Aria rode into the barn her saddle bags full of goods for the next mission. She had gotten word the night before from Arthur that they were to go defend a small roman estate from a small group of rebels. Not woads but not far off. They were still very dangerous and very violent. She saw a young woman and older man in roman clothing speaking to Arthur and the other knights.
"Here she is." Arthur said and Aria dismounted.
"You are Aria?" The woman asked walking to her. Aria could tell the woman had been crying.
"Yes miss…" she said as she walked to her. She nearly jumped when the woman moved forward and pulled her to her body.
"Thank you so much…" She whispered. "Thank you for bringing even a part of her back."
"Oh…" Aria said realizing who it was. When the woman pulled away she took the woman's hand in hers. "My condolences to you and yours are deep and very sincere… I'm so sorry for your loss madam…"
"You brought back our daughter so the loss isn't as great as it would have been…" the woman said.
"My daughter Rosaline thanks to you will get to have a proper death mask made… So she will be able to rest in peace fully… I thank you for this…" The man said taking her hands and kissing the back.
"There is no need any one else would have…" Aria said softly.
"No a woman would have…" the mother said.
"My wife and I wish to repay you."
"There is really no need for that." Aria said. "Really no need."
"Please let us do something…" The woman said. "We have to do something…"
"Aria they have a debt…" Arthur said making his knight look to him. "The debt needs to be repaid…"
"You have to let us…" The father stated in panic.
"I wouldn't know to even ask for…" she said looking to Arthur. "Seems wrong too…"
"That's because you have a good heart…" The woman said with a soft smile.
"Such a wondrous soul… Still, try to think of something." The father added.
"You are a woman in mannish clothing constantly, you must be in need of fine dresses I have brought some with me…" the woman said. "You and my daughter were the same size… Please let me bestow these upon you…" Aria smiled.
"That sounds wonderful…" The man rushed to a carriage and took a trunk off of it, Jols helped him carry it over. Aria looked to Arthur and saw him smiling.
"We will wait here for you to return and have a fine banquet to celebrate your success on the mission to bring our dear daughter home." The woman said.
"That sounds wonderful; rooms have been made available to you… We do have to ride on now though." Arthur said.
"Wondrous…" The man said with a clap. "You all be very very safe." The men only nodded. Aria froze as the woman moved forward and hugged her again.
"You as well the world can be cold to woman so… Stay warm in a way…"
"Yes miss…" she said with a nod before mounting her horse. At Arthurs orders they kicked off and rode from the headquarters of the knights.
"You handled that well." Arthur said.
"Do you think I upset them by initially saying no to their offer to repay me?" She asked.
"No you made them nervous but not upset..." He said.
"I didn't realize that was a belief amongst the romans."
"I should have warned you…"
"Oh here picked this up for your burn…" she reached into her saddle bag and handed him a bunch of mint. "Grind this up put it on your wound it will relieve you a bit…"
"Thanks." He said with a smile stowing it away in his own bag. Aria dropped back to Jameson with a smile.
"How's Lucan I didn't get to check in on him last night." She said.
"He is fine, upset that he won't be on this mission but Arthur insisted." He said. "Look Aria I feel as though I should-."
"You've already said you're sorry and I've already accepted it." she patted him on the back. "Here eat something you look like death." She reached into her pack and pulled out some grapes.
"Thanks." He said with a smile.
"Can I have some?" Gawain asked with wide eyed as he looked over the fine fruit in Jamesons hands. "Aria?" he asked when no answer came. She looked at him with a stern glare and he averted his eyes.
"How far are we to ride?" Lancelot asked as they neared the gate of the wall.
"Half a day." Arthur replied.
"That's not far…" Aria said. "How long until the rebels are upon them?"
"They come and go but a soldier who is stationed at the gates told his master Comrece that he had been told in the heat of battle by a rebel that a huge incursion would take the home down."
"I see…" Aria said.
-o-
The ride was pleasantly uneventful, so much so they rode through the night despite the rain. When they got over a steep hill they looked down at a small roman estate surrounded by a village of workers. It looked as though there had been a battle. Bodies were still being buried in a make shift burial ground. The knights looked to each other before riding down their bows resting in their laps just in case.
"As we've done before." Arthur said and they all nodded. When they got to the small village they rode up to a closed gate that surrounded the roman estate.
"Who goes there!?" a soldier called from ahead.
"They are the knights let them in!" they heard someone yell. The gates slowly opened and an older man with greying hair walked out quickly. "You are Arthur Castus yes?"
"Yes… My knights and I are here to assist you…"
"Thank god." He said. "They have killed half my workers…" he said as the knights dismounted their horses. "Not to mention my wife."
"Of course the woman is last on his mind…" Aria muttered and Dag smiled at her antics.
"Whatever you could do to help us I'd be grateful." Comrece said.
"I need to speak to that soldier that said an incursion was coming." Arthur said getting right down to business.
"Yes of course…" he looked to a soldier. "Fetch him."
"Yes master." He said before running off.
"Please please come inside my Paige's will tend to the horses…"
"Take her saddle off immediately…" Aria said to a young boy who walked over and took hers.
"Yes miss…" he said before walking off with her horse. They walked past rows and rows of rose gardens before finally making it to the marble estate. They walked in through two large bronze doors which Aria noted were British made. When they got into a large dining room a soldier was brought in and thrown to the ground by two others.
"What's the rough handling about?" Lancelot asked.
"He's the reason my wife is dead… He didn't throw himself in front of her as was his duty." Comrece said. "Why is there a woman amongst us?" He looked to Aria.
"Oh I'm sorry sir I forget I'm a bit of a rarity amongst Romans. I'm a female knight." She said with a smile and a nod.
"You dare speak in my presence!" he rose his hand and went to bring it down upon her face but Tristan caught his wrist while pointing a sword to his throat.
"It's fine…" Aria said and Tristan quickly let him go before taking a small step in front of Aria. "Romans are behind of the times after all…" Tristan set a protective hand on her stomach and pushed her further behind him.
"Aria…" Arthur said with a warning tone.
"Who is this woman?" Comrece asked his eyes wide.
"As she said she is a knight." Arthur said.
"Women do not fight."
"She does." Lancelot said.
"Better than most of us." Dag added with a smile.
"I will not have a woman in my presence if we are to speak war." Comrece said.
"Then you will have none of us in your presence Comrece…" Arthur said. "She stays or we go." The Roman gritted his teeth for a long moment.
"Fine."
"Excellent…" Arthur said. "Also we do not need you here for the questioning. Tell who ever handles the food that the knights and I are hungry… If we are to defend this estate we are to need sustenance." Comrece with a loud grunt turned and walked off. "We won't be needing any of you either…" he said looking to the soldiers. As one past Aria he winked at her and she instantly glared thumbing a dagger on her thigh. He gave a low whistle as he walked out and she turned quickly. "No…" Arthur said before she could throw the dagger at the soldier.
"But… I want to…" she said with a slight whine.
"Maybe later when the battle comes you can pretend a rebel got him but it was actually you." Dag said.
"I would never do such a thing…" she said despite the fact she was rubbing her hands together in a devious way.
"No… Not ever…" Lancelot said. "James…" he said covering it with a cough.
"Did someone say James?" she asked with a glare.
"No…" they all said while Tristan just glared into Lancelot.
"Soldier you may stand…" Arthur said and the soldier shook his head quickly.
"They have beaten my feet with sticks I cannot stand…" He muttered in a clear British accent. "I'm sorry…" Aria instantly moved forward.
"Aria what are you doing?" Arthur asked.
"I will not have him sit on the floor like a dog…" She muttered as she wrapped an arm around the soldier's waist. Now that she knew him to not be a Roman she had no ill will towards him.
"Dag." She said and instantly he moved forward and helped her carry him over to a chair Aria holding his legs up so they wouldn't touch the ground.
"Than' you…" he said.
"Wine…" Arthur said pouring him a glass.
"Than' you kin'ly." He said with a broken accent as he took a hurried sip.
"Slow sips, slow sip…" Aria said with a soft expression. "You don't want to choke…" he only nodded coughing slightly.
"So in the heat of battle you heard the rebels say a massive incursion would be coming?" Arthur asked sitting.
"At the 'ime I thought it be a threat but the next battle came and more rebels were amongst us. That's when the dear Lady Shona was killed… I tried to leap in front of her per my duties but I was too late in my movement… Upon my torture I told them what the rebel said though I did hav'alf a mind to keep to me self." They all nodded. "I am to be put to death…"
"There is nothing I can do for that…" Arthur said and Aria looked to him wide eyed. "Take him back from where he came." The soldiers came back in and latched onto him.
"No please no!" he yelled stretching out his hands to them and Aria went to move forward.
"No." Arthur said and she froze. When they had gone Aria looked to Arthur and he averted his eyes in return. "It is not our mission Aria." He muttered.
"He is in need of aid…" She said horrified. "That man has done nothing wrong…" She said with a point. "The injustice of it-."
"Is none of our concern…" Arthur said and she clenched her jaw. "Though… It would be a shame if someone were to… Find out where he was locked up and let him loose…" He looked to her and she smiled softly.
"I think I'm going to go take a small walk…"
"Good Idea." Arthur said as he watched her head off.
"Where is the woman off too?" Comrece asked.
"The woman is off to do woman things." Aria called over her shoulder. Comrece just glared before looking o Arthur.
"In Rome such acts would leave her without a tongue."
"It's a good thing this is not in Rome then…" Gawain said with a glare.
-o-
As the feast was laid out Aria walked back in. She had a troubled look as she sat down. Instantly they could tell she had not been able to free the soldier. They also knew though that she would not give in so easily. Comrece caught her gaze and he tilted her head at her.
"You're eyes do linger sir…" she said. "Does something interest you?"
"You were gone for some time…" He said.
"Womanly duties often take such time…" she said.
"What duties was it you had to tend to I wonder?"
"Ones that are none of your concern Sir…" He ground his teeth causing his jaw to clench while a young Roman man next to him laughed quietly.
"Does something amuse you Arnes?" Comrece asked.
"This woman she's funny…"
"Daring not funny…" Comrece muttered.
"Maybe both…" he smiled at her. "My name is Arnes."
"I heard…" she said and he smiled at her.
"Yes both indeed…" he said before looking around. "So you protect which outpost on the wall?"
"Badon hill." Arthur answered.
"I hear that outpost has somewhat of a military advantage due to the hill behind it."
"Yes you can see attacks coming from quite far." Arthur said slightly impressed with the young man who looked to be around his own age of 21.
"I had often wanted to go there…"
"Why is that?" Bors asked with a steel gaze.
"His mother was born there." Comrece said.
"You are part British?" Aria asked.
"Mostly Roman." Comrece muttered with a glare.
"I am of equal parts." He sat patting his father on the back. "Though I will admit I do prefer this land to the one my father is from."
"He likes the cold." Comrece said.
"I hate the cold." Gawain said blinking.
"I love the rain it's good for washing away any ill deeds, it's a good cleanse." Aria looked at the young man for a long moment. She had often said the same thing. Arnes caught her gaze and flashed a dazzling smile she instantly averted her eyes and took a sip of wine. Tristan watched as a blush rose into her cheek. His jaw clenched before he looked to Arnes who looking at Aria with a dazzling smile. "So how long will you all be here?"
"For as long as it takes." Arthur said. "We will stay until the rebels stop attacking."
"I have to say I'm very thankful that you are here, my men are fair fighters but they are newly trained and so are very novice in a fight." Arnes said.
"Your men?" Arthur asked.
"The soldiers here were handpicked and trained by my son."
"You are a warrior?" Dag asked.
"Oh no, I'm nothing like all of you…" he said. "I'm just a guy who can handle a sword and somewhat defend himself."
"I tire of this…" Comrece got up from the table and stormed away, when he had gone Arnes smiled softly.
"You will have to excuse my father, the death of my mother has worn him thin and my little brother Caspis is very ill…"
"I am sorry to hear of this." Arthur said.
"Thank you, so please don't let his mood deter you from why you're here he will not admit it readily but we are in great need… I used to have twenty men who protected the estate now I only have six."
"About to be five isn't it?" Aria asked. "You've put to death one of them."
"Ah yes… Not my choice my fathers."
"He is one of your men and there for under your protection…" Aria said.
"I never thought of it that way, I will speak to my father and try to get leniency." He said with a nod and a smiled before returning to eating. Aria shifted in her seat a little surprised that he had so quickly gone to that conclusion. "I'm afraid I didn't catch your name Knightess…"
"Aria." She said.
"Aria that is a wonderful name." he said with a smile. "So let's see if I have it all right, Arthur, Gawain, Galahad, Bors, Tristan, Dagonet, Lancelot, Jameson, and the fair Aria."
"Bors is the fair one." She said and they all laughed especially Arnes. She watched as he flipped his curly brown hair back and looked at her with glee filled green eyes.
"Funny indeed." Arnes said. "I look forward to all your stays here I have made rooms available to all of you, but I'm afraid I was unsure of where to put Aria…" he looked to Arthur.
"She usually stays with one of the knights, her choice." Arthur said.
"Who do you think you'll stay with?" Arnes asked.
"I won't know until later…"
"Well you must let me know…"
"Sure…" she said quietly.
"My lady you have barely touched your food is it not to your liking?" Arnes inquired.
"I do not wish to spoil myself on such meals…"
"Keeping your womanly physic?" he asked.
"Sure… I need to go tend to the horses… Excuse me." she got up quickly and walked away. Arnes looked around with a worried expression.
"Did I offend her?"
"She has a quiet way about her." Arthur said wondering why she had left in such a hurry. "That's all."
"Good I would hate to offend one of the brave knights who is posted here. I drink to you all brave brave men." He rose a glass and they did so as well instantly realizing that the young man they first thought was a spoiled brat wasn't all that bad.
-o-
Tristan sat in the corner of a room while Gawain sharpened an ax which lay in his lap. He hadn't said anything to Tristan and he returned had said nothing either. Tristan though was glad for the silence knowing it would end when Galahad came back. So when the door gave a click and began to open he groaned knowing the talking would begin. Then Aria waltzed through and he relaxed.
"Aria…" Gawain said. She ignored him as she looked around the room and spotted Tristan.
"Can I stay with you?" she asked, and he nodded. She walked in and right afterwards Galahad did as well.
"Aria?" he asked a little surprised by her presence.
"She is staying in our room for the mission…" Gawain said.
"She told you this?" Galahad asked and Aria just rolled her eyes as she sat down her back against a wall across from Tristan.
"Of course not." Gawain said before leaping down from the top bunk. He walked over to Aria and shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Aria?" she didn't say anything. "Aria I'd really like to talk to you." She just shrugged. "Alone?" she sighed heavily before getting up and walking away with him. When they got out the door they walked to a balcony in the hallway and sat down outside. Gawain took a breath a wrapped parcel sitting in his lap. "I'm sorry…" she looked at him and it was the first time since the discussion around the camp fire that she had. "I don't know why I got caught up in the discussion… I don't know why I'd even care to be caught up… I could blame it on the cold but that would be a cop out… I'm just really sorry it ever happened… You've been one of my truest friends since childhood. I'm just sorry I ruined that."
"It's not ruined…" she said quietly and he looked to her.
"I'm sorry I hurt your feelings Aria…"
"That's alright…"
"It's not." He said. "So I brought something in an offering of my sincere apology."
"You didn't have to do that."
"Yes I did…" he handed the parcel over. "You can use them or not but I made them for you." She opened up the parcel and looked down at two hand axes. She slowly took one in hand and looked over the leather handles which had a braided detail. Her eyes then scanned to the blade which had a Celtic design branded into it. "This is wondrous…" she said her hand moving over the circular design.
"They are light too, but strong." He said. "The design I put in there…" he sat down next to her. "It's the symbol for warrior and the one on the other side." he flipped it and she saw it was different. "It's for woman…" she smiled as she looked down at them.
"These are fine weapons they must have taken you a long time to make." He only shrugged. "Thank you…" she moved forward and to his surprise hugged him. "I will cherish them always." He returned the hug with a small smile before she pulled away. "Now come on let's get off this balcony before someone sees us and mistakes us for lovers."
"No one would think that…" he said as they walked back into the room. "I'm far too pretty for you." She turned and punched him in the shoulder. "Waiting for it… Waiting for it… Owe!" he rubbed his arm. "How do you do that?" he asked rubbing his shoulder. "How do you punch and make it so you don't feel any pain until a few seconds later where it goes down to the bloody bone?"
"I miss that…" Galahad said.
"Oh I'm not so mad at you…" Aria said.
"Really?" he asked with a big boyish smile.
"No of course I'm angry with you, you prat! I saved you from bloody drowning and still you agreed with the twins!"
"I'm sorry I'm so sorry!" he said.
"Ahk." She waved him off and he bowed his head.
"Need to get her a gift like I did…" Gawain muttered.
"I don't want anything from him." she said as she sat down next to Tristan who pulled out an apple and handed it to her. "Here you are sir…" she handed him a pear and he smiled as he took it. A knock sounded and Gawain walked over opening the door to reveal Arnes. "I was looking for the fair Aria is she here?"
"It's just Aria, not the fair Aria, not the knightess Aria, just Aria…" she said getting to her feet and walking over.
"Well just and true Aria…" he said walking in. "You did not tell me where you were to stay, so I came looking for you to give you some things…"
"I don't need anything."
"The others got stuff."
"It's true." Gawain said.
"So here you are…" he handed her a small basket.
"Mine didn't come in that…" Galahad said.
"I see there is not a bed in here, shall I have one brought? Two will not hold you all…" Arnes said as Aria took the basket.
"I don't sleep…" She said with a steel gaze.
"And yet you are so fair…" he said with a brilliant smile. Aria wasn't sure why but in that moment she wanted nothing more than to punch him in his face. "Even so I'll have blankets set outside your room for you to use… Oh something extra a gift from me to you…" he pulled out from behind him a small vial. "Perfume the finest from Rome…"
"Thank you but I have no need of this." She handed it back and turned her back to him as she walked away.
"You'll fall for my charms soon for this I am sure." Arnes said with a smile.
"Not before you fall on your back…" she muttered sitting down next to Tristan.
"Funny funny lady." He walked out of the room and Aria threw a dagger which slammed into the door which had closed.
"Very nice Aria…" Gawain said taking the dagger out with some difficulty.
"He annoys me…" she muttered before looking to Tristan. "See what happens when I don't bind…"
"I thought your chest looked larger than usual…" Galahad said and Aria quickly stood and stormed from the room. "I was trying to compliment her!" Tristan shook his head, he wondered for a moment if he should go after her but realized that she most likely needed time on her own to process things. So he waited for her to come back.
He waited for a half hour when Gawain and Galahad had long started to try and sleep. He waited an hour when Galahad and Gawain had succeeded in their time to sleep. He waited for three hours when the snoring had near become too much. He waited until morning when finally she came in. He couldn't help but wonder where she had been all night. He would never think she was with a man he knew her far too well for that but still he wondered.
"Where were you?" he asked.
"You didn't wait up did you?" she asked, and he only nodded.
"I'm sorry Tristan…" she said with a soft expression. "After walking I realized I was far too jacked up to sleep so I went for a ride with Teleri… I'm sorry."
"No it's fine…" he said.
"No it's not you were up all night weren't you? You could have always come looking for me." she said.
"Thought you would want to be alone."
"I never not want your company Tristan." She said resting her hands on his. "Now wake up the boys, breakfast is down stairs." She headed to the door but Tristan stood.
"Aria?" she turned just in time to catch an apple which she smiled down at before throwing a pear which he caught. When she disappeared out the door he turned to see Gawain sitting up in bead looking at him with a raised eyebrow. Tristan didn't say anything he just got his things together and soon left. Gawain looked down in thought remembering the way Aria had rested a tender hand on Tristan's.
"Oh no… You can't let your thoughts go there…" he shook his head with a laugh. "They've always been close like siblings really…"
"What are you on about?" Galahad asked groggily.
-o-
As Aria sat down next to Arthur helping herself to a small loaf of bread a young knight snuck up behind her. The others watched as Lancelot moved behind her and slowly held out a white rose with red edges in front of her. She glared down at the flower as Lancelot rested a hand on her shoulder and kneeled at her side.
"Aria?" she looked to him her jaw clenching. "A beautiful pure flower for a beautiful pure girl… I was wrong to ever think less of you… I'm sorry…" she took the flower and looked it over.
"Thanks."
"So you forgive me?"
"Let me see…" she plucked a petal. "I forgive you…" she plucked another. "I forgive you not…" she plucked one more. "I forgive you…" she ripped the rest off. "Oh look that… I don't forgive you."
"Bloody hell that's cold…" Lancelot said seeing the petals fall to the table.
"So is what you alluded about me before… Try again…" he slowly walked away Aria tossing the stem to the side.
"Uhm… Aria…" she looked turning to Bors who was sitting next to her. "I uhm… I'm scared to now… But I have been meaning to apologize sincerely for what happened… I think I said those things because thinking of you, someone I have viewed as a little sister being with a man made me angry in a brotherly way… I didn't mean to insult your honor, I really didn't but still I did… I hope this makes up for it… It's not so much for you as it is your horse… It was the best I could do…" he pulled out of a leather pouch a five inch tall six inch wide salt cube.
"Oh…" she said with a smile taking it. "Teleri will love this." Bors smiled while Lancelot gaped. "Thank you Bors…" she hugged him and he smiled instantly. She pulled away and stowed the salt cube in her leather pouch that hung at her side.
"So you forgive me?"
"Ah of course you big lug." She said punching him in the shoulder. He waited a few moments before cringing.
"Owe…" he said. "I'm thankful for the pain, it means she likes me again… Owe…" She smiled brightly at him.
"Where that bruise with pride I'm already missing mine." Galahad said.
"Whose fault is that huh?" she asked with a glare.
"I've said I was sorry…"
"Not really you haven't, and after somewhat doing so you make a comment about my… Breast size…" she added the last words quietly.
"They do look bigger actually." Lancelot said with a tilted head. Aria threw a dagger and it slammed into the table right between his fingers. "Aria!"
"Bastard…" she muttered getting up and walking away.
"Well done…" Arthur said to Lancelot with a clap.
"You think she'd like a compliment!" Lancelot yelled only to earn another dagger in the head rest of the chair he sat in. "That could have hit me!"
"Good!" she yelled.
"You make this right with her." Arthur said with a stern point at one of his dearest friends.
"I tried! The girl is bloody angry!" Lancelot said. "At me it seems the most."
"She still hasn't forgiven me either." Galahad muttered.
-o-
The rest of the day no one had seen Aria. She had missed the luncheon set up for them and the dinner. So when night fell and still no sight of her had come Arthur as commander went looking for her so his knights could rest. He walked into the barn and tilted his head. He had expected it to be harder to find her but there she was sitting on a hay stack high up in the barns feed level. He walked up the stairs and stopped seeing she was looking to him.
"Arthur…"She greeted. "It's late shouldn't you be in bed?"
"Shouldn't you?" he asked as he walked over and sat down next to her.
"Oh I can't sleep…" she said with a smile as she tied some stray pieces of hay together.
"You didn't last night either or the night before that…"
"How did you know about last night?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I saw you come out here and not return until early morning…" he said. "Do you want to tell me what weighs upon your thoughts so that you cannot sleep?" She shrugged. "Is it the fights you have going on with Galahad and Lancelot?"
"Not so much the fights but something they said that triggered me… Last night it was something that Galahad said tonight it's what Lancelot said earlier…"
"Is it the comment about your uhm… Your…" she eyed him to see he was making strange hand movements. "Your…"
"Breasts?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah it is… It's stupid."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"I have before with Tristan and it only made me feel worse; I doubt talking about it again would help…"
"Aria you are one of my finest knights but recently I've noticed a change I am worried and wish to know what weighs on your thoughts." He said with an earnest look.
"No you don't… I don't even wish it…" she said quietly.
"Aria… Please tell me…" she looked at him for a long moment.
"It is a long story Arthur…"
"I have time…" her jaw clenched and she looked out at the barn below them glad to see it was empty. "Well it started with a boy named James…"
"James? The James? The poor James James?"
"It really enrages me when they say poor James…" He watched as her jaw clenched so tightly it gave a soft popping noise.
"Why if I may ask?" He watched her bow her head as she took a deep breath.
"Since I was a young girl I've had to bind to keep my gender a secret." He nodded. "Some nights before I washed I would have to remove it… James walked in and saw me…" for the next two hours she told him everything, and to her surprise he stayed quiet the whole time. "Just until yesterday did I finally stop trying to hide myself out of fear that men would approach me and already Arnes has and Galahad and Lancelot have made comments… Every time a man looks my way or someone says something about how I look…" Arthur watched a stray tear cascaded down her cheek. "It's like I'm back on the floor of that barn and James is on top of me again…" she quickly wiped the tear away. "I feel like an idiot sometimes because it's not like he even really hurt me… He just touched me."
"He hurt you Aria don't ever feel like your feelings aren't justified because they very much are…" She looked to him surprised. "I wish you had told me all this before."
"So you wouldn't have brought me on as a knight?"
"No… No I would never wish that… I wish I had known so I could have bettered understand everything that was going on… So am I to guess Tristan knows?"
"Yeah it all came out back at the woad village… We were in the dungeon after you had been taken away and one of the woads tried to take advantage of me." he stared at her. "What?"
"Aria why did I not know this?" he asked blinking and she looked to him.
"I just assumed someone else would have said something." She said.
"They should have…" he was seething, completely enraged.
"Thanks for being kind Arthur…" his anger instantly subsided knowing it was no time to show how he felt about the situation. He wasn't angry with her never with Aria he was more angry with the men including Tristan. "Here… For you…" she set a small horse which had been made out of the straw she had been messing with over the course of the night. He looked down at it with a smile.
"Thanks…"
"I think I may try to go sleep tonight… I think maybe I'll be able to…" she climbed down the stairs to see the other knights walking in. "You all should be in bed."
"So should you." Gawain said.
"I'm going now, I was talking to Arthur." She walked past them the men went to follow when a clearing of the throat made them turn and looked to a furious looking Arthur.
"What happened?" Gawain asked. "What did we miss?"
"Would you like to tell me why no one mentioned that Aria's purity was nearly ripped away from her at the woad village?"
"It didn't come to consummation…" Lancelot said. "Ooh poor girls confused she doesn't even know the difference." Lancelot felt a great pain come across his cheek as he collided with the ground. "Bloody hell Arthur that hurt!" he yelled realizing he had been punched.
"A comrade of yours was nearly taken advantage of and you say nothing to me?" he asked looking all around as Bors helped Lancelot to his feet.
"It wasn't that big of a deal." Galahad said.
"It was to her!" Arthur shouted. "She's been messed up about it since then."
"I figured so…" Dag said and the others looked to him. "I just didn't want to bring it up in fear it would make her more upset."
"Does anyone else have as good a reason as that to not bring it up to me?" Arthur inquired.
"She's upset?" Gawain asked.
"Yes. Now I really know why she was so ticked off with all of you after the whole discussion of her purity because all of you had watched a man crawl on top of her!" they slowly looked down.
"We're idiots…" Galahad said.
"One more thing…" Arthur said making them look to her. "No more poor James…"
"Why not it's been a running joke for years?" Lancelot asked his nose bleeding.
"Because it isn't funny when you know the reason why she did what she did to him. She told me the whole bloody story."
"It really isn't funny…" Tristan muttered before biting a piece of pear off.
"What happened?" Bors asked.
"Did he do something to her?" Dag asked his eyes wide.
"It isn't my place to say and none of you will bring it up to her… All you need to know is a Knight among us is struggling with past demons and could use our support as friends and brothers in arms to her..." With that Arthur stormed off. "Lord knows she's been there for us!" He yelled and the knights looked to Tristan.
"What did James do?" Dag asked and Tristan just shrugged before walking away.