The bandits attacked that night. The battle lasted untill the late morning, but the bandits were defeated and their leader was slain. Gwain and lilly had been fighting back to back all night, both of them had saved the other's life several times in the chaos. Afterwards they all joined to help clean up.
"Thank goodness you're still in one piece." Lilly's mother had come out of the castle and had found her daughter, frantically checking if she was alright. "I'm fine mother. I have a few scratches but other than that I'm fine." Lilly said, slightly embarrassed her mother was making such a fuss in front of the knights. "I can't believe your father let you fight like that. A battlefield is no place for a Lady, what would the other ladies think? You're filthy, you should clean up, I'll have a maid lay out some clothes…" "Mother! I'm fine! Yes I am filthy, I have been fighting all night. But now we have to clear out the wreckage. I am not going anywhere." Lilly protested. "Oh yes you are. You had your fight, the people are saved, you can go back to being a young lady. And I will hear no protest of it. I will have someone prepare your bath and I expect you lying in your bed, resting, in an hour." With that the lady left, leaving Lilly incredibly frustrated. Lilly could hear one of the knights surpress a giggle. "Oh, don't you dare start too. She can keep her bath, this is more important." Lilly said angrily. "She means well, and she's right you should take some rest." Arthur tried to calm Lilly. "I don't see any of you going to bed. And even if she is right, I can'tgive in. If I give in now, she will try to put me in lovely frilly dresses, make me drink fancy tea, and work on my sowing. She will turn me into a lovely little lady and I refuse to let her win." Now all the knights were hearthily laughing. "Not funny!" Lilly yelled, not helping her case. Gwain took pity on her and steered her away from the courtyard. "You're tired, we are all tired. We'll get some rest in a minute, don't you worry." He tried to convince the still angry girl. "But then.." "She won't. I'll make sure you'll get to be as wild as you like. Even though I would love to see you in a nice dress." Lilly playfully hit his arm. They walked in silence for the rest of the way, too tired to say something. Once they were at her door Lilly turned around. "You'll get some rest now too, right. And the others?" She asked one last time. "We'll get some rest after I make sure you are not running off." Gwaine joked. That answer seemed to satisfy Lilly, but she still wasn't moving. Gwaine was very close now, and leaning in. They shared a soft kiss before Gwain left Lilly to freshen up.
"I see you finally have come to your senses." Lilly's mother said when she walked into Lilly's room. "I did not go to sleep because you told, I went to bed because Sir Gwaine made me. He and the other knights went to bed right after me." Lilly said, fiddling with the leather straps of her braces. "Remind me again, whinch one is sir Gwain."
"Long, black hair Mother."
"Ah, the one, you can't seem to get your eyes off."
Lilly looked up. "What are you talkng about?"
"I've seen the looks you give him, one of the maids swears she even saw him kiss you. Is that true?" Lilly was silent for a moment. "Because if so, what would become of the two of you. Don't get me wrong, I highly approve of the brave Knight of Camelot, much better than other boys I've seen you around with. But when he and the other knights are done here, they go back to Camelot, while you'll be here. Even if you would find a reason to go wit hand stay at Camelot, what would you tell your father, your people?"
"What are you saying mother?"
"For the first time in your life I want you to think something through. If you want to be with this man then you'll have my blessing, but think long and hard on how you are going to play this. That's all I ask of you my dear, I'll see you at dinner tonight."
Her mother had left but Lilly was standing speachless in her room. Her mother was right, she couldn't just leave her home. But she didn't want to leave Gwain either.
The door opened and two children cam running in. "Julia, Robert! You're back already." Lilly exclaimed as she let herself get tackeled onto the bed. "Yeah, Robert felt he couldn't leave you unprotected during the fight. But we came too late." Julia explained jokingly, laughing at her seven year old brother trying to look strong. "Haha, I'm sure you would have made an excellent protector." Lilly laughed, opening her arms for the little boy. "Did you fight next to the knights? Were they as strong as they say?" Julia was bombarding Lilly with questions. "I fought next to one knight, Sir Gwaine." "Ohh, the one with long black hair. The one you kissed." Julia interrupted. "Where you get your information I will never know. But yes he has long black hair. I am not saying anything about a kiss. He was very brave during the fight, he was very strong, stronger than in the stories." Lilly answered. "So you did kiss him?" Julia asked. "From everything I just said, that's what you want to know more about?" "Yes!" both Robert and Julia shouted. Lilly made a deep sigh. "Fine, yes we kissed. But now I got a problem. I can't leave here, but I don't want to leave Sir Gwaine either. And his place is at Camelot, he can't stay." The three of them were quiet for a while, thinking. "So what's your plan now?" Robert asked. "Well either I find a solution to the location problem, or I need too get him out of my head." Lilly answered. "How are you going tot hat, the getting him out your head?" Julia asked. "Trying to avoid him mostly. If he can't see me, he can't be charming, right?" The children exchanged doubtfull looks. "It's a horrible plan, I know." Lilly sighed and fell back on the bed. "Well maybe, would it feel less painfull if he didn't feel the same way?" Robert wondered. "He kissed me back, a knight of Camelot has too much honour to kiss a woman he doesn't have feelings for. I think. I don't know." "Just think out loud here. But do you think that if Lord and Lady Talltree officially adopted us, we maybe could hold the throne for Lilly until she either comes back of marries a knight and has an heir? It's farfetched I know." Julia said tot wo blank faces. "You know, that might work. Mother and father love you, mother approved of Gwain, this might be a loophole."