We were trailed by children pretending to be knights as we rode into the fortress. I smiled a girl who was beating the brains out of a bigger boy.
"I'm Isolde! The fairest of all the knights! The bravest! The greatest! Die woad!" She said dramatically while waving her wooden sword in the air. With a grand sweep she brought it down on the poor boy's shoulder. He howled with pain and attempted to whack her with his own splintering blade.
"The valiant Lancelot will not be defeated by a mere bandit!" He said striking a handsome pose. I grinned madly.
"Look Lancelot! He's quite good at you…" I said. My girl kicked him in the shin and sat on him.
"Ha! No man can defeat me! Especially you Ulfius-" She snapped with a slight lisp. She couldn't have been older than five.
"Yes I can! You're not Isolde, you're just Kuina!" Ulfius said as he threw her off of him. She immediately had her play sword at his throat, ready for the kill.
"I win." I said happily to Lancelot.
"You know of course, that that is the only way you would ever beat me." He said smugly and rode off. The Bishop's carriage stopped in front of the main fortress hall and he stepped out. He looked at his surroundings with distaste. I hoped he was absolutely miserable. I hope it rained his entire stay. I hoped he contracted some strange, horrible illness. I hoped- My vicious daydreams were interrupted by Jols.
"Welcome back Arthur." He said.
"Jols." Arthur replied.
"Lancelot." He said nodding at the striking knight. He looked to me. "Isolde."
"Hello Jols." I said plainly. The squire nodded and took our horses after we dismounted.
"Bishop, please, my quarters have been made available to you." Arthur said generously. Although inwardly I respected Arthur's sense of honor, I wished he had made Germanius sleep in the stables.
"Ah yes. I must rest." The bishop said in what I suppose he thought was a weak voice. Pathetic. Without giving any thanks to Arthur he and his attendant walked in the hall.
I looked over to Bors at the sound of a sharp slap.
"Where have you been?" Vanora asked lividly. "I've been waiting for you!"
Bors looked pleased.
"Oh my little fire." He groaned. "Such passion…"
He kissed her roughly and she wrapped her arms around him. Galahad walked by and smiled amusedly while Tristan gave them a disturbed look. I smiled quietly. I eyed Tristan with suspicion. He was filthy, but in all likelihood he would wash his hands and face and be done with it. I was going to have to put my foot down.
"I took one a few days ago." He said darklyas he regarded me with aggravation. He edged away from the large tub.
"I'll go sleep in my own bed." I retorted. Weighing the dread of taking a bath and giving up his last night with me, Tristan began to undress. "It's only a little water…"
He ignored me and sat down in the tub. He splashed himself and began to stand up again.
"Wash." I commanded. He gave me a deadly look and began to scrub at his shoulders and arms with over exaggerated motions. I sighed and pushed his head underwater. He stayed perfectly still as I undid his braids and scrubbed at his head. I grabbed my dagger and tilted his head up. He relaxed as much as he could as I trimmed the hairs of his beard and neck. "There." I said as I finished. He rinsed off his face and looked at me. Our last few hours together.
"Isolde." He said and then was silent. I nodded understandingly. I leaned my head on the edge of the tub for a few minutes while we watched each other intently. He lifted a wet hand and touched a thumb to the small cut on the edge of my bottom lip. He looked at me with a question in his eyes.
"Why does that woad single me out?" I asked seriously. Tristan remained silent.
"Next time you see him, kill him." He said in his heavily accented voice after a moment. "Don't play with him. Kill him. He's dangerous."
"Really? The thought never crossed my mind as he was attempting to eviscerate me." I deadpanned. He didn't smile, but he leaned over and kissed me before standing up. I replaced the hot water as he dressed and quickly bathed myself. I wanted my hair to dry before Arthur called for us. When I finished, Tristan was waiting patiently for me to braid his hair.
"Get the longer pieces out of my face." Heordered as he settled in between my knees as I sat on the bed.
"Why don't you cut it?" I asked, not really paying attention. I knew he wouldn't and I was glad. I didn't want a well-groomed man. Just an occasionally clean one.
He knew I wasn't serious so he said nothing. He helped me braid my own brown locks before we laid side by side on his bed.
"What was your brother's name?" I asked suddenly. I wanted to know as much as I could about him before he left to go god knows where.
"Alessand." His voice said emotionlessly.
"Name your son after him." I said. "Honor him."
"I need a woman to do that."
"You'll find one." I yawned. He rolled over and wedged his arm under my head while he put his own against mine. I wove a hand through his hair and let it rest on his cheek. We would both use our last night to show affection to each other. We laid like that for over an hour until Gawain knocked on the door.
"Round table." He said and continued on his way. We untangled ourselves and trekked to the round table.
"Let us not forget that we are the fortunate ones." Arthur said somberly as he stood up. Our laughter died out and we stood up from our seats around the round table. Gawain and Galahad on either side of me raised their goblets. I followed suit. "Our brave friends will never be forgotten! To Gawain's brother!"
We nodded all, saddened. Gawain looked steadily at the table in front of him. I let my hand brush against his in comfort and he smiled.
"To Balin." Lancelot said tipping his glass.
"To Bedivere." Dagonet spoke.
"To Dinadan." Tristan said quietly.
"To Lionel." Galahad said fiercely.
"To Branwain." Galina said from her spot between Lancelot and Galahad.
"To freedom!" Bors said loudly. We raised our glasses even higher and echoed his words. We lowered our glasses and remained standing for a while. I looked at Galina. Geraint was not with her. She looked sickly again. Lancelot's words must have been harsher than I had previously thought. The deep purple circles under her eyes made her look haunted and there was something dreamy about her appearance…The seeds. She had been using seeds again. I made a note to myself to keep a watch on her. Talk resumed after a few moments.
"And then I said to him-" Bors said as we all laughed but was cut off by the sound of the Bishop entering.
"His Eminence, Bishop Gnaeus…" The aide faltered and looked confused by the round table. "Germanius…"
The Bishop walked in grandly while waving his hands as if to motion us not to grovel. Fat chance. He looked at the round table, peturbed. I saw the alarmed aide interrogate Jols while looking at the offending table. I did not rise to greet the Bishop and neither did Tristan or Galina. He could rot in hell with his pretty clothes. I had seen ladies who did not dress so pompously.
"I was given to understand there would be more of you." He said heartlessly. I saw some of the others flinch. Galahad was gripping the table as if he was ready to pounce across the table and maul the Bishop.
"There were." Arthur said and I could tell he was aggravated. "We have been fighting here for fifteen years bishop."
"Ah of course." He said plastering a fake smile across his face. "Arthur and his knights have served with courage to maintain the honor of Rome's empire on this last outpost of our glory. Rome is most indebted. To you, noble knights, your final days as servants to the Empire."
I didn't take my eyes off the bishop as I was served a gold chalice. Something was not right.
"Day. Not days." Lancelot corrected him in a deadly voice as he glanced up from his cup.
Germanius waved the question away. The knights sat back down and watched him uneasily.
"The pope has taken a personal interest in you. He inquires after each of you, and is curious to know if your knights have converted toward our Savior, or-"
"They retain the religion of their forefathers. I've never questioned that." Arthur said before a holier-than-thou lecture started.
"Of course. They are pagans." He said and the word had an inferior ring to it.
"For our part, the church has deemed such beliefs innocent." He said magnanimously. He turned to Arthur. "But you, Arthur. Your path to God is through Pelagius? I saw his image in your room."
"He took my father's place for me." Arthur said coolly. I realized that there was a feud between them on the subject of Arthur's mentor. "His teachings on freewill and equality have been a great influence. I look forward to our reunion in Rome."
I looked sharply at the Bishop as he and his aide looked distinctly uncomfortable. Couldn't Arthur see something was amiss?
"Ah- Rome awaits your arrival with great anticipation. You are a hero. In Rome you will live out your days in honor." The Bishop said grandly. He turned to us slightly and said in an explaining voice: "And wealth!"
The way he had said it… As if the part of heroism and honor was lost on us. As if wealth, spoils, would have been the only part we could appreciate. Lancelot was getting that calm, deadly look on his face. The one that meant trouble.
"Alas." The bishop sighed. "Alas, we are all but players in an ever-changing world. Barbarians from every corner are almost at Rome's door."
I silently raised my glass to that. I saw Gawain smile out of the corner of my eye. The Bishop opened the wooden box and I saw my comrades nearly rise out of their seats, straining to look at the simple rolls of parchment that was their freedom.
"Because of this, Rome, and the Holy Father," We mustn't forget the Holy Father. "has decided to remove ourselves from indefensible outposts, such as Britain."
It was an outrage. I looked at Galina. They would just…abandon this land that had taken Branwain from us. What would be in store for Galina, Geraint and I? Where would we be ordered to go? The knights were rising in anger.
"What will become of Britain is not our concern." Germanius said idly as he twiddled with the wooden box. "I supposed the Saxons will claim it soon."
"Saxons?" Arthur said with alarm.
"Yes. In the north, a massive Saxon incursion has begun." The bishop said.
"Saxons only claim what they kill." Lancelot said slowly.
"And they only kill everything." Gawain said revolted.
"So you'll just…leave the land the land to the woads? I risked my life for nothing?" Galahad said as his handsome face turned red. Always thinking of himself. The injustice of the situation was too much for him to bear. His blood boiled at the thought of being snatched away from his homeland to be thrown into bondage to the Roman empire, but this was too much. To have the Romans disregard the island as if they had not sent so many men to death on it…I felt Galahad's anger. But it would do no good to pounce on the Bishop, strangle him with his fancy robes and then skin him with his own teeth, which is what I imagined Galahad wanted to do at that moment. I prepared myself to restrain him if it came to it.
"Rome is going to discard the entire island? Will you just write off all the men you sentenced to their deaths on this damned island?" I asked quietly. My voice rang across the hall and the bishop looked distinctly uncomfortable. He plastered a pained smile on his face and continued as if we hadn't spoken.
"Gentlemen. Your discharge papers with safe conduct throughout the Roman Empire." He said gesturing towards the small rolls of parchment. Amazing how such small things can hold such…changes. The knights rose and stared hungrily at the papers. I myself could taste freedom. For the first time in years I could almost imagine what it must feel like to be able to feel freedom wind its way around every sinew in one's body. It was a bitter taste though, because the freedom was not mine to take. Galina looked away and I could see her fighting away tears. I forced myself to stand there and watch. "But first, I must have a word with your commander."
We waited expectantly for him to have his word.
"In private." He added as if we were unintelligent.
"We have no secrets here." Arthur said reminding the Bishop that he treated his knights as equals. The bishops expression fouled as he pursed his lips. The box clanged loudly as Germanius slammed it shut.
"Come. Let's leave Roman business to Romans." Lancelot said smoothly as he stood up and raised his glass slightly to the pair of Romans. Ever the one to take charge, he made it clear that we should leave. Bors continued the lean on the table threateningly and glare at the pompous holy man.
"Let it go Bors." Dagonet said slapping his friend on the shoulder. Tristan's attention went to his gilded chalice. He shrugged as he examined it and began walking out of the room with it. It would fetch a fine price. Galahad snatched his own cup and made sure he grabbed the large pitcher of fine wine before leaving. I took my own chalice in hand and made my way out of the room.
"Where's Geraint?" I asked Galina, trying to figure out what the Bishop was playing at. He was a fool. What man with any sense about him tantalized hardened killers with their freedom like that?
"Hm? Oh…In our room. Asleep." She said absentmindedly. I could tell she was worried. I reverted back to silence as we neared the bar. As far as our men were concerned, they were free as the babes they had been born as. Something was wrong. As much as I wanted to be with the men forever, I could not swell up enough selfishness to hope that the Bishop was not ready to give them their freedom.
Whew! Ok Sry for the lack of updates!
