Shirou tilted the glass back to take another sip, only to be met with nothing. He blinked, staring at the empty bottom as if confused. He had been so immersed in Amelia's story that he hadn't realized he'd already finished his drink.
Amelia, too, placed her glass down, the last drops of her drink gone. Her amber eyes glinted mischievously as she turned to Shirou.
"So, as the gentleman you are, you wouldn't let a lady pay for her own drinks, right?" she said with a teasing smile.
Shirou sighed, already anticipating where this was going. "Yeah, yeah, I'll pay."
"What a gentleman you are," Amelia replied sarcastically, her tone dripping with mock charm. "I might even fall for you at this rate."
"You wish," he scoffed.
"I'd rather not. You're far below my standards," she said mockingly, flicking a strand of her hair over her shoulder.
"Do you have an off switch?" Shirou asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course I do." She smirked, leaning slightly closer as she gestured toward her chest. "It's he—"
"Okay, I take it back. I don't want to know," Shirou interrupted quickly, waving his hands and looking away. He glanced at her again with a mix of disbelief and amusement. The hell is wrong with her? he thought.
She caught the look. "Hey, I know I'm stunningly beautiful, and I don't mind being admired, but could you at least try to be a little less obvious? It's kind of creepy," she said with a wicked grin.
"I'm really sorry, my princess. I'll keep that in mind," Shirou replied dryly.
"Alright then, let's go!"
The two stepped out into the lively streets, the city bathed in the golden hue of the setting sun. Colourful banners fluttered above, and performers in elaborate costumes danced on makeshift stages. The main event was in full swing, celebrating the heroes of the previous war. Reenactments played out on stages—some dramatic, others theatrical—with narrators telling tales of bravery and sacrifice.
As they walked, Shirou paused by a crowd gathered around one such stage. His eyes followed the performance for a moment before he pointed. "That's the story of King Aldric, right?"
Amelia looked at where he was pointing and nodded. "Yes. You want to watch it?" she asked, her smile present, but something felt... off.
He was about to say yes but stopped. There was something in her expression—something hidden beneath the smile. Sadness? Anger? Maybe both. He didn't ask. It didn't feel like his place.
"Nah," he said with a grin. "Why would I want to watch some overly dramatic play when I've got you as my personal storyteller?"
Amelia chuckled. "Personal storyteller, huh? I might start charging you."
"I think I can handle that," Shirou replied, matching her tone.
"Alright then," she said. "Where were we?"
"You were telling me about Astra. The truce she proposed…"
"Ah, right." Amelia's smile faded just a little. "Astra didn't die a natural death, Shirou. She was killed. Like I said before, the clans wanted war. The only reason they held back was because of her. Astra was the only real obstacle standing in the way of full-scale conflict. So, naturally, her death was something many clans desired. There are even rumours that several assassination attempts were made on her before they finally succeeded."
Shirou frowned. "Wait—why was the war happening in the first place?"
Amelia gave him a sideways glance. "Why do you think?"
Shirou didn't need to think long. "Power."
"And greed," Amelia added. "The clans always fought among themselves. Every one of them wanted to dominate the others. Alliances were made and broken just to bring down stronger clans. Eventually, the tension became too much. Everyone knew war was inevitable—it was just a matter of when."
She looked ahead, her steps slowing slightly as her voice took on a somber tone. "When it did happen, it was far worse than anyone had imagined."
Shirou stayed quiet. Her words carried weight, and he could feel the emotion behind them. It wasn't just a history lesson—Amelia had lived through some of it. He wanted to ask her more, maybe comfort her, but hesitated. Instead, he reached out instinctively, about to place a hand on her shoulder—
"Hey, Amelia!"
A voice called out from behind.
For the first time since he met her, Amelia flinched. "Oh shit," she muttered.
"What?" Shirou asked, turning. "Who are they?"
Two young men stood across the street, walking toward them. One had stark white hair that fell neatly over his forehead, his sharp features giving him an almost noble look. He wore a high-collared, navy-blue jacket with silver buttons and black pants tucked into tall leather boots. A thin, silver chain hung from his waist, and his eyes were a piercing ice-blue.
The other had messy green hair tied loosely behind his head, his clothing far more relaxed—a forest-green jacket open at the front, revealing a brown tunic beneath, along with light armour plates strapped over his arms and shoulders. He had a playful smirk on his lips.
Amelia instinctively stepped behind Shirou.
"Please tell me they didn't see me," she whispered.
"Sorry, but as a gentleman, I don't think I can lie," Shirou said with a slight grin.
The white-haired one approached first, extending a hand. Shirou took it and immediately noticed how cold his palm was.
"Cold, isn't it?" the young man said with a chuckle. "I get that reaction a lot."
"Just wasn't expecting it, that's all," Shirou replied.
"You must be Shirou. I'm Elliot, and this here is Archie." He motioned to the green-haired boy beside him.
Archie gave a lazy wave.
Elliot's eyes shifted toward Amelia, still partially hiding behind Shirou. "And we're her teammates."
"Yeah, she mentioned your squad once," Shirou said. "Snow White, right?"
"You're right. Snow White is the name of our squad," Elliot replied. He smirked and glanced at Amelia. "Though someone once recommended a different name… Guardians from the Ashes."
Shirou immediately caught on. "Oh no."
Both of them burst into laughter.
"What a dumb name," Shirou added.
"Right? That's what I said!" Elliot laughed.
Amelia peeked out, her face a little red. "You said you were going to Ravaryn to see the festival."
Archie was quick to respond, grinning. "And you said you weren't interested in festivals."
"I... I didn't. Shirou asked me to!" she stammered.
"Yeah, of course. I totally believe you," Elliot said with mock sincerity.
Amelia narrowed her eyes. "Why didn't you go to Ravaryn then?"
"Didn't get an entry pass," Elliot explained, shrugging. "The guards and security checks were stricter than usual this year. Way more than past festivals."
"Well, then enjoy your day," Archie said with a teasing smile. "We'll leave the two of you alone."
For the first time since Shirou had met her, Amelia didn't have a comeback. She just stood there, slightly flustered.
After the two walked away, Shirou looked at her with a raised brow. "Guardians from the Ashes… really? And you said Ashbringer was a bad name?"
Amelia opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Her face turned even redder.