Anise was flung rather unceremoniously onto her bed as Bors entered the room. She scowled angrily as Bors slammed the window shut and made his way towards the door. She heard the door lock shut and threw herself at it.
"LET ME OUT THIS INSTANT!" she screamed, pounding her fists hard against the wood. "I DEMAND TO BE LET FREE!"
After receiving no answer and banging on the door till her hands bled she turned to the rest of the room; flinging random objects on the floor, smashing bowls and overturning furniture.
Arthur looked up from the floor and turned towards Tristan. The dark knight was still pointing out into the darkness and looking upon Arthur with a casual expression as his commander began walking towards him. He peered in the general direction of Tristan's finger and sighed heavily when he too saw the blue figures appear from the woods.
"There only seem to be a dozen, at most." Commented Tristan before leaning against the window frame and glancing at Arthur's tired expression.
"Leave them be." Murmured Arthur darkly before turning from the chill breeze of the night air and walking in the direction of the door.
Galahad stood up looking shocked and frustrated.
"Leave them! But what if they attack Arthur? What happens then!" he shouted after the Roman's disappearing figure.
Slamming his fist on the table he collapsed heavily into his chair and eyed the room with disdain.
"Then we fight." Came Tristan's reply as he calmly made his way back towards the table and took his seat once again.
Galahad looked up and snorted in disgust. He had never wanted this life; he had it forced upon him and he hated more with every day that passed.
"Of course, I mean what else are we good for?" he spat out bitterly until Gawain threw him a quieting glance and he took to staring at his goblet of ale sullenly.
"Arthur knows what he's doing. The least we can do is abide by him and give him our loyal service." Remarked Dagonet seriously.
"Aye." Motioned Gawain as he looked meaningly at Galahad who continued to scowl darkly at everything.
The knights stayed sat in silence; mulling the words over in each own's way before Tristan moved over to the window once again and stared grimly into the swaying branches.
"They've gone."
Arthur stalked along the corridor; hearing the screams and crashes growing louder as he rounded the corner that led to Anise's room. Bors stood guarding the door; his arms folded and face set.
"She's trashed the room Arthur." He stated gruffly as the Roman looked upon the door as a bowl was hurled against it.
His face was tense and his eyes resolute as he dismissed Bors and waited for the hefty man to disappear down the corridor. Arthur briefly ran a hand through his tousled hair before taking a deep breath and opening the door.
Anise span around at the sound of the door opening; her eyes still burning with anger, blood staining her dress and her cheeks flushed from the exertion of wrecking the room. Arthur looked down at her crimson splattered nightdress and moved to help her, but she stepped back and moved her hands away from him.
"Anise your hands are bleeding, let me bandage them for you." He asked, distressed.
She eyed him frostily as he moved towards her and begrudgingly let him take her gashed hands. He gently led her towards the bed; climbing over furniture and pieces of smashed pottery before setting her down on the edge of it. Arthur looked around for any possible remaining bowl; his eyes falling on a cabinet she had tried to tip over but had failed, as was seen from the streaks of blood marking it's front. Opening the wooden door he came across a small bowl and continued to fill it up with the water from the dish in the corner of the room. All the while Anise seethed over on the bed and seemed unbothered by the blood flowing freely from her lacerated hands. She continued to watch Arthur as he knelt before her and gently took one of her hands in his own and tried to staunch the flow of blood by pressing a cloth firmly against the wound. Her eyes bored fiercely into the top of his head as he tried to remove the blood from her battered hands as tenderly as possible. Finally she pulled her gaze away from him and stared determinedly down the shadowy corridor; her shoulders heaving slightly as angry breaths escaped her lips.
"Why would you not let me go?" she whispered steadily.
Arthur looked up to meet her eyes, letting her hand slip from his and into her lap.
"Because you would have been hurt." He answered simply.
"I can fend for myself." She retorted in a vicious hiss, her eyes still staring coldly down the empty corridor.
Arthur didn't reply but instead began to bathe her other hand, being very careful not to hurt her and examining her hands thoroughly. After a few minutes of distant silence he moved away from her once again to fetch some bandages from a nearby drawer that had been tossed aside in her fury.
"I'll have to change these in a few days to stop any infection." He murmured quietly as he began wrapping the cloth around her warm hands.
"You can't stop me." Anise whispered as she tilted her head to look at him.
Arthur paused his hands to give her a bemused glance and she simply stared back at him.
"Stop you from what?" he questioned.
"From having my revenge." She answered calmly; although her voice was full of hatred and resentment.
She took her hand back slowly as he finished tying the bandages and once again eyed him with quiet hostility.
"Get some sleep." Was all Arthur said as he exited the room and locked the door behind him.
"How's the girl?" a voice came from the darkness as Arthur sauntered past.
The voice later revealed itself to be Lancelot and Arthur frowned at his friend and shot him an exasperated look.
"That bad eh?" chuckled the knight.
"I've just had to bandage her hands as she's destroyed everything in her chamber and wounded herself." Replied Arthur sourly.
Lancelot left out a small whistle and took his friend by the shoulders; leading him to his room.
Arthur rubbed his face with his rough hands as they walked and let out a weary sigh.
"The Woads have left, not soon after you did." Announced Lancelot, hoping to lift the spirits of the Roman a little.
Arthur nodded and allowed his Sarmatian friend to led his to his chamber and set him down on his bed.
"You need some sleep Arthur, that girl has worn you out." Commented Lancelot as he glanced at his friend's drawn face and sallow complexion.
As he left the room he paused in the doorway and received Arthur's call with expectant ears.
"I will check on her." He stated before Arthur could even ask his question and smiled at the dazed expression on his commander's face. "Get some sleep."
Lancelot made little progress of checking on Anise as he strode along the empty corridors of the fort as he was stopped by Gawain.
"How is she?" he enquired, as he fell in time with Lancelot's steps.
"I was just going to check. But I hear from Arthur that she's wounded herself after overturning her room." Smirked Lancelot and waited for the grim expression on Gawain's face.
"I wish to see her." He replied and glanced at Lancelot's ominous smirk.
"Very well but don't upset the girl as Arthur will have my head." He chuckled as they reached Anise's door. "I shall see you in the morn." He added before disappearing the way they had just come and towards his own awaiting bed.
Gawain nodded, if only to himself, before knocking softly on the door in front of him.
He waited, unsure of whether to enter or not and instead announced himself.
"It's Gawain." He hissed.
There was no reply so he pushed the door open slowly to check if the girl was asleep. He was surprised to see her sat up in bed, bathed by the silvery moonlight from her open window.
"You're not meant to have that open." He warned as he closed the door behind him.
Anise sighed and turned her head to face him; dark circles encircling her arcane eyes and her curls hanging limply down her shoulders. She beckoned him towards her bed and he followed suit and clambered over the debris till he reached her side. The room was in complete disarray, he noted, and found it hard to believe that this tranquil figure next to him could do such a thing, but then remembered seeing her in the Table room. Anise turned slightly so that she could see him properly and held a hand out to pat his face, but Gawain was quick and clutched her bandaged hand reproachfully and gave her a hurt look.
"So it was true." He commented before setting her hand down on the covers.
"How did you know?" she muttered back, a look of shame spreading across her face.
"Lancelot told me as he made his way to check on you. Arthur was worried and he'd taken it upon himself to make sure you were settled but I sent him to bed."
Anise shrugged in reply and leant her head back against the wall, allowing herself to rest her eyes as the chill winter air whipped through the dark room.
"You need some rest." Gawain whispered and moved to get off the bed but her hands caught him and she winced in pain.
"Thank you." She sighed softly and he smiled before quietly letting himself out of the room and into the night.
A/N: This chapter is a bit choppy but oh well lol. And as I will be going on holiday for a week on Saturday I'm going to try and write as much as I can so I don't forget my ideas, so if you're all very good today you might get 2 chapters, wooh! lol Tell me what you think, even if you flame me cos that'd be funny lol. Thanks again x