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The streets were unusually quiet, devoid of its bustling dwellers and daily noises of cars and laughter and life.
As Gilgamesh leaned against the wall and stared thoughtfully up into the night sky, the usual glint of his golden armor reflecting the light of the stars strangely absent, he couldn't help but let out a small grin, his fingers tapping patiently against his arm. Though he was sure not many shared his opinion (not that it truly mattered to begin with), he thought to himself how he found the evening most beautiful when it was at its darkest, when there were barely any stars in the sky and the moon was feeling somewhat cowardly and so would choose to go into hiding.
The inky darkness of the night provided him a stunning backdrop that no other artificial source could ever provide, in which the precious treasures he stored in his Gate of Babylon could be presented at their finest state, beyond compare...
...especially when he randomly felt like impressing a certain woman.
Abruptly, he felt the air sizzle all around him, powerful magic purposefully being provoked for a moment, before it settled once more, and Saber's form materialized a couple feet away from him, Excalibur carefully drawn and ready.
"On such a starless night, why do you call for me, King of Heroes?" she asked him, a hint of annoyance evident in her voice.
His smile only widened even further, making no move whatsoever to turn towards her. He took his time, admiring the skies at his leisure while her stance remained guarded, weary of any tricks he may have prepared.
"Answer me!" she called out to him, her frustration at full force now. She flexed her fingers, forcing herself to calm her breathing. The man in front of her was one she could never read, no matter how hard she tried. Of all her opponents in this War, he remained the most arrogant and the most confident, her battle instincts becoming useless.
He unnerved her, and the sad truth was, as much as her pride wouldn't allow her to acknowledge the fact out loud, they were both aware of it.
"Mayhaps you've not had the luxury to gaze upon your reflection as of yet, but..." Gilgamesh began, finally turning to look towards her way, his earrings clinking lightly. "In your aggravation, a slight, but lovely flush has bloomed from your cheeks. Though I love your face most when you express your convictions, I must say it becomes you."
"You dare to mock me...?!" Saber retorted, her voice becoming dangerously low. "There are enemies still about, yet you choose to jest."
"It is not that I jest, simply that I state the truth."
She could tell that he was amused, fighting himself to keep from smiling. "Hmph. Whether it is the truth or but a lie, it matters not to me. State your business."
Gilgamesh let out a loud sigh, shaking his head. Walking closer to her, the weight of his armor evident as he strode forward, he gave her a brazen smile, his arms staying at his side when she brought her weapon up to her chest, her battle stance not once having loosened. "Lower your divine sword, King of Knights. Tonight is not a night of conflict, but of intermission. There was something I wanted to show you."
"To show me...?" Saber's eyes widened in surprise, before shaking her head, her stubborn resolve coming to the fore. "Do not believe for one moment that I shall let my guard down in front of you. You speak to me as if we were equals, yet you've commanded me to appear before you. You cannot be trusted."
"I should say the same to you," Gilgamesh replied in return, entertained by their verbal clash. "You too are a King, ruled by no one, yet you obeyed me without question. Does that not mean that you too have your motives?"
At his words, Arturia looked down, suddenly realizing her mistake. She shut her eyes tightly, her cheeks becoming even more red, before she opened them again, taking a deep breath. She won't allow herself be intimidated. "Once more, I tell you: state your business. I've other affairs to attend to."
"From whence do you draw your inspiration, my King of Knights?"
The question came out of nowhere, and if she were honest with herself, Saber was quite taken aback; did he honestly want to see her simply to converse?
"Do you draw your principles from kings of the past? Or do you draw them from yourself, from that head that now sits on your shoulders?"
There was a sense of curiosity in him that Saber has never noticed before; his form was relaxed, at ease, and he made no move to draw out any of his weapons. His gaze was calm, not at all burning with rage or bright with delight. For once, he seemed genuine, and she dared to answer him, her voice careful and unreadable. "My faith and my sentiments are inspired by my own experiences, of course. As a monarch of Britain I have seen the suffering of my people, and in seeing their sacrifices, I too must—"
Gilgamesh held out his hand, his eyes closed in contemplation as he regarded her words. "Have you never considered the philosophies of other kings? Are you so arrogant in your thinking as to believe yours is superior to theirs?"
"Are you not the same way? You are as much a king as I am, subject to the same judgments."
"On the contrary, I am a firm believer that I am above them," Gilgamesh said with much confidence in his voice, his opinion of himself assured. "But I did not come here to talk of myself. I want to know more of you. I'd like to draw you out, if only for a brief moment."
Saber gulped slowly, lowering her sword, before she turned away from him, her hands settling on the bottom of the hilt of her sword, her eyes far away while she looked up at the cloudless skies. "To speak truth, I never considered the philosophies of those who ruled before me...not of my own accord, but because I never had the chance. My land was ravaged by countless wars and sieges, the time for study and recreation were few and far in-between."
He was quiet, his eyes lowered, somewhat in awe of her humble words. Though she was a ruler, proud and self-reliant, she also understood her own limitations; her honesty itself was a treasure...one he knew he would always desire beyond the passage of time. At that last thought, he couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face and without warning, majestically summoned the Gate of Babylon, an invisible wall of gold and scarlet appearing behind him.
Sensing the aura of the powerful Noble Phantasm, Saber quickly drew her sword once more, her teeth gritting as she stared at the King of Heroes, his expression almost giddy. Rather than the dangerous wall of swords that she'd been expecting however, the Gate produced nothing, silently waiting for its master's command.
Gilgamesh reached out from behind him, and slowly, a circular item began to take shape in his hand. After a minute or so, she was able to get a closer look, her eyes widening when she realized it was a solid, silver wreath in the shape of olive leaves that he had pulled from the Gate, the edges of the crown twinkling with polish.
"This reminded me of you," he told her boldly, carefully weighing the ornament between his hands. "Or rather, its previous owner was like you in many ways...proud, kingly, tenacious to a fault."
"Explain yourself. What do you mean?"
"Have you ever heard of the Emperor Trajan?"
Saber shook her head, blinking wearily towards him. "The name certainly sounds familiar, but no...I haven't the pleasure of knowing him or his reign. From which time period does he hail?"
"Before your beloved Britain was as you knew it, he had ruled the land before you, as part of the Roman Empire," Gilgamesh explained, turning the crown this way and that between his hands. "This is but a relic of the past, a symbol of his wisdom."
"Wisdom?"
He nodded, continuing on. "Though he will never measure up to mine own prestige, many say he was the best of the Roman emperors, a true Hero of his time, a philanthropist who gave much to his people, having forsaken his own pleasures for their worldly satisfaction...truly, you and him are of the same breed, it would seem."
Saber's eyes softened at the thought of a wise old king sacrificing everything for the people he loved; if it were true, then he is a man worthy of her respect and admiration. She turned to the other man, her voice quiet and subdued. "For what reason would you show this to me? Surely not for me to wear it."
"Am I in need of a reason?" he replied back, smirking at her. "As the woman I have a chosen for my wife, I merely thought that you are worthy enough to lay your eyes upon it, for indeed you and him share similar, if not the same sympathies."
Saber was quiet for a moment, thoughtful. "If it is a symbol of wisdom, then surely it is not only I who is worthy to gaze upon it. Perhaps its miraculous presence will inspire those who are in need of guidance, especially—"
Before she could say anything else however, she was abruptly caught off guard when Gilgamesh slammed her body against the wall, her grip on Excalibur having loosened, and the mighty weapon fell to the ground in a useless heap with a resounding clang, her wrists pinned above her head, Gilgamesh's iron grip tight around both her hands.
"Like a moth to a flame, I am drawn to your spirit, but woman...you do so have a talent at testing my patience," the man whispered dangerously to her ear, making her involuntarily shiver. "Consider yourself honored that I did not strike you dead from whence you stood. Do you honestly mean to question my judgment that you are the only one worthy?"
Saber tried to fend off his hands, doing her utmost to tug herself free. "Unhand me, you brute! You are like a wild dragon, hoarding your treasure in your cave when they are meant to be shared with the world!"
"Humbug! Me?! Share my otherworldly possessions with this filthy realm we call the world?!" he retorted, his eyes flashing with indignation. "I am a King above all other kings and gods! My word is law, and I alone decide who is worthy of my valuables! You dare to go against me?!"
"Treasure is meant to be seen and admired by all those who have the opportunity to gaze upon it. They are the remnants of an unchangeable past, distinguished so that they may—"
"Heh heh... Are you begging me to send you back to your own time period?! Because I assure you, at this very moment...nothing would please me more."
"Then I happily accept your challenge, King of Heroes, let us end this once and for all!"
Gilgamesh gritted his teeth tightly, his eyes alive with anger and bloodlust...before his eyes widened in realization, narrowing his gaze towards the blonde woman for a few seconds. Slowly, as if he didn't know himself, he leaned to place a ghost of a kiss on her lips; it happened so fast that Saber could barely register it, her eyes wide in shock.
And then he violently flung her away from him, not blinking an eye when she landed with ease, picking up her weapon once more. "Draw you sword, Gilgamesh! Nothing less would be acceptable than a fight to the death!"
"Hmph! Your temper chooses to flare at the wrong time," he calmly replied to her, turning away from her invitation to battle. Nearby, he walked over to where the crown fell and picked it back up, staring at it for a moment before it disappeared from his hands, without a doubt stored away once more inside the Gate. "Did you not hear me from earlier...? Tonight is a night of intermission, not of combat. I tire of this game called the Holy Grail War and wish to recuperate."
"You dare to turn your back to me?!"
Gilgamesh simply ignored her and walked away, his voice sounding oddly bitter as he warned her. "During this time, rest your blade and reflect upon your grievous actions for having offended my judgment. Do not provoke or question me again, for I'll not be merciful in the future."
And into the moonless night, his form disappeared, leaving only a trail of faint gold. Afterwards, Saber looked at where he stood for a long time, lowering her sword. Later, when she conveys the pointless meeting between herself and Gilgamesh to Irisviel, her master will explain to her softly that just perhaps...she may have unintentionally hurt his feelings.
For the time being however, Arturia shook her head in weariness and quietly returned to her masters' side.