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Chapter 21
Happiness and Heartache
The knights galloped through the large wooden gates of Hadrian's Wall. They had been to a small village in the east to settle a dispute over some stolen cattle. It was a tedious job but part of Arthur's command was to keep peace in the south.
It had been a year since Lucilla had left Caesar for the Scout. The year had been one of the happiest at the keep. Having another woman around the knights helped ease some of the tension. Vanora enjoyed having another female around to help with all the children. Especially since Vanora had recently hatched out number eleven, Pelleas. Lucilla had helped in picking out a somewhat Celtic name.
As the knights galloped through the gates Tristan for the first time was leading them in. Reaching the courtyard they were met by Jols and Murig, who for the past year had kept faith with Arthur.
Tristan leapt off of his horse and ran to Murig. "Where is she?" he asked, excitement on his breath.
"She's upstairs," the Briton said, a large smile crossed his face.
Tristan bound up the stairs to his chamber. The room him and Lucilla had been sharing for the past year, the best year of his life he would often say to her. Running to the room, excitement in every step he reached the door. Vanora was just coming out of it.
"How is she?" Tristan quickly asked. Vanora smiled, she had never seen such happiness in the scout; it was a different Tristan than she had come to know.
"She tired, so don't be in there too long." She pushed the door open a bit and Tristan walked in. Unless one was watching him walk in you could never hear his steps on the wooden floor.
Lucilla was lying on a bed near the window. Her hair had been pulled back in a braid but was now askew. She was cradling a large blanket in her arms. Joy filled Tristan's heart as he watched Lucilla.
Lucilla had become used to Tristan's silent foot steps and had become an expert at listening to them. "Come look," she whispered.
He stepped cautiously over to Lucilla and in her arms was a child, no larger than some of the dolls Helene was playing with. "Is it…."
"You're the father of a beautifully healthy little girl," Lucilla said, a smile large on her face. The child lay silently in her mother's arms.
She looked up with large ocean blue eyes. A small nose reminded Tristan of Lucilla but her lips where like his, large and lovely. Her small hands held Lucilla's index finger and she had begun to suck on it.
Lucilla put out the child to Tristan. "Hold her," Lucilla smiled and she laid the baby in his arms. "Make sure you hold her head… like that." She instructed the new father on how to hold her correctly.
"I'm a father," he whispered. Looking into the child's eyes he felt an instant connection to her. He looked at the child then to Lucilla.
He was so proud of Lucilla; she had given up everything just to be with him. She had even given up on the idea of marriage, and now she even had a child out of wedlock. She now knew that she could never show her face in Rome again, but she didn't care. That's what Tristan loved about her. She gave up everything for him and she was still just as happy having him rather than being Queen of the entire empire.
"What should we name her?" Tristan questioned as he sat down next to Lucilla on the bed.
Lucilla sat up in bed and began to stroke the child's soft head. "What do you want to name her?"
"Me?"
"Well, she's your daughter too. I want you to name her."
"How about we both pick and we'll go from there." Tristan compromised.
"I wanted to name her Annerisa," Lucilla smiled, "but it's a very Roman name."
"And I liked Neria." Tristan said as he stroked the child's hand with his thumb.
"What if we combine it?" Lucilla suggested Tristan just looked into her eyes. "Anera."
"Hello Anera," he said gazing into the child's eyes. "I'm a father."
"We're a family," Lucilla said as she grabbed Tristan's chin and laid her lips on his.
A knock came on the door and in walked the knights. "We just wanted to see how everything was going?" Arthur said.
"We have a daughter," Lucilla announced, happiness deep in her tone.
The knights came over to look at the child and congratulate the new family. They gave Lucilla kisses on the cheek and Tristan pats on the back. Bors had brought his children in to see the newborn as well, considering they had a new one as well. The children were surprised to see how small Anera was, she had arrived a few weeks early.
"What's her name?" Dagonet questioned.
"We combined two to come up with Anera." Lucilla explained. Tristan was still gazing into his daughter's eyes.
"A bit celtic," Lancelot observed.
"Yes, but she is a child born in Britain, I think we can allow her to carry that fact." Lucilla told them. Touching Tristan on the shoulder he nodded to her. "We would like to ask all of you a favor." Each knight nodded in acceptance. "I know it is a Christian tradition but I would like to instill it into our daughter. We would like you all to be her Godfathers."
"What's that?" Gawain wondered.
"It's someone who stays with her, who will be there for her when we are not. It's like another father. In her case she would have six other fathers."
"How could we say no that?" Galahad announced.
Lucilla smiled at each of the knights. Her life was going just the way she wanted. She had a loving man who loved her more than life itself and now a daughter to bring up in the world. Thankfully she would not have to grow in Britain. Tristan would be released in a year and they would be able to go to Sarmatia and raise Anera and hopefully other children. They both loved their life.
The next few days went wonderful for the new family. Vanora helped Lucilla with all of the new things mothers need to know. After all Vanora did have some practice in the field. The men stayed busy with reports of Saxon invasions in the south. It pained Tristan to leave Lucilla and Anera but Arthur had promised they wouldn't be gone too long.
The day was warm for once, the sun shining on the ancient fortress. Lucilla and Vanora were out near the lake cleaning some clothes. Most of the children were near by but Helen and Aggs had taken Anera and were playing at home with Gilly watching over.
"I'm glad you have so many children," Lucilla said comically.
"Oh yes? And why is that?" Vanora chuckled in return.
"Mainly because they can hold to my daughter and I can actually get things done when Tristan isn't here." Both women laughed.
"You should have seen me right after Gilly was born. I was a wreck; I did nothing until Bors would come back." The women finished rinsing the clothes and were lying back in the basket when Hector came running up to them, he was out of breath as he reached his mother and Lucilla.
"Mother!" he called. Both women stood up.
"What's going on Hector?" Vanora wondered. Her question was answered when a shrill scream came from the woods. The women looked behind them and watched at least fifty people run from the woods.
"Saxons, the Saxons are invading!" They were screaming as they ran past the women. Dropping the baskets of clothes they rounded up the children and ran as fast as their legs would carry them into the safety of the keep.
The centurions closed the gates behind them but they knew the Saxons would be able to cut down the gate, but it would give the people inside time to hide. The women ran to the house of Vanora and Bors and gathered the children. They ran out of the house to a store room Bors had told Vanora about.
Opening the door to it Lucilla and Vanora stuffed the children in first. Jols and Murig were right behind them. Jols handed Gilly, Hector and Achilles a sword, "Use them only if you must." The boys nodded. Vanora was clutching Pelleas and Helen still had Anera in her arms.
"Helen," Lucilla called, "hold on to her tight."
"Where are you gonna be?" The red head asked.
"I need to help." She explained.
"They don't need help," Jols tried to intervene. "You need to stay with your child."
"No you need the extra archer. We don't have time to argue Jols, this is my choice." Kissing Anera on the forehead she looked into Helen's eye, "take care of her." Helen nodded as she was pushed into the store room and locked in.
Lucilla ran to her room where she knew Tristan kept his extra bow and quivers. Taking two full quivers and his bow she raced to the window and saw the oncoming horde of Saxons. Their filthy bodies matched the rugged landscape. Furs were wrapped around their necks and bodies to keep them warm during the sea trip over to the island. With their large axes they began to hack away at the entrance of the gate.
From her chamber Lucilla was able to fire off an entire quiver of arrows, about twenty. She shot with the accuracy Tristan had instilled in her and from the small lessons she had taken when she was a child.
Once the Saxons had broken through the gate Lucilla saw that her spot would no longer be useful. She ran through the halls and began to fire off arrows once more as she reached the courtyard. Most women and children had already begun to hide with most men, centurions and Britons fighting together against the Saxon invaders.
Murig and Jols quickly arrived at her side, both with long swords in hand. Jols was actually wielding a Roman spatha, or long broad sword. He wielded it with the fluency any Roman could. They stood in the courtyard with the iron gates closed waiting for the enemy to enter. It was then it happened, when the tension was high enough to cut through the air and the adrenaline was flowing through the veins of the fighters, the Saxons broke down the gate. Jols, Murig, Lucilla and Centurions ran towards the oncoming Saxons. Their clash was the sound of metal hitting metal. Sparks flew from the swords. Screams were heard throughout the wall as men were being cut down. The wall soon began to flow red with blood and black with the smoke from burning of the homes.
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