Rory dreams she is in Camelot a handmaiden at the round table friend of Guinevere and pursued relentlessly by Lancelot, she is championed by and weds Tristan – In her waking world she is pursued by Logan after the bridesmaid debacle and surprised when Tristan appears to save the day. Was her dream prophetic? Who will she choose? (AU).
Disclaimer: Still not mine, only borrowed to make my stories more interesting.
Once Upon a Dream
Chapter 1 – Romeo Returns
Her dream was so very vivid, she was in Camelot and a handmaiden to Guinevere, she wore a flowing gown and sat to her right as she greeted the court. Lancelot would try to touch her and he relentlessly pursued her. She rebuffed him but he ignored her, finally it seemed the other knights noticed but only Sir Tristan took it upon himself to act. He challenged Lancelot to a race and the winner of the race would win the right to the attentions of the maiden, if she agreed. She had always appreciated Sir Tristan and his skills as a horseman were unmatched so she agreed. After a race was planned and all were in attendance, Sir Tristan won, as anticipated, but it was much enjoyed and Sir Lancelot bowed away, disappointed but gracious. Sir Tristan asked her if she wished his courting and she agreed, after a respectable time they wed and she was happy. Rory awoke with an odd feeling of loss like she had known true love and lost it, but she was confused, how was Tristan in her dream, she had not thought of him in years. When she awoke she felt oddly calm, protected, safe even, she didn't even realize how much those feelings had been missing from her life recently. She missed safe love, Dean was safe, hell even rabble rouser Jess was safe, Logan was not, he was a wild card, always had been and now that she found he had been with so many bridesmaids in their 'time out' in November, she was devastated. She mostly understood that he thought they were 'broken up' but she didn't so it hurt, it hurt more than she could express, it made her heart ache that he could forget her so easily. It made her doubt him, them, she wanted to trust him, but wondered if she ever could again. She was alone in her room at Paris and Doyle's apartment, she hadn't slept well since the wedding, knowing he had been so cavalier with his affections, it just hurt, it reminded her of when they were casual, why could she not be enough. She felt unattractive, naïve and just plain dumb when it came to men, to love. Maybe she should just give up for a while, celibacy wasn't so bad. She buried her head in her pillow and growled, then decided to get up, make coffee, study and try not to think about the mess her love life was in.
Logan awoke from a dream, he was dressed as a knight and racing another for the love of a woman who looked like his Ace. It was devastating when he lost, he left the kingdom never to return the pain in seeing his love with another was that deep. He thought about the look in her eyes when she told him about the bridesmaids, what they said, how they laughed and the way they lamely apologized when they found out she was his girlfriend. Logan had a sudden realization, he could lose her, he may never have his Ace again, sure they may be friends, co-workers even, but the love of his life may be lost. He hated that idea, he had to win her back, that meant getting help from Lorelai, if he gained her approval, the mythic Guinevere approved, that is what he needed her mother to approve, but would she?
Tristan was checking into Yale, he was a late entry after being thrown from his horse this summer, the doctor said he was very lucky to have escaped with only a slight limp and even that would diminish with time. He thanked the registrar for his information and set out to find his room, he was sure his parents had only selected the best and his gear would already be set up for him. He laughed to himself, Yale, I had hoped to get to Harvard, but the parents are bulldogs so he'd be one too. Then again Straub had hinted she was there, when he tried to convince him to go to Yale over joining the Army, would he see her, would she give him a chance this time? He was musing over the dearth of things he would need to do and saw a coffee cart, that is just what he needed coffee.
Rory was in line waiting for the kid ahead of her to make up their mind, really, just order already some of us need to get to class. She looked around trying to be patient, but she really needed coffee. She turned her head and met a pair of very familiar blue eyes.
"Don't I know you?" She said looking at the man with intensity.
"You wound me Mary, am I so forgettable?" Tristan teased and placed his hands over his heart.
"Tristan!" She jumped into his arms unexpectedly and gave him an enthusiastic hug. "How have you been..." She was cut off by someone clearing their throat. "Oh, sorry, I will have a tall black coffee with and extra shot and a black and white cookie."
Tristan considered her order, "I'll have the same and the ladies is on me." He offered the barista a crisp twenty. They took their treats and walked a short distance to a bench, her class forgotten.
"Thank you for the sustenance, you didn't have too so thank you." She sipped her coffee and nibbled her cookie. "So are you visiting someone, what brings you to Yale?"
"My pleasure and I will happily keep you in coffee if I get greetings such as you gave me earlier. " He playfully leered. "I just picked up my course list the doctor cleared me to return to school."
"Doctor? Are you okay, what happened?" She had finished the cookie and now had her hand on his knee.
"Dumb story really, I was working my horse, trying some new jumps and got thrown, I was lucky I only broke my leg and got a mild concussion, but physical therapy is behind me and the limp will fade. Like I said I was lucky." He explained and retrieved her empty cup discarding it with his own. "Want to walk, or do you need to be somewhere?"
"I guess we can walk, I missed my class, it'll be okay, I can get the notes from Paris." She took his offered arm and they began to roam the campus.
"Paris, you and Paris are friends now?" He was taken aback.
"Yup, seems the only thing that made us rivals was you. We were class president and vice president senior year now she is my roommate." Rory explained.
"You don't say. I thought you were both Harvard bound, did you not get in?" He queried.
"Paris didn't and that is an awkward story for another time, I did though and Princeton too, but Yale is closer to home, so Yale won. It's been an interesting couple of years, I even jumped off a seven story scaffold holding on to an umbrella." She laughed at the memory and her eyes misted over what she and Logan may have lost.
"Don't tell me my Mary is LDB? I never would have placed you for an elitist daredevil." He laughed at her surprise in his accurately guessing the nature of the jump. "I'm a Dugrey Mare, I was born into the legacy of LDB, I guess that means your Hayden side finally accepted you?"
"How did you know about the Hayden side?" She stopped and looked at him with wide eyes.
"Old family friends, I never mentioned it before because we never had the opportunity. It was part of why I shamelessly flirted with you, I could imagine the judge's face when I brought you to the club or a dinner. You rebuffed me every time though, so are you dating anyone?" He came to a stop and turned to face her.
"Actually I kind of am, I mean we have been together for a while, but I recently got into a huge fight and now I don't know, I don't know if I can trust him anymore." She shrugged, "You probably know him, Logan Huntzberger."
"The publishing and media guy? Ha, that's rich, he is a confirmed playboy, you are pulling my leg." Tristan looked at her sad eyes and knew it was true. "Hey, I'm sorry, it is obvious you have deep feelings for the guy, what happened?"
"I'd rather not talk about it, it just makes me feel...less, and for a while there I was feeling more, you were helping me forget and I liked that. Hey, want to come and say hello to Paris, I think she and Doyle are done with Yoga so it shouldn't be to scarring." She looked at him begging him to agree.
"Sure, lead the way." He gestured .
"It's not far, but I don't want to tire you out, we could take a cab." Rory reached out her hand and hailed one.
The car stopped and they loaded in and she gave the address, Tristan winced, "Your grandparents let you live in that neighborhood, Logan is letting you live in that neighborhood."
"It's fine Paris found it, we share it with Doyle and they practice Krav Maga, I am totally safe, I promise." Rory assured as they pulled up to the building, she went to pay the driver but again Tristan stopped her and handed the driver the fare.
"Really, you think I will let you pay, it is not gentlemanly, and I was raised a gentleman." He got out of the car after her and observed the aging building and the men congregated not far from the door.
She gave a wave and opened the door, he followed her in, "And they are?..."
"Oh, that's the do-wop group, they are harmless." She began unlocking the door.
He was amused by the sheer complication of it, "Yeah you are completely safe." He rolled his eyes and was greeted with the image of Paris and, who he presumed was, Doyle in riot gear fighting.
"Guys, Paris, Doyle attention please!" She shouted as she relocked the door. "Look who I brought!"
"We've seen Huntzberger, if you made up with that walking cesspool, I don't want to know." Paris barked and threw Doyle to the floor.
"Paris! Just look, you'll like it!" Rory laughed and tried again.
Paris stopped and took off her helmet, "Tristan? Is that you, what are you doing here? I thought you joined the Army."
Rory quirked a brow, Tristan answered, "Well I was preparing my horse for the parade and got injured, it was serious enough I was honorably discharged and now I attend Yale."
"You were in the Army?" It was Rory's turn to be incredulous.
Tristan shrugged, "Just seemed natural after military school, everything was going great until my accident during dressage practice. Now that rehab is done, I can't fight destiny, and apparently it's Yale."
"I should thank that horse though, with out it, I wouldn't have found you again Mary." Tristan winked at her and Paris rolled her eyes.
