"Tristan…" she whispered.
Upon a battlefield, far from Livia's lonely arms, Tristan rode proudly besides his knights, and his noble white steed's head held high in the air.
"There.", he spoke, pointing to the horizon, and Arthur's jade eyes followed the direction.
"They shall come from that direction?", he demanded, and Tristan nodded.
"I am sure of it.", he vowed, Arthur nodded, and turned horse back to the men who awaited his command. Tristan's eyes searched the pink sunrise, in his mind he saw the oncoming march of the Saxon army, and in his heart's mind he saw those violet eyes, swelled with tears. Quickly he turned away from it, knowing they would only lead him home, and there was a battle to be fought, a battle to protect those lovely violet eyes.
Vanora's hand knocked hard upon the door, and she waited, her eyes searching the streets. The door soon creaked open, Vanora's eyes fell upon the fragile face of Livia, and she studied her face.
"Livia, are you going to hole up here the entire time Tristan's gone?", she demanded, and Livia smiled.
"Thank you, Vanora for coming to see in on me, but I am fine." she assured, shutting the door, and Vanora sighed, but continued on her way to the bar. "Vanora!", her voice shouted, and Vanora turned.
"What?", she questioned.
"Can you bring by a bowl of soup? Or have one of your little ones bring it by?" she asked, Vanora sighed, but nodded.
"Yeah, yeah.", she murmured, and turned on her heel, disappearing down the alley. The door to Tristan's hut shut, and Livia's face disappeared from the sunlight.
A bowl slammed onto the counter, Arley the barkeep looked up to her, and a smirk filled his face.
"Pregnant again, Vanora?" he asked, Vanora scowled, and shook her head.
"No, thank you Arley, It's that noble bitch Livia.", she spat, and Arley laughed, shaking his head.
"Was she making a move on ya Bors?", he asked, Vanora sighed, pushing the bowl towards him.
"I need soup here, no. She was not making a move on Bors. She wouldn't dare. She's just so demanding, and spoiled! She can live two hundred years, and she will never have to work to support herself! Then! Then she starts to demand of me, and my children! I swear I will hit that bitch if she doesn't start doing something!" she shouted as she took the bowl of soup, and disappeared from the bar, Arley laughed.
Vanora's fist banged on the door, Livia opened it, and Vanora shoved forward her bowl.
"Here.", she stated, and turned to leave.
"Thank you Vanora.", Livia graciously accepted, and Vanora stopped, turning to her.
"What is your problem?", she demanded, and Livia's eyebrows rose.
"What do you mean?", she questioned, and Vanora's hands flew to her hips.
"Why do you think you're so much better then me! Then my children! Is it because you have money? Money doesn't make the person, Livia!", she shouted, Livia pulled open the door more, and stepped out.
"Vanora! I do not think I am better then you! You are the only woman here who I like! You do not try to impress anyone, and you are a wonderful mother!", she exclaimed, Vanora laughed.
"Really? I couldn't tell by the way you boss me around!", she stated, Livia's eyes widened, and then lowered to the steaming bowl.
"I am sorry Lady Vanora, if ever you thought of me as ungrateful, but I have always been so honored of your attention. I have always been most amazed at your endless amounts of kindness. Please, forgive me. I will not ask another thing of you.", she vowed as she pushed the bowl back into Vanora's hands, and entered the hut, shutting the door leaving Vanora standing outside. For moments on end, Vanora simply stared at the door, then nodded to herself, and backed away, returning to the bar with the bowl.
The proud knight horses' rode through the decrepit village streets, and Tristan's ethereal eyes searched out a single face, a face he had hoped he'd return to for the rest of his life. His heart fell finding them nowhere to be seen, yet she could still be caught up in her daily reading of news from Rome, he dismounted his horse. Handing the reins to the awaiting Jols, he passed through the courtyard gates, ignoring the happy reunion between Bors, and Vanora, continuing to his hut. Pushing through the door, he found her asleep in his bed, and he sighed heavily, mostly for lust of her. He walked to the bed's edge, leaning down with a knee upon the bed, and ran his fingers over her bare arm, kissing her neck. A tiny tendril of brown wave had fallen into her face, and he pushed it back lovingly.
"Your knight has returned, my lady.", he whispered, she rolled upon her back, and he saw tears pooling within the lovely violets. "Livia..what is wrong?", he breathed, and she smiled, shaking her head. She gently rested her hand upon his face, and brought her lips to his, he relished in the kiss.
"You are home, there could be nothing wrong.", she promised, wrapping her arms about his neck, and pulling her down into him. "I have only missed you that is all.", she sighed, clinging tightly to him, and petting his hair. She kissed his ear, her eyes tightly closed and a tear fell over her cheek, Tristan's lips caressed her shoulder.
"I have missed you." he whispered, his fingers stained with dirt, and blood encrusted beneath his nails, they ran over her silky tan skin. "How I have missed you.", he murmured, lifting himself up and raised his hands to her face, stroking it slightly. Her violet eyes stared within his, a smile filled her face, and she tucked his unkempt hair behind his ears.
"Then release me from my loneliness.", she begged, he shuddered, and closed his eyes, a smile played about his lips.
"You do not know how beautiful those words are to me.", he sighed, leaning his lips into hers, and trailing over her jaw line, to her neck. She allowed his lips to take over her body, and his hands, they escorted her to another realm of pleasure. Stripping her of her simple night gown, his lips remembered each curve his fingers had outlined as he lay awake far from her arms, she caught his hand, and held it close to her face, kissing it gently. His mouth soon found her heat, gently taunting it with sweet kisses, and at last complying with her moans, he slipped his tongue within her. Her head fell back into the pillow, her eyes closed, and her finger nails dug into the raw wounds upon his skin, she felt his body shiver.
"Do you shiver at my touch, or at my heat?', she whispered to him, an answer was not given for moments until her chest was heaving for breath ,and Tristan removed his mouth, sliding up her body.
"I shiver at your being, so beautiful, and so mystical. I question how a man who has killed so many innocent souls could be blessed with the love of an angel?", he sighed, pressing his lips against her own, and her fingers nimbly untied her breeches , releasing him from his prison. As her hands pushed them over his hips, he slipped himself within her, and she groaned at his entrance. The world stopped for moments on end as the pair was reunited once more as lover, and soul mates. Tristan kissed her new tattoos, running his fingers over the outline, and smiling. "You have healed quite beautifully, my lady.", he whispered, she smiled, and again he saw tears in her eyes. Though she would tell him it was the happiness of seeing him, he felt within his heart there was a darker shadow beneath the smile she showed him, but he ignored its beckon, all he wanted was her for this moment. As she clung to his neck, burying her tear soaked face into his neck, he leaned his head back, and sighed heavily as he released within her, she fell back bringing him with her.
"Tristan, you must leave me.", she whispered as he rolled besides her, but his hand held tightly to her own.
"My lady. Why?" he questioned, and she sighed, stroking his face.
"I have been disloyal to you, when you have been the most loyal to me. I do not deserve your love.", she spoke, and he shook his head, and kissed her hand.
"I will forgive you for whatever sin you commit until the day I die. You I cannot live without.", he sighed, and she smiled, tears still within her eyes.
"You have only been loving to me, and yet I have gone behind your back, sharing a bed with another. I do not deserve you.", she vowed, he rolled on top of her, and kissed her lips lovingly.
"My Lady Livia. You are to be mother to my children, you have tamed what beast none thought could be tamed. There is no sin you can commit that will ever turn me from your side, this I promise to you.", he stated, holding fast to her eyes, and the smile had faded from her lips, the pain she had been hiding now transcended from her eyes. She ran her fingers through his hair, pulling it back from his eyes, and shook her head.
"My lord what have I done to receive such a blessing as your love?", she questioned, he smiled, and lowered his lips to her own again.
"You deserve more then my love, you deserve the world, my lady.", he whispered, kissing her once more. "And if you allow me, I shall fight to the death to give it to you.", he said softly, and she laughed, shaking her head.
"Do not fight to the death for anything, my lord. For in death, I cannot find you.", she said, and they kissed once more.