Around the sa ti that he was discussing the summoning of Heroes, Vahn had freed up a bit of ti, seeking out Artoria. He didn’t want to surprise her by summoning a ’doppelganger’ of herself without any forewarning, but, more importantly, he wanted to resolve the matter of her ’surprise’. It wasn’t sothing that needed to be taken care of imdiately, but, once she learned the specifics, there was a fair chance she might bla him for not bringing it up sooner.
Though Vahn could take a sneak peek into what the future held, doing so would spoil the surprise for both of them. He was very curious about the result, but, in order to share the mont with his beloved Empress, he diligently went in blind. After all, regardless of how things ended up, Vahn was certain Artoria would appreciate it quite a bit.
Carrying this conviction with him, Vahn sought out Artoria, finding her lounging in their room. This wasn’t all that surprising, but, perhaps as a result of the stress she had accumulated throughout the day, Vahn was amused to find her wearing nothing but a blouse and panties as Gray straddled her back, massaging Artoria’s shoulders. It was a rather ’intimate’ scene, quickly turning comical when he startled them both by suddenly opening the door.
While Gray showed an expression of mild shock, Artoria nearly knocked her out of the bed when she suddenly flipped over and tried to cover herself. She looked like she had just had a heart attack, her face paling as a cold sweat quickly developed across her body. When she saw who had entered the room, however, her face beca beet red as she exclaid, "You...can’t you knock or sothing!?"
Electing not to tease her too much, Vahn simply smiled, muttering, "Sorry, I’ll keep that in mind..." as he walked over to the bed. He knew she would quickly realize how foolish it would be to require him to knock on his own bedroom. She was simply surprised, as, whenever he made ti for his children, Vahn would stay with them for upwards of a day, on the low end...
While Artoria was recovering, Gray managed a slight smile, bowing as she politely stated, "Good evening, Master." The fact she was in her lingerie made this quite the appealing sight, earning an appreciative nod from Vahn as he answered, "Sorry to interrupt." in an amused tone.
Hearing her Master’s words, Gray’s smile only widened as she resisted the temptation to laugh, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she stated, "We were just getting to the good part too..."
The mont Gray finished her words, a white blur slamd into her head, knocking her off balance as Artoria, with a crimson complexion, readied another pillow and exclaid, "Traitor...!"
---
After waiting for both Artoria and Gray to change into more suitable attire, Vahn preempted their questions, explaining, "I wanted to give you an update on the events taking place in the Moon Cell. Before I end up summoning anyone else, I also wanted to give you the surprise I promised. Though it could wait until later...well, let’s just say this will make things slightly easier for ? Hahahaha~."
Now that she was fully clothed, Artoria had regained her calm deanor, her expression forming a slight deadpan as she plainly stated, "You intend to summon another person that looks like us, don’t you?"
Hearing Artoria’s words, Vahn turned statuesque, earning a pointed look from his beloved Empress, who, with her arms crossed, added, "Your surprise better be good. I’m already expecting that glutton and battle junky to begin clinging to you in the future. You summoning more doesn’t even co as a surprise at this point..."
Contrary to how she behaved when others were present, Artoria could be exceptionally shrewd when they were ’alone’. Though she was also prone to bouts of embarrassnt, she beca a force to be reckoned with whenever she regained her montum.
Despite the slight pressure he experienced under Artoria’s silvery gaze, Vahn felt as though he had an absolute advantage this ti around. She seed to notice this as well, her ’anger’ beginning to subside even before he answered.
So as not to lose the montum, Vahn took a deep breath, adopting a serious expression as he said, "After what happened with Scáthach...I invested a lot of ti trying to comprehend everything that had happened. I’ve also been speaking with both Alaya and rlin about concerns I have had for a long ti, trying to grasp concepts regarding Space and Ti. I’m so close to obtaining a Divinity in both, so a lot of my self-study relates to both subjects..."
Artoria didn’t know what Vahn was getting at, but she began to feel more than a little nervous. Even Gray was showing an exceptionally serious expression, feeling as though she was bearing witness to an important, historic, mont.
With the attention of both won fixated on him, Vahn allowed himself to smile slightly, adding, "I promised to continue looking for ways to treat your current condition. I had discovered the solution so ti ago, but, as I had many concerns, I never ntioned it. These last few days have changed my perspective a considerable amount, so, now that I have had ti to consider it properly, I think it is ti to co forward with my findings..."
Even without asking, Artoria knew what Vahn ant when he was referring to her ’condition’. She could feel her jaw begin to tremble slightly as she balled her hands into fists, doing her best to try and stay calm as he explained, "Your Chrono Displasia, it is not the result of you freeing Caliburn from the stone. Rather, from that mont in ti, it was your inability to move forward that caused your body to cease developing. You were too focused on being the King others had always expected you to beco, following the path they had set without deviating. By the ti you pulled the sword from the stone, you had beco that King, never changing from that mont onwards..."
Hearing Vahn’s words, Artoria lowered her eyes slightly, mories of her past welling up, including many things she had co to regret. Though she had started letting these things go, there were still a few things that haunted her, even to this day.
Before Artoria could begin wallowing in the mories of her past, Vahn extended his hand, gently lifting her chin so that they were staring directly at each other. Then, before continuing where he left off, he softly stated, "You have co a long way, Artoria...you are no longer that young woman who was forced to bear a burden others thrust upon you. Raise your head, smile, and feel prideful of the progress you have made...the people you have touched..."
Placing her hand overtop Vahn’s, Artoria was able to calm down considerably, a smile replacing the conflicted expression on her face as she answered, "You’re right...the person I have beco can’t be compared to my past self. Sotis, I forget...thanks for reminding ...Vahn..."
As it was virtually impossible to resist, Vahn reduced the already shrinking distance between them, kissing Artoria’s lips in a delicate manner. He was tempted to go further, but, as he was starting to get a little excited for what was to co, he tempered his resolve, pulling away after a few seconds had passed.
Now looking like a demure maiden, Artoria had a slight flush on her face as she awkwardly combed her fingers through her hair. In truth, she was also tempted to continue, but, far more than Vahn, she was eager to experience what his words seed to promise.
Contrary to her expectations, albeit only slightly, Vahn went on to explain, "That is the primary cause behind your body’s physical developnt. The real problem, however, is the contract you attempted to establish with Alaya. Even though we have largely treated your trauma, your Soul is still linked to your original body. Ti is an illusory concept, having no bearing on the Soul itself. Thus, while your original body remains removed from the Ti Axis, your current vessel will default back to that state, even if soone like Aoko were to accelerate you ti by millions of years..."
As Artoria had started to deflate slightly, Vahn began to lightly caress her cheek, a smile on his face as he asked, "Do you think I would tell you these things arbitrarily? Calm yourself. Take deep breaths and relax..."
Following Vahn’s guiding words, Artoria took several deep breaths, leaning into his palm slightly with her cheek. Once she had cald down an adequate amount, he went on to explain, "I spent a lot of ti looking into the thods employed by Scáthach to link the Land of Shadows with the current Ti Axis. I also discussed your original fate with rlin, learning the conditions required for your return as the King of Utopian Avalon..."
Once he reached the part concerning Artoria’s fate, Vahn felt a little awkward, but, knowing she would want to know the full details, he continued, adding, "One of the requirents was for your contract with Alaya to be annulled. This would have resulted in the death of your original body, but, due to the nature of your existence of the ’pillar’ of the world, your physical body is simply a vessel. Your Soul, in the form of a Greater Divine Spirit, would have been transferred to Avalon, awaiting the world’s destruction before allowing you to return, this ti in your ’true’ form..."
Though she knew Vahn would go on to explain, Artoria couldn’t help but furrow her brows slightly, asking, "So, I have to die...no, you have to destroy my original body...?"
As she had hit the nail on the head, Vahn felt even more awkward, his smile turning wry as he said, "I can retrieve your original body from the severed Ti Axis using the Throne of Heroes. Since you are currently inhabiting this vessel, this would cause your original body to break down into dust, ceasing to exist. The death of your physical body serves the purpose of creating a permanent gateway with True Avalon, one only you can open. From that mont onward, you would be able to summon True Avalon at will, but, most importantly, it will remove your Chrono Displasia entirely. Your true nature is that of a Greater Divine Spirit, one with Draconic heritage...once you are willing to accept that, there will be no limits to your future..."
Even before he had finished his explanation, Vahn could see hesitation budding within Artoria’s silver eyes. Her aura had also beco slightly chaotic, so, while it was sowhat unfair to her, he leaned in close, bringing his mouth near her ear as he whispered, "You will also be able to bear children..."
The mont her brain processed what Vahn had just said, which took a surprisingly long period of ti, Artoria felt a resolution bubble up inside of her as she firmly stated, "I’m ready. I hadn’t even thought about my original body in the last few years, so there is no sense in fretting over it at this point. Let us be done with this. Do it. Quickly."
Vahn wasn’t too surprised by Artoria’s fervor, as he knew she had been thinking about having an actual child even before the recent matter with Mordred. Becoming the latter’s mother had been one of the most pivotal monts in her entire life, but, while she cared about Mordred deeply, it was impossible for her to quell the desire to bear one of her own. She had envied the fact that others were able to get pregnant, seeding thoughts of inferiority and causing her to, at tis, question her value as a woman...
---
With Artoria having made up her mind, another version of Vahn, who had been waiting patiently in the Welsh Dragon’s Chamber, opened his eyes. In the next mont, he found himself in the familiar black space, standing a few ters short of the Throne’s terminal.
Though Artoria’s na was actually greyed out, as she was already ’summoned’, Vahn had already perford an experint to ascertain whether or not his thod world work. In the end, all he had to do was select the [Transmigration] option, and, though there was a fair chance her Ego would be transplanted into the new body, the end result would be the sa. All that really mattered was that her physical vessel was destroyed, allowing the gateway to True Avalon to be established. If he had to transfer her soul into another vessel for a few minutes, it wouldn’t make much of a difference...
Fortunately, Vahn was spared the additional effort as, after confirming his selection, he watched as the familiar bluish-white particles ca together before ultimately dispersing. Her body didn’t even manifest completely, but, within the Unit Managent list, Vahn was able to confirm that her Chrono Displasia had disappeared. The only step remaining was for her to activate [Avalon], then, alongside Artoria herself, he would learn exactly why rlin kept telling him he was in for a pleasant surprise...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Mmm, Artoria showing why she is the top waifu in the Nasuverse...’,’It’s easy, really, we just have to kill you~!’,’I’m getting vertigo up here...’)
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