Chapter 1 – Queen takes King

“Reminder to the new Servants who have joined us, we would appreciate it if you didn’t try to use your Noble Phantasms to open locked doors. Please see Doctor Romani or Doctor Da Vinci for any needs you have.”

Leaving the mess hall, Artoria Pendragon, the Once and Future King of Britain, was……concerned, by the message that played over the loud speaker.
Based on the debriefing they had received after returning from the proto-singularity, Chaldea was a ‘quarantined’ bubble of reality, the last remaining bastion of Humanity.
So long as it wasn’t breached, Chaldea had a chance of restoring the Foundation of Humanity.

But who would be foolish enough to unleash a Noble Phantasm, a Servant’s ultimate ability which usually manifested as a highly dangerous weapon or attack, just to open a locked door?

She knew a few of the servants her Master had Contracted during their rest after the the proto-singularity had the power to do so, but from what she could vaguely guess of their temperaments, they hadn’t seemed like the sort.
But for some of them, I just seem to know how they may react. Which makes no sense, given I’ve only recently been summoned to this time…..
Maybe her Master had performed another summoning prior to leaving for the next singularity?

Artoria puzzled over this, then lost the thought as she turned down the corridor that lead to her Master’s room, and saw a strange sight.

An armed Servant, looking frustrated at the door, their weapon drawn and ready.
The apparent cause of the previous broadcast.

—————————————-
Artoria Pendragon, the Once and Future King, the Tyrant Dragon of Britain, glared at the obstacle in her way.
Her Master had denied her the ability to join them on their journey, had denied her the battlefield she was suited for, and even when not here still denied her access to the next thing of interest: her Master’s room.

Well, she didn’t have anything better to do, and breaking an obstacle sounded like a satisfying exercise.
She brought forth Excalibur Morgan, and with a flash of dark flames her body was sheathed in her armor. Dark energy began to pulse, as she tested her mana supply before diverting it into the black sword of ultimate light, the energy crackling and whining around her.
“Vortigern, Hammer of the Vile King, reverse the rising sun.
Swallow the light, EXCALI–“
“Reminder to the new Servants who have joined us, we would appreciate it if you didn’t try to use your Noble Phantasms to open locked doors. Please see Doctor Romani or Doctor Da Vinci for any needs you have.”

The sudden announcement threw Artoria off long enough that her recital failed, and the dark energy she had accumulated dispersed throughout the area.
She let her anger and frustration calm to their usual cool levels, but held her stance, still considering wailing on the door with her dark holy blade.

She glared at the speakers who were also dared to deny her, then sighed before dismissing her dark blade and armor, her dark dress replacing her defenses.
Well, if my worthless master is gonna lock the door on me, one of the Doctors can do me the favor of denying them their privacy until they can give me a tolerable reason not to invade them.
She turned towards the direction she believed either of the Doctors would be in, but before she could stalk off after them, she noticed a golden haired servant in a blue dress quickly duck back behind the corner they had apparently just come from.

Perfect. You’ll do.
Artoria, the Black Saber, set her sights on the Servant who had seen her then quickly tried to hide that fact.
Before Artoria could round the corner, a strange noise occurred. One that she shouldn’t have heard, one she couldn’t have possibly heard, given how she had just tried to open said door and it had been locked, given that she had essentially just been publicly scolded by the Doctors in charge for trying to blow a hole through the offending locked object.

Ritsuka’s door slid open, and an irate lavender haired witch popped her head out, and scanned the corridor.
Upon the witch’s eyes locking on to her now frozen form, she could also feel the indignant rage about to bubble forth.

The blue dressed servant all but forgotten, Artoria summoned her armor again, instinctively knowing she’d need the magic resistance.

“WILL YOU KEEP QUIET? SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO READ AND/OR WORK IN PEACE AND QUIET! ALSO, YOU NEED TO WORK ON YOUR MANA CONVERSION, IT’S HORRIDLY INEFFICIENT!”
SLAM! CLICK!
The door was once again closed.

Artoria was stunned. She had expected a barrage of deadly energy.
Not a barrage of angry words, with a small lecture to really add a blow to her already wounded ego.

————-
“The nerve of that adorable woman in black!” Medea, the Witch Queen of Colchis, fumed as she re-locked the door with magic, and turned back to the mini-workshop she had created within her Master’s room.

Her ‘roommate’, a woman with long dark purple hair who was seemingly lost in Ritsuka’s small “library”, looked up, pushing her glasses carefully into their perfect place.
“Oh? Anything we need to be worried about?”

Medea sighed, the anger quickly dispelled. She had figurine work that needed to be done, and this attitude would cause her to lose her focus.
“Not likely. I doubt she’ll convince either Doctor to let her in, since this is our Master’s ‘private’ sanctuary.”
She paused, a small smile briefly dancing across her elven face.
“And not everyone is easily capable of breaking rules like I can.”

The Witch of Colchis stared at the small pile of read books near her ‘roommate’.
“….haven’t you already finished Ritsuka’s books? I didn’t think they had a large collection to begin with.”

A wicked smile flashed across the bespectacled woman’s face, and she seemingly pulled a smaller book from within the one she was currently reading.
“Oh definitely. But I seemingly stumbled upon our Master’s ‘private’ stash, so I’m curious as to what they’re into.”