of sun hats were discarded near the elevator, forgotten in their mad dash for his bedroom door. Dusting them off, they both placed them on their heads as they reached the lobby and just as they said, Mash was waiting.

“Senpai,” she greeted with a warm smile. “Good morning.”

“Good morning, Mash,” he returned.

“Do you have anything planned for today, Senpai?” she asked curiously, leaning forward slightly with her arms tucked behind her back. It did certain things to her blessed anatomy, the oversized shirt she was wearing stretching tight across her chest. It was such a simple garment but with only a bikini underneath, it gained great sex appeal.

He thought for a moment. “I don’t – I think?”

Artoria wanted him for an evening but she hadn’t mentioned anything about the day, or when she was going to be calling upon him. Other than that, he couldn’t think of anything else.

“No, I’m free,” he confirmed. “Would you like to do something together?”

She nodded. “Chloe mentioned that there were rock pools at the end of the beach, and was wondering if Senpai would accompany us?”

“Sure,” he said. “How far is it? Should we take lunch?”

“Already prepared,” Mash said, and she gestured at a picnic basket nearby. That was a little scary. What if he’d said he was busy? “Shall we, Senpai?”

When they stepped outside, it was to see Medusa sitting in the driver’s seat of a golf cart, looking way too excited by half. Sitting in the passenger seat was Marie Antoinette, slender body fitted with a frilly red one piece swimsuit and an assortment of strange items in her hair.

“Is that a crab?” Illya asked, tilting her head.

It was a crab, and there were even starfish and shells in her twintails.

She also appeared nervous.

“Master,” Medusa greeted, nodding.

“Medusa,” he returned. “Marie.”

“Master, save me!” she tried to scramble off the golf cart but Medusa’s hand whipped out and grabbed her arm, locking her down. “Nooo!”

Even though she was acting pathetically, she was still dazzlingly beautiful. Her natural charisma truly was potent, as expected of a Queen.

Ritsuka wasn’t sure if he should ask, but felt compelled to.

“What’s going on?”

Suzuka Gozen chose that moment to appear.

“Ohoho, what’s this?” she asked, peering curiously at Marie. “Why do we have a Queen with us, all of a sudden? Is she taking part?”

“She will be judging us. An impartial voice,” Medusa said softly, her voice smooth as silk.

“I didn’t agree to thiiiiiis,” Marie wailed.

“What is she judging, exactly?” Ritsuka asked.

“Oh~! Master,” Suzuka clapped. “Medusa and I are making a little bit of a wager. Isn’t that right?”

Medusa nodded, unashamed. “Speed is life. Speed is love.”

Ritsuka blinked. “What?”

“She will be judging our skill as Riders,” Medusa continued as if she hadn’t just said something very strange. “Our mount will be this,” she patted the golf cart lovingly, her expression a little frightening. “I’ve always wanted to drive one of these.”

“Ooooh,” Illya made a sound of understanding. “You have a need for speed. I get it.”

Ritsuka didn’t.

“Try not to crash,” he said. “And… take care of Marie.”

“Master,” she sobbed as Suzuka laughed, jumping on the back of the cart. Medusa started the cart and due to her skill as a Rider, the engine roared like a V12 instead of what should have been a relatively low powered engine. Marie sagged in defeat and with a mighty rev, they tore down the street after burning rubber, the golf cart quickly vanishing from view.

That was… really fast!

“That just happened,” Chloe deadpanned. “I’ve heard some other Servants talk about Medusa being a bit of a speed demon. Never lend her your bike.”

“Right. I’ll remember that.”

Ritsuka wondered if he should have stepped in and saved Marie from her fate.

“I think she’ll be fine, Senpai,” Mash assured him.

They set off towards the beach and followed the wooden walkway, basking in the warmth of the sun. Servants once again clustered on the beach, engaging in a number of different activities. The further they walked, the less populated the beach became until they were all but alone, leaving the resort town behind. When the wooden walkway ended, they moved onto the sand and followed the beach until they came upon the rock pools Mash had told them about.

They filled during high tide and when the sea receded, it created a shallow lagoon with crystal clear waters. A number of fish and other sea life were trapped until the ocean rolled back in, taking them back out to sea.

It was beautiful.

Illya dashed ahead and Chloe followed her, deftly skipping across the slippery rocks. Ritsuka and Mash followed along at a more reasonable pace, admiring the pure waters and the shimmering colors, everything from starfish to crabs catching their eye. Much like Marie’s hair.

The lagoon was around waist height, and after taking in the sights, Illya and Chloe stripped out of their sundresses, revealing their swimsuits underneath. With a whoop, Illya dived in. Chloe rolled her eyes but joined her, jumping in with a small splash.

“Would you like to swim, Senpai?”

He did.

The water was cool and refreshing. Ritsuka sighed as he slipped in and sank down until only his head was above water. Tiny fish swam around him in schools, darting away when he tried to catch them.

When he turned, he saw that Mash had removed her shirt and was clad in the same bikini from the other day. When her eyes met his, she flushed cutely and carefully tiptoed her way into the water, sinking down quickly so her body was beneath the water.

Not that it obscured it, at all. The water was that clear.

The entire lagoon was several hundred meters long, and about a quarter as wide. The rocks deeper in the water were covered in mussels, pristine and untouched by man. Spiny lobsters lurked within deep crevices, peering out with their long, thick, spiny antennae. There were even stingrays, kicking up sand as they skimmed the bottom. All of this and they were only a few meters from the shore. This was a Marine Protected Monument, after all – even with Chaldea building a resort on the island.

This was the world as it was. It was a remnant of what once existed everywhere. With the ascendance of man and technology, there was little of this left in such bountiful supply, a mere step off the coast.

Ritsuka took it all in before dunking his head under the water. When he surfaced, he had decided.

He would enjoy this day to the fullest.

They spent countless hours exploring and playing, soaking up the natural beauty on display all around them. They engaged in mock battles, Illya perched on his shoulders while Chloe was perched on Mash’s, the pair wrestling for supremacy. They collected shells, seaweed – of which Chloe dumped over Illya’s head, much to her annoyance – and even picked a few mussels to eat raw.

They had lunch as the tide swarmed back in, delicious sandwiches that had been prepared at the resort, and chased it down with fruit juice, freshly squeezed and chilled in a flask that kept it cold, even hours into the day.

They swam again, and were getting ready to head back to civilization when they were found.

“Here he is,” a familiar voice hollered, and looking up, he saw Mordred standing on the shore. She waved wildly, hand above her head. “Master!”

Ritsuka swam over.

“Mordred, what are you doing here?”

“Looking for you,” she said bluntly, hands on hips. “No one knew where you were and we couldn’t find you anywhere! If not for Jeanne who spotted you walking this way, we’d still be searching the hotel.”

“Oh,” he said dumbly.

“But you were here all along, playing it up,” Mordred eyed Mash, Illya and Chloe. “Look at you, Mr. Popular.”

“Ahah,” he rubbed the back of his neck.

He hadn’t meant to worry anyone but before he could voice this, Artoria Lancer appeared.

“Master,” she greeted, her worried face clearing. “You’re here.”

“I’m here,” he confirmed. “I’m sorry, I should have let someone know where we were going.”

He was surprised to see Mordred and Artoria together but didn’t question it.

“We knew you were not in any real peril, for if you were, you could call us with but an order,” Artoria said simply, and she was correct. A Command Spell could warp space and bring a Servant to his location immediately, if he so desired. “I was concerned that I would not find you in time, however.”

“Time for what?”

She smiled, her beauty breathtaking. “This evening, I was hoping that we could spend time together,” she proposed. “Are you available?”

He nodded. “I am. Did you have something planned?”

That something was hiking.

Outside of the resort town that Chaldea had constructed, there was nothing but beaches, reefs, forests and volcanic mountains. There were no hiking trails, per se – but there were trails that conservationists used in their work to protect the endangered species on the island. After returning to the hotel and changing into more appropriate clothing for braving these rugged trails, Rituksa met Artoria outside.

While she hadn’t called it a date, it kind of felt like one. Which was why he was surprised by what happened next.

“Mordred has decided to join us,” she said coolly, though Ritsuka thought he caught a hint of dissatisfaction.

Standing beside her was Mordred with a shit eating grin on her face, thrusting out her diminutive chest proudly.

“Uh – okay,” he said, for lack of anything better to say.

“If anything gets in our way, I’ll defeat it in Master’s name,” she said happily.

How could anyone be mad with such an innocent smile?

Though the trails weren’t for tourist purposes, Chaldea had placed signs directing people in the right direction should they wish to pursue it. For the first time since they’d arrived, Ritsuka headed inland rather than towards the coast, the newly made roads turning to dirt roads the further they moved away from the impromptu town.

He hadn’t really noticed before since all the voices of the various Servants drowned it out, and when he’d been on the beach or at the lagoon, there had only been seabirds around, but now as they headed into the wild, untamed forests, he was struck by the deafening sound of birdsong. It came from everywhere, music from nature, and he looked around in wonder as colorful birds of all shapes and sizes flew from one tree to the next, uninterested in the people walking among them.

It didn’t take them long to find the walking trails.

The ground was covered in mostly loose soil atop volcanic rock, but the ground was compacted in areas where small vehicles had driven these tracks. Small four wheel bikes were the most likely culprit. All terrain vehicles to deal with the steep conditions, the pathway leading up the side of a mountain.

They weren’t going to climb the whole thing, right? Ritsuka eyed Artoria and Mordred, and wouldn’t put it past them to attempt it. Such a thing would take minimal effort for a Heroic Spirit.

“I enjoy nature,” Artoria spoke, her voice soft like the gentle caress of the wind. Ritsuka instinctively leaned closer. “The world as it should be – is it not beautiful?”

“It is,” he agreed.

Though he had changed into suitable attire, Artoria was in a flowing summer dress, a pristine white and soft blue, frills around the waist and along the bust line. It was the type of thing you’d expect to see at court, in a place with warm temperatures. Her shoulders and collar were exposed, and her lovely blonde hair was tied loosely, caressing her skin in gentle waves. It was a more casual look than he was used to seeing from her but not an unwelcome one.

Nature may be beautiful, but the King of Knights was ethereal. She always was breathtaking, no matter what form she took – but he very much liked this version of her, unburdened, free to experience the world.

If only for a week out of the year.

In contrast, Mordred was in her usual denim shorts and tiny white strapless crop top. Her lean body moved with grace as she ascended the path in front of them, emerald eyes on the look out, ever vigilant. Ritsuka didn’t think they were in danger of being attacked by anything here, though maybe he shouldn’t jinx them with such a thought. It wouldn’t be the first time that their summer vacation was halted by some ridiculous event.

Mordred also seemed to be having fun, acting as his vanguard.

The sky above slowly bloomed with magnificent oranges, reds and deep purples as the sun began its descent towards the horizon. The path they were on continued until a sudden fork, splitting off in two directions.

“Which way should we go, Master?” Artoria asked.

“I’ll leave that up to you.”

She nodded, taking the choice very seriously as she inspected each path closely. Ritsuka wondered what it was that she was seeing.

“I think we should go left.”

“Right is the best choice, Master,” Mordred countered.

Artoria stared at Mordred, and Mordred stared back. Ritsuka had a bad feeling about this.

“A King’s choice is as good as law,” Artoria intoned.

“Haah? I just think that going right is the obvious choice. Anyone can see it’s the best path.”

“What do you think, Master?” Artoria suddenly turned to him. “You are the tie breaker.”

“You want to go right, don’t you, Master?” Mordred pressed eagerly.

This was an impossible choice! What did they expect him to say?

Ritsuka cleared his throat. “Perhaps… you should decide with a game.”

He was a coward, and proud of it! No matter who he picked, it was bound to cause problems. It was better if they settled it by themselves.

Mordred looked intrigued. “What type of game? Whatever it is, I’ll beat her!”

“Was it not I who came out victorious in our test of strength?”

“You cheated!”

“And also at the fish scooping game,” Artoria continued calmly, her mouth twitching slightly at Mordred’s appalled expression.

“I had more fish!”

“Mine was bigger.”

“Just because your fish was fat doesn’t mean you won!”

“Master, my fish was the victor, was it not?”

“Tell her, Master! Quantity surpasses quality!”

They’d dragged him back in.

“Rock, paper, scissors,” he said quickly. “People of the modern age use it to settle disagreements!”

Not really but they took the bait, eyeing each other up as they considered his proposal.

“I accept,” Artoria nodded. “A simple game but effective.”

Mordred smirked. “You’re going down. I will avenge my loss.”

Unfortunately for her, Luck was a heavy factor in a game such as this. While you could try and anticipate what your opponent might pick based on prior knowledge, this was the first time they were playing this game. They had no way of reading each other’s patterns or tendencies.

They held out their fists, the spirit of competition burning vigorously in their eyes.

“Count us down, Master,” Artoria said in her Kingly voice.

“Right. Three, two, one!”

They both chanted in time to his countdown, rock, paper, scissors, hands pumping in unison before they showed their hand.

Mordred went with rock.

Artoria went with paper.

“It seems that I am victorious once again,” Artoria smiled.

“Ahhhhhh~!” Mordred screamed. “No, not fair! Best two out of three!”

“If you insist.”

But it didn’t matter how many times Mordred tried, Artoria had the winning hand. Ritsuka saw the Red Knight’s frustration building but she refused to give up, scowling furiously as she wracked up a twenty game loss streak.

“What the hell is going on?” she roared, staring at her hand in betrayal. If she had any chance of gleaning some insight into her father’s choices, it was completely overcome by her anger. “This isn’t right!”

Artoria smiled serenely which only made her angrier.

“I won’t give up! We aren’t moving until I win one!”

The next five games went the same way, her jaw locked hard enough to crack teeth. Ritsuka felt a little bad, especially because he found the whole thing a little amusing but he didn’t like to see Mordred so upset.

“Argh! Why can’t I win? Again!”

Rock, paper, scissors.

Ritsuka blinked, Mordred staring at her hand dumbly.

She’d picked scissors.

Artoria had picked paper.

“I won!” she said in disbelief. “Ahaha~! I won!”

“I have been defeated,” Artoria said, full of grace. She bowed her head. “Your persistence has paid off.”

Ritsuka eyed Artoria as Mordred cheered her victory, throwing her hands above her head. If he wasn’t mistaken, that last round…

Artoria met his eyes and winked.

Yeah, she’d changed her choice at the very last second, so fast that most people wouldn’t have noticed. Mordred would have – if she hadn’t been so distracted by her desperation. Ritsuka kept his mouth shut.

“We shall go right,” Artoria decided.

Mordred blinked. “Wha—?”

Ritsuka smiled. “Right it is.”

It ended up being the best choice. They were only walking along the path for a few minutes when they came to a small clearing, the forest thinning on their right side and exposing a magnificent view. In the distance, they could see the resort town, and then further beyond, the sun hanging low over the glittering waters of the ocean. The water was ablaze with color, and the three of them stood in awe.

“See?” Mordred finally said smugly. “Right was the best.”

Artoria smiled. “Yes. You picked well.”

Mordred preened, her cheeks flushing slightly.

It was a magnificent sight, and they basked in it for several minutes before continuing onward. The path steepened until they were climbing at an awkward angle, the vegetation growing thick. While it would be easy for a Servant to clear the way, Ritsuka thought they should probably head back anyway.

Nightfall was close.

But just before he suggested it, he caught a peculiar scent on the air. Sniffing, he paused.

“Sulfur,” Artoria said before he could voice it, tilting her head.

Not the most pleasant smell, for sure. Most described it as smelling like rotten eggs. These islands were volcanic in nature, so the scent wasn’t out of the ordinary but Ritsuka knew that this smell could also hint at something else.

He felt a spark of excitement.

“Let’s keep going,” he said.

Another minute of half-walking, half-climbing brought them to an open area, the loose soil and dirt falling away to be replaced by rock. The scent was stronger here, and when he climbed up a little further, he spotted it.

Hot springs.

Natural hot springs.

Steam rose from a set of tiered pools, the water like glass, a greenish hue. Mordred’s face lit up as she dashed over, her expression matched by Artoria.

This was a special find.

“Master,” Mordred beamed. “We’re getting in, right? Right?”

There was just a little problem.

They weren’t exactly dressed for it.

What to do?