Standard Disclaimer: KA and the legends are soooo not mine. The craziness of the characters is the only thing I own. Bad Language, Violence and Possible Sexual Scenes Warning. Don't like it, don't read.

Ew! Another filler, I'm sorry for the extremely long delay and possibly crappy chapter to follow. For some reason, I'm writing another filler and soooo not pleased with how it's turning out. But I am trying to write this into a great story… well maybe not great because I can barely aspire for good at this current moment. Ah well

Traveling

Good Gaad, somebody shoot me please! This can not be happening, I bet if I pinch myself hard enough or bang my head against this stone wall, I'll wake up from this nightmare of knights, stories and Charity Templeton. OW! Gaad Damn! I'm not dreaming. Shit.

It took us three days and two nights to get to this new village… I don't remember the name, but it doesn't matter because we're not staying long. Thank God for that, the sooner I get to the fort the sooner I'll find someone who'll help me get home. I suggested (actually I begged him) to Arthur to leave Charity here with Milo, Darrus and Lukas, he said no and something about best friends not being split up. Best Friends? Spucatum Tauri! Latin for BULLSHIT (A/N: Thanks Ailis-70) which I told him the idea was, but he didn't believe me, the sodding bastard!

If she and I are such good friends then Arthur must take me for a fool.

Anyway, the trip was so incredibly boring, those that could ride were on the big scary, kicky horses and those that could not rode the wagon… basically just me. Jols did offer me a seat at the front next to him, but I think staring aimlessly at the passing trees and rolling hills were much more entertaining than horse butts. Tsk, yeah much more entertaining.

Although, on occasion there would be knights coming to visit poor little bored me, and when they did, boredom was washed away. In a bout of teenage silliness I have been making occasional funny faces at the knights at my end whilst they talked, joked and often times made faces back. I had Bors, Gawain, Gareth, Lamorak, Kay and Dagonet at my end, whilst the rest (including Charity) surrounded the wagon and were riding in front. Bors, Gawain and Kay are officially my favorite funny knights. At least they laughed every time I humorously mocked one of their brothers-in-arms whomever was speaking.

Other than that, I was subjugated to four canvas walls as companions. Reading any of the books I left in my backpack led to horrible motion sickness and I needed to ration the battery on my iPod, which forced me to suffer in silence.

Boring, boring, boring, except for one tiny little detail. Gareth and I are an official boyfriend and girlfriend couple type thing. It's really weird because I never thought I was going to get into a relationship again, not after Charity ruined every potential guy I ever had and thus swearing off men for all eternity.

But… this is what happened.

"Lady Ria?" I really hate that the knights don't or refuse to call me Ria. Sighing I turned from my interesting conversation with Milo and Darrus to see a rather fidgety Gareth. "May I have a word with you?" Shrugging I let him help me up from the once comfortable position I was in.

I followed him a good distance from the camp, but still within view of the firelight. Abruptly he turned to face me and I nearly walked into him if he hadn't steadied me.

"What is it Gareth?"

"Lady Ria..." He started.

"Yeah?"

"Iwouldliketodeclaremyselftoyou." He mumbled rushed before handing me a breathtaking bracelet of twisted leather, red glass beads and an obsidian stone rose. I stared at the bracelet trying to discern what he'd just said.

"Eh? I'm sorry but I'm not fluent in hesitant mumble."

"I declare my affections for you, Lady Victoria of Berkeley California."

"O-okay." His face brightened as he pulled me into a tight embrace, Gareth's laughter rumbled deep in his chest while swinging me round and round like a rag doll showering my face with happy kisses. It took me a moment to realize that I'd just agreed to be his girlfriend. It was weird but not unwelcome. Needless to say, that when everyone heard, so many annoying comments and gestures and the like were made by the men and boys and stupid Charity. It didn't bother me though, I had Gareth and being with him makes me happier than I thought.

OH! And another interesting thing was how Arthur made everyone work. I mean EVERYONE had a job to do. "No work, no food, no exceptions," Arthur told us all sternly. I stole a quick glance at the horror stricken face of Charity Godiva Templeton and had to stop the exclamation of glee that would have escaped my lips. If I was as easy as Charity I do believe I would've jumped the commander right then and there for those beautiful words. Finally something doesn't go to her advantage!

Because Charity didn't pull her weight, she doesn't get to eat! She sat next to me pouting and whining and trying to charm her way to getting some food. It would not have been so bad if she wasn't sitting next to me trying to puppy-dog my submission.
"But I'm hungry. Just give me a little?"
"No."
"Victoria..."
"No."
"I'm being nice."
"No."

"If I don't eat I'll just die!"

"Point?"

"Don't be mean."

"Bite me."

"Ew."

"S'what I thought, punk."

She continued to whine.

"No. I can keep this up all night." The knights and three boys watched us argue back and forth in English with amused smirks on their faces. The knights had been ordered not to spare anyone rations if they did not pull their weight (I could have kissed Arthur for that) so they couldn't go against their commander's say so. I threatened the boys with castration if they even thought about giving into her... But then that left me, and I was a titanium willed fortress of NO.
The argument continued for a while until she lunged at me knocking my bowl from my hands. My barely touched food spilled to the forest floor and seeped into the soil. She looked at me for a moment and pretentiously giggled with an even more pretentious "Oopsie."
All eyes were on me, waiting, expecting, and knowing I would explode. I think I would have too, but then Charity's stomach rumbled so loudly I instead burst out laughing. The others weakly followed suit and Charity was livid. Arthur offered me another bowl of that delicious stew (nobody told me what was in it) and gleeful I devoured it. All the while exclaiming how practically "orgasmic" the food was. She stomped off and Darren was forced to go after her and bring her back.

"Darren, you should have left her to the wolves. Although, I doubt they'd take too kindly to bones… I know feed 'em Belvedere!" I suggested with an evil grin at the young knight to my left.

"Hey!"

"Sorry Lady, but the boy has his uses."

"Exactly. I'm useful."

"Aye, the wenches need something to drive them to me." Lancelot grinned at me. I rolled my eyes.

"Hey! That is not fair."

I left the conversation regarding all of the younger knights' usefulness to enjoy the night sky, we never get a clear starry sky like this back home and I want to revel in it for as long as it will last. Eventually she did get some food, but that happened much later on our trip.

Okay so here we are in this village's tavern, the boys went to find jobs and supplies for the village of burning memories a.k.a. Wren's Bend whilst the men decided to drown themselves in liquor. Idiots. They're gonna have to get up butt-crack of dawn early and they're all getting piss drunk. Well, except for Gareth, who is staying with me and keeping watch over the forest for any Woad attack.

"Where's Lady Charity?" Gareth asked breaking me from my reverie. I looked at him and shrugged. Who would've thought that this gorgeous green-eyed, brown haired man would be my boyfriend? Truthfully, he and the lot of them make me feel like an ugly duckling. I mean my olive skin, brown eyes and dark brown/black hair really don't make me some exotic gorgeous beauty; but I'm lucky to be with Gareth I think.

"Gareth? Why me?" I asked wrapping his strong arms around me as he tightened his grip around my body.

"Ria?" He looked confused. I repeated my query, well at least he's calling me by my chosen name instead of 'Lady.'

"I mean, I'm not pretty, I'm not dainty or lady like, I'm not that smart, I'm stubborn, I procrastinate, I'm demanding, I can be very lazy, I'm not rich or have a title to my name…" I went on about my bad qualities and habits. "So, why me?"

Taking my right hand with the bracelet Gareth kissed the inside of my palm and then tilted my chin to kiss my lips.

"You're right, you're not pretty, you are gorgeous, you don't have to be dainty but you are to me. You are very smart and learned; I would spend my life trying to learn what you already know. I like you stubborn, our relationship would be boring without it, I don't know what 'procrastinate' means, but I can live with that. You would not be a woman if you were not demanding, and I would rather serve you than you serve me. I too am neither wealthy nor have a title, but I still care for you. You, Victoria, you have stolen my heart and I would rather it be you than any other on this world." Again he kissed me and wholeheartedly I kissed him back.

Did I not mention that he's so sweet? We spent the night cuddling before his shift was taken over by Galahad, who made drunk gestures towards us. I tripped him before running into my boyfriend's arms. I think if I had been paying attention I would've noticed something in the distant trees…

The bright sunlight shocked me awake this morning, ugh why did I have to get the room facing the bloody fuckin' EAST? Oh right, Gareth likes the idea of waking to the direction of Sarmatia. By the way, where is my boyfriend? I wake to the fucking sun to find that my boyfriend left me cold! Damnit! And it was his idea to fall asleep gazing at the moon.

He is so romantic it's a little sick. But I can live with that. I stretched out my muscles as the pajamas I wore fell back into place, we had this unspoken agreement against sex, I wasn't ready for it and he "loved" me too much so respected my wishes. My feelings for him grew, although I'm all for cuddling. I just wish that my Gareth-bed wasn't so muscly. Rolling my shoulders I picked out the clothes I decided to wear today not noticing that Gareth's things were not where they were last night as I tidied the room.

"VICKY! WHAT DID YOU DO!" Charity screeched bursting into the room Gareth and I shared.

"AHH! Fuckin' Hell bitch! Do you ever shut the fuck up!" I yelled back with equal if not more volume as I clutched my buzzing head. "What the hell're you talking about?"

"Vicky the knights left us! It's all your fault the hotties left."

"THEY WHAT?

A/N: I AM SOOOOOOO SORRY! Firstly, because it has taken me forever to get this one down and secondly, because this is such a drag chapter. I'm really trying to make it up to the interesting part because I have a lot of stuff in store for Ria and Charity. Also for all those who totally hate and despise Charity, I'm sorry but I really can't have her lynched, tortured (too much), killed, attacked, or the like. She is an important character to this story regardless of how awful her personality is. There are a lot of people in this world who are "a little (or a lot) over the top, but we can't have them all lynched and etc. It's just not done (even if we'd love it to happen).

Anyway thanks so much to my reviewers, because I did such a crappy job on this chapter and made everyone wait soooooo frickin' long I am posting this and the next (good) chapter. I believe I owe you that much.

The Wild Woman: thanks for the review, hope this chapter answered your question about Gareth. Obviously he likes, I hope it was explained well enough.

Ailis-70: I don't know if it's totally got its groove back but it's getting there. I hope. Gareth is a very good man, he's almost perfect but then again, my idea of perfect tends to differ from my changing moods.

Ah, the nose thing, I'm a natural born klutz… it's hereditary, I think. Actually the morning I wrote that, I ran into the wall trying to avoid the couch. OUCH!

As well as why Gareth likes her, I hope I answered it well enough. The reason Tristan likes her… well, we'll just have to see now won't we? Hee hee hee. It could be her spunk or perhaps his "manly" needs. Which brings me up to the next part, YES the knights (or most of them) believe they are the gods' gift to women (or men depending on preference of the era).

I was really hoping Ria wasn't too Mary-sueish, the idea of perfection is jaded by the media and that's what I'm trying to embody in Charity (although the fact that she spreads her legs for everything that walks is just a little more reason I love to hate her). Ria doesn't look for trouble unless she's certain she can do something to fix it and that is what leads her to a lot of trouble and usually Charity is right there making everything worse.

Thanks so much, but you have been a great help don't think that you haven't. You play integral roles by being beta and reviewer, and I really appreciate it.

Shevaun: Oh good, I'm glad to see that you are enjoying it. Yes, Ria can be very testy; she's self-righteous and a bit short-tempered when things aren't just. I promise that there will be more fights between Charity and Ria, it wouldn't be fun without those fights but sorry to say that reconciliation between the two of them isn't in the future. I can't make it like an after-school special kind of moment with these to, the conflict is just too great (and a lot of fun for me to create). Tristan and Ria… sounds really cute, but like I've kept saying you'll have to wait and see.

LANCELOTTRISTANBABY: Glad you liked it. Sorry for the wait.

Eshlyn Kar: Thanks for the review!

KnightMaiden: I'm sorry, but Gareth is just too sweet. But things do get better and worse. That much I can tell you.

ViolinAngel: Thank you for the review! Yeah the fight was fun, and Tinnius did deserve it. I thought about how to incorporate what I could find on line about the legend into my story and somehow this seemed to work for me.

Evenstar-mor2004: Hahahahaha! Yes, Charity has to go too. She's important to the story… but that comes sooo much later or will it? You'll see.

Adena27: Thanks for agreeing with me, I know this one kind of did too, but hopefully you'll think the next one is better. Thanks for the review. Yesh, Charity is just a stupid slut, but there are layers to even people like that, I promise to show that at least.