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Chapter 10 – Rumours
Once again, Scully blinked her eyes open slowly, trying to get a grip on where she was. This time, however, she felt encircled by warmth.
She slowly looked over and found herself resting comfortably in Mulder's arms. Memories of the previous night came rushing back to her, and she couldn't help smiling. "Finally," she whispered, nuzzling his neck.
"Hmm?" he murmured, only half-awake.
"I'm just happy, for once, that's all," she replied, running her fingers along his chest.
"Yeah, me too."
"Strange as it sounds, I really could just lay here with you all day, regardless of what time we're in."
"Strange? Thanks."
"You know what I mean."
"I could, too. But really, we should get up."
"I know. We should." She made no move to rise, rather snuggling even closer to him. "But let's not, just for once."
Neither moved until well past noon, when the horn signaling dinner commanded the presence of all knights.
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That afternoon, the knights were gathered around the table for dinner. Scully could have sworn that they got some askance looks from the others, Calm down, you're just being paranoid. You have spent way too much time with Mulder. Come on, really, how could they even begin to suspect anything? she chided herself.
Everything seemed back to normal, now, however. Scully and the men sat around eating and taking turn telling jokes.
As the meal drew to a close, it was the turn of Sir Arthur, a young, newer knight who was eager to please. "Ooh, ooh, I have one, guys! Why did the chicken cross the road?... To escape the palace cook!"
The joke was met with silence from nearly everyone. Mulder, however, felt badly for the novice. He forced himself to laugh heartily and put his hand on Sir Arthur's arm. "Good one, Arthur!"
Sir Arthur suddenly froze. Everyone at the table glanced over and whispering began.
Mulder moved his hand and looked at Arthur, confused. The man looked very much as if someone had just placed a venomous serpent on his arm. "Are you okay?"
"I don't need directions to anywhere! I'm fine on my own!"
"What?"
Sir Arthur rose rapidly and backed away. "Look, man, I don't swing that way."
"Excuse me?"
"Just don't touch me!"
"Yeah, don't touch any of us!" another man joined in.
The rest stared at him, waiting for his move.
"Look, I don't know what the problem is, but if I'm making you uncomfortable I'll just leave now. Hopefully you'll have some more sense tomorrow."
With that, Mulder and Scully stepped hurriedly into the hallway, waiting to commence speaking until the door had closed heavily on the still silent dining hall.
"What the hell was that about?" Scully hissed.
"How the hell should I know? I was just trying to be friendly by laughing at that stupid joke, and he was acting as if I had gotten down on one knee and proposed marriage!"
Scully looked at him contemplatively. "No offensive whatsoever meant, but um, I think they think that you are, well."
"Gay?"
"Yes. And apparently, they're more than a little homophobic here."
"Yeah, I noticed that. But why would they think it in the first place?"
"No idea. You look fine to me."
"Yeah. Interesting, isn't it? That I'm the one seen as effeminate?"
Scully chuckled. "Yeah. I don't know, what would they think of as more 'manly'? Maybe you should rough up your hair a little or something - it looks combed, which is far more than I can say for any other guy in there."
They both smiled as she reached up and started ruffling his hair.
At that moment, the dining hall door swung open and a crowd of their fellow knights was staring at them. Scully started and backed away quickly. The knights looked warily at each other, then filed past the couple hurriedly, taking great pains to stay as far away from them as possible.
"Ah," remarked Mulder once they had passed out of the hall. "I don't know, Scully. I just can't figure out when they think we're gay."
She snorted at this.
"In all seriousness, though," he continued. "We've been careful. And it's been two days! Who could have figured it out in that time? Who would care enough to spend their days watching us?"
A look of recognition filled both their faces simultaneously. "Kerrilyn."
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Mulder knocked angrily on Kerrilyn's door, Scully close behind him. The door swung open and Kerrilyn peered out, clutching at her robe. "Oh, hello. Come in, I suppose. Normally, I'd be more modest, but with you two it really wouldn't matter, now would it?"
"That's what we need to talk to you about," Mulder said, gritting his teeth as he and Scully stepped into her room. "Why are you spreading these rumors?"
"Well, it's true, isn't it? That you're a couple?"
"No."
"Oh, come off it. It is quite obvious, once you start looking. Body language, the way you two look at each other, the way you speak. Oh, I was so happy once I realized it. Before, I had started to feel insulted, actually. I couldn't figure out why you weren't attracted to me."
"A little full of yourself, Kerry?" Scully snarked.
"Hmm?"
"Oh, it doesn't matter," Mulder interjected. "I still don't get why you felt the need to spread your ideas among the general populace of the palace."
"Aren't you the one who's always going on about how the truth should be known to the world? Well, I completely agree. Even better for me, if this gets around to the right person, you're little friend here could be fired. I'm sure that you are way too valuable; they wouldn't do that to you. But him. Ooh, that'll be nice."
Scully put her hand out to still Mulder's flinching arm. The last thing that they needed was for reports to circulate about him hitting Kerrilyn, on top of everything else. "I'm standing right here, you know," Scully told Kerrilyn angrily. "So don't insult me. Also, don't you assume that you know the first thing about either of us. You have no proof of anything. Given this, the rumors will soon die down and people will realize how ridiculous they were."
Kerrilyn gave her an obviously fake sympathetic look. "You know what? You're right, Sir Scully. I will stop spreading rumors without proof."
Mulder and Scully eyed her warily, but seeing nothing more that they could do short of murdering the woman on the spot, they turned and walked back to their room.
Mulder flopped down on his bed as Scully closed and locked the door behind her. He shook his head in disbelief. "They think you're gay," he muttered.
"Hey, at least I really am a woman. They at least got the gender preference part right. What's even better: they think that you're gay."
They met each other's eyes, upset for a moment. Then, Scully broke out into a grin. Mulder followed suit. Soon, they were both laughing uncontrollably. When she had calmed slightly, Scully removed her shirt and shoes and slid into bed beside him. She rested her head on his chest and looked up into his hazel eyes, still grinning. He tightened his arm around her waist, his laughter turning into a tender smile. She loved when he looked at her like that. It made her feel happy and loved and safe.
Suddenly there was a loud crash as the door splintered and fell in. Scully jumped to move, but the damage was done. No less than twenty knights and servants, led by Kerrilyn, were standing there, gaping at the two of them. Slowly, a grin spread across Kerrilyn's face. "See there, Jim," she said haughtily, turning to the captain of the guard. "Proof."
He nodded, eyes wide, then seemed to snap himself back into commanding officer mode. Anger and disgust flooded his face. He strode forward toward the bed.
"This is an abomination!" he bellowed. "I will impose the severest punishment for this!"
He grabbed Scully and dragged her out of the bed, throwing her onto the floor. A second round of gasps sprang up from the crows when he stepped back, giving everyone a good look at her. In this position, without her loose shirt, the purpose of the binding became quite evident.
Even Kerrilyn seemed completely stunned by this development. "A woman?" she squawked. "But. How the hell could no one have noticed that?"
A maid stepped forward, yelling "That's the girl! That red-haired stranger woman who just disappeared from the tower. Be careful with her, now, Captain. She's a tricky one."
"Yes, I would imagine so."
Another knight approached Scully and wrapped a cloak around her. He grabbed her and began marching her out the door. Mulder rose in protest, but he was soon grabbed by two other men.
"It's to the dungeon with both of you, now. You shall wait there while I have a long talk with the Lords and we decide what to do with you."
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Scully sat silently in her cell, miserable. She heard Mulder shuffling around his adjacent cell, but she was too tired to move. Everything had happened so quickly before. She still couldn't quite process it all…
A clang sounded as someone entered the dungeon and began walking down the row of cells. She looked up to see Captain James peering in at her.
"So, Scully. If that's even your real name. You are in luck. I, along with most of my peers, was prepared to deem you incorrigible and sentence you to death. However, Lord Weatherby spoke up and offered what he believes to be a far more humane proposal. He believes that it is possible to get you on the right path, if only you were given the proper circumstances. To this purpose, he will wed you tomorrow morning at noon."
"I'm supposed to be relieved by that?" Scully spat, indignation taking precedence over fear. "I would never marry that old man!"
"Defiant, eh? Marriage is, of course, your choice. If you prefer, you may save us the work of a trial and consent to being hanged tomorrow at the same time."
She gaped at him, speechless.
"Well?" he asked impatiently. "Make a choice. I need to tell the servants whether to prepare for a party or a funeral."
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Next chapter: It's the penultimate chapter, so you know things are going to get intense…
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