A/N: THANK YOU to all those that reviewed and to all of you who are reading this! Your comments and suggestions are being taken to heart, and I am really happy with how this story is going. To tell you the truth, I am still torn between Lancelot and Galahad. It is still a mystery as to who Lourdes will end up with, even to me! But then again, I like it that way:grins impishly: I hope you do, too!

DarkKnightress12: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you're liking it! Oh, you'll get your romance soon enough! I just need to build their relationships, that's all! hehe But definitely, you'll get your romance. And yes...Galahad with no facial hair:dies: I'm a huge fan of Hugh Dancy, which makes it even worse! haha But thanks for your suggestions and input, and I hope you keep reading!

Kates: Another Lancelot fan! The Galahad fans are certainly getting pummeled right now! lol Ugh, I :do: love Ioan, he's awesome. But I do agree that Tristan gets most of the OCs on here! haha, Poor Lancey. But yeah, I'm careful to not make this into a Mary Sue, which is probably why I'm taking so long to write it! I'm glad you're liking it, though! I appreciate your awesome comments, and never fear...more chapters are on the way! Thank you for reviewing, and do let me know when it's becoming "Mary-Sue-esque"!

makedamnsure: Yeah, even I teared up a little when I wrote that! Oh, Galahad. How many guys have done what he has, though, eh? haha But I mean, if I did make you (almost?) cry, then I'm doing my job well. :pats self on back: I love my drama, and hell yeah, there will be more of it! I need to reduce my readers to tears, make them angry, make them laugh. It's a sign of a good story:smiles: Thanks for reading and reviewing again!

janell: Lancelot's character is definitely a lot of fun to work with! You never know what he'll do next! haha But hey, it's good to know that you'll keep reading no matter who I choose to pair Lourdes with, because even I don't know right now! haha You never know - I might end up hating my own story! lol But I assure you, I am working diligently on the story, and I will continue to update! Thanks for your review!

RagingRaven: hahaha What you said is SO true. Damn guys. I don't think they'll ever learn, even after hundreds of years! Let's just hope that Galahad realizes his mistakes and tries to make them right:smiles: Thanks for reading and reviewing!

lifeisgood: Thank you for your review! I am definitely having fun with this whole love triangle/"tug-of-war romance" of mine! These stories are just SO much fun, because you can play around with the characters even more! But I'm definitely posting even more chapters quite soon. I'm just reading over them once more to make sure they are ready to go:smiles:

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For all those that like playing music in the background while reading, (or just want to hear good music, hehe), I have listed a few of the songs that inspired this story. Listening to songs before and during I write really gets me into the "zone", and it may have the same effect on you:smiles:

"MY KNIGHT" 'SOUNDTRACK'

1. Don't Wait - Dashboard Confessional 14. Dusk and Summer - Dashboard Confessional

2. Alive - Melissa O'Neil 15. Attack - 30 Seconds To Mars

3. The Kill - 30 Seconds To Mars 16. If You Could Only See - Tonic

4. Tell Me Now (What You See) - Hans Zimmer 17. Untitled - Simple Plan

5. Distance - Faktion 18. All You Wanted - Michelle Branch

6. Far Away - Nickelback 19. My Heart - The Perishers

7. Letting You Go - Faktion 20. History - Funeral For A Friend

8. Goodbye to You - Michelle Branch 21. Dance Inside - The All-American Rejects

9. Scars - Papa Roach 22. Wake Up - Coheed and Cambria

10. Are You Happy Now - Michelle Branch 23. Run - Rex Goudie

11. Say Anything - Marianas Trench 24. 321- Hedley

12. Halo - Bethany Joy Lenz 25. Everything - Lifehouse

13. Broken - Seether (feat. Amy Lee) 26. Ever The Same - Rob Thomas

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CHAPTER 15

The soft pitter-patter of water droplets sounded all around her. Blinking twice, Lourdes felt trickles of water dancing down her face, the smell of fresh rainfall tickling her nose. She moved her fingers slightly, feeling the damp earth and grass beneath her. Finally turning her head to the sky, she realized that she had managed to sleep through the night, all alone, wrapped up in her now soaked cloak in the meadow.

No noise but the rainfall surrounded her – no laughter, no shouts – just the comforting solitude of rain. Lourdes sat up languidly, strands of her hair lowering to her face. Pushing the painful memories of the previous night, she breathed in a deep breath, standing with her arms held out widely around her as if she was ready to fly. She closed her eyes once more, looking to the sky, welcoming the rain on her face.

Off in the distance, Galahad galloped back to the encampment, irked at being caught in the rain on his morning ride. It had begun with no warning and poured recklessly with no signs of halting. He gently patted the head of his horse, sensing its discomfort. He clicked his tongue twice, making his way to the stables of the encampment.

Fastening the reigns of his horse to a row of wood, he sighed deeply, realizing that the purpose of his ride was not even close to being fulfilled. His heart was still heavy, and his mind swirled with a thousand thoughts at once. With a sleepless night, it was difficult to forget what had transpired the night before, when so much had happened between two people with so little being said.

He wished with all his being that he could somehow set things right. He was in a predicament that he had never experienced before, and with all that he has been through in his life, he had no idea how to effectively solve it.

Looking up from his thoughts, he spotted a lone figure in the distance, standing still as the water relentlessly fell on their body. As the figure ran their fingers through their hair, Galahad finally realized that it was Lourdes.

She slowly untied her cloak, letting it fall to the ground in one movement. Her dress clung to her body, but she did not feel any discomfort. Lourdes walked to the edge of the river, wading until the water had reached her waist. She splashed more water in her face, looking at her broken reflection as the ripples caused by the rain mixed with the splashes that she had caused. She was surrounded by crystal-like water, so clear, so cold – but she felt nothing.

Galahad furrowed his brows at her peculiar actions, wondering at the same time where she had spent the night. Ever since they parted the evening before, he had not seen or heard of her whereabouts. A pang of guilt suddenly took him, his conscience berating him for leaving her in such a state. Out of all the years he had been a knight of the Round Table, he had never felt so helpless, so powerless, as he did now. He was always used to stopping pain, not causing it. As he continued to watch her, he felt the urge to walk to her, to keep her company, but he ultimately decided against it.

Lourdes ran her palms on her arms, legs and body, washing all the dirt that had accumulated from her journey. She wanted to scrub herself clean, to wash away everything that clung to her skin.

Her quiet isolation was disrupted by an almost inaudible gasp that came from behind her. She whirled around defensively, her eyes intensely peering at the intruder. Immediately, she lowered her gaze, the 'intruder' being two feet shorter than she had originally expected.

"A-are you a fairy?"

Her eyebrows raised at this question as her lips curled into a half-smile. "Do you think I am?"

The young boy, she equated to be no more than 8, nodded quickly, drops of water jumping from his head. "Are you going to turn me into a frog? I swear, I am a good lad!"

Lourdes finally let out a laugh, obviously amused. "I will do no such thing!"

"Okay." The little boy distorted his face, raising his bottom lip as he thought deeply. "If you are not a fairy, then where are you from? I have never seen anyone that looks like you before."

"That is because I am not from here, but from a land all the way over there." She pointed to the east, and the young boy followed her finger with his twinkling eyes. Using her arms to pull herself up, Lourdes walked out of the river, sitting on a large boulder next to her little intruder. "What is your name?" she asked, leaning her elbows on her knees, smiling at him.

"Gilly, milady."

"Gilly?" Lourdes furrowed her brow in half-recognition. "Now, where have I heard that name before?"

"Maybe you have heard of my father!" Gilly now stood upright, his hands on his waist as he held his head up proudly. "His name is Bors, the great knight of the Round Table! He has done many great deeds, you know. Today he is even competing in the swordfighting tournament, and I know he will win!"

Lourdes laughed even louder, shaking her head in pure amusement. "Is he now?" she patted the young lad on the head. "But yes, I do know your father. He is very much a jester!"

Galahad was so concentrated on the sight before him that he did not hear another presence near him. It took Lancelot a couple of tries before he could attain Galahad's attention.

"Galahad," he began again, softly hitting the side of the knight's arm, "what are you doing up this early? You should be…" Lancelot's voice drifted off as he followed the knight's gaze. He gave out an almost inaudible sigh, seeing Lourdes and Gilly walking back languidly and hand in hand to the camp, seemingly unaware of anything else around them, not heeding the rain soaking every inch of them. Lourdes even broke into a genuine laugh, a sight that neither knight had seen for an incredibly long time. She looked weary, but she continued her conversation with the young lad, noticeably masking her true emotions.

Snapping out of his reverie, Galahad shook his head slightly, finally meeting Lancelot's curious eyes. He cleared his throat briefly, wondering how long the knight had been there.

"I was…just about to go for a ride." Galahad answered quickly, fixing his tunic. "I was trying to remember if I had forgotten anything."

Lancelot gave the knight a cheeky smile, lounging an elbow on his shoulder. "I've known you for 15 years, Galahad. Do you not think that I would know when you are lying through your teeth?"

"Lancelot, you bother!" said Galahad irritably, shaking the smirking knight's arm off his shoulder. "If you…"

"You did not expect her back, did you?"

The cat caught Galahad's tongue as Lancelot simply rolled the question off his tongue. Galahad scrunched his face in indecision, not quite knowing how to answer the question. If Lancelot did see through him, then he would know how he truly felt about Lourdes, wouldn't he? Why was his friend beating around the bush, teasing him like so?

"Just the sight of what seems like a mother and a son…" Galahad choked out, stopping to inhale deeply. "The thought of a family…"

"You shall have all of that soon, my friend," Lancelot reassured Galahad amiably, then adding, "…with Isabella."

Lancelot examined the knight's face as it turned from longing, to indecision, to pain. He felt terrible for playing such a trick on his friend, but he needed to know where Galahad's feelings truly lay. He cared for Lourdes – even Lancelot knew that much – but how exactly did the knight care for her? What were his intentions, especially since he was with Isabella?

Lancelot scoffed, since he himself had barely had any 'noble' intentions when it came to women. They had what he wanted, he took what he desired and resumed to forget about them. How else was a knight to deal with women? Clearly, Bors was quite different, staying faithful to Vanora and fathering eleven children. How the bloody hell could a man do that? How could he do that? And how could he question what Galahad felt for the girl when he himself did not know how he truly felt? The definitions of care and desire were vague and blurry, and Lancelot couldn't be bothered with defining anything. And yet, why did he feel a tinge of jealousy when he imagined Galahad touching Lourdes, placing his lips on hers…

It was Galahad's turn to interrupt Lancelot as he was lost in his thoughts.

"I shall return to the encampment." Galahad's voice finally caught Lancelot's attention. "I shall be there if you need me."

Without waiting for a response from Lancelot, Galahad turned, placed on his hood, then headed for shelter. Lancelot took another moment to gaze out into the distance before following suit, returning to his tent.

Lourdes, unaware of anything that had transpired in those few moments, continued to follow Gilly as he led her to where his makeshift home was located. Following his pointed finger, Lourdes eyes three identical tents, all in alignment, all...shaking! Taken aback, Lourdes' ears perked up, hearing voices, cries and giggles.

Lifting up the opening of the first tent, Lourdes counted four girls, all playing with wooden toys. Inside the second tent, she was then surprised to find four boys, little sticks in hand, pretending to fight one another. Shaking her head, she peeked into the last tent, seeing a boy and a girl, about 5 and 6, with an older woman, who tended lovingly to their needs.

"Oh, I am sorry for intruding..." Lourdes began, walking back a few paces as she stood straight.

The older woman peeked her head out of the tent, beaming at her. "Thank you, milady! You finally found my Gilly!" Gilly squealed as his mother scooped him in her arms, kissing his face. "Now, you run along now and help your brother and sister with breakfast! And get cleaned up while you're at it! You are soaked to the bone!"

As the woman ensured that Gilly stayed put inside the tent, she turned to Lourdes, who looked at her in bewilderment.

"So these are the eleven children that I have heard so much about!" she began, shaking her head in continued wonder. "However do you do it, Lady Vanora?"

"You must be Lourdes." the woman gave her a warm smile as the two shook hands. "Oh, I do not know how I do it. I am beginning to think I have special powers, you know, after all these years!"

"You do, that I am sure of!"

Vanora laughed heartily at Lourdes' expression. "Come, my dear, you are as wet as my son!" she motioned for her to follow. "We shall get you some dry clothes."

Before Lourdes could protest, Vanora took her arm and pulled her along as the two walked briskly to their nearby wagon. Stepping inside, Vanora rummaged through her belongings, humming to herself until she finally found the right bag.

"Ah ha!" she cried in triumph, holding out a dark brown bag in the air. "I've just the thing for you."

"Lady Vanora, really, I am fine!" Lourdes began, feeling a bit embarrassed at her kindness. "I have some tunics and breeches in my possession, not far from..."

"Oh, nonsense!" Vanora waved a dismissive hand while handing her a bundle wrapped in animal skin. "This will look lovely on you."

The kind woman turned away to give Lourdes her privacy. Finally feeling discomfort in her wet clothing, Lourdes peeled the fabric off her skin, placing them in an empty sac that she procured from the wagon. She silently gasped as she unraveled the bundle that was given to her, seeing the dress in its full form. It was a golden-brown, long-sleeved dress, its plunging neckline stopping before what it would reveal would be inappropriate. The sleeves were to drape freely from her shoulders and arms, flaring out as it reached her hands. The weaving was unlike anything she had ever seen, the flower patterns so complex, so intricate, lining the neckline, waist and cuffs of the dress.

"Lady Vanora, I cannot possibly..."

"Yes you can." she interrupted reassuringly, without turning her head. "I made this myself. Go on, it will look beautiful on you!"

Lourdes finally stopped her protests and placed the garment on. Standing, she pulled the skirtline down, which just reached the sides of her ankles. She smoothed the skirt into place, sighing as she finally turned to Vanora for approval.

"How do I - "

Her words were caught in her throat as she met Galahad's observing eyes. He stood, as if a statue, at the end of the wagon, looking up at her. Vanora only smiled in great approval as she turned, clapping her hand once.

"You are simply gorgeous!" the woman stood, inspecting the dress on Lourdes' form. "Do you not think so as well, Sir Galahad?"

The knight's head snapped up to Vanora, then meekly to Lourdes. "Yes," he answered gently, locking eyes with Lourdes, "very beautiful."

Vanora bit her lip as she smiled, placing a hand on the small of Lourdes' back. "Now that the rain has stopped, I believe that the festivities will begin once again. We do not want to miss any of our knights in competition, now do we?"

"No, I suppose not." Lourdes answered blankly, her gaze still on Galahad, replaying the way in which he said the compliment in her mind. He then cleared his throat, tearing his eyes away from Lourdes, before snatching a sac inside the wagon.

"I bid you good day, miladies." he quickly called out before bowing and swiftly leaving the scene.

Vanora clucked her tongue as she observed the knight stride away. "Very noble knight." she shook her head, then turned to Lourdes. "Tis a pity that he already has a maiden, aye?"

Lourdes only answered with a curt nod, desperately wanting to change the subject.

"He broke many hearts, he did," Vanora continued, completely unaware of how this was affecting Lourdes. She seemed to drift off into the clouds as she told her story. "He did many great deeds in his village, you know, after he returned. Toiled day and night, planting, hunting, rebuilding - never stopping until his tasks were finished. Tis no surprise that with his deeds and dashing good-looks, he would catch the eye of many women in his village. Though, if I remember clearly," Vanora paused, thinking carefully as she placed her fingers to her chin, "at first, he did not seem to pay attention to any of their advances."

With her interest piqued, Lourdes looked at Vanora with curious eyes, concurrently wanting her to stop and continue. Even though her current circumstances made her heart ache, she still wanted to hear of Galahad and what had happened to him during all these months.

"Rumours had it that his heart belonged to a mysterious woman," continued Vanora, now sitting on a rolled blanket in the middle of the wagon, "but alas, those rumours died, of course, when he was seen with the young Isabella of Kensington."

"How did they meet?" Lourdes, even surprising herself, managed to croak out.

"During one of his daily rides, I believe." Vanora smiled at remembrance of the story, obviously pleased at Galahad. "Her family's carriage was attacked by some bandits in the woods, and there he was to save her. The woman was injured during the attack, and Sir Galahad generously lent his home to the maiden, her father and their servants during their convalescence. Needless to say, the two fell in love during this time."

Lourdes gulped, trying to keep her breathing steady. She feigned a look of surprise as Vanora observed her. "Oh, well, that is quite a story!"

"Yes, quite." the woman eyed Lourdes with a tint of suspicion, but quickly brushed the expression from her face as she smiled once more. "Now, come along! We cannot miss my husband and my brother-in-law go at it!"

Finally laughing at Vanora's warrior-like stance, Lourdes followed the woman out of the wagon. As impossible as it may be, she needed to push the thoughts of Galahad from her mind - even if it was only for one day.