The One

Chapter Two

Disclaimer:I do not own any of the King Arther Characters, I do however the story.

When Keza got off work she didn't really feel like going back to her dismal little room so she decided to go out for a walk. She often went on walks alone but she actually enjoyed being alone even thought she often wished there was someone else there walking by her. She even had the stupid idea that one day she'd actually would get married, what a stupid idea really was. She would probably never get married there really wasn't anyone in this fort who really intrigued her in any way, sure the knights where fun to be around but she needed someone else. Someone who challenged her in ways no one ever has. She wanted someone to be there next to her when she woke, someone to hold at night when it got cold. But there was no one, she was alone. She always seemed to be more alone than anyone else around her, Venora had Bors, and Truitt had Tarrah, and she had no body she was tired of being alone in this world. When she finally realized where she was, coming out of her day dream of not being so alone, she was standing on the wall looking out into the darkness of the land. She really did think this place was beautiful, she didn't know what she would do if she didn't have its beauty surrounding her each day. Out of frustration she picked up a small pebble and threw it as had as she could out into that darkness watching it vanish into it.

"Well, well look what we had here a little trespasser." Someone came up behind her clicking their tongue. "Do you know what we do with trespassers?"

"Hang them from their thumbs?" She said with a frown on her face.

"I see you have a sense of humor, but I think someday your sense of humor will get you into trouble some day." Lancelot came up next to her with his arms crossed at his chest.

"What makes you think it hasn't already?" She looked over to him. His forehead crinkled at her expression.

"Is something wrong?" He said moving closer to her to stand right next to her leaning on the wall.

She shook her head looking down at the wall flicking gravel away with her finger. "I don't know." She turned to look at him and he surprisingly look genuinely concerned.

"You know you can tell me anything, I've known you since I came to this blasted fort and same for all the men. You are like the little sister I never got to know." He smiled at her reassuringly.

"I know, but it's hard when you don't really know what's wrong." At that moment soldiers paced and she could have sworn she heard one of them whistle. "Well, that's one thing that I can't stand. At least you and the other treat me better then they do." She exhaled loudly.

He winked at her and they stood there and just looked out over the slowly brightening sky. "I wouldn't mind them they all know your linked to us. So did you just get off of work from the tavern?"

"Yes, why weren't any of you in last night?" She turned to walk off the wall and thought he would follow, but he stood his ground.

"We where on duty, still are so I'm afraid I can't follow you. Even though I'm sure you would welcome the company as much as I would." He winked at her again and looked back out into the brighter growing sky.

"How long are you to be on duty?" She asked taking a step back toward him.

"Well if this is an invitation? We're all off in about one hour, if you would care to join me for breakfast?" He smiled at her giving her a little wink.

She reached her hand up to her neck and began fiddling with her necklace, while giving him a genuine smile.

"What is that your playing with, I've never seen it before?" He came forward and she shoved it down her dress front. "You think I won't reach down there? Just try me." He crossed his arms waiting for her to respond.

"You wouldn't dare."

He lunged forward but she clapped both hands on her chest covering the necklace. But that didn't really stop Lancelot's attempt to get at it. He knew any women's weak stop and started to tickle her.

"Come on you can't keep this up forever, I'm going to see it sooner or later."

"No you won't" She laughed as she elbowed him in the side. "I'll just stop wearing it." She laughed and stared to run away but he caught her around the middle and pulled her back.

"Please let me see, if you don't I'll scream." He turned her around and looked at her with a smile on his face, this was all fun and games for him.

"No you won't." He wouldn't do it.

"Try me." He started to take a deep breath.

"Alright, alright, see it's just a necklace that the blacksmiths son made me alright?" She held it out for him to see, then hurriedly put it back.

"No, no. Let me look at it, there's something on that chain." He started to reach for it but a bell rang out signaling Keza to get to the kitchens to start cooking breakfast for the knights and other military at the fort.

"Aww, so sorry but I've got to get to work." She said as she kicked him in the shin and ran off down the stairs.

"You know I'll see what's on that chain before the nights over Keza!" He yelled back at her, she turned and stuck her tongue out at him accepting the challenge then ran off to the kitchens.

"What was that all about?" Arthur asked coming up behind Lancelot.

"You know, just a new little mission I've just stumbled on." Lancelot smiled as he watched Keza run off toward the kitchens.

"Just don't get anyone hurt, like last time." Arthur said as he walked away.

As Keza ran toward the Kitchen she was busy pulling her hair back into a ponytail and got so distracted that she hadn't realized where she was going until she ran straight into one of the Roman soldiers.

"Hey watch, oh its you, the tavern girl the one with out all the brats." He started to walk towards her but she quickly ran around him and went through the kitchen door.

She immediately ran into Vanora. "Wow there girl, what's the rush?"

"Romans." Keza said as they began to start preparing the fire for the meal.

"Did you have a run in did ya? I tell ya they think they are so big and tuff, but mark my words if they ever tried to do anything to ya you know Bors would have something to do about it." Vanora smiled at her reassuring.

"I know I just wish they would stop looking at the way they do."

"Well sorry hun but you can't blame them." Vanora giggled as she started to pluck the chicken she had in front of her. "You're a very attractive person."

Keza scoffed at her remark, she really didn't believe she was attractive in any way, or she would have someone now. But she didn't. As they prepared the breakfast Vanoras' kids came wondering by trying to get scraps that fell on the floor but the received a swift kick in the rear by Vanora when she caught one trying to take a leg of a cooked chicken.

"There all finished. Who do you what to do the knights and then come help me with the others?" Vanora asked as they looked over their freshly laid table spread.

"Ya I guess so, there isn't anything else that needs to be done right?"

"Na we got it all thank heavens. Alright lets get out of here and wait in the kitchens for them to come around." As they walked thought the door they could hear the men coming in their direction with their loud cat calls as Vanora and her past them.

"I hate that." Keza said as she went through the door.

"Hun you just need to get you a man who will protect you from them all, like Dag I know he has an eye for you."

"He does, who else?" Vanora clapped a hand over her mouth it was obvious that she shouldn't have said anything.

"Now I cant tell you know, I shouldn't have said even that. Oh I hope Bors don't fine out, he promised me to secrecy. You wont say anything will you, please don't." Vanora looked at her pleadingly and Keza nodded.

"Only if you tell me the others names first." She pointed a finger at her.

Vanora started to open her mouth but a bell chimed behind her, they where ready for their meal. Vanora whisked past her and out the door. Keza looked after her, so there where others, I wonder who they are? She grabbed her jug of ale and water and headed out the door. When she got closer to the door she paused and looked down at her necklace and hurriedly undid it and shoved it in her pocket on her dress, she wasn't going to make it easy for Lancelot. She might as well make him work for his victory, because she knew he would eventually see it.

"Aw here she is drink woman!" Bors called from his place raising his glass up into the air.

"Ya, ya I got your drink." She walked over to him and poured it in filling his cup to the brim. She then traveled around the table giving drink to everyone but skipped Lancelot causing him to get a broad smile across his face. Then went back to her post in the back of the room to her post waiting for her to be called forward with what ever the knights needed. She looked over at Lancelot who raised his glass to her with a smirk on his face.

"I believe you missed me Kez, I would like something to drink please." His smiled broadened as she hesitated to come forward, but unfortunately she had to move, they where watching her. Did he tell them something? As she walked forward she caught Dags' eye and saw him smile and looked down at his plate, which caused her to blush.

"Here you go Lancelot." She poured his cup to the brim like she did the others, smiled and started to walk away.

"So when are you going to let me see your necklace?" He said so that everyone heard. She slowly turned she could hear Bors' drop his chicken bones down on his place and whisper under his breath.

"What necklace? I'm not wearing a necklace." She said as she looked straight into his eyes daring him to check.

"Alright if you want it like that." He raised his drink to his lips and drank.

Keza walked back to her post waiting for them to finish so she could go help Vanora. As she look around at the knights, thinking. When she looked at Galahad she smiled, she wouldn't mind him liking her but she knew his thought where on a girl that came to the tavern every night to sit on his lap, then follow him to his bed. She looked at Gawain, it wouldn't be him he treats her the same as Lancelot with out all the hidden innuendos. Surely it wouldn't be Arthur and to admit she wasn't at all interested in him. Dragnet, he was one of her favorites but sure he was really sweet to her and she really thought of him as a brother but nothing more than that. Bors he was taken, but still no way. Lancelot, no he was too much of a ladies man, she didn't like that. Last came Tristan, she had to admit she didn't know much about him, he was a misery but he also intrigued her. As she looked at him he glanced at her then raised his cup in the air like he normally did not saying a word like the others do. She stepped forward heading over to him not taking her eyes off of him, he just watched her come forward not removing his eyes from her. She began to pour his drink when her fingers slipped and dropped her jug and shattered over the floor spilling the reminisce of the liquid.

"I am so sorry, please forgive me." She jerked the rag she had in her pocket out and dropped to the floor and began to wipe up the spilled ale.

"No don't be sorry, it's understandable." He was next to her picking up the broken pieces of the jug and putting them up on the table.

"No, it was clumsy of me. Forgive me." She began to pick up the pieces of the broken jug and cut her self with a gagged edge and blood began to flow freely on to the floor. She hissed in a breath and clutched her hand.

Tristan reacted swiftly and pulled his napkin from the table and rapped it around her hand good and tight. "You need to go see the healer."

"No, no I shouldn't leave this mess. I don't want to be beaten."

"You wont be beaten now just go." Tristan raised her to her feet. "Now go you don't want that infected."

"But.." She tried one last time.

"Go." With a sharp look from him she began to head off to the door. Seeing him bend down to finish cleaning.

As Keza walked into the tavern that night she was greeted by Vanora looking stern. "You said you where going to help me this morning, where did you go? I had to serve the Romans by my self, now what do you have to say about your self." She narrowed her eyes at her.

As Keza unwrapped her hand Vanoras' face fell, she gasped and put her hand to her mouth. "What happened?"

Keza told her the story and didn't get much reaction till she mentioned Tristan being the one who caused her to spill her jug. All Vanora did was smile and walk away to tend to the tables.

"What was that look for?" Keza asked but al she did was shake her head bustling around the table.

"You can't hide it for long I'm going to find out." Keza said as she started to fill the jugs with ale and wine. But she smiled at her as she watched her walk around the tables making sure there were plenty of candles lit.

As the night progressed Keza saw the knight enter the tavern and she purposely avoided Lancelot's table as he gambled away his money, but somehow he always turned up behind her without her realizing it till he was right there. The only ones missing were Tristan and Dag, in the back of her mind she thought it was connected in some way but she really didn't think any thing of it as more and more soldiers requested more drink. These men where like fish she thought nothing could satisfy there hunger for the drink. Keza always thought that they where trying to just block out all the things that they had to endure over the years being so far from their homes. So in her mind she thought it was acceptable for there drinking habits. Not lonely there behavior toward everything, they all seemed to hate to sleep alone they all at one point take home a harlot. The knight really had no choice to be alone, well any of them for that reason the all had to sleep in barracks. Keza for one would have gone mad being around the same people twenty-four-seven. She did enjoy being alone for one thing.

"Keza, I need more!" Called Lancelot from the gambling table.

Keza hurriedly grabbed the jug and marched over to him ready to slap of a hand if he got too frisky, she was not like the other women of the fort.

"Here you go Lancelot." She poured his cup to the brim and began to walk away but her caught her around the middle.

"Where's the necklace?" He ran his hand over her neck feeling if it was there but pushed her off when it wasn't there. "So where did you hide it around your ankle" He looked down at her ankle and her reached to grab her skirt, resulting in her slapping him across the face. She ran off to the other side of the tavern avoiding the others funny looks as Lancelot followed her.

"Where is it?" He said coming up behind her.

"I told you I wasn't going to wear it if you where going to look for it." She said putting the jug down on the table.

"Ah, but that doesn't mean you don't have it with you." He grabbed her arms and put his other hand into her pocket, nothing. "You are a good hider, you should try to hide my money from me. But just so you know I haven't given up I'll see it before the night is over." He walked away and sat back down at his table, starting another game.

Keza put her hand in her pocket, nothing. Where was it? She must have dropped it when she was walking or something, but… Then it came to her. When she was cleaning up the mess this morning she pulled the rag from her pocket, it must have fallen out then. That means that…

Tristan walked in with Dag. Dag headed over to the table where Galahad was sitting with Gawain. Tristan caught Kezas' eye than backed out of the tavern into the night. She walked over to Dag and handed him a glass of ale. He smiled at her and then turned to listen to what Gawain was saying to him.

"You know Dag its been about a week since we've been sent out of the Fort on a mission. I bet you all that before the day is over tomorrow we will be sent out to do something. How many of you are going to except it?" He put his hand into the middle of the table.

"I'll take that bet." Said Lancelot coming up from behind. "How's you hand Kez?"

"Better than this morning."

"Ya, how is it? Did he put stitches in it?" Asked Galahad looking up at her.

"Yes he did, it really didn't hurt to my surprise" She smiled back at him.

"You know I was surprised you didn't cry or anything, just that little hiss, very sexy by the way. You're a tough little thing that's for sure." Said Lancelot winking at her.

She smiled at them and walked away to the table across the room to put the jug down. Lancelot came up behind her.

"Look remember what I said on the wall today you can tell me anything."

"I know, I know. I've got to get back to work." She started to turn away but her stopped her.

"I think you should go home." She looked up at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?" He lifted her hand, it had bled through the cloth. "I hadn't noticed." She grabbed the rag from the table and rapped it around her hand. "You know I can't leave, I need this job. If I leave Lars will fire me."

"Not if I have anything to do with it. Lars!" Lancelot shouted looking for Lars the lazy tavern owner. "Lars!" He called again.

"Yes master Lancelot?" He said hitching his pants up coming out of one of the back rooms. "What can I help you with?"

"You need to let Keza go home, she has an injured hand." Lars moved forward and looked at Kezas hand and nodded.

"You should go, but make sure you're back tomorrow night alright?" He looked at her gruffly not really wanting to let her go but he did what ever the knights wanted, in truth he was afraid of them that's why he made Keza and Vanora take care of them.

"Thank you Lars." She started to walk out and Lancelot followed her.

"Don't I get a thank you?" He asked.

She look back and smiled, she walked back to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you Lancelot, thank you for everything." She walked away with him giving an offer to accompany her home if she wanted, but she merely waved at him as she walked away. She heard him chuckle.

She really loved Lancelot, just like she loved all the others they where her brothers everyone of them. Just like she thought of Vanora being her sister.

Sisters, sisters was the one thing she really never had. She had brothers, two. Kadar and Sitar. She was the youngest in her family and unfortunately the last, her parents where taken years ago when the fort was under attach. Her brothers felt they were old enough so they went to find them but they where brought back by Bors and Dag a week later. Found dead just a few miles away from the fort with arrows protruding from their backs. Keza had grown accustomed of being with out them but then thoughts floated into her mind about them not being with her. Not being able to make them dinner or see them come into the tavern to give her a little of a break, she would never see them again.

When Keza snapped into reality she was on the wall again, always the wall. When her parents went missing she would come here and look out hoping she would see them walking toward the fort smiling at each other. But they never came, and they never would. She folded her arms and rested them on the wall looking out into the darkness just wishing that none of these things would have happened to her, but they did happen to her. She hated it hated it all. She sighed, nothing ever changes around here.

"What are doing out here?" A voice said from behind her.

Don't worry I was just leaving." She turned and came face to face with Tristan. "Oh, its you I thought you where a Roman soldier telling me to get off the wall." She turned back to look out over the wall.

"You come up here often." He said knowing she was always here.

"I like to think up here it always seems so peaceful, more so than down there." She pointed behind her.

"I agree." They stood there in silence for a long time neither really caring to talk. But after awhile Keza grew impatient with the silence. "Was it a huge mess?"

He shook his head and leaned against the wall next to her. "How is your hand?"

She shrugged. "Fine I guess, Lars let me go home. It bled through the cloth." She showed it to Tristan and he took it and started to unwrap it.

"What are you doing?" She asked not taking her eyes from him.

"Just looking." He lifted the last layer of cloth and clicked his tongue. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a vile of green liquid.

"What's that?" She asked as he pulled the cork out, she cringed as she smelled it. "What is it?" She asked again but her question went unanswered again.

He began to rub it into her palm, it starting to sting, causing her to hiss in pain, she attempted to pull away but he only tightened his hold on her hand. He continued to rub it in till the stinging sensation started to ebb into a dull heat. But still he rubbed, very gently so to not reopen the wound, when he stopped he let go of her hand and he started to wrap it up again not saying one word as he did.

"What was that?" She asked one last time.

"A concoction of my own, it causes the blood to clot and heal faster, tomorrow it will look a lot better." He said as he began to look back out into the darkness.

"Oh, thank you very much." She held her hand to her chest and looked out over the wall.

"It doesn't hurt does it?" He asked seeing the way she was holding it.

"Oh no it feels better then ever, thank you." She said surprised by his concern. "Why didn't you come to the Tavern tonight?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Didn't feel like being around people." He certainly didn't have much use for words. Keza looked at him closely now, she really never had looked close before. The one thing she really like him for was his quit personality he never really seemed to react like the others she suspected he didn't like people to see him at a weak state. His hair always seemed to be in his face, as if to hide behind. She wanted to look into his eyes to see what went on behind the mask, but she didn't dare make a move toward him. She was intrigued by him but she feared him in someway, afraid of what he could do. She knew what they all said about him on the battle field. But when the knight talked about him it was out of respect even thought they didn't agree with his love for killing. But Keza had the idea that they all enjoyed it in someway they just didn't want to let on.

"Is something wrong?" Tristan had turned toward her in her dazed state.

"Oh," She snapped into reality. "No everything's fine. Sorry about that I get stuck sometimes."

He let out a small chuckle, it sounded nice, deep from his chest. It caused Keza to grow red in the face.

"I have something of yours." He said as he pulled something out of his pocket. It was her necklace.

"Where did you find that?" She said reaching for it. "I thought I lost it."

"It fell out of your pocket this morning." He said. "Reminds me of your eyes, vivid green."

"I know Galahad said…" She stopped.

She saw a small smile on his lips, almost nonexistent. She hadn't realized what she was saying till it was too late. But he let out another small chuckle. "I know Galahad told you, that boy can't keep anything to the chest." He turned back to the wall.

"I want to thank you for it though, it's very pretty." He smiled at her.

"So are you." He said so quite that she almost didn't hear him.

"What?" She breathed.

He turned to her and took the necklace from her. "So are you." He reached his hands behind her neck and latched it. He then ran his hand along her jaw. "So pretty." He whispered. She felt goose bumps run up her spine, her breath exited her body shaky and placed a hand over her heart to make sure it was still beating.

"I don't understand." She said.

He laughed and released her from his grasp and turned to walk away from her but paused. "You should go get some rest, sleep will help fend off infection." With that he was gone walking down the wall.