Every morning, at 6 A.M sharp Arturia rose from the futon she shared with her beloved and made her way to the wooden floors and traditional trappings of the manor's dojo, taking care not awaken her the rest of her make-shift family. Then, taking a shinai in hand, she went about her daily training. A method of honing her body, soul, and mind through the repetition of a ritual of sword strokes and slashes. Such a ritual was necessary to keep her skills in swordplay free of rust even in these days of peace and tranquility. Though those she once called foe were likely no longer of this world, there was no telling when a the day may come once more when she would have to take up her sword in the name of hearth and home.
But, as it often did, her training could only last for so long before those she those she called "family" roused from a sweet slumber and went about their own morning rituals. Wiping the sweat from her brow and taking a moment to catch her breath, Arturia ended her training for the day with a confident smile upon her face. The sword meant much to her and, someday, she hoped to pass her own passion for the blade and all it represented unto her young son, Instilling timeless lessons of confidence and honor in to his young mind in the process. But those were thoughts for another day, as the present was a work in process where all involved tried their best to fit into the oddly shaped puzzle that was the Einzbern household. By nine the rest of the family had joined the Arturia in the mornings activities, lending a familial warmth to a house that had felt so much more empty when it's residents were but master and servant.
Breakfast was the beginning of all things in the Emiya Manor, their day could simply not begin without a hearty dose of food and drink. A battle cannot be won on an empty stomach, was a mantra often put forth by the King of Knights and followed by the house hold at large as words to live by. Though neither Irisviel nor her beloved knight were especially adept cooks, the Einzbern homunculus was trying her best to learn. Though her early attempts ended in a spectacular array of fires, explosions, burnt food, and unknown substances, Irisviel had slowly, over many weeks, mastered the basics of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Bringing her one step closer to being the ideal mother she had always hoped to be. Shirou, his childish love of learning ever-burning in his chest, had become memorized by his mother's slow journey to culinary excellence, standing by her side every step of the way and offering encouragement in moments of both triumph and failure. It was these small moments, bonding as a family around the trivial details of everyday life, that had made all the toil and heartache of the last few months worthwhile to all involved.
With breakfast ready and spread across the creaking table of the manor's dining room, the real meal rarely lasted half an hour. Arturia was a voracious eater, taking in at least three bowls of rice and several side dishes in a single sitting and her young son was similarly gifted, though scaled to fit his small frame. While Irisviel could never hope to keep up with those around her in sheer volume of food consumed, it warmed her heart to see them eat as much as they did. After food came TV and discussion of anything and everything. Having only lived together a family for a matter of weeks there was still much to learn about one another. Arturia would often spin tails of battle and the ancient past, disguising them as mere myth and legend for the time being, While Irisviel often recalled the happier moment of her life with the man who had so heroically sacrificed himself so that she and Arturia may live. Though there was much his mothers were more than happy to share, there was just as much Arturia and Irisviel kept secret from their adopted son. Arturia's status as a heroic soul and the former king of England, Irisviel's origin as a homunculus and magus of the Einzbern family, and the unfortunate war that had brought them all together. Someday, when Shirou was older and mature enough to handle the truth of his parents' checkered past, they would tell him everything. But, till then, it was enough to sit and enjoy the simplicity of living as a happy family and free of the chains of the past.
The afternoon was a time for errands. Grocery shopping was often the order of the day, with the food consumed by Arturia alone warranting such action as least twice a week. Such trips into the older shopping district were a family affair, with all involved being dragged two and fro for hours on end as Irisviel shopped at what could be best described as a frantic pace. As was the case with many domestic matters, in her earlier life Irisviel had the luck of having a small array of maids to carry out such tasks for her. As the head of a household, she now had to do all of this for herself. Shopping, cleaning, and cooking all feel squarely on her pale shoulders. Though her attempts at mastery of the domestics arts were often clumsy and haphazard, Irisviel's intentions were sincere and, in the end, that was all her family could ask.
By nightfall, the hurried pace of life in the Emiya manor grew to a quiet crawl as the everyone living within its interior ready for dinner and an eventual night of restful slumber. Dinner went very much the same way as breakfast, with food and bonding passing through the dining room at an equal rate. Someday soon, Shirou would begin school and family moments like this would give way to helping a child with his home work, parent-teacher conferences and other school activities. But, till then, it was nice to spend each and every day as a family. It called to Irisviel's mind the halcyon days living in far-off Einzbern castle with her small daughter and stoic husband. Sometimes during dinner or while watching television, such thoughts seized control of her mind, sending forth a nearly endless supply of tears forth from her eyes that stained her face and clothes. But such attacks never lasted long, as the sight of her son quickly asking if she was ok and her lover holding her close to her quickly beating heart cured any nostalgic feelings lingering in her mind.
And finally came the star-filled Fuyuki nights. Long ago Arturia and Irisviel had closed the distance between their respective futons and began sleeping beside one in another in a show of their mutual affections one another. And the recent past had brought Shirou into the arrangement as well, placing the small child firmly between his mothers in an extended line of futons and pillows. An ideal picture of family harmony when asleep, getting to that point was an exercise in futility. Though well-mannered in most respects, Shirou was still a seven-year old boy and prone to the chaotic energy that went along with such a title. The duty of calming the child often fell upon the shoulders of Arturia, who often resorted to calling upon her days marshaling troops in ancient England to solve the problem at hand, using a stern gaze to quiet any resistance boiling in the Shirou's small body. When all over and done, a family laid hand in hand drifted slowly in night's warm embrace, another day lived to its fullest nestled in the quiet corners of their minds where sweet memories lived on forever...
