"Is that it?" Lancelot asked seeing a roman estate setup amongst the green British hills.
"That it is." Arthur said.
"The roman hand reaches far, doesn't it?" Lucan asked.
"The family who owns this estate will be playing hosts to us, their hospitality should be respected and we should be thankful." They all nodded at the stern tone Arthur used. Aria looked over their commanding officer. He had a firm set jaw unlike a roman but his skin was not olive colored as it usually was. Instead it was a clay white, much like the British knights that rode around her. His hair was curly and black much like a roman but his eyes were a deep green like a British mans. She tilted her head, he was attractive enough and would someday undoubtedly find a beautiful roman woman to wed, and still she wondered what his background was.
"Your eyes do wonder…" Lancelot said now riding beside her. She looked to him with a small glare before relaxing at his devilish smile.
"What do you think the background of Arthur is, he looks very much roman but I see British aspects…"
"He said his ancestors have manned the walls for years, so he must have British blood flowing through his veins… Roman women are rare here so his mother or even grandmother could have been-."
"My mother was British." They looked to see Arthur who was far ahead of him.
"Ears like a hell hound." She said and Arthur smiled.
"Look sharp." He as they approached the gates. Aria watched as tons of British workers looked at them from the farm land around the estate.
"Look how the little ones are smiling…" Gawain said.
"Is it in admiration or in thanks that they are not up on these horses?" Aria asked.
"Who goes there?" they looked up at a few roman guards who were above the closed gates.
"I am Arthur Castus, these are my knights, and we are expected by your master." It took a few minutes but finally the gates opened and the guards followed out a tall young man with curly brown hair olive skin and large black eyes.
"What an honor it is Arthur Castus and his noble noble knights… We are thankful for your presence…"
"We are thankful for your welcome." He said.
"My sister has had our staff prepare a splendorous meal for you and her Knights, please come inside come inside." The knights got off their horses and led them into the inner workings of the roman estate.
"Let my men take your horses for you, they will be fed and given water I'm sure they could use it from the long journey…"
"Thank you." Arthur said as his horse was led away. They followed the roman into the house and Aria looked around at the fine marble and pure white stone walls. They walked to an eating hall and the roman turned.
"Oh my lady you can eat with the other charges in the room next door…" He said with a stern look.
"I am not a charge…" she said.
"Oh I see she is your whore for the men?" He asked Arthur and he jutted out his jaw.
"This is Aria Adne, one of my knights…"
"Could you not tell from the armor?" Lancelot asked with a slight glare.
"I'm… I'm very sorry, I've never heard of a female knight." The roman said.
"There's never been one before." She said with a kind look.
"I'm very embarrassed." He stated.
"No need to be embarrassed in your position I would have thought the same." She said with a smile which he returned.
"Please do come in, drink, eat, drink some more we will have a grand time." He said leading them in.
"I'm afraid you have not told us your name…" Arthur said. "I would like to know it so I may give my thanks earnestly."
"How rude of me, I am Eolus…" He said with a bow. "Eolus Hadris…"
"Thank you for welcoming us with such hospitality Eolus." Arthur said as they took a seat at a square table. Instantly food began to be brought out and the men began to stuff themselves. Aria instead grabbed a pear and ate gingerly.
"You should eat who knows when we shall have such a feast." Bors said to her.
"Exactly, you don't want to expand your stomach so you'll be hungry on the ride back…" she said softly.
"Right… I'll slow down then." He said with a nod.
"The armor would have fooled me but the way you eat… It yells I'm a lady." Eolus said making her look to him. "Won't you have some wine it's straight from Rome?"
"It's very fragrant." She said. "Some of the best I've had then again I haven't had much." He smiled as he raised a glass to her and she raised it back trying to be polite. The night kept on a cheery mood and Aria smiled as she watched the Knights relish in the festivities and food. She jumped as Eolus sat down next to her a goblet in hand.
"What's your name I'm afraid I have forgotten it thanks to the wine." He said.
"It's Aria…" she said as the others slowly turned their attention to her and Eolus.
"How long have you been on this earth?"
"Sixteen long years." She said with a smile.
"Arthur this girl should have been taken a wife by now." Eolus boasted as Arthur just nodded politely. "Do you wish to be some ones wife?" he asked her softly.
"I don't need a husband when I have all these men to look after." She said smiling at the knights who laughed.
"What of children?" Eolus inquired.
"Don't need children with all these men around." They laughed even more as did Eolus.
"For a British woman you are quite beautiful…" she said. "And I have to say… metal…" he touched the cuffs on her wrists. "It suits you."
"Well you're not so bad looking for a Roman." The others laughed again while Eolus smiled.
"You are quick minded… Rare for a woman." He said.
"And you are drunk, not so rare for a Roman." They laughed again except for Arthur who feared the territory his female knight was treading into. Eolus laughed and Arthur relaxed.
"Come to my bed chamber tonight…" the table went silent and Aria straightened up a pear in hand. After a moment she smiled softly before looking to him.
"I promise my lord I will not be this attractive in the morning…" she said and everyone smiled.
"No no even now I can see you have the face of an angel."
"How many glasses of wine have you had sir?" she asked.
"Five…"
"Well I have had just half a goblet and Bors here…" she took his chin in hand. "Looks like a little cherub." The men let out a boisterous laugh as Eolus leaned on the table and over looked her.
"I noticed before your beauty Aria and I can say that the wine has not enhanced those heavenly features a bit… I may sound like a heretic when I say this, but your beauty is like that of a goddess that I may near change my religion to believe in such…"
"Words lose their charm when spoken from the lips that be blessed with wine…" She said starting to grow weary of his advances.
"I am not used to women saying no to me…" He said.
"Don't be offended my lord, for I say no out of necessity… As a female knight I am to stay a virgin…" She said looking to him.
"So if you were not a knight you would come with me to my bed chamber?" he asked.
NO NO I WOULD NOT! Aria smiled softly.
"We will never know will we…" She said.
"Maybe…" he smiled at her. "Arthur I wish to buy this woman from you."
"What?" Lancelot asked with a laugh as Aria turned to the Roman and glared.
"She is not an animal to be sold." Arthur said. "She is a knight, an honorable warrior one who should be respected. Aria I think it's time you retire."
"I was thinking the same thing." She said standing. As she walked away the roman latched onto her hand, she turned quickly grabbed a dagger from her thigh and slammed it down into the table right between the romans fingers. She looked at the shaking man for a long moment.
"Good night my lord…" she said before taking her dagger and walking out.
"I think that was a no." Gawain said making the others laugh even Eolus who sat down with a nervous look. Aria followed a roman woman through the estate and was led to a row of small rooms for guests.
"Here you are…" she said before scurrying off.
"Oh uhm… Thank you!" she called as the woman disappeared around a corner. Aria slowly walked into the room and looked around. It was smaller than the one back at the fort but comfortable none the less, she left the door open knowing Arthur would come to check on her. Five minutes later that's just what happened.
"Aria…" he said at the door way. "Can I come in?"
"Please do…" she said from the window sill she sat at. "Am I in trouble for nearly stabbing our host?" She asked.
"No, but I am glad you missed." He said walking in.
"Oh Arthur…" she laughed. "I never miss…" he laughed.
"A nice shot it was then…" he said. "Would you want one of the other knights to come stay with you tonight, incase Eolus tries to drag you to his bed…"
"Might not be a bad idea… Maybe two would be better that way it doesn't seem to Eolus that I have a knight already accompanying me in bed."
"He's roman." He said. "Two lovers at once is not so strange…"
"So three knights?" He laughed.
"I'll go get them who are you most comfortable with?"
"I don't trust Lucan and Jameson mostly because I do not know them… Tristan would never pull anything and neither would Gawain or Galahad… Besides Boris and Dag they snore like monsters, won't get a wink of sleep if they come by."
"What of Lancelot?" he asked.
"He won't be sleeping tonight, he's already down in the village womanizing." She pointed out the window at the part below and Arthur groaned.
"We aren't supposed to fraternize on missions."
"Tell him that." She said with a laugh.
"I will, the other knights will be with you shortly… Or you can go to them they're already sharing a room two doors down."
"I'll just go to them." She said heading out with Arthur. "Good luck hunting down Lancelot."
"Thanks." He groaned securing his cloak. Aria walked two doors down and knocked.
"Come in." she heard two men chime.
"Hello…" she said seeing Galahad and Gawain.
"Hey to what do we owe the pleasure?" Gawain asked.
"Arthur asked me to stay here tonight as to deter Eolus."
"He was pretty determined." Galahad said.
"You handled him well…" Gawain added.
"Thanks…" She slowly turned and looked around the room. "Where's Tristan?"
"With the horses making sure they're safe…" Galahad said. "Well I'm dead tired I'll be heading to bed…" he went to one of the beds and rested his head down and instantly they heard light snoring.
"I swear that boy can go to sleep anywhere." Gawain said sitting down against a wall as he sharpened his axes. "Want me to do yours?" he inquired.
"If you don't mind." She said.
"Not at all, I rather like to… Reminds me of home." He said taking hers and setting them aside. Aria sat down next to him and watched as he skillfully sharpened his ax held in hand. "What reminds you of home Aria?"
"Me?" she inquired. "I guess… Horses…"
"Because you bred them?"
"Yes, also a summers rain… My mother used to have my sister and I dance in the rain to clean us…" she smiled softly as Gawain looked to her.
"You had a sister?" he inquired, she had never mentioned such a thing in the many years he had known her.
"Yes she was older, her name was Iona…"She smiled softly. "If I close my eyes I can see her so vividly like she is standing right before me…" her eyes drifted closed.
"What does she look like?" Gawain asked.
"She had the whitest skin… Like a sheet of fresh snow… Her hair was red like fire, she had my mother's kind eyes and my father's pointed chin the only trait we shared…" Her eyes opened. "I wonder if she still walks this earth…"
"Why would she not be?" he asked.
"There was something not right with her… She was constantly getting sick, and she couldn't hear or speak… When I had left she had begun to lose her sight..."
"Was she your fathers child as well?" He asked. "Or your uncles."
"She was my fathers…" she said with a smile. "But she looked more like my mother…"
"How did your father die in battle?"
"Mother would never say." She said with a shrug. "Did you have any siblings Gawain?"
"A younger brother, they tried to take him but before the romans came I hid him in the marsh and told my mother where he was…"
"So they would only take you…" She said.
"That's right…"
"You could have hidden as well…"
"I was afraid that a family with no sons would be killed so I made sure I was standing there ready to go with no fuss…"
"I see…" she said. "What was your brother's name?"
"Gilly… Short for Gilligus…"
"Odd name."
"I know." He said with a laugh. "He was an odd boy, very curious about all things." Gawain smiled. "I do hope I am reunited with him some day, and I do hope you are reunited with Iona." They smiled at each other before Gawain moved onto the next ax. "Hmm…" he said.
"What?"
"Your axes are heavier than mine…" he looked to her. "Can we trade I like my axes heavy…" she felt his and nodded.
"Sure." She said. "I like mine light." He nodded and continued to sharpen them. Aria over looked Gawain. His long red hair was braided in some parts and curled in others, he had a wild look to him that matched his personality. She smiled at his kind expression and the permanent blush that always rested in his cheeks. Any woman would find him handsome and in some ways she did, but there was no draw to him no attraction. She looked over at Galahad who slept in the bed. Galahad was a fine looking man as well. Boyishly good looks, deep russet eyes and curly brown hair. He had strong arms for his lanky frame which he showed off in his sleeveless armor. Again she knew she should be attracted, but there was no draw to him.
"You seem troubled." Gawain said as he looked over his new ax.
"No." she said jumping and looking back to him.
"Now you seem nervous." He said with a smile.
"Never nervous around you boys." She said coolly.
"Hardly ever nervous at all… Even when you were under the intent gaze of that Roman. Were you flattered?" Gawain inquired.
"I might have been flattered by a British man never a roman."
"If you married a roman you would never have to worry about your children becoming knights…"
"Maybe I just won't have children." She said with a shrug.
"You don't really have a choice over that." He said.
"I hear there are ways." She said looking to him.
"I've heard of them too and look forward to trying them…" he said with a smile.
"Will you have sons someday?" he looked to her and thought for a moment.
"No I hope for girls, so they won't face the fate of being a knight…"
"I faced the fate."
"Yes but you also looked like a boy when you were picked up." He laughed. "You looked more boyish then Galahad."
"Gee thanks." She said with a smile.
"So if you were too just have girly girly daughters would you?" he asked.
"Who knows if a man would even want to take me so I could."
"The roman wanted you."
"I mean the right man…" she said. Gawain looked to her with a smile.
"You try to act like a man but you are all woman." He said with a laugh.
"Your meaning?" she asked in honesty.
"So unsure of your looks."
"If there are any." She said.
"Do you not see yourself every day?" he asked. "You're a fine woman…" Tristan halted as he was about to walk into the room he was to share with Galahad and Gawain. He could hear Gawain inside speaking to someone, a female someone.
"You're funny." Tristan froze, it was Arias voice.
"I am not joking." Gawain said with a smile. "You are a beautiful lass."
"Don't call me lass." He laughed and she smiled.
"Aria, you're a rarity in many ways despite the fact you are a warrior woman."
"Warrior woman?" she asked. "That sounds ridiculous." She laughed.
"You know what I mean." He said. "But in the other way you are rare, I have never seen such blonde hair such as yours it's near the color of the sun it is… and your skin, white as winter, not to mention your body-."
"Stop there." She said her hand up. "It's getting weird."
"It shouldn't be I'd never go for you myself."
"Oh no?" she asked looking to him.
"Not even I am worthy of a lass such as you."
"Awe you're a pear." She said pinching his cheek and making him laugh. The door opened and they turned to see Tristan.
"Tristan need anything sharpened?" he threw a large knife and it stuck into the wood window beside Gawain. "Nice shot." He said taking it. Tristan sat across from the two his legs stretched out in front of him. He threw her an apple which she caught and smiled in thanks.
"Ooh it's a green one my favorite!" She said with a bright smile. "Thanks Tristan."
"Uhn…" he answered.