Chapter 2: Long Live the Innocent

Author's Note: I still do not own King Arthur, the movie or the myth. Tristan, Gawain and Galahad would like to inform my readers that they think I did well.

Author's Note 2: There seems to be a few things I need to clear up. In this story Gareth, if he were still alive would be 28 years old. Galya, the second born, would be 26. Gawain is 25 and Galahad is 23. I'm making Tristan 29. The rest of the Knights and Arthur are between the ages of 26 and 30.

Thank yous:

Midnight Wolf-94: Thank you for reviewing the story. Yeah, Galya is an interesting character. The way I have the story right now, she fits in quite nicely and in a way I didn't even expect.

ArcherMusician: When I watched the movie the first thing I thought about the Bishop was that he looked like a creeper and he would totally buy a 16 year old girl to be a slave. Also, in my opinion he is cruel and not just emotionally. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter as well.

Galya slipped into the darkness as the reality of the situation began to hit the Knights. All the yelling and the betrayed look in their eyes made her heart ache and she was so sadden that her brothers had to bare this. She wanted to let her sadness out but she put on her mask and marched back to her room and began packing. She thought about everything that had happened over and over and nothing made sense to her. She was used to the Bishop playing with her life but she was not going to allow him to play with the lives of her brothers. She sighed. What was she thinking? She had to let him play with them. She was his slave. She had no power.

She had finished packing and her weapons were cleaned. She needed something to do. She had never been able to sleep the night before a mission. She always had to keep busy. Her theory was that she would get enough sleep when the gods finally graced her with death. She decided to take a walk around the fort. She walked out of her room and then walked to the stables. She didn't know why she ended up here but decided that brushing her horse would give her something to do. When she entered she heard Lancelot talking to Arthur, "To get passed the Woads in the North is insanity." Lancelot yelled.

Galya slipped into the shadows and listened to the rest of the conversation. She wanted to tell Lancelot that it would be okay and that she was sorry for what happening to them. She stepped further back into the darkness when Lancelot stormed out. She tried to remember invisible to him but he saw and just looked at her and nodded to her and left.

She let out a sigh and walked out of the darkness and walked over to Arthur, "What are my orders?" She said standing in front of him.

Arthur looked at her and shook his head, "You and my men shouldn't even have to do this. I would give my life for all of you."

"Arthur just give me my orders. I don't do well with apologies and I'm guessing neither do your men." Galya said guarding herself against feeling any of the emotions she was feeling at the moment. She didn't want them to come out as she spoke. So she made her voice sound like steal and Arthur visibly shook, "The orders?"

"We leave at first light. Be here." He said.

She nodded and walked over to her horse, "You don't mind if I spend some time in here do you?" She said picking up a brush and looking over to Arthur.

"No. Spend as much time as you need." Arthur said as he watched her start to brush her horse.

He stepped over to his horse and listened to her sing to herself about her homeland in her native tongue. She was brushing her horse and seemed to be pushing everything that happened out of her mind for as long as she could. When she felt eyes on her she looked over and nodded at Arthur, "Is something wrong?"

"No. No. I was just listening." Arthur said as she smiled at him.

"Well, I'm done here." Was all she said as she walked out of the stable leaving Arthur to his thoughts.

Galya walked around the fort until she came to a staircase that led up to the battlements. She looked out at the land surrounding them and didn't even notice that Tristan was standing there looking at her, "This is not a place where you should be out by yourself." Tristan said stepping forward.

Galya jumped and turned to face him, "Where in the name of the gods did you come from?"

Tristan grinned slightly and walked up to her, "I've been here all this time Galya." He said.

Her hearted jumped in her chest. 'What the hell? 'She thought as she tried to keep her emotions in check. 'It's just because of everything going on. I don't have feelings for anyone. I will NEVER have feelings for anyone.'

Tristan looked at the woman in front of him. He could now see the resemblance between her and her brothers. She had hair like Gawain's except its black like Gareth's. She was tall and had blue eyes which none of her brothers had. He looked closer and noticed that around her pupil there was a dark brown circle. He didn't even understand why he was paying this much attention to the girl.

"Do you hate me?" She whispered.

The question surprised him and he didn't even know where to begin answering it, "No." Was all he said.

"Do my brothers?" She asked not really wanting to know the answer.

"How could they hate you? They know this isn't your fault. They also know your freedom rides on this mission too." He said getting right into her face. "If anything they're more terrified for you. You're all they got once they're free men."

She just nodded, "They're afraid of losing me?" She said looking at him. She was very afraid of losing her brothers. She'd already lost one to this gods forsaken island and now she just wanted to be with the remaining ones, "I'm afraid of losing you all." She said looking away from him and starting to walk away. She couldn't believe everything she was feeling right now. How could someone so quiet, so unnerving be making everything she was feeling come out of her? It was like he had cast some kind of spell with his eyes. She had to go before she said anything else.

Tristan followed her with his eyes until she disappeared from his sight. He made a mental note that he had to find out more about this woman and went back to his watch. Galya went to find her brothers. She needed them right now and she guessed they probably needed her.

When she rounded the corner she ran into Dagonet. She tried to avoid him and keep walking but he stopped her, "Galya, your brothers went to your room looking for you." He said stepping in front of her so she would look at him.

She kept her eyes on the ground and tried to get around him again. When he went to stop her she said, "If they are looking for me I must go to them. I don't want to keep them waiting."

He nodded and let her pass. She walked to her room and saw that her brothers were waiting outside her door, "Gawain. Galahad." She said as she approached them.

"Where have you been? Lancelot said he saw you in the stable but we went by there and you weren't there. Where did you go? You shouldn't be running around here by yourself." Gawain said.

"I was talking with Tristan if you must know." Galya said opening the door to her room and ushered them in, "And I'm back now so you can stop worrying."

"What do you mean you were talking with Tristan?" Galahad asked surprised.

"I ran into him while I was walking about the place," She said, "Now why are you here?"

"We had a question to ask you," Gawain said, "We wanted to know if you had even an inkling about this?"

Galya looked up at both of them and shook her head. She couldn't form the words but she had to make them know she didn't have any idea. Gawain and Galahad realized how uncomfortable she looked and walked over to her. They took her into their arms and held her tightly afraid of losing her. She felt so loved and she felt safe for the first time in ten years. When she yawned, Gawain and Galahad helped her get into bed and she reached out to them, "Goodnight dear brothers."

The Next Morning

Galya woke to a knock at her door, "Who is it?" She said sleepily.

"Lancelot. I was told to wake you. We leave in an hour." He said.

and grabbed her weapons and ran to the stables. When she got there she saw Galahad cantering around the stable, Gawain and Bors were sharpening their weapons and Tristan was studying his dagger. When she came into view they all stopped and looked at her, "Morning." Was all she said as she went over to tack her horse. She didn't want to talk to anyone that morning because everyone's tensions were running high and she was sure that she would snap at someone.

She started singing to her horse as she was tacking it. All the Knights looked over at her and listened to her song. She was singing about the mountains. Gawain and Galahad knew how much she loved the mountains. She sang about them sadly remembering what they looked like with every word.

Then as she finished Lancelot and Arthur walked in. The tension in the room grew even higher. Everyone felt even more at unease. Then the Bishop and Horton walked in behind them and behind them, Dagonet. He brushed the shoulder of the Bishop and Galya sucked in a breath. When she saw that nothing happened she let it out. Then her master spoke, "To represent the Holy Court Horton will also be accompanying you on your journey." He said scanning all of the Knights.

Arthur nodded, "Jols, get him a horse."

Galya chuckled lowly. She had seen Horton on a horse once and it was certainly funny. She then back her horse out of the stall and mounted, joining her brother in his canter. Her brother actually smiled at her but she knew that things were about to get worse.

Soon they were heading out towards the North. Galya had only fought the Woads once. Her brothers and her people had fought them almost every day for the past 15 years. She saw them as her enemy now too since she now knew how they killed her brother, Gareth. She wanted to avenge his death somehow.

Later that Night

They had ridden for several hours and the sun was beginning to set. Arthur decided that they had ridden far enough for that day and they stopped to make camp. They dismounted their horses and went on doing tasks to set up camp. Then Bors complained that he was hungry and Galya said that she would cook. They were all happy that they would not have to eat another one of the Knights cooking.

After they ate it decided to rain. Galya sighed, "This island must know I hate the rain."

The Knights laughed and Gawain then said, "I can't wait to get off this bloody island. If it's not raining, it's snowing. If it's not snowing, it's foggy."

"And that's just the summer." Lancelot added at the end and Galya laughed.

Then Lancelot asked Bors if he was going to take Vanora and his bastards with him when he was free.

"I was trying to avoid that decision by getting killed," he said and the Knights laughed and Galya turned to face away from them, "Dagonet, she wants to get married and give the children names."

"Women," Tristan interjected and everyone including Galya looked at him, "The children already have names don't they?" He asked looking over at Bors.

Galya didn't stay to hear the rest of the conversation. She would give anything to have a husband and have children and be a normal woman. They watched her leave and Tristan got up to follow her, "Galya?"

"What?" She said. Her voice cracking.

Tristan knew she was crying even though he couldn't see it.

"I want to be left alone, Tristan. And don't tell my brothers that I'm crying. I don't need them making a fuss over me." She said walking away from him.

He watched her walk away and then went back to join the other Knights. When he got back he saw Gawain and Galahad look at him. He shook his head and then went to lie down. Soon Galya came back to the camp with a smile on her face. She took out a blanket from her bag and then wrapped her cloak around her tightly and went to bed.

Later in the night she heard Gawain and Galahad make beds near hers and she smiled. Her family was with her and nothing, not even the events of the next couple of days was going to make her regret feeling this way.

The next morning they awoke and got an early start. Galya rode between her brothers and soon they were coming up on a Roman estate. Galya blinked a few times and then it came into view. She thought that it reminded her of her prison at home. Though the Bishop's palace was much bigger.

As they rode up the guards closed the gate and the next leg of the adventure was about to begin.