The Knights left the Table room after a while, talking and laughing cheerfully and went their separate ways. Gawain and Galahad set off towards their rooms together; chatting casually about what the mission would be like under Lancelot's command and laughing at the thought.
"So how are you going to fill this day then Galahad?" asked Gawain amusedly as they neared the younger Knights door and slowed their walking.
Galahad shrugged and stroked his beard thoughtfully before answering Gawain. "Might go riding, you?"
"Get some practice in at the training grounds, finish some business elsewhere…" replied the blonde with an impish grin and looked towards his chamber, causing the pair tolaugh.
Galahad bade Gawain goodbye and opened his door, only for Gawain to catch a glimpse of the sleeping form of Jocosta upon the bed.
"Galahad," hissed Gawain, dragging him back from the door and nodding towards the sleeping girl. "Do you know what you're doing?"
Galahad smiled slightly as his friend's concern and nodded calmly to which Gawain frowned and let go of his arm.
"I am in perfect knowledge my friend." Whispered Galahad before excusing himself and shutting the door upon an uncertain Gawain.
Well it wasn't his business to meddle and Galahad had grown up since past times, thought Gawain and so continued along to this own chamber and left the corridor empty.
Galahad breathed a sigh of relief as he closed the door and paused; his eyes sweeping over the figure of the sleeping girl and a smile reaching his lips before he walked over towards the bed and sat down as softly as he could, as not to rock the bed too much and wake Jocosta. His gentleness came to nothing though as Jocosta murmured sleepily and blinked open her eyes as she rolled to face him. He grinned defeatedly and settled himself next to her comfortably and took to stroking her hair as she watched him.
"Go back to sleep." He whispered to her but chuckled under his breath as the girl simply snuggled her head into his lap.
"I have to go out on a mission tomorrow but I shall be back in a few days." Galahad told her in a reassuring tone and looked disappointed as she sat up, causing him to lose his grasp of her hair.
"Well I should be returned by then too so I don't suppose it shall be too bad." Said Jocosta calmly and watched Galahad's brow furrow with an amused look.
"Why, where are you going?" He asked almost possessively and frowned at her.
"Just to my village for a few days. It's my birthday and they are holding a celebration and its custom for us to be with family." Replied Jocosta, her face and voice soft and she rolled her shoulders as she body woke up alongside her.
"I didn't realise it was your birthday," said Galahad guiltily. "If I'd known I would have got you something."
Jocosta chuckled then and reached forward to pat his cheek in a cheering gesture.
"You can take me for the ride I was after if you wish." She remarked simply and Galahad instantly brightened and grabbed two of his cloaks from the dresser and wrapped one around Jocosta tightly.
"Your wish is my command, my lady." He jested with a deep bow and grabbed her hand as they ran laughing down the corridors.
Lancelot was prowling around the practice fields in a menacing manner, although his trademark impish smirk was placed firmly on his face. He had practiced his fill for the day and he hoped that there would be no need for any fighting tomorrow anyway, how hard could some negotiations be? He had watched Arthur do it all the time and he knew what to do. Failing that, he had his wily charms to prevail him and they always worked. Shivering slightly against the cold air, he looked up at the sound of his name being called and waved shortly at Arthur. The Roman commander was waiting for him at the side of the field and the two fell into step with brief greetings.
"Now Lancelot…" began Arthur till he was interrupted by the eye rolling of his second-in-command.
"Arthur, how many times have I watched you negotiate before? Now you may think that I'm just a pretty face, well and a good fighter, oh and good in bed too, but that's besides the point." Lancelot rambled on and it was he this time who received the eye rolling. "Anyway, I do listen at times and I do know how to negotiate, and its only a few rogue Woads, nothing extraordinary." He finished up with a snort and could see Arthur shaking his head in mild disbelief beside him.
"You never cease to amaze me Lancelot." Teased Arthur calmly as they continued on beside the wall of the fortress. "This mission is important as it will determine how effectively the treaty is working, and if it is just 'a few rogue Woads', as you put it, then they will have to be dealt with." Returned Arthur and Lancelot nodded seriously.
"I know Arthur. I know."
Arthur was slightly surprised by the seriousness of Lancelot's tone, but he didn't show it and instead began teaching him in the ways of negotiation and strategy; much to Lancelot's disapproval and sarcastic comments.
Day was humming sweetly as she pottered around her and Tristan's chamber, straightening the bedclothes, tidying the dresser and packing away things into their proper places. Tristan watched her from his place in the doorway. He was silent as he listened to her humming and a thoughtful smile graced his lips as he followed her figure around the room with his dark eyes from behind his unruly braids. Her own chocolate brown hair had fallen haphazardly from it's bun and wisps dangled gently over the back of her neck and onto her shoulders. She hadn't noticed her fiancée until he sidled up behind her and bade her to let him help her. Anybody else would have been startled by his sudden appearance but Day simply smiled softly and nodded at his request. The two worked in near silence apart from Day's melodious humming and each was within the other's thoughts. Tristan couldn't help but feel as though this was just a dream and that he would wake up anytime soon to find himself knocked out and at the end of a battle, soaked in blood and exhausted. He liked this dream, however if that's what it may be, and he could imagine this episode being similar to ones after their child was born. The child, that brought a smile and a quiet breath from Tristan, but first they would have to be married and he wanted nothing more than to be placed in eternity with the woman beside him.
Day was wiping along the wood of the dresser with a cloth when she noticed one of the small foreign trinket boxes Tristan kept there fall off the edge. Instantly, her hand darted out and caught it mid-air as she lunged forward and gained an amused smirk from Tristan.
"I didn't want it to break." She muttered shyly and replaced it carefully on the dresser amongst the others.
Tristan's smirk simply widened and he walked over to finger the boxes beside her.
"They're from Sarmatia." He rumbled in his deep growl. "I brought them here with me when I arrived, tokens from my people. This one," He sighed picking up one of the more decorated boxes. "This one was from my father."
Day watched in hushed wonder as his eyes seemed to fog over and his fingers caressed the smooth surface of the box.
"It held an amulet. Wood, a hawk." He smiled gently then and replaced the box down in it's original place and looked back up to meet Day's eyes. "But it's gone now."
"Where?" asked Day, caught up with the intrigue of it all.
"Lost. Out in the wilderness somewhere. One of my first battles I wore it only for the band to break and the amulet to drop." Replied Tristan calmly and Day nodded in quiet agreement.
Tristan raised an eyebrow at her expression and moved forward to take her in his arms but she dodged him gracefully and came up behind him. He half-sighed, half-growled at her supple agility and shuddered slightly as her breath came warm on his neck.
"Jocosta's birthday is tomorrow and I am to return with her to the village. We shall have returned by the time you do, but I am in need of a present for her. Therefore I shall have to go out for a while so you had better make the best of the day hadn't you?" She whispered fondly and Tristan could feel her arms wrap themselves around his smoothly and a smile upon her lips.
"Well I was planning to." He growled dangerously low and made as if to turn and grab her into a fierce embrace but she was gone and he was left with empty air to his touch.
"I shall return soon." Day commented with a small chuckle as she drifted out of the door and heard Tristan growl displeased. He ran a hand across his face roughly before grabbing his sword and heading out to the practice fields for some much needed energy release.
The next morning everyone gathered in the courtyard and said their goodbyes and watched the Knights mount their horses. Each had said their own personal goodbyes, if they had a particular person to say goodbye to, earlier that morning. Galahad had given Jocosta a fierce kiss and wished her a happy birthday, much to her bewilderment, Gawain and Anise had been 'practicing' and each felt the other's love for one another and their disappointment for the distance that was to be created for the next few days and Tristan and Day snuggled up in the warmth of their bed in loving quiet, discussing the wedding and child but mostly each other's past memories and reassuring the other with quiet whispers and gentle caresses. Bors of course had attempted to give Vanora a warm embrace, only to be beaten away which only fuelled his insistence and they had ended in a passionate embrace, much to the amusement and disgust of their bastards.
Arthur cast a serious eye over the men on their horses before wishing them good luck and giving them permission to leave Lancelot in a ditch somewhere if he should become a problem. A roar of laughter erupted, much to Lancelot's irritation before he reminded them that he was in charge and the laughter stopped abruptly, followed with a smirk from Arthur's dark second-in-command. Arthur chuckled at them cheerfully and waved them out of the courtyard and followed the women to the battlements to watch the seven horses and Knights flying out across the snowy landscape.
A/N: Yes there is an update! Gosh, I hear you cry! lol Yes I have been majorly swamped at school and every form of possible enjoyment has flown out of the window, what with me having my past two weekends filled with a migraine and a trip to hosptial lol, nothing serious though, phew lol. Well this is a bit of a linking chapter cos I have a very mischievious little plan ticking away inside my twisted mind and I can't wait to let the cat out of the bag, destroying everything in its path! Mwaahahahaa! lol Anyhoo as I'm most likely scaring you (I promise they didn't give me any drugs at the hospital lol) I shall just ask you to review if you like as they are very welcomly recieved, and even flames are cos they are damned funny! lol Thanks xx