Chapter Two
Jeremiah Gottwald followed the mysterious Artoria to the burned down ruins of a castle in the woods, why there was a castle in the woods, he didn't know.
"Of all people, Saber, why did you bring him? Orange Boy," Rin sighed.
"He follows the path of chivalry, but I must destroy him so that I may create him anew."
"If only you were being literal and not figurative," Rin scowled.
Jeremiah Gottwald saw a woman that was stunningly beautiful, for an Eleven. She looked to be 30-years-old, had long black hair, piercing blue eyes, wore a white turtleneck, a long, red coat, black pants and knee-high brown shoes.
With her stood a man with auburn hair, or should have been auburn hair, his spiked hair was streaked with white.
He wore a white turtleneck and a green sweater, along with black pants and black shoes. His gold-brown eyes gazed at him piercingly.
"Shirou, Rin, I have brought this man to you for one reason, to destroy him, I must break him of his pride, his arrogance, his very being, and that is why you are here. Remind him that he is just an ordinary human. Hold nothing back, but spare his life, teach him the meaning of humility and chivalry."
"Oh, I'm going to teach him a lesson all right, I've had enough of his prattling on TV," Tohsaka snarled.
She rolled up her sleeves and cracked her knuckles.
"Don't feel bad about trying to hit me in the face, I've fought plenty of Britannians that have tried to touch me after the occupation."
Artoria handed him a sword and stepped back, watching him.
Jeremiah Gottwald charged forward, thrusting his sword, swinging and slashing at Rin. "I'll show you Britannain superiority!"
Rin Emiya merely stood sill for a second, uttering words in a language Jeremiah didn't understand.
"Est ist Groß, Est Ist Klein, Voxt gott Es Atlas!"
Rin could move faster than he could swing. Slipping past his guard she slammed her closed, mana-covered fist into his chest, sending him sprawling back, Jeremiah felt his ribs cracking, the pain was unbearable.
"You are just an ordinary human, we are mages, and while I can't possibly break your spirit, that's Shirou's job, if anyone understands ideals, it's him. But I do enjoy breaking your ribs."
Shirou stepped forward, " I am the bone of my sword. Steel is my body, my heart is glass, and fire is my blood. I have created over a thousand blades. Unaware of beginning, Nor aware of the end. Withstood pain with inconsistent weapons, my hands will never hold anything. Yet, my flame never ends. My whole body was still Unlimited Blade Works."
Jermiah Gottwald stared in awe and horror as reality tore itself to pieces and rebuilt itself as a snowy hill blanketed by swords.
"This hill is his whole world, his eternal reward for a lifetime of helping others, the end of the line. He worked ceaselessly striving for greatness beyond his nature, finally buying this miracle with his blood. This victory should have brought him happiness, if he brings happiness to many people, then surely his own happiness will at least equal what he brought to others, in fact it may even surpass it." Rin spoke to herself as much as Jeremiah Gottwald.
Shirou pointed a blade that suddenly appeared in his hand, "Defend yourself."
Jeremiah gripped his sword.
"I'll bring you Elevens to justice, I shall prove my loyalty to my late Lady Marianne!"
Jeremiah slashed at the Eleven mage and watched as the man effortlessly parried all his blows. They chased each other all over the hill of swords as Jeremiah dueled him, Jeremiah Gottwald was an excellent swordsman, he had always dueled for sport but never dreamed his skills with a sword would be used to fight for his life.
They slashed and thrust their blades, each looking for an opening. Jeremiah felt he blade tear into his skin as he was on the receiving end of a steel-toed boot at terminal velocity.
He tumbled to the ground, managing to hold onto his weapon.
"On your feet you Faker, all your prattling on about honor and justice and chivalry, I'm going disabuse you of your ridiculous notions! I have seen true loyalty and chivalry with my own eyes and someone as weak and cowardly as you won't ever lecture me about such things, not in front of her!"
They struggled and fought as Jeremiah tried to gain ground but the Eleven was insurmountable, for every weapon Jeremiah broke there would always be more and Jeremiah was surprised that the man showed no signs of tiring.
"You are certainly persistent, Orange Boy!" Shirou taunted.
"It's sheer loyalty," Jeremiah gritted his teeth.
"Loyalty to a worthless dominion, you don't know what genuine loyalty is," Shirou said, the disdain in his voice incensed Jeremiah Gottwald.
Shirou slashed and cut the former Margrave, leaving him wounded and winded.
"I swore my life and loyalty to Britannia!" Jeremiah shouted. He stabbed at Shirou but Shirou gripped his arm and twisted it around his back.
"SHE IS BRITANNIA! And you have sworn no such oath to her!" Shirou drove his sword Bakuya into Jeremiah's right thigh.
"I have my loyalty, and I will see it through no matter what!" Jeremiah struggled but he couldn't move.
"Yes, you must be loyal no matter what, you are Jeremiah Gottwald, and it's the only thing you've ever been passionate about. Even though you know this country is rotten, the very masters you serve so earnestly threw you away like garbage. You know deep down that the heart of a loyal knight simply isn't in you."
Shirou slammed his booted foot into Jeremiah's face, grinding it under his heel.
"This is how your people treat us, without pity, without mercy, you are a disgrace to any decent person that ever called themselves a knight, you are a disgrace to chivalry."
"I lost someone dear to me once, she was stolen from me long ago, but she never betrayed me, no matter how she was tortured or humiliated, she remained steadfastly loyal, even when she was forced to raise her blade against me. That is steadfast loyalty. You have none, all you think of is your own pride and glory, your own self-interest. The heart of a knight doesn't beat within you."
Shirou gripped him by his hair, "You slew the innocent and the unarmed, you are a stain on chivalry, you cannot claim you follow King Arthur's chivalry, you are nothing like her."
"Her? What do you mean by "her"?" Jeremiah managed to get the words out, he was confused. What was the Eleven talking about? Jeremiah managed to push himself up onto his knees.
"You're going to be all right. You just stumbled over a stone in the road. It means nothing. Your goal lies far beyond this. Doesn't it? I'm sure you'll overcome this. You'll walk again... soon."
Jeremiah let out a groan. Artoria walked over to him, she was no longer dressed in the simple white shirt and blue tie and dress that he'd seen her wearing.
Instead, there was a flash of light and before him she stood in a billowing blue dress, wearing a splendid set of plate armor, in her hand was a sword, or it could have been a sword, but it was invisible.
"Raise your head, Jeremiah Gottwald, you may remain on your knees, for you have no need to even think about standing again."
With that Artoria unsheathed a golden sword and moved so fast he couldn't even see her, but Jeremiah felt the searing strike of that sword and he knew who she was in an instant.
She was Arthur Pendragon, the King of Knights, the Once and Future King, the one he claimed to follow. He felt as though he had shattered into a million pieces as he flew back, crashing into a broken castle wall.
He had no strength to speak, he could only let out a painful groan.
"Hear me, Jeremiah Gottwald, that strike you endured was death itself. The fact that you survived it shall be your pardon. Shirou, Rin, do you object?"
"No, of course not, Saber, if you spared him, it's for a good reason," Shirou said, staring at him. "You wanted us to destroy him, and so we have, the old Jeremiah Gottwald is dead."
"If everything I ever believed in is a lie, what will I do with my loyalty? To whom should I dedicate my life because Lady Marianne and Lelouch and Nunnally are dead?"
"Raise your head, Jeremiah Gottwald!" Artoria Pendragon commanded him.
He looked up at her, so beautiful and terrible, and utterly splendid, it was like wandering into a dream. Jeremiah felt the tears slip down his face. "Seeing you, King of Knights, the embodiment of loyalty, I'll die without regret."
"You are dead therefore you are not entitled to any rights, and what life you have, I'll claim your life for myself!" Artoria Pendragon raised his chin and kissed him on the mouth.
His world spun and his mind reeled, Jeremiah Gottwald, broken and a "slave" to the King of Knights, what world was this?
"Come, thrall, we have work to do," Artoria gestured to him. "From now on you belong to me!"
"You behave like a tyrant!" he dared to speak.
"We are heroes because we are tyrants, so said Iskandar to me, long ago. Do not forget that you have no one but me, I have destroyed you, now I must recreate you anew. How ironic of you to call me a tyrant, when you've served one yourself. Come then!"
The sound of her voice startled him, the voice was similar, so similar to that of Lady Marianne, he deeply wished that she were here, but he'd been to her funeral, but still the sound of her voice, it compelled him to obey her, it was just wishful thinking, she was not Lady Marianne. If anything, her voice reminded him of Guinevere de Britannia, but Artoria was neither of them.
He needed time, time enough to grieve for Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally. He let out a sigh, he might not be a free man, but he would still honor the King of Knights, as it was befitting of a knight.
"There cannot be any 'story' without a fall - all stories are ultimately about the fall - at least not for human minds as we know them and have them."
Jeremiah was confused by her words, he didn't understand what they meant.
"God will uplift," Artoria told him.
"Huh?" Jeremiah asked.
"The meaning of your name, Jeremiah in Hebrew means "God will uplift" or "appointed by God". Perhaps God has brought you to me for a reason," Artoria turned and beckoned him to follow her. He couldn't bring himself to come up with a snarky reply.
"Get back to work, thrall, I have taken it upon myself to purchase this house, I have the ability to do so, now you have been stripped for your rights, culture and dignity."
He headed off to his labors, trying his best to not hang his head.
The work was long and difficult, Jeremiah watched his "mistress" with interest. They continued their work the rest of the afternoon; it was starting to get dark.
"Is there something for me to eat?" Jeremiah asked, forgetting to call her "mistress".
"Of course," she gestured for him to cook, and he prepared their meal. Eating in silence, he didn't say a word to her.
"Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave," Artoria told him.
"You'll be sleeping in there," Artoria pointed to a room he didn't use that much. He peered inside.
"But there's nothing but hay and a cold, hard, floor!"
"Privilege is something you have to earn," Artoria told him, "Remember you have no rights."
"I am a man of noble heritage!" Jeremiah protested.
"My father was a king who had not been blessed with a child in decades. When he finally learned the child he fathered in his old age was a girl he couldn't bear to have me around. So he sent me to be brought up in the home of one of his vassal knights."
Artoria crossed her arms, "So if you are to compare lineage, I am superior to you, in every way. Your pride and arrogance are not truly broken yet, but you will humble yourself eventually."
Artoria turned and left.
Jeremiah sighed as he lay on the hay, doing his best to sleep. He was puzzled, all the stories he'd read about the King of Knights said he was raised in luxury.
Was everything he knew a lie? He didn't know what to think anymore, he sighed and went to sleep.
Saber glanced at Shirou and Rin, "What do you think? He has potential."
"Potential for what? To make an ass of himself? I may be an idealist but if you think that someone like him could change system from within well I have ice to sell you in Alaska." Shirou sighed, "Even I'm not that much of an idealist. I don't think you can save this country."
"I didn't come back to save it, the Britannians are descendants of my enemies."
"You really think he can be saved, Saber?" Rin sighed, "He's far too arrogant, but seeing his face when I broke his ribs did show me he understands how outclassed he is."
"He will learn, you'll see."
"I'm not holding my breath, he may be humiliated but to that man humble pie is bitter," Rin laughed.
"You've only been back for a few days, do you intend to take on the Holy Britannian Empire with just the three of us?" Shirou asked.
"What do you know of the Black Knights?" Saber asked.
"Those would-be Robin Hoods, they help people," Shirou observed.
"They also help themselves to custom Knightmare frames from the Kyoto Group," Rin sighed.
"It's posturing, all public support for them is swelling among the Japanese, the buzzwords are nice and all but it's not like they've liberated Japan."
"I want to set up a meeting," Saber said.
"We'll see what I can do," Shirou glanced at her. "I do know a lady named Sayoko she joined the Black Knights, I'm sure we can set up a meeting."
"Very good," Artoria crossed her arms. "Things are about to become very interesting. I haven't had an adventure in some time."
"I want to see if their ideals are genuine or if it's just grandstanding. I suppose we'll find out soon enough," Shirou smiled. "It's been a long time since we sat together and made plans, I miss the old days, the last time we did this, Japan was free.
"Yes, and perhaps it will be that way again soon."
"Still, I do want to speak with this Zero, he used Geass on live TV and as the Second Owner of Japan, I can't let a mage run wild, even if he is trying to liberate Japan."
"May this adventure be a good one," Artoria raised her glass. "Cheers!"
"Cheers, and long live King Arthur!" Shirou laughed, and the trio drained their wine glasses.