Ch5
Rama had done it. He had take Sita back, the love of his life after so many years. She looked so different when he saw her. "Rama!" she called out. Sita hugged him and tears formed in his eyes. The time had changed her, she was more mature and beautiful.
"Sita," he said softly but he felt the eyes of disapproval from his followers eyeing Sita.
"How could Lord Rama take back a woman who lived with another man for so long? Is she even pure?" they muttered.
His body stiffened, he was angered that these rumors persisted. But it was his duty as a prince and heir to the kingdom that his wife be pure. How could he be the perfect prince if his wife stayed with another man?
Duty. It was what he had to follow even if it broke his heart he still had to follow his duty, obey the rules, and follow tradition. His heart ached as he made the decision internally.
"Rama what's wrong?" Sita asked looking up at him.
"I cannot take an impure woman," he said firmly the words coming out of his mouth like lead.
Hanuman and his allies stared at him in shock. Sita stared at him with wide teary eyes, he wanted to take those words back, to beg her forgiveness but he had his own duty to his people. He was a model king, and he had to have the perfect queen. One free from the stains of gossip.
"Rama I never let him touch me," Sita said looking at the ground.
He stared at her unmoved by her words. I want to believe you, I love you Sita but I can't take you back. Those thoughts made him shake to the core. His heart wanted her but he was bound by his duty as ruler and husband.
"I need you to prove your loyalty," he said coldly looking at her. "I need you to undergo an ordeal of fire to prove your purity."
"Fine," Sita said firmly her eyes a mixture of defiance and sorrow. "I'll prove myself. Get a pyre lit, I'll prove my chastity and loyalty to you." Her was cracking and full of emotion. He wanted to hug her to beg her for forgiveness but he had to follow his duty even if it hurt.
The pyre was made Sita stood in the middle of it defiantly looking at him and the crowd. "I swear that if I had been unfaithful to my husband may burn and suffer for my infidelity never to be reincarnated again!" she declared loudly as the pyre was lit.
Tears formed in his eyes as the fire grew stronger. Sita I'm sorry. I have a duty to my people. Yet he stood firmly and watched as the fire got stronger and reached the love of his life.
He wanted to rush in and save her and declare that she was pure but he knew that he couldn't do that, his people wouldn't accept it. Vishnu I wish I had your wisdom now.
When the fire reached Sita he nearly screamed. Yet the image of Sita remained calm, in fact it appeared as if she jumped to greet the fire as it consumed her.
People watched as the fire grew stronger, his heart raced as he couldn't even see a shadow in it. However, his eyes widened as he saw a figure exit.
Sita walked out defiantly, not a single hair on her body was singed. "Sita," he said softly the lump in his throat making it difficult to talk. The crowd muttered in approval and bowed down at her sigh. He ran up to her and hugged her. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear.
"I love you," Sita whispered back.
Rama was with Irisviel when he felt a powerful presence approach. "Irisviel get behind me," he yelled as he summoned his sword and armor. Another attack? So be it.
The large front door was knocked down as a large chariot pulled by two large bulls entered. He stood in front of Irisviel protectively as he looked up at Rider.
"Yo Saber," Rider said with a wide grin. "Don't worry I come in peace." Rider patted to a barrel at his side. "I was hoping we could have a little talk as kings."
"A talk?" He asked curiously.
Rider nodded, his master was hiding behind him looking around with an uneasy expression. "This may be a war but I enjoy talking with other kings. Besides, your people greatly interested me when I was alive."
He looked over at Irisviel who nodded. "Fine we'll accept your offer of parley."
"Great. Lets do it in your courtyard," Rider said clapping his hands.
With that they headed outside to the courtyard. Irisviel stayed close to him as he sat down across from Rider who brought out the jugs of alcohol.
"So this is what you called us over for Rider," Said a voice that made the hairs on his neck stand up. He turned and saw Archer appear with a cold expression on his face.
"Yo Rider what did you want to meet up for?" Said a familiar voice. Turning around he saws Lancer appear with an amused expression on her face.
"I thought we could enjoy a drink during this time of battle," Rider said as Archer sat down with them.
Rider handed them each a bowl of alcohol. "Thanks," he said taking the bowl and sipping from it. He never like alcohol and not just because Sita disapproved of it.
"Not bad Rider," Archer said. "It is pleasurable to have a nice drink."
"Yeah haven't had a drink in a long time," Lancer said as she drank from her cup
"Indeed it is," Rider said folding his arms. "Now I am curious what do you wish for the grail?"
"The grail is rightfully mine and I won't let anyone steal it from me," Archer said frankly.
"I see. I want to use it to become reincarnated and continue my dream of world conquest," Rider said with a wide smile.
Archer laughed. "Well good luck with that Rider." The golden servant turned to Lancer. "What about you? You don't have the disposition of a king but you intrigue me. What do you wish for Lancer?"
Lancer rolled her eyes and shrugged. "I don't know. To be honest it may make a good goblet. If I had a wish maybe some more booze and adventure. "
Archer and Rider both laughed. "What about you Saber? What do you wish for?" Rider asked looking at him.
"I wish to be reunited with the love of my life," he said looking at the servants. "We are cursed to be separated and I'll use the grail's power to undo it."
"A noble cause," Archer said giving him a knowing gaze.
He shifted under Archer's eyes, a servant as old as Archer might deduce who he is. However, it was the King of Conquerors who looked at him with a knowing gaze as if finding the clue to a riddle.
"You know Saber I conquered a lot of places," Rider said with a knowing look in his eyes. "I conquered all that I could see."
"You could say that again," Lancer muttered as she drank from her cup.
He froze underneath Rider's gaze. Crap he did conquer parts of India. Clenching his fists he glared at Rider but the servant didn't appear to be provoking a fight.
"Don't worry I'm not here to reveal your identity," Rider said raising his hands calmly. "To be honest I like the idea of fighting you again."
Lancer chuckled. "You liked fighting everybody."
"Anyway Saber you intrigue me," Rider said as he poured himself another cup. "What was kingship like for you? What does it mean to be a king?"
Rama looked up at Rider and pondered the question a bit before answering. "For me a king is a person who follows his duty. A king has many duties to many such as his people and family but he must give his all to his realm."
Rider folded his arms and shook his head. "Seems kind of boring though to only follow the rules all the time. Being a king should be fun."
Lancer shrugged. "Yeah back in my day people including kings did what they wanted and took what they wanted. Duty always came second."
He sighed. "King of Conquerors you want the grail merely for your own greed. But others have their own reasons for it." He didn't expect these western servants to understand his culture, they acted on selfish reasons rather than on their own duty. "Some kings actually want to improve the lives of those around them."
"A king without greed is worse than a figurehead," Rider said firmly. "I can tell you are a person who has followed your duty throughout your life, you never stepped out of line, who could admire that? Who dreams of being confined by tradition. A king shows his people the extremes of both good and bad so people want to follow."
He stared at Rider in shock his body shaking as memories from his lif filled his head. Duty. Images passed through his head, all the times he bent the knee to duty to tradition and to not disturb the peace. All the terms Sita was hurt because of him having to set her aside. Deep he hated it but he had to be the good prince, the perfect avatar of Vishnu.
"What are you saying?" He nearly yelled.
"You followed your duty but you abandoned your heart," Rider said firmly. "You never led your people, showed them what a king should be. You followed your ideals of duty to the end, thus you are no true king! You spent your life entrapped by the false idol of a king who follows the rules who follows tradition, you are just a little boy."
"I am not a child!" He yelled standing up. His body shook as he met Rider's gaze. "You only cared about conquest, you never loved anyone as much as I did."
"I loved many people in life," Rider said with a shrug. "However, I treated them well and inspired them to live full lives, can you say the same thing?"
"I loved my wife with all of my heart," he seethed. It took all his willpower to not strike Rider, in life he would've done more for such words. "I did what I had to do because of my duty!"
His vision flashed with his life. His exile, his adventures with Sita, and the countless times he had to prove her loyalty. A king's duty is to everyone. He was the model prince his entire life, he couldn't afford stains to his reputation or his wife's. I loved her. He winced at the memory of him casting her aside her gaze hurt more than any demon he fought.
The prince is dutiful but doesn't know the hearts of his people. It was something he often heard his advisors mutter behind his back. At the time he took it as a compliment, his duty was everything his morals would guide the people of his kingdom to greatness.
Archer laughed. "With all of your heart?" I imagine your duty got in the way of your love countless times" The golden man looked at him with his cold knowing gaze.
His body shook as he glared at Archer, "I had obligations to my people. They came first even before my own love."
"Don't we all," Archer said his gaze turning cold. "The people know who the king is and my people would think twice about questioning the virtue of my one true friend."
Rider nodded, "Indeed a people under an inspired ruler would never question the fidelity of a spouse."
He glared at Rider not able to form a response as his body shook. Rider's words were like an arrow to his heart. He didn't cry but he was shaken to the core as he was reminded of all the times he had to put Sita to the side. "I loved her," he said softly.
"You did that I don't deny it," Rider said meeting his gaze calmly. "But you never were greedy, you never did anything for yourself and as a result were never happy. An unhappy king does not inspire anyone even those closest to him."
"A king's duty goes above his personal feelings," He said through gritted teeth. "I doubt someone as selfish as you would understand."
"NO!" Rider said slamming his fist on the ground. "A king's feelings are what inspire people, a king who stays in the box is nothing but a toy. A king should inspire his people that way they would never criticize or judge him. Only then can he have the things he loves."
He stared in shock at Rider's fiery gaze, no one in his life dared to stand up to him and talk back to him like Rider was doing right now. Yet couldn't form a response, he could stare in the fiery gaze of a man who conquered and pillaged everything on a whim.
Lancer who up to his point had remained quiet looked up at him her gaze neutral. "Saber I was never a king but I've fought beside many people without inspiration people will never achieve anything."
The woman's gaze turned to Rider. "I personally loath all gods and wish to exterminate them. But as much as I despise them I admit in our time many heroes led the Greek world to inspire mankind to do its best. Their duty was whatever they wished."
Rider nodded and looked at him with a knowing gaze. "Gods do many things but they also have to inspire their people and lead them despite their selfish shortcomings."
"You could say that again," Lancer muttered glaring at the ground. "Gods do take what they want but even I would be a fool to deny their benefit to mankind."
"A selfish king does not fulfill his duty," he said coldly his body shaking. "King of Conquerors you do not understand the weight duty has." He swallowed a lump in his throat. "I lost many things in my life but I always followed my duty even at the cost of the one I love."
Rider shrugged his shoulders. "I created a vast empire by inspiring my men. It is the duty of a king to inspire his men, to inspire those around him to achieve their best." Rider pointed a finger at him. "A king who only follows duty and tradition cannot inspire anyone."
He stood staring at the three servants, his body shaking unable to form a response when another presence appeared near him.
"Looks like we have another guest," Rider said. He turned around to see Assassin, no many Assassins around the area.
Irisviel went to his side as he drew his sword eyeing them carefully. "Well come on don't be afraid to join us," Rider said offering them a cup of wine.
A dagger broke the glass causing its contents to spill on Rider. "What a pity," Rider sighed as he got up. "Well then it appears we will have to do it this way then."
Rider stood up and folded his arms. "Saber let me show you what happens when a ruler inspires his people.
A powerful energy surged around the area followed by a flash of light. A realty marble He looked around to see that they were in the middle of an expansive desert, the assassins were on the other side looking confused.
That was when he saw them, Rider mounted on horseback with millions of soldiers behind him. "GO!" Rider yelled pointing his sword at Assassin.
There was a loud cheer as the soldiers charged at the Assassins. So this is his power. Rider's men quickly overpowered and killed the various Assassins. When they were taken care of the reality marble disappeared and they were back in the courtyard.
Rama remained silent and only gave pleasantries as Rider, Lancer, and Archer left. Did I fail as king? Sitting down on a bench he contemplated Rider's words. I did my duty as king how could I have failed?
"Saber are you ok?" Irisviel asked softly.
"I'm fine," he said softly avoiding her gaze.
"Don't let Rider's words get to you," Irisiviel said. "I'm sure you were a great king."
"I followed my duty to the best as I could," he said looking down at his hands before cleaning his wet eyes. "I was filial, obeyed rules and traditions even when I disliked them." His body shook as he clenched his fists. I had to put Sita behind me so many times. "Yet I was never happy." He swallowed the realization inside of him. "I had to put her away many times because of duty."
"It's alright I'm sure your sacrifices will pay off in the future," Irisviel said calmly. "Me and Kiritsugu share your pain. Like you, we have our family on the line in this war."
He nodded and looked up at Irisviel. "I won't lose. I'll gladly follow your orders as my duty as a servant."
Irisviel smiled at him. "We have great hopes for you. We'll lead you to victory just trust in us."
Looking up at the sky a tear fell down his face as he contemplated Rider's words. Sita should I have been more proactive with you? Did I fail to understand you? His feelings hardened. I'll make it up to you when we are together again.
AN: In the Ramayana Rama actually does question Sita's loyalty when he saves her. Personally in my opinion, while Rama shares similarities with Artoria I would say that Rama is different in that he bowed to outside pressure more