Stretching, a servant opened the blinds of the room, letting in the heavy streams of sunlight from outside. The light graced everything in the room, bringing to life the vibrant golds, green, and reds embroidered throughout the room. Various fabrics came to life, dancing around the room. The servant girl admired them for a moment, a large look of admiration amongst her eyes as all tended to do whenever they admired his home. A deep, satisfied chuckle came from his lips, drawing her attention back to him.

"Good morning, M'lord," She muttered as he began to sit up. Her eyes drifted from top to bedding on the shirtless figure, adorned with muscles and scars, as he began to sit up within his bed. His golden hair radiated far better than anything remaining in the room, taking all attention towards him. Glittering, red eyes met hers as she stammered her apologies for taking so long and exited the room rather quickly.

As she clumsily left, a footman followed in behind her, taking himself to the wardrobe and selecting clothes. Like gears in a clock, they moved intricately and independently, achieving the overall function of the house without overtaking; rather they complemented each other. The footman finished dressing him in his rather typical black suit as he began discussing the matters of the day.

"Your letter was arrived in the mail today, M'lord. It sits on your reading desk within the office; I trust you would prefer to take business there than in your quarters," The footman spoke rather succinct and somber. The conversation remained purely business related in nature, never erring on showing any emotion or other topic between the two, as the Lord of the house wished for it to remain.

"Very good. Thank you," He said as more of a command to end the conversation than true appreciation.

A smile on his face, the young Lord made his way towards his office in the rather large, three story library he held within his large estate. Curtains were removed, and a small cup of tea and biscuits remained on the side of the desk as he had ordered it to be so many times before.

Good. They are learning…

On the desk sat a few small letters. A few from local businesses in town that sent forward their bills and listed delivery dates. Pushing it aside, he listed it as things to have delivered to the kitchen and cook to be dealt with. A lone letter sat, unopened, after he had cleared the pile.

"Lord Gilgamesh," It stated in a beautiful, elaborate script.

Opening the letter, a smile crossed his lips. Letterhead from his lawyer in town told him exactly what he had expected to hear.

No one usurps me in my own game.

As the large carriage made the turn into Archer's estate, Gilgamesh sat, prepared for the day with a large smile on his face. There was nothing better than obtaining everything that he had so badly wanted all along. Some said that he was greedy; however, Gilgamesh sincerely believed he deserved everything that he had taken throughout life; as was the responsibility of his family and lordship. The carriage turned and weaved down the long, winding road as Gilgamesh watched servants turned their heads, doubtlessly intrigued by their sudden visitor.

The smile across his face only grew larger as he held the envelope tightly within his hands. Archer and he had never truly established a dislike for each other, but Gilgamesh knew that Archer envied him; envied the true ownership that a successful Lord exhibited. Gilgamesh had long accepted that Archer was lesser to him, but clearly Archer had refused to accept the truth, persistently overstepping his boundaries and challenging Gilgamesh's decisions. However, today would be a different day for their story.

Stunned servants opened the doors to a butler that quickly acquiesced to obtaining Archer and bringing him to Gilgamesh. He had refused to traverse the house to the study and meet with him there.

No. This will be done on my terms, even here.

From a yard away, he could see the stunned and bewildered face of the young Lord as he made his way down the walkway to greet Gilgamesh.

"It's a surprise to see you on such short notice, Sir. If you had sent a letter ahead, I would have had a proper welcome prepared for you," Archer said. Although genial, the bite behind the words could be felt.

"It's quite fine, Archer. I had rather hoped to have my business prepared and carried out rather quickly. You see, I received a letter from my lawyer today that was quite interesting, and, seeing as to its contents, I couldn't simply sit around and wait for them to be carried out any longer; it would be most egregious," The venom immediately returned seemed to strike as he handed over the letter, watching with much enjoyment the puzzled and dire appearance on Archer's face.

"What is the manner of this and why couldn't it have waited for after her recovery time? She isn't some doll to be shoved around between houses for anyone's enjoyment. She was wounded and sickly; she has to recover, Gilgamesh. My god, man! Have some fashion of sense!"

"Indeed I do, Archer. You, meanwhile, have none. She was never yours to care for in the first place. No. You overstepped your bounds and involved yourself in a manner that was not yours to care for. As the nearest 'family member' of sorts, she is in my care until she is properly recovered. If you had followed reason, you wouldn't have had the nerve to bring her here, to put her in more danger by moving her when it was unnecessary. No. You were too consumed with your distasteful habits to leave her as she should be, you selfish being. Now, you have risked her life. As I have heard, she caught a fever from her wounds. I doubt very much that this cannot be attributed to you and your poor care for her. No. You would do your best to relinquish control to someone who can properly care for her; someone her father asked to care for her, Archer."

Gilgamesh watched as a pale shade of white washed over the young man, removing any pallor or stance that he had before, when he had squared off against Gilgamesh. No. Gilgamesh didn't lose battles like this; he merely waited and struck when the time was correct.

"Now, Archer, if you will," Gilgamesh motioned to the doorway where another carriage could be heard to pulling up to the door. "I arranged for Miss Tohsaka to be brought to my home and properly cared for by a full-time physician. You are welcome to visit her should the fancy strike you, but should you note the ending paragraph of the letter, there wouldn't be much to your visits."

Archer's eyes followed the red-eyed demon as he motioned for the servants to open the door. A large group of men entered as the butler led them to where Rin was being kept. The young girl was still rather out of it as they carried her on a stretcher out the house. Her body looked lifeless but peaceful as she rested, wrapped in a blanket and supported by a pillow. Archer thought he saw a faint frown on her face, but he couldn't make it out since she was turned away from him.

The group stopped before Gilgamesh as he ran his hand through the hair of the young girl.

"She's as beautiful asleep as she is awake, isn't she, Archer? What a beautiful woman she is and a beautiful bride she shall be." Gilgamesh's smile was anything but menacing, threatening to draw out anger that Archer had held deep within for many years; something that hadn't been fully stirred since the war.

Archer could merely follow the group as they made their ways into their two carriages. A small wave from Gilgamesh had been their only parting words as they headed from the estate and towards the gates.

"M'lord," his butler mustered up from the silence, "Is there nothing that can be done, Sir?"

Archer looked to the letter for a moment, reading it over and over again.

The young heiress to the estate and my daughter should be looked after by someone most esteemed in my eyes. Although I have not met you again since your youth, Lord Gilgamesh, I would entrust her to you as both a ward during her recovery and potentially a future bride should she be desirable upon her full recovery and terms agreed upon.

"I do believe that I need to make a trip into town. Something doesn't feel quite right about this letter…" Archer said as he folded it up and placed it in the breast pocket of his jacket. I'm going to pack. Would you please place a phone call to my lawyer and have him be ready to see me at his earliest convenience."

With that, machinations began to turn and sand dripped through the hourglass, moving ever forward. Unrelenting, Archer began to pack his bags, convinced something more must have been going on behind the scenes. What it was, he couldn't have said, but he was assured that Gilgamesh had played some card that changed everything for the Tohsaka family. Within the solitude of his study, packing having been finished, Archer sat, writing away. Letter after letter was complete, signed, and stamped with the Emiya family crest. At last, the final letter was addressed and placed alongside the other important letters and papers.

Lord Tohsaka.