The image of the heartbroken Igraine was burned into the back of Artoria's eyelids. Every time she so much as blinked, she would see her mother weeping. Thus, as Artoria sat at the departure lounge, she looked through some pamphlets that were placed on a coffee table in front of the pair, so as to distract her mind. She was aimlessly flipping through the pages, barely paying attention to what was actually on them for her tactic didn't seem to be working as efficiently as she'd hoped.
Artoria sighed and placed the pamphlet back on the table before rubbing her face. They'd been waiting in the lounge for quite some time, and it seemed they would still have to wait for another hour or so until they actually boarded the plane.
"Master, would you like something to eat?" Diarmuid asked. He long noticed her restlessness, not just by her bouncing knee, but also because of her repeated sighs.
Artoria looked over at him, lips stretched in a thin line. She thought about saying she wasn't hungry, but as she had opened her mouth to speak, her growling stomach outed her.
"What would you like me to get for you?" There was a faint smile on his lips that Artoria caught, she didn't take it as though he was making fun of her, but she most definitely wasn't impressed with his reaction.
"What would you like to eat?" She turned the question on him.
Diarmuid frowned for a split second. "Servants don't need to eat, master."
"I didn't ask if you needed to eat, I asked what you wanted to eat." She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back on the uncomfortably stiff seat. "You've already told me you don't need to eat, that doesn't mean you shouldn't eat…"
Diarmuid slowly nodded. "Well, on the way here, I noticed there were all sorts of food options. What would you recommend I try?"
"Come to think of it, modern food must be overwhelming for you…" She glanced down the west wing of the airport, where she had remembered seeing a few food stores. She looked back at Diarmuid and asked, "What are you feeling? Something sweet? Something salty? Maybe you'd prefer a drink? They have plenty of options. There's also fruit, in case you don't want anything heavy," she paused and thought for a second. "I don't think you've tried many fruits, have you? We have so many exotic fruits you can try now, you know, like mango, or oranges. Have you tried oranges?" She asked, brows furrowed and head slightly tilted.
He shook his head. "I haven't been given the chance, unfortunately. But I very much would like to try them."
"We'll have to get them while in Japan…" she mumbled, making a mental note of it. "They can be very sweet. I prefer the tangerines though. Anyways," she shook her head. "What do you want to eat?"
There was a look of awe in his eyes momentarily, as if what she had said was spoken by the angels themselves. He'd never been given so many options before, usually he'd just be served something, but never given the option of choosing. "What's your favourite food, master?" He questioned.
Artoria pouted her lips and furrowed her brows in thought. "That's quite the hard question. I pretty much like anything that tastes good."
"Surely you must have a favourite…" He mumbled.
Artoria stood from her seat as she shrugged. "Let's just go see what they have, we can choose from that," she said as she stretched.
Diarmuid nodded and followed after her as she led him down the walkways of the enormous airport, past high end stores and duty-free shops until they reached an area where a few food establishments were settled. Artoria stopped in front of a burger shop, she seemed to weigh her options and sighed.
"I think this might be the best place for now…" She rubbed her brow. "They don't have many options, and I don't feel like going all the way to the V.I.P lounge. Are you okay with this?" Artoria turned to Diarmuid, eyebrow raised inquisitively.
He blinked at her. "Would you recommend it?" He tilted his head, much like a puppy who hadn't understood what his owner was asking of him.
Artoria massaged the base of her neck. "This'll do." She then proceeded to order two combos of the best item on the menu. Once they had received their order, Diarmuid offered to take the food to where they took their seat.
"How are you feeling today, master?" He asked as he set the food before her. "You're not still in pain, are you?"
Artoria shot him a glare as she sat down. Diarmuid had tried to move her seat but it was stuck in place.
"Ah, sorry, Artoria," he corrected.
She opened the straw and poked it through the soda cap before she looked back at him. "I'm feeling better," she lied. "I hope you enjoy the food."
Diarmuid rounded the table and took a seat in front of her as Artoria organized the food.
Artoria chewed on a fry as Diarmuid bit into the burger. In an instant his eyes lit up and he smiled. It was strange to see someone so happy to be eating a basic burger, but she would admit it was a bit endearing how he found joy in something so small.
Diarmuid swallowed. "I must say, my lady, this is exquisite. My sincerest gratitude for what you have sacrificed for me."
Artoria suppressed her smile. "You don't need to be so thankful. It's really just simple food. Wait until we get to Japan, I'll treat you to something better when we're there."She then thought of all the soups and sweets that awaited her once they landed, it would be an understatement to say she was simply looking forward to the food.
It was as if his eyes sparkled. "I will not fail you, my lady, I'll be sure to make you proud."
"You don't need to be so thankful, this is the least I can do for you," she deadpanned. "I don't even know if I can be a good master, so feeding you is the only thing I can do."
Diarmuid shook his head as looked down at his food. "You are much too kind to me…Artoria," he spoke bashfully, "you are more than a good master."
Artoria dismissed him as she too continued eating her meal. She thought about buying him a chocolate, mostly to see his reaction. She settled on passing by a duty-free store to buy a few snacks for the flight as well, curious to see how Diarmuid would like them. She made a mental list of what to buy as they finished their meal.
Upon finishing, they headed back to the waiting lounge and Artoria pulled out her phone, opting to scroll through social media. It didn't take long to see a post that irritated her. There, on her phone screen, was a picture of Gilgamesh in Japan. She hadn't given him a single shred of space in her mind that day and her mood soured instantly.
"Artoria?" Diarmuid furrowed his brows. "Is everything alright?"
Artoria looked up as she let out a frustrated sigh. "Yeah."
There was a moment of silence before Artoria sat up. "Saber, I can trust you, right?" She leaned towards him.
Diarmuid tilted his head and worry washed over his handsome features. "Well, of course, my lady, I am loyal to you alone. Must I make you another formal allegiance? Have I done anything to cause you to think I might be untrustworthy? If there is, may I—"
"No," Artoria shook her head as she sighed. "No you didn't do anything wrong…" Uncharacteristically, and to her own surprise, she took his hand. "You must promise me…"
"Anything," he mumbled.
Artoria wasn't one to think less of herself regularly, but knowing she had no expertise in this field, she felt compelled to speak. "You have to win. I know I'm not much of a master," her eyes drifted from his in shame, "I know I can't fully support you. All I have right now is y—your skills. You have to be able to carry us. Do you think you are capable of that? Even if I let you down continually?"
Diarmuid furrowed his brows. "How would you ever let me down?"
As soon as he said that, Artoria caught a momentary glimpse of absolute fear in his eyes. Something he quickly hid. If Artoria hadn't been holding onto his tense hand, she would have assumed she was mistaken. "As I said, I'm not much of a master…" she mumbled. "I can't heal, I can't make any spells, I've never trained for this, unlike all the other masters, I'm just a complete beginner. I won't be able to help you."
Nearly reluctantly, Diarmuid placed his free hand on top of hers so as to assure her. "I'll promise to do all the work, all you have to do is trust in me…and promise not to betray me."
Artoria saw that look of fear again. "I promise," she guaranteed.
"—Krsh— BA190 Flight to Tokyo, now boarding Class 1. Business Class passengers please proceed to gate 27. British Airways Flight 190 to Tokyo, Japan, now boarding." The speaker interrupted their promises and Artoria shot up from her seat, collecting her backpack in the process.
The two of them boarded the plane and settled into their seats, which were equipped with all the bells and whistles. Artoria let Diarmuid do as he wished while she placed her headphones on and opted to go to sleep. The flight was going to be very long, and she hoped she could at least try to rest for some time. Diarmuid was already busy looking out the window and wanting to experience the flight.
The arrival in Japan had been swift and tiring. During the flight, Artoria had introduced Diarmuid to chocolates, gummies, and even popcorn. Artoria would never forget his bright face and how he seemed much too invested in the snacks that he had soon forgotten about the flight itself. In fact, he'd downed everything she gave him with a wide smile on his lips. Artoria made another mental note to get him more snacks just as they descended the plane.
The chilly spring breeze hit them hard as they stepped out of the airport. Artoria hurried her face into the thin scarf she'd wrapped around her neck as she pulled out her phone and searched the place she'd booked for the night; they were to leave for Fuyuki the following day. She wasn't sure how long they'd be in Japan, but she booked a small cabin in the woods somewhere in the outskirts of Fuyuki for more than two entire months.
"We'll have to take a taxi to the hotel," Artoria mumbled as she searched the address, "we can get some rest and look around today."
Diarmuid didn't say anything as he held on to the small amount of luggage they had. It was quite comedic really, he seemed more like her bodyguard, which was quite an accurate representation of their relationship at the moment, but it was still a funny image; Diarmuid holding a backpack, purse and two baggages all in his hands. Artoria had already explained to him that they could roll the bags and she could do it herself, but he insisted. They'd already garnered their fair share of stares as they had walked through the airport and even gotten some curious and judgemental glances from the immigration staff, but other than the countless stares, they didn't garner any unwanted interactions.
Artoria looked up and waved a cab down. The Taxi driver immediately got out of his vehicle and helped them put their luggage away before they entered the car. Diarmuid, as the gentleman he was, opened the door for Artoria and followed in after her.
"I should be getting my motorcycle sometime this week, it'll be easier for us to get around once I have it," Artoria spoke as she scrolled through her phone to make sure the preparations for the booking were all in order.
"Splendid, m-Artoria," Diarmuid nodded.
Artoria set her phone down and leaned her head against the window, letting her eyes take in the sights of Tokyo. It was daybreak when they landed and the sight of the rising sun over the skyline was definitely a calming view. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
Luckily, the hotel wasn't very far from the airport, the short ten minute drive ended quietly as the taxi drove up to the entrance of the luxurious hotel. The hotel itself was a towering monolith of glass and steel, catching Diarmuid's attention as he seemed entranced looking up at it once he'd helped Artoria out of the cab. It wasn't the tallest building there, but it was most majestic in it's details of wood and stone that decorated the side of the building.
"Saber?" Artoria tugged at his sleeve, effectively snapping him out of his trance.
"Yes, master?" His voice nearly went unheard. He'd spent a good minute admiring the height of the structure, and when he looked down at Artoria, he was almost starstruck at how small she was. For the fact that she looked so delicate, she was one strong and admirable woman.
She raised an eyebrow as she asked,"Shall we head in?"
Diarmuid smiled, "Yes." He offered her his arm, and surprisingly, she took it as they entered the hotel.