"Can I ask you something, Rider?"
"Of course, Master. Anything you'd like."
Gareth crossed her arms over Rider's back to act as a pillow while she nestled into a relaxed position atop her equestrian Servant. "You're a centaur, right?"
"That is correct."
"Then, are you from the Age of Gods?"
"Nay. I am from the Age of Man; four centuries ago, if I am not mistaken."
"There were centaurs four centuries ago?"
"Nay, I was not a centaur in life. In life, I was a mighty steed, but one born of the 'natural world'. At least, I think I was."
"You're not sure?"
"In my time, there was an idiom: 'Among men, Lü Bu; among horses, Red Hare.' A legendary warrior and his legendary steed. I am Red Hare. But I am also Lü Bu."
Gareth scratched her head. "Does that make you Lü Bu as a Rider, or Red Hare infused with Lü Bu's legend?"
"Even I am unsure at times." Rider's tone was steady, stoic, but also carried a hint of the concern her felt.
"Hm. You're an amazing Servant, either way."
"Indeed! Few Servants can claim to be two legendary figures in one!" His tone was full of energy now. Gareth couldn't help but wonder how much of his now discarded concern had been real.
"What other classes could you be summoned in?"
"Lü Bu is famous for his might with a pike, and his skill with a bow. Lancer and Archer are options, guaranteed. And such a beast in battle was he that Berserker is also unquestionably available. He also assassinated his foster father, as well as the man whose service he left to join said father."
"Then, Assassin is probably an option as well," Gareth said with a shiver.
Rider nodded.
"I'm glad you're a Rider," Gareth said as she snuggled into Rider's fiery mane.
"As am I, Master," Rider responded with (what Gareth was fairly certain was) a smile.
The two remained silent for a time, accompanied only by the sound of the breeze passing through the grassy plain. This was a spot Gareth had found while out training with her Servant early on in the conflict. She came here with him often to just enjoy the scenery and the breeze.
"Master," Rider eventually said in a low voice. "May I ask you a question now?"
"Sure," Gareth chirped, sitting up suddenly, eager to answer one of his questions for once. "What's on your mind?"
With surprising flexibility, Rider turned his upper body to hold Gareth under her arms and lift her off of his back. The massive centaur planted her down on a nearby rock and lowered himself to meet her eye level. Gareth tilted her head a little as Rider stared deep into her eyes.
"You smile often," he observed. "More often than not, in fact. Even in spite of the current state of affairs."
"It's important to stay positive," Gareth replied with the aforementioned smile.
"That is true. That being said, why does your smile never reach your eyes?"
"...Pardon?"
It was a difficult observation to put into words. Her every smile was genuine - as much was readily apparent to even one who was once a simple animal. Her eyes, her pretty emerald eyes, never shone like the gemstones they resembled. No matter the circumstance, this chipper young woman who could smile through even the toughest of trials never seemed truly happy, despite her genuine smile. There was almost a glaze of sorts over those jade orbs that stopped them from shining to their fullest potential.
"I cannot help but worry that you are not in this War for your own reasons. I understand you are loyal to you mother, but-"
"That isn't it?" Gareth sounded about as certain of this as Rider was.
"It... is not?"
"I don't... think so? We... No, we're fighting for... To save the kingdom from the imposter."
"Imposter? What imposter?"
"I... Arthur, he..."
"Now, now, Rider," Morgan le Fay interrupted, appearing behind Gareth and gently wrapping an arm around her daughter's body. Her free hand cast some kind of magic barrier between the Servant and the two Masters. Before he could question this action, Morgan placed her fingertips against Gareth's temple, where they glowed with mystic energies. Gareth's eyes became glossier than Rider had ever seen them.
Now understanding what was really happening, Rider began bashing the barrier with his fists. Then his powerful hind legs. And then his lance. Nothing he did made so much as a dent. And at this range, his Noble Phantasm would only be a danger to his Master. Despite the immense power of Servants, there was nothing he could do.
Morgan gently tugged her daughter's wrist to raise up her hand and display her Command Seals - three arrowheads converging on a central spot; fitting for the era from which her Servant originated. Of the seven Masters in Morgan's camp, Gareth was the only one thus far that was yet to use one. Even Caster's Master had used one in their one and only battle in the War. Gareth was not like her compatriots. Those three untouched Seals were a symbol of how she viewed her own Servant: as a friend.
"Lend me a Command Seal, won't you, daughter?"
"Okay, Mother," Gareth responded with more exuberance than one might expect of one being so brazenly puppeteered. It was in her nature, Rider supposed. But even so, the words were not truly her own.
"Thank you," Morgan cooed before turning her attention towards the centaur. "Rider, with this Command Spell, I command you: never discuss these concerns with Gareth or anyone else. She is better off simply doing as she is told than she is thinking about her circumstances."
"You made your own daughter your puppet," Rider spat. Even for one who may or may not be the famous Chinese betrayer, this act disgusted him. "And your other children - Assassin and Saber's Masters? Are they under your influence as well?"
"'Anyone' includes me, Rider," Morgan replied simply, ignoring the accusation, thereby confirming it for the Servant. "Be like your Master and obey."
The Command Seal glowed crimson as the compulsion took hold. He could do naught but watch the Seal fade from his Master's hand as the spell was cast. Rider was now entirely incapable of discussing this revelation to anyone. Even knowing his Master was not responsible - the dullness of her eyes as he stared into them proving as much - he still could not help but feel a sense of betrayal over this.
"Good boy," Morgan said in a dehumanising manner. "And you did very well, Gareth," she then said in a sweet, motherly tone. "Your mother is very proud of you."
Now, Rider observed, that smile finally reached her eyes.
Morgan's own eyes turned to face Rider. "I have countermeasures in place, in the event you try to act against me. Countermeasures that will not bode well for Gareth. Simply comply with my will, like a good pet, and you and she will not be harmed. Am I clear, Rider?"
Despite his reluctance to comply with this tyrannical parental figure, as was in the nature of Lü Bu, Rider bowed respectfully. "Crystal."
Nodding with satisfaction, Morgan gave out one last command while her fingers wound down their hold over Gareth. "Bring her back to the stronghold. Our next battle draws near, and I will require your abilities. With that, Morgan melted into the scenery. With her mother gone, Gareth returned to life.
"I'm sorry, Rider. I lost focus for a minute there. What were we talking about?"
Rider stared into his Master's eyes long enough for her to notice. He noted how, despite life returning to them, they were a little duller than they had been before. As if, on some level, she was aware of what had just transpired. Such was the price for his disobedience.
"Rider?" Gareth asked, slightly concerned.
Rider placed a firm, comforting hand upon his Master's shoulder. "It is nothing, Master. Come. We should return to your mother soon. I am sure she has a new battle plan ready by now."
"You're probably right," Gareth shrugged. She clambered up onto her Servant's back and playfully kicked his sides, as she liked to do. "Mother is so smart."
"Hold on tight," Red Hare commanded, facing forward to keep his face from her view. If his expression matched the terrible grip on his heart, he was sure that even his equestrian face would clearly display how crushed his spirits were by Morgan le Fay's awful power. He would keep this fact from his Master. He wanted her to be happy, truly happy, again. If it was not within his power to make that happen yet, he would have to settle for keeping her from losing what little of it she had left.
A sudden image flashed through his mind: a young woman, talented, determined, indescribably beautiful. He recalled an overpowering desire to restore her smile, to rid the world of that shallow smile that never reached her eyes. Even he didn't remember if she had ever truly existed; such was the influence of Luo Guanzhong's epic masterpiece. But real or not, the intense feelings she inspired were very real to Lü Bu, and to Red Hare. They had failed her, but they would not fail Gareth.
He reached his mighty arms back, wrapped them around Gareth's tiny body. To her, it was simply a way to keep her from falling from his back. But to him, it was a promise. The very same promise he had made to Diaochan. And the Flying General would burn through every ounce of strength he possessed - physical or mystical - to ensure that he kept it.