LancelotTristanBaby: Thanks for the review! Since I read all your stories and think you're great, I feel privileged that you read mine! If you think you can relate now, just wait… I promise it gets better as it goes (at least that's what my beta tells me and she constantly scolds me for stopping in mid-sentence before giving her a copy to read! I promise not to do that with the rest of you.
Oh, yeah, the disclaimers… I never do them because it is plain to everyone that I, like the rest of KA fans, own nothing that we saw on the 'big screen'. But also like the rest, I wish I did!
Now, on with the story.
Laney took his hand and tried to speak. When nothing came out of her open mouth, she cleared her throat and whispered, "Water?" The man who had helped her up handed her a water bag and she took a cautious sip. The water tasted so sweet and pure she took another longer drink and then handed the bag back to him with a "Thank you." He nodded his head and spoke, his voice sounding calmer than the last time he had spoken to her. "Your welcome, Milady, I am Lancelot, Arthur's second in command." He bowed his head slightly and she felt like some fairy princess. This dream was going to be great. She just wondered how long it would last before she was sent back home when the dream ended.
"My name is Delaney Sullivan. My friends call me Laney." She offered her hand and he took it and kissed it lightly. Then she turned her attention back to Arthur. "As I just told Lancelot," she hesitated when she said the name, still not believing who he said he was. "My name is Delaney. Please call me Laney as my friends do." He nodded to her and turned to introduce all his knights. "This big fellow is Dagonet, the man next to him is Bors, then there's Gawain and Gallahad, and finally Tristan." As he said their names she looked at each in turn. They nodded in acknowledgement and Gallahad gave her a beaming smile. He was probably the cutest of the group, but he was also the youngest. She gauged his age as several years younger than she was. The one that caught her attention the most was Tristan. He barely nodded in her direction as he kept scanning the area but she thought she feel him watching her from under all those braids.
She shrugged off the feeling that he didn't exactly like her and turned back to Arthur. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go back into the bath house and be going home. I appreciate your help, but I can assure you it was probably nothing more than soaking in the minerals for too long that caused me to fall asleep out in the open like this." She saw the skeptical look he gave her. "Honestly, I am fine. I came here to bathe and relax last night and I must have been more tired than I thought. I'll be heading home now…" and she made to go back to the spring. She forgot Lancelot was standing just behind her and she backed into his hard body. Jumping as she realized he was there, she turned and ran toward the bath house.
Before she realized what was happening a horse came up behind her and she was lifted onto the horse to sit in front of the rider. She was so shocked, she forgot to fight and looked up into those dark mysterious eyes hiding behind his hair. Tristan, on a signal from Arthur, had caught her before she had reached the pillars leading into the bath. She looked over to the others and getting angry, asked, "Why did you stop me? I was just retrieving my belongings."
Arthur walked his horse slowly over to Tristan's. "Lady, there is something definitely odd about your appearance. I feel you know more than you tell. We will accompany you inside." He dismounted and took her by the waist as Tristan let her down slowly from his lap. She looked into Arthur's eyes and saw distrust and it hurt her feelings to think these men thought she was more than she was. "I promise, Sir, I have no knowledge of that which you now speak. I came here last night about an hour before dusk to relax in the mineral waters. Then you woke me up. I don't remember anything else except a strange dream I was having when you so rudely woke me." She put emphasis on the word rudely trying to make him see she had more reason to distrust him than he did her.
Arthur took her by the arm and guided her toward the entrance. Some of the others had mounted their horses and had made a kind of semicircle around it. Lancelot, Tristan, and Gawain were coming inside with her and Arthur. "We just want to make sure there is nothing inside that could harm you." Lancelot whispered into her ear. But he had said it loud enough that she knew the others had also heard. "I thank you for your concern. But I promise you I will be fine. I can take care of myself." She looked to Arthur's blood streaked face and she saw he understood what she was saying. "That may be true, but humor us. We are after all knights known for our chivalry." He said. As she stepped through the opening, she heard someone snicker behind her and she suddenly felt anger at these legends-come-to-life.
They walked through the bath house without incident. Laney had no idea what they might find. The last time she had done this she had found no one. This time was no different. Merlin or whoever he really was, was nowhere to be found. She wanted to tell Arthur of him and what he had said, but she was afraid these men would think her crazy or worse, think she was a witch with ties to the Woads. She remembered reading how they had fought each other for years before joining forces to fight the Saxons. She wasn't sure exactly where she was in the past, but it had to be before Arthur became King of Britain, so the Saxons hadn't been defeated yet and the peace between Arthur and Merlin was yet to come.
When Arthur had determined there was nothing of interest in the bath house, he motioned for the others to come inside. "Lady, we were about to settle here for our nightly bath. If you'd rather we left straight away we will, but I ask that you let us have time to bathe the grime from ourselves before we leave."
Laney had to stifle a giggle at the thought of these men all sitting around naked in the water. She gave a small cough to cover up the laugh and told him, "Of course, you should do as you feel like. I have been here for some time so I will step outside and enjoy the remaining sunlight while I change into something more suitable for mixed company." She picked up her bag and moved toward the opening and the meadow beyond it. She never saw Arthur make the motion, but suddenly Tristan was beside her. "I'll go with you to ensure your safety. I'll wait until someone can relieve me before I bathe." With that he guided her outside by holding her arm at the elbow.
She suddenly had the desire to punch him in the face or scratch his eyes out. Never being one for physical violence, this desire caught her a little off guard. She looked at him and tried to give him her brightest smile to show she had no ill intentions and saw the smug look on his features. "Damn you," she said instead. "I'm not the dangerous person you seem to think I am, so lighten up and leave me alone." She jerked her elbow from his grasp and walked ahead of him. She forgot what she was wearing and the fact that he could easily see her figure outlined in the sunlight.
Tristan saw her curves outlined by the brightness of the sunlight shining through the entrance. He felt a sudden urge to put his hands on her hips and pull her back into him. He shook his head to dispel the image. 'It's been too long, that's all' went through his head as he moved around her and went to his horse. He turned his back to her so he could get his thoughts under control. When he turned around she was standing with her hands on her hips looking to the west. He could still see her beauty. He reached up and took his cloak from behind his saddle and shook it out. He walked over to her and made to wrap it around her shoulders. She jumped and he gripped her shoulders to steady her. "You will need something a little more substantial when the sun goes down." He told her.
She turned around to face him and realizing what he meant felt the blood rush to her face in a blush. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend. I simply forgot what I was wearing." She saw that he took her words for truth and she pulled the cloak around her covering her bathing suit. She sat quietly waiting for a chance to put on more clothes. She wasn't sure what she had that would be appropriate for this time, but right now anything would be better than her near-nakedness. Only if he were affected by her lack of clothes would Tristan have bothered to cover her. His tone spoke of 'whore' like she'd been using her body to distract him. So many emotions went through her mind that she couldn't think of anything to say.
Tristan watched her face as she sat on the rock. He had expected an angry outburst, women were so weird when it came to criticism about their attire. When he saw anger flicker across her face, he was smug in his ability to read her. Then just as quickly he saw shame and embarrassment. Before he had time to cipher what she was feeling shame and embarrassment over, since he was sure that she had worn these strange but intriguing clothes purposely, he saw sadness. Maybe he hadn't figured her out quite yet. He knew she was hiding something but he couldn't get past the sexual innuendo to think of anything else.