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The festivities were grandiose as the ceremonial day in Uruk. Despite her misgivings, Arturia had agreed to attend the festivals after Ritsuka had insisted at length that she come. Since their arrival here, in this singularity, the King of Knights had refrained from entering Uruk for reasons of her own, preferring to hunt beasts outside and ensure the city's security. But the Master couldn't accept her remaining so aloof, so he pressured her to at least come and relax for the party.
But she didn't mingle with the crowd for several reasons, watching from afar as the locals paraded down the street, singing, dancing or praying... Her appearance would attract attention, which she couldn't afford. She also didn't want to run the risk of running into the local king, even though she understood he was upset that one of Ritsuka's servants hadn't bothered to come for him. And finally... She didn't want to spoil this moment of relaxation for the locals by her mere presence. Her mind was still preoccupied with the fight, her future enemies and the threat hanging over the town. She wouldn't have been able to relax her mind and her face would have betrayed her.
Perched on a temple balcony, she went to the trouble of dressing in city clothes to be more discreet, and a voilà was placed over her hair so she wouldn't stand out. Seeing people parade in this warm atmosphere warmed her heart, and she smiled briefly. The air smelled of delicious food, the music was a new discovery and the voices were happy.
There was no fear at that moment... they were enjoying life, enjoying the fact that they were still alive. Their king had given them courage.
But to think that she could have escaped his attention was naive of her.
An imposing presence could be felt at her back as a draught caressed his face. She closed her eyes, thinking that perhaps she should have settled closer to the outskirts of town, but she had an urge to stay close to her Master, who was nearby, downstairs, having fun.
Arturia turned around, her hair and veil fluttering in the wind, and there he was, enjoying the sight of this stranger who was far from being a stranger to him and his heroic spirit who remembered very well their meeting past, present or future.
The king knight had no real memory of what had happened between them in another time, but she knew she had to avoid him, their meeting had left her with a bitter taste... but so sweet at the same time, the memory of his touch on her cheek allowed her to see another side of him before they parted.
"I should make you disappear for daring to disrespect me so, heroic spirit... Saber. Not coming to pay my respects and making me come to a place like this deserves a death sentence..."
The uncertainty in his eyes told Arturia that he wasn't sure what he was looking at. Probably because he was still alive here and not a spirit like her. What's more, she didn't bow or look away; she simply looked at him, surprised to see the difference with his counterpart.
He was older, the weight of years in his eyes, more wise, more experienced. A mix of experiences that the King of Heroes had been careful not to reveal to others.
"That was never my goal, King of Uruk."
However, to think that he didn't know exactly who she was was a big mistake. He approached, she was wary, he flashed a self-indulgent smile when he was close enough to her and crossed his arms while staring at her with relief.
"I've been looking forward to meeting you for the first time with my other self, King of Knights."
She remains silent for a moment, realizing a reality of space and time she hadn't considered. She didn't know it yet, but perhaps she had unconsciously realized that she was looking at a dying man who simply wanted to enjoy the gift that fate had sent him before he passed away.
The party continued around them as she discovered a side of the King of Heroes that wasn't as bad as she'd imagined.