The Love of a Warrior
By: Fallen Warrior Angel
AN: I do not own any of the rights to King Arthur or any of the characters. I do however own the rights to any of the characters I create. R&R please.
Wind whipped my hair ferociously around my face as I rode alongside my cousin Arthur and fellow knights, our horses coming up to the caravan of Bishop Germanus. Lancelot sighed, "There it is," Galahad smiled, "Our freedom Bors," I looked to the burly knight on my right who grinned in approval, "Mm, I can almost taste it," Dagonet looked to my cousin, "And your passage to Rome, Arthur," Arthur looked at me, "Yours as well, Aeliana," I smiled, "God no, I'm going home to Sarmatia where I belong," Gawain smiled, "The only woman among us and I think the only female Sarmatian knight in history and she still wants to be so," I glared at him, "You know as well as I do Gawain that I do not belong sitting in a throne beside my stepmother and stepbrother acting like total buffoons." I looked to the knight on my left who gently placed his hand on my shoulder, "You're one of the best knights here Aeliana, don't act otherwise," I smiled at his gruff voice, "Tristan, I wouldn't dream of it." Our heads snapped in the direction of the caravan, Woad warriors were emerging from the woods. I took off, my black stallion, Hada, galloping hard and fast. I saw Arthur withdraw Excalibur from his side and ride ahead, plunging into battle. I jumped off my horse and calmly removed my father's twin knives from my back, a circle of Woads surrounding me. "C'mon pretty girl," one of them jeered, and I complied, tossing one knife at him, landing in his skull, buried to the hilt. I quickly ran over and pulled it out, swiftly and fluidly I sliced through the warriors, leaving them dead around me. "Aeliana!" I looked to see that they had retreated, Arthur standing with one at the tip of his sword. He left the Woad gasping with relief as he walked back over to the wagon, "Bors?" the knight sighed, "What a bloody mess," I walked over and pulled the curtain aside, there sat a man in the Bishop's robes with an arrow in his head, but it wasn't the Bishop. I looked to the knight's of Rome mounted on their horses, there, sitting as General, was the Bishop. "Bishop Germanus, welcome to Britain," I smiled at Arthur who'd recognized him. "Arthur Castus, your father's image, I haven't seen you since, childhood. And your cousin?" I stepped to Arthur's side, a flat smile on my face, "Aeliana of the Sarmatian Knights, I am surprised that your stepmother has not turned you into the royalty that you should be," I grimaced inwardly, "My sincerest apologies, Bishop, but that is something that I cannot do, for it is not in my willpower," I could hear Bors snickering behind me at the fake courtesy in my voice. The Bishop sighed, "Ah, well, it's a shame that I cannot see your beautiful image in a dress." My hands flew to the handles of my knives, but Arthur signaled for me to calm.
The Bishop climbed into the wagon and I mounted my horse as Bors openly chortled. I threw a quick glare at him, "Shut up Bors," he laughed even louder, Galahad and Lancelot joining in. "My sincerest apologies, Bishop," Gawain mimicked, "Please, if you were that honest to anyone we wouldn't believe it was you Aelie," that was their nickname for me, well, not everyone called me such. "If your father heard you speak that way he'd never even thought for a second you were his daughter," Galahad didn't even realized what he'd said to me until I glanced solemnly at the ground. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to..." I kicked Hada into a fast gallop and sped past them, ahead of the caravan, and down the dirt path toward's Hadrian's Wall. I let out a short, piercing whistle and I watched a wolf emerge from the soft fog. "Nira, where have you been?" her eyes told me everything, 'Hunting. How's everything with the caravan?' I sighed, "Successful as usual, but of course Galahad cannot keep his tongue in line the young pup," Nira made a sound that was almost a laugh, 'He's not that much younger than you,' I smirked at her, "Go on ahead I'll see you at Hadrian's Wall," she ran off without another glance just as I heard hoof beats approaching me, "You shouldn't run away from the boy, he doesn't think before he speaks," Tristan trotted next to me. I smiled, I was one of the very few that he spoke to on a regular basis rather than the three words he says to anyone else, "Unlike such," he chuckled, "Well not everyone is blessed with such thoughtful spirits as we are Aelie," my eyebrows shot up into my hairline in surprise, "You never call me that," he smiled softly, "Figured I might as well," I sighed, "Shame, I liked it when you didn't," his face turned hard, "It's so difficult to please you," I was confused, "Why would it matter to you to please me? You're my closest friend here other than Arthur." He looked at me, his dark brown, almost black eyes stared at me in a way that I'd never seen before, "What if I want to be more?" I had no time to answer for we reached the Wall, and my mind diverted to the boring task of avoiding my stepmother. My fellow knights knew the routine, I fell back behind them all, dismounted my horse, and ran in through a separate entrance, however, my stepmother must have figured out my plan. "Aeliana," I stood before my stepmother in shock, "why do you try to hide from me?" I sighed, "Because, Evyra, I do not wish to be lectured on why I shouldn't be a Sarmatian knight when I explain this to you every time, I am my father's only child and he would've had to stay in service to Rome had I not taken up the challenge, and I am happy, happier than I would be if I took up my royal place beside you, which is only mine by your courtship to my father." She sighed as I stretched her name, I never called her mother and never would. "Crispin is here, and he worries about you," I sighed, "I will hold up my part of our agreement, I will wear a dress to the Bishop's feast, and after that you are to leave me alone on this matter." She merely nodded, "My chambers, in an hour," I nodded and strode past her to find Tristan waiting for me in the stable.
"What are you still doing here?" I questioned, my mind returning to the comment he'd made earlier. "I have something to tell you," I nodded, "Well?" before I could blink, his calloused hands held my face and his lips smashed against mine. Something immediately ignited within me, for my arms were instantly around his neck as I pushed him against one of the posts. His hands were now roughly groping my hips, pulling at my tunic, I broke away from the kiss for air, only to return my lips to his neck. "Oh, I've wanted you forever Aeliana," his voice rattled with passion as I nipped and sucked at his weak point just below his ear, I was in control, and he knew it. I grabbed his wrists and brought his hands to my waist, grinding my hips against his hard erection. He groaned into our kiss and trailed his lips lightly down my jaw, "I love you Tristan," I sighed as he found my weak spot and I melted into his arms, "And I you," he whispered into my ear, his tone was husky, sending a shudder up my spine. "Tristan?!" I gasped, pulling away from him as Dagonet called his name. "What's wrong? Afraid of him catching us and finding out?" I sighed, "I don't want them to know just yet," Tristan growled, pulling me into another searing kiss, which I quickly pulled away from, "Stop it, after the feast," he sighed impatiently as I ran off in the direction of the quarters of my stepmother, a smile plastered on my face the entire time, for I still felt the tingle of his mustache and beard on my face from his kiss.