Thank you very much for your patience. It took a while to get this chapter out since there were many parts I wasn't satisfied with and Google wasn't always cooperative. I had my doubts about the ending of this chapter, but I'm still quite satisfied with it. I always try to give it my best so updates will continue to be slow and I also have health problems. But the updates will come.
Special thanks to my Beta MidoriKurenaiYume.
Arturia woke up feeling restless, with her mind seeming to be both clear and foggy. A groan escaped her mouth as she turned around, and she was ready to tell Merlin to stop with whatever strange idea he had come up with that disturbed her sleep.
Her thoughts, however, froze immediately when she noticed how odd her cot felt. No, it wasn't a cot she was sleeping in, this was definitely a bed, and the familiar scent of wet grass and spring air she was accustomed to had morphed into something dry and floral. It was completely unfamiliar to her.
The woman sat up and discerned the small holes in the wall on the other side of the room. She blinked a few times, trying to recall how she ended up in this place.
Memories of the previous day quickly flooded her mind. The strange room she found herself in, the intolerable king and his friend, the incident in the bathing room, the feast...
Arturia gritted her teeth, a burst of frustration flared through her being. It was not a horrible nightmare after all. No joke, no illusion and she was certain that Merlin had nothing to do with this. But if that was the case, how did she end up here? What strange magic had been used to summon her here?
And what had happened to Merlin and Kay? Were they alright? Were they still in Britain? Were they looking for her? How were they going to find her? What consequences would this have for Britain's future? If they had to postpone — or worse — cancel the coronation, it meant that Britain would still be without a king and vulnerable to invasions. The country was already in chaos, and with her absence, the situation would only worsen.
Her hands gripped the sheets of her bed tightly as her mind continued to wander.
"I need to find a way to return, and quickly," she spoke out loud.
Arturia got out of bed. She froze for a moment when she realised that the blanket had fallen on the ground.
Strange, she did not remember covering herself with it. Even though she had a small moment of bewilderment, the knight decided not to ponder too much over it and looked for her sword.
Caliburn lay exactly where she had left it, next to the bed where she could easily reach it if an emergency were to occur. While it was still dark and difficult to navigate, Arturia moved across the room carefully until she reached the garden, where there were ample open spaces. It was surprisingly chilly outside. The sounds of her footsteps rang loud and clear in her ears.
She did not know what time it was, but she knew that she would not be able to fall asleep anymore. Her mind would not allow her even if she hadn't rested enough.
Between the gaps of the plants and trees, Arturia detected faint signs of the emerging sun. It would not take long before the city stirred and the inhabitants resumed their lives.
That thought was quickly thrown away as Arturia tied the skirt of her sleeping gown so it would fall just slightly over her knees and readied her sword.
She took a deep breath and began to swing it.
Her swings were smooth and fluid while she repeated the motions. Her mind was completely blank, solely focused on her blade and body. After a while, she positioned her sword again and swung her sword in various motions, as if she was fighting an invisible enemy.
Left, right, left again, parry, sidestep, thrust forward. Her body moved as she ordered and while she would have preferred to have someone like Kay or Merlin to spar with her, for now, she will continue her training on her own like she always did when she woke up before her companions.
Arturia was so engrossed with her training that she did not notice her surrounding nor the time. The instant she felt something touching her shoulder, she instinctively dodged and held her blade against the neck of the newcomer.
A loud shriek awoke Arturia from her trance, the knight froze and stared at the green-haired individual. It was that beautiful person from the previous day. What was their name again?
"It really is a pleasant surprise to see you up and ready first thing in the morning, but you should be careful. You gave that poor servant a pretty incredible scare."
Despite having a blade against their throat, they did not seem intimidated at all. The servant woman behind the beautiful person, on the other hand, was quite frightened. The basket with objects she had been carrying had fallen on the ground.
Arturia quickly lowered her blade. Her brain finally registered the growing heat and sunlight on her skin. How long had she been practising?
"My apologies, I had not noticed your presence..."
"It's just Enkidu and don't worry about it." Enkidu glanced over their shoulder at the servant. "That poor woman has been trying to get your attention for a while, but you were so busy that you didn't notice. She didn't dare to approach you and well— luckily I decided to check on you early. Go wash yourself and let's have our morning meal together!"
Enkidu seemed very eager when they proposed to have breakfast with her. Arturia could not help but stare at them blankly before she collected herself. "My apologies for asking. But do I need to prepare myself?"
The knight received an odd stare from Enkidu before they collected themselves and released a chuckle. "No, that's only for the evening and yesterday was quite exceptional."
Well, that was a huge relief for Arturia. She still did not like the idea of eating with strangers. But as long as she wasn't put on the spotlight like before, she would try to endure it.
Arturia obediently followed the servant to the bathing room. This time, the servant was willing to leave her alone in the room and the knight used this moment to collect herself.
Now that she was certain that she was trapped here, she had to find a way back to Britain. But she could not act rashly. She was in unknown lands with no knowledge to what lay beyond the city walls. Even if she somehow managed to escape, she would certainly become lost and run into some kind of trouble, in the worst case scenario, she could be captured and sold. While it wouldn't be that different from her current situation, at least now she was given proper living arrangements and care.
A huge sigh escaped her lips after she splashed her face with water.
"I should concentrate on gaining knowledge and try to familiarise myself with this place," she mumbled to herself.
One step at a time, that was one of Merlin's lessons. If she tried to rush her escape plans, the chance of failure would be higher. But she also felt that it would be dangerous if she stayed quiet for too long.
The king, while arrogant and prideful, was definitely not a fool. He would not make it easy for her to escape. She had to plan carefully and wait for the right moment to take action. For now, she would follow Enkidu's lectures and learn as much as she could until she learned how to survive on her own in these lands.
With a new goal set, Arturia finished washing and got dressed. When she returned to her room, she noticed Enkidu sitting at the table with their breakfast.
"I guessed that after yesterday's meal and your sword practice you must be famished. So, I made sure there's enough food to last you the whole day."
Arturia did not answer, her eyes wandered between the strange person and the food. "Is this customary?"
"What is?" Enkidu asked.
"Do you eat breakfast in your chambers?" Arturia rephrased her question.
Enkidu glanced over the food. "Oh, not necessarily. I just thought it would be more convenient to start your lessons after breakfast. Besides, Gil is busy and I don't like eating alone."
Every person has their preferences. Arturia had to admit she preferred this arrangement than to have to deal with that intolerable king again.
"Then, I would gladly eat with you," the woman commented politely as she sat down next to Enkidu.
Arturia wondered what had been wrong with her body last night. She must have been insane to not appreciate the food, it was delicious! All these unknown spices: the flavours, the texture, everything was exploding in her mouth.
While she did appreciate the food back in Britain, she did not know whether the food served for the nobles was as exquisite.
While Arturia continued to wolf down her breakfast, she felt Enkidu's eyes on her. The woman froze in her actions and gave them an awkward look. She had completely forgotten that she was not alone.
"Is there something amiss?" Despite the slight embarrassment that washed over her, Arturia kept her tone smooth.
"Ah- no, I was just surprised. For someone of your stature, you eat so much. How long have you been training with your sword?"
"I am not sure," the woman replied after a short silence. "I had trouble sleeping, so I decided to continue my training."
"Is there something wrong with the bed?" Enkidu was munching on a few dates when they gave Arturia a questioning look.
"Not at all!"
Or maybe there was? By no means did she feel completely rested. She was sure that, as the day passed and the heat turned unbearable again, she would end up in a worse state than she had found herself in the previous day.
No, it was probably just the drastic change in climate to which she was not accustomed. It made her feel stifled and tired.
"If there is anything you need, feel free to come to me. I'll be happy to help you with anything."
Enkidu's comment made Arturia look back at them. "Can you send me back to my homeland then?" She could not help sounding hopeful.
"Except with that." Their answer was quick and blunt.
"Or could you tell me how to return to my home, please?!" Enkidu's remark made her feel unsettled, but she did not want to give up.
"I can't do that either." Enkidu frowned as they gulped down their food with milk. "It's not like I know how to do it in the first place. The one who brought you here was Gil, not me."
Her chances to return seemed slim from the beginning, but she didn't realise how slim they actually were. If the King was her only option to go home, she would need a miracle to have him change his mind.
"I do not belong here." Arturia stared Enkidu straight in their eyes, determination burning in her emerald orbs. "I have no interest in your king's plans with me, I abhor them. I refuse to be obedient and marry such an intolerable tyrant like him." There was no trace of emotion in Arturia's voice and she did not falter in her pose.
The knight waited for Enkidu to understand what she was conveying. She would resist as much as she could.
"Yes, I expected you would say such a thing," Enkidu answered after a short silence. "but for now, you should try to get used to Uruk."
They quickly finished their meal and Arturia could not help but watch them in silence. Enkidu took a few gulps from their drink before turning their attention back to Arturia.
"Let's start with your lessons. Today I will teach you how to read Sumerian and how to write." Enkidu announced as they grabbed what appeared to be several tablets and placed them on the table.
Arturia looked at the tablets and blinked. She tried to comprehend the usefulness of the tablets before turning her attention back to Enkidu.
"You brought along carved rocks?"
Enkidu crooked their eyebrows upon hearing those words. "Carved rocks?" they repeated while gazing at Arturia for a short moment and turned their attention back to the 'carved rocks'. A snicker escaped them before they composed themselves, "You mean the tablets? They're made of clay, actually."
The woman looked closely at the tablets. "What are those symbols?"
"That's the writing system the humans use," Enkidu answered.
Arturia did not react. Her focus was completely on the tablet and her mind went blank as she looked at the inscription. She was supposed to learn how to read that? Where were the letters? Where were the words and how did the civilians write on those tablets?
Enkidu did not pay attention to Arturia's behaviour and placed the first clay tablet in front of her. "Let's start with something simple, alright? Later I will show you how to use the stylus for writing."
This looked harder than she had expected.
A couple of hours had passed and the young knight was still struggling with identifying each symbol. Most of them looked exactly the same, or were they just similar? She did not know what to think about them as pondering over them would only increase her frustration.
Next to the tablet, which she was trying to study, was a soft piece of clay. Enkidu had taught her the most basic of Sumerian writings and Arturia decided to write them down together with the alphabet that was taught to her in Britain as a reference. It did make things a little easier.
Arturia huffed in frustration. It felt like hours had passed. Over the last few minutes, she had found herself staring at the same lines over and over again without registering anything while her conscious slipped away due to the lack of sleep. But even if she had somewhat dozed off, Uruk's warm climate would wake her up in seconds.
"This cannot continue," she said as she finally decided to take a small break. Arturia could not take it anymore. Just trying to stay focused was already draining her out, her clothes were uncomfortable, her body felt itchy, she was covered in sweat and her neck had become stiff from sitting still for such a long time.
The knight rubbed her eyes fiercely, in a weak attempt to rid her body from exhaustion.
Yes, this frustrated her to no end. She was restless, tired, her limbs were even protesting and she felt completely trapped in the room. While it was not locked and no one had told her that she was not allowed to wander around, Arturia saw no point in getting lost.
She was well aware that she should get familiar with the place so she could try to secure an escape route in the near future, but for now, she would focus on gaining knowledge. Within the next few days, she could try to find out how much freedom she had.
While her mind explored possible actions that she could undertake, her eyelids grew heavy and before she knew it she felt a soft tap on her shoulder.
Arturia immediately shot up, completely startled when she looked at Enkidu's face.
"Are you tired?" They stared carefully at Arturia's form.
Despite the sudden wake-up call, Arturia's mind needed a few seconds before she realised what Enkidu was asking her. So she had fallen asleep after all. "I had difficulty with falling asleep last night, but it is nothing of concern."
"Would you like a change of space?"
The woman blinked upon hearing Enkidu's suggestion. She gave them an expectant look while waiting for them to continue.
"Staying in this room the whole day can feel quite suffocating. Even I am not completely used to living here. How about I show you around for a bit?"
Enkidu's words made Arturia realise that her body was starting to become stiff. She could definitely use a little break from her studies and especially from the room. Walking would hopefully relieve her from the fatigue that had overtaken her. But more importantly, she could try to find an escape route.
With that in mind, she replied without a second thought, "I would gladly take you up on that offer."
Contrary to Arturia's previous belief, the palace turned out to have a rather simple layout. Similar to the houses she observed from afar, it was a tall quadrilateral structure with many layers. She could definitely not compare it with the castles in Britain, except for maybe the number of rooms that they passed.
"And this is the main courtyard! The inner court is on your right and if we go ahead we will reach the storage rooms. The servant quarters are around there too and the path on your left goes to—."
... forget her previous statement, the palace could probably rival Britain's castles in terms of complication. A few days wouldn't be enough for her to memorize anything and she was sure that if she ever decided to roam around without Enkidu it would take days before she found her way back to her room.
Arturia let out a sigh and decided to put those discouraging thoughts aside. Her attention shifted to the courtyard and she couldn't help being mesmerized. It was even more beautiful than the garden outside her room.
The sun shone brightly, giving all the greenery a strong but calm feeling. Flowers, differentiating from deep red to flashy pink, from dark blue to bright yellow, gave life to the otherwise monotonous green of the plants.
While the lack of shade was disappointing, the woman had no qualms about taking a nap in the bushes. It was an activity she did from time to time back in Britain after her sword training. Not that she would try it anytime soon.
"Arturia?"
Arturia was almost startled when she heard Enkidu call her. "My apologies, I was lost in my thoughts."
"I'll show you the storage room next," Enkidu exclaimed as they exited the main courtyard. "It will take a while before we've covered the whole palace. I don't think I can show you everything in one day, but let's cover as much as we can. Oh, here we have the eastern courtyard." Enkidu pointed out.
Arturia unconsciously wiped the sweat from her forehead while she looked in the direction Enkidu was pointing. "How many courtyards are there in total?" she asked.
"I'm not sure. I never bothered with counting. You can ask Gil, though. I'm sure he knows."
The woman was not planning to start any conversation willingly with the king and decided to ignore Enkidu's comment. "Have you ever gotten lost?"
"Sometimes, some corridors do look alike. In the beginning, I ended up walking in circles when I was looking for the audience room. All the courtyards looked exactly alike so I hadn't realised it until Gil came to look for me." Enkidu smiled warmly while remembering the event.
Arturia did not comment and silently allowed Enkidu to guide her through the palace. It was definitely a maze, the many corridors and rooms she was shown gave a huge dent to her confidence. How was she going to secure an escape route if she couldn't even find her own room without a guide?
She felt the eyes of the servants on them while walking. This was something she would have to get used to. No matter how much time passed, her looks would always stick out like a sore thumb.
"This is the storage room!" Enkidu finally exclaimed as they entered a large room. "This room is used to collect the tax and payments of the people as well for goods that will be used for trade."
Enkidu guided Arturia further into the place used for storage. The room was divided into several sections where all kinds of goods were stored. There was wheat, barley, cloths and many more items that were neatly sorted and stockpiled. The knight watched in silence as she saw the slaves work; some men were carrying the heavy loads to their perspective places and another one seemed to be checking the inventory.
While her and Enkidu's presence was certainly noticed, the slaves still continued with their work, albeit more carefully.
Arturia did not know what to say, a lot of thoughts and comments were passing through her mind but she could not find it in her to articulate them. She was completely mesmerised by the environment.
"You said you store wares for trade here?"
"Among the other things, yes. There are factory products stored, there is beer —Uruk is well known for its beer, you should try it. Most of the wool and linen is used for personal use, but these are also stored for trading purposes," Enkidu explained carefully while they allowed Arturia to take a closer look at the contents.
"I have to admit, this is impressive. But how well secured is it? Isn't there a risk of robbery?"
"Well, aside from the guards keeping an eye out, anyone who dares to steal from Gil would have to face death by execution. I haven't seen anyone who is foolish enough to try and steal something from the palace while being fully aware of the consequences."
Enkidu's gaze shifted to the exit where two guards were stationed. They were two well-built men, obviously not easy opponents for lowly thieves and with a tyrant as a king, fear would have been an obvious reason as to why no one would dare to attempt a robbery in the palace. Arturia watched the guards carefully before she returned her attention back to Enkidu, who continued with their explanation.
By the time they exited the storage room, the sky was softly glowing from the approaching twilight.
"I guess it's almost time for dinner." Enkidu pondered as they looked at the sky from the courtyard they were at. "Hmmm, how about I show you one more thing. I'm sure you're going to like it."
"What do you have in mind?" Arturia asked. Her gaze shifted from the direction of Enkidu's gaze to Enkidu themselves.
Enkidu did not respond, instead, their attention appeared to have shifted towards something else, or rather, someone else. "Oh, I didn't expect you to be here at this time. Did you get bored and scared everyone away?"
Gilgamesh huffed at his friend's remark. The king stood leisurely a few steps away from Enkidu and Arturia.
"Those mongrels don't know when to shut up. The last audiences were all of minor importance, but they kept insisting," the king answered with a bored tone. "I decided to send them all away unless they were inclined to lose their heads. At least you seem to be enjoying yourself, Enkidu."
Gilgamesh's gaze switched from Enkidu to Arturia. The woman did not pay attention to the two. Her tense body and stare was vigilant on the large feline creature that was approaching her.
She had never seen anything like it. The beast reminded her of a cat, but much bigger, more dangerous and more majestic. Arturia took a few steps back and unconsciously reached for her sword, only to realise that it was back in her chambers. She gritted her teeth in frustration for making such a careless mistake.
"There is no need for such hostility. Marduk won't hurt you unless you challenge him to," Gilgamesh commented. A hint of amusement was present in his tone.
"Is it yours?" Arturia asked with caution.
"Of course he is. Why would I allow a wild beast in my palace?"
The knight eyed the beast again. Soft groans vibrated from its mouth. It was observing her, coming closer to sniff her legs and bump its head against her. Arturia had to use all her might to not fall on the ground.
"It seems like Marduk is interested in you," Enkidu told her. "Be nice to Arturia, she's going to stay here for a while." Their hand brushed against the beast's fur.
She wasn't sure if Enkidu was just trying to reassure her or if they were just good with handling animals. "Is this... some kind of cat?"
A hearty laugh erupted from Gilgamesh as he heard Arturia utter that sentence.
The king's reaction annoyed her and made her feel slightly embarrassed despite knowing that it was completely reasonable for her to ask such a question.
"It is a lion," he finally answered. Despite his behaviour a few moments before, Gilgamesh sounded completely serious. "They are quite similar to cats, but contrary to them, they are definitely not harmless."
Arturia looked back at the lion. "A lion..." she repeated carefully as if to try out the foreign word.
"While they are predators by nature, they are also lazy. He also knows full well that he should not challenge my authority."
That did not make Arturia feel reassured at all.
The lion let out a large yawn, its teeth flashing and giving the woman a very good idea of how sharp those fangs were. It reminded her of the bears or wolves back in Britain. Dangerous, wild and fierce, but there were still people who were insane enough to try and keep them as pets.
"Is this your first time seeing a lion?" Enkidu enquired.
"Yes, we don't have these animals back in Britain. I have seen cats or dogs and even wild animals like bears, deers or wolves. But I have never seen an animal like this one." Arturia's gaze was fixated on the animal as she explained.
The round ears, the fluffy-looking paws, the tail which was wagging from side to side, the head and neck which were all covered in fur. She was scrutinising every part of the unfamiliar animal. It looked very soft, but that was the same case with bears and she had already experienced a few encounters with those large animals. Domesticated or not, her subconscious kept telling her that it was a predator.
While she was observing, the lion turned around and left. It was so unexpected that Arturia could not help but watch the figure of the animal disappear.
"That's strange," Enkidu murmured.
"Is there something amiss?" Arturia finally tore her eyes from the direction Marduk had disappeared to.
"Usually, he doesn't behave like that. Maybe he picked something up, he seemed very interested in your scent."
Her scent? Why? Did she have a strange smell? She had washed herself properly in the morning. Was it because she was from Britain? Wait, how did Enkidu know that it was her scent? Arturia had a strong urge to verify but she decided against it... for now.
Despite the lion's odd behaviour, Gilgamesh did not pay it any heed. "Enkidu, were you heading somewhere?"
"I wanted to show Arturia the armoury." Enkidu glanced at the woman before returning their attention back to their friend. "I'm pretty sure she would be interested."
"Ooh, is that so?" Gilgamesh's gaze met Arturia's. She did not react to the way he was looking at her. She did not show any reaction at all, her face was completely composed and stoic. "The armoury is nothing to be impressed with, it can't be compared to the number of treasures I have stored."
"That is true," Enkidu agreed. "But, you're not planning to show her anytime soon."
"Of course I won't. Only someone I deem worthy will be given that honour."
It was not like Arturia was interested in whatever gold or luxuries Gilgamesh had amassed, especially since he was probably exaggerating and boasting. She only wanted to find a safe escape route.
"However, I do feel generous enough to grace you with my presence during your tour." His expression was somewhat mischievous as he passed Enkidu and Arturia and headed towards the weapon storage. "Now, do not make me wait!" He called after them.
Arturia could not register Gilgamesh' final words. Her mind had become completely blank when the King suddenly decided to tag along. The woman couldn't help but blink once, and then another time. She looked back at the direction they had come from and then at the sky. Despite everything that was going through her mind, she could not help being fixated on one single thought.
What about the evening meal?