Aria took a deep breath as her eyes slowly opened. She could hear a soft baritone voice. It sounded so familiar, and so far away. She could tell by how her body felt, that she hadn't been off her feet in some time. She could also tell by how her eyes felt, that she hadn't used them in sometime. The last thing she remembered were the short pained words she had shared with Dag. She took another deep breath and tried to lift herself up. Instantly pain spread through her body and she hissed, when in truth she wanted to scream in her agony.

"No no Aria." The voice said and it echoed in her head. "Aria stay down…" Her eyes slowly opened and she saw Arthur his hand resting on hers. "Keep still…" She took another deep breath trying to force herself to stay awake. "Aria?" he asked and her jaw clenched. "Aria can you hear me?" she only nodded.

"Here give her this…" Jameson said handing him a glass of wine.

"Thank you." He said taking it. "Aria have some wine it will help with the pain…" He put it to her lips and slowly tilted the cup back. She drank the whole thing instantly and she found the taste of the wine woke her up. She opened her eyes feeling her vision become clear and looked around to see the other knights. She smiled softly, knowing it was time to put on her rave face.

"In bed surrounded by a group of handsome men… Aren't I the lucky lady?" She asked softly and she heard her boys laugh.

"How are you feeling Aria?" she turned her head and looked to Galahad.

"Like I've been flogged and beaten how are you?" She asked with a smile.

"How can you joke?" Lancelot asked.

"The wine helps." She said and they all smiled.

"Aria?" she turned her head and looked to Arthur who wiped her brow with a piece of cloth. "We've caught the men who did this to you."

"You haven't killed them have you? Because I was so looking forward to doing so myself."

"They are with Tristan now in the dungeons."

"Then they suffer a worse fate then that I could administer." She said softly. "When can I get out of bed?"

"The healer said you wouldn't make it through the night, and yet you have lasted six… With your stubbornness you could be out of this bed in two weeks…"

"I'll do it in five days." She said and he smiled as he looked her over. He took on a soft expression and she slowly nodded. "You're going to ask aren't you?"

"Ask what?"

"The question you always ask when I've been manhandled."

"This is far more than manhandling… This is a crime."

"I brought it upon myself…" She said her jaw clenching. "So why have you not asked?" She inquired.

"Because… I already know the answer, and you did not deserve what was done to you…"

"I beat the hell out of those guys and in turn they beat the hell out of me… An eye for an eye as your good Christian book would say." She said with a smile.

"They did more then beat you…" She tilted her head and he saw genuine confusion.

"Your meaning?"

"Aria…" She looked to Galahad. "We know that they… Forced themselves upon you."

"What?" she asked instantly. "No." she said. "No that's… No."

"Maybe you don't remember." Arthur said as he took her hand in his.

"No I remember everything they did to me and I fought them tooth and nail to make sure they didn't touch me in such a way…"

"Aria you are not…" Arthur looked up trying to think of a word which wouldn't sound vile. "Intact."

"Well of course I'm not." She said.

"You and Tristan-."

"No!" she said instantly and he could tell she was getting more and more angry as time went on. "Arthur think about it… I'm a female knight who rides horses as hard and fast as she can…" He looked off. He had heard of such things happening before. It's why ladies were to ride side saddle instead of like that of a man.

"Oh…"

"I haven't been intact since I was 13… That's when I broke my… Physical evidence of chastity."

"They said-."

"They lied." Aria said her eyes wide.

"Aria…" He said quietly. "If you're worried about losing your status of a knight… It won't happen unless you are with child."

"I can't be with child because I've never laid with a man." She said her jaw clenching.

"Aria… You were stripped naked…" She shook her head.

"No…" She said. "No they didn't-."

"No one thinks less of you…" Her mind started to flash with all that had happened to her. The flogging, the cutting, the touching. "Aria…" he held onto her tightly as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"The pain…" She said gripping onto his hand. She took a shaking breath feeling a sort of fog rush over her. "I… I can't… Can't think…" her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she started to shake violently.

"Get the healers!" Arthur ordered her guards as Galahad rushed forward. "No!" He caught him before he could hold her down. "She's having a fit if you hold her down she could break something." He said. Just as fast as it had come her shaking stopped. Everyone stared wide eyed at her blood dripping from her mouth to the ground. "Aria…" Arthur rushed to her side and took her hand in his. He wiped her brow and as he did he felt the heat within her skin. She was on fire with fever, which was most likely what had caused her seizure. She took a deep breaths as she looked to him with clouded eyes. "Aria can you hear me?" He asked.

"I don't want to talk anymore…" She said softly and there was a tone to her voice he had never heard before. It nearly sounded dead. As if all the light in her life had been stolen away. He figured that she knew that they knew what had been done to her, there for there was no point in pretending it hadn't happened.

"Alright…" He said. "That's fine…" her eyes shut and she instantly was whisked away into darkness.

"Is she alright?" Arthur turned and looked to the healer.

"She had a fit."

"Brought on by her fever I expect…" he said walking over. "These bandages need to be changed…"

"My woman will be along shortly to do so." Bors said.

"The damage to her may be too permanent to rally from."

"You said she'd be dead by the night the morning we found her." Lancelot said. "Six days later she still breathes-."

"She's stubborn but soon that will not be enough to keep her alive." The healer said.

"You don't know her like we do." Gawain stated.

-o-

Lancelot slowly walked down the stairs into the dungeon. The farther he descended the louder the screams became. He entered the torch lit room and came to a stop seeing Tristan looking over a finger he had just cut off. He waved it before his victims face before tossing it into the fire.

"NO!" the man shouted

"What were they going to do sew it back on?" Tristan asked.

"Trist." He slowly looked to see Lancelot standing on the outside of bars.

"Ariadne-."

"She's fine… Well… Not fine… She had a fit brought on by her fever. The healer says she won't make it the night."

"He's said that before…" Tristan said staring down at the ground.

"You haven't been to see her in six days… You've just been down here in the dark making these men scream."

"They deserve to scream." Tristan said instantly looking to him.

"She woke up for the first time… Said things… Tried to lie about what happened to her… Any woman of her virtue would though." Lancelot said. "The second she knew that we knew something within her changed… She… Got quiet." A man started scream and Lancelot looked to see Tristan was branding him. "She clearly wanted you by her though she didn't say… I noticed she kept looking to the door for you as if she hoped you might walk in. She knows you are handling these monsters. She wants to be the one to kill them though."

"And she will be…"

"If you keep going at them as you have she won't be able too… Why will you not see to your Aria?"

"She's not mine. She's not some object I lay claim to."

"Why will you not see her?"

"I can't look her in the eyes…" He said and Lancelot's jaw clenched.

"It wasn't her doing what was done to her…" He said instantly. "You say you love her and yet in her darkest moment you wont stand at her side-." Tristan grabbed a hold of Lancelot and slammed him up against the wall.

"You think I blame her for what was done to her!?" he yelled. "Of course it was not her doing! It was mine!" Lancelot stared into the dark knight with nothing but confusion.

"Your doing?" Tristans jaw clenched before he threw Lancelot aside.

"You wouldn't understand." He said and in truth Lancelot didn't. "Now if you'll excuse me… I have work to do." Tristan pulled one of his daggers and walked back to the line of dogs who had attacked Aria. "I think I'll start on your toes tonight." The men started to scream as Lancelot slowly picked himself up off the floor.

-o-

Venora closed the door to Arias room. She had ushered the boys out so she could wash Aria's body, and change her bandages. She locked the door and turned to see Aria looking to her. Instantly she smiled and walked over.

"You're awake." She said and instantly she came to a stop seeing the expressionless look on her friends face. "Aria?"

"Your belly grows…" she said softly and Venora smiled setting her hand on it. "It does…" She said walking to her and kneeling at her side.

"Mine might too…" Venora looked to Aria and saw no happiness in her eyes. Then again Venora couldn't blame her. The child she would carry would be the result of rape, a child made of hatred and violence. Venora knew this type of child better than anyone else.

"If you are, then our children will grow together…"

"If I am then I am no longer a knight." Venora slowly nodded as she squeezed some lemons into the water. "If I was with child… Is there anything that could be done?" Venora looked to her with wide eyes.

"Too…"

"Get rid of the child yes." She said and there was a coldness to her.

"Uhm… Yes there is." She said looking her over and Aria tilted her head.

"You don't seem horrified at what I'm suggesting." Aria said softly.

"Why would I be horrified by a choice which is rightfully yours to make?" She asked. "Besides you were taken so young by the romans, and trained in the harshest ways to be a knight, unlike the others it's something you want more than anything… So if there was a way to help you keep one of the things you want most in this world, why would I not help you?"

"Thank you Venora…" Aria said softly with all the emotion a person could hold in her eyes.

"I thought you might ask for it…" Venora said reaching into her skirts. "So early in the week I got my hands on the sacred herb from an apothecary woman who lives in the woods…." Aria watched as she took a small glass jar with a cork stopper in the top. Inside was some sort of moss. "Before I grind this up into the porridge brought for you… I wish to ask… Do you want children?"

"I can't if I do I lose knighthood-."

"I mean someday, when your duty is served… Would you want to have children with Tristan?"

"Yes…"

"If your duty was done and what has happened to you happened to you again would you take this herb once more?"

"No… I don't think I would…" She said softly as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Why?" Venora asked with emotion Aria didn't understand.

"Because it would still be my child."

"You would love this child?"

"Why would I not?"

"Because they were the result of violence and hate…" She said softly.

"The child may have been the result of violence and hate but that doesn't mean the child its self is made of violence and hate…"

"You wouldn't look into that childs eyes and see the eyes of your attackers-."

"I'd see my eyes even if they were another color…"

"I wish my mother had been like you…" Venora said softly going to stand. Before she could she felt something rest in her hand and looked to see Aria holding her hand within hers. She looked to see Aria had an expression of concern.

"You…"

"A man snuck into my mother and fathers hutch one night, beat my father near to death before taking my mother as his own right there as my father lay helpless watching… I was the result of that night… My mother never spoke two kind words to me."

"That's a shame…" Aria said softly and Venora knelt at her side. "Does Bors know?"

"I do not think he would love me if he knew-."

"I think he would love you more." Aria said softly.

"I sometimes wonder if my child will see in my eyes what my mother did."

"I think your child will see what your mother couldn't…" Venora slowly nodded and Aria smiled softly. "That kid is going to love you so much Venora." Venora let out a sob and Aria held her hand tightly.

"You're the best friend I've ever had…"

"I could say the same to you." She said with a soft expression. Venora smiled softly before looking at the jar in hand.

"We should get on with it then…"

"Thank you for this…" Aria said softly.

"Of course Aria…" She said before walking the vial over to her food.

"Will there be pain?"

"Not at this stage… I doubt you'll notice anything different then more blood to the some you shed every month. But Aria…" She looked to her. "This may effect if you can bear children later on… Some women take this and it takes them longer than it should to become with child if at all."

"It's a risk I have to take…" She said softly.

"Why?" Venora asked.

"Don't you see Venora? I have to be out there with them… Protecting our boys from the threats outside the walls of this fort… I made a vow to them Venora… I can't let those men force me to break such a vow."

"Rightfully so…" She said before walking to the bowl of porridge. "This will taste bitter. A least that's what she told me." Aria nodded. "After you eat, I'll change your bandages."

"Thank you…" She said softly. Venora brought the porridge over and Aria ate it quickly, knowing that if she ate it slow she may have second thoughts. As she ate the bitter porridge she kept thinking of the vow she made to the boys so many years before.

-o-

"They've been in there alone for sometime." Galahad said.

"Venora is slow when changing out her bandages to keep the pain to a minimum." Dag said.

"She doesn't scream when Venora changes her bandages, unlike when the healer does." Galahad said.

"The healers seem to want her to die…" Gawain added.

"Here I was thinking I was the only one who thought so." Jameson said.

"Her wounds have not healed…" Arthur said quietly.

"Arthur?" Dag asked and he looked to him. "What is it?" he inquired.

"I notice that Aria seems to rally after being looked after by Venora. But seems to suffer after being looked after by the healers." Arthur said.

"You think them guilty of foul play?" Dag asked.

"I don't want the healers looking after her anymore… Only Venora." Arthur said and they nodded.

"Venora has a tavern to run." Bors said. "May I have permission to run it in her place so she doesn't lose her family's business?"

"Of course, Galahad you'll help him do so."

"I will." He said.

"We don't know if they're poisoning her though." Jameson said.

"The next time they come to tend to her, we check everything." Arthur said and they nodded. He slowly looked around and his jaw clenched. "Tristan is still in the dungeons?"

"He is." Lancelot said. "I would not go to see him, he's… In a foul mood…"

"Did he give you that shiner?" Arthur asked seeing his bruised cheek.

"I brought it upon myself."

"I have no doubt." Arthur said making Lancelot shake his head with a smile. The door to the room opened and Venora smiled as she came out.

"All done." She said.

"How is she?" Arthur asked.

"Fine, she…" Venora looked down at her skirt smoothing it out. "Ate."

"Good. That's good." Arthur said with a smile. "Venora may I speak to you?"

"Of course…" She said and he walked off a short distance away. The others headed into the bedroom hoping to get Aria laughing and smiling again, but they found her sleeping once more. No one at all blamed her of course.

-o-

The next day came and still Aria slept, or more so pretended to sleep. The healers showed up to do their work and the knights descended to search them.

"What is the meaning of this!?" The healer asked.

"Check everything." Arthur said. The noise made Aria open her eyes and she tilted her head seeing the men searching through the healers things.

"Arthur believes the healers are trying to poison you under orders of another knighthoods general." Venora explained without her so much as having to ask.

"I do always feel awful when they come to see to me."

"Well you won't anymore, because I'm taking over your care… How are you feeling?" Venora asked.

"Cramping…" Venora nodded.

"It's normal."

"Especially for this time of the month." Venora smiled and Aria looked to her.

"You bleed?" she asked.

"I do."

"Then there is no child. You may have not needed those herbs after all… Do you still want to take the next three doses?"

"Yes…"

"I have them with me your next dose will be tonight with your stew."

"Thank you Venora."

"You don't have to keep thanking me… It's my pleasure." She said as she slowly began to remove a bandage from her back.

"Still…" Aria hissed in pain. "Thank you…" Venora smiled softly.

"You're healing nicely." She said.

"Has-." Aria cringed from the pain. "Has Tristan been to see me?" Venora looked Aria over before taking a deep breath.

"Not yet…"

"Did he come to see me in the six days I was asleep?" Aria asked softly.

"Uhm…" She looked to the knights who were walking in.

"How is she?" Gawain asked.

"Sleeping." She said and Aria shut her eyes. "Did you find anything out of the ordinary with the Healers?"

"Arthur thinks their bowl of water smelled funny, he's taken it to the apothecary for tests." Galahad said.

"Water shouldn't smell funny…" Venora said. "She woke up for a few moments… Asked for Tristan… Have you seen him?"

"He's been down in the dungeons the whole time…" Gawain said and she could tell he was irritated.

"Hasn't come to see her then?"

"No." Lancelot said.

"I see." Venora said.

Aria took a deep breath as she continued to pretend to sleep. Tristan hadn't been to see her once since that first morning. She had to wonder if it was because what had happened to her. Maybe he could no longer love her because she had been bedded by all those men. Those men who weren't him. Her heart ached in that moment to think he would no longer even cast his gaze upon her because of what had happened.

-O-

Six days passed, and with every hour that went by Aria got better and better. After the third day in without being visited by the healers she had gotten so much better there was no more pretending to sleep to escape from speaking to the others. So instead she decided to just not speak. She would nod and smile at things they said but she wouldn't speak. Not if she didn't have to. Eventually they stopped trying to pressure her to do so, thanks to Venora who Aria had heard her screaming at the knights late one night in the hallway outside her room.

The six night had fallen and for the first time in twelve days she was left alone. Not completely of course. She still had her guards outside her bedroom. Still, there was silence. The truth was she didn't want to be alone. She didn't want the group of course, in truth she only wanted Tristan. 12 days, and he hadn't been to see her once. With every day that had past her heartache had grown more and more. Her jaw clenched thinking of the pain she felt over his absence.

"Well… If he won't come to me…" She planted her hands against the mattress. "I'll go to him." She slowly pushed herself up onto her knees and tried not to scream at the pain that spread through her healing back. "Toughen up you've felt worse…" she said lying to herself the best she could. She slowly got her feet to the ground and with much difficulty stood up straight. She slowly walked to her door as she pulled a cloak on and opened the doors. Her guards jumped and looked to her.

"Easy boys, I'm going for a walk." She said walking past them slowly. They started to follow and she didn't balk. After all she needed them. As much as she hated to admit it, she was in no condition to fight. She couldn't so much as look over her shoulder without agony spreading through her torn up back. Normally to get down to the dungeons it would have only taken her six to eight minutes, but with the pain she was in now it took near fifteen. She got to the dungeon door and took a deep breath hearing screaming from deep inside. She slowly turned and looked to her guards.

"Wait here?" she asked and they nodded. "Thank you." With that she opened the door and slowly headed down the stairs. The second she got half way down the screaming stopped. Tristan knew she was there. She found herself stopping as well. She wasn't sure she could face him. She wasn't sure she could even look him in the eye after all that had happened. Still, she wanted to see him. Needed to see him. She took another deep breath before continuing down the stairwell, her hand sliding against the banister as she did. She got to the bottom and instantly came to a stop seeing Tristan standing in the middle of the dungeon his back facing her. She smiled instantly, she couldn't see his face, but she could see him, and his presence relieved her. She went to say his name but found she didn't have the emotional strength to do so. Aria was afraid if she did he would turn on her and spew at her all the hate she believed he held towards her now.

Tristans jaw clenched. He knew she was there. He could sense her. Before she had even hit the hallway leading to the door of the dungeon he had known she was coming. He couldn't explain how he knew she had been coming. He figured though it had to do with the love he held for her. The connection they had shared sense they were children. Or the connection they once had shared. The fact she hadn't said anything to him made him wonder if she still loved him at all. He wouldn't blame her if she didn't. After all, he had failed her. His eyes shut hearing her start to walk towards him.

"What do you want?" Instantly she came to a stop. She didn't say anything, not having the words so instead she mustered all the courage she held within herself and walked up behind him. She slowly reached out and set her hands on his back. Her eyes closed feeling the muscles in his shoulders ripple beneath her touch. She took another deep breath her eyes closing tightly as she moved forward and rested her forehead against his back. She said something and Tristan tilted his head not being able to hear and understand her words. "What did you say?" he asked quietly and her eyes shut even tighter. She took a shaky breath as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I'm sorry…" She said her voice barely above a whisper. Tristan instantly turned and looked her over with wide eyes.

"No." he said instantly. "No you have nothing to be sorry about. Nothing." Her eyes grew wide as she stared up at him.

"Tristan…" she said softly her hands setting on his chest. "Your face…" she said softly. Across each of his high cheeks were two jagged black marks that looked like sideways lightning bolts. "What are these?" she asked softly.

"Penance." He said quietly as he took her hands in his and held them to his chest. "A mark for each man I did not protect you from…"

"You didn't have to do this…" She said softly.

"Yes… I did."

"What happened to me it wasn't your fault…" She said softly.

"I should have walked you to your room… I should have been there for you-."

"No." Her voice broke. "Tristan I can't… I can't have you blaming yourself…" A tear fell down her cheek and he wiped it away instantly. "My heart can't bare it right now. It really can't Tristan." He moved forward and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "You know don't you? What they did?" His eyes shut tightly.

"Yes…" Aria felt sick in that moment. Now that she knew for fact that Tristan knew what had been done to her she felt as though she couldn't look him in the eye.

"I'm ruined for you."

"No." he said instantly as he pulled back. "Look at me." He cupped her cheek in his hand. "Ariadne… Look at me." She slowly did as he said. "You're not ruined for me."

"No… I'm spoiled for you. I no longer have my chastity-."

"Yes you do…" He said and she shook her head.

"Then you truly don't know what happened."

"Those men forced themselves upon you." He said and her eyes shut tightly.

"So you do know."

"Yes…"

"Then how can you say I have my chastity?"

"Because your chastity can't be stolen…" he said resting his forehead against hers. "It can only be given… You gave them nothing… They tried to steal everything."

"How can you still want me?"

"I don't want you Ariadne…" Her jaw clenched as a dull ache started to pound deep within her. "I need you." She slowly looked up at him. "I love you." A relieved sob escaped her and he moved forward his arms wrapping around her tightly.

"I love you too." She said holding him tightly. "Tristan?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Can you not hold me so tight my back is still raw." He pulled back instantly and Aria laughed softly the sound bringing him joy. "Kidding." He moved forward again and held her tightly.

"Gentleman…" Arthur said to the guards at the door. "You all can head back to your station… Aria is in good hands…" He said as he walked past them to head down the hallway. He smiled to himself, glad that Ariadne and Tristan were once again whole.