Secrets in the Shadows
A/N: Well, here it is chapter three. Since I'm posting these chapters all at once I can't respond to any reviews immediately but I promise I will as soon as I have run out of pre-written ones. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate your reviews however, and I will try to respond to all of them via email.
I am the proud owner of King Arthur and his knights... unfortunately this is only in my dreams.
Yo tengo nada.
Chapter Three: A Friendly Competition
All the knights had shown up to watch the race between Lancelot and Inara, as well as Arthur, Marcus and Fatima. Currently, Lancelot was parading back and forth on his large black stallion looking rather smug. He had no doubt in his mind that he would beat Inara and her little Arabian horse.
A few minutes later, Inara came from the stables, leading a pure white Arabian mare. The horse's mane had been braided in several areas and the brown saddle had an intricate gold inlay.
"Every bit the princess." Galahad muttered under his breath.
She had opted for a pair of tight fitting black breaches and a loose fitting green shirt of Egyptian cotton. Her dark hair had been pulled away from her face and lay in one long braid down her back.
"Sorry for the delay..." She said sweetly as she passed the men before stopping in front of her father and Arthur.
"Daughter, ride well and win." Marcus said with a wink.
"Well, I suppose we should lay out the rules for our little contest." Lancelot said staring down at her from atop his mount.
Inara not liking to have to crane her neck to look up at him, mounted her horse with ease. Now that they were on a somewhat even eye-line she motioned for him to continue.
"We are to ride across the fields up to the Northern gate, turn and ride back to the Fort Entrance." Lancelot said with a bit of a smile.
"That sounds simple enough." Inara said adjusting her hold on the reigns.
Lancelot moved his horse closer to her so that he could speak without her father hearing, "Perhaps I should give you a head start, I never did like to shame a lady to badly."
Inara glared back at him, "If you are so confident that you will win, mayhap we should place a bit of a wager."
The other knights looked stunned, partly because they weren't sure if Lancelot would actually beat her, and partly because they were certain Lancelot would do something stupid.
"And what exactly did you have in mind, Lady?" Lancelot raised his brow.
"If I win, I secure breeding rights to your stallion." Inara said confidently.
"You may have all the rights you want to breed with this stallion M'lady that you so desire," Lancelot whispered huskily. "But what do I get if I win?"
"What do you desire Sir Lancelot?" Inara said knowing full well that whatever he wanted would end up involving her.
"Your company tonight in the tavern and a kiss to be given at the time of my choosing." Lancelot said looking smug.
Inara thought that Lancelot couldn't be more predictable and though she had no desire to spend time in that tavern, she knew it could have been much worse. She reached out her small hand, and Lancelot instead of shaking it like she had intended, kissed the back of it. A deal is a deal.
Gawain slapped himself in the forehead, and Galahad groaned. When would that man ever learn? They moved to the top of the battlements where the rest of the knights had gathered to watch the event. Jols however remained at the gate to conduct the start and proclaim the winner.
"M'Lady Inara are you ready?" Jols asked loudly.
"I am." Inara replied with a smile. Determination weighed heavy on her brow and a glint in her eyes hinted at the excitement that danced behind them at the prospect of such a race.
"Lancelot, are you ready?" Jols asked again.
"As I'll ever be." Lancelot replied with a bit of a laugh.
"On your marks, get set... Go!" Jols shouted, and moved aside as the two mounts rushed past him.
Lancelot's steed had the larger gait and thus gained an early lead. But, Inara's mare was light and small and thus could move faster and sprinted ahead as they were half-way across the field. She leaned low over the horse's neck willing herself to be more arrow dynamic, while Lancelot urged his horse forward by using his reigns to spur his horse to greater and more fantastic speeds. She reached the Northern gate first but Lancelot was close behind.
Cheers were being issued from the top of the battlements as the two riders came nearer. Lancelot and Inara were now neck and neck and coming into the home stretch. It was impossible to tell who was going to win, but the knights seemed to have split in their factions.
Bors, Tristan and Gawain were all shouting words of encouragement to Lancelot. But at some point Dagonet and Galahad started chanting "Go Inara." Dagonet out of a desire to be courteous, and Galahad out of a desire to spite Lancelot.
When it came down to the wire, Inara's mare strained to stay ahead of Lancelot. The muscles under the white coat of hair flexing and stretching to their absolute maximum. Lancelot's stallion was powerful and he had the advantage of knowing the terrain. At the sight of the fort before them, it seemed as though his horse found all the extra energy it required to burst ahead of Inara into the gate's first.
"Lancelot! ROUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" Bors shouted as Lancelot slowed his horse inside the courtyard.
"Well done Lancelot." Arthur said with a wide grin.
"Proves what I always said was right, Sarmatian horses can beat a little Arabian pony any day." Gawain stated firmly.
Inara had slowed her horse and dismounted looking slightly forlorn. She was certain she was going to win, but she had neglected to account for Lancelot's home advantage. The worst of it all would be that she would have to sneak out from her chambers tonight and spend the evening at the tavern. Her father was going to kill her.
"Well done, m'Lady." Lancelot said as he approached her horse offering to help her down.
Inara shot him a glare and dismounted swiftly, both feet hitting the ground with a soft thud. Lancelot pulled his hand away as if it suddenly had been burnt and looked at her with a twinkle of bemusement in his eyes.
"You were the obvious victor, and as such you may claim your prize. All I ask is that you do not mention it in front of my father for both of our sakes." Inara inclined her head to him before leading her horse to the stables.
"And what exactly is this prize that I heard her mention?" Arthur asked Lancelot once Marcus and Fatima returned to their chambers.
"Nothing to be concerned over. Merely her company tonight at the tavern...and a kiss to be given at the hour of my choosing." Lancelot said with a smirk as he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth leading his horse towards the stables.
Inara removed the saddle herself, setting it on the stall door with a slight grunt. She then reached up and removed the bridle, setting it aside as she ran her hands along the muzzle of her horse.
"That a girl, Isis. You did well today...it doesn't matter that you didn't win. You made me proud all the same. I'd like to see his horse compete in our deserts. Briton is not your home...you belong on the dunes, running free with the warm sun hot on your back. I am sorry to drag you to this forsaken island, when you know naught of what wrong you have done." Inara whispered as she brushed out her coat.
Her woods seemed to soothe the animal, but her horse wasn't the only one that had heard them. Lancelot had entered the stables shortly after her, but did not speak after discovering her inside. His curiosity about the girl led him to wait and listen to her thoughts, he hoped that she would say more but she didn't. He took this as his cue to make his presence known.
As if he had just entered the stables, he spoke allowed to his horse, ushering him forward with a few words before placing him in his stall and repeating the same routine that Inara had with her mare.
"Your horse is quick footed, I'll give you that." Lancelot said without looking at Inara.
She set down the brush and allowed her hands to run the length of her horse's leg checking to make sure that no muscles had been strained or shoes cracked.
"Thank you. But as I said before, yours was the faster." Inara finally satisfied with her job gave Isis a small peck on the muzzle, scratched behind her ear and exited the stall.
She began to slowly walk from the stables, her entire body displaying a sense or resentment and defeat. As she passed the stall Lancelot was brushing his horse in, he took the time to look at her more closely. Perhaps, this spoiled Princess didn't want to be in Britain as much as they wanted to be here.
"The tavern isn't so bad you know...by most rights its considered rather fun." He offered to her retreating back.
"Don't worry, I shall uphold my end of the bargain." She said quietly before leaving to bathe in her chambers.
A/N: Well there you have it. I was contemplating letting Inara win for a while, but then after I got the idea of the bet into my head, I knew it was Lancelot who had to be the victor. The next chapter should be an amusing one, the gears are already turning in my head. Initially I wasn't going to pair Inara with Lancelot if I paired her with anyone, but the story is taking a different turn. I don't' know if romance will be in the near future, but if you demand it, I must comply, so let me know what you think. If you want Inara with dear Lance, no one, or another knight. I am looking for a Beta reader if anyone is interested, let me know. As always, review! Review! Review!