All of the sisters and healers were sent into a panic as they rushed to remedy the current situation they were now dealing with. Not only were Maria, Boudica, and Brynhildr injured, but so was their king, Ulrich. Maria and Boudica were heavily injured, however, the two were still in stable condition and would recover soon. Brynhildr's injuries, while worrisome, would heal given ample enough time for the healing magic to do its job. All three could be healed with enough effort, however Ulrich was a completely different story. The many different saints of the city were all summoned by Saint Elizabeth to aid in Ulrich's treatment. Due to the heavy injuries and the extent to which his magical energy was depleted, it was obvious to them that he would require extensive treatment all day round. In fact, he had died a total of 5 times since Leanna reached his body on the battlefield.
After everyone had managed to transport Ulrich to the church safely, Alicia had called the council together to discuss what was to be done. "My brother is in no condition to lead this kingdom. His previous plans had hinged on his involvement, however, as much as I believe in everyone's abilities to fulfill his wishes, I believe that fulfilling his plans without him would result in greater casualties now that he is gone. As such, I believe it is important to place troops to the west, to ensure that the federation won't retaliate. The campaign against the Holy Empire will be put on hold indefinitely. Despite our best attempts, I am positive that news of Ulrich's condition will reach them, so I want everyone to work together to bolster the city's defenses for the upcoming war. We are expecting some reinforcements from Babylon, so we will be getting some helping hands in the near future. Right now, this is the current plan, we can discuss further details after we have secured the city's safety. I will expect updates on my brother's condition as he is being treated. That is all."
Leanna watched as Alicia spoke to the council with a calm and collected tone. It was obvious that each person on the Council was concerned for Ulrich's well being as no one spoke up against her plan. The meeting ended with little to no questions, however, Leanna had plenty of questions that she believed should wait until they were in private. After some deliberation, the Council adjourned. Without a word or a moment of hesitation, Alicia turned from the seat of the current ruler and walked out of the room, towards the throne room. Leanna quickly followed Alicia through the doorway, taking note of the visage of a young princess, a beautiful young girl with her long white dress flowing and swaying with each step she took. Leanna watched as she saw her walk with a purpose of unknown meaning towards the throne room. Unknown to Leanna, Nina was standing in the doorway that she had just walked through. Nina had the same idea as Leanna, however, what she was to Ulrich, Leanna was to Alicia.
Nina knew that despite Leanna's eccentricities, she was far more capable of speaking to Alicia than she was. She smiled at Leanna before she decided to take Eve to visit Ulrich, hoping that it would help him open his eyes. Inside the throne room, Alicia sat in Ulrich's throne. Between the two thrones sat Caladbolg, and in Alicia's hands was Excalibur. She sat in the throne, lifting up Excalibur and, for the first time in her life, she felt an incredibly heavy weight upon her. As she sat there admiring the sword, Leanna appeared in front her, taking note of the determined look upon her face. Leanna walked up the steps and grabbed the crown from the throne, "Princess, are you sure that you are ready for this?" Leanna spoke to Alicia in a low voice, making a point to emphasize the crown in her hands.
Alicia tightened her grip on Excalibur at the sight of the crown. That was when a thought crossed her mind, a memory from after the queen died, leaving both she and her brother as orphans. She remembered how the news reached the two of them, and despite Ulrich's thoughts on being a king, he stepped forward to take on the responsibility. It was always a dream shared by the both of them, that she would one day rule as queen, and that Ulrich would help her rule as her right hand. However, she was still far too young to rule Camelot when their mother had died, according to her brother. Though Alicia had prepared for such a time to come, hoping to bear the burden for both of them. She knew that Ulrich had no aspiration to be king and that he hoped that the burden wouldn't be placed on him or, in an ideal world, his sister. When the news came, it was Ulrich that, not only stepped forward, but was chosen. Now, she was the one that had to rule in her brother's place.
Despite the dream they shared, the reality of her being the ruler was now hitting her. Alicia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Whether I am ready or not, I shall carry out my duties to the best of my abilities. I must do this, but I will do this my way. I am not my brother and I know that he would want me to do it that way. I know that you are worried about me Leanna, but I am fine. Worrying would do no good in this situation. I am unable to help my brother in his current state, so instead, I will focus on the problems that lie in front of Camelot." Leanna looked into Alicia's eyes and could see the resolve that was burning within her.
"Good, however, I seem to remember Ulrich not wantin' ya to take the crown until he thought you were ready. You do remember that, don't ya?" Leanna twirled the crown in her hands. Since Ulrich was in a coma, Leanna knew that Alicia and herself were the last two Pendragons inside of Camelot, barring Nina and the blood she shared with them as their cousin. Alicia's eyes seemed to ponder on the words of Leanna.
"He believed that I wouldn't be able to make the decisions necessary to be a ruler. That I was too soft hearted and that I wouldn't be able to make a decisive attack when it mattered. So, even though I need not explain my actions to you, allow me to enlighten you on to what is going to happen. We will prepare our city in a defensive position, allowing us to focus on the plans that my brother had for defensive warfare. As we do so, Artorius and yourself will head to the east, to the Holy Empire. We will lead their forces into a trap. So, the plan my brother had won't go to waste, while also sending a message that we are prepared to fight this upcoming war. I have already discussed this with Artorius, so he has a more comprehensive rundown. When the time comes, I want you to be ready Leanna." Leanna seemed a bit shocked at Alicia's sudden shift, however, it was what she said next that convinced her that she could lead the city in her brother's stead, at least for a while.
Alicia stood up from the throne, and proceeded to walk towards Leanna. Confused by what she was doing, Leanna attempted to move, but to no avail. It was then that she realized that Alicia wasn't pondering on her words earlier. Alicia's shadow had already merged into Leanna's, locking her in place. Alicia walked closer and began to speak once more. "As for what my brother said, I understand his worries and your worries, however, even if you didn't want to give me the crown, I can just come up to you like this and take it." Alicia was now in front of Leanna, looking at the crown. "But I would prefer if you handed me the crown, much like you used to do for my brother. Remember this Leanna, for as long as I wear that crown upon my head, I will plant my feet firmly and be the wall that protects this city, be they gods or any of the living beings that roam this world. I am not my brother, I will never be my brother, because my brother wouldn't want that. However, his blood runs through my veins, just as it runs through your's and Nina's." Alicia's eyes then began to glow like sapphires being illuminated by a streak of moonlight. The aura she was giving off caused Leanna to see a glimpse of Ulrich within her.
"I'm sure you can see that I am very serious Leanna. I know what I must do to further our goals. To do that, I will need everybody's help. So, Leanna, can I count on you?" As Alicia finished speaking, the shadow binding was undone. Leanna looked into Alicia's eyes, seeing her steadfast determination. She smiled at Alicia and proceeded to place the crown on top of her head.
"Okay Alicia, you can count on me. As long as you continue to rely on everyone as you do now, then I'll have no issue with my decision of givin' that to ya. You seem to have the right attitude, however, remember why everybody loves and respects you. You must keep that kind nature of yours, but also know when to drop it and do what must be done. Remember that." Leanna patted Alicia on the shoulder before turning and walking away. "Also, for future reference, you may wanna work on your intimidation a bit." Leanna then turned around and placed her hand on one of her swords. Alicia then witnessed Leanna's fierce intensity. Leanna's eyes turned black and lifeless, the aura surrounding her began to feel like it was sucking the oxygen out of the surrounding area. Just as quickly as Alicia began to feel like she couldn't breathe, the feeling stopped just as quickly. Leanna's eyes then returned to their normal grayish blue color, vibrant and full of life. Her carefree and cheerful smile quickly returned and lit up the room once again. "Of course, I'd prefer that you didn't ever learn how to do that. I will take my leave princess, I have somethin' I wanna look into. Call upon me, if you need me."
With that, Leanna walked outside of the throne room and began to make her way into the city. The smile that she wore on her face in front of Alice and the citizens of Camelot was nothing more than a mask. Deep within her heart was a massive pit that was causing her to feel as if she would stop breathing at any moment. With each step she took, the more her stomach began to twist itself into knots. Each one she took felt as if she were being enveloped by quicksand. Even her conversation with Alicia was enough to drain her mentally. She envied her cousin, the strength she was able to show her despite the current situation was enough to convince her to hand over the crown. However, Leanna felt that Nina should have been the one to be the judge her. The sounds of the city were all muffled despite her senses being far greater than a normal person. The dark night didn't do much to lighten her mood, nor did the dark clouds that had begun to form over the city. Leanna stopped in the middle of the street and looked up into the sky. Rain began to fall from the heavens, almost as if those that resided in them shared her feelings.
She claimed that she had something to look into, which wasn't a complete lie, but what she really wanted to do was to try and take her mind off of the current situation. However, it was clear that it wasn't going to be that easy. She let out a heavy sigh and began to make her way to the castle once again. She began her trek, but decided to take a secret path to her room. It was a path that she often took when she used to sneak out of the castle with Ulrich when they were younger. As she reached the balcony to her room, she looked out into the city, in particular, the church where Ulrich, Maria, Boudica, and Brynhildr were taken too after the battle. She was able to see the many different priests, priestesses, and saints coming and going. Each time one exited, it was clear by their condition that they had used up a large amount of magical energy. The sight made Leanna clench her fists and grit her teeth.
She was furious, not only at herself, but everyone who watched the fight. No one interfered, even when the battle was becoming more and more dangerous for Ulrich. She knew that if they interfered, they could have easily killed the demon. Nina's reasoning for no one getting involved was what made her even more furious. Even if the king had ordered no one to interfere, shouldn't someone have disregarded the order when the battle became too dangerous? Why would Ulrich even give such an order in the first place? She saw him fighting in a way that she had never seen before. He was much more composed than he normally was. It was clear that his mental state had improved greatly. None of it made sense to Leanna. Even when she asked Artorius, he gave her a vague answer. She quickly turned away from the sight of the city and walked further into her room.
She placed her two swords on her weapon rack and proceeded to change out of her armor. As she began to take off the various pieces, she finally took notice of the large amount of blood that was caked on her. She quickly dashed in front of the mirror in her room and was shocked at what she saw. The shock wasn't because it was blood, no, it was because it was Ulrich's blood on her. She then met her own gaze within the mirror, seeing eyes that had no light in them, trembling eyes that seemed to pierce into her own soul. She saw the blood on her cheek from where she had embraced Ulrich. Her hand unconsciously reached up to the smear on her face, then she noticed that her hand was trembling. The very sight caused her to become frightened. She had killed many foes, fought against some of the horrific beasts in the east, and witnessed many atrocities that humanity constantly committed against each other. None of these things had ever caused her to bat an eye, however, in this very moment, it was as if those emotions she should have felt all those times finally hit her. She fell to her knees, gently sobbing into her hands, red teardrops hitting the ground.
Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep. Unfortunately, even in dreams, she could not escape the grim reminder of what had happened. Ulrich lost consciousness as Leanna held him in her arms. Her eyes widened at the sight of the bloody and battered Ulrich. Leanna, who had no real affinity for miracles, on account of her having very little faith in deities, began to pray. She knew that none of the deities of Camelot would listen to her prayers now, considering she refused to bow to them when asked. So, she prayed to the gods of the East. To any that would listen to her cries of help, her prayers of desperation. She used healing magic, however, healing magic could only do so much, what she needed was a miracle. However, getting someone to hear her prayers would be a miracle in itself. She closed her eyes and prayed, giving it all of her power and emotions. She prayed for the power to save her cousin, to heal him, to be able to yell at him when he awoke, to feel the sense of comfort he gave her. He often protected her ever since they were little, so now, this time she would be the one to protect him. She only needed the power to do so, but what she needed was something she didn't have possession of. She knew that she didn't have anything to offer, nothing except for one thing.
"Please, grant me the power to heal my cousin, who risked his life to protect us from a demon. I have nothin' to give, nothin' 'cept my loyalty and my skills as warrior. I know that it isn't much, but it is all I have to give." Leanna then squeezed Ulrich's body tightly, his bloody face coming into direct contact with her cheek. Ulrich told her not to cry before he passed out, however, the longer she held onto him, the harder it was for her listen to him. She felt tears begin to form in her eyes, so she kept them shut tight as to prevent them from falling. It was within that darkness that she received an answer. Though her eyes were shut, a white light appeared before her, revealing a forest of red and yellow leaves. However, farther into the forest, she saw a cherry blossom tree that looked exactly like the one in Ulrich's garden. She then saw two foxes appear from behind both sides of the tree, one black and one white, followed by a beautiful woman with long black hair and fox like eyes. She seemed to say something to the two foxes before looking directly into Leanna's eyes.
"Leanna Mordred Pendragon, I have heard your prayer. I ask for nothing from you but your faith, as it has been willed by the triumvirate. I look forward to meeting you in the future, if fate permits it." The woman lifted her hand towards Leanna, before the light quickly disappeared. Leanna then opened her eyes just as quickly. She looked down and saw her hands emitting a soft, warm, golden glow. Ulrich, who had stopped breathing, took a deep breath and began to breathe once again. The wounds on Ulrich's body began to slowly heal as Elizabeth finally arrived. Ulrich's body was still incredibly weak, however, each time his heart stopped, it was Leanna that was able to bring him back until he reached the church. Leanna looked on as Elizabeth and the priestesses took him into the church, the doors shutting behind them. Leanna reached her hand out towards Ulrich. Leanna then opened her eyes. She was on her bed and her armor was taken off of her and her body had been cleaned.
She looked around and noticed that it was just before sunrise. She then saw a note on the table beside her bed. "Leanna, I hope you don't mind that I placed you on the bed. You looked very uncomfortable, also I decided to clean the blood off of you. You saved our cousin, Leanna, I want you remember that. I know that he will wake up soon. Please, take some time to recuperate. If you don't know how to do that, visit the garden, it'll make you feel better. Nina." Leanna shook her head at the note and the things in it. However, visiting the garden wasn't such a bad idea. After her dream, however, she had already decided what she needed to do. She could tell that she was still the same as when she looked at herself in the mirror, but she needed to move forward. Ulrich wouldn't be around forever and she couldn't rely on him for everything. She knew that she was granted power by someone, but she didn't know who gave it to her. It was still deep within her, she could feel it.
When her cousin woke up, she would be the one to protect the city. She needed to face the problems she was currently keeping locked away, the feelings that overwhelmed her the previous night. The demons within her heart, she would now face them head on. There was also the matter of that mysterious goddess who granted Leanna her blessing. After putting on a blue kimono and grabbing her two swords, she moved to her balcony. She looked out amongst the city, the sun beginning to shine on the tops of the buildings. Though her identity was a mystery, she knew that Camelot had gained another deity as an ally, at the very least, she was someone who granted her a blessing, either way was good enough for her. A smile emerged upon her face. Her dull eyes began to regain their previous color and even began to glow with intensity. Leanna had hardened her resolve after looking upon Camelot. War was coming, whether Ulrich was awake or not. Leanna knew this, and because of this, she decided that she would remind everyone of something that they may have forgotten about her. "I am the descendant of King Arthur, and the third of the last four Pendragon descendants of Camelot. I am Leanna Mordred Pendragon, the Sword Saint, and I will show everyone that I am worthy of my name!"