Amelia Vs Lady Isabella – Chapter 10

As the Knights and Amelia got closer to the caravan the Roman guards formed a circle around the, protecting the lady inside. The Caravan stopped quickly and the Knights stopped in front of them.

"Who are you?" One Roman asked.

"I am Arthur Castus!" Arthur said to them. "The leader of the Samartian Knights and from the Wall." The Roman guards immediately placed their swords back in their holders and nodded their heads to Arthur. At this notion the Knights kicked their horse's flanks and pushed them forward to the caravan.

"My Lady, Arthur is here!" One Roman called into the caravan. Amelia sat on her horse and watched as a richly dressed woman with blonde hair stepped down from the caravan. She was a beauty. Lancelot will be well entertained for the next few days trying to woo her. Amelia noticed that Arthur had got down from his horse and walked over to the lady.

"Arthur Castus! How good it is to see you, my father has told me many things of you, and your Knights!" The woman sat as she bowed to him slightly.

"Lady Isabella, it is so good to see you well." Arthur said happily.

"That is very surprising!" Amelia said to Bors who was sitting next to her. Arthur looked at her quickly hearing her comment and then placed his concentration back on the lady.

"I am very well Arthur, even more now that i have met you and your legendary Knights." Arthur bowed his head to her in gratitude.

Amelia noticed now that Lady Isabella was looking at each of the Knights and despite their worn clothes and their dirty appearances she was still impressed. Amelia watched the Lady intensely as she surveyed the Knights. What was her intentions in Britain and why was she so unguarded? Amelia was distracted by her thoughts staring past the caravan and into the distance.

"Do you see something, Amelia?" Tristan asked as he pushed his horse toward her and gazed at the same place. Amelia smiled at him slightly before laughing.

"No forgive me, I was thinking."

"A woman!" Lady Isabella cried.

"Ah," Arthur said. "She is one of our best, a good scout at that!" Lady Isabella pushed her nose up slightly before walking toward the group of Knights. Isabella stood and looked up at the young woman who called herself a Knight, she was no older than eighteen!

"Amelia is no Knight of course, she joined us voluntarily." Arthur commented to Lady Isabella.

"Women still should not kill! Do you have no sense of duty?" Isabella said in disgust.

"I am not the same type of woman as you...my lady." Amelia said this with perhaps a little too much disgust than she first intended. Isabella's face curled up in disgust. "This is my duty, I am fulfilling it."

"I do not approve of women with weapons, Arthur." Isabella said to Arthur without removing her eyes from Amelia. "You should at least have some manners girl!"

"What can you possibly mean my lady?" Amelia asked, a mischievous smile on her face.

"You sit on your horse like you are above me in station, and yet you are not."

"Forgive me ma'am, i would not wish to be at your station." Amelia smiled slightly at herself.

"You insubordinate girl! What gives you the right to kill people, as a woman?" Amelia grew angry.

"The right that people killed my whole family, do you not think that such a thing deserves justice!"

"I do not!"

"Of course you wouldn't you are a Roman!"

"Amelia!" Arthur said in anger. Amelia looked up to Arthur. "Hold your anger and your tongue."

"You impotent girl, i should have you flogged!" Amelia nodded.

"Of course you should my Lady," Amelia said. "It is fitting for your station!" A few Knights giggled quietly at Amelia as she insulted a high Lady of Rome.

"Lady Isabella." Arthur said as he walked over to the lady who was stood looking embarrassed in front of the Knights. "You must have my apologies for Amelia, she spoke out of turn. She will be punished on our return to the wall for her insubordination."

"I am pleased Arthur." The woman said as she walked back over to her caravan. "It is nothing more than she deserves!" At this the Lady Isabella disappeared into the caravan with a wisp of her blonde hair.

As soon as the woman was in the safety of her caravan Arthur mounted his horse and rode over to Amelia as she sat with Bors.

"Amelia! How dare you insult her? She is the daughter of one of the highest standing senators in Rome. I cannot help you now, any trouble you have made is your own doing." Arthur asked. Amelia looked at her commanding officer with a look of anger in her eyes.

"I have made my bed Arthur and I shall lie in it. I only insulted her as much as she did me, I can see no wrong in that. I will take any punishment that will proportionate to the crime, but I cannot see where a crime has been committed toward her." Arthur shook his head before turning to Tristan in anger.

"Ride ahead and make sure the road is clear, take Amelia with you!" Tristan nodded quickly before kicking his horse into action, Amelia obediently followed.

It was a while before the two stopped at the top of a hill and looked down, the area was clear to Tristan but to Amelia far to the East lay the Saxons.

"Do you blame me for insulting that woman?" Amelia asked Tristan as she gazed at him. She wanted a truthful answer and she knew that he was the only one that would give her it. Tristan looked at her quickly but he did not delay in his reply.

"No I do not blame you, I would have done the same. There is something strange about this woman Amelia, I just do not understand what!"

"I can feel it too Tristan. All I wish to know is why she is here and why she was so unprotected?"
"I have thought the same questions, but something is wrong about that woman!"