The son of the God-Emperor in Warhammer Fantasy

The old world, Brittany, the domain of the Count of Glamorgan, Tower of the Lake Fairy, the day after Ryan's grand wedding...

In the bedroom, warmth filled the air as the first snowfall of the year in Brittany began to drift down outside, blanketing this blessed land with pristine white. The great snowfall in the Mountains of Oracle had arrived earlier today, and the distant mountains, barely visible through the dense fog, appeared as mere outlines. What remained was a swirling mist, evaporating and coalescing into clouds. Outside the window, the large trees were completely covered in thick snow, and the valley surrounding the Tower of the Lake Fairy was a world robed in silver.

The seamless blend of heaven and earth seemed to foretell a bountiful harvest next year.

"It's snowing." Ryan awoke from his slumber to the sight of the heavy snow outside. He rubbed his eyes vigorously, instinctively attempting to rise, only to find a warm, fragrant softness in his embrace. He smiled tenderly and tightened his hold on his new bride: "Sulia, are you awake?"

"Mmm~" Dressed in a pristine white nightgown, her demeanor lazy and enchanting, Sulia blushed and nestled against Ryan, too shy to lift her head: "Ryan... my husband..."

"My lady." Ryan smiled, his memories drifting back to the previous night. The duchess's daughter had been very shy but bravely took the initiative to be intimate with him. They made love several times until the female knight could no longer endure, and then they fell asleep in each other's arms.

"Ryan, did you last night..." Sulia was extremely shy, her entire face turning red.

"Hmm? What about it?" Ryan was puzzled. Everything that was supposed to happen, happened. What could be amiss?

"It's... nothing." The female knight's face was as red as an apple, and she couldn't bring herself to ask her question.

Some things were simply too embarrassing to speak aloud.

The night had been very special for the female knight, lying on a cherry wood bed scattered with iris petals, completing all that was meant to be done—it would be a cherished memory for the rest of her life.

But what she was too shy to mention was that after their first time, when the female knight was already drowsy, the Lake Fairy had responded to Sulia's prayers and possessed her, helping her through the subsequent encounters.

Sulia wanted to ask Ryan if he knew, but she couldn't bring herself to ask. Seeing that Ryan didn't seem to notice anything unusual, she simply shook her head repeatedly: "It's nothing, I just feel a bit..."

"Still feeling a bit uncomfortable?" Ryan's eyes flickered with a hint of mischief and resignation, as he tactfully changed the topic.

"No, I'm just still a bit tired, but not sleepy." Sulia kissed him gently on the lips: "Good morning, my husband. It's time to get up."

"Yes, let me carry you."

"Mmm~"

They lingered in bed a while longer before finally getting up. By now, it was mid-morning, and it was still snowing outside. After washing up, Ryan changed into a light nobleman's attire, and the female knight donned a white-collar porcelain patterned light mature red coat over her long, straight legs clad in black stockings. She then put on a pair of bright red high heels, her steps unsteady as she clung to Ryan's arm and they moved to the living room.

The living room was already warm, with the fireplace crackling. Inside it, an apple pie was baking. Upon seeing the beautiful figure sitting on the plush wolf fur sofa, Sulia's legs went weak, nearly causing her to fall: "My Lady?"

"Lady... isn't this supposed to be... my and Sulia's honeymoon?" Ryan steadied the female knight, his tone less than pleased as he looked at the Lake Fairy, who was roasting the apple pie.

Today, the Lake Fairy was dressed in a bright moonlight blue princess-collar frill dress, her golden hair spread across the sofa. Unusually, the normally barefoot goddess, like the female knight, wore black velvet stockings, one delicate foot in a black silk stocking hooking a white high-heeled shoe, revealing slender, smooth legs beneath her dress. She smiled nonchalantly at Ryan's complaint: "My champion, this is my place, why shouldn't I be here? I will be here for a while."

"What? My champion, are you not welcoming?" The Lake Fairy looked at Ryan with a teasing smile, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"I..." Ryan was about to say something more when Sulia quickly pinched his arm, signaling him not to be disrespectful to the goddess: "Ryan! This is a grace from the Lady!

 Other knights could only dream of such a favor!"

"Alright, alright... as you wish, my wife." Ryan conceded, taking a seat opposite the Lake Fairy: "My Lady, you can bake apple pie?"

"Of course, I can do more than you might expect, my champion." The Lake Fairy took the freshly baked apple pie out of the fireplace, setting it before Ryan, her lips curving into an enticing smile: "Happy marriage, Ryan, Sulia. How about tasting my cooking?"

"Thank you, Lady!" Sulia felt honored to taste food personally prepared by the Lake Fairy.

Apple pie was a challenging delicacy, something Ryan knew all too well. He had loved the apple pies made by his foster mother in Otten as a child. This dessert, introduced by Savior Ludwig after the Great Holy War, became popular in the courts of the Empire. Wrapped in flaky pastry, the filling was made of mashed apples, cane sugar, cheese, cinnamon, and raisins.

The preparation of this dessert was complex, and Ryan was surprised the Lake Fairy would make it herself.

"Is it delicious?" The Lake Fairy asked, her bright teeth shining, her face showing a hint of joy.

"Very tasty." The newlyweds expressed their satisfaction.

"That's good." The Lake Fairy was pleased to see Ryan and Sulia enjoying it.

Sitting before the fireplace, the three of them finished the apple pie together. Ryan felt a bit awkward, but the female knight was very pleased with the Lake Fairy's presence. To her, the Lake Fairy was not only the deity of her faith but had also arranged such a wonderful marriage for her. The devout female knight felt nothing but reverence for the Lake Fairy... and a bit of shyness.

The Lake Fairy was also very warm towards the female knight, engaging her in conversation. At first glance, the atmosphere in the tower seemed harmonious and joyful; the three of them together did not seem odd at all.

Only Ryan seemed a bit off; he was beginning to understand what the Lake Fairy was up to.

After a simple breakfast, the Lake Fairy stood up: "Come with me, I have something for Sulia."

As they ascended the stairs, the clacking of the Lake Fairy's and Sulia's high heels echoed. The tower's interior was lavishly decorated, even the corners of such spaces as the staircase were meticulously maintained, adorned with high elf-style large chandeliers and carpeted floors. Ryan glanced at the paintings on the walls and suddenly asked: "My Lady, have they all left?"

"They've all left. Your brothers, your foster parents, and your godfather have all gone." The Lake Fairy walked ahead, her full and perky form bouncing enticingly: "Tigris has also set off for the King's Forest, preparing to meet King Orion and Queen Ariel. 'The Brave' Alaros and the Seer Lileath will guide him."

"That soon?" Ryan pondered the likelihood of Tigris's success, which seemed slim no matter how he considered it.

"It's not good to delay any longer. It's already late autumn, and winter is approaching." The Lake Fairy led Ryan and Sulia through the corridor: "Once winter comes, Orion and Ariel will enter the pyre and turn to ashes. If Tigris doesn't start now, he'll have to wait until next summer to meet them."

As a new bride, Sulia was still bashful and hopeful for a beautiful future. She didn't pay much attention to the Lake Fairy's casual mention of Tigris and asked curiously: "My Lady, Lord Tigris is a Supreme Archmage and an excellent diplomat. What is he doing in Athel Loren?"

"He hopes to ally with the wood elves and gain their aid... I see it as unlikely, but there's no harm in trying." The Lake Fairy was inclined to discuss this issue further with Ryan but considering her true identity, she decided to downplay it: "The wood elves are very insular, but their strength is indeed formidable."

"My father always warned me not to venture near the wood elf forests. Once, a duke saw a vision during the Winter Veil and entered the Athel Loren forest, only to disappear for seven hundred years. When he returned, he claimed only a few days had passed, and then he aged rapidly within three hours, turning to ashes." Sulia reflected, then said to Ryan: "Ryan, you must not enter the forest recklessly."

"I understand." Ryan and Sulia followed the Lake Fairy into a large room.

This room was different from the others in the tower, much wider, with not much furniture but a large open space in the center. A gleaming knight's sword hung in the middle of the room on a stand.

That was the gift the Lake Fairy intended for Sulia—the Sword of Lyonnesse.

"Ryan's father has already given you a complete set of armor and several sets of jewelry... so I will give you this

 sword." The Lake Fairy reached for the sword on the stand, grasping the hilt as her sleeves fluttered.

"Clang!" The sword was drawn from its scabbard, golden flames swirling around the blade, filling the room with divine light from the Lake Fairy. She motioned for Sulia to come forward and take the sword: "This is the Sword of Lyonnesse, once the sidearm of the Duchess of Lyonnesse, Beumous. I now present it to you, Sulia, in the hope that you will make good use of this sword."

"Yes, my Lady!" Sulia accepted the sword without objection and was about to kneel to show obedience, but the Lake Fairy quickly took her by the arm, whispering in her ear: "No need to kneel, Sulia. I quite like you, and from now on, you need not kneel in my presence, after all, we are already..."

"Hmm..." The female knight suddenly remembered the events of the previous night, her face flushing deep red, nearly fainting on the spot. Ryan quickly embraced his wife, casting a displeased look at the Lake Fairy.

The Lake Fairy turned nonchalantly: "Come, Ryan, Sulia, let's prepare lunch."

...

At noon, the three of them sat around a small table and ordered a hot pot. In this snowy weather, gathering around the stove to enjoy the snow outside had its own charm. As they sat amidst the falling snow, the Lake Fairy began to tell the story of the Duchess of Lyonnesse, Beumous.

About five hundred years ago, Brittany, like a few months ago, faced a massive invasion by the forces of Chaos. The Knight King led an army into battle but was slain, and the capital, Couronne, was besieged. Chaos marauders looted and burned everything in their path.

At that time, a peasant girl from Lyonnesse claimed to have received a revelation from the Lake Fairy. She saw the goddess manifest and was instructed by her to vanquish the invading enemy and protect the land bestowed upon the people of Brittany by the goddess!

At the time, the peasant girl was only seventeen years old and a serf. Yet her devotion might have surpassed many knights. Hearing it was a divine decree from the goddess, she immediately stripped armor from a deceased knight, grabbed the reins of a spooked warhorse, smashed open the reliquary at the village Grail Chapel, and retrieved a sword. Then, she wrapped the tapestry (actually a banner blessed by the Lake Fairy) around her lance, mounted the horse, and called upon the knights of Lyonnesse to unite and confront the enemy.

Seeing a serf girl daring to smash open the reliquary and single-handedly face the Chaos army, the disheartened knights, who were retreating, felt deeply ashamed. The divine light of the Lake God on the girl showed that she was blessed by the Lake Fairy.

The Lady has not forsaken us!

With their morale boosted, the knights quickly turned their horses around and united under the girl's command, eventually defeating the rampaging Chaos forces and lifting the siege of Couronne. Relying on the sacred light of the Lake Fairy to temporarily blind their enemies and the special effects of the sword, they directly (sneakily) beheaded the dazed Chaos Lord.

This peasant girl was Beumous. After the war, the new Knight King, the "Young" Louis, officially decreed her elevation from serf to knight and granted her the Duchy of Lyonnesse, making her the Duchess of Lyonnesse.

The sword she found in the chapel became known as the "Sword of Lyonnesse," a treasure that not only possesses great power but can also negate all magic effects from the opponent, except for magical weapons. In battle, this sword can penetrate all magical protections of the enemy and render their magical armor ineffective.

This is the story of Duchess Beumous of Lyonnesse, a legendary figure well-known throughout Brittany.

"Lady Beumous... So, are Lord Dalheid and Lord Aldrelde her descendants?" Ryan held Sulia in his arms, allowing her to sit on his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist, enjoying his wife's bashfulness during their honeymoon. What was wrong with being affectionate?

Duchess Beumous had lived five hundred years ago, a long time for humans. Even as a Grail Knight, she could not have lived that long, and she wasn't even a knight. Ryan was unclear why Beumous hadn't become a Grail Knight but could vaguely guess why.

The Lake Fairy didn't care as much about this "Joan of Arc of Brittany" as she appeared to. At the time, she just needed someone who could help reverse the knights' fortunes, and Beumous was chosen for this purpose alone. The peasant girl couldn't even read, and once the Chaos army was repelled,

 Beumous had received enough reward (from serf to duchess), and the goddess would not allow her to become a Grail Knight.

"No, Beumous had no descendants." The Lake Fairy shook her head calmly, stating: "Even if there were descendants, they could not inherit the ducal title."

"Why?" Ryan curiously continued, as being elevated to nobility usually meant descendants could inherit the title.

At this moment, leaning on Ryan, Sulia spoke: "Ryan, the nobility and serfdom in Brittany aren't as simple as you might think."

Today, I updated early due to other commitments, asking for your votes!

___________________

(Support with power stones, comments or reviews)

If you guys enjoy this story, In support me on Patreon and get access to +200 advance Chapters

Read Ahead

Patreon.com/INNIT