Disclaimer: I own nothing of King Arthur but I do own the character Evan.
Author Note: Thankyou for reviewing everyone. Sorry for the wait but I've been a bit busy with school.
Beautiful
Enigma: Stephan is an old beau of Evans. He's a Roman soldier
who ended up cheating on her so she left him. It was short….but it
happened. You're review was very strong. Thankyou. I'm glad
you're so supportive of the story.
MistakenLove:
haha. Wait until you read this chapter, you'll really flip. I'm
really excited about this because I've added a different side of
Tristan. Hope you like him.
KnightMaiden:
Girl you rock. Thanks.
Lady
K 666: Ok! I've updated! I hope you keep reviewing. Sorry for
the wait. I'm so glad you like it.
Ok people! I'm jumping out of my seat as I'm about to post this because I'm so excited about how I've made Tristan. He kind of reminds me of Heath Leadger in 10 things I hate about you. Remember he's only 19 right now so he's not all….quiet and brooding yet….not totally. Tell me what you think. No flames.
0-0-0
Gales
'Deep in thought?' Tristan asked me.
I smiled at him as he sat down beside me. I sighed and looked out onto the hills. We were sitting on the wall of the fort. 'Yes,' I sighed. 'I'm quite bored here.'
'I agree,' he said taking out a small pipe.
'I didn't know you smoked,' I said looking at the pipe from the corner of my eye.
'You never asked,' he replied calmly. We sat in a comfortable silence for a long while.
'When did you get the tattoos?' I asked him as I looked at my hands.
'When I was 12. I killed 6 men in my first battle,' he said holding his pipe. The smell of burning weeds filled my nose and I realised I could do without the smell. It was not completely unpleasant only it had a sharp smell.
'So how are you?' I asked him. 'You don't seem happy about being here either.'
He shrugged. 'We are in closed walls with Romans all around us.'
'The tavern isn't providing entertainment?' I asked with a sly smile. 'I heard the entertainment there is quite good.'
He looked at me from the corner of his eye and let off a puff of smoke. 'It is not my style.'
'No?' I asked. 'Well…I'm sure the barmaids will be sad and missing your presence.'
'You find yourself amusing don't you?' he asked me icily.
'Sometimes.' I looked at him. 'I don't really have a gift for humour.'
'I could have told you that,' he said as he stowed his pipe away. He cracked his knuckles making me cringe.
'Doesn't it hurt?' I asked him.
'Not at all.' His hawk came flying down and it rested on Tristan's outstretched arm. It looked at me and pocked it head out slightly as if cautiously trying to touch me.
'She won't bite you,' he told me as I watched it fearfully.
'I've never been good around animals,' I said smiling slightly. Unexpectedly he took my hand and not breaking his eyes from mine he put my hand over his hawk's feathers. He showed me the way to stroke her and slowly let go of my hand as I patted her on my own. The hawk slowly closed her eyes and extended her wings slightly. It moved its neck forward and I scratched under her neck. I smiled happily at Tristan and he smiled back at me; happily.
I spent the next few hours speaking to him about random subjects. I was surprised when he actually spoke full sentences to me. We came from neighbouring tribes; him Iazyges and me Rhoxolani.
0-0-0
Tristan was surprised about how easy it was to speak to her. She listened to him calmly and without judgement and laughed often. He loved her smile. She was such a closed in person when he first met her but now she was an open, bubbly, happy girl who was completely girly. She moved her hands a lot when she spoke and often lifted her right eyebrow. Her lips. Those pouty soft lips captured the dark side of his imagination more than once. When she finished speaking she looked at him happily and he had no words for her.
'What?' she asked him.
'Nothing,' he said looking away from her.
0-0-0
I could help but feel like he wanted to tell me something. I turned to him silently wanting to say something but no sound came out. He looked at me finally and I gave him a small smile before looking ahead of us again. 'Stupid Evan. Don't even think about it. He doesn't see people in that way.'
'What did he apologies for?'
I did not need to ask who 'he' was. I didn't know he had heard of him and I shrugged. 'Nothing really. A part of my life which is better left forgotten.'
'An old lover?' he asked me.
'Um…,' I said thinking deeply about it. 'No. Not in that way. We didn't last long enough to get there.'
He nodded once and looked slightly relieved. I smirked. 'I was lucky enough not to go that far. He is like a Roman version of Lancelot.'
Tristan said nothing as I fidgeted with my hands. I rubbed them together and he took them in his. I watched his fingers lace with mine and cover my smaller cold hands into his larger warmer ones. He looked at me calmly and I finally looked at him. Truly, really looked at him. We leaned our faces forward slightly and I looked at his lips. Within seconds I could feel his breath on my face. I felt a wave of shiver run through my body as one of his hands touched my face. I licked my lips nervously a second before his lips touched mine. I closed my eyes and brought my body close to his. He wrapped his arms around my waist holding me close and I put my hands to his chest. I had never felt anything like this before. His tongue entered my mouth desperately as his grip tightened on me.
I don't know why but my eyes opened wide as he held me tightly. I had never felt anything like it in my life but it felt so strange to me. I let myself relax against him and wrap my arms around his neck as his hands trailed up my back and buried themselves in my hair. He tilted my head to the side slightly and we continued to kiss lovingly until I heard someone calling my name. I pulled my mouth from his and looked around wildly. It seemed hours had gone by.
Tristan looked at me with worry in his eyes. I finally let myself look at him again after realising the coast was clear. 'I thought someone was calling me,' I said sheepishly.
He nodded and released me from his grip. I felt a hurt inside my heart when he let go of me. I felt like we would never be together again. Looking down at my hands nervously I wanted to get away. 'Um…I don't know what to think,' I said quietly. I could not trust my voice because I felt like crying at the moment.
'You can think of what ever you want,' he said looking at me.
I frowned not really understanding is words. 'What do you want?' I asked him.
He pulled out his pipe once more and did not answer my question. I stayed there waiting for him to answer. He lit the weeds inside the pipe and puffed for a moment before looking at me for a second. I lifted an eyebrow waiting for his answer and he looked away. 'You,' he said simply.
I felt like I had been slapped in the face. 'W…what?'
He didn't answer me. He didn't even look at me. Tears came to my eyes and I jumped off the wall. 'Evan!' he called. I just ran. I ran through the fort and all the way up to my room feeling his eyes upon me the whole time.
'Evan. What going on?' Lancelot asked. I ran past him and slammed the door to my room closed.
'He wants me? All these years….he said nothing. We hardly speak! Tonight was the first night we had actually come to know one another!'
I couldn't help but cry. My heart bled as shock and release came to me. I promised I would close my heart during my time as a Knight but I am open; and terrified of him breaking my heart.
0-0-0
I pulled my jacket tighter around my body as I rode through the bitter cold. I could speak today. Upon seeing Tristan that morning I wanted to run the other way but I held my ground and used every ounce of strength I had to be around the Knights. Everyone felt the tension with in minutes. They knew something was going on and I have no doubt that Lancelot will have expressed his surprise in seeing me running to my room crying last night.
I was no man. I could not act like them…I could not hold my emotions. Lancelot tired in vain to see what my problem was but I just told him I was tired. Truth be told I didn't even know what my problem was. I was nervous and scared but excited. I shook my head trying to clear the thoughts from my mind.
The wind blew past us wildly and my fists tightened around the reins of my horse. 'What going on?' Gawain shouted over the wind.
Tristan was riding back to us quickly. I looked past his moving figure and saw a dark grey cloud settling over us and a lightning bolt strike a nearby tree. As I felt the earth shake from the bolt Arthur shouted for us to make our way back to the fort. 'Come on Fru,' I urged. I pulled on her reins and she turned around toward the fort.
'What was that?' I asked as we entered the fort. People were making their way into the buildings as the wind began to blow roughly around the fort.
'Gales,' Gawain breathed.
'Its going to last a while,' Lancelot said looking at the sky. 'There are going to be wild storms.'
'A hidden talent?' I asked Lancelot as I put Fru Fru in the stables.
'I have many hidden talents,' he said wiggling his eyes brows.
'Sorry,' I said patting his arm. 'You're a bit too plain for me.'
I walked out of the stables leaving the Knights laughing at Lancelot as his ego was punctured. As I walked into the inn I could hear the winds whistling in my ears. I moved my hair from my eyes and watched another lightning bolt strike the forests. 'Lighting never hits the same place twice,' Tristan said behind me.
I jumped out of shock and turned to him. 'How do you know?'
He shrugged. 'It just is.'
I nodded silently, believing his words when he visibly breathed in deeply. 'About yesterday-'
He stoped talking when my head snapped up. I waited for him to say it was a mistake but he paused for a moment.
'Maybe we made a mistake,' he said calmly. I looked away from him and saw the cloud coming closer as the Knights were.
'If that's how you feel,' I said quietly.
'And you talk to me about being open,' he said shaking his head. 'You ran away!'
'I'm sorry,' I said looking at my hands. 'I guess I was scared. I'll see you later.'
I walked into the inn and closed the door behind me.
0-0-0
Tristan stood on the spot watching the cloud. 'You lad….are going to have to clear the air for us,' Bors said, 'because she ain't hormonal right now. Its got something to do with you.'
As the storm raged outside:
'So…you did all of that last night?' Lancelot asked as he leaned against the wall. The Knights were drinking ale in the meeting room as Tristan told them in short simple words of what happened last night. He did not want to tell them, because he did not want his business known. But he knew that Lancelot and Gawain along with Dagonet knew Evan the best so maybe they could shed some light onto her actions. He was not used to being treated the way she was treating him.
'Yes,' he said, leaning back in his seat. His accent was thick from lack of speaking in English but he was bored. His fringe covered his eyes but he could see all of the Knights clearly. There was no mistaking Arthur's hurt look and Dagonets clear anger over the situation. Gawain looked thoughtful and scratched his beard as Galahad past a hand through his already messy hair. Why were they all looking that way? It was ironic to him at how all the 'men' of the Knighthood had congregated together to work out what goes on inside the mind of the only female Knight.
Bors let out a hoot of laughter and clapped his hands together. 'This is where my Vanora would be wanted!' He scratched his head absentmindedly. 'Ain't it funny when you need a woman?'
'So she…just left?' Lancelot said, thinking over Tristan's words.
'Yes,' the scout said through clenched teeth as he spun his mug around on the table.
'Maybe you're just a bad kisser?' Lancelot suggested. Tristan glared at him dangerously and the flirtatious Knight sighed and sat down at the table.
'Dag…you know her best,' he said.
He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. Bors thumped him under the table knowing perfectly well what was ailing the giant Knight. Dag sighed and leaned forward onto the table. 'Women like the chase,' he said simply.
'Exactly!' Bors said as he slammed his hand on the table. 'There ain't nothing like a man doing everything he can to get the woman he loves.'
'Er..,' Tristan said as Bors said love. Bors seemed to wilt with disappointment at the silent Knights lack of enthusiasm.
'You do…hm…love Evan right?' he asked cautiously. 'I know she's young…16…she's a grown woman.'
Tristan didn't say anything and pulled out his pipe.
'Here he goes with the pipe,' Lancelot thought as he looked at the ceiling. 'You didn't use that around her did you?'
'Yeah,' Tristan mumbled as he clenched the pipe in between his teeth.
'And she didn't mind?' Lancelot asked.
Tristan leaned back in his seat and said nothing. 'It wasn't the pipe,' he said taking it out of his mouth for a moment.
'I'm still waiting for an answer,' Bors said, tapping his fingers on the table.
'You're not getting one,' Tristan said, with the pipe in his mouth.
'Well…that's the end of that,' Gawain said looking into his mug. 'I say go for the chase.'
'Me too,' said Galahad.
Arthur remained silent. Maybe he was too slow in making his moves. Maybe she had fallen for Tristan. All he knew was that at this moment he was hurting. Tristan was a Knight and a brother but thinking of her in his bed did not make him feel good and little did he know that Dagonet was feeling the same way.
'Oh geeze..,' Lancelot said as he looked at Arthur. Arthur shot him a sharp look telling him not to say anything and Lancelot quickly shut his mouth.
'You do that again and I'll really show you my temper!' said Evan's angry voice from the outside of the door. They heard shuffling and a thump.
'I love tempered women. They are better in bed,' said a deep voice.
All of the Knights looked toward the door and proceeded to get up when she spoke again.
'Not with me pretty boy,' she said before they heard a thump and a groan. 'Keep walking! Its not a side show.'
They heard mumbling and people walking past. 'It's a storm not the end of the world! You won't die today no point in looking at me like that little fat man…keep walking.'
'Of all the indecent…wild women I have met…pagans,' they heard him say.
'Yeah, yeah…tell me another one. Now I'm sure Arthur will see you when he's ready. Now be on good behaviour and maybe I'll forgive you for your adventurous hands. Here we go…knock!' she said in a voice that sounded mocking and angry at the same time.
'Really,' he huffed.
'Yes…really,' she said. 'It what we pagans do. Its called manners. Bye now little man.'
The Knights heard a hasty knock and the door opening before Arthur could even tell him to enter. The fat little man from the meeting stood proudly before the 'pagans' and looked at Arthur. 'That woman…is from the devil,' he hissed.
Bors snorted. 'If yeh' say so 'little fat man'.'
Gawain and the Knights hooted with laughter as the little man went red. Tristan even chuckled.
'The storm is passing,' he said as he straightened up. 'My men are now going back to their jobs and your stay here has been cut short.'
'Really?' Arthur asked calmly. 'Well I'm glad things have been resolved quickly.'
'Yes,' he said briskly and he looked at Tristan who was still smoking his pipe. 'As am I. I cannot wait to see the back of that…deviant woman.'
'You speak of one of my Knights,' Arthur said as anger filled his voice. 'She may not be a man but she has more than earned the respect of those around her. Careful were your words tread….sir.'
0-0-0
Lancelot closed the door to the meeting room as the Knights left. He looked at Arthur with shock and amazement etched on his face. 'When did this start?'
'As soon as I found out she was a woman,' Arthur said. He flopped down shamefully and put his face in his hands.
'Why did you say nothing?' Lancelot asked.
'I could not,' Arthur responded. 'I was not sure if it was lust or love but I think it's a bit of both.'
Lancelot groaned lightly before giving off a short bark of laughter. 'How can one woman have this effect on so many men?'
'What do you mean?' Arthur asked him.
'Have you not noticed Dagonet?' Lancelot said. 'I'm guessing he has been in love with her since she was twelve.'
'Anyone else?' Arthur asked.
'Me.'
