Note: Sorry it has taken a few days to update. Here is another chapter until I can do better…
Same disclaimer… still don't own 'em.
Once Lancelot had taken Laney back to their room, he laid her on the bed and began to pace back and forth across the room. "I can't believe that wench would do something this outrageous!" He just kept saying this over and over as he paced. Finally, Laney had had enough. "Lancelot, please stop pacing and come sit with me. It doesn't matter. She told Arthur the plan, so she can't be all bad." He stopped pacing and looked at her. "How can you be so calm after what was said? She was going to tear us apart and you're defending her!" He walked over and sat down heavily on the side of the bed. She pulled him back against her and began rubbing his neck and shoulders. After several minutes he began to relax and let his head sag forward.
"Lance, do you really think I could believe you would take her or anyone else to bed only days after you married me?" She wrapped her arms around his waist, "Besides, if I did, I wouldn't just run off. I'd probably just lock you in there with her and a very nasty thunderstorm." As she teased him, she lightly blew on the back of his neck. After a couple of times, he grabbed her arms and pulled her around to sit on his lap. "You are a witch! That's the only way I can explain how you've bewitched me with your love." He kissed her gently, "I may not always do everything I should, but I can promise I will never take another woman to bed now that I have you." She looked into his eyes and saw the truth to his words.
She reached up and wrapped her arms around his head and pulled him down so she could kiss him. As they kissed she ran her hands through his hair until she could hold his head. She felt his tongue on her lips and opened her mouth. Their tongues played against each other until finally she lay back and pulled her with him. "Oh, Laney, what you do to me." He moaned against her neck. She raised up on her arms and bent her head just low enough to lightly lick his lips. After a couple of times he grabbed her head and pulled it down so he could kiss her again. As the kiss deepened, she relaxed and lowered her body onto his. With one hand he held her head and the other moved her dress up so he could run his hand from her knee to her hip.
She moaned and he reached up to untie the laces at the back of her dress. She had her hand under his tunic and was running her hand over his chest, stopping to play with the dark curls between his nipples. Their foreplay went on like this until she thought she would scream from the heat inside her belly. Just when she thought she could take no more, he moved her to lay beside him. He pulled her dress off her shoulders and down her body, kissing each spot he uncovered. When he uncovered her stomach, he first kissed her, then lay his head down. After a moment he raised up and she saw him smile. "He is moving a lot, I could hear him through your skin." She touched his face, "He's telling his father to hurry and satisfy his mother so she will settle down. He can't sleep with the way my stomach is churning with passion."
His eyes grew darker with passion as she spoke. "Then I won't make his mother wait any longer. He needs his rest if he is to grow strong." True to his word, he stood and untied his britches, letting them drop to the floor. When she assured him that it did not hurt to lie on her stomach, he positioned himself between her legs and began to make love to her for the first time as her husband. They looked into each others eyes as they made love. She didn't know if it was being married or the feeling of power she felt now whenever her emotions were strong, but the pleasure he brought her that night was more intense, more satisfying than ever before. From his reaction as he reached his release, she knew he had felt the same way. They lay in each others arms, sweaty from the exertion, but satisfied and content in their union.
Lancelot looked into his wife's eyes as he slowly loved her. He saw her pupils grow larger as her passion mounted. Finally, closing her eyes, she moaned his name and grabbed the cheeks of his butt trying to pull him deeper into her. As he watched her face he felt his own passion reach its peak and he exploded into her. In all his adult life he had never been so lost in his passion as he was now. Afterwards he pulled her into his arms and lay content as she drew lazy circles on his chest with her fingertips. He could feel her stomach against his side and felt his son settle down, seeming to fall asleep. He rolled her onto her back with her head on his shoulder. He placed his other hand on her stomach for a minute then wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him again. These were the two most important people in his life now, "I love you, Wife." He whispered softy, "and you, Son." He felt her snuggle deeper into his shoulder and fell asleep with a smile on his lips.
Tristan had settled outside the door to Lancelot's room, keeping watch for any sign of trouble for the couple. When he heard the sounds of their lovemaking, he moved further down the hall so he couldn't hear but close enough to stop anyone who might try to get inside. After waiting a while, he moved back to the door and heard no more sounds coming from the room. He smiled and knew that as much as he had thought he loved her, she had found the one man who would make her happy. It amazed him that he could feel happiness for his brother. Until this night, he couldn't even bear to think of Lancelot making love to her, now he felt almost no jealousy at all. "Be happy, for now I know I can be." He whispered to the closed door. The light breeze that touched his cheek let him know she had heard.
As the sun started to climb over the horizon, he knocked gently on the door. He heard Lancelot's voice and waited for the door to open. Lancelot opened it far enough to see who it was, then seeing Tristan, he opened it and stepped outside the room. "We will be meeting at the Round Table in a few minutes." Lancelot acknowledged the scout and noticed that he did not look like he'd just awakened from sleep. "How long have you been up?" He queried as Tristan headed away from him. Tristan looked back and said quietly, "All night." Then he walked around a corner and out of sight. Lancelot knew he had been on watch duty and silently thanked him. Following the strange news from Keira, he and Laney had needed the time they had spent together to reinforce their vows from the day before. After the night they had spent, there was nothing on earth that could put a wedge between them. They were truly one as Merlin had declared.
He stepped back into the room and stood watching his wife breath evenly in slumber. She looked peaceful and he hated to wake her up, but if Tristan or Arthur had thought it necessary for them to have a guard through the night, then he would not leave her alone to go to the meeting. He sat down and gently touched her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled when she saw him. "Good morning, Love. Did you sleep well?" his tone teasing. He watched her stretch and was reminded of a cat, then he leaned over and gently kissed her forehead. "Arthur has called a meeting and we should get dressed and leave in a few minutes." She raised up and the blanket fell off her chest, exposing her breasts. His eyes took in the beauty of her breasts. "You'd better get dressed or we'll miss the meeting. I'd rather just stay here anyway."
She laughed and moved off the bed as he lunged to grab her. "Now, now." She admonished through her laugh. "Since we are the topic of this meeting, I think we're expected." She grabbed her dress and pulled it over her head. She just had to find some suitable underwear. Since her stomach had grown, nothing she brought fit anymore and she didn't like the feeling of wearing a dress without anything underneath. Even a dress that scraped the ground as she walked. "Lance, after the meeting I need to shop for some more clothes. With this belly I can't wear anything I brought with me and this dress is the only one that laces up so that I can keep it loose enough to fit." He stopped pulling his boots on and looked at her, standing there frowning about her appearance. "Laney, you're beautiful. But I will accompany you after the meeting if there is time." The smile she flashed him would be worth whatever time he had to give for her to find what she needed.
Laney and Lancelot walked into the fortress hall and took their places at the Round Table. Everyone else was already there including Keira. As Laney walked past the chair she was sitting in, she saw her hang her head even lower. She decided that if possible she would make the others see that Keira was not entirely a bad person. She had just let her lust for a man push her to the point of doing something she now regretted. Once settled into her chair, she looked around at the other knights and found Vanora sitting beside Bors and Guinnevere sitting beside Arthur. Arthur stood and addressed his knights. "We all know why we are here. Now we have to decide how best to trap these men so that they can face the charges against them and face retribution. Does anyone have any ideas?"
Lancelot quickly stood and spoke, "What do you mean face the charges and what is all this shit about retribution? The only retribution I care about is relieving their bodies of their heads!" Other members of the group began voicing their opinions or just agreeing with Lancelot. The meeting was swiftly getting out of control. Finally, when Arthur had tried to regain control without success, she stood and shouted, "Gentlemen!" They all looked at her and stopped talking, which was her goal. "Since this seems to concern me most of all," she held out her hand when Lancelot made to stand up again. "Well, it's true. I'm the one someone wants 'out of the way'. Now, since this concerns me, I think I should have some say in how we deal with it." No one else spoke up, so she continued, "These men could be here because of the outcome of the battle. There was no way to stop the war without making it known that I possess some kind of power. That power would make a formidable weapon against any army, don't you think?"
She saw each person realize that instead of Lancelot being the victim, Laney was the one that was in danger of disappearing. She saw Tristan nod as if he had already thought of this scenario. The look on Lancelot's face was one of terror. She knew that this option had not crossed his mind. Arthur leaned back in his chair and looked at Laney. "Unfortunately, I did not consider their reasons for wanting you out of the way. I assumed it was as Keira had said. They just offered to help her win Lancelot. But, now that this option has been presented, I tend to agree with you. This is much more likely the reason than just helping some poor love struck woman have a chance to win her love." The other men sat there with pensive looks on their faces. Finally, Dagonet spoke up. "If this is the reasoning behind such an act, don't you think they would fear her power as much as they wished to possess it?"
Laney nodded her head at him, "I thought of that, but I thought about it last night, what threat would cause me to willingly go with them?" No one answered, so she continued, "If they took Lancelot when he was drunk and threatened to harm him, I would willingly do as they asked to keep him safe." Lancelot looked at her and saw she was not exaggerating. She would become a weapon of destruction to keep him safe. The depth of her love never ceased to amaze him. He reached out and took her hand, "Then, I'll have to make sure I don't get drunk." She heard the teasing note in his voice and smiled. "Maybe not today, but what about next week, or next month? If they are willing to do this now, what will stop them from doing it another time, or even someone else once word gets around?"
She took a breath, to give everyone time to understand how serious she was. "I know you are all used to people who fight with honor, even in war, but the place I come from is much different. People will do whatever it takes to get what they want. Even use innocent people to gain an advantage." Arthur was about to speak again and she held up her hand. "I think I need to consult Merlin before we make any definite plans and since there is a danger of these men not waiting until our plan goes into play, then he must come here." Arthur finally spoke without her trying to stop him. "I agree Laney, Guinnevere, would you find Merlin and let him know what is going on?" She immediately stood up and headed for the door.
Once that had been taken care of, Laney decided to address the situation with Keira. She decided the best way to do this would be to speak to her directly first. "Keira." She called the woman's name and saw her turn toward her. "Was your only reason for getting involved in this mess the feelings you have for Lancelot?" She saw the woman nod her head as tears began to slip down her cheeks. "Do you regret your actions? Truly regret them?" Keira nodded and Laney closed her eyes for a moment and tuned into the woman's feelings. When she opened her eyes, she turned to Arthur, "She speaks the truth. I see no reason to punish her and send her away for the crime of 'love'. I think she will suffer enough without that. Besides, as one who loves him, I can see how she would be willing to do something desperate." The woman was nodding her head earnestly and crying the whole time.
Arthur looked at Laney for a moment and then turned to address the guilty woman, "It seems Laney is not only lovely on the outside. If she is willing to forgive your transgression, I, for one, do not think it my place to go against her wishes. Knights?" None spoke against the woman, but Laney could see that none of them were happy with the decision, especially Lancelot. His eyes were flashing like the lightning Laney had called on during the battle. She reached over and took his hand. "Lance, please, this is the right thing to do. It never helps to hold grudges." He looked at her and despite his feelings, he could not deny her anything. "Alright, for you I would agree to anything." Then he turned to the other woman. "Keira, if I did anything that led you to believe that there was anything between us beyond the… nights we spent together, I'm sorry." Laney saw the other woman flinch at his words, then she looked at Laney and tried to smile. "Thank you. You are very kind and considerate. I will make it up to you, even if it takes the rest of my life."
Little did the group know, but the men that Marius had bade stay behind to snatch Laney was meeting at the same time in a little room close to the stables. One of them didn't trust that Keira would hold her end of the bargain, but the leader laughed, "I think I envy this knight. He must be hung like a mule, for she is willing to do anything to spend the night in his bed." He gave a crude laugh. "She will hold true to the bargain. I saw the hatred in her eyes for the woman Marius Honorius desires." They all laughed and settled back to wait until it came time to meet again at the tavern.
When Merlin arrived at the fortress, he listened to Laney's thoughts on why someone would want her taken. He thought about it and said, "Delaney, although I see your side regarding the reasons, I don't think you were visible enough for anyone other than the knights, Woads or Saxons to see you. I know the Woads have not spoken of it to anyone outside our tribes and I don't think the knights would have done. The Saxons saw the fruits of your labors and heard your voice as I did, but they would not know who you are. This must be something else. I think it more likely that you have made an enemy that you are unaware of."
Everyone around the table immediately latched onto the hope that she was not in immense danger. The more she thought about it, the more she realized he was probably right. Maybe her knowledge of future events didn't help as much as she had thought it would. She sat there going over in her head all the people that she had been in contact with since arriving. She couldn't think of anyone that would hate her enough, that they would want her to disappear. Then it hit her, Marius! She hadn't thought about him since the Romans had pulled out of Britain, but he had not been happy when she threatened him that night. "Arthur, I think I know who might be behind this." All eyes turned to her. Lancelot spoke up, "Who, tell us, Laney."
She spoke the name, "Marius Honorius." Merlin seemed perplexed until Guinnevere leaned over and whispered into his ear. He nodded, "Yes, he is evil enough. What did you do to anger him?" She told him about the night and how she had threatened him by the fortress and how he had just laughed at her until she had given him an example of what she could do. "He called me a witch and a demon. I think I really frightened him and he doesn't seem the type of man to take lightly to that kind of treatment." Arthur spoke to Tristan, "You didn't recognize anything about these men that would have led you to believe they were Roman?"
Tristan shook his head, "No, I never saw their faces and they were not dressed in Roman garb." "Well, we think we have this figured out, but everyone be on their guard. We could be wrong." Arthur turned to Laney, "Until we have this sorted out, you should not walk around, even inside the knight's quarters, without an escort. But, we don't want to tip these men that we know of their scheme, so try to look like whoever is with you, that it is just a friend and not a guard." Lancelot spoke up, "No worry, if she goes anywhere, I'll be with her until later when I'm at the tavern. Then Tristan will be her 'friend'." Finally, Arthur turned to Keira, "You understand how important it is that these men think their plan has not been discovered?" When she nodded 'yes', he said, "Well, I guess that concludes business. If anyone sees anything that seems out of place, report to me immediately." Everyone stood and headed toward the door, except Keira. She looked lost, like she didn't know what to do or where to go.
Laney turned back, "Lancelot, wait for me here." She went back to the table and placed her hand on the other woman's shoulder. "You can't stay here all day. You have to go to the tavern and act as if nothing has changed since last night." The woman nodded and stood up. When Laney turned to go back to Lancelot, Keira stopped her, "Lady." When Laney turned back around she continued, "Thank you for what you did. You didn't have to stand up for me. I don't think I would have done for you under the circumstances." Laney smiled, "You might be surprised what you would do if given the chance. But, I still warn you, if you try to take my husband to your bed I will not be so forgiving." Then she walked back to Lancelot and they headed toward the seamstress that Vanora had told her about.
As they walked, Lancelot reached and took Laney's hand. "I'm proud of the way you handled that. But I don't think I could have been so charitable." Laney squeezed his hand, "What else would you expect from the spirit of love, my Husband?" They laughed and anyone who saw them walking hand in hand and laughing into each others eyes would have known they loved one another more than they loved themselves.