Arturia didn't know how to climb trees, but even then, she was bad at it. Right now she was struggling to grip the bark. "Perhaps we can try an easier tree. I feel oddly out of strength," she said.

It was like she barely had any control over her muscles. It didn't make any sense. If she really had just woken up, she shouldn't feel this weak at all. But even if she did feel a bit drained, it would be much easier if she could actually reach that stupid branch. She silently cursed her small stature.

Goodness, why should my height get in the way now?

Lancer had said it was all right to start with the tree that had served as their shade for their conversation since it had low branches. The branches really were low. For Lancer, anyway. Said man was pursing his lips. She swore he was hiding his laughter.

Damn that six-footer.

"Can I not just leap up there?"

"Knights do not cheat," he winked, "Besides, that's not necessary for an event like this," the knight said, smiling. The girl came close to pouting. "That is easy for you to saaa-AAAAH!" The king shrieked. Lancer lifted her up from her waist and set her down gently on the lowest branch.

Easy as lifting a feather. Diarmuid noted.

She gripped the bark like there was no tomorrow, desperately trying to still herself.

"Your face is all red. Is something the matter?" The knight asked as if nothing happened.

She brought her hand to her face. That sudden rush was a bit too much. "No, no, I was just taken by surprise...You have my thanks," Saber said regaining her composure.

"Though I wouldn't say that that was not cheating," she teased, easily receiving a chuckle from the man.

As soon as her eyes left him to see the view in front of her, she gasped. Beautiful. She could see so far from here. She'd never really known the world could look so vast, not from a low tree anyway. This little tree seemed so lucky. Saber didn't know what she'd give to see a wonderful view like this every day.

Why didn't she ever try this before?

Back on the ground, Diarmuid smiled. She looked so amazed, just like a child taken to the ocean for the first time.

A breeze blew her hair into her face. Lancer watched as she ran her fingers through her golden locks. Her hair looked so smooth, yet that one stubborn strand refused to go down. It suited her though, adding a bit of cuteness and rebellion to her look. He blew at his own stubborn bang.

Her eyes caught the sunlight, shining like emeralds.

God, she's beautiful. Lancer found himself in a familiar situation. There was a beautiful girl sitting on a low branch of a tree.

Saber, Guinevere couldn't have possibly been the finest lady of the land.

There he was, looking up at her.

Your subjects don't know how to look.

But, this time it was different.

The most beautiful lady in the land could not be Guinevere.

It wasn't the girl who was in love with him.

It's you.

It was-

"Diarmuid."

She called out, and when he looked, her eyes were filled with an immeasurable pain.

"There's something…something I need to tell you."

the same expression of anguish he'd seen on a knight who was deceived by a trusted friend, the same excruciating feeling he'd felt when Fionn had left him to die, the same countenance Saber herself had shown him when his cursed Master had ordered him to—

"You dare try to speak to my future wife, mongrel?"

An arrogant voice interrupted his thoughts.

Two pairs of eyes widened in disbelief?

That voice…that tone could it be…?

Red eyes and blonde hair materialized in the air next to Saber. She stiffened, but remained in her position, watching the man form from gold dust. So it was him… the man who looked like he was made in the heavens yet had the mind of someone hell born, the king who'd constantly mocked her very life, the vain devil who though he could seduce her with pretty words.

She hated him.

And yet for a brief moment, just before he'd died by her hand in the Grail war, she thought she'd seen…

Seen…

Something.

"Gilgamesh," she said simply, acknowledging his presence, though slightly annoyed.

"I'm touched you used my real name, Saber. This means you finally return my feelings, does it not?" his eyes glinted. "I have not forgotten my promise," the gold man smirked, "I am sure you haven't either."

At this, the female scoffed and turned away from the man she so abhorred.

Gilgamesh? Archer's true identity is Gilgamesh? What feelings? What promise? Questions plagued the Irish knight's mind. Well whatever they were talking about, he didn't like it.

More so since he figured they'd met recently.

After he died.

Eyebrows twitching, the knight patiently watched the King of Heroes, ready to act if the lady wished him to.

What was that basta— man…doing here anyway? What awful timing. He was rather enjoying his time alone with his— with the King of Knights. Really, couldn't he have waited just a few minutes, no, hours longer? Irritated orange eyes flew to the blonde, heavily armoured King.

Gilgamesh was now seated on the farther end of the branch, daringly close to Saber. Lancer didn't like Archer ten years ago, and his opinion did not change. There was just something about the arrogant king that got on his nerves. Besides the arrogance, of course.

Oh, and then there was the fact that he was stealing Saber's attention.

What?

Lancer inwardly slapped himself. He did not like where his thoughts were going.

As the knight lectured himself within his mind, the two kings had started an odd conversation.

"You know, Saber," the blonde man started, and for once, the irritating smirk he'd always sported disappeared from his face.

"I really did have fun."

Her eyes widened and she turned toward him in disbelief, jaw agape and everything. There it was again. The expression he'd worn when he looked at her just before he died. His gaze wasn't piercing, nor vain, nor cold. It was…warm.

Had Archer actually spoken kindly?

"And now that we have been reunited, I shall make you mine!" the king laughed.

Of course not.

Half-heartedly, the girl watched his countenance change back to the condescending face he always wore. She detested that look. A shame. Had he kept that warm gaze on a little longer, she might have actually tried to tolerate him.

The British woman displayed a face no different from her usual calm demeanour, the Irishman observed, but she looked, just the slightest bit disappointed. What had been going on in her head, he wondered. And just what had happened between the two Kings? They acted as if they'd just met. That couldn't have been possible.

Unless…

Diarmuid felt something go off in his head.

That lucky bastard.

Lancer silently watched Archer. For some reason, the man was getting on his nerves. Why was he even reacting this way? Appearing in a Grail war twice was not entirely impossible, wasn't it? Saber appeared twice too right? Still, the blonde man was definitely suspicious. His gaze turned into a glare. Gilgamesh was unpredictable; therefore, he was a threat. Threats must be eliminated immediately to ensure safety, right?

Lancer's glare was met with a scorching irate glower.

"Who gave you permission to gaze upon me, mongrel?" The king snarled, metal ringing as he clenched his fist. The knight deliberately ignored the tantrum, and continued unfazed and unafraid.

"Forgive me for disturbing your...interaction, but I think you should come down from there," Lancer said, taking note of his lavish heavy armor.

What was that? Saber thought she heard something. Must've been the wind.

"Oh," said Gilgamesh, raising an eyebrow as his scowl deepened, "and what gives you the authority to order around a king, you worm?"

There it is again. Saber thought. The girl looked around for the source.

"You and I were both slaves to the will of our masters. That puts us in the same class, does it not?" Lancer retorted, eyebrows crossed, as he moved to the ground under Saber.

"HAH! I'm the King of Heroes. YOU are but a mere knight! A dog!" the blonde man exclaimed, eyes growing ever more irritated.

*Crack*Saber's attention was directed to where the tree branch connected with the trunk. It ruptured.

Oh no.

"Don't put me on the same level as you, you MONG—!"

*CRAAAACK!*

There was a silent fleeting moment before gravity decided to act on the blondes. Gilgamesh fell rather undignified, crashing to the ground on his royal behind. Diarmuid extended his arms, already prepared to catch Saber. He caught her in a hugging fashion, her chin resting on his shoulder.

She's too light...I expected her to be heavier considering her strength. Maybe she relied on Mana release more than I thought.

The knight set her down gently. "Thank you, Lancer, but that wasn't necessary. I am fully capable of handling myself," the girl said, fixing her dress, a light blush being the only indication that she was embarrassed, and maybe more than a little flustered. The knight chuckled a bit, pleased and quite charmed by her reaction.

"True, but that wouldn't have been very knightly, would it," Diarmuid took her hand and brought it to his lips, bowing gracefully.

"My lady."

"Mongrel..." a menacing tone cut the atmosphere, interrupting the knights just before Lancer could touch her skin.

The pair turned, remembering they had company. "You dare forget my presence?! I am your king. Respect your ruler! It is enough of an insult that I am to stand on the same ground as you." The raven-haired knight sighed, his moment spoiled. Saber's eyebrow twitched.

For a king, you're quite impossible. If only I didn't feel so worn out, I'd have smacked some sense into him.

She disagreed with this king's ways of ruling. He was much too demanding of his subjects, treating them like slaves and forcing them into impossible works. He was a spoiled king and no one dared stand against him. Saber thought of her subjects as comrades and saw her people as ones to be protected and guarded with her own life. A king like Gilgamesh was simply unacceptable.

"And you!" Gilgamesh pointed an accusing finger at the spearman. "You should know that Saber belongs to ME!"

Saber swore she could hear a vein pop in her head. "King of Heroes, I do not-"

Saber stopped mid-sentence, interrupted by the change in the air. The temperature dropped and the air was heavy.

Magic?

Suddenly the servants felt their mana flare, reacting to the sudden burst of magic. A current flowed through Saber's mana circuits, suddenly filling her with so much energy, only to dissipate like mist as if it was never there. The heavy, mysterious fatigue settled on her shoulders again.

What on Earth?

"What was that?" The king locked eyes with her two companions. They felt it too.

"It seems someone's looking for us." The King of Heroes said, disinterestedly, "If you haven't noticed, Saber, we're not the only Servants present in this...realm." Gilgamesh voiced, a tinge of weariness evident in his tone.

To anyone else, there was nothing amiss, but to a fellow king…

Green eyes took in the Mesopotamian king's image. His shoulders were slouched slightly. Behind those red eyes hid exhaustion. No commoner would have noticed the change in the king, but Saber had been one herself. Something wasn't right.

What is going on?

"I bet you didn't notice, mongrel." The King of heroes sneered at Lancer.

"I have noticed, King of Heroes. This realm is full of different Servants from varying eras. I was not the first to appear, nor the last. I don't know who came before me, but after my appearance here, there were several. There was Rider, followed by a tall dark haired man whom I did not recognize. After several years there was a brute, who was the ancient Greek hero, Hercules. He was followed by two more violet-haired ones, a male Assassin and an elf-like female Caster. There was another whom I did not see clearly. He was followed by you, and finally, Saber."

Purple haired assassin? The Caster was definitely Medea. They appeared according to how they disappeared in the wars. And from both the wars too.

"Do not address me so familiarly, mongrel!"

Lancer grunted. He was this close to blowing a fuse and even closer to popping a vein. The King of Heroes definitely knew just how to anger those around him. It must have been a talent to be that audacious. Really, the man had to review his conduct. What kind of ridiculous king had this man been during his lifetime? And what about his subjects? What fools they must have been to have followed a sorry excuse for a king like him.

King of Heroes my foot.

On the other hand...

Lancer's gaze shifted to a more pleasing sight. Saber. Now Saber was a king he would have been honoured to dedicate his life to. She was chivalrous. She was kind to her people. She had a strong sense of justice.

Of course, she was suffering…

But she certainly was worthy of being called the greatest king. Saber was—

Saber?

The woman had a hand clutched at her chest, like her heart had just began to hurt. Her hand was balled into a tight fist and her teeth were clenched.

Lancer rushed forward, taking her free hand . "Are you all right? What's wrong?" his voice was so full of concern, that Saber met his eyes. But just as quickly as she did she left his gaze. She was in pain, but mixed in her eyes was…Was that guilt?

She removed her hand from his and pointed somewhere in the distance.

"We have to go there. Something's…pulling me in that direction. It hurts to resist," Saber explained through heavy breathing. Whatever that pulse of magic did, it was clear that the caster had just taken Saber hostage.

Lancer cursed. I should have been more careful.

"Let's go," he voiced, to Saber's surprise. "We don't have a choice now, do we?"

Saber nodded and followed, shooting Gilgamesh an undecipherable glance before catching up with Lancer.

When her green eyes left him he balled his fist up in frustration, and reluctantly followed the two knights. All the while his mind was running in circles, confused and irritated. Not at Saber, not even at that disgusting mongrel, but at himself.

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

He felt weak. He felt powerless. He wasn't himself. He was drained. He couldn't do anything. He didn't have enough mana to even use the most basic of his skills.

Shit.

The Gate of Babylon wouldn't open.


Heya!

Yay! Gilgamesh is here! And boom, I guess I kinda left thishanging a bit.

I'd love to hear what you think! :) Please leave a rview if you have the time. :)

Thanks for reading!