Title: No Loyal Knight

Author: Adrienne

Rating: K, just for the character death.

Character/Pairing: Well, that would just ruin the surprise, now wouldn't it?

Spoilers: Anything and everything having to do with the show. You think I kid?

Disclaimer: John Wells gets paid for writing bad fanfiction. I do not.

Notes: Quotes and title from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's "The Lady of Shallot". And if you haven't heard Loreena McKennit's amazing musical version of the poem, go download it now. Much love and thanks go to Kay for the beta, and to the gang over at the LJ community (broomcupboard) for all their support and feedback.

"Daddy, tell me the story about the herald, the brother, and the good king," the little girl said, tugging on her father's sleeve.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You really want to hear that story again? I told it to you last night."

"Yes! Please, Daddy, please . . ."

Her singsong tone convinced the man that he wasn't going to win this one. He looked up at his son on the upper half of the bunk bed, already half asleep, and then down at his daughter. "All right, but you have to help me start it."

And sometimes through the mirror blue, the knights come riding two and two

She hath no loyal knight and true, the Lady of Shallot

"Once upon a time, there was a girl who lived in a small town. She dreamed of one day becoming a famous and respected advisor to a king, and though she didn't know it yet, she would grow up to become the most beautiful and wise woman in the entire land. But the girl was also cursed. While dying in childbirth, her mother predicted that the little girl would indeed be loved and respected by many people, but that it would never last. Additionally, she would never find a knight to call her own, for all the men she would ever meet could not give their loyalty to her and her alone."

"The girl grew up, and while exploring the edges of her town, met a wandering soldier. This man was looking for good people to help him establish his closest friend as the ruler of their kingdom - a very large and beautiful land that was far from where the girl lived. The girl trusted the soldier, though, and agreed to help him make his friend king. As soon as she met the soldier's friend, the girl knew that he would be a good ruler, and worked her hardest until he assumed the throne."

"The new king was a kind man, and a just ruler, but you crossed him at your peril. He would, and had, killed to keep his people safe. But he never killed anyone without a just cause, and only after many hours of praying for God's forgiveness. The king was also a righteous man, who had become a priest before agreeing to rule his country. The king never forgot his faith, and knew his power came to him from a force higher than himself."

"And unlike other rulers, the king sought counsel from not only his advisors, but his queen as well. She was a good woman, who loved the king very much and cared for him through good times and bad. The queen was a talented healer, and never hesitated to use her knowledge to help her husband and their kingdom. The king and queen also had three daughters: the eldest now a mother herself and queen in her own nearby land; the middle child a healer in her own right; and the youngest, still residing in the kingdom and the apple of her father's eye."

"The king, though a good father and a wise man, did not quite know how to go about governing such a large land. But that was what his closest advisors were for - to assist him in making decisions and carrying out his policies. The advisors were led by the soldier, the king's oldest friend who'd become as a brother to him. This man had fought in a great war and survived, but wandered for many years battling demons left by the war. And when the last demon was slain, he searched the countryside for a new quest to call his own. He finally found it when the old king died, and the people looked to his brother-friend as their new leader. The soldier kept watch over the land when the king went traveling, and guarded the king's family as his own."

"Second among the king's counselors was his chief diplomat - a young man who could passionately argue against raising tariffs on merchant vessels one moment, and trip over his own feet the next. He was mercurial and deadly serious by turns, and had accomplished much at such a young age. He had been adopted by the soldier when his own father had died, and admired the soldier greatly. The king also came to regard the young diplomat as a son, and never failed to listen to his counsel."

"Then came the king's scribes - two brothers who, at first glance could not have seemed more different. The elder of the two was called gruff and belligerent by his enemies, but everyone on the court knew how wrong that was. He was an intelligent man, who had learned at an early age to channel his emotions into his writing. The king relied greatly on the elder brother's willingness to constantly tell him the truth, as well as his talent for putting words to paper. The younger brother, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of the elder. He never hesitated to show his emotions, and his contributions to the king's speeches were full of fire and idealism. He came from a wealthy country at the diplomat's request to serve the good king, and was greatly respected by his fellow counselors."

"And then there was the king's herald. For centuries, all of the king's counselors, and especially the royal herald had been men, but when the soldier met that young girl, he knew she was destined for that high position. She was strong, and beautiful, and beloved by the king, who came to regard her as a fourth daughter. She was nothing like the traditional ladies of the court, and for that, the king's enemies persecuted her."

"But the king's counselors all came to her aid without being asked. The diplomat and the younger brother fought to defend her honor, and swore vengeance against those who would do her harm. The soldier ensured that the court treated her with nothing less than respect, and punished swiftly any who would defy him. And the elder brother became her closest friend and confidante. She would come to him when her courage left her, and allowed him to see the hurt young woman who existed inside that hard shell she'd been molded into. She would confess her fears to the elder brother, and wonder if her curse would ever be lifted."

Out flew the web and opened wide, the mirror crack'd from side to side

'The curse has come upon me' cried the Lady of Shallot

"For many seasons, the king and his counselors ruled their land in peace and prosperity. But then the young woman's curse came to claim its price from the kingdom, one tragedy at a time. The king and the young diplomat were wounded by rogue soldiers in an attack meant for the king's youngest daughter. They recovered, but the diplomat nearly died, and it took him a long time to be able to continue as the king's advisor."

"The next blow was when the king's personal aide, a woman he'd known all his life, died suddenly. The king was devastated, and his enemies used this to their advantage. They made it known throughout the kingdom that the king had been concealing a deadly illness. They accused the king of lying to his people, and the queen of using forbidden magics to attempt and treat him. The king's enemies shouldn't have been so worried, because all the magics in the world weren't going to cure the king."

"Still, the good king continued to rule his people. But one day, he and the soldier made a terrible mistake. They killed a man in secret, and covered up their murder. The man they'd had killed was evil - he was responsible for the deaths of many innocent people and planned to destroy a bridge that lead into the kingdom. The soldier and the king knew their decision was wrong, but they believed it would save many more lives. And it did, until the king's youngest daughter was taken by the evil man's associates. The queen was devastated to learn her husband and their old friend the soldier were responsible for the princess being in such danger. The princess was rescued, but it was already the beginning of the end."

"Because the queen refused to forgive her husband, and cut off her friendship with the soldier completely, she drove a wedge into the leadership of the kingdom. In hopes of appeasing his wife, the king began to rely less on the counsel of his old friend the soldier, and slowly, she began to mend her strife with her husband."

"But the soldier was once again left without a quest and a leader to guide him. He threw himself into work, but that only made his hurt grow. He began to unravel, finally being forced to step down from his position as head counselor. The king and queen eventually repaired their friendship, but the soldier's health was too poor for him to continue as the leader of the counselors. The job went to the herald - the only one left out of the original group that the soldier trusted enough to hand his position over to. Everyone else had scattered to the winds."

"The diplomat, not so young anymore, had realized the end of the king's reign was nearing. He'd been trained by the soldier to think of the future, and what would befall the country when the next king had to be chosen. He left the land with the king's blessing, to follow in the soldier's footsteps and find a good man to assume the throne. The younger brother had been long gone, answering the call of his native land for a ruler of their own. He had learned much of statescraft from the good king, and while the counselors missed him very much, they knew he was needed more there. And the elder brother had become a shell of his former self. He still wrote for the king, but he'd poured so much emotion into his writing that he had none left for himself. Not even his friendship with the herald could help him, that connection falling by the wayside when she assumed leadership of the counsel."

"And her new position wasn't the only thing causing her heartache. Her beloved father had slowly wasted away before her eyes, and her beloved guard was taken from her by the king's enemies. She served a king she loved as a second father, and had to endure watching the illness eat away at him as well. Her friendships with the counselors were lost: the younger brother being halfway across the land; the elder brother pulling himself away from everything; the diplomat turning his back on the group; and the soldier having to concentrate on his health and his shaky relationship with the king. So the herald continued to feel sorry for herself, until one day, she began to realize that all hope was not lost. It was hard for her to survive, but the death of the good king was what brought the counselors back together."

"The wayward younger brother, returning for the king's funeral, was what gave the herald the opportunity to bring peace and stability to the land. With the help of the soldier and the queen, the herald made the younger brother the new king, with the brilliant diplomat at his side as his head counselor. And so the younger brother reigned for many years, but all was still not well with the herald. Her curse was still upon her, and her beloved, the elder brother, was further from her than ever. So she journeyed to his castle one day, and asked him if he had ever loved her; if his misplaced heart could ever be found. What she didn't know was that that she was the one who held his heart. And when-"

He stopped as he caught sight of his wife, peering around the doorframe of the kids' bedroom. "Oh, don't stop on my account. Finish the story, or she'll never get to sleep."

"Yeah, Daddy, finish the story", his daughter mumbled sleepily. "What happens next?"

"Molly, you've heard the story at least a hundred times. You know perfectly well how it ends."

She shook her head in protest. "No, I don't. You hafta tell me."

Sighing, he began to recite the ending of the fairytale, the little girl joining in haltingly. "'And when the moon was overhead, came two young lovers lately wed. I am half-sick of shadows said the Lady of Shallot.' And so with her beloved, the herald's curse was lifted, and everyone lived happily ever after."

"Night, Daddy. Night, Mommy," Molly whispered, clutching tight to her stuffed bunny.

He watched as his wife crossed over to the bunk bed, and softly kissed the girl's auburn curls. On the top bunk, Huck burrowed deeper into the blanket. His wife rescued Huck's teddy bear from between the bed and the wall and tucked it into the crook of his arm. She whispered goodnight to the twins, and slipped out into the hallway beside him.

Winding an arm around her waist, he shook his head in bemusement as they headed out toward the living room. "That's got to be the hundredth time I've told her that story, and yet she never gets tired of it."

"Well, neither do I", his wife said. "But Tennyson? For a six-year-old? Isn't that a little advanced for her?"

"She's a bright girl. Besides, she knows what it means."

"And what does it mean?"

He raised an eyebrow at his wife. "You mean to tell me you don't remember what that poem's significance is?"

His wife laughed softly, and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing them to a halt at the entrance to the living room. "I know. I just like hearing you say it."

"Lancelot mused a little space, and said 'she has a lovely face. God in his mercy lend her grace. The Lady of Shallot . . ."", he quoted softly, watching the way her eyes crinkled up at the corners as she smiled.

"So now you're Lancelot?"

"I'm being sweet and romantic, and you're mocking me. See if I quote Tennyson to you anymore."

"You know I'm just kidding." They stood there for a moment, foreheads touching, and fingers intertwined. She then tilted her head and regarded him seriously. "I think this fatherhood thing is getting to you."

"What are you talking about?"

"'Happily ever after', Tobias?"

"How else do you expect a fairytale to end, Claudia Jean?"

THE END