Disclaimer: I am poor and own nothing. And because I'm poor, this is my only source of entertainment, so please do not sue.
Authors Note: Quinn, I tried to put in what you asked for in this chapter. Let me know if you enjoyed it or it wasn't sweet or passionate enough. I'm sure I can always write another later.
Megan – HA! Thank you, you made me laugh.
Sea Cucumber – No not a bloody idiot. Just you and I have something in common…poor you. ;o) Glad you loved it. Yeah it was pretty sad, but he needed a good reason to hate the Woads in my opinion. Again don't worry about the mistake and thanks for reviewing.
Tracy137 – Oh who cares how much they swear or we swear? People can be so anal sometimes. I'm actually surprised my characters don't swear more, and that's only because I haven't figured out how to incorporate 'Bite my ass', 'No Shit Sherlock', and all the good ones into this time frame. You know who else is pretty well known for that? Colin Ferrell. Apparently fk is his favorite word. Coincidently it's mine too. ;o) Well if you're threatening me with a mob then I guess I will press on. Meg's going to laugh when I tell her you said that. Jasmine is so based on her. Looks, personality, smart-ass comments, everything. (You'll see how much she isn't me when she starts calling Tristan the "unwashed one"). Knew you would enjoy the Tristan/Mariska moment…I know I did. Ah and yes, Esmeralda and Lancelot, another sweet moment. I just couldn't let her not hug him I mean come on? I know I would have been all over that one. And Tris and Dag too for that matter…. sorry went to my happy place for a second there. That's pretty bad that he knows when you're reading my stories. LOL. I think you meant when Esmeralda slapped her, but I understood it. Yeah, Lucan is too cute not to notice. For once the site has been pretty good about sending them…I'm sure it won't last.
Ryn the whitepanther – Glad you enjoyed it and glad to hear you love it. Thanks for reviewing.
Cardeia – Yes Jasmine will be staying on for a bit. I'll have to remember said deal later on as sometimes I have a tendency to try and kill people only to keep the readers on their toes. Sorry to have lumped it all, but the reason I did was exactly as you said. I didn't see him as the type to stop and pause and collect his thoughts. Just all out in the open, and all the facts. It was a little hard to write as well, I'll gladly admit that. Oh and I'm glad you agreed with the kiss. I don't know but it just felt like the natural next step for that scene so I went with it. There is more of Arthur and Lance in this chapter. And we'll get a better look at Jasmine as well. And yeah, Esmeralda is so lying to herself at this point. We'll get her past that though. Thanks for reviewing.
Zelinia – Glad you understood why he was OOC. It was hard to write as I was trying to picture it all in my mind and all I could see was him setting there being Tristan. It took a minute to get it all believable for him. Glad you like her, you'll see more of her later. Thanks for reviewing.
Kungfuchick – Yeah it definitely took me longer to get there than usual. Don't feel too sad though. Thanks for reviewing.
Lilstrummrgrl527 – Yeah I wanted him to have a really good reason for hating the Woads and I think I managed that. Don't worry Jas will be joining us for a while yet. Don't feel bad for being glad she's dead. Remember, one it's fiction and two I made her kind of bitchier than usual for this story. Ah you're such a flatter thank you. You made me feel really good when I read that, but you've got to be careful or I won't be able to leave my room with the head I'll develop. And I don't care that you called me "my dear" I've been called much worse, mostly to my face. Besides I call people stuff like that a lot too and it takes a lot more than that to offend me trust me. As always thank you so much for your kind words and reviews.
TriGemini – Merlin is just not having any luck with his kids in this story is he? He and Mariska will talk soon and we will find out more about him and his family and exactly what he knew. And yeah, Duncan and Miranda are on the same wavelength there. It's okay for you both to love again, we understand. I know it's kind of a harsh deal, but I don't want this story to be too soft. Hopefully I'm succeeding. They are actually going to start getting better for the two of them, as well as for the other couples. Hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks for reviewing.
LANCELOTTRISTANBABY – Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for reviewing.
Dellis – I'm glad you didn't think him out of character. I think people forget that just because he's silent and deadly that doesn't still make him a normal person. And you're right, Arthur will find someone new. Thanks for reviewing.
REK – Always glad to see a new face and to hear that someone else is enjoying my little yarn here. And I'm glad you didn't find him out of character. I was a bit worried but so far everyone's been pretty positive about it. Thank you so much for reviewing. I hope you become one of my regulars.
Evenstar-mor2004 – LOL, so very true. If anyone else were there he would have been fascinated with that apple wouldn't he? Thanks for reviewing, as always.
Sorceress Misha – Now come, you should have more faith in me than that! Oh, and as for your guess, GET OUT OF MY HEAD! LOL! Thanks as always for reviewing.
The Priestesses of Avalon
Chapter Thirteen: Grief and Discoveries
"Arthur?" Lancelot called through the door of his commander's quarters, his hands placed on either side of the frame, leaning heavily against it. "Come Arthur open the door."
Silence met him and with a sigh he decided to try the knob. To his surprise it was open and he hastened into the room, closing the door behind him. For a moment he was startled, thinking that perhaps he was in his own quarters as the room was a shambles, books and tablets strewn about and cloths thrown in every which way. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts he looked up to see Arthur sitting across the room, back in the alcove of his bed, the pale blue dress Guinevere often wore cradled in his hands.
Lancelot sighed dejectedly and walked over, looking down at his closest friend. Never in all the years that he had known him had Arthur looked so lost. He looked up at Lancelot, the grief and anguish plain in his eyes. "I loved her," he muttered, sounding more defeated than Lancelot had ever heard him.
"I know," Lancelot said, sinking onto the bed next to him, eyeing his friend closely. "That is why I could not bear to tell you."
"Lancelot was I a fool?" he asked after a moment, looking up into the dark knights eyes. "To think that she could love me in return?"
Lancelot thought for a long moment, trying to find the best way to answer him. "Nay Arthur, you were no fool. I think that she did indeed love you, yet not the way you deserved."
"It is my fault…"
"No Arthur hear me," Lancelot took him by the shoulders and shook him hard. "Tis not your fault! No matter how hard I tried, the girls tried, her father tried, and still she did not listen. Mariska nearly died trying to saver her as she did us, and still she is gone."
"Than it is her fault then, is that what you are saying?" Arthur asked, a flare of anger coming across his eyes.
"Nay. No one is at fault," Lancelot replied with a sigh. "It is not your fault Arthur."
Arthur stared at him for a long moment, the grief and anguish taking over once again as his buried his face in his hands, sobbing into Guinevere's dress.
Lancelot just sat there, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, letting him grieve, knowing it was going to be a long night.
xoxoxoxoxoxox
Later that night Hayley lay in her bed, tossing and turning. It was all so strange, everything that had happened. Esmeralda was checking on Mariska and Jasmine was sleeping soundly, dead to the world as it were, in the next bed. So much had happened in the near two months they had been there. Sighing she rolled over once again, gazing out the window, the full moon reflecting off her crystalline blue eyes.
Guinevere had died defying Destiny and Mariska had almost joined her, and that had Hayley very worried. As Priestesses they sometimes walked a fine line between helping people and going against what the universe had planned. Sonia and the other High Priestesses worked hard to try and ensure that they knew the difference, but sometimes it was very hard to tell.
Now, as she lay wide-awake in bed, she was wondering if perhaps she was angering Destiny herself, by denying the signs around her and the call of her heart. She groaned softly and rolled onto her back, running her hands over her eyes. This was insane. Why was she so worried? It was not as if she could make Dagonet love her any more than she could stop the sun from rising.
But his eyes…some days she just swam in those deep brown eyes of his. And he was kind and gentle and she had no doubts that she loved him. It was a silent, steady love that had grown the more she had gotten to know him. He would do anything for those he cared for, had almost died to prove that point; and the way he was with little Lucan melted her heart. And that little boy…how she already loved that little boy as if he were her own.
Sighing in determination she sat up, throwing off the pelts, and began to make her way over to the door, grabbing her cloak and slippers on the way, throwing them on and moving silently out of the room. She walked quickly down the hall, afraid if she faltered she would lose her never, and came to a stop outside of Dagonet's door.
Soothing her long brown hair down about her shoulders she took a deep breath and rapped on the door. Now or never, she thought as she heard a bit of a commotion on the other side before the door opened and Dagonet peered out at her groggily.
"Hello Dagonet is now a bad time?" she asked sweetly, wringing her hands as she stood before him.
"Hayley?" he asked, gradually waking up more. "What is it? Is something wrong with Mariska?" he asked, moving forward, allowing her to come into the room, shutting the door behind her. He stood before her for a moment, his chest bare as he looked at her, now fully awake. Realizing that he was standing before a lady in the middle of the night in only a pair of breeches, he blushed a deep scarlet and moved to grab his shirt from the end of the bed.
"She is fine, Esmeralda went to check on her, I just thought that perhaps you and I should talk about something," she said, looking about the room and noticing that Lucan's cot was empty. "Where is Lucan?"
"Away with Bors bunch," he replied, pulling the shirt over his head and looking at her closely, confusion clear on his face. "Hayley is something wrong?"
"No, not at all," she turned and smiled nervously at him. "It is just that, well…" it had been a much easier conversation in her head on the way to his room. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, holding her hands out in front of her, deciding to just spill it all out in front of him. "I'm in love with you, and I know you probably do not love me back, but I just had to tell you or else I would go mad."
She stopped and kept her eyes closed for a moment, waiting for him to start laughing at her, or ask her to leave, or anything really. When nothing happened she opened her eyes to find him smirking down at her, joy and mirth in his eyes.
"I love you too," he said softly, running a hand over her cheek, leaning forward and kissing her deeply. She moaned against his lips and reached her arms up about his neck, letting him lift her from the floor and carrying her to the bed, pulling his shirt off as they went. He laid her gently down, running a hand slowly down her side before pulling the gown from her body, kissing her deeply. It was to be a very long night.
xoxoxoxoxoxox
Mariska awoke with a small sigh, feeling the warm body against her own and the protective arms draped about her abdomen. Snuggling her cheek closer to the person's chest she breathed in deeply, smelling a woodsy natural scent. Opening her eyes slowly she looked up to see Tristan looking down at her though half closed lids, sleep still heavy about his eyes.
"Morning," she mumbled, stifling a yawn as she burrowed closer to him, seeking his warmth.
"Morning," he replied, his voice just as thick with sleep as he rested his cheek against the top of her head, placing a light kiss on her forehead. They had spent most of the night getting to know each other. Alternating between talking about their pasts, and finding comfort in the others arms, or from the others lips, but that was as far as it had gone.
Arching her back slightly she moved her head and body so that she could look into his face, his eyes opening reluctantly to regard her as well. Her head resting on the pillow next to his, she smiled a bit, reaching out a finger to trace one of his tattoo's as his arm snaked about her waist, pulling her nearer. Their eyes locked before she leaned forward, her lips claiming his own in a soft, gentle kiss.
They pulled apart, slightly breathless, his finger running slowly down her cheek. "I could get used to this," she purred, her eyes closing slightly.
He leaned forward and kissed her again, a smirk tugging at his lips, pushing her down into the bed a bit, his body covering her own as her hands came up into his hair, his own moving down her body.
"Ahem," a voice sounded from the doorway, forcing the two apart to see Jasmine standing there, walking further into the room, a white cat trailing after her, its fur long and fluffy and its green eyes looking accusingly at them. "I am blind not deaf," she said, walking further into the room. "And no one needs see that," she indicated the two of them as she found the foot of the bed, resting her hands on the footboard as her cat jumped up, mewing at them. "Isis agrees."
Tristan removed himself from Mariska's arms as he rose and she sat up in the bed, straightening his shirt. "I will be back later," he said, looking once more at Mariska, running a finger over her cheek.
"I will be looking forward to it," she smiled at him, watching as he turned to leave.
"Make sure you stop by the bath houses before you do," Jasmine called after him with a smirk, wrinkling her nose before she sat in the chair he had occupied the night before, earning a raised eyebrow from the scout as he closed the door behind him, and a disapproving look from Mariska.
"Funny," she said, soothing the blanket over her lap.
"So I've been told," Jasmine grinned, looking in Mariska's direction. "How fare you today?"
"Well, and you my friend? How was your journey?"
"Very well and uneventful save a bit of rain."
"That is good. Shall we make small talk all day or do you plan to tell me what it is you have come to tell me?"
Jasmine smirked over at her, wondering how it was she and Mariska knew each other so well for a moment before she began. "I had to strike a deal with the Fates to bring you back."
"What kind of deal?" Mariska asked with a raised eyebrow. Her friend had just started and already she didn't like the sound of what Jasmine had to say.
"In exchange for your life, I agreed that you would not set foot in the Land of the Dead, until it is your time to die," she answered honestly, figuring it was best to just cut to the chase. "To do so will result in your death and a ticket straight into the Underworld, not side trips to Elysia."
"You had no right to make such a deal," Mariska answered angrily, her thoughts immediately going to the seven knights and one of them in particular.
"Oh right, how stupid of me, I should have just let you die then," Jasmine snapped back sarcastically. "I'll know better next time."
"How am I to help anyone then?" Mariska growled angrily.
"You could always raise another dragon. Or I don't know, any other spell comes to mind," Jasmine rolled her eyes, not truly seeing the problem.
"Oh you don't understand," Mariska sighed, turning away from her friend in frustration.
"Don't I?" Jasmine had an amused tone to her voice as she rose and came to sit on the edge of the bed, nudging her fellow Priestesses leg. "Let me guess, he kisses better than he smells?"
Mariska rolled her eyes and glared at one of her closest friends, a smirk tugging at her lips. "He does not smell. And despite, that," she grinned this time. "Yes he does."
"Well that's more than I need to know," Jasmine grinned, leaning back on her hands. "Seriously, just give up on walking the Land of the Dead for awhile. The Fates do not take kindly to people interfering."
Mariska sighed, leaning back against her pillow. "I know."
"So what have I missed out on while you were away?" Jas asked after a moment, deciding to lighten the mood a bit.
"Well, you're back to being the only virgin of our order," Mariska answered after a moment, thankful to gossip. The other she would deal with later, now she just needed something to ease her mind from the last few days.
"Damn," Jasmine said with a grin. "So Esmeralda finally made it huh?"
"Yes, with Lancelot no less," Mariska grinned back. "She's in love with him and doesn't realize it yet."
"And him?"
"He cares for her, and Hayley and I are sure he loves her, but he is unsure as well."
"Could prove interesting," Jasmine mused, rubbing Isis's head as the cat began to purr loudly. "What about you and the silent man? Anything I should know about?"
"We decided to take it slow," Mariska smiled, her fingers unconsciously going to her lips.
"Ah yes, it looked as if you two were just inching along from the doorway," Jasmine grinned.
"Oh silence you cow," Mariska slapped her arm playfully. "What of the order? Sonia and the others?"
"All are doing well. Although I think Sonia is anxious for you all to return," Jasmine replied teasingly. "It is dreadfully quiet over there. I must say I have enjoyed it."
"You know you missed us," Mariska answered with a smirk before growing serious. "I do not see myself returning," she added a moment later in a small voice.
Jasmine just sighed, focusing on the cat that had curled up in her lap. "Yes, we already knew that," she answered after a moment, the two girls falling into a comfortable silence.
xoxoxoxoxoxox
It was just before noon when Lancelot entered his room, looking tired and worn out, to find Esmeralda sitting on the bed waiting for him, her hands in her lap. She rose as he entered and offered him a small smile and open arms as he walked over, wrapping his arms around her and leaning heavily.
She hugged him back, running her hands slowly over his back and shoulders in wide circles. "How is he?" she asked after a few moments.
He pulled away and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "As well as can be expected. He finally exhausted himself." Lancelot sank onto the bed, pulling off his boots and stretched out his feet. "He has agreed to proceed with the crowning. Jols said he would take care of informing Merlin."
Esmeralda nodded slowly, watching Lancelot's shoulders sag. "Well it is a start," she said, sitting next to him and wrapping her hand about his head, pulling it down to rest on her shoulder and running her fingers through his hair slowly. "Would you like me to fetch you anything to eat or drink?" she asked, trying to comfort him as best she could.
"No, this is just perfect," he murmured, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her nearer, reveling in the heat of her body.
They sat like that for a long moment before she spoke, her voice small with fear. "Lancelot, I thought that perhaps we should speak about us."
He sighed, having dreaded this conversation and held her a moment longer before he let her go, pulling back to look into her face. "Very well."
She looked at him with uncertainty before looking down at her hands, studying her fingers closely. "I have been thinking about it since the other morning after what you said to me…about earning my love, and I have been trying to figure out what my feelings are for you exactly. On the battlefield yesterday, when you threw yourself between me and that Saxon, and the way you fought, it gave me a good indication of the kind of man you are."
Lancelot sighed in defeat. He knew what was coming now. He knew the kind of monster he became on the battlefield and now it was going to cost him more than he was willing to part with. Preparing himself for the worst he looked at her closely, watching as she brought her eyes up to meet his own.
"And I saw that you are a strong, valiant man with a good heart and a noble spirit," she scooted closer to him on the bed and brushed a few curls from his eyes. "You do not need to make yourself worthy of my love. You already are," she smiled at him, leaning forward and kissing him gently. He deepened the kiss, both of them falling back onto the bed.
Authors Note: Here you all go, a little bit of romance for just about everyone. Hope you all enjoyed it and please review. (This means you Meg, what'd ya think?) No flames.