Ludwig casually admired her old handkerchief. If nothing else, her Master must have excellent taste! Gorgeous embroidery: a beautiful swan spreading its wings, as if about to take magnificent flight! For that handkerchief to still be in such good shape was only natural. The finest quality for the finest king. This one was... Matilda. She could tell, even at a glance. The peasant girl who had fallen and gotten mud all over her beautiful face. Well, Ludwig couldn't let that stand. Of course, she had helped the young woman up. Of course she had dabbed her cheeks, and of course she had left Matilda with a token of their fateful meeting. She wondered if Matilda had sold it, or had kept it until her final days. Well, either way, it was a gift. Once it left Ludwig's hands, it was hers to do with as she desired. That was, perhaps, the way of- Ludwig turned her gaze towards the confused-looking young... man? That called out to her. She had specifically wanted to be summoned only by damsels in distress. Well, maybe it was a woman? They had a cute face. Either way, they were addressing her, and it was almost certainly her Master. Regardless of gender, their grand adventure was about to begin! Ludwig smiled brightly, and with shamelessness and grace, approached her young Master. [color=fff79a]"This dude does, indeed, have the right house,"[/color] she announced grandiloquently, [color=fff79a]"for you are my Master, and I your knightly Servant, here to deliver you from the horrors of this Holy Grail War! Worry not, my lady, for the legendary knight-hero-king Ludwig II has arrived!"[/color] --- It was... an odd feeling to have summoned the Antichrist. A bevy of holy relics were present as catalyst for the ritual, which Lucia had been walked through by a bunch of scary-looking old men in Vatican City. They had expected a Saint. George, Martha, Jeanne... all equal to the task and paragons of faith. A spirit that even the church could respect. All attendees were flabbergasted when Nero introduced herself. [i]That[/i] Nero. But as the old men began discussing whether or not there was a way to send her back, Lucia stood firm. She didn't like it. Of course she didn't like it, but for Nero to appear in front of so many holy relics was nothing short of a miracle, and miracles were the domain of God. She saw this as a sign. Lucia was meant to redeem Nero. If that woman could be redeemed in the eyes of the Lord... if the suspected Antichrist could be saved, then it would prove that anyone could be. It was an incredible task, but if Lucia was chosen to take it upon herself, then she knew it must be possible for her. God believed in her. God knew that she was kind and just and right. It was with this attitude that she initially engaged with Nero... But that didn't last long. As the two toured Rome, Lucia introducing the new and Nero introducing the old, it became remarkably clear that Nero wasn't quite the person the church had imagined she was. Lucia tried to be suspicious. She tried to notice the serpent through its honeyed words, but the woman was remarkably genuine and had an unimpeachable charm. Was this really Nero? Who [i]was[/i] Nero? Lucia was still figuring out her feelings as the Sako Holy Grail War was about to begin. On this beautiful evening, she was picking herbs from the garden she had recently started just outside the church. There was so much open land around, it would be a shame not to utilize it. She'd already finished the focaccia dough, and just needed to put together the toppings before it headed into the oven. As she knelt, humming happily while she snipped some rosemary, she noticed a woman approach out of the corner of her eye. She stood, and brushed off her habit. [color=a187be]"Lucia,"[/color] she addressed Nero gently, like a mother or an older sister. The Emperor was a whimsical girl, and Lucia feared that if she didn't give her plenty to do, Nero would blow their cover faster than was strictly healthy. Of course, the rouse would likely not last the whole war regardless, but Lucia did have a boon. Most command seals appeared on the hand, but Lucia's was... elsewhere. It was an oddity among oddities, that most Masters probably wouldn't even consider. A blessing from God. [color=a187be]"Could you please ask the overseer what she'd like on her focaccia, and inform her that we have a guest?"[/color] Lucia entreated, smiling gently. Nero was, at this moment, among the flowers she had also planted. Lucia's goal was to make the churchyard significantly less drab and significantly more beautiful before she left this place. Whether or not Nero was keen to listen to her was another story, but Lucia greeted Beatrice with a friendly wave and her loveliest smile.