Author's notes: So here I present a new story of mine. This idea took inspiration from Vahn's own stories regarding Saber being reborn in another realm. I must also thank him because without his assistance this story would have never become what it is today, all those discussions we had through PM in the end were worth for something.

In any case, let's begin with this story. The premise is that Saber is born in Ferelden as another one of Maric's illegitimate children, half-sister to both Calian and Alistair. For those of you who have actually played the games and know the lore and are asking, how can this be? The answer is simple, she's Goldanna's true sibling.

Addendum: I change the last word in the story's title because I didn't felt it truly conveyed the feeling I was trying to protray. That's it for any mayor change at the moment.

Disclaimer: I own nothing; Fate/Stay Night belongs to Nasu. Dragon Age belongs to Bioware and EA.

Chapter 1

A new chance at life

A sudden ray of lighting followed by a strenuous thunder lashed in the middle of the night, breaking through the previous calm that had covered Redcliffe's castle like a shroud; the rage from mother nature helped to drown the wails of a woman suffering through the unbearable pains of child-bearing. Having been esconded into a small isolated chamber inside the Servant's Quarters, the woman tried with an effort that bordered in the super-human to bring her child into the world. At the very least the woman was not alone in her struggle, as fellow maids were trying their best to soothe her pain and assist the best they could in the role of mid-wives.

"C'mon! Just one last push! I can see the head already!" Said the eldest of the maids, a middle-age woman of forty and something years, squatting in front of the expectant mother open legs as she plunged her hands into the exposed nether regions. The few traces of gray in her coppery hair made it clear that she had been chosen to be in charge of the delivery simply because of her age.

With a last scream of unbearable agony and effort, the birth finally came to a conclusion as the wails of a new-born baby began to echo through the immutable stone corridors.

Saber found herself floating in an endless void, having just recently destroyed the Holy Grail against her will thanks to Kiritsugu making use of his last two command keys. The King of Knights had been suddenly and unexpectedly overrun by an immense flood of darkness that emanated from the grail like corrupted blood from an open wound. She felt her entire body burning for a few seconds as if she were standing in the middle of a pyre, and after that, nothing. No pain, no feeling of her skin scalding or her flesh being melted away, no kind of sensation at all.

It was more than clear that she had died, failed in her mission of winning the grail and asking for a wish: to have someone else take the role of savior and become the king of Camelot in the hopes of preventing the mistakes she made through her reign that brought the ruin of the kingdom in the first place. A sudden pang of resentment began to swell inside her; it was all Kiritsugu's fault! Because of him, she has now lost her best chance to save her Kingdom, condemning it to be destroyed and forgotten by the vagaries of time; one last act of betrayal of the worst kind by her odious master, and a rather appropriate way in hindsight to put an end to their ill-begotten contract.

As Saber continued steaming in her outrage, she began to believe the pitch-black darkness that enveloped her to be quite pleasant. Even though she could not see even her own hands amid the void, or have any kind of notion or direction that would tell her where it was up and where it was down, she felt oddly relaxed. It felt as if a warm reassuring sensation was surrounding her from all around, making her want to forget all of her worries and simply lay back and sleep. It was an enticing thought to tell the truth. To just lay down all of the burdens she has been carrying for many years and embrace sweet oblivion. To be forgotten and not have to worry about making the decisions that would decide the fate of her kingdom, or the responsibility of holding the lives of her knights and citizens on her hands.

Her unexpected newfound rest was suddenly interrupted when a great commotion began to shake the darkness around her, and she felt herself being dragged into a random direction, incapable of fighting or resisting the sudden momentum.

'What is happening!? Am I being sent back to the throne? Or is my soul being condemned to the tortures of hell because of my failings?' Saber thought in distress as she kept being dragged around through the blackness against her will.

The darkness was suddenly swept away by blinding light, yet Saber still found herself unable to see as her eyes struggled to adjust at the new illumination. She felt a great hold pressing against her body, as if giant hands were grasping tightly at her before yanking hard. She tried to fight against the hold, but again her efforts proved useless, it was as if her body didn't had the strength to escape from whatever force that had captured her.

'No! I will not calmly fade into oblivion without a fight!' She declared as she struggled and tried to break from the grasp trapping her. When her vision cleared, she found herself being dangled by the feet by a giant old woman.

'You, Giant! Unhand me! You will not treat a king in such demeaning way!' Saber demanded in outrage, wriggling like a fish as she was held aloft.

The giant woman seemed to ignore her outburst and simply looked at her with a gentle kind smile before turning her attention towards someone else that Saber couldn't see. "Congratulations dearie, it's a girl! And a healthy lively one at that…" She said joyfully as she cradled the tiny blonde baby between her arms and began to clean her with a rag before wrapping her in a blanket.

'Ack! What are you doing!? Stop that!' Saber declared as the rag rubbed at her faced, scrapping at her eyes and nose.

"Help me cut the cord…" The giant woman cradling Saber said, tugging at the toddler's belly.

One of the helping maids came forward with some sewing scissors and cut the umbilical cord with a quick single snap. Baby Saber reared back at the sudden painful sensation. 'Urgh… You dare try to kill me, giant!? Come, draw your weapon and face me in honorable combat. Wait, a minute… Why I am able to feel pain…? Shouldn't I be dead…?' The king of knights in miniature puzzled about as she glanced down to take better stock of herself. Only to discover that her body was small and flabby, her once wiry and long limbs now nothing more but little pudgy stubs. 'Why I am naked? What happened to my body…!?' She said as she brought a tiny stubby hand to her face and stared at it in puzzlement.

The midwife glanced at the baby in her arms, looking at the way the tiny toddler was staring at her own hand with great interest as if she had never seen such a thing before. Well, she clearly hadn't since she's just been born but it is quite rare for a new-born baby to show such a level of awareness. "You're quite the curious one aren't you…?"

"Ma'am! Shouldn't we do something about the bleeding? It's starting to be a distressing awful lot, and it doesn't seem as if it will stop any time soon!" One of the maids assisting in the birth said anxiously, turning towards the main midwife in charge, her nerves at the edge of fraying.

The midwife glanced back at the still exposed genitals of the new-mother, her face turning into a frown, clearly not liking what she saw. "Go grab some more wet towels and gauzes... We need to try to stop the bleeding." She ordered to the maid assisting her.

"Give me my baby… I want to see her…" The newly minted mother called out loud, hands weakly grasping at the air.

The midwife and her assistant shared a look, before agreeing to the request as the senior servant sent her younger colleague to fetch the things she needed with a gesture. "Here… Careful with the head, let me give you a hand…" Said the older woman as she helped snuggle the newborn baby into her mother's arms. A still rather puzzled Saber found herself staring at the face of another giantess, who looked down tiredly at her with a tender expression of love.

"Welcome to the world little one… I am your mother…" The giantess said as she kissed baby Saber in the cheek and pressed her face with her own. The declaration left the reborn king of knights reeling back speechless.

'What..!? My mother!? By the Lady, I have reincarnated!' Saber declared in a moment of terrifying clarity, as all the pieces of her current situation fell into place inside her mind. 'How did this happen!? It must have been the grail, there is no other explanation!' Before she had a chance to ponder further on her predicament, Saber suddenly found herself being assaulted by a giant breast heading towards her face. 'What the…!?'

The midwife busied herself trying to stem the bleeding, product of the difficult birth, while the newly-minted mother gave her first feeding to her child. She didn't like the prospects staring right at her face and doubled her efforts in an attempt to fix the damage caused by the difficult delivery. "What is her name…?" One of the other maids (a young chestnut-haired girl of some seventeen years) asked, approaching with some hesitation.

The exhausted woman didn't answer immediately, contended with just laying there on the bed as she fed her baby, looking as if she would collapse at any moment. "Arturia… Her name is Arturia…" She said tenderly as she caressed her daughter's hair with the same hand she was holding her head to her bosom. "A name fit for the daughter of a king… A name for someone destined for great things…" She managed to wheeze out before her eyes dropped ponderously and she plopped limply on the bed, her daughter still in her arms. The maid speaking to her suddenly became frantic, not knowing what to do.

"Blast it! She's fading fast! Quickly, take the baby away! Things are about to get ugly!" The midwife ordered to the maid with a gesture, arms completely covered in blood all the way to the elbows.

The girl jolted into action like a spring and took Saber in her arms before heading out of the room. Arturia was left confounded by all the commotion until she caught sight of all the blood spreading from her mother's lower regions. 'Wait! What is happening!? Why there is so much blood!? Is my new mother going to be alright!? Answer me!' The wails of the newborn baby echoed loudly in the common room as Saber tried feebly to remain at the side of the woman who delivered into the world again. The door suddenly slammed shut, and the cries of the baby faded out in the distance.

Baby Arturia lay inside a crib, her expression a grave mask of stoicism, something that looked pretty out of place in the face of a new-born, or any child for that matter. At her side, another baby a few months older than her laid sleeping peacefully, a thumb stuck inside his mouth while a faint trail of droll trickled down his chin. Apparently, this other baby was her new half-brother, if what she managed to gleam from the discussion between the two men pacing in front of the crib was true.

The recently instated Arl of Redcliffe, Eamon Guerrein, stood in front of the crib he had ordered to be delivered into one of the spare rooms on the second floor of his castle as he looked down at the two illegitimate children of King Maric, a thoughtful expression on his face. Behind him, his younger brother Teagan, the recently instated Bann of Rainesfere, paced frantically in front of the fireplace trying to settle his thoughts. The embers inside the hearth crackled and snapped, beaming a gentle sunset glow inside the chambers that painted his features marred by concern orange. "We must send word to the king… He needs to know he is now the father of a little girl."

Eamon shrugged, an unconcerned hum escaping from his lips as he was distracted from his inner thoughts. "Eventually, I will send a letter to Denerim. Right now I need to make preparations to have another child stay here in the castle…"

"Do you intend to keep her here in Redcliffe alongside her brother…?" Teagan asked, glancing at his older brother with a curious expression.

"Why not…?" Eamon confessed. "I'm already in charge of sweeping one of the King's indiscretions under the rug. What is another more…?"

Teagan frowned at that, not liking the way his brother was referring about two innocent babies. "It's that how you see it? Why then did you volunteered to become the guardian of Alistair if you believe him to be some embarrassment that needs to be hidden from prying eyes in order to have the King save face at the Landsmeet!? Alistair and Arturia are both royal princelings!" He declared with indignation.

"Bastard princelings is what they are, and a threat to both our nephew and the memory of our sister!" Eamon replied back just as hotly as his brother, getting right into Teagan's face. The younger Bann was for a moment taken aback by his elder brother's ire, but the moment passed on quickly and Eamon reined back his lapse in control. "I am sorry brother… I shouldn't have let my anger get the better of me, you didn't deserve that." The Arl apologized as he stepped away from Teagan, turning around and fiddling with the buttons of his doublet in shame.

"Think nothing of it, brother…" The young Bann said in reconciliation, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder from behind. "But what do you mean that Alistair and Arturia are a threat to our nephew, they're both just new born babies…?" Teagan asked perplexed.

Eamon said nothing at first, and just walked towards the fire burning inside the hearth, staring into the flames as he leaned over the chimney and pressed his arms against the cold mortar walls above the fireplace. Teagan made no comment and just allowed his brother to take all the time he needed to formulate his response. At length, Eamon spoke. "What do you think will happen if word spreads of the existence of two more royal heirs besides our nephew? I'll tell you what; the standing of our sister will be diminished in the eyes of both the Landsmeet and the rest of the nations in Thedas. She will stop being the appointed Queen-consort and will be lowered to the status of a mere concubine. It's that how you want for our sister to be remembered!? As just another woman that Maric slept with like some cheap harlot instead of the brave and courageous warrior and leader that fought in the rebellion and helped Maric win his throne from the damned Orlesians that invaded our country and enslaved us for more than fifty years!? The damned Orlesians that killed our lord father and forced us into exile from our homeland, do you want that!?" The Arl demanded, having become agitated during his tirade and turning around to look at Teagan straight in the eyes with an outraged stare.

Teagan felt a sour taste blooming at the back of his tongue, knowing that his brother was right but not liking the position that such train of thought leaved them with. "No brother… You know I don't…" He sighed in defeat. "What do you intend to do…?"

"It is simple; I intend to look after the two children here in Redcliffe. They are pretty close in age that I can pass them both as twin orphan siblings. They will be under my protection, of course, and I will make sure that no harm befalls to them. But make no mistake; I'm going to make sure these two children never become a threat to Cailan's rights to the crown once they grow up. I will ensure they have a humble rearing and make them understand to never have aspirations for the throne once they're older…" Eamon replied; turning back to glance at the two babies in question.

"It's not right…" Teagan simply said, dissatisfied with the entire situation.

"I know… But this is the hand that destiny decided to give us, so we will have to make due…" The Arl said, giving a tired sigh of his own. He glanced back at Teagan and gave him a determined stare, showing the conviction of a true Guerrin. "I promise you Teagan that I will not treat them unkindly, but I cannot let them threaten the legacy of our sister. Imagine if any of them were to gain the crown instead of our nephew. Not only will our family be left in shame, but the future of our country will be left in the hands of children born from common women. What do you think the other nations will think!? Do you believe for a moment that the Orlesians will not see such outcome as an opportunity to try to gain back the province they lost during the rebellion? Do you believe the Landsmeet will accept or follow the authority of such a ruler? No, that will not do at all, so I will do what I must to make sure tradition is upheld…" He declared fervently before an akward silence fell upon the room, neither brother having anything else to say.

Arturia simply stared grimly at both brothers as she pondered over her own thoughts. So she was the illegitimate daughter of a king in this new life, considering how things turned out with her own illegitimate child back in her previous life, she could see the irony of having to experience what is to grow up from Mordred's perspective. Though unlike her wayward child, she didn't had any kind of aspirations to gain another throne (Not after how things ended up last time) so this Eamon could start breathing easier and stop fearing a future rival for the crown against his nephew, as she had no interest for history to repeat itself in this new life of hers. On the contrary, she found her new lot in life to be quite liberating, as the responsibility to lead the country and make all the hard decisions will fall to someone else, leaving her free to pursue her own path, which was what she has been desiring the most ever since the failure of her reign. In that case, being born as a bastard had the potential of becoming the best thing that has ever happened to her in her two lives, as it will allow her to accomplish the wish she failed to gain in her pursuit of the Holy Grail.

Or maybe she actually succeeded in her mission, and the Grail did managed to grant her wish, her rebirth being the result of her desire. It was both an exhilarating and terrifying thought, she finally got what she craved the most in life, yet now that her wish has been granted, she cannot help but fear that maybe she had made a mistake and she might end up squandering this new chance she had at life.

The tiny blonde baby shook her head, trying to dispel such somber thoughts; she was being silly, she knew. Regardless of what this new life of hers might have in store for her, she is quite certain there's nothing that can surpass what she has already been through as both King of Camelot and Heroic spirit fighting in the Holy Grail war. So whatever new adversities she might face in this new life, she will make sure to overcome them no matter what, she will not let this new chance given to her go to waste.

"I understand brother…" The voice of Bann Teagan said in a defeated tone, snapping Arturia out of her thoughts and bringing her attention back to the two lords in front of her crib. "I don't entirely approve of this course of action, but I understand its necessity…"

Eamon put a reassuring hand over his brother's shoulders, just like in the same fashion as he had done to him a few moments ago, and spoke to him in a reassuring voice. "That is all I ask Teagan… Believe me; I would want nothing more but for things to be different. To not be forced to take such measures to protect our family's name, but sadly, we both very well know that the things we want and the things we get are seldom the same…"

Teagan agreed with that statement with a somber nod. "What about the maid…? Arturia's mother? Wouldn't she threaten us with spreading the word about her child being the daughter of the king unless we agree to pay her some compensation…?" He asked with a pointed stare, his mind focusing in other matters to improve his mood.

"She's dead, passed away due to blood loss. It is a shame, really. Leaving her little baby orphaned at such young age… But I can't deny this development to be pretty to our advantage…" Eamon stated casually mid-thought, mentally making preparations to have the servants take care of the children until they were old enough to be moved to the stables. He had instructions from the king to make sure Alistair was kept as far away as possible from politics or anything related to the crown, and that included the amount of luxuries bestowed upon him, which were to be as few as they could be. Though Eamon agrees with keeping the child completely removed from the line of succession, why would the king be so adamant for the child to be raised in the exact terms he had instructed him when he is more than capable of properly fostering the toddler as a lord of his position ought to? He didn't know, but he suspected Maric had his reasons. His sister's widower kept a lot of secrets close to his chest after all.

The news that her new mother has passed away due to complications during the birth, hit Saber like a ton of bricks. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty over the fact that because of her an innocent woman had lost her life, people dying in her name was one of the things she had wanted to avoid in this new life of hers. She felt cheated somehow at the notion she would never be able to speak with the woman that was supposed to be her new mother in this new life. Remembering the first and last words she told her a few minutes after her birth, Arturia vowed to honor her memory by living a full and righteous life. It was the least she could do for the woman who sacrificed her life so that she could live, giving her the second chance she wanted and freeing her from the burden of duty.

"Taking both children under my roof will be much easier as result…" Eamon kept speaking, describing to his brother the course of action he was going to take.

"What about Alistair's true mother…?" Teagan inquired, wondering if the woman would also prove a hitch for his brother's plan of adopting the children.

"Don't know anything about her. Who she is or where she is from? But according to his majesty she is dead too… At least, that is all what Maric saw fit to inform me and Loghain about that particular issue when he revealed the existence of Alistair to us." Eamon replied with a huff, he can understand the Teyrn of Gwaren's tendency of becoming infuriated with the king's habit of keeping important things to himself. After last year's debacle involving the Grey Wardens and Orlesian partisans who wanted to assassinate the king at the Mage's tower, one would have expected for Maric to know better than to keep his trusted allies in the dark about important facts. But apparently that was too much to hope for.

Eamon shook his head, dispelling his thoughts. There was no use complaining over things he is unable to change, as he well knows. "Regardless, we better start making some preparations, I have a feeling the next few weeks will be quite hectic. Come brother; join me in my study and help me formulate the letter that I will send to the king." He said amicably as he draped an arm over the younger Bann's shoulders and led him out of the room. The heavy rattling of a wooden door opening and closing was heard before an almost complete silence permeated the room. Only the sound of the kindling inside the hearth snapping and creaking was the only thing that could be heard in the now vacant room, that and the small breathing of the sleeping child beside Arturia.

With a sigh, the reborn King of Knights figured there was nothing else to be done but take a rest. It had been a long hectic day for her already, and her mind needed some time to digest everything she has learned of her new situation. Plus, she has been felling an odd lethargy for some time that forced her to employ all of her mental fortitude in order to remain awake. It was as if her body didn't had the strength to stay up for long periods of activity, demanding constant rest rather than staying conscious, even keeping her eyes open proved to be quite the chore. Considering the fact she was now a baby, it shouldn't come as a surprise that her new mortal body didn't had the strength she possessed once during her past life.

With a yawn -something she was aware was unseemly for a king, yet it could easily be pardoned due to her current condition as a baby- Arturia decided to call it a day and succumb to the sweet embrace of sleep. Closing her eyes and letting her mind wander into the realm of dreams.

Something was not right, Saber immediately knew. After closing her eyes she suddenly found herself in an unknown place. One moment she was in her crib, the next she was in here… Wherever here might be…? Some kind of rocky clearing dotted with the odd tree here and there, gnarled twisted dried figures with long fingers that stretched around the stony outcroppings that jutted from the ground like mismatched broken teeth. There was a strange fog muddying her vision, making her surroundings seem hazy and distorted, like when opening one's eyes underwater. Strange statues and altars could be found standing alone at several intervals throughout the place. But the most impressive sight was that of large pieces of ground and stone floating in the air like little islands. No… not islands; that was a wrong assessment. Entire chambers and rooms were standing aloft in the middle of the sky, turned over their axis and left on several bizarre and impossible angles. She recognized several of those rooms as the chambers where she had been born and where that man Eamon had deposited her and her brother after being informed of her existence. It was as if someone had grabbed pieces of the Arl's castle and tossed them about in the air without a care. Stone bricks, bookshelves and furniture frozen in mid-throw, their scattered contents trapped forever in the moment they were overturned. At a distance, beyond the floating rooms and chambers, a great black city could be seen standing above the clouds, its dark towers and spires contrasting ominously with the browns and muddled colors that permeated this strange new place.

Taking a moment to better examine her immediate vicinity in an effort to discern where she was now, Saber was startled to discover that her body was back to the state that she remembered from her time as King of Britain. She was once more at her normal height, a rather short young waif of a girl, but not a child, and certainly not a baby. Her arms and legs back to their old reach and width. Heck, even her armor had returned. The old and well-kept Camelot steel armor and battle dress with their intricate patterns and designs etched into the metal were once more clasped around her figure. Even though the sight gave her comfort, she couldn't help but feel some trepidation at being back to her old self.

Did this meant that her supposed reincarnation had been nothing more than a dream, a faint illusion brought about by her desire of having her wish fulfilled after her failure in the fourth Holy Grail war? But the sights, the feelings and experiences had been all too real; she knew them not to be fake. She had felt the sharp stab of pain when the midwife had cut her umbilical cord, if she had been a spirit, she would have been beyond physical pain. And it still didn't explain the strange sights found around this place; after all, broken pieces from a castle in disarray did not simply float in the sky. So maybe this was the dream and she was simply remembering the way she used to be in her past life.

Saber shook her head, it will help her none staying here dwelling in her thoughts. She needed to know where she was and what this place is; the only way she could think of how to find those answers was to explore this place in search of clues. Her inner turmoil will have to wait for later. With that thought, Arturia set off to begin her search.

After almost an hour and a half of trekking, the king of knights managed to move away from the floating pieces of castle Redcliffe and into what appeared to be a rocky path stretching wide between more floating islands, though these where simple scenery rather than fragments of a building. There at the feet of a stony outcropping, a fully armored knight was standing at attention, his resplandecent shield propped at his feet, sword stabbed in the ground behind it to act as support while he rested both hands in the pommel. This was no knight the likes she has seen before, for his entire figure exuded a radiance that reminded her faintly of Excalibur. She was certainly being generous with her assessment, for there was nothing that could compare in might with the sword promised victory, but this knight without a doubt gave an aura that said outwardly.

The gleaming knight took sight of her as she approached, and offered her a courteous greeting. "Well met traveler, it isn't often that I see sleepers like you walking this deep inside the Fade. What business could you possibly have to come in here? In any case, I would advise from walking further down this road. A powerful demon has settled nearby and has been attacking anyone walking too close to his domains. I'm in a mission to see him vanquished to keep further harm from befalling the innocent…"He explained, doing idle gestures with a single hand.

Arturia stared at the shining Knight with an indecipherable look for a moment before offering a curt nod as response. "Although I appreciate the warning, it is the height of insolence for someone to speak with such familiarity to another without even having the courtesy of introducing himself first…" She said with a small glare on her steely eyes, squaring her shoulders and standing just a little bit straighter to make her point across.

Her admonishment seemed to have work, for the shining Knight turned bashful and apologetic "Forgive me my manners. I'm afraid I'm not that well versed with the customs from the mortal world. But I can see by your bearing that you are an accomplished warrior, so I offer my apologies for whatever insult I might have unintentionally give. . I am the spirit of Justice, the ideal that I strive to accomplish every second of my existence by protecting the weak and punishing the wicked." He declared with a reverence.

A spirit, huh? That confirmed her previous suspicion of the knight being more than just a simple mortal. Is he of some nature akin to a heroic spirit like the other Servants she fought against during the Holy Grail war? In any case, Saber decided to shelve those questions for later and acknowledged Justice's introduction with a nod. "A noble cause for sure, it is an honor to meet you Justice. My name is… Arturia Pendragon…" She said with a curt bow, hesitating for only a second about whether or not she should introduce herself to her new acquaintance using her old Pendragon surname due to the fact she had been born anew, but quickly deciding to use it nonetheless as it was the only name she has ever known.

"The honor is all mine, Arturia Pendragon." Justice said, tilting his helmeted head forward in recognition. "Now that pleasantries are out of the way, I must attest how pressing it is that you go no further from this point on. I wouldn't want for another traveler to be set upon by that beast…!" The gleaming knight stated with urgency.

Arturia blinked and gave a puzzled expression, not fully comprehending what had the spirit knight in such fervor. "I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand what you're saying. What is this about a demon? You said you were a spirit? So does that means this is the afterlife?"

Even with the full-face helmet concealing his features, Saber could clearly feel the incredulous look that the spirit Knight was giving her. "You don't know about the fade? I thought all of you mortals were aware of the dream world…?"

"Dream world!? Does this mean I am trapped inside a dream?" The King of Knights asked, blinking again in perplexity. That would certainly explain the bizarre sights she has been subjected to in her exploration of her surroundings. "Are you a figment of my imagination then…?"

Justice merely swayed his head sideways in a negative. "Allow me to explain… We are currently in the Fade, the realm of spirits and dreams. This is the place where my kind is born, and where we dwell. You mortals enter into our realm every time you go to sleep, yet most of you are unaware of it, moving about the Fade here and there without direction or awareness of what surrounds you as if under a spell. Only those of your kind who have been born with the gift of magic are capable of entering our realm while awake and explore it at their leisure. A rather dangerous venture, for the Fade is filled with many dangers, the most common being the demons roaming about for helpless victims to possess and turn into anchors that will allow them to invade the waking world…"

Arturia mused over the information given to her by the spirit knight. So the reason she can enter inside this dreamworld is because of her innate magical reserves. This must certainly be the result of having been born with a Dragon Soul thanks to Merlin, even if her knowledge of the Arcane Arts is bare bones at best, other than the basics, it seems that all it is required of her to walk inside this Fade is to have the potential to wield magic.

"Very well, I can understand being capable of entering this realm because of my magical potential, but why do I look as I did in my previous life? And what is this about demons wanting to possess mages? How can it be that demons and spirits can dwell inside the dream realm?" She asked after taking a moment to formulate her questions.

"You ask why me and my kind dwell here in the Fade? What a curious question…" Justice said; a hint of amusement in his voice. "Why do you mortals live in the material world…? It simply the way things have always been ever since this realm was created. Here in the Fade is where we spirits come into being from the primordial ether; all things begin here in this place, and all things return in here when they die. Even the spirits of you mortals have to pass through the fade at the moment of death to reach their final destination, what that destination might be or what fate might await to your souls after such journey, I am uncertain. Not even those of us who have existed since the formation of this realm known all of the secrets that are held inside the Fade. As for why would demons want to possess mages… Allow me to explain; as I have already previously stated, we spirits are the embodiment of greater purposes, striving for our entire existences into fulfilling a singular ideal or virtue. In my case, that being the ideal of justice. But there's also many other spirits that embody other different ideals like valor or faith. In the case of Demons however, it is the exact opposite…" The spirit Knight stated, his tone turning serious.

"What do you mean…?"Arturia asked; intrigued by all these discoveries found in this new realm she found herself in.

"Demons can be considered the exact mirror opposites of myself and my kind. Whereas spirits like me strive into the accomplishment of an ideal, Demons on the other hand, embody the darker aspects of the living and shape themselves and the fade to reflect this. They crave and emulate the basest desires and sins of mortals, holding a sickening fascination for the mortal realm, and wanting nothing more but to find a way into crossing the boundaries between worlds and step into the other side. This is why demons attack those who have the capacity of walking through the Fade while lucid, because through them they will have a link into the mortal world and be able to spread their influence over it."

"I see…" Saber stated, a frown marring her expression. She didn't like the implications that such explanation hinted at, slightly disquieted at the notion of having to fight demons every night while she slept to keep them from trying to possess her body and turn it into a vessel for their own wicked aims.

"If you would permit it, I have a question of my own…" Justice said with proper etiquette.

"By all means, what would you like to know…?" Arturia replied in the same courteous manner.

"What did you meant by saying that you look as you did in your previous life…?" Justice asks; confusion evident in his voice.

Saber hesitated, wondering if she should reveal her life story to a spirit she has just meet. But considering he was the first and only source she had to gain answers about her whereabouts, she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and answer his questions. "I'm not sure if you will believe what I'm about to tell you, but I'm an old soul that was reborn into a new life. In my previous life I was a king who tried to rule his kingdom under the ideals of Courage, Justice and Brotherhood, trying my best to protect and bring happiness to all the people throughout the land. And for a time my kingdom prospered, becoming the greatest kingdom ever to exist, a marvelous Utopia were everybody strived to do their outmost for the betterment of the nation. Where the king (myself) ruled wisely to ensure the happiness and prosperity of my people, the knights under my command would make sure to protect the kingdom against any threat and danger that might arise, whether it came from the outside or the inside, and the peasants worked diligently, toiling and tending to the land to support the stability of the kingdom. We all did our parts to keep our country afloat. Sadly, it was not to last. I… Made mistakes, terrible mistakes that brought about a rebellion that split the country apart, led by an illegitimate child of mine after I refused to make him my heir and allow him to become the next king. Bonds of friendship were destroyed, families were torn apart, the land fell into chaos as friend fought friend and brother killed brother. We who were tasked to protect the kingdom were ultimately responsible for its destruction. In the end, my child and I ended up killing each other, and the Kingdom fell apart after my death. All we fought so hard to accomplish became nothing more but dust, a faint memory that the descendants of my people forgot everything about except as simple Fairy Tales and legends…" Arturia explained, a great deal of regret seeping into her tone as she said her tale. Justice said nothing as he simply listened to her story.

"A discouraging outcome, indeed. It is clear as day that you blame yourself for the fall of your kingdom…" Justice pointed out, eye's staring at Saber intently through the slit of his helmet.

A dry cheerless laugh escaping from Arturia's throat was the answer to such observation. "Ha! Am I so transparent to see…?"

The spirit knight crossed his arms and shook his head. "I'm not sure if you will believe me too crass for saying this, but I think you're punishing yourself too hard for the events that befell your nation that were clearly out of your ability to prevent. Don't get me wrong, it is always a shame that innocent lives end up being threatened and lost by the selfish machinations of men who desire nothing else but power. I've seen my fair share of such things here in the fade to last me for several lifetimes; demons seducing mortals with empty promises of fame and glory before taking over their bodies, or mortals trying to bind and enslave demons for their own dark purposes. After seeing so much wickedness from both demonic and mortal parts, it warms my heart to meet someone of the few who have the courage to stand for what is right. So although your kingdom ultimately failed, the fact that you decided to fight and protect those who couldn't protect themselves, puts you leagues above the rest. I've seen many who would prefer to stand aside rather than come forward in the defense of the weak and helpless, so even if you were unable to achieve your goal, wasn't it a worthy cause to fight for nevertheless? Wouldn't you try to do it again if you had the chance? To stand once more for what is just and brave the currents of fate for another roll of the dice in the hopes of a better outcome!?" Justice declared fervently, getting more and more passionate with each word he uttered.

"I… I wouldn't put it like that…" Artura said, turning her eyes away from the spirit knight in shame. "It was entirely my fault that my kingdom fell, that so many people suffered and died. I failed in my duty, all because I couldn't acknowledge the feelings and opinions of my subjects. I never knew that my inability to relate with their struggles would create a division among them that would allow my child to convince almost half of the lords to rebel against my rule. If I had been a better King, they would have never rebelled in the first place, and my kingdom would still be standing. So how can I wish to try my hand in ruling a kingdom and defend the innocents again when I wasn't even able to save my own people!? Someone else should have taken the mantle of leadership instead of me, maybe then my country wouldn't have fallen and all the knights and people under me that died would still be alive and well…" She said with a great amount of regret that it was clear weighted heavily on her soul.

A perplexed look fell upon Justice, easily noticeable by his bearing despite having his expression hidden by his armor. "What is this that I am hearing!? You would place your burdens upon others rather than hold the load yourself!?"

"That's not what I'm saying!?" Arturia immediately snapped back with some outrage, the nerve that this spirit had to suggest she would willingly shirk from her obligations. "All I'm saying is since I proved to be an unsuitable King that was incapable of saving his own kingdom, maybe someone else would prove a better choice than I ever could have been…" She confessed, her mood deflating and turning melancholic again.

"Someone else…? Who? Who will take the torch of the just and fight against injustice if you will not? Who will protect the innocents against evil if you will not rise in arms and stand for what is right!?" Justice demanded, becoming more and more affronted with each passing second.

"I—I don't know!" Saber exclaimed, growing uncomfortable by the line of questioning a she herself had never found a suitable answer for such. "I don't know… I don't have an answer. All I know, is how can I even think to fight for justice and stand for what is right when I failed to protect those I sweared to defend. We were supposed to be the protectors of Camelot and instead, we brought up its destruction with our own hands…"

The spirit knight shook his head, not approving of Saber's self-loathing. "Justice has nothing to do with ruling and saving kingdoms. Justice is about not standing idly by while evil spreads unchecked throughout the land. It's about upholding what is right against the wrong, wherever is that it may be found. You speak about wanting someone else to fight in the name of Justice in your stead because you think yourself unworthy of the right after failing your country and people. But I tell you, the mere fact that you decided to stand against the wrongs of the world and not allow them to run wild without consequence, makes you more than worthy to fight under the banner of the just. For if not you, who would have stood to try to stop the tide of strife that ravaged your kingdom? Do you think those nobles that were so eager to betray their own king despite all he had done for the well-being of the nation would have even considered raise a single finger in the defense of Justice…?"He asked, meeting Arturia's eyes with a piercing gaze that seemed to stare into her very soul, something that mildly unnerved the King of knights.

"You don't understand!" Saber replied, raising her voice. "It is because of me that the conflict that destroyed my kingdom came to be in the first place! If I hadn't been a lousy king, the dissidence that allowed my illegitimate child, Mordred, to seduce half of the lords into supporting him would not have existed in the first place. If someone else had been chosen as king, then he would most probably have been able to keep the Kingdom together and avoid the rebellion that destroyed it…" She stated, her gaze turning down in sadness.

The spirit of justice just stared at the king of knights in stupefaction, not comprehending how she could believe such load of crap. "How do you know that…?"He inquired."How do you know that whoever might have replaced you would have been able to do a better job than yourself in running your kingdom? What if he wasn't half as good as you and instead ended up doing a much worse job than you did and unleashed a much greater and messier crisis than the one you had to deal with, causing your kingdom to fall much sooner than it did…?" Justice said, poking holes in Saber's logic and taking all the wind out of her sails.

"I…" Arturia trailed off, not knowing what to respond to that. She had never thought that whoever she wished to replace her might be a much worse choice to run the kingdom than her. Just considering the mere possibility brought to her a chilling feeling of dread. "I admit… I never considered the possibility of what you speak off…" She admitted, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment.

Justice just nodded as if expecting such an answer. "It is more than obvious that you feel that the entire fall of your kingdom was sorely your fault. But let me say that you are gravely mistaken in that regard… No single individual, be it King or serf, is so important as to bring about disasters of this magnitude by themselves. It is true that a bad king can cause a great deal of harm to a kingdom and bring it to shambles. But Kings are mortals, and thus fleeting in the end. The reign of a bad king would eventually come to an end, and it will be up to those that still live to either make the effort to bring their kingdom back up from the edge of the abyss, or ultimately, give up and let it perish. Throughout the ages I've spoken with many of the spirits of the dead that pass through here when in route to their final resting places, many of them carrying tales of wars between countries, rebellions or the iron fist rule of terrible kings. After a time, they all blur and sound exactly the same to me. Always the same wars in the same place between the same nations, and somehow, despite this incredible waste of lives and effort, the kingdoms involved in these conflicts still stand, albeit with different names… Being a spirit of the fade allows me to appreciate the fleeting frailty of your mortal condition. All that you are and all that you make is destined to die. Your nations and kingdoms are not meant to last; they too are a fleeting existence meant to perish like you do. And that is why I cannot understand why you mortals decide to use the limited time you have to spread misery and malice among yourselves… This is one of the reasons why I don't have any kind of interest about your mortal world…"

"What are you trying to say…?" Saber asked, her brow furrowed in incomprehension. "That no matter what I had done my kingdom would have still perished, that all my efforts were to be for naught in the end!?" She exclaimed in outrage, as that wasn't what Merlin had promised her, she was supposed to be the sole ruler of Camelot until the end of time, the immortal king kept alive thanks to the healing magics of Avalon. It is one of the reasons she didn't accepted Mordred's demands into becoming his heir since she wouldn't had need an heir in the first place. But considering how things turned out in the end, maybe there is something to the words of the spirit knight.

"Matters of Justice do not revolve around countries and nations, matters of Justice only revolve around the individuals who are directly affected by the miscarriage of the law… On that note, what I'm trying to say is that the preservation of your kingdom should be a secondary concern over the defense of its people. You said yourself that the descendants of your people forgot all about your kingdom until it became myth and legend, so taking that in consideration, your actions ensured that your people would live even when your nation was falling apart all around you. So the decisions you took were the correct ones, and as such you acted justly in the defense of the helpless…"Justice stated firmly with unshakable belief. It left Arturia gaping at him in disbelief.

"How can you say such!? How can you say that I acted justly when those under my command tasked with the protection of the innocent ended up turning their backs on their duties and attacked those they swore to protect!?" She exclaimed in stupefaction.

Justice shook his head in slight disappointment. "Again you're taking the blame for the actions of others. You're not responsible for those serving under you having decided to betray their oaths when you were doing your outmost to rule your country in the best manner possible. I can tell during our entire conversation that you are a lawful ruler that puts the needs of his people before his own. I've told you already, I've seen more than my fair share of mortals who have been seduced by the promises of power from the demons. Considering that, I'm not surprised that there were men who thought they could take more than they deserved when a chance presented itself. You shouldn't let the dishonor of others to become a stain upon your own. Unlike them, you rose in the defense of your nation when no one else did, that in itself should have been enough to point out to you what would have happened should someone else had taken the role of king instead of you. If no one rose up to take the mantle of leadership and help you when you needed it the most, what made you think they would have been able to keep your kingdom together if you had not been there in the first place?" The spirit knight asked in the most reasonable tone of voice that reminded Saber heavily of Merlin, at least when he pretended to be a wise old wizard.

"I—I don't know…" She answered lamely, not knowing what to respond and turning her gaze away. It was hard being told how much of an ill thought idea her greatest wish had been for all this time. It made her suddenly become pretty nervous as she began to wonder if having being reborn in this new realm meant that her kingdom was suddenly going through a much worse time than it did under her rule. Dammit! She shouldn't have asked that wish to the grail!

"In any case, it does you no good worrying about things that happened when you were alive…" Justice kept speaking, unaware of Arturia's inner turmoil. "You are a spirit of the dead are you not? You are here making your way to your final destination after falling in battle against your treasonous child, isn't it..?" He inquired with a gesture.

That question was more than enough to distract Arturia from her gloomy thoughts, being caught off guard by the erroneous supposition. "What…!? Nooo! I'm not dead! I was given a second chance at life by being born again in the world of the living as a baby…!"

Justice seemed thoughtful at that declaration, bringing an armored fist to his helmeted chin in thought. "Reincarnation…? I have heard rumors that such occurrence can be possible, but I never met one who has actually been able to achieve it. You must be truly blessed to have been granted a new lease in life, especially after what you told me happened to you and your kingdom. You should be grateful to have been given so rare of a privilege. You have been brought back to correct the mistakes of your past life and fight once more in the name of Justice!" The spirit knight stated with encouraging excitement.

Arturia simply rubbed her arm awkwardly, feeling rather conscious about herself. "I'm not entirely sure this might be a blessing. After hearing all these points you have made, I can't help but suspect there might have been some price to pay for this rare occasion. But… You're right about me having a new opportunity to fight against injustice and protect those that cannot defend themselves. And this time I'm not weighted down by the burden of a crown, I can take whatever decision I want without having to worry about ruling a kingdom."

"That's the spirit!" Justice replied back with an approving exclamation. "I knew my impressions about you were right. You truly are a righteous mortal that will not stand idly by in the face of injustice."

Saber shifted consciously on her spot, still not feeling she was worthy of any praise despite the spirit knight's eagerness. "Right… At any rate, how is it possible that I'm currently in the body I had in my previous life when I was just reborn today as a new-born babe?" She asked with a clearly confused expression that told exactly how flabbergasted she was.

"As I told you, this is the Fade, the realm of dreams and spirits…" Justice said, gesturing with a hand to their surroundings. "The Fade is malleable, able to be shaped by those who dwell in it, or those who enter it. What you're seeing right now it's not the true face of the Fade, but a twisted reflection of the mortal world created by the Demon that rules this section of the Fade…." He explained.

"You mean to tell me I can manipulate everything that exists inside this realm…!?" Saber exclaimed with no small deal of shock and surprise.

A simple stiff nod was her answer. "Yes… That's exactly what I'm telling you. The gift of magic within you allows you to exert your influence inside the Fade to some extent. Not enough as to being able to change your surroundings without some kind of monumental effort from your part, that ability belongs to just a few blessed ones, but anything regarding your person and the items and weapons you may carry should come as easily to you as breathing. So you must have been doing exactly that at an unconscious level for you to appear before me in the form you have right now instead of the one you say you have in the mortal world." Justice lectured as if he were giving a lesson, which he certainly was.

"You're saying I could theoretically change my form and summon weapons while inside the Fade…?" Arturia inquired with a great deal of incredulity plastered on her face.

Another nod was her response. "Correct. Just think on what you want to do and will it into reality…" It was Juctice's succinct and to-the-point answer.

Saber seemed unsure for just a moment at the thought of being able to do something that sounded pretty close to magic, something that she had just a passing basic instruction in her former life, but she soon overcame her qualms and focused herself fully at the matter at hand. She tried to go for what she knew and willed her armor away, the suit of steel disappearing in a shower of glowing particles that vanished into her surroundings and leaving the King of Knights clad only in her sapphire blue dress. With a thought, her armor was once more covering her frame.

"You seem to have a good grasp of summoning items inside the Fade already, just keep at it until it becomes a second nature to you. Try if you can summon something else…"Justice said encouragingly, pleased at Saber's understanding of the intricacies of the Fade.

"Something else…?" Arturia inquired, raising a curious eyebrow.

"Yes, something else…" The spirit knight confirmed. "Like a weapon. I've seen many a traveler capable of creating weapons made purely from dream essence in order to have something to defend themselves while exploring the deepest and remote recesses of the Fade, or use it to empower the weapons they have managed to bring from the mortal world so that they gain the ability to hurt the spirits and demons that dwell in here. Try to see if you are able to perform a similar feat…"

Arturia became deep in thought at that. To attempt and summon a weapon into existence… There was only one weapon in her mind that she wanted to wield, the sword given to her by the lady of the lake. She recalled the memory of her most treasured weapon, that which became synonym of her legend, and became inseparable from her very soul once she forged the pact with the world at the end of her life. Saber brought her hands forward and began to clench them around an invisible hilt, able to feel the heft of her weapon as if it were truly there. And, as if answering her summons, a sudden slash teared open through the very nature of the dream world, glowing with a radiance capable of blinding entire armies, the sword of promised victory was once more firmly held in the grasp of King of Knights. Excalibur…

A grin found itself stretching wide in Arturia's face, who was delighted at the thought of not being separated from her preferred weapon in this new life of hers. "What is that!?" The awed and mesmerized voice of Justice exclaimed, taken aback by the sheer magnificence of the sword.

Still smiling, Arturia answered. "This is my most treasured weapon, Excalibur!" She declared proudly, raising the sword high to display it better.

"That is no mere weapon…!" The spirit knight said, still bedazzled by the hypnotic aura that seemed to emanate from the sword, shielding his eyes from the light being exuded by the weapon as it was simply too much to the point it became painful to look at despite the fact he felt a strong compulsion that drove him to keep his eyes on it. "I can feel it inside of me, a marvelous essence out of this world that is not meant for the hands of either mortals or spirits to wield. It is as if one of the ideals that we spirits strive our entire lives to achieve has come down from the high planes for us to finally touch with our own fingers… As if glory itself is standing in front of me… I can't describe it with mere words, they fall short to explain what I'm feeling at this moment. I never thought such thing could be achieved on this world or the next…" He said before falling into a reverential silence in the presence of the sword.

Arturia just nodded in acknowledgement, knowing how pretty on-the-spot the words of the spirit knight were. "As I said, this is Excalibur, the sword of promised victory. It was forged by the faeries in the deepest bowels of the world as the crystallization of the wishes of mankind, stored and tempered within the planet…."

Justice was left pretty flabbergasted after that explanation. "You mean… That weapon it is made from crystalized Fade essence!? H-how is such thing possible!?" He demanded with great surprise.

Before Arturia had the chance to open her mouth, a sudden massive rumble began to wrack the very fabric of the Fade, the entire environment shifting between corporeal and intangibility like some kind of mirage. "What is happening!?" The king of knights asked, mildly disquieted by the unexpected disaster, her head turning in all directions, trying to find the source of this strange new development.

"It is the pride demon ruling this section of the Fade." Justice declared, turning towards the road he was guarding as he lifted both his sword and shield at the ready. "He must have felt the sensation that your sword emanates and is coming to investigate, attracted to it like a moth to a flame and wanting to take your sword for his own..."

"What!? Why!?" Arturia exclaimed, outraged at the idea of some creature pretending to steal Excalibur from her.

"The reason why the demons obsess so much with the mortal world is because they want to experiment feelings and sensations that cannot be found in the Fade. As you can clearly see, the nature of the Fade is malleable an intransigent, things you create tend not to last and lose their forms because the environment is always shifting and flowing." Justice explained, daring to glance at Saber from the corner of his eye, but keeping sight of the road in front of him at all times. "But I've heard tales that in the mortal world things can be built and do not lose their shape like they do here in the Fade, and that all that passes away and its lost can never go back to what once it was… The demons grow eager at the notion of being able to enter a realm where they can leave an everlasting mark…"

Arturia's mouth set into a line as she mulled over the answer given to her. She was able to understand the demons' desire to enter the mortal world, but there was still another matter that she needed clarification. "But why do you say this demon is being attracted to Excalibur and will try to take it from me?" She asked as more tremors began to shake their surroundings like ripples expanding from disturbed water. The tremors began to increase in intensity and it seemed as if they were getting closer. That is when Saber figured out that what they were experiencing were not tremors, but footsteps. Something big and heavy was heading their way.

Justice seemed uneasy about continuing to speak while danger was lurking too close for comfort, his gauntleted hands closing tightly around his weapons, but replied to Arturia's question nevertheless. "I already told you that we spirits are the embodiment of values and ideals, while Demons are the embodiment of sins and desires. It is because of this that any denizen of the Fade will feel attracted to your sword, because it is the materialization of an ideal. And the stronger an ideal or desire is; the stronger the spirit or demon attuned to it will become…"

That explanation leaved Arturia reeling, scandalized at the notion of some demon trying to use her holy sword as sustenance. "But you said that demons are the embodiments of sins! How will they feed from my sword when it represents an ideal!?"

Justice did not meet her gaze as he answered, keeping his attention focusing solely at the road ahead, the earth-rattling footsteps getting nearer and nearer. "Because ideals can be corrupted… That is how Demons came to be in the first place, they were once spirits that embodied virtues. But at some point those same virtues that they struggled to uphold became tainted, and the spirits that embodied them fell from grace and turned into the demons that prowl the Fade today. I have no doubt in my mind that this Pride demon will try to sully the ideal materialized in your sword to feed his own power…"

That answer angered Arturia, hard lines setting on her expression. "I will die before some misbegotten creature tires to steal Excalibur from me!"

As if taking her up to her challenge, a great shadow fell upon Arturia and the spirit knight, blocking the ethereal light that existed in the dreamworld. "I think that's the idea…" Justice said as he stared up at the figure towering horribly over the two knights.

It was a massive disfigured creature, all pointy and thorny edges. A broad chest and thick powerful arms the size of tree trunks encompassed two thirds of its entire body mass, it's skin appeared to be formed between rock-hard scales and boiled leather of a sickly violet hue. From its forearms, giant rocky thorns protruded like an unholy combination between plant and stone. The demonic creature had no neck, its head sunk between its wide spiky shoulders. Four horns jutted from the top of its skull, entwined with each other in pairs. Its digits were long and twisted, ending in razor sharp wicked-looking claws, four on each hand and foot. A long whip-like tail snapped and lashed behind him. Its face was set in eternal snarl, mouth open to reveal rows of pointy sharp teeth the size of daggers. Its eyes were of a complete haunting white that held no warmth, only boundless thirst for destruction.

The creature bellowed and the very threads of the Fade seemed to unravel by the power of its voice. "I SENSE A GREAT DISTURBANCE COMING FROM THIS PLACE…? HAS A TASTY MORSEL WANDERED INTO MY LAIR…?" Its pupiless eyes then focused upon the forms of both Arturia and Justice, who braced themselves the best they could at its feet. "NO… NOT ONLY A LITTLE MORSEL, BUT ALSO A BOTHERSOME FLY MAKING IT COMPANY…"

Justice didn't take the taunt lying down and immediately roared back at the pride demon. "Your days of preying on the innocent are over demon! You will fall today to my blade!" The spirit knight declared, raising his shield in front of him while pointing with his blade straight at the purple monstrosity.

"LITTLE FLY SHOULD NOT TRY TO PICK FIGHTS IT KNOWS IT CANNOT WIN, IT MIGHT GET SQUASHED." The creature said in an unnatural guttural tone.

"Have at thee!" It was all that Justice said before launching himself towards the Pride Demon, slashing out with his sword.

The Pride Demon simply blocked the sudden aggression with one of its massive arms, Justice's sword clanking against hideous rocky hide and unable to do little more than a small scratch. The demon snarled and smacked Justice away with its other arm, the spirit knight managing to raise his shield in time, but the strength of the impact was too great as to push him several feet away, his armored boots dragging through the ground and carving a path of straight lines through his passing.

Not giving its enemy any time to rest, the towering Demon rushed towards Justice with a ponderous run, and slammed into the spirit knight with the entire bulk of its massive body. Justice reeled but thanks to his great mastery in the art of combat, he managed to retain his feet despite the powerful slam. Almost losing his footing at one point, but quickly recovering from his moment of vulnerability and setting both feet firmly into the ground. The Demon loomed threatingly above Justice, raising both of its powerful twisted and thorny arms and preparing to smash the spirit knight into paste.

The imminent danger spurned Arturia into action. "Justice!" She cried in alarm, quickly holding Excalibur aloft and unleashing the full might of the sword's radiance, the blade glowing more and more until it shone like a star. The sudden surge of light struck the demon's eyes in full, blinding the creature and forcing it to cancel its attack to protect itself against the scalding brightness, the demon letting out a roar of both pain and outrage.

Justice, not one to waste an opportunity, took advantage of the Demon's vulnerable state to bash his shield into its knee with great might, causing the hideous leg to buckle, and almost toppling the unnatural creature over. The strength of Justice's attack being great enough as to push the demon back a few steps, the embodiment of pride digging its claws deep into the ground to keep itself from slipping, fangs bearing in contempt.

The demonic creature was too not one to miss opportunities, and from its prone position, it launched itself forward with a push of its mighty arms; horns upfront at the ready, prepared to gore its enemy. The demon rammed into Justice's shield in full, a grating and ear-deafening screech resonating from the impact. The spirit knight once more showed his great experience by standing his ground against the monstrous power of his opponent, but the demon again proved to be a cunning enemy by slipping its horns between Justice's legs and lifting the knight into the air with a flick of its thick neck. Justice yelled in indignation, limbs flailing helplessly all over. There was a hard crash of metal with earth, and all that could be heard after that were the pitiful groans of the righteous spirit.

The creature was too focused keeping his attention on the fallen spirit knight that it never saw Arturia blasting from a side with a burst of prana at neck-breaking speeds, using one of the signatures abilities granted to her by her Dragon soul and swinging down towards one of the horns of the Demon with a chopping motion. There was a silvery flash of metal, and then the horn was sent spinning through the air. The ensuing scream left Arturia temporally deaf, her eardrums popping by the sudden increase in decibels. She was almost blown away by the impromptu sonic attack that struck at her like a Warhammer to the chest, but managed to retain her footing despite her loss in hearing. The demon began to swat at her with its thorny spiky arms, trying to squash the maggot that had dared injure it, but Arturia expertly parried all of its wild and clumsy swings with an ease born from decades of combat, sparks flying from the clash of metal and rock-hard scales on each exchange.

"YOU! HOW DARE YOU HURT ME! I WILL EAT YOUR SOUL LITTLE MAGE AND USE YOUR BODY AS A SUIT TO WALK ON THE MORTAL REALM!" The demon bellowed in outrage, spit flying everywhere in thick foams because of its uncontrollable wrath.

But Arturia was mindless to its threats, seeing as how her hearing was yet to return, and she simply focused on pressing her assault upon the otherworldly creature. Something that proved to her advantage rather quickly since the demon briefly let itself open when snarling its threats, which allowed Arturia to cut three of its fingers from its left hand, silencing the creature hard mid-threat.

The monster reared back, clutching at its mutilated appendices, staring at Arturia with both unrestrained hatred and a healthy dose of weariness. The Demon began to wonder how it was that this mortal was able to injury it so easily, it was one thing to have the vessel one uses to influence the mortal world to be vulnerable enough against the sharp weapons of the living, but it was another thing entirely for those same weapons to be able to break through its rock-hard scales without hindrance. Just what exactly was going on in here!?

That is when the answer came to it as it gazed at the sword of the tiny mortal in front of it. "THAT SWORD… IT IS NO MERE WEAPON…! WHAT IS THIS THAT I AM FEELING…? AN IDEAL SHAPED INSIDE A MATERIAL VESSEL…!? IT'S POWER BEYOND ALL IMAGINATION…! WITH SUCH POWER I WILL BE ABLE TO TEAR THE BARRIER BETWEEN THE FADE AND THE MORTAL WORLD, I SHALL BE ABLE TO WALK BETWEEN THE PLANES UNIMPEDED AND SPREAD MY INFLUENCE AMONG ALL CORNERS OF CREATION! GIVE IT TO ME!" The creature threatened, raising itself to its full height and looming menacingly over Arturia.

The once and future king was not impressed and replied with a growl of her own as she held her sword at the ready. "Excalibur is not something to be tarnished by the likes of you, foul creature! If you dare to lay a hand on it, I will make sure you lose more than just a few fingers…"

The beast snarled at Arturia, not pleased at the gall of the tiny blonde to speak to it like that, with a last roar, he lunged at its prey intending to end her miserable life and claim the marvelous prize in her hands for its own. Saber didn't hesitate and met the challenge head on. Arms flayed and metal swinged as both Monster and Hero met in furious combat, claw and sword entwining in a lethal dance were only one victor would be left standing.

Suddenly, both combatants were locked in a contest of strength, the Pride Demon pressing against Arturia, using its greater bulk to its advantage as he tried to push the tiny blonde back. But Arturia was no mere weakling despite what her small figure might convey at first glance, as she planted both of her feet firmly on the ground and refused to be moved, managing to maintain the same posture as the entire massive frame of the demon smacked against her. Both opponents were left in an impasse, none being able to physically overpower the other despite a great deal of superhuman effort being employed, teeth gritting and noses flaring by the strain. A cry came from a side, and the contest between King and Monster was unexpectedly broken when Justice smashed into the Demon's flank and stabbed his sword under its ribs.

"RRRRRRAAAAAAAAARGH!"

The expected bellow of pain didn't wait, a loud deafening cry that leaved Arturia deaf once more and doubled as a sonic weapon that shoved the King and spirit knight away from the demon with great violence, a ripple of sound that expanded on all directions and struck down anything standing in its way. Both Arturia and Justice landed hard on the ground, senses dazed by the great impact. The Demon meanwhile was trashing madly, screaming in agony for what it was worth, Justice's sword still embedded bellow its ribs.

Arturia clenched her jaw hard and refused to be bested by such cheap trick, blood trickling down her ears as her muscles flared and struggled to make her stand up again. Using Excalibur to support herself, Saber let out a cry of her own that was drowned by all the clamor made by the embodiment of pride, and blasted forward with her legs thanks to another Prana Burst, launching herself high towards her enemy. The demon was unaware of all this, still lashing around wildly in pain and anger, trying to dislodge the piece of dream metal stuck in its torso, but its long giant fingers were unable to find purchase in the small elegant hilt of Justice's sword and all it managed to do was to make the injury worse. Hearing the detonation of energy behind it, the Pride Demon glanced behind, only for a sword to be plunged into its open maw and come out all the way out from the back of its head, needless to say that its horrifying wails suffered a sudden and abrupt end.

The Pride Demon simply stared in incomprehension at the tiny mortal propped atop its chest, unable to utter a single sentence at this unbelievable event and incapable of doing anything but stare at the small blonde holding her sword firmly into the interior of its gaping maw. With a dispassionate expression that showed no emotion, Arturia separated the top of the Pride Demon's head from the rest of its body with a simple twist of her sword. The top of the skull just popping away like a cork, leaving only a lone fanged jaw from which dark red ichor began to surge upward in one single stream like a literal fountain of blood.

Saber simply flipped away from the now unmoving corpse, spinning her entire body a single time in the air before landing back in the ground, the corpse of the Demon soon falling down on its back for having its point of balance disturbed. Arturia got back to her feet, and limited herself to clean her blade with the hem of her battle dress, not even bothering to glance at the body of her dead enemy. Justice approached, his posture betraying his fascination despite the armor he was wearing.

"You managed to kill a Pride Demon in a single stroke, impressive…" He said with great approval.

"I told you I was not going to simply stand aside and let just any corrupted creature to take hold of Excalibur." Arturia said with finality, turning her face and giving a pointed stare at the spirit knight.

Justice nodded in acknowledgement, granting her that point. "Fair enough… What was that technique you used to cut distance with the demon with such celerity? In all my years, I've never seen any single individual to move so fast. Despite my mastery of the sword, I wasn't able to keep up with such speed."

"You're talking about my Prana Burst are you not?" Arturia asked, finishing with making her weapon respectable and setting the sword into the ground in front of her, both hands resting on the pommel.

"Prana Burst…?"

"It's a technique in which I gather a great deal of magical energy inside my body and then release it all in a single abrupt instance to give me a temporary boost and go beyond my limits for a few seconds…" Saber explained affably.

Justice tapped the lower part of his helmeted head in thought. "It sounds pretty similar to a certain technique I know, but I never would have guesses that it could be used to propel oneself at high speeds…."

"What do you mean?" Saber asked, curious as to how Justice could know of a technique she learned on her own homeland.

The embodiment of virtue was pensive for a few seconds, musing deeply upon some unknown concern. "Tell you what… Since you already know how to create bursts of magical energy and possess a sword that was forged from dream essence, how about if I instruct you in the ways of the Spirit Knight as a reward for having helped me in killing the Demon that had claimed this portion of the Fade as his own? That way you will be able to have a better grasp of the nature of the Fade and be capable of manipulating it to your advantage, allowing you to shroud yourself in the energies of the Fade to shield yourself against harm or empower you by calling upon the good spirits that dwell in here (like me) to assist you in battle, making your attacks particularly devastating against the Demons and other dark entities that plague the Fade…" Justice said, offering to assist Saber good-naturedly.

The king of Knights thought about this proposal for a moment. It would certainly be helpful to have Justice keep instructing her about all the particulars regarding the Fade, since she had the distinct suspicion it would become a constant of this new life that had been granted to her. And she would be lying if she said she wasn't intrigued about what kind of applications the Fade could have in combat. She has always been of the belief that one should always try to improve his or her skills in the art of war, and if this new techniques shared some similarities with her own style as to not hinder it in any way, then she didn't saw any harm in accepting Justice's offer and see what the spirit knight could teach her.

She ultimately replied at Justice with a nod. "I agree to your proposal…"

Several days later, an agent of the Arl of Redcliffe arrived at the royal capital of Denerim and delivered a secret correspondence to the King himself. The initial years after the end of the Rebellion and the expulsion of the Orlesians had been a bit rough for the entire nation as a whole since a great deal of reconstruction had to be undertaken in order to repair everything that the foreign oppressors had destroyed. There were still many villages and fortresses that still lay in ruin, but thanks to the measures and reforms brought about by the new King and the diligent efforts of his best friend and confidant, Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir, Ferelden had finally started to prosper after decades of foreign occupation.

Inside his study in the Royal Palace, King Maric Therein, son of Moira 'The Rebel Queen', the man who led the rebellion successfully and killed the usurper King Meghren in single combat, was reading the letter addressed to him by Arl Eamon. Across his desk, Loghain was standing in front of him, nursing a goblet of wine while he waited for Maric to finish reading his correspondence.

"I take it Eamon is informing you about the condition of that child of yours that he took with him a couple of weeks ago…" The Teyrn of Gwaren declared absent-mindedly with certainty.

"It is more than just that…" Maric said, his expression growing apprehensive. Loghain picked up immediately in his change of mood and asked for an explanation with only a pointed stare.

Maric sighed, setting down the piece of parchment in his hand. "It seems Alistair is not my only illegitimate child… I have another, a baby girl born from one of the maids under the Arl's service just mere days ago…" He confessed with a wince, knowing Loghain wasn't going to like this new revelation.

And indeed, Loghain didn't like it, his entire expression turning stony and accusatory in that way only he has to silently judge others while making them feel extremely guilty with only a look. "You slept with one of the maids under the Arl's service during our last visit to celebrate the return of his brother, didn't you? Maker's breath, Maric! What were you thinking!?"

Maric had the decency to blush at the accusation. His best friend and advisor was still very crossed at him for abandoning him without previous notice to go gallivanting through the deep roads, as he put it, with the Grey Wardens under Captain Genevieve's command, an ill-fated enterprise that finalized with the debacle at Kinloch Hold in which Loghain once more had to come to his rescue and pull his ass out of the fire. The news, several months later, of the existence of a royal bastard didn't help much to fix their relationship. And now with the revelation of yet another illegitimate heir to the throne, Loghain was frustratingly at the end of his rope with Maric's constant shenanigans.

"I'm sorry! I got drunk, and the next thing I know I was waking up with a woman in my bed!" The King replied lamely as he flinched back, knowing how pathetic such excuse sounded even to him.

Loghain suppressed the need to face-palm, years of friendship with Maric should have accustomed him to the ill-thought impulses that the King tends to do from time to time. But it seems he is still capable of stunts of such magnific stupidity as to leave the Hero of River Dane taken aback. "I can clearly see how much you harbor Rowan's memory in your heart by the way you go around sleeping with anything that has a pair of legs…" The Teyrn stated in an acerbic tone, a scowl marrying his features.

The words of his friend struck Maric right in the heart, an expression of hurt appearing on his face. "That's not fair! You know I always greatly respected Rowan and made my outmost to be faithful to her during our marriage before… Before she fell ill…" He said, all of his previous outrage leaving him at the reminder of his wife's passing.

Loghain just snorted at that. "Too bad you couldn't be faithful to her during the rebellion, and I assume you don't care much about remaining faithful to her now that she's gone, if only to preserve her memory. You certainly didn't waste much time to start spawning bastards all over the country the moment you found yourself being a free man again… Makes me wonder if you ever loved her in the first place…" He grumpily said, turning his gaze away from Maric in irritation.

The shoulders of the King slumped down, dejected by the accusations of his best friend. A heavy silence feel upon the study, the tension becoming more and more palpable with each passing second, and Maric found himself feeling pretty awkward, incapable of breaking the stifling silence because of his shame. Thankfully, Loghain had never been a man that tended to beat around the bush when speaking his mind. Not even when in the presence of the King (or maybe one could say specially when in the king's presence) something that Maric had always been pretty grateful for despite the constant reproaches. But right now, this seemed one of those times where he cursed Loghain's bluntness.

"You still love her do you not…? That elven harlot sent by the Orlesians to spy on us and seduce you…" Loghain snarked as he turned his head back towards Maric, a sullen frown on his face, accusatory eyes dripping with suspicion.

Maric's expression turned flat, his lips thinning into a straight line, showing none of his emotions on his face. "I've had a great deal of time to come at peace with what happened with Katriel, I've already moved past it…" He said rather tonelessly.

"But you still think about her!" Loghain declared matter-of-factly.

Maric sighed. "I can't deny that sometimes I tend to wonder on how things might have turned out different had I not been a willful and impatient youth…" He confessed.

Loghain just shook his head and stared with a dead-pan. "Not much has changed since the days of the rebellion. You're still a bloody idiot that jumps into danger without thinking about the consequences… Feh! Taking that in consideration, I shouldn't be surprised that you plough any woman that struts in front of you…"

"I know I wasn't the best husband I could be for Rowan. I know she wasn't happy…" Maric said, his gaze turning down in melancholy and self-loathing. "But I always did my best to treat her kindly, and tried not to place any more burdens upon her shoulders. I know that sometimes I failed, but still, I tried my best to honor the ties of friendship we once had that allowed us to win the rebellion and expel the Orlesians… And then she died… And leaved Cailan and I alone… I never realized how much she really meant to me until she was gone. And by then it was too late. All I really wanted was to see her smile again…"

Maric then raised his gaze again and locked eyes with his best and oldest friend, determination burning inside his eyes. A few moments went by with both men saying nothing, an unspoken understanding passing between them. "I know she no longer loved me the same way she did once upon a time, her heart belonged to another… I was not the right man capable of loving her and make her happy the way she deserved. You know very well, Loghain that had both of you asked; I would have move aside and let you two be with each other…" He said before falling silent again.

Loghain at first said nothing, trying to overcome the sudden surge of regret that swelled inside him. "I know, Maric. But sadly, we all knew it was not meant to be. It was not what the country needed…."

"Screw the country!" It was Maric's heated response. " You know as well as I do that I would toss this crown away at the first chance I could get and let the Landsmeet settle on its own the succession of the next king if we hadn't struggled so hard, sacrificed so much to break the Orlesian's yoke. Don't use our duties towards the nation as an excuse to deny your own desires… I know you loved Rowan, and she loved you back just as much."

Loghain scowled and let out a huff in disbelief. "Right, because letting all the Banns run around like headless chickens without someone to tell them what to do while they try to keep the country together on their own would certainly sound like some fantastic news to the Emperor. I'm sure he's not as cold-hearted as to take advantage of any political crisis that might befall Ferelden and use the opportunity try to rein the raucous rebel province back into the Empire…" He deadpanned with his usual acerbic tone.

"Loghain, I'm serious…!" Maric stated, not falling into the trap of being distracted by his friend's sarcasm and continued pressing the issue.

In the end Loghain relented with a sigh, knowing how stubborn Maric can be once he makes his mind about anything. The Teyrn stood up from his seat and walked to the nearest window, glancing down at the busy streets of the capital, his mind filled with thoughts of the past. Maric just kept silent and let his friend dwell on his musing for a moment, knowing full well Loghain was not a man who liked to either mince or waste words when talking about important stuff. At length, the dark-haired man spoke. "It was not only because of our duties to our country that I decided to end my affair with Rowan, though it was the most politically wise course of action at the time to ensure the stability of the nation. No, the real reason why I walked away was because you needed her more than I ever could. After what happened with that Bard, you were a mess, but you decided to keep going and win the Rebellion despite how much you were hurting in the inside. But once we finally managed to get the Orlesians on the run and kill that dog Meghren, there was nothing else to distract you from the pain you felt inside, and running the nation certainly didn't help the issue. No… You needed Rowan, she was the only one who could keep you together…" Loghain said before falling silent again.

Maric looked down in sadness, knowing what Loghain was saying was the truth. "And who was there to keep Rowan together when she was busy keeping me from falling apart! Sometimes, I believe it to be my fault that she passed away so soon…" He said with a great deal of self-recrimination.

"She died from a disease… There was nothing you could do, nothing that the healers could do…" Loghain replied, but even he could tell how hollow his own words sounded to his own ears.

"So the healers said… But you didn't saw her while she was wasting away in that bed without even trying to fight the disease. Her eyes told me all I needed to know about how she had gotten tired of the constant disappointments in her life to the point that she simply gave up…" Maric confessed, voice laced with deep regret.

Loghain said nothing, for there was nothing to say after a revelation like that. Another awkward silence fell between the two friends and it seemed to stretch longer than the last one, or at least it felt that way, the seconds painfully moving on at an agonizing pace. Not wishing to keep thinking about memories from the past that do nothing but bring him hurt, Loghain decided to get back to the original subject. "So what do you intend to do about this new child of yours…?"

Maric took notice of the obvious change of subject, but he too was relieved of being given an opening to move past the painful memories and so decided not to comment on it. "I don't know… I think maybe I should pay Redcliffe a visit and see my new daughter..." He said with indecision, not knowing quite clearly what he should do.

Loghain just gave him a look of disapproval. "That's a terrible mistake to do right now, Maric. I don't blame you for wanting to see your new-born child, but the Kingdom comes first, and as King you cannot simply abandon your station whenever it suites you. Remember what happened the last time you did something like that…" The Teyrn said, alluding to Maric's little deep roads expedition with the Grey Wardens.

Maric felt himself flush again, why Loghain must always take the opportunity of reminding him of his little fiasco with the Grey Wardens at the first chance he gets. It makes him dwell in certain issues he would rather not think about. Not that he was ashamed of having joined captain Genevieve's expedition, on the contrary, it had been the right decision to take in the end, but there were secrets that were best left to rest for now… "I hardly think that paying a visit to the Arling of my brother-in-law would be the same as embarking myself in a deep roads expedition with just a small company of warriors…" He declared eventually.

Loghain simply kept staring at this friend with that plain blank expression that clearly told him he was being an idiot. "It is you who we are talking about Maric, just the act of travelling to the nearest freehold would mean being beset by a dozen bandits, assassins and highwaymen…"

Maric kept a groan of frustration from escaping his throat. "It was just the one time! Tsk… Fine! If you're so set of having me stay in Denerim then I will. You don't need to remind me of past mistakes…"

Loghain just nodded at Maric's capitulation, taking it simply as if it had been a foregone conclusion since the beginning. "Good…" It was his only response. "Best to let Eamon take care of your third child. You already gave him the custody of one of your bastards, why not another one? You should learn to trust in the judgement of the man you yourself appointed for this task…"

After closing the matter with those words, the two most powerful men in Ferelden went back to the arduous and usually ungrateful task of ruling the country. Both men unaware of the great deeds that one day the child they now dismiss out of hand would achieve.

Well, here it is. The prologue of this new story, once again thanks to Vahn for allowing me to bounce ideas off from him to better polish this premise. Anyway, I'll give no comment as to what I have in store for this story since that is still a work in progress and also because I want it to be a surprise. But yeah, Saber is now half-sister to both Alistair and Cailan, and although she and Alistair would grow up together they will go their separate ways at some points since I want Saber to have her own adventure separate from the events of DAO while Alistair and the Grey Warden are busy with treaties and such. But I will be borrowing some quests from the videogame to better flesh out Saber's own adventure during the blight, mainly from the DLC's and only one or two from the main storyline.

To answer some questions, Why does Maric seems adamant to keep Alistair far away from the capital and of any business regarding the throne, it is because of a promise he makes to Alistair's mother Fiona at the end of the Calling. I decided to make Saber Goldanna's true sibling because the game heavily implies that indeed Goldanna's mother had given birth to a child of Maric at Recliffe's castle but both the mother and child died during the birth. You can easily imagine what I decided to do with this.

Anyway, as usual for those who know me, leave a review to tell me what do you think of this story, tell your friends about it and visit my if you feel like giving me some alms, and I'll read you all next time. Now I'm off to work in the next chapter of Fairy Tail Watches DB because people just can't stop bugging me about it….

Edit: This damn site erased all of my separations and chapter's break when I uploaded it to this site. It also changed Juctice's speech style in several of his dialogues. Now I have to go back and fix that shit. So in short FF sucks.