Title: Under The Sky
Word Count: 6,535
Date: Feb 25, 2006
Summary: The moonlight can shed light even on the heart of the darkest knight. Lancelot/OC
Disclaimer: I own nothing or no one. My beloved Lancelot follows me everywhere because he wants. I'm not forcing him to anything!
A/N: English is not my native language and I'm still learning it; I'll be glad if you help me pointing at any error you find!
Though any remaining mistake is still mine, I must thank my dearest Lady Calliann for beta-ing this piece for me!
This is different from anything I've done so far and I've never tried something so long before, so please, review and let me know what you think!

--o--

Sitting beside his window, Lancelot waited. He looked outside and surveyed the garden. It was a cool night, and the full moon was shining high in the sky. He knew she would be there. She always was, every first full moon night. And this night wouldn't be different. Something caught Lancelot's attention and he held his breath. There she was. Diann. The healer responsible for taking care of the knights since their first arrival at the Wall fourteen years earlier. She was same age as Galahad, and she had grown up with Arthur in Britain. Diann was the daughter of a fallen Sarmatian Knight that had served under Arthur's father command, and her mother was the British healer responsible for the Sarmatian Knights before her. Her mother had taken care of Arthur after he lost his parents, and the Roman loved Diann as a little sister; when her mother died, Arthur and the knights took Diann under their protection.

Lancelot followed her with his gaze as she walked through the garden, sitting in the grass beside the white roses. She closed her dark brown eyes and circled her arms around her knees, letting her long waved dark brown hair fall loosely on her shoulders. The light blue dress covering her small and frail body was illuminated only by the pale moonlight, and she looked as peaceful as an angel. Lancelot felt like he was invading her privacy, but he couldn't take his eyes off her. Diann was one of the few women around the fort that had never fallen for Lancelot's charms. When they first met, at Lancelot's first month of service, he was a seventeen-year-old arrogant boy and she was a fourteen-year-old skinny girl. She had a late development, and only turned into a beautiful and graceful lady when she was around seventeen – by then Diann and the knights, including Lancelot, were already close as siblings, and none of them ever dared to treat her as anything but a little sister. Besides, Lancelot knew better than break the heart of the one woman who took care of him when he was ill, wounded and defenseless.

Lancelot always had special feelings for Diann. She was always there to comfort him, calm him down, same way as he was always there to protect her and make her laugh. They had always shared a comfortable and tender friendship, but something started to change inside Lancelot after her mother's funeral, few years ago. It was a cool first night of the full moon, like this one, and Lancelot had gone check on Diann in her room, but she wasn't there. He looked for her everywhere and found her sitting at the garden, beside the white roses her father had cultivated for her mother – the same place where she was now. In that night, Lancelot had seen the woman in her for the first time. He had seen more than the girl with whom he could spend a whole day arguing and laughing, the healer who had kept him alive. That night, Lancelot saw deeper, and felt deeper too. While Diann was sitting there, crying and whispering to those flowers, he saw a woman left alone by life, with a broken soul and a golden heart. He felt an urge to hold her close to him then and never let her go; he felt as she needed him more than ever – and that he needed her more than ever too. He didn't know how to act on those feelings, so he stepped back and continued to watch from behind a column as she murmured her sorrow to the white roses. Since then, every first night of full moon Diann would come to the garden. And since then, every first night of full moon Lancelot would be there to watch her.

At first, he tried to convince himself he was watching Diann only for her own protection – it wasn't safe for a young lady to walk around the fort alone in the middle of the night, after all. But that excuse didn't last for very long. As the time passed, his feelings for her had grown deeper and stronger, and he had to admit to himself that he was looking at her, and not after her. While he watched Diann caressing the white roses with her delicate hand, Lancelot debated with himself if he should go to her. She seemed lonely, but he wasn't sure if he could be the friend she needed – especially because he was sure she would refuse to be the kind of friend he needed. In truth, he didn't know what to do. He had never felt so lost because of a woman – and he hated to feel lost. He had even made the stupid decision to go talk with Arthur about it. Stupid, because after all the wine those two drank together, it couldn't have ended worst. Lancelot had drunk too much and passed out in Arthur's room. Arthur, as drunk as Lancelot, placed the knight in his bed and passed out too. Next morning, Diann found a half-naked Lancelot sleeping in Arthur's bed, with a shirtless Arthur snoring on top of him. The knight had had a really hard time trying to explain the situation to Diann, and the Roman was still too embarrassed to face her, methodically avoiding Diann in the past weeks. Lancelot shook his head, waving the memory away, and looked back to Diann. For a second, he saw something bright shinning in her face; from where he was, he couldn't see what it was, but he knew her well enough to tell she was crying. In a blink of an eye, Lancelot stood up, grabbed his cloak and left his room. He could think of a good excuse to go talk to her while he made his way down to the garden.

Reaching the garden, Lancelot stopped when he saw the small frame of her back. Diann stiffened a bit, and he knew she had sensed his presence. It wasn't the first time Lancelot had gone to her during her moonlight walks – actually, he had run to her every time he saw her crying, which didn't happen often. He always thought of a good excuse to be in the gardens, but Diann never really asked. Lancelot wondered if she knew the truth or if she was just glad for not being alone. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. She didn't bother to turn to him, looking at the sky instead. He cleared his throat again.

"If your throat hurts, I can prepare you something."

Lancelot smiled. In this matter, she was like Arthur, always on duty, always worried about the knights.

"My throat is fine, thank you. But you will get a cold this way."

Lancelot walked to Diann and sat beside her. She was still looking at the sky, and he studied her face. She wasn't crying anymore, but her eyes were still red, and there were some tears lingering on her cheeks. Lancelot reached out a hand and cupped her face, caressing the tears away. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, letting out a breath Lancelot didn't notice she was holding.

"Are you alright?"

Without opening her eyes Diann nodded. Lancelot knew he didn't need to force her to talk to him, sooner or later she would come to him by her own will, but he couldn't stand see tears on her face either, so he decided to press her a little.

"What? My lady won't let her knight in shining armor help her?"

She opened her eyes and sat straight, getting away from Lancelot's touch. She turned her head to face him, and Lancelot felt like she was looking inside his soul, as if searching for the right words inside of him. She reached a hand and touched Lancelot's hair, playing a little with one of his curls before bring her hand back to her side. Lancelot felt a little bit nervous when she touched him, but he didn't let her notice, and kept staring into her eyes.

"I think, my dear knight, you are the only one who could help me. And that's exactly why I don't want to talk about it with you. Not now." Lancelot looked at her quizzically and was about to argue when she gave him a half smile. "Please?"

Lancelot sighed. Diann was probably the only person at the whole world who could make him shut his mouth with no more than a look. He looked away from her while she stared at the sky again, and they shared a comfortable silence for a while. Lancelot would have to ask her what she meant with such a strange answer later, but for now, small talk wouldn't hurt.

"I didn't see you at the dinner hall tonight."

Lancelot saw a small smile forming in the corner of her mouth. She looked away.

"I was busy."

Lancelot raised an eyebrow.

"Busy?'"

"Yeah, busy."

He was expecting a different answer, and the one she gave him let him suspicious. Was she too busy to have dinner with him? He had to bite his tongue before he said anything stupid. She saw the look in his face and punched him in the arm, laughing.

"Don't be silly! It's not what you're thinking! I was… working."

Lancelot faked a hurt look, but his eyes were bright.

"I wasn't thinking anything!"

Still laughing, Diann made motion for him to stretch his legs, so she could rest her head on his lap. He did as she requested and she lay down. Lancelot's hand was immediately caressing her soft hair. She reached a hand to his hair and started to play with his curls.

"Yes, you were, and I know exactly what you were thinking! You're so jealous!"

Lancelot raised an eyebrow again, and looked her in the eye. He hated when she called him jealous.

"I'm not."

Ignoring his dirty look, she gave him an innocent smile.

"Yes, you are! I bet my hand you were wondering what could be more important to me than to have dinner with you."

Lancelot closed his eyes and shook his head with a soft smile in his lips. Damn this woman for knowing him so well! Diann noticed the change in his expression, and cupped his cheek with one of her hands.

"Nothing."

Lancelot opened his eyes and stared at her, not sure if he had understood.

"Nothing is more important to me than the time I spend with you." Lancelot smiled at her and she smiled back. "And you know that pretty well, so please stop making me repeat it every bloody day!" Shaking her head softly, Diann caressed his cheek again. "By the Goddess, sometimes you're worse than Galahad!"

Lancelot gave her a dirty look and she stuck out her tongue. They both started to laugh, and her laugh filled Lancelot's heart with joy. He felt an urge to kiss her, but held back his instincts. Having her like this was everything he always wanted, but he knew that one wrong step would be enough for him to loose her forever.

"Will you tell me what kept you busy during dinner?"

"I can't. I promised I wouldn't tell anyone."

Lancelot gave her his traditional smirk.

"C'mon sweetheart, it's me! You know I won't say a word!"

She studied his face intensely for a moment before making a signal with her hand for him to bring his ear close to her mouth.

"Can you keep a secret?" Lancelot shivered when she whispered into his ear, and he only nodded in response. She grinned.

"Me too!" She busted with laughter.

Lancelot growled and rolled with Diann in the grass, ending on top of her. He held her arms firmly and smirked at her.

"Tell me."

Diann stared him straight in the eyes and raised an eyebrow, a defiant look on her face.

"Nope."

Lancelot held her both hands above her head with one hand, and started to tickle her with the other. She answered between her laughs, trying to release her arms.

"I can't! Tris will kill me!"

Lancelot stopped and raised an eyebrow.

"Tris? Were you with Tristan?" Tristan and Diann together was never a good sign. "What are you two up to?"

She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes.

"I didn't say anything."

"Oh yes, you've said! And now you're gonna tell me everything!"

Diann was still trying to release her arms from Lancelot's grip, but it was useless.

"Lance, please! You know I can't say a word, or Tris will have my head in a silver plate!"

Getting close to her face, Lancelot kept his tone soft.

"You know I will protect you from anything." Diann swallowed hard and Lancelot noticed he was embarrassing her, so he added with a smirk. "Even from Tristan."

She smiled and Lancelot noticed the relief on her face. He slapped himself mentally for putting her in such a position, but now it was too late. He wanted to know what she was doing with Tristan, and wouldn't let her go without an answer. Diann smirked at him, and Lancelot prepared himself for what he knew it was coming.

"I know you'll try to protect me from Tris. What concerns me is who will protect you from him!"

Diann gave him her best cocky smile, the one he hated, and that she reserved to use only when she knew she had defeated Lancelot at a verbal battle – which happened more often than Lancelot cared to admit. He released her and crossed his arms in front of his chest, still holding her legs with his weight.

"Ha-ha. Very funny."

He could tell Diann was having a hard time trying to hold her laugh, and though his pride was a little damaged, he couldn't deny that see such a happiness in her eyes was inebriant. He didn't mind to take down all his sarcasm and let her be the one jesting on him, as long as he could keep that beautiful smile on her face. She distracted herself by running her hand through Lancelot's shirt, and he noticed she was far more relaxed beneath him now. He thought about taking advantage of his position, but decided against it. Instead, he lay down beside her and ran a hand through her hair. She smiled at him, a mischievous look in her face.

"You really wanna know, don't you?"

Lancelot eyed her suspiciously.

"What do you have in mind, lady?"

She gave him a playful look.

"Tristan and I… we have a deal."

Lancelot sat and looked at her. A deal? That didn't sound good…

"What kind of deal?"

She sat beside him and explained, that mischievous grin never leaving her face.

"It's something like this: he allows me to tell some of his secrets to someone, but in exchange I have to tell him some secrets about this someone… Well, this someone was not supposed to be you, but I guess he won't mind if I include you in the game…"

Lancelot stared at her in disbelief. She couldn't be serious; this deal didn't make any sense at all. Why in hell would Tristan agree to such a thing? No, she was trying to deceive him. But, for what? He raised an eyebrow at her.

"That's a really strange deal, especially since we're talking about the scout…"

"You know Tris, he likes to know everything about everyone."

The mischievous look in her eyes and the way she was leading the conversation told him that she was trying to get somewhere, and Lancelot suddenly realized where she was going. He didn't like it, but he couldn't deny her a little bit of amusement. Not tonight.

"And if you told me Tristan's secret, what secret of mine were you intending to tell him?"

Diann grinned wider, and Lancelot knew he was right in his suspicions.

"That one secret you share with Arthur. Well, from what I saw, I would say that you two had shared much more than just a secret… A bed, maybe?"

She winked, and Lancelot growled. Nope, she definitely wouldn't forget so soon what she had seen. He rolled his eyes.

"Can we please just forget about that?"

"Why? Was Arthur that bad?"

She started to laugh hard, and Lancelot made motion to catch her, but she stood up and ran away. Lancelot cursed under his breath and ran after her. While he chased her through the garden, Lancelot couldn't stop thinking of how much he really wanted to catch her, to hold her close, to embrace her. Her laugh was the most amazing song he had ever heard, and under the full moon light, she was the most perfect creature he had ever seen. A little annoying sometimes, but he loved that about her too. With Diann, he didn't need to be the ironic first knight, the cocky and arrogant warrior; he didn't have to pretend or hide anything. With her, he could be just himself. When he finally caught her, he had completely forgotten why he was running after her in the first place. They were in the back of the gardens, beside a huge stone stairway that led to an old observation tower. Lancelot held Diann by her waist and pressed her softly against the side of the stair. Her wide smile was matching his, and they were both breathless. Diann looked at the sky and Lancelot had to hold back another urge to kiss her. He pressed his forehead against the cold stone right beside her head, and watched her intensely as she stared at the moon.

"Why do you always look at the sky?"

Without take her eyes from where she was looking, Diann smiled and pointed skyward.

"Because the stars are there."

Seeing the light in her eyes, Lancelot didn't have time to stop his mouth.

"But the most beautiful stars are down here."

Diann turned her eyes to Lancelot and stared deeply into his. He felt her body tensing against him and slapped himself mentally again. Looking up at the sky he pointed to the tower.

"The torches around the village. They look like stars when you see them from the tower."

She relaxed again and smiled.

"Really? I've never been up there."

"No?" She shook her head.

"Nope. Civilians are not allowed to go up there at night."

Lancelot smiled mischievously.

"I know, but I thought Galahad had taken you upstairs already…"

She raised an eyebrow to him.

"Do you think I would fall for the same tricks the puppy uses with any barmaid? Sure you know me better than that!"

Lancelot laughed hard. As far as he remembered, Galahad had tried to take her to the top of the tower, but she had ran from the pup straight to Lancelot's room, crying like a scared girl and leaving a very confused Galahad behind. Diann never told anyone except Lancelot she was afraid of heights. Lancelot took a step back and offered her a hand.

"Come, I'll show you."

Diann stiffened and looked from his face to his hand and back. He could tell she was debating with herself whether she should take it or not.

"Don't be afraid, I'll hold your hand all the way."

Diann looked to his hand again and, smiling uneasily to Lancelot, she took it. Lancelot gave her a reassuring smile and led her to the first step. She looked to the stair – it was really high - and then turned and faced Lancelot.

"Last time I tried, I got scared and ran to you. You're here now. If I got scared, to whom will I run?" Lancelot smiled.

"You don't have to run if you got scared. I'm here with you."

She smiled and took a deep breath. Diann was always so strong, so brave; she was always the one picking up Lancelot's pieces after a hard battle or the loss of a brother. She was the one who could hold him together when no one else could. And there she was, afraid of a tower. Lancelot was amused. It was weird to see her scared of something, but on the other hand, it was just like her to face her fears with an open heart. And he was glad to be there to hold her hand. He gave her another reassuring smile, and they took the first step. Her steps were insecure, but she followed Lancelot till the middle of the stair. Then she stopped and held Lancelot's hand tighter. He looked at her, but she was looking at the floor.

"I can't. It's too high."

Lancelot smirked.

"This was the farthest you came with Galahad?"

She looked at him ashamedly.

"I ran before I put my feet on the first step…" She looked at the floor again and then back at him. "I'm sorry, I can't."

Lancelot squeezed her hand and cupped her face with his other.

"It's alright, sweetheart. We don't have to go further if you don't want to. We can go back."

Diann looked at him and raised an eyebrow. Lancelot smiled to himself; it always worked with her. For Diann there was no turning back, if you started something, then you should go until the end. She'd rather die than take a step back.

"I don't want to go back, but I'm not sure if I can go on either…"

Lancelot saw the frustrated look on her face. Diann was always hard on herself any time she failed; she hated to disappoint people, and more than that, she hated to disappoint herself. He took a step closer and whispered to her.

"Close your eyes." She looked uneasily up at him, but he smiled reassuringly at her. "Trust me. Close your eyes."

Facing Lancelot, Diann nodded and closed her eyes. He embraced her and lifted her up, the sweet smell of her hair intoxicating him while he carried her to the top of the stair. The tower was no more than a small spot surrounded by a large wall of stone around four feet high, with no roof. He placed her in the middle of the tower and, reluctantly, released her. Diann held Lancelot's arms around of her waist though, not letting him get away from her. He felt her body shivering against his, afraid to open her eyes. He leaned close to her and whispered into her ear.

"You can open your eyes now."

Slowly, Diann opened her eyes, tightening the grip of her hands around Lancelot's shirt. Instead of looking around, she looked straight into his face, and he smiled at her. She took a deep breath and turned her eyes from Lancelot to the view around them. Her expression was a mix of uneasiness and excitation, and she slowly loosened the grip she had around Lancelot's shirt, letting her hands slip down his arms. When her hands touched Lancelot's, he closed his hands around hers, and their fingers enlacing in a swift and natural movement. After surveying the whole view around her, Diann turned her eyes back to Lancelot, and he observed intensely the amusement he could see behind her eyes. Still holding his hands, Diann mocked a formal bow to Lancelot and smiled.

"Thank you, my dear knight, for killing this dragon for me!"

Lancelot brought both her hands to his mouth and kissed first one then the other, a wide and mischievous grin on his face.

"It is always a pleasure to serve you, my sweet lady!"

They shared a good laugh, and then Lancelot released one of her hands and led her to a corner of the tower, from where they could see the knights' rooms, the garden and the tavern. Vanora's tavern seemed to be noisy and crowded as usual, but, at the top of the tower, the only sound they could hear was the wind. Lancelot felt Diann shivering as they looked down to the village, and he turned his attention to her.

"Still afraid?"

She smiled and turned her attention to him as well.

"No, it's just the wind. It's cold up here."

Lancelot offered her a soft smile and opened his cloak with his arm.

"Come here."

Diann just smiled and embraced Lancelot by his waist, while he circled his arms around her, covering her from the wind with his cloak. She laid her head on his shoulder and he rested his chin on the top of it. They remained in comfortable silence for a moment, just enjoying the view, and Lancelot smiled to himself when he felt her relaxing into his arms. It felt just right to have her in his arms this way, and he looked at the moon, thanking whatever deity had made his path cross with Diann's. Suddenly, a shadow caught his eyes in the garden, and he could tell whom it was just by the way it was moving.

"Were you waiting for Tristan in the gardens?"

"Tristan?" Diann turned her head confused to face Lancelot, who was now looking at her. "No, I wasn't waiting for anyone in the garden, you know that." Lancelot raised an eyebrow at her.

"I know?" Diann smirked.

"First night of the full moon, you know I was there praying for my parents." She talked as if it was common ground for them that she would be there, and that Lancelot would be watching her. Lancelot froze. She knew he watched her. Seeing the expression in his face, Diann laughed.

"Silly knight!" She laughed again, and Lancelot stared, embarrassed, at her.

"You don't mind that I…" he didn't know how to finish the sentence, but he didn't have to. She knew what he was asking.

"I feel safe whenever you're around me – even if I'm not supposed to know you're there." She winked at him and laid her head on his shoulder again. Lancelot shook his head, smiling at his ridiculousness. Of course she wouldn't walk around the fort in the middle of the night without anyone to keep an eye on her. She was smarter than that, and, unlike the scout, he didn't know how to remain invisible for so long. Remembering Tristan, Lancelot looked back at the garden to see he seemed to be waiting for someone.

"If he's not waiting for you, then who he's waiting for?" Dian smiled.

"Wait and you'll see." Lancelot raised an eyebrow when he felt her giggling against his chest.

"You know something you're not telling me."

"I know many things." She smirked. "And I also know how to keep a secret."

Lancelot smiled and gave her a squeeze.

"Of that I'm certain, sweetheart!" She hit him playfully in the chest, and they watched as another shadow appeared in the gardens.

Tristan walked to the other person, who took down its cloak to reveal a beautiful red-haired woman. Tristan took her hand and they walked through the garden in what seemed to be a comfortable silence. Diann giggled again, and Lancelot's suspicions grew.

"Who is she?" Diann smirked.

"Essyllt. Someone Tristan wanted to hear some secrets about. She's also someone to whom I was supposed to tell some of Tristan's secrets to."

"So you were serious about that deal?" Diann nodded against his shoulder. But Lancelot still didn't fully understand the deal. "That he wanted you to tell him some things about her I understand, but why should you tell her his secrets as well?"

"Tristan has a tough reputation. Not every woman would allow him to approach her. So my mission was to convince her that he's a good man, by telling her about his softer side; things only those close to him, like us, could know." Lancelot smiled at her words. He never thought about it, but yes, most of the people at the Wall feared the scout. But Tristan never cared about it much.

"Let me guess: it was your idea?" Diann grinned, and Lancelot shook his head. "Sometimes I think you're worse than me!"

Diann shook her head.

"Nope. I'm just as bad as you taught me to be."

Lancelot smiled - she was a fast learner too. Looking back to where Tristan was, Lancelot watched as the couple made their way through the garden, sitting under a tree. She was indeed a stunning woman, and he had the feeling he knew her, but couldn't place from where.

"She's beautiful. The scout has a good eye for women; I'll give him that. Do I know her?" He felt Diann tensed a bit against his body.

"Interested already? I must warn you that Essyllt likes Tristan; you won't stand a chance." Her tone was stern.

Lancelot felt his heart stop at her words. Was she jealous? Yes, that was definitely the reaction of a jealous woman! He tried to hide his grin, but failed miserably. He held her even closer to him and used his most devilish tone to whisper in her ear, "Jealous?"

Her whole body tensed against him, and she turned her face to his. Even under the moonlight, he could tell she was blushing. She stared intensely into his eyes, and he could see the agitation behind her own. When she looked away from him, Lancelot knew he had made a wrong move, and now she would raise her defenses against him. Diann looked at him again and then looked down, sighing as in defeat.

"Silliness, isn't it? What chances do I have against Arthur, after all?" She smirked.

Lancelot didn't answer; he deserved that one. He should know better than use his charms with her as if she was like any other woman. She wasn't. She was Diann – his beloved and sweet Diann – and she could stand face to face with him, with as much irony, sarcasm and charm as his own. Arthur used to say she was the revenge of his God against Lancelot's annoying charm, though the Roman had no idea how right he was. But in that moment Lancelot didn't really care about it; her reaction to him had filled his heart with hope, hope that maybe she felt for him at least a little of what he felt for her. Noticing the thoughtful expression on his face, Diann rested her head on his shoulder once again and murmured to his ear.

"I am."

Lancelot shivered and closed his eyes. Opening them again, he raised an eyebrow to her, but she was still resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm jealous of you"

Another shiver and his heart stopped. He wanted to tell her she had no reason to be jealous of other women when it came to him; he wanted to tell her he loved her, take her in his arms and make love to her under the moonlight. It would take all the self-control he didn't have to not kiss her right now, but he managed to hold back his impulses. He wouldn't risk loose her now that he was so close to have her. He tried to find his voice, but found only a whisper.

"Why?"

She looked at him then turned her face to the gardens.

"Because I'm a woman. I know it sounds silly, but you guys seem to forget it sometimes and treat me like I'm one of the knights. I'm not. I know she's much more beautiful than I am, but no woman likes to hear it from the man in her company." She lowered her head and, before hiding her face against Lancelot's chest, she whispered, "Especially when we were having such a special night."

He was taken off guard by her honesty, and her words hit him like a punch in the face. He closed his eyes and held her close to him, squeezing her tightly. He was an idiot. He had the most amazing woman in his arms and had nearly ruined everything because of his insensitivity. He sighed and whispered against her hair.

"I'm sorry, I never meant to upset you, sweetheart. And I'm sorry if we mistreat you sometimes. You deserve much better than we're able to give you." He took a deep breath and added with sincerity, "Besides, I'm an idiot."

He felt her giggling against his chest, and was relieved when he noticed she was relaxing again. She reached a hand to his face, caressing his cheek, and smiled at him.

"That's an understatement, my dear."

He nodded with a soft smile on his face, glad that she was smiling at him again. He grinned at her.

"What do you want me to say?" He stared at her, and she had a playful expression on her face.

"I don't know. Won't you say I'm prettier than Essyllt?" He shook his head.

"No. Compliments must be spontaneous, or they're not true. You've just complained about it, would you believe me if I say now that you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen?"

She stared at him for a while, then let a humorous smile form on her face and shook her head.

"No, I wouldn't." He held her close to him and kissed the top of her head.

"But you are."

Diann turned her face to Lancelot, and they held each other's gaze. While he looked inside her eyes, Lancelot could swear he was seeing the same explosion of feelings he had burning inside of him reflected in them. He could sense she was as anxious as he was, and he could feel her heart beating as fast as his. In that moment, he knew she loved him as much as he loved her. He leaned closed to her, and she bit her lower lip, both breathing heavily. When their faces were only inches apart, Diann turned hers from Lancelot to the garden and took a deep breath. Lancelot closed his eyes and took a deep breath as well. He could feel she wanted him as much as he wanted her, but she was afraid. He ran a hand through her hair and kissed her temple. She smiled uneasy at him, and he smiled back. She turned her face to the garden again, and Lancelot followed her gaze.

"Tristan is gone." Diann nodded.

"Yeah, Essyllt probably needed to go back home early tonight. Ewan is ill."

Lancelot raised an eyebrow. He knew that name from somewhere.

"Ewan? That old man who sales you the herbs for your balms?" Diann nodded.

"Yeah, he's her father. I guess you probably remember Essyllt too, you met her the last time you went shopping with me."

Lancelot smirked. Now he recalled from where he knew Essyllt; she was the good-looking lady Diann met at the market few days before. But he didn't mention anything to Diann - he wouldn't make the same mistake twice in one night. Instead, he decided to tease her.

"No, I don't think I recall her. I was too busy serving my lady to notice anything else."

Dian laughed and hit him playfully on the chest. He held her still by her waist, placing her right in front of him, a mischievous look in his face.

"Do you think Tristan really took her home?" Diann raised an eyebrow suspiciously at him, but she was grinning.

"Why? Where would you take your lady after a secret meeting at the gardens?" Lancelot smirked.

"I would take my lady to an old and empty observation tower, where I could appreciate all her beauty under the moonlight." Lancelot could feel the uneasiness growing in her. Diann blushed a little, but she didn't take her eyes off Lancelot's.

"And then?" Her voice was hesitant, but Lancelot could recognize a tone of teasing in it.

"Then I would do anything my lady asked me." Lancelot saw a hint of confidence in her eyes, as if she was gathering all her courage to take the next step.

"What if your lady asked you for the one thing you've never given to anyone?" That was it. She had placed all her cards on the table, and now Lancelot knew what she feared. He took a step closer, ran a hand through her hair and then cupped her face, choosing his words carefully.

"Then I would say to my lady that she already owned everything I have." He watched her face intensely as she took a deep breath, her expression lightening.

"Everything?" Lancelot caressed her cheek and gave her his most truthful smile.

"You have my body, my soul and my heart, my Lady. I'm yours in each and every way, until the end of my days."

Diann let out a breath Lancelot didn't notice she was holding, and gave him a wide smile. She reached out a hand and caressed Lancelot's cheek.

"I'll hold you to that, my dear knight, for I am all yours as well."

Lancelot grabbed her hand and kissed the palm. He smiled and studied her face intensely. He wanted to mark in his memory every trace, every line of her face. The passion in her eyes, the radiance of her smile, her beautiful face shining under the moonlight. He wanted to treasure this moment in his memory forever. He ran a hand over her face, and Diann leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. He brought her head to his chest and embraced her once more. She ran a hand from his chest to his face, caressing his beard, and he closed his eyes, leaning into her touch as well. He took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet smell of her hair. He opened his eyes and found a pair of deep brown eyes intensely watching him. Her eyes were burning with a feeling that Lancelot had never seen in them before, but he was sure it could only be love. Love for him. He smiled widely and leaned close to her. Diann bit her lower lip again, but this time she held his gaze. Lancelot closed his eyes and felt the warm and soft touch of her lips against his. Slowly, he opened her mouth with his tongue, claiming her with a deep and tender kiss. One of his hands was pressing the small of her back softly against his body, while the other ran free over her hair. He shivered when he felt one of her hands caressing the back of his neck and the other running down his spine. When they finally broke apart, they were both breathless – and happy. Lancelot pressed his forehead gently against hers, his wide smile matching her own. He caressed her blushing cheek, her soft skin warm against his hand. Diann turned her head and kissed his palm, bringing an even wider smile to Lancelot's face. He brought her body closer to him and embraced her tenderly. She laid her head on his shoulder and looked at the sky. Lancelot watched her face intensely as Diann stared at the moon, her voice soft against his neck.

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?"

Tightening his grip around her waist, Lancelot closed his eyes and thought of how many nights he had dreamed of a night like this one. He kissed the top of her head and smiled.

"Yes, it's just perfect."