Revelations
Characters: Tristan, Percivale (alluded to) and Arthur
Summary: One should always go to the source. (Flashbacks are written in italics.) Everyone always suspected that the relationship between Arthur's two Scouts was more than just business. They assumed it was a relationship of love and that the grief that Tristan was now drowning in was the anguish of a lost lover. And those are the false facts that have been spread creating deeper wounds of a loss much deeper than ever imagined.
Rating: A whole lot of angst going on, but nothing I wouldn't let my mother read.
Fic Prompt: 'A Howling Wilderness/The Death of Jane Seymour' by Trevor Morris, The Tudors Soundtrack
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me BUT they do belong to this Jerry B guy. I don't make a dime. But I do allow them to play in several of my different AU's and Feng Shui or destroy them from time to time. Percivale (this rendition and I like spelling his name that way) is my creation unfortunately I don't make a dime off him either and the same goes for Shayla, Tristan's girlfriend as well. LOL! But I must admit Simon Baker is my muse for Percivale.
"Why did you leave me here are all alone? It was I not you who was destined to die here. Now that you are gone what will I do? What will I do? I promised I would always be here and that I would protect you not that you needed it, yet all I ever asked of you was not to leave…" Tristan said softly.
This is the place he'd found himself rooted to for nearly the last two weeks. Repeating this same litany to the silent earth, a flickering flame and a beautifully ornate sword plunged deep into the earth.
Gravestones don't speak.
But this once he wished he could get the answer to his question that he had been posing to this final resting place as well as repeating it over and over in his head on an endless loop. Then Tristan recalled a conversation from the not so distant past. How Tristan would have given anything to have another 'senseless' exchange such as this one:
"Tristan, why don't you laugh anymore?"
"I leave that task up to you Percivale; you seem to enjoy it immensely." Tristan said as he started fletching an arrow he'd just made.
"And when did you become so stubborn?" Percivale asked sarcastically as he flopped down on his own bed.
"I'm not stubborn I'm willful."
"Willfully malicious." Percivale said not so quietly under his breath.
"Then you know who the better man is," Tristan said as he leaned forward and ruffled Percivale's blond curly hair with a rather large smirk on his face, "and it just warms my little black heart."
Placing his hands on his face Tristan let out a long sigh, just hoping all this was a dream and a horrifically bad one that he would soon wake up to see that gentle smile and hear that infectious laugh.
But all he could hear was silence.
Never in all his life had silence been so deafening; yet now that was all there ever was any and everywhere that he went.
The sound of his hawk as it situated its feathers while it perched atop the grave marker brought Tristan out of his thoughts. Tristan held out his hand and the bird cautiously stepped onto the back of his hand. He stroked the bird's feathers for a few moments as he continued to think. The other Knights often wondered why he seemed to care for it more than other people and the answer was simple because you gave it to me a long time ago. Then with a sharp twist of the head the bird spread its wings and sought refuge in a nearby tree. The more he stared at the grave, the more surreal this all seemed coupled with the fact that he was unwell himself it seemed as if things couldn't get any worse.
Wait!
Tristan's eyes caught a glimpse of someone coming near him. Cocking his head slightly to get a better view he could see someone was indeed coming his way, it was Galahad.
'No, no, no please not today and not this!' Tristan thought as he watched the young man with his quick step getting closer and closer to him.
It happened before he could truly make sense of what was going on. Most of the enemies were dead or had retreated for their own good. Tristan knelt down for only a second to pick up one of his knives as he listened to Percivale's ever smiling voice as he began to make his plans for the evening.
"We deserve a feast fit for a King because of our victory today. And the first thing I shall do-" Percivale stopped suddenly.
Folding his arms as he stood back up Tristan continued to listen to Percivale go on and on.
Percivale's sword slipped from his hand to the ground.
Almost in shock Percivale looked down and began to bring his hands up.
Percivale's hands were covered with blood.
Tristan saw the armor-piercing arrow protruding from Percivale's middle; and Percivale dropped forward falling into Tristan as the knives he was holding fell from his hand. This caused Tristan to take a step backwards to keep them both from falling to the ground.
At the same moment someone yelled from the far end of the battlefield.
When Percivale fell against him Tristan could see the sharp notches down the entire length of the arrow.
This wasn't good.
Percivale almost seemed to go limp instantly as Tristan eased him to the ground.
"Dag!" Tristan yelled as he looked around.
"What happened?" Dagonet said as he ran up to them.
"I don't know where it came from but you can't let him die." Tristan said as he began to stand as he ran one of his blood covered hands over the concealed daggers in his breastplate as his eyes quickly scanned the battlefield.
But before he could completely get back to his feet Percivale grabbed his hand, "Don't go."
Kneeling back down next to him he squeezed Percivale's hand firmly, "Then you can't leave me."
Dagonet caught Tristan's attention and shook his head slowly at him; the arrow while still whole for the most part had broken and splintered after going through Percivale's armor. Tristan felt Percivale choking back coughs which made him look down at him.
"Tristan-I can't feel-my legs..."
Coming more onto his knees Tristan brought his arm around Percivale to steady him as Dagonet looked at the arrow but this wasn't a situation that one could be optimistic.
"...why can I not-feel my legs Tristan?"
Tristan cut off Percivale by saying close to his ear, "Sssh you are going to be fine; if Dag could keep me alive all this time you are going to be alright."
Dagonet wasn't having a whole lot of luck either because each time he attempted to remove it large pieces fractured and broke off into his hand.
"No, no-I'm not." Percivale said his words catching in his throat.
"Don't talk back to me." Tristan said.
Dagonet looked up at the tone of Tristan's voice when he spoke to Percivale it was somehow, different. Placing his hand on the wound Dagonet began to press on it firmly; it wasn't going to save Percivale but at least it would keep him from bleeding out so quickly.
"I'm-cold."
Tristan felt his stomach flip as he was in no mood, neither physical nor mental to deal with Galahad right now. At the same time he was hit with a wave of nausea so violent he actually had to steel himself against it.
"I'm worried about you; I mean really, really worried everyone is-but I know something isn't right." Galahad said as he sat down next to Tristan on the ground.
When Tristan looked over at the younger man's face it was absent of the usual grin and annoying, persistent jolliness that he carried in his actions and when he spoke. Shaking his head in the negative Tristan looked away from Galahad.
"I know you don't like me-" Galahad began with a sigh.
"Actually I loathe you but, today I am finding you strangely tolerable." Tristan said as he looked back at Galahad.
Galahad smiled the biggest grin and playfully punched Tristan on the arm.
Tristan was sure Galahad was going to burst since this was one of the few kind things he had said to him-ever!
Punching him in the arm once again Galahad was going to quickly become his intolerable self until Tristan said in his normal tone, "Don't do that."
Instantaneously Galahad swallowed down his playful expression and quickly replaced it a more sullen one.
"As I was saying, I know you don't like me…" he began.
Every time Tristan heard that part of the sentence his stomach actually settled slightly.
"…but I'm a very good listener just ask Gawain." Galahad laughed gently as he stood up.
There was actually something Tristan did want to know; it needled him from day one about Galahad.
Looking up at him Tristan asked, "Then why so much chatter?"
"I guess I'm not as comfortable with silence as you are." Galahad shrugged and began to walk away then he paused.
"And I know you really do like me Tristan." Galahad said.
Tristan looked up, giving Galahad a stare so cold that hopefully would scare him off so he wouldn't elaborate.
Walking back over to where he was sitting Galahad took a deep breath hoping it wouldn't be his last and said, "You go out of your way to be mean to me-the same way you did with him."
Galahad gestured to Percivale's grave; then walked away.
