Usual disclaimer. I own nothing but Delaney. I just play with all the others.
A/N I'm setting up for some stuff here. Hope it reads okay. Mucho thanks to my Beta, oh goddess that you are!
Ailis-70- Galahad the gossiper yes sir! I'm sorry, being a military wife you Find that the men sometimes gossip more than the women! So glad you Liked the "smack"!
Pirate- Be patient, you will find out about Delaney. What are the Romans There for? I believe you'll find out in this chapter. Hope you Enjoy!
Tristanlover- Here is the update you have been waiting for!
Lozcollie- Thank you so much and here is your update.
Knightmaiden- You will see about the riders. Lancelot, well he's charming. I Don't know if I'd go as far to say sweet, at the moment. But Hey, I wouldn't complain if he took an interest in me! I hope Tristan finds someone too.
Delaney and Guinevere waited impatiently in Delaney's room. Delaney kept pacing back and forth between the window and the door. Guinevere eyed her, "What did you and Lancelot talk about?"
Delaney smirked, "Guinevere, quit being coy and just come out with it."
"Did he kiss you?" She asked, schooling her face to reveal nothing.
"Yes." She answered absently as she continued to pace.
"You know something don't you?"
"Not necessarily."
"Laney, you can tell me."
"I don't necessarily "know" anything. Just because I know history doesn't mean I know this!"
Guinevere looked at her. She could feel the frustration rolling off her in waves. "You have eyes like my mother, you know."
"I do?" Delaney paused, staring at the other woman.
"Yes. My father used to say that they raged like tumultuous seas when she was angry. Much like I see yours rage."
"Have never been told that. I always thought they were a drab blue."
"There is nothing drab about you."
Delaney smirked before she continued her pacing. There was a sharp rap upon the door. She quickly opened it. There stood Arthur and Lancelot. She ushered them in and quickly shut the door behind them. "What is going on?"
"Saxons are invading again. Those were a group of guards we had just finished escorting before we came upon you. The boat was attacked and they were the only ones to escape." Arthur fixed Delaney with his gaze, she had been pacing and nodding her head slightly as he spoke. "Something tells me you know of this."
"I know some. There were three major Saxon invasions the first one was the Battle of Badon Hill and the second and third I just know there were battles."
"Did we win?"
Delaney had to smile, "Why do you think I'm telling you what I know?"
Lancelot laughed, "Don't want to mess up the past."
"It's mind boggling enough to think of my past as your future. Don't remind me." Arthur was deep in thought. Lancelot smirked at Delaney and Guinevere watched her husband.
"I say we ride towards the Coast and if we come upon them take them out there before they get to the fort."
"But wouldn't the fort be more secure?"
"Yes but if we surprise them, it may be to our advantage."
"True. I'm no strategist Arthur. I suck at chess so I'll leave you to the when and where's."
"How do you suck at chess?" Lancelot asked with a devilish grin.
"I don't play it well, is that better?" His grin widened to show off his dimples.
Arthur looked from Guinevere to Delaney, "Do not tell these Roman's what you know."
"I know, they'll think I'm a heretic."
"You do not want that."
"I'll be fine."
"They are not civilized people, Delaney." Guinevere said, a trace of contempt in her voice.
"You forget, I am a historian by nature. I know how uncivilized they are. They may call themselves Christian but they are not."
Arthur nodded his head. "We'll have a dinner to honor them this evening."
"Great that means yet another dress!" Laney groaned.
Arthur paused before he opened the door to leave, "I'm sorry, Delaney, but you aren't going to be there. As much as I want your counsel and observations, I cannot allow you to be at the dinner unless you are in a role for a serving woman. You do not want that."
Delaney stared from Arthur to Guinevere and in the end to Lancelot. She noticed the tell tale pulse throbbing against his clenched jaw. "I wasn't asking permission, Arthur. If you need me to be there, I shall be there. But, if it will cause problems in the end, I can stay behind."
"I think it would be best. Why don't you help Vanora at the Tavern."
"I could do that."
"That is the best I can do." Arthur offered in explanation.
Lancelot paused a moment opened his mouth as if to say something, then quickly followed Arthur. Delaney shut the door behind them, laying her head against it. "Welcome to the dark ages," she muttered.
Laney found herself dressed in yet another of Guinevere's dresses. This one however was a dove gray color. It made her eyes almost a gunmetal gray. Which was how she felt, somber. She sipped her wine, listening to the conversations, looking into her cup whenever a Roman looked her direction. Apparently only the Roman officers were at the dinner with Arthur, the mere enlisted were here.
She had been helping Vanora serve them and had lost count of the times that she had had to good naturedly swat away groping hands. She paused a moment as Vanora piled more mugs and wine vessels upon her tray. The other woman smiled at her, "Cheer up, Lass, they'll be down in their cups soon enough."
"It will probably get worse before it gets better." Delaney mumbled as she once again made her way through the crowd, depositing full wine mugs in front of the men and whisking the empty one's away. She had made several more rounds when she heard loud voices coming towards her. She turned and saw first Galahad and Gawain making their way to the table she had sat at to tell of the legend of Arthur. She felt a hand upon her shoulder and turned to see who it was attached to.
Dagonet grinned down at her, then said softly, "Be careful, Laney, the Roman's have been on the road and not around women for some time."
Delaney had to smirk, "You forget, only the officers were at the feast." She gestured toward the cluster of drunken Roman's she had already been dealing with. Dagonet gave her a crooked grin and went off to his spot at the bar.
Delaney followed Vanora to the table full of knights and Roman officers. She had fully expected to see Guinevere sitting next to Arthur and was disappointed when she wasn't. She continued depositing mugs in front of the men, wondering where the brunette had wandered off to when she felt herself being drug into someone's lap. She quickly set the tray upon the table.
"What's your name?" A thickly accented voice ground out.
Delaney felt all of her senses go on alert. She stiffened, smiling around clenched teeth, "Delaney, sir. I need to get the rest of the drinks out." She moved to rise but the man kept a hold of her.
"Let the other woman serve, you are with me tonight. He studied her, "You've got a strange accent."
Delaney felt the color drain from her face. She looked to Lancelot who was sitting next the man who was manhandling her.
Lancelot felt his stomach churn when he saw the Roman grab Delaney. "That one's mine, friend." He said it with a smile, but his words were edged with steel.
The man clapped him on his back, "I'll pay her well, she can be yours tomorrow."
Delaney looked at Vanora who was just giving Bors and another Roman their mugs. The woman looked at her sympathetically then went on her way. Delaney slapped the Roman's hand away as he tried to fondle her breast.
"Look at that! She's got spirit!" He chortled happily.
Delaney glared at Arthur, imploring him to do something. She was trying not to offend anyone, but by God, if someone didn't do something soon, she was going to take matters into her own hands.
"Actavius, this woman is not normally a sporting girl."
"For a Roman she will be, won't you?" He laid a kiss against her neck.
Delaney felt the bile rising in her throat. The man was openly trying to grope her and the knights seemed to be doing some sort of political dance. What the HELL had gone on at the banquet? "Sir, if you please, I'm not feeling well."
"Not feeling well? You look fine to me!"
Delaney's mind raced as her stomach turned more queasy. An image of Galahad gutting the rabbits came to mind and she felt herself gag. She had time enough to turn her head before she retched, however it still got the bench and Lancelot. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
"If you please, I need to clean this up." The Roman let her go without fight.
Ellen, who was cleaning the mugs behind the bar giggled as Delaney came up. "I've never seen that approach."
"I told him I wasn't feeling well. Now I need to clean it up."
Vanora placed a hand upon her shoulder. "Don't bother, I will get it done. You two best be going. I'll find Merry and Catie and they can keep those Roman's occupied."
Ellen wiped her hands upon her apron and left. Delaney paused to speak with Vanora. "Why didn't Arthur stop the Roman? Where's Guinevere?"
"Guinevere was at the banquet, but it's not proper for a woman to be with the knights at the tavern."
"Arthur doesn't want to piss off his guests in other words."
"Correct. As for why didn't Arthur stop the Roman, from what I have seen, they usually have their pick of women to warm their beds."
"So again, Arthur didn't want to make waves."
"Don't get me wrong, Lass, if the Roman had forced it, and you hadn't thought of a way to get out of it, I'd bet that Lancelot would have come to your rescue."
"Because he likes me, or because as Arthur's right hand man he plays interference so his Commander can save face?"
"Both." Vanora said with an impish smile.
Delaney shook her head, and walked out of the tavern. She was never good with politics, she realized in this day and age she was really out of her element.
Once she got far from the tavern and into the labyrinth of stone walls from the buildings and houses she breathed a sigh of relief. Leaning back into the wall and thanking God and any other deity's that she had gotten away with not having to be a bed warmer for the man. She had just turned the final corner to her rooms when she heard muffled sobs. She followed the sound and felt her heart in her throat. There stood Ellen pushed against the wall, her blouse torn and skirt bunched to her thighs as the huge hulk of Actavius leered down at her and was about to--- "NO!" Delaney screamed as she charged the man. He looked at her with such absolute shock that he didn't notice that she had grabbed his dagger from its scabbard and had it pressed to his throat as the woman he was about to Rape stood behind the blonde woman with the blade. "Just because you didn't get what you want doesn't mean that you can take an unwilling woman!"
He went to grab it from Delaney when she blocked the incoming hand and swept the dagger back, cutting his other forearm.
"That wasn't smart woman."
"Neither is forcing yourself upon a woman."
"Who cares, you're commoners. You aren't even Roman. Much less Christian!"
"Doesn't matter, no is still no." They circled, Delaney kept the wall at her back.
"I'm going to take that dagger and carve my name into your bloody hide."
"Have to get it from my hands first."
He tried a feint, Delaney spun, stomping hard on his foot and then bringing her knee up to his groin. He doubled over immediately. She quickly turned the blade over and used the handle of the dagger between her fists to hit the man in the lower back. Her hands slid over the sharp edge and it fell from her grasp. The man howled in the street in pain. "Go to the woman." Delaney looked up at Tristan who sounded a bit out of breath. She gave a sharp nod. Thankful that he had snuck up on her once again.
Ellen was crouched by the wall, trying to cover herself. Delaney pulled the remnants of the shift together then the blouse. She held the woman in a soothing embrace. "Are you okay?" She searched the woman's face. Bruised but no blood.
"If you hadn't come along when you did he---"
"Sshh don't think about that." Delaney soothed while keeping a weary eye on the downed guard.
"IS she okay?" Tristan asked quietly. He had made sure to follow Delaney as soon as Actavius said he was leaving.
Delaney smiled, she was actually glad to see him. "Yes, just shaken. I'm so thankful you're here."
"You did this?" Tristan asked, noting the blood along the ground and the moaning man.
Delaney could only nod. Tristan shook his head grimly. "Go get Arthur and the Roman commander. I'll look after the girl and the Roman."
"She needs a cloak or something, Tristan."
Tristan nodded and was off. Moments later he returned with a blanket and handed it to Delaney. Delaney wrapped it around the sobbing woman. "Ellen," she spoke softly, "Tristan is going to stay here with you while I go get Arthur, alright?" Ellen cast frightened eyes at the knight. "Has he ever hurt you?" The woman shook her head, "He won't now either." She nodded in agreement. "I'll be back as soon as possible." With that Delaney squeezed her shoulder and was off to the tavern.