Einzbern Castle

"Archer, this greatest of wines you have summoned deserves to be vesseled only in the most prized of all goblets," said Iskander with a smile, before taking another generous gulp for himself. "However, the Holy Grail was not designed for wine. Tell me Archer, try to convince us that you and no one else are worthy of possessing the Grail."

Gilgamesh chuckled into his cup.

"You presume that we are even equal enough to compete for the Holy Grail. I am afraid that is just not possible."

"Hm?" Rider raised an eyebrow and Arturia sighed.

"It was promised to me a long time ago, long before the magi took interest in it."

Arturia's grip tightened around her goblet. If there was anything that remained of her shredded memories, it was the agreement she had made with Gilgamesh in exchange for his assistance in the war against Williame the Conqueror. She remembered the time they spent in his private gardens discussing the conditions of their agreement, and his journey with them towards Britannia, but after the initial planning of overthrowing Williame, it all started to blur into nonlinear images that made little sense, even if she could tell what they were. Some were more perplexing than others.

"It should already be in my possession to begin with," Gilgamesh continued. "All treasures in the world originate from my collection, so having to retrieve it from where it was at the time was an unfortunate circumstance at least."

"The Holy Grail you speak of was a relic that originated when it collected the blood of Jesus Christ upon his crucifixion," said Arturia. "No one is even certain that is the same Christian relic that grants eternal youth. The one we fight for grants wishes."

Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes at her and then shrugged.

"Either way, they both belong to me."

"So you're saying you once had the Holy Grail?" Rider interjected. "So you could identify it upon sight."

"No, it is not something you could understand." Gilgamesh took another drink. "My wealth exceeds even my own knowledge, but as long as it is considered a treasure of man, it obviously belongs to me."

Arturia's jaw dropped.

"You speak as madly as Caster with your treasury and entitlement!" she spat. "The Holy Grail that we bargained-" She stopped short and glanced at Rider who raised his eyebrow; she sighed, no sense in hiding it now. "The Grail we bargained over was the Christian relic, and had no Babylonian origin whatsoever."

"Irrelevant," said Gilgamesh nonchalantly. "That Grail, my love, is a part of a different story. I am merely emphasizing that it would be senseless for Rider to try and rob me of the Grail he currently fights a losing battle for."

"Oi," said Rider. "You two may have had the unfortunate circumstance of being summoned in the same war, but that still leaves little room for lovers quarrel. If you two intend to battle out your relationship-oh sit down Saber- do it some other time. For now, let us drink."

Arturia clenched and unclenched her fist, staring down Gilgamesh. He was equally as stubborn in his gaze, but was eventually the one to break away, taking a long swig of his wine and quickly pouring another cup full.

"What say you and I have that little contest we promised so long ago?" he said, raising his cup to her. "Do you still have the same vigor that I fell for?"

Arturia's eye twitched lightly as she felt the need to run him through, yet with the newest memories of her civil evening of drink and discussion, she started to wonder how much of her hatred was deserved.

She sat down without another word and gulped another cup full.

"Gracious," said Rider, refilling her cup. "I was not aware the extent of your history each other ran as deep as the scars it leaves for me to see." He paused. "Perhaps there was much more than you had let on, King of Heroes."


Outskirts of Camelot

.

Lancelot found himself walking up the river for quite a while, his search party right behind him, until they came upon a trail of foot and hoof prints that led them to a cave. Inside, Lancelot discovered a group of men dressed in a fashion he had not seen in three years. There, the queen lay next to the fire, asleep, bound and beaten.

The next thing Lancelot realized was that the Angles were slaughtered and the queen was back in the care of a physician in Camelot.

The knight was informed that he had sustained a rather strange blow to the head during the battle. It mattered little to him as long as Guinevere was in good health.

"She is awake actually," said Sir Agravain; he had been the first one to greet Lancelot upon his return. "She has been asking for you ever since she regained consciousness." He glanced at Lancelot with a raised eyebrow. "What could the reason be that she calls for a simple knight and not her own husband and king?"

Lancelot narrowed his eyes.

"For all she knows, King Arthur is still not even in Britannia, let alone Camelot. And she assumes correctly," he said. "He wis probably on his way here now."

Sir Agravain shrugged, and the chair he sat in squeaked as he rose.

"You may be right," he said with a sneer. "Either way, she wants to see her favorite knight."

Before Lancelot had time to retaliate, Agravain had slipped out the door and was gone. He cursed under his breath and then rose from his bed, clenching his forehead while he did. His head burned, as if someone had taken a hot coal and burned something into his mind that did not belong.

It took him very little time, despite his searing headache, to get to the queen's chambers. When he requested the audience, the physician answered the door and allowed him in. Guinevere lay on the bed of white sheets, some areas of which had been dirtied by her injuries. Lancelot dropped to one knee immediately.

"My queen," he breathed in relief. "I am so glad to see you safe again. I am so sorry I could not find you sooner."

She gave a weak smile and beckoned him forward.

"She sustained quite a few bruises," said the physician. "But nothing that won't heal in time. No broken bones thankfully, although her ribs may take longer time healing."

Lancelot's heart suddenly dropped to his stomach as a thought came to mind. There had been at least a dozen Angles in that cave.

"And-" He cleared his throat and moved away from Guinevere, pulling the physician to the far side of the room. "What of her-um..."

The physician frowned and Lancelot feared the worst.

"She is completely untouched," he said. "Which I find the most perplexing of all, to be honest."

"Well certainly. Those men were brutes."

"No, I mean-" He glanced at the queen. "Her virtue is completely in tact. She is clearly a virgin, Sir knight."

Lancelot swallowed hard.

"Are you sure?" he said, trying his best to sound surprised. The physician nodded.

"Yes," he said. "And although this is fortunate given her recent circumstances, it could mean something greater for the kingdom than this one event."

"But- you were in the wedding chambers on the night in which they consummated their marriage," Lancelot protested. "You confirmed that she had been deflowered and the ceremony was complete."

The physician drew in a deep breath and shook his head.

"I am tired," he said. "I spent an eternity waking you from your slumber. You might as well have been under a spell. The queen as well. I was afraid you would not wake, but all is well for now." He looked to Guinevere. "We will address this later. Goodnight."

With that, he retired, leaving the room far too big for Guinevere and the knight.


Tohsaka Mansion

"How could they be drinking together?" Tousaka Tokiomi pondered this as he sat alone in his workshop that lay underground. "They haven't even draw a weapon on each other?"

"Apparently not," said Kirei. "But are you sure you should be concerning yourself with this or rather what my messenger brought back?"

Tokiomi mumbled under his breath. The act of Gilgamesh deliberately transferring his own mana to Saber disturbed him, as well as the conversation between them. Who was this swordsman that his Servant was so obsessed with? What was their history?

"Apparently, Rider may know something about those two as well," Kire's voice came through the phonograph into the workshop. "Do you really believe it is safe to leave Archer alone at this point in the War?"

"At this rate, it can't be helped."

"As long as no swords are drawn, Archer would not reveal his Noble Phantasm."

"Right."

There was a pause between the two Masters.

"Do you think we should strive to eliminate Saber first in order to pull Archer's focus back to the Grail?"

Tokiomi laughed grimly.

"Something tells me that would only anger him further." He thought long and hard. "We should direct our focus onto Rider. I have a feeling his 'Gordius Wheel' is not the extent of his power...he's hiding something far more powerful."

"So we need to exploit it," said Kirei.

"Precisely." Tokiomi sat up in his seat. "We need to go through with the plan you and I discussed."

"I understand." There was a pause. "It will take a few minutes to gather all the Assassins together."

"Then do it, and give the command. This is a gamble, but we will hardly lose anything from it."


Northern Border of France

News of Queen Guinevere's recovery had reached Arturia two days later. The message had been directly from Lancelot, and he mentioned the situation with the physician regarding Guinevere's virtue.

An exhausted groan was all she could give the letter. She made sure that everything had been said and then read, and then she lit the letter aflame and immediately poured herself some wine. She now cursed her constitution for being so strong against the drink. After two cups alone, she looked at the ashes of the letter, and then towards the entrance of the tent. Another groan escaped her lips and she set down the cup. She would probably regret this.

Two guards, as usual, were posted outside her tent. A small force of British soldiers had met them at the camp a few days prior in preparation to take the king back to the ship that would hasten them back to Britannia for the final battle. Arturia dismissed the guards, telling them she was off to Gilgamesh's tent for some last minute logistics.

She noticed the half a dozen men surrounding Gilgamesh's tent, but decided not to judge him this time. She approached the entrance and one guard stopped her briefly to poke his head into the tent to inform the king of her arrival. Gilgamesh came out himself to greet Arturia, clearly perplexed by her motive.

"You men should get your rest before we leave," he said, not taking his gaze off Arturia. "I will call for another shift of guards soon."

The men simply nodded and they all left in a uniform manner. Gilgamesh, still staring at Arturia quizzically, held open the tent flap for her to enter.

"What brings you here, little king?" he asked, once the tent was closed to them. His voice held a hint of caution.

"I decided that it would be wiser to come here to talk rather than reach for the mead every time something new and difficult arises in my life," said Arturia, looking around the king's lavish tent. "Otherwise, I may gain a reputation for being a drunk."

Gilgamesh watched her as she walked to the center of his tent. Her shoulders sunk a little deeper and she dragged her feet, her hands, usually always clenched in a tight fist, hung loosely at her side. It took him a moment to respond.

"Erm... what has happened?" he asked. "Have you received word on your queen."

"I have."

There came an awkward silence as Gilgamesh waited for her to continue.
"And?"

"She is back safe. Apparently, a group of Angles strayed into our territory and took her; for whatever reason we do not know. They are all now dead now, thankfully, and Guinevere is relatively unharmed."

"Arturia, you are failing to mention how this is at all an unfortunate situation," said Gilgamesh.

"Apparently," she said, turning to face him, "upon inspecting her for deeper injuries, the royal physician discovered that Guinevere was still a virgin."

Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow.

"I suppose that could cause a bit of a scandal for the crown."

"Especially if they demand that they watch another consummation," Arturia snapped, placing her fingers to her temples. "It was difficult enough getting away with it on my wedding night, but this could cause everything to crumble. Five years for naught."

Gilgamesh watched her; she could feel his eyes burning red into her. She couldn't believe she had thought coming to him would help, this arrogant king who probably loved scandals more than anything. Yet she still found solace in the one man who knew her little secret and did not openly show some sort of disdain for her. And Lancelot was too far away from which to seek condolence. Arturia leaned against a desk for support as her head began to ache more.

"Arturia," Gilgamesh said hesitantly. "You once said that you usually practice archery to get your mind off of distressing matters." He crossed his arms and walked to the center of the room. "Have you ever considered that you simply might be too high-strung lately?"

"You insult me," she growled. "I have an entire kingdom's fate riding on my shoulders and my shoulders alone and-"

"That is exactly my point," Gilgamesh snapped back. "You bear a heavy burden Arturia. A bit less so now that your queen is safe, but even that has caused a new chapter of hardships for you. And yet you rely on no one for support, no one for comfort, not even your knights are allowed your council."

Arturia swallowed hard, trying hard to properly organize everything in her head, with all that was now weighing down the crown, threatening to crush her.

"You do little to stifle the weight of that burden," she countered. "I do not know why I thought it wise to come to you. I do not rely on anyone. I make sacrifices for my people, I am prepared to do so. Sometimes my well being is simply one of those things that must be sacrificed."

"Oh for the love of the gods," Gilgamesh groaned. He stomped over to her and slammed his hands onto the table that lay behind her. Arturia suddenly felt caged;no, she was caged.

"How dare-"

Gilgamesh's sharp voice cut through hers, stopping her short.

"The only thing you are sacrificing right now is any shred of humility for your own health and well being," he said lowly. "Your damned ideals are not something you can feed with your body and soul. Eventually, that will run dry and you will have nothing, and by then, no one will want to comfort a shell." He bore his gaze into hers and clenched his teeth. "I have kept my distance and held my tongue, but now I fear I can stand by no more."

"Stand by what?"

Gilgamesh raised his head slightly, looking at her from a different angle, waiting for her to figure it out herself.

"It's clear enough you do not love your queen in any way most kings do their wives." He paused. "You don't really believe that the amount of frustration you feel can be quelled by aggressive archery every morning, do you?"

Arturia couldn't help but watch him move. His shoulders shifted as he supported himself safely away from her. Even as he encircled her against the table, he had not touched her once. She blinked and tore her gaze away, but not quickly enough for him not to notice. He chuckled.

"Am I making you nervous?" he asked, leaning forward ever so slightly.

"If I said yes," she said through her teeth, "would you move away and let me leave?"

"Of course," he said. "But you won't leave." He smiled knowingly. "You don't want to."

"And why do you think that?"

"Because no matter how much you try to deny it, you are a woman, and women have just as many sinful desires as men. And you haven't given a straightforward yes or no yet. You're dancing around what you want and what you want me to believe that you want."

Arturia suddenly laughed.

"You are mad," she said, placing her hands on either side of the table for support as she leaned further from him. "And you obviously know nothing about me as a woman."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them; for a malevolent grin curled on Gilgamesh's lips and he leaned in even closer.

"Oh, Arturia," he purred as if tasting her name like honey, or to Arturia, like fresh prey. "I know more of you as a woman than all of your people think of you as a man."

The little king stood her ground, but she felt herself cracking, something bubbling up through the seams as Gilgamesh got closer.

"I know your heartbeat quickens when I near you. I have seen the blood rush to the surface of your skin when I've touched you, and now, I haven't even laid a finger on you and you are as flush as the sunset. It's quite charming really." His grin softened. "And I know you have never been addressed or been touched as a woman until I discovered your little secret." He pursed his lips as his eyes raked down her frame. "You really never have been intimate with anyone, had you?"

Arturia shook her head, and then found her voice.

"If you are implying that I have fallen in love with you, then you are gravely mistaken."

"No." His answer was quick and blunt, and he raised an eyebrow. "And neither am I in love with you." He pushed one hand off the table and placed one hand under Arturia's chin. "But I cannot deny the desire I have for you. And although you may stay silent, your body speaks for itself, and I think I've gotten my answer."

"And what would give you that impression?"

Gilgamesh grinned.

"You haven't tried to kill me," he said, running his ringer down her throat. "Even after I just touched you."

Arturia swallowed under his touch. Her palms grew moist and her heartbeat quickened.

"You broke your vow."

"And yet here I stand, unscathed." His grin widened. "I've stared more horrifying danger in the eyes before, but then again, it was not nearly as beautiful as you are, or as- obvious—"

The sound of Arturia's palm impacting with Gilgamesh's cheek was louder and harder than she had intended. He lurched away from the hit, spinning as he did. He stumbled into a chair in his path, but then caught himself on it. Arturia's eyes burned into his as they flared like fire back at her. She imagined that he had never been struck before in his life, but she neither feared nor cared about what sort of wrath she may have evoked from deep inside him. But she also took note of the ornate lance that decorated a desk just a few feet away, just in case. For a long while, they just stared each other down, Arturia now standing tall against Gilgamesh, despite the height difference.

"You are a brave woman, are you aware of that?" he said dizzily, rubbing the side of his face; his tone somehow showed both anger and humor. Arturia narrowed her eyes.

"It is one of my traits I have full confidence in," she replied calmly, not willing to back down. "Do you have anything you want to say to me for that?"

"Only that you should be thankful that we're not back in Babylon."

"Do you really think that?" said Arturia. "Would you really have had me killed for you breaking the vow that you made to never touch me without my permission?"

"Well," Gilgamesh couldn't help but smirk just a little. "You still didn't try to kill me." He made a face.

Arturia raised an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms. She must regain control.

"That is because I am giving you another chance first," she said.

"Your palms are clammy..." He mumbled to himself, rubbing his cheek as she spoke. "Wait what?" He glanced up. "What did you say?"

The little king then asked herself if she had the bravery to do what she had on her mind. She took a few steps towards Gilgamesh, looked him up and down for good measure, and then tilted her gaze up to meet his. They were dangerously close again, but it was he who was now confused.

"I am giving you another chance," she said quietly. "To ask for my permission."

He went slack-jawed, wincing a bit from the skin on his face that still stung. It was starting to turn red. Arturia's mind sidetracked to the thought that people would see that mark later on. Her stomach dropped before Gilgamesh brought her back to the present.

"This is humiliating...Arturia," he said, after taking a moment to run a hand through his hair for composure. "Will you let me touch you?"

She did not answer right away, deciding to let him wait on it for a little bit. Her expression still bore that of anger from earlier, but neither was Gilgamesh about to budge. He was not about to beg, but he was clearly getting agitated by having to wait.

"Artu-"

"Yes."

He suddenly seemed unsure of what to do, as if his advances mere moments earlier had meant nothing. Arturia felt powerful then, to have brought such a lust driven man to the point of being too dumbfounded to act on his own desires, and all because she demanded acknowledgement. They said nothing to each other as she waited for his mind to start working again. Finally, he moved closer to Arturia, slowly, cautiously. He first took a lock of hair that framed her face between his fingers and ran down until it met her chin. Arturia instinctively averted her gaze, but found herself meeting his eyes when he rested his fingers below her chin and tilted her face to his.

Gilgamesh began to lean in before a loud voice from outside the tent startled them both apart.

"My king!" cried a man that sounded like General Haddad. "We have urgent news!"

The two kings leaped apart as the general entered the tent with a soldier following him.

"Oh, King Arthur," said Haddad. "I wasn't aware you were meeting with him today."

"It's fine, Haddad," said Gilgamesh, his gaze still stuck on Arturia. "What is it?"

"Williame's forces are starting to move from their posts as a mass," said the messenger behind him. "I'm afraid they are all headed to an armada that is prepared to leave this evening for Britannia."

Haddad directed his attention to Arturia.

"Your majesty, we have to leave now."