Hello!
This is the sequel to my Fan Fic Candle In My Night. I suggest that you read that first, but you don't have to. Also, I don't own any of the characters except Kelleigh, Maddox and Rhiannon. Everything else is the sole property of their respective owners.
Another note, please review. It's not hard. I'd love to here from you, even if you think it is bad. All it takes is a few words from you to make me want to continue writing, not feel like it is a chore. :)
You may also note that I have brought in Elaine. I was bored. Wanted something to do. I may even bring Accolon in in future chapters.
Prologue:
Hadrian's Wall
468 AD
"You're my best knight, Lancelot, and my Captain of the Guard," Arthur stated, pacing the fire lit fortress hall in exasperation. Lancelot smiled to himself. Arthur was dressed in a black tunic shirt, black leather pants, and black boots; strictly informal. He looked, to Lancelot, the man who knew him the best, nothing like the king of Britannia. It was as if they were back to their old habits again; the commander and the commanded. Lancelot himself wore his usual black leather tunic shirt, black leather pants, and black boots; he looked nothing like the Captain of the Guard everyone knew he was. "Can I not plead with you to stay?" Arthur stopped pacing and looked pointedly at Lancelot.
Arthur's eyes, so much like Lancelot's own wife; green jewels, normally so full of the happiness Queen Guinevere put there, were now filled with distress and anguish. Lancelot felt only slightly guilty for putting the pain there. Arthur's face hadn't aged at all, though there were new lines to add to Arthur's noble appearance. His dark hair was strewn from here to there, the result of training with the younger knights mere hours ago. Lancelot didn't know how to respond to his king; whether or not he was to respond as a friend or as a subject.
Arthur took a moment to calm his emotions and look at his best friend. Lancelot was still a handsome young man. His face was lean, with a little beard covering the lower half of his face. A dark mess of curls sat atop his head in disarray. His dark chocolate eyes were full of mirth, and they held a glow that only his wife could put there. Lancelot was a happy man, and for that Arthur was glad. But he wasn't willing to let him go. Not when he'd done so much work with the Guard to create a strong force. He wasn't willing to let loose the only remaining knight within the fort.
"Why now?" Arthur asked, looking away from Lancelot and into the fire in the burning pit beside him.
"You know why," Lancelot replied standing, and took a sip from his wine goblet.
"Give it more time, Lancelot," Arthur pleaded, "more time."
"Arthur, you know that I cannot," Lancelot sighed, "I've got to leave. Your Guard is strong now, and Ganis is ready to take my place," he added. "You'll not be lacking for anything," Lancelot sipped his wine again.
"Ganis maybe ready," Arthur said, "but by God, I am not!" He plopped down in the chair beside Lancelot, his frustration clearly evident in his noble features. "I'm not ready for this moment, Lancelot. Please, for me, stay a while longer," Arthur begged.
"We cannot," Lancelot sighed heavily, thinking of the wife that awaited his return. He thought of the child that was to come, and gave a soft smile. I am doing this for my family, Lancelot thought. He looked at Arthur on the chair beside him. Lancelot sighed again, and sat down beside Arthur.
"Lancelot," Arthur sighed, "Why do you go?"
"I grow restless. We grow restless," Lancelot replied, looking at his best friend. "I've my family to think of. Kelleigh means the world to me, and if I lost her…" Lancelot didn't have to finish his sentence, for Arthur felt the same way with Guinevere. If he lost her, he'd surely die as well. Arthur shuddered at the thought of losing Guinevere.
"I understand your reasoning," Arthur said, "I truly do, but I've yet to understand why you leave so soon."
Lancelot nodded his head. "She wants to cross the rivers, see the places we've not yet seen. If I lost her, I'd surely die," he mused a loud. He drank from his goblet and set it on the large round table in front of him. He looked at Arthur beside him again. "If I didn't die, I would surely never be the same man,"
Arthur saw the troubled look at came into Lancelot's eyes, and he set his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Don't think like that," Arthur said, "You'll not lose her," he added, reassuring his friend, and hoping with every ounce of his being that it was true. He never wanted to be the man who stole Kelleigh away from Lancelot.
"How can you be so sure?" Lancelot asked, "Without her, I am nothing. This is why I leave, why we leave," Lancelot said, and sighed heavily, hoping that Arthur would now understand his reasoning.
"You could still lose her," Arthur stated passionately. "You could be attacked by the barbarians, by the renegade Saxon hordes," he was trying to make Lancelot stay. "Please, stay, I beg you, for our friendship's sake, I beg you."
Lancelot sighed again. He remembered those words clearly in his mind. He remembered when he used them. Both men remembered that night before Badon Hill, the day before Lancelot almost lost his life. Both men looked away, each lost to their own thoughts. "I must go," Lancelot said, getting up. "I'm sorry," he said, and left, walking slowly out of the fortress hall and into the afternoon sun.
Kelleigh stood alone in the parapet near Lancelot's command centre, overlooking the north of Hadrian's Wall. It was a vast and empty place, showing nothing of the conflict they'd had almost two years ago. Kelleigh shuddered at the thought of Badon Hill. She'd almost lost Lancelot that day; she'd almost lost a part of herself. He'd been trying to save her when a crossbow bolt in the shoulder struck him, just barely above his chest. And then, after the battle, they found out that they had lost Tristan.
Kelleigh felt the breeze rustle her clothing, and shivered. She'd left her cloak, thinking that she wouldn't have to wait long for Lancelot to return. The sun beat down dimly on her body, but it didn't warm her. The light green coloured dress she wore was made of thin linen material, and it barely held any heat at all. Kelleigh's dark hair now reached the middle of her back, and blocked the wind from her face, but it tangled easily in the wind. She paid it no heed. Lancelot would just brush it later that night.
Her green eyes followed a bird that flew in the distance. Tristan's hawk. He'd never really left the fort. It was as if he waited for Tristan's return, some said. But Kelleigh knew differently. Tristan himself returned every time the bird flew toward the fort. It was oddly comforting, having the hawk around. No one believed her theory, but they all felt comforted by it.
Kelleigh put a hand on her growing stomach and smiled, still watching the hawk. Tristan would have teased Lancelot mercilessly about the baby. He would have enjoyed it though. They all would have. Now the knights were spread out; Gawain traveling from fort to fort along Hadrian's Wall, helping protect the country while Galahad and his wife Ardra had their own village a few days ride from the fort. Bors and Vanora also had their own village, but it was a ways away from the fort, and Lancelot forbid her to leave the fort without him, unless she was visiting Badon Hill, and the graves of those brave knights who'd died in service to an empire not their own.
Lancelot stood on the battlement, leaning against the wall, looking at his wife. She was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Even after a year and a half of marriage, she still took his breath away. Her increasing stomach only enhanced her beauty in his eyes. He saw that she was watching Tristan's hawk again, and smiled to himself. Her theory wasn't lost on him, and sometimes, Lancelot found himself believing it too. Something about the hawk was comforting when he saw it.
"It's breezy again, and you've left your cloak," Lancelot stated softly, so as not to scare her. Kelleigh turned on him with a bright, breath-taking smile. She never ceased to amaze him.
"I though you would be back by now," she replied, and walked to him, arms wide. A warm feeling of contentment went through Lancelot's body as he embraced her within his arms. He smelled the wind in her hair, with a hint of the wildflowers that had been there that morning. Her body was soft and supple against his own. For the moment, the world outside them was forgotten, and Lancelot was content to just hold her in his arms; to rejoice in the fact that she was his and his alone.
Kelleigh laid her head on his shoulder, where Lancelot could rest his chin if he so chose. To every one around, they were the devoted pair, whose love was as wild, as passionate, and as free as the Woads that inhabited the wilds around them. Arthur had commented on it once, after witnessing an enthusiastic reunion between them. The knights had gone out to stop another renegade band of Saxons. It was Lancelot's first time out on a mission after he'd been wounded. Lancelot never forgot the way she looked at him when he came back. Adoration was a fire that burned in her jewel-like orbs. She wasn't increasing then. Lancelot had thought of only one thing when he went into battle, fighting beside the men he himself had trained, with the help of Arthur. It was always Kelleigh. That was the only thing he thought of. And now, with a child on the way, he had his family to protect. His days of running with the knights were over. He was going to look after his family for the rest of his life.
"You're face shows concern," Kelleigh said, looking up at him. Lancelot smiled down at her and her perceptiveness, and held her body a little tighter against him. "What did Artorius say?"
"He's not willing to let me go," Lancelot replied, "or you, for that matter," he added, leading her toward his command centre. Kelleigh sighed softly, and shivered.
"He knew this day would come," Kelleigh said as they walked in the door. Lancelot nodded at Ganis, who stood just inside the door, awaiting orders from Lancelot. Ganis smiled at Kelleigh, and immediately went to get a chair for her to sit in.
Kelleigh surveyed the small room around her. Stonewalls surrounded them, with windows high on the walls. A fire burned in the burning pit in the centre of the room, and an oblong table sat in the centre of the room, along with a chair. Kelleigh noticed that the table was littered with papers Lancelot used in his work. Ganis came back into the room with a chair, and set it down beside Lancelot's. He then looked at Lancelot with a hearty smile.
Ganis had grown larger over the last year. He'd put on more muscle in his arms and legs. His hair was kept short like Bors. Kelleigh also noted that his eyes were brown. His face wasn't that of a boy anymore, but more of a man.
"What did the King say, sir?" Ganis asked, looking at Lancelot who was helping Kelleigh lower herself into the chair Ganis set out for her. Lancelot looked at the younger man, and gave a look of frustration with his king and friend.
"What was to be expected, Ganis," Lancelot replied, sitting in the chair next to Kelleigh. He took her hand in his, and leisurely drew circles with his thumb on her palm.
"So, you're still to leave?" Ganis asked hopefully. Kelleigh watched as his face lit up with the prospect of being the Captain of the King's Guard.
"We're still to leave in a fortnight, yes," Lancelot replied, sighing heavily. He still had misgivings about leaving himself, but he knew that he had to. He smiled at Kelleigh and turned back to Ganis. "You'll be taking watch for the rest of the day, Ganis," he said, "I've my wife and unborn child to take care of."
Ganis gave Lancelot the biggest smile Kelleigh had ever seen. He nodded his head in agreement to what Lancelot told him, and then scampered off to find his family. Kelleigh turned her head to Lancelot and waited expectantly. "My love, are you sure you want to leave the fort?" Lancelot asked, looking at her softly.
"You wouldn't ask me that if you weren't having misgivings about it, dear husband," Kelleigh said with a knowing smile. "I do want to go, but if Arthur won't let you leave, I can't help that."
"He's strongly against it, but he'll let you go," a voice said. Lancelot looked at the door and saw Guinevere standing there; man's tunic, breeches and all. Her dark hair was braided and it hung over her shoulder, reaching just below her breasts. Kelleigh smiled at Guinevere as she turned ever so slightly to see her.
"My lady," Lancelot said as he stood and made a bow. Kelleigh tried to get up, but Guinevere shook her head.
"We're all friends, no bowing, please," Guinevere said, and walked into the room. Lancelot moved away from his chair for her to sit. Kelleigh felt oddly alone without Lancelot holding her hand. Guinevere smiled, and sat down beside her.
"Shall I leave you ladies to talk?" Lancelot asked, walking toward the door. Kelleigh looked at him, and her eyes pleaded with him to stay. Lancelot didn't have the heart to tell her no. He stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders lovingly.
"What brings you here, my lady?" Kelleigh asked, looking at Guinevere with a smile.
"I've come to check on you," Guinevere said, "and to tell you that I've found someone to help you with the birth."
Lancelot looked at Guinevere with a smile. The birth of their child had been laying heavily on his mind. He often wondered what he was going to do when Kelleigh's time came.
"Who?" Kelleigh asked, eager to hear the name of her new attendant, though it pained her to know that she needed one.
"Her name is Elaine," Guinevere said. "She's part of the Woad village outside of the fort." Lancelot nodded, indicating that he knew of the village and its people. He was a bit nervous, though, of having a Woad attend to his wife.
"I know of the village," Lancelot said, "but will Kelleigh be all right in her hands?" His thumbs gently massaged Kelleigh's neck, creating circles that made her shiver.
"She'll be safe," Guinevere answered, looking pointedly at Lancelot. Kelleigh looked up at Lancelot, who looked down at her with a sheepish smile. He wasn't trusting her with just anyone.
"I know of the village as well, my lady," Kelleigh said as she turned back to Guinevere. She'd brandish Lancelot later, when they were alone to make up for it afterwards. "She will be able to leave with us, then?"
"Yes. My father has worked it out with her father, and he has consented," Guinevere replied. "Arthur has requested that you meet her when you dine with us this night."
Lancelot looked down at Kelleigh, almost as if to ask her if it was all right. Kelleigh looked up at him, and gave him a sweet smile. Both then looked at Guinevere. "We'll join you then, my lady," Lancelot said.
"Good," Guinevere got up, and started to walk away. Before she got to the door, she turned and looked at them. "Shall I send Jols to escort you?"
"No, my lady," Kelleigh said, and looked up at Lancelot. "We'll make it on our own."
"I'll bid you farewell then," Guinevere said, and then walked out, her dark braid flowing behind her. Kelleigh sighed heavily. Lancelot once again occupied the chair he'd had before Guinevere came in.
"My love?" He gave her a look of concern.
"It's nothing, Lancelot," Kelleigh assured him. "It's been a long day," she added with a smile. Lancelot gave her a smile that spoke volumes of the love he had for her. "I fear for our child," Kelleigh said a loud, catching his attention by the fear in her voice. He took her hands in his and brought them to his lips in a loving gesture.
"We'll do it together," he said. "I am not letting you out of my sight for a moment," he added with a roguish grin. Kelleigh laughed softly.
"I am unsure if I want to be out of your sight, dear sir," she teased him good-naturedly. She didn't want to be out of his sight for a moment, nor did she want him out of hers. He meant too much to her.
Night had fallen by the time that Lancelot and Kelleigh left the guard centre in the capable hands of Ganis. Lancelot carefully led her in the direction of the fortress hall. He passed many guards who greeted him with easy familiarity and smiles. Kelleigh felt a bit out of place. Her duties as attendant of the knights had significantly changed, now that she was the wife of Lancelot. Men now looked at her with respect, while women went out of their way to be kind to her. As they made their way to the fortress hall, Kelleigh found herself becoming more and more nervous. Lancelot felt her nerves and stopped to look at her.
"Shall I tell their majesties that you are not feeling well?" he asked, touching her cheek with his hand; almost a caress.
"Nay, my love," Kelleigh replied. "I'm afraid," she whispered, and looked at him, her green eyes glistening.
"My wife, afraid to meet this slip of a girl?" Lancelot teased. Kelleigh didn't find it humorous.
"Lancelot, I dare say that this is no laughing matter," Kelleigh stated. "This woman will be caring for your child as well."
"My love, your fears are misplaced," Lancelot chided gently. He kissed her head, and hugged her tightly to his body. "Whomever Queen Guinevere has picked out for us, it will be fine."
"I know," Kelleigh answered with a sigh. "Shall we proceed then?" She looked up at him.
"We shall, my dear lady," Lancelot took her hand and tucked it in his, and led her the rest of the way to the fortress hall.
Arthur smiled as Lancelot led Kelleigh into the fortress. He smiled warmly as she waddled up to him and hugged him with a smile. Arthur held her tight, and gave a warm smile to her when he let her go. Kelleigh looked beautiful; with her hair flowing in soft waves framing her beautiful face. Her green eyes held a glow of happiness, and the light green fabric of her dress only enhanced their beauty. She was beautiful and her increasing stomach only added to that beauty.
"I trust you are well?" Arthur asked with a smile as he held Guinevere beside him. "All goes well with the baby?" Kelleigh nodded her head with a shy smile. She'd blossomed under Lancelot's love. Anyone could see that. Both of them were completely happy and so in love.
"Very well," Kelleigh answered with a smile as Lancelot slid his arm around her waist. Arthur nodded, and turned to Guinevere.
"Shall we proceed to dine then?" he asked her, watching the fire play upon her skin. He thought her more beautiful now, when she was beside him.
"We shall," she answered. "Elaine is already in the dining hall." She looked at Lancelot and Kelleigh.
Kelleigh nodded, and gave a soft sigh. Lancelot squeezed her hand and led her to follow Guinevere and Arthur as they went into the dining hall.
Elaine sat nervously at the table. She fidgeted with her Roman clothing, so unlike what she wore at home and then the silverware that was beside her plate. Jols finally took pity on her and handed her a goblet of wine. "Drink," he commanded gently and went to the door. Elaine obeyed, and drank. Arthur and Guinevere smiled at her as they walked in, followed by a pair that she didn't know. All she saw was how handsome the man was. Dark curls sat on top of his head, his eyes danced with merriment, and his smile was infectious. He was simply beautiful to her eyes.
"Elaine," Arthur said, "meet Sir Lancelot and his wife, Lady Kelleigh." Elaine got up and bowed to them. Lancelot smiled at her, all the while, seating Kelleigh in a chair beside him. Elaine smiled back. She then looked at Kelleigh, and smiled. Kelleigh is pretty, even with her increasing stomach, Elaine thought.
"My lord," Elaine said to Lancelot. Lancelot smiled at her again. She didn't bother greeting Kelleigh.
"Elaine, please, be seated," Arthur said, almost as if he were brandishing a child. Elaine did as she was told.
Dinner was the meat the fort hunters could find. There were also other things that the Woads found. Kelleigh found herself pecking at her food. Lancelot noticed, and put his hand on top of hers, almost to reassure her that it was all right. Kelleigh smiled lovingly at him, and turned to Elaine.
"Will you be ready to leave within a fortnight?" she asked, smiling sweetly. Elaine looked at her. Kelleigh saw that the girl was younger than she, by at least a few years. Her eyes were a clear crystalline blue, and her hair was an auburn colour. Her nose was pert, almost a button, and her mouth was heart shaped. A rosy blush touched her pale cheeks.
"I will, my lady," Elaine answered. "Whatever you will require of me, I will do."
"You're not a servant, dear," Kelleigh said, reassuring the girl. "You're to help with the birthing."
"I know, my lady." Elaine replied. Kelleigh watched as the girl's eyes darted to Lancelot again for the hundredth time that evening. Jealousy immediately rose in the back of her mind, and she grasped Lancelot's hand in her own, showing off the ring she wore on her hand to Elaine. No woman had a right to look at him with lust in her eyes, Kelleigh thought.
Dinner progressed, and Kelleigh got to know Elaine more and more. She was glad that the young girl was a capable healer. It set her mind at ease. Lancelot had questions of his own, and Kelleigh seemed content to let him ask them, allowing her the time she needed to study the girl more. Generally, the girl was slight of built, but, as most Woads were, the girl could probably fight better than most of the Romans that remained in the fort.
"Kelleigh?" Lancelot asked, looking at her. Kelleigh blinked several times, and looked back at her husband.
"I'm sorry, my love, what were you asking?"
"I wondered if you were all right. You've barely touched your dinner," he replied. Kelleigh looked down at her food and then back at him.
"I guess I wasn't as hungry as I first believed," Kelleigh replied. "I'm tired," she added. Guinevere looked at her with a smile.
"You'll need to get as much rest as you can, Kelleigh," she said. "Lancelot, take her home, and put her straight to bed." Lancelot smiled.
"I will, my lady," he said. Kelleigh saw the roguish grin that was on his face and knew that no sleep would be had that night.
Elaine watched as Lancelot helped Kelleigh from her seat. She studied how Lancelot doted on his wife. Never had she seen so much love in one tiny gesture. Great love, she thought. Love that tests all the boundaries of time. Guinevere looked at her. "Elaine?"
"Yes, my lady?"
"Are you all right, dear?"
"Yes, my lady," Elaine answered, watching the pair as they left the dining hall, her eyes lingering on the tall form of Lancelot. In the span of dinner, Elaine had managed to become smitten with Lancelot, and it would create problems for her future.