A/N: Lookie, another update! Aren't you guys happy I didn't stop writing this story? -smiles- As you read this, I'm doing my best to finish this story! It seems as though it doesn't want to end, huh? Well, I hope you're all enjoying it -- because it's such a blast writing it! Thank you for reading and reviewing! Enjoy!

jenny DEAREST.: I love it when you ask questions! This chapter will answer some of them! Can I really kill Lancelot? Hmm. You'll just have to read and find out! -grins- Having a character fall down a cliff is the best scenario to kill them off! haha I couldn't help but use the LOTR idea! I must say that I love how you summarized the situation now -- I couldn't have said it better myself! I really hope Lourdes gets a break, too. She's honestly been suffering for the entire story! Geeze!

And of course more updates are on the way! I can't wait for the next chappie of your story, and I'm glad that Gally's lending a helping hand. And no drinking for 16 year old Gally! tsk tsk Hope you like this next one! -hugs-

Kalanie: I finally finished "Spirit of a Warrior"! I'm sad, but happy that there is a sequel! I'll get on that asap, too!

But yes, Lancelot fell. This chapter will reveal is fate. -cringe- I just hope you guys won't be disappointed! If I can kill Aiden off... -cough- ANYWHOO! And Galahad -- I can understand how you're angry at him, but remember -- he's just young and passionate. At least he loves Lourdes, not hates her! -nudge nudge- And I guess he can test L/L's relationship out, you know?

I'm glad that you liked the last chapter, though. Bloody hell, it took a while to write! I love me my cliffhangers! -grins impishly- Here's the next chappy for you. -hugs- Enjoy!

Jenni: I know, I'm sorry for being mean! But this chapter will hopefully make things better! Sorry for making you go crazy. Enjoy!

Saxongirl345: Eek! Sorry for doing that, but it had to be done -- I love me my suspense! -wink- Hope you like this update!

Withered Lover: Yes! OMG, men speaking in different languages...that's just HOTNESS right there! (Murphy had a bad French accent, but I'll forgive him since he's trying to speak French with an Irish accent! haha) I watched it sooo many times, including twice with my dad -- he loves it, too! (He keeps making fun of the Bartender and saying "Fuck! Ass!" to me! lmao) I'm just hoping I'll find time to write a fanfic. I gotta finish these two KA ones first, though!

Aww! -hugs Galahad- Don't beat my love up, please! He's only following his heart, albeit foolishly. But this chapter will reveal some of the things you're wondering about!

Yeah, the end is near, I'm thinking. It'll be "Will she end up with Lancelot or Galahad?" 'till the end. Good or bad, it's for you guys to decide! -grins- Here's another update for you!

And I love that prayer. One of the best movie lines ever!

t t t

CHAPTER 49

Lourdes could not cease trembling. She suddenly felt so cold, her eyes distant and glazed over, as she held onto Galahad's steady arms. Though, only after a few moments, the young knight released her suddenly, falling back onto the ground beside her on his back, holding his injured leg in utter pain. Looking back at him through blurred vision, Lourdes saw that the wound had re-opened, the blood now seeping through the bandage and his breeches and freely flowing down to his feet. Gasping through her sobs, Lourdes weakly crawled to Galahad's side, placing her right hand behind his head in support. She did not have a chance to speak with him, though, for the piercing cries of half a dozen rebel Shinodian warriors came from behind her, their weapons readied as their steeds galloped straight towards her.

Lourdes had not felt so helpless in all of her life.

With gritted teeth, Galahad tried to roll over onto his knees, using his sword to shakily prop himself up. Grunting, he held out a protective hand in front of Lourdes, her only shield from the coming Shinodians. With a trembling hand and squinted eyes, the young knight raised his sword slowly in front of him, ready to defend. Seeing his injured state, Lourdes tried to hold him back, but he stayed firm, eyes fixated upon the enemy before him.

When the Shinodians were only a few metres from the two, they were suddenly killed by a barrage of arrows from behind them. As they feel from their steeds one by one, lifeless, Galahad embraced Lourdes in order to protect her from the coming runaway steeds. When the horses clustered into the distant fields, the two gazed up, some relief washing over them. They beheld Tristan, Akira, Bedivere and Gareth before them, their bows and arrows still readied at hand.

"Are you two alright?" questioned Bedivere concernedly as he dismounted his horse.

With a curt shake of Galahad's head, Tristan, Akira and Gareth also dismounted, and with Bedivere, jogged over to Lourdes and Galahad's side. Bending down to examine the two, the four tried to assess their situation, worry wholly enveloping them.

"Galahad, what is the matter?" Tristan furrowed his brows as he crouched, surveying his comrade. "Are you injured?"

Galahad breathed out through his teeth, trying to stifle the pain. "My leg."

As Tristan tended to Galahad's wound, Akira took Lourdes' hand in hers, seeing the maiden's eyes lined with tears. Lourdes' expression showed much sorrow and anguish, and Akira promptly embraced her. "Dear Lourdes, are you hurt?" The Shinodian commander's voice trembled as she looked over the princess. "Are you wounded?"

"Lancelot..." Lourdes choked out in answer, her gaze becoming distant once more as she twisted her head towards the edge of the cliff, "...he...he fell."

Akira's eyes then widened, her head immediately snapping up towards the knights. She cried out in much alarm, "Tristan! Knights! Lancelot has fallen!"

"What?" Tristan growled, placing a hand on Galahad's shoulder before he stood up once more. "Where is he?"

Lourdes sobbed, hanging her head as she replied, "D-down the cliff. His foot was caught in the reigns of his horse, a-and..." The maiden could not even finish her sentence before she sobbed once more, gripping Akira's arm in support as she bawled. Akira could only embrace her in comfort as she looked upon the knights for their course of action.

Tristan, Bedivere and Gareth peered down into the dark abyss, screaming Lancelot's name at the top of their lungs. Unable to see much in the darkness, Tristan felt his chest tighten as he looked upon the other two knights questioningly. When they only shook their heads at him, he inclined his chin. "We finish this fight." he stated with a tightened jaw as he unsheathed his sword, "Then, we find Arthur and the rest of the knights." At Bedivere and Gareth's silent nods of acquiesce, Tristan jogged over to Akira's side, bending over to briefly place his lips upon hers. "Take care of Lourdes and Galahad, my love. We shall be back shortly."

As Tristan, Bedivere and Gareth mounted their horses and sped off towards pandemonium once more, Galahad painfully crawled to Lourdes and Akira's side. Placing a hand on the back of Lourdes' head, Galahad turned his gaze towards Akira and stated firmly, "Milady, Lourdes' shoulder is out of place." As Lourdes gazed upwards to meet his emerald eyes once more, he pursed his lips into a thin line, running his palm down her hair. "Lourdes, I have to push it back."

Though body trembling, Lourdes nodded in agreement, tightly gripping Akira's arm as Galahad moved to her left side. As he gingerly placed his hands atop her shoulder, Lourdes closed her eyes, placing her hand upon Galahad's chest. As she gazed up towards him, she could see his pain-filled eyes, tears streaming down his dirt and blood-covered cheeks. She looked hard upon his eyes, her gaze transfixed to them, concentrating. With a clenched jaw, Galahad gave her a nod in warning, and when Lourdes returned the gesture, he proceeded to quickly push down her shoulder. Lourdes cried out in anguish as she felt and heard her bone snap back into place, another rush of pain coursing wildly throughout her upper body. Breathing heavily, she sobbed as Galahad pulled her towards him and rested his chin atop her head. "It's alright, Lourdes," Galahad whispered to her in comfort, hushing her sobs, "I am here." As they both trembled, he cradled her in his arms, her head resting upon his chest as he held her simultaneously lovingly and protectively.

Akira curiously observed this exchange, but ultimately said nothing and only looked back towards the distant battle. The Sarmatian knights seemed to be gaining the upper hand, as she beheld some rebel Shinodians in panic as they fled for their lives, even against their commander's orders. Many knights remained atop of their steeds, using their height and dexterity to their advantage as they ruthlessly mangled the enemy. As every moment passed by, the noise became progressively lower, the battlefield becoming more quiet, signaling the coming end of the battle.

"Shh, Lourdes, you will be alright." Galahad stated reassuringly as he placed tendrils of her hair behind her ear. He gave her a small smile. "Just stay with me, alright?"

Gasping for breath, Lourdes placed a hand on Galahad's cheek in silent thanks. Though, as fatigue, pain and shock recklessly collided within her, Lourdes fell limp in Galahad's arms as she lost all consciousness.

t t t

Lourdes awoke to the sound of the crackling fire, hushed voices and the painful moans and groans of men. As her eyes fluttered open, she beheld many Sarmatian knights bustling about, carrying provisions, bandages and, to her heart's sorrow, their dead comrades. A thin blanket had been draped over her, somewhat shielding her from the crisp night air. The stench in the air almost making her wretch, Lourdes covered her nose with her right hand, feeling faint once more as she felt her aching body. Though, she fought with all her might not to fall asleep, for her mind only screamed out one thing.

Lancelot.

Sitting up, she ignored the pain that racked her body, gritting her teeth as she looked about her. Though, her moment of panic only increased when she saw Galahad lying a few metres from where she lay, with the battle-weary and blood-covered Gawain, Bors and Dagonet overlooking him with worried expressions. Fearing the worst, she pulled off the blanket and pushed herself up with all the strength that was in her. Bearing the pain, she zigzagged her way through Sarmatian knights, stumbling as she did so. As she reached Galahad's side, she fell, feeling the wind being knocked out of her through her distress. Gawain immediately stepped to her side, supporting her as best as he could with his arms, as Bors and Dagonet looked on with concerned countenances. Thanking Gawain quietly, she placed a hand on Galahad's chest, leaning over him to observe his still face. Feeling her heart ache with misery and tears forming in her eyes, she looked up to Gawain for support.

"He's lost a lot of blood." Gawain choked out shakily, placing a comforting hand on Lourdes' arm.

Lourdes' eyes widened as she shook her head. She asked hoarsely, "He will be fine, right?" She eyed the three knights, who glanced at each other silently. She continued more forcefully, "Right?"

"We do not know, lass." Bors replied ruefully, squatting down to face her. "Galahad will fight this as best as he can."

"I have tried to stop the bleeding on his leg as best as I could." Dagonet stalked to her side. Following Bors' lead, he squatted down beside her, motioning to Galahad's body as he spoke. "He had minor injuries on his upper body and several blows to his head. I have given him several herbal remedies, but it may take another hour or so for it to take effect. As of right now, it is difficult to know if his body is accepting the medicine."

Lourdes bit her lip, repeatedly brushing her palm upon Galahad's forehead as her face distorted with sadness. Aside from his paler face, the young knight seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Silent tears fell from her eyes as she lied down beside him, placing her head upon the crook of his neck. Gawain, Bors and Dagonet all eyed her with solemn expressions before they turned to each other once more.

"I will tend to Kay and Percival." Dagonet informed the two, motioning his head behind him. "They are not doing well either."

With a nod of acceptance, Bors twisted his head back towards Lourdes. "Will you be all right 'ere, lass?" When she gave him a small nod in answer, he turned to Gawain. Tight-lipped, he said, "Let us go find Arthur."

As Bors and Gawain began to walk through the sea of Sarmatian soldiers, Lourdes cried out shakily, "W-wait!" Claiming their attention once more, she choked out, "Lancelot...he...he fell down the cliff, and..."

"What?" Gawain boomed in much alarm, rushing back to her side. He took her arms, eyes wide. "Which cliff? When?"

"The one by those white boulders." Lourdes pointed with a shaky finger, sobbing as she did so. "Gawain...w-we must find him...he...he cannot be -" She couldn't even finish her sentence as she buried her face in her hands, feeling torment, sorrow and anguish all at once. "He is alive, Gawain, I know it! Deep down in my heart, I know it!"

"Shh, Lourdes." Gawain swallowed, feeling his own chest constrict at this. "We will find him. Stay here and rest." He embraced her briefly, then said reassuringly as he cupped her face in his hands, "I promise you, we will find him."

With a silent nod of acceptance from Lourdes, Bors and Gawain disappeared into the sea of warriors. With a heaving chest, Lourdes turned back to Galahad, wishing with all of her might that he would wake up. "Galahad..." she whispered, tracing his cheek with the back of her fingers, "...please open your eyes." She brought her face to the side of his, her nose trailing his cheek as she whispered, "You cannot leave me." She draped an arm over his chest protectively, resting her chin on his shoulder. She waited for a few moments, hoping for a response. "I...I love you."

When he continued to lie, unmoving, Lourdes burst into more tears, closing her eyes as she sobbed upon his chest.

t t t

With all traces of the rebel Shinodian threat vanquished, the Sarmatian knights then ensued to rebuild their camp and sift through the putrid corpses in the blood and body-covered battlefield to find their fallen comrades. For hours, they tended to the wounded, burned the dead, and tried to reclaim their wits and nerves. Though the Shinodians had retreated, they knew that that would not be the last that they would see of the rebels.

Gawain and Bors rushed through the Sarmatian knights, eyes darting around the encampment in search of Arthur. When they found him near the edges of the encampment with Tristan, Bedivere and Gareth, they jogged to their sides with haste. As they reached the four, Arthur immediately informed them, "Comrades, Lancelot has -"

"Fallen." Gawain finished as he breathed out, catching his breath. "Princess Lourdes has informed us."

"There is a path down the cliff just over that ridge." Tristan pointed into the dark distance, his sharp eyes surveying their surroundings. "We cannot bring horses."

"Then we go on foot." Arthur proclaimed calmly, sheathing his sword. His face expertly masked his distress, though what he did not show was the complete and utter panic that he felt for the possibility that Lancelot was indeed dead. He commanded steadily, "Tristan, Gawain and I will journey towards the cliff. Bors, Bedivere, Gareth, find more men that are able to journey down the cliffside." Before Arthur turned on his heel, he finished, "We search for Lancelot."

As the knights nodded their heads in acquiesce to his commands, Bors, Bedivere and Gawain set off in different directions, looking through Sarmatian knights. Arthur, Tristan and Gawain ran on foot, as fast as they could, through the encampment and through the body-covered field, bearing the stench, their aching muscles and open wounds. Reaching the edge of the cliff, they peered down, seeing a steep, rocky escarpment beneath their feet. Waiting for another few moments, they finally spotted Bors, Bedivere and Gareth with ten other Sarmatian knights, lit torches within each of their hands. As the thirteen reached the three, Arthur took a torch from Bors' outstretched hand, turned on his heel, then led the way down the escarpment.

With steady feet, the sixteen Sarmatian knights took careful, dainty steps down the slippery slope, sometimes losing their balance, and other times slipping a metre or two before they could regain their upright posture. With torches held before them, they beheld a cluster of pine trees, then, after a few moments of walking, heard the rushing sound of the river becoming louder. As Arthur walked a few yards away from the group, he surveyed the surroundings, looking upwards at the 20-metre cliff. Turning back towards Tristan, he asked in a steady voice, "Tristan, where did Lourdes say that he fell?"

With a pointed finger towards the right, Tristan nodded, "Over there."

Following the rushing river, Arthur began to jog as quickly as he could in the dim light, torch held out in front of him. The rest of the men proceeded to follow, looking around their surroundings for any sign of Lancelot and his black steed. With, thankfully, no sign of their bodies upon the jagged rocks, Arthur turned to the rest of the men once more, stating, "They must have fallen in the river. We follow it downstream."

With nods and murmurs of acquiesce, the men continued their search, eyes opened and alert to any sign of Lancelot. For many moments, they followed the river, seeing no sign of the knight whatsoever. As the group dispersed, they covered the entire shore, eyes alert to the other side of the river as well. When some hope began to fade, Bedivere's voice pierced through the darkness as he suddenly called out,

"A dagger!"

Arthur, Tristan and Gawain rushed to his side immediately, inspecting the dagger that Bedivere held in his outstretched hand. Recognizing the markings, Gawain proclaimed, "'Tis Lancelot's!"

"We keep going." Arthur said with a stiff jaw, leading the way once more. With Tristan, Gawain and Bors close to his heel, the four knights jogged past a river-bend, still not giving up hope that they would find their comrade.

As they reached the end of the bend, they spotted a shallow shore. Squinting his eyes, Tristan boomed, "I see something!"

As most of the knights gathered, they rushed to where Tristan had pointed, their hopes being rebuilt. Running closer and closer to a figure on the shore, they began to make out a silhouette of a lone body, the figure lying on their back. Handing his torch to Gawain, Arthur ran as fast as he could, his eyes immediately recognizing Lancelot's motionless form. Seeing this, the rest of the knights of the Round Table followed their commander's lead, gathering around he and Lancelot.

"Gawain!" Arthur breathlessly called out, taking Lancelot's cold head into his hands.

The gentle lion stalked over to their side, handing Arthur his torch. Steadily, he placed two fingers beside Lancelot's cold neck, resting them there for a few moments. Then, twisting his head to the side, Gawain placed his ear atop Lancelot's drenched chest, his face not discerning any type of emotion. He gave out a sigh as he sat back up. As all of the knights' eyes turned to him in question, he proclaimed with a relieved breath,

"He is alive."

t t t

"Lourdes."

Lourdes was awaken from her slumber by a light shake. As her eyes fluttered open, she saw Tristan crouching down beside her, his hard expression not discerning any news. Before dread could take over her, though, the scout stood up and took a step to the side, revealing Lancelot's body a few metres from her. Taking a look at Galahad's sleeping form, she rushed over to Lancelot's side, her eyes searching the faces of the knights who stood before her. She choked out, "Is he..."

"He is alive." Arthur proclaimed in a steady tone, placing a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "He is unconscious, but alive."

"By the gods." Lourdes sobbed, immediately embracing Arthur and Tristan. So much of her pain and dread had dissipated by then, relief washing over those emotions. Kneeling beside Lancelot's still body, she observed him, feeling her heart constrict at his state. His clothes were no longer wet, as the knights had changed his drenched garments. The water had washed away some of the dirt and blood that were on his being, though Lourdes could see that he had many cuts on his face as well as bruises and bumps on his body. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, though his face showed no signs of wake. Brushing the palm of her hand repeatedly on the side of his face, she felt the coldness of his body, making her worried even more. As the knights retrieved another blanket, as she had asked, she placed it carefully upon Lancelot's form, hoping to bring the knight more warmth. In respect, the rest of the knights that had gathered, save for Arthur, left them in peace.

"Lourdes," Arthur called out to her lightly, gaining her attention, "we leave in the morrow for Kenji. Our provisions are almost gone, and I feel as though we will be most safe there with its defences, for we do not know when the rebel Shinodians will strike once more."

With a nod of understanding, Lourdes looked at Galahad and Lancelot's still forms alternately. Then, closing her eyes, she hoped with all of her heart that her knights will pull through.

t t t

A/N: Will the knights pull through? What will happen when they return to Kenji? Will Lourdes ever truly choose?

'Till next time, folks! -waves-