A/N: False alarm! My story didn't get taken down, yaye! It was only a matter of the ratings and whatnot. Anyway, thanks to Jenny for pointing that out. I think I've decided on how to end this. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to write it right now. But I hope I'll still be inspired when I do find the time to do so! Well, it's been a hell of a long time since I've updated, so here's another one for you guys! Enjoy!

Kates: I loved your point about "backward" traditions. It's bad enough that love isn't perfect, but when there are other outside influences, then it only makes it worse. It's just trying to find a "loophole" or even trying to do something to win the hearts of the Shinodians would be awesome. Hmm.

And yes! My lovely Galahad is back. Even I am excited! More drama coming up! And I"m guessing Lancelot is the jealous type? Then again, I don't think he's ever experienced something like this before, so I don't blame him!

And honestly, I would love for my story to be made into a movie! Geeze. Or a mini-series, even! Man, that would be awesome. And yeah, I still can't wait for your art! It's already looking like it'll be amazing! But thanks again for that, and I hope you enjoy this one!

Jenni: If you think that was an intense reunion...-whistles- Sorry for keeping you at the edge of your seat with the slow update! But this chapter will tell you more about how our three main characters feel. I promise it'll be interesting! Happy reading!

the fan: Don't you just love soap operas? muahaha I'm so cruel to them, aren't I? But here's the next chapter that will explain more!

Saxongirl345: Everyone seems to be disapproving of Lancelot's jealousy, and I can totally understand that! Will Lancelot learn? Or will he make another mistake? Hmm. Enjoy this next one!

cleopatra32003: haha Hey, I sort of made you speechless...good enough for me! Enjoy this next one!

jenny DEAREST.: Aww, I know! Our poor Gally's been through so much already. When will life and love ever give him a break, hmm? I think you'll find this chapter interesting. Very interesting.

But sure, after this story, I shall return Gally to you, and you will have a splendid time with him!

And THANK YOU so much for figuring out the problem! I can finish this story, yaye! Let's just hope I find the time soon and keep inspired. I've been out of it for a week because of this volunteer leader thing I'm doing. But yeah. Enjoy this next one!

Highlanderfanatic: Thank you for your comments! Good to hear from you! Oh my, I can't believe you read it all in so little time! I'm glad that it wasn't a long, boring read, then! I'm totally trying to make this one of the best KA fics on this site. -smiles- Love triangles are always interesting to read about. They're sad most of the time, but you're right -- you can't help but read on. I'm happy that I've gotten you hooked as well! haha We'll see if Galahad can finally grow up and make up his mind. Here's the next one! Enjoy!

Kalanie: Aww, man! I missed you! Sorry I haven't had the time to read your story and review. I'm doing this thing for school, and it's for an entire week. So that also explains why my updates are slow! I'll try to get to reading your story as soon as I can!

I like Sir Lust-a-lot. It describes him all too well! haha But I'm glad that you liked the chapters and are now all caught up! Enjoy this next one! -hugs-

Loganfan: Nice to hear from you! I've actually decided on an ending to this story, so it'll just be a matter of time before you find out whom Lourdes really chooses! -wink- Enjoy!

t t t

CHAPTER 47

Unable to sleep, Lourdes continued to stare silently at Lancelot's bare back. She could see that his chest was rising and falling in a rhythmic manner. What she did not see that the knight was still awake, also kept awake by screaming thoughts, nearly tortured by the flashes of memory of what had transpired that day. Lancelot did not tell her of the pang of jealousy that he had felt when he saw she and Galahad, alone, beside the creek and the jealousy that he know felt while thinking of the fact that Galahad was there to protect Lourdes, not he. Such defense and possessiveness rose within him that it even frightened Lancelot himself, having never experienced such strong emotions when it came to one woman. He fought hard with himself to keep these feelings within, to keep a façade of calm and collectiveness when his entire being was shouting out with rage -- not only for the Sarmatian knight who had hurt her, but for her closeness with Galahad.

Lourdes had felt the tension between them when they had returned to Lancelot's tent. He did not speak with her after they had come from the woods. The knight had only proceeded to undress, flinging his tunic towards the corner of the tent and immediately moving underneath the cover of his blanket. Lourdes had swallowed, hesitating to join him for a few moments, before finally feeling the fatigue setting in within her. Gingerly lying down beside him, she had rolled over to face him, waiting for him to speak with her. She had frowned when he did not, and she had then moved closer to him, fingers gently stroking his back as she began to kiss down its length. Almost immediately, Lancelot had moved from her touch, saying in a low tone, "Not now."

Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, Lourdes had retrieved her hand from Lancelot's form, proceeding to move a few inches away from him.

That had been a few hours ago, and here Lourdes was now, in the same position. Lancelot's actions had spoken louder than anything he could ever say, and this was bringing her even more uneasiness, more pain. Sighing dejectedly, she shifted uncomfortably to face the other direction, turning her back to Lancelot.

Lancelot twisted his head back towards her as she did this, his heavy heart bothering him so. He began, with bitterness lining his voice, "So you and Galahad have caught up, I presume?"

Lourdes' tired eyes blinked wide open at this. She turned her head towards Lancelot, meeting his inscrutable expression. "Yes."

"I see."

Lourdes closed her eyes in order to calm her rising emotions. Turning her head away from him, she breathed out, "I spoke to an old friend, Lancelot. That is all."

"I would think that he was more than a friend to you, Lourdes."

"Lancelot!" Lourdes cried out in frustration, sitting up as she did so. The knight looked upon her with a steady, unflinching gaze, his jaw tightened as he turned his body more to face her. Lourdes admitted, "I care for Galahad, and I will not deny it to you. But I love you, Lancelot. Can you not see that?"

For some reason, Lancelot was still in doubt, finding no comfort, no reassurance, in her words. A question that had been gnawing on his insides was finally too much for the knight to bear, and he asked in a low tone, "Did you only say that you were in love with me because he was not around?" At this, Lourdes' mouth became agape. He continued, choking out, "Is our relationship real, or was it only for your convenience?"

For many moments, Lourdes was rendered speechless by his insinuation. Finally gathering her wits, she replied, "I cannot believe that you just asked me that." Lourdes let out an incredulous breath, tears threatening to form in her eyes. "I cannot believe that you would even think of me in such a way."

Placing a hand on her mouth, Lourdes set aside the covers from her form, throwing them onto Lancelot's form. Overcome with emotion, she stood and stalked her way towards the exit.

"Lourdes, wait." Lancelot closed his eyes as he breathed out, a part of him regretting his words.

Though, Lourdes did not heed his call, angrily exiting his tent. Stalking to an unknown destination, she did not care where she went. She only cared about releasing the doubt, pain and anger that were now recklessly colliding within her. She was angry at Lancelot for having the gall to actually ask her such a thing, but a part of her also felt confusion, because she felt as though she made her loyalties -- her love -- clear to him.

She loved Lancelot, and only him.

...Didn't she?

Squealing inwardly, she ran her hands through her face. Lancelot's question now brought doubt to her mind. But why did they do so? Kicking a nearby shield in frustration, she stalked further and further away from Lancelot's tent, the dim moonlight lighting her path. Just a little further in the distance, she spotted a lone figure, sitting beside a small fire. Walking closer, she recognized the silhouette to be Galahad's. Her heart jumped at his sight. Her mind screamed for her to walk back towards Lancelot's tent, but her feet kept moving forward towards Galahad.

He looked up at her then, stopping her in her tracks. She smiled, clearing her throat lightly as she took a seat across from him. Lourdes' eyes were immediately drawn to him. He really had changed. She could not help but stare at his handsome features and the utter might that resonated from them. The moonlight and the fire mixed in a unique combination to illuminate his form. Her eyes then glanced down to what he was doing, seeing a frightening gash upon the knight's leg.

"Are you alright?" She asked with sincere concern, wincing as Galahad slowly replaced the bandage.

"'Tis but a scratch." Galahad replied nonchalantly through gritted teeth, waving a dismissive hand at her.

Unconvinced, Lourdes raised an eyebrow. "Galahad, it covers nearly half your leg."

"Scratches can be large...right?"

After a few moments of silence, the two simultaneously burst out into hearty laughter. It had been so long since they last did this, that they genuinely felt happy in each other's presence. Truly, their little conversation was enough to erase so much pain and misery that they both felt, and they found much comfort in each other -- as they had done so before. As their voices slowly died down, Lourdes began, still somewhat giggling, "Are you patrolling tonight?"

"No, no," Galahad smirked, nodding his head behind him. "Tristan and his lady friend beat me to it. I just couldn't sleep because of this awful...scratch."

Lourdes bit her lip to keep from laughing at Galahad's contorted expression. Then, looking out into the distant darkness, Lourdes briefly smiled at the thought of Tristan and Akira spending some time together, alone. She was content for her friend, for Tristan as well, that they found happiness with each other. Though, it almost made her own heart ache, but she didn't know exactly why.

Galahad looked upon her thoughtfully. It was true that his little injury was not helping him to sleep comfortably, but it was also Lourdes and this...situation...that kept his mind from having peace. Then, at that moment, his last encounter with Isabella replayed in his mind.

Flashback

Galahad looked upon Isabella as he helped her dismount her horse. Though the journey was quiet, it was not as unpleasant as the two thought it would be. They were both relieved that they did not encounter any danger along the way and that they arrived in Kensington safely. Both were surprised at the fact that this journey had actually given them a sense of peace, a sense of comfort, with their present situation. And during these times, one could not ask for anything more.

"I am sorry for all of this." Galahad said once more, kissing Isabella's palm lightly. As she met his illuminated eyes, he continued sincerely, "I should not have let it get this far."

Isabella looked up upon him thoughtfully, her blue eyes searching his saddened face. As she retrieved her belongings from the wagon, she replied steadily, "I actually forgive you." Placing her belongings onto the ground for a moment, she even embraced the knight lightly. As she patted his back, she said sincerely, "May you find happiness in your life, Galahad."

Breaking away from her embrace, Galahad placed a hand on her cheek and replied softly, "And you in yours."

Isabella closed her eyes, as if reveling in the last touch that Galahad would ever give her. Tears began to form in her eyes as she observed the knight mount his horse once more, ready to ride away from Kensington. Ready to ride away from her. He gave her one last look and a curt nod before turning his horse to face the distant fields.

Just as Galahad was about to ride off at full gallop, he heard Isabella's voice behind him:

"Find her, Galahad. If you truly love her, you will find her."

End Flashback

"The knights have informed me of everything that had happened."

Galahad's mellifluous voice caught Lourdes' attention once more, her smile somewhat disappearing as she eyed him with a neutral expression. A sense of dread filled her, and she searched Galahad's face intently, trying to find a smidgen of evidence as to what he truly meant by his statement. As if knowing her inward question, he said, "I have no doubt in my mind now that the rebel Shinodians killed my family." Lourdes frowned at this, still feeling terrible about Galahad's circumstances. Though, not desiring to darken her mood, Galahad sighed and continued lightly, "So, tell me, how is it like being a princess of Shino?" he smirked, saying playfully, "You have handfuls of servants to cater to your every whim, hmm?"

Lourdes smiled and rolled her eyes. With a shake of the head, she stated firmly, "Oh, Galahad, you know I am not like that. I probably go through more labour than some of the castle servants!"

"With the training that you apparently go through everyday?" Galahad shook his head, almost in incredulity. "I've no doubt in that!"

As she burst out into laughter, Galahad could only look at her with such admiration -- not only because of the things he had heard about her, but the fact that in front of him, he could see a woman of such conviction, strength, spirit, and yes, royalty. She had grown into such a woman, one that would certainly make an admirable queen one day. He then felt the fervent burning in his heart, and he knew that he still loved her -- even moreso now.

Then, his chest constricted at a single thought: she was now with Lancelot. The knights confirmed this, rather uneasily and nerously, he remembered, just a few hours ago. He regretted so much that he did not find her sooner, felt so angered by the lost time spent with her. But he had to do what he did, to bring some comfort to Isabella and some peace to himself. It would nag at him like a festering wound for the rest of his days if he did not end things with Isabella in a civil manner, especially since all of her current circumstances were brought about by him and his stupidity. Though, he never would have thought that the knights would reunite with Lourdes once more, so soon, and this was a possibility that had not formed in his mind when he had left with Isabella. He had nothing to deter him from doing the right thing then. And rightly, he did plan to ride to Shino, to somehow search for Lourdes in those lands after he had escorted Isabella back. When Lourdes had left Arthur's court, he thought that he had made his feelings clear to her. He also thought that she would wait for him. But now -- he was clearly mistaken.

With conviction, he told himself that he could not let her go like this -- never like this. He had made the same mistake in the past, of losing all hope, and in desperation, trying to find comfort in another. Yes, he concluded, this was what she had done with Lancelot. She felt forsaken by him, and Lancelot was only there to comfort her. That had to be the reason why she was with him. And he could forgive her for that.

But one thing he could not do was give up on her again.

Lourdes could see the turbulent emotions on Galahad's countenance as he stared into the fire. Suddenly, the young knight's expression had gone serious, making Lourdes a bit apprehensive and uneasy, heart pounding loudly and quickly. His eyes had glazed over with an inscrutable emotion as he limped to her side, sitting a metre away from her. Slightly uncomfortable about his closeness, Lourdes cleared her throat and tilted her head away from him as his fervent emerald eyes never left her form. Leaning forward, Galahad cupped her chin in his hand, turning her head sideways in order for her to meet his eyes. Swallowing, Lourdes did so, sucking in her breath as she looked upon him -- at, she admitted, the handsome face that she had missed so much.

Galahad's eyes looked at her brown orbs alternately, searchingly. He whispered tenderly, "Lourdes, you know how I feel about you."

Feeling her heart jump at this sudden confessional, Lourdes immediately recoiled from him, standing. She replied in a wavering voice, "Galahad, do not."

Gulping, he stood, brows furrowed. "I travelled halfway across Sarmatia and into these foreign lands to find you, to be with you again." He choked out, walking to her side. He stopped immediately behind her as he breathed out sincerely, "What more do I have to do to prove to you how much I love you? For if there is anything else, Lourdes, say it, and I shall do it."

Lourdes closed her eyes tightly at this. She was so overcome with emotion, not only with the fact that Galahad had indeed done this for her, but she was also overwhelmed with the fact that he was willing to do anything to prove his love for her. "Galahad..." Lourdes whispered hoarsely, running her fingers through her hair as she turned to face him. "I love Lancelot."

"You only think you love him," Galahad replied quickly, now walking in front of her, "because I was not there. Because you thought that I had eloped with Isabella and had forgotten all about us." He paused, breathing in. "Because you thought that I did not love you anymore."

Lourdes had to swallow the lump that had progressively formed in her throat. Keeping her voice steady, she twisted her head away from him and spat, "Galahad, do not pretend to know what I felt, or how I feel."

"Then how do you explain what had transpired between the two of us?" Galahad suddenly grasped her upper arms, making Lourdes gasp. He shook her lightly. "How do you explain the fact that you told me that you loved me?" Releasing a grip, he delicately traced the side of her now tear-filled face with the back of his fingers. Though his jaw was still firm, he asked hoarsely, "Did you mean that?"

"I..." Lourdes began weakly, feeling faint, as she tried to pull away from his grasp.

Galahad would not let her run from this. He held her firmly as he asked once more, "Did you?"

"I did!" Lourdes finally blurted out, closing her eyes.

Galahad felt relief, bringing her closer to his form. "And your feelings for me have changed?"

She could not believe that this was happening. No, she cannot ruin things. Not now. "Galahad, I am with Lancelot now. Can you not see that?" Lourdes replied in anguish, desperately pushing away from his form. "Things have changed!"

"That is not what I am asking you." Galahad came closer ot her, placing a hand on the small of her back as he took her chin in his hand. "Do you still love me?"

As Galahad leaned in closer to capture his lips in hers, she turned her head away from him abruptly. Momentarily lifting his head, he brought her body to his with crushing strength, the length of their bodies colliding roughly. He heard Lourdes whimper helplessly at this, but he could not let her go without making her realize -- and making her admit -- her true feelings for him. His hand traced her back in an excruciatingly slow manner, face merely inches away from hers. As his hands threatened to feel beneath her shirt...

"Galahad, please," Lourdes squirmed away from his grasp, placing a bit of much needed distance between the two of them, "do not do this."

Her face was flushed, elicited by all the turbulent emotions that she was now feeling, feelings that were brought about by this young knight. She felt such warmth and pleasure in Galahad's strong arms, his hard body, but her conscience screamed at her that this was wrong, that she could not ruin her relationship with Lancelot. She could not hurt him like that.

Suddenly, Galahad cupped her face in his hands. Lourdes gasped once more at this movement, clutching his wrists as he asked hoarsely, "Lourdes, why cannot you answer the question?"

Why couldn't she answer the question? Lourdes cried inwardly as well as on the outside, simultaneously wanting to scream at and apologize to Galahad. When she finally regained her voice, she whispered, "I must go." Tears began to streak down her face once more as she pulled away from the young knight.

Without looking back at him, she ran from his sight, leaving the knight alone once more.