A Different Fate - [Rewrite]

Chapter 19:New friendship

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One afternoon, Arturia was out for grocery shopping, when her phone suddenly rang. Looking at the screen, she recognized Gilgamesh's number.

She frowned. He had never been the one to call her before. Had something happened?

She answered immediately.

"King of Heroes, what is the matter?"

Her voice was slightly worried, but his was quite normal.

"Hello, Arturia. I was bored."

She raised an eyebrow as she collected the last items she needed to buy, holding her phone between her shoulder and her ear – and managing to be graceful nonetheless, as only a king was able to do.

They talked for a little while, as she paid and then left the shop. Even if they had a conversation on the phone every evening, the last time they had seen each other had been at the Emiya residence… with Rin.

Arturia enquired about the priest, and Gilgamesh, annoyed, told her that he was for once tending to his preaching duties, and everything he said was so boring that the King of Heroes had not been able to stand another minute in the same room as him.

While she listened, Arturia walked towards her apartment, and a soft wind blew around her. She suddenly had to stop for a moment, because a slightly stronger blow pushed her dress towards a bush of roses, and the fabric became entangled with the thorns.

And of course, he noticed her stopping and asked her the reason for it. She explained the situation while freeing her clothes and continuing towards the apartment.

His following words made her stop as she was unlocking the entrance door.

"Is it the blue summer dress with the white straps?"

She was surprised. She had no idea he had ever noticed what clothes she wore. "It is."

Entering the house, she went to the kitchen to begin to put the groceries away.

"You astonish me, King of Heroes."

She heard him make a sound that seemed suspiciously like a wishful sigh.

"I remember that dress. It compliments your figure very nicely."

Her tone was flat.

"Flattery will get you nowhere."

On the other side, his reply was prompt.

"Oh? So what will?"

Arturia's hands gave out and she dropped what she was holding.

"Gilgamesh…!" she hissed.

She could feel his smug smirk across the phone line.

Leaning down to pick up the fallen item, she growled into the mobile.

"Gilgamesh. Would it hurt you to be serious for the time of a phone call?"

"I am being serious, Arturia."

The tone with which he said that made her hand stop in mid-air, with the object she had picked up still in her hold. She didn't even realize she had stopped in her tracks after letting out an unwanted sharp gasp.

She paused. She did not want to have to think about him being serious.

She could not.

The possibility of him truly wanting more from her… no. She would not go there.