3097/Of Kings and Grails

Of Kings and Grails
Date of Scene:	26 September 2015
Location:	Dun Realtai
Synopsis:	Saber of Silver comes to talk to her fellow Saber about some concerns she's had of late.
Cast of Characters:	227, 346

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Saber of Silver (227) has posed:
While it came seemingly out of the blue, there wasn't anything terribly out of the ordinary about the request that the silver-haired Saber had made earlier. It wouldn't be the first time she'd asked to meet with Saber to talk, and it (hopefully!) won't be the last. She is somewhat nervous, though, her mind going over and over several matters which have been brought to her attention over the past few weeks. Nothing too terrible, though she does seem distracted and a bit lost in thought as she approaches Dun Realtai.

Upon seeing the lord of the realm, she offers a soft smile and a polite bow. "Saber. It's good to see you again. Thank you for letting me come by."

Saber (346) has posed:
     While it was somewhat unexpected, it was simply due to the fact that the King of Knights had not heard from the mysterious fellow Saber. Dun Realtai was a known neutral ground and safe haven for any who would submit to the laws of hospitality. Apparently, many thought such laws were not a lot to ask, and even those of the Confederacy or no affiliation at all have been guests of the present caretakers at some point or another. Naturally, most Unionites had open invitations, and Saber had met the other Servant previously with no reason to suspect trouble.

     The petite knight received her guest in the Great Hall of the keep, dressed modestly in a blue sweater and jeans with cuffs extending over low boots, her hair bound in a high ponytail. Apparently, she had been working on some task or other. Returning the bow, her smile was faint, even perhaps slightly chagrined. "Greetings, Saber. I apologise for receiving you as I am...the preparations for winter continue, even if there is not the urgency of the previous year."

     One of the castle's servants had brought a kettle of green tea, as well as a tray with bread, cheese, butter, and biscuits, setting it down on a low table by the hearth, where there were several chairs upholstered in damask fabric. Saber waited for her guest to be seated before seating herself. "What can I do for you?"

Saber of Silver (227) has posed:
On the other hand, the silver-haired Saber is dressed in her kimono as usual. Despite the autumn arriving, she seems to be not bothered at all by the cooler weather. "Oh! No, no need to apologize, Saber. I was the one who called out of the blue asking to talk..." She glances at her fellow Saber for a moment before her gaze darts away, then finally looks back again.

The arrival of tea and food, especially tea, is welcome, though. Once the chair is offered, she sits down and lifts a cup of tea, taking a moment to slowly sip at it. She can't really stall for long, though, and finally lowers the teacup. "Saber, I feel that there may be some confusion. You were brought up recently on the Union frequencies..." She pauses and offers a faint smile. "Nothing bad, of course. Berserker was saying how brave you were in Paragon City. But..."

Head tilted slightly, Saber gives the blonde Servant an earnest look. "English is not my first language, even though being summoned as a Servant has given me the opportunity to understand, and I know the frequencies are translated. But... how to put this...." Green eyes shift away briefly in thought. "I believe the wrong pronoun has been applied to you."

Saber (346) has posed:
     Cold might not have bothered her the same way it did normal human beings, but one might get the feeling that she did have a liking for warmth. "Not at all. Dun Realtai is open to all, in accordance with chivalry as well as our ancient laws. Anyone may simply 'drop by'...it is simply that some preparation is necessary for some accommodations."

     Though puzzled by the other Saber's apparent discomfiture, the King of Knights politely made no note of it. But as she worked though attempting to build up her courage to ask her question, the flaxen-haired swordswoman tilted her head slightly. She wanted to ask about something, but for some reason she was reluctant to approach he subject.

     Saber waited, however, until she finally got to what she had wanted to ask. It seemed an odd thing to her to be reluctant about....but then again, for some it seemed a faux pas to ask what gender a person is. "You mean they referred to me by a feminine pronoun? No, it is correct. I am, in truth, a woman."

Saber of Silver (227) has posed:
This is a serious matter, or at least the silver-haired visitor seems to think it is. While she's quite glad that she's been so welcomed, this matter has bothered her over the past few days. Perhaps she misheard? But no, it was repeated enough times that she was certain of the words that were being spoken.

And then the blonde swordswoman herself confirms it. "...I see." Green eyes fall slightly, and she takes a moment to compose herself by taking another sip of tea. "It seems, then, that I am the one who has been mistaken. You were so gallant when I first met you, that I assumed..." Eyes close briefly, and she shakes her head. Leaning forward, she sets her teacup on the table, then bows low. "I must apologize for mistaking you then, Saber. I meant no slight."

Saber (346) has posed:
     Arturia had to admit some confusion. It wasn't embarrassment she read in the silver-haired Servant's expression, it was...disappointment? It seemed an odd thing to her, but then again, she had remained ignorant of what the other's intention really was. Mostly, it was on account of her own blindness regarding certain effects on people. She could be inspiring when she attempted to be, or even hero-worshipped. But she had never thought of herself as desirable from a romantic perspective.

     "There was no slight," she reassured the other Saber. "In truth, history /does/ know me as a man. That is because, in my era, the people would have not accepted a woman as their ruler...or so my father believed." Her way of regarding Uther, the Saber of Silver might have noticed. was rather distant, as if she was speaking of an ancestor rather than her biological father. "Regardless of whether he was right or wrong, when I accepted my role, I disguised myself as a man to do so. Only my tutor and a handful of my knights knew the truth."

Saber of Silver (227) has posed:
There was definitely embarrassment there, but there was no small amount of disappointment. The silver-haired Saber tries her best not to let it show, but getting this confirmed was, perhaps, a bit harder on her than she expected.

"Still... I apologize. I have seen you as you are now and was blinded by..." There's a faint blush to her cheeks, and she shakes her head again, sitting straight. "I.. I do understand the burden of royalty." While she's never divulged details, she has told her fellow Saber that she was a royal princess in her life. That's more than she's told most, even now. "Then perhaps I was mistaken about Sir Bedivere's relationship to you as well," she says softly, though doesn't dwell on that. "I would... still look forward to the day when I am able to introduce myself properly, with my real name." As subject changes go, that one was about as smooth as gravel, but she's still a bit flustered.

Saber (346) has posed:
     It was never easy to let someone down, particularly with the sort of regard the Saber of Silver held. No amount of reassurances or kind words could truly lessen the blow; only the passage of time would do that. It was especially problematic because much of her gallantry and noble bearing had been deliberate. She could not have been the ideal king she had tried to become with anything less. Moreover, the code of chivalry was likewise intended to inspire and treat everyone with proper respect. It had not surprised her that many Knights of the Round Table had been sought after by a great many women, who were treated as if they were goddesses...though some of them apparently /were/.

     "I accept your apology, though I assure you that is is not necessary. You have conducted yourself with elegance and dignity, most befitting a lady of your status." Saber was only trying to be polite, but she was probably not helping matters.

     She lets the matter of Bedivere go, likely having already guessed their relationship. And even if not, it would likely become quite clear soon. "I look forward to it," she replied with a smile. "I am rather...reticent myself with regards to my own identity, though perhaps it is not quite as necessary now as it was during my War."

Saber of Silver (227) has posed:
Being polite and gentlemanly and complimenting her like that certainly is not making things any easier for the silver-haired Saber to handle all this.

Now that she knows the truth, however, she very, very carefully puts the blonde Saber's words through a mental filter. ....it still doesn't help much, granted, but it does help her come to an understanding. A bit. "Ah.. th.. thank you, Saber. I could not disgrace my station, or my country." Whatever country that is. Though if Saber has ever seen this one fighting, it would not be at all hard to know she's Japanese. You know, if the kimono didn't give it away.

"Might I ask you a question about your War?" Saber seems a little hesitent, but lifts her head slightly to focus her gaze on her blonde counterpart. "Not the Grail War itself, rather, but what it feels like after the War is over. You see... I am uncertain what will happen to me should I win the War and gain my wish. My heart's wish..." Her gaze falls slightly. "I suppose it could be granted either here or in my life in the past. I'm not sure what it will be like after the War is over, though."

Saber (346) has posed:
     The matter of her identity was one Arturia could understand, though the other's reticence on other matters was a little peculiar. On the other hand, she was in no position at all to question or criticise, given how nearly-paranoid she had been over everything shortly after her Unification. Only in time might the kimono-clad Saber open up enough to speak of her country and her legend.

     The jade-eyed knight sat back in her chair a little, closing those eyes in contemplation. "I had not had a great deal of time to contemplate it before my version of the world Unified," she explained. "It was so sudden...just as I was about to disappear, hovering between the end of the War and my return to my own time, it Unified. Suddenly, I had no Holy Grail, no Master, and no way to attain my wish. Yet, Archer had somehow Unified some time before I had...or perhaps he was from an alternate version. Whatever the case had been, he had been causing considerable havoc throughout the multiverse, and my purpose had become stopping him."

     Saber shifted slightly in her seat, opening her eyes. However, they seemed immersed in thought. "I had not given up my wish, though I believed that there might be better ways to achieve it than through the Holy Grail. Yet, I had contracted with a new Master for the purpose of fighting Gilgamesh, and by the time we had dealt with him, she had become a close friend. I found that I could not achieve my wish without affecting her, and I found that unacceptable. Therefore, I relinquished my wish and dedicated myself to the Union."

     That was not all of her story, but she paused to allow the other Saber to take it in.

Saber of Silver (227) has posed:
As the story of the blonde Saber's Grail War is told, the kimono-clad Saber listens on with wide eyes. "So somehow, two Servants survived from your War... It sounds like he's a rather powerful Archer, as well." Saber looks thoughtful for a moment. "I'm.. sorry, it must have been hard, though. My world's Holy Grail is still active, though the War is only really just beginning."

Lips purse together silently as she gives a brief nod. "I would expect nothing less from a gallant king such as yourself. Truth be told, my own wish is a selfish one, but one I yearn for with all my heart..." She brings a hand to her chest and closes her eyes. "It would be all talk to say I would do the same as you, but I pray the decision will never be mine to make. I want to say I would choose my Master over myself, but..." A flush of embarrassment crosses her cheeks as she glances aside. "I am not used to that sort of disappointment. I worry I may make the wrong decision rashly. So I hope it will never come to that."

Saber (346) has posed:
     Saber shook her head. "In truth, neither of us truly did win the War," she admitted. "My Master was, while his goals themselves were noble, fought in questionable ways. He killed Archer's Master before using his last command seals to order me to destroy the Holy Grail. It had somehow become corrupted during the course of a previous War, which was why my Master ordered me to destroy it, but somehow Archer was able to endure the curse. It gave him a true body, permitting him to act without a Master. Once he had Unified, he began a mad quest in search of me, as well as an alternate form of the Grail."

     The King of Knights sighed softly. "I was told once that the nature of wishes itself is selfish," she admitted slowly. "Mine might have been noble to some, it was nevertheless something that I was willing to sacrifice anything for. Though I believed the world would be better -- including the future -- had I been able to save Britain, the present as it is would change...which would upset the lives of those in it."

Saber of Silver (227) has posed:
"A Holy Grail War with no winner... That sounds terrible.." A moment after she said it, the silver-haired Saber quickly brings a hand up to cover her mouth. "Oh! I'm sorry, Saber. I didn't mean... I'm sure it was a difficult time." Green eyes cast downward, and the corners of her lips tug into a slight frown. "But for the Grail to be corrupted... and then destroyed.."

She slowly shakes her head... then widens her eyes slightly. "That wish... somehow suits you. Mine would be far more selfish, I'm afraid. There's something I want... that I need." She bites her lip gently. "But my wish can't compare to what you were fighting for."

Saber (346) has posed:
     Shaking her head slightly, the flaxen-haired Saber smiled slightly. "What is done is done," she reassures the other Saber. "And it /was/ irredeemably tainted with all of humanity's sins. I daresay that, as insufferable and barbaric as he is, perhaps the King of Heroes was correct in that only he was able to bear such a burden. Even then, he was not completely unaffected. It was better that it was destroyed; any wish granted by it would have been similarly tainted."

     The corner of her mouth quirked slightly. "I suppose that my true regret was that my Master had told me of what had become of it. He had somehow learned of the truth of the Grail, but he did not trust me to do what was right had I known. Or perhaps he had felt there was no time to do so."

     The King of Knights shook her head. "Ultimately, all wishes supposedly are, even mine. My wish now is most certainly selfish, as there might be those among my knights who have no wish for reconciliation, or to come here and help to make something that, while not a utopia, is as close to our dream as possible. I have no need of the Grail for that...especially since I have no wish for them to appear as Servants who might otherwise be fighting each other for it."

Saber of Silver (227) has posed:
The story of the Grail being tainted draws a shudder from the silver-haired Saber. "I wonder how it could have become tainted..." Her Grail, as far as she knows, isn't like that. Perhaps it's just that one world? There are lots of different Holy Grail Wars that she's encountered in the multiverse, and she hasn't even looked very far yet! "Ah... it must hurt, knowing your Master didn't trust you." She tilts her head slightly, an amused smile playing at her lips, "I think my Master looks up to me, much as I've tried to dissuade that. Perhaps because she's younger than I am." And Saber looks young as is! Not too much different from the blonde Saber's apparent age.

"I suppose you're right. But I can't give up on mine. It's a fate that I intend to fight..." She looks very determined briefly, then shifts to a more embarrassed look. "Ah... sorry, Saber. I get a bit passionate when I think about it."

Saber (346) has posed:
     The question drew a soft sigh from the blonde Servant. "None have been able to discern a cause," she admitted. "My previous Master -- the one after my first Master who has become a dear friend to me -- had told me of what ultimately became of the Holy Grail. I had not, in fact, destroyed it...at least, not in her version of our world. Yet, even its partial destruction had caused a terrible fire in the immediate area and claimed many lives...it would seem that the Grail in her world had been tainted, as well.

     She shook her head slightly. "However, there are other versions of our world, other Wars in which the Grail had not become tainted. It is unfortunate, but it would appear that there is no way to know until the Grail itself begins to manifest."

     With a slight tilt of her head, Arturia offered the other Saber her version of a shrug, closing her eyes. "I have met him since...a different version of my Master, to be sure, but I believe we have something of an understanding now. I have agreed to help him destroy his version of the Grail, on the condition that it be done safely."

     Her eyes opened as she regarded her fellow Servant with a hooded expression. "It is all right. In spite of all I have lived through, I do not believe that it is wrong to fight one's fate. I think that I shall always reject the idea that we must passively accept what is supposedly pre-ordained. Only the Lord God can know that...I do not believe in such things as decided futures."

     Sea-green eyes drifted away as she turned her face to allow her gaze to sweep the hall. "Perhaps there was nothing which could have been done to save my kingdom, but I do not believe fate had a hand in that. But more importantly, I would not be here, watching over the people of this land were I to simply accept my fate. I was told there was another 'me' who did so...and perhaps she had little other choice before Unification. But once we became a part of the multiverse, our fates became an unwritten book. Outside the Holy Grail War, only we ourselves can decide our fate. No one can take that from us."

Saber of Silver (227) has posed:
That is.. worrisome. "No way to tell..." She shakes her head slowly. "I think our worlds are different enough that assuming it might go the same way is just going to cause undo worry. I will definitely be cautious, but..." The silver-haired Saber smiles at her counterpart. "I'll choose to believe, for the time being, that it works as it should."

That talk about fate, though... it heartens her a bit. "I can't accept my fate. The life I led had holes in it... and I refuse to believe they'll remain unfilled." She lets out a soft breath, then smiles. "Thank you, Saber. I think you've encouraged me to keep fighting, as well. Not just in my Holy Grail War, but to struggle against the path fate seems to have for me." She closes her eyes briefly, then takes a breath, slowly rising to her feet. "And thank you for having me as a guest. I should go check on my Master, though, before she gets worried."

Saber (346) has posed:
     Saber nodded slightly; though she personally felt that the Holy Grail War was unnecessary at best and a bloody and sorrowful fool's errand at worst, such were things the Saber of Silver would have to learn for herself. "There are Holy Grail Wars without counting," she observed. "Though many seem to have involved tainted Grails, there are many others which do not. It is as likely that yours is capable of granting your wish without that wish becoming corrupted."

     The King of Knights stood, bowing. "Of course. You are welcome here any time. There is one more thing, however."

     Arturia stood with the same pride and regal bearing as she always had. But there was a strange sort of lightness, as if she had been relieved of a great burden some time ago. "Do not feel that you must limit yourself to granting your wish through the Holy Grail. Though some might disagree, the multiverse itself is a greater miracle than even the Grail could grant. It might have the potential to grant any wish, but I have found that the multiverse is capable of granting those wishes that even we do not realise we have. You need not think of yourself as a mere tool, or that you merely exist on borrowed time. Here, we are more than what the Holy Grail has summoned us for."

     With that, Saber saw her guest off, hopefully with a lighter heart.