Chapter 7
It has been several hours into the night and Adena was tired and frustrated, as perusal. She and three other bar maids—including Vanora—have hardly been able to keep up with the orders. Especially the newly Roman's who have been ordering nonstop. They were also getting rowdy towards the barmaids, particularly Adena as she didn't speak much, wanting attention for that night.
One of the newly Romans was specifically eyeing Adena all night and was grateful to see Arthur's second command paying attention to his gambling then the woman. So when Adena went to serve their table, he quickly took her left arm to keep her there, brining her closer.
"Why do we not return to my quarters? I will pay you reward-ly." he asked suggestively.
Adena glared at him, her heart beating in fear. "I suggest you let go of me, Sir." she warned him dangerously, sensing Lancelot coming quickly.
"And why should I do that?" the Roman challenged.
"Let her go or you will be dead before anyone can help you." a dark voice said dangerously behind him.
The Roman let Adena go at the sight of Arthur's second in command coming to stand next to the young woman.
"Touch her again you will never have hands to touch any other woman."
Placing an arm around her waist, Lancelot moved her away from the Roman's and towards the back of the tavern. Before they reached the bar, Lancelot quickly, and skillfully, pushed Adena into the shadows, taking hold of her face.
"He did not hurt you, did he?" he whispered, his eyes showing concern.
Adena smiled, placing one of her hands to his right cheek, moved by his concern for her. "He may have bruised my arm but he didn't hurt me deeply."
Blushing, Adena shyly brought down her hand, looking away. Lancelot made her look at him and leaned forward, caressing her cheek. Adena closed her eyes, waiting for Lancelot to kiss her, but when his lips never touched hers, she opened her eyes. Adena blushed even deeply as she noticed Lancelot smirking amusingly at her. The young woman felt hurt and embarrassed, knowing she just had made a fool of herself.
Clearing her throat, Adena looked away and made to go back to work. But the knight quickly grabbed her waist—having seen the hurt and embarrassment pass her eyes—and kissed her deeply when Adena looked back at him with confusion. Adena sighed, kissing Lancelot back, holding on to his tunic as she felt herself going weak.
Pulling back, Adena cleared her throat once more and walked away to go back to work. Lancelot smirked before going over to sit with his brother's in arms. He would be keeping a closer eye on both Adena and the Roman.
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The night worn on and no one was not too tired or too drunk—at least most of them—to go home and sleep. The knight's were scattered that night, but none of them seem to mind. Gawain and Galahad were playing with their knives, trying to out-best each other, Lancelot was gambling, losing his money to the Romans, Bors was caring for his eleventh child, Dagonet had joined him to grab another drink, and Tristan was hiding—once again—within the shadows of the wall.
All and all, everyone was at peace with each other. Galahad chucked a dagger at the board, which landed relatively in the center. Gawain blows a raspberry, too drunk to notice where it landed. Adena was serving a table of villagers just as Tristan comes up behind the younger knight and throws his dagger at the board, which lands on top of Galahad's. The group turns to the scout with surprise.
"Tristan," Galahad replied surprise.
Gawain frowns at the scout. "How do you do that?" he asks confused.
Tristan points his right hand—which held his apple. "I aim for the middle."
Adena laughed, quickly walking away so as not to be heard by any them. She walks over to Lancelot's table and serves them too. Then a hand suddenly snakes around her waist that brought her down to a lap, the hand resting upon her stomach.
"How about we go back to my room?" Lancelot asked against her ear.
Adena laughed, shaking her head. "I have work."
Lancelot started to kiss her neck and her jaw line, smirking mischievously against her skin. He moved his hands down to her hips, his lips moving inches from Adena's. The young woman could only gulp nervously, licking her now dry lips. The Roman's faint comments about Lancelot taking too long to throw the dice were annoying the woman so she took the dice herself and threw them on to the table, not looking to see the results.
"Do I make you nervous?" he whispered, lightly brushing his lips against hers.
He noted the result in her throw and smiled at the Roman's as he brought the money towards him and the woman.
"Nervous with excitement," Adena whispered hoarsely, looking at him with aroused desire.
Lancelot snapped at her direction, his eyes darkening with lust, crushing his lips against hers. Adena shoved her hands into his hair as Lancelot gripped her hips, brining her closer. Their hungry kiss became slow and passionate. But Adena suddenly pulled away as she heard Bors yell at everyone to shut up, that Vanora was going to sing. The older woman holding her youngest child started to protest, not wanting to sing.
Lancelot held the woman tighter, hearing Gawain yelling to Vanora to not drop the baby. Adena throws an empty cup at his head with a roll of her eyes, looking over at Vanora. Lancelot places his chin on her left shoulder, caressing her stomach.
"Land of bear and land of eagle
Land that gave us birth and blessing
Land that called us ever homewards
We will go home across the mountains."
We will go home
We will go home
We will go home across the mountains
We will go home, singing our song
We will go home..
As Vanora sang, Adena looked to her left at Lancelot to see a faraway look on his face. Smiling sadly—for she knew his pain as she, too, missed her own time—Adena kisses his cheek softly. Lancelot snapped out of it and looked at the woman. He saw the way he felt mirroring in the woman's eyes. He gave her waist a squeeze before kissing her lightly. Adena placed her right hand on top of Lancelot's and her left resting on his left cheek.
"Hear our singing
Hear our longing
We will go home across the mountain"
We will go home
We will go home...
"Arthur!" Jols cried out, noticing the half-Roman before he left.
The couple tore their sight away to look over at the entrance of the tavern. Adena held her breath as Lancelot guided her towards his commander. Galahad called out to him joyously, hoping their commander would join them.
"You're not completely Roman yet, right?" Galahad asked jokingly.
"Rus!" Bors cried, walking over to the group.
Arthur sighs, Adena giving him sympathy. "Knight's… Brother's in arms, your courage has been tested beyond all limits, but I must ask you now for one further trial." he told them.
"Drink!" Bors said, drinking an imaginary jug.
The group laughs, but Arthur continues, feeling even worse then he felt at that moment.
"We must leave on a final mission for Rome before our freedom can be granted." he told them as serious as he could.
The knight's all laugh, thinking it was a joke. But Arthur looks at them all seriously, catching Adena's saddening eyes. He frowned, but didn't dwell on it.
"Above the wall, there lies a Roman family in need or rescue. They are trapped by Saxons. Our orders are to secure their safety." Arthur continued, trying to let his knight's know that this was not a joke.
"Let the Roman's take care of their own!" Bors said angrily as soon as he noted that this wasn't a joke.
Adena gulped and pulled away from Lancelot, not wanting to be in anyone's way during this meeting.
"Above the wall is Woad territory." Gawain said a drunk, and pissed off.
"Our duty to Rome—if it was ever a duty—is done. Our pact with Rome is done!" Galahad said angrily.
"Every knight here has laid his life on the line for you!" Bors yelled angrily, pointing at Arthur, "For you! And instead of freedom, you want more blood? Our blood! You think more of Roman blood then you do ours?"
Arthur looked at Bors with guilt. "Bors, these are our orders. We leave at first light and when we return, your freedom will be waiting for you. A freedom we can embrace with—"
"I'm a free man!" Bors yells angrily. "I will choose my own fate!"
Adena flinches at the tone of voice, a baby crying in the background. She always hated this part in the movie, and wondered why she even stuck around to hear this.
"Yeah, yeah, we're all going to die someday. If it's a death by a Saxon hand that frightens you—stay home." Tristan said almost bored-ly.
"We have no family to go back to. What is there to live?" Lancelot suddenly said.
Adena started, before looking up at Lancelot with hurt. He had never said those words before in the movie, could it be that with her presences and her bond with the knight's have changed the course of history and the movie? But moving that point aside Adena couldn't help the deep hurt to her chest as Lancelot's words repeated over and over again in her head.
Everyone stayed quiet—even Galahad who was supposed to yell back at Tristan stayed silent; despite his anger. With an audible sigh Adena walked away, too angry and hurt with the knight. Lancelot frowned but then realized his mistake; he went to go after her but stopped to look at Arthur.
"The Roman's have broken their word." Dagonet finally said. "We have the word of Arthur. That is good enough. I'll prepare." he starts to walk away before looking back at Bors, "Bors, you coming?"
"Of course I'm coming! Can't let you go on your own; you'll all get killed." Bors yells at him, too angry and drunk. "I'm just saying what you're all thinking!" he continues before saying quietly under his breath, "Vanora'll kill me."
Finally seeing Arthur's nod at him, Lancelot ran after Adena, cursing himself all the way. It was not that he didn't care about her; on the contrary, he cared deeply for her. He was just used to thinking he was alone—that his life was lonely.
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Adena let the tears go as soon as she was far away from the tavern, not making a sound. She walked quickly to her home, wanting to be alone and scream without worrying anyone. But the young woman quickly stopped as she saw the Roman from earlier standing before her. Adena made a move to go right didn't even take one step as she saw other Roman's coming out of the darkness to surround her of any escape. Inhaling quietly, the young woman waited for what they wanted from her.
"The knight hurt you deeply with his awful words, did he not?" the Roman questioned with a proud sneer on his face. "So why would you want to be with a low-life knight who cannot give you all that you desire?"
The Roman began to circle her, Adena tensing. He roamed over her body with his eyes, liking what he saw, only wanting to break this woman's spirit. Make the woman realize her place in this world. The Roman walked up behind her, leaning close to her right ear.
"While I can give you all that you desire," smirking, he walked from behind her and stood in front of her.
"Except you cannot give me love and Lancelot can." she argued back seriously.
The Roman's eyes flashed angrily and made to take hold of her, but Lancelot walked in between them.
"Walk or you will die tonight." Lancelot said dangerously low.
The Roman quickly looked to his left to see two of his men on the floor.
"Do not worry, they are merely unconscious." Lancelot replied with a smirk.
The Roman nodded to his men angrily to back off. Lancelot took hold of Adena's left arm and dragged her towards her home. Once they turned the corner, Adena yanked her arm away, scowling angrily before her. Despite that she was grateful for what he did; Adena was still angry with Lancelot at his choice of words. The young woman suddenly found herself up against a wall, facing an angry knight.
"Well you listen to me!" he said harshly.
"I've heard what you have to say! Let me go!" she yelled angrily.
"Let me explain, damn it!" Lancelot growled angrily.
Adena growled and tired to move out of his grasp, but Lancelot held her in place. Getting frustrated, the knight did the only think he could think of. He kissed her. At first, Adena tried to push away but she soon found herself kissing back. Once he knew that she was calm enough, Lancelot pulled back, placing his forehead against her own, sliding his arms around her waist.
"I am truly sorry for what I said to Arthur. I am just not used to thinking that I have someone in my life—that I am truly not alone anymore."
Adena sighed, looking into Lancelot's eyes with tears in her own. "Your words truly hurt me, but I will not hold it against you, my knight." she whispered, caressing his cheek. "Now come, take me home for I am tired."
Smiling devilishly, Lancelot took hold of her hand and continued the walk towards her home, hoping the bastard's of Bors and Vanora will not come that night.
A/N: A bit of drama between our main couple, but not too much. Don't worry, more conflict is to come! Please review to let me know what you think! Oh, and I keep forgetting to mention; originally this was going to be a TristanOC, hence some of the comments Adena had made towards Lancelot in the beginning of the story. So without changing too much I tried to make Lancelot out as a meaner fighter on the battlefield rather than just a good fighter. Just thought I let you guys know! :)