Summary: Saber, similar to Gilgamesh, survives the fire, and must tolerate the advances of said King of Heroes. But first she will have to come to terms with her new existence. AU, Gold Route.

Introduction

On one knee Gilgamesh knelt beside Saber, her body buried beneath ashes. Gently, he reached down and wiped the debris away from around her face and armor, both of which were singed from the fire.

He wanted to say how this was all that man's fault, Saber's master, and how he used his command seals to destroy the Grail. This black substance, oozing with plain wrongness, covered the land. He saw the tears in her eyes, as forced against her will, she swung Excalibur down. Wrath ignited in his heart, and he swore that man would face punishment beyond human comprehension.

But now he was struck by the tragic beauty of it all, and his fascination grew even more. Neglect the fact that he had searched his storehouse for Excalibur, only to turn up empty. Neglect the fact that she was one of the few to ever resist his advances. She must belong to him, if only to wash those tears away, make sure they never come again. And to make sure no one else would ever have her, not even death.

He hauled her torso up from the dirt and leaned her back against his chest. Stretching his legs out on either side of her, he momentarily enjoyed the act of caring for another, though how much of it was purely for Saber's benefit, he did not know.

Saber was awake, rather wishing she was asleep. A deep sleep that she wouldn't wake up from. For she knew, awaiting her back at Camlann, the final enemy...

Concerns of old, Camelot, the Knights of the Round Table, faded in significance, and even her ideals seemed less important. Suddenly she felt every drop of a rain beginning to fall in slow motion. Her half-lid gaze rested on a golden halo blocking the sky, a guardian angel looking down at her.

"It is appointed unto men to die once," she whispered laboriously, her lungs burning with pain. "So why?" she grimaced.

...

"Why?" she breathed.

Chapter 1: Travail, and throes and agonies of the life

Notes: Title taken from "The Coming of Arthur"

A blink. Then another. Saber slowly roused herself, frustrated by the short uneven breaths emitting from her chest. A wispy woman stood over her, dressed in a dusty wedding gown, looking on concernedly. "What-" Saber croaked and she grimaced from the fire which erupted in her lungs.

"Shh," the lady petted her forehead and proceeded to whisper sweet nothings.

Saber frowned and shook the cobwebs from her mind. Situated beneath silk covers, she found that she didn't want to leave the four-poster bed, its comfort far surpassing anything she was used to. Above her an ornate canopy made of wood depicting the coronation of Catherine the Great.

Swallowing, she tried again, pushing through the pain, "Where am I?"

But the woman was no longer there, though her dusty scent still lingered. Saber with difficulty pushed herself up on her elbows and searched for the door away from this dark mahogany room.

Tossing the blankets to the side, she was alarmed by just the silver slip she wore, and she was puzzled by what course of events would bring this strange circumstance about. Last she remembered a golden-haired emissary from the sky was carrying her back to her own time, as final as that would be.

Feebly, she walked to the door and creaked it open. Sticking her head out into the lavish hall, she did not know what to expect or what she would find. The manor was unfamiliar. Was it all even real?

Momentarily she wondered if she was caught in a dream, and if so, what did it mean? She recalled one lucid dream, where several wild beasts had fell upon her, pulling her limbs from her body. The ghost of Sir Gawaine arrived shortly thereafter and interpreted the visions for her, but she would not receive the same insight now. Not that she paid heed in the first place.

She took a step and the hardwood floors groaned beneath her feet. Further on, when she rounded a corner, the answer became clear, and it wasn't as big as mystery as she thought.

At the far end of the corridor, with tinted light from the rose-stained windows splashing on his smiling countenance, Archer stood, a hand on his side. He looked proud for which Saber found herself resenting him. Of course, this was all his fault.

"You decided to wake up," he grinned, and he approached her to the point of infringing on her personal space.

Affronted, especially considering her state of dress, Saber elected not to show it. Steeling her face, she asked, "Who was that woman?"

Gilgamesh quirked his head. "What woman?"

Saber searched up and down the hall. "I do not know where she went. She was by the bed."

"Perhaps you were dreaming?" Seeing that Saber still wasn't satisfied, he added, "I assure you at the moment we are the only ones inside this house."

Saber suddenly experienced a bout of weakness and her knees crumpled. Archer caught her before she hit the ground. She heard him cursing and then seemingly speaking to the air.

"Have you got her yet? She is running out of time."

...

"Very well. I expect to see you soon."

Having no choice but to rely on Gilgamesh's support, Saber put her pride on hold. "Who were you talking to?"

Gilgamesh thought it best not to go into all the details. "You are running low on mana. We need to get you a new source. For some reason your own master's supply is insufficient now. Not to worry, I'll kill the mongrel later."

As he helped her limp to one of the many living rooms, she appraised her situation. Truth be told, she was not interested in remaining in the present. She'd be content to simply return and wait for the next summoning.

"No need," she murmured, as he lay her across a ruby couch. "The war is over. I destroyed my chance, the closest I have ever gotten."

Ah, so that what she was worried about. Gilgamesh was pleased then that he had the honor of informing her about the war. "The priest believes that the war will come again in only a few years. You want to save your kingdom? This is your opportunity."

Saber laughed, a bitter sound. "And in the meantime? Live in this modern world? I do not belong here."

"If I would stoop so low," Gilgamesh answered her.

"I am here," Saber acknowledged. "I must still desire the Grail."

His eyes flashed, hopefully having caught a glimpse into her affairs, private though they may be. It wasn't about to deter him. "Is that the terms of your contract?"

Saber took a deep breath regardless of how much it hurt her. "I was tricked," she admitted. "Entirely my mistake. It promised a way to change everything, and in my haste, I agreed. Being close to death...has a peculiar effect on people."

Gilgamesh looked startled. "Are you saying that you are still alive?"

Saber smiled forlornly. "Somewhere in time."

Subscript

Loosely from "And as it is appointed unto men once to die" by the Apostle Paul

Performed the final edits listening to "Meaningless" by Pain of Salvation.

I posted another fic on this site which I refer to as the Black Route, where Kiritsugu finds Saber at the conclusion of the war. Welcome to the Gold Route, where Gilgamesh is the one to rescue the former king.