Aria sat in the barn her sword lying over her lap. She had been there all night, unable to find rest thanks to her mind lingering on Lucan. She would never forget the way he had looked at her when she had pulled him from the heat of battle. The hope in his eyes that he might live, only to die a few days later from infection. She had apologized to Jameson, for not doing more to protect Lucan in battle. He had said she had done nothing wrong but still she felt guilty.

"I think it's sharp enough Aria." She jumped the rock flying from her hand as her palm slid across the blade.

"Damn it!" She hissed in pain.

"Sorry I shouldn't have snuck up on you." Gawain said going to her side instantly. "You know you always do this when you sharpen your sword." He said shaking his head. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'll do it?"

"You were sleeping." She said as he wrapped her hand in a ripped piece of cloth.

"Proposing?" Lancelot asked as he and the others walked in to see Gawain on one knee with Arias hand in his grasp.

"Fixing my slit hand is more like it." Aria said as she along with Gawain stood.

"You always cut your hand when you sharpen your weapons you mine as well-."

"Just let Gawain do it I know…" Aria said with a smile as she finished Galahads sentence for him.

"Did you all get a restful sleep?" Arthur asked.

"Ready for battle." Jameson said as they all nodded. Tristan looked over Aria from the corner of the barn as she readied Teleri for the journey ahead. He could tell by how she moved that her mind was a hundred miles away.

"Aria." She turned and looked to Tristan who was walking towards her. "You didn't sleep."

"Had too much on my mind." She said as he handed her an apple. "Thanks…" she said with a soft smile.

"Green your favorite." He said as he went to walk away.

"Tristan." He turned and caught a pear before smiling and heading to his horse.

"We ride, Aria you and Tristan ride far ahead and take post."

"Right." She said with a smile as she kicked Teleri and they raced out the barn. The rode past the northern walls of the fort. Neither saying much, neither ever having to when in each other's presence. When they got near the river after a good days ride both dismounted their horses and slowly crept through the woods. When they heard the laughter of men and spotted the light of bonfires both got onto their stomachs and crawled across the ground.

"20 men, all whose faces I know…" Aria said softly.

"They took lower ground."

"Fools…" She said with a smile.

"We'll catch them off guard for sure, maybe under cover of night."

"I'm sure Arthur would go for that…" she said softly.

"Back to the horses." She nodded as they crept back before going to their horses.

"I saw a grouping of caves, Arthur will know we had gone there for cover." He nodded as they rode off quickly. When they got to grouping both dismounted their horses. Aria took the saddle off her horse before resting it on a boulder and looking around.

"I will start a fire." He said.

"Not out in the open… Maybe in the cave." She said and he nodded as they walked over to one. Aria sat down on the ground as Tristan began to build a fire. Aria smiled to herself, how they were acting was very much like before their kiss. She was glad things had gone back to normal, even if they still were somewhat romantically involved.

I'm having romance… I never thought I'd have romance… Oh god I really am a girl… Damn… She thought. Tristan tilted his head as he looked to Aria who was smiling softly to herself. It wasn't the smile that intrigued him but with the tiniest hue of pink on her cheeks.

"What are you smiling about?" he asked and she looked to him. "Well?" she just shrugged and he looked to the fire which was steadily growing.

"What do you think is taking the others so long?" she asked.

"Maybe woads."

"Maybe one of us should ride out try and find them." Aria said.

"They can handle themselves." He muttered as he sat back beside her. He took her wrapped hand in his and looked over the wound.

"I know I should have had Gawain sharpen my sword."

"I was going to say you should leave things like that to me…" He said and she looked to him.

"Why?" she asked and he glanced at her as he shifted.

"Because that is my job… As your… Betrothed."

"Betrothed?" she asked with a smile and he looked to her. "That's a very Roman word Tristan… Besides who say's I'll take you as a husband huh?" she asked nudging him.

"I would hope you would…" She looked him over to see he was glancing over an arrow he had in his grasp. "I would hope you'd find me worthy…"

"Why would you want to be married to me anyhow?" He just shrugged and she shrugged back making him smile. "I like it when you smile." She said. "You should do it more often." He looked over the arrow.

"You would not want to be my wife?"

"I didn't say that." She said with a soft expression.

"So you would?"

"I didn't say that either." He looked to her and she could see the confusion. "Tristan I have been under the control of men since I was a very young girl, if I survive this stint, I don't want to run straight into another stint of being under another mans control."

"I wouldn't control you." He said instantly and she looked him over.

"You mean that don't you?" She asked softly.

"I don't think you're controlled now…" he said looking off to the fire.

"No?" she asked.

"No one could control you…"

"Then why do I listen to the Romans?"

"Loyalty."

"To Rome?" she asked with a laugh.

"To myself, the other knights, and Arthur." She looked off. "I think if we were taken out of the equation you would take Britain back and keep it for yourself." He tilted his head as he watched ambition sink into her eyes as she smiled softly. It was in that moment that he realized that in truth that was all she wished.

"Maybe in fifteen years…" She said as she looked down at her hands.

"Maybe in fifteen years what?" Lancelot asked as he peeked into the cave.

"Maybe in fifteen years you'll stop trying to sneak up on me." She said with a smile which he returned. "The others are with you by the sound of the hooves?"

"Ears like a hound." Galahad said coming into the cave.

"You two looked like you were in deep discussion." Gawain added as they all came in.

"Who was?" Arthur inquired.

"Aria and Tristan." Bors said.

"Can you have a deep conversation with a man like Tristan?" Lancelot inquired. "I mean he only grunts right?"

"I'd be careful he's still cross at you for that kiss you tried to plant on me." Aria said and all the men perked up except for Arthur who smiled.

"Wait what did you try and do!?" Bors asked.

"You're evil." Lancelot said to Aria who just stood with a smile.

"Shall I catch dinner then?" she asked before walking off with a cheeky smile.

"I'm gunna tear you a new hole!" Gawain said throwing Lancelot in a choke hold.

"Knights calm down!" Arthur said through laughter. Aria pulled her bow and began to walk with a smile. She knew Tristan wouldn't be far behind. It would only be moments before he came up behind her. She smiled softly as she heard the steps coming through the snow behind her. Her eyes suddenly darted to the side as she turned quickly going to fire her arrow. Before she could do anything a sharp pain hit the side of her head and she was overcome with darkness.

"Damn it…" she whispered softly as she felt herself get picked up and thrown over a shoulder.

-o-

Tristan slowly stood. He was trying to give Aria space. He wanted to let her know that he didn't see her different now that they were involved. Still he didn't like her alone for two long and it had been a good half hour. Before he was to leave he stopped seeing Arias horse was gone.

"Tristan what is it?" Arthur asked making the other knights look.

"Teleri is gone." He said.

"Aria might have taken her for a run, you know how she likes to run Teleri." Gawain said.

"Without the saddle?" Tristan asked and they all stood coming out to see.

"There are no prints leading to where her horse was." Dag said before looking off. "The prints were this way she went into the woods to hunt, she's not going to be happy her horse is gone."

"There she is." Lancelot said spotting the white animal despite blending into the snow with it's white coat.

"Ill fetch her." Galahad said with a smile as he moved through the snow. Tristan went with, wanting to catch up with Aria and her hunting. "Aria is going to need to start tying the horse up like the others."

"She won't ever do that." Tristan said and Galahad was surprised he even replied.

"Yeah she likes her wild side… If you think about it. Teleri and Aria are kind of the same only one is a horse." Tristan only nodded and Galahad shrugged glad he had even gotten a sentence out of the other knight. "Here Teleri…" Galahad said as he reached for the horse who looked to him. Tristan tilted his head seeing where the snout of Teleri had been. There was a small puddle of blood in the ice. He looked around and spotted dragging marks.

"They've taken her." Tristan said.

"What?" Galahad asked before spotting the blood. "Arthur!" he yelled and he and the knights instantly ran forward from the cave.

"Teleri must have noticed Aria was missing and came to look for her…" Tristan said.

"Who took her?" Arthur asked catching on quickly.

"The Rebels they must have seen us when we were scouting… How I am unsure."

"They have the same training we do there for they're just as sneaky..."

"Is that blood?" Jameson asked.

"Aria has been taken." Galahad said as the others walked up.

"By who?" Gawain inquired.

"The rebels." Tristan said with a livid look.

"Why would they take her?" Lancelot asked.

"Because we have something of theirs." Arthur said. "To the horses we go to their camp now." They ran back to the camp and came atop their horses. Tristan wasn't surprised that as they galloped towards their destination that Teleri stayed right by him. "Dag Bors in the tree line with Jameson… I want arrows ready." Arthur ordered.

"Right." They said running off in different directions.

-o-

Arias jaw clenched as she looked around a small tent. She was tied to a post securely. No matter how long she had worked at her restraints it had only cut into her skin. She had to hope that the blood would make the ties slick and easier to get through. A man waltzed through and her jaw clenched further.

"Hello Tellas." She greeted and he smiled.

"You know when I heard from the other men that you were really a woman I didn't believe it… But now that I see it for myself… I don't know how I never did before."

"Let me go."

"Let me think about it, uhm no." He knelt before her. "Here…" she watched as he dipped some cloth into some water and went to reach for her face. She pulled away from him and he stopped with a soft expression. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Really? Because me being tied to a post makes me think different."

"I'm sorry about that but we both know how very dangerous you are, we were trying to take one of the others but you were the only one who went off alone." He said as he began to clean some blood away from her hair line. She hissed in pain and he pulled back. "I am sorry."

"No you're not."

"I am though." He said. "You're a fellow knight I would never want to hurt you-."

"You're not a knight you're a deserter, a coward." She said her jaw clenching.

"I can see why you would take such a staunch stance Aria." He said as his green eyes looked her over. "After all you're a woman and you stayed for duty… But try to see it my way… I do not see knighthood as a duty but as forced labor… Is it so bad I want freedom? Freedom for us and to our future sons and daughters, because if they've made you a knight and it worked out whose not to say they'll do it to other girls…" She looked him over for a long moment and his expression softened. "You understand why I did what I did." She looked off her jaw clenching. "You sympathize."

"But I do not forgive." She said looking to him with a narrowed gaze.

"Not yet."

"Try not ever."

"Tellas!" A man called and he looked over his shoulder.

"Right on time…" he said moving behind her.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Arthur Tristan Galahad Gawain and Lancelot looked around the camp. They had ridden down on their horses surprised that no one had even put up a fight. All the men were calmly seated on boulders or cut down trees, their weapons laying over their laps. All of them they could recognize from training. They were waiting for the leader, and to find out what had happened to Aria. The girl in question was thrown out of a tent and rolled across the ground her hands chained behind her back.

"What happened to not hurting me?" She asked incredibly annoyed. Tellas grabbed her by the back of her hair and hoisted her onto her knees as she made a pained noise.

"Arthur." Tristan said his eyes narrowing as he reached for his sword.

"Not yet." He said.

"Hello Arthur." Tellas said with a smile.

"Aria." Arthur said ignoring him. "You alright?"

"I'm fine, this guy is just putting on a show." She said as Tellas held her in front of him.

"I'll show you a show." He said placing the blade against her throat making her laugh.

"You're not going to kill me you took me as a bargaining chip if you kill me now that defeats the purpose I know you're stupid but you're not that stupid." She said.

"Aria maybe not piss of the guy with a blade to your throat." Gawain said and she just rolled her eyes.

"Tristan will kill this guy before the blade Knicks my skin…" She said and Tristan smirked.

"She's not wrong…" He muttered and Tellas gulped.

"What do you want Tellas?" Arthur asked.

"You have a man of mine… Agnos." He said regaining his ground.

"I do." Arthur said.

"Him for her."

"A trade?" Arthur asked.

"I want my man back you want your woman back."

"Fine hand her over." Arthur said and Tellas smiled as he shook his head.

"No I don't think so." He said. "If I give her back now then I don't get my man."

"No if you don't give her back now you won't get your man." Arthur said. "You really think I'm going to leave my female knight alone in an enemy camp full of lonely men?"

"I'll make sure she stays safe you have my word." He said.

"The word of a coward means nothing." Arthur said.

"If you don't take this deal then I'll cut my losses with Agnos and slit her throat right here and now." He tilted back her head and Tristan took a step forward as he watched the blade push harder against her neck. "Easy…" he said his eyes locking onto Tristan's whose jaw clenched. "I thought you said Tristan would kill me before I knick your neck…" Aria hissed as blood trickled down her neck

"Aria…" Tristan said going to move forward.

"Tristan…" Arthur said and he slowly took a step back his eyes never leaving Arias.

"So what will it be? You get my man and I keep her here safe and sound or should I just slit her throat now?"

"Don't hand over Agnos Arthur." Aria said and Tellas looked down at her. "He's too important or he wouldn't be bargaining."

"Shut your mouth." Tellas said his tilting her head back further.

"Don't do it!" Aria yelled.

"I'll kill her!" Tellas shouted.

"One life does not out weigh the lives of many!" She yelled.

"Shut up!" Tellas shouted.

"You know I'm right Arthur!" Tellas threw her to the ground and she rolled up on her feet before jumping through her arms so instead of her hands being tied behind her they were tied in front of her. She swung the chain connected to her hands and wound it around the mans neck. "Live or Die Arthur?" She asked.

"Kill him. Knights!" he yelled and they all burst into action as Aria snapped the neck of the rebels commander. Tristan ran through the battle to Aria who was fighting off a six foot tall Rebel with her hands tied. He cut the man's head off before stabbing another man who nearly hit Aria.

"Get these off!" She yelled over the sound of battle. He took her hands in his and looked over the Chains. "Tristan hurry!"

"I can't get them off!" he yelled before wrapping an arm around her and rushing her to the tent. "Inside!" He yelled pushing her in and she rolled across the ground.

"You've got to be kidding me!" She yelled, a perfectly wonderful battle was raging and she could join in. She looked over the chains to find no lock, nothing to undue to get them off. "Damn it!" She yelled.

Tristan made sure to cut down anyone who came with in a ten foot radius of the tent. Aria couldn't defend herself so he would gladly do it for her. He stood up straight his guard going down slightly to see the men who were left quickly getting on horses and retreating.

"They are falling back should we follow!?" Jameson yelled as he cut a man down.

"No." Arthur ordered as he kicked a man off his sword.

"Where's Aria?" Galahad asked as they regrouped.

"Tristan look out!" Gawain yelled. He turned to see a man fast approaching with an ax. Before he could move Aria came out of nowhere and slammed a roundhouse kick into the mans stomach dropping him to the ground before head budding him and knocking him out cold. She looked to Tristan and he nodded at her in thanks.

"That's the second time you've saved my life."

"Haven't saved." She said. "Just helped you out, Gawain!" she called. "I'm in need of your expertise." She walked to him her hands extended and he took her hands in his as he looked over the restraints. "Can't find a way to get them off."

"They've made these around your wrists." He said.

"Must have done it when I was knocked out." She said. "Can you get them off?"

"Yes but it will take some time, not to mention it will be painful…"

"I can handle it just get these things off me."

"Search the tents the tools they used to get these on her are the tools we need to get them off." Arthur said and they all nodded.

"Here!" Bors called pulling open a tent. Aria and Gawain walked in and she sighed heavily as she kneeled by an anvil and a fire pit.

"Looks like they were building weapons…" Gawain said seeing the freshly made swords laying around the tent.

"Arthur!" Aria called and he walked in. "Does this look like weaponry for a small group of rebels, or for a small army?" Arthur slowly looked around the tent as did Tristan and Galahad.

"You'll need to question that man further when we get back." Arthur said.

"Right now get these bloody things off of me." Aria said stretching her hands out over the anvil. As she did her mind snapped to a foreign memory.

"Hold still child he'll get these off you soon…"

"It hurts…"

"I know… I know… Just a little longer and we'll have these chains off you… What sort of men chain a child? How dangerous could she be?"

"About as dangerous as her father was…"

Her mind was pulled from the memory as a great amount of pressure came down on her wrists. She hissed in pain as she bowed her head forward. Galahad and Tristan came to her side.

"Hold her arms still…" Gawain said. They hesitated and Aria sighed.

"For god sakes men I won't bite." She said and they smiled before doing as he said. Gawain brought the heated hammer down on her wrists. Her eyes shut tightly as she withheld the urge to cry out. She didn't make a sound of pain not even after the fiftieth hit until he did it on the fifty first and she cried out.

"What!?" Gawain asked startled by the noise.

"Keep going!" She yelled and he hit it over and over again until the heated metal broke. Aria ran over to a bucket and stuck her hands in trying to cool her burnt skin.

"You alright?" Gawain asked wide eyed afraid he might have broken her bones with the hammer.

"Yeah just a bit singed, nearing the end there it was getting pretty hot…" She said before looking to him with a grateful smile. "Thank you Gawain."

"Anytime." He said with a smile as he held up the heated hammer.

"Keep your hands down in that bucket…" Arthur said not wanting her burns to fester.

"Do one better and stick them in the snow." She said with a smile as she walked out of the tent.

"Our fearless woman returns unchained!" Lancelot said with a smile as she rubbed snow around her wrists.

"So what's our move Arthur?" Dag asked wanting to get to the plan.

"Well we know from the weapons tent they had that they have more men than they are letting on." Arthur said.

"Way more men." Gawain said. "I counted at least a hundred swords."

"Like you can count that high." Jameson said with a smile.

"Aria did they say anything about their plans?" Arthur asked.

"Just why they were doing it." She said.

"The reasons?" Arthur inquired and she looked at him as she stood.

"Isn't it obvious, they want their freedom and the freedom of their sons." She said. "They want the cycle of knighthood to end." Arthur looked at her for a long moment.

"What would taking out one command post do?" he asked.

"Well if it were me I'd take out Badon Hill because it's Badon Hill." She said and he tilted his head. "It's a perfect station to control a large portion of this island."

"How would you do it, take it down I mean?" he asked and she looked off thinking before smiling and looking to him.

"I'd come at it from the outside and preoccupy the soldiers before taking it out within… Cutting the romans down while their backs were turned to me." Everyone stared at her. She had looked like a true general at that moment with sheer ambition in her eyes. "We have to get back to Badon hill, find out if there's been a recent influx in population, maybe a group who had moved in probably while we were away on our mission at that estate."

"How would they get so many people?" Arthur asked.

"Link with local rebels and other deserters of the knighthood." She said.

"This is what you would do?" He asked.

"Yes." She said.

"This is a well thought out plan Aria…" Arthur said walking to her. "Should I be worried about you being one of the inside men?" She smiled.

"Arthur if I wanted to take Badon hill, I would have already done it." She said and he smiled.

"I am glad to have you on my side Aria." He said clapping her on the back as she smiled. "What do you suggest we do?" He asked.

"I suggest we ride back to the fort act as if we know nothing then we did before this night and prepare quietly for battle."

"A fine plan." He said getting on his horse. "We ride."

"Ross!" Bors yelled as he jumped on his horse.

"Wait…" Aria said softly and they looked to her. "Oh my god…"

"What?" Arthur asked.

"I just thought of another possibility." She said turning to look at him.

"What?" he asked.

"When is the fort most defenseless Arthur?" She asked.

"When we're…" his voice trail off. "Ride!" He yelled racing off. Aria jumped onto Teleri bare back and raced off.

"Does anyone want to fill us in!" Lancelot yelled.

"They're going to attack battle hill tonight this was all just a diversion!" Aria yelled. "They'll attack from the inside when we're gone and everyone is defenseless!"

"We've killed Tellas there's no one to lead them!" Gawain yelled.

"Yes there is!" She yelled over the sound of racing wind. "Agnos!"

"He's chained up!" Lancelot said.

"I have a feeling not anymore." She said.

"Badon hill could already be taken!" Galahad said.

"They would wait for night!" Arthur said seeing the setting son.

"We'll never get their fast enough!" Bors yelled.

"Arthur Teleri can make it let me ride ahead." Aria said riding up along his side. "Let me be your inside man incase it's taken. The other men don't know about me I'll kill Agnos to hide who I am I'll just be another woman." He looked at her for a long moment.

"Arthur you can't be serious!" Lancelot yelled over the sound of the howling wind as they continued to ride.

"Do not let her do this!" Bors pleaded.

"Go Aria." He said and she nodded before racing forward. As she rode off Aria looked over her shoulder and nodded at Tristan who stared wide eyed. He couldn't keep up with her, not with his horse. She was going into a war zone alone and there was nothing he could do about it.

-o-

Agnos smiled as he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. His men were coming to get him. In mere hours Badon hill would once more belong to Britain. In mere months, Britain would once more belong to Britain. He looked to a tiny window in the cell to see it was night. It was night and it was time to take his own destiny in hand.

"Agnos." He looked to the cell door quickly his eyes widening to see Aria.

"You're supposed to be gone." He said as she opened it.

"You were supposed to be clever." She said before she looked up to hear screaming. Battle had begun and soon men would come for Agnos to lead them.

"The battle has started not even your knights can stop it!" He yelled with a smile.

"Not yet." She said pulling her dagger. "But I want you to die knowing that in days time Badon hill will be back in the rightful hands of Arthur."

"It isn't in the hands of Arthur is it though?" He asked. "It's in the hands of Rome! Do not kill me Aria… Instead stand at my side."

"My loyalty is to Arthur."

"Your loyalty should be to your country!" he yelled and Arias eyes closed as she slit his throat.

"Maybe in 15 years…" She said softly before she turned and ran from the cell just as a group of men came down chanting Agnos's name. Aria came up out of the dungeon and ran down the hallways to get to her room. She couldn't look like a knight, she had to look like a regular woman. As she rounded a corner she stopped seeing a familiar couple laying slain on the ground. It was the mother and father of the girl she had brought the body back of. She shook her head knowing she didn't have time to pay her respects before she ran to her room to quickly changed from a knight into a regular woman.

-o-

Aria walked down the hallway her knives secured to her thighs under the Grecian blue gown she wore. It was filled with drapes and had taken her longer to put on then she did before. She rounded a corner and stopped once more seeing the slain parents. Before she could step over their bodies a group of men rushed in swords drawn.

"Kill the Roman whore!"

"Stop stop!" She yelled and they halted at her accent. "I am not Roman!"

"Then what are you doing in this fort?" one of the men asked.

"My name is… Isolde…" And in that moment she wondered why she had chosen the name which had come far too easily to her. "I was their servant girl…" She said pointing to the bodies.

"Well not any more love." He said. "You're free."

"Free?" She asked.

"Free I'd get out of the fort quickly though you don't want to be mistaken!" he yelled over his shoulder as they rushed passed her. Aria took a deep breath before rushing off pulling her skirt up as she moved. She rushed out of the fort and stopped her eyes widening. In all her time she had never seen such a battle raging. Romans fought against Britain's and lost, things were being set ablaze. Children were running scared screaming in the streets.

"No please stop!" She heard a familiar yell and turned to see Venora being pulled back by two men as they set her fathers watering hole ablaze with Romans tied to posts inside. Venora was thrown to the ground and Aria rushed to her side. "No!" She screamed as she watched everything her family had worked for burn to the ground. "No!"

"Venora are you alright?" She turned and looked to her blinking.

"Why do you care?"

"Venora it's me… It's Aria." She said pulling her to her feet and out of the way of a running horse.

"Aria?" She asked blinking before smiling. "You look like a lady…" She said seeing her blonde hair pulled up into a Grecian style with silver clips around braids.

"That's the point, and it's not Aria anymore… It's Isolde…"

"What the hell is going on?" Venora asked blinking. "Where's Bors?"

"Not here he and the others are stuck on the outside, in days time I will let them in to take back the fort… I need your help though, I have nowhere to go and wait out the battle…"

"Come with me." She said taking her hand and they ran together through the heated battle.