Wedding Gifts

"Enkidu prophesied this, you know."

"Oh?"

Arthuria's emerald gaze moved to look at her intended through the vanity mirror in front of her. She was sitting down on an upholstered ottoman in front of an expansive golden vanity, a gift from the man who was currently running his fingers through her golden locks, styling it into something she could not yet see.

"Yes, indeed," Gilgamesh said, before reaching over her to grab a hairpin from the surface of the vanity, before placing it in his mouth and speaking around it. "He told me once that the woman I'd one day choose to wife would be very talented in refusing me."

The King of Knights pursed her lips.

"Is this about the ring?"

"Hmph."

"Or is this perhaps about the sapphire earrings?"

"Every kind of engagement gift I have attempted to give you, you have vehemently refused." Gilgamesh sounded annoyed, his ruby eyes narrowing at her before taking the pin out of his mouth, and placing it neatly in her hair. "It is beyond ridiculous."

"That is because you are picking gifts that will only burden me," Arthuria argued, her fist tightening at her side. "Holding Excalibur and wearing my gauntlets with such a large gem in the way is nearly impossible. And while the earrings were beautiful, they'd only get stuck in my hair. Also, if someone pulled on them in battle, they could very well rip through my earlobe!"

"I have always worn earrings in battle and they have never caused me any problems," Gilgamesh retorted, taking a hand away from his fiancee's hair to gesture at the golden jewelry hanging from his ears. Arthuria scoffed.

"You do a lot of unwise things like that. That does not mean that those earrings will not be a problem in the future."

"You're so stiff. If this weren't about you refusing all of my engagement gifts to you, I might be amused by this," Gilgamesh muttered before going back to work on her hair, but not before giving her ahoge a quick tug. Arthuria's face heated.

"Archer, do not!-"

"There, I'm finished." He cut her off, only increasing Arthuria's annoyance as he stepped back, looking over his completed work. But Arthuria swallowed her anger, turning around in her seat to face him.

"And how does it look?" she asked, trying to glance back in the mirror to see what he had done.

"It is how you requested. Not nearly extravagant enough for the future bride of a King such as myself, but I suppose it will do," Gilgamesh replied, though despite his comment he seemed content with what he had done. And from what Arthuria could tell in the mirror, it looked like a simple french braid, and she was satisfied.

That was until that when she turned her head back to look at Gilgamesh, she noticed a shine coming from her locks in the mirror that made her take a second glance. She frowned, before whipping her head back around to glare up at her future husband.

"Did you put gems in my hair without my permission?" she asked, her tone warning of a verbal beating coming Gilgamesh's way. The King of Heroes looked slightly disappointed.

"You are more observant than I was hoping. You cannot refuse what you cannot see or do not know about."

"You are the most infuriating man I've ever met!" Arthuria stood up quickly, though was even more frustrated when she could not fully meet the eyes of her intended – he was more than a foot taller than her and it was more than aggravating. "Take them out! Now!"

Gilgamesh frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "Oh? And what if I refuse you in the ways that you have been refusing me? It would hinder my image if I allowed my future queen to go to an event with me without being a little dressed up. Is that not the same as a ring or a pair of earrings hindering your ability to fight?"

"Those situations are not alike at all!" Arthuria shouted, her face turning red as her emerald eyes blazed with anger.

"Tch." Gilgamesh scowled, before turning around and beginning to walk over to the wardrobe at the other end of the bedroom. "That is only your opinion, dear wife."

"I am not your wife yet, Archer!" Arthuria argued, and was about to say more, but was cut off by an angered glare from the side from Gilgamesh as he stopped in his tracks.

"You may not ever be if you don't accept a gift from me sooner or later, Saber." His voice was low, showing a restrained anger that Arthuria knew he would not be able to keep back for long. His self control had always been lacking in such an area, and she had seen it on the battlefield before.

However, it finally came to her realization that Gilgamesh had been quite patient with her. Or at least more patient than usual when it came to her continuous refusal of engagement gifts. Quickly, in her head, she went over how many gifts she had refused. Including the ones already mentioned, as well as the other pieces of jewelry and even several gowns and swords, it amounted to about ten or twelve.

That was quite a lot of attempted displays of affection from the King of Heroes. A guilt washed over Arthuria as her anger dwindled, and she let out a soft sigh.

"Gilgamesh, I want something more meaningful than what you have offered so far," Arthuria started, her voice calm as she attempted to quell her intended's anger. It looked like it may work, as she watched Gilgamesh's fierce glare soften. "The treasures you have given me so far are beautiful, yes, but have you not stated that you have all the world's treasures?"

Gilgamesh remained silent, and turned back around to face her. "I do, indeed."

"I do not want anything from your treasury Gilgamesh," Arthuria stated. "I want something that is. . ." Her eyes moved down from his face to his neck, and an idea struck her.

"I want that."

Gilgamesh quirked an eyebrow, confused. "You want what?"

"That. Your necklace."

The King of Heroes looked down at his chest, and lifted a hand to touch the golden plates of the necklace he wore on a regular basis. "You want this? Why?"

Arthuria let out a soft huff of breath, before walking over to her future husband, and placing a hand over the one he held over his necklace. "Because it is of you," she said. "I don't think I have ever truly seen you take it off. It is as much a part of you as your hair is, or your eyes."

Gilgamesh looked puzzled for a moment, as if processing the information that she was giving him. The room was silent for a moment, waiting to be filled.

Arthuria did not expect that silence to be filled with the sound of Gilgamesh's boisterous laughter. He had rather suddenly burst out into loud cackles, throwing back his head and bringing a hand to his eyes, as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.

Thinking she was being mocked, Arthuria gave him a fierce glare.

"What?! What are you laughing at?!"

"D-Do not take offence, dear Saber," The King of Heroes said between his laughs, before quieting down, letting out the odd chuckle here and there. "I simply thought that your refusal would only end if I had given you the rarest object in this entire universe."

"What?" It was Arthuria's turn to look confused, before Gilgamesh gave her a wide grin, lifting his hands behind his head to toy with the clasp of his necklace.

"If it's true that all you wanted was something as simple as this, then I find my own obliviousness quite amusing," he chuckled, before finally unclasping the piece of jewelry and moving around Saber, going up behind her and lifting the necklace over her head and around her neck. Arthuria felt his warm hands brush against the back of her neck, and she felt herself relax. "It is not often that someone can put me in a state such as that. I find the feeling quite funny."

Arthuria felt his hands leave her neck and the full weight of the gold adornment on her neck and shoulders, but she did not find it unbearably heavy. There was no doubt that this necklace was made of gold, that was for certain. She looked back over into the mirror of the vanity across the room, and saw the sunlight from the window reflect off the necklace. It was a simple spectacle, but a beautiful one all the same. She smiled warmly at it.

"So, is my wife satisfied?" She heard his voice from behind her again, and she turned around to meet his smug, amused look with pursed lips.

"I am not your wife yet, King of Heroes."

Gilgamesh chuckled, before bringing a hand up to caress her cheek, a sign of affection that Saber did not refuse as she leaned into his warm palm.

"But you will be," he said, a sense of pride lacing his voice. "It is finally proven by this." He touched a finger from his free hand to his, or rather her, necklace. Saber smiled a bit, before he continued.

"It is quite interesting to me."

"What?"

"How an object's worth can somehow increase through its emotional and personal meanings."

"Oh? And what does this object mean now?"

Gilgamesh's free hand went to Arthuria's waist, and she felt herself pulled closer towards him, so much so that he leaned his forehead down against hers to meet her eyes. The fire in the man's eyes was gentle once more.

"That you are mine as much as I am yours."

Arthuria smiled, and gladly welcomed the coming kiss.

The End

Okay maybe a quick extra here

Just as the kingly couple had begun to enjoy themselves, they froze up at the sound of a voice coming from outside the door.

"Gilgy, that line was cheesier than a cheesecake shop!"

Fury blazed once again in the demigod king's eyes, one so large that Arthuria immediately knew that there was no way to possibly calm it.

"YOU WILL BE LUCKY IF THEY CAN EVEN FIND A PIECE OF CLAY TO BURY ONCE I AM THROUGH WITH YOU, ENKIDU!"

The Real "The End"