AN: My first foray into King Arthur Fanfiction. Review and let me know what you think!
Standard disclaimer applies. I don't own anything except my original characters- Enjoy!
Chapter 1: On the Edge of the Roman Empire
The day started off ordinarily enough. Valeria looked out the window of her home and repressed a sigh. It was rainy. Again. It seemed like all it did in Briton was rain. She felt a frown tug down the corners of her mouth and couldn't help but silently curse her mother's husband- her step-father- who had moved them to this land. It had been three years since they had been here and it seemed as though the weather just kept getting colder and colder. She sighed. She had just had her sixteenth birthday and even though it was still summer, it was nothing like summer back home.
Valeria quickly dressed and grabbed a shawl before heading to the woman's baths. Honestly, she didn't even know why they kept the cold chamber- it's not like they needed it up here at the far end of the empire. She decided to skip the cold rooms altogether and start in the warm room before going onto the hot bath itself.
On her way, Valeria couldn't help but notice the nervous anticipation that seemed to be in the air. She was not an early riser, so she wondered what had happened that morning that could cause some of the normal smiling and easy going Britons to appear so nervous and skittish. Stopping her maid Elspeth, Valeria asked her what was wrong.
"Oh Miss! The whole castle is in an uproar! You wouldn't believe what's happening!" Elspeth said in a nervous whisper. Valeria's forehead creased in confusion.
"Come with me to the baths and tell me." Valeria said. Elspeth looked nervous, but nodded when Valeria assured her that she would not get into any trouble. The only other person who used the women's baths frequently was Valeria's mother and she was usually up before the sun. It would be as private a place as any for the two girls to talk.
"What has happened this morning?" Valeria asked, feeling nervous herself as she watched Elspeth twist her apron between her two hands- the girl was usually even tempered and cheerful- not a frightened mouse.
"Valeria, Arthur Castus and his knights are here!" Elspeth hissed. Valeria paused in her steps before continuing on her way, with Elspeth behind her. The quickly reached the women's baths and Valeria flung the doors open. Elspeth came in behind and bolted it shut.
"I wonder why they've come." Valeria wondered as she and Elspeth began to unclothe for the bath. Elspeth shuddered before sliding into the water.
"I don't know, but they are nothing more than barbarians." Elspeth said with a shudder. Valeria entered the bath as well and began to apply her scented oil before moving into the next chamber, passing some to Elspeth so the girl could do the same. Having come on occasion with her Roman friend, Elspeth rolled her eyes a little, but followed suit.
"Why do you say that, Elspeth? Surely they can't be much worse than any of the other men of our acquaintance." Valeria said with a wry smile and Elspeth couldn't help but giggle. Valeria was pleased to see some of the tension lift from her shoulders.
"I suppose you may be right, but it is said that they travel north of the wall and battle the Woads. To have battled the Woads for so long and survive, they must be fierce." She paused and laughed out loud "Or at least worse than Aldric the blacksmith." Both girls laughed at that and were silent for a while in their bathing rituals.
"I think we should be grateful for their protection." Valeria said after awhile. She remembered very well when the Woads that had attacked their caravan on the way to the castle they now lived in. How could she forget when the Woads had killed her brother?
"True, but they are surely devils themselves!" Elspeth exclaimed- instinctively knowing where Valeria's thoughts had strayed. Valeria shook off her melancholy and smiled back at Elspeth. "It's said that they come from a land far away, farther than Rome itself and that they live wild on the land and have no home. They worship the very horses that they ride…" Elspeth's stories were cut short by a banging on the outer door.
"What could that be?" Valeria asked a bit confused. She and Elspeth exchanged wary glances before moving to quickly to cleanse the oil from their bodies and grab the towels they had placed on the bench behind them.
"Bloody hell! It's locked!" They heard a voice from behind the door say. The girls exchanged another look before hurriedly grabbing their dresses that were hanging on the hooks on the wall. Elspeth was dressed first- her simple work clothes not as complicated as the elaborate clasps that Valeria struggled with. Elspeth quickly went to help her.
"I believe that the young miss-" They heard the familiar voice of Gaius, the keeper of the women's and men's baths begin.
"Young miss, eh?" An interested voice asked with what could only be described as a smirk in his voice.
"Sir!" Gaius exclaimed outraged.
"Lancelot, stop it." An exhausted voice said with a sigh. There was a bit of a scuffle and then a hesitant knock was heard.
"Miss Valeria?" The two girls stopped at Gaius' voice.
"Yes, Gaius. I'm here. Elspeth is with me. We will be out in a few moments." Valeria said trying to keep her voice calm. She could practically hear Gaius' relief in his quiet answer that followed.
"Barbarians." Elspeth hissed under her breath as her panic relaxed a little bit and they could both work the clasps on the dress. Valeria chuckled a bit, but Elspeth could tell by the rapid beating of her friend's heart that she too had been a bit panicked at the thought of several burly warriors finding the two of them bathing.
Soon the two girls were finished and Elspeth pulled back the bolt on the door as Valeria hurriedly gathered the rest of her things.
"So, is this the young miss we've heard so much about?" The smirking voice asked and Valeria looked up to see a man with dark curling hair entwine his fingers with Elspeth's wet hair.
"Lancelot…" The tired voice growled again, but both were interrupted by the first voice- which was owned by a burly looking man with a shaved head and solid looking frame.
"About time girly." He said pushing into the room and stopping when he saw Valeria. He turned and sneered at Lancelot. "I think there's your young miss." He said with a chuckle.
Looking at the two girls it was obvious which was Roman and which wasn't. Elspeth was a very pretty girl with red hair and blue eyes like most of the native Britons. She was also tall and willowy; all facts that betrayed her heritage. The other girl was rather petite and had an olive complexion and dark, almost black hair, with equally dark exotic looking eyes.
Lancelot looked between the two girls as a dog might look between two equally appealing bones. The girls were saved any of his "charm" though by the third knight- who promptly hit Lancelot on the back of the head. He bowed at them, his tangles of blonde hair falling into his eyes.
"Ladies, I apologize for our interruption- and manners." He said with a wry grin. "Our journey has been long." Gaius looked ready to burst from the rudeness being shown the two girls, but Valeria interceded.
"It is I who should apologize." Valeria said with a slight bow of her head. "I should not have tarried so long." She smiled at all the knights and moved towards the door. She felt her heart beating hard in her chest. She remembered all of the knights before her, but she remembered one of them more fondly than the others- he was the one who had saved her three years ago. Although, judging from the look in his eyes; he did not remember her.
As Valeria walked out of the bath and the knights in, she couldn't help but blush as Lancelot began to undress. As soon as she was clear of the door, Gaius slammed it shut. He gave the girls a look and Valeria laughed.
"I am sorry Gaius- I slept much later than usual today, didn't I?" She asked and Gaius couldn't help but smile back at her. He had known her since she was a baby, having been the main bath attendant to her late father's estates on the Amalphi coast where Valeria had been raised.
"Aye, miss. Best not do it again while the knights are here though." He said with a thoughtful frown not really liking how Lancelot had looked at either young lady.
"Don't worry Gaius, we'll be careful." Valeria said. The two girls began to walk back to the main area of the castle and were half way there before Valeria realized that she had left her shawl in the baths.
"I bet one of those barbarians use it as a towel." Elspeth said spitefully. She had not appreciated Lancelot's advances one bit. Valeria sighed, knowing it was probably true.
"Come, no use getting upset over what is done." She replied and then both girls parted ways as they went about their morning duties. Elspeth to the kitchens and Valeria to the library.
OOOooooOOO
Gawain floated on his back in the surprisingly large pool that was in the Roman bathhouse. He mentally corrected himself- the Roman women's bathhouse since the rest of their party had filled up the other bathhouse. He tried to block out Bors and Lancelot who were arguing about whether or not Lancelot should go after the young Roman girl or the maid, however, their talk could not be ignored.
"I say you should go for the maid- Romans bring nothing but trouble." Bors said with a grunt.
"Yes, but the Roman had that innocent, vulnerable look in her eyes that you know I love." Lancelot said. Gawain rolled his eyes as Bors laughed.
"You're so predictable." Bors said. "I still say go for the maid. She's a red head after all and you know what they're like." Now it was Lancelot's turn to laugh.
"Oh yes. Give Vanora my regards by the way." Lancelot said and Gawain sighed as heard a splash and scuffle. Moving so he could see what Lancelot and Bors were up to he saw that Bors had Lancelot in a headlock and was repeatedly dunking him under the water.
"You don't talk about my woman that way." Bors was growling, still a little worried about Vanora's affections even though they'd been together for several years and had several children together to show for it. Although, Gawain had to admit to himself, the oldest did look a lot like Lancelot. He sighed, not in the mood for this.
"Stop it, the both of you." While normally they might've complained and dragged him into their argument, this time they acquiesced with only muttered apologies. Gawain knew it was because of the death of Gareth a couple of weeks before. They all knew how his younger brother's death still tore at him.
Gawain pulled himself out of the pool and went to where Gaius had placed towels and clean tunics for them. Amidst the towels, a long blue, finely woven shawl fell to the floor. Lancelot whistled.
"IT must belong to the young miss." He smirked and reached out. "Maybe I'll just give that back to her-"
"I'll give it back to her." Gawain said sharply and Lancelot paused in his movement and looked at the incongruous sight of the large and burly, often described as scary, Gawain held a delicate blue shawl in his calloused hands. He took in the serious look in the knight's face and merely nodded turning back to Bors.
"Perhaps I will go after the maid after all." Lancelot said and was answered by a glare from Gawain and a chuckle from Bors.
AN- please review!