47 Father and Daughter

Alex and co arrived at the city a bit later in the evening. They stopped quite a bit to give Sieg time to cope with his new identity and situation.

His heart was having a cosmetic change on his body. His hair changed slightly to some-what match Siegfrieds'. His facial features also slightly changed. And that wasn't even to speak of the changes on the inside such as his muscles and organs.

It didn't take long for the dragon aspect to fully fuse to his body.

He marveled at all the new sights as they entered the city. The amount of people that just went about their business, oblivious to the hardships they were currently facing.

Alex and Ruler both just went along with his initial whims as his excitement had him wander around and experience all these new things.

The city itself was beautiful. Though Romania itself was never a 'tourist' destination, this was one of the cities that people usually traveled through when they came here. The Yggdmillennia family were secretly funneling money into it's monuments, infrastructure and overall décor. The thought process being that no one would go over to Trifas which the locals usually berated for being rather mundane in comparison. It worked for the most part, rarely did a traveler come through Trifas where the magus family set up shop. The random tourist usually left when they realized there was nothing for them there and the family was left to their own devices without having to worry much about outside interference.

While they were just absentmindedly wandering, Alex was keeping his perception up. They were technically in enemy territory, even if the Red faction wouldn't dare initiate combat in the middle of the city during the day, lest they draw the ire of Alaya. When a certain situation crosses an unknown threshold of what the collective unconscious of humanity deems acceptable, her counter guardians are quickly deployed.

Two servants going at it in such a populated city, the news would spread quickly and there would have to be a large 'sweep' by the dogs of Alaya. Essentially killing and destroying everything in the area.

Though that begs the question, would Archer be deployed? Alex did humor the thought for a moment. Emiya Shirou shouldn't exist in the capacity of a counter guardian in this world with all the changes that occurred. But then again, Alaya could drag Archer from a different world.

His thoughts were abruptly broken when he felt another servant in the vicinity. He looked down a certain street, Ruler and Sieg stopped and stared at him, wondering what was going on. They took noticed what he was looking at.

A young lady, in some modern-casual clothes, she was happily walking down the street. The thing that stuck out the most to them, she looked shockingly similar to Arthur. With their advanced parameters, they could see more details from that distance, the familiar green eyes of their resident knight.

He stood here, gaping at the scene. He wanted to say something, shout across the street at her. Run up and apologize. So many thoughts flashed through his mind, but he just stood there motionlessly.

He was afraid. What would she say, how would she react? Would she even want to talk to him? Was he even worthy to try and reconcile?

"Arthur….?" Ruler called out.

He sighed as he turned back around, it was better that they don't meet yet. He didn't expect her to be here, he could blame his own interference on her presence.

"Lets go." He said. Ruler could easily pick up on the sadness in his voice as he turned around and the other two followed.

It seemed that a moment later she finally noticed them, probably too preoccupied with what she had been doing to really extended her senses and be on guard.

Alex shuddered as he felt a pair of eyes drilling a hole into his back.

The walk had been rather quiet after that. Ruler didn't ask anything and Sieg picked up on enough social ques to also stay quiet. Though he was obviously confused by the whole situation.

The group had managed to find a little bed and breakfast run by an elderly couple at the far of end of the city.

They decided to 'commandeer' this little place for the purpose of their stay. Essentially Alex paid them enough to retire and with a liberal use of hypnosis the couple went on a vacation. It was actually Sieg who did the hypnosis. He had a ridiculously high affinity for magecraft. It only took a few minutes to 'teach' him how to perform the 'spell'. Though it was a very basic one, it wasn't something one could normally pick up that easily.

The day was starting to turn as the hours passed.

Alex just sat outside with a vacant look on his face as he stared up into the sky.

It was actually Sieg who came over towards him.

"Hello."

"Hello, Sieg." Arthur replied.

"Though I am inexperienced with this, I believe I am supposed to offer you myself to you."

".....Care to elaborate on that?" Alex looked at him, his mouth hanging slightly ajar.

Ruler who was nearby and listening in on their conversation had a little coughing fit at his statement. Apparently even the saint caught the double entendre.

"My knowledge is limited, merely bits and pieces of how human relationships works. But I believe I am supposed to offer you an 'ear' so to speak. As I was watching you earlier, I think you were experiencing sadness."

A small smile did some to Alex's face as he knew that the homunculus was trying his best to help him.

"Who was that woman? I believe she is a servant with the amount of Prana she contained." Sieg asked.

Alex sighed, knowing Ruler also wanted to know, thought she probably already connected the dots. "That...was my daughter."

Sieg looked at him, puzzled. "I did not know you had a daughter, though I only know the basics of your legend as with everyone elses."

"Her name is Mordred, she hid her gender in life and the world thinks that she was a man."

"Do you still hold anger towards her for killing you?" He asked. He did know that they both killed each other in the final battle.

"No…..i don't fault her for those actions."

"Then I don't understand."

"I wronged her. When she revealed herself to me….i denied her everything she ever wanted. She was created by her mother, my sister, as a tool to dethrone me. But she came to idolize me. She was a good knight, never breaking the codes of chivalry even if she was a bit aggressive and abrasive. When she finally worked up the courage and revealed her origins as a homunculus that was created by my sister with my stolen DNA...I got angry. I directed my anger for my sister towards her and basically kicked her out."

"She didn't come to demand the throne like what is written in the history books. She just wanted a chance to prove herself as my daughter and succeed me. She just wanted my acknowledgement, and I denied that to her, harshly."

"And you regret your actions?" Sieg asked, trying to understand the sentiment.

"Yes."

"Then why don't you tell her so?"

"I don't think it's that simple."

"Why not?"

Alex opened his mouth to reply, but strangely…he couldn't find the words to rebuttal. It took him a moment to realize, it was that easy. What exactly was stopping him from doing just as he said? His own insecurities and cowardice. He did not know how she would react, nor if she would even want to talk to him. But it was simple enough to try to converse with her in an attempt to reconcile.

A smile crept on his face. "Thank you Sieg."

The sun set not that long ago, as night had taken hold so too has the war resumed.

"Master, I would like to ask something selfish." Alex called out.

Ruler walked over, she too had a warm smile on her face as she looked at him.

***

Alex was standing in the forest outside of the city. It seemed like all the fights would be taking place in such a fashion during this war as this country was well covered by the greenery.

His blade laid bare as he let the light of Excalibur hum through the surroundings. It was a bit comforting as he was still nerve wracked about this entire ordeal, but he was committing himself to doing this.

The reason he had Excalibur out was to get her attention. Without its power blasting out, not many servants would be able to pick up on it's unique Aura. But for her, who fought by his side in many battles and knew the blade in life, it was like a beacon. A light in the dark that was calling out to her.

A moment later he opened his eyes and not far from him, a figure stood there. Fully donned the armor of a knight with a silver sword in their hand.

The blade that had killed him. It felt similar to when he stood near a dragon-slaying blade. It was his natural enemy just as Harpe would be for Medusa.

"Mordred" Alex finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"Father." She replied. Her hand gripped her blade tighter as she stared at him.

Silence once again permeated the area, Alex opened his mouth several times to speak, but a lump in his throat caused him to clench his jaw tight. He was having trouble finding the correct words to say to her. What do you say to someone who's very existence was denied by their father?

"Well lets have it, tell me how much you hate me. Tell me how I stained your legend and ended your perfect kingdom." She hissed.

That….was a surprise for him. He didn't expect her to suddenly shout those things at him. He couldn't even meet her eyes as he looked down in shame.

"Am I not even worthy to respond to? Am I just so low that the dirt on the ground is more important than me?"

"Mordred I-" Alex was about to speak but was cut off.

"WELL SCREW YOU, I'LL KILL YOU AGAIN AND PROVE THAT I'M FIT TO RULE." She yelled as her temper finally reach the boiling point. She charged at him with her silver blade in hand.

Alex brought his blade up to black, being forced back by the sudden charge.

She swung her blade with rage as there was none of the grace that showed in his previous battles as he tried his best to block this berserker-like onslaught.

While her particular style never centered around martial prowess, she was a very strong fighter. It's said that technique can overcome speed and strength. But that is also true in reverse. Enough speed and strength and you can make technique useless. While it isn't quit that extreme in this case, she was very quick and strong. Being born from his DNA, she did inherit a dragon aspect from him. Her natural parameters were higher in life so she focused on what she was good at, charging an enemy with a flurry of attacks.

Even with this being the case, she lacked a certain finesse to her attacks. The painstaking training she went through should have forged her 'style' into something hardened even if it wasn't the more elegant. Yet she was just swinging wildly at him as he just forced himself to black each blow.

She wasn't taking advantage of openings, making feints, nor using her own abilities.

"FIGHT BACK." She roared as she continued.

The flurry of attacks increasing in speed as Alex matched her. The surroundings were getting blow away at the sheer force of each attack.

With another roar she active her mana burst, red lightning crackled as Alex was blown dozens of yards back.

"FINE, I'LL MAKE YOU FIGHT ME." As she finished, her helmet came down to reveal her face. Her expression distorted into rage.

It was the requirement to activate her noble phantasm, she had to reveal her face.

She held her blade infront of her as the red energy began to coalesce and the area lit up. The pillar of energy shot up as the lightning crackled off in every direction. It was an attack similar to Balmung and just as powerful.

Alex sat there staring at the activation. The ability was fueled by her emotions that stained the blade she was holding.

It was pure Rage that was contained within the blade that was channeled. And it was directed all at him. It was palpable as he stared wide-eyed.

He knew her noble phantasm and its origins, but to actually feel it like so...it almost made him want to cry. How bad must she have been hurt to have such anger.

"RELEASE YOUR SEALS AND USE EXCALIBUR." She yelled once more as her prana was reaching its climax.

No, he didn't even harbor such thought. Even Excalibur began to dim with his own emotions.

She watched him in surprise as the legendary blade fell out of his hand as slid into the ground.

"I can't hurt you again Mordred."

She still looked at him in confusion, not knowing how to respond.

"I'm sorry." He finally said, his voice a little choked.

"What!?" She blurted out.

"I'm sorry for everything, but above all else...I'm sorry for not being the father that you deserved."

As his words finally finished, the rage-induced energy suddenly ceased at the source. Clarent's activation has been forcefully cut as the accumulated prana had dispersed into the sky and was wasted.

"no….NO NO NO NO." She shouted. "YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DESPISE ME, DENY MY EXISTENCE. I DESTROYED YOUR PERFECT STORY. I ENDED YOUR KINGDOM, I TRIED TO URSURP YOUR THRONE."

"WHY DON'T YOU HATE ME?!?" Her screams now were more hysterical than angry as she stared at him.

"Modred-"

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP" She yelled again, he thoughts in turmoil.

Alex didn't get another chance to speak as she suddenly astralized and left the area.

He slumped down to the ground, mentally exhausted from that very short encounter.

It seemed obvious that she would require time to herself to organize her own emotions. After how their lives ended…..he really couldn't blame her for how she acted. But he had to try to get through to her, and he would continue to try for as long as possible.