Chapter 4: Festivities and Drama
We arrived at the party to find things in full swing. The musicians were lined up against the side of the hall, a group of dancers traveling about in haphazard, but elegant, patterns with their respective partners before trading off with a neighbor at random. A smile split my face as I found my knights and we walked, gracefully and slowly, much to my dismay, to them.
"Ah, Andraste, poets could never sing properly of your beauty!" Galahad chuckled, his cheeks tinged pink with the effects of ale. The others, well into their own mugs, guffawed and agreed in shouts. Arthur watched calmly, amusement glinting in his hazel eyes as he beckoned us to his side. I moved to sit at his right while Guin sat elegantly at his left, a moment of misty-eyed, loving looks shared between them before the tavern was called to quiet and Arthur gave a moving speech about family, duty, and honor.
"That was lovely, cousin." Calidia smiled, easily ignoring me from her spot next to me.
"I agree, brother," I grinned, placing my hand on his arm, "Wiser words will never be spoken, but if you'll excuse me, I would like to join my fellow knights, if it please you."
"Of course," Arthur chuckled, "I'm sure Tristan misses you." A blush stained my face and I glared at him.
"You know, I did not tease you when you and my sister first had eyes for each other, it would be greatly appreciated if you would return the favor. I get enough of it from Lancelot anyway." He laughed again and kissed my cheek, waving me off to join the knights; which I did so with much grace and elegance, all that was expected of the queens' sister.
"Get tired of dealing with the Roman lady or was it Arthur's boring talks about duty?" Lancelot grinned, winking playfully at Arthur and myself.
"Neither, knight," I smirked, seating myself between Dagonet and Tristan, "I merely missed my favorite knights,"
"You mean knight, as I'm your only favorite," he grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. The others booed him with smiles on their faces.
"I'm sorry to disappoint," a cheshire grin forming, "but my favorite knights are everyone but you, especially Dagonet and Tristan."
"Why is that, little one?" Dagonet chuckled, that fatherly smile on his face.
"Dagonet, I'm shocked you don't know! You nursed me back to health on numerous occasions, if you remember, and never once have you ever made any sort of lewd comment about my person." I grinned, "That, and you're practically family to me." The table was filled with friendly teasing coos before they went back to their ale and stories of war.
"Andraste, I've been meaning to ask you," Galahad began, fumbling for words only slightly due to the ale, "why are you wearing that tiara?" That garnered their attention, all turning to stare at the aforementioned jewelry, except, of course, for Tristan.
"My father gave it to me years ago to wear when I was married, it was our mothers, but Guinevere hadn't wanted it, she'd said something about it suiting me better," I waved my hand in dismissal, "but, since I'll not be married, I decided it would be saved and worn for special occasions. My sister has kindly kept it hidden here for me and brought it out for me to wear tonight."
"What do you mean you'll never marry?" Gawain asked incredulously, "Of course you'll be married! Long before any of us to be sure!" They all roared in laughter and I smiled politely, but shook my head.
"I am Woad, Gawain, and the wars our people have had will haunt my steps for the rest of my natural life." My smile faded and turned sad, "No man would want a woman like me for a bride, and I would never ask it of anyone to demean themselves in such a way." Politely excusing myself from the table, I discretely left the celebration and made my way to the wall.
The night was cool and clear, allowing me the luxury of gazing up at the stars above, wishing I could shine as brightly as they did. I hopped up onto the rampart and sighed, ignoring that niggling voice in the back of my mind telling me I should be afraid of the fall below me. I should've been, any rational person would be, but I couldn't find it in myself to be scared of death. I'd faced him numerous times and walked away at least relatively unscathed. How could I fear something I'd escaped for years? Something I'd helped others to avoid for that same length of time? No, I didn't fear the fall, nor did I fear the death that would follow should it happen. There were little things that I feared in life, but living alone, that thought shook me to the core.
"You could fall." A voice spoke from behind me, causing me to gasp and shift slightly closer to the edge in instinct. Instantaneously, rough hands dashed out to grasp my waist, pulling me off the wall and into warm, strong arms. It wasn't until the initial shock wore off –as I'd been in my own world for a bit—that I realized it was Tristan who had come to me.
"Why is it that whenever I'm alone, you seem to appear?" I whispered, a trembling smile on my face as I leaned my head against his chest. His arms stayed locked in their place around me.
"I haven't the slightest idea," he murmured, "but it does happen often, doesn't it? Do you mind?"
"No," slipped past my lips before I'd thought about it, and I realized how true that was. I never minded that he was always with me. It never once bothered me that, even when I was convinced I wanted to be alone, his company, no matter how silent, was always welcomed. I hadn't noticed how often that had been the case when we were younger, or even how it had continued as we grew older. "Shouldn't you be back at the party?"
"Shouldn't you?" he countered, glancing down at my upturned face, eyebrow quirked in a challenging manner. I could only smirk and return to my previous position.
"I'm not welcomed there tonight, my dearest," I could feel the impending tears sting my closed eyes, the memories of childhood flooding back, "I'm not unaccustomed to that feeling either." I could feel the low growl rumble through his chest before it passed his lips in a feral sound, his arms instinctively tightening around me as his head bent to rest on mine.
"You are always welcomed here, Andraste." He whispered, lips pressed into my hair, hot breath trailing down my neck from my head, "Never will you think otherwise from this moment forward, do you understand me? Anyone who makes you feel so will have to answer to me,"
"Yes," I sniffled, a real smile splitting my face, "I promise." I don't remember how long we stayed that way on the wall, nor do I really care to remember for that would bring the reality that it didn't last as long as the eternity I felt it was. I also don't remember falling asleep, however, I do vaguely remember Tristan carrying me to his room and tucking me into bed before moving to the cot right next to it to sleep. I remember this because I woke up enough to murmur, "I love you," I didn't think he'd heard me, I was pretty sure he didn't, but with Tristan you can never be entirely positive about anything. He has the ears of a bat.
Authors Note:
I know, you probably want to murder me right now, or at least strangle me for taking so damn long to update. I won't bore you with the problems that have come up (not including the major writers block I've been having for everything and it's mother) to inhibit my writing, but I will be updating as much as possible from here on out. I don't promise to have one up every week or even every few weeks, but I do promise one (or at least a short one) every month. I realize that's absolutely terrible to promise, but it's all I can give to you, my faithful readers, with everything that's happening right now. I love you all and I thank those of you who have kept sending me messages begging me to keep writing, you honestly don't know how much that means to me!