Note: Well, here's the 2nd update for the weekend. This chapter was great to write and I hope I got across what I was trying. I'm not saying what it is, I want to see if any of you figure it out. Some of this story was taken from my own life, my family, etc. Until I get back… Happy Reading!
As the caravan rode into the fort with Arthur in the lead and the knights directly behind him, Sarah saw Vanora heading for the knight's stable. She smiled knowing that even though the woman would undoubtedly smack him hard across the mouth, she would be pleased to see him back in one piece. As much as she'd heard the two of them grumble about each other and complain at the treatment they received, she knew they truly loved each other. It was evident in everything about them when they were together. Besides, who would have eleven children with someone they didn't love? She let her gaze move around the group of men with her and wondered at how things had changed so much in the last few weeks.
It really hadn't been that long ago that she had despised these men and what they stood for. Now she loved them all as she had loved the people of her home before she left. There was nothing she would not do for any of them and she knew that even though she had not given them a lot of reasons to exactly like her in the beginning, they felt the same about her now. Not just because she was attached to one of them, no, it was just the way they were. No matter how much they argued or fought with each other, if anyone else stepped in, woe be unto them, for they had to face all of these men for their folly. She felt so proud to be included in this tight knit group of people. She felt someone touch her arm and looked to see Gawain watching her intently. Flashing him a smile she let him take her hand in his. "What are you looking so serious about, Love?" he whispered. She let her eyes travel around the group once more, then looked back at the man she loved, "I was just thinking how happy I am right now. How glad I am to be home." She saw the relieved way he looked at her and cocked her eyebrows in question. "What did you think I was thinking about?" She queried, wondering why he would feel relief at her answer.
He was about to answer when Arthur announced to the people standing around, "It is my pleasure to announce that Gawain and Lady Sarah have decided to wed. I know that it is customary to wait until the end of service to allow this, but considering the length of time he has left to serve, I think it fair to forego the custom and allow the wedding to take place now. Anyone who has a complaint about my decision is free to see me later in my quarters." He looked around the yard and saw that no one seemed to have any reason to question his authority on the subject. "Now, make your preparations and let me know if there is anything I can do to be of service." He addressed the couple, then turned back to the people, "The people we escorted back are from the village that the lady is from. We decided that under the circumstances of the Saxon attack they would be safer here for the time being. I would appreciate any help given in making these people feel welcome. If you have extra room please let Jols know so he can arrange sleeping quarters for all of them." He then turned to some of the villagers who were standing around their small wagons looking distinctly out of place. "You are welcome to set up camp on the south side of the wall, even outside the gates, but I ask that you keep an eye out for anything that looks odd and do not wander too far from the fort. The Woads still manage to get south of the wall on occasion and I do not wish to lead you here only to find yourselves in danger from another enemy. Ask any of the local people if you have questions and myself or my knights will visit you regularly to see if there is anything you need assistance with." He waited for a few minutes, to give them time to think of any questions before moving to go to his quarters. As he turned his horse over to Jols, he turned to Lancelot, "I'll meet you in the tavern later." Then he walked proudly away from the crowd. After a few moments of silence, everyone started talking at once, yelling orders to various members of their groups.
Sarah saw Timothy walking among the people and waited for him to get closer to her. When he did, she called, "Timothy!" He looked in her direction and she waved him over. "There is an empty room next to mine behind the tavern and I'm sure Vanora would let you use it." He nodded, then looked back at the people from his home. "I thank you for the offer, but I think my place is with them." He motioned toward the people milling around, gathering their belongings and heading south of the wall. "I can't just let them go about their business like we've forgotten who they are. But," he looked back at his sister, "I won't have to stay with them all the time. I want to check out this tavern I've been hearing so much about." She laughed, "As long as you don't pick up all the bad habits of everyone else who goes there," She gave Gawain's arm an affectionate pat as she spoke. "I'll see you later, then." He nodded, then told her, "I'll be expecting to get a message so I know when the wedding is." Then he walked back to the group of people moving away from them. She waved and saw Bull slowly following the others. "Timothy! Make sure Bull knows when the wedding is. I promised him I would let him know." He nodded again and she looked at Gawain. "Come on, let's find Vanora so she can help me get a dress." She tugged on his arm and heard him grumble under his breath, "A dress! I'd rather you wore nothing at all!" She hid her smile and told him with mock gruffness, "As would the other men, I imagine!" She saw the realization sink in at her meaning and then she saw him look around at the people suspiciously. Try as she might, she could not keep the giggle from escaping her lips, "I'm sorry, but your reaction was priceless!" Their playful banter kept up all the way to the tavern, where they found Bors already holding a mug of ale as Vanora began preparing for the onslaught of people that would inevitably show up now that the knights were back at the wall.
"Hey, Vanora! Sarah needs a dress to wear to a wedding! Can you help?" Gawain shouted at the top of his lungs. Vanora stopped her work and hurried over, "Oh, Sarah, I heard the news. I knew you two were a good match. Of course I'll help, come on, the bar can take care of itself for a while. I know just the dress you need." Sarah blinked a couple of times at the onslaught of words coming from the other woman. She looked at Gawain and saw him heading toward the table where Bors was sitting. She frowned and waited for him to look back at her and when he did she gave him a scorching glare. He just shrugged his shoulders, "You don't need my help, I'll be right here when you get done." She wanted to be angry that he'd deserted her, but honestly, she was glad that he wouldn't see her dress until time for the wedding. She wanted to surprise him and look beautiful. So far he had only seen her in her usual clothes and she wanted him to be proud of his bride. She flashed him a smile as Vanora grabbed her arm and practically dragged her away from the tavern, talking all the while about what they had to do.
"After we get the dress, oh, you should see it! It's green, dark green with little flowers embroidered along the bodice and along the hem. It'll make your eyes shine! Then, there's some lace sewn into the neckline, I don't think it's too revealing, but with your build, we may have to figure something out… Oh, well, I can't wait for you to see it!" Sarah stumbled along behind Vanora, almost running to keep up and wondered at the woman's stamina. After having eleven children she could still move around faster than most women and she never seemed to tire out. Just as Sarah was about to tell her that they were going to have to slow down, Vanora grabbed her arm again and pulled her toward a small building. She recognized it as the shop of a woman who made clothes for some of the people and wondered why she had a dress already made that no one had picked up. It was unusual to spend time sewing something that no one had ordered beforehand.
Vanora told the woman what they wanted and she quickly went to the back and stepped through a curtain that separated her work area from her living area. When she returned, she was lovingly carrying a dress in her arms and Sarah's jaw dropped at the sight. Vanora was right, it was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. The material practically shimmered when it moved. "Oh, Sadie, you've added more embroidery, how wonderful!" Vanora exclaimed as Sadie spread the dress out for them to look at. Sarah reached out and gently ran her fingers across the creation, for it was much more than just a dress. She could tell by the way the woman handled it that it had special meaning to her. "Oh, it is so beautiful, but surely I could never afford something so extravagant." She said breathlessly. Sadie made a clucking sound with her tongue, "Nonsense, no dress is ever beautiful until it is worn by a beautiful woman. Besides, I could never ask you to pay for something that I made purely for my own enjoyment. This dress has been a hobby of mine for the past year, something to keep me occupied since my George passed last winter." Her voice became quiet and Sarah heard the sadness behind the words. "I'm sorry, Sadie, but surely you could get a lot of coins for this dress and I wouldn't feel right just taking it like this."
"Well, girl, whatever you say, but come try it on. You look the right size and I don't think I would have to do much to make it fit you like it was, well, made just for you." Sarah hesitated, then feeling that Sadie would be hurt if she didn't at least try it on, she followed them behind the curtain. As the women helped her change into the dress, Sadie told the story of why she started making it. "When my George got sick, I had to spend a lot of time sitting by his bedside. I had started making the dress thinking some wealthy Roman woman would need something when she came to visit, you know they used to come here a lot, not so much any more. But I'm straying from my story. Well, too much light from the candles made George's eyes hurt, so the only thing I could do was close up work using only one small candle. I had no need for pretty things around here, you know, table covers and such, so I decided to put some detail on the dress, something to brighten it up a bit. So, while I sat here watching him waste away, I thought of all the beautiful flowers he used to bring me when we were young. He knew I loved them, you see, and when he was in the fields plowing and planting, he would pick the wild flowers and bring them to me when it was time to come back home. George always loved to grow things and he would tend the wild flowers just like some grand garden. He even named some of them, mostly giving them names because of the way they looked or when they bloomed." She pointed to one small flower and said, "He called this one a 'daisy' because it bloomed in the summer when the days were longer. That was my George, plain as an old hat, but we had some good years together." She grew quiet and Sarah looked at Vanora, who had a faraway look in her eyes. Looking back at Sadie, she asked as she pointed to a flower that had petals that were all attached instead of separated like the others and were all on a vine that ran the length of the sleeves, "What did he call this one?" Sadie looked at the flower and smiled. "That was a 'morning glory' because it bloomed early in the morn and withered as the day passed. Now this one," and she pointed to a white flower with a large black center, "he called the 'black-eyed Sadie' because he said my eyes were as black as pools of water on a starless night."
By the time they had her dressed, she had heard all the names of the flowers and found she had come to love the dress. "Sadie, I know you've spent a lot of time on this dress, and I couldn't possibly take it without paying you for your time, but I would be honored if you would let me borrow it so I could wear it to my wedding. Maybe that way it will bless my marriage and I can have the wonderful memories of Gawain that you have now of your beloved George." She saw Sadie's eyes tear up and she wrapped her arms around the weathered old woman. "Miss Sarah, I would be mighty pleased if you would wear my dress and I'm sure that you will have as many wonderful memories as I do now. Come now, enough of this melancholy talk, we've got to get you ready to stand by your man and pledge your life to make him happy." Having said that, she began to fuss over the dress, pulling and tugging to get it just right. "See, I was right, it fits you like I had made it with you in mind. And that red hair, it just sets off the green color of the material." She gave a little sigh, "When I bought this material it made me think of the earth, covered in green in the spring after the snow had melted and the grass had come back to life. This dress just shouts of new beginnings, for the world as much as for the woman wearing it." Sarah looked at Vanora and saw her nodding her head. "She's right, Sarah, this dress is perfect. I knew you would like it and I knew Sadie would agree with me that it is the right dress for you to be wed in. Now, where can we find something with flowers to put in your hair? It's got to be just right to blend in with the dress or it'll ruin the whole look."
Sadie walked over to a small chest at the foot of her bed. She moved a couple of things that sat on top of the chest and opened it. She gently moved a few things around and pulled out a small cloth wrapped bundle. She carefully unwrapped it and Sarah saw that it was a piece of lacey material, slightly brown with age. "This was the veil that my mother gave me when I married George. She wore it when she married my father and my grandmother wore it before her. Every bride in my family has worn it and I'm not sure even who made it, but you can tell it was woven with love in mind. I had hoped I would have a daughter that I could pass it to, but for whatever reason the gods had, we were not blessed with children." Again Sarah heard the sadness in her voice and she felt tears begin to form in her eyes. "I thought it would be left to rot away in that old trunk but I just couldn't bring myself to throw it out. Now I think maybe I saved it for just such a happy occasion." She held the lace out to Sarah, who touched it reluctantly. "Oh, Sadie! It is lovely." She whispered as she gently ran her fingers over the material, seeing that tiny flowers had been woven into a design throughout. "I would be honored to wear it but I would want to give it back so you can take care of it. I wouldn't feel right just keeping it." "Honey, you just keep it wrapped in this oil cloth so the bugs don't eat away at it and when you have a daughter, give it to her along with the dress. Tell her the story I've told you and she can keep my memories alive. That way the love I've been blessed with all these years will not die away and be forgotten."
Sarah took the lacey veil and held it to her cheek. She looked from Sadie's face to Vanora's and saw that their eyes were as misty as hers. "Thank you Sadie. You have made me the happiest bride on the whole island today. I will be sure that your story never is forgotten and I will point to each flower on this dress and tell my daughter the story of how they got their names." She hugged the woman again, "Please, will you come to my wedding. You will have a place of honor and stand up as my mother who cannot be there." Sadie wiped her eyes and gave a sad smile. "I think maybe the gods brought me a daughter after all. Now let's get you out of that dress so you can go have a nice bath. You'll want to be all fresh and smell nice for that new husband." The two women helped her change back into her leather britches and tunic, Sadie clucking her tongue several times and mumbling about women dressing as men. Sarah couldn't help but smile and saw Vanora trying to hide her smile behind her hand a few times. When they were finished, they headed toward the baths, telling Sadie to get ready and someone would come by to escort her to the wedding. Sarah gently carried the package Sadie had wrapped, holding both the dress and the lace veil she would wear. She could just see Gawain's expression when he saw her for the first time wearing it all.
As she took her bath, Vanora washed and brushed her hair. "You know, Sarah, Gawain will be pleased with the dress. Not just because it is so lovely and you will be beautiful wearing it. He has a soft spot in his heart for Sadie. When George became ill, Gawain made sure that someone worked the fields and took food to them. You see, Sadie made all of his pants and tunics since he came here and he's kind of adopted her as a surrogate mother. Well, all of the knights have. Even my Bors goes by and visits her from time to time." Sarah listened to the stories and marveled at the way these men, known for their fighting abilities, could be so compassionate with someone like Sadie. Vanora told her of the times that Sadie had almost given up because of loneliness since she lost her husband and how one or two of the knights had always made sure she had a reason to keep going. Sarah's heart swelled that these fierce warriors could be so loving and wondered that she had never heard any of this in their talks at the tavern. When she mentioned it to Vanora, the other woman laughed. "They do little things like that all the time, they just don't talk about it. Everyone talks about how Arthur is so honorable, always doing the right thing. But most people forget that the others do just as much. This is their home now, as much as they talk of going back where they came from, I don't think they really will ever do it. Maybe Galahad. But not the others. They might complain about having to take care of all the people on this island, but they do things that is not part of their duty everyday. That's why I love them all so much."
Sarah stood up and wrapped her arms around Vanora in a tight hug. "Thank you for sharing those stories with me. I know when I first came here I had ideas about all of them that turned out to be wrong. But, I want you to know that I've come to know more about them since then and I, too, love them all." Vanora gave a single nod, "Good, then let's get back and make sure the men aren't so drunk already that we'll have to prop them up at the wedding." They giggled at the mental picture of all these grown men being propped up with sticks and headed back toward the tavern, each lost in her own thoughts.