Honour:
The Knights brought Marius out of his cell roughly and threw him out of the dungeons. Bors picked him up by his hair and dragged him along the rough ground to where their horses stood waiting for them.
'Asturias!' yelled Marius as he was hauled onto a wagon tied to Bors's horse. 'You will be tried in Rome! My death will not be silenced.'
Tristan raised his fist and knocked Marius in the jaw hard and three teeth fell out. 'Shut your mouth,' he told him dangerously.
Gawain threw Marius into the wagon. Shakira walked past them all and stopped by Marius who was lying bloodied and broken in the wagon. 'Where is Elen?'
'Who?' he croaked.
'The woman you paid after she sold Guinevere and I too you. Where is she?'
'Do you think I would know you stupid woman?' he yelled. Shakira smiled slightly and patted his cheek. 'I hope death, rids you of all the evil you posses.'
She walked away from him and kissed her husband quickly before watching them ride off.
0-0-0
Shakira sat on her bed rocking Gabriel to sleep. Gabriel raised his little hand and put his fingers on the edge of her jaw. 'Pretty mama,' he said softly as his eyes fluttered closed.
She smiled and put her face close to his before kissing his cheeks. He fell asleep momentarily and she tucked him into his bed before blowing out the oil lamp and walking to the window.
She was dazed. Her mind began to spin wildly and her eyes lids felt heavy. She put a hand again the wall to keep herself steady but a sick feeling passed over her and her eyes finally closed.
Rain…..pouring down on the knights…….a fist being lifted over and over again…..blood…..the sound of breaking bones……cries of pain………Tristan's blank face as he broke the bones of his wife's captor……she felt his pain and his rage as well as his relief for being able to punish him…….Marius collapsing on the muddy ground……Lancelot forcing his head down……and Tristan bringing his blade swiftly down on Marius's neck.
Shakira gasped and collapsed after seeing the blow. She rolled onto her side and covered her eyes as her breathing returned to normal. But as soon as it did, her eyes closed once more and she breathed in deeply.
A blond woman…..Elen…..riding quickly……her face and heart filled with rage……Woads…….she rode past the Woad forest and they attacked……Merlin…..he was speaking…….she struggled against them…….a blade came down on her……screams.
'No!' yelled Shakira as she sat up.
'Mama!' Gabriel called as he jumped out of his bed. He sat down beside her and put his hand on her shoulder as she clutched her head as it seared in pain. 'Mama, you ok?'
'Yes,' she said breathily. 'Yes, baby. I'm ok. I'm just feeling dizzy.'
Gabriel watched his mother closely for a moment and kissed her temple. 'Ok ma.'
0-0-0
Tristan was covered on blood as he walked into his room. As slowly as usual he made his way to his bed where he found his wife sleeping with Gabriel in her arms. He smiled when Gabriel shifted slightly and buried his face deeper into his mother's chest and held the fabric of her dress in his hands.
He walked to the water bowl by the end of the room and pulled of his wet tunic. He bent down and picked up a cloth from the basket full of wash cloths, sponges and oils. He cleaned himself quickly, making a mental not to take a bath in the morning…..with his wife.
As silent as he, Shakira put Gabriel in his bed and walked up to her husband who had his back to her. She put her hands on his shoulder blades and kissed his back lightly. He lifted an eyebrow and turned to her his expression softening when he saw hers. 'She's dead,' she told him.
He did not need to ask who. Just the look of sadness on her face told him everything he needed to know. 'She didn't deserve to die,' she told him as she looked to the ground.
'Don't think of it,' he told her. 'What's done is done.'
She nodded and sighed. 'She was on her way here anyway. If Merlin hadn't done it I would have had to.'
Tristan kissed her softly. He leaned his forehead against hers and they stood there for a moment wrapped in each others arms.
Thump. Thump.
Drums. Shakira opened her eyes and they rested on Tristan's shoulder line. She could hear them. The thumping echoed in her body and mind. She bit her lip as she watched the dark space create a slight mist. It swirled until it was white and figures began to form.
A sword……two men……Cedric and Tristan…….he fell……a blow to his side.
Shakira jumped and gasped but did not break away from the sight. She felt two strong hands go on her shoulders.
Blood……Tristan fell to his knees……she was running……tears……she was crying over his body.
She snapped her eyes away from the fog not being able to look anymore and burst out crying. Tristan frowned and clutched her tightly as she cried in his arms. 'What is it?' he asked, not understanding why she had begun to cry so suddenly.
'N….nothing,' she choked. 'It's nothing. I'm alright.'
'Shakira, you just burst out crying after standing frozen to the spot for over 5 minutes. What is it?' He moved her hair from her eyes and kissed her forehead as she wiped her eyes.
'They're here,' she said. 'Saxons, can't you hear them?'
'No,' he told her.
As they listened the sound became louder and louder. Tristan looked at Shakira and nodded. 'I hear them.'
'Don't leave me ok?' she asked him softly.
He wondered why she was asking him this when she knew he would never leave her for anything. 'I promise I will never leave you.'
0-0-0
Flashback:
Tears flowed from her eyes as Tristan rode away with the Romans. Nothing could have prepared her for this. Her pain inside her heart ached so much she was prepared to die at that moment.
Tristan rode away from the village with emptiness in his heart. His anger at Rome and the Romans was only fuelled when he saw how many young Sarmatian boys were waiting with the Romans.
As he rode on during the day, he spoke to no one. He could feel her pain. He felt tears running down his cheeks, although he knew they were not his own. He sighed and looked ahead. 15 years of this.
End of Flashback:
0-0-0
They were standing on the wall watching the Saxons come closer. The wind blew past them silently and Shakira felt the cold. Guinevere put a hand on her arm. 'We must go now,' she said softly.
She nodded and followed the woad out of the wall. She had put Gabriel on a wagon with Vanora and her bunch. She and Tristan made him promise he would stay with them and not leave, no matter what he saw and what he felt.
Then there was the painful job of saying goodbye to her husband. She would be attacking with the Woads, and he with Arthur and the Knights. She had never remembered his kisses being so sad or so tender. So savoured every moment he had with her and never let go of her face as his kisses went from soft to erotic to desperate. In the end he put his forehead to hers and made her promise she would stay alive. 'I promise,' she whispered. 'Don't leave me ok?'
'I'll never be without you my love,' he whispered.
And so she left. Following Guinevere into the forest with Jezebel by her side. Her sister in law took her hand and squeezed it lightly giving her comfort.
Shakira stood in the middle of the clearing being painted in woad and covered in mud. She wore light leather breeches and a leather top just covering her breasts. Guinevere pulled her curly hair back from her face and tied it in a bun with feathers wrapped in leather.
0-0-0
'Mark my face, for it will be the last thing you see on this earth,' Arthur said he pointed his sword to Cedric. He turned his horse and rode away back to the wall.
'Finally, a man worth killing,' rasped Cedric.
Shakira stood at the edge of the forest holding her bow. Fire was lit at the end of her arrows and she waited for the signal. 'Scared?' she asked Jet.
'Only for him,' Shakira answered.
She saw Arthur and the Knights ride up on top of the hill. Each Knight was holding a flag with their Sarmatian tribe symbol on it. She grinned and lifted her bow and aimed toward the Saxons.
She fired.
0-0-0
Everyone was running. Blood was going every where. Shakira ran through the battle field and stabbed an oncoming Saxon as he tried to attack her. She spun around and saw Tristan fighting a large Saxon. 'No,' she breathed.
She began to run toward him when two Saxons approached her. She lifted her sword and began to fight the first one when Guinevere stoped beside her and took on the second one.
Shakira ducked when the Saxon tried to make a blow to her neck and stabbed him in the thigh with her dagger before stabbing him in the chest. She began to run toward Tristan again and saw the Saxon slit his side. 'No!' she screamed.
Tristan as on his knees and clutching his side. He cringed and raised his sword again when Cedric brought his down on him.
Jet and Dagonet heard Shakira scream and turned to see her running toward Tristan who was on all fours again. They saw a Saxon run to Shakira and they began to fight. She blocked all of his blows until he slapped her across the face and she fell to the ground. Jet sprinted to her side and threw her dagger at the Saxon.
As he fell Shakira took hers out and threw it at Cedric. It landed straight in his chest. Tristan took the moment and raised his sword and brought it through Cedric's chest. He took it out and then stabbed him through the neck.
Shakira was lying on her back and felt a wave of relief when Cedric fell dead on the ground.
At seeing their leader dead, the Saxons began to retreat. Many ran past Shakira and Jet. Tristan fell to his knees clutching his side. Shakira pounced off the ground and ran to her husband's side.
'Tristan,' she called as she put her hand to his forehead. 'Tristan, my love……look at me please.'
He grunted lightly and moved his hand from his side and blood poured onto his hand. All he could hear was blur. He felt cold hands on his face. 'Tristan,' the voice echoed. 'Stay with me.'
0-0-0
'He needs rest,' said Merlin as Shakira stood in the door way. 'He will live but the wound was deep.'
'How long will he sleep?' she asked him as Bors kept a comforting arm around her shoulders.
'One maybe two days. I cannot be certain. His fever must stay down, and the wound must be cleaned three times a day to prevent infection.'
He sighed wearily. Shakira nodded in thankyou and stepped into the room. Closing the door behind her she sat down beside him and took his limp hand in hers. She moved some of his fringe from his eyes and smiled at him. 'You scared me,' she told him softly. 'I know I probably should have told you. I saw it, I saw it all. I was so scared. As I watched him hurt you, it was like Ewen all over again. I just want you to come back.'
He lay there perfectly still. As if he could not hear anything she was saying. She closed her eyes and put her hand over his heart. Slowly its beat filled her. It was slow and steady, yet, she felt empty because soon it could stop at any moment. He would not live. No matter how much Merlin said he might. He was dying slowly.
She opened the door and walked down the hall to Jets room. She pounded on the door until she opened up. 'What is it?' she asked worriedly.
'I need belladonna and fire leaves,' she told her seriously.
'Oh my Gods,' Jet breathed. 'You cannot do that! You know what will happen if you do that spell.'
'He's going to die Jet,' Shakira said as tears rolled down her face. 'I don't want to live knowing I could have saved him. Are you going to help me or not?'
Jet sighed and nodded. 'I'll get it all. You get the ribbon and the dagger.'
'Quickly,' Shakira told her. 'If this doesn't work. That dagger is going through my heart.'
0-0-0
Author Note: Hi readers, could we get a few more reviews in? I'm feeling a bit down right now cause not one is really reviewing. Thankyou to KnightMaiden who reviewed my last chapter. I'm so glad people keep reading but please REVIEW! Also, they will be returning to Sarmatia in a few chapters so lets see the drama unfolding!