Chapter 34: A Surprising Solution
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“At this time, there seems to be no cessation of hostilities between the two… fantastical forces. Creatures straight out of legend and half-beast, half-men continue to do battle from Great Britian all the way to the Isles of Greece. The Justice League has of course stepped in, both to assist with evacuation efforts from the effected countries and to try and put an end to the hostilities. But so far, things remain dire.”
Sitting in one of the Titans’ Common Rooms, Harry grits his teeth as he watches the News Report on the big screen in front of him. It turned out that Zatanna was both right and wrong about things. She was right to tell him to stay put, to beg him not to go running off. But only because she was wrong about everything else.
Circe and Morgaine le Fey had not in fact stood down after fighting for a time. Morgaine had retreated back to Britain after a certain point… but then Circe had sent soldiers after her. And suddenly, there was an all out magical war raging across part of fucking Europe. The two incredibly powerful women might not be fighting each other directly any longer, but they had seemingly inexhaustible resources to keep throwing at one another in a positively apocalyptic fucking pissing contest.
And it was all Harry’s fault. Had he jump started some sort of magical world war with his idiocy? How long would the other supernatural powers of the world stay still and let Circe and Morgaine have their ‘fun’ without them, after all? For the time being, the Justice League was trying to put a stop to things, but there was only so much they could do as well.
The only thing keeping Harry from rushing back across the pond to try to do something… anything really, was his promise to Zatanna. But even that was reaching its limits. He wasn’t going to just sit here and do nothing indefinitely, after all. Some of his precious people might be safe here in the States with him. Like for instance, Luna was currently sitting on the couch next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. But there were others back in Britain who were in danger. And he was just supposed to accept that there was nothing he could do? Fuck. That.
Fortunately, just as Harry is working himself up into something of a state and considering throwing caution to the wind… the doors to the common rooms hiss open, admitting two women.
“I still can’t believe you didn’t tell me, Zatanna. I thought we were friends.”
“We are friends, Nimue. And… I’m telling you now, aren’t I?”
Turning, Harry watches as Zatanna enters the room with an unfamiliar but beautiful looking woman. He has to assume this is Madame Xanadu, aka Nimue Inwudu. She’s… quite gorgeous. With dusky, caramel skin, a beautiful curvaceous form, and a low cut top that not only draws attention to her sizable bust but also exposes quite a lot of her cleavage, she looks at him and Luna with curious green eyes, before glancing back to Zatanna and huffing.
“Only because you need me.”
Harry raises an eyebrow at that, even as Zatanna steps forward with a forced smile on her face, clapping her hands together.
“Right then, introductions are in order! Harry, Luna, this is Madame Xanadu, a powerful psychic and occultist, and a purveyor of mystical curiosities!”
Nimue nods her head in greeting.
“And these are Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood. As I was telling you, they need your help greatly… if not for me and our friendship, do it for them?”
From Zatanna’s tone, it almost sounds like she’s trying to play on Nimue’s love for children or something. But while Harry might not have ever managed to graduate from Hogwarts, he’s as far from a child as can possibly be. So is Luna for that matter, though she certainly does the innocent, cutesy look better he supposes. Still, perhaps not love for children… but rather, just the occultist’s heartstrings in general.
Unfortunately for Zatanna, Harry isn’t one to turn on the puppy dog eyes and play the ‘hurt, dying wizard in need of dire assistance’. Even if that’s exactly what he is these days. Instead, he lets his curiosity take hold as he furrows his brow at Zatanna.
“Why is she so mad at you, anyways?”
Even Luna lifts her head at that, seeming curious herself. Zatanna flushes under their gazes… and then flushes even harder when Nimue turns to her and crosses her arms over her chest. No, not over… under. Harry can’t help but notice this, his gaze flicking to the way the beautiful caramel-skinned woman instinctively accentuates her beauty, even when she’s supposed to be angry.
“Ah, well… probably because she didn’t know she was the sister of Morgaine le Fey and the Lady of the Lake until now?”
Nimue huffs but Zatanna quickly tries to explain herself.
“Look! It’s like this, okay? The three sisters are all immortal… but each have their own form of immortality. Morgaine le Fey and the Lady of the Lake each have their own methods. But Nimue Inwudu’s method… is reincarnation. Of course, at some point along the way, she sort of… lost her memories, I guess? Though no matter what, some things seem to stick. She always remembers being Nimue Inwudu regardless of what her parents might name her, and she also always winds up going by Madame Xanadu. However…”
Zatanna bites her lower lip here, squirming a little. But with all three of them staring at her, the American Witch is forced to explain.
“However… with magic becoming more and more esoteric and hidden, and technology propelling human civilization forward… Nimue’s last couple incarnations haven’t been born into magical families. And while she knows who she is, deep down inside, she doesn’t always know magic is real. Which… usually results in her becoming a charlatan instead? And when the magical community found out about this hilarious fact… they kind of sort of let it ride.”
Let it ride. Harry blinks, even as Nimue scowls and growls under her breath, making Zatanna throw her an apologetic grin.
“I learned all of this from my father, who says it was friends of his grandfather who started the… tradition. Basically, Nimue Inwudu is to be allowed to discover magic on her own. Because… well, she was sort of known as a consummate prankster and even a bit of a fraudster before this whole memory thing happened. She would reincarnate with all of her memories and knowledge and then fuck with people as a child. She never went too far, so she didn’t have any real enemies… but she definitely didn’t have as many friends as she could have either.”
Well. That was more of a history lesson than Harry was expecting. Still, glancing over at Nimue, he raises an eyebrow at the beautiful woman. Seeing this, she flushes a little bit before rolling her own green eyes.
“I suppose… there might be some truth… to the idea that some past, immortal, reincarnating version of me might have been a little bit of a trickster. It does sound like something I would do if I had a few hundred more years under my belt.”
But then she frowns and shakes her head, jabbing a finger over at the screen where Morgaine le Fey and Circe’s forces are shown duking it out for a moment before the camera capturing the footage is busted.
“THAT, however? That is so far above my paygrade it’s not even funny, Zatanna! I know you promised to help me try and undue the memory block before my next reincarnation, and I am grateful to you for that… but fighting someone like Morgaine le Fey? I’m still brand new to all of this magic bullshit! Only a year into it! Even if she is my sister, I can’t possibly hope to take her on as I am now!”
That… was a very good point. Harry blinks and then looks to Zatanna. It was good that they’d managed to track down Morgaine’s sister and that Zatanna had convinced her to come here… but what now? In response to Harry’s questioning stare, the American Witch grimaces and then shrugs.
“Hopefully it won’t come to that. Honestly, all I know is that Luna here mentioned that we needed you. I don’t know why or how you’re to play a role in what’s to come… but I’m sure that it’ll be perfectly reasonable. We just have to be patient.”
“Oh! You’re finally here!”
No sooner have the words left Zatanna’s mouth, then Luna suddenly perks up. It’s as though the blonde is just registering Nimue’s presence and what it truly means for the first time. Harry, Zatanna, and Nimue herself can all only blink as the blonde goes from sleepy and curious to wide awake and surprisingly energetic in the span of a single moment.
Hopping up off the couch, Luna positively bounces over to where Nimue is standing, beaming brightly as she grabs the older woman by the hands.
“Come here! Right over here!”
Her enthusiasm bulldozes over anything that Madame Xanadu might have said as the other woman finds herself tugged back over to the couch. Harry sits up as Luna promptly plops Nimue down between them. He tries to give the bewildered woman a reassuring smile, which she hesitantly returns, but Luna just reaches over them and forces them to hold hands.
“Hold on tightly now, Harry! This will only work if we all focus!”
On Nimue’s other side, Luna is holding the woman’s other hand. With a shrug, Harry does the same, interlocking his fingers together with the reincarnating occultist. In response to this, the caramel-skinned woman flushes a little bit, throwing him a look. Seriously? Was he really that… well, it didn’t matter. It’s only for a second before Nimue focuses herself on more important things.
“Luna, was it? What exactly are we supposed to be focusing on, here?”
Beaming now, Luna has her eyes closed shut, even as she answers.
“Your connection to your sister, of course! We’re going to contact her and have her open a portal for us!”
Harry is a little bit bewildered by just how… not-spacey Luna sounds right now. In fact, she almost sounds like Hermione with how ‘matter of fact’ and ‘smartly’ she’s talking at the moment. This seems to be a subject where Luna feels that she’s an expert… that’s the only explanation for the change in character. However, while HE’S distracted by Luna’s sudden attitude shift, Nimue isn’t familiar enough with the spacey blonde to not notice exactly what Luna was saying.
“M-My sister?! You mean Morgaine le Fey?! Why would we want her to open a portal to us?! Isn’t she very dangerous?!”
Blinking, Harry realizes Nimue is right.
“Luna… I think she has a point there…”
As much as he wants nothing more than to kick Morgaine’s ass seven ways to Sunday, the truth is… he knows he’s not powerful enough to do so now. And with Morgaine’s stated desire being to snatch Luna out from under him, Harry isn’t really inclined to just gift wrap the blonde girl for her either.
But in the face of their concern, Luna just giggles and shakes her head, eyes still closed in concentration.
“No, sillies! I’m talking about the other sister! Lady of the Lake, we call upon you!”
Oh… oh! Harry’s eyes widen in understanding, and he looks over to where Nimue is just sitting between them, still bewildered.
“She’s right. All the legends point to the Lady of the Lake being a benevolent, if distant force compared to Morgaine. And with you being her sister as well… well, we might be able to channel our magic and use you as a conduit to get in touch with her.”
“F-For what purpose, exactly?!”
Harry shrugs at that, giving Nimue a crooked smile that makes her flush a little further.
“Honestly? I have no idea. But Luna hasn’t steered us wrong so far. So I say we trust her. Okay?”
“… Very well. But if I die from this and my reincarnations ever find out, I do hope that they punish you all most severely!”
With that somewhat hasty threat delivered, Madame Xanadu closes her eyes and focuses. Harry does the same. And together… he feels it. Their magic swirling through the air… intermingling with one another. Of course, without Luna’s help, he’s pretty sure they wouldn’t get anywhere. Despite seeming so incredibly spacey outwardly… inwardly, Luna’s magic tells a different story. It’s strong. He’d known the witch was strong to be fair, but… it’s also ordered. Organized in a way he wouldn’t have expected.
Luna always seemed so scatter-brained. And yet… she’s able to easily lock all of their magic together, like completing a thousand piece jigsaw puzzle in a matter of minutes. And then she turns them in pursuit of their shared goal. Contacting Vivienne Inwudu, aka the Lady of the Lake. In unison, their voices all taking on an eerie, ethereal quality to their tone, the three speak up.
“””Lady of the Lake, we call upon you!”””
Almost instantly, there’s an answer.
“You call… and I hear you, sister. Supplicants.”
Harry’s eyes snap open at that. In front of them, having pushed the coffee table in the middle of the common room all the way back to the TV, is a large, swirling portal. Hands still locked together, magic still locked together, Harry finds himself rising from the couch in unison with Nimue and Luna. In the end, he only has enough time to glance back over his shoulder to Zatanna and give the bewildered, slightly frightened American Witch a reassuring smile.
“Don’t worry! We’ll be fine!”
Then, they all step forward into the portal together, leaving her behind. Truthfully, Harry has no idea whether they’ll be fine or not. He can only hope that the Lady of the Lake doesn’t turn him into a liar.
-x-X-x-
“Welcome sister. Welcome Children of Merlin. Be at peace in the Secret Sea.”
Once they’re on the other side of the portal, the Lady of the Lake’s voice takes on a more natural, normal tone. That’s about the only normal thing about the experience, however. It feels like they’ve stepped out of their world and into a world of pure fantasy. Harry almost wonders if this is the Fae World… but no. Vivienne calls it the ‘Secret Sea’. So maybe its ‘a’ Fae World, but if it is… its all hers. The Lady of the Lake reigns supreme here. This is her domain, the same as Morgaine and Circe have theirs.
The Secret Sea is gorgeous, a place of beautiful crystal blue waves alongside verdant green shorelines. But the most gorgeous part about this strange place has to be its ruler. The Lady of the Lake stands before them, a smile on her face. Vivienne Inwudu looks absolutely nothing like either of her sisters though. Instead, she has blue skin, the blue of the waters around her… and she’s showing off quite a lot of it.
The white gown she wears can barely be described as a gown, what with the way it reveals much more of her body than most dresses would. And yet, she makes it work. While on any other woman it might come across as whorish, the attire of a stripper… on the Lady of the Lake, it flows along her body like it the outfit was made for her. Which it probably was… but in turn, she wears it as though she were made for it.
Pupil-less eyes gaze upon Harry, Luna, and Nimue. They focus on her sister, however.
“It is good to see you again, sister. It has been far too long.”
Nimue stands with her back straight, the beautiful occultist’s lips thinned out.
“I… yes. It’s good to see you too.”
The Lady of the Lake lets out a tinkling sort of laugh as Madame Xanadu tries to bluff her.
“Oh sister. Even now you… how do they put it? Hold your cards close to your chest. I know of your circumstances, Nimue. I know of the restriction placed on your reincarnation magic. I could even lift it for you, if you like.”
Nimue’s eyes widen at that and she suddenly looks a lot more eager to be here.
“Could you? You could give me it all back?”
Privately, Harry wonders if that’s such a good idea. He wonders if Nimue has thought that through. As she is now, she’s one woman. But if she gets hundreds of years of memory all at once, won’t she become someone else? The Nimue Inwudu she is now and the Nimue Inwudu she has been before… they couldn’t be THAT similar, could they?
Then again, maybe he was off base. After all, Nimue always remembered her name, no matter what. And she always remembered the moniker of Madame Xanadu. So in a way, she was the same person, wasn’t she? Even without access to her centuries of magical knowledge, she would always be Nimue Inwudu, no matter what. That’s why… Harry doesn’t speak up. Respectfully maintaining his silence, he lets Nimue and Vivienne have their reunion.
“Of course. Though it would require you to swear yourself to my service as one of my Champions, dear sister. You would become an instrument of the Secret Sea… a Paladin if you will.”
That… takes Nimue back. Suddenly, she doesn’t look nearly so certain. In fact, after a few moments of thought, she doesn’t seem taken by the idea at all.
“Ah… w-well, if it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll pass. I have… other avenues to explore, you see?”
Vivienne giggles at that, the Lady of the Lake drifting closer to them as she bobs her head in easy agreement.
“Of course, sister. I did not expect you to agree. And from one sister to another… you are right to put your trust in the one called Zatara. So long as the two of you work together, I have full faith that you and she will succeed in freeing you of your shackles.”
Nimue looks surprised but also relieved that Vivienne is so easygoing. Harry, honestly, is just as relieved. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all. Convincing Vivienne to help, that is.”
Those pupil-less eyes that the Lady of the Lake is sporting turn towards Harry next, though not before drifting over Luna for a moment. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say the expression on the inhuman face was… mournful for a split second. But then it’s gone and replaced with a soft smile as Vivienne regards him.
“Harry Potter. Child of Merlin.”
Harry furrows his brow at that.
“Err, you called me and Luna that before, didn’t you? I don’t know… I’m pretty sure I’m not related to Merlin.”
That would be ridiculous… wouldn’t it? But even as Harry feels a little worried at the thought of being even more special and bullshit than he frankly already is, Vivienne just shakes her head.
“You are correct. The blood of Merlin does not flow through your veins. However, in Morgaine’s absence, in her seclusion… she allowed her rival to influence the magical world forevermore. You are a Child of Merlin’s Teachings and his methodologies. That is why I call you Children of Merlin.”
That made sense. Harry nods, bowing his head in appreciation to the Lady of the Lake. When he raises his gaze again, it’s to find her watching him closely.
“You have come to ask for my aid against my sister, Morgaine le Fey. You wish for me to take up arms against her?”
Her questioning tone doesn’t sound accusatory, but Harry still knows that’s a tall order, to demand one sister challenge another. Even in the legends, the Lady of the Lake never directly fought Morgaine. She merely empowered King Arthur to fight by Merlin’s side against le Fay. That said…
“I would not ask such of thing of you, my Lady. Rather… I would ask you for whatever assistance you feel ready to give. Nothing more. The truth is, Morgaine le Fey has named me her enemy, but I never had any intention of making her mine. However, she has made her designs on my dear friend Luna very clear, and I will do everything in my power to protect Luna from her. No matter what it takes.”
Harry’s final words hang in the air between them for a moment, his resolve poured into them. Vivienne regards him briefly, before her smile grows.
“Good, Harry Potter. You will need that conviction in the battles to come. You are right, of course. Morgaine has long been a covetous creature. My sister has indeed set her sights upon your friend and will not stop hunting her until she is stopped, once and for all. Even if… she does not truly understand WHAT makes Luna Lovegood so special.”
His eyes widen at that last part, because it sounds like the Lady of the Lake knows. Fortunately, he doesn’t have to ask because the next thing Vivianne does is turn to Luna with a fond, regretful smile on her face.
“Luna Lovegood. Child of Merlin. Daughter of Pandora Lovegood.”
Up until this point, Luna had been smiling a joyful, beaming smile, taking in her surroundings and just staring at Vivienne with an expression filled with longing. Now though, at the mention of her mother’s name, Luna’s smile takes on a bitter edge.
Vivienne drifts forward and brings blue fingers up to caress Luna’s face. She lets out a low sigh and shakes her head.
“Dear child. You were meant for more than this. But the world is not perfect. Accidents happen. Mistakes can be made. Your mother failed and it cost her life. I am sorry.”
Harry stares, not fully understanding. But then, clearly this isn’t meant for him. He might not fully understand… but the tears that streak down Luna’s face make it clear SHE understands at the very least.
“I know. Thank you.”
Nodding decisively, the Lady of the Lake turns from Luna back to Harry. Seeing his confusion, she explains.
“The Secret Sea is my power. Even more than the domains of my sister or the Greek Circe, the Secret Sea is me and I am it. I was born Vivienne Inwudu, but I am the Lady of the Lake more than I am that name now.”
Here, she glances to Nimue.
“We three sisters… each sought our own ways to ever-lasting life. Nimue sought to slip between Death’s clutches like a ghost, flitting from one life to the next. Morgaine claws life from others in a never-ending fight to keep her own life from being taken to her. Meanwhile I? I pledged myself to a greater calling, one that will take me to the ends of time itself.”
Here, a sly smile graces Vivienne’s cheeks.
“None of us will truly live forever, Harry. Death comes for all in due time. And she will come for each of us one day down the road. Just as she will come for you.”
Harry is reminded of the Tale of the Three Brothers and the Deathly Hallows. Perhaps Vivienne and her sisters don’t line up to it quite exactly, but the parallels are still striking. Three siblings, three different paths to power. It’s quite interesting…
Of course, the mention of a feminine Death eventually coming for him does bring a small smile to Harry’s face.
“If she comes for me, she comes. But I have no intentions of going quietly.”
Of course, his life IS still slipping away as they speak. Circe has promised to help, but so long as she and Morgaine are still fighting, she can’t exactly stop and put much focus into researching a way to save him, now can she? Unfortunate to say the least. But that’s why they’re here. For whatever help Vivienne can offer.
The Lady of the Lake regards him for a moment before nodding slowly.
“And you need not go any time soon either, young Harry Potter.”
Wait, what?
“As I am the Secret Sea and the Secret Sea is I, I cannot leave my domain. Not to be overly confident, but my power is greater than my sister’s. Morgaine le Fey is mighty, but weaker than me. On the other hand, I am more restricted in my movement than she. A trade-off, if you will.”
Here, Vivienne looks back to Luna.
“As such, I and the Secret Sea are in need of Champions. Paladins, you might call them. Sworn to my service, my Champions have heralded the cause of the Secret Sea and the Lady of the Lake across the centuries. Unfortunately, in recent times I found myself without such a Champion. Given that the last was supposed to come to me around a decade ago.”
Harry’s eyes widen as he finally understands. Pandora Lovegood… she was trying to make Luna into a Champion of the Secret Sea? Or maybe she didn’t know what Luna was to become and was just doing magical research independent of all of that. Either way, whatever Pandora Lovegood was doing… it blew up in her face. And she died.
Blunt though that description may be, it was also the brutal, honest truth. Pandora Lovegood died… and from the way Vivienne spoke, Luna Lovegood survived but became… unsuitable for the position of Champion. Whatever had happened that day had clearly made Luna into some sort of fey seer… but at the cost of ever being able to bind with the Secret Sea properly.
A shiver runs down Harry’s spine as that, along with Vivienne’s offer to Nimue at the start of all of this, makes it obvious what she’s about to say to him. Turning back to him, the Lady of the Lake smiles and nods at the understanding she sees in his eyes.
“Yes, Harry. I would ask you to become my Champion… a Paladin of the Secret Sea. Drink of the waters you see before you. It will free you of the lingering effects of the Dark Potion. It will cure you of your steady decay. In turn, you will become bound to my service, an instrument of the Secret Sea’s will. Together, we will defeat my sister and stop her rampant harm of the mortal realm. Together… we shall do much greater things than even that.”
That… that was way more than Harry was expecting, actually. He’d come here to defeat Morgaine. Not to cure himself. After all, he and Circe had already made a deal, hadn’t they? Well, they’d made half of a deal. They’d both paid a portion of their end of the bargain so far. Harry had filled Circe with his seed, which he had no doubt the Greek Demigoddess could use to her advantage. In turn, she had upgraded his bracelet, allowing him to cast magic without speeding up his own demise.
And yet, despite all of that… a permanent solution was now staring him right in the face. The Lady of the Lake was offering him a cure along with her support against Morgaine. But she was also offering him service. And while she and Morgaine might have taken different paths to power… they were still both fae of a type, weren’t they?
But no… that wasn’t fair and Harry knew it. Vivienne was not her sister. She was giving him a choice and making it abundantly clear that there would be strings attached. Still, he couldn’t just accept. It wasn’t in his nature.
“… I made a deal with Circe already about curing my affliction, my Lady. I worry about how she might react if she learns I’ve gone behind her back to make a deal with you as well.”
Vivienne smiles and shakes her head.
“Can she truly raise issue if you manage to solve your problem before she can, Harry? I know of your bargain with the one called Circe, Child of Merlin. Access to your knowledge, and a child from your loins. We both know that Circe has already gotten what she wanted from you on that second matter. As for the first… if she truly desires access to your books, then she can offer something else instead. Her services are many and varied… I’m sure together, the two of you can think of something. However, if you truly believe she will serve you better in the long run… then I understand. This is not a demand. Merely an offer.”
Of course. After all, she’d happily accepted Nimue’s rejection, hadn’t she? Harry was beginning to see just how… carefully orchestrated all of this was, truth be told. On the one hand, Nimue was Vivienne’s sister. It made sense that she would address her first. On the other hand, Vivienne herself had said she was more the Lady of the Lake than she was Vivienne at this point. More than that, Nimue didn’t remember their history together either.
No… Vivienne had used Nimue as an example, to show herself in a better light. But just because she’d participated in a little manipulation didn’t mean that light wasn’t true. She was offering Harry all he could ask for… but unlike Morgaine or Circe, she wasn’t the type of person to force an issue or take whatever she wanted without making a proper deal first.
Bargaining with Circe might have been the lesser of two evils considering how things had gone with Morgaine, but the lesser of two evils was still evil. Vivianne, meanwhile, had a history of working with the side of ‘good’ and ‘righteous’. She was the one who had given Excalibur to King Arthur in the legends, after all. And it was said that she had been the one to ferry the dying Once-and-Future King onto Avalon when Merlin returned him and the sword to her shores.
That said… Harry’s eyes narrow for a second as he suddenly has a realization.
“Merlin. You seem a little… focused on him. Did you make this offer to him as well? Did he accept?”
Here, Vivianne’s expression turns almost fond.
“I did, as a matter of fact. And he did not. Merlin and Morgaine le Fey might have become bitter rivals and great enemies throughout Merlin’s life, but the truth was… Morgaine was there before Merlin was. We all were. So yes, there came a moment where Merlin could have become my Champion. Where he could have drawn upon the Secret Sea in order to defeat Morgaine once and for all. He chose another path and in doing so became as great as any of us. Morgaine’s equal in knowledge, magic, and power.”
Harry processes these words… and then his eyes narrow.
“… But he still failed. King Arthur still died. Camelot still fell.”
At that, Vivienne’s smile becomes sad.
“Yes. But I will not attempt to contend that he might have saved his King and Kingdom if he accepted my offer. What’s done is done. What may have been will never be now. I cannot speculate. I refuse to speculate.”
And in the end… that’s what seals it for Harry. Because practically anyone else WOULD have happily taken the win. Hell, many others would have lied to him outright and claimed that Merlin DID become their Champion, that his successes were their successes.
But the Lady of the Lake did not do so. Nor would she claim that Merlin’s failures were a result of his unwillingness to bind himself to her and the Secret Sea. Could Merlin have saved Arthur and Camelot if he’d been a Paladin of the Secret Sea on top of the greatest damn wizard of his age? Perhaps. But Vivienne would not ever claim as much.
Morgaine would have. Instantly. Circe too, more than likely. They would have sworn up and down that Merlin only failed because he refused their power.
Vivienne is not like them. The Lady of the Lake is honest and true, even to her own detriment. And Harry… Harry can’t afford to lose like Merlin did. Regardless of what sort of power or wisdom or strength the man wound up with, he still failed his precious people in the end. Harry needs to be strong enough to save those he loves. And he needs to be able to survive his own past mistakes.
“… Very well. Lady of the Lake… I will become your Champion. I will pledge myself to the service of the Secret Sea. What must I do?”
Vivienne’s smile is soft and understanding. She knows that he makes this sacrifice not for himself, but for others. Gesturing to the crystal blue waters before him, she bows her head.
“You need only drink with a clear mind and a true heart, Harry Potter. Drink without subterfuge or ill intent and you will be cured, your pledge of service recognized. Drink with deception in your heart… and you will die.”
Harry nods, determination filling his expression as he kneels down. Neither Nimue nor Luna try to stop him. He and Nimue had just met, after all. And Luna… this was Luna’s purpose, wasn’t it? The blonde has a smile on her face that makes it clear she’s happy for Harry. All of this… every bit of it was building up to her delivering a prospective champion to the Lady of the Lake.
Heh, if only Morgaine le Fey knew. How would she rage, if she were to find out that the whole reason she wanted Luna in the first place… was because her sister’s touch had drawn her in? Harry might just get the chance to find out, he supposed. He would be happy to throw it into the witch’s face when they met next.
For now though, he reaches down and cups his hands, sweeping them through the clear blue water before him. Scooping up a handful of the Secret Sea, he brings it to his lips and drinks without hesitation. There is no deception in his heart. This is what must be done. This is what needs to happen. Not just for himself, but for everyone who is counting on him.
A surge of power washes through Harry and somehow he just knows that he’s been cured. In an instant, the lingering effects of his mistake from what feels like an eternity ago are… gone. But that’s just the beginning of course. The first surge wipes away his impending demise and cleans his body of the Dark Potion’s taint. The next surge fills him with a sense of vitality and strength like nothing Harry has ever felt before… not even from the Dark Potion itself.
Oh sure, maybe pound for pound, the Dark Potion made him stronger. But this power… it’s cleaner. Less polluted. It’s not going to kill him like the Dark Potion tried to do. No… this is power without that sort of caveat or catch. Not that it doesn’t come without its strings attached though. The third surge brings a certain awareness with it. An awareness of the Secret Sea and its caretaker.
As that awareness settles over him, so does the weight of their new bond. Though that might not be the right word for it. It’s less of a binding and more of a connection. Paladin was certainly the right way to describe it, because while the connection to the Secret Sea certainly puts Harry in the subservient role… he can break it any time. He’s no slave, to be bound and shackled and forced to obey on pain of death.
In fact, Harry is pretty sure that the curing part of the Secret Sea’s waters would remain even if he were to cut the connection right here and right now. Of course, doing so while IN the Secret Sea would likely have dire consequences. But honestly? Harry doesn’t intend to cut the connection even after they leave this place. Because… at the end of the day, he recognizes the true nature of the Lady of the Lake and her domain now.
This is a good place. A place of power, but also a place of harmony and peace. This place is worthy of his protection and his service. And its caretaker is worthy of those things as well.
Rising to his feet, feeling unbelievably powerful, Harry levers a gaze at Vivienne as she smiles back at him.
“What is thy command, milady? I am at your service.”
The Lady of the Lake giggles behind a hand at that, her pupil-less eyes nevertheless twinkling at his somewhat archaic speech. Still, it feels… right to talk to her this way. As she opens her mouth, Harry anticipates an order to go and deal with her sister. To handle Morgaine le Fey and put an end to the violence currently spread across all of Europe. After all, that was what she’d said he would be using this new power for.
But that’s not what comes out of Vivienne’s mouth. Instead, three words drop from her lips.
“Attend me, Champion.”
And then, her gaze darts to the side… to Nimue.
“Ah… attend me AND my sister, if you please.”
Harry feels Vivienne’s true meaning through their connection. Even as Nimue squawks off to the side, he also feels a question. Will he consent? Or will he refuse the first order his Lady has given him? He can if he wants. It won’t break his Oath to the Secret Sea or anything. Vivienne might be his superior now, but in a way, they both serve the Secret Sea.
But honestly, is Harry really going to pass up the opportunity to fuck not just Vivienne but also Nimue Inwudu? Two incredibly gorgeous, incredibly powerful women? Of course not. That would be as against his nature as refusing to do anything in his power to save the people he cared for was.
Grinning a raunchy grin, Harry reaches up and begins removing his clothes, making Nimue stop her protests and just stare at his chiseled physique. He was in impeccable shape due to his physical training before, but his connection to the Secret Sea has made him even more so. As a Paladin, he gets… quite a few boons from this new bond.
“Of course, milady. It would be my pleasure.”
Blushing profusely, Nimue bites her lower lip as she drinks in his visage. Her green eyes dart down to his crotch after a moment and her breath hitches at what he reveals to be hidden there.
“W-Well… I s-suppose…”
Needless to say, things descend into debauchery quite quickly after that.
-x-X-x-
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chaser15851· Oct 18, 2023
