Hello again everyone! Yes, here it is. After many months, and the final decision to countinue this fanfic to the very end, here is an update! The story will live on!

It's funny, but I actually drew up 5 full pages, front and back, of notes for the next 6 chapters of the story. Believe me, it's going to really heat up! I did all the notes during one of my classes, and the Prof was like ummm...what are you doing? There I was sitting with pages full of tiny print notes and storylines. I looked like a silly fool! But it was a creative writing type class so it didn't look to crazy.

Enjoy, more chapters on the way soon!

Chapter 36

The Truth Sets the Soul Free

A warm glowing sun hung high in the afternoon sky, shining brightly down upon the villages below. Yet, despite the orb's great might, a cool breeze still drifted down the busy streets and alleyways. Autumn hung in the air like a precious little apple on the branch. Arthur sighed as the gentle breeze reached into his stone window from which he sat perched, looking down upon the people below. Tremors went up and down his strong back, as the same breeze chilled him right down to the bone. At that very moment, at that very time, the legendary commander of the Wall, the man who had slain every enemy, was at complete peace. His heavy lids slipped closed and he let his head fall back against the sill of the window. Life for the Roman had changed so much in the past four months; despite his still burdening charge to his empire, Arthur found that his heart was happy. In fact, the only fear that gripped his beating life source was that something would take this newfound tranquility away from him. Arthur knew to well not to put all his hope in peace, for just when you think you've finally contained it, it slips away just as fast.

A sudden firm knock on his chamber door shook Arthur from his silent reverie. "Enter."

The door slid open and Jols entered the chamber with a dutiful confidence. "Arthur, my lord."

Arthur smiled, "What is it Jols?"

"A message from Rome."

Jols held a yellow scroll out and Arthur hesitantly took it from the squire's labor-worn hands. A worried crease appeared gradually upon Arthur's forehead, as the peace he had felt just moments before began to slowly diminish into the back of his mind. He kept it safe there, locked away in the realms of his hopes and dreams.

"I take my leave, my lord."

Jols left the Roman's chambers as respectful as he had entered, closing the door with a firm thud before he ventured out into the halls to go about his afternoon labors. Yet, Arthur had heard not a sound of his squire's departure. He heard not a thing at all. Not the noise from the busy village below his window, nor the birds in the trees, nor the quiet whisper of the flames from his lanterns as the door was closed once more. Arthur's eyes darted from side to side as he read the words that the official scroll held within it's rich parchment. With each passing moment, the young commander's heart swelled with great hopefulness. His breath became labored as his excitement grew, until he grasped the scroll in his fist, holding it firmly to his beating heart.

"Praise God, the time has come."

"ARGH! GODS WILL THE TIME EVER COME?"

Elaine's eyes shot up from when Vanora clutched her now swelling belly and grimaced in pain. The lady quickly stood from the chair from which she had sat peeling potatoes for her friend's stew, and dashed quickly to her side.

"More pains today, hmm Van?" Elaine said, placing her one of her hands on her pregnant belly and the other on the aching back.

Van sighed, straitening up as she did, and frowned with great annoyance. "I swear this one's going to be the death of me."

"Oh, do not joke that way Van," Elaine said helping her friend to set more comfortably at the table.

When Vanora was seated, Elaine pulled her fiery red hair out of her face. One of the first lessons Isolde had taught dealt with motherhood. She had learned special techniques for easing the guaranteed aches during the pregnancy, ointments and medicine to use to bring the mother aid in childbirth, and the procedures to secure the safety and health of both mother and babe afterwards. Elaine smiled as she began to gently rub the certain points in Vanora's neck that she knew would release her from the pain she was feeling. The mother-to-be groaned in relief, causing the young woman to giggle. Memories of the first childbirth she had seen swarmed into her mind, adding to the laughter in her throat. As a prissy fourteen-year old girl, she nearly fainted at the sight of a screaming village woman. Isolde ended up fanning her more than the overheated mother.

"Oh, where were you when I was having all the rest of the children?"

Elaine smiled, coming back to the moment. "Feeling better?"

Vanora hummed, a satisfied smile slowly stretching across her pretty features. "Much."

"That is what I am here for."

Elaine chuckled, sitting across from Vanora to resume the messy labor she had been previous doing. Vanora watched with amused interest as her younger friend held her kitchen knife as if it were a war dagger and the spud was a fierce enemy. Elaine, once she had finished with one, ended up taking off more of the vegetable's inside than the actual skin.

"You've never cooked a thing in your life have you?"

Elaine smiled and closed her eyes as if shamed, "It is that obvious?"

Vanora let out a hearty laugh with the embarrassed woman soon joined in.

"Well, when I was little and still live in the fortress, we ate like the Romans: in a grand hall, with waiting servants and such. And when I was living in Gaelan's lodge, the whole tribe ate as one, surrounding a great long table."

"And somewhere along the line, no one ever taught you how to properly peel a potato?"

Elaine tossed a skin at Vanora playfully, "No, but they did teach me how to cut a man's head off!"

Vanora feigned fear before bursting into a fit of giggles, her round belly jiggling slightly with her mirth.

"There simply wasn't time in between learning all the ways of the healer, training to fight, or learning my other lessons, for learning all the womanly arts."

"Womanly arts? I like that. I'm going to make Bors start saying that."

"Hey, I can really cook you up a good berry soup!" Elaine jumped when she remembered the one dish she had sufficed in not burning.

The two woman erupted into another fit of hearty laughter, that sounded out loud in the small kitchen of Vanora's tiny house.

"Oh, I don't believe I've ever seen you so happy before, Elaine," Vanora said when the laughter died down a bit. "There is a special glint in you eyes that...OH GODS! YOU KISSED TRISTAN"
Vanora lent forward and grasped the edges of the table with a vice like viciousness, as her sudden realization hit her mid-sentence. Elaine jumped and her eyes grew wide.

"WHAT?"

"YOU DID!"

"NO...WHA...NO!"

"DO NOT LIE, YOU KISSED HIM! OH GODS, YOU DID AND YOU LIKED IT!"

"SHUT...NO..NO I DID NOT...WHY ARE WE YELLING?"

"BECAUSE YOU KISSED HIM! YOU KISSED TRIS..."

Elaine lunged over the top of the table, clasping her palm over Vanora's mouth. Yet, despite her warrior reflexes, Vanora was still able to laugh hard against Elaine's hand.

"Vanora, shut your mouth!"

A mumbling sprang forth from her clasped lips. Elaine gently let her hand slip from her friend's lips.

"What?"

"I said that you've done that already!"

Elaine sighed, throwing herself back into her chair as she quietly relented to her best friend.

"Yes, I did kiss Tristan."

"And you liked it."

Elaine smiled, her heart swelling as she thought of the first kiss she had shared with the dark scout.

"I loved it, with all my heart. But you mustn't tell a soul Vanora, swear to me."

The woman's brow twitched with wonder, "Well why not? You do care for him, don't you?"

"Of course?"

"Does he care for you? Oh, Elaine if he is using you I swear to the gods I'll..."

"No, no he does. I really think he does."

Vanora smiled, "Well I suppose he would have to. It's not like Tristan to go around even touching any woman, let alone kissing one. But he'd be mad if he did not do so to you."

Elaine blushed and chuckled nervously at the compliment. "Thank you, Van."

Just than, Bors entered into the house he shared with his lover. The aging, but robust man groaned as he removed his heavy boots by the door, knowing full well the consequences he'd suffer if he aggravated his pregnant lover with them. As he ventured back into the kitchen, he heard the voice of not only Vanora but of Elaine as well. He paused, considering whether he should enter, but stopped when he heard word kiss uttered from his lover's lips to Elaine. It caught his interest, so Bors stayed hidden in the hall outside, ear to the wall listening in on the conversation going on in his kitchen.

"So, did he kiss you first, or were you the bold one?"

Elaine's blush traveled farther into her cheeks. "Well, we actually just looked into each other's eyes, and we both knew that in that moment, the only thing either of us wanted to do was kiss the other one. I suppose we just fell into the kiss, at the very same time."

"OHHHH! Elaine, I think he loves you!"

"How can you possibly know that?"

"Because...he loves you!"

Elaine chuckled, "That wasn't really an answer."

"Oh, I am so happy for you Elaine."

"I am happy too, but you mustn't tell a soul. We want to keep it a secret for now, so that no one gets hurt."

"I swear!"

Bors's mouth dropped open, and he jumped when he heard the chairs scraped against the floor as one of the women got up. Knowing he'd get pure hell for eavesdropping, Bors made a mad dash to the front door, grabbing his boots before quickly venturing out into the streets of the fortress. Despite his fear that Vanora would come looking for him, the knight could barely contain the absurd smile that crept up his scruffy face. 'That's a good lass,' he thought, happy that Elaine had finally found someone to take her heart.

"OOFF! Damn, Bors."

Bors hadn't even seen Kay coming before he ran right smack into the man. Lancelot chuckled as he followed behind his friend.

Bors instantly grew agitated, "Well, shit! You weren't watching where you were trampling about!"

"Likewise."

"Argh, you ass."

"Again, likewise."

Lancelot stepped in between the two men, before Bors smacked the younger knight upside the head. The dark knight chuckled. "Easy, easy. Where are you off to in such a hurry? Did Vanora tell her she was with child again?"

The mention of his lover's name brought back the pleasant thoughts Bors had had moments before, and his happy smile emerged once more.

"You'll never guess what I just heard."