WARNING: Has questionable thoughts about God and Jesus. If you are offended with such thoughts, DO NOT READ!
Amazonian Support 10
Lancelot rolled his eyes and said as he leaned back into his chair and placed his hands behind his head, "And how will we do that?"
He watched her roll her eyes at him and listened patiently as she continued, "The both of you must come to terms that BOTH of you are right and that BOTH of you are wrong."
Arthur looked up at his friend and the Amazon that Lancelot was enamored with and said tiredly, "It's just that, all I've ever known is my faith and now it's gone. The one thing in my life that I thought would be stable-isn't. I can't help but feel that my entire life has been nothing but a lie."
Sarmatia groaned and said again, "Arthur, nothing in your life HAS to change. The Lady still embodies all that you believe in, truth, justice, honor, free-will, compassion, hope, life, and love. The only real difference between her and Jesus is that she is a female and men, here of earth, created Jesus, a male God. If you really don't want to think of it like this, you can try to think about it this way, Jesus is the son of God born of a virgin mother. He was thought of as just a mortal man teaching lessons of life. When he was crucified and resurrected, the churches embolden him as immortal and it has been this doctrine ever since then. The Lady is just that, a lady of all those virtues I just said. She didn't mean to turn your life upside down Arthur. All she wanted was to make sure you and your Knights' lives change from what she has watched again and again over the course of millennia."
She sighed and continued, "Please, you mustn't think that this was a means of hurting you. You see, My Lady has been guarding this earth for countless lifetimes. She has seen you and your Knights fighting for Rome again and again. She has seen your lives and deaths again and again-over and over again. The only reason I can think of for her to talk to you is because she wants to change your destinies. Actually, that is why we were sent to you in the first place, Arthur."
Arthur raised his head from his hands where it had been hiding, and asked curiously, "What do you mean by that?"
He watched as she sighed and replied, "We had been on the main land when we received a dream from our Lady. She told us about you and the others and told us to go to you and help you with the up coming events. We followed orders from the Lady and then we met you. You know what happened after that."
How can I believe these words from Sarmatia? I've just witnessed God! And he's a SHE! But, Sarmatia could be telling the truth. After all, what with the short talk the Lady and I shared, she seems like a very nice woman who believes in the same ideals as me. Perhaps…perhaps nothing truly has changed…
Arthur sighed and said as he looked into Lancelot's eyes, "She's right, nothing has changed with my beliefs, but I want you to know that I won't be so supportive of Rome from now on."
Great, now how do I explain to him that it's not him or his faith that I hate, but Rome and its Christian doctrine? They say their bible prohibits the killings of innocents, and yet they murder women and child daily just because they are not civilized Christians. How can I believe in Rome when their men beat and degrade their women? How can I trust in a city and religion that allows men to rape women who aren't Roman? How can I convert to a religion that speaks of peace and love between neighbors when nine times out of ten, the Romans kill all those who stand up to them in anything.
But what he didn't realize was that fact that he had been muttering loudly about all of his thoughts. Both Arthur and Sarmatia heard everything he said.
Arthur sighed, placed his hands on his First Knight's shoulders, and said as he squeezed the Knights' shoulders empathetically, "Oh Lance, why didn't you just come out and say that? I would have understood?"
Lancelot sighed, rubbed his face tiredly, and answered softly, "Arthur, I have never begrudged you for your beliefs. I, actually, admire you for them and I'm a bit jealous of you because of it too. You can believe so easily. You know that he, or she, is there instinctively. I, on the other hand, do not share your strong faith. I just can't let myself believe if I cannot see what is there right in front of me."
He sighed and ended, "I'm sorry Arthur, Sarmatia is right. We are both wrong and right at the same time. Can you forgive me?"
He smiled slightly when Sarmatia beamed at him and Arthur chuckled softly and pulled him into a strong, manly hug. He returned the hug eagerly.
Gawain sighed in relief as the last body was tossed into the death pit. As he rubbed the sweat and grim from his forehead, Athena placed a hand on his shoulder and said as added her chin on top of her hand so that her face was right next to his own, "You look tired Gawain. Would you like something nice and warm waiting for you in your chambers after you eat?"
Gawain's hazel eyes widened at her admission and a gleam of lust entered his eyes. He cleared his throat and said in a voice he hoped wouldn't reveal his eagerness, "I would like that very much, thank you."
Athena smiled at him, patted him on the shoulder gentle, and said as she dropped her shovel, "I'll get started on it right away."
As she walked away, Gawain returned to his original thoughts, and asked with a strange, questioning gleam in his eyes, "Why are you doing this for me? I thought Amazons were against this type of work…doing things for men, I mean?"
He watched as her brown eyes twinkled in the dusk light and her voice carried back to him on the wind, "I'm not your ordinary Amazon. Plus, the Princesses of the Amazons are more open-minded about our ways and beliefs. We understand that men and women need one another and as such a balance between the two genders are needed. I will do things for you because I want too-not because you order me too."
He watched with awe as she ended in a slightly darker tone, "No man orders me…only Arthur has that privilege."
He eyed her as she paused, grinned mischievously at him, and said silkily, "And…the man who beats me in battle gets the prize-me!"
She winked at him and sauntered away her hips swinging back and forth teasingly.
Galahad, Areia, Dagonet, and Romana were just finishing picking up the remaining armors and weapons that belonged to the now desecrated Saxon army when Areia eyeballed Romana and nodded at the youngest of Arthur's Knights with a wicked sweet smile. The second-n-command of the Amazons rolled her eyes and nodded.
Areia smiled, placed five Saxon swords in the pile bin and said in a whisper into Galahad's ear, "Let's get started on that promise I made lover boy!"
Dagonet cracked a smile at the softly whispered words. His smile grew just a tiny bit more when his younger friend's face, neck, and ears burned red staring from the bottom of his neck up to his ears and finished off perfectly in his pale cheeks.
Romana slide up to Dagonet and said as they, together, pushed the wagon full of weapons into the Sarmatian's armory, "So, what do you do around here for relaxation Dagonet? I'd be honored if you would be the one to escort me."
Dagonet looked at her from the corner of his eye and nodded. He wasn't sure what it was about these women, but they had quickly made a home for themselves in the hearts of the other Knight-himself included. He wasn't too happy with himself about that either. Ever since he arrived in Briton, he had purposely kept his more brazen emotions to himself and expressed them instead in the fierceness of battle.
Romana smiled lightly as they placed the wagon near the wall, exited the armory, and she said as he wrapped an arm around the gentle-giant's right arm, "So, where to first?"
Sarmatia smiled proudly at her new king and fanciful love interest. After they admitted to one another that they each felt envious and jealous of the other about their views of the world, the two men seemed to come to a level of understanding between them that was unparalleled. She was very much honored to be there and witness their bond. With a sigh of contentment, she sat back in her chair as Arthur and Lancelot laughed about an old story from their childhood together over a mug of mead.
She tilted her head and asked, "Arthur, when will you be free?"
Arthur's smile dimmed slightly but he replied, "The Bishop that brings us our discharge papers will be here soon. He'll be here within the week-just as long as the good weather holds out."
He shook his head a lightly glared as Lancelot snorted and retorted, "Yeah right! Briton has good weather! We'll be lucky to see the Bishop within two weeks!"
Sarmatia bit her lip and replied sadly like she was disappointed in the news, "Oh, so you all will be returning to Sarmatia then?"
Lancelot couldn't wipe the smile from his face as he thought about his family and seeing them again for the first time in over fifteen years.
He grinned happily at Sarmatia and said excitedly, "Yes, we all are! I can't wait to see my little sister, Habren, again."
He leaned in closer to his Amazon Princess and said in a conversationally tone-like he was discussing the weather with her or something, "Did you know that she is now twenty years old? I haven't seen her since she was five! I can't wait to see her again!"
Sarmatia smiled tightly and thought sadly to herself as she bit her lip in an attempt to hide her sudden jolt of pain. I'll never see him again…he'll be leaving here soon, and I can't go with him. My duty is to the King…oh Lancelot!