The Avalyne Empire remained in a difficult position even after Amelia was finally vanquished. With their internal conflicts resolved, the only thing left to focus on was the war against Kaslavna. But even that ended rather quickly once news of Amelia’s defeat reached the ears of Kaslavnan scouts.

Without the need for any knights to protect the Empire’s interior, all available personnel immediately headed to the northern front, bringing an end to the war even as the Kaslavnan forces retreated desperately. Though they had their own knights, the northern nation was no match for legendary figures like Artoria or Eirlys.

Unfortunately, the empire’s woes did not end with the resolution of the Kaslavnan War or Amelia’s death. The people had lost trust in the Emperor and his questionable policies, especially after he was exposed as no more than the Sworn Duke Avimorne’s puppet. The Imperial Order was forced to be dissolved and reformed while duchy borders needed to be redrawn with the death of the Revelo ducal family and the Rosenhall family’s condemnation.

Worse yet, the church had attempted to swoop in and fill the power vacuum left by the now-deposed emperor, something that Scarlet and her allies had worked tirelessly to counteract. As for Medrauta and Viviane, they were lauded as the heroes of the Avalynian Civil War, yet they still hadn’t received a reward for their service. That is, until today.

“I look ridiculous, Vivi.”

“You look amazing,” Viviane countered with a smile. She ran a hand through Medrauta’s silver hair, admiring the way it reflected the sunlight streaming through the carriage windows.

Medrauta grimaced, inspecting the overly ornate dress adorning her body for the fifth time that day. Although her musculature was more elegant than large, she felt that her round and broad shoulders didn’t exactly fit the whole puffed-out look of the dress. Coupled with her sizable thighs and buttocks, it certainly looked a little overdone compared to the simple yet elegant dress she wore several months ago during the academy’s gala.

 ...But I guess it doesn’t matter since Vivi doesn’t think so. Medrauta bit her lip, attempting to distract herself from obsessively fussing over her appearance.

“...Say, you haven’t seen Eris for a while, have you?” Viviane asked suddenly, trying her best to help Medrauta out.

Medrauta shook her head. “No, not with how busy she and Lady Scarlet are. I think the last time I saw Eris was during the spring festival, and Lady Scarlet wasn’t even there with her.”

“I was hoping to catch her during the festival, yeah... But that just means we’ll have more to catch up on today! Oh! Speaking of Lady Scarlet and Dame Eris, I wonder if Lady Gwenhwyfar has found a knight yet.”

“I suppose we’re about to find out.” Medrauta nodded toward the window as the carriage stopped before the massive gates of the Imperial Palace. Parts of the structure had been damaged due to the rise of the Spire, but most of the important areas had been quickly repaired.

The knight disembarked from the carriage first, walking around the rear to arrive at the other side. Medrauta opened the door, offering a hand to Viviane. The noblewoman promptly took it, allowing her knight to escort her down the carriage and toward the palace.

Once they entered, Medrauta was greeted with a vastly different interior of the palace compared to what she remembered. As a squire of the Imperial Order, she had been knighted within the halls of the palace despite her lowly upbringing. Her memories of the building’s interior were much more lavish than what it appeared to be now. The gilded pillars had been stripped of their decor, standing plainly but powerfully. Medrauta found that she actually preferred this appearance.

“Where’re we supposed to go again? The throne room, right?” Medrauta asked.

Viviane nodded. “It should be just down the hallway from here.”

Sure enough, a straight walk sent them before two massive gilded doors. The guards saluted upon their arrival, opening the path forward and revealing a massive chamber with high vaulted ceilings. Enormous windows of stained glass lined the sides of the room, dyeing the sunlight that streamed through in all colors of the rainbow.

A long red carpet led to a raised dais at the opposite end of the chamber where a golden throne sat on top. There, Gwenhwyfar waited for them to approach with Scarlet by her side.

“It’s been a while, Lady Viviane. Dame Medrauta.” Gwenhwyfar said as the pair neared the throne. She stood from her seat, walking down the dais and forbidding them to kneel. There was no need, for this was not a meeting between monarch and subjects. It was simply a gathering of friends.

“Looks like Lady Scarlet’s still working you like a horse.” Medrauta remarked, her eyes flickering to the stack of documents that Scarlet was flicking through.

“It’s the least I can do to make up for my father’s faults.” Gwenhwyfar said, pursing her lips. Once the war with Kaslavna had concluded, she had revealed Viviane’s royal lineage and pushed for the golden-haired noblewoman to take the throne, but Viviane had vehemently declined.

She did not want for such power or status, nor did she want to be forced into the Imperial Palace and be estranged from her parents. These were all reasons she gave the Round Table, but most of all, she simply didn’t want to be bothered with the responsibilities that came with such a title. After all, the only thing she wanted to do was spend time with Medrauta.

“A-And you’re doing great!” Viviane cut in, trying to banish the heavy mood before it fully set in. “Isn’t that right, Lady Scarlet!?”

“...Somewhat.” Scarlet said. “She’s still lacking in a few areas, but we have plenty of time to work on it. The real problem is what to do with the church. It seems Pope Marcellus is in favor of cooperating with us, and this has created a divide in the papal council... But we’re not here to talk about politics today, are we?”

Scarlet was also offered the throne as a result of her competence and charisma, but she also declined the offer, stating that she would like to focus on her home duchy and supporting the princess instead. 

In the end, the princess took the throne while Scarlet and Lady Rose were made Imperial Advisors. Artoria was then swiftly appointed as the Knight-Commander of the Imperial Order, an arrangement which managed to bring stability to the capital within weeks.

“That’s right.” Gwenhwyfar nodded. “We’re here to talk about your reward... I think we can finally grant it.”

Viviane’s eyes lit up. “R-Really!?”

“Mhm. That’s part of why Pope Marcellus is taking a lot of heat. Starting from today onwards, the empire’s clergy will finally perform marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples.”

“That’s...” Medrauta stared at Gwenhwyfar, her mouth agape. 

She wanted to shout and celebrate, but she could find no words to express the joy she was feeling. She had always dreamed about holding the ceremony at a place that was dear to her heart, but she knew the empire’s policies would not permit it. Never did she think such a fanciful dream would actually come true.

“That’s wonderful,” Viviane gushed, blessing the room with a smile brighter than the sun. “When can we book a ceremony!?”

“We will be issuing the edict later today, so anytime after that should be fine. Please do send us a letter so we can free up our schedules, though. I’m sure your mother would appreciate that as well, and Melindra too.”

“Ahh, Mel’s still helping with the cavalry, huh? What about Brigitte? Is she done with the logistics work you’ve been putting her through?”

Gwenhwyfar raised an eyebrow. “You mean the logistics work Dame Artoria’s been putting her through. But yes, she’s a rather fast worker. I’m sure Dame Melindra would be finished as well if she wasn’t such a scatterbrain.”

The four of them shared a round of laughter before Scarlet caught Viviane’s gaze. An indescribable amount of joy was contained in her violet eyes. Part of it was due to happiness for her dear friend’s wish finally being granted, but part of it was... something else.

Despite Scarlet’s best efforts to keep it hidden, Viviane caught on immediately. “...Lady Scarlet. You’re... getting married to Eris too, aren’t you?”

“H-Huh!?” Scarlet blushed, caught off guard by the sudden question. “I... W-Well... There... have been plans. B-But they’re just plans!”

Medrauta raised an eyebrow. It was the first time she’d ever seen the always-composed noblewoman so flustered. She hadn’t even bat an eyelash after being betrayed and wounded by her own soldiers.

“Congratulations!” Viviane exclaimed. Then, as if spurred on by a mysterious force, she lurched forward and hugged Scarlet impulsively.

“V-Vivi!” Medrauta exclaimed, her eyes fraught with worry. Though it only took a single second for Viviane to realize what she had just done, the pleasant mood in the air had been slashed apart by that single gesture.

“I-I’m so sorry, Lady Scarlet!” Viviane gasped, releasing the raven-haired noblewoman at once. “H-Hurry, someone get—Huh...?”

“I’m fine.” Scarlet said, her voice overly confident in an attempt to hide her shock. It was the first time she had touched Viviane ever since the golden-haired noblewoman had become the Lady of the Lake.

Scarlet had been warned about the changes to Viviane’s body as a result of becoming one with Caliburn, and Scarlet had refrained from touching her since then, but now it seemed that all the caution and fear was for naught. In fact, Scarlet bravely reached forward once more, catching Viviane by the wrist without issue.

Scarlet smirked confidently. assuming an air of superiority to all those around. “I cannot believe you doubted me for even a single second. It is only natural that I would be worthy of wielding Caliburn.”

“W-What!?” Gwenhwyfar exclaimed, indignance in her voice. “D-Don’t leave me out of this! I’ll show y—Ouch!”

The princess winced as she reached out to touch Viviane, only to wind up with a shallow cut on her palm. She frowned in displeasure, crossing her arms in annoyance before gesturing to a nearby guard and forcing them to give her their armored gauntlet.

“Hmph! Now we’ll see—”

“Alright, that’s quite enough.” Medrauta coughed, interrupting the ridiculous comedy routine as she gently dragged Viviane back to her side before embracing her lady possessively. “Vivi’s mine.”

Viviane giggled. “That’s right. There’s only one person I belong with, after all.”

“Alright, you two. Go get a room and plan out your wedding.” Scarlet said, shaking her head in mock annoyance. “I’m sure the two of you have a lot to sort out before we issue the edict.”

“T-That’s right!” Viviane gasped. “We’ve got so much to prepare now that this is a thing, Medrauta! But first... Do you have an idea of where we should hold the ceremony?”

Medrauta nodded, a smile blossoming on her face as she realized that Viviane had the exact same idea as she did.

“I do.”

HungrySheep

The end! It was a pretty long journey, wasn't it?

Crest of the Strongest Knight was a story I originally wrote for myself. I wanted to read a yuri novel about a knight and her lady, but I simply couldn't find anything that fit the niche. Thus, this novel was born. Of course, when I first committed to the project, I had severely underestimated the commitment needed when combined with my other responsibilities. Admittedly, there are a few sections in the story that I wish I had written better, but I'll likely write out an entire novel before posting in the future due to the aforementioned issues.

Though there are still more tales to tell and perspectives to explore in this story, this chapter of Medrauta and Viviane's life has come to a close. The Empire's fate is still ultimately undecided, but steps are being taken to nudge it in the right direction. I've included a few catalysts nestled in this epilogue that hint at a continuation of the story, but I'm not sure when I'll write that.

I've still got the other perspectives of the war to cover (namely Rosette/Estelle's, Leticia/Rosaline's, and Eris/Scarlet's), but for now, I shall be taking a break from Avalyne Empire and its many characters! I'm not sure when I'll write my next real novel, but I hope those of you who have followed this story will be there too! See you again someday!