FateStay night: Across Time

13

The next day Shirou marched towards Merlin's tower. Shirou was frustrated about how nobody tried to change the kings mind. He was also angry about how people were talking about Guinevere. 'Traitor queen' and 'whore' were some of the more mild insults Shirou had heard. He arrived at the Merlin's door and knocked.
"

Enter." Merlin called. "Ah, Shirou. Good morning to you." Merlin greeted Shirou with a sas smile.
"Really? What is so good about it, considering the situation?" Shirou replied, a bit more roughly than he intended.
Merlin sighed. "I know. But the decision has been made." In this kind of situation, even Merlin's spirit was damped.
"Merlin, she will come to regret this. We know that she does not want to execute Guinevere."
"I know. But she will do it regardless. She has sworn to uphold the law and chivalry. A king cannot let his personal feelings and desires stand in the way of his duty. … Even when it is for good." Merlin walked over to the bookcase. That is when Shirou saw the opening in the wall.
"Merlin?"
"Yes, Shirou?"
"What is that opening in the wall?" Shirou pointed at the opening in the wall. "Is that a secret passage?" Merlin rushed over to close the opening.
"Indeed it is. Looks like I forgot to close it." Merlin pulled on a torch which was attached to the wall. It was in fact the lever to open and close the door. "There are quite a few of them throughout the castle. They are intended to evacuate the castle, should the worst come to pass. But I am pretty sure the king would never sneak out like that." Merlin grinned. "I doubt they will ever serve as anything but handy shortcuts."
Merlin returned to the bookcase. He sighed heavy. "It is truly unfortunate. I wish that I could change the king's mind. But as the king, she must be the first one to uphold the law or she can not expect her subjects to do the same." Merlin said as he rummaged through the books.
"Say, if the king is a girl, how can she be a 'father'? Shirou changed the subject as he examined Merlin's workshop.
"Oh, that. That would be because of me. You see, a king must have an heir. So to that end I temporarily turned her in a pseudo-male. And Morgan took advantage of that." Merlin told him as he kept searching.
Shirou spotted Merlin's bag, lying open on a stool. In it he saw, what he remembered to be a sleeping potion. Maybe … I can still prevent this.
Merlin was still distracted and Shirou seized the opportunity and took the vial with the yellow liquid and hid it under his tunic.
"I must admit that sounds a bit weird." Shirou found it even a bit disturbing, actually.
"But why the sudden interest?" Merlin turned around, eying Shirou with some suspicion.
"It was something I was wondering about for while now. Since I was here anyway ..." Shirou let out a sigh. "I was really hoping that you would know of a way to change the king's mind, but it seems I only wasted your time. I shall leave you to your business then." Shirou tried too sound as if had given up.
"I am sorry that I could not do anything." Merlin sighed. He looked as Shirou closed the door behind him, then he returned to searching his books.
Shirou had to move fast. He had only four days until the execution. The secret passageways would be key to his plan. There was no place for doubt. Shirou might not think everything through, but he was stubborn as they come. True, when Shirou put his mind to something, nothing could budge him.
As Shirou walked through the hallway he encountered Gawain. There were two others following him. "Ah, mister Shirou. How fare you?" Gawain greeted him. He sounded a bit frustrated though.
"Fine, everything considered." Shirou eyed the two other knights. They had features very similar too Gawain's even sporting the some light-curling dark-blond hair and aqua colored eyes. One was about the same age as Gawain, the other was about ten years younger.
"Let me introduce you to my brothers." Gawain smiled proudly. "This is Gareth and that is Gaheris." He motioned at the oldest and youngest knight respectively.
"A pleasure to meet you, Emiya Shirou." Gareth said as he bowed. Gaheris did the same. "We wish to show our gratitude for saving our brother's live."
"And as such we thank you, Emiya Shirou." Gaheris finished. "We hope we can repay you someday."
"Thank you." Shirou extended his hand. "I am pleased to meet you too."
Gareth and Gaheris returned the handshake. "If I may ask. Is it true that you came from the future?" Gaheris tried to suppress his curiosity, but to no avail.
"It is. I had some difficulty believing it myself. One moment I was at home, preparing to go to sleep, the next thing I know I found myself here. It was quite overwhelming."
"Who would not be. But I am grateful for your arrival. Who knows what would have happened to our brother if you had not been there." Gareth grinned. "If there is anything you need help with, let us know."
"Thank you. And there is something you could help me with. Could you tell me where they are holding Guinevere? I would like to talk to her."
"She is in the dungeon of course." Gawain said with a strained voice. "Damn him, sir Lancelot. How could he have betrayed the king like that. Unforgivable!"
"But brother, the king has already pardoned him, did he not?" Gareth said with a sad voice.
"True, brother. But that doesn't mean that I have forgiven him. He had sworn an oath to the king and he broke it when he had an affair with the queen. As a knight who has sworn the same oath, I simply cannot forgive him!" Gawain was doing his utmost to contain his anger.
"I know brother, but the king wouldn't have forgiven him without a good reason." Gaheris laid his hand on Gawain's shoulder. Then he looked at Shirou. "We all feel betrayed and disappointed, mister Shirou. Even now, I have difficulty believing what has happened. My brother has confronted sir Lancelot a little while ago. It was not pretty. Brother, I will show mister Shirou to the queen. Why don't you grab some ale to calm down?"
"Not a bad idea." Gawain's anger had subsided for a moment. But now his voice was filled with sadness. "This whole ordeal is taxing on everybody. It is sad that the queen must be executed, but it is the law. Shirou, I wish you good day, for so far as that goes." Gawain left, followed by Gareth.
"Please follow me, mister Shirou." Gaheris started down the hallway, closely followed by Shirou.
"So, I hear that you can create weapons with your magic." Gaheris began after they had walked for a few minutes.
"Indeed, I do. It made my body feel like it was burning, the first time I made a weapon. The same happened when I overdo it. Merlin said that it was because I had used magic circuits which have been dormant up until then." Indeed, that was an unpleasant feeling last night. "You know, I was hoping to persuade the king to cancel the execution."
""It is unfortunate." Gaheris rubbed his eyes. "But the king shall not change his mind."
"Gaheris, I heard that people say that the king does not understand human feelings. Do many people feel the same?" Gaheris stopped and looked at Shirou. His expression was one of uncertainty and unease.
"Mister Shirou, let me tell you that king Arthur is the greatest king there is. Those that follow him, including me, are truly privileged to serve him." Gaheris paused for a moment as if to find the right words. "So it pains me to say this, but yes. It is true and I must confess that I feel the same. The king … I don't know anyone who has ever seen the king smile or cry. Not even Sir Bedivere who has spend more time in his presence than anybody else. Neither has the king ever acted based on his own feelings. It … it is a mistake."
Gaheris walked over too a large reinforced door. "This is the main entrance to the dungeon. You may ask the jailer to bring you before the queen. I suggest that you don't stay too long. I wish you a good day, further." Gaheris saluted and left.
"Say, sir Gaheris."
Gaheris stopped and turned around. "Yes? Is there something you still wish to say?"
"Yes. What the king does is a mistake, but did anybody ever try to confront her with it?" Shirou looked at Gaheris with discontent. "If the king did not realize her mistake, then you people should have told her. Tell me if I am wrong, but is it not a knight's duty to be truthful to their king?"
Gaheris opened his mouth to answer. He wanted to give Shirou a retort, but no words came out. What Shirou just said has had such a severe impact on him, that it left him speechless. No, that was not it. He simply realized that Shirou was right. He, as many others, believed that it was a mistake. But no one ever said anything to the king. Gaheris averted his gaze end left. Shirou watched him for a moment, before he entered the dungeon.
Shirou started down a rather wide spiral staircase. When he reached the bottom, he came before another large reinforced door with a barred window. Shirou knocked on it. "Is someone there!?"
"Who is there?" A large, bald guard arrived. Shirou judged him too be in his mid-forty's. "Hmmm, wait a bloody minute. Ain't ye that Emiya-guy?"
"Yes, that is me. I would like to visit the queen." Shirou asked politely.
"For what purpose?" The guard asked. He squinted his eyes with suspicion.
"She has been kind to me for the short time I have been here. So I would just like to talk to her. And there are also some things I would like to ask her." Shirou said with a sad voice.
"Well, I suppose there is no harm in just talking." The guard opened the door. "But I do ask ye to keep it short. A few minutes, nothing more." When Shirou entered, the guard closed the door behind them.
They passed through the guardroom. Only one other guard was present at the moment. He had a dirty face and long, black hair. Apparently they were playing dice before Shirou interrupted them.
"Ah Benger, whoso is our visitor?" The man asked.
"Humph, let me introduce ye to mister Shirou. The famous visitor from a far away land."
"Ah, I thought as much. What brings ye 'ere, mister Shirou?" He gave him an annoyed glance.
"I just want to talk to the queen a bit." Shirou stated calmly.
"Ah, the traitor queen." He stood up and grabbed the keyring. Shirou felt a sting of anger when he said 'traitor queen'. "Ye interrupted our game just when I was about to win." He complained.
"I am sorry." Shirou looked around, but he could not see any traces of other guards. "Not many guards here, or am I mistaken?"
"Nope. Just us two." Benger said with obvious boredom. "The dungeons has been empty for a while now. And with only the queen here … . It's a shame really. She is such a kind person." Benger took the key's from Humph. Shirou looked at the keys with great attention. "This way."
Shirou followed him through another heavy, reinforced door. They passed through a corridor which branched of in to several others. Each corridor gave access to large cells, each capable of containing at least ten people. At the end of the corridor was another staircase which went even further down. At the bottom was another heavy, reinforced door. Benger took a key and opened it.
"Don't take too long. I will return to fetch ye." He said with disinterest.
"Alright." Shirou went inside and Benger closed the door behind him. Shirou could hear him going up the stairs. Shirou stood inside a narrow corridor, lined with cells, just big enough too hold one person each.
Now is my chance. He placed his hand on the wall. "Trace on." Shirou was going to analyze the layout from the dungeon, just like he did during the fire at the inn. If luck was with him he would find a secret passage nearby. He sent his magical energy into the wall. It was much tougher then before, considering the size of the castle.
"Come on! Please." Shirou gritted his teeth and then he found it. In the upper dungeon, at the end of the last branching corridor, there was secret passage. Shirou put in more power to expand his range. Sweet was forming on his forehead, but he could sense that the passage went outside the castle. Luck was with him. He now knew he had a possible way out. Further more he had seen the keys. Shirou had learned that he could project a copy of every item he has seen. Shirou was getting excited. His plan might just work.
"Hmmm, who is there?" A soft voice called out. Shirou moved in the direction of the voice. And there she was. Guinevere's was chained to the wall. Her dress and face were dirty. A small amount of hay and a ragged piece of cloth for blanket served as a 'bed'. That and a bucket was the only 'furniture'. "MShirou, too what do I owe this pleasure?"
"I am here to visit you because I wanted to talk, and to tell you something."
"Oh, what is it that you want to talk about?" Shirou noticed how bloodshot her eyes were. She has obviously been crying.
"Now I am here, I am not sure myself." Shirou scratched the back of his head and sat himself down in front of her. "This is a mess indeed."
"I know. And it is all my fault. I betrayed the king and I misguided the perfect knight. When I became the queen, I understood that I had to play that role. Giving up any chance for love, for the sake of the country." She started crying softly. "This is all my fault."
"No, not completely. Arturia is at fault too." Shirou's voice was dead serious. "This happened because the king did not fulfill her duty as a husband, right?"
"You are still referring to the king as a she? Stubborn aren't you?" She managed a faint smile. "Even so, I should have never done it. You know I had always suspected her to be a girl. A fact that I eventually realized the more time I spend with her. How did you know?"
"I simply knew that she was a girl when I saw her. But I admit, you could mistake her for a beautiful boy." Shirou grinned. "They all believe her to be male, but you said it yourself, the king was not exactly a good husband. I reckon you ehh … have never slept in the same bed together, let alone seen each other ...errrm, naked."
Guinevere's smirked at seeing Shirou's embarrassed face. It is true. She never has seen the king completely bare, let alone shared the same bed. She also recalled how cautious the king was whenever she took a bath. "Not really surprising. When Lancelot and I came together, we wanted to discus how we could support her? And before we had realized it we had fallen in love with each other."
"I thought so. Look, before I go I have to tell you something. We both know that Arturia doesn't want to see you die either, and that she is only doing this because it is the king's duty." Shirou sighed. "Mistakes had been made, but it is wrong for you to be executed because of it." Then Shirou heard a door open and footsteps approaching. He leaned closer to her and whispered. "What I want to say is, don't give up hope." Guinevere gave him a sad smile, as if to say that it was alright. The door went open and Benges stepped in.
"Time to leave. Are ye finished?"
"Yes. Goodbye, milady Guinevere." Shirou gave her a reassuring smile and left.
There is a secret passage nearby the queen's cell. Excellent. Now I just need to discover were it leads to. Now he needed to find the exit. But for now he will think about how to put those guards to sleep without getting caught.
After eating some lunch, he went to the trainings hall. There he found Mordred resting on a bench. Shirou walked over to him.
"Hello, sir Mordred." Shirou greeted him rather friendly. "Care for a sparring match?"
Mordred was mildly surprised. "Heee? I was not expecting that. Are you not angry at me anymore?"
"I am still somewhat angry. I just wanted to talk with you while we are at it, without being disturbed."
"I see. You are the kind of person who forgives rather easily." Mordred chuckles. "Fine, I will spar with you. I rather enjoyed training you." Mordred stood up and grabbed a trainings sword. Shirou entered the ring and projected one in his hand.
"Your magecraft is very useful indeed. You would never have to worry about losing your sword in battle. But do you think it will be enough?" Shirou could feel Mordred grinning rather menacingly. "Ready? Here I come."
Mordred closed the distance and gave a loose swing at Shirou. Shirou blocked it with some effort. Even if it was a loose swing, Mordred was incredibly strong for someone of his stature. Several more swings followed. Mordred had reverted to the way of fighting he had used during Shirou's training. He was not using that savage fighting style Shirou had witnessed during the forest ambush.
"Mordred, uh may I call you just Mordred?"
Mordred stopped attacking for a moment. "Hmmm. You may." Mordred did not really care about such a triviality. "So, what was it that you wishes to discuss with me?"
"Well, I have already asked this, but … Would you want to see the queen executed?"
Mordred sighed from sheer annoyance. "This again? Look, Shirou. It is no secret to you that I dislike the king." He spoke softly as he executed another diagonal swing. "And while I don't despise the queen, I don't really mind her being executed either. True, I did reveal her affair with sir Lancelot. But she brought this onto herself and she knows it."
"I think the king is partially responsible as well. From what I have heard the king was not exactly a great husband. Well, not really surprising, considering the king is a girl."
Mordred laughed. "Are you still going on about that too? You really are a stubborn guy. I mean, I already suspected as much, but I feel I still have to see the full extent of your stubbornness."
"And I am surprised by how nobody seems to notice it." Which reminded Shirou of something as he said that. "By the way, Mordred. I was thinking about this for a while now, but your voice sounds a bit like the king's, a bit feminine. Are you per chance also a ..." Shirou did not finished the question. Mordred had fallen silent and was looking at him with an intense glare. He was definitely angry. Looks like Shirou hit a sensitive spot. "Sorry. Forget what I just wanted to ask." Shirou quickly apologized.
Mordred's anger subside. "You are forgiven, but don't dare to insinuate such a thing again." Mordred warned. "I must say that your skills have not improved much. I would say that this style of fighting is not suited for you."
"I was told this before. Thanks for talking, but I still have some things to do." Shirou sword disintegrated. "Perhaps we could continue the match some other time."
"When the mood is better." Mordred walked away. Shirou made his way to the west side of the castle. He stopped inside a small room. If he remembered correctly he was now above the entrance of the passage. He placed his hand on the floor. "Trace on." The passage was carved inside the rock and led outside of the castle. Shirou increased the power. He saw that the passage led too the base of the cliff-formation. Shirou whipped the sweet from his brow. Now he needed to go to the base of the cliff in order to follow the rest of the passage.
It took some time too reach the base of the cliff. Once there, he repeated the process. The passage went on for a mile or so, and it was just wide enough too let two people walk side by side. After an hour or so he reached a small forest patch. In the middle of was a large bolder, from which one side was completely flat. After performing another 'scan' he found the mechanism to open it. In a crack covered with moss, was a hidden lever. Shirou removed the moss and pulled the lever. In the center of the flat rock-face, the hidden door opened with a loud grinding sound. The opening was just big enough for one person. Shirou promptly closed the door again and returned to Camelot.
Now he just had to convince Lancelot to meet him there. The sun was already setting when Shirou returned.
"Hay, Shirou. Where have ye been?" One of the guards asked when Shirou passed through.
"I was taking a walk to clear my mind. You know, with all that has happened." Shirou explained.
"Aye. I know what ye means. It was quite the shock for all of us. I wish ye a pleasant evening." The guard saluted.
"You to. Keep up the good work." Now to contact Lancelot. Maybe servant would know were he was.
Shirou addressed the first one he found, who happened to be Nicholas. "Hoi, Nicholas. How are you?"
"Fine, Shirou. And how are you, today?" Nicholas responded with a smile.
"Everything is fine. By the way, can you tell me were I can find sir Lancelot?"
"I believe I saw him going to the roof earlier. He has been spending much time there ever since the queen was imprisoned." Nicholas shook his head.
"Thank you, Nicholas." Shirou said as he departed.
"Your welcome." Nicholas grinned.
And yes, Lancelot was on the roof, gazing at the sunset. Okay, let's do this. He walked up to him. "Sir Lancelot."
Lancelot turned around. "Shirou. Come to try to persuade me again?"
"Sort of. There is something I wish to show you." This was a crucial moment in his plan. If he could not convince him to go to the forest patch … "To that end I would like you to meet me tonight at a certain place. And I swear that you will not regret it." Shirou looked Lancelot straight in his eyes. His expression dead serious and no trace of doubt in his voice.
Lancelot thought about it for a moment. "I promise that it will be more useful than just waiting here for the execution." Shirou added, his eyes shining with determination.
"Hmmm. Fine then. I will hold you to your word." Lancelot smiled. He could sense how serious Shirou was. "Where is it that you want to meet?"
"To the west, about a mile or so from Camelot, there is a small forest patch. In the center is a large rock with one flat side. Wait for me there tonight. But I must add that I cannot tell you exactly how long it will take for me to get there, so ..."
"I see. Well then, I shall wait for thee there." Lancelot's interest was now peeked. "I will see you tonight then."
"Thank you. I promise you will not regret it." Shirou extended his hand and he and Lancelot shook on it. "Oh, and you might want to bring your horse." Shirou added with a smile before he left. So far so good.
Later that evening. Shirou was walking through the hallway, thinking about how to deal with the guards when he suddenly ran into Arturia and Bedivere.
"Good evening Shirou. How are you doing?" She inquire, still showing no emotions. She had completely suppressed them.
"Fine. Say, are you in the mood for some supper?" Shirou suggested. There is still some time before he would free the queen. "I will cook."
"Ah really? That would be nice." She quickly agreed. Arturia liked the food Shirou makes, more than any other. Half an hour later, they were eating supper.
"Is there something wrong Shirou? You are awfully quiet." Arturia suddenly remarked. Bedivere glanced at them from the corner of his eyes.
"It's just … without Guinevere … " Shirou stared at his plate silently.
"I know what you want to say. I feel the same." She said that without showing any emotions. "Don't misunderstand, Shirou. I am not doing this because I want to, but because I have to as my duty."
"You are the king, can't you make an exception?" Shirou planned to utilize this supper as a last chance to try and change her mind. Bedivere remained silent. He felt a little disheartened at the direction this conversation was going. "I can understand that you must punish betrayal, but ..."
"Betrayal? Yes, that is how everybody sees this. However, I don't consider this to be betrayal. No, if anything I understand Guinevere's sacrifice more than anybody else." This surprised both Bedivere and Shirou.
"Excuse me, my king. I am not entirely sure what you mean." Bedivere said hesitantly. Shirou too was shocked at the kings words. Because he was more aware about the truth of the king's gender, he understood what she meant.
"Sir Bedivere, as you are aware, my marriage with Guinevere was one of convenience. A king needs a queen. And while I held her dear, I did not love her as a man." Arturia explained calmly as she folded her hands. "I was not a good husband to her. It must have been a heavy burden for her. But still, as much as it pains me, I have to act in the capacity of the king."
After that conversation, they continued the meal in silence. Shirou had understood that he could not change her mind. When the meal was finished, Shirou decided to begin his rescue-attempt. "Your highness, I wish you a good night. But before I go I wish to ask something."
"Sure, what is it?"
"May I deliver this to the queen?" Shirou held up a small pot, wrapped in cloth. "I made some extra. I would like her to give her a last good meal before, you know … and I don't know if I would get the chance to give it to her."
"I see." She showed a faint smile. "You are a kindhearted person, Shirou. You have my permission. Good night." And she left with Bedivere in tow. Bedivere turned around for a moment and nodded to Shirou with a smile as a sign of approval.
It was already late in the evening when Shirou arrived at the entrance of the dungeons. Shirou entered and started down the stairwell. As he went further down he heard a sound. What was that sound? It sounded like someone was sawing through wood. No, not like that, but more like … could it be?
When he arrived at the door, he peeked through the window and yes. There they were, Benger and Humph. They were out cold, sleeping on the table. Shirou spotted some whine jugs lying on the table and the floor.
Looks like I won't be needing the sleeping potion. Shirou projected the keyring. It took him four out of eight tries before he found the right one. He made sure to close the door behind him in order to avoid suspicion. And because he had copied the keyring, he had no need to steal the real one, that way it would not alert the guards should they wake up.
Shirou made his way to the lower level. When he reached the queen, he found her asleep. Curled up on her 'bed', slightly shivering.
"Psst, Guinevere. Wake up." Shirou whispered. Guinevere woke up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"Mister Shirou? To what do I owe this visit?" She asked, still drowsy. When Shirou took the key's and started to unlock the cell door. She sprung up in shock.
"Shirou. What are you doing? No, you should not ..." She reacted fearfully.
"Shhht. Not so loud, you'll wake them up." Shirou hushed her. Once the cell was unlocked Shirou promptly reached for her shackles, but Guinevere laid her hand on the lock.
"Shirou, I know what you wish to do, but doth not do it. If you try to help me escape you will surely be punished." She spoke faintly.
"Guinevere, if I don't free you, Lancelot will attempt to save you during the execution. And I know he will succeed." Shirou pushed her hand aside.
"I see. Because you are from the future, you know what will happen. If sir Lancelot will save me, it would be even more reason to ..."
"Yes, but he will be forced to kill several of his fellow knights in order to do that. How would that be any better." Shirou interrupted her. Guinvere nodded in response. "Look, I've discovered a way out and Lancelot is waiting at the exit, although he doesn't know I will bring you there." Shirou finally managed to unlock her shackles. After that Shirou laid the chains on the hay. "Guinevere, take some hay from the other cells. It could help buy some time."
Guinevere understood what Shirou was trying to do. They hurriedly gathered hay from the other cells and put it under the blanket. It created the illusion that she was still a sleep.
"So how do you wish to escape from here?"
Shirou grinned in response. "Follow me" Shirou guided her up the stairs and down the first corridor on their left. "Give me a moment." Guinevere showing some doubt now. "Trace on."
Shirou found the lever to opening the secret passage. A torch holder on the left wall. He took the torch and pulled the holder. The door opened and rather loud at that. Hopefully it didn't wake the guards.
"Well I be. I never knew we had a secret passage here." Guinevere's eyes were expressing pure surprise.
"Hurry now." Shirou urged her. He grabbed her hand and lead her into the passage. The door closed behind them. The stair was steep but manageable, but it was dark. Luckily he had taken the torch.
"It is cold down here." Guinvere shivered, rubbing her arms to stay warm. Indeed, it was rather chilly.
"Trace on." Shirou projected a woolen cloak. "Here."
"My thanks. Your ability is really useful." Guinevere accepted the cloak happily.
While the escape seemed to go smoothly, Shirou could not help but notice the sadness in Guinevere's eyes. It took them about half an hour to reach the exit. Shirou quickly found the lever and pulled it. The doorway opened and the sound of a blade been drawn was heard.
"Who goes there!?" The voice was unmistakably Lancelot's.
"Lancelot!" Guinevere rushed forward to the exit. Shirou followed her.
"Guinevere?" Lancelot was surprised at Guinevere's appearance. "Guinevere, my love. How ..." Then he noticed Shirou exiting the tunnel.
"Hey. Glad you could make it." Shirou greeted him casually.
"So this was your plan?" Lancelot smiled, but for some reason it was a sad one.
"Well, I thought it would be better and less bloody then storming the execution platform."
"But Shirou, you are changing the course of history. Are you certain this is wise?" While Guinevere was happy because Shirou rescued her, but she and Lancelot understood what it meant. Lancelot would have stormed the Execution platform and saved Guinevere, killing several knights and guards in the process. At least that is how it should have happened. Shirou arrived here by accident, but now Shirou had actively rewritten history. What would this mean for his time?
"I know. But haven't I changed it already by coming here?" Shirou looked them in the eyes. "Something done, cannot be undone. That is what I believe. But I am here now. Just me being here has probably changed the course of history already. Maybe there is a reason why I ended up here. Do you think that everything happens for a reason?" Shirou suddenly asked.
"I don't know, mister Shirou. But maybe it does." Lancelot responded. He gave an unsure smile. "Whether this was the right decision or not … only time will tell." Suddenly a horn sounded in the distance. A moment later they heard shouting echoing from the passage.
"They have discovered that I have escaped. We should leave now." Guinevere urged Lancelot, who nodded in agreement.
"Wait. Before you go, take this." Shirou handed her the pot. "Something for underway." He grinned.
"I cannot express enough how grateful I am." She suddenly gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart." After that she walked up to Lancelot, who helped her in the saddle.
"Emiya Shirou. I owe you a great debt and know I will repay it, on my honor as a knight, or what is left of it." Lancelot kneeled before Shirou.
"I merely did what I believed was right." Shirou felt a little embarrassed. "But what do you mean by, what is left of it?"
"I had an affair with Guinevere and now I am practically abducting her. This is an act of betrayal against the king." Lancelot lamented. "And what is worse, is that I am forgiven by the one person from who I wished punishment the most." The voices from the tunnel grew louder. Their pursuers were fast approaching.
"Lancelot, Guinevere. I can understand what you are trying to say, but let me tell you this. It doesn't have to be like this. I have spoken to the king and so I know that she does not consider this betrayal on your part."
"What do you mean?" Lancelot asked uncertain.
"I mean that this can still be fixed. I believe that you two and Arturia should just have a good chat with each other and talk this out, when the opportunity arises." Shirou said with absolute conviction. "Just promise me, that you will try to do that and I'll consider you debt payed."
Lancelot and Guinevere looked at each other for a moment in confusion. Then they gave Shirou a silent nod.
"I shall follow your advice. Thank you, Emiya Shirou. And sorry." Lancelot responded.
"It is okay. And sorry for wha..." Lancelot suddenly gave him a blow to the back of his head and Shirou's vision went black. Lancelot slowly lowered him to the ground.
Lancelot jumped in the saddle. Guinevere didn't ask, because she understood. They looked at Shirou one more time before riding of into the night.