A/N- this will be a long chapter XD Annddd it's been a while I haven't draw ... so yeah.. i hope you guys love it! \\TT^ TT//
"Blessing and glory upon the future son of Obelia..." Glancing slightly at Claude with devious smirk as he continue, "... and future son of the 10 Empires."
Claude stands in front of his son when Emiya approach beside Arthur, the emperor glares at the king while he did the same. "What is your business here, Gilgamesh?"
The king maniacally laughed, "What? Am I not allow to celebrate my son's ceremony?"
"He is not your son."
Causing him to stop laughing, his red eyes gaze at him coldly as he speaks, "Neither are you."
The knight of Obelia sensing the heavy tension coming from the 2 golden-haired men, thinking for the people's safety they silently yet ordered the guests to leave the palace with the crown prince's permission of course. Everyone knew not to involve the king's bloody mess and wise enough to excuses themselves and saying their farewell to the crown prince with a smile.
Leaving Arthur, his knight, Athanasia, Felix and a strange man with long-beautiful green-haired stood few feet behind from his king while they watch the Emperor and the King interact... or more like engage a-soon-to-be-war conversation.
Claude glared coldly at the king, "I am his biological father. You have no rights to claim him as yours, King Gilgamesh."
The golden king return the same cold gaze, Claude's glare doesn't bother him anyway, as his lips twitch into an amused smirk and said, "So now you declare yourself as a father?" His oh so familiar maniacal laughed was heard in the entire hall, "Look at yourself right now!" His red eyes dangerously glaze at him, "To neglected a son, a potential prince, ignoring him as if he doesn't exist in this world. Tch... I pity the boy."
His face is unreadable as his body trembles with an unknown feeling. Claude feels this strange feeling for the first time. What is this making his chest heavy and an unbearable pain he feels right now? His hands clenched into tight fists. The way the king expresses his words is as if he knows how to treat a child as his own yet he never married or even adopt a child.
"You.." Claude breathe out, "...spoke as if you know how to cherish a person in your life." He may sound rude but it was his habit by his own pride.
Gilgamesh stares at him blankly, less amusing. "Indeed I had experiences, like how I cherish my precious treasure is how I cherish your son. My son."
Claude growl, "How many time I told you he is not you---"
"Do you know is weakness??" the king bluntly cut his speech.
"Huh?"
"Do you know his favourite foods?"
"...."
"What his capabilities? His favourite colour? Hidden skills? His personalities?" Gilgamesh continues once he saw Claude become silent, "or how about his fear? Do you know why Arthur want to become stronger?"
"..."
"As expected." The king hummed
Felix gulps, he for the first time, seeing Claude in speechless... his face rage. He wants to help Claude but he knows that if he interrupts them, the king himself will eliminate him without a second thought. Athy hides behind Felix, watched the scene in fear. She never knows about The King in the novel and to see his appearance in her view, her body cover in fear and horror at the killer instinct from the King.
Emiya stood beside Arthur, making sure to protect him in case if the battle between them occur in any minute. Arthur on the other hand, just watch the 2 blondes with a blank face and sweatdropped at their no-making-sense arguing.
'What have I gotten myself into? To think my birthday will ends like this...'
Gilgamesh crossed his arms at his chest, said one last sentence that will make everyone in the room to feel his inner killer rage with a deep voice, "Did you know, Arthur almost died 3 years ago."
The room temperature suddenly drops.
Arthur body frozen, his golden-haired bang covered his eyes.
Claude quickly turns his head to look at his son with wide eyes. Shocked clearly written in his face, that he never receive the news about Arthur's and he regrets for not doing it.
Watching his shocked-clueless expression, Gilgamesh tch'ed, "Fool! How could you not knowing anything about your son! Are you truly call yourself a father, mongrel?!"
His anger took control of him as thousands familiar golden-portal appears beside him. Arthur seems to be alarm, knowing too well about that portal. "K-king Gilgamesh... please stop!" He shouts.
But his voice couldn't reach the king who is too focus on his father. "Gilgamesh!" He shouts again but to no avail.
Turning to look at his other companion, he begged at the green-haired man telling him to stop the king before he could kill Claude. The man smiled sadly at him, "I may be able to stop the king but I fear that I might provoke him more. My apologies, Your Highness."
"King Gilgamesh!" Felix exclaims, hugging Athy who stares at them with teary eyes.
"Papa!!" Athy screams.
Claude just stood there, staring blankly at the floor while taking all his mistake and regrets in his mind. He knows it was his entire fault for not becoming a good father for his son. He doesn't even know anything about him at all. Gilgamesh is right.
Arthur gritted his teeth in anxious. There is only one thing that can stop Gilgamesh from his killing-mode. With just one word.
A word that no one can say except Arthur.
A word that sound magical into the king's ears.
A 'D' word.
It may be embarrassing the crown prince for saying it but this is the only way to stop him from killing his only father.
"Prepare yourselves, mongrel." Gilgamesh growls, wave his hand pointing at Claude.
Here goes nothing.
And Arthur will sure regret this for the rest of his life.
As the golden swords throw towards Claude, Arthur exclaims loudly causing every weapons to paused immediately in a second including Gilgamesh to stopped his laughed of victory.
"Daddy!!"
All the weapons vanished into golden dust. People who had witnessed and hearing their crown prince exclaims, looking at him in astonish and speechless.
'D-Did he called the king---'
'With such word...'
'A-Arthur...'
'I-I heard it clearly! Brother said—'
A bright red flushes into the oh-so-fierce king's face. His mouth is trembling, couldn't make a sound to respond and he can't even stand properly too. Staring at the prince, Arthur smile at him gently and said, "Please avoid create a bloody mess during my celebration, daddy."
A sound of a gunshot in the background was heard as if it shot the king's heart. Arthur's voice when saying that word is such alluring and tempting.
The emperor had different reactions too.
His eyes blaze with such fierce gaze at the king, hearing his son said that word only for the king makes him feel like a criminal and envious. Arthur suppose to call him that, not the-fake-father! True both of them had the same haired colour but they are not blood-related!
'I am his father! Not him!'
When the king finally calms himself, with slightly red cheeks, he clears his throat as he slowly makes his way towards the crown prince and smirks. "Such brave of you to say such word in front of these mongrels..." He bends his body so their face is inches apart and speaks in a husky voice, "...but didn't I command you to only call me that when we're alone?"
Arthur gulps, sweating a little.
"You should be punish, my dear." He turns away from him and laughed, "Looks like my time is up. Enkidu, let's go."
They disappear into golden dust. Emiya rushed to Arthur's side, checking if any minor wound from the king while Arthur was in dazed and speechless. Athy grabs a hold of her brother's hand, saying few comfort words. Felix slowly makes his way towards the emperor but stopped when he sees the looks of the emperor's face.
Cold and emotionless.
His jewel eyes darkness.
Felix flinched when Claude stand up, leaving the room without a word.
Sigh, what a strange changed of event.
Athy POV
It's been a week now, after the bloodthirst conversation between Claude and the king, I never know there was a king exist in the novel but to see him appears is something I didn't expect. Maybe is because big brother had a strong bond with the king?
I wonder what kind of king he is?
They said he is the king of 10 empires... and a hero...?
Shook my head, currently, I was at the garden with papa and Felix. Sadly, big brother is not here to join us saying that he is busy with something but nevertheless he did say he will come to check on me, to make sure nothing bad happens. Big brother is such a caring person for me.
"Starting next time it would probably be better if I hold the princess." Felix suggests to papa.
Well, Papa did volunteer himself to carry me to our favourite garden where we can enjoy drinking tea, but I still had a slight fear of him carrying me after what I had done...
Slapping his face just because of the flies!
It seems as I plan for my death!
"....."
Papa glares at Felix. I sweatdropped, screaming in my mind. 'Please if you're going to die, don't drag me down with you!'
"I think it's time for you to start learning martial arts. You can't even catch a bug instead you just wave your hand around recklessly." The redness from the slap still stinks at his cheek, "If you learned martial arts, this kind of thing wouldn't happen in the future."
'...he just doesn't let things go, doesn't he..?'
"But your majesty, the princess is only seven years old..." Felix tried to reason him.
"And the man that I assigned as a guard doesn't seem to be doing anything but carry the child around all day. How useless." Papa simply said, making Felix feel bad.
I tried to chuckle at them but... something seems off. Since before, my heart keeps...
Clenched my hand to my chest... it hurts.
Why..?
"Ugh."
Something warm liquid coming out from my mouth, my hand touch the liquid and see it was red...
...blood?
Silence...
I look up to see papa, his eyes widen in shock. My eyes suddenly become heavy, my body slowly becomes numb and before darkness consume me, I numbly thought...
'Huh? Why... is there blood...?'
"Princess!!"
Timeskips.
I can hear voices...
Why my chest is st---
"Your Majesty! The princess is gaining consciousness!" A familiar voice shouts from the distance.
My eyes slowly opened to see Felix looking at me in concern, "Princess, can you see me? Do you recognize who I am?"
Ba-dump!
My chest... it's hurt so much! Tears fall from my eyes as I clenched at my nightgown where my heart is located, I want to scream! Scream in pain! Why does it hurt?! "Uh- Uwaaaaaa!!!"
"Princess?!"
"Owww! It hurts!" I scream in agony.
"What do you think you are doing?!!" someone shouts. Is that...papa's voice? Why is he shouting?
Still, in pain, I couldn't stop the urge to see who he was shouting at and to my disbelief, papa shouting at big brother, grabbing both of his shoulders and staring down at him in furious. Papa shouting at big brother? Why.. But then, I saw a noticeable red line at the corner of brother's lips.... Is that blood...?
The looks from papa... he was... in fear...?
"What the hell do you think you are doing, Arthur?!!" Papa shouts, demanding for him to say something.
Big brother coughed, blood dripping from his mouth and smile weakly. "The only way.. to reduce her pain..."
Suddenly, a beautiful black-haired lady pushed papa away from him and wrapped her arms around big brother close to her as she glares at papa, "Calm yourself, your majesty. Let me take care of his highness."
Felix speaks lowly, "What should we do, your Majesty?"
Papa face covered with his golden-haired bang, slowly turn to face the kneel down wizard and demand in a cold monotone voice. "I told you to cure her, what happened?!! You allow my son to cure her instead?! What the hell did you do! Her condition has worsened! Not just her but my Arthur too!"
"I beg to differ, her condition has not worsened per se. now that the princess is awake, she is conscious of the pain. In a situation like this where we don't know the cause of the eruption of magic from within her body, there isn't much we can do." Said the wizard, still bowing on the floor.
"You're telling me, that after I told you to find the cure, you weren't able to due to your own incompetence and in fact, you have the audacity to drone on like this!" Papa growls.
"I beg your pardon, your majesty, but I am speaking as the court magician who is most familiar with magical abnormalities. I believe even if another magician were to be called, they would not be able to—"
"Do you want to die?" A deadly tone, causing everyone in the room to flinch, "Why are you asking me to kill you in such a roundabout way." Raising his hand, he commands, "Call another magician and put him into the underground dungeon."
"Your majesty!!"
Papa turns to look at me, I beg in pain as I cry. "Papa...it hurts... Hurts!"
Reaching his hand to touch my face as he simply says, "You're being noisy. Sleep."
'Hey! Your daughter is wasting away in pain and all you have to say is that! You're too much! How do you expect me to sleep like this—'
Just like that, darkness easily consumes me and I fall asleep.
Third POV
The palace is silence.
After what had happened including the rage of an emperor, everything has settled down. The princess slowly regain conscious, awake from her dreams of the beautiful fairy... seeing a familiar raven-haired magician, she frowned, placing her hand to her chest, she doesn't feel the pain again.
"You're alive all thanks to me." He smirks.
"Are you saying that you cured me?"
"Yup. If it wasn't for me, your heart would have exploded and you would have died." He smirks at her in amusing, "Now that you think about it, you have to thank me again that I stopped your dad from killing Blackie."
"What?"
"It was so hard stopping myself, I really wanted to eat him but I didn't." A dangerous glint appears in his red eyes.
'I knew it! It wasn't Claude that wanted to kill Blackie but this guy!!'
The door of her room opened, reveal Felix and Claude. When Athy saw her father, she exclaims "Papa!" about to jump out from the bed but with her weak legs, fall. In a flash, Claude had managed to embrace her before she could fall on the floor. To her surprise, he carried her in his arms and ask with a soft voice.
"Does it hurt anywhere?" Athy shook her head saying she doesn't feel anything hurt, he looks at the raven-haired magician with a stoic face, "Will there be any side effects?"
Athy notices this as she was about to reason her father but to see the mysterious magician turns into.... A young boy? He coughing.
"You must have exhausted yourself while treating the princess." Felix spoke in concern.
The young magician kept is acts, coughing saying the Princess's critical conditions have passed except she is not fully cured and seems though he got the Emperor's to praise him with his own way. Felix suggests, "Your Majesty, why don't we let rest for now. We can hear the details at a later time. It appears that the young magician is also very tired..."
"Alright."
Once they left the room, Felix guides the young magician to the guest room and while they are on their way, they encounter a beautiful raven-haired lady with similar red ruby eyes. She wore a black cloak to covered her unusual clothing style. Felix saw her, he bow, "Lady Ishtar, how was His Highness?"
The lady gracefully flips her hair, as she responds, "He is fine for now. But as long as I am around, he won't be in danger. Do tell his majesty." Her eyes land on the young boy with a blank face, "Oh?"
Felix notices this, he gestures with a smile. "This is the young magician who had cure the princess. He is—"
"Why, hello little brother." She smirks.
"Eh?"
The young magician greets back with a sarcastic grinned, "Hello, dearest sister."
"Ehhh??! You two are related?" Felix exclaims.
Ishtar crossed her arms, staring down at her brother. "Of course. I am glad to know you are doing fine, Lucas."
"Same goes to you. It seems we will be seeing each other a lot from now on."
"Indeed."
Timeskips-
In the Sapphire palace...
Arthur sat on his king-size bed, staring at the window with a dazed look. He had tried to use his magic to observed Athy's big magic but it seems her magic is too much for him to handle causing a huge pain in his chest and bleed but luckily Ishtar was there to cure him. It was surprising to see Claude in horror at the sight of him.
Why would he care anyway?
Sighing, I had to command Emiya to guard outside of his door making sure no one enters his room with his current health.
"So this is Athy's pain, huh?" He laughed humorlessly. 'I never imagine her pain would be a huge suffer for her to handle in the novel. Looks like I have to order Ishtar to check her health for daily basis.'
While in deep thought, a golden dust swirls around him little by little until he notices the sight of the golden light cover his body and before he could say anything...
....he vanished.
He land on something soft quickly sits up and looking around at his surrounding, unfamiliar with the room. Who dare to kidnap him with such a cowardly way!? He wonders if Emiya enters his room and notice his disappearance, he will be in a rampage by now.
"I heard from a certain witch that you almost get yourself killed." A familiar cool voice spoke, mused at the sight of the prince.
Arthur slaps his forehead in annoyed, "Can you please, in any situations, not to try to kidnap me?"
He laughed loudly, "If I don't do such thing, nothing will entertain me." Uncrossed his arms, he sits at the edge of the bed and pats Arthur head softly with an unreadable yet fond expression shown in his face, "Why would you do such unthinkable action that will cost your doom?"
Arthur smile sadly in return, "It's the only way to save my little sister..."
"Thus, it gives me another reason to cherish you more." The king mumbles softly with a stoic face.
"Huh?"
Gilgamesh stood up away from the bed, make his way to stand in front of the prince and bend his body a little with a wicked grinned, "If only you were a lady, I wouldn't mind to court you MUAHAHAHAHHA!" He touches the prince's chin with his finger, "And keep you all to myself, no?"
That is the sign for Arthur to blushes heavily and unconsciously thought to himself.
'Should I be glad to reborn as a man?'
Next chapter (Sneak Peek):
"What's...gotten into you, Emiya?" –Arthur.
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"If only I could kill you... but if I did, Arthur will never forgive me." –Claude.
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"Big brother..." –Athanasia.
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"The Queen of Einzbern wishes to see you, Your Highness." –Felix.
***