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Quarrels in Chaldea were nothing new.
It was not unusual. The residents of Chaldea did not always get along. Although they were all united by the same goal - to save this world - there were many differences. Age, place of birth, the country they fought for, religion. There were times when people who had been enemies in their lifetime were forced to be in the same room - and it wasn't always pleasant. Sometimes it almost came to hand-to-hand, however, the presence of Ritsuka, who was their Master, meant that they always managed to calm them down.
For this reason, when one afternoon Mash heard more screams coming from the other end of the cafeteria, all she did was sigh heavily. It looked like another day marked by bickering was getting ready.
Was it really that hard to have one quiet day?
Mash felt like ignoring the issue - whatever the Servants were arguing about , it was none of her business. Besides, they weren't children, so they should take care of it themselves, right?
“I asked you to leave me alone!” a raised voice caught her attention and made her lift her head in surprise.
The person who argued was not the Servant.
It was none other than Doctor Romani. The man stood up suddenly from his seat, slapping his hands on the table and almost spilling his coffee. Opposite him, meanwhile, stood King David, looking at him with clear disapproval.
Mash immediately felt a surge of anxiety. Doctor Romani and King David had always had a somewhat peculiar relationship. Since the arrival of Queen Sheba, who was clearly in love with the Doctor, they began to spend more time together. Sometimes they seemed to be hostile to each other, other times they supported each other, but it was clear that they cared about the other.
From the moment they learned that King Solomon was responsible for trying to destroy the world, their relationship became somewhat strained.
And who could be surprised by that? After all, King David was Solomon's father; it wouldn't be surprising if both the people and the Servants blamed him for his son's actions.
“I have no such intention!” King David also raised his voice.
Which was really unusual, because the two never shouted. Mash had never heard King David or Doctor Romani raise their voices at anyone else before - not in this way.
“ I'm not going to leave until you listen to me!”
“We've already talked about this,” Romani said. There were some icy tones in his voice that Mash had never heard before. “The plan I have chosen is the best of all possible. If you have a better idea, please feel free to propose it, however, as of now we don't have anything better. So that leaves us with only this option.”
“This option, with all due respect, is not an option.”
“I don't recall asking for your permission.”
“You may not need my permission, but that still doesn't mean I should stand idly by and watch you devise a plan that might as well be a suicide plan.”
Mash's eyebrows flew upward. What were these two talking about?
Was this where they were talking about their next mission - the Grand Temple of Time? Mash knew it wouldn't be an easy task and that defeating Solomon was practically approaching an impossible mission, given what they knew about him, but…
“It's not a suicide plan, it's the only plan we can come up with at the moment,” Doctor Romani said. “I'm sorry if you don't like it, but I have no intention of changing my mind.”
“Yet-”
“I'm not going to change the plan just because you don't like something. This is the only option we have left. Yes, I don't quite like it either, but if it comes to the worst, that's what will have to happen.”
“Surely, there must be some other way.”
“I was thinking about it,” an expression of exasperation flashed across Doctor Romani's face. “It seems to you that I spend my days doing nothing? Yes, I may not be clairvoyant, but that doesn't yet mean that I can't think for myself! I'm very sorry, but in the worst case we will follow this plan and that's it. End of conversation.”
Having said this, Doctor Romani lifted the tray with his food and turned around, clearly intending to leave the room.
King David grabbed him by the arm, preventing him from doing so.
“Solomon...” he began, there were some strange tones in his voice.
“I'm very sorry, but we are not able to achieve a happy ending for everyone,” Doctor Romani's voice became icy. Mash was not able to approach him, even though she wanted to somehow interfere, to end the argument. “Everything started with Solomon, and so everything must end with him. If the price of saving the world is having to get rid of Solomon, that's what must happen.”
Ah, so that was the point.
In the Grand Temple of Time they will meet Solomon. If they can't convince him to abandon his plans, it will be necessary to defeat him. Forcing him to leave this world - which in theory meant death.
In theory, as King Solomon was already dead, so was every other Servant that Mash and Ritsuka knew.
But in practice... perhaps King David regretted not being able to spend more time with his son. Perhaps he didn't want to watch his death.
“There must be another way.”
“There isn't.”
“Are you saying that because you know it, or do you want it to be that way?”
“Don't pretend that you suddenly care!” Doctor Romani turned around abruptly. The tray he held in his hands fell to the ground as he grabbed King David by the front of his blouse and pulled him close. “Now? After so many years? Don't be ridiculous! Besides, for so long you agreed with what I said, never having any doubt! And now? Now suddenly you have something against my plans! Because what? Because I'm not clairvoyant?! Because I don't hear the voice of God, as Solomon heard it?!”
He let it go suddenly, as if realizing that he had just shouted down the ancient king of Israel. The Servants, staying in the area, looked at them with interest.
“Is it so hard to trust me?” Doctor Romani asked. “I know what I'm doing.”
“I'm not saying I don't trust you,” said King David. He, too, had to be aware of the eyes that were following them, however, he did not take his gaze off the Doctor. “All I'm asking you to do is to rethink this plan. Surely there must be some other solution, son.”
Mistake.
Doctor Romani's face hardened, and he remained silent for a moment, staring at the man. Mash guessed that King David at some point must have begun to think of the Doctor as his own son, however, invoking this while simultaneously asking to spare his other son...
“I am not your son, King David,” said Doctor Romani quietly yet firmly. “I am Doctor Romani Archaman, head of the medical department, acting director of Chaldea Security Organization. You are asking me for something that would amount to a fate worse than death. Don't ask me to do that, King of Israel.”
Having said this, he turned and walked away from King David. This time the man didn't even try to stop him. He stared at the Doctor's silhouette with a strange expression on his face that Mash was unable to read.
“Doctor...” Mash got up from her seat. Ritsuka, sitting next to her, did exactly the same.
Doctor Romani ignored her outstretched hand and left the room without even honoring her with a glance. His gaze was cold, making Mash unable to call him out again.
“This doesn't look good,” Queen of Sheba suddenly appeared next to them. The woman acted as if she had been here for a long time.
Or perhaps that was actually the case, only Mash didn't notice her presence?
“Mash, Fujimaru-kun,” the woman spoke up, catching their attention. “May one of you find Da Vinci and ask her to talk to the Doctor? I will speak with King David.”
Mash hesitated. She wanted to talk to the Doctor, however, his look... those cold eyes...
“He will be fine,” Sheba assured them. “Trust me.”
Mash exchanged glances with Ritsuka.
“I will find Da Vinci,” said the boy.
“Thank you, senpai!” Mash smiled at him.
The Queen also sent him a smile, then moved towards King David, even standing in the same place.
“Father,” spoke up Sheba.
King David raised his eyes at her.
“You heard him,” he said in a flat tone. “I am not his father, so you have no right to call me that way, lover of Romani Archaman.”
“You may or may not be Romani Archaman's father, however, you are Solomon's father,” Queen Sheba did not even flinch. “So let me speak as Solomon's wife. Tell me, great King of Israel, if the same proposal came from Solomon's mouth, would you oppose it?”
King David was silent for some time.
“No,” he said after a long moment. “There would be no such reason.”
“Exactly,” smiled Queen Sheba sadly.
Whatever she wanted to convey in this way made King David musing.
“So are you going to let him go ahead with this plan?” asked the man after a while.
“Times have changed,” Queen Sheba bent down and lifted the tray abandoned by Doctor Romani. “Once I lost my husband to the Voice of God. I was brought back to those times and fell in love with the man I met here.”
She looked David straight in the eyes.
“I have no intention of losing him as well, and so I will do everything in my power to prevent this from happening, even if my enemy were to be Solomon himself.”