A/N: -sigh- Is my love back for good? Well, this chapter will tell more! -smiles- Thanks for reading and reviewing, you're all awesome! -salutes-

Saxongirl345: I feel simultaneously bad and good for keeping you on edge! lol But no, I don't want to kill Lancelot...yet? -wink- But now...the real fun begins! bwahaha!

delusional anvil.: I hope you don't mind that I took Galahad back. -wink- I knew you would like that chapter! I'm sorry you had to wait so many chapters, but it just had to be perfect, and then Galahad could come back! -smiles-

Good point about Lothair. I mean, not to be bitter or anything, but where the hell was he when Lourdes was in more danger? Running his country, fighting off a civil war, fine...but still! haha

God, I feel so awkward for Tristan! But it's so cute at the same time. And yeah, the Tristan/Lancelot scene was so fun to write! Oh man. What better way to ease some tension than by bickering?

I hope you enjoyed your time with Gally. But now, you'll get to see him in action! (Oh man, if I had the 20 year old Hugh here with me, I don't think I'd have time to write this story anymore! haha) I'm glad that Gally's happy to be back, because I desperately need him!

I'm happy to have such reviewers like you! You keep me going, man! -points- Enjoy this next one!

Jenni: That hit you hard, didn't it? -wink- I love it! But oh yes, things will get very interesting, let me tell you now! I loved how the Tristan/Lancelot scene turned out. -smiles- But here's another one for you! -rings bell- Let the tension and drama begin!

DeathDealer210912: Yes! I'm glad you think so! -grins- This chapter will explain some of their reactions! Enjoy!

Withered Lover: It's so weird when that happens, eh? I do miss your comments! You get so excited that it makes me excited! haha Oh Lancelot...he's such a cutie, huh?

Oh man...if I get started on Boondock Saints, I'll never stop! I saw it again with my pops yesterday, and we were CRACKIN' UP, let me tell you! haha Oh GOD, I love the rope scene...along with the vent scene. Those MacManus brothers are the cutest EVER! Maybe I'll write a Boondock Saints fanfic when I find the time! lol But anyway, enjoy this next chapter!

The Fan: It's all good, my lovely, don't worry! As long as you're all caught up now and you enjoyed the chapter! Here's another one for you!

t t t

CHAPTER 45

"Lancelot?" Galahad replied incredulously, swaying as he wielded his sword in front of him.

Through their bewilderment, Lancelot didn't see the Shinodian warrior that poised his sword above him. Though, Galahad regained his sense quickly enough and lunged forward, slashing at the Shinodian warrior's chest, who promptly fell with a loud thud on the ground beside him. Setting aside his shock for a few moments, Lancelot quickly retrieved his other sword, trying his best to wield both as the pain shot from his arm throughout his body. The two knights fought back to back as six other Shinodian warriors came at full attack. Lancelot and Galahad moved almost identically -- their stances, their swings, the twists and turns of their bodies -- so much so that their fight could have been staged sequences to the passing eye. They cried, grunted and yelled, taking down one Shinodian warrior after another, with more blood, dirt and sweat lining their bodies.

In a matter of moments, eight Shinodian bodies lined their feet. Breathing heavily, the two knights used their weapons as support, chests visibly heaving as their eyes darted around them. Through the darkness and their blurred vision, Lancelot could count only nine knights. Where is Bedivere?, Lancelot asked inwardly, gritting his teeth as he stood up once more. As he glanced around, he finally caught a glimpse of the blonde-haired knight, fighting two Shinodian warriors a few yards away from him. Bedivere was fatigued, limping from side to side as katanas swayed dangerously close to his body. In a desperate attempt to help him, Lancelot threw one of his twin blades with all his might. The blade flew past Bedivere -- almost connecting with him, actually -- before burying itself into a rebel Shinodian warrior.

"Bloody hell!" Bedivere cried out in shock, twisting his blade roughly into the last Shinodian warrior. As he retrieved his blade, he looked in the direction of where the blade was thrown, seeing Lancelot's relieved face. "What the bloody hell was that?"

"I was saving your life!" Lancelot called out, hand placed beside his mouth to enunciate his voice. "You can thank me later!"

"You almost stuck that thing through me!" Bedivere faintly called out.

Lancelot rolled his eyes at the knight's 'ungratefulness'. "You're welcome!"

As Lancelot turned back to Galahad, he found him on the ground, breathing out through gritted teeth as he held his right leg. Concern washing over him, Lancelot jogged over to the young knight's side, holding the wound on his left arm as he did so. Skidding to a stop beside him on his knees, he eyed Galahad worriedly. "Are you alright?"

"Aye." Galahad lied through his teeth, nodding his head reassuringly. The shooting pains from his lower body became even more powerful now, almost becoming unbearable. Glancing around them, Galahad eventually breathed out a sigh of relief, seeing that the battle had been won.

Lancelot did not even heed the others around him, the puzzlement in his eyes returning as he stared at Galahad. Lancelot felt as though he had seen a ghost, an apparition that all reason deemed impossible to truly exist. So many questions whirled through his mind that he found that he could not speak.

Galahad recognized the confused expression on the knight's countenance and thought it highly appropriate to explain. "I have travelled with fifty Sarmatian knights for almost a month -- maybe more, I cannot remember." As Galahad began, Lancelot noticed even more knights walking through their encampment, making sure that the Shinodian warriors were all dead and greeting the rest of the knights. He turned his attention back to Galahad. "Ever since we crossed the border, we have been following this band of Shinodian warriors, picking them off as best as we could. But there's more of them, Lancelot, and they outnumber us." Galahad then began to stand, hissing as he hopped on his left foot. With a sharp intake of breath, he tilted his head to face Lancelot. "There are more Sarmatian knights encamped just a few minutes away from here. I suggest we clean up this bloody mess as best as we can and join them." At Lancelot's silent nod of agreement, Galahad finished darkly, "More Shinodians will come."

t t t

"What is that awful smell?"

"Hey, don't you dare look at me." Lourdes said defensively, pointing her finger at her chest. "I bathed this morning!"

At the peak of dawn, Lourdes and Akira began their travels once more, riding at full gallop through the woods. As they continued, Lourdes began to catch a whiff of the awful stink that Akira had commented about, even placing the back of her hand upon her nose as the smell became progressively unbearable. Akira mirrored her reaction, coughing slightly as the two continued to ride forward.

What they saw in the distance made them immediately halt.

Pulling on the reigns of their horses, the two women gasped as, with wide eyes, they surveyed the massacre before them. Dozens of lifeless bodies lined a clearing of the woods, attacked by hundreds of hungry flies, worms and insects, picking at the rotting flesh. Dried blood were sprinkled upon the trees, the rotting bodies leaking the crimson liquid, with puddles of blood lining the once green grass. The two women looked away briefly, unable to take both the sight and the smell. When they regained their composure and breaths, they dismounted, still stunned at what they perceived before them.

Akira bent down on her knees, resting her arm on her thigh as she surveyed the ground below them. "The knights were here." She informed Lourdes, surveying the decaying bodies.

Almost immediately, the women consciously searched through the dead, dread filling them as they tried to block out the possibility of their knights being killed. Carefully walking through the bodies as they pinched their noses, they hopped and tiptoed through the scene, not desiring to touch any of the corpses. When they realized that they recognized none of the dead men, they breathed out a sigh of relief, dread and fear slowly dissipating.

"These are not our Shinodian men." Lourdes stated more than questioned, not recognizing the armour that they wore.

"Nay." Akira curtly shook her head, spitting out distastefully. "They're the rebels."

Something formed in Lourdes' throat as she steadily observed the decaying corpses. So these are the rebels that shame my lands, that follow my bastard of an uncle!, she said to herself, feeling her anger rising. These are the rebels that cold-bloodedly attack Sarmatia and its peoples! Not able to control her anger any longer, Lourdes cried out in rage and began to kick the lifeless body of a nearby warrior. The shocked Akira raced to her side, desperately trying to pull her away from the bodies. Lourdes struggled and tried to shake Akira's hands from her form, but the Shinodian commander held her steady, eventually able to pull her back towards their horses.

Tight-lipped, Akira stated breathlessly, "Lourdes, you must show respect for the dead."

"These men deserve no respect!" Lourdes cried out with conviction, voice trembling as she began to sob. "These men deserved their fates! They deserve this, plus a hundred more deaths!"

"They are our countrymen..."

"They are not!" continued Lourdes in the same enraged manner, pointing a steady finger at Akira. "They turned their backs on us, Akira, can you not see that? They disgrace us with their actions, with the coldness in their hearts! We shall not identify with them, do you hear me?"

Akira completely understood Lourdes' enraged reaction, for she also felt the same emotion in her heart. Bowing her head slightly, she placed a hand upon her heart, replying quietly with, "Yes, your majesty."

t t t

The seven knights of the Round Table were reunited once more, sitting in a circle upon the grass of the Sarmatian encampment. For many moments after Galahad had told them about his journeys and how he had come to be in Shino, they sat in silence, some still shocked by Galahad's sudden appearance, and others sitting with shaken nerves by the unexpected Shinodian attack. The sounds of the other Sarmatian knights and neighing horses amongst them lined the background as they glanced upon one another with pursed lips and raised eyebrows.

Bors fidgeted in his seat, tapping his fingers impatiently upon his leg as he continued to survey his quiet comrades. When he could take the silence no longer, he mumbled. "Oh, bloody hell." Then, without warning, the portly knight jumped upon Galahad, meaning to embrace the young knight, but only managing to knock him to the ground with a loud thud. The other knights stood, stunned by this, as they curiously and, eventually, amusedly watched what was transpiring before them.

"The little rascal is back!" Bors guffawed, ruffling Galahad's hair mercilessly. The older knight didn't seem to care that Galahad was still on the ground, groaning as he lied on his back. "After all this time, the rascal is back!"

"My leg, my leg!" Galahad painfully cried out, holding his injury tightly as Bors continued his gleeful greeting.

"Ohhh, I could just kiss ye, lad, I'm so 'appy to see ye!" Bors continued in a disturbingly loving manner as, much to the young knight's chagrin, he pinched Galahad's cheeks. The other knights now boomed with laughter at this display of affection, dissipating all the questions and dread that loomed upon them just a few moments prior. They watched at the amusing spectacle, with Galahad trying desperately to shove Bors from his being and Bors continuously guffawing as he continued his good-natured onslaught.

Their amusing moment was interrupted by the sound of thundering hooves, heading straight towards them at full speed. Defensively, they unsheathed their swords, calling out to the other Sarmatian warriors to warn them about the incoming riders. The Sarmatian knights' battle cries pierced the afternoon air, the adrenaline of an impending battle coursing through their veins on such a beautiful day. Squinting their eyes as they intensely observed the coming riders, they perceived that they were indeed Shinodian.

Though, they were two Shinodian women.

"It can't be..." Lancelot breathed out in bewilderment, lowering his sword as his eyes darted to Tristan. The scout eyed him with a firm countenance, though his eyes reflected the same incredulousness that were exhibited in Lancelot's orbs. As the riders came closer, the Sarmatian knights steadily lowered their swords, though still defensive. Arthur and the rest of the knights were rendered speechless as they caught the sight of Lourdes and Akira.

Immediately dropping his swords, Lancelot jogged to Lourdes' side, relief, happiness, worry, confusion and bewilderment all colliding within him as he looked upon her. Her brooding expression had immediately disappeared as she looked down at Lancelot, who held the reigns of her horse steady. Swiftly dismounting, she wrapped her arms around the knight's waist as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in.

"What are you doing here?" he whispered shakily, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her briefly.

Lourdes closed her eyes, resting her head upon his chest as she answered playfully, "I would think it would be quite obvious."

Lancelot chuckled lightly at this, kissing her forehead. Though, as she embraced him even more tightly, he grunted in pain, hissing through clenched teeth. Lourdes immediately let go, worry washing over her countenance as she looked Lancelot over. She saw that he was bleeding through his shirt. Lifting his tunic, her heart constricted as she saw that the bandage wrapped around his lower waist was completely soaked in blood. Her eyes glazed with concern as she looked at Lancelot in question. The knight only shook his head and smiled at her reassuringly, tracing her face with his fingertips.

As her gaze wandered to the scene behind the knight, she bit her lip as she smiled when she saw Tristan and Akira embracing. This even surprised her, stunned that they would actually exhibit their emotions in front of so many people. Though, the carnage that she and Akira had recently seen indeed increased their worry about their knights, making them ride much more quickly to be with them again. Curiously glancing to see the other knights' reactions to this, her heart immediately jumped as she saw who stood amongst them.

Galahad?, her mind screamed, disbelief taking over her, making her feel faint. It seemed as though the world around her spun, and everything around her was blurry. She sucked in a breath, gripping Lancelot's tunic even more tightly, as Galahad's green eyes met hers. His smile for the exchange between Tristan and Akira immediately vanished, only to be replaced by a pale, aghast expression on his countenance. He kept still, his muscles tense, as she swallowed, shocked, unable to tear her eyes away from the young knight.

Feeling her body stiffen, Lancelot looked down upon her with puzzled eyes. When she did not reply to his call, Lancelot turned his gaze to where Lourdes' eyes were transfixed. His chest immediately tightened as he perceived Galahad staring at her, an identical expression plastered on his countenance. A pang of jealousy and protectiveness hit Lancelot then, wanting to shield Lourdes from those green eyes, wanting to take her away from this scene. Though, he only held her firmly, jaw clenched, as he pulled away from her. As he did this, Lourdes snapped back from her trance, taking his wrist as he began to walk away.

"Lancelot, where are you going?" she stuttered weakly, pulling him back to her.

"To tend to my wounds." he said simply, not bothering to look down upon her at his curt response.

Lourdes' heart ached at his sudden bluntness, all compassion and mirth devoid from his eyes, only to be replaced by a cold, hard gaze. She bit her lip, frowning at his reply. Placing her hand on his cheek, she tilted his head in her direction and met his gaze once more. "I will help you."

The pleading expression in her eyes somewhat dissipated the rising anger in the knight's being. Breathing out, Lancelot ran his fingers through her hair, finally nodding in silent acquiesce. Taking her hand in his, the two began to walk away from the group. As they did so, Lourdes couldn't help but look back towards Galahad. The young knight's chest visibly rose and fell as his eyes followed she and Lancelot. Overcome with an inscrutable emotion, she finally pried her eyes away from Galahad's form, gripping Lancelot's hand tightly as he led her back to his encampment.

t t t

A/N: Oh man, even I can't wait to read what happens next! haha