AN: So here is the next chapter! It is a bit longer than the last two so I hope that you enjoy it.

Chapter 7: Life Goes On

Gawain took a sip of his ale and smiled at his brother knights. Galahad was losing to Lancelot at a game of dice while Bors was bickering with Vanora in a corner. He couldn't help but wonder what Valeria would make of this place. He snorted a bit into his drink, not being able to picture his innocent Roman amongst the revelry. However, his snort drew Galahad's attention.

"You want the next game Gawain? Perhaps you can defeat Lancelot." Galahad asked with a slight scowl in Lancelot's direction. Gawain merely shook his head.

"Nah, I never like to play Lancelot at dice." Gawain took another big sip of his drink and shrugged. "Besides, you know that he weights the dice."

Galahad scowled at Lancelot and moved to take his money off the table but Lancelot caught the younger knight's hand in his own.

"Now, now, pup. You've got to learn to see the game through to the end."

"C'mon Lancelot." Gawain interceded. "Let Galahad off the hook." Gawain waved his hand in the direction in some of the legionaries in the corner. "Save your tricks for those Romans."

"Like you, Gawain?" Lancelot said with a bit of a smirk. Gawain froze and gave Lancelot a dark look. He stood up quickly, pounding his empty mug on the table.

"Shut it Lancelot." Gawain growled. Galahad looked at Gawain in surprise.

"Gawain, what's wrong?" Galahad asked of the usually easy going knight. When Gawain merely continued to glower at Lancelot, Lancelot answered.

"Don't worry, Galahad. Gawain is just sorry to lose his little Roman harlot." Lancelot said grinning.

"Don't call her names." Gawain practically snarled at the other knight and Lancelot looked at Gawain in surprise.

"You actually care for the girl?" Lancelot asked in surprise.

"Wait, Gawain was with a Roman?" Galahad asked in disgust. Without any additional warning, Gawain launched himself at Lancelot. "Gawain!" Galahad yelled in surprise and moved to pull his friend off of Lancelot, but to no effect. "Bors! Dagonet!" Galahad called and the other two knights glanced over and quickly moved to help Galahad separate the two fighters.

"You stop it right now!" Bors yelled in his customary growl. "Gawain, you know better than to start trouble in Vanora's place!" He snarled as he hoisted Gawain off of Lancelot. Lancelot lunged to attack Gawain but Dagonet quickly caught him before he could reach Gawain.

"What brought this on?" Dagonet asked.

"Gawain was with a Roman?" Galahad asked managing to keep most of the disgust out of his voice. Bors sighed with impatience and forcibly pushed Gawain down into a seat as Gawain growled a bit.

"Lancelot, stop messing about other people's women!" Bors cried. Lancelot merely rolled his eyes.

"Lancelot-" Dagonet said hesitantly. Lancelot had the look in his eye that meant he was looking to start trouble.

"You would know Bors…how's Vanora lately?" Lancelot asked and was promptly tackled by Bors.

"You leave Vanora out of this!" Bors bellowed, causing the woman in question to come over to investigate. She sighed at the sight of Bors pounding on Lancelot and Dagonet trying to pull them apart. Gawain was taking a big gulp of ale and looked about ready to join the fight.

"Stop it at once!" Vanora yelled and Bors paused long enough for Dagonet to pull Lancelot away from Bors' fists.

"Van, love-" Bors started but was interrupted as Vanora smacked his hand with a wooden spoon. "Bloody hell, woman! That hurt!"

"It was meant to!" She snapped and fixed all of them with a deadly glare that made all of them take an involuntary step backwards. "You lot know better than to start brawling in here! You just got back from patrol so you can stop fighting!" Bors looked a little shame faced, knowing how much she worried when he was away from the wall.

"Lancelot said-" He mumbled and Vanora huffed out an impatient sigh, although her eyes did soften a bit.

"You should know better than to listen to that berk!" She said tartly and turned to Lancelot. "And you! Keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you!" She whapped Lancelot on the top of his head with the spoon too, eliciting a low groan from him.

"I'll take him to the healing rooms." Dagonet sighed and Vanora gave a smile and a pat on the arm to the patient knight, before walking away to refill a couple of pints that appeared to be empty.

Bors shook his head and pulled himself up from the floor onto the bench across from Gawain and Galahad. The three knights sat in silence for a while until Galahad's curiosity got the best of him.

"Gawain, were you really with a Roman girl?" Galahad asked. He watched as Bors and Gawain shared a look that confirmed the truth of the statement before Gawain even had to answer. Gawain sighed and turned to Galahad.

"Yes." He said and a dark look came to his eyes causing Galahad to involuntarily recoil. Gawain's fierce look faded a bit when he saw Galahad's look. "She was pleasant, sweet."

"But a Roman?" Galahad asked skeptically.

"Look pup, don't go saying anything that will start another fight." Bors said. "I'm in the doghouse enough already with Vanora tonight." Galahad grimaced and Gawain snorted.

"Do you think you'll ever see her again?" Galahad asked and watched his brother knight as a soft look came in his eyes and a smile curled up the edges of his mouth. Galahad was a little disturbed as that was the same look Bors gave Vanora when he thought no one was looking. This Roman must be very special to Gawain, however hard it was for Galahad to wrap his mind around that.

"Doubtful." Gawain said before taking another swig of his ale. "But no use of being melancholy, pup. Let's go see if some of the lovely ladies of the house have some free time." He said and stood up walking towards where the serving wenches were displaying their wares. Galahad looked at Bors a little surprised. Bors shrugged.

"Life goes on, pup." He said, but Galahad could see the slightly worried look in Bors' eyes as Gawain talked to a whore with dark hair and dark eyes and led her out back.

"I guess." Galahad said before following Gawain's lead. There was no use in getting upset about the past he rationalized. Besides, if Gawain didn't think that he'd ever see the girl again, it was unlikely that any of them would see her either.

OOOooooOOOO

Valeria felt a bit sick that morning as she woke up. She groaned and rolled over. She usually didn't feel great in the mornings, but lately it seemed like she couldn't even move. All she'd been able to eat were a few bites of bread each day. The oddest part was that it would pass for a few hours and then come back with a vengeance by the mid day meal. She had just managed to get herself out of bed, when Elspeth came in the room carrying a breakfast tray.

"You sure slept for a bit today!" Elspeth said cheerily, putting the tray down. Turning back to Valeria, she noticed Valeria's ashen complexion and that the other girl was still in her shift. Elspeth frowned. "Are you sure you're alright, Valeria? Are you sure that you don't have a fever?"

"I'm sure…or at least this is unlike any fever that I've ever known." Valeria answered in a shaky voice. She swallowed hard past some of the bile that had just risen in her throat. "What is that smell?" She asked in a disgusted tone. Elspeth looked over at the tray with a frown. There was some porridge and fresh fruit and some sausages. She took a sniff- it smelled normal to her.

"I think it smells fine…" Elspeth trailed off as Valeria turned from grey to green and dashed over to the chamber pot in the corner of the room, throwing up what little was in her stomach. "I'll just move this into the hall." Elspeth said and hurriedly put the tray in the hall before returning to help her mistress.

"Thanks Elspeth." Valeria said wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Elspeth nodded and looked at Valeria a bit hesitantly.

"Valeria, I feel stupid even asking you this, but is there any possibility that you could be pregnant?" Elspeth felt like kicking herself at even suggesting such a thing. But as the silence stretched between them Elspeth felt her jaw dropping in disbelief and she grabbed Valeria's arm.

"Valeria?"

"I-it might be." Valeria answered blushing.

"But with who?" Elspeth asked shocked. Valeria looked at her a bit confused.

"Gawain."

"But I thought that you and he just kissed…" Elspeth trailed off before it clicked. "The roses, that wool you were working…Valeria! Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was nobody's business but mine and his." Valeria answered a bit sharply. At Elspeth's hurt look she softened her tone. "Besides, what would you have done?"

"I would have given you the brew to drink the morning after." Elspeth said matter of factly.

"The brew?" Valeria asked with a bit of a laugh. Elspeth nodded seriously.

"Of course- don't tell me you don't know!" Elspeth cursed a bit under her breath. "What do they teach you? The brew to prevent situations like this!"

"Oh." Valeria said and rubbed at her stomach absently. Her romantic side felt elated to know that her time together with Gawain would result in a tangible proof of their feelings for each other, but she knew that this was really not a cause for celebration. Even if she could hide her pregnancy from her parents until she gave birth, she wouldn't be able to hide the baby once it was born. Elspeth's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"We could still try the brew- it is more dangerous the later that you try it. But-" Elspeth stopped at the look in Valeria's eyes. "Valeria- you do know that it would be suicide for you to actually have the baby?"

"I suppose." Valeria said reluctantly, lowering her eyes.

"You have to get rid of it." Elspeth said harshly.

"I can't!" Valeria burst out unexpectedly. "I can't. I know that it's stupid, but I love him." Valeria rubbed her stomach a bit again, marveling at the fact that there was another life in there. "I'll hide it for as long as I can, but I can't get rid of it, I just can't. Will you help me? Keep this secret?" Elspeth nodded with a sigh.

"You know I will." She said and two sat in silence pondering the future. "Want to try to break your fast now?" She asked.

"Yes, let's. But leave the sausage outside I think." Valeria said with a wan smile. Elspeth nodded and went outside to get the tray, dreading what the future was going to bring, but realizing that their path was set.

OOOOooooOOOO

AN: I thought a lot about this chapter and while part of me hates having Gawain go with someone else, I figured that if they thought that they would never see each other again, he would not be living a life of celibacy! Please review and let me know what you think :)