Disclaimer: I still do not own Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d' Arthur

A/N: Alright my friends! It's time for another chapter! This is a good one, so I would suggest making yourself comfortable.

I looked around me.

Where on earth do I begin?

"Tristan, you look confused. I'll help you find your way at first, but I'm afraid that I can't help you much since this is your own mission," Michael said.

"I know. I must speak to someone around here who may be able to give me some information about the Queen," I said.

"That's obvious. You must speak to the nobles of Brittany," Sir Michael said.

"Yeah right. I just can't talk to the nobles of Brittany with my status! I don't have a clue of who my parents were!" I said.

"Well, you may want to seize the opportunity to visit a local orphanage while you're here. You could be in one of their record books. Besides, you came from Brittany," he said.

"Michael, I didn't come from an orphanage!" I retorted.

"How do you know? The woman who brought you wasn't your mother, was she?" he asked.

I knew that Michael was right. Friar Francis didn't know if I had come from an orphanage. In fact, the woman who brought me to Cornwall didn't even say where I came from; he had learned from my blanket. I could have come from and orphanage for all that I knew; I just didn't want to admit it.

"You're right. That's where I shall look first," I said.

"The first orphanage is right down the road. You'll see it after you pass the bakery. Oh, and I should have asked you this earlier, but I assume that you are fluent in French?" Sir Michael asked.

"Yes, I am," I said.

"Good. You must remember to speak the specified language now that we are in Brittany," Sir Michael said.

"I will. Well, I must be off. It was good speaking to you, Sir Michael," I said.

"Yes, I enjoyed our conversation. Good luck with finding the truth about the Queen," he said.

"Thank you," I shouted over my shoulder.

I turned around and began to walk through the streets of Brittany. I was both excited and nervous at the same time. This was the first time I had been outside of England, and I had to speak a different language.

France seemed different in England in some ways. First, the French seemed a bit more aggressive than the English. Men and women were arguing with each other in the streets, and the children seemed rather naughty. Many of them, especially the boys, were wrestling each other on the dirt ground. In addition, I saw many more beggars.

"Please sir! I have no money! I need something to eat! I haven't had anything to eat in such a long time!" an old woman stammered in French as she grabbed my arm. I pulled a gold coin from my pocket and placed it in her outstretched hand.

"Here, you should be able to buy something," I said.

"Thank you, kind sir!" she said as she ran away. I heard her stammer something about buying bread, so I followed her, thinking she was running to the bakery.

And she was. At the bakery, I saw the orphanage. I sighed.

"Here it goes," I said under my breath. I quickly reviewed some simple French phrases as I walked up the pathway and turned to doorknob. There, I saw a middle-aged woman sitting at a desk.

"Hello, my lady. My name is Tristan, and I come from Cornwall. I was wondering if I appeared in your records," I said in my clearest French.

The woman looked at me.

"Tristan of Cornwall? Tell me, were you once a child at this orphanage?" she asked.

"That I do not know. I am not sure if I lived at an orphanage when I was a child. All I know is that I came from Brittany to Cornwall. A woman brought me to Cornwall to a monastery when I was a baby. The friars learned that I came from Brittany because the symbol was embroidered on my blanket," I said.

"Let me see. Tell me, what year and month were you born in?" she asked.

"I only know that I arrived at the monastery in November of 1215. I do not know the month when I was born," I said.

The women sighed as she stood up and entered a closet full of books. She stayed in there for a while until she found the record book of the year 1215.

"Here we are! Let's see if there are any 'Tristan's' in here!" she said.

She spent a decent amount of time flipping through the book, but eventually sighed.

"I do not see any records of a boy named Tristan in here," she said.

"You don't understand! I'm going to become a knight, and it is vital for me to know who my parents were," I said.

"Well then the answer is simple. Do not go to any other orphanages, they will not help you. Children who are of noble birth do not get sent to orphanages. They are sent to the homes of their fathers. Your father was a Cornwall native. That is why you were brought there. You must consult wise people, such as scribes and knights," she said.

I was unsatisfied, and I think that she was slightly irritated with me.

"Thank you, my lady. I am sorry that I have wasted your time," I said as I bowed. I left the orphanage.

I had to find a scribe around here. But where was one? I decided to ask the baker if he knew. Upon entering the bakery, a rather fat man cutting bread looked at me.

"What do you need? I have a fresh loaf of bread ready for you," he said.

"Oh, no thank you. I was wondering if you could tell me if you know of a scribe who works here locally," I said.

"The only scribes around here work in the castle, sir. It's hardly impossible to get into there without the knights scanning your entire background. If you are uncertain about your past, they won't let you in. And, if you try to lie about it, you'll get caught and you'll get killed," he said as he pointed a rolling pin at me.

"Oh. So, there aren't any scribes around here who own their own business?" I asked.

"No, not here in France. I guess that you're a foreigner," he said.

"Yes, I come from England," I said.

"Where in England?" he asked.

"I come from Cornwall, and I am finishing my knightly training," I said.

"Cornwall? Oh my. Are you going to be a knight for that vile King Mark?" he asked.

"I am," I said.

"Oh, I see. Let me guess, you're here because you're trying to sort out the mystery of what happened to his wife, Queen Iseult, aren't you?" he asked.

"Yes. It is the mission for my final knightly test," I said.

"Well, I'll tell you, there have been too many of King Mark's knights trying to solve the mystery here. That man has a heart of stone I'll tell you! I've heard that he mercilessly kills people who are slightly disobedient to him. He even stabbed his own nephew through the heart. He could've killed his own wife for all I know," he said.

I tried to keep track of everything he said. He seemed to be knowledgeable.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Because, everyone always asks me questions about Brittany since my shop is right in the middle of the town. I always tell them that they won't learn much here in Brittany; they'll find more evidence in Cornwall," he said.

"Really? How would they be more successful in Cornwall? The whole kingdom has been searched for her, and nothing has ever been found," I said.

"Because, the queen was never affiliated with Brittany, and I have no idea why the King keeps sending people over here. I must stop speaking of this matter, because it is very dangerous. Some of King Mark's knights who are here could overhear this conversation," he said.

"Thank you, kind sir. You have given me much valuable information" I said.

"You're welcome. Feel free to come anytime and talk to me. What is your name?" he asked.

"Tristan of Cornwall," I said.

"Good day, Tristan. Here, I'll give you this loaf of bread. You'll need it," he said.

"Are you sure that you don't want any money?" I asked.

"No, I'm always busy. Save your money for the important things that you'll need," he said.

"Thank you," I said as I bowed.

As soon as I left the bakery, I heard people shouting.

"Give me that! You won't need it!" a man shouted.

"No! It's all the money that I have! I need to buy food for my mother and I!" a young woman's voice said.

I looked over and saw a young maiden, probably about the age of fourteen, trying to fight off a boy who was stealing the coin from her hand. Other boys joined. No one seemed to notice the girl, so I ran toward the mob and unsheathed my sword.

"You! Leave that poor maiden alone!" I shouted.

The men looked at me. "Oh, it's a foreigner! You don't belong here in Brittany! Come on, let's stone him!" a boy said as he picked up a stone. I pointed my sword toward him.

"You have no business attacking this poor maiden and stealing her money. I am about to be a knight, and I can disarm you," I said. The boy dropped the stone and backed off.

"Let's go," he said.

"Wait!" I said as I grabbed the boy's the shoulder and pulled the coin he had stolen from his hand.

"You can't do that!" he shouted.

"Yes, I can. It was never yours in the first place," I said. He scurried off and his friends let go of the maiden, letting her drop to the ground.

Once they had left, I held out my hand. She accepted, and I helped her stand up.

"Thank you for saving me from them, sir," she said while she blushed and looked away from me.

"Oh, you're welcome. Here, you may have your money back," I said as I placed it in her hand.

"Oh, thank you. You're the kindest man in Brittany that I've ever met," she said.

"I'm not from Brittany, young maiden. I am from Cornwall, and I am only staying for a little while, to finish my final training of knighthood," I said.

"Oh, how interesting. I've never met a knight in training before. Anyhow, my name is Isolde," she said as she curtsied.

"I am very pleased to have met you, Isolde. I am Tristan of Cornwall," I said as I bowed.

She gasped when I told her my name, and she scanned me from head to toe. Then, she was normal again.

"Well, Tristan, I must be going. I have to buy bread and my mother will be worried if I'm not home after dark. Thank you for saving me," she said as she curtsied.

"Wait!" I said as she walked away. She turned around.

"Yes?" she asked.

"The baker gave me this loaf of bread. I won't need it, and I won't want to carry this large loaf around when I'm traveling. You can have it and save your money," I said.

"Oh, thank you so much, Tristan. It's getting rather late. If you want, you can come to our home and spend the night. My mother won't mind, she likes to have people who help us stay at our home," she said.

I sighed. "Well, I have to continue my mission, but staying one night won't ruin it. I'll have to leave early tomorrow morning," I said.

"Great! Follow me!" Isolde said.

*****************

As we walked through the woods to her home, I told Isolde why I had come to Brittany and she was fascinated. She told me that she wanted to help me with my mission, and that she might know some secrets about Queen Iseult.

Eventually, I asked her about her family.

"So, does your mother stay at your home all the time?" I asked.

"Yes, she usually doesn't like to go out in the public because she's shy," she said.

"What about your father?" I asked.

"Well, I have a different situation with my father. My mother has been married twice. I was the only child who was born during her marriage with her first husband. He died right before I was born. And then she remarried. My stepfather has never been fond of me. He thinks that I am inferior to him, since I am not a child that he sired. I was often treated like a slave," Isolde said.

"So, what became of him?" I asked.

"My father lives with my three younger siblings on the east side of Brittany. I never see him anymore. I miss my younger siblings, though. When we lived together, we would gather together every evening and my mother would tell us the tales of the wizard, Merlin," she said.

"Really? I loved the tales of Merlin when I was young, too," I said.

She sighed, and we soon came upon her home.

"Mother! Mother! I'm home!" she shouted.

A woman with long golden hair stood in the doorway. Isolde ran up to her and greeted her.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're safe, Isolde," the woman said.

"Mother, I have brought a guest tonight. He saved me from the boys who bully me in the streets, and he gave us this bread," Isolde said quickly.

"Oh yes, tell him to come in," she said.

"Come in," Isolde said.

As I stepped into the house, I was overcome with a feeling of welcome and comfort. Isolde and her mother lived in a small, yet comfortable home. Her mother seemed very hospitable, as she was already preparing a bed for me to sleep in. In their small kitchen, a large cauldron was strung over a big fireplace. The warm smell of a broth filled the air. Their kitchen also served as a living room. There was an elaborate rug on the floor, with a beautiful design of the Brittany symbol on it. As my eyes scanned the wall, I noticed a shield and a sword. I looked closer at it. The shield was very elaborate; it was painted black and had a ornate golden design on it. The sword was the longest one that I had ever seen. It was made of the purest silver I had ever seen, and the hilt was decorated with rubies, emeralds, and diamonds.

"Who could ever fight with such a sword? It is so ornate that it is almost impractical," I said underneath my breath.

"I hope that you feel welcome here, sir. I have made you a bed in our sewing room," the woman said as she walked over to me.

"Oh, I thank you. You have already made me feel welcome," I said as I turned to the woman. Isolde stood next to her. I could tell that she closely resembled her mother. This was when I realized that I never introduced myself.

"Forgive me, my lady, but my name is Tristan, Tristan of Cornwall," I said as I bowed.

"I am pleased to have met you, Tristan. My name is Isode," she said. She then looked up into my face. Her eyes looked bewildered and then utterly shocked. She gasped.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said. She lifted her hand and stroked my cheek, and then she ran her fingers through my hair. Isode backed off a bit.

"Tristan, have I met you before?" she asked.

"No, not that I can remember anyway," I said. Isolde looked at her mother and then at me.

"Mother, I am going to prepare the table," Isolde said.

"Yes, thank you," Isode replied.

"Tristan, may I speak with you for a moment?" she asked.

"Yes, of course."

She brought me to the next room, and she pulled up a chair for me to sit it.

"Tristan, how long have you lived in Cornwall?" she asked.

"I've lived there my entire life. I do not know who my parents are or were, and a woman brought me to Cornwall from Brittany. There, she left me at a monastery, where the monks raised me until I was seven years of age. I left the monastery in order to become a knight. I don't know who my parents were, but the woman who brought me to Cornwall said that I was of noble birth. The blanket I was wrapped in as an infant was embroidered with the Brittany symbol. That's how the monks knew that I came from Brittany," I said.

"I see. Have you come here to find your parents?" Isode said.

I shook my head. "No. I came here to learn the truth of what happened to Queen Iseult. This is my final test before knighthood," I said.

She looked into my eyes.

"Do you happen to know any information that might help me?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. I'll have to think," she said. For some reason, Isode seemed to become distressed after talking to me.

"I'm sorry if my story has disturbed you," I said.

"Oh, no! Don't apologize. I just need some time to think if I can help you," she said.

"We can eat now," Isolde said, walking into the room.

"Oh yes, dear. Come Tristan, we must eat," Isode said.

I followed them to their table, and sat down to a meager meal of bread, water, and chicken soup.

After we said the blessing before the meal, I began to ask questions about their home while we ate.

"So, how long have you lived in this house?" I asked.

"Oh, for about five years now. I came to live here with Isolde because my second husband was rather cruel to her. I still visit him from time to time, so that I can see my other children," Isode said.

"Ah, I see," I said.

"I actually love living here in the forest. We used to live in the village, but everyone who lived there was so mean," Isolde said.

"Yes, I saw by the way they behaved today. It would never cross my mind to attack a defenseless maiden in order to steal her money," I said.

Isolde laughed. "Well, those boys in the street today aren't being trained to become knights, Tristan. There are many rude people in France. Even the knights aren't very noble," she said.

I grinned. As I scanned the house, I wanted to learn about the sword and shield.

"Did that sword and shield belong to your husband?" I asked.

Isode seemed hesitant but said, "Yes, it belonged to my first husband. He was a knight, and that was a shield he won in a jousting tournament," she said.

"Oh, jousting, I can't wait until I have my first jousting tournament. I've only helped my masters prepare for theirs. You know, I have to put on their chain mail, their armor, polish their swords," I said.

"Yes, I used to watch him. He often went to the Maiden's Castle," she said.

"Really? I've always wanted to go there. That's the castle where Sir Lancelot would joust, was it not?" I asked.

"Yes, and my husband was even a favored knight of Sir Lancelot. Everyone seemed to have a great respect for him," Isode said.

"Your husband sounds like he was a very noble man," I said.

"He was," Isode said. I saw in the candlelight that her eyes were welling up with tears.

I didn't mention anything else about her husband, for I did not want to upset her in any way. I was quiet for the rest of the meal.

Afterwards, I helped Isolde clear the table, and then she brought me to the other room. She wanted to speak with me.

"I want to help you with your mission, Tristan. I have some connections," she said.

"What kind of connections?" I asked.

"Well, this might sound absurd, but I know of a place where you can learn the exact truth of anything," Isolde said.

"Where is this place?" I asked.

"It be a few days of walking. There, magical beings live, who know almost everything about the past. Legend has it that there is a fountain that can show you anything. You are supposed to drink of potion and then stick your head in the pool of water, and you will learn anything that you want to," Isolde said.

"I don't know if I can believe you," I said.

"Tristan, I've met people who have been to this palace. The fountain was enchanted by Merlin himself," she said.

I signed.

"Well, I guess that I'll take your word for it. But I will be infuriated if your are lying to me," I said.

"I'm not lying. And besides, there are many knowledgeable people you can meet during the journey who can help you," Isolde said.

"I really don't have anything to lose. I'll follow you in the morning through the forest," I said.

"Thank you, Tristan," she said as she curtsied.

"Yes. I shall see you tomorrow," I said.

She walked away, and I retreated to the small room that had been prepared for me. The bed was merely a small cot with some blankets, but Isode was kind enough to provide it for me.

I sat on the cot and began to look through my sack. Eventually, I found my journal. Finding a quill pen and some ink, I began to write.

I wrote about the grungy town of Brittany, how the people acted like savages, and my meetings with the woman at the orphanage and the baker. I ended my summary of the day by writing of Isolde, and how she welcomed me into her home.

As I tried to fall asleep, my mind wandered back to Cornwall. I thought about my mission, Sir Matthew, and then an image of Rosetta entered my mind. I sat up in bed. Rosetta should be coming soon. Her boat was to leave the day after mine.

I grew nervous at the thought. What if King Mark didn't allow her on the ship? What if she was sent on the wrong ship, and ended up in the Holy City instead of in Brittany? That had happened to other men before, since King Mark had sent several of his knights to Jerusalem in order to fight in the Crusades. However, since I had warned him, he might have put her on the wrong ship on purpose.

I tried to assure myself that she would be alright, but I didn't find much comfort in that thought. However, I would lose my focus on my mission if I spent my time worrying about Rosetta. Trying to allow Rosetta to flee from my mind, I thought about tomorrow's journey with Isolde, and if the so-called "magic fountain" was true.


A/N: So, did you like this? Was it good? Will Tristan and Isolde find the palace? Will Rosetta arrive in Brittany safely? And who was Isode's first husband? If you want to know, please review!