Wow. I never would have expected my story to be so positively accepted! Thank you to all who read and even bigger thanks to those who reviewed! Sorry that it took longer then expected!
ok well I've decided I will keep it in 3rd person…might go into 1st person at certain parts though…if I do I'll warn you…no worries…anyways…you don't want to hear me prattle on…ON WITH THE STORY!
disclaimer…if I owned it…Lancelot would be mine…
Last time:
He peered deeper into her eyes noticing she was doing the same to him. Suddenly her eyes grew wide as they could with her current condition as her raspy voice uttered a single word.
"La-La-Lancelot?"
"Gods above, Liliana? Is that really you?" He barely managed to get that much out before she promptly fell unconscious in his arms.
Lancelot just stared at the girl in his arms. Alive. That was the word that was pulsating through his head. Liliana was alive. She was laying here in his arms. Then another word, actually a name, walloped into his head. Arthur.
"Arthur come quickly!" he shouted over to his companion who was just re-sheathing Excalibur.
Arthur jogged over to his companion, "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Tell me what you see," was all he said as he cradled Liliana's head in his hands.
Arthur gave him an odd look. "Lancelot we have to move. We have no time for silly games!" and began to walk away. But Lancelot reached out and seized his cloak, brown eyes meeting his green brother's, beseeching him to listen.
"No! You must look! Please!"
Sighing, Arthur turned back around and came to stand by Lancelot. He looked at the lady in question and replied, "Very well. I see a girl who has been badly tortured beyond human capabilities. Content now?"
But Lancelot would not give in. He needed to make sure he was not dreaming. "No. Look closer."
Arthur gave him an agitated look but did as his friend asked. There must have been some reason to his late madness.
"Her hair is mangled, and her face is smudged with dirt, and her eyes are swollen shut. Her cheekbones look rather swollen and…" he trailed off as Lancelot, growing tired of his ramblings, genteelly as he could, parted her swollen eyelids. The green eyes were now rolled into the back of her head, but one could see how green her eyes really were.
Arthur, as if in a dream, kneeled down beside Lancelot and touched Liliana's swollen cheek.
"It…it cannot be…No…My God…it is…Liliana?" Arthur's eyes went as big as Lancelot had ever seen them, almost making the moment comical. Almost.
"She said my name right before she passed out. It's her Arthur. Liliana is alive."
Arthur reached his hand down; almost afraid that if he touched her she would disappear from his life again. He couldn't believe it. His little sister was alive and breathing. Both he and Lancelot just stared at her in amazement, lost in their own thoughts.
They very nearly well became unconscious themselves but were thrown back into the world of the living by Dagonet telling them to get her to the carriage so he could begin tending to her and Guinevere's wounds. Lancelot scooped Liliana up bridal style and brought her to the carriage, while Arthur, walking in a daze, picked up Guinevere and did the same.
Liliana awoke to find that her eyes opened easier then when she tried a few hours ago. She heard murmuring a little to her left and wondered if the monks were coming back to 'redeem' her and Guinevere further. But then she felt warmth that was over her body and looked down to see a pile of soft pelt blankets over her and shifted her eyes around to distinguish she was in an intensely lit room. She groggily turned to her left to see Guinevere propped up staring impassively ahead. Liliana's shifting alerted Guinevere to her waking.
"Praise the gods finally! I never thought you would wake!" Guinevere took her into her arms and gave her a light embrace, mindful of both of their injures. Liliana responded the hug but was suddenly jolted by their location. The rocking of the space they were in alerted her that she was not in a room, but a carriage. Where this carriage was going she knew not.
"Guinevere, where are we going?" Liliana asked a bit perplexed. She remembered falling asleep on Guinevere's lap after a particularly ruthless torturing session and the rest was a blur. Then her mind was filled with the soulful eyes of one man. She them barely whispered the answer to herself. "The Wall."
Guinevere looked at her with compassion in her eyes. Her mind drifted back to when she first met her cherished companion.
fLaShBaCk
They were in a raid. Guinevere gripped her bow tighter as she shot arrow after arrow to the enemy. Warriors were pouring from behind her to kill. These people were in cohorts with the Saxons, a ruthless enemy who was a threatening force coming in from the north. Once the men were taken care of, they took the women, children and elderly back to their estate and gave them the choice of joining them or wandering about for themselves. Many of the women and elderly complied while few gave protest but kept their life high on their priority list. All of the children willingly complied out of fear.
One of the women they had taken was very weak and sickly but none the less had a certain resemblance to their misty eyed leader.
When the woman was brought in front of the counsel Guinevere and the others noticed she was not bound, nor heavily guarded. Murmurs began as she walked in and began speaking in their native tongue, without the help of a translator.
"It has been a long time." She simply stated, staring straight into Merlin's eyes which few dared to do.
"Very long. You are ailing, the healers will provide care for you." Was his reply.
"Thank you. I have missed you…father."
Everyone stared shock still. This girl who was in league with the legendary Sarmation knights was Merlin's daughter?
"Daughter, it brings me great joy to see how you have matured. Your mother would have been proud."
Everyone was still not moving and unresponsive. You could hear the night air moving through the trees, leaves rustling. Much to everyone's hidden pleasure one of the elders, Frontige, chose to ask the question everyone was asking.
"Merlin, she is a knight, how is it possible that she is your daughter?"
"Her mother was one of us before she married a Roman," with the utterance of the word Roman, every Woad sneered but Merlin continued on," she is one of us. I left her in the care of her brother because of the man I know he will be."
With that the Woads simply mumbled under their breath as Merlin lead his daughter to healers who were ready to treat her illness. When he returned from the tent he turned to Guinevere and asked, "Be her friend young one. For I know none other than you shall. Tough times lie ahead for her, she will need a confidant."
Guinevere simply nodded.
EnD fLaShBaCk
Liliana simply stared straight ahead of her as Guinevere went quiet. In front of her leaning over the young Lucan was Dagonet. He had not yet noticed she was awake, so she just stared at him in awe. He still seemed to be the silent gentle giant who always tended to those who were ailing. Seeing him made the memories from a year ago passed come up and tears almost began to well in her eyes. Almost. She had never let herself cry since she was 8. And then suddenly Dag was looking straight at her with the playing of a smile on his face.
"Welcome back little flower." This was all he said before Liliana launched herself into his arms crying.
"I missed you all so much. I'm sorry I didn't come back. I can explain I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me I-"she was cut off with a look from Dagonet.
"No need to explain right now. I shall tell Arthur of your awakening." With that he proceeded out of the carriage and Fuliciana began tending to her wounds.
"Thank you." Said Liliana. "You truly help me. I am grateful."
Fuliciana stared back with slight disbelief that her husband's prisoner was thanking her. She only slipped little amounts of food to them when she could. None the less she simply nodded at Liliana and began checking her eyes.
"You shall need to simply keep fresh snow and the swelling and bruising should be gone within a week." With that Fuliciana stepped out of the carriage and waited on baited breath to see her brother. Would one year have changed him? Would he still be the same brother she left behind? She hoped. For all of their sakes she hoped.
Dagonet was running to wear Arthur and Lancelot were talking. He could make out that Lancelot was indeed annoyed and Arthur was getting angry at Lancelot's words. He only caught the tail end of the conversation when Lancelot looked pointedly at Arthur and said, "Is this Rome's quest? Or Arthur's?"
They both turned to him as he approached. "Arthur, she is awake. Go to her."
Arthur and Lancelot both stared down at him. What would she say? Would she be different? Were the same questions running through each of their minds.
"Lancelot go to see her first. I have some business to take care of. Tell her I shall be in shortly." Arthur gave Lancelot a pointed look that simply said 'I cannot face her yet.' Lancelot nodded and rode away, leaving Arthur to this thoughts and Dagonet to find Bors.
Liliana was being supported against the side of the carriage by furs. She looked over to Guinevere to see her sleeping peacefully. She felt the carriage shift and looked to the entrance to find a pair of familiar russet eyes. She turned and smiled beckoning him to come over. When he got closer she reached her arms up and wrapped them around his neck, burying her face in the crook of her shoulder. He sighed with content as he allowed her scent to fill his nostrils. He felt her shake with silent sobs and he gently stroked her back. Her crying worried him. Never before had he seen her cry and was almost sure none of the other knights had either. Save Arthur but he was sure he could only acount for a handful of times.
"I have missed you." He stated once they broke apart.
"I missed you, all of you so much. I would have come back sooner but-"she began but was cut off as Lancelot held up a hand. He noticed that there was pain and sadness in her eyes and well as-no he dare not hope she still felt that way for him.
"Later. I want to see your injuries." He declared, his eyes bearing into hers.
She looked up at him with suspicion. "What do you need to seem them for? Fuliciana has taken care of them." But then she saw a mischievous look in his eye that she knew all to well. They were plotting something.
"I need to know how to divide up the beatings of that pompous Roman ass with the rest of us. So far Arthur has threatened to kill him, Galahad twice. Dagonet gave him quite a glare that could be taken as a threat, Bors rests his hand on his hilt each time they make eye contact, Gawain was 'practicing' his knife throwing the other day and 'unintentionally' nearly hit the fat bastard in the face. Misfortune that he missed really. And Tristan, well you know Tristan. He simply has to look at you for you to know you are in a predicament with him."
Liliana laughed. These were her Knights. Her brothers at arms. She was finally back to a place where she called home.
"And what of you my dashing knight? How have you made his life ghastly?" Liliana was interested him his answer. Her feelings for Lancelot ran deeper then those of the other knights. She knew he knew, and he knew she knew. They knew of their feelings for each other but a simple a year ago were too bashful to act upon them. They danced around the feelings but never fully came out with them. They both tried to hide it, thinking the other did not feel the same way.
She watched as Lancelot lost the roguish look in his eye and adopted a more serious tone. "I would have killed him back on his manor had Arthur forbade me not to."
One look into his eyes and she was able to read everything. Lancelot noticed her deep green eyes searching his to find out if this was true. She could read every emtion in his eyes. Pain, regret, saddness, happiness, remorse, compassion, and was it? Yes it was. Love. He watched her hand come up and stroke his face tenderly; he only felt the roughness of the cloth that was spun around her hands and well as the tips of her fingers. He looked into her eyes to see them shining with unshed tears which again worried him, she never cried before.
"Let me see your hand." He said gently as he could, taking them into his own, unwrapping the cloth.
Liliana had to repress a whimper as he touched her fingers. They were wrenched out of place, hoping that if they ruined Guinevere and her hands they would not be able to brandish bow or sword again. Lancelot saw her brow crease and saw her body jump at the pain both in her hands and head from her swollen eyes.
"What did they do to you…?" he mumbled under his breath.
"They tried to use machines and schemes to get us to tell them things we didn't even know. Lancelot…it hurts…please don't handle it…"
His eyes looked at her, conveying he meant her no harm. "Your fingers are out of place. I need to get them back in again Lili please!" he said using more force in his voice as she tried to rip her hands out of his. He saw the pain in her eyes and continued in a softer tone. "You could lose your ability to use them if I don't."
She looked at him carefully and then nodded her consent. He nodded at her and grasped her hand in one of his much larger ones, and in the other is held her fingers. With another nod form Liliana he pushed and twisted the fingers back in place. Liliana cried out for every crack that was heard. Lancelot immediately let go of her hands and enfolded her into his arms. She let herself be rocked back and forth with Lancelot whispering comforts in her eat while kissing her hair and forehead.
Finally she succumbed to sleep and Lancelot gently laid her back down onto the cushioned furs that made up her temporary bedding. With one last kiss on the forehead he turned to leave telling Dagonet that Arthur might be by in a few moments.
He jumped out of the carriage into the light and called for his horse. As he mounted back up and got settled into the saddle, his thoughts drifted back to her maimed hands. They knew who she was, or at least that she could fight. He knew that technique of punishment. His father had taught him back in Sarmatia. You unhinged the fingers in their dominant fighting hand and after a time of them not being able to restore them, the appendages would become permanent that way.
He passed Arthur on the road and called out to him.
"She is asleep now. She will most likely remain that way for a few hours yet."
A nod was his silent reply.
"You know, she wants to see you. I do not see why you do not feel the same eagerness as her."
"She has been gone for a year Lancelot and it has been my fault! I left her in the care of speculative villagers with the protection of an aging sickly knight! She would not have ended up like this had it not been for me."
"Arthur you are acting foolishly. Don't you think the rest of us thought that way? We, her brothers at arms could not stop her form being taken, nor did we find her after. She would never think that of you or any of us. I know this and the rest of the knights do. She was never one to hold grudges."
"I suppose. I want to see her though, sleeping or not. If anyone needs me I shall be in the carriage." With this Arthur started riding off towards the carriage when Lancelot called out his name.
"Arthur, she is in bad shape I must warn you. I had to reset her fingers and the other woman in there may be similar. Do it as gently as you are able to."
Arthur nodded and proceeded on.
"Arthur." Dagonet said as Arthur entered the wagon.
Arthur merely looked at him, and nodding to the boy asked, "How is he?"
"He burns, brave boy." was the response as Dagonet softly stroked the boy's forehead. "She is slumbering still. Try not to make too much sound."
Arthur acknowledged what he had said and then his gaze shifted to the sleeping form of his sister. Her eyes were covered in a cool cloth, and her body was tucked into the blankets securely. He crept over to her side and fished her hand out of the mass of furs. Her fingers were slightly swollen, mostly sue to the fact that Lancelot had to reset them, but he also noticed they were as cold as ice. He found her other hand and held them between his own, willing them to warm. He took the cloth off her eyes and looked at her face. She was still as he remembered her, except thinner.
He felt anger, frustration, and sadness well up inside him and he looked at her. As gently as he could he lay the cloth back over her eyes. Dagonet muttered something about leaving to get the Roman ass's wife to check Lucan once more. His attention then returned to Liliana.
"I don't know if you can here me Lil, but I will talk anyway. I am sorry. I should have looked for your harder; maybe then this could have all been prevented. Mother always told me to watch out for you and I failed her. The knights missed you. Lancelot especially. You know he keeps your sword in his quarters. I have your bow in my own." He stopped to pause and stroke her hair. "I cannot face you when you are awake. I somehow see the younger you asking me where mother had gone after the fire. I cannot bear to see your face when you are hurt, and at my causing. The knights are even angrier with me and my God now. They blame Him for this. I myself cannot hold them at fault at all. I missed you my sister. And I love you, I know I never told you that often but I hope you know I do. Dream well."
With that he leaned over and kissed her forehead. He heard a rustling come from behind him and turned to see the other Woad they had rescued.
"She missed you as well I hope you know." Guinevere told him.
"Why did she not come back then?"
"She was in safe hands I assure you. And she did attempt, many times in fact, but she was ailing for an extensive time and did not have the strength. We were going to her home when Marius and his guards caught us."
Arthur sat there bewildered with thousands of thoughts moving through his head. She was coming back and then that damnable bastard caught her and did this to her. He caught himself thinking thoughts of harming Marius, but immediately his commander side took over. He could not let such feelings get in the way of a mission. He reached for the girls hands when she immediately pulled back, shooting him a heated gaze.
He sighed and said slowly so not to offend or frighten the girl," Some of your fingers are out of place. I have to push them back. If I don't do this, there's a chance you may never use them again."
With great reluctance she let him take her hand and watched as her carefully unwrapped the cloth. With a deep stare into her eyes he cracked the fingers back in place, wincing as her heard her breath quicken and her voice cry out.
He turned to leave, the two women making him feel very distressed and guilty because of what they had gone though when he felt the girl reach out and grab his chest plate. He turned back around to look into her eyes t o see pain and a tinge of longing.
"He tortured us. With machines. He made us tell him things we didn't know to begin with. And then, I heard your voice in the dark. I'm Guinevere. You're Arthur, of the knights from the great Wall." He watched as she fell into exhaustion against his chest. He looked at her fondly as he laid her back down on the floor and exited the wagon.
The other knights saw him come out and they all looked at each other. He had not yet forgiven himself for Liliana's disappearance and it seemed he still hadn't. His eyes were hard as he mounted his horse and gigged it to the front of the caravan. With another glance between each other the all knew silently in their heads that Arthur would come out of this experience a changed man.
Jesus finally I got this chapter out! So so so so so so soooooo sorry it took me so long, my sister's pregnant and I've been helping her around the house and between that and school it was hard to find time. Thank you so much again for the reviews on chapter 1! Keep them up…they are GREAT motivation!
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