1 – Like a Common Thief

Einzbern Castle, like the homes of many great and powerful mages, was a heavily warded fortress. Held safe by the natural elements, the magic buried in its structure, and the homunculi bound to it, it would be very difficult to simply walk into and leave.

That is if one were a mere human or even a mere magus.

Coated in a divine, or perhaps paternal fury, King Artoria cut through the Bounded Field like paper to kid scissors. If Emiya Kiritsugu had been there, he would have found it entertaining. Alas, he was far enough from the castle to where he could be of use, but it would take quite a bit of effort to do so.

The plan, nay, idea, was simple. Get his daughter, cause a little mayhem, and then depart. It had none of the man's cool efficiency which was incredibly unsurprising after the incident, but it did have his familiar sense of purpose. She supposed she could take the latter, even if she did not know why it had suddenly taken more to the forefront. She could discuss it later, she supposed, when the two important matters had been completed.

The guards –homunculi, after Irisviel, it was difficult to not see them as people- met her with magic and a significant lack of emotion. Not even raising her blade made them flinch. If anything, it only seemed to make them move faster, and pile up further.

The line of Saber's mouth twisted into a frown. She had known this would be difficult-

How many bodies have you piled up until now, oh mighty King?

To do her way, but… she must have underestimated the Einzbern family. Seeing as they had stooped, as many magi would find ludicrous, to obtaining murderous outsiders for assistance, how desperate and weak they must be.

She couldn't help but recall a face torn into a desperate smile of fangs and teeth.

Artoria really should have known better.

So, with a soft exhale, and prana at her hands, Saber threw herself forward, ready to cut down all, until her target appeared at the top of the golden, ornate stairs.

"Saber?"

Though the glimpse had been brief, Heroic Spirits left an impression no magic, not even time, could negate.

For a moment, Saber considered kneeling, as was fitting for a knight, even for the King of Knights. Seeing as she was dispersing mana creations with short parries, she settled for a nod. "Yes, Lady Ilyasviel. I am here to take you home. Your father is waiting."

When he had asked, she ought to have refused.

Kiritsugu had taken her wish from her, pried it with her own fingers, and his hollow eyes would still tell her nothing. In fact, if it hadn't been for the child sleeping a room apart, she would have quite likely sliced off his own head, heedless of the pain it would cause him, or even the lack of it.

Well, that and the simple revelation he gave her when he had asked for his favors-

"I'm dying, Saber."

Spoken like he had bought milk, or skipped a stone far into the water. Even though it probably meant everything to him. It was clearly supposed to mean nothing to her.

That stung in her facsimile of a heart.

A/N: I'm not going to lie, this is pure wish fulfillment on my part. Fun wish fulfillment, but that's what it is. And also because the laws of the entire system are absolutely absurd. So, anyway, please let me know what you think! There will be one to two updates a week just because the fic is almost done anyway. I just want to make sure it's done first and I have nano, otherwise I'd just post it all. Anyway, please let me know what you think!

Challenges: Diversity Writing (AMF) H27 and CoM Ficlet Competition.