King Without A Country

[A/N: After writing the previous Fate/ fic, I got an idea for a follow-up. Inspired in part by a comment I received on the last one. Though it got a bit more serious as I was trying to explore my idea of what Saber Alter is like. Originally got perhaps a bit too dark compared to what I intended, so I made some moves to lighten it up a bit. Deleted some of the angstier lines, and such. Got perhaps a little too goofy towards the end, but I think that’s probably fine.]

Saber Alter, Artoria Pendragon, was pondering her new life in this strange realm. It had been a few weeks since she was erroneously summoned to SE.RA.PH., and she still hadn’t figured out what she wanted to do next.

Since there was no Grail War, there was no point in her being here, but she couldn’t come to a decision about what she wanted to do. If she wanted to leave, then where would she go? If she wanted to fight, then who would be her opponent? If she wanted a cause, where would she find one? In a world so unlike anything she had encountered since she became a Heroic Spirit, she felt rather lost.

“Here you go, miss!”

But it wasn’t all bad. She accepted the cardboard tray from the man behind the counter, and actually cracked a tiny smile. The greasiest fish’n’chips in the whole city, sweeter than ambrosia. Drenched in vinegar, and entombed in mayo and ketchup. She kept discovering new treasures while wandering the streets, but this was among her favourites so far. And the man running the shop was willing to stack it on so high she could barely see in front of herself while walking.

She already had a favourite place to sit as well. In range of most of the vendors in case she wanted something extra. She never had any trouble walking the streets, because everyone tended to make way for her, whether they realised it or not. And this wandering food mountain got a wide berth, because it was a somewhat worrying sight. Reaching her destination was no problem at all.

Her skills with a fork were as good as with a sword, so she had no problem eating either. Even managing to avoid staining the black dress Nero had given her for casual wear. Not to say that there wasn’t a mess, but somehow none of it ended up on her, aside from her face.

Artoria had some issues figuring out her complicated feelings on New Roma’s Emperor of Roses. In a sense they were enemy heads of state, but none of that really mattered here. Artoria had no people, no country, in this place. And this was not the Rome of old, it was just styled similarly due to Nero’s vanity.

Their styles of ruling didn’t coincide much either, despite how much Nero liked saying they were both tyrants. Artoria had accepted that a ruler’s job was to be hated for doing what was necessary. Nero demanded everyone’s love. Because she loved them, and she knew she deserved to be loved back. At least that was her pitch, and strangely enough it was a compelling argument coming from her. Not to mention that people seemed to feel bad if they disappointed her.

Though there were some who hated her attitude as well. At times Artoria wondered if she did too, but the complicated part was that she worried she might feel a pull towards it. When someone was that bright, it was tempting to bask in their light. She had even responded to Nero’s advances a few times, and joined her in bed. The Red Saber was loud, which was both embarrassing, and satisfying. The emperor of Rome, and the king of England, consorting as lovers. It was almost like a joke.

Not to mention that she was uncertain how much ‘love’ actually factored into things. With her self-professed fondness of pretty girls, the emperor probably had several consorts. Though she hadn’t noticed anyone besides herself, and Nero’s Master. Caster didn’t seem to have much interest in going to bed with Nero without their Master. There was something between those two that Artoria would rather not poke her nose into.

Nero often just called her “the fox”, and Artoria wasn’t sure how she felt about her either. They had mostly stayed out of each other’s way, and it might be best to keep it that way. She wasn’t especially interested in getting involved with too many people. For now it seemed unlikely that Caster would attack her, and that was fine. Artoria didn’t really see her as a threat, but starting a fight would be a hassle.

There were others she worried more about when it came to that.

Ah, damn it. She had forgotten to get a drink to go with her food. She had gotten too lost in thought. Thankfully there was not a lack of vendors in these parts.

Hm… Now that she had both hands free, she might as well get two. She trusted that no one would touch her food while she was away, or they would absolutely have to fight her.

Even the birds in town seemed to have taken the hint, and everything was still in place when she got back, so she could pick up her train of thought.

She had learned there were other servants around, not just her and the three Nero’s Praetor controlled. Altera may look young, but Artoria had a feeling it would be dangerous to provoke her.

Nero was surprisingly open about everyone and everything, not seeming to see a point in hiding much of anything. So Artoria had learned that her counterpart was out there somewhere. Logically she knew it was best to avoid her. But part of her was still tempted to seek her out, even though she was certain it would come to blows. She despised her Blue Saber self, but fighting her would accomplish nothing. Except maybe losing access to all the food vendors in this place, which would be a heavy price to pay. Blue Saber was not worth that risk.

She was more disturbed by learning that Gawain was here. He had left the city to go on his own quest before she arrived, and Artoria felt a bit relieved. She couldn’t shake this sense that she didn’t want him to see her. He was loyal to Blue Saber, and she didn’t know what he’d think of seeing her like this. For some reason she couldn’t make herself hate him, and would prefer they didn’t meet at all.

That pesky Lancer Cu Chulhainn was about, and she had seen him, but he hadn’t made a move. Nero claimed he was sworn to her service. And that failed Archer was supposedly around, but Nero said he tended to vanish a lot, so who knew about him. There were others Nero had talked about too, some of which felt weird twists of fate. But she would worry about that when or if it presented itself as an issue. Except if Gilgamesh showed up, she would fight him full force. All Archers were a waste of space.

“Ah, Saber!”

Someone called out to her, and she knew who it was before she even looked up. Nero’s Master, Kishinami Hakuno. Speaking of someone to worry about. She was wearing a white dress in a rather stark contrast to Artoria’s, and she was waving. Artoria knew there was no point in trying to pretend she didn’t see her.

The woman came closer. She seemed to be making a habit of bothering Artoria, though she had yet to figure out why. At first she had thought it was due to seeing her as a threat, or something along those lines, but the more Hakuno insisted on speaking to her, the less it felt like that. But until Artoria figured out what ulterior motive was at play here, she should remain wary.

“I brought you an offering, but I see you’re already loaded up…” Hakuno said as she came to a stop in front of Artoria. She was holding a large bag of bacon-flavoured crisps.

Artoria wanted to scoff. She still had a third of her divine meal left, and she wasn’t so easily bribed as to be tempted by more food. Still… “I’ll accept it,” she said. Couldn’t hurt to have something for dessert.

“May I take a seat?” Hakuno asked after handing over the bag.

“… do as you wish,” Artoria said.

Indeed Hakuno did, and took a seat next to Artoria. She was absolutely not sure how to view Nero’s Master. Surely the woman also counted as a ruler of this empire, shared with the Emperor herself. So why did she get personally involved in all sorts of projects. As if she merely carried out the Emperor’s will, or at least so it seemed on the surface.

“So how are you doing?” Hakuno asked.

She always asked that, and Artoria was unsure of her motive for constantly inquiring. Was she monitoring her? “I’m eating,” Artoria said, trying to focus on her food.

“I can see that,” Hakuno said with a smirk.

“Why do you keep pestering me?” Artoria asked bluntly.

“Pestering? Is that what I’m doing?” Hakuno sounded amused.

“You are,” Artoria stated. She didn’t find it very funny.

“Well, who knows…” Hakuno said with a faint smile. “Perhaps I simply want to make sure you’re okay. You seemed a bit lost when you first showed up, after all. Perhaps I’m keeping an eye on you, so you don’t hurt my Saber. Perhaps I’m feeling insecure about my wife taking a second lover. Perhaps I just want to get to know you better. Perhaps I’m trying to work out your weak spots. Perhaps I’m trying to figure out my own feelings about everything. Perhaps… I just like to meddle. It could be any one of those. Or none of them. Mysteries are intriguing, wouldn’t you agree?”

Artoria side-eyed the woman. That was strangely candid, and she wondered whether there might be some truth to several of those, or even all of them. Not that it really mattered. It wasn’t like she actually loved Nero, but the Red Saber was… pleasant. Even the feared Saber Alter wasn’t immune to her charisma.

“I don’t understand you,” was all Artoria could think to say.

“Haha, I assure you I’m quite simple,” Hakuno responded.

It hadn’t escaped Artoria’s notice that Hakuno had not accepted Nero’s offer to join them. At least not yet. It had only been a few times, and a few weeks. And she wasn’t sure whether she was relieved or not.

Her eyes glanced at the ring on Hakuno’s finger. Nero had proudly told her all about it. The Regalia, the Moon Cell’s Royal Authority. There wasn’t really a Holy Grail in this strange realm, but the Regalia was pretty close in terms of what it did. Both Nero and Hakuno wore one, as if they were truly wedding rings, but as she’d understood it they were technically one item. It was an artefact of the bond between them, that let them both access it.

If Artoria wanted a cause, then claiming the Regalia for herself seemed the most obvious one. With Hakuno sitting so close, Artoria was certain she could take the wizard’s life, and claim the ring, before anyone would be able to react. It was foolish of the woman to stay so close to a servant not her own without any protection.

But Artoria wasn’t stupid enough to not realise there were several problems with that plan. The Grail, or rather the Moon Cell, had already chosen, so it would likely reject Artoria. At best it simply wouldn’t work, at worst it could attempt to kill her. Additionally it would mean the end of Nero, either directly through her Master’s death, or through fighting Artoria afterwards. Or if every servant in the realm banded against her, Artoria might even be at risk of getting killed herself. She was certain she could take most of them, but perhaps not all, depending on who, and how many, showed up.

It was a course of action that carried so many risks that she’d need a better reason to take it. As an alternative, she could attempt to force Hakuno into becoming her Master. That carried its own risks, assuming it was even possible at this stage, but it was possible it would let her use the Regalia.

Forming a pact with another wizard was unlikely to be helpful. The War was over, and she had no guarantee that the Moon Cell would choose someone else should the current holder die.

Besides… she didn’t particularly want a Master. Even if she did, would she want this one? Nero always so spoke so highly of her Praetor, to the point where Artoria felt annoyed. What was so special about her? Yet… there was something in those brown eyes. A fearlessness, a determination, that was… intriguing, perhaps.

“Say, Saber…” Hakuno spoke up as Artoria hadn’t responded further. “Do you like it here?”

Artoria had been pondering that herself. “I’ve been to worse places,” she said.

“I see…” Hakuno was gazing up at the sky.

“The food is good,” Artoria said, finishing up the last of her meal. “The people seem… fine. What are you smiling at?”

Hakuno had a sly smile on her face. “Sorry, I was just thinking that’s high praise coming from you.”

“Just so you know, I don’t think you are ruling correctly,” Artoria said, and paused for a sip from her drink. “But I’m not king here, so that burden isn’t mine.” That part was kinda nice, actually. It was rare that she felt so free.

“I think my Saber is doing just fine,” Hakuno said, with the same note of pride in her voice that Nero had when talking about her Praetor.

“You take part in the ruling too,” Artoria said.

“I suppose…” Hakuno suddenly got a glint of mischief in her eyes. “Hey, speaking of doing… did you two have fun?”

Artoria narrowed her eyes. “Why do you want to know?” It wasn’t like she was some innocent maiden, so she knew right away what Hakuno meant.

“Curiosity,” Hakuno admitted with a smirk. “Did she take the lead? She can be quite determined. Maybe she did that thing with her fingers, where she… you know?” She had started miming some obscene acts.

Artoria’s cheeks felt hot. “I’m not telling you that. Come see for yourself if you’re so curious.” She harrumphed.

“… would you be okay with that?” Hakuno asked in a more sombre tone.

“Would you?” Artoria shot back.

“Hah, you got me there,” Hakuno said, and got up, stretching. Considering how tall Hakuno was, it was strange to imagine Nero taking the lead, but such was the force of the emperor of Rome. “I’m still figuring that out,” Hakuno admitted. “It was nice talking to you, Saber. I have an appointment to get to, so I’ll leave you alone now.”

Artoria watched Hakuno straighten out her dress. “You don’t have to call me that,” she mumbled.

“Hm?” Hakuno paused, and looked at her.

“You don’t have to call me Saber,” Artoria said more clearly.

“Then what should I call you? Your name?” Hakuno said in a playful tone.

No one had asked Artoria her name, yet everyone seemed aware, even if they hadn’t said it out loud. “I know what people call me. So you can call me Alter,” Artoria said. There already seemed to be so many Sabers around.

“Hm… how about Salter?” Hakuno suggested, while failing at suppressing a grin.

“Absolutely not,” Artoria stated definitively.

Hakuno giggled, her face lit up with amusement. “Alright, alright. See you later, Alter.” She gave a small wave, then turned around, and walked off.

Artoria found herself waving back, then quickly stopped herself, and reached for the bag of crisps instead. What a strange woman, she thought as she popped it open. Good taste in crisps, though.

* * *

“Praetor, you’re late! I was about to start on my own,” a grumpy Nero complained.

Hakuno checked the time. She was actually five minutes ahead of time, but she wasn’t about to argue. “Ah, sorry. I was having a chat with your new toy,” she teased.

“She’s not a toy, Praetor,” Nero protested. Then after a moment felt compelled to ask: “… what did you talk about? Me?”

“Yes,” Hakuno answered.

Nero beamed. “Umu! I knew you’d like her!” she said confidently.

“Did you? How?” Hakuno was genuinely curious.

“I like her, and I love you, so it makes sense, umu,” Nero clearly had faith in her own logic.

Hakuno let out a light laugh as she hugged Nero close. “You are so precious.”

“E-eeeehhh? P-Praetor, what are you doing?!” Nero sounded rather flustered.

“Loving you,” Hakuno said, and patted Nero’s head.

“B-b-but here of all places,” Nero stammered. She tended to fall apart when caught off guard with stuff like this, and it was really cute. Which was a big part of why Hakuno kept doing it. “The people can see!”

“You’re worth it,” Hakuno said quite simply.

Nero blushed heavily. “U-umu, but we should save this for later…” she said bashfully. It was a little funny to think how aggressive she could often be, when you saw her like this.

“Alright.” Hakuno let go, though she couldn’t resist booping Nero’s nose. Anyone watching could think whatever they wanted.

“You’re shameless, Praetor… playing with my heart like that,” Nero said accusingly.

“I assure you I was completely serious.” Hakuno smiled at her red-faced wife.

“You’re a fiend.”

Perhaps Nero was right, but somehow Hakuno didn’t feel too bad about it.

~Wulf