Dangerous Playing Field

by TattooFairy

A woman has vowed to save her friend Guinevere, no matter what the consequences. However, she did not take into consideration that her heart would be the one to be saved. LancelotOC

Note: Again, Arthur and his knights, the basis of the movie, and everything that I did not come up with except for the female character, are not mine! Do not sue me, just enjoy the story and who knows what will happen? Enjoy!

It was an unbearably cold day as the workers outside of Marius' house continued to do their chores. In the background they could hear the guards yelling at two of the villagers to hurry up and get the stones into place, covering up what was considered the "forbidden" area. Most of the people tried to ignore the commotion behind them, tried to do what was asked of them, for fear that they too would be placed in the dark. Only one person stood, watching, trying to figure out a way through what seemed like an impossible task. There was one particular person of interest that was currently locked up inside that dungeon and she needed to get her out. Guinevere, the woman who had taught her everything she knew was chained to a cell deep inside the tomb and Arianna would stop at nothing to get her friend out.

Suddenly Arianna could hear the sound of hoof beats, something she was not expecting. She stood up, trying to get a better look at just what was heading their way. There were six, no seven, riders on horseback, all wearing suits of armor and she knew exactly who had sent them. Rome. Better yet, the Pope. The riders pulled up in front of Marius' home, stopping just outside the closed gates.

"Who are you?" The guard shouted.

"I am Arthur Castus, commander of the Sarmatian knights sent by Bishop Germanius of Rome, open the gate."

Arianna could not help but stare at the knight sitting besides this commander of Rome. He had a presence about him that demanded respect, as did the rest of his fellow warriors. Was this group of Sarmatians truly the legendary knights? She had heard stories told about them from Guinevere and other villagers, but could they really be here? And why? She couldn't make out what the man, who had identified himself as Arthur, was saying to Marius. She could tell that he wasn't happy though. Suddenly, Marius' wife turned around, and walked towards the house.

"Back to work, all of you, get back to work!" Marius screamed.

Arianna watched as the guards began pushing people, as if that would help to motivate them to work. They were scared enough, they didn't need to be bullied. Suddenly, Arthur was moving towards the elder that had been strung up, left to hang like an animal.

"Who is this man?" Arthur asked, pointing his sword towards the dilapidated figure.

"He's our village elder," Ganis explained, afraid that he would be beaten if he said too much.

"What is his punishment for?" The Roman leader asked. "Answer me!"

"He defied our master, Marius. Most of the food we grow is sent out by sea to be sold. He asked that we keep a little more for ourselves, that's all. My arse has been snippin' at the grass I'm so hungry!" Ganis remarked. "You're from Rome. Is it true that Marius is a spokesman for God? And that it's a sin to defy him?"

Suddenly Arthur swung his sword around and pointed it towards the people.

"I tell you now, Marius is not of God. And you, all of you, were free from your first breath! " And with one stroke, the town elder fell to the ground. "Help this man. Help him!" An elderly woman raced forward, draping a blanket over the fallen man.

Arthur turned to look at the villages, his face dark and troubled.

"Now hear me. A vast and terrible army is coming this way. They will show no mercy, spare no one. Those of you who are able should gather your things and begin to move south towards Hadrins wall. Those unable shall come with us. You, serve me now, get these people ready." And with that, Arthur turned from Ganis.

Arianna thought now would be a good time to try to get what she had been working for, to help her friend out of the hell she was placed in. Everyone was too concerned with what was going on that they had stopped watching the wall. Now was as good a time as any to make her move. Quickly she ran past the horses, not noticing as one of the knights kept an eye on her. Slipping past the guards, she ran to the wall, pulling at the bricks, trying to get it undone.

"What are you doing?" The guard yelled at her. She ignored him, pulling even faster at the bricks.

"Stop that!" The other guard shouted, grabbing her shoulder, trying to pull her down.

She turned around, pulling the knife out of her boot. She wasn't going to give up without a fight, not if she knew that would leave Guinevere to her death. The guards pulled their swords out, they didn't care if they hurt someone, they had their orders. Arianna reached for the first guard, slamming her fist into his face. She may have been small, but she was fast. The guard landed on his butt, a look of anger shot across his face. The other guard gripped his sword tighter, ready to make his move.

"You would dare to pull a sword on a lady?" A voice said, the knight she had noticed before, was pulling his horse up in front of her, keeping the guards from attacking her.

"What is this?" Arthur asked, the tenseness in his voice demanding.

"You cannot go in there. No one goes in there. This place is forbidden" A friar whispered, standing in Arthur's way. Arthur only had to push his sword towards the man to get him to move.

"What are you doing? Stop it!" Marius came screaming, his robes flustering about him as if he were ready to fly.

Arthur walked to the wall, feeling as if to find some secret handle.

"Arthur, we have no time," The brunette mentioned.

"Do you not hear the drum?" A younger man with brown hair asked, he looked as if he were only 26 or so.

"Dagonet," He stated as he turned away from the door.

The tall man that was now identified as Dagonet pulled out a rather large ax from his saddle. Walking up to the door, he made a low sigh as he swung the heavy weapon into the wall. Soon, the rest of the bricks had fallen to the floor.

Another one of the knights pulled their horse up in front of him, keeping the guards from getting any closer.

"Key," Arthur demanded.

"It is locked," Explained the guard. "From the inside."

Exasperated, Arthur again gave Dagonet a look of approval. With just a few kicks, the door was open. Arianna could not help but rush in there, grabbing the first torch that was in reach. She had to get down there.

"Lady!" Was all she heard as she ran down into the dark.

She made her way down the steps until she could hear a soft chanting. She could see the friar as she stepped into the the dungeon.

"Who are these defilers of the Lords temple?"

She held the torch up to his face, inspecting the face of the man that had tortured so many.

"It is a good thing I don't believe in your God." She whispered. Soon Arthur and his knights were behind her, unable to take in everything around them.

"Out of the way," Lancelot stated. He was clearly not expecting to find a dungeon and dead bodies as his eyes roamed the dank building. He turned to Arthur. "The work of your God? Is this how he answers your prayers?"

"See if there's any still alive." Arthur replied.

Lancelot pulled out his sword and cut open the gate to one of the cells.

"How dare you set foot in this holy place?" In a flash, the man who was known as Lancelot, had turned around, killing the man behind him.

"There was a man of God," The other friar remarked.

Lancelot growled. "Not my god!"

Arianna checked through all the gates and finally found the one she was looking for.

"Guinevere," She sighed in relief.

In a few moments they were all back outside. Arthur now carried Guinevere in his arms, demanding someone for water. They had also found a small boy whose arm had been badly broken, and they weren't sure if he would last the night. Suddenly, Arianna could feel the sharp grip on her arm as she was swung around to face Lancelot.

"That was very reckless, my lady." He remarked.

"Do not worry, I can handle myself." She replied, pulling away from his grasp.

"I'm sure you can, as you displayed that little show out here, I have no doubt."

"Stop what you are doing!" Marius exclaimed.

"What is this madness?" Arthur asked, standing up.

"They are all pagans here!" The Roman screamed.

"So are we," Galahad stated proudly.

"They refuse to do the task God has set for them. They must die, as an example." Marius proclaimed.

"You mean they refuse to be your serfs!" Arthur shouted.

"You are a Roman. You understand. And you are a Christian!" He turned to his wife. "You! You kept them alive!" And with that, Marius slammed his palm across the woman's face.

In an instant, Arthur's fist came crashing into the Roman's jaw. Grabbing his sword, he pushed it towards Marius' throat.

"When we get to the wall, you will be punished for this heresy."

"Perhaps I should kill you now and seal my fate?"

In a moment it was all over. Arianna made sure to gather all of her things as she placed the saddle onto her horse. He was a gift that her father had given her before he had died. Besides Guinevere, her stallion was the only thing left that reminded her of home. Moving quickly, she changed into her Woad clothes, a brown color that would blend in with the scenery better. She wore pants, which was unusual for women, but she liked it better than the dresses or skirts that she wore formally. The top came up around her neck in an upside down V shape and wrapped around her torso. She grabbed her arm bands and pulled them on as she walked to her horse. She made sure she had an idea of where Guinevere was, and was relieved to see her sleeping in the back of the caravan. She pulled her auburn hair back, tying it into a ponytail, the end of it reaching her waist. The only thing she had left was to get her most precious items out of hiding. Pulling out of a large bag she had a long sword which she placed in the sheath on her back, then she pulled out smaller daggers, which she shoved onto the sides of her boots, one on her hip, and one on her arm. Finally she grabbed something from behind the small hut she called home, what appeared to be a bow. She place that onto the saddle, behind her seat.

"Such a fine collection of weaponry, and still you did not use it?"

She turned around to face a man with shaggy hair and a hawk on his arm. He was reserved, and she could tell he was very well trained in whatever he did.

"The name's Tristan, and you are?"

"Arianna," She replied. "I did not use them because I did not think I could handle it yet, I would never jeopardize Guinevere and the chance that she might get out."

"Well, from the fight earlier, I think you could have handled it." And with that, he rode towards the rest of Arthur's group.

She wasn't sure what she was headed towards, but she knew that she couldn't let Guinevere go alone. Climbing into the saddle she rode towards the caravan. She smiled as her friend slept peacefully. She knew what they had done to her, how they had tortured her, made her worry about things she didn't even know. She was glad that she was out, that she was finally able to breathe the fresh air.

Soon the entire group was heading East. She had heard what Tristan had told Arthur, that the Saxons were coming, and that he didn't think that they would be able to make it dragging the group with them. But Arthur said he wasn't going to leave anyone behind. Arianna soon began to wonder what it would be like at the great wall. She had never been there before, actually she had never been anywhere until Guinevere had been taken away. She had told herself that she wouldn't go home until she knew that Guinevere was safe. And right now, she wasn't sure if that was the case. These were Roman soldiers, she reminded herself. They'd fought her kind, killed her kind, but why were they saving them? Did they even realize that she and Guinevere were Woads? They had to have noticed, what with the marks they had. Normally, the markings that the Woads had were from the leaves that they picked, they were temporary. But Arianna had a permanent mark across her back, a shield, that she had had for many years. Even though she was still young, she had seen a lot. She had been in many fights, killed people before, but she never enjoyed it. She only wanted what everyone else wanted, their land back. And she would do anything to achieve that goal. Looking around her, she noticed another woman, a woman she had never seen before, walking next to a wagon. Ariana didn't think much of it, mainly because she didn't know most of the people she had been around. She then realized that she was not riding by herself.

"May I assist you in any way?" She stated, looking over the man next to her.

"May I ask your name?" He asked. "Or shall I keep calling you Lady?"

"Arianna, if you must know. I'm a friend of Guinevere's. The girl that Arthur carried out of the dungeon."

"I see, so that's why you attacked those guards."

"I had no choice. If I hadn't done something, she would have died in there. I couldn't just leave her," She stated. "Besides, why does a Roman knight care anyway? I thought you killed our kind."

"I am no Roman, Lady. I am a Sarmatian, and as soon as we get back, I am a free man. And the only reason I killed your kind was because they tried to kill me, it's only natural to try and save yourself."

"Well, Sarmatian, might I ask what your name is?"

He couldn't help but smile at her. She had spirit, there was no doubting that.

"Lancelot." And with that, he rode back towards the front of the group, probably to ride next to Arthur. But then she realized that Arthur was not there, his horse was there, but he no longer rode it. She came to realize that he was in the caravan that had Guinevere, Lucan and Dagonet, who hadn't left the boy's side since they had left Marius' home.

There was a noise coming from above her, and when Arianna looked up to find a large bird, she at first thought it was Tristan's. When she looked over at the knight, his bird was sitting peacefully on his arm. It must be a wild bird, she thought. She didn't realize it at the time, but it had been flying above them for some time now.

They finally came to a stop, making camp for the night. Climbing off of her horse, she tied him to a tree, and pulled the saddle off, replacing it with a warm blanket.

"That's much better, isn't it Aden?" She whispered to the stallion. She felt the need to wash her face, as the ride had been long and she was covered in dirt from the previous fight with the guards. She wandered a little bit away, looking for a stream. But what she found was the woman from earlier, the large bird on her arm.

At the same time, Arthur had rounded up his fellow knights, discussing their plans for the oncoming Saxons that lay only a few miles away, getting closer with each day.

"So, the bird belongs to you?" Ariana stated.

"Yes," The woman replied. She turned around, facing Ariana, with a smile on her face. "You seem to be getting close to these knights. It's a shame they shall all die by tomorrow."

"What?" Ariana then realized that this woman was not one of their villagers. "Who are you?"

"You need not know my name. I am a Saxon. I was sent by Cerdic, and his son."

"Well, it ends here. I won't allow you to use these people anymore." Arianna exclaimed. She was more worried for Guinevere and Lucan than for the knights she barely knew, but they had, in fact, saved their lives, and it was only fair she do the same for them.

Back at the clearing where Arthur, Lancelot, Galahad, Gawain, Tristan, Bors, and Dagonet stood, one of the guards came running over to them.

"Sir! I think you should see this," The guard shouted.

The seven men followed the guard and ran over to the clearing. There stood the young woman, her blond hair covering her face, while Ariana stood not but five feet from her.

"What's going on?" Arthur demanded.

"I don't know sir, I heard them arguing and came to inspect when I saw one of the ladies draw their weapon," The guard explained.

"She's a Saxon," Arianna explained.

Arianna watched as the other woman gripped her dagger tighter and began to advance towards her. Seconds before the blade came down, she moved, using her knee to kick the woman in the stomach. It was only a moment before the girl came at her again, but the Woad was too quick, this time landing a punch in the blonde's face. However, the third time the girl advanced, she was able to get a cut across her opponents arm, making her wince in pain. Arianna knew she had to stop this, before it got out of hand. Spinning around, she brought her fist back into the woman's jaw, sending the blond to the ground. But before the Saxon could get up, she had not only one dagger against her throat, but one against her stomach.

"I don't know whether to slit your throat, or cut you like the stock pig that you are." Arianna murmured, feeling the pain in her arm, and the blood on her lip from where her opponent was able to strike her across the face.

"Do it," The other woman sneered. "You don't have the guts."

Arianna stood up, placing her daggers back into their rightful places.

"If I even see your face near this caravan again, I will not hesitate to kill you."

The red head turned to go back to her horse, when she suddenly heard a yell.

"Arianna!" It was Lancelot.

She could hear the sound of the branches breaking under the Saxon's feet as she rose to throw one final blow. Quickly, Arianna grabbed her sword and turned, just in time, to stop the blond from driving the dagger into the Woad's neck. Her sword now lay imbedded in the Saxon's torso, blood dripping off of it onto the ground, as she heard the other woman's gurgling last cry. She pulled on the sword as the body fell onto the ground, freeing it from its unwanted place.

"I warned you," She said.

The Saxon's bird was now flying away, trying to get back to its home. But Tristan knew he needed to take care of the problem.

"Dinner time," He said to his hawk as he let the bird go. Ariana didn't look up as she heard the screeching of the other bird as it too, made its final cry.

"That was impressive," Arthur stated.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to end that way. It really wasn't necessary." She remarked.

"We are indebted to you, Lady Arianna. Please, let Lancelot help you with those wounds." He bowed, leaving her alone with the dark, handsome knight.

"I can take care of these myself, Lancelot. But thank you for your concern." She stated, turning her back to him.

He seized her arm, and held her still.

"Let me help," He said.

"Fine," She remarked, not sure if she wanted it or not.

She sat down on the ground, resting against a tree as Lancelot brought water and bandages with him. He dampened the cloth, using it to wipe away the blood that stained her face and arm.

"Arthur was right, that was impressive," He commented.

"I only fight when I have to, I don't like killing people." She readily replied. "Ow..."

"For someone so brave, you sure can whine easily." He smirked. Placing a bandage around her arm, he sat down next to her.

"I don't think I've ever met a woman such as yourself."

"I know I've never met a man like you," She replied, "thank goodness."

"Am I that arrogant?" He implied.

"Sometimes." She stated truthfully. "At least, that's how you seem to be from the short time that I've known you."

They sat there, watching as the snow began to fall. Lancelot noticed as Guinevere walked away from the camp, with Arthur close in tow.

"She's going to change him," He softly murmured.

"Is that a bad thing?" Arianna asked. "Maybe Arthur needs some guidance. The Rome that he knew and loved is gone, and yet no one has the heart to tell him. It will break his heart to know that the man he loved like a father is no longer alive. Guinevere maybe the one to fill that hole."

"You care for Guinevere a lot, don't you?" Lancelot asked.

"Yes," She replied. "I grew up with her, she's like a sister to me. Taught me a lot about life and how to take care of myself. Even though she seems happy, she's very much alone."

"And you?"

"That, my good knight, is a story for another time. Right now, I think we both need rest."

As she drifted off to sleep, Lancelot stared off into the area where Arthur and Guinevere had gone. He wanted to know what was going on, but he knew better than to intrude. Standing up, he placed a blanket over Arianna, smiled, and then went to his own tree to get some sleep.

Early the next morning, as Dagonet was sleeping peacefully next to Lucan, Marius' guards were ready to do as they were commanded. Grabbing Dagonet, they pulled him away, as Marius grabbed the boy. Dagonet punched his way out of the guards arms, grabbing his dagger in the meantime.

"I have the boy!" Marius held a knife up to Lucan's throat. "Kill him! Kill him now!" And in an instant, an arrow had lodged itself into Marius' chest, sending the man onto the ground. Lucan ran towards Dagonet, who told him to stay down, as the owner of the arrow appeared. Dagonet grabbed his sword in defense, ready to protect Lucan.

The guards looked up to see Guinevere, in a blue gown, with a bow in her hands, the arrow notched and ready to be released at any second. Next to her stood Arianna, her bow drawn and the arrow aimed at the guard's head. Soon, they were joined by Lancelot and Arthur.

"Your hands seem to be better," Lancelot said to Guinevere, who only kept her gaze on the men ahead of her.

Bors came riding up, screaming Arthur's name.

"Do we have a problem?" Bors asked, ready to kill anything that moved.

"You have a choice. You help, or you die." Arthur instructed.

Finally the commanding officer threw down his sword, demanding that the rest of his guards do the same.

"How many did you kill?" Bors asked as Tristan and the others rode towards them.

"Four," Replied Tristan.

"Not a bad start for the day," Bors laughed.

Tristan threw something down at Arthur's feet.

"Armor piercing. They're close, we have no time." He said as Arthur noticed the crossbow at his feet.

"You ride ahead," Arthur commanded of Tristan. The tracker nodded in response.

Soon the caravan was moving again. But it wasn't nearly as fast as they needed to go. Arianna could hear the drums in the back, the sound that warned them that the Saxons were coming.

"We have to cross. Tell everyone to get off their horses, out of the caravans, and walk across the ice slowly. But spread out." Arthur commanded.

Arianna climbed off her horse, just as she was instructed, and soon began the walk across the sheet of ice that lay before them. The sounds of the drums became louder as they continued on. Suddenly, Arthur stopped. He knew they had no chance. Turning around, he faced his companions.

"Knights?"

"I'm tired of running." Galahad stated.

"They're so close, my ass is hurting," Bors grumbled.

"Finally get a chance to see what those bastards look like," Gawain smiled.

"Right here, right now," Dagonet replied.

"Seven people against an entire army?" Ganis asked.

"Nine, we're staying too. You need our bows." Guinevere said as she and Arianna followed the knights to a spot on the ice. Arthur could only look at the two women, knowing it would be near impossible to talk them out of it.

"Ganis, follow the shore line and it will bring you to the wall. You there, Ganis is now your commanding officer, do you understand?" Arthur stated, looking at the guards that had given him problems only a few short hours ago.

"Yes, sir." They replied.

As the caravan continued its journey, the nine souls that stood before an army began to prepare. They each had a pile of arrows at their feet, and every one of them had their own weapons at hand. Soon the Saxon army was only a few hundred feet away. Arthur looked towards the middle and stared at the one he thought was their leader. The man with the shaved head and the braided beard, motioned to his men.

"Archers!" He yelled.

The archers pulled in front, and with the pull of their string, sent out a few random shots. They were way out of reach. Arthur turned to his fellow knights.

"Galahad, Tristan." He stated.

"But we're out of range," Guinevere mentioned.

Galahad and Tristan pulled on their bows, but instead of aiming at the regular height, they pulled the bows back even farther, causing the arrows to be launched into the air. As they came down, they found their targets, lodging the pointed tips into the men's necks.

"On my mark, fire." Arthur stated. He pulled the bowstring back, keeping his eye on the men before him.

The other eight people in line followed his lead.

"Shoot on the end, try to make them group." The brunette stated. And they did just that. Fire after fire, the arrows landed with perfect precision into the men that marched towards them. But what wasn't happening, was the ice was not breaking. Arthur soon realized that his plan was not going to work.

"Get ready to fight!" He yelled.

Suddenly Dagonet grabbed his ax and ran towards the enemy.

"Cover him!" Arthur yelled.

Stopped in the middle of the ice, Dagonet tried everything in his power to break it. One, then two arrows landed in his chest, but he did not give up. Instantly the ice broke beneath him, creating a large crack, and sending the Saxons into the chilled waters. However, it also created a crack under Dagonet, who fell without restraint into the ice himself. Arthur was running across the ice, trying to get to his friend as fast as he could.

Arianna could not stand there and watch another person die. Grabbing her shield she ran across the ice behind Arthur. By the time she had gotten there, Arthur had already grabbed Dagonet out of the water and was trying to pull him back. Using the shield, Arianna stopped right in front of the two men. Pulling out a dagger she threw it, barely missing Cynric. She could see the cut that now lay on his arm, and she knew he wouldn't forget it. Bors had now rushed onto the ice to help Arthur. Meanwhile, Arianna could hear Lancelot in the background.

"Pull back!" He yelled.

By the end of the fight, Dagonet had died. Bors was beside himself, trying to keep the tears from spilling. They had finally reached the great wall, and the knights had finally reached freedom. But Arianna could tell from the looks on their faces that they did not care about their freedom. She got off her horse and watched the scene in front of her. Bishop Germanius had walked into the courtyard, amazed and happy to see the Pope's favorite Godchild safe. He then turned to the men who stood before him and offered their reward.

"Great knights, you are free now. Give me the papers." He smiled.

Arthur walked up to Germanius, an inch away from the Bishop.

"Bishop Germanius, friend of my father." And with that, he walked away.

Lancelot walked up to the man who held their release papers, grabbing them with disgust. Walking up to each knight he handed the scrolls to them. When he got to Bors, the father of 11 stood still.

"Bors. Bors!" Lancelot stated, finally grabbing the other man's attention. "For Dagonet." He said as he held up two.

"This doesn't make him a free man. He's already a free man" Bors stated, his eyes watering from the new tears, as he threw the two parchments onto the ground. "He's dead!" And with that, Bors and the others took Dagonet's body away.

It was only but a few short hours later that Arianna heard a commotion from outside. Walking out of the temporary quarters that she had been given, she noticed that Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere, and the rest of the knights were standing at the wall. Quickly she ran up to join the others and came face to face with an army. It was the Saxons, and she knew what that meant. Guinevere would fight tomorrow, and so would she. She made that promise and she wasn't about to give up now. And from the look on Arthur's face, he wasn't about to give up either. She watched as he ran down the stairs, followed by Lancelot and Guinevere. She followed too, but stopped short behind Guinevere as the two women noticed that Lancelot and Arthur were having a heated discussion. Arianna knew what Lancelot was saying, she knew that he didn't want his friend to fight. And from the look on Guinevere's face, she also knew what Arthur was saying. After a brief moment the two men parted ways, and Arthur was on his way back to his quarters.

"Guinevere, what will happen tomorrow? Do you think we'll win?"

"I don't know. But we must be strong, for those we love." With a smile, and a kiss to Arianna's face, she turned and walked away. Arianna knew where she would be going, to see Arthur. She had never seen Guinevere act like that towards a man before, and knew that she had fallen in love with the Roman-British commander. And as for her? Well, she wasn't sure it was love, but she definitely felt something.

"He's not bad looking," She murmured to herself.

Lancelot was pacing back and forth in his room, unable to sleep due to his discussion with Arthur. They had been through so much together, and now they had their freedom. And Lancelot was ready to leave. He wanted to get as far away from the Roman empire and it's army as soon as he could. But could he leave his friend behind? Arthur was an excellent fighter, no doubt about that, but could he fight an entire army alone?

Lancelot's thoughts drifted back to his conversation with Arthur.

"Arthur, this is not Rome's fight. It is not your fight! All these long years we've been together, the trials we've faced, the blood we've shed, what was it all for, if not for the reward of freedom! And now when we are so close, when it's finally within our grasp, look at me!" Lancelot demanded as he grabbed his friend. "Does it all count for nothing?"

"You ask me that, you who know me best of all?" Arthur stated plainly. He turned to leave, but Lancelot was not done talking.

"Then do not do this! Only certain death awaits you here, Arthur, I beg you for our friendship sake, I beg you!" Lancelot was cut off by the sudden presence of Arthur's hand on his face.

"Be my friend now and do not dissuade me. Seize the freedom you have earned and live it for the both of us. I cannot follow you, Lancelot! I now know that all the blood I have shed, all the lives I have taken, have led me to this moment."

All Lancelot could do was nod his head, knowing full well he could not talk his friend into submission.

Lancelot heard a soft tapping on his door.

"Enter," He stated. He turned around to find Arianna at his door. "You should be packing, it's going to be a long ride tomorrow."

"I'm not leaving." She replied.

"What?" Lancelot thought he heard wrong.

"Guinevere is going to fight, and so am I. I made a promise to keep her safe, and I'm not going to break it now. This is our land that we're fighting for. It's my fight as well as hers."

"You'll get killed," He stated.

"Maybe," She agreed. "Or maybe not. I have no power as to know what will happen tomorrow. I just know that this is right. And this could be my last night alive. So let's not argue, I want to enjoy this."

And with that she walked up to where Lancelot stood.

"Arianna?" He asked.

Reaching up, she traced the lines of his beard, feeling the way it tickled her fingers. She could hear his breath, the way it sounded as it went in, and then out. Reaching her neck up, she gently slid her lips over his, feeling the moistness of them, enjoying the sudden sensation. Her hand rested on his leather tunic, and she could feel him move underneath it. She was intrigued by his roughness, yet he also had a softer side. She pressed her lips a litter harder against his when she felt his hands grab her arms. Pulling her against him, he couldn't resist kissing her back. Remembering all of their conversations before, he smiled against her lips.

"Is this the wild girl I was first introduced to?" He asked.

Wanting to play around, and show him that she was a grown woman, Arianna brought her lips to his chest. She could feel his heartbeat against her mouth, the way it quickened when she brought her tongue into play. She could hear the soft moan coming from his lips as her hands pulled the tunic even farther.

"You have no idea...what you're getting yourself into..." Lancelot murmured.

"Then show me," Arianna stated.

In an instant Lancelot had picked Arianna up and had thrown her onto the bed.

"Are you sure?" He asked, removing his belt that held his sword.

"If I wasn't, do you think I would have started it?" She smiled, but blushed at the same time.

Over the next hour their clothes became nothing more than parts of the furniture in the room. They were so eager to explore one another, and yet they didn't want to rush things. They had all night, and all night they wanted to experience it. Arianna could feel the roughness of his beard against her silky skin, the way it rubbed against her throat and shoulder as he kissed her ear, then her neck. His hands almost seemed as if they had a mind of their own. He would bring his face back to hers, to keep kissing her, but his hands were somewhere else. And she loved it. The warmth of them made her blush, while his lips made her smile. By the end of the night she was curled up in his arms, listening to his breathing while he slept. She laid her head on his broad shoulder, her arm encircling the muscled chest. She noticed he had a few scars on his chest and stomach and started to run her fingers over them.

"It's not nice to tickle someone when they're asleep," Lancelot murmured.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." Arianna apologized.

"You should be, I was having a wonderful dream. I guess you'll just have to be punished, won't you?" And with that, he rolled over, pining her under him. "What shall I do with you?"

"Whatever you see fit. But I must warn you to do it quickly sire, for it's almost dawn." She implied, pointing towards the window where a crack of sunlight shone through.

"Damn." He said as his head dropped onto her shoulder. "And I was going to have my way with you again."

She couldn't help but smile at him. She had never been touched like that before, held like that, she didn't even know a man like him could be like that. She was expecting something a little more...rough. Lancelot raised his head and looked down at her.

"You must be thinking about last night," He smirked as she blushed. He leaned down again and kissed with such passion, such fervor, that it left her breathless. She only wished that it could stay like that, that there was no reason to get out of bed. But there was, there was a very large reason, and she knew it would only end in bloodshed.

Arianna turned over in Lancelot's bed, sweat pouring off her body as the dream she was having made it difficult to enjoy the few hours they had left. Lancelot, on the other hand, was to the point of comatose, his deep slumber could not have been disturbed even if a pack of elephants came charging into the room. Her hair clung to her forehead as she tossed, the disturbing images filling her head, making her heart beat faster with each moment.

"I will die in battle, of this I am certain."

She could tell who it was, the deep voice, the anger, it couldn't be anyone but him, Lancelot. But she couldn't see who he was talking to.

"And hopefully a battle of my choosing. But, if it should be this one, grant me a favor. Do not bury me in our sad little cemetery. Burn me. Burn me and cast my ashes into a strong East wind."

She wasn't sure what she was dreaming, but it felt so real. Her heart was racing, the sweat became more intense as she turned over. But she couldn't pull herself out of it, something was going to happen and her dreams were trying to warn her. Suddenly, the dream changed. She could hear screams, the sound of metal hitting metal, and saw the terrible bloodshed that came from it all. Then the scenery changed, turning towards a different part of the battlefield. That was when her dream seemed to slow down. She became sick with fear, something she hardly felt anymore. Sure she felt afraid of things every now and then, but this was different. This was fear, pure and simple. The kind that could bring an adult man to his knees, crying to keep his family alive. Her heart couldn't take it anymore.

"AH!" She screamed, sitting up in bed, the sheets falling from her body.

"Arianna?" Lancelot murmured as he rubbed at his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Uh…uhm, nothing. It was nothing, just a bad dream." She stated. She didn't want to worry him about a dream. It was, in fact, a dream after all. It had no meaning, right?

Looking at the window she realized that she needed to get ready for the day ahead. Standing up, she grabbed one of Lancelot's nightshirts, and slipped it over her head. She walked over to his washtub, filled it with water, and patted her face.

Lancelot stood up, using the sheet to keep himself covered, and walked over to her. Grabbing a piece of cloth, he dipped it into the water, and brought it up to her face.

"That must have been one hell of a dream," He stated.

"It was nothing," She restated. She enjoyed the sensation of the cool water against her skin. She wondered if this was going to be the last time she would feel this kind of pleasure, this kind of closeness to another human being. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around Lancelot's waist.

At first, Lancelot wasn't sure what she was doing. He wasn't used to women grabbing him around the waist like that. Actually, he wasn't used to women doing a lot of things besides, well, he could only hold her. But just as suddenly as she had grabbed him, she let go. Turning away she picked up her clothes and began to get dressed.

"I have to leave soon. I'm to meet Guinevere in the forest before the battle begins."

"I really wish you would not stay," Lancelot argued. "There is no chance against thousands of Saxons. You've seen what they do, they take everything that they kill, and they kill everything."

"I don't have a choice. Like Guinevere, this island is my home. I know your reasons for leaving, and it is time for you to go home. I am glad we met, Lancelot." And with that, she grabbed her weapons and left.

As Arianna looked out across the field, she could only remember the dream she had had a few hours before. A slight breeze hung around her, the few pieces of hair that hung lose around her face flew across her eyes. She could hear the Saxons in the background, signs that they too, were getting ready for the fight. Taking a deep breath, she could smell the oil and fire from the hill behind the wall. The sky itself seemed to cloud over, as if it didn't want to watch what was about to unfold; she couldn't blame it, she wasn't sure she wanted to watch either. She then noticed that she wasn't alone anymore.

"Are you ready?" Guinevere asked, turning to her friend. She was already covered in the blue ink they were used to wearing during fights. Arianna saw the determination on the woman's face, the lines that accentuated her features stood out, the designs that Arianna had come up with originally were now painted on Guinevere's face. "It was the only design I could think of."

"Shall we go, then?" The redhead asked. "Let me get my horse, and I shall meet you in the woods."

"Very well, but Arianna," Guinevere turned to look at her. "Don't be too long."

And with that, the tall brunette turned towards the woods, to meet with Merlin before the fight would start. Arianna made her way to the stables, to get her horse saddled and ready, when she ran into Arthur.

"I see you're staying as well," He mentioned, nodding towards the weapons in her hands.

"I need to stay, I have to protect my home. I still wonder why you have decided to stay. For honor? Or because you no longer have a home of your own to go back to?"

"I still wonder about that myself, to this very second. This seems as if it is to be my fate, and I gladly accept it. I only wish I had seen the truth earlier, instead of fighting for a cause that was never there. I have let so many of my knights…no, my friends, die in battle for nothing…"

"If I maybe so bold as to say this; I don't know you as well as some, as well as Guinevere does, but from what I have learned of you and the way you act towards your knights, they should be proud to serve under you. They would follow you into the depths of hell if they could. You would be surprised by the hearts of some men."

Arthur could only smile at her. He wasn't sure if he believed what she had told him, but it was nice to hear that for a change. Arianna grabbed her saddle and reins and made her way to her horse. She could hear as he placed armor on his own stallion, the chains that held it together creaked every once in awhile. She didn't have anything to offer her horse for protection, but he was used to it. She rubbed his snout, scratching at his nose, the way that he liked. His dark skin twitched as she placed the saddle on his back, and she knew that her horse was ready for anything.

"Here," She heard from behind her. Turning around she noticed that Arthur held a breast plate in his hand, pointing it towards her horse.

"Thank you," She replied.

"Every good horse deserves some protection. This used to be Dagonet's, I know he'd want someone to use it."

And with that, Arthur led his horse out of the stables. Arianna watched as the sun shone off of his armor, and she could see the dents that had been made in previous fights. Turning back to her horse she went to place the breastplate onto his chest. At first he shook his head, almost as if saying he didn't need it. She couldn't help but smile.

"Men," She stated. "Always think they don't need help. I assure you, old friend, you might need this."

She finished placing the armor on Aden, then led him out of the stables as well. Tying him to a pole, she grabbed her bow, attaching it to the back of the saddle, along with the quiver and arrows. She then grabbed her daggers, placing them in their rightful places. Grabbing her sword, she gently placed it into the sheath on her back, and climbed into the saddle.

"Good luck," She heard from behind her. Turning the horse around, she came face to face with the last knights of the roundtable. All except for Lancelot. They looked as if they were ready to leave too, they were about to enter the stables, she guessed, since one of them was holding a saddle in his arms.

"Try not to kill too many," Galahad smiled.

"Or if you do, let them see you smile before the last blow." Tristan remarked.

"Don't mind him, he always gets like that before a fight." Gawain smirked. "Keep an eye on Arthur, could you?"

"I will." She remarked. "And you keep all those children in line, Bors. Even if one does look like Lancelot." And with that, she rode towards the trees, with the sounds of Bors grumbling and cursing in the background.

Arianna pushed her horse further, the large stallion galloping towards their destination, towards war. Aden seemed to understand what was about to happen, and he was ready. Arianna, on the other hand, knew that the day would bring bloodshed. If it was going to be a good day, then it would be the Saxon's blood, if not, well then she didn't want to think about it. She rode her horse around the piles of hay that lay on the field, the smell of oil burning into her nose, as the adrenaline in her blood began to increase. She could see the line of trees where she knew Guinevere would be standing and waiting. Pulling the horse up beside her friend, she turned to look towards the field.

"Is everything ready?" She asked as she looked down at the tall brunette.

"Yes, Merlin is waiting on the other hill. We have discussed what we need to do."

Suddenly Arianna could hear a man screaming. Looking towards the gate, she noticed Bors. He sat on his horse, yelling the infamous war cry they had always screamed before battle. Not long after, Arthur, who sat atop his horse on the main hill, yelled in return. Ariana couldn't help but smile as she watched them say goodbye to one another. She could see the rest of the knights, trailing along with the Romans, as they headed home. They were free. He was free.

"Arianna, I need you to ride up to Arthur and tell him our plans. But do not stay too long, I have a feeling this fight is going to be at our feet before midday."

With a nod to Guinevere, she kicked the stallion, pushing him towards the lone man up on the hill. She could now see the Saxon army in front of the wall, the dirty faces of the savages who had killed so many. She came to a halt next to Arthur, pulling her horse around to face him. When she looked him in the eye, he seemed as if he were another man, changed somehow. For once, he seemed to understand his fate.

As Arthur and Arianna began to discuss battle strategies, the other knights began to have a change of heart. More to the point, their horses heard the Saxon's drums, and knew that a fight was about to break out. Most people would say that horses are just animals, but many were told, including Lancelot, that these animals had been soldiers and knights too. That they had been killed in battle, and had been reborn as horses to lead others and protect those who would fight just as they had before. And these horses were no different. They began to pull on their harnesses, tried their best to turn around. Once Bors and the others were able to calm their animals down, they began to realize something as well. Comprehending what they were about to do, Tristan pulled his hawk close to him.

"You're free," He whispered as he lifted his arm up one last time. The hawk took no time in taking to the skies.

Soon the rest of the knights were gathering their weapons, putting on their armor, and racing to meet their commander, who stood upon the hill, talking with Arianna. Lancelot was the first to arrive, pulling his horse next to his friend, giving him the same smile he had done so many times before. Looking over at the Woad, he knew he had to push aside his feelings or else they would become distracting during battle. She knew she had to do the same, and only nodded at him, trying to keep her eyes from locking with his. In a moment, they were joined by the others, each one of them held a banner in their hand, and looked upon what could have been the last peaceful moment in their lives.

"I need to get back to Guinevere. Here is hoping that the Gods smile upon us all and that I may see all of your happy faces again." And with that, she rode back towards the forest.

Arianna wasn't sure what was about to take place, but she kept feeling something in her gut, telling her that there would be a life changing event. She shook her head once more as she came back to the forest to join her friends. Leaping off of her horse, she grabbed her bow and arrows and quickly stood by her friends side.

"I told him. Do you think this will work?" She asked, genuinely worried.

"I wish I knew. All we can do now is wait." Guinevere sighed.

Arianna could feel the hair on her neck stand on edge. It wasn't the only thing that was on edge either. Looking around her, she noticed the faces of those who were ready to give their lives for their land. Some had barely seen 14 summers, while others had grown weary of seeing too many. They had lost so many souls from previous fights, and this was all they had left. It was their final moments to seize what rightfully belonged to them. The wind seemed to pick up as the clouds above began to play games with the sun. Looking towards the hill, she could see Merlin, waiting patiently for his chance to begin his assault. She then noticed that Tristan was aiming his bow at something. At first she thought it might be a warning shot, but then he aimed it away from the Saxons and towards a lone tree that stood in front of the wall. Releasing the arrow, it flew across the sky, landing somewhere in the tree. It was then that she noticed the man falling to the ground, dead from the arrow that had landed in his chest. She was amazed at Tristan's abilities with his weapons, and sometimes she became a little worried. She had come to realize, however, that he was just as gallant as the rest of the Sarmatian knights, and that was all she needed to know.

She could see the front gate begin to open, the first invitation for the Saxons. It was now the time to fight, and everything that she had been taught, everything she had fought for, had brought her to this one moment. Would she really sacrifice her life for her land? Could she protect the ones she promised she would? Thoughts and frantic notions came to the woman's mind as she watched the first group of Saxons entering the gate. Just as the last one walked through the large metal doors, the trap was set. The doors shut behind the men, forcing them to go further into the field. The only thing they could see was the piles of hay scattered here and there. She knew if she had been closer, she would have heard the sound of a hundred heart beats, would have seen the worry and fear on some of the men, and would have enjoyed it the entire time. Then, upon the hill, the lost souls came face to face with their executioners. The six shadows appeared before them, unwavering, unmoved by this army that lay at their feet. Ariana's heart skipped a beat as she saw the knights follow Arthur away from that hill. And as quickly as her heart beat, the battle for England began.

Guinevere grabbed the first arrow and placed it on her bow, followed quickly by the rest of the Woads. Arianna knew that there was no going back now, that this could possibly be the last moments in her life. Without saying a word, the tall brunette pulled on the bow string, aiming the arrow almost as if she wanted it to fly into the heavens itself. The others followed her without question as they launched their first attack.

The Saxons were now moving towards the hill that Arthur had been standing upon, not realizing that there was something moving towards them, several things in fact, were moving towards them. A storm of arrows suddenly appeared out of the fog, landing into targets, forcing them to cower together. The arrow that had left Guinevere's bow landed in a man's throat, lodging itself in his neck. The man next to him became frozen with fear as more arrows found their targets. It seemed as if in a mere second, a few dozen of their fellow soldiers had been knocked down by something so simple as a piece of wood and metal. One man fought to keep himself from getting sick, for fear that if he did it would leave him open to death as well. For men who had killed many, they were not so eager to die themselves. They were used to easy fights, against those who had not been trained in warfare. If it wasn't difficult enough, they suddenly became aware that they were not alone. Through the mist they could make out the figures of six men, their stallions charging at full speed towards them.

Arthur could see the Saxon's cowering under their shields, and knew that the wood would not protect them against the heavy swords he and his knights carried. They charged towards the wall of men, and executed their first assault. Lancelot swung one of his swords as they passed, striking a man across the face, almost decapitating him. The blood sprayed up like a shower, covering the men around him. Excalibur became familiar with a younger Saxon's upper torso, throwing him over the shields that were supposed to be saving them. It seemed as if blood was everywhere, and the six horsemen were no longer around.

When they thought that the attack might be over, they were raided, once again, by arrows. They could hear the loud THWACK as the arrows landed in their shields, and tried desperately not to hear the sounds that they made when they met with flesh. Arms, legs, even their faces became targets for the one painful blow. And one blow was all it took. Soon the men became confused as the riders appeared again, chasing back and forth as if they were confused as well.

But the knights of the roundtable were far from confused. They knew exactly what they were doing, and some enjoyed the idea of the confusion they created. Soon the Saxons were shooting their own men, and realized that they could not tell friend from foe. Fire after fire arrows became embedded into tissue. A rather plump Saxon looked down at his waist where an arrow had landed and had become lodged between his ribs. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the shaft and pulled as hard as he could. The sound of tearing flesh and cracking ribs sent a wave a nausea through him, but he would not give up. Finally he was able to free the burden. However, not two moments later he turned around and came face to face with Gawain's sword..

Arianna could not see exactly what was going on, but she could tell that their plan was working. The smoke from the hay piles created the perfect blanket, even though she would have liked to have been able to see the fight below. Once again, the doors to the great wall opened and a single Saxon stumbled out. It was almost as if the one man was a way of mockery against the Saxons, as if to ask, is that all? Watching the Saxon leader, Arianna could see him reach for his ax. This was it, now was the time for retribution. Now, more than ever, she wanted the Saxons to pay for all the pain they had caused, for all the lives they had taken.

"Guinevere," She whispered.

"Hm?" Her friend asked, turning towards her.

"Be safe," She smiled.

Down at the wall the Saxons looked around for Arthur. She could see the man with the long hair and ax, the leader, point away from him, telling his commanders to go in different directions, exactly what they had hoped for. Lighting the ends of their arrows, they aimed, and fired towards the smaller group. A few landed in the men, but their main target was the grass. It soon caught fire, separating the two groups from each other. The smell of burning oil wafted through the sky, the clouds of smoke seemed to mock the Saxons, as the Woads and the knights prepared for combat. Guinevere gave a loud scream as she ran forwards, followed by the hundreds of Woads behind her. Arthur and his knights rode into the larger group of Saxons, followed by a few hundred Woads close in tow. Guinevere ducked away as a man came at her with his sword, trying to dismember anything that moved. She was quick enough, however, and used her small ax to leave a rather large opening in his chest cavity. Arianna moved slower than the rest, she didn't want to get tired too quickly. Pulling her sword out of its sheath, she watched as a Saxon ran towards her. As he made his first attack she could smell the horrendous body odor coming from him, the sweat poured off of him as if he'd been next to a fire for days. She ducked as he swung at her again, kicking him in the groin as he raised his sword yet again. He fell to the ground in pain as she, in turn, raised her sword for the final blow. In one swift moment the man's head fell to the ground, as blood sprayed from his neck. Looking around she caught sight of Guinevere as her friend jumped on top of a Saxon. She became worried at first when he threw her off of him, but was relieved to see the other women coming to her aid.

Arianna could not tell where the rest of the knights were, but she suddenly noticed Tristan. The always quiet knight was facing the leader of the Saxons. From down here, the blond looked more menacing, and for once, she worried for the tracker. She couldn't keep her eyes on him for long, however, as another man came towards her. At first she was distracted by Tristan that she barely just missed the blade of his sword, resulting in the small gash to her arm. The warmth of her blood trailed down her left shoulder, dripping into the mud beneath her feet. The man in front of her smiled, and she smiled in return.

"I was getting bored anyway." She smirked as rage shot across his face.

The Saxon lunged at her, his blade meaning to leave a deep mark in her right breast, but she moved, this time leaving him with gash in his leg. From this view, she could see Tristan and the Saxon leader out of the corner of her eye, and she could tell that she wasn't going to like what was about to happen. Again, the man in front of her attacked, becoming more ferocious with each strike. She tried to keep up, but was eventually punched square in the jaw, sending her to the ground. Spitting out blood, she rolled onto her back to face the Saxon who now smiled down at her.

"Now I'll kill you," He smirked.

Suddenly she could hear her heartbeat in her ears, the loud thump, thump that seemed to echo from her chest to her head. Swords clashed around her, men and women were being thrown into the mud, and death was smiling down at her. Swinging the sword above his head, the Saxon was ready to take her head as his prize. Her sword lay in between the man's legs and she knew she had no chance of retrieving it. Her heart, again, pounded in her ears.

Thump, Thump...

Thwack!

Looking up she then noticed an arrow protruding from the man's chest. Searching around she saw Guinevere with the crossbow and silently thanked her friend. She stood up, grabbed her sword and turned. She spun around just in time to see Tristan's body fall to his knees. She realized that this Saxon leader was staring straight at Arthur, forcing him to watch as he was about the kill one of his faithful knights. Arthur tried his best to get through the sea of bodies that forced him back; he tried to push and scream his way through. But Arianna could tell that he would not be in time. She watched as the blond lifted his sword, ready to strike. She didn't want to watch, but she couldn't help but keep her eyes on her friend. He did not deserve to die in this fashion, he did not deserve to die at all.

"Tristan!" She screamed.

Just as the knight was about to be killed, a loud screech came from above. Arianna looked towards the clouds and witnessed true loyalty. Tristan's hawk shot out of the clouds and made its way towards him. Arianna could only watch in amazement at the sheer sight of such an animal and the act that it was about to commit. The hawk flew right into the Saxon's face, using his talons to claw at the man's eyes, nose, whatever it could grab onto. Just then, Arthur made his way over to Tristan, blocking him from the death that would have had him if it had not been for his faithful companion. Arianna would have kept watching but was soon occupied with a Saxon herself.

The battle seemed to take forever; Arianna was becoming tired and could see that there were still quite a few Saxons left. She had lost sight of Guinevere when she had become distracted by Tristan. She only prayed that Arthur had gotten to him in time. The sweat on her face was mixed with the blood from the men she had killed. Her arm ached from the cut she had received earlier and she was captivated with fear as to where her friends now lay. Searching for Guinevere she then realized her the worst. She had gone up against the Saxon's son, Cynric. At first, she seemed as if she could handle the situation, but then it went from bad to worse. What Arianna did not realize was that Lancelot had also seen the fight, and was on his way to help her. In one blow, Cynric had slammed his shield into Guinevere's face, blood now covered her features as she lay on the ground. Arianna tried her best to get there, but was cut off by a sudden pain to her arm. Looking down, she now had an arrow sticking out of her right arm. Gritting her teeth, she pulled as hard as she could on the shaft. She could tell it had become imbedded into the muscle and tried even harder, cursing under her breath when she felt the tissue tear. Finally it released itself and she threw the weapon onto the ground. Blood poured freely down her arm as she again searched for Guinevere. This time, instead of finding her friend fighting Cynric, she now found Lancelot. The two moved around one another, their swords ready for the kill. She could see the small smile that played on Lancelot's face as he cut into the Saxon's leg. As she made her way towards them, she was forced to use her arm to defend herself. She was tired now, more than ever, and received a large gash across her leg. Moving out of the way, she used one of her daggers and jammed into the man's eye, causing him to fall to the ground. Exhausted she stood up, and suddenly realized that Lancelot was now fighting someone else. Had he killed Cynric? She had to make sure. She tried to search through the smoke and finally noticed the shaven head of the Saxon man. It was then that she realized that he was holding something in his hand.

"Lancelot," She whispered as she realized it was a crossbow. "Lancelot!"

She ran towards Lancelot as fast as she could, hoping that she would get there in time. She could see Cynric grabbing an arrow and placing it in the bow. Pushing around people, she ran towards the knight.

"Lancelot!" She screamed.

Lancelot plunged his sword into the other man's chest and turned around just in time to see Arianna jump towards him. She pushed him to the ground just as the arrow was launched towards them. He watched in horror as the arrow landed in her shoulder. She landed on the ground next to him, exhausted from the fighting and the pain.

"You," Cynric growled. He definitely remembered her from the lake. She was now on all fours, trying to keep herself up. Lancelot was only a foot away, the anger easily seen on his face. Grabbing one of his swords he threw it, and it landed exactly where he wanted it to. Right in Cynric's chest. The Saxon looked down as if he couldn't believe that this knight had thrown a sword at him, let alone kill him. He fell face first into the mud.

"Arianna?" Lancelot asked, trying his best not to grab her and pull her off the field.

"I'm fine, but you might want to take care of that ugly beast coming this way." She replied as he turned to see a rather large Saxon heading towards them.

Arianna could barely keep her eyes open as she heard the clashing of swords in front of her. She could see Lancelot and this giant of a being in ferocious combat, and hoped against all odds that Lancelot would defeat him. The Sarmatian landed on his back, a large bruise already appearing across his face from the punch he had just received. Arianna wanted so desperately to help him, but she knew she had no strength and would only get in the way. She closed her eyes as the Saxon slammed his large foot into Lancelot's gut, kicking him a few feet away. The sound of cracking bones echoed in her ears, it sounded like he had broken a few ribs, maybe his collarbone. She could tell he was in pain. Standing up, Lancelot was not about to give up. He charged at the much larger man, swords in each hand, ready to end the fight. Suddenly the Saxon plunged his sword into Lancelot's leg, but it was all that Lancelot needed to shove his weapons through the other mans neck. Arianna could tell that the fight was coming to an end, there weren't many Saxons left on the field left to fight. She could make out the blurred image of Arthur, Bors, Gawain, Galahad, and Guinevere coming towards them. She then realized that Tristan was on the back of Bors and she feared the worst. She saw Lancelot smile at his friends, and didn't even realize that someone was behind her.

In an instant she felt a surge of heat in her stomach and wasn't sure of what had happened. The screams and voices coming from her friends became muffled, making it difficult to understand what they were saying. Arianna couldn't understand what was going on, she didn't even realize what she had her hand on. Something was sticking out of her body and she couldn't even register it in her mind. All she could think about was that she felt this sudden warmth on her stomach, and yet her body shook with cold sweat. Did she pass out, was this a dream she was having again? She was exhausted and thought that maybe her body had taken over and she was asleep. Somehow, she knew it wasn't. She could see the faces of her friends however, and knew that something was wrong. Abruptly she felt a dirty hand wrap itself around her throat as she felt a second shot of heat through her body.

"Let her go!" Guinevere screamed.

"She's dead either way," And Arianna suddenly realized that she was being held by one of the injured Saxons, one they thought had been killed.

Arthur, Guinevere, and the knights stood before Arianna and her capture, afraid that his statement might be true. Guinevere's eyes filled with water as she could only stand and stare at the sword that now protruded out of her friend's abdomen. Arianna's lower half was now covered in blood, and they could tell that she was getting weaker with each passing moment. She could feel the sharp pain from the weapon that had lodged itself into her body. She stifled a cry as he pushed the sword further, blood pouring down the tip of the sword as she tried hard not to let the tears fall. It didn't help that she still had the arrow in her arm, let alone two nice gashes.

Arianna's eyes were becoming heavy, the pain from the wound in her stomach was becoming faint, and she stared up at Guinevere. Blood began to trail down her chin, almost as if it were trying to become part of the blood that now stained most of her body. As her eyes began to shut, all Arianna could see was Guinevere, her lifetime friend, now had an arrow pointed straight at her.

"Let her go this instant!" Guinevere screamed, holding the bow and arrow steady, ready to shoot at any given moment.

Lancelot, Arthur and the others stood by, watching as the nightmare continued. Lancelot knew that they needed to get Arianna some help, and they needed to do it fast. She had passed out, probably from the pain, but the Saxon still held her body up.

"Either let her go, or die." Arthur commanded, revealing the long blade of Excalibur. "Either way, you shall feel the pain of death fall quickly upon you."

"I don't think so," The man yelled, smiling as another enemy strolled their way, bow in arms, ready to fire.

"This is getting out of hand," Gawain murmured.

"Seems you have a few friends left," Galahad sneered.

"As Saxons we do not give up until the last enemy is dead." The man smirked, his grip on Ariana's neck becoming tighter. "Who has the advantage now?"

"We can take them, I can only see four of them, the rest have fled." Bors stated.

"What do you have in mind?" Arthur asked.

"I can kill the man holding Arianna," Guinevere stated. "However, I do not know what will happen with our friend once he falls. I do not know what will happen to the sword once he lets go."

"We have to try," Lancelot remarked. "I'm not giving up on her yet."

"Fine," Arthur agreed. "This is your last chance Saxons, leave or die."

Their enemies could not help but to laugh, thinking that they had the upper hand. In a second, Guinevere had released the arrow, and it stuck into her target with such a force that it sent the man flying. It also sent Arianna to land on her hands, so she was still alive, but barely. She had saved herself from feeling the pain of landing on the sword, and soon fell to her side, once again passing out. The one Saxon with the bow, released his arrow, and it landed in the mud as Gawain ducked and charged at him. The sound of tearing flesh and the smell of blood filled the air once more as the knight ended the other man's life. The other two Saxons were being taken care of by Galahad and Arthur, both men only took a moment to strike with such precision that even the others hadn't realized they were dead until the bodies hit the ground.

"Arianna!" Lancelot cried, trying his best to get to her. He wasn't even worried about his own wounds, he only wanted to make sure that the Woad was still alive.

"We need to get you three to the wall, to get you help." Arthur mentioned as he noticed Lancelot and the pain he was enduring. They had to act quickly before it was too late, both for Arianna and Tristan.

The group made their way back to the wall, hoping that they still had time before they lost any more friends.

Three days later Lancelot paced around the hallways, the same way he had been doing since the end of the battle. He wore bandages almost from head to toe, and walked with a limp due to the gash in his leg. But he wasn't worried about himself, he could only think of Arianna and his friend Tristan.

"You need to eat something," Guinevere stated, holding out a piece of bread towards the tall man.

"I'm not hungry." He replied.

"You haven't eaten since we brought her back. Arianna would be worried if she knew you hadn't eaten anything."

"I don't care. I don't care about anything except for her right now!" Lancelot shouted.

"If she were in your position, and was wasting away like you are doing now, how would you feel once you woke up?" Guinevere said softly, just as worried about her friend as Lancelot was.

"I'd hate myself," He whispered.

"Just something small, a drink perhaps." The brunette asked.

"I...I don't know what I would do if she...if she..." He went quiet, staring out through the window at the remains of the battlefield.

"I know," The woman replied, placing her hand over his. "Don't give up, she has a lot to live for and she's too stubborn to give in."

"Through all my years in this life, all I ever wanted was one moment of happiness." He sighed, looking down at Guinevere. "And she gave that to me. Now all I want to do is be selfish and have that happiness again. To take her in my arms, to never let her go."

Guinevere couldn't help but smile at him. Ever since she had first met the knight she had noticed that he had changed. He seemed happier than at first and more open. Reaching up she brushed her hand against his cheek.

"No more a dream than me loving Arthur."

"That is no dream, that is reality. You shall be married soon, and you deserve to be happy, so does he."

Suddenly a chamber maid walked up to them, her smile told them that there was some good news to finally be had.

"Tristan is awake, my lady. You wanted me to let you know if there was any change."

Guinevere and Lancelot smiled at each other as they made their way towards Tristan's room. Knocking on his door, they entered to find the rest of their group around his bed. The faithful hawk sat, perched, keeping its eye on its owner. You could see the happy expression on everyone's faces.

"Tristan," Lancelot smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"I'd feel better if I had my daggers," He said, almost pouting.

"He woke up wanting to kill something," Gawain laughed.

"Sounds like Tristan to me." Galahad smirked.

As they stood around Tristan's bed, talking about the events of the fight, and what happened after it, down the hall Arianna opened her eyes. Her vision was beyond blurry, but she could tell that she was back in her room at the wall. A strong breeze fluttered in, bringing with it the smells of the fight, and the memories of what happened. Taking a breath in, she could feel the immense pain from the gash that was in her stomach. How could she have survived such an attack? To have been run through and lived to tell about it. Pushing herself up, she tried her best to focus on something, to get her eyes back to normal. Pulling back the sheets she could tell that she wore a nightdress, one that was woolly and quite itchy. Scratching her shoulder she realized that her entire torso was bound up by bandages. She felt weak, and it seemed difficult for her to breath, but it was just a sign that she was still alive. Instantly, she realized it must have been days since she had been placed in this bed. Wanting to see if she could move a little she attempted to stand up. She was the kind who didn't like to ask for help, so enduring the pain, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Noticing a chair next to the wall, she used it to support herself. Slowly, she stood up and with each painstaking step, made her way to the door.

Peeking her head out, she couldn't hear a thing, not even a footstep or noise from outside. She had to stop in the frame, her breath was becoming deeper and deeper, and she realized that she needed to slow down or she would hyperventilate. Leaning against the wall, she made her way towards the east end of the corridor. Suddenly she found herself on the floor, tripping over a bucket that she hadn't realized was there in the first place. Her vision, by now was improving, but everything still seemed faded and made it difficult. She landed on her hands and the sudden force crept its way up her arms making her stifle a cry as the pain seemed to become more persistent.

She stood back up, the sweat poured down her face, as she continued her way along the wall. She could hear voices coming from one of the other bedrooms further down the hallway, but didn't want to call out for help. She wasn't a damsel in distress, she wasn't about to let this ruin her pride. She felt bad enough that her friends had to risk their lives just to save her in the first place.

Just as she was turning the corner a sudden pain shot through her stomach.

"Ah!" She cried as she crumpled to the ground. It was becoming worse with each movement and tears found themselves at the corner of her eyes.

She was closer to the voices and tried to call out, but the pain got the better of her.

"Ah!" She screamed, the tears freely flowing. She was holding her hand to her stomach as she heard footsteps coming.

"Arianna?" It was Lancelot.

"It hurts," She cried.

She opened her eyes to find Lancelot, Gawain, Galahad, and Guinevere. She smiled at her friends, and it felt as if it had been years since she had seen them. But the smile only last a few short seconds as the pain increased.

"Let me see," Lancelot whispered. She removed her hand from her waist.

"Oh Gods, it's bleeding again," Gawain cried.

"We've got to get her back to her room. Galahad, go get the doctor." Guinevere stated.

Lancelot placed his arms under Arianna's legs and around her waist, slowly lifting her off the ground. The blood was now visible through the night dress as they made their way to her room, the bandages apparently not doing their job, making her friends worry for her life once again.

"I'm sorry," Arianna cried as she was placed back on the bed, the pain quite noticeable on her face now.

"For what?" Lancelot asked, sitting by her side.

"For making you all...worry about me," She said, trying her best to breathe without causing more pain to herself.

The others could only smile and shake their heads, trying to comfort her. Galahad came rushing in, with the doctor close behind him.

"Let me see," The old man said, making his way over to Arianna's bed.

He sat on the edge of her bed, and placed a hand on her stomach, as if the blood on her stomach wasn't proof enough that she had started bleeding again.

"I need to examine her, everyone must leave the room while I do so," He commanded.

As the group turned to leave, Arianna reached her hand out to Lancelot.

"Don't go," She whimpered, sweat stained her beautiful face as he took her hand in his.

"This may hurt my child, but we need to stop the bleeding." The physician remarked.

The white haired man pulled her gown up to her chest, exposing the bandages that covered her wounds. Using a knife, he pulled the wrapping away from her body, finally exposing the horror of the sword's mark.

"Ah! Please, it hurts..." The tears streamed down her face. Lancelot hated to see her in pain.

Outside the others could only stand and listen to the constant screams that escaped from Arianna's lips. Gawain slammed his fist into the wall.

"Hasn't she been through enough?" He demanded.

"She's tough, she'll make it yet." Guinevere remarked. She didn't let anyone see the tear fall from her eye as she looked out the window.

Over the next few hours, Arianna lay in bed, tossing and turning from the pain that now crept into her very soul. Lancelot had not left her side for one moment, and was now peacefully sleeping beside her. Opening her eyes, she looked around. It was dark and the small candle that lay by her bed did not help much. She could see Lancelot's handsome face as he snored away quietly. She took a hand to her forehead and wiped away the fresh sweat. Every time she moved, every position she tried to sit in, was uncomfortable to her. She thought of earlier, when the doctor had decided to uncut the stitches that had been placed there before. At least the first time she hadn't felt it. But this time, she was fully aware of the pain that coursed through her stomach. Lancelot had to hold her by the shoulders to keep her from moving too much and watched in dismay as the tears stained her face and her voice became faint from screaming. They had cleaned and redone the stitches, and had wound it so tight she thought she might not be able to breathe. And for the first time in her life, she was truly afraid of the pain. Looking down at the man next to her, she worried that she wouldn't get to spend more time with him, with her friends, and that scared her even more.

There was a quiet knock on her door.

"Come in," She whispered.

Guinevere stuck her head in through the door, and slowly shut it behind her. She could not help but smile at Lancelot as she took her place on the other side of her friend.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"How do I look?" Ariana could not help but smile.

"Terrible." Guinevere replied. "Of course, you did get shot by 2 arrows, received many cuts and bruises, and let us not forget the sword in your belly."

"That was quite a day. How is Tristan holding up?" She asked with true concern.

"He is better. Already out and about, trying to find any Saxons left to kill. He will be back to his normal self in no time."

"I'm glad."

The two women sat in silence for a moment, thinking about that horrible day, when Lancelot snorted, turning his head away.

"He hasn't left your side since this afternoon." Guinevere stated. "He cares for you deeply."

"And I for him. The fool needs to eat though." Arianna smirked as she ran her fingers through his dark locks.

"Let us leave him for now. And you, my dear friend, need more rest yourself. You've had a busy day."

"But I was so hoping to go to the bar and have a few drinks," Arianna joked.

Guinevere left the room, left it to its silence once more. Arianna tried to fall back to sleep but she had slept all day and now was wide awake. She was afraid, however, of getting out of bed and having another problem like she had earlier. She looked over towards the window, staring at the beautiful star lit sky. Looking back down at Lancelot she noticed that he held something in his hand. Moving slowly so as not to wake him, she pulled a wooden necklace from his hand. She had seen him holding it before, though she did not know what it meant. Smiling, she placed it back in his grasp. She once again turned towards the window, enjoying the small breeze that now played with the auburn strands that stuck to her face. She took in a deep breath as her heartbeat thumped in her ear.

"You're awake," She heard the softness of his voice behind her.

"So are you," She smiled at him, noticing his dark curls in a mess from moving his head while sleeping. "I couldn't sleep anymore and was enjoying the night breeze."

"Would you like to see the sky better?" He asked, standing up and running his hands through his hair.

"I should not try and walk after this afternoon." She smiled.

"No one said anything about walking my dear lady," And with that, he walked to the crate that held a blanket, walked back to her and pulled back her sheets. "It would do you good to get some fresh air."

She could only stare up at him as he draped the blanket around her, keeping her covered and warm, as he gently picked her up in his arms.

"I know the others would like to see you as well," Lancelot said.

He cradled her in his arms as he made his way down to the open grounds. She rested her head against his shoulder, enjoying the warmth of his body against hers, the way he held her so gently as if she were made of glass. She could feel his heartbeat against her hand, and enjoyed the rhythm it made. It seemed like so long since she had been outside and enjoyed the freshness of the air as they stepped into the tavern area. She could see the smiles on the knights faces and enjoyed the company.

"Lancelot's not taking his sweet time trying to get you to go back to his room," Gawain snorted.

"Won't do him any good, seeing as the poor girl can't even walk." Bors smiled gently.

"I have other ways of pleasing women," Lancelot grinned at his friends as he slowly placed Arianna in a chair.

The rest of the night they enjoyed drinks, music and each other. It was nice being around these knights again, she had missed it. As she drank a glass of water, she could only think of one thing. Where was she going to go from here?

It had been several days now since Arianna had woken up. She was still very weak, but she hated being waited upon like some child. She hadn't been outside of the walls in awhile and was beginning to forget what the touch of grass felt like.

"Can I get you anything else, my lady?" The chamber maid asked.

"No, I said I was fine only moments ago, I do not think my mind has changed since. You may go now," Arianna stated, pressing the word "now" out with force.

"Yes, milady." The other woman said as she bowed, and then left.

"I'm going to slowly go insane if I stay in this place," Arianna mumbled.

Looking out of her window and into the courtyard, she could see Bors' children running about freely. It was a fairly pleasant day as the sun shone through the opening and across her face. The bruises that had claimed her body were now fading, the only signs were her pale face and slight limp. She was becoming tired of these games with her body and only hoped that it would soon heal.

She leaned a few inches out of the window and caught a glimpse of the courtyard where the bar was. She could already see Gawain, Galahad and Bors drinking and cheering about loudly. Once again, Tristan was proving his abilities as he flung the daggers into the side of a chair, leaving Gawain to sit and wonder what the trick to the game was. Arianna could not help but smile and hold in a laugh as Gawain stumbled to the chair, with said daggers, and leaned in close to inspect it. She could tell that he had already had his share of drinks and women, but he was always the early riser. Pulling her head back into the room, she turned to her chest that lay in the corner. Opening it, she pulled out her light rose colored dress and decided that it was now the time to come back to reality. She no longer wanted to sit and wait while everyone did everything for her. She wanted to join in the fun that the knights were having. It was only a drink, what could possibly happen?

Lancelot was walking across the courtyard, with thoughts of Saxons and Arianna floating through his mind. Arthur had pulled him over the night before, explaining the many troubles that flooded his mind.

The night before:

"Lancelot," Arthur smiled sadly at his friend.

"Something troubles you, Arthur." The younger knight said. He could see it clearly on the new Kings face.

"Many things trouble me, my friend. My wedding for one," He looked down.

"And?" Lancelot asked, his brows furrowed in worry.

"And the possible thought of the remaining Saxons." Arthur finished his sentence as he came from the other side of the round table. He placed his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Remaining Saxons? I thought they had all but gone that day." He asked in disbelief.

"Unfortunately, no. There are still a few, not enough to start another war, but enough to cause trouble." He walked away towards the door.

"I am here for your cause, Arthur. You know that. Remember, I do not like anything that brings a man to his knees, especially other men. If there is cause for it, I shall fight by your side once again, as a free man."

"My truest and most loyal friend, I thank you," Arthur smiled at Lancelot.

"You remember you told me once that you could not follow me, that I should take freedom for the both of us?"

"That night relives in my mind almost every day."

"You may not have been able to follow me, but there is no chance that I shall not follow you. Our freedom seems to be bound to you, Arthur."

Lancelot could not help but smile as he continued his walk through the courtyard. They had seen many battles together, had lost many friends, and he knew that his destiny was to be beside Arthur. He knew that now, nothing was pulling him away from this place, there was no home to go back to. His place was here.

Suddenly his nose caught the scent of something familiar, of rose water and lilies. It was an unusual scent, but he knew who it belonged to, and it wasn't coming from where it was supposed to. Following his nose and the sound from the bar, he reached his destination, and found that his instincts weren't lying. There, sitting on a bench between Bors and Gawain, sat Arianna. A rather large pitcher sat in front of her as the beginnings of a blush sprung across her face.

"Lancelot!" Arianna smiled, waving him over. Gawain had yet another beauty attached to his lap, the young girl twirling a piece of his hair in her fingers as she nibbled on his ear.

"What are you doing out of your room?" Lancelot asked, more concerned than mad.

"Did you really expect me to just sit there and do nothing? When there was so much to drink down here?" She smirked.

Tristan sat at the far end of the table, leaning back against the wall, watching with interest at the scene before him. Bors was busy trying to get one of his many children to stop crying, probably from being pushed over by son number three. Galahad meanwhile was laying with his face on the table, snoring loudly against the wood. Probably awake till all hours of the night with some young girl he had met last night.

"I only thought it would be in your best interest if you continued to rest in your bed. I would have gladly brought a drink up to you," Lancelot stated, sounding more like a father to his daughter, than a man to a woman.

"Did you stop to think that maybe, good sir, that I did not want to wait around for old age to come and claim me? I know my body best, and it is telling me to move about and to regain my strength through walking." She said, slamming down her cup onto the table, sending droplets of the wine flying.

"Hmm." Galahad murmured as he turned his head, not even aware of the tempers that were flaring not but three feet from his dozing frame.

"The only thing I was thinking about was your health." And with that, Lancelot turned around and stormed back towards his quarters.

"He needs a drink," Gawain smirked as he snuggled closer to the damsel's chest.

"He needs to be fixed," Arianna mustered. She snorted as she took another drink from her cup.

It was to be a few hours before Arianna and Lancelot ran into each other once again. This time, the alcohol had worn off and she was fully aware of her anger towards him. She was beginning to feel more like a childish burden than someone he might care for. She didn't need another father, she already had one, one that she could easily forget. She was in her room, yet again, busy brushing her hair for dinner. All of the knights, along with their guests, were invited to join Arthur and Guinevere for a pre-wedding dinner. Tomorrow was the day that everyone had anticipated, had looked forward too, and maybe had even been scared of. Ariana could not help but smile at the thought of her friend, Guinevere, shaking in her wedding gown. The woman she had grown up with, who never even flinched when a 300 pound man came running at her, would be pale in the face, hands shaking because of one little ring on her finger. Actually, it was due to the fact that she was about to bind herself with another person. Arianna could only imagine what that would be like.

She stood up and pulled a cloth around her shoulders when her door rattled with a knock.

"Yes?" She called out.

The door swung open to reveal Lancelot, standing against the door frame, his arms crossed against his chest. His dark eyes seemed to pierce hers as he continued in through the door, closing it behind him.

"Unless it's an apology that escapes your lips, I do not think it would be wise to say anything but." She implied, crossing over to her window. She swept her hair behind her shoulder, something she did often, and only when she was upset.

"Apology? What is there to apologize for? I was only concerned for your well being!" Lancelot stated, his brows becoming almost as rigid as his back.

"I told you I was fine, I know my body best. And if I wanted another father figure, I wouldn't have slept with you!" She said, slamming her hand into the stone.

"I never forced you to sleep with me!" Lancelot growled back. "Hell, it might have been better if it had never happened!"

Arianna turned around to face him, and he could clearly see that she was about to go over the edge.

"Right now, to me, it didn't happen. The thought itself seems like a farce to me, and I do not understand how I could ever think of you as being an attractive and civilized man!"

They were at the point of yelling, almost as if they were afraid that the other person would not be able to hear what they had said. At the moment, it was hard enough for the rest of the castle not to hear their conversation.

"You should be so lucky!" Lancelot screamed, his fists close to his sides. "I'm not even sure if you knew what civilized was until you met me!"

"Oh, I should be so lucky? Oh thank you, dear knight, you who saved me with your good looks and loose tongue!" She bellowed. Arianna could feel her face heat up with the anger that seemed to be doing the same exact thing. She wasn't sure how long she could keep up this yelling match, but she knew that she'd end up hitting him sooner or later.

"At least I am of noble title and not some savage who belongs in the woods like the wild animal she is!" And the moment that left his drawn lips, he knew it was a mistake. At first, the look in her eyes looked more like tears, but soon the resilience and stubbornness returned.

"Well, my lord, if that is how you see it, I shall no longer bother you and your gentle noblemen. By morning I shall be out of your service and out of your walls. Now get out." She whispered.

"Arianna." He mumbled.

"Get out!" She stated, firmly as to keep herself from crying in front of him.

Lancelot had no choice but to leave. He thought it would be best to leave her alone for awhile and then come back and try to talk to her, once she had calmed down, and once she was away from anything that could be turned into a weapon of some sorts.

Turning around, Lancelot came face to face with Gawain. And Galahad. And Bors. The three knights looked around, trying to come up with an excuse as to why they were there. Bors decided he was going to try and look as if he were searching for his children.

"Little bastards get lost so easily, can't lose sight of them for one second." He murmured as he walked off, counting off numbers.

Galahad, on the other hand, was pretending to be drunk. However, as Lancelot stared down at the younger man, he knew his efforts were useless, and instead of trying to explain himself, ran off towards the bar in hopes of finding his young maiden.

"You shouldn't have said that you know," Gawain muttered as he leaned against the wall. Lancelot knew he could always count on Gawain to utter something.

"And what concern is it of yours?" The curly haired man asked, crossing his arms across his chest as if he were born that way.

"It is always a concern of mine when people I care about get hurt." The blond muttered.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Lancelot was not sure of what he heard, and he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to hear it again.

"I know you heard me. And I know where your heart belongs, and where her heart belongs. I only wish for her happiness. And yours. You and I have been friends longer than I can remember, and nothing would come between that. And friends tell each other when they have done something idiotic." Gawain smirked.

"And you would like to tell me," Lancelot sighed.

"You, my dear sir, have done something idiotic." Gawain mustered as the other knight slowly walked away.

Arianna could do nothing but lean against the door, her heart beating against her throat. Did she hear correctly? Had Gawain lost his mind? No, she thought, he had not lost his mind, only his control over his drink. She took a deep breath and began to think. There was only one thing that she could really do, especially after that horrific fight with Lancelot. She needed to go home for awhile, needed to see her family and the place she had grown up in. It had been months since she had been home, and now was as good a time as any to go. First, she realized, she needed to tell Guinevere and Arthur.

The Morning After:

The sun bore through the window as Arianna turned over in her sleep. Her dreams were occupied with the argument she had had with Lancelot the night before. Her brow furrowed in anger as the dream replayed the actions of the night before.

"Curse this dream!" She yelled sitting up in bed.

Arianna could only shake her head as she pulled her knees to her chest. Her thoughts began to drift back to her conversation with Guinevere the night before.

Arianna stormed to her friends room, in hopes of either comfort or of telling Guinevere that she would be leaving the wall and going home. Her face was red from yelling at Lancelot, and her heart seemed as if it would break. But she decided that she was not going to play the damsel that needed a man in her life, she was a Woad, a warrior, and she was strong.

As she walked up to the door that led to Guinevere's room, she took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. Knocking lightly, Arianna waited for the welcome.

"Come in," The all too familiar voice stated.

Pushing the door open, she could not help but gasp at the sight in front of her.

"What do you think? Is it too detailed?" Guinevere asked as she turned around, the white fabric of her gown billowing off her shoulders as if the wind itself wanted to wear the dress.

"No. You look," Arianna searched for the right word, "radiant."

"Thank you," Guinevere smiled.

Arianna could not bring herself to tell her friend of what had just happened. The fight with Lancelot, the thought of Gawain losing his mind, and the mention of leaving for home the next day.

"Something bothers you," Guinevere commented.

"Don't be silly," Arianna whispered, "Just a little tired from everything."

"I'm sure, but I know that look dear friend. The last time I saw that expression was when that boy tried to kiss you, I believe it was almost eight years ago."

"It is nothing to worry about, Guinevere. Right now, all you must think of is tomorrow's ceremony."

Arianna could not bring herself to tell her friend of her plan to leave after the wedding. She could not imagine what that would do to her spirits and she did not want to be responsible for a sad bride.

As she climbed off of the bed, Arianna could tell that it was going to be a beautiful day; as long as nothing went wrong. Walking over to the window she looked down into the courtyard and could already see the servants and friends rushing to get things completed. Taking a deep breath she caught sight of Lancelot talking to one of the young boys, no doubt giving him some sort of command or task that really did not need to be done. Arianna scowled for a moment before resuming her mood to a more natural state. Reaching down to the chair she picked up the dress that Guinevere had picked out for her the night before. It was a light shade of rose, and the fabric felt softer than the petals on the flowers she had touched the night before. Slipping off her sleeping gown, she placed the crushed velvet over her head and proceeded to brush her long auburn hair.

Just as she had finished braiding her hair, she heard a soft knock on the door.

"Come in," She stated as she put a ribbon through her locks and pushed the few strands away from her face.

She turned to come face to face with Gawain, who at the moment was wearing nothing more than his trousers and boots.

"Sorry," Gawain huffed as he pressed against the door. "Trying to hide from the lady Guinevere tried to force upon me."

"Force?" Arianna smiled. "As I recall, you were the one begging her for a wife, were you not?"

"Ok, so I admit defeat my lady!" Gawain whispered as he heard footsteps running past the door. "But I cannot admit defeat to the lady outside. Please let me keep you company for just a little while longer."

"Alright, but for a short while. The ceremony is going to start shortly and I have to go see Guinevere before it begins." Arianna could not help but laugh.

"It is a pleasure to hear you laugh again," Gawain became serious as he turned his eyes towards hers.

"I understand you heard the discussion that I had with Lancelot last night."

"I cannot deny it; I did over hear the quarrel." He smiled gently. "But you know I do not mean to meddle in affairs that do not concern me, I just care for your happiness."

Arianna could not help but to notice the fact that Gawain was indeed shirtless. Any hot blooded young woman would have noticed the same thing, the way his long blond hair hung around his face, shadowing his features and making him look more rugged than he actually was. Or the way that the muscles in his chest seemed to pulsate every time he took a step towards her. Shaking her head from the every approaching image and the words that she had heard the night before, she turned towards her small mirror to finish her hair. Unfortunately she had already finished her hair before he had even come into the room.

Before she knew what was happening she could feel the warmth of Gawain's arms around her shoulders. She wasn't really sure of what to do; the only thing that could come to mind was to keep breathing.

"A beauty such as yourself should not go to the ceremony alone." Gawain whispered into her ear. "Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the wedding?"

"I would love to," She said.

"I want you to be happy." And with that, Gawain left the room.

"So do I," Arianna whispered to the closed door.

Gawain slowly walked back to his room, thankful that the young Woad woman had not found him once he had left Arianna's room. He knew he should be used to this by now, leading women on and then leaving them to move on to the next woman. The women he slept with knew this, and didn't mind it at all.

"What am I doing?" He asked himself.

He opened the door to his room and slowly closed it behind him. Leaning against it, he rested his head against the smooth wood and closed his eyes. Suddenly there came a knock on the door.

"Gawain? Are you there?" Asked the familiar voice.

"Galahad?" Gawain asked, a little surprised at the visitor. He turned and opened the door.

"I think you lost these," The younger knight handed over the clothes that Gawain dropped. "Might have been when you jumped over the table to get away from Miriam."

"Thank you, I might need these." He laughed.

"Have you seen Lancelot or Arianna this morning?" Galahad asked, knowing full well the answer.

"I saw Arianna not long ago. Lancelot, I have not seen."

"Well, you get dressed and I shall go look for him. Arthur needed to see him before the wedding started." And with that, Galahad turned and left.

Gawain closed the door behind his friend and turned around to the wash tub. Placing both his hands into the cool water, he splashed it against his face, and took a deep breath as the water droplets soaked into his beard.

Meanwhile, across the court yard and up a level of stairs, Guinevere sat in her wedding gown, while servants ran around trying to get everything prepared. Her heart seemed as if it were about to jump out of her chest as she tried to calm herself down.

"Guinevere?" Arianna's voice came from behind her.

"Arianna, I'm glad I could see you before the ceremony." The soon to be Queen smiled. "There seems as if there is too much to do, yet so little time to finish it all."

"You look even more beautiful than last night," The shorter woman stated.

For the next hour Arianna stayed to help Guinevere with her hair, dress and other important things a bride might need. Before they realized it, it was time for Guinevere and Arthur to be married, or bound as the Pagans called it. Either way, it would be a ceremony no one would soon forget.

Tormenting through Celebration:

Arianna sat, watching as the others around her drank, and enjoyed the moment of the wedding. It had been a nice and quiet ceremony, and she could hardly keep herself from crying when she watched Guinevere make her vow to Arthur. She was so glad to see her friend happy, it had been a long time since she had seen the young woman smile the way she had at Arthur.

Meanwhile, during the entire service, she could not help but notice Lancelot sulking in the corner. He never seemed like one for weddings and all, but this was his commander, now his king, that was getting married. He should have at least tried to have been happy for the taller man. Of course, she had to admit it might also have been the fact that Gawain was standing very close to her, her arm laced through his like a lady should do when in the company of a man. She couldn't help but smile at Gawain when he patted her hand when she had begun to cry.

Now, the wedding had finished, and all the Woads and the remaining military were gathered in a great hall in Hadrins wall. Drinks had been passed all around, everyone was enjoying themselves, everyone except for Lancelot. He seemed as if he were concentrating very hard on the candle that lay in front of him. He didn't want to look up, due to the fact that he knew he'd see Gawain throwing himself all over Arianna. The very thought of even a single finger from the blond, touching her in any way, brought a stab of jealousy to his body. His hands twitched into fists as he tried his best to control it.

"More wine, my lord?" A young maiden asked as she passed Lancelot.

"No," Was all he said to her. The young woman walked off as the knight continued his staring contest with the centerpiece.

At the same time, Bors, Tristan, and Galahad were having a contest to see who could drink the most and in the quickest amount of time. Tristan and Bors were tied, both having finished off three pitchers of wine themselves. Galahad, on the other hand, was slowly swaying from side to side, obviously not as experienced in the drinking field as the others.

"Bring more wine!" Bors yelled as he threw down another cup. His face was bright red and his eyes seemed as if they had been covered in a glaze.

"Maybe Galahad should quit," Tristan remarked as he noticed the youngest knight over the brim of his glass.

"No!" Galahad squeaked out. "I'm just as tough as any of you. I can drink another twelve whole…" And with that, Galahad's face soon found the table, followed by the loud thump of his body hitting the floor.

"Right, we'll just get those twelve pitchers for you," Bors laughed.

Arthur and Guinevere sat at the end of the table, enjoying the company of their friends and each other.

"It seems your friend Galahad has had too much to drink," Guinevere smiled.

"He never could keep his wine, the poor lad. He never really had a chance against those two." But Arthur could only smile as well, the sight of Bors and Tristan, as drunk as they were, trying to get Galahad up.

Finally the two gave up and commanded a squire to do it for them.

A few minutes later the musicians decided to start the music, a soft melody of strings and voices. Arthur extended his hand to his new bride and she happily accepted it. Soon, almost everyone was out dancing, swaying along to the music. The group sang about home and the freedom they chose. Arianna could not help but feel happy to hear those words. Home and freedom were theirs now, they had earned it, and they were going to keep it. Gawain had asked her to dance, and being the lady that she sometimes could be, she gladly accepted it. He pulled her into the crowd of dancing bodies and they too began to move with the music.

Lancelot noticed the two getting up, and watched intently as they moved towards the group. He remembered what Gawain had told him, but he still had his doubts. However, he still could not keep the anger from rising in his veins. He knew if he didn't leave, he would do something that he would regret. Standing up, he grabbed his cup of wine, the pitcher of wine, and headed out of the front doors. Arianna noticed him leave, and tried to ignore it, but her feelings towards him kept tugging at her heart.

"Would you please excuse me, Gawain? I'm afraid I need to attend to something. May we finish this dance later?" She asked, hoping that he wouldn't be too upset with her.

"Of course, I will gladly wait for your return." He smiled, even though he knew where she was going.

"Thank you," And with that, she followed the direction in which Lancelot had gone.

As soon as she stepped outside she could feel the soft breeze coursing through the night sky. She now wished that she had grabbed her cloak when she had come out. But now was not the time to think about that, she had to know where Lancelot had gone and she needed to talk to him. He seemed as if he was really upset, and even though she still hated him for what he had said to her the night before, she still cared for him.

Walking from the hall she made her way through the courtyard, looking around for any signs of the knight. Walking up the stairs she made her way through the upper level of Hadrins wall. She had made it about halfway across the turret when she heard a voice.

"You should just go back in there and ignore it," Lancelot's voice drifted across the space between them. "But then you might do something you'll regret, and you wouldn't want that to happen."

Arianna could not help but suppress a giggle, she had never heard Lancelot talking to himself before. She knew that he didn't believe in God, neither did she, she was a pagan, just like him. But she still prayed to the Gods and Goddesses that the faith believed in, she wasn't even sure if Lancelot believed in them, but she knew he never prayed.

"That Gawain must really want me to inflict pain on him." Lancelot continued.

Arianna tried to keep quiet as she slowly eased forward, catching a glimpse of the back of his curly black hair. Taking another step she accidentally made her shoe hit the wrong stone at the wrong time.

Lancelot twirled around, brandishing his sword. He then realized who it was and placed it back in his sheath.

"Oh, it's you. I thought you might be…well never mind. What do you want?" He asked.

He sounds like he's mad at me! Arianna thought. He was the one who said those horrible things to me last night, I should be the one mad at him!

"I was a little concerned as to why you left so suddenly, but I guess I shouldn't have. I should just leave you to sulk in the corner like a child." She remarked, mad that he still wasn't going to apologize.

"Sulk? If it wasn't for you flirting so openly with Gawain, I wouldn't be so upset." He huffed.

"You upset? Did you forget about last night?"

"I made a mistake with what I said! You, on the other hand, are deliberately making me mad!" And with that, Lancelot picked up the jug of wine and threw it against the wall.

"I'm sorry if I am trying to have a good time on the day that my closest friend gets married! You should try to be at least happy for them, they deserve today."

"They have nothing to do with this." Lancelot seethed. "This is about us, remember? Unless your memory is as short as your tongue!"

"As far as last night, there is no us. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a real noble to go dance with. At least Gawain is man enough to admit when he's wrong."

Arianna went to turn around when suddenly Lancelot was grabbing her wrist. Pulling her roughly to him, he held her tight. She could see the anger in his eyes and knew that he could see the fear in hers.

"Better be careful of what you say to me, my lady." Lancelot growled, the smell of wine pouring over Arianna's face.

Arianna was, for the first time since she had met the curly haired knight, afraid of what he was capable of doing to her. His hand around her wrist tightened as he pushed her against the wall. She could hardly breath as he pressed his body into hers, the weight of him seeming as if it might crush her fragile body beneath his.

"I can be just as savage as the next person," Lancelot went on, and she knew that he wasn't himself, that the wine had much to do with the elevation of his anger towards her. He did care about her after all, didn't he?

"Lance…" But before she could finish saying his name he had covered her mouth with his. The taste of wine and the smell of sweat overtook her senses as he pushed her harder into the wall. She wasn't sure what was going to happen, he was too strong for her, and there was no way to stop him. Tears began to fall from the corner of her eyes, and just as suddenly as he had started it, it was over. She opened her eyes to see his face, to see the look of horror on his handsome features as to what just happened, what he had just tried to do to her.

And before either one of them had realized that there was another person on the turret, Lancelot had been turned around just in time to come in contact with someone's fist. He landed on the ground with a painful jerk, and shook his head, almost as if to see if this had been a dream.

"You ever touch Arianna like that again," The voice threatened, "you will feel something much fiercer than my fist."

Looking up, Lancelot suddenly realized who had hit him, and was quite surprised. Gawain stood looking down at his fellow knight, anger lighting his eyes with each minute. As much as Lancelot hated to admit it, Gawain did the right thing in hitting him. He would have done the same thing had it been another man. Looking towards Arianna, he then noticed the fresh tears streaking down her face. He also noticed, for the first time, the bruise that was now appearing on her wrist. Gawain took her by the shoulders and led her down the stairs as Lancelot hung his head, squeezing his eyes as tightly as he could, to try and erase what had just happened.

Some Things You Can't Run From:

As soon as Arianna and Gawain had turned the corner, once out of Lancelot's sight, she could not help but fall to her knees, trembling from the experience she had just encountered. She was shaking from head to toe and Gawain wasn't sure of how he should handle it.

"He wasn't himself," Arianna mustered, "right?"

"Of course not, it must have been the wine." Gawain stated, more for himself than for the woman in front of him. "Come, let me help you to your room."

Arianna stumbled to stand up, but her knees seemed as if they were trying to betray her. She tried again, but to no avail as she slumped against the wall.

"I think I need a moment," She whispered.

"It's getting cold out here, and we don't need you getting sick again," And with that, Gawain leaned down towards Arianna, and slowly lifted her off the ground.

At this point the red head could not say much, her mind was a ramble as to what had just happened, so she didn't protest when the Sarmatian started to carry her to her room. All she could do was huddle in his arms, shaking and trying to keep herself from crying again.

"Here we are," Gawain smiled as he opened the door. He walked over to her bed and laid her down. "Get some rest, I'll come and check on you in the morning."

As Gawain turned to leave, he felt the warmth of Arianna's tiny fingers wrap around his wrist.

"Please," She asked, "Stay with me until I fall asleep."

"Arianna, I don't know…" Gawain began to argue.

"Just till I fall asleep," Her eyes seemed to fix on his, begging him to keep her safe just until she was dreaming.

"How can I say no to such a face," He smiled.

Gawain walked around to the other side of the bed and gently lowered himself onto the blanket. Arianna moved so she could be surrounded by his arms, the security that they held and the warmth that they offered. Gawain knew that this might not be the best of ideas, but how could he say no to her? Especially after what had just happened. He could feel her small frame trembling as he pulled her closer. In moments he could hear her breath become deeper as she soon fell into a deep sleep. Looking down at her, Gawain ran his fingers over her face, brushing back the few strands of auburn hair that had come undone. Before he knew it, he too had fallen asleep. The two lay entwined in each other's arms, the thought of the confrontation between Lancelot and Gawain a mere dream.

Waking up the next morning with a woman in his arms wasn't any different from most mornings. That is, until he realized who the woman was, Arianna. It took him a moment to realize just why he was there. Running his hand over his face, he looked out her window and realized that it must have been around midday, because the sun was brightly shining right into his eyes.

"Ugh," He moaned.

"Hm?" Arianna rolled over, coming face to face with Gawain. "Good morning." She said, a little startled he was still there.

"Good day you mean," He smiled. "I was planning on leaving right after you had fallen asleep, but it seems that I fell asleep to quickly to even get off the bed."

"That's all right," She smiled back. "It felt nice."

"Well, I'm off to my chambers to freshen up, then to see if there's any morsels left from last night. I'm feeling a little bit hungry, you?" He asked, getting off the bed and heading towards her door.

"That sounds nice, I'll meet you in the courtyard in awhile, I think I need to freshen up as well."

Gawain smiled as he opened the door, then headed down the stairs to the lower level of the wall. He wasn't really headed towards his room, he had other business to attend to before lunch. He smiled at the passing people, but in his mind he was completely serious. Turning the corner he came to the last door in the hall, Lancelot's door. He didn't even take the time to knock on his fellow knight's door, but instead opted to burst through the door making sure that he had the advantage of surprise.

As he walked into the room he noticed that Lancelot's bed was made, something the man had never done, and realized that his friend had not slept at all the night before. Gawain looked around for the dark haired man, but he could not find him. Not even a single trace could be found, his knives, his swords, even his armor, were gone. Turning around, he made his way back towards the courtyard, only to find Arianna, fully dressed in her Woad clothes.

"He's…" Gawain started.

"I know, he's gone." She remarked. "I just talked to Bors, and Lancelot told him that he was only going for a ride, to clear his head. But you don't take everything you own if you're just going for a ride."

"And where do you think you're going?" Gawain asked, already knowing the answer.

"I'm going after him. It's my fault he left, if I hadn't made him upset last night, none of this would have happened."

"This is not your fault!" Gawain stated. "You did nothing, Lancelot made those mistakes, and yes, they were mistakes. But you should not blame yourself for his disappearance."

"None the less," Arianna replied, "I'm going after him. There are still Saxons roaming the land and even though Lancelot is well trained, he is not a good enough fighter to take them all on by himself."

"I'm not letting you go alone," Gawain remarked.

"Neither are we," Came a familiar voice from behind Arianna. She turned around to find Bors, Tristan and Galahad standing next to their horses.

"But," Arianna tried to argue.

"He is our friend too," Bors stated. "Plus we don't want you to have all the fun with those Saxons, now do we?"

"Can't let you do that at all," Tristan murmured as he played with one of his daggers.

Ariana could only smile at the three men, she knew that there was no way she could talk them out of coming along.

"Does Arthur know?" Gawain asked.

"Not everything, we just told him that we were going out to check on the land, but we didn't tell him about Lancelot." Galahad remarked. "He has other issues to worry about, it would kill him to find his friend gone."

"We had better get going, it looks as if it might rain again," She replied.

"If it's not raining, it's snowing. If it's not snowing, it's foggy. And that's just the summer." The group could not help but smile at the remark from Tristan.

Arianna went to the barn to gather her things as she walked over to her horse's stall. Aden, the tall stallion that she had been riding for many years now, was laying down in his stall, snoring softly. She smiled, watching as the muscles in his flanks would twitch every so often. She really hated to wake him, he was a stubborn horse and sometimes it took quite a while before he would get up. Opening the door, she kneeled down in front of the creature. Taking his long snout into her hands she ran her fingers up and down his face, trying to wake him up slowly.

"Come on, old friend. We have something important to do right now. I promise you can sleep all you want when we get back." She smiled as his eyes slowly fluttered open. He pushed her side with his muzzle and made a soft noise, almost as if he were sighing at her. "Sorry, Aden, I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't important to me."

In a few minutes the stallion was standing, waiting for Arianna to get his saddle and bridle. Aden stood at about 18 hands high, sturdy and muscled to the point where he looked indestructible. But she and Aden knew that he wasn't indestructible, as one could see from all the scars that the horse had on him. For some reason, though, Arianna knew that Aden was proud to wear those scars as if to show everyone just how honorable a beast he was.

She walked the horse out of the stables and into the courtyard. Making sure that her weapons were in place, especially since there were rumors of Saxons running around, she climbed into her saddle and joined the others near the front gate.

"Are you sure he went this way?" She asked Tristan.

Tristan only looked at her for a moment, as if to say, you really had to ask.

"Right," She murmured, remembering who she was talking to. "Let's go."

The gates opened as the five of them rode off towards the hills and the small roads that lay in front of Hadrins wall. Tristan was leading the way, since he was the one who knew how to track others, followed by Ariana, Gawain, Bors and Galahad. Galahad seemed to be suffering a bit from the night before, but he refused to stay behind.

As they followed the trail that Lancelot left behind, they kept their eyes open for Saxons. They weren't about to take any chances that they might have a surprise attack.

"He's not much farther ahead of us," Tristan mentioned as he looked at the horse tracks in the mud.

"How can you tell?" Arianna asked. She was used to tracking deer and wild animals, not people.

"These prints are fresh, and they're at a walking pace, so he's not riding his horse too hard." Tristan replied as he climbed onto his horse. "We can catch him if we run our horses."

"Good," Arianna whispered. She wanted to catch him, but she wasn't sure what she would say to him, or what he would say to her. She didn't mean for this to go this far, and she certainly didn't mean for last night to happen either.

Gawain couldn't help but notice the way that Arianna sat, she seemed a little less alert than normal, and he knew exactly why. He knew that when they caught up to Lancelot, that he was going to have to keep his anger from exploding. He knew that it wasn't entirely Lancelot's fault that he hurt Ariana the way that he did, but in some sense to Gawain, it still wasn't a good enough excuse.

They urged their horses to go faster and when they came over the hill they heard the sound of metal on metal. At once, the entire group knew that this wasn't a good sign. They couldn't see anything, but Tristan knew exactly where the noise was coming from. They charged their horses down the slope and into the trees, following Tristan closely. In a few minutes they came to a clearing and found Lancelot, surrounded by a group of Saxons, all with their swords pulled and ready to take on the Sarmatian.

"He never could keep out of trouble," Galahad murmured as they climbed off their steeds, and pulled their weapons.

Soon fighting erupted, and every person there was fighting against a Saxon. Arianna had her hands full with a rather hairy, and smelly, man. His eyes were wild with hate, and his clothes smelled as if they were filled with sweat. He brought his ax down at her head, and she ducked away at the last second, sending him off balance, as she spun to connect her sword with the back of his head. Instead, he had turned around and used the back of his foot to knock her off her feet.

Gawain, on the other hand, was busy fighting two of the savages. One held a sword, the other a staff. The blond could only smile as the two tried to keep up with him. He turned to take down the Saxon with the staff and ended up getting a cut on his arm from the other. Once the one had fallen, Gawain turned his attention to the man who had inflicted the wound. The Sarmatian twisted his ax around, smiling as he did. He liked a challenge every once in awhile, and couldn't help but enjoy the satisfaction as he went to bring down the other man. He used his sword to block the Saxon, then used his ax to carve a new hole in the man's chest.

Lancelot was taking on the leader of the small group, and had pulled out his dual swords, ready to take on the man who had brought so much trouble to his friends. He looked over at Arianna to find her on her back, her sword in her hand, and soon became worried about her. He hadn't realized that the man in front of him has pulled out a dagger and was coming towards him. Only when he heard the branch crack did he return his attention to the danger in front of him. As the Saxon pulled his arm back to stab Lancelot, the Sarmatian crossed his arms, and quickly removed the other man's head.

By now the others had finished the rest of the Saxons off. Arianna had kicked the man she was fighting, in the kneecap, sending him to his knees. They watched as she buried her blade through the man's throat, and let him fall to the ground. She turned around to face Lancelot, splatters of blood lay on her face as she slightly smiled at him. He was just happy she hadn't been hurt again. Then he felt a tapping on his shoulder, and turned around.

"This is for last night!" Gawain yelled as he grabbed Lancelot's tunic and slammed his fist into the other man's face. "And this for leaving her!" He yelled as he slammed his fist yet again into his friends face. "And this," He smirked at the brunette, "is for being ok." He grabbed the other knight in a headlock and ruffled the man's hair.

A few hours later the knights sat at the table in the tavern, sharing a few drinks. Arianna sat in the corner, enjoying the company and the beer. Lancelot, on the other hand, seemed unhappy with the newly noticeable black eye that Gawain had given him earlier in the day.

"I'm going home," The Woad stated suddenly.

All the knights turned to face her, and all she could do was continue to keep her eyes on her drink.

Going Home:

"What do you mean you're going home?" Lancelot asked.

"It's time for me to go home," Arianna replied. "Just for a little while."

"Can't you wait a little longer? We need you around here, Guinevere needs you." Gawain remarked.

"I have done what I set out to do. I need to go home and make sure that everything is in order. I won't be gone forever, just a few weeks. Now, gentlemen, if you'll excuse me, it has been a long day, and tomorrow will be even longer. I take my leave." And with that, Arianna stood up and left for her quarters.

The knights watched as the woman made her way towards her room. Lancelot took a long drink from his glass, slammed it on the table, and soon marched after the Woad.

Arianna grabbed her clothes and placed them in the trunk at the base of her bed. She knew she wouldn't need them, so she wanted to keep them in a safe place. As she was placing her weapons on the table, she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," She stated, already knowing who it was.

Lancelot came into her room, slowly closing the door behind him.

"Nothing you can say will change my mind," She remarked over her back.

"I know," The dark haired warrior replied.

"So do not try to talk me out of going."

"I won't."

"I really need to go home."

"Then go."

"So…what?" Arianna turned to look at Lancelot.

"Go. If it is what you have to do, then go. But I'm going with you."

"Lancelot," Arianna sighed.

"And there's nothing you can say to talk me out of it," He grinned as he leaned against the door.

"You really want to go with me? To my home?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Of course. It will give me a chance to see where you grew up." He couldn't help but notice the excitement creeping into her gaze; and that excited him.

Arianna could only smile at him. He was willing to leave his world behind and to discover hers. Her world, her life, and the people he had sworn to kill only a few weeks ago.

"Promise me one thing, though." She stated.

"Hm?" He cocked his head to the side as she walked closer to him. "Anything, of course. Just ask."

The tall auburn haired woman stepped close enough to him that she placed her hands on his arms, and looked into his eyes.

"Try not to dismember anyone while we're there," She grinned mischievously.

"I shall try with utmost restraint," He smirked, "but I can't be held responsible for punching anything…muscle spasms." He explained.

Arianna raised a delicate eyebrow at him. "Muscle spasms?"

Suddenly she found his arms wrapped around her waist. Pulling her against his chest, he lowered his lips to her ear.

"I never know when it will happen, and I can never control it. And, right now…"

"Yes?" She whispered with a shaky breath.

"I do not think I can control it," He finished.

And with that, the night was filled with laughter, love, and the occasional muscle spasm.

The following morning, as Lancelot made his way to his own room, Arianna was busy packing for her trip home. Looking out her window she enjoyed the feeling of the sun on her face. It made it appear as if her auburn hair was made of fire, the highlights of copper dancing through the sea of red.

As she turned away from the window she suddenly felt dizzy. Grabbing her stomach, she made her way over to the chamber pot.

As she leaned against the wall, she ran her hands over her face.

"This is not a good time to be ill," She murmured. "Not a good time at all."

Lancelot was busy gathering his things together as Arthur walked into his room.

"I hear you are leaving with Arianna, to head to her Woad camp," Arthur stated as he sat on Lancelot's bed.

"Yes. I couldn't stop her from leaving, so I decided to go with her." He replied.

"Things really have changed old friend."

"Yes, they have." Lancelot agreed. "For one, you used to knock before entering my room."

The two laughed and talked about the past few weeks; the good, the bad, and the complicated.

"Who would have thought that after these long years, we would end up here?" Lancelot stated as he gathered his things. "I would have thought myself to be back home, never realized that this would become my new home."

"Love can do strange things," Arthur smiled softly.

Lancelot could only nod his head in agreement.

After awhile the entire group had gathered in the courtyard. Guinevere had come along as well, and decided that she could not go at the moment, for she had many things to do, to help Arthur.

"Tell everyone that I send my greetings," Guinevere said as she hugged Arianna.

"I will. Would you like me to bring anything back with me? Anything from your home?" She asked.

"If you see any of those cakes that I adore, do not hesitate to gather some for me." Guinevere smiled.

"Lancelot," Gawain pulled the darker haired man aside.

"What is it Gawain?" Lancelot asked.

"Take care of her, make sure nothing happens…again." The young knight stated. "And if it's possible, find me a wife…"

"Gawain!" Arianna smacked him in the back of the head.

"Couldn't hurt to ask," He murmured.

After all the goodbyes and hugs, the pair climbed onto their horses and headed out. The grass almost appeared greener to Arianna as the wind played with her hair. She was dressed in her Woad clothing and had her auburn locks partially pulled back. She could hear Lancelot behind her, his armor making noises every so often. It seemed as good a day to head home as any, with the sun shining down on her, warming her skin. She was going home, home. It seemed like ages since she had seen everyone, and it would only take a few days to get back. All of the thoughts of family and friends made her forget about the sick feeling she had gotten earlier that day.

Water's Lips

It had been a few hours since they had left the safety of the wall, but Arianna was feeling just as happy as ever. She felt that this was a new beginning to a another chapter in her life, and Lancelot was going to be there to share it with her. Although, she thought glumly, there was still the issue of the other night that had to be discussed. But for right now, she really didn't care, she just wanted to get home and see her family again.

"We should rest the horses for a bit before continuing our journey," She remarked over her shoulder. "And feed ourselves as well, I am famished."

"That would be a good idea," Lancelot agreed, pulling his horse up to hers, slightly brushing her leg with his.

Noticing a clearing in the woods to her right, Arianna suggested stopping there. It seemed as if there was a stream as well, and she could use a drink along with the bread and cheese they had packed.

Climbing off of their steeds, the two companions tied their beasts to trees and gathered the food from their satchels.

"I'll get some water," Lancelot stated, pointing towards the waterway. "I shall return in a moment."

Lowering herself onto a fallen tree, Arianna pulled out the bread and cheese that Guinevere had insisted she take. She was glad that she had listened to her friend after all, by now she was starving. It probably didn't help that she had been sick earlier that morning. Her thoughts continued to float around what was causing her stomach to be so violent to her. One moment it was fine, and the next it seemed as if it wanted to rip itself out of her body. Could she be….no it wasn't possible. She couldn't be pregnant. She wasn't ready to bring a child into this world, not with the way her life was leading her. There were still too many dangers, and she wanted her children to be happy. Maybe she was coming down with some sort of illness? It was possible, with everything that had happened, there were all those bodies that had not been properly burned or buried yet. What if it was something dangerous? No, she wouldn't think that way. Once they arrived at the Woad village, she would seek out her elders and ask them for their help. Surely it was only some bad mead she had had, or some stale wine. Yes, she was sure it was something along those lines.

"Here," Lancelot handed her the skin filled with water. "You looked thirsty, drink."

"Thank you, Lancelot." She smiled as she placed it to her lips. The feeling of the cool water seemed like heaven to her as she wet her parched lips.

"Are you feeling all right? You look feverish, you're not sick, are you?" He asked, worry spreading across his face.

"No, I'm fine. I'm afraid the excitement of seeing home has been a little harder on me than I expected. Perhaps not enough sleep last night." She replied back, watching him as he lowered himself next to her.

"Arianna," He started.

"Hm?" She murmured as she placed a piece of bread in her mouth.

"About the other night," The knight continued. "I wanted to apologize. I'm not used to being around other people, and I'm definitely not used to…loving someone."

Arianna felt as if she were going to choke on her meal, but continued to listen as Lancelot was attempting to apologize for the way he had acted.

"When I saw the way you and Gawain were acting towards one another, I guess I felt jealous."

"Lancelot," Arianna began.

"And I am already a horrible drinker, and so once I became drunk, I could not control the jealousy and I snapped. I never meant to hurt you." He flushed out, seemingly embarrassed at the apology. For one must understand, Lancelot hardly ever apologized unless he really had to. Or unless he had hurt someone very close to him. "I am not saying that I question your feelings towards me, or that I feel inadequate as a man because I thought I had to get drunk to get you back, or that I'm saying that Gawain is a better man than I, or that you should try and make me jealous again the next time…"

Arianna could not help but place her arms lovingly around the man next to her. For one reason, his tries at apologizing were starting to turn into rambling, and the way that he was blushing slightly only made her love him more. Before he could recover from the shock of her arms around his waist, she had leaned into him and placed her lips over his. At this point, Lancelot only had one thing on his mind, and that was no longer trying to apologize, but to enjoy the moment at hand. Reaching up, he cupped her face in his hands and passionately kissed her back. She blushed harder than him when she found his tongue gently touching her top lip, asking for permission to deepen the already heated kiss. In her situation, when embraced in the arms of a dark and handsome knight, all one may do is oblige him. Opening her mouth with a gentle sigh, she soon found that same tongue gently caressing her mouth, and his wasn't the only tongue involved.

When he pulled away from her, her face was flushed and her eyes seemed glossy. He could only smile down at her as he took a sip from his flask, and leaned once again into her lips. This time, instead of his tongue entering her mouth, she felt the cool water gently slide down her throat.

"You seemed as if you needed something to cool you down, milady." Lancelot chuckled as she wiped away the small trickle of water on her lip.

As they returned to eating, her thoughts of their previous kiss continued through her mind. No one had ever given her water like that before, and somehow, she found it more stimulating than any kiss before.

"We should continue if we want to make it to the village in 2 days time." She remarked, standing up and placing her things back in her saddle bag.

"Of course," Lancelot stated as he hid the smile from her glances. Drinking water had a new meaning to both of them, and he was going to remember that for a long time.

Welcome Home

It had been almost 2 days since the two had left the confines of the wall as their horses climbed yet another hillside. By now, Lancelot was starting to feel the weariness in his shoulders, unaccustomed to this kind of travel, one with not so much as one person to kill. Then again, he had to remind himself that this village was Arianna's home, and not to try and kill the first Woad that looked at him.

"It's just over that next hill, and we'll finally be there. I'll finally be home," She couldn't help but smile at the memories from her childhood, of growing up with Guinevere.

Lancelot smiled in response, but for some reason, there was something bothering him. Had Arianna looked that pale before? Or was she getting worse? He knew she had said she was fine before, but it seemed as if the years of fighting had finally caught up to her. He pushed the thought aside as they continued down the other side of the hill. He was too busy thinking to notice the pair of eyes watching from a tree yards away.

It was already evening by the time they rode into the Woad village, the lights from the huts flicking against the darkening sky. It seemed quiet for the time, and Arianna couldn't remember a time when it had been so peaceful. Ever since she had been a child their tribe had been at war with others claiming to rule the land. It was hard to believe that the Woads and Romans were now at peace, or so she hoped. Would one marriage from a Roman soldier really make a difference in the way that Rome felt towards the inhabitants of the land?

"Arianna, is that you?" A faint voice came from out of a nearby hut.

"Rena!" Arianna smiled as she jumped off of her horse, wrapping her arms around the elderly looking woman. "It has been too long. Much too long."

"I wasn't sure if you were coming home, after what Merlin told us, I thought you were making your home at the keep."

After introducing Lancelot the couple found themselves inside the tiny hut, sitting next to a fire as they talked about the past few months.

"Rena took care of me when I was a child, after my parents had died. She knows about all the mischief Guinevere and I used to get into." The redhead laughed.

"And a handful they were," The woman agreed. "How is Guinevere?"

"She's happy." Lancelot nodded in agreement with her, thinking back to the wedding ceremony. "I think she finally found someone who's able to keep up with her."

For the next hour the three talked about how life had changed over the last few months, about what life was like in the past, and what they hoped for the future. Their village had been neatly tucked away in the woods, away from any battles or fear of death. There had been a great number of the villagers who had fought in the battle, and most had lost their lives. It was now a time for rebuilding and it made Arianna wish she would have come back sooner.

"So when do you plan on getting married?"

Arianna spit out her drink at the remark of the woman across from her. She could tell her face was bright red, but she didn't think it was as red as Lancelot's appeared to be.

"Rena, don't talk about such things!" She coughed out.

"Well, I did raise you. I just want to see you happy." Rena turned her focus on Lancelot. "I hope you have good seed boy, she needs children of her own!"

As Rena laughed aloud while Lancelot found himself to be choking, not on fluids, but air itself, Arianna felt herself blush. However, at the same time she couldn't help but picture herself with children of her own, and Lancelot being the happy father. As she stood to fill her drink she suddenly felt lightheaded, the room spinning out of control as she lost hold of her cup, sending it shattering in pieces on the floor.

"Arianna?" Lancelot asked beside her, even though to her it sounded miles away.

"What's wrong?" Was the last thing she heard from Rena as the room went black.

Rena and Lancelot watched helplessly as Arianna's face turned to ash, the shards of the glass now surrounding her feet, as the woman went crashing to the ground.

"I knew something was wrong!" Lancelot growled as he grabbed her, placing her in the safety of his arms.

"Put her on the bed," Rena instructed as she ran about the room gathering different herbs and water. "Has she been having health problems before?"

"No, she seemed fine. Except she did look pale earlier today." He replied.

"Has she been eating ok? Nothing out of the sort?"

"No."

"I don't think she's pregnant," The woman replied as she inspected the girl's face closer. She pulled Arianna's eyelids open and looked closer. "Have you been drinking anything today?"

"Just water, from our satchels." Lancelot replied. "Why?"

"I think she's been poisoned."

"What?"

The Hardened Path

"What do you mean, poisoned?" Lancelot yelled, quickly hushing his tone when he realized Arianna moved. "Arianna?"

"Lan…Lancelot?" She groaned out quickly before passing out once again.

"Here, lay her on the cot in the corner." Rena remarked as she ran around the tiny hut, gathering clothes and water. "She's going to be in some pain…if I am correct about the poison."

Lancelot laid the woman slowly onto the hay filled cot, gently placing her head against the pillow; a contrast of cream and auburn. "I need to know more than that!"

"Her illness is not of child bearing reason, but of another, crueler kind. She sweats even though there is a damp chill tonight, her eyes cannot control themselves no matter how hard she tries, and from the mask of pain on her face, I see that it clearly seems to be infecting her quickly."

"What can I do?" The Sarmatian knight grabbed the woman by the shoulders. "Tell me, I will do it!"

"For now," Rena remarked as she gently brushed his hands from her. "All you can do is stay by her side. I cannot clearly say what poison she is suffering from, but I do know of an antidote that I can make. It may take a while to get the ingredients and make it, and there is no way of saying if she will pull through…"

"Do it," Came the rough growl of a reply. "But make haste woman, for if she dies…"

Rena didn't have to hear the rest of his sentence to know that he would not be able to control his anger if she did pass. Gathering a cloak and a basket she turned to the door.

"Keep her warm, use the basin to cool her skin and if she screams…hold her down."

Lancelot's face fell into his palms as the door creaked close. Arianna seemed at a glance, asleep, but he could not tell what pain she was suffering. And to think of who would commit such a crime against her, the man knew there was retribution to pay. His hand almost ached at the idea of cutting someone's head, but he knew that person would not be killed so easily.

Suddenly he head a soft moaning coming from the corner, distracting him from his vengeful thoughts. Standing quickly, he made his way to the cot, grabbing the bowl of water and towels along the way.

"Arianna?" Lancelot whispered gently as he dabbed the fabric against her moisture laden face. All she could do in response was move her head in his direction, but he still could not tell if she was awake or not.

The room almost seemed to shrink in the silence as he kept his vigilance over her, waiting for the minutes to pass for Rena to return. He could not help but feel his heart ache in his chest every sound or movement she made. For someone used to battles and losing comrades in war, he found himself at a loss at the idea of her death.

"Over fifteen years I spent fighting for Rome," He murmured, more for his ears than hers. "I fought alongside men that I considered friends, brothers; watched them die by the hands of enemies almost as young as 17 summers, even by some of your clansmen. I told myself that I could no longer attach myself to such 'distractions' as friends. But then I met Arthur…and no matter how hard I tried, I could not just walk away when he needed my help."

Arianna brows squeezed together as another wave of pain edged over her features. Wringing out the cloth, the knight mopped away the sweat.

"And then there was you," He smiled slightly. "Bold, confident, and at times quit a bother…but you never let anything, or anyone, get to you. The moment you saved my life…I realized that no matter how hard I tried to walk away from you, it was my heart that kept me coming back."

Lowering the rag into the bowl, he leaned down and gingerly brushed his lips against her forehead. It was then that he realized just how fast the poison was working, because she felt more and more cold with each moment. And to know that he could not do anything to help, it was tearing him up inside. Standing up he walked towards the fire, flexing his hands open and close, trying desperately not to lose control.

"The one person in my life…and I cannot do a thing to ease her suffering!" He yelled in a finale burst of rage, reaching across a table and shattering plates as he threw them into the wall.

"Lancelot," Came the weak voice from over his shoulder.

"Arianna? Are you awake?" He was by her side in a flash of a moment. "How do you feel, are you in any discomfort?"

"It…it really hurts," She began, tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. "Please…make it stop…I don't know what's wrong, but I do not want this pain!"

From just an instant of her sleeping form to a fully awake being, Arianna began to scream. Her slightly tanned skin was becoming a rather dull gray as she started to kick and scratch herself. Whatever she had taken, it was clearly doing its job. Lancelot watched in horror as she dug her nails into her chest, her stomach, anything that would avert the pain from her system. She dug her toes into the mattress, clamped her eyes shut and continued to cry out in distress.

"You need to stop!" Lancelot grabbed her arms. "If you continue to do this you'll be covered in your own blood! Look at your chest, it's already bleeding!"

"Just make it stop, I can't take…take this pain," She cried as she bit down onto her lip.

He realized that he had to do something, because if he didn't, she might just do her body some real damage before Rena could come back with the antidote. Seizing her other wrist, he swung his leg over her, causing her to choke back a scream in surprise. Using his one hand, he held her arms above her head, away from causing her skin any more damage, and with his hips, he held her legs down.

"Here," He remarked, pulling his wrist band off and holding his arm in front of her. "If the pain is too great to bear, then bite down. Do not hesitate, because I cannot just sit here and watch you claw yourself to death."

Lancelot watched as she tried her best to keep biting back the screams, but with the weight of his legs on hers and his hand binding her wrists to the bed, she had no way of distracting herself from the pain. Her eyes filled with water as she looked up at his concerned face, almost as pale as hers had been. As she felt another scream building up inside of her, she closed her eyes and bit down on his arm, choking back the tears and pain as she tasted his blood against her tongue. Even with her eyes closed, she knew that he was grimacing against the pain, and it shattered her heart to know that she was the cause.

Meanwhile, only a few huts away, Rena sat over a pot as she quickly placed the herbs in the boiling water. She had wanted nothing more than to run out of the shelter and into her own place when she had heard the poor girl screaming. She only hoped that it wasn't too late to save her.

Back at Hadrins Wall, the atmosphere was of a completely different nature. Even though Lancelot and Arianna had only been gone not but 2 days, it seemed as if the inhabitants had been alone for years. Arthur had been kept busy with newer threats everyday and Guinevere usually spent the time by his side. The two seemed inseparable, but both knew their own land in their own ways, and it helped to have both at the meetings.

As for the loyal Sarmatian knights, one could say that they really weren't used to having their freedom. Bors now kept busy attending to his flock of children, and no matter how many times Vanora kept changing their numbers to names, he would still call them the same. Then there was Tristan, who didn't seem to mind the quiet, except for the fact that he could not find an excuse to kill someone. He would spend most of his day, tracking an animal of some kind, and then would bring it home once it was dead. But the others knew that he was bored of the simple life, and tried to keep him as cheerful as Tristan could be. Galahad used most of his time to practice his swordsman abilities with the younger stable boys, teaching them the basic techniques of a knight, until Gawain would come along and drag him off to the tavern and get him drunk. Of course, Gawain would never let him drink alone, but by morning would end up with some woman in his bed.

The group seemed to be enjoying the quietness of the wall for now, but there was no telling how long it would be before someone got bored. On the other hand, no one had any realizations that it would not be quiet for long, for even as everyone slept soundly in their beds that night, a lone stranger walked along the corridors. Not one knight would dare that even a mighty fortress like Hadrins wall could be breached, and definitely not by a single person. The single torch in the hall flickered against the dark orbs of the intruders eyes as the castle slept on.

Revenge Goes Unnoticed:

It had been a long and tiring night for Lancelot, one he had thought would never end. After what had seemed like hours, Rena had returned. Stopping only slightly at the sight of the Sarmatian, straddling her friend as blood seeped down his arm. Moving around the pair, she placed the remedy on the table and grabbed a spoon.

"We must force this down her throat. She is too weak to eat on her own, but we must make sure she finishes it all."

"She's weak, I do not think she will fight." He replied as he pulled his arm slowly away from Arianna.

"My dear," Rena whispered as she pulled the first spoon full of antidote. "Come, you must take this."

She tried to place the utensil against her lips, but Arianna made no attempt to swallow. Rena began coaxing the young redhead, but to no avail.

"Allow me," Lancelot took the spoon from her. Finally releasing her wrists, as she was too weak to fight anymore, he used his fingers to gently open her mouth, and slid the warm mix down her throat. A slight cough escaped from Arianna's lips, but she swallowed nonetheless. "That's it."

It took him half a day to administer the elixir, but finally Arianna was asleep again.

"How long until we know," Lancelot wiped the sweat from his brow. "I see no improvement in her features."

"It will take some time," Rena replied as she finished wrapping his wrist. "She has been through a great ordeal over the last few hours, and even though her body may regain its health, her mind is another matter."

"What do you mean, her mind?"

"She was poisoned with wolfs bane, which can be deadly in grand amounts. Her body and her mind were under a lot of stress, so it is hard to tell what her condition may be once she has woken." Rena trailed off, deciding it would be better not to mention that there was a chance she might not survive.

"If I find the heathen that did this to her…"

"She is your utmost important task right now. No matter how deep your hatred and revenge burn within you, you must stay by her side. She has a better chance of surviving if she could hear your voice."

Rena left the hut to fetch more linens and water as Lancelot sat down beside the Woad. Her face no longer had a gray tinge but he could not help but feel that it would be a while before she was healthy enough to travel back home. Reaching down, he took her hand in his, feeling the damp clamminess of her sweat. Bringing her fingers to his lips, he gingerly blew against them, trying to warm them up. Maybe if he could warm them up he could warm her up and she would be healthy again. If only he could do something to put everything back the way it was.

After the battle with the Saxons, once Arthur and Guinevere had been married, Lancelot had thought that they had finally been freed. Even now, sitting beside the woman he loved, he knew that he would never truly be his own master. At least this time he followed Arthur because he wanted to, not because he had been forced into it by an old family tradition. And he knew he would follow Arianna to the ends of the earth if it meant he could keep her by his side.

"Lancelot…" Came the faint whisper from behind him.

"Arianna," He could not believe she was already talking. To him, it was the sweetest sound he had heard in a long time. "How do you feel?"

"Thank you," She replied.

"For what, I did nothing to ease your suffering."

"No, you helped defeat it. Thank you." And with that, her eyes fluttered shut as she returned to a deep sleep.

Arianna felt as if the world had gone blank, all light, and all happiness seemed to seep through her pores as if an unseen force was stealing them. This was not a place she wanted to be, but she could not help the feeling of being pulled further into the abyss.

"Lancelot?" She could hear herself in the echoes that followed, hear her fear and pain. She could not, however, hear Lancelot anymore.

"There is no Lancelot here," Came a voice from the shadows. "Only dark, only suffering."

"Who's there? What do you want from me?"

"Pain, suffering. Is that not what life is?" Came a second, younger voice.

"Do you not want the suffering to stop?" A third, childlike voice rang through the dark.

"Who are you?"

"It matters not who we are, all that matters is who you are. This is your only chance to decide your fate. Shall you continue your struggle through the pain and suffering? Or shall you decide to let us sever your ties to the world and remain in a realm of peace?"

Before she could respond Arianna felt a sudden pull from behind. From one moment of standing alone in the dark, she now shot up in bed as sweat ran down her face. Grimacing from the slight pain her eyes glanced around the room. It was dark, but she could tell that it was Rena's hut that she laid in. Moving her legs over the edge of the bed, she felt as if her body would not hold her, almost as if she had not moved in many weeks. She noticed that she no longer wore her traveling clothes; instead a cloth nightgown clung to her frame. Grabbing the blanket from the bed, she wrapped them around her shoulders and taking an unsteady step, stood up.

Arianna had to hold onto the table and walls as she made her way across the room. Reaching the door, she turned the knob and opened it, just as Lancelot was about to do the same.

"What are you doing?" He yelled in surprise. "You should be resting."

"I felt I needed to get up," She whispered, her voice cracking from the lack of use. It was then that her legs decided to give as she ended up falling against the doorframe.

"You need to rest," Lancelot said firmly as he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her against him. Closing the door behind him with his foot, he carried her back to the cot.

"How long have I been asleep?" She stated, her face a little flushed from the contact.

"Almost a week, which is why you should not force yourself so quickly."

"A week? We should only have been here for two days. Have you sent word to Guinevere and Arthur? I hope I did not cause too much distress to them."

"That is not something you need worry about, I sent them a message explaining everything. Once you have rested and are healthy enough to travel, we shall return home."

Meanwhile, back at the castle, news had spread that Arianna had been sick. Lancelot had been careful not to mention the cause, in case the message had been given to the wrong person. As far as everyone knew, she had become sick on the ride due to stress and food poisoning. After Arthur had finally convinced Guinevere to stay at the castle instead of running home to be with Arianna, the daily life had once again picked up. It wouldn't be too long before they would be back. As everyone prayed for a quick recovery for the Woad there was one who waited for a different result.

Through Servitude:

After another weeks rest Lancelot had finally decided that Arianna was fit enough to travel back home. He knew he was ready to return to the castle, be there for his fellow knights, for his king and possibly, if she would have him, make the red head his wife. The Sarmatian had never been one to think of marriage, or children, or staying in one place once his time in the Roman army was done. But after being with Arianna, after almost losing her the week before, he knew life was more precious now than ever. That was not to say he did not lose friends in the battles with Arthur, but that was different, you expected to lose men in war. He would sacrifice anything to keep the woman he loved safe. First thing he knew he needed to do, find the person who had poisoned her.

"I almost wish I could stay longer," Arianna smiled as she came up to him. "I forget how much I long to see home until I return to it."

"I only wish it had been better, that you had not fallen ill," Lancelot remarked. "But we do need to start our journey home, I know Guinevere is overly anxious for your return."

"Of course, as am I. This was my home for most of my life, but now my home is at the wall."

"I would have it no other way," He smiled as he pulled her against him. "Let us go home."

The trip home was far less adventurous than the trip to the Woad village. It did, however, take longer due to the fact that Lancelot kept stopping to make sure Arianna was feeling ok. Finally, she could take it no more.

"Lancelot, if you ask me one more time if I feel ill or need to rest I shall personally beat you with a stick!"

He could not help but laugh, and for once it was a genuine smile.

After 3 days of traveling the pair finally crossed into Hadrin's Wall. It was almost like a second homecoming to them and hopefully the last. Arianna had decided that this was going to be her home from now on and hopefully it would be spent beside Lancelot.

"Welcome back," Guinevere embraced her friend in a deep hug. "I take you are well after your trip?"

"Of course, rest was all that was needed and Lancelot made sure that I received more than enough." Arianna knew that Guinevere and Arthur knew the truth, but they had to keep the charade going until they knew that they were 100% alone. Which, keep in mind, is quite a daunting task seeing as a member of the group was the King.

"Once you are settled in and have unpacked your things please come see us in our chambers, Arthur cannot wait to talk with Lancelot and I know you have many stories to tell me of your time at home."

It wasn't long after the initial meeting, and after they had greeted all the knights and their friends, Lancelot and Arianna found themselves alone in the King and Queen's personal chambers.

"Leave us," Arthur remarked softly to the few servants in the room.

Once they were alone it took mere seconds before Arthur got to the point.

"What happened?" He asked as he sat in the chair besides the fireplace.

"I am not entirely sure myself, sire. I felt eager to see home and then suddenly it came upon me out of the blue. I am not sure how anyone could have done such a thing in the first place."

"If you were ill to such degrees as Lancelot described, you must have had a large amount of poison, but how could someone get you to take such an amount, and who?" Guinevere replied as she pondered the ultimate question, who.

"Arthur, I…"Lancelot started when suddenly a knock echoed across the room.

Taking a deep breath, Arthur turned his attention to the door. "Yes?"

A young girl entered the room, and curtseyed. "I'm sorry for interrupting, sire, but the kitchen staff wanted me to announce that dinner was served."

"Very well, we shall be there shortly. Have the rest of the dinner guests been informed?"

"Yes, sire."

"You may leave then."

The discussion would have to wait until all events and meetings were done for the evening. The four decided to hold another private gathering late in the night, once everyone had gone to bed. It would also give Arianna time to relax and to rest after she had eaten.

It was nice to eat together with their friends, everyone, including the knights had gathered for dinner to celebrate the return of the couple. Over the course of the meal Arianna heard stories from everyone from Bors having a new son, which number he couldn't recall, to the night that Galahad and Gawain had drunk so much that they ended up falling asleep in the stables naked.

"I swear on my mother's grave, the poor maid came into the barn, screamed and fainted at the two of us asleep…" Gawain laughed at the memory.

"The poor child," Guinevere could not help but laugh as well.

"Well my good ladies and knights, I shall make my departure," Bors stood shakily from the table. "The good wife will be needing me…"

"Yes, no doubt to take care of those babes you keep having her pop out!" Arianna replied.

"Laugh now, but the next fight I will have my own army of children…" Bors mumbled as Galahad helped him out the door. "Good evening," the faint reply could be heard as they retreated into the night.

"I think I shall retreat to my chambers as well," Arianna felt sleepy and could use a couple hours rest before the meeting. "I shall see you all in the morning, sleep well."

Lancelot excused himself from the table to escort her to her room, making sure to keep close to her in case of a threat. They both kept quiet as they made their ways along the long corridors to her chamber. Finally she turned to him.

"I really think I will lay down for a few hours, would you mind checking on me when you are on your way to meet with Arthur?"

"Of course, love." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Rest, I could see it was taxing you at dinner, you're still not over the illness."

"I am fine, truly. You worry too much Lancelot," She smiled up at him. "But thank you nonetheless."

Once he was sure she had locked the door and was safe inside Lancelot made his way towards his own room, keeping his eyes open the entire time.

Arianna had only laid down moments before the knock came on the door. Groaning inwardly she sat up and lifted herself off of the bed.

"Who is it?" She asked through the door.

"It's Josephine, milady." The mild voice came through the oak. "I'm here to turn down your bed and I've brought you some fresh water to freshen up with."

"Very well," She sighed inwardly, "But be quick, I would like to lay down as I'm still tired from the trip."

Arianna opened the door to let the petite brunette in. It was the same maid who had taken care of her after the battle with the Saxons and not once had she stopped since. She never said much, which the Woad preferred, but the room was always taken care of and so was Arianna.

"Thank you Josephine," She smiled down at her.

"Oh no, milady, I'm just doing my job." She replied sheepishly as she poured the fresh, cool water into the basin. "The water is ready if you would like to freshen up while I turn down your bed for you."

The red head was about to thank her again before she shut her mouth, thinking she might embarrass the young woman. Pulling her hair from her face and tying it in a knot at the nape of her neck, she splashed some of the cool water against her flushed skin. Josephine must have finished with the bed because she could no longer hear her in the background.

"Josephine?"

It was then that she heard the soft murmurs of what sounded like crying. Grabbing for a towel she wiped her face and turned towards the brunette. Josephine stood in front of her, attempting to hold Arianna's sword in both hands as her body trembled from the tears that streaked her face.

"Josephine, what are you doing child?"

"I'm sorry," She cried, "I'm so sorry milady."

"What are you sorry for? You don't have to do anything, just give me the sword."

"I can't, if I do…they'll kill them."

"Kill who?"

"My family!" Fresh sobs broke out as she tried to keep her grip on the weapon. "My family was taken after the battle with the Saxons…"

No one had thought to look for surviving Saxons after the fight, they had been so occupied with getting their wounded to safety there was no time to search. "Saxons have your family?"

"Yes, my parents, my brother and my little sister. They said if I didn't do what they wanted then they were going to kill them, slaughter them like animals!"

"Josephine, we can help your family. Just put the sword down and we shall come up with a way to save them all. I promise."

"No! I can't take that chance, I have to kill you and they'll let my family go. I just have to…to…"

Arianna could tell that there was no threat as she slowly made her way closer to the sobbing child. It was then that she realized just how young Josephine really was, no more than 15, and realized what she must have been going through. With one fluid motion she grabbed the hilt of the sword and pulled it out of her hands.

"I'm sorry," Came the hiccupped reply. "I was the reason you got sick…"

"You're the one who poisoned me?" She couldn't believe a young girl could be capable of something as dangerous as that.

"Yes ma'am, I thought that if I had to…to kill someone then poison might be the less painful. When news spread throughout the castle and I had heard you had suffered so much…I never thought…I only wanted my family back." The girl finally broke into heartbreaking sobs and Arianna could not help but pull her into her arms, knowing full well the agony it is to lose family.

"Josephine, if you want to save your family you must tell us where they are being held, and any information you might have received from those…people."

"I don't know where they are, but I can try and give you as much information as I can, anything that will help my family."

"We will take this to Arthur himself, he will know what to do. I promise your family will be safe."

There were a lot of questions Arianna had, but she would wait to hear what Arthur and Guinevere had to say. The most pressing question was, of course, why did they want her dead? Why not Arthur or Guinevere? For now she would hold those questions until she could talk to the others, for now she would do her best to console the distraught and frightened child as she made a silent promise. Once she found the persons responsible for the capture of Josephine's family she would show them no mercy.

It had been a long night and Arianna could desperately use some sleep. Unfortunately now would not be the time to receive it. She had taken her handmaiden, Josephine, to see Arthur, right after she had tried to kill the Woad. The red head had found out that Josephine's family was being held captive, and for reasons unknown the Saxon holding them wanted her dead. It appeared as if Josephine knew very little about the man known as Kiernan, all she was instructed to do was kill Arianna and then take something from her body and leave it in a specific spot, to let them know that the arrangement had been carried out.

"When did he tell you to do this?" Arthur had asked, lines of frustration creased his normally calm face.

"I was told that I had until the next full moon to complete the task, then he would kill them my lord." Josephine had begun to cry quietly. "That's in two nights."

Arianna pulled the girl against her and ran her fingers though her hair. "Shh," She whispered. "We shall not let them be harmed. I promise you that."

Lancelot had been pacing quietly back and forth in the chamber, his face busy with concentration. As a boy, he himself had been pulled from his family because of a pact made long before his birth; he knew what it was like to be terrified and alone. There had to be something they could do to help this poor family.

"Josephine, you said you were told to retrieve an item that belonged to Arianna once she was dead, is that correct?" Lancelot finally spoke.

"Yes, something that she would never part with, as proof."

"Then we shall do just that," He remarked, a sly smirk spread across his face.

"What do you mean?" Guinevere replied as she took a sip from her cup.

"We shall give Josephine an item of Arianna's and she shall do what they want, only we will follow her and wait for them to retrieve it."

"And from there, we can follow them to find her family." Arianna finished for him.

"Do you think that will work? What if they have already killed them?" The girl sniffed into the handkerchief Arianna had given her.

"You must not think like that, if this is to work you must think positively, you must make them believe you have done what was needed. Can you do that?" Guinevere remarked.

"Yes, I…I believe so."

"So," Arthur continued, "What item shall you give them, Arianna?"

Arianna pulled a dagger from her cleavage, the only item she ever carried around with her at all times. It was garnished with a single blue stone in the hilt and intricate designs circled their way around the steel. At the very tip of the blade were her initials.

"This was the very first blade I ever received." She commented. "I was only but 6 years old when I was taught to use a dagger." She handed it to Josephine. "I do expect to get that back."

By now the sun had appeared over the horizon and with the upcoming event, Arianna felt restless. Taking her leave, she returned to her room and quickly changed into her pants and top. She needed to go for a ride and a dress was not the proper attire for it. Pulling her hair back, she tied it with a chord and headed out of the room. It was a beautiful morning, brisk from the seasons changing, the dusting of dew across the grass and the pinks and blues mixed in the sky rose her spirits.

She made her way through the courtyard and into the barn. Grabbing her saddle she crossed to the stable where her horse stood, happily eating away at the hay and oats. Placing the saddle on the ground, she ran her hands along his neck. It was then she heard a soft noise coming from behind her. It wasn't very loud and at first she thought it might have been the wind, but then she heard it again. Glancing to the doors she made sure there was an escape route if one needed it. Turning around the corner slowly she found a pair of booted feet sticking out from behind the hay stacks. Kicking them, she made sure the body was still alive before she ventured any further. When it snored loudly she recognized the noise instantly.

"Galahad?" She whispered, finally reaching the other side of the bales of hay. She couldn't help but smile as she looked down upon the young knight. It appeared he had done some of his own running in the night, probably away from some girl who had thrown herself at him again. His shirt was torn open, pretty much shreds, revealing a well defined body bronzed with a slight dusting of hair. She could see the remnants of nail marks, the culprit that had shredded his shirt had left behind reminders. The rest of him was no better; his pants covered in mud, his hair disheveled with hay, but it was the goofy look on his face, that look of pure bliss that made Arianna smile. His mouth hung open as another snore escaped through his lips, and then he mumbled something as he turned over. Grabbing one of the blankets from the stall next to her, Arianna covered him up, making sure to push his feet out of the way in case any other young woman should find him.

When she returned to her horse she found him to be asleep as well, curled up on the floor as if he had no care in the world. Of course she wouldn't take the chance and force him to go for a ride, he would only become stubborn. Instead she opted for a young mare, a copper colored filly that seemed interested in whatever she was doing.

"Would you like to go for a run?" She asked as she placed her hand atop the horses snout. In return the horse nudged her hand.

It had been a long time since Arianna had just gone out for a ride, and this was a time she needed to just not think. Riding gave her the chance to enjoy life and to push aside the problems in her life that needed to be solved. But for now it was just her, the horse and the large field behind the wall that she would think about.

After an hour or so she decided to let the horse rest and brought her back to the stables. She hooked her to the stall and began to brush her down while she happily drank some of the cool water from her bucket.

"There you are," Lancelot stated as he came through the door. "I had begun to wonder if you had gone off on your own and gotten into trouble." He smiled.

"No, but that does sound tempting. I just needed to get away and clear my head a bit. With everything that has happened I felt I just needed a moment alone. This beautiful girl gave me a ride that I very much needed."

Lancelot made his way into the stable and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Is everything alright now?" He whispered into her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

"Yes, now that you're here." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm not sure I could do this without you."

He gently tilted her head to the side and kissed her. A simple, sweet brush of the lips soon turned into more. The heat from her mouth invited him to deepen the kiss, making it seem possessive in its own way. Turning her around he pulled her into his arms, as if he were afraid she would disappear. Wrapping her arms around his neck she forced him against the wall, giving as much as she was taking.

"Feel better?" Lancelot sighed out as they pulled apart.

"You were exactly what I needed," She kissed him lightly. "Thank you."

"I am happy to oblige anytime, milady." He smiled as they left the stables.

For the next two days Arianna sat with Josephine, going over and over what the young lady in waiting was supposed to say. The Woad was certain no one else would die because of her, not unless they were of the Saxon kind. Them, she would take care of personally. Arthur and Guinevere would stay behind, there was no way they were going to put the King and Queen's lives in jeopardy. It would be a small party which included Arianna, Lancelot, Bors and Gawain. Tristan and Galahad would keep their distance and hide in the trees from lookout positions, in case they were being followed themselves. Josephine would travel to the outskirts of the villages that now outlined Hadrian's Wall. She was to meet a serving boy by a tent marked with a red handprint, and from there he would take her to the Saxons.

The days seemed like a blur to the poor girl, distraught with the thought of already losing her family and from the sheer terror that kept its place in her heart. Arianna reassured her that her family still lived, they still had a use for Josephine and would not harm her parents or siblings. She needed to be strong and keep to the plan so her guardians could follow her and take care of the problem.

"I want you to take this," Arianna handed her a similar dagger to the one Josephine would give the young boy. "Place it in your blouse, where he will not search you. He will make sure you are not carrying any kind of weaponry and this will be the only place he will not search that you can easily access it."

Once the girl was settled, Arianna and the knights went a separate path to the village, wearing black cloaks so as not to give themselves away. With as many people that traveled to and from Hadrian's Wall they would not seem too suspicious to the local villages as they had attracted many travelers from around the area. Reaching a fork in the road, they waited behind the tents and followed Josephine with their eyes. Arianna kept her hand on the hilt of her sword, ready for any kind of trouble she suspected might come. Splitting into two groups, she and Lancelot followed the brunette as they walked along the crowd, while Bors and Gawain made their way to the other side of the village and into the crowd at the make shift pub that was centered in the larger of the tents.

It wasn't long before they noticed the tent at the end, the red hand print painted on the side of the tent, as if a child had been playing and had made a mess behind. Arianna could see Josephine swallow as she took a deep breath, so far her nerves seemed normal and she could only hope the girl would keep up the farce. Lancelot stopped her by a merchants booth, and as they pretended to look over the merchandise they watched as another man came out of the shadows with something in his hand. Lancelot looked over at Bors and Gawain and slightly shook his head, telling them to wait. They watched as Josephine was blindfolded and led away, the knights following shortly.

The village ended not far from where they were, so Arianna and Lancelot took to the shadows of the trees, something the Woad woman was used to. Keeping low they followed the trio for what seemed like an eternity. Never sure what the 2 men would do, Arianna and Lancelot were on guard the entire time. Once or twice they would hear Tristan's hawk fly overhead, a sign that the other 2 were not far behind. Finally they came to a stop outside of a cave, a fire's light flickered off of the walls as the girl was finally released and able to see again. A tall, scarred man came out of the cavern, his clothes typical of the Saxon men and his bald head shone in the moon's light. A long scar creased his features as it crossed one eye and ended to the right of his jaw line. Arianna crept closer and listened to their conversation, hoping for a chance to find out where Josephine's family was.

"I…I did what you asked, the Woad woman is dead." She whimpered out.

"Show me, what proof do you have that can convince me?" He sneered out.

Josephine pulled out from her pocket the small parcel that held the dagger Arianna had given her.

"This belonged to her, she never once relinquished it. Her initials are here…" She remarked as the Saxon took the weapon.

"Bring her," He bellowed to the men beside her.

Arianna, Lancelot, Bors and Gawain watched from the shadows as they dragged the girl into the cave. The red head motioned for the others to follow and they made their way into the cave behind the men.

"Tell me, child, how did you kill her? Was it painful? Did you make her suffer?" He threw the dagger into the dirt by the fire. It was then that Arianna noticed the family, tied up in the corner. They were beaten, but still alive.

"Poison," Josephine remarked. "She died in her sleep."

It was clear that this was not the response the Saxon had wanted as he turned around and hit her across the face. Landing face down in the dirt she spat out the blood as she tried to push herself up.

"Since you no longer have any further use for me, I'll make you watch as we kill your family. Starting with the youngest."

"NO!" She cried out, pushing up and towards the man. He easily grabbed her around the throat as he motioned for the men to grab the little girl. "Let…them…g…go" She choked out as his hand curled around the back of her neck.

Arianna couldn't take it anymore, she wasn't about to sit there and watch this family get torn apart. Reaching for her bow on her back she readied the arrow and stepped out from behind the crevice.

"Make one more move," Arianna growled, "And I promise this arrow will be the last thing you see."

It took a moment for the scarred man to realize that the girl had in fact lied about the Woad's death. The look of pure hate and anger flashed across his face as his grip on Josephine's neck grew tighter.

"Take one more step," He threatened back, "And I'll snap this girls neck in two."

Arianna knew he might have a chance to do it before her arrow hit it's mark, but she couldn't take that chance. Glancing back and forth she counted the men in front of her, a total of 8, not a challenge at all. The knights behind her were still in the shadows and had not been discovered yet, so they had an upper hand, at least for the time being.

"What do you want? What was so important that you needed me dead?"

"Unimportant, what is important is this girls life. Surrender yourself and I shall release the girl and her family." He shook Josephine, showing he still had the upper hand. It was then that Arianna noticed the girl reaching slowly for the dagger in her blouse. The older woman tried to give her a sign not to do anything stupid, not to attempt to risk her life when there were other options.

"If I give my life for hers, will you release her family unharmed?" She had to work fast before something happened to the girl. They had come this far, she wasn't about to lose her now. "Before you kill me, they are to be released. Then you can do with me what you will."

"Fine," He remarked. "I was getting bored with them anyway."

He motioned to the family, authorizing the release of their captives. His grip loosened on Josephine's neck, but it was still firm and unyielding. Arianna's bow was still aimed straight at the Saxon's head, her arm and aim steady.

"Now the girl," She demanded. "They are all to be released in order for this agreement to work."

Within a second everything became chaos. Josephine pulled the dagger out and plunged it into the man's neck. Unfortunately for her, she didn't know where to stab him, so it wasn't a fatal blow as she discovered when he yelled, then pushed her against the rock wall, slamming her head against a jagged corner. Crumpling to the floor she became still as the rest of the cavern began to fight. The knights came out from behind the rock wall and attacked, leaving Arianna to take care of the man responsible for all the problems.

"You wanted me," She yelled as she shot her arrow into his leg. "You have me!"

Crying out in pain, he broke the shaft in half, pulling the head out from the back of his thigh. The Woad woman was seeing red and she wanted blood. Throwing aside her bow, she reached behind her to grab her sword, swinging in full force just as she was upon him. The Saxon barely had time to grab his own weapon before her metal collided with his, sending sparks flying through the air. In her mind, there was no other fight going on around her, Arianna could only see the opponent in front of her. Each of the knights were busy battling with the men, fending off the crude axes and weaponry the Saxons were known for using.

"You should have died on the battle field," The man growled back. "Instead, you killed my brothers."

He swung high, attempting to dislodge Arianna's head from her shoulders. Ducking out of the way, she made her own swipe, cutting deep into the flesh beneath his rib cage. Staggering back, he clutched as his side, then wiped the blood off his hand.

"Don't worry, you shall see those brothers again." She grinned. She swung at him again, bringing the blade straight down upon his head. Bracing himself, his sword blocked her attack, but it wouldn't be enough. As he was busy trying to keep the swords from colliding with his skull, she took the advantage and using one hand to press down on the hilt of her sword, used the other to punch him in the side, causing the gash to bleed heavier. Crumpling from the pain, the Saxon lost his balance, causing both blades to slip, landing in his shoulder.

"This is for Josephine," She growled into his ear as she pulled a dagger from her hip and drove it deep into the artery in his neck. "And this," She remarked as she pushed the swords deeper into his shoulder, the sounds of bones breaking and tendons tearing echoed her pain for the young girl laying on the ground behind her. "Is for me." With one final push she pulled her sword from his body as the blood began to pool around her feet.

Wiping at her face, trying to get any blood off of her, the red head turned around. The men were busy piling the bodies into the fire, each one looking just as ragged as she did. Lancelot was over tending to Josephine's body, the tiny frame ghost white against her chocolate hair. Arianna lowered herself to her knees and moved the hair from the girls face. Blood stained the side of her temple, the bone was badly crushed in, and she could tell there was no signs of life left in the girl. Anger and hate built up inside her until she felt she would break. Balling her fist up she slammed it into the cavern's wall.

"Arianna," Lancelot whispered.

Tears stung at her eyes as she did it a second time, angry at herself.

"I should have shot him when I had the chance," She groaned, her knuckles starting to bruise and bleed from the impact. "I could have stopped this."

"Arianna, you had no chance of knowing what would transpire. No one could have known what would have happened."

She knew Lancelot was right, she had lost many allies, friends, to such situations. But Josephine was not bred for war, she had never killed anyone before, and she should have been protected. Arianna looked down at the girls face, and even among with the blood that still clung to her features, the girl looked at peace. It was then that the red head knew she had one more duty to fulfill before she would let herself grieve.

"Where's her family?" She asked.

"We sent them to the village, they should be waiting for us at the tents." Tristan stated.

Without another word, Arianna lifted the girl into her arms and headed through the cave. They walked in silence, most of them covered in blood, cuts and bruises. The smell of bodies burning filled the air as they made their way to Josephine's family. Before they had even reached the tent, Arianna could see Josephine's mother crumbled to the ground as her knees gave out. Her wails of agony filled the air as the son tried to comfort her. The Woad laid the girl's body gently on the ground, gave the family her condolences and turned to leave.

"Thank you," Came the sobbed reply. She couldn't turn around to face the family, knowing she would lose herself to tears, so in return she nodded and strode off towards the castle.

Once they were back inside the walls, Arianna excused herself. Lancelot and the others were off to talk to Arthur, to explain what had happened, but she couldn't hold it in anymore. Reaching her bedchambers, the tall woman closed the door behind, locking the door. She was exhausted, sore and wanted nothing more than to sleep for days. Her hand was swelling up and she desperately needed a bath, but when she went to wash her face in the basin, it was then that it hit her. Josephine was the one who got the water, the one who helped her when she was sick, she was there when she needed a pleasant face to look at, and now…she was gone. Picking up the cloth to wash her face with, her vision became blurred with tears. Throwing the item back into the basin she sank to the floor, letting the emotions just wash over her. She pulled out the small dagger she had given Josephine as proof of her supposed death, and gently stroked the jewel in the hilt. The longer she looked at it, the more she thought of the blank look the 15 year old had on her face the moment her head had collided with the rock, and she tossed the item onto the bed. Pressing her hands to her eyes her body shook with each new wave of anger, sadness and a feeling of failure. She had made a promise to that girl that she would help her and she had failed to fulfill that pact.

It would be a night that she would always remember. Arianna was not used to losing someone like Josephine. In war you are aware that people die, that the person you grew up with could die, and that was an honor. This was no war, this had been for vengeance and a poor child had died in the middle of it. Climbing atop the bed, Arianna curled upon on the sheets and slowly cried herself to sleep. With tragedy comes new life, and now she would be able to enjoy hers with Lancelot.

Epilogue

Some time had passed since the attack on Arianna's life had come to an end. It was spring once again, a time for renewal and rejoicing. Arthur and Guinevere were busy with planning a great banquet in honor of the great harvest they had the previous year and in hopes of a repeat this coming season. The group of Sarmatian knights sat around the great hall enjoying drinks and food as the women chatted amongst themselves. Lancelot kept glancing at Arianna when he wasn't paying attention to what Bors was saying and couldn't help but smile as his many children ran wildly by.

"So how many does that make now, Bors? Your wife gave birth to twins last fall, is that right?"

"That, sir, would make us a family of 18. However, I have already been informed that she will no longer be popping out the little buggers." Bors bellowed, the sounds of his laughter echoed through the hall.

"We must get Galahad and Tristan married next, I believe." Gawain pushed the youngest of the knights onto the floor.

Arianna couldn't help but laugh, the lot of them acted more like brothers than brothers in arms. "Don't be too pushy, sir. One step at a time, first we must find them ladies befitting a knight of the round table." The women nodded in agreement. "As I hear, there are quite a few lovely ladies coming to the banquet, a particular lady has an interest in Tristan, I believe."

"Do tell, what kind of woman would be interested in Tristan?" Gawain laughed briefly, until a dagger landed in the wall behind his head, as Tristan smiled darkly from his corner.

"I believe her name is Isolde, am I right?" Arianna turned to the ladies, who in unison agreed in her gossip.

It was then that Arthur and Guinevere made their way into the hall, taking their place at the table with their friends.

"What's this I hear about children and weddings?" Guinevere smiled at Arianna. "Do we not have a date yet? I think I shall be old before you settle down my dear friend." Arthur smiled at his friend as Lancelot flushed slightly.

"I shall let Lancelot answer that question, my lady." She smirked at the dark haired Sarmatian.

"We have not really discussed it," Lancelot choked out, looking to his friend for support.

"Why not have it at the banquet?" Arthur suggested, obviously not the answer Lancelot was looking for.

"That would be a brilliant idea, my love," Guinevere agreed. "Don't you agree, Lancelot? The preparations are already taken care of."

"Whatever Arianna should choose, I am most willing to give my life to her." He pulled her close and smiled at her.

"I agree, it is a fine idea," She replied. "I was afraid I would end up getting married when the baby was showing…"

"Then we planned it…" Lancelot broke off in mid sentence as the announcement hit him. Baby.

The hall erupted in cheers and laughter as Lancelot and Arianna were hugged and congratulated. It seemed to everyone that it would definitely be a good harvest this coming season, and many more to follow.

THE END.