Artemis eyes opened weakly. Pain rocked her body, and over her Zhi was working on her wounds.
"You'll live," he told her without her questioning her state.
"She's awake?" a voice questioned coarsely.
"Yes, Erus," he replied.
"Eh," she replied. Artemis turned slightly and through blurred version. She could see Erus slumped exhaustedly in a chair by a fire. Cassandra sat ever silent in a chair across from her. "Are you in your right mind, Ambro- Artemis?" she asked.
"Yes," Artemis struggled to finally say.
"Good. I have removed your punishment. It was wrong to place it on you. You did not betray us. I have betrayed the Servants. I thought what was wrong, was right…. I am a fool. I have been blinded by bitterness and hatred, and I ask for you to allow me to start anew."
"You have put me through hell," Artemis breathed. "And you wish for forgiveness?"
"No. I wish for the chance to start over. I wish for you not to forgive me but to agree with me. The Masters of the World must be stopped. This war must not end up like the last war of the Servants. Let us not forget the scarring of the Earth." Artemis looked at Erus. She looked truly tired. "It's time the Servants change. As long as the Servants have been around, they have never changed. It's time we change for the world. It's time I start acting like a leader." Artemis smiled.
"Then let it start," she muttered before falling into a deep sleep.
A clatter and bang. Furniture being knocked over and the sound of bodies being thrown about. Objective yelling was being shouted. Artemis awoke to the noise that filled the room. In her line of sight, she only saw Erus still in her chair. She had a hand on her forehead rubbing it distastefully as she watched disgusted an event too far for Artemis's sight to reach. She saw Cassandra standing and yelling, but couldn't quite make out the words. It seemed like gibberish. Slowly, the words came together.
"You'll wake up Artemis!" Cassandra yelled. There was no answer as the more furniture continued to be knocked over. "Will you two-"
"ENOUGH!" Erus yelled standing. She looked infuriated. "If I have to deal with the two of you, you will cooperate and deal with each other! Am I understood!" There was silence. Artemis blinked trying to understand what she was yelling at.
"Oh," Cassandra said in realization. "You two woke her up!" she snapped. She walked to Artemis. Artemis couldn't move. "Come on. Let me help you," she said gripping Artemis's arm. She helped Artemis sit herself up. The room was trashed and from the light of the fire, she could see Arthur and Jack both standing bitterly glaring at each other. Both look rather beaten up. Arthur turned his attention to her.
"How are you feeling?" he asked her walking to the edge of the bed before sitting next to her. She took a moment to collect her thoughts.
"Were… you fighting?" she asked. It strained her to speak. Arthur was silent.
"No," he replied.
"Liar," she breathed harshly. "Tell… truth." Her lungs hurt with every breath and her throat felt closed up.
"Jack and I… got into a small brawl. It's not that bad," he told her.
"Didn't… seem that way," she replied back.
"It's not important. How are you?"
"How do… I look?" she asked.
"Honestly, terrible, but perhaps there some sort of pleasure in no longer having to go against the leader of the Electus?" he asked hopefully. She smiled.
"A little, but the pain drowns such feelings out," she said.
"That bad?" She nodded slightly.
"She'll have to stay here for extensive healing. She cannot go back to Camelot like this," Erus said.
"And who's fault is that?" Arthur snapped.
"It was a battle to the death," Erus said sharply. "You're lucky she's not dead!"
"Lucky! I had to watch you beat the living hell out of her!"
"Enough," Artemis said. "Elizabeth… is an ally, Arthur. Not an enemy."
"She may not be your enemy, but she is mine. You are too forgiving," Arthur replied.
"I don't… forgive, but the enemy… of my enemy is my friend. The Masters of the World can only be defeated… if the Servants stand together. If we make enemies out… of each other, all is lost."
"You must return to Camelot," Cassandra said.
"I will wait for Artemis to recover," Arthur told the prophetess. She shook her head.
"You must not. Artemis will be there when you need her most, but for now, your place is in Camelot. She will not be gone long. No more than a few weeks."
"I do not like that idea," he informed her. "She is too far from my eyes. I do not know what will become of her if she is to stay here."
"Why not let the boy stay?" Erus asked eyeing Arthur and the way he looked at Artemis. It reminded her of how long ago a prince looked at her that very same way. "What harm will it do?"
"More than you know," Cassandra said. Erus frowned. The prophetess was keeping things from her. It was then she realized how much Cassandra did not tell her.
"Then you must go," Erus said to Arthur. "If Cassandra believes it will do some sort of harm for you to stay, I must bar you from here for the time being. I give my word Artemis will not be gone for more than three weeks."
"She'll be healed in two," Cassandra said to Erus.
"I know, but… we have much to discuss." Cassandra stared at Erus.
"It's funny," Cassandra said. "For so long, I've only seen Erus, the leader of the Electus…, and now in one moment, I recall my friend and caretaker as a child, Elizabeth. What did you see or hear that caused this? Artemis's words were not powerful enough to cause this dramatic of a change."
"In a clash between two, you see what the other is thinking without words… I could see me through her eyes… I have realized what I have become. Victor… wouldn't have wanted this. If he was alive, he would turn away from me in disgust," she replied staring off into space. "What happened to me was an injustice… I should not be enforcing that, I should be removing it. I cannot explain to you… what I saw… what I recall… all I can tell you is that for the first time in a long time, I am awake." There was silence.
"Then, it is decided," Jack said. "I will stay here with Artemis. Arthur will go back to Camelot with Merlin. Ava should go back as well. No?"
"That is a good plan," Cassandra said.
"I will not leave you with Artemis," Arthur snapped at Jack.
"Do you not trust her?"
"It is you I do not trust," Arthur replied with barred teeth.
"What did I miss?" Artemis asked.
"Oh, the usual," Ava replied walking in with Merlin behind her. "Arthur and Jack have been going at it nonstop. Jack blaming Arthur. Arthur challenging Jack and being smug about everything. Jealousy, hormones. The like."
"Is that what's been happening?"
"Oh, yes. They have only gotten worse," Ava said. "They're like animals." Artemis laughed.
"Merlin," Artemis said.
"Good to see you up. Watching Arthur pace for three days straight is enough to drive a man mad." Artemis smiled. Her smile slowly faded to a frown before pulled Arthur into bed and hit him as hard as she could.
"That's for invoking the Right of Justia! And this," she said hitting him again, "is for not listening to me you arrogant prat!" And Artemis, as quickly as she was reminded of her anger for him, forgave him. She kissed him deeply, and he kissed her back.
To Artemis's surprise the door clicked closed. She pulled away and looked around. She realized Arthur and Artemis were left alone.
"I'm sorry for hitting, but you deserved it," Artemis told him.
"I risk my life for you, and I deserve to be hit?" Arthur asked. She smiled. "What about you challenging Erus to a battle?"
"I had a feeling that this would happen. Erus has accepted that she was wrong. She won the battle, but I won the war."
"It was a huge risk," Arthur said. "I mean… I'm glad you aren't arrested, but… you're lucky you aren't dead."
"I know, and so are you," Artemis told him. They stared at each other.
"This last week has been crazy. We both did crazy things," Arthur said. "But things… I don't regret and won't regret." Artemis gently put her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her waist and leaned against her.
"Arthur…?"
"What?"
"You trust me right?"
"Of course."
"Be weary of Morgana."
"What?" he asked confused.
"She is not what you think. She is treacherous."
"Artemis… are you sure? I think you are mistaken."
"I can only warn you Arthur. I cannot change your thoughts. You will find out in time." There was silence. Only Artemis's breathing sounded. It was loud and unsteady. It was unsettling.
"You need rest," Arthur told her.
"Yes," was all she said as she curled herself up closer to Arthur. Her eyes were shut, and it was clear that she had every intention to sleep right there practically on Arthur. He put his head gently on her head and ran his fingers through her hair. Artemis slept.
