chivalour:
There had been connections during his life, of course. Connections to the Garden of Avalon, connections to faeries who lived thousand of years and thousands more and could tell tales of her life, of her knight’s lives, of even her father and grandfather and whoever else came before her. There had been connections then, and to think Richard would ever find someone with connections to her now is… It leaves him speechless. It’s a feeling that wraps around his chest and suffocates his lungs, takes his breath away, but all for a reason much greater than he would ever have thought.
Does he truly deserve such thing? All of this information? Someone who has not only met the King of Knights herself, but so many versions of her! The Throne of Heroes is truly a wonderful thing - for it to make so many versions of the one person he worships the most and allow him to ever have the chance of meeting at least a couple of them, at different parts of her life…!
Ah, he could cry right now. Is he? Possibly. Perhaps a threatening tear, just seconds from leaving his eye.
“To hear such a thing…! I can hardly believe it myself. I may have possibly met one of these many versions of the King of Knights before, but to think there are more! Of course they are all the King I adore and worship, but I have yet to meet the one and only. Ah, but of course I would want to know all of them! Are they all from different parts of her life? I have met King Arthur when she was on her quest to become king, ‘Lily’ she said she was called. Maybe there are younger versions? Older? Such a blessed day, to think I could meet even more versions of her!” His eyes glisten, shine, beam - reds that many times are compared to a beast’s eyes, nearly merciless, are now soft and captivated by such simple words. How lucky this little Servant is, to have met all of them, to be able to speak about Arthur Pendragon in such ways!
And once more, Richard sighs out his excitement. He could hop in place, jump up and down like a child, maybe even spin, throw his arms up and rolls on the floor. That’s about as much excitement as filled his chest. “It’s quite understandable. The life of the King of Knights was hardly a peaceful one - but as ashamed as I am to say, doesn’t that only make everything more interesting?! The Knights of the Round Table may be known as wicked and twisted, but they’re so captivating…! The way their King has lived her life and withstood all her hardships has always been an inspiration. I have much to thank her for that.” His own life, after all, had hardly been the easiest one to live. A crown he has never thought would belong on his head, people he never thought he would come to reign over ( and then disappoint ), scars that eventually made their way to his body in more ways than one. Certainly, the many tales of the King Arthur Pendragon have always allowed Richard I to live through his own life.
“Ah - I apologize. I seem to be getting caught up in the mood. It’s just so hard to believe all of this… I do hope the Mage of Flowers isn’t too offended, however. I am very happy to say I have met him before, and though he indeed does not have a beard, it’s a habit from my time. Tales, of course, and rumors, many times from angered women, but… No, that doesn’t matter. I would like to ask for your name… or a Class, of course. We are both still Servants, after all. You have provided several valuable information, and yet I hardly know what to call you!”
“It’s fine. Like I said before, you’re passionate. That’s certainly an admirable trait to hold.”
If a little disorientating having heard him go on and on about the King of Knights. She had come after his life time, so he never really held much of an interest in her - and his older self, well, that was another story. If anything, the only thing Gilgamesh really held any interest in was her blade and that was purely because he could never have it appear within his treasury. Arturia was a pleasant woman to speak to, he wouldn’t deny that, but to be worshiped by this unknown Servant - was she really deserving of such? ( Well, to each their own. )
Oh, but the topic of all her alternate selves - that would certainly take a while. Just the abridged version then. “Yes, Lily is an example of her youthful self. There is also her ‘adult’ self, another Saber, though due to the Holy Blade she hasn’t really aged much from the younger version of herself,” he decided it better to omit Alter. This man could experience her if he ever happened upon the woman. Gilgamesh wasn’t going to shatter any idealized fantasies he holds for Arturia. That one time she dressed up as Santa - that could be ignored too. “Then there would be the version of Arturia who never pulled out the Holy Blade and actually aged, a sort of singularity Servant. She was summoned under the Lancer class. Oh, and another alternate version of the King of Knights would be one who came from a world where Arthur was born male. Another Saber of course, with the difference being sex. He is quite interesting, though I haven’t spoken much to him. Apparently the Merlin from the world he hails from was a woman too, just a curious fact.”
Never in his life as a Servant had he expected to speak so much about the King of Knights, yet here he was. This was exhausting, truly.
“I’m Archer - or the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh. I was summoned as my youthful self, like Lily I suppose you could say. I see no issue in hiding my true name since we aren’t in a War presently.” Chuckling, he rubbed the back of his head. Hopefully he didn’t appear too tired, that would be rude. “And if you wouldn’t mind, would you tell me your name?”
