The heroes found themselves facing four Thalusai bearing their likenesses. Lucas immediately fell on guard, facing his lookalike. Juan and Ferdinand likewise drew their swords and advanced against the enemy, while Melisandre whipped out her throwing daggers and Constanza levelled a brace of pistols. The fight was joined and the courtyard of the MacEachern castle resounded with the clash of steel and the clapping of pistol shots. The Thalusai proved to be tougher, though perhaps a bit slower than their human counterparts, and the heroes found themselves beleaguered.
Melisandre and Constanza discovered that they were making a bit of a headway with their ranged weapons, but Lucas, Juan and Ferdinand found that their swordsmanship barely sufficed to nick and scratch the tough Thalusai. Lucas started loosing footing against his counterpart, but a shout of warning from Constanza allowed him to avoid a crippling blow. With a carefully adjusted pistol shot, she blew the Thalusai's head apart, in a moment strangely reminescent of the first encounter with such creatures a year before. The false Juan moved up to continue to face Lucas, while the real Juan faced the fury of the false Melisandre. Ferdinand had his hands full against both his counterpart and Constanza's loookalike.
When Constanza's pistols were spent and Melisandre ran out of daggers, they had to draw their rapiers and engage the Thalusai alongside their companions. The Melisandre lookalike was slewn, but the real Melisandre was the first among the heroes to fall, followed by Ferdinand. But the valiant corporal got up again, and rejoined the fight. Lucas fell in turn, and Lucas was grievously wounded. Again, Ferdinand fell then rose. Constanza and Juan's double were felled, but Ferdinand's held strong. The three heroes still (barely) standing, Ferdinand, Juan and Constanza, joined their efforts in a combined attack, but as their sword pierced the spot where the enemy had been standing, he stepped off into nothingness, his voice echoing with a promise to return.
As soon as the field was clear of opponents, Ferdinand collapsed. A cloud of golden specks rose from his body and hovered around him, tightening until his outline was barely visible. Then the cloud dissipated, and Ferdinand rose once more, looking none the worse for wear.
Constanza undertook to examine the bodies of the Thalusai. They were rapidly decomposing into amorphous matter, but inside the remnants of the creature that had borne Lucas's guise, she found a glowing chalice of gold. Without touching it, she called Lucas. Instantly, clouds formed on the horizon in shapes like faerie warriors on ghostly steeds. The Queen of the Sky and her entourage appeared as well, with Queen Elaine among the faerie hosts. Lucas bowed to Queen Elaine and offered her the Grail. Wordlessly, the Sidhe bowed low to Elaine and departed.
The Queen gravely and earnestly thanked the heroes, asking what boon they would accept. Lucas begged her to intercede for Seldane's release, and to give Clan MacEachern royal protection. Melisandre stepped forward and revealed her true identity to the Queen; she asked for a peace treaty between Avalon and Castille. Juan asked for reparation for the sinking of the Maris Stella. Ferdinand asked that Elaine plead with the Queen of the Sea for the release of Constanza's father. And Constanza asked for safe passage for all five of them through the waters and lands of Avalon, in perpetuity as long as they respected the peace of Avalon.
All these boons were graciously granted, and the heroes were given the title of Knights of the Realm, save for Melisandre, or rather Queen Sara, who was given the title of Friend of the Realm. At Lucas's request, the heroes were also allowed to visit Inismore.
When offered the choice between getting a ship and getting the funds to have a new one built in replacement of the lost Maris Stella, Constanza had opted for the funds as she preferred to have a new ship built from the keel up in the Orduņo yards. Consequently, the return trip was made on one of Queen Elaine's vessels. As they were making their way south, Lucas exclaimed that Seldane was following the ship. He insisted upon tieing a line to his waist and jumping in the water to go after her. In between trading breaths, she explained to him that could only leave the sea once a year, on Midsummer day. Lucas promise to return every summer solstice to be with her. From her vantage point on deck, Constanza found the scene rather disturbing, since instead of the beautiful maiden everyone else beheld, she saw a seal through the Glamour, for Seldane was a Selkie.
The Castillans were glad to see the port of San Cristobal at last. But once ashore, they soon noticed that Lucas was attracting looks and whispers. Rumours were flying about that he had been disowned by his family. The heroes quickly rode to Ciudad Vaticine for an audience with King Javier, except for Juan who excused himself and secretly went to report to Die Kreutzritter. They told him the results of their voyage to Avalon. In return, they learned that information had surfaced in the most damaging way possible about Don Millano Rios de Aldana, Lucas's grandfather, who it turns out was not the true founder of the Aldana school of swordsmanship. As Torvo Espada had contended, he had in fact stolen the credit for many of the development brought by his then-friend, Don Julian Rivera y Rios, who should now be recognized as the true father of the Aldana School. Unknown enemies of Lucas had leaked the information to the Concilio de la Razon, created a scandal, and forced the Aldana family to disown Don Millano's branch. Lucas was therefore stripped of his noble titles.
The King was very unhappy with the affair, but because of the precarious political situation, could not afford to show nepotism. In partial compensation, he offered Lucas a post of royal advisor, with the task of forming a House of Commons. To Ferdinand, he gave the title of Don Valiente, and lands around La Reina del Mar. And to Constanza, King Javier gave the task of finding his brother and bringing him back, else find proof of his death.
