Finis Chaldea

[Apollymi]

Artoria had her work carry on. She'd become quite used to the shifts in her days and the amount of work she had to do. She'd become used to moving around things within the kingdoms to make sure everyone got what they needed. Of course, she missed the days when combat was all that was required of her, but she figured there were worse uses of her skills than a bit of administrative work. Besides, she still stretched her legs on a daily basis. She still trained her knights, the holy knights and entertained any other random fighter she felt like it. It wasn't at all the sort of battle she'd come to love, the ones that marred landscapes and completely obliterated life, but it was fun or at least it had the possibility of being so.

Yes. Witches. There were quite a few peppering the world. Those who went against fate. Those who meddled with it directly, those too obsessed to leave well enough alone. To be a witch was to be the sort of individual that could try to fight against every known notion of the world to make a thing happen. "Yes, witches..." she said with a swift nodding of her head. Of course, she wished to be useful and helpful, if for no other reason than to be rewarded by Gilgamesh. If only he'd quit resisting her so much, he'd already be under her control. But that was fine, if he went along with what she wanted now, she'd have control over him. Use him to escape this underworld and then offer him a proper reward for his behavior thus far. Yes, that made sense within her twisted mind. She'd make sure he killed that boy-queen as well, for good measure. What was this, the chains being moved him telling her to speak her wish. Okay, she could do that... she couldn't really do anything else with the weight of his gaze upon her as it was. "I want the King's gift. I want to be rewarded. I, glorious Ishtar am the only one fit to receive the king's divine tool!" Yes, that sounded right. That was exactly what she wanted to receive him after all she had been through it was well worth it to her to get it. She may even be willing to completely forgive the indiscretion of him dragging her around for seven years in the underworld, it hadn't been a bad time.

[Bloodedge]

While business ran smoothly for one Artoria Pendragon upon the throne of Uruk, one particular god, Enki, had finally made his way out of AS-IKU in search of the goddess Ishtar. She had been missing for seven years, and many of her temples had been erected in that time. Where had she gone? He expected a quick return after a brief journey, but eventually discovered her location was... the land of Kur. Knowing he couldn't get away with meeting that goddess and freeing Ishtar again, he sought other means of doing so. She had his horn, so she could call him if she were in danger, no? Indeed. With that in mind, he had to shift blame to someone. That damned King of Heroes was a prime target, as always, so Enki made his way toward the strong-walled city-state of Uruk. There he would find not the king himself, but the very young woman Ishtar expressed hatred for. She sat upon that throne looking a great deal more womanly than he'd ever seen her before, but that was a matter to be addressed later. "No brat king, eh? What a shame. Welcome my arrival regardless, mortals. I am Enki, the divine one. Do not fear the presence of a god in your midst. I have questions, which you shall answer."

Meanwhile, Gilgamesh heard the only words required of Ishtar. Ea was pulled fully from the gate which held it, and subsequently had its tip aimed at the goddess' undercarriage. "Then you will receive the one tool of this world that goes beyond divinity itself. Taste the shaft of creation with your innards, Ishtar, and know the glory you deserve!" Misleading as always, Gilgamesh decided to stand in place while prodding at her backdoor with Ea's tip. This occurred only briefly, just long enough to potentially let the confusion kick in. If Ishtar made so much as a single utterance for any purpose, she would soon find all three segments of Ea crammed into her backside with all the vigor of a proper impaling. It was... quite the satisfying thing to do, frankly.

[Apollymi]

All the way through the stack of tablets from Nippur. That was good. She always tried to get those out of the way first, just in case the King came back. No need to cause undue tension on either side of that equation. With those said she'd gone on to different matters entirely. The tablet she was now reading did not require her full attention, so imagine her surprise when her reading was interrupted. The person standing before the throne claimed to be a god, and wished to be welcomed as such. A sigh escaped Artoria as she looked up from her work and took note of the man standing before her. The Queen of Knights rather instantly found herself with a dislike of this person. "The King is out, you deal with me," these were the first words spoken by Artoria Pendragon to the god known as Enki. 'I might get to kill someone today... what say you friend?' she gave a side eye and knowing smirk to her weapon. Siduri's eyes shifted just a little. She wondered if this was really an alright meeting for the Queen of Knights. Artoria was prone to fits of temper and she might actually murder this god if she was forced to spend too much time in his presence. But Artoria had mellowed just lightly and as such she would not immediately be reaching for a weapon. "I do not have time or patience for trivialities. Nor do I offer worship to gods I do not believe in. That being said I am not a rude host, state your questions that I might answer them if I can. Then you will leave." Yes, that was about all the politeness the Queen of Knights would muster. If she found out this one had any involvement in her now two decades back discomfort she might actually attack someone today. The hilt of her blade rested against the side of the throne she could pick it up at any point and be ready for combat in less than a second. She had little to fear from a situation like this.

As for Ishtar well, she was excited. It should be said that she was thrilled. The misleading words of Gilgamesh hit her ears like music. Gone were the filth and little ones who'd clung to her form just trying to get a piece. Now she alone would be taking his divine tool into her body and laying claim to him as a whole. She'd know the glory she deserved?! Yes, that was great, and now he was prodding away at her undercarriage, finding the entry he wished to take. She noticed nothing amiss and found her body gently shifting just a little, "Yes..." she started to tell him yes. To put it where it belonged in her person, but rather suddenly her body was filled in a way most unnatural. "HUUUHGFH!!!!!!!!!!!!" An utterance that seemed inhuman almost a scream but it couldn't be counted as such. The whole of Ea was shoved into her rectum, it hurt, it was painful. But somehow she did not hate it at all. No, she was being given a divine tool, it just was not the one she sought. She was sure she was bleeding in some way. Sure her body would break apart from such a violent entry, so why did she like it?

[Bloodedge]

Ah, so the King of Heroes' filth had taken another one, had it? It certainly seemed so, given this mortal woman's attitude upon receiving Enki's introduction. Oh well. Enki didn't care much if this one served as other mortals did just yet. That could all come with time, but first would come the answers to his questions. Interestingly enough, she seemed willing to acquiesce to at least that. Enki moved forward with swagger in his steps, ever so slowly approaching the stairs to the throne. "I will leave when I please, and I may even forgive you overstepping your mortal authority, depending on how things go. Where has the boy, Gilgamesh? I have reason to believe he has assaulted Celestia and taken one of my sisters to Kur. If he's gone, I do wonder if he's been taken with her."

In the meantime, there were two sounds resonating throughout the Underworld. One was the outcry of Ishtar, and the other... "Fuhahahaha!" Indeed, it was the laughter of King Gilgamesh ringing out into the depths. In this particular case, he was more than willing to sully one of his most important treasures. In felling Ishtar, it served a divine purpose indeed. Now, what would he do once it was inserted? For starters, he would pass judgment on what seemed to be Ishtar's... enjoyment? How unsightly. "Lowly goddess, do you not know agony? To scream no differently than the mongrels I've bedded, the moniker of strumpet may even be too kind for the likes of you." With that said, Gilgamesh put Ea into action properly. Three segments it had, and three segments would begin rotating in opposing fashion while lodged in the goddess' anus. It would begin slowly, gaining rapidity as the seconds passed. Eventually, it would reach the velocity that began producing the winds of creation around it. "And now, it is time I kept my other promise. Shall I tell you a tale, harlot?"

[Apollymi]

Oh? This god called Enki said words which made Artoria's brow twitch and her eyes widen. He also rather casually swaggered over towards her throne. Did he realize he was stepping into strike range? Did he not care? She looked on this supposed god from the top of the throne she sat upon and wondered if he truly understood the kind of person she was. Obviously, he did not. If he did he would not have walked so close to her, he would not have put himself in strike range and he would not have tried to tell her what he would or wouldn't be doing when he was in her presence. She'd overstepped no Authority. While Gilgamesh was gone, there was no higher Authority than her own. "The audacity of those that call themselves gods in this world really should not surprise me, but I do not have words. Perhaps the number of temples I toppled was too few," she said this after hearing the first part of his sentences. This man was working himself up to facing a crusade, if Artoria felt annoyed enough and she was well on her way to that already. He wanted to know where Gilgamesh had gone, she was a knight and was holding to her Chivalry so she would answer his questions to the best of her ability. "I know not where the King is. I have not seen him in seven years," that was not a lie she could not be sure at this point. "I would hope he would not have done something like assaulting Celestia... without me. I would enjoy the exercise," she said without missing a beat. Siduri coughed just lightly, the Queen of Knights seemed to enjoy sacrilege. Moreover she did not believe the man standing before her was anything more than someone looking for a lost toy. She'd have no real commentary for him after such a moment and would go back to her reading soon after. "I have seen no goddesses and if I had depending on what they named themselves I might not have had anything pleasant to say or do as a reaction. Those are the best answers I can give to your inquiries," Artoria finished her sentences and felt a bit relieved. She'd gotten through the whole of that conversation without breaking Chivalry. it was damned difficult given how annoying the gods of this world made themselves.

That loud moan of Ishtar's and the laughter of Gilgamesh echoed in the underworld. Ishtar herself couldn't have held an explanation for what she enjoyed, even so, the now spinning of that tool within her rear was something else entirely. It hurt in a way that made her think of death. It was not pleasant and what was more the King was picking on her reactions. But he'd done this to her. Did it mean that he liked her? Surely he was enjoying himself right? He was laughing after all. He was going to tell her a tale? As that spinning started it was building a strange pressure within her body. Was it orgasmic? Maybe... regardless she had no words to offer the man now, only strange sounds from her mouth and body as she experienced something unlike anything she'd felt before. Was she going to die, while orgasming from this massive tool buried in her rectum, was this something she'd enjoy? As winds kicked up within her, maybe not? That was pain, true pain... unrecognizable agony.

[Bloodedge]

Ishtar had nothign to say? That was a new occurrence. No matter; Gilgamesh would proceed as normal regardless. "I will tell you of the beginning. Heaven and Earth split, nothingness congratulated creation, and my Sword of Rupture cleaved the world..." Ishtar was due for a very interesting mix of things. As Ea spun and the winds kicked out, those very same winds produced the opposite effect of any normal gust. Each stratification was akin to a black hole, sucking inward while the winds themselves spread out. "Mortar of the stars, heaven's hell is the eve of creation's celebration. Now you shall die and be silent. Enuma Elish!" The full incantation of Gilgamesh's ultimate ability endangered the whole of the Underworld. Luckily for it, Gilgamesh discovered long ago that it could always reassemble itself with time. For now though, it would become a place of desolation as the winds of genesis tore through Ishtar from within. Barren would be a massive chunk of Irkalla while Gilgamesh, without looking back to see Ishtar spawn anew as a mere soul, prepared to make his exit.

Enki was growing tired of the arrogance possessed by mankind, perpetuated by that bastard King Gilgamesh. This woman had contracted the sickness of audacity, thinking herself capable of standing against the gods. "Hm. It seems more humans have picked up terrible habits. You destroyed the temples of Ishtar, did you not? Celestia has been shut-off from this world for years now. Do away with whatever remnant temples I have in these lands; it will make me no difference." There was a certain pomposity emanating from Enki as he took further steps forward, beginning to climb the stairs one after another. He was sauntering his way to Artoria slowly, but surely, while waving his right hand about in the most nonchalant manner possible. "You happen to be in luck, little woman. I am the most generous of all the gods, so I will let you see who the true evils of the world are. You will come with me to my empire. It is a far better place than this old sandy dump, and when you have tasted my divinity, you will be absolved of Gilgamesh's vile sickness that makes you believe humans should stand against us." Enki offered no options. That mobile right hand of his reached out with every intention of grabbing Artoria when he reached the throne only a few steps higher than his current location. That is, he would be grabbing her if she did not show wisdom by taking his hand herself.

Ah, but that was a mere pipe dream, was it not? Enki would have no chance of reaching Artoria with that disgusting hand of his. For each year of Gilgamesh's absense, there was a Divine Gate opening around Artoria Pendragon upon the throne. From those seven gates came seven segments of the Chains of Heaven, all of which wrapped fully around the god's arm in the blink of an eye. Their grip was so tight, Enki could not manage the movement of his fingers, even though they were unbound themselves. "H'oh?" the voice of Gilgamesh echoed throughout the citadel's throne room. "A worm claiming itself a god has the nerve to enter my ziggurat, and reach its squalid hand out to my treasures? I will teach you of Uruk's law, Jester of Heaven. The price of theft is first the hand that steals." What would Enki say; what would he do? It mattered not. The moment Gilgamesh's speech ended, the Chains of Heaven tightened and pulled until even the god's arm was mangled and shredded off. Gruesome though it was, the angle of it all was taken with enough care that no blood tainted the queen's form when it spewed. Just then, Gilgamesh stood visible in full renewed glory at the room's entrance. His eyes held that same furious glow, but it was not currently crimson─ it was golden.

Gilgamesh heard the second scream of a god this day. Enki was no less outraged than he was in agony, gripping the bleeding nub at his shoulder and turning toward the Golden King. "You! How dare you strike a god!" he screamed. Gilgamesh seemed unusually calm upon hearing this. His head tilted just slightly, the scowl on his face being just as much pity as it was detest. "You break the law and I'll punish you. There is no room for discussion," he said. The poor god of Celestia would not stand for this, it seemed. Alas, there was little he could do as well. Gilgamesh was here, but Ishtar was not? Where was she? Whatever the case, even he was not foolish enough to deal with this problem while having only one arm. He had to regroup, have something done about his missing limb in AS-IKU. Stumbling back and fading from sight, Enki offered one additional statement. "You'll pay the price for this; all of you. Soon, you will know what it means to go against Celestia!"

[Apollymi]

Was this really something that was happening? Gilgamesh was content to fully incant the release of his Sword of Rupture and murder her from the inside out using the ultimate attack. What could she do? She could scream she could cry but still at the end she would perish. In a manner akin to a popping balloon but without the mess given the way the sword itself worked. And the most shameful thing about that death? She enjoyed everything leading up to it, until that moment of terror set in and she realized that she would not be living through the moment. Never again would she die in such a way... she never wanted a death so painful and so desolate again. What was more, she didn't even see his face again... he was simply disappearing as her thoughts and consciousness disappeared as well. For a while at least.

At the same time Artoria, generally annoyed at the man still taking steps towards her. Everything she saw of him as he spoke, she hated. He thought human's picked up terrible habits from Gilgamesh, this wasn't true, not at all, she'd clarify that right now. "I destroyed the temples of a being who sent rapists to my kingdom, to defile me when I have never laid eyes on her and could have caused her no offense. It is not a matter of the King of Heroes' influence it is instead a direct response to a crime committed against humanity by someone claiming to be one of its overseers," Artoria said those words and meant them. She'd been quite angry about the entire Ishtar ordeal but it wasn't as if she picked the woman's name out of a hat and decided to point her anger that way. She'd earned retribution in acting like a spoiled child, but Artoria was starting realize maybe she wasn't the only one who'd earned such a fate. Enki claimed she was in luck, that he was the most generous of all the gods. That was not the case, she could tell in this man's face nothing about his approach was here for generosity. In fact, the way he moved towards her when she'd made no moves violent or otherwise against him, led her to believe he was the same type of man as those who'd climbed into her castle. He was entertaining the idea of physically assaulting her to make her come with him. His words held no options and Artoria wanted nothing to do with this man. He claimed to be a god... how did his divinity stack against her own? She'd never actually killed a god before, would today be the day she tried? Those green eyes of hers lost their luster for just a moment as she sank into the mindset of a coldblooded killer. Would she let him grab her and summon her weapon into her hand? Would she cut his hand off instead? She could throw that dagger instead and use the time to get into a more advantageous position... Mere seconds to decide and it would appear she'd need to do nothing.

Seven gates opened around Artoria and she managed only a raised brow as her eyes slanted in the direction of a rather familiar voice. Once again someone was stopping Artoria from well, being herself. One day, she might actually get to act on her own rage. Today was not that day, she remained seated, seemingly unbothered, how very comfortable the Queen was with the King of Heroes nearby, even with someone who would have assaulted her directly in front of her. That hand of his was rather close but held rather tightly by those chains. 'Hmphf, he has some nerve showing such an ability now,' she thought to herself. Still, she was pleased as he came into her line of sight. But, she'd seen a doppelganger of his once already, though this one appeared to be on her side, was this really her King of Heroes? The god's severed arm taken without a drop of sullied blood falling to her person said yes. Ah, but his face and body were rather young suddenly right? That was nice to look at, way better then the one who'd recently been standing before her. Oh, but he had that godawful hair she'd seen on his younger version. Ah, but there was a reference to stolen treasure, which was obviously her, since she was the only thing this god was reaching for, right? Those eyes of his were different too, not their normal crimson but... golden instead. Still in response to the scream of a god, Artoria could only nod her head. 'Gods bleed. Things that bleed can die...' she thought noting that one away for later. Ah, still she could not wait for the return of her smaller weapon, that she might actually draw it while seated. What was more this one cried over his lost arm and claimed vengeance. Artoria was almost confused, had he not, walked into a strange place, been given nothing but cordial reception and decided to break the rules of being a guest? She now knew of two gods of Celestia and both of them were horrible people. He faded from sight, running after taking such a horrific injury. Whatever, no time like the present to find out if this was indeed her King of Heroes. Artoria finally stood and began descending the steps, she would walk towards this King of Heroes, apparently unarmed for whatever reason, "I did not ask for assistance but, I still thank you. Have you truly returned, King of Heroes?"

[Bloodedge]

Had the King of Heroes truly returned? His aura was of a slightly different nature, but it was not that of another spirit. No matter; even that change was reverted along with the color of his eyes, as the king had no use for whatever ability he obtained in Irkalla. An agitated huff passed his lips during the departure of Enki. After all this time, it surprised him that one of the gods could appear in divine form somewhere other than wherever Gilgamesh himself was. That would require looking into at a later time, but not now. Oh, now there was something far grander to behold. Gilgamesh had the absolute treat of watching Artoria Pendragon descend from the throne of Uruk, clad in an ensemble more enticing than any she'd worn before. That exposed skin, all those little teases of flesh at both top and bottom had to be the work of the female pharaoh. Oh, he'd be paying her well for her additional work.

Every step Artoria took caused Gilgamesh's grin to widen further. He took up a stance that seemed inviting, arms at his sides but just slightly outstretched. "And I did not give some miserable cur of a god permission to look upon my bride. Only I, Gilgamesh, may know such pleasure," he stated, having no concern for whether she wanted or needed his assistance. That was no matter of aiding the Queen of Knights, but instead one of enforcing his own law. As for his return, there would be little to no room for questioning. There was no truer Gilgamesh than the genuine article, regardless of how well-sculpted an imitation happened to be. "My message reached you, did it not? You are free to express your unbridled joy with weeping and wailing. I will allow the privilege to you before the rest of the world has its chance."

[Apollymi]

Apparently the exit of Enki had caused some kind of agitation in the King of Heroes. Artoria recognized it. What was more, he fully reverted to his usual self. Those eyes she enjoyed, that face she'd come to know from stolen glances and even that smug grin of his. He was staring at her. She supposed she hadn't been seen in this attire by him yet. He seemed to be not using his abilities to cheat his way into her heart, nor steal views of her directly. That was strangely admirable. There was some stark difference here and now, between having this man's eyes on her, and having that male god speak to her... she hadn't figured out what it was yet, but she didn't mind Gilgamesh so much. And look he even prepared to greet her. After reaching the bottom of the steps she took only a moment of pause. "Siduri, remember to send that message please... concerning the return of the King," she said very certain that this was him. "Of course, it will be done..." Siduri said making the note necessary for the Rim-Sin. The return of the Golden King was the end of the reign of Artoria Pendragon.

"Oh, yes, that is definitely you..." she mused, she was suddenly very happy and kind of excited to see him. His early version did not recognize her, and thought her some thing to conquer. This one adored her, she was pretty certain of that now. Ah, but how would she react to that open posture and those outstretched arms? She was unarmed and after feeling the actual relief of this man appearing before her, she remembered the thing she'd been holding on to, in the depth of her stomach she felt absolute fury. That message, reminded her. "Yes, I received it," she said carefully. And when she got within arms reach instead of simply stepping into the King of Heroes arms she aimed an uppercut straight into his gut with all the fury and strength she could muster. Her aim to knock all the wind out of his person before she began a tirade against the man the likes of which she was wholly unprepared to give. "HOW FUCKING DARE YOU DIE, IN A MANNER SO UNBECOMING, KING OF HEROES!" she exploded. "I took seven fucking days. Seven. You waited 10 years to die in seven days? I was coming back you know? I asked questions, ridiculous questions, stilled my heart, raised my country and came to you. I was happily coming to you. I was prepared to go on a date and you were fucking dead?! I took over your country which is like corralling a bunch of toddlers their first day outside and I beat the younger version of your annoying self with the same stupid hair you now possess and you have the audacity to walk in here like this. I cannot fucking believe you!" there was so much fury in the Queen in a moment like this Siduri turned around immediately happy that the woman was not armed not that it seemed she needed to be. "If you are going to beat me over the head with the idea that you adore me and want to be with me, you are required to at least take care of yourself so you do not fucking die on your throne. You impossible idiot!" Artoria was furious, relieved, happy, and she didn't have words to describe how she felt right now, but it was there too.

[Bloodedge]

In acknowledging the king's glorious return, Artoria instructed Siduri to send a message. Ah, surely the people were incredibly concerned, but all would be well; the magnificent Gilgamesh was back in action! Now, he could receive his queen. There was no method in sight of properly inserting her into the reincarnation cycle after the fated battle of Camlann, but he would make things work one way or another. Artoria approached, surely for the sake of meeting his embrace after being without it for some years...

Or... not. No, this was no leaping into his arms, no weeping, and no wailing. Gilgamesh was as pleased as a child stood before a room filled with presents, then suddenly, he was curling over and holding his recently-slugged abdomen. "Huagh!" he heaved. What purpose did Artoria have in knocking the wind from him? She should have been tripping over herself to attack him in a very different manner than this! Sure, he accidentally slipped into Irkalla for a few measly years, but that was of no importance! What was she saying? It had taken him only seven days to die after that party? That foolish woman; he'd been working his way toward death for decades. "YOU INTOLERABLE WOMAN!" By the time Gilgamesh stood erect again, there would be two monarchs standing in the middle of the throne room simply... yelling at one another. Apparently, Gilgamesh had completely glossed over some mention of a date, as well as the uncharacteristic number of swears spewing from Artoria's mouth. "Seven years I spent in that damn gutter Kur, seeking a way to reverse the fated death you so stupidly resigned yourself to!" he shouted, an accusatory finger pointing so furiously that it jabbed the woman's forehead multiple times in sequence. "And where were you for all that time before?! Seven days you held the grail, after ten years of preparation to obtain it! If not for your negligence in raising that wretched country of yours, then seven days sooner I would have rested! Worse yet, the audacity it took to leave Chaldea only minutes after felling the titan! What sort of woman do you call yourself?!"

[Apollymi]

If Gilgamesh expected Artoria Pendragon to have a normal emotional response, he was sorely mistaken. The one thing she held close was the violence she gave with no thought whatsoever about why she felt violent in the first place. She wanted to run into his arms and happily engage with him, but she simply didn't have that in her repertoire of reactions. Of course she didn't expect this slight against him to go without repayment and soon enough he was spewing words at her. She was intolerable, yes, he said that a lot. Even his younger self saw her that way. So what excuse did he actually have for staying dead for so long? Apparently he was in so long to look for a way to help undo her fate? WHAT?! Artoria was having her forehead poked and her heartbeat sped up. Her entire face flushed, and she was simultaneously furious and happy. Why would he do that? No one asked him to do that! How dare he try to turn this around?! "Why? You... Ugh!! Moving on!!" she exclaimed this man's audacity was boundless, but she couldn't be upset at him for doing something like that. Still the poking was happening and he wanted to know why she'd left after slaying the Titan and why she hadn't stayed longer and why she didn't return immediately?! How it was her turn to poke and she was doing so right in his chest to enforce her points. It was rather firm... no. No distractions. "Listen here, you moody, annoying, brash idiot. I left because I did not know what it was to feel anything even remotely romantic. It was best to prepare ahead of time, to give a full effort knowing you were giving yours!" Right, she didn't feel right leaving him to be the one to try so hard when she had come to realize she liked him back. "I left to figure out what it meant to offer myself to you, even while not simply uninhibited. And to know that I would not be confused or regretful about anything I undertook knowing that I did not fully understand what it meant to like you. I was trying not to hand you my broken psyche to deal with on top of everything else!" she was outraged. Artoria stared up into the King of Heroes' eyes with burning fury but also something else, like a swirl of emotion that was not simply negative in its nature. "It only took me one day to realize I was not just drunk and impulsive. The rest of time I spent preparing to make sure my country could run itself while I spent time with you and I show up and you are dead. Do not lecture me King of Heroes, I sat here anxiously awaiting your return!"

Both of these people were so furious, Siduri was unsure if this was a greeting, the start of a fight, or the start of a breakup. Her life in this palace was bound to become very interesting she figured. After serving both of these people, for about the same amount of time, she realized they would work really well together. But she also realized it was possible for them to spend just as much time arguing as getting anything done. Even that last sentence of the Queen of Knights could have been more rightly translated as 'I missed you.' and the earlier commentary of the King of Heroes translated as 'I do not wish to miss you, ever.' Both of them were so strange, but perhaps that would be what made it alright, in the end.

[Bloodedge]

As if yelling back and forth wasn't enough, the pair were soon poking one another in different places to express their outrage at the other. Artoria explained why she left; it was a simple matter of her being incapable of reciprocating his attention. What? Had he not been dealing with Ishtar for the past seven years, Gilgamesh would call that the dumbest thing to come from anyone's mouth in ages. She had no need to waste her time figuring herself out, or whatever else she thought to do. She wanted to refrain from offering a broken version of herself? That was quite reasonable, but... Gilgamesh was not here to invest in reason. "You fool! I never said you could run from me just because your head wasn't screwed on properly! You are a thousand years too early to think of telling me what I can or cannot put up with!"

Well... apparently, the King of Heroes was willing to tolerate even the broken psyche of Artoria Pendragon. How she did not understand that initially, he had no clue. He didn't care one bit how broken or incomplete she was. She would be his, no matter the state of her being. "I will lecture you as I please, woman! The fact that you would sit seven years upon my throne without welcoming my return with every fiber of your being should be an offense punishable by flogging! Has your entire existence of these years served the purpose of infuriating me?! Perish the thought that my return be anything but glorious, but you see fit to make it otherwise!"

[Apollymi]

Yes, she was still poking him in the chest. And now that she thought about it, he was dressed quite a bit different. Right, she was mad, no inspecting his attire... well a quick glance wouldn't hurt, right? A quick glance occurred and those emerald eyes of hers shifted he really was nice looking in a moment like this, it'd probably be easier if she didn't think about the fact that he was good looking. Why did she care he was good looking? Knowing people were attractive made it way too difficult to carryon being absolutely furious. "I was not running. I was strategizing! And I will do as I please... it is not just about you!" Yes, that was firm enough right? Yes. Yes it was, as long as they were both upset this could go on for ages. She sat seven years upon his throne without welcoming him home and that should be punishable by flogging? Of course it wasn't, she'd been doing his work the whole time. "It is hilarious you think you deserve welcoming home when you died of your own stupidity!" she said seeming less outraged. She turned on her heels crossing her arms over her chest the whole of her back completely visible to this man while she held her face. "Damned be the understanding that I was doing your work so we could actually spend time together when you finally decided to show up. SEVEN. YEARS. LATER!" Artoria was absolutely furious. She was still happy to see him. Ugh, she couldn't say that... that was a terrible sentence. That wasn't at all in her own nature. She wanted to touch him more... No punch him more, right that was the better answer right? Actually...

She looked down at her hand and now that she wasn't full of unbridled fury had it... hurt to hit him like that? Just a bit her knuckles were bruised just a little. That would heal in a few seconds. How dare he act like this? She looked back at him again why was she so conflicted. This is exactly why she'd needed seven days to figure out how to talk to him. Because of moments like this that she knew played out in violence. Siduri had seen the Queen of Knights do this exact sort of thing several times, the young woman was rather conflicted about the King of Heroes. She often walked in on the young woman having whole conversations with her sword about maiming the Golden King, but also others about how much she couldn't wait for his return.

[Bloodedge]

"Is that part of your little knights' code? Turning tail and calling it strategy?" he questioned. To claim she was strategizing was ridiculous! What good was a strategy, when he laid claim to the woman as she was nearly two decades ago? She needed to be no more complete than she always had been for his acceptance, so to make him keep waiting around like this was pointless! As for dying of "his own stupidity" as she put it, the thought was no less ridiculous than any other. "Hmph! I may have accidentally let myself die, but it was no more than a minor miscalculation! It would not have been noticed, if not for my decision to scour the Underworld for answers that would bring breath back to your eventual corpse!"

Yes yes, seven years later he returned. Seven years she'd spent on the throne of his city-state, the throne above all others in this world. The yelling had only just begun; she would be receiving a great deal more immediately. Alas, the king fell silent. That exposed back was more of a distraction than he'd bargained for. It riled him up instantly, but in a way, it calmed him. Well... it would be more accurate to say, the sight of so much bared flesh on that normally hidden form caused a slight rework of his existing mentality. He breathed in deeply, crossed his own arms, and exhaled over the course of a few seconds. "H'oh?" he started, the grin of full pomposity returning to his visage. "I see. Seven years you have sat upon my throne, and you have since grown restless in awaiting your place in my lap. I will take this outrage as the inevitable result of your impatience, as you have bared so much of yourself for my viewing pleasure. Though, this animosity would serve you far better when receiving me properly."

[Apollymi]

The mocking tone of the King of Heroes was one which garnered only a scoff from Artoria. He would say something like that, "It was actually strategy... I ran headfirst into you and the world itself decided to throw a Titan in the way. I was annoyed and did not understand why. Regrouping was the best decision," Artoria was quite serious. after killing something she'd calmed down and didn't understand why she'd been doing anything she had been doing. It was bad to confuse the psychotic murderer, who is hiding very barely beneath the veil of Chivalry. Yes, the female pharaoh and her sister had done a good job explaining to Artoria why she had behaved in such a way but it was not an easy conversation to have. "Death is a miscalculation?! Do better math!" she said seeming to find this man just as insufferable as he claimed she was.

Not looking at him set her at ease a bit, but now he could see the whole of her back. Of course he would comment on the amount of skin she had showing. His words hit her ears strangely and once more her face flushed. She was fairly certain she spent more time talking to him with blood in her face and none of it flowing through her brain. "It was nothing like that!" she exclaimed finding him absolutely outrageous. "Besides, I did not do this for any particular reason. I would have died of a heatstroke in a week sitting here otherwise..." she said turning herself around lest he get the wrong idea. Actually, thinking about it, it probably wouldn't help at all, given how much skin she had showing in general. She wasn't particularly skittish about such things, dress for the weather and all of that. She simply had no conscious memory of anyone caring how she looked. The King of Heroes making it so obvious he was looking and appreciated it, made her feel strangely. Beyond that she'd turned back around and now she was looking at him. He truly was dressed different, she didn't really dislike it, aside from the hair. Whoops, she'd been looking too long and not saying anything. "You are also dressed differently," she said as if she'd not been staring. No. No... being around him was always like this for her. She did not wish to run, but she also did not know how to avoid the pitfalls of talking to this man. At the very least she wasn't actually angry anymore. He'd said some nice things again, even while he was yelling. He'd been out working to try and help her. And while she was gone, she'd begun to at least rethink the way she was spending what remained of her life.

There was a gentle chime. What was that noise. The gentle tapping of that water vial on her person. Oh... it was her sister trying to speak with her. She walked over to an empty basin and filled it from the vial. "What, Fae Princess!?" was the first words out of Artoria's mouth. A blonde with electric blue eyes emerged from the water only half way looking aghast. "First, hi. I did not know I was on the shit list today. Second I heard all that, hug your King of Heroes, no need to be confused about it. Third, here..." she said with a smile on her face. She pulled from her side the shining version of Excalibur that Artoria was used to holding. That blade so stunning it couldn't be called beautiful was now back where it belonged in her hand. The lass' eyes widened had it truly been long enough. She took hold of the sword with a bright smile on her face. "Now now... no need to thank me. You have both your favorites back. Be careful with them, yeah?" she said about to disappear she had one more thing to add. "Oh, and give the big one to Merlin he'll know what to do with it..." she said about the other Excalibur, which was still leaned against the throne. "Fine. Fine. Thanks." she offered her sister who disappeared into nothingness once again. All the while Artoria was now looking over her reforged blade with much appreciation and flickering her gaze over Gilgamesh. Were they truly both her favorites? Probably. "Hello, again old friend... it is good to see you well," she said to the sword as she inspected it. And when she was done her eyes travelled over Gilgamesh as well, it was good to see him too. "Welcome home, King of Heroes," she said walking back over to him. Somehow she felt a bit more brave with a sword in her hand and still she planted it in the ground beside her to free her hands. Could she hug him? Yes, yes she could and she would before she changed her mind about the experience she'd aim to wrap her arms around him and hide her face. She liked this.