Note: At long last, after months of waiting, the end has come. I tried my best and I hope you like it. Thank you all for sticking with me this long and I hope I haven't disappointed you too much with my poor story. Thanks again and happy reading!
Happily Ever After
Kida sliced at the Saxon. Her blade met his life giver and he gasped. He stared at her. How could such a small knight defeat him? Gasping, he fell slowly to the ground. "Who?" he coughed. Kida stared at him. He was shocked. Blood ran down his chest and trickled down from his mouth and nose. She pulled out her blade and stood over him. Their eyes met. The Saxon shuddered. She raised her blade above her head and let it fall once more, silencing the man forever. His warm blood slapped across her face. She did not care. She watched as his body jerked one final time.
Once he was dead, she turned to Liam. He stared at her. "Kida?" he whispered. She knelt by him. "Kida," he smiled. She grasped his hand. He smiled at her. "You're alive," he gasped. "I thought…"
"Sh… rest now."
"I thought you were…"
"Liam, sh… save your strength."
"It's over," he muttered.
"No," Kida said. "No, you'll live. You have to. We will live together here, like at home. Things will go back to how they once were."
"No," Liam said. "They never can be. It took me so long to realize, but things have changed too much to go back to the simple lives we left behind. It's better this way."
"No, I won't let you die."
"It's not in your power. Besides, I can't be out done by you. Dying twice. I have to catch up." Liam laughed, but it turned into a cough that shook his whole body. Kida looked at him. He was drenched with blood, there was no telling how much was his, but by the coldness of his hand and the blueness of his skin, she knew he was close.
"I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too. I'll be waiting for you and then things will be as they once were." Liam looked at her one last time and closed his eyes. His breathing slowed and then stopped. Tears slid down Kida's cheeks as she leaned in and kissed his forehead.
"Until we meet again," she whispered. "Until we meet again."
Arthur slowly approached Kida. She knelt beside Liam. Her face covered with blood. She looked up at him, her eyes clouded. Bors and Dagonet helped Tristan up and they carried him to the others. The knights surrounded Kida. They were surprised to see her. "How?" Bors asked.
Kida looked at them. They did not need to know how. Looking at each other, the knights silently agreed not to question Kida. There would be time for that later. They stared at Liam's lifeless body in Kida's arms, saying their silent farewells. Tristan let go of Bors and fell down beside Kida.
Slowly, he rested his hand on her shoulder. "Kida," he said. Kida turned to him. Tears streaked his face. It occurred to him that he had never seen her cry before. "You're crying," he whispered. Kida gave him a small smile and turned back to Liam. They stayed like that for what seemed like forever. The knights surrounding Kida, who had Liam in her arms, and Tristan, who held Kida.
The aftermath of the battle was horrid. Everyone cleaned up the bodies and buried them. Many cries filled the air. The dead Saxons were placed in a pile and burned. The Saxon leader was placed on top. Arthur took the Saxon's sword and gave it to Kida. Kida placed it with Liam and buried it with him. The death toll to the Woads was bad but not devastating. They honored their dead and memorialized them.
Arthur said a silent pray for allowing so many of his knights to live. All of his knights obtained wounds, but they would all live. Tristan and Gawain were the worst. With Vanora and Guinevere's help they were soon on their feet again. They buried Liam in the knights' cemetery. All of them attended, Bors with Vanora and her children, Guinevere and Merlin, Bors and Lucian, and all of the other knights. Kida stood off in the distance, watching as the placed her brother into the cold earth. She did not cry, all her tears were spent the day he died.
Arthur noticed her withdrawn behavior and went to her. "Are you well?"
She ignored him.
"Kida, you have to talk."
She looked at him; the look in her eyes silenced him. It was a mixture of sadness, anguish, and despair. The old Kida was gone and in her place was one far beyond her years. He stood beside her silently. If she wanted to talk she would. After a few minutes, she spoke. "I failed."
"What?"
"I could not save him."
Arthur stared at her. "You think it's your fault he died?"
"It should have been me instead of him. He had plans. He had ambitions. He did not deserve to die."
Arthur nodded. "I know how you feel. I felt the same way with each of my dead knights."
Kida stared off into the distance. "He is in a better place though. He has left behind the pain and suffering. I envy him."
"What are you planning?" Arthur stole a glance at her.
"Nothing." She walked away. Arthur watched her go. Something was up.
The next day, Tristan found Kida. "Kida, I must speak with you." Kida turned to him and waited. He took a deep breath. "Will you marry me?" Kida blinked.
"What?"
"Marry me."
Kida looked at him. He was serious. She shook her head. "Don't ask me this."
"Why?"
"Not now. Not now." She walked away. Tristan watched her go, confused.
That night, Tristan asked her to marry him again. She replied again in the same way. Every day for a month, Tristan asked only to be turned down. He grew frustrated and went to Arthur for help. "Why does she refuse me?"
"I don't know."
"It's as if she died with him."
"She's changed," Arthur agreed.
"Why though?"
Arthur had no answer. It was almost as if Kida's entire world disappeared and she was just floating around as lost spirit. They talked for a while more, but could not come up with an answer to Kida's strange behavior. They finally gave up and Tristan left. He had to do some thinking. He went to his quarters. Kida waited for him.
"Kida?"
"Shh," she said and came towards him. He stared down at her, confused, a feeling he was use to. She kissed him and he forgot everything. His arms went around her and he held her tight. When they parted he asked, "Is that a yes?" She did not answer him and kissed him again. As they kissed, they slid onto his bed. "Yes?" he pleaded. Kida stared up into his eyes.
"Shh."
Morning broke. Silently, Kida slipped out of bed and dressed. She watched Tristan's sleeping face. He looked so peaceful. She leaned in and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"I love you," she whispered and left.
Tristan woke. He stretched and smiled at the memories of last night. Kida was gone. Slowly, he got dressed and went to find her. First he went to her rooms, but she was not there, there was no sign that she had been there at all. Next he went to hall; the knights were there but no Kida. Arthur looked at him questioning. "Have you seen Kida?" Tristan asked.
"No." Tristan shrugged off the weird panicked feeling he was getting. She said yes, that was what last night was. It was her answer. Arthur noted the worried look Tristan bore and knew something was wrong.
"Where have you checked?"
"Her room and here."
"All right. She couldn't have gone far. Some one must have seen her." The knights began to look for her. Arthur feared the worst. He imagined finding her lifeless body somewhere. Suicide would be exactly the extreme Kida would do. She never did moderate. They searched all morning but found nothing. No one had seen her and there was no body.
"Where could she have gone?" Galahad asked.
"I don't know."
They rattled their brains for some place she could be that they did not search.
Kida watched silently as they searched. She waited for them to search the stables before she left. They would not understand why she left, but she had too. She would miss them. She saddled her horse and slipped away. Disappearing into the forest.
Jols came running towards the knights. "She's gone!" he cried.
"What?"
"Her horse is gone." The knights rushed to the stables. As Jols said, her horse had vanished.
"How? It was here a while ago," Galahad said.
"She must have been waiting for us to search here before she left," Arthur said.
"Why?"
"I don't know. I don't know."
Tristan readied his mount and rode out. She couldn't have gone far. He rode and rode, searching for some sign of her. After hours of searching he found nothing. He, the great scout, found nothing. Reluctantly, he returned to the fort. He could swear he saw Kida in the shadows but when he got there, there was no sign of anyone being there.
The knights waited for him to return. They knew, although they would deny it, that Kida was not going to be found. If she didn't want to come back, they would not be able to find a trace of her. When Tristan returned with no clue of what direction she went in, their ideas were gratified.
"Why?" Tristan asked.
Vanora and Guinevere came. "Because that is her way," Vanora said.
"She…"
"Shh… This is her way. We all knew she would never settle down and let herself be happy," Vanora said. "She is stubborn and will stick to her plan to matter what."
"I love her."
"And she loved you. That's why she left."
"I don't understand," Tristan cried.
"No one does. I think she's trying to protect you, us. All of us," Guinevere said.
"From what?"
"Her."
"Her?"
"She took your freedom, she made you choose. Liam's lost shook her up. She blames herself. I believe this is her way of repenting," Arthur said.
"Why?"
"Why is a question you never ask about Kida. She does things her own way. She was willing to die for our freedom. She accepted death. If she wants to be found she will be found. I thought she might have killed herself. At least we know she's still alive."
"Will we ever see her again?" Gawain asked.
"If and when she wants us too."
After Kida disappeared, the people began to rebuild. They chose Arthur as their leader and Guinevere chose to marry him. They were married once everything was fixed. The Rebels and people were once again one. The knights became knights to Arthur and they began to establish their new colony. One of equality for all. Bors married Vanora and Dagonet kept Lucian, raising him as his own son. Lorna was executed, by Tristan's hand. Gawain and Galahad began searching for wives, finding that the Woad warrior women were very likeable.
They flourished and lived out happy lives. Lancelot, Gawain, and Galahad found Woad women to marry and started families of their own. The people were happy, and Britain was at peace among itself.
Tristan took to riding the woods at night. Since Kida left he had never been the same. He never understood why she left him. He still hoped that he would find her. That she would come back to him and they would at last be together. As the years passed he held onto his dream.
Years passed and Kida watched. She watched Arthur build his city; the knights' start their families. She was always close by, and they didn't even know it. She knew they would never understand why she left, she didn't even fully understand. All she knew was that she could not be one of them. She chose the solitary life long ago and she would stay with it. Watching life happen from the outside, intervening here and there. She was proud of the knights and what they had become. They were her brothers and she would watch over them. Even if they didn't know it.
She watched as Tristan continued to search for her. She prayed he would stop. She loved him, and a small part of her wanted to be with him, but her will dominated all else and she kept hidden from everyone. She would protect, as Liam protected her as a child. She chose to be a guardian. A guardian, in memory of Liam. She did it all for Liam. Her brother who gave up everything for her. Her brother she failed to protect. She would not fail again, she would live her life and make Liam proud of her. She would protect the others and not fail again. To do so, she would do best without them knowing. So she became a ghost. Never seen, but always there. Nothing happened that she didn't know about.
With time, the knights accepted her disappearance, all except Tristan. Her Tristan.
Tristan never stopped looking for her, not until the end. As he lay dying. Delusional and confused, he called to her. He called to her and he dreamt she came. Older, but still his Kida. She leaned down and kissed him. He cried, "Why? Why?"
"Shh." she whispered. "Shh." She kissed him again and held him as the life left his body. They were all gone now. Arthur, Lancelot, Bors, Dagonet, Galahad, Gawain, and Tristan. She was there as they passed. Slowly, she placed Tristan on his bed and kissed him one last time. "Soon, my love. Soon I will join all of you." She turned and left. No one saw her except for Lucian. He saw her and she saw him.
"Kida?" he whispered. She nodded at him.
"The boy who spat on priests." She smiled at the man he had become. She looked exactly as he remembered her; just her hair was white instead of black.
"Why?" he asked.
She smiled and walked on. Her time had passed. All those she held dear were gone and soon she would join them. She took one last look at the city Arthur and his knights built and smiled. They were destined for greatness and achieved it. Slowly, she descended into the mists, disappearing in its depth. Lucian watched as the mist engulfed her. He remembered that last sighting of her and passed the story on to his children, who passed it on to their children.
It was said that she still lives, trapped forever in the world of the living, waiting for the time when she would be needed again. Others like to believe that she passed on and now reside with the knights. Where they are all together once again as they once were, young and boisterous. Where she and Tristan finally get to be together and all is as it should have been if life were a fairytale.