Chapter 12
The knight's and Adena mounted their horses as soon as they came close to the wall. Lancelot wanted her close now that they've returned, not trusting the Roman commander whom still reside at the wall. Entering the knight's court yard the group dismounts, Adena staying close to Midnight. The bishop walks out with his men, smiling at the sight of Alecto—and not before giving a dirty look towards the still living knights.
"Ah, good! Christ be praised! Against all the odds Satan could possi—Alecto! Let me see you! You have triumphed! Young Alecto! Let me see you! You are here!"
The bishop had tried to touch Alecto but the boy just tried to move away from him. Looking away, Adena sees Lucan getting off the carriage and running immediately towards a weak and tired Dagonet.
"Lucan!" Guinevere cried as he passed through her.
"You! Boy!" one of the soldiers cried, reaching for the boy.
However, Galahad quickly drew out a dagger and positioned it at the Roman's neck. Adena then moves out of her hide out and holds Lucan by the shoulders next to Dagonet who was being held up by Bors and Gawain. Dagonet smiles softly, placing a hand on top of Lucan's head.
Adena kneeled next to the boy, smiling softly at him. "Why don't we get you cleaned up, Lucan. Dagonet has to go to a healer first and get some rest, okay?"
Lucan sighed reluctantly but nodded nonetheless. With a small smile, Adena took his hand, nodding to Dagonet, and walked past the knights and Romans out of the court yard towards her home; all the while feeling eyes from the Roman commander on her the entire time. She heard the bishop speaking to the knight's, but ignored him and the other voices. She nodded to Vanora, who nodded back and looked to Number Two, whispering something to him.
As soon as she reached her home, Adena quickly drew up a warm bath for the young boy, all the while waiting for the clothes she knew Vanora would let her borrow. The woman helped wash the boy, seeing as he didn't want to be left alone, humming to herself. After rinsing him of the soap, Adena covered him in a large cloak and unplugged the bath, Lucan watching in satisfaction.
Taking him into her room, Adena smiled at a very hyper Connor, and Number Two holding a pair of clothes.
"Why don't you help him, Number Two, so I can make him something to eat?" Adena suggested.
"Of course," Number Two agreed, setting the clothes on the bed.
Smiling warmly at the child, Adena motioned the hyper dog to follow, closing the door to her room. She greeted Connor with a scratch behind the ears, back, then a rub on his belly when he rolled over. Laughing, Adena stood and was taken back to see an amused Lancelot watching her, trying hard not to laugh.
Turning red, Adena huffed and entered the kitchen, a laughing knight and a faithful dog following. Lancelot wrapped his right arm around her waist before she can do anything, moving her hair over her left shoulder with his other hand. She was about to protest when Lancelot begin to kiss her neck and shoulder, a sigh escaping her lips. She placed her hands on top of Lancelot that were now wrapped around her waist.
"After the little whelp is changed, do you wish to stay here instead of meeting the others?" Lancelot whispered into her ear.
Adena hummed, looking back at the knight with desire. But the woman quickly moves out of his arms as the door to her bedroom is opened, followed by two boys laughing. Straightening her dress, Adena quickly begin to think of what to make to eat for the boy, only to be interrupted by him.
"I want to see Dagonet," Adena and Lancelot turned around at him. "Please, let me go see Dagonet."
Adena smiled sadly at the boy, nodding her head. "Okay, Lucan, I'll—"
During this time, Lancelot was motioning for Number Two, who got the hint and walked next to Lucan. He cleared his throat, turning slightly red as he looked back and forth between Lancelot and Adena with a smirk.
"I will take him, Adena. It is no problem."
Adena raised an eyebrow, looking at the boy suspiciously. "Very well, if you wish, I will—"
"We will meet up with you two later," Lancelot said, wrapping his arms around her waist once more. "Take Connor with you, too."
Number Two blushed like there was no tomorrow, quickly guiding Lucan out of the house, whistling for Connor to follow. Blushing as well, Adena turned on Lancelot and slapped his arm.
"I believe that I will take that hot bath!" Adena said, Lancelot holding her tightly.
"If you like I can help you bathe."
Adena rolls her eyes, walking out of his arms. "Nay, I have a hot spring, so I will not need body heat to keep me warm."
Lancelot raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms across his chest. "So that was all I was to you?"
Adena raised an eyebrow as well. "Aye and I didn't even bathe properly. And you still smell."
The couple was walking closer to Adena's bedroom, taking it slowly.
"As do you," Lancelot responded.
Adena mocked gasp, a hand going to her heart. "A woman never smells!"
Lancelot grinned. "Ah, but she does, however the smell is far more beautiful."
Adena smirked back, "Unlike you."
Both of Lancelot's eyebrows rose up, the two adults stop walking. Adena suddenly turned, running with a laugh, Lancelot following close behind. Adena had just placed a hand on the bathroom door when a pair of arms grabbed hold of her waist. She squealed with laughter, as Lancelot picked her up and gently threw her on her bed. Continuing to laugh, Adena watch Lancelot stare at her as one would do a prey.
He then walked over to the bed before leaning over the woman with a warm smile. Adena smiled back, leaning up on her elbows and placing a hand on his cheek, caressing it. Lancelot kissed the woman, pushing her back against the bed.
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As soon as the knight had fallen asleep, Adena slowly moved out of Lancelot's arms, careful not to wake the knight. Leaning to the floor, she picked up Lancelot's tunic, put it on, and walked over to her bathroom. Looking back at the knight, Adena closed the door and walked over to the tub with a wide smile.
It was a few seconds later when Lancelot begun to wake, reaching out for Adena. Not feeling her body nearby, the knight woke up completely, looking around the semi-dark room. He quickly got out of the bed and was about to put on his pants when he heard groaning followed by a sigh from the washroom. Frowning, Lancelot walked over to the door and quietly opened it.
What he saw warmed his heart. Adena had emerged from beneath the water, pushing back her hair and water from her face, her back towards him. She then moved to the other side of the tub, trying to reach a liquid bottle that was just a few inches out of her reach. She was also trying to keep her body within the water, as her left arm was wrapped over her breasts. Moving quietly, he entered the tub and slowly made his way over to the woman, all the while smirking. As he wrapped his right arm around her midsection—Adena screaming, bringing her other arm to her body and turning around—he reached for the bottle with his left arm.
"Why did you not ask me to reach the bottle?" he asked teasingly.
Adena blushed, glaring at the knight. "You were asleep." she told him, before taking the bottle out of his hand.
As Adena turned her back, Lancelot took the bottle from her and placed it on the side before holding her hips. He kissed her shoulder then left butterfly kisses to the back of her neck. The woman sighed, her head bowing down, grasping the knight's hands that were slowly rising. Suddenly a voice rang out the house, startling the two adults.
"Lancelot! Adena! Come to the wall quickly!" Number Four cried hurriedly.
Adena looked back at Lancelot with so much concern that the knight wondered if she knew something that he didn't. The two quickly got out of the tub, quickly getting dressed. They then ran towards the wall, where the villagers had slowly begin to gather, and ran up the stairs. They noted all the knights except Arthur there, all of them looking bemused at the disheveled and wet couple.
The two looked over the wall to see dozens of fires and Saxons sitting around them to keep warm. The Roman's start to shout, Adena knowing it was Arthur finally coming to see what was happening. She turns her head to see both Arthur and Guinevere disheveled, just as she and Lancelot were. Arthur then looks out to see the fires, his face falling before becoming a stone look.
He looks around at his knights, Adena, then down at the defenseless serfs. Finally he looks at Guinevere—who had moved to look over the wall too—before looking to Lancelot and Adena. He noted the sad look on her face, and wondered if she knew something. But he shook his head and sighed, looking over his knight's once more.
"Knights… My journey with you must end here. May God go with you," he told them sadly.
He inclines his head at them and leaves. Guinevere looks at Lancelot, who was looking down at Adena. Adena looks up at him and touches his arm, giving him a stern look and a small smile.
"Arthur. This is not Rome's fight." Lancelot yells, running after his best friend. "It is not your fight!"
Adena watches Guinevere run after them, her heart tightening. She walks up to the wall and stares out to the Saxons. She had hoped that the Saxon's would have come in a few days or even a week; not that same day they have returned to the fort. Now the day to feel the loss, the hurt, and deep sadness had came. The one day she never wanted to pass. This was why she told herself not to fall in love; especially one of the Sarmatian knights there were to live through their years. Not wanting to cry in public, Adena ran down the stairs and towards her home.
However, she didn't get far as the villagers all ran in panic around her. Adena pushed through them, but couldn't even get an inch away. Suddenly she was roughly pushed back, the woman tripping over the hem of her dress. A pair of arms circled around her stomach as she fell back against someone. Looking back she sees a distraught Lancelot looking down at her.
With a shy smile, she stands up straight and was about to continue home, but not before Lancelot started to drag her towards the fort. Confused, the woman let him, not once making a sound of protest. They soon walk out of the chaos and into the cold hall of the knight's quarters. Lancelot abruptly turned to Adena, crushing her lips with his, pushing her against the stone wall.
Adena wrapped her arms around his neck to get closer, her tears falling. Lancelot backs up and merely holds the young woman as she cries. After she calms down, he takes her to his bedroom, Lancelot locking the door behind him. He kissed Adena passionately, as he caressed her face, slowly making their way towards his bed. The young woman couldn't help but feel that as he made love to her that it was his goodbye; knowing that he would leave Arthur only to return to his side once more.
Adena knew that this would be her last chance at love for Lancelot was to die in the battlefield tomorrow. And the only thing that would remind her of him would be the few tunics that she would keep to remember him by. Though, in the pit of her stomach she felt that something else would remind her of him; something or someone that would resemble him in so many ways.
The knight held her close, and tightly, to his body, never wanting to part from her. He slept soundly, Adena the only one awake and worry. The battle repeated over and over again in her mind, making it even harder for her to sleep. Lancelot's blood seeping from his wounds, trying to save Guinevere—but for him or for his best friend, she could never figure that part out.
Adena tightened her grip on his hands, tears forming once more. She didn't want to lose him, but knew that she would have to let him go. Taking some courage, Adena slowly sits up and straddles Lancelot; leaning over to him kiss him awake. The knight begins to kiss back, his hands going up her thighs to hold her hips. Smiling, Adena moves her body down, biting his lip before soothing it with another kiss. Lancelot groans, his hands tightening painfully that Adena knew she was going to have bruises in the morning.
A/N: Slightly fluffy, but I had to! Adena may not see Lancelot again after that battle! Or well she? O.o LOL, to find out you're gonna have to leave me a review to let me know what you think!