Archer sat there in a state of disbelief. After everything he had wondered for so long, questions unanswered by anyone, a man so many miles from the events of that fateful night could tell him who had shot Rin. Long ago he had given up wondering who had done it and how it had happened. Rin was in no state to talk about it, and everyone else had been accounted for in the ballroom; it had seemed the mystery would go unsolved. As time had passed, his attention had turned elsewhere, favoring his concern over her rather than the event itself. Arched had hoped that someday the truth would come out, but he had never considered how it would be brought about. Blue eyes as tumultuous as the sea had drifted him out and taken his ship to another land far away.
"You know who did it?! But how? Why have you not said anything before now?" Archer was on the edge of his seat, battling between annoyance and excitement. The old man simply sat at his desk, finishing the line he was writing within the large, leather-bound ledger on the desk. His work done, Grimwold closed the book and crossed his hands before him, a grin widening across his face.
"Ah. It wasn't until you sent me your letter that I took an interest, and it was seemingly easy to have found out. No doubt your excuse is the girl, distracting you from logic. You know better, Mr. Emiya. You have been through so much in life. To let your guard down now would force you to lose the game in the long run. I'm afraid you are going to have to play your game a few more moves ahead than you had planned…"
Grimwold had a flare for dramatics whenever he had a trump card in his hand. Should you be on the receiving end of his…tricks, Archer would pity you; no man should suffer as he could make them. Rumors circulated of the things he had done in life, the reputations he had destroyed. Some feared him, some admired him. There was a clear division amongst many over the business of Archibald Grimwold, but his life was for someone else's judgement.
"No. It was painful to waste my time, having Dia look into this, you know? You are going to owe both him and myself some sincere gratitude for this time. You wouldn't have needed us if you had played your cards right. Instead, you lost your head; let me remind you that your father was most proud of how…forward-thinking both of us were. He would not enjoy seeing that you hadn't carried on what he was so proud of." Grimwold watched as his words hit the mark on Archer, reminding him that nothing was so simple when you played games with nobles. People with connections would sink to the lowest slums in order to maintain their lifestyle or advance it. Youth had struck the young heir hard, and Grimwold felt it necessary to remind him of the stakes in this game; there would be no victory without scrupulous tactics and potential losses.
Grimwold's leathery hand slid across an envelope to Archer as the explanation began.
"No, instead, I'll tell you who you are looking for. It's someone you wouldn't know; none of us do. He is rather unknown but rather…feisty. He has a history of causing problems, especially involving women. You're looking for someone who was paid to attack Miss Tohsaka; someone that would have been so unnoticed, he could have blended in anywhere during the party, and he wouldn't have been seen as out of place. I doubt any of you carefully scrutinized the servants like you did the guests." Grimwold scoffed almost bringing himself to a large coughing fit, "No. You youth are all alike now. Nevertheless, he is a young man, strange obviously. They call him 'Baron de Rais'. A former French aristocrat, he is out on his luck after a rather sordid past and trying to establish himself here. It seems he has a rather familiar contact, or so I have heard…"
However, Grimwold's dramatics were cut short. A rap at the door quickly preceded in the rushing of a youth through the door. Archer had never met him, but he had heard of him; he was sure of it. Indeed, there were very few that Grimwold would be willing to trust entry without invitation.
"Sorry, Sirs. I have important information though, Mr. Grimwold. You're going to want to hear this."
The boy looked rather regal, dressed in a dark green suit with a blue vest and black shirt. He seemed to be only a few years Archer's junior and rather dashing as well. One free piece of hair hung from the top of his head, and he walked with an ease of confidence that would shake any man.
"What is it you have to say Dia? How did your inquiries go?"
"I just got back from the dock, and you'll be most keen on hearing what rumors are floating there, Sir."
She had spent her days kept in the same room, watching maids come in and out under the guise of taking care of her. Rin had recognized Gilgamesh the moment she had seen him, but she still felt as if this were all a dream—something entirely unreal to her. There were a lot of blank spaces that needed to be cleared up, obviously. The ladies had been very kind, giving in to every request that she had. Eventually, she had gained enough strength to walk to the window in her bedroom and look out. Unlike Archer's estates, the servants didn't have smiles or interesting personalities. No. Gilgamesh's servants looked like slaves, beckoning to his every whim. Instead of the flowers at Archer's estate that she looked out at with great joy, she was greeted with the blank expanse of trees and statues that decorated his estate. Varying from different generations, they were solemn edifices to the former owners of this estate. The largest one, centered on a fountain, was left for the Gilgamesh himself, laying on his side as he ate fruit; adorned like the God he fancied himself to be.
One of the girls had been nice enough to accept a request for some stationary and pens from her. With great secret, she had penned letters to Archer, addressed to his brother, Shirou. Surely he will understand what is going on and make mention of it to Archer, eventually; he'll have to be curious to see why I'm sending letters when I'm at his own blood-relative's estate. It'll surely come up in conversation! It wasn't much, but it was all she did. Every day, Rin penned another letter, hoping she would be annoying enough to be discussed in conversation. Archer wouldn't have just given me over like that. Not the man that I knew… Who was she to talk of knowing anyone though? Their exchanges had been distant at best, and they warred more than they learned of each other. Rin believed she knew him, hazily thought she had learned of him, but she couldn't speak on his behalf, truly. What she learned, she felt was in small part information and largely her filling in the gaps that the information produced. Rin wasn't sure what she knew anymore, but she had to try anything to get out of this situation.
As the letters hadn't been returned yet, she took another chance and penned her father a few times with requests to see him, to visit him soon. She couldn't' be without her father much longer; Rin was a girl in the age where she should be with her father, arguing over suitors for her hand, not lying in some estate, recovering.
Rin penned every day, as much as she could both for her sanity and her hope. Every day, she heard the lock on the door when a servant left. She was confined, caged. Had she the strength and ability, walking outside the door would have shown an ever growing pile of letters sat neatly on the hallway table.
In a large library, two figures stood facing a window, watching a storm that had rolled in. Lightening continued to strike the country side as they stared. Glasses of wine clamored together in sounds of celebration between the two. Unmoving, one figure began to speak.
"I do believe that we have won this game, good fellow. I do applaud your efforts. My plan was rather laborious, but it seems to have slowly worked itself around. Your efforts at the ball are not unnoticed; you did your job perfectly. Now that I have gotten her to my home, to my care, everything should continue as planned."
The accompanying figure, wearing what seemed to be a blue suit, took another large drink from the wine, swishing it around for a moment afterwards. The other figure nodded, finishing the entirety of its glass before responding.
"I am most gracious for such kind words, monsieur. However, I am developing an….ennui. Too much waiting and watching. I am ready for my place in this society, what you promised." The character placed its glass on the table, nearing the door.
"You shall receive it. I do keep my promises. Once he is dealt with, you shall have his estate. Burn it and rebuild it or hollow it and make it your own, I don't care. His brother won't be needing it, I promise. I wouldn't want to burden her heart with being able to see it either. Your time will come, as promised."
A quiet chuckled echoed through the room as they separated.