Got a short chapter. I know, you all have waited like 11 months and 2 days for an update. I'm sorry. For the last three months though, my laptop was getting repaired. It's mostly fixed now but that's still 8 months I sat around and did jack shit despite how tired work would make me. Well, you're here for the story, not me bitching. Please enjoy.

Time to Tiamat's Awakening: 23 years, 3 months, 1 week, 1 days, 12 hours, 30 minutes and 49 seconds

Zelretch was sweating a bucket a minute as Sakuya glared at him. They stood in front of a window overlooking a patch of empty grass- empty save for a king reading a book to a young infant boy who was snuggled onto her lap with his pet bunny resting in his side. Both were seated comfortably on the king's soft lap that betrayed the raw muscle within them. A knight in devilish white armor stood off to the side, gripping the pommel of her sword while its tip lied in the ground. It was quite the beautiful scene, both felt, but Sakuya had had enough procrastination from her chamberlain in training on a certain issue.

"It has been a week since I've told you to do this task and you've yet to do it, giving every excuse under the sun and moon."

"Sakuya-chan, if there was a drop of sake for every reason why this is a bad idea, there'd be enough to get both Hoshiguma Yuugi and Ibuki Suika drunk enough to do a lesbian porno. Please, you don't know what you're telling me to do!"

"Then why don't you explain to me the most important of these reasons?"

"You could cause the apocalypse! There's no way he'd ever agree to such violation!"

"You're being ridiculous, Maid. He is just a rabbit. What's the worst that can happen?"

"Don't jinx us, Sakuya-chan! You're telling me to take that Beast to the vet to get a rabies shot!" Zelretch cried out, horror evident in his posture and eyes, voice trembling all the while.

Sakuya wasn't impressed.

"Zelretch. You make it sound like there is more to that rabbit then you originally told me."

He waved his hands in front of him. "Nothing drastic!"

"...the 'apocalypse' isn't drastic?"

"What's one apocalypse added on top of another?"

"Two apocalypses. Which contradicts your words and worry, so why don't you start explaining before I make a reason for your anatomy to contradict with your gender."

"Eeeeep!"

Mordred stood quietly by, ignoring the muffled voices of the two maids arguing. It had become a regular occurrence. What had also become a regular occurrence was something she felt deeply jealous of, so much so that if she wasn't so loyal and dutiful, she'd do something drastic. Watching and listening to a young child adopted by her father, sitting on her father's lap while HER father read him story books hurt her so much. A deeply concealed child underneath her brazen attitude and intimidating armor wanted nothing more than to pick the boy up, punt him over the walls of Camelot, and take HER rightful spot on the king's lap to make up for so many lost opportunities.

Damn that witch for never doing the same for her. Damn her for growing Mordred into a teenage homunculus. The hugs from her father were really nice and comforting beyond the level of physical pleasure but damn it, it should've been her getting tucked in and have stories read to, and...

"Mordred, Harry's story time is up. I was planning on taking him riding with me around the castle. He may not be big enough to fit in a saddle but it'd be a shame for him to not have an early start of riding a horse."

...

"?"

"..."

"Very well, Father. I will take some rounds of the castle grounds to keep myself busy." Mordred just barely managed in a neutral tone despite her heart tearing apart at another activity with her beloved father stolen from her.

"Hm? I would ask that you join us as well? No need to be so distant in these times."

The dreary rain in Mordred's heart broke apart into a beautiful sunny sky, the light radiating from the majesty of her father looking down at her smiling.

"!"

Artoria didn't know what to make of the strange noise her son was making but it seemed she was filled with barely contained eagerness. She did recall that Mordred never seemed fond of falconing like she was so she wasn't quite certain if a simple horseback ride would help her connect with her troubled and complicated son/daughter.

"OF COURSE, FATHER! I'LL GRAB THE HORSES AND MEET YOU BACK HERE!"

Surprised by the unexpected outburst, Artoria watched her Knight of Passion disappear in a cloud of dust and felt a soft smile curve her lips.

"Perhaps repairing ties with Mordred has a hope after all, little Harry. I can only hope she doesn't resent the place you've been fostered within my schedule. She was always the quirky knight when it was just us two. Probably got her strange habits from Morgana. That's a woman who could be called strange and obsessive."

"Excuse me, my King?"

"?" She looked over to see a bruised Zelretch standing at attention. "Honestly, Zelretch. You shouldn't make Sakuya's effort look so in vain with your appearance. Have some pride. Your appearance and professionalism reflects on not just me but Camelot as well."

The vampire gave a strained grin. "Of course, but there is a matter I need to have taken care of. I've been quite too busy to see to it for the past week and it's high time I took care of it. I will be needing to borrow young Potter's pet for the evening."

The rabbit glanced at Zelretch in curiosity, a look almost mirrored by Artoria. "Hmm? Well, procrastinating isn't very good but you have been quite worked this week so I suppose it can't be helped. What need have you with the pet though? I can only do so much myself in calming the child when he gets upset, aside from using my charisma to scare him into line."

Zelretch gave a quick glance at the rabbit and sighed to himself. "It's only customary these days to have your pets get medicinal vaccinations against common illnesses and diseases, such as rabies, at which point contracting said particular disease would make him rabid at the least and force us to put him out of his misery. I hope you understand the necessity."

She did, having studied up on modern medicines. To think that many of the illnesses of her time were either extinct or treatable was fascinating. The worst killer of war were diseases. It wouldn't do for the child's pet to contract something that could affect the residents of the castle and the child himself.

"Very well. I entrust the task to your knowledge, Zelretch. Take care of it." With a few soothing pats to the rabbit's head, she plucked him off the child and laid him into Zelretch's own arms. The rabbit didn't seem to like the feeling of the act. "Now, hear thee, young rabbit. Zelretch has only your best health in mind. He'll bring you right back when you've been vaccinated. Be on your best behavior."

E rank charisma or not, her aura got the rabbit to nod in acceptance since it has only seemed to continuously increase at a steady pace with no signs of stopping. Zelretch had commented that she could make mincemeat out of most Heroic Spirits that could be summoned. It helped that she felt a long gone sensation budding within her bosom, like a piece of her being long lost but calling out to her. The sensation, when she focuses on it, only makes her sigh in nostalgia and longing.

'Excalibur. Are you truly calling out to me after all this time, even after choosing Rhongomyniad over you?'

"Father, I've returned with your horse. It seemed the others weren't feeling too well or were out and about. I didn't want to keep you waiting too long," Mordred said and sure enough, she was leading but a single great, black stallion.

The king frowned at her explanation though. "It'd be no good for our horses to be sick. Perhaps this is what Zelretch was afraid of..." She glanced at her steed and to her son who seemed to shrink in on herself.

For Mordred, she was nervous. It was a foolish plan but she had hoped she had some luck from having that witch's blood in her veins. 'There's no way she would fall for this.'

'Poor child. She must feel so disappointed but...I believe a little armorship wouldn't be inappropriate.'

"I won't blame you...Son." Mordred's helmet shot up to look at her as she mounted the horse who for some reason looked unamused. "If you want...you can..ride with me." The king scooted back on her saddle, one arm holding the baby.

Poor Mordred felt a huge pressure buildup in her chest...and nose.

"I..thank you, Father. I'd love to." With a push off the ground, she mounted the horse. Hesitantly, she gripped the reins while her father's empty arm wrapped around her armored waist. Mordred so wanted to lie backwards into her father's comforting embrace but there was the problem of that baby being so fragile that she could accidentally squish him if she did so.

But this was fine.

It was certainly fine.

With a tap of her boots, the powerful horse began trotting off. Mordred didn't dare remove her helm else everyone and her father would see the red blush and gorgeous smile- and her snaggle tooth- on her face. She had a reputation to uphold. Her dislike for the child also went down a little bit.

Zelretch sighed as the rabbit looked at him with an unamused expression. In fact, it was downright murderous for something so cute. What sold it was the vet clinic that looked like a live action set for an Elfen Lied movie.

Everything was coated in fresh blood.

"That was very immature of you."

'The beast doesn't like needles. How cliche.'

End.

A/N: I know you all would've wanted more but just when I get my laptop back, I get an eye infection. It makes reading, much more- writing-, a bitch to do and I've got a constant headache. This was all I could bear to get out for you guys. In fact, since I wrote this much in one day, I feel like I'll do better giving you all frequent but short chapters like this. For a while now, this story will be about 80% slice of life and 20% plot. So much potential here.