Chapter 3
"No" i bellowed across the huge round table. "it's not fair, I wasn't under the impression that i was being brought here to serve the Romans" "you weren't" answered Arthur "but they have given you the option of serving or death" I laughed humourlessly "oh please forgive me, i didn't realise how unreasonable I was being" my chest was heaving and my hands were balled up into fists, i could see the knights around the table with sympathy in there eyes. "what would you do if you were in my shoes hmm? You know what, don't answer that because you will never have to answer that question will you, so what I have the option to die a free women or live forcefully under the rule of the Romans, this is bull shit" i stood up and grabbed my chair and threw it against the wall where it cracked into three pieces. I then left the room muttering to myself under my breath.
Third Person POV
All the knights and Arthur stayed in there seats, watching after the young girl as she left the room. "How long will she serve for?" Gawaine asked "It will only be the time until you are free" Arthur replied dryly. "only" Lancelot stood up and slammed his hands on the table, "that's five years to many, so basically she is serving the time her brother can't?" "what?" Arthur asked. Dug was the next to join in the argument "Her brother was Percival Artthur, she has payed her dept to the Romans with his life, now she must pay with her own?" "she's damn right, this is bull shit" Lancelot, barged his chair back and and stormed from the room, Tristan was the next to stand up and leave, followed by Gawaine.
Aleana's POV
I eventually found myself in the stables, i walked to a horse and began to stroke it, it was calm as i stroked it and i sighed, "it's not fair" I whispered to the silent animal. "No it's not" I turned and found myself looking at Lancelot. I decided to change the subject "what was my brother like" Lancelot looked startled as i asked. "don't look at me like that, i know he served with you all" Lancelot walked over to me and stroked the horse. "He was loyal, brave, he could never take anything seriously and to be honest damn right annoying" i laughed "sounds like him, mind you I can't really remember him, i was so young when he left" "he died with honour" i laughed "honour, well honour isn't doing him a lot of good now, is that what i am supposed to fight for, honour, is that what you all fight for?" "no we fight for our lives" Lancelot was closer to me now and his hand brushed mine. I looked at him and he ran his hand across my own, he stepped forwards and i stepped forwards to meet him, i looked up at him and he looked down at me. "you know my father always told me to be carful around charm" "oh yeah" he asked "why's that" "because you can never trust a charming man especially with your heart" i pulled away and he looked at me questioningly. "Looks like you finally met a women who won't fall for you" Gawaine and Tristan walked into the stables. "you think I'm charming?" Lancelot asked me, "of course but charm will only get you so far." I limped over to a bale of hay and took a seat and side. Arthur walked in looked to me "i need your answer" "I want to live" he nodded and walked out. "I bet you think I'm a coward down't you" i asked to the men in the stable. "No, i think you want to live, that only makes you human" answered Gawaine. I stood up and walked to the exit to the stable, "where you going" a voice asked. "I need some time" i replied before walking out into the cold night air, i walked for a long time before i came to a grave yard, i looked at the names as i walked past every grave and then i saw a name and stopped. I limped to the stone in the ground before falling in front of it on my knees and then ran my fingers over the carved letters in the stone. I fiercely wiped a tear that had fallen down my cheek away, my brother deserved a proper burial the burial of our people not a roman grave. I lent against at stone and quietly began to sing a song we sung together as young childern.
(I do not own this song all rights go to those who rightly own them)
Hush child, the darkness will rise from the deep
And carry you down into sleep
Child the darkness will rise from the deep
And carry you down into sleep
Guileless son, i'll shape your belief
And you'll always know that your fathers a theif
And you won't understand the cause of your grief
But you'll always follow the voices beneath
Loyalty, Loyalty
Loyalty, Loyalty
Loyalty, Loyalty
Loyalty always to me
Guileless son, your spirit will hate her
The flower who married my brother the traitor
And you will expose his puppeteer behaviour
For you are the proof of how he betrayed his loyalty
Hush child, the darkness will rise from the deep
And carry you down into sleep
Child, the darkness will rise from the deep
And carry you down into sleep
Loyalty, Loyalty
Loyalty, Loyalty
Loyalty, Loyalty
Loyalty, always to me
Guileless son, each day you grow older
Each moment I'm watching my vengeance unfold
For the child of my body, the flesh of my soul
Will die in returning the birthright he stole
Loyalty, Loyalty
Loyalty, Loyalty
Loyalty, Loyalty
Loyalty always to me
Hush child the darkness will rise from the deep
And carry you down into sleep
Child the darkness will rise from the deep
And carry you down into sleep
I heard a sound and saw Tristan's hawk perched on the grave opposite me, i smiled at the animal, and reached into the small pouch from round my waist and took out the small bit of meat and broke it into tiny pieces before standing up and caring over the meat the bird watched me as I did and i offered it a piece of meat it accepted it, and i held my arm out it looked at me skeptically before hoping onto my arm, it's talons ripped into my skin but right now i couldn't care less i smiled and gave it another piece of meat and started the walk back to the stable. When i got to the stable none of the knights were there but Arthur was stood by his horse. I unwrapped the rope from around my chest with one hand and let his cape fall to the floor and then knelt down and picked it up, the hawk was still on my arm as i walked over to Arthur. I coughed to get his attention and held out his cloak to him. He took it gently before saying "if it were up to me, this wouldn't be happening" "i know" i answered. "you don't talk a lot really do you" "no, but i shout a lot when I'm angry" he smiled and i smiled bak and just like that we had an understanding. "They'll be down in the tavern" i nodded and wandered away occasionally feeding the hawk small amounts of meat as i limped. Eventually i found the tavern and saw most of the knights sat outside talking with each other and women, the hawk gave a suden screech and i saw Tristan look up and his eyes landed on me, i raised my arm and the hawk flew back to tristan, I went and stood in a corner out of the way of everyone. My eyes looked to Tristan who was talking to the hawk quietly, then there was a voice over my shoulder drawing my attention away. I looked round and saw Gawain stood there, "what?" "i said made a friend in the hawk have you?" i smiled but shook my head. "Hawks don't have friends, they have a one person their loyal to I'm just a easy meal." He looked at me for a moment before asking "you been talking to Tristan" "no" "he said the same thing when he first got the bloody thing."