Third Night (1)
To say Arturia Pendragon was not enjoying herself would be something of a colossal understatement, similar to saying Merlin was a decent Magus with a bit of a playful streak. Even the suggestion that she was completely miserable, confused and bitter with the current state of affairs was a bit of a trivialization, akin to implying that Mordred had a minor grudge to settle with her father.
Unleashing a quiet, dejected sigh that she never would have shown were she not alone the King of Britain dejectedly stared at the scarred wall of the Tohsaka manor and brooded about more current events instead of long ago ones.
Namely, that she was now the slave of a Vampire and had no immediately apparent way to escape such a fate, her master sequestered away in an unknown location...she had been looking forward to fighting alongside miss Luviagelita. A bit haughty and smidgen arrogant but she was nothing if not brave, driven and possessed a good head on her shoulders, qualities Saber admired.
And she had failed pathetically to ensure the sanctity of her mind.
…
And she had thought the 4th Holy Grail War was a soul-rending experience. Having her ideals challenged by Iskandar, watching Emiya Kiritsugu make a mockery of her chivalric virtues, only able to watch as more and more innocents were drawn into a conflict they had no knowledge of, having to kill Lancelot and confront his mindless rage over the consequences of her actions as King...and then to have the Grail, the one, single thing that would make it all worth it snatched away from her at the last moment.
…
And now this one, which was proving to be-
"You know, when I imagined the King of Knights I didn't really picture some pretty little thing moping about in some dismal shithole basically waving around a sign that says, 'woe is me'! Never meet your heroes, am I right?"
Saber couldn't even really muster up the energy to be angry at the blue-haired man, letting her eyes drift closed as she tiredly replied, "What do you want, Lancer?"
"Shit, can't even drop by to say hello and commiserate with the one other Heroic Spirit stuck in this sinking ship of ours? Especially since that pissy Archer went and got himself killed in the very first battle we fought against other Servants."
Arturia could hear him shake his head, earrings jingling slightly.
"Seriously, two Reality Marbles? Wish I could have seen that-oi, you just made a sour face."
Once more schooling her expression into one of passivity Saber neutrally replied, "You must have been imagining it."
How else was she supposed to explain the unexplainable? That Avalon, the priceless treasure and artifact that symbolized her commitment to leading Britain as its King, was split in its allegiance? That she was no longer the singular wielder and recipient of the blessings of the fae?
...Was it because of her desire to erase her existence from the past, to avert her Kingdom's fall? Did she longer have the right to wield Avalon, if she was so Hellbent on erasing the reason she was gifted it in the first place?
More than ever she found herself reflecting on Iskandar's words...not their disagreements on their respective paths of rule, but on his disbelief that she would erase both her and her knight's accomplishments without looking back, without consideration for their thoughts on the matter.
She no longer had any idea if her wish was one that she truly, deep down, wanted. Lancelot had carried his rage to the Throne even after his death...who was she to trivialize his grudge, to make of it nothing? Who was she, to completely rob Mordred's entire life of any meaning it had ever had in the first place?
And what of her other knights, those who had stayed by her side or merely stayed true to family and friends? What of Sir Galahad, Percival and Lamorak? Would they approve of having their deeds so-
"Eep!"
Leaping to her feet and fighting down the flush of embarrassment at her unintentional noise of surprise Saber almost cut Lancer down right then and there, the man smirking at her with his finger still held outwards where it had poked her in the cheek.
"Do you have a deathwish, Lancer?! And what are you wearing?!"
The blue-haired man simply raised an eyebrow, seemingly unconcerned with the irate King before him.
"The clothing of the current era, what else? Can't just go walking around in my normal threads, people would think I'm insane. More insane than usual, at least."
Saber cast a critical eye at the Servant's floral pattern shirt and dark slacks, distaste curling her lips.
"Is that what you have been doing these past hours? Simply seeing the sights? Or have you forgotten that we are the slaves of some despicable monster and our Masters are currently under lock-and-key with no hope whatsoever of freeing them?"
"Oh crap, I forgot about that! Geez, I'm just that absentminded of a guy, to go forgetting about the events of last night. Guess my memory isn't what it used to be."
...The sarcasm wasn't lost on Arturia, her eye madly twitching as she prepared to berate the other Servant with her sword-
"Look, Saber. If life is so damn intent on kicking the shit out of us when we're down the absolute worst thing we can do is be all sad and upset about it. Trust me, enjoy yourself anyway and whatever forces that conspired to make you feel crappy are gonna feel like right idiots."
"You would know a thing or two about idiots."
Rather than be upset the man just grinned, cheerily remarking, "Looks like there's still some life left in you yet! And here I thought you had just holed yourself up in here all day to brood."
"I have been in here all day, Lancer. There's nowhere else to go."
Her teeth clenched, righteous indignation fueling her vitriol.
"We were treated as mere afterthoughts, like we don't even matter. Rider told us we were free to do as we wish-aside from plot against the Vampire-and left. Nothing more, nothing less."
"What, you would prefer it if we were under constant supervision, told to just sit in some boring room and not move? I mean, you seem to be alright with that but I wouldn't be."
Whirling around with frustrated energy Saber spat, "We are Heroic Spirits! Not convenient tools to be cast aside whenever inconvenient!"
She had gone through that particular treatment during the fourth war and as far as she was concerned that whole sequence of events was a nightmare she would sooner forget...any reminder at all opened wounds that had barely begun to clot, never mind heal.
Lancer didn't outwardly respond to her rant, simply staring at the smaller woman for the longest time...before abruptly snagging her arm and dragging her out of the room, Saber's eyes widening as she stumbled along in his wake.
"W-wha? Lancer, unhand me!"
"Nope. You're getting a serious case of cabin fever staying cooped up in there and it's obviously driving you crazy. I'm taking you on a tour of the town and I ain't taking no for an answer."
Feeling herself flush in embarrassment as she had to power walk in order to keep up with the taller man's swift stride Saber growled, "Lancer? You have three seconds to let go of my arm."
"And let you retreat back into that cave of boring dullness? Sorry, Saber, but if you want me to not show you a fun time tonight you're gonna have to cut my damn arm off."
Seriously considering such an action for a moment Arturia felt her fingers caress Excalibur's hilt...and drop, a huff of irritation escaping her.
"Fine. Explain to me what you mean by a 'fun time', Lancer."
Turning around and finally allowing her to walk under her own power the man grinned, replying, "Honestly? No idea. Just figured we would wander around the city center and see what popped up."
Saber scowled and was about to explicitly state just what she thought of that particular plan-
"But I do know we need to get you something other than that armor and dress of yours. You kinda stick out like a sore thumb with that getup."
"This getup-"
"Is tacky as Hell, I know. C'mon, Saber, we've got a long night ahead of us!"
…
The blonde was beginning to regret this whim of hers already.
"No."
"And I say yes."
"I am not wearing that."
"Can't go around in armor, Saber."
The smaller blonde glared at Lancer with a heated gaze...the effect somewhat ruined by the fact that it was just her head poking out from behind a changing curtain, much like how a newborn lion cub would peek out from behind its mother's back.
"Watch me."
"Just try it on, what's the worst that can happen?"
"No. I am a King and I say no."
"You pulling out the, 'I am a King and my word is law' for this?"
Emerald eyes locked onto a white kimono with red lilies on it, a choice of dress that she wouldn't have necessarily minded if it simply wasn't so short, leaving her legs on display to an uncomfortable degree.
"A King may do as she pleases."
"Well what exactly are you-"
"This shall do."
Hand flashing outwards towards the stack of clothing a nearby attendant was holding Saber retreated back into the room, said attendant turning to Lancer before flashing a mischievous smile.
"Your girlfriend is rather shy, isn't she?"
A thud from inside the changing room-as if someone had tripped over their clothes while slipping them on-and squeak of indignation preceded a shout of, "He is not a romantic interest in any form whatsoever!"
Appearing contrite the employee apologized with, "Oh, my mistake. You're both foreign and just seemed so in tune with each other that I assumed..."
Smirking like a cat that had just caught the canary Lancer replied, "Ah, no biggie. She's actually a work associate of mine who tends to shut herself inside the house all day and not socialize much. Figured someone had to break her out of that habit-"
THWAP!
The attendant giggled as Lancer grinned, removing a sweater that Saber had discarded earlier from around his head.
"She also has anger issues."
A low growl-much like that of an irritated Kitten's-leaked past the curtain as it was promptly shoved aside, Saber casting a malevolent glare at the other Servant as the attendant gasped in joy.
"You look simply stunning, miss!"
Uncomfortable at the sudden scrutiny Arturia shifted her sight to Lancer-
-and felt her eyes avert themselves at his sharp gaze, lips pulled upwards in a clear grin.
"Well don't you like like quite the pretty girl? Was I right or was I right?"
Briefly glancing downwards Saber had to admit that one of the articles he had chosen was...acceptable.
A sky blue 'sundress' that went down to her ankles and covered a thankfully generous amount of her shoulders alongside simple sandals. While she wasn't entirely comfortable with how much skin was shown on her arms-the suit she had worn during the previous Grail War had been one of her favorites-it was quite easy to move around in and would suffice if an enemy suddenly attacked.
It was a compromise.
"But there's still something missing..."
"You're right, sir! But, hmm...jewelry, perhaps? A proper hair ornament?"
Caught off guard by the way both leaned in towards her with intense stares Saber briefly felt the urge to hide back in the changing room until they left. But she was a King and a King didn't run!
"Ah hah! That was it, you got a good eye on you, lady~!"
Completely caught off guard as Lancer reached behind her Saber blankly stared as he took ahold of something-
-and a gentle yank removed the ribbon holding her hair in its customary bun, strands falling loosely around her shoulders as she blinked gormlessly.
He...had he just…
No one-and she meant no one-had ever dared to so brazenly alter her appearance in so bold a manner once she had been crowned King.
Not Guinevere, not Sir Kay...not even Merlin.
"Oh my gosh! She's so cute with her hair down!"
"I know, right? Dunno why she's always being a party pooper and keeping to herself. C'mon, Saber, get out and live a little!"
The King of Britain's jaw worked up and down, trying and failing to form a proper response...and she promptly deflated, face burning with embarrassment and mortification as she stated, "Let's...let's just pay and go..."
No sooner had the words slipped from her mouth that Saber flushed crimson, another realization striking hard as she remembered that she had no money with which to buy anything-
"Sounds good to me. How much for all of that?"
"Follow me to the register and I'll ring it up for you~!"
Plodding along in their wake Saber felt true kinsmanship with her knights who had survived a particularly grueling battle, walking along with a shellshocked air of disconnect.
"How did you acquire money? I don't imagine the Vampire is one to afford us any sort of aid."
Shrugging with clear disinterest Lancer replied, "Got accosted by some thugs who thought I was an easy foreign target or something. Showed em' otherwise and took my spoils of war in the form of nice chunk of change. Having crap luck sometimes works out to my advantage, believe it or not. So, Saber...anything catching your interest?"
Gazing around the well lit city center and its bustling crowds, traveling vehicles and flashing lights Saber felt...more than a little overwhelmed. During the previous war she and Irisviel had toured a great deal of Fuyuki, certainly...but they had mostly stuck to the more modest centers of commerce, rather than the congested interior. And it didn't help that, despite the Grail affording her a blanket amount of knowledge on current events, comparing this era and her own was like comparing night and day.
…
Thinking back on Irisviel soured Arturia's mood, reminding her of the heavy fact that she was now forced to battle against her friend's daughter in a cruel twist of fate that she-
"Geez, Saber. Were you born with a stick up your ass or was it something that gradually forced its way into nature's pocket?"
Teeth grinding at the crude comment she met the Irish spearman's exasperated gaze, biting out, "Did you invite me along only to belittle and tease me, lancer? Mind your tongue."
Rolling his eyes the taller man responded, "No, I dragged you along because I figured you could use a little bit of fun. Instead you seem to be taking every opportunity possible to be miserable and downcast. Seriously, woman, what the Hell is your deal?"
The duo heatedly glared at each other, passerby giving the foreign pair a wide berth for fear of getting caught up in the chaos that seemed ready to unfold at a moment's notice.
The battle of wills continued unabated for almost a solid minute-
-and eventually Saber released a tired sigh, stating, "You wouldn't understand, Lancer."
Continuing their walk the blue-haired man scoffed, replying, "Yeah, no shit. It's kinda hard to understand something you have no knowledge of but that's why people have mouths, yeah? To talk about things?"
"I doubt you would understand even if I did tell you."
"Because it's not like I'm another Heroic Spirit, or anything. Yup, absolutely no way I could possibly relate to anything going through that pretty little head of yours."
Biting down on her scathing retort Saber merely sighed.
…
Could she tell him about her worries? She was so used to taking on the burdens of her ideals by herself and look how that had ended up. And this war would almost certainly end with the both of them dead with no wish so what was the harm? And suppose she did eventually use the Grail to erase her existence from the common timestream? Lancer would not even know that the conversation had occurred in the first place.
…
And, truth be told...she was simply tired. Tired of the image of a King of Knights, tired of fighting and tired of sacrificing others for an ideal that she wasn't even sure of anymore.
"Fine, Lancer. I'll tell you...but..."
Her nose picked up the heavenly scent of spices, sauces and other delicious things alongside the sound of frying meat, Lancer matching her motion and smirking at the smaller woman's clear enthusiasm.
"Well, no sense in talking on an empty stomach. C'mon, Saber. After all, what's the point of money if not to spend it?"
"We don't need to eat and that money is not yours to begin with."
"First point is undercut by your drooling and the second doesn't matter."
The King of Knight's hand automatically flew to her lips, wiping away spittle-
-that wasn't even there, emerald eyes blinking in confusion.
"Just kidding about the drool part."
SMACK!
Rubbing his smarting arm as Saber blushed and stomped off towards the grill house Lancer couldn't help but smirk, lazily following in her frustrated wake.
Who would have guessed that the King of Britain was actually just a feisty little spitfire on the inside? Tonight was looking up!
Ok, I know Fate/Zero came after Stay Night but as someone who watched Zero first before moving on to the sequels Saber's arc seemed kinda wonky and it always seemed like a missed opportunity that she never had the chance to talk to anyone about her trials and traumas from the Fourth Grail War, whether than be with a Servant or Master (Which is why Project Mouthwash's abridged Series is so damn entertaining).
So, why not Lancer? The unsung Hero who everyone likes but is basically the Kenny of Fate?
