The Lady of Shalott
"Elaine?" Lancelot knocked persistently at her door. "Elaine!"
"Aye, I'm comin'!" she groaned and opened the door with an unimpressed look. "What are you doing botherin' me at such an hour?"
"Pack your things." he said, and pushed his way into the room.
"What in the Lords name do you think you're doing?" she asked as he took a cloth bag out and began putting her possessions in it. He whirled around to look at her.
"The Saxons are approaching. We are to evacuate at sunrise." he replied. When she continued to stand there, hands on her hips and a fiery look in her eyes, he stopped. "Did you not hear me woman, the Saxons are coming!"
"So you are telling me, Lancelot, that I am to pack all that I can carry and leave my home because of the Saxons?" Elaine asked slowly. "And are there none that care to stay and fight?"
"There are few. But its futile. Come, Elaine, gather your things." she stormed over to him and tore the bag away.
"I will not go anywhere!"
"Well you are bloody well not staying!" Lancelot stared at her in shock.
"Watch me." she replied defiantly.
"No. I wont allow it." his dark eyes bore into hers challengingly.
"Since when do you have the right to tell me what to do?" Elaine said, her voice rising in anger. "You are not my father, nor my husband and I will stay and fight!"
"Elaine," he pleaded. "Do this for me?"
"Lancelot you have been my friend for many years, and I would do anything for you. But not this." she replied solemnly. He stepped closer to her.
"Elaine, I beg of you." he placed a hand on her shoulder, and stared into her hard brown eyes. "Come."
"I cannot." She looked away from his desperate gaze.
"What can I do to alter your decision?" Lancelot begged.
"Nothing! There is nothing you can do. I will stay and fight and that is final." Elaine snapped., her pride holding her steadfast in her decision.
"Elaine, if you stay and fight you will die!" He snarled, gripping both her shoulders and shaking her emphatically.
"Then so be it!" Elaine wrenched herself from his grip. "I have nothing to lose! No husband, no children, no family! There is no loss for me in fighting." She turned around and tried to unpack her bag.
"But there is for me!" Lancelot reached over and pulled her back to him by the waist. "Elaine," The desperation was clear in his voice. "I love you. I'm in love with you." He corrected himself. Elaine's eyes widened in disbelief, and she dropped the bag she had been holding, scattering its contents all over the floor.
"I- I…" Her mouth opened and closed a few times before Lancelot leaned in and firmly pressed his lips to hers. When he drew back, he looked at her with hope shining in his eyes.
"I am sorry, Elaine. I'm sorry for not telling you, for not being honest. But I could not love you and not know if I was ever going to come back." When she didn't reply he let go of her and looked away in disappointment. "Can you not tell me that you love me as well?" He moved to the door.
"Lancelot!" she cried. He turned back to her solemnly awaiting her words. "I… I love you too."
She looked down and flushed. Lancelot beamed and swept her up in a warm embrace. He began to laugh, and then kissed her soundly.
"Elaine. You do not know how relieved I am to finally be able to tell you that."
She smiled shyly and wrapped her arms around his neck. They kissed again, but this time it was more passionate. His lips crushed hers and he tangled his fingers into her long brown hair. She stood on her toes and kissed him back, the pent up sexual tension being released in a flurry of hands and lips. Elaine led him to the bed, to his surprise, and pushed him backwards onto it. Clothes flew every which way and hands, lips, and bodies moved together rhythmically.
"Elaine…" he breathed into her ear as he moved with her.
"Lancelot!" she cried out as he gripped her waist tightly. "Oh God!" she moaned. Passion consumed them and they cried out in unison, a mix of each other's names filling the room. Their sweat slicked skin pressed together as they embraced kissing softly.
"Elaine," Lancelot murmured. "Leave with me. We can start a new life, free to do as we wish. Raise children together. Please?"
"Yes." she said breathlessly. "I will come." He held her tight and they slept away the hours until dawn and their departure.
"Elaine, my love, wake up." Lancelot hovered over her, dressed and carrying two packs over his shoulder. One hers and one of his own. His armour was strapped on and his weapons secured. "Dress, if we are to leave early we must leave now." She swiftly pulled on her dress and tied back her long hair with a cloth ribbon.
"How are we to leave?" she asked quietly as they slipped out her door and through the town.
"I have a boat by the river waiting for us. We will take it downstream as far as we can go." He held her hand in his and led her to the caravans preparing to leave. "We'll follow them up to the river and then we will break off from there and take the boat." She nodded and let him help her into a carriage.
He rode beside her the whole way until the men spotted Arthur atop the hill. The way they looked at him sent a pang through Elaine's heart, because deep inside she knew they would go to him. She chose to believe that Lancelot's love for her would overpower his love for his friend, and so when he returned to the side of the carriage she breathed easy.
They came upon the river and Lancelot stopped the carriage so she could climb out. As they moved on, he passed his reigns to Galahad. They locked eyes and nodded to each other before the caravans moved on.
"Where is the boat?" she asked, slinging her pack over her shoulder.
"This way." He led her further along the bank, through the trees, until they came upon a small rowboat. He helped her in first and she settled at the back, smiling at him lovingly. The galloping of hooves could be heard in the distance and Lancelot looked off in that direction. Then he looked back at Elaine and smiled at her lovingly.
"Lancelot?" she asked uncertainly.
"I love you Elaine." He removed the oars from the boat and untied it from the shore. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her stomach felt uneasy.
"Lancelot what are you doing?" she asked as he pushed the boat out into the water.
"I'll always love you…" he whispered and pushed it out all the way. He stood back and watched her sadly. Elaine started to panic as she realized he wasn't getting into the boat.
"Lancelot? What are you doing? Get in the boat!" she cried, tears springing to her eyes in desperation. He shook his head sadly and smiled at her. Once she was too far from the bank to make her way back, he turned away from her.
"Lancelot! Lancelot!" she cried. His heart wrenched but he dared not look back at her as he walked away from her forever. "Lancelot!" Sobs wracked her body and she let out a desperate wail.
She knew, she knew in her heart it would happen and she chose to ignore it, and now she was left alone, heart broken in a rowboat with no way of getting back to shore. Lancelot was far enough away that when he looked back he could no longer see her among the trees.
"Goodbye my love." He made his way over to Galahad who had been waiting for him. He took the reigns and mounted his stallion.
"Are you alright?" Galahad asked him, as they galloped to catch up with the others.
"I'm fine." Lancelot said stiffly.
"You lads ready?" Bors said gruffly. They all shared a moment, until Lancelot broke the silence.
"Let's ride."