A/N: as said on the previous chapter, it's best to read "A Different Fate" before reading this – otherwise, nothing of it will make sense. The main characters have changed throughout ADF, and in this piece they should be consistent with how they have become.
This part is no longer M-rated; there are scenes that were only fleetingly mentioned in the epilogue.
I hope you enjoy! :)
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...
Gilgamesh's eye twitched. He should not have agreed to come to the Emiya residence.
Even though they were currently living in Tokyo, the two kings and their wards had gone back to Fuyuki for a few days, to attend the celebration of Taiga's engagement.
And the celebration, was of course taking place at the house where the brown-haired woman lived with her ward – a ward who happened to be Illya's foster brother.
That evening, at the party, Arturia looked particularly stunning. Her golden locks were tied in a ponytail instead of her usual braided chignon, and she was mesmerizing in the knee-length peach-coloured dress she was wearing.
He could not suppress a brief smirk. That dress had been a last-minute purchase as the other one she had previously chosen and had tried on the day before… had been simply too tempting. He was the King of all Heroes, the almighty son of a goddess and could do anything he wanted… except keeping his self-control from slipping when it came to that woman.
That former cerulean dress had been torn to shreds under his impatient and dexterous fingers.
She would have most likely complained… if she had not done worse to his suit.
That evening, however, was quickly making him more irritated.
He was glaring coldly at anyone who seemed to have half-a-mind to dare approach the King of Knights to ask for a dance – although he knew that she would have politely declined even if he had not been there to fend off the unwanted suitors.
He could not deny that it had truly been a pleasant surprise when his usually gentle and respectful Arturia had actually glowered towards some revealingly dressed women who had purposely walked a few times in front of him, trying to catch his attention. Not that there had been any need for her reaction – he disregarded those revolting being's existence –, but he had to admit that he did not mind seeing her possessive side.
Abruptly, he got up from his seat. Standing in front of her, he grabbed her hand and stared into her eyes. "Dance with me."
Arturia looked at him, startled. She was not one to dance; she had learned, but she was not the type to enjoy any kind of strenuous movement that wasn't functional – in her case, synchronizing with her sword.
But when Gilgamesh asked – well… kindly requested – while directing such an intense look at her, she could hardly refuse. After a second of hesitation, she slowly stood up as well and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor.
In the midst of all the other couples, they stood out in their silent majesty. Arturia could feel how firm and yet gentle his arms were around her, and she could not help making sure that her hold was equally secure, pulling him closer to her. There was no need to exchange words – they understood each other without speaking.
As the song ended and they went back to their seats, she suddenly felt a tightening of his hand in hers. She noticed that he was glaring daggers at someone and turned around to follow the direction of his gaze… only to see Shirou hurriedly looking away from them while he was spinning with Sakura.
Luckily, all the seats next to theirs were currently free and surrounded by darkness, as everyone was dancing and the lights were concentrated on the dance floor. No one could overhear their conversation nor could see them, and Gilgamesh was evidently too furious to sit down, so they remained standing in the slightly secluded place.
The King of Heroes was more than simply irritated. He was aware of the fact that Arturia was an attractive woman – hell, he was more than just aware of it –, but that did not mean that mongrels were allowed to stare at her in inappropriate ways… or in any way at all.
Especially that brat, her former Master's adopted son. He had been looking at her again.
Before he realized it, he had given voice to his thoughts.
"That mongrel… he was staring at you." He frowned, irate, and she was taken aback. "He should be reminded of his place. He has no right."
Her small hands all of a sudden went up to his face, gently resting on his cheeks in a calming gesture.
"Gilgamesh. In case you had not noticed, I was in your arms the whole time. And… even if he was staring at me and if the remote possibility of the boy being interested in me was true, allow me to remind you of the fact that you are the person I'm in love with, not anyone else." Her expression was steady. "Is this clear, King of Heroes?"
Her green gaze was limpid, her tone was serene, and the next instant, she reached up to plant a firm kiss on his lips.
And before he could recover from his surprise and respond, she had already pulled away and was giving him quite a mischievous look.
"Would you be so kind as to accompany me to the refreshment table, King of Heroes… I am beginning to resent the lack of a proper dinner."
His former scowl left his face, and he followed her without protest, a small smile tugging at his lips.
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The day after the party, they were still at the Emiya residence.
Their wards and their hosts were playing board games, the two kings were simply observing in silence. Arturia had graciously refused to play – she was too good at board games, it would not have been fair to the others if she were to participate – and Gilgamesh… well… not even Rin had the courage to ask him to lower himself to take part in such 'amusements'.
The King of Heroes had strangely been calmer than usual – maybe because his arm had not left the King of Knights's waist the whole time.
Even if it was a little cold – it was the end of March after all –, after a few hours he suddenly grabbed her hand and made her come outside with him.
There was a sakura tree in the yard, a beautiful cherry blossom, ready to bloom. As they stood in front of the tree, he stopped and turned around to face her. One of his hands sank into her hair, while the other caressed her cheek. His red eyes carefully examined every inch of her face as he leaned closer to her.
She did not know, but his mind was back on the words she had said to him the evening before, the words that had been unexpected but very, very welcome.
Arturia felt quite self-conscious under the intensity of his gaze, especially because they were in such a public place.
She looked around quickly, but before she could begin to extend her senses to check for other people's presence, his warm lips descended on hers… and her mouth parted in surprise.
Taking full advantage of it, Gilgamesh deepened the kiss immediately, his hands pulling her face closer as he more or less glued their lips together. Completely lost in the wonderful sensations, Arturia brought her arms around him to increase the contact between them, and closed her eyes…
But suddenly, she heard a noise and abruptly took a step back from him, breaking the kiss and looking around in mild alarm. His arms, however, did not leave her or let her move away from him.
Behind her, Arturia saw out of the corner of her eye, a figure leaving and she recognized them from the white t-shirt. It was Kiritsugu's adopted son.
She narrowed her eyes and looked back at Gilgamesh. He had a mildly surprised but very satisfied expression on his face, as he observed the boy leave.
A terrible thought entered her mind. Had he kissed her like that… so that Shirou would see them?
Suddenly everything was clear to her. Of course, Gilgamesh was still angry with the boy after the previous evening's events.
The instant Arturia realized that, a numb feeling went through her system. He had decided to kiss her in a public space… only to show off?
The following moment, Gilgamesh's smug expression was gone as his arms were torn off her and she freed herself from his hold.
His expression was astounded as she took an abrupt step back when he tried to reach for her and he was even more dismayed when he saw the anger, the embarrassment and the hurt that was in her eyes.
"Arturia…?"
She was beginning to tremble with fury, and her hand went up – only to stop in mid-air. A slight tremor ran down her arm… she was visibly holding herself back from hitting him.
"How dare you."
He took a cautious step towards her, only for her eyes to flash in warning. Even if her arm's movements had stopped, it was clear that he was going to receive a slap – or worse – if he went nearer.
"You kissed me only because Shirou was approaching. Because you wanted him to watch." Her voice was laced with anger, "You used me."
At that, he came right in front of her, ignoring her threatening glance, and put his hands on her shoulders firmly, refusing to be intimidated.
He appeared to have realized the reason for her rage – and he strangely seemed to want to say something.
"I did not use you–"
She did not allow him to finish the sentence and broke free from his grasp again.
"You did."
She did not even try to conceal her anger at his actions, nor the fact that they had hurt her more than she could explain. Her green eyes were ice-cold as she looked at him.
"Stay away from me."
Without another word, she turned, and stormed away.
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…
As she strode towards her room, Arturia could not quiet her mind. Entering the space she shared with the King of Heroes, she grabbed a bag and threw inside some of the toiletries, before heading to another of the many guest rooms of the Emiya residence.
She was not going to sleep in the same room as him.
She was glad that the following day Taiga had already scheduled for her to go to the spa with Illya, Rin and Sakura. She did not intend to see Gilgamesh for quite a while.
She was deeply hurt.
How could he!
She would not do something as poignant as cry – she was the King of Knights and, compared to everything else she had gone through, what had just happened was nothing.
But the ache in her chest just wouldn't go away…
He had not just kissed her; he had practically devoured her mouth, with intensity and urgency.
They had been in a public, visible place, something she did not like for displays of affection, but she had trusted him… only to find out that the sole reason he had kissed her like that was to prove a point to someone. And not just anyone – Shirou, of all people.
He was fully aware of the fact that, besides acknowledging his existence as Illya's brother, she was not interested in the boy in the least – she had told him quite bluntly –, and yet, he was jealous anyway.
And for that reason, to make sure that Kiritsugu's son became fully conscious of the fact that she was already in a relationship with someone else, he had used the kiss they shared to send a vivid warning.
It hurt her more than she thought.
To be kissed by someone she loved only because he wanted to show that to someone else… was repulsive.
She had to stop in her considerations for a moment. She knew that Gilgamesh would not do such a thing… or rather, she thought she knew. Because, after all, how could he have known that the boy was approaching?
Perhaps she had been too hasty… but perhaps not.
He had kissed her in such a way… so deeply, so passionately – Arturia could not help closing her eyes at the powerful memory, since it had been just mere minutes before –… only for her to find out that it had been a way to 'remind that brat of his place', as he had said the day before.
She wasn't sure if she had done the right thing when she had held herself back from slapping him.
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…
Gilgamesh tried to talk to her later that evening, without success.
She had sealed her room from him – curse her increased prowess in magic –, and he had no choice but be separated from her for the night. The large bed that he had always found acceptable for his tastes felt oddly empty without her, and he was not able to fall asleep.
Aside from her absence, it was not really the knowledge of her anger towards him – an anger completely undeserved on his part – that was troubling his thoughts… but it was the fact that she was hurting.
He had never meant to upset or offend her and he knew he had done nothing wrong – but he was able to understand that, from her perspective, it could appear different.
He had been surprised and somehow appreciative, though, when she had not slapped him as she had clearly been about to do. Even when erroneously convinced that he had caused her offence, she had not attacked him physically. The King of Heroes was glad about the fact that Arturia had not lost any of her spirit when falling in love, and she had not become submissive or compliant in any way, but he couldn't say he wasn't happy about the fact that she had refrained from hitting him.
But that was irrelevant at the moment. The only thing to do was try to make things better.
It did not matter that it wasn't his fault – Arturia was sad and distressed. Even though it was not because of something he had done, she thought it was, and that was making her suffer.
And the hurt look she had directed at him… it had unsettled him. He did not want to see her like that… ever.
He loved her too much to let the situation remain the way it was.
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Gilgamesh was sitting on a couch in the living room, his red wine present in his hand. He was bored and somehow on edge.
Arturia, who still refused to speak with him, had gone with Rin, Illya, Sakura and Taiga to the spa, and he was alone at the Emiya residence.
Hearing the sound of the living room door slide open, he suppressed a sigh. He actually wished he was alone, but he wasn't.
There was that mongrel – Shirou.
He was the main cause for which his love was not speaking with him – indirect cause, he acknowledged grudgingly, but the cause nonetheless.
If he wanted to make things better with Arturia… he had to start with the brat. The King of Knights wished for them to get along, and he… he could try to do something that would please her.
Even though 'getting along' was really asking too much.
The boy entered the room… only to pale considerably when he saw the King of Heroes. He was about to make a speedy retreat, when Gilgamesh, without even turning to look at him, spoke.
"Don't try that. Sit."
White-faced, Shirou reluctantly closed the door behind him and made his way to the couch in front of Gilgamesh. He gulped when he felt those blood red eyes piecing him. He knew he was trapped – all those who had some influence over the blond man weren't present, and they were going to be away for the rest of the day. Moreover, the man seemed to have been in an especially dark mood since the previous evening.
The King of Heroes observed the red-haired boy. He was almost seventeen by then. He sighed, looking at the twirling half-full glass in his hand, and then at Kiritsugu's son again.
"Look, boy. I will make things as brief and clear as possible. I don't like you. You are surprisingly not a cruel person, but you are an inexpressibly boring one."
He sighed again, completely ignoring Shirou's uncomfortable countenance.
"However, you are Illya's brother. She cares about you. Arturia and Rin also desire for us to be in the same room without me glaring at you. Therefore, I will endeavour to tolerate you… for her sake."
Shirou was well aware of the fact that he was referring to the blonde woman, the one who was very obviously irreplaceably dear to Gilgamesh.
The King of Heroes's red eyes, which had been quite detached and neutral until that moment, suddenly narrowed, and he leaned forward minimally.
His expression was dangerous.
"Remember though… I don't make idle threats, and if I so much as think that you are looking at Arturia in an inappropriate way, you will wish that a glare is all you receive."
Shirou could very much see that Gilgamesh was enjoying the thought of what he could do to him (the boy still remembered very clearly the vibrant scene of the man in front of him and the green-eyed woman passionately kissing), so he frantically nodded to show that he understood, and then fervently hoped that he could leave soon.
To his relief, Gilgamesh gave him a short but still very much threatening nod.
"Good. I'm satisfied that you understand. From this day onward, my effort will be to condone your existence. Do make sure not to get on my bad side." He paused for a second, before casually adding, "No one among those who have done so is alive anymore."
And he grinned maliciously.
For some reason, Shirou had no trouble believing him.
Gilgamesh smirked, satisfied.
"I can see that you are eager to be out of here now. Feel free to go… but remember this conversation, because if you don't, it will be the last time you have your memory."
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…
He knew he would find her in their room – she had just finished drying her hair after coming back from the spa, and some items she needed were in the bedroom.
"Arturia."
Her eyes had narrowed at him the moment she had seen him enter. She was calmer than the day before, but that did not mean that she would smile at him or even just be enthusiastic about his presence there.
Before she could think of something to say, however, he spoke.
"I talked to the brat– the boy. My dislike for him has not lessened, but I have settled for indifference… and I've informed him of that."
Seeing her raised eyebrow and sceptical expression, he bluntly said, looking her in the eye, "While it did indeed end up being a clear message for him as he walked in on us, I was unaware of his approach – and I most certainly did not kiss you because I wanted someone else to see."
Her expression did not change; she was still distrustful, and challenged him, "Then why did you kiss me? And why in that manner?"
She could still feel how powerful and ardent his touch had been, how his lips and his tongue–
Unexpectedly, he gave her a smile.
"I kissed you because I wanted to, especially after what you had said at the previous day's event. And I kissed you in that manner because it's you, Arturia."
Suddenly his eyes narrowed.
"Do you honestly believe that I would have kissed anyone else the way I kiss you? That I would feel for anyone else anything even remotely close to what I feel for you?"
With every word, he took swift steps closer to her.
"You have more power over me than what you realize, King of Knights… and, surprisingly, the knowledge of this does not bother me at all."
His arms were around her waist and his lips were on her mouth, hungrily kissing her senseless. As soon as he pulled away slightly to allow her to regain some coherence in her head, she could only concentrate enough to have one thought in her mind.
She knew that it was the other way round as well… no one else would have ever been able to break through her barriers, understand her so completely and make room in her heart for so much love that it could never be replaced by anything else.
Her hands fisted into his shirt and she possessively pulled him to her, smashing their lips together and immediately deepening the kiss with a breathless moan.
It had been wrong of her to immediately accuse him of kissing her only for Shirou to see. Gilgamesh was not one who wanted to show off in the strictest sense of the word; he had a talent for being dramatic when he so desired, but he did not do things only for others to see, because he did not care about what the mongrels thought.
She had instead assumed that he wanted to… display them kissing, and that thought had hurt her deeply… but she strongly suspected that the fact that she had considered such an assumption to be true had hurt him as well.
Abruptly, she broke the kiss, and looked him in the eye, cheeks flushed and breath laboured.
"I'm sorry… I should not have jumped to conclusions like that. I'm sor–"
He did not let her finish, crushing his lips against hers in a new and even more passionate kiss. He did not wish for her to apologize to him.
After thoroughly ravaging her mouth, with his eyes half-lidded, he pulled away barely enough to be able to speak, his lips moving against hers, less than a millimetre separating their faces.
"…don't say anything…"
And as he discarded their clothes swiftly, he allowed his hands and his lips, all over her body, to do the talking for him.
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…
He had dematerialized them to a faraway place, in the middle of a desert.
Arturia let go of his hand, looking around in confusion. It held striking resemblance to Iskandar's reality marble, Ionioi Hetaroi, with all the sand that surrounded them.
It was also full of small hills… and they all held suspicious resemblance to Camlann.
Camlann – the place of her last battle. The place that had broken her completely… but that she had managed to accept, bury in her heart and move on from.
An eerie wind was blowing around her, its sound almost sinister.
Wary, she turned around to ask Gilgamesh where he had brought them…
…but he was gone.
"Gilgamesh…?"
He was not there. She was alone in the desert.
The wind was blowing stronger now, and the sand was beginning to swirl around her with violence.
"Gilgamesh?" she tried again, louder this time.
She couldn't see nor sense him – she was alone in what was quickly beginning to resemble a giant sandstorm.
Arturia coughed. She was having difficulties in her breathing and her eyes were starting to water because of the irritating granules. The sand was too close, and it was beginning to hit her body with vehemence.
Deciding it was time to set things straight, she called forth Invisible Air to protect herself.
Nothing happened.
To her dismay, she realized… she had no longer any power and was not able to access her own mana. She couldn't even summon Excalibur, although it would have admittedly been useless in that situation.
But none of her powers were working, Gilgamesh had left her there and she was alone in a sandstorm that continued to suffocate her until even her screams were muffled and swallowed–
With a jolt and her blood pounding in her ears, Arturia awoke.
Eyes darting around wildly, breath uneven and body shaking uncontrollably, she found her wrists firmly held in Gilgamesh's grip, his red eyes boring into her own with what seemed to be concern.
A dream. It had been a foolish dream.
Belatedly, she realized she had tears streaming down her face and she was trembling all over.
But it had all seemed so real, when he had abandoned her in the middle of the desert–..
It had most definitely been a nightmare, not a dream.
Startling Gilgamesh, she broke free from his grasp and her hands wrapped around his shoulders, clutching him to her tightly as her face buried in his neck.
His arms were around her, soothingly, caressing her and silently calming her.
He had never seen her like that, and he was uncertain about what had made her react in such a manner. She had been thrashing in her sleep for a little while when he had come back to the bed after getting up to close the window. She had also murmured his name in a tone that was surprisingly desperate.
And as soon as she had woken up, she had pulled him to her in extreme anxiety.
He continued to caress her back, and trailed soft kisses along her neck in a calming manner. She had been crying, for heaven's sake. That was not the Arturia he knew.
Finding her collarbone, he suddenly bit down.
He was rewarded with a hiss and a sharp tightening of her grip on his shoulders, before she distanced herself from him to give him a glare.
He smiled internally. Much better. Her spirit was back.
His arms were still around her, one hand caressing the small of her back and the other, next to her face, in her hair. She was breathing normally now, and her eyes no longer held that wild look.
His words were uncharacteristically soft.
"What did you dream?"
He had guessed it must have been something in her sleep that had upset her.
She averted her gaze.
"Nothing."
Stubborn woman. Even after all that time, she still kept her thoughts locked in a fortified stronghold.
He knew better than to try to coerce her to talk; instead, he pulled her to him, making her rest her head on his chest and embracing her firmly.
He knew she liked to listen to his heartbeat, and in that position, he could feel hers as well – and to his surprise, he noticed it was still much faster than normal. He waited.
Voice very low, she whispered, "You dematerialized with me to a desert, a place filled with sand, similar to Rider's reality marble. You abandoned me there and I… I did not have any of my powers, so a sandstorm crushed me."
Her tone was hollow, and his hold on her tightened in instinct. His fingers began to trace her skin softly, reassuringly, lovingly.
Slowly, he murmured against her ear, "I may have left you in that dream… but this is reality, and I am not leaving you – ever."
His touch became firmer, and his hands travelled over her own hands, her arms, her shoulders, her neck, her breasts, her stomach, her back, up to her hair… and his lips were ghosting over hers, dragging her distressed mind completely back to reality.
"Feel my promise, Arturia…"
And his mouth kissed her deeply… finally freeing her from the last shadows the bad dream had left behind.
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…
A few years had passed since their last proper visit to the Emiya residence.
Rin and Illya were all grown up and they now lived in Fuyuki, in the former Tohsaka mansion, which had been remodelled. Arturia and Gilgamesh, now husband and wife, lived in the same house, in their own private wing.
But they were all asked to stay over at the Emiya's because Taiga was about to move out of it. After quite a long engagement period, she had finally decided to tie the knot with her fiancée – and the two kings and the girls had been invited to the wedding.
Taiga was a nice and reliable woman, very chatty and open-minded; she had been both Sakura and Shirou's legal guardian for many years, and had played the role of the older sister with genuine affection for them both. The two children had become adults, and the brown-haired woman was now getting married; therefore, she was about to leave the Emiya residence.
The fact that the woman was moving out had of course made the other two residents talk about the change that was going to take place – and it had brought forth another startling decision.
Shirou, who was in the process of founding a company for electrical energy, would remain there, but when he had asked Sakura to stay live with him as more than just his friend, she had unexpectedly decided to refuse.
The purple-haired girl – contrary to Rin and Illya – intended to personally take care of the Matou heritage, and possibly… possibly discover more about the family's past.
Like Rin, she was interested in research, but while her sister's was on magic, Sakura's was on history. The origins of the Matou family were tied to Russia, not to Fuyuki, and the purple-haired girl was curious to find out more about it.
She did not think it right to ask Shirou to 'wait for her' so, even though they had been dating for a few years, she decided it best to break up with him.
Sakura and Rin were friends, and they were sisters by blood; but Sakura had made it clear, very early on, that she did not want anything to do with the Tohsaka name anymore. She could make an effort to forgive what her father had done by allowing the Matous to adopt her, when he was fully conscious of what Zouken was going to do to her, but she would never be able to forget it.
Gilgamesh was pleasantly surprised when he heard that piece of news regarding Tokiomi's younger daughter.
Sakura was a girl with a dark past; she had been dismissed by her old family, and abused by her new one. However, in the King of Heroes's opinion, nothing in her tragic story justified her unreasonable crush on that brat of a mongrel boy.
Therefore, he was pleased to find out that she had decided to do something with her life instead of settling for being just Shirou's housewife. Gilgamesh thought she deserved better than wasting her time with that brat, and he knew she certainly had enough courage to follow the path she had chosen.
When he related his opinion to Arturia, she simply gave him a mildly amused look, and told him that she agreed with him on the fact that it was a positive thing that Sakura was going to make her own way in the world. She was internally happy about the fact that the girl had decided to do something else with her life, since she had still been a little too meek and submissive – understandably so – after having been freed from the worms and the Matous' control.
And she was also glad about the fact that Gilgamesh was giving credit to Rin's sister when credit was deserved.
About the split-up between Shirou and Sakura, Arturia avoided making direct comments. But Gilgamesh knew her more than enough to correctly guess what her thoughts were. She would have probably felt a little bad for Shirou, if Illya hadn't reported that the boy was obviously sad, but not distraught over the end of his story with Sakura.
The King of Heroes therefore knew that the King of Knights actually thought that the closure of the relationship between them was for the best. She approved of what Sakura was deciding to do and how she had put an end to her bond with the young boy because, even in case the feelings that united Sakura and Shirou were genuine, even if they truly cared about each other, they were both still very young and their goals already differed. They needed to figure out what they wanted from their lives before ever committing seriously.
Perhaps, later in life, when they would meet again, they could decide to be together once more, or at least try to live a true love story with each other.
But for now, having them go their separate ways was a much better solution.
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…
The day of the wedding finally arrived.
To her surprise, Arturia had actually been asked to be the bridesmaid. She had just soothed the bride's nerves with her calming words, and then left her a few minutes on her own in the room next to the Church, where her grandfather was going to join her and escort her to the altar to give her away.
As the King of Knights was approaching the entrance of the Church – a new priest, not a corrupt one like Kirei, was going to preside over the ceremony –, a familiar arm sneaked around her waist.
She turned in Gilgamesh's embrace, giving her husband a smile. He returned it, his usually haughty eyes softening as his hold on her tightened slightly. He pecked her lips briefly, knowing that she would not be happy if he distracted her too much and made them be late to the nuptials.
He released her waist, but he did not let go of her hand. Separating from him, she took notice of the very elegant black suit he was wearing.
He saw, of course, the way her eyes were staring at him appreciatively, and he smirked. He could not help looking her up and down as well, since her aquamarine bridesmaid dress fitted her form perfectly.
However, this time they were both going to keep their hands to themselves and not do anything to each other's clothes… at least until the end of the ceremony.
He suddenly let go of her hand and, for the very first time, actually offered her his arm. The doors of the Church were not far, and it was almost time to start the celebration.
"Come, my love."
As she accepted his arm, with a lower voice, he added, "I am aware of the fact that you have duties as a bridesmaid… but that does not mean that I will allow you to leave my side."
After a brief but almost imperceptible blush on Arturia's cheeks and another stolen kiss later, the two kings entered the Church arm in arm.
…
…
Later, outside in the restaurant's garden, they had found a sheltered area from which they could look at the gathering without being seen, because he would not tolerate any interruptions during his time with her – especially not by the now slightly intoxicated mongrels.
Arturia allowed Gilgamesh to envelop her in his arms from behind – where they were, she did not have to worry about public displays of affection. She relaxed in his embrace, contentedly observing the party from their secluded place, as they waited for the fireworks to start.
The wedding reception was slowly quieting down, and the songs were becoming slower and calmer. Illya and Rin were dancing with other guests, and Sakura and Shirou were dancing together in a friendly way; it was probably the last occasion in which they would see each other, since the purple-haired girl was going to leave for Russia the following week. Taiga and her husband were in the middle of the dancefloor, swaying slowly and completely lost in each other's eyes.
Arturia's fingers traced random patterns on Gilgamesh's arms, and she smiled softly. Even though it was getting a little chilly outside, she did not feel it, because they were close enough to share body heat.
All of a sudden, in a very low voice, he murmured in her ear, "Do you have the desire for something of this kind as well, Arturia?"
The question took her aback, and startled green eyes met probing red ones in the darkness.
He was asking her… if she had the wish for a similar wedding ceremony – for them.
Her gaze remained contemplative for a while. Not so long before, he had asked her to become his wife, and she had accepted. They had not had any kind of ceremony because they had not felt the need for one, but now, attending an actual wedding of someone they knew, he had wondered if she had changed her mind, and therefore was asking her about it.
She remained pensive for a while, before replying seriously, "Do you, Gilgamesh?"
He smiled a little, a startlingly playful light in his eyes.
"I'm asking you, my love."
She did not need to think about it for long. And her reply… was honest and direct. Completely truthful and straightforward.
Because that was who she was.
"I personally don't believe any of this is really necessary… because… all I truly need, Gilgamesh, is your love – and you have given me even more than that."
She prevented him from kissing her by immediately asking, "But what are your thoughts?"
He held her even more securely. "These kind of celebrations are for mongrels… but if you had wished for one, as long as it was worthy of us, I would not have opposed it."
In the end, all that truly mattered was for them to be together, and they knew they were husband and wife.
They knew they were in love with each other, and that…
That was more than enough.
His hold on her tightened, his lips went to her cheek to fleetingly caress her skin… and – no longer actually caring if someone saw them, as she would have in the past – she swiftly turned her head, meeting his mouth in a passionate kiss… in the exact moment the celebratory fireworks started.
…
…
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END.
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A/N: sigh… I just adore Gilgamesh and Arturia…
I know they are quite out of character here, but I hope they are consistent with how they changed throughout "A Different Fate". On another note, Taiga does not have any kind of love interest in canon, as far as I know.
Heartfelt thanks to HiddenCamellia – she helped me a lot with some details for this story, and it's only thanks to her that Arturia did not actually slap Gilgamesh ;)
And many thanks to TheBookAngel for helping me as my beta!
The next piece about this couple is "A Different Fate BONUS: Precious New Life", which is a possible sequel to "A Different Fate" and after "Love Has No Rules", exploring what would happen if Gilgamesh and Arturia decide to have children.
Thank you very much for reading!
Until next time,
KitsuneMiyuKendraHyuga
