Chapter 10

Aemilia walked over to the bed and sat down, her bones feeling as if they were going to drop any second. She hadn't realized how tired she was until she closed the door, her legs beginning to feel like jello. She was about to lie down when there was a knock on her door. She sighed and slowly stood up, hoping her legs wouldn't give out on her.

"Lancelot." she said, her eyes wide when she opened the door.

"May I come in?" he asked.

"Sure." she said, stepping off to the side to let him enter.

She closed the door behind him and turned towards him. She watched as he slowly walked around her room, taking in every detail as if the room had been hers her entire life.

"So what brings you here?" she asked.

"I need to ask you something. Well, find out is more of why I'm here." he said, turning towards her.

"What do you need to know?" she asked.

"You're her." he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Her who?" she asked.

"Aemilia." he said.

She looked at him with a strange look on her face. She couldn't figure out what he was trying to get at, at the moment he just sounded like a loon.

"He used to cry every night when he was younger." said Lancelot, sitting down on her bed. "When we first came here, it had only been months after you were taken. Arthur would walk to the cemetery and cry, asking God why they took you. For years I heard him talk about nothing but you, that at the age of four you were the most beautiful girl he would ever see."

Aemilia felt the tears beginning to come back and she was beginning to wish she hadn't opened her door. She didn't know if she could take anymore crying.

"As the years passed on, the talks about you seemed to dwindle. He became hard and cold, but he still held the light he once had when he was younger. He was still the same little boy, just with a lost heart. When I saw you on that battlefield, I knew there was something about you. Your eyes looked into my soul, just like Arthur's did. And as we went along on the journey, I began to realize that maybe the sister he had lost, wasn't lost at all." he said.

"How did you figure that?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"Everything about you is exactly the same as Arthur. Your eyes were what brought me to you, what drew me to you." he said standing, walking over to her. "And they still do."

He backed her against the wall, her breath escaping her lungs when she saw the proximity between them. There was only an inch of room between the two of them, and he closed the gap, centimeter by centimeter, until there was no room to breathe.

"I can't explain what you do to me, and I hate that. But I also love the way you make me feel, it's something I've never known before, and it intrigues me." he said, nuzzling his face into her neck.

She titled her head upwards has Lancelot's lips left light feather touches, leaving her skin hot to the touch. She gasped as he lightly bit her, moving his way towards her jaw. His hands were placed on each side of her, blocking her from going anywhere. She took her hands and ran them up his chest, resting them around his neck, bringing him closer and closer. His lips eventually met hers and the taste was so sweet. He had wondered throughout the entire journey what she would taste like, and he was glad he had waited. It made this moment even greater.

"Lancelot." she whispered as he claimed her mouth once again.

Lancelot felt her beneath him and felt himself growing deeper and deeper infatuated with her. He loved the way she looked, the way she smiled. Her eyes. Her eyes were what caused him to stop, backing away from her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concern in her eyes.

"Arthur." he said.

"I didn't know you liked him?" she joked.

Lancelot laughed softly at her joke and looked into her eyes, the same one's as his best friend. He couldn't do this, to Arthur.

"I can't." he whispered.

"You can't what?" she asked.

"I can't do this to Arthur. It's not right." he said.

"You aren't doing anything wrong." she said, stepping closer to him.

"You are my best friend's sister. It would hurt him if found out I took advantage of his sister." he said.

"Who said you were taking advantage?" she asked. "He's probably with Guinevere right now, do you see me charging in there with a dagger ready to slit her throat?"

He smiled at her words and agreed it was the truth, but he still felt as if he were betraying his brother. If he found his sister with a man, he would surely kill him.

"I'm sorry." he whispered, walking closer to her. "I want you. But not like this."

He kissed her one last time, her knees weakening with the passion that flew through her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, breathing not an option.

He pulled away and kissed her softly on the nose. He looked into her eyes and felt himself grow warm inside his heart. He smiled slightly and left her room without another word. She leaned against the wall and sighed, her legs about to give out on her.

She went towards her bed to lie down when there was another knock on her door. She thought it was Lancelot and smiled as she opened the door. Instead, it was Tristan.

"Tristan." she said.

"Come." he said, walking away.

She closed the door behind her and ran to catch up to him. He led her outside and towards the wall. He let her walk up first and figured everyone probably knew by now who she was. She stepped onto the last step and walked over to the wall where the rest of the knights stood. She walked towards them but stopped when she saw what was on the other side. Tristan stepped next to her, reading her expression.

"Has anyone got Arthur?" she asked.

"Yes." replied Tristan.

They soon heard footsteps on the stairs and turned to see Arthur and Guinevere rush up with Jols not far behind. Arthur looked out towards the field and then back towards his knights. His gaze fell on Aemilia and it broke her heart to see the inner turmoil in his eyes. He seemed to be thinking with a heavy heart.

"Knights, my journey with you must end here. May God go with you." said Arthur, taking one last glance at everyone.

He turned and walked down the stairs, Guinevere following. Aemilia looked at Lancelot to see the pain in his face at his friend willing to stay and fight. Lancelot took off after Arthur and Aemilia followed. She ran down the stairs after them , hearing the pain and pleading in Lancelot's voice.

"Arthur, this is not Rome's fight. It is not your fight!" said Lancelot, running after him. "All these long years we've been together, the trials we've faced, the blood we've shed. What was it all for, if not for the reward of freedom? And now when we are so close, when it is finally with our grasp, Look at me!"

Aemilia froze when Lancelot rose his voice to Arthur. He had stepped in front of him to stop him from walking so that he could try and persuade Arthur, but if Arthur was her brother she knew he was stubborn just like her and that nothing Lancelot said would change his mind.

"Does it all count for nothing?" asked Lancelot.

"You ask me that? You who know me best of all?" asked Arthur.

Arthur began walking off again but Lancelot stopped him just as quickly, pleading.

"Then do not do this. Only certain death awaits you here. Arthur, I beg you! For our friendship's sake, I beg you!" pleaded Lancelot.

"You be my friend now and do not dissuade me. Seize the freedom you have earned and live it for the both of us. I cannot follow you Lancelot! I now know that all the blood I have shed, all the lives I have taken have led me to this moment." said Arthur.

"And what of Aemilia?" whispered Lancelot. "You just found her, and now you're leaving her?"

Arthur seemed to freeze at the mention of Aemilia. He had forgotten about her and turned his head around, his eyes meeting hers. She saw the despair in them and she understood what he was doing. She just wished he wouldn't.

"I was hoping you would take care of her." said Arthur.

"Arthur." said Lancelot.

"Please." begged Arthur. "Take her with you. Take her home with you. And when you get there, I want you to marry her, and love her forever."

"Arthur, I,"

"Will you do this for me?" asked Arthur.

Lancelot seemed to be struggling with his inner demons, but when he saw the pleading look in Arthur's eyes, he knew he couldn't say no. He nodded his head and Arthur walked away, leaving him alone. He looked up towards the sky and down towards Aemilia. He saw the fire casting a glow on her hair, making her seem like an angel. It was then he knew he couldn't dodge Arthur's plead, and had to carry it out.

He turned away from her and walked towards his rooms, needing to pack for his journey. He left Aemilia standing by herself, and she wondered what Arthur had asked him. She picked up her skirts and ran towards Arthur's rooms where she began banging loudly on the door. Arthur opened it with sad eyes and a heavy heart.

"What are you doing?" she asked, walking in.

"What do you mean?" he asked, sitting down.

"Don't pull that crap with me. I can see right through you, it isn't hard. Why are you staying here to fight? You have no more ties to this place and yet you're staying. What for?" she asked.

"These people need my help." he said.

"Arthur." she pleaded. "I understand that your heart is heavy, but you can't expect to be able to save everyone, no matter how hard you try."

"I feel as if I need to protect them." he said.

"You feel that with everyone. I am the same way, but you need to be able to know when to say when." she said.

"This just doesn't feel like one of those times." he said.

"Arthur, you can't expect to save all of these people by yourself. You'll be dead within a minute. Then what would happen? The same thing that would happen if you left, except for the latter you would be alive which I can assume everyone here would want." she said.

"I can't." he whispered.

"Then I'm staying with you." she said.

"No." he ordered.

"I'm staying." she said, her chin lifted.

"Please, don't. I've already lost you once, I can't bear to do it again." he said.

"And what am I supposed to feel? I just found you and you expect me to just leave you? I can't and I won't do it." she said.

"Please. I've already asked Lancelot to watch after you." he said.

"I won't leave you." she stated.

"I beg of you. I want you to leave. Go home with him. I know how you both feel about each other. It would make me feel better knowing you were in good arms, and with Lancelot I know you will be safe." said Arthur.

"But what about you? I can't just leave. I can't." she said.

"I'm ordering you to go." said Arthur. "I want you to get married and have children, I want you to have the life you deserve. This isn't it. Please do this for me, please."

Aemilia could only cry as she heard Arthur beg. She couldn't leave him, not when they had finally been brought back together, but she felt the pain he was having and felt the battle he was waging within himself. The only thing she could do was nod, saying she would leave.

"Thank you." whispered Arthur, bringing her into a hug.

He wrapped his arms around her and brought her close, feeling as if this would be the very last time he saw her. He wanted to remember her, the woman she had grown up to be. She was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"I love you." he whispered.

"I love you, too." she cried.

She closed Arthur's door behind her as she stepped out, tears falling down her face. She slowly walked back towards her room, stopping suddenly outside of Lancelot's room. She grabbed the handle and opened the door, stepping inside. The room was a mess with clothes and furniture spilled out along the floor. She saw Lancelot huddled against the floor in the corner, tears on his face. She walked over slowly and knelt down to his face, brushing her hand through his curls.

"I can't leave him." whispered Lancelot.

"I know." she whispered. "I know."

"What am I supposed to do?" he asked. "I can't leave him alone, but also I can't deny the request he asked of me."

"I know." she said.

She pulled him close in her arms, letting him for once, feel the need for one's comfort. She ran her hand along his back in a soothing motion, whispering calm words in his ear. They spent the entire night in each other's arms, wishing the morning dawn would never rise.

Another one for everyone!! I'm so glad everyone is liking it!! Yay!