Throne
A throne is nothing but a safe haven of a ruler.
The sound of birds chirping drew his senses to a wake. It had been quite some time since he had a well-deserved rest and he refused to leave his slumber just yet. For once, he had felt a sense of peace calming his paranoid mind long after the war ended. Not to mention the constant need of building higher walls to keep the enemies out, including his similar state of mind whenever it comes to trusting another person or rather a stranger he came across in the walk of life. He smirked a little over the statement, simply thinking his long tale of life that awaits or rather an everlasting one.
Though the next shift in the air had finally caused Gilgamesh to blink an eye open to register his surroundings. Even with his alert mind, the person he saw sitting not far from him had managed to tug his groggy mind within mere seconds. It was none other than the woman that won a part of his heart, Arturia Pendragon. Sitting with her legs folded, she hugged her figure while heaving a long sigh.
Sensing a sharp stare from the person next to her, she turned her head a little to acknowledge his presence without uttering a word. The serenity in the land of the unknown provides resembled that of Avalon as she recalled it from her fading memories. Arturia allowed nostalgia to fill in her mind as she stared upon the shapeless clouds. Everything felt pleasant despite the thick silence that filled in the air, save for the intensifying stare from Gilgamesh that never went unnoticed by Arturia.
"Couldn't brace the fact that I won again?" came her steady response in a lower tone, unlike the battle cry she had hollered at him the last time they met.
It felt as if the war had happened a long time though it was just a few days ago that they had clashed their swords. There were no fire or weapons involved this time, acting as a complete contradiction to the said chaos. And that fact alone is enough to chase away the trained insecurities in them over their involvement in countless wars, past life and current one alike. Being around one another this time around was far from hostility either. To sum up everything, they found themselves settling in a newly-found strange peace with each other around.
Gilgamesh smirked and uncharacteristically shrugged. "The impossible has been broken before anyway, so why bother."
"Your actions seemed to speak otherwise." She replied without looking, still too busy tracing the clouds in her mind.
Noting her ease, he attempted to engage in a lasting conversation with the King of Knights. It was a rare chance to have seen her letting her guards down anyway and that lit up the hope of being able to approach her almost casually.
"Oh that," he left his sentence unfinished while flashing a grin. "I can't help myself from staring at someone I admire."
Arturia almost snort. "Doesn't mean that you can go around and steal one's place."
He was first greeted by confusion over her remark only to scan around to meet her point. The fresh lush green scenery where floral habitats had grown wild, forming a forest in the middle of nowhere. The forest was easily secluded from the others since it was too easy to get lost in the towers of tall trees. Despite its density, it was never too dark once one lingered into it. And that was how Gilgamesh had stumbled upon a clearing in the middle of the forest, little did he know that it was Arturia's haven all along.
Pushing himself up into a sitting position, he dusted his dishevelled hair and backside from the dead leaves of the forest floor. Arturia noted that even for a man of self-proclaimed ideal king and an image of pure arrogance, he looked unusual in the silk fabric that had easily replaced his heavy golden armour. Even to the extent of almost distinguishing him as an ordinary young civilian despite knowing that he aged an aeon.
"I was searching for you." He stated almost bluntly, found his crimson eyes focussed elsewhere as well. "This happens to be the last place I haven't walked in and true to that, here you are." He smirked and stole a quick glance towards the other warrior.
Arturia simply nodded, letting her eyes rest now.
"I can see why you chose here." He filled in the silence again as he lets his lips grin openly, eyes noting the metaphor the forest provides to their past luxuries.
The sturdy wall of trees resembled that of a strong fortress while the illumination of sufficient light and moss-carpeted grass provide the comfort of a castle. Gilgamesh could clearly understand how this place had easily won Arturia's heart above other breath-taking places upon the land of unknown but most were claimed by other heroes that shared the same fate as the two.
From his peripheral view, he could see her soft smile.
"I need a place to sort out my thoughts, another place where I can reminisce my home before it was shattered into ashes." Arturia masks her emotions well in between words, but Gilgamesh was never the one whom believed in such façade. "It might just be a forest that serves no purpose and leads nowhere, but I found comfort here and that is all that matters to me." A reassuring smile replaced the prior on Arturia's lips as her features shone one of content.
It was not until Arturia had turned and looked Gilgamesh directly had he noticed his still stare upon her. Snapping away from it, he chuckled a little as he tilted his head downwards to shift his attention temporarily. There was always something about Arturia that triggered an unknown side of him and that fact alone had him acknowledge his admiration towards her.
Strange how the simplicity of her dreams was once something he had made fun of before, though it all seemed to undergo a drastic change once he had started to see her point of view behind all that. To solidify his current state of mind, he had actually came to appreciate the simple things his past life would have never scrutinize upon. Surely Arturia had awakened some sense of normalcy over his unreachable desires.
He nodded in agreement, still feeling queer on being vocal of his newfound thoughts. "I hope you don't mind sharing this kingdom of yours."
Meeting his eyes, Arturia smiled in pure sincerity. "Of course not. It belongs to anyone whom finds comfort in here. Everyone is welcomed."
"Aren't you afraid that someone might take over your throne?" came Gilgamesh's sudden query.
As if the answer is as obvious as the daylight, Arturia let out a small smile. "You should have realised up until now that no treasure is to be possessed by the same person forever. Empires rise and fall, but nonetheless they build a better future for the next generation, don't you think?"
"Even by the means of betrayal, you're alright with that?" he probed further, knowing all too well that she understood the word a lot better than he did.
Without getting defensive, Arturia nodded. "There are a plenty of thrones to be shared here without the need of triggering a war if that was what you are referring to." She simply dismissed the issue in a lighter sense.
Gilgamesh smirked over the remark for Arturia portrayed a perfect epitome of peace despite his attempt of interfering their conversation with something easily known to be sensitive. Silently impressed by her reaction, he decided to dismiss the said topic as well.
Catching Gilgamesh's stare off-guard for the second time around, Arturia's brows furrowed immediately. "Is there something wrong with the way I look?"
She too looked a lot different without her battle gears, though that was never his focus for she still looked the same in his eyes. At a sudden loss of words, he revealed a smile that Arturia deciphered as out of his usual arrogant character.
He shook his head and looked away. "Just making sure you're alright after all that mess back there."
"Strange that you are attentive towards a fellow opponent." Came Arturia's sarcasm.
Gilgamesh narrowed his crimson eyes at her. "I'm taking a rest from my persona here, if you don't mind."
That alone caused Arturia to grin, apparently it was not just her yearning for something they thought to be out of their usual personality and routine.
"Sure." She nodded, reducing her grin into a smile.
Gilgamesh collapsed back to his laying spot, eyes still found its way towards Arturia without herself noticing much. A sudden gust of breeze caused the queen to tug the strands of her free hair behind her ears. The gesture had aroused a true sense of normalcy as thought by Gilgamesh a while ago, over something he had strived to possess for the first time. Resembling the one and only friendship he had ever acknowledged for as long as his memories could recall. Or rather, he would never forget it for the world.
Tilting his head up to notice the beauty of nature that he had long ignored, he smiled to himself as he closes his eyes for another rest. The forest had truly served well as a safe haven his luxurious castle once provided. There were no words that could capture the gratefulness that buds in his heart.
Especially when it comes to sharing a throne with a queen whom he had always looked up upon.
A/N: A quick inspiration for the aftermath of the final war in Fate/Stay Night. Hope you enjoyed the story. ;)
- Callester -