Two People In Love

by Dragonball X Avalon

Neither of them knew what tomorrow would bring, but for tonight they were just content to be Clark and Kara. Not a Princess and a bodyguard or a Kryptonian and a human, but two people in love. Part One of Four

"My son, you are late."

"Jor-El I needed to-"

"You have not done as we agreed. You will now suffer the consequences."

Before Clark could reply, there was a blinding flash of light and Clark Kent was gone.

He opened his eyes, wincing at the light from the sun, and grimacing as the taste of sand entered his mouth. Wherever he was, he knew it wasn't Kansas. The clang of steel on steel broke the young man out of his thoughts, and he turned towards the sound, seeing two men in robes with curved swords attacking a third man with a cross across his chest. All around him the sounds of battle erupted, and for a moment he just stood there, unsure of what to do. However the man's sword being thrown from his grasp made Clark's choice for him. He tried to run over to the man but found that his powers were gone. He ran as quickly as he could seeing the third man knocked onto his back, both men with their swords raised above their heads, ready to kill him; he grabbed the man's sword from where it had fallen and lunged forward, his sword intercepting the curved blades of the two men. Clark pushed forward hard, knocking both men onto their backs. One of the men threw a knife, the blade ripping into Clark's shoulder, while another pulled a knife from a scabbard on his hip and charged the Last Son of Krypton. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder Clark met the man's strike, barely blocking the strike in time. The second man had gotten off the ground and was charging at him when an arrow hit the man in the back, killing him instantly. Clark shoved his blade upward, breaking the deadlock and pushing him backwards, following up with a slash through the man's chest ending his life.

Clark pulled the blade from his shoulder and fell to his knees, feeling pain he had never felt before. He felt himself fall forward, and he fell into unconsciousness.

"Uhh..."

"Easy, you just got stabbed."

Clark opened his eyes and found himself looking into the eyes of a blonde-haired girl with blue eyes, who was currently applying some form of bandage to the wound in his shoulder.

"Who are you? Where am I?"

"My name is Kara, and you are in the camp of my father."

"Your father?"

"The man whose life you saved. King Richard of England."

Clark sat up, sure that he must have misheard her. He couldn't have saved the life of Richard the Lionheart; Richard had been dead for hundreds of years.

"Princess, what year is it?" He asked, deciding that if she was telling the truth it would be best to call her by her title.

"It is the year fourteen-hundred and eighty-nine, and please do not call me a Princess Sir..."

"My name is Clark Kent."

"Well it a pleasure to meet you Sir Kent." She told him; Clark opened his mouth to tell her that he was not a knight, but the tent flap opened before he could.

"Indeed it is." A voice spoke and Clark lifted himself up as he saw the man he had saved earlier walking into the tent, his sword once more in his hand and a crown upon his head.

"Your Majesty." Clark said as he moved to bow, only to find himself held down by Kara. The King laughed at the display before looking Clark in the eye.

"I appreciate your respect, but I would not try that again. My daughter can be very demanding when it comes to the health of my warrior's."

"All due respect Your Majesty, but I am not one of your warriors." Clark replied as he tried to rise, only to find Kara holding him down again.

"No, you are not. Which begs the question, why did you save me?"

"I don't like it when fights aren't fair. I saw two people attacking one man, and I decided to try and even the odds." He replied, and the King nodded, seeing no trace of deception in the young man's eyes.

"Speaking of evening the odds, who was the archer responsible for saving my life?"

"That would be me." Another man said as he entered the tent, bowing to the King before looking back at Clark.

"This is Sir Robin of Lockesley, Earl of Huntington and Captain of my Royal Guard." The King told him, and Clark's eyes widened in surprise as he heard the name. He took a deep breath and attempted to wipe the shock from his face before addressing Robin.

"Thank you Sir Robin. I am in your debt."

"No you are not. You saved the life of my King and for that I am grateful. You owe me no debt. However, I must ask you... where do you come from?"

Clark hesitated, unsure of exactly what he should say. However, he finally decided to tell them the truth. After all, he had no idea when, or if he would ever return home, and something told him that the King and his Captain would know if he were lying.

"Before I tell you I must ask each of you to give me your word that what I am about to tell you shall not be repeated."

"You have my word." Robin told him, the two royals nodding and gave their own.

"I am not from England, nor am I from this country. I am not even from this time. I come from the future. I was sent here by my father as punishment for failing a task he assigned me." Clark told them, the King's and Robin's eyes widening in shock. However, when he looked at Kara, Clark was surprised to just see her smile, not an inkling of shock or doubt in her eyes.

"And how, pray tell did you fail in the task you were assigned?"

"Someone I cared for was in danger and my father gave me leave to go and save her, with the condition being that I return no later than sunset. I was late, and he sent me here as a result. I do not know when or if I will ever return to my own time." He finished softly, surprised to find Kara's hand covering his own as he finished speaking. He smiled and for a moment the two were lost in each others eyes before the King cleared his throat, causing the two to move their hands.

"Yes, well I consider it a blessing that your father sent you here, and as long as you are here will you join my Royal Guard?"

For a moment Clark said nothing, and then he spoke.

"Yes your majesty, I would be honored."

"Kneel." He commanded, and with assistance from Kara Clark did. The King drew his sword and walked over to Clark, placing the blade on the young man's shoulder.

"Do you Clark Kent swear to protect the innocent, follow the Code of Knighthood and faithfully serve and guard the King and his family with your life if need be?" Robin asked, not missing the fleeting glance Clark stole at Kara once the question had been asked.

"I swear."

"Then I King Richard of England grant you the rank of Knight and welcome you to my guard. Rise, Sir Kent Knight of England." He told him, tapping the young man lightly on the shoulder with the flat of the blade.

"Your Majesty if I may make a suggestion?" Robin asked, and at the King's nod he continued.

"Given that they seem to get along so well, perhaps we should have Sir Kent be the Princesses' personal bodyguard?"

"Why yes, Sir Robin that is a fine idea."

"Father, I must protest! I do not believe it is necessary-"

"For you to have a bodyguard yes I know. However, as you refused to stay with my brother you will be protected."

"Your Majesty, is your brother Prince John?" Clark asked, and the King nodded, the expression on his face making it clear he was wondering where Clark was going with this.

"You will think I am insane, but you must have him arrested immediately. Even now he is attempting to usurp your throne."

"You saved my life, which is the only reason I do not kill you where you stand. Now I will leave you to rest. This is not to be brought up again."

"But Your Majesty-"

"Hold your tongue!" The King snarled before he turned on his heel and walked out of the tent, leaving Robin and Kara alone with the newest addition to the King's Royal Guard.

"Sir Kent, why would you accuse my uncle of treason?"

"Because Princess-" He began, stopping when Kara glared at him.

"Where I am from Prince John is known as a tyrant, who tortures and oppresses the innocent. His lackey Guy of Gisbourne and the Sheriff of Nottingham have taken your lands Sir Robin, and are leaving your people to starve all to add more gold to their own coffers."

Robin's eyes widened at the young man's words; he could tell that Clark was not lying about coming from the future, and the thought of his people being under the thumb of a tyrant while he fought a war for his King and for God caused the young nobleman to feel a fury he had not felt since his father had died.

"You swear on your honor that all you have said is true?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at the younger man.

"I swear on my honor and my life." Clark replied, knowing full well the weight of the oath he had just given; in this time, a man's honor was all he had and if he was proven to be a liar he would lose all respect and trust, not to mention his life.

"Very well. Then as soon as we finish this war, I shall return home and deal with those whom would harm my people."

"If you would allow it, I will go with you and help you get rid of the Sheriff and Gisbourne." Clark told him and Robin nodded, smiling before he walked out of the tent to attend to other duties.

No sooner had he left then Clark felt Kara's hand slap across his face.

"Do you have ANY idea what you just did?!"

"I told Sir Robin the truth of what is happening to his people."

"At the risk of your own life!" Kara shot back, feeling her anger build.

"If that is what it takes to ensure that innocents are not harmed then I am glad to do it."

"You have seen war before." Kara said; It was a statement, not a question, and it caused Clark's eyes to harden before his gaze turned to one of sorrow.

"Not in an organized manner such as this, but yes I have seen war. War and the costs of war." He finished quietly as he thought about all he had lost. Kyla died because he couldn't stop Lionel, Alicia died because of Tim, and now his father was dead because he had chosen to save Lana, when all he had really done was send her into Lex's arms. Perhaps this was some punishment for all of his failures in life; being forced from his home, and all the friends he had ever known while he was forever haunted by his guilt.

"Clark, if you ever want to talk..." Kara trailed off, and Clark smiled a genuine smile for the first time since Lana had been killed prior to his trip through time.

"Thank you Princess." He told her, and she glared at him.

"Call me Princess if you must when my father and others are present, but please, if it is just us call me Kara. I would rather you be my friend than just my bodyguard."

"Alright then...Kara." He said, and she smiled, but before she could say anything, a horn sounded from across the camp.

"What was that?"

"It's time for dinner." Kara said with a slight groan, making Clark raise his eyebrow in question. However, Kara just shook her head before helping him to his feet, the two of them walking out of the tent, Clark still leaning on Kara for support.

"Ah, it appears we can finally begin now that my daughter and the newest addition to our ranks has arrived!" The King said as the two entered the large tent the King used for meals and war council meetings, Kara taking her place at her father's left, with Clark sitting next to her across from Robin.

"Your Majesty, with all due respect who is this stranger?" One of the Knights asked.

"Sir Kent has saved my life, and he is my daughter's bodyguard. You will do well to treat him with respect Sir Thomas." The King told him, and the Knight said nothing, but the look in his eyes told Clark that he was not happy with him there. No, Thomas was not happy at all.

"Is the wine not to your tastes Sir Kent?" Thomas asked a while later, his own speech slightly slurred from the two goblets he had already drank.

"Oh there is nothing wrong with the wine Sir Thomas. However, I don't think it is prudent for me to drink while we are in a hostile environment."

"Hostile environment? Do you expect to be attacked in this camp?"

"I think that while we are at war, we would be fools to let our guard down. What is to stop Salahadin's forces from marching in here while we are all drunk with wine, and then slitting our throats?"

"Oh come now Sir Kent, it is customary."

"Customary or not, I will not take such a foolish risk." He told the man, glancing at Kara who smiled in thanks at his obvious concern for her safety; she was still not keen on having a bodyguard, but Clark seemed somehow different from the others she had previously. However, before her thoughts could continue Thomas's next words broke her from her thoughts.

Apparently, the glance between the Princess and her bodyguard had not gone unnoticed.

"Or perhaps you merely wish to endear yourself to the Princess? Perhaps to achieve a place in her bed?"

The King opened his mouth to rebuke the man but Clark beat him to it.

"I would advise you to hold your tongue or you will lose it." His voice was perfectly calm and controlled, but everyone in the room could hear an undercurrent of fury in his voice that made it clear the smart thing to do would be silent. Sadly, Sir Thomas was not well known for his intelligence or his tact.

"Or perhaps the Princess merely needs a man instead of a boy?"

Clark stood up and walked over to the man, punching him in the face and knocking him to the floor, his sword at the man's throat an instant later.

"I should kill you for that remark. However, that is not my decision to make." He finished, turning back towards Kara. As he had made the implication that he wanted to bed the Princess, the decision of his fate ultimately rested in her hands. For a moment the room was silent, Kara looking into Clark's eyes completely ignoring the knight on the floor.
"Leave him be. There has been enough bloodshed today."

"As you wish Princess." Clark told her, making her glare at him at the use of her title, the young man barely holding back a grin in response. However, when he looked down at Sir Thomas his eyes were cold, and there was no trace of a smile on his face.

"Listen well. The only reason you still live is because the Princess has allowed it, but if you ever make such a comment again or treat her with anything less than the respect she is due, I will end your life." He said, his voice cold as ice before he turned to address the King.

"My apologies for the disruption Your Majesty."

"Oh it is no problem Sir Kent, but perhaps we should desist with the wine at meals. Now, I hate to bring this to an end, but Sir Thomas and I must have a talk." He said, the others in the room taking it as a clear sign of dismissal, walking out of the tent with the other knights looking at Clark with new respect in their eyes.

"You know that Thomas will come after you again." Robin told the younger man as he walked out of the tent.

"Let him try. I do not fear men like him." Clark replied, and the Earl of Huntington just grinned in response before he walked away, presumably to return to his own tent.

"Thank you Clark. Thank you for defending my honor." Kara told him as they walked back towards her tent.

"I have no doubt that you could have done it without my help. However, I will admit that it was very satisfying to put him in his place." He said with a chuckle, making Kara laugh in return, the young woman unconsciously grabbing Clark's hand in her own.

"So tell me Kara... how long has Thomas been making advances towards you?" The Last Son of Krypton asked a few moments later, neither of them noticing their intertwined hands as they looked into each others eyes. Kara looked around the tent for a moment, as if pondering how to answer her new bodyguard's question. However, that didn't last long as her tent was mostly bare, save for a dresser and a cot, and before long she found herself looking into Clark's blue eyes once again. In his eyes she saw a depth of caring and respect that she had never seen in anyone before, and she knew that she could tell him anything.

"He hasn't made any advances that overt, but he has been...watching me for years."

"Why haven't you told your father?"

"He has enough to deal with as it is. He dosen't need to worry about me."

"That's not an answer."

"That's the only one you're going to get."

"Very well Princess." He replied, before standing up and walking towards the entrance to the tent.

"Clark...wait I'm sorry." She called out, and he stopped for just an instant, his entire body becoming stiff as a board.

"Don't apologize. I am your bodyguard, and I shouldn't have pried into matters that are none of my concern." He told her before he resumed walking. He knew his voice had been cold and detached, but that was how it had to be he knew. He had known Kara for less than twenty-four hours and he already felt things that he shouldn't be feeling, especially not for someone he was supposed to protect. When he had gazed into her blue eyes as they spoke, he had felt the undeniable urge to kiss her, and when that bastard Thomas had insinuated that he wanted to bed Kara Clark knew that if it had been his choice he would have killed the older man. No, he couldn't allow himself to be anything other than her bodyguard, because the thought of only being her friend was far too painful.

"Clark, wait please. I am sorry. It's just...I'm not used to having friends. Everyone that I have ever come into contact with either viewed me as a prize or as the King's daughter. You're the first person who has ever seen me for who I really am."

Her words tore at his heart, and it took all of Clark's will not to go and comfort her. However he knew that if he comforted her now, it would never be enough. He could never content himself with just being her friend so he had to end this friendship before they both got hurt.

"I'm sorry Princess." He said finally, the words feeling as though they were daggers cutting into his very soul. He walked out of the tent, not looking back. Kara watched the tent entrance for a moment before she realized that she had lost her first real friend, sinking to the floor as tears began to fall from her eyes.

"What have you done?"

"What are you talking about Sir Robin?" Clark asked as the older man walked over to where he stood. They had just finished the evening meal, Clark and Kara avoiding each others gaze as best they could, only speaking in sharp, clipped tones when they were forced to speak to each other. It had been nearly a month since he had left the tent, and Clark had guarded the Princess as he had been ordered, refusing to give into the temptation to beg for forgiveness for his words. She had been understandably cold and formal and he had responded in kind. He was grateful that the small battles they had engaged in with Salahadin's forces had not required him to get medical aid; the thought of seeing the pain he had caused the young woman was too much to bear.

"Do not play coy with me Clark." Robin told him, the man's words breaking him from his thoughts.

"What did you do to upset the Princess? The day you arrived you acted as though you had known one another for years and now you are cold and detached."

"She is a Princess and I am her bodyguard. Anything more would be inappropriate." Clark replied in a clipped tone, hoping to end this discussion. However , the Earl of Huntington was not to be deterred, and continued to speak.

"Do not lie to me. Now why have you really become so cold?"

"Because to be her friend would be too painful. Ever since I met her I have found myself more and more and more attracted to her and-"

"You love her." Robin said simply.

"Yes. As insane as that sounds, I do. I feel as though I have known her my entire life, and it took everything I had to just walk away."

"Why did you?" He asked, and Clark laughed coldly.

"Why? What would you have me do Sir Robin? I have nothing to offer her, no land or title or anything of value. I do not even know how much longer I will be here. For all I know I could disappear at any moment so what would be the point of telling the Princess that I love her only for me to disappear and never see her again?" He finished bitterly.

"Perhaps you should let her decide that for herself." Robin replied, looking over Clark's shoulder to where Kara stood, the look on her face telling Clark that she had heard ever word.

"If you will excuse me my friend, I have to check the perimeter." He said, leaving Clark alone with the Princess.

"Is that truly how you feel?" She asked, her tone betraying nothing.

Knowing that he was caught, Clark decided to just bite the proverbial bullet.

"Yes."

Kara said nothing; instead she grabbed his hand and led him back to her tent, the young man remembering the conversation the two had shared just a few short days earlier. However, there was apparently going to be no discussion as Kara's lips impacted on Clark's. For a moment, the young man was unable to think as he relished in the taste and feeling of Kara's lips on his own; however, his mind eventually caught up with his body and he gently broke the kiss looking guiltily at the floor.

"Clark, what's wrong?" Kara asked, and he forced himself to look into her bright blue eyes, and speak.

"This. Us. I can't do this."

"Can't do what? Love me? Did you just lie to me Clark?"

"No Kara, I do love you, but I can't let you love me. I can't put you in danger."

"Look around you! We are in a war zone, how much more dangerous can it be?"

"You don't understand...Anyone I get close to gets hurt and dies, and I can't let you share that fate. I can't lose you too." He finished softly, thinking of Kyla and Alicia, both of whom had died in his arms, both of whom he had failed to save, and Lana may as well of died given that she was sleeping with Lex of all people.

"Clark, the only way you'll lose me, is if you push me away. I don't know how long I have on this Earth, but I do know that the ones we love never truly leave us. I love you Clark, and that's not going to change so please don't try and shield me. Let me stand with you."

He looked into her eyes, and he knew he couldn't refuse her; The Last Son of Krypton knew it was selfish, but he didn't care. He loved Kara, and he wasn't going to lose her Jor-El's so called destiny be damned. He didn't answer her; instead he just kissed her, the two of them relishing in the feeling of love they felt from the other. Neither of them knew what tomorrow would bring, but for tonight they were just content to be Clark and Kara. Not a Princess and a bodyguard or a Kryptonian and a human, but two people in love.

A/N: Here you go, part one of four! Please read and review, and watch out for the next installment, Darkest of Days