Author's Notes: I know you all have been waiting, and with a new week comes more new chapters! Here's Chapter Ten! Enjoy!

Chapter X

The next few days seemed to fly by. Since checking up on Tristan that night, Iliana hadn't bothered to visit the infirmary. She feared if she visited again, not only would she have lost her resolve, she probably would have been visiting more frequently and adding to the rumor mill that was already going on amongst the townsfolk. Instead, she spent her time focusing on helping Vanora at the tavern and also helping Jols with the horses. Now that the men have returned from their mission, the horses direly needed care, attention and listening to her sing. As she expected, her presence and singing calmed them down just enough for Jols and the keeps to take care of them, and she had a feeling her visits to the stables were going to be even more frequent. It was going to be a matter of time before the horses refused to leave altogether without listening to her sing.

She finished helping in the stables one afternoon and approached Arion, giving him a stroke on the neck as he lowered his head and pressed his brow against hers. He let out a concerned whinny as he nudged her in the chest with his nose and her lips formed into a small smile.

"Want to go out for a ride? I'll ride you bareback," she offered, causing the stallion to voice out his approval. Her smile widening, Iliana grabbed his reins and opened the door to his stall to let him out. Once she prepared him, she clicked her tongue, and as per usual, he lied down for her to mount him. Another click of her tongue got him up on his feet, and a gentle kick into his flank got him trotting out of the stables, into town and towards one of the open archways that led out into the open field.

Before the two of them passed under the archway, a cry from up above caught her attention, and she looked up to see Talia perched atop a nearby post.

"Watching over me in place of your master, huh?" she replied with a chuckle. "Well, someone has to, considering he's still recovering."

Her thoughts turned to Tristan, hoping that he was doing okay in his recovery. As much as she didn't want to avoid him, she knew their last conversation got his head reeling, and she wasn't ready to answer whatever questions he had just yet. At the very least, she wanted to give him the time he needed to recover before making his head spin again.

As Arion trotted forward under the open archway, Tristan watched from a few meters away, leaning against the side of a building as the stallion led her towards the field. His injury had become tender during the healing process, and while it prevented him from moving as much, he was determined to watch her and ensure that she was okay. His mind was reeling with the fact that she called herself a curse during their last conversation. Why would she view herself that way when he saw her as anything but a curse?

"You keep wandering out of bed and out of the infirmary and it will take longer for you to recover from that wound."

The scout breathed out a sigh at the familiar voice of Dagonet as he made his appearance, standing next to him. Only when the healers' gaze wandered to Iliana and Arion right before the stallion galloped out through the open archway did he realize why Tristan was so defiant. Even now, he was still putting her safety and well-being above his own.

"Something transpired between the two of you when she returned to the infirmary to check up on you. What happened, Tristan?"

The stern tone in Dagonet's voice demanded a reply that the scout could not refuse.

"I told her what I had deciphered about her from watching her this past month, and she opened up to what she saw in me," Tristan explained. "I tried to get her to let me in, but she pushed me away and told me flat out that I deserved better than a cursed girl like herself."

There was a moment of silence that dragged on for what felt like an eternity. The shock on Dagonet's face surprised Tristan when he looked at him through his bangs.

"Ili is far from a curse, and I am hoping it is not because she is Leoric's daughter," he stated. "Her name stands for 'ray of light', and that's exactly what she has been for us, the rest of the men, Vanora, and the children. How does she not see that she's lived up to that?"

"It's because she doesn't believe that she is," Tristan replied. "When Leoric died, she believed she lost her ability to shine."

"You glimpsed the darkness in her heart before she pushed you away," Dagonet stated.

"It's still not enough to satisfy what I want to know," Tristan said with a shake of his head. "However, I can't worry about that right now when I have something else to worry about regarding her. Is that bastard still following her?"

The healer didn't miss the anger in Tristan's voice as he asked his question, and he knew who he was referring to. It was regarding a man they overheard boasting about Iliana and her figure, and how he was going to have her, even if it meant taking her by force. The man figured that with Tristan being injured (her "bodyguard" down for the count, as he dubbed it), it would make it easier to take her.

"Aye. Gregor is still tailing Ili," he replied. "While you've been in the infirmary recovering, he and his cronies have been following her more frequently."

Tristan's jaw clenched; despite his injuries and recovery, he refused to let it stop him from protecting Iliana and preserving her purity.

"The rest of the men are already on alert and aware of our plan to trap the bastard and his friends," Dagonet announced. "There's no doubt in my mind that Gregor's the one responsible for the disappearances of those missing women. We just couldn't lock him up due to lack of physical evidence or a solid witness we could rely on.

"At the very least, we can catch him in the act, and it will be more than enough to lock him up and throw away the key."

"And Ili?" Tristan asked.

"She doesn't know of them and their intentions, nor is she aware of our plan," Dagonet replied. "Arthur agreed it was best to keep her in the dark, for if she knew, they probably would have changed tactics. By keeping the suspense going, the surprise will take Gregor and his cronies.

"Apparently, they're going to strike tonight. We'll trail them in the night's darkness and catch them the second they try to make their move."

The scout nodded.

"Are you sure you're up to this, despite your injury?"

"I'm not an invalid, Dag," Tristan replied. "I am well enough to take them on if it comes down to it."

"Then you better hold up to that for the sake of Ili's safety," the healer announced.

Tristan could feel his blood boil at the thought of Gregor and his cocky smile as he had his wicked way with a helpless Iliana that was crying and begging him to stop. He wanted to ram either his knife down Gregor's throat or his sword through his gut. He knew Gregor had already signed his death warrant when he set his sights on Iliana, but whatever he planned to do to her tonight would truly decide how severe his punishment was going to be from him.

"If he so much as lays a finger on her, he might as well be wishing he's already dead when I'm through with him."

With that announcement, Tristan made his way back to the infirmary, leaving the healer to his own thoughts. As he watched his comrade go, Dagonet couldn't help but chuckle and smile slightly.

"You've finally found the woman you want, haven't you, Tristan?"

Iliana breathed out a sigh of relief as she laid down on the cool grass beneath her and leaned back against Arion's massive frame. The stallion was lying on his side, keeping his head up and his wits about him as they enjoyed the scenery of the grass and the trees surrounding them. While she relaxed in the comfort of his presence and the sight of the luscious greenery, it did little to calm her racing heart. In fact, the organ refused to stop racing entirely and her skin still tingled from where Tristan touched her since the night she last checked up on him. Despite having kept her distance from him and the infirmary for the past few days, it was as if he had never left her side at all.

Iliana thought it over and accepted that Tristan attracted her, and she stopped denying it as it stood right in front of her. Denying what her heart had been feeling and what she already knew for quite some time was futile, and it was better to just acknowledge it and move on. Yet, despite having acknowledged her feelings for the silent, distant scout, she was still fearful of truly speaking those feelings out loud to anyone, even him, because of her belief that she was a curse and that he deserved better than her. If anything, she would have rather loved him from a distance, even if it slowly killed her from within, and yet, there was another part of her that refused to let him go.

As she closed her eyes, she thought about every detail of him that made him the man he was. His wild hair and bangs that were always in a mess, the many braids that were plaited around his head, his high cheekbones highlighted by his beard and Hamaxobii tattoos, and what she considered being her favorite feature of all: his brown eyes that seemed to find their way into the depths of her heart. Taking a deep breath, she breathed in his intoxicating scent of pine, wood, and earth, and she felt the heat of his body surrounding her. At that moment, she realized that he's all she's been able to think about lately, causing her pulse to quicken and her heart to pound even harder in her chest.

Thinking about it some more, Iliana realized Tristan made her feel something again. In the two years since her father's death, she couldn't deny the fact that she became numb of all emotions. Did he want her to come to Britain to ensure that she didn't follow the path he would have taken had he not met her mother? Considering she rejected Tristan and ran away from him thanks to letting fear clouding and dictating her judgment, was she truly capable of loving a man and letting a man love her? She asked herself that question as she wondered how Tristan possibly felt about her.

If she had to take a guess on what he would be like as a lover, she imagined him as a man that wasn't so openly affectionate with her in public unless he really had to. A prime example of such was if a guy was flirting with her (like Lancelot and his flirtatious manners). In private, however, he would be a different man. She imagined a loving, tender side to him he only reserved for her, but unfortunately, it was probably never going to be more than hearsay thanks to never knowing, considering the man Tristan was.

At that moment, a familiar voice called out to her in the back of her mind.

"You won't know unless you take the leap and try it, my darling daughter."

She gasped as she opened her eyes, finding herself face-to-face with the grassy field and trees. While she wasn't certain of falling in love, at the very least, she could satisfy the curiosity that had been nagging at her regarding him and move on once she finally had the answers she wanted.

Looking down at herself, she realized she was due for some new riding clothes. Deciding to pay the seamstress a visit before heading off to work, Iliana stood up and mounted Arion, and with a click of her tongue, he was up on his feet and they were on their way back to town with a kick into his flank. She enjoyed the sight of the field and the smell of the grass and earth as they headed back, for it allowed her a moment of calm before the possibility of having to face Tristan again. All she could do was hope that she had the mentality to keep her cool.

As Arion stepped through the open archway, Iliana felt two pairs of eyes watching her from afar. She recognized one pair of eyes belonging to Tristan, but did not recognize the other pair. The hairs on the back of her neck stood straight up, and she had a feeling that this other person meant some kind of ill will to her.

From here on out, she was going to have to be on her guard to ensure this person wouldn't be able to fulfill their foreboding intentions.

Iliana was as still as a statue, with her arms stretched out to her sides as the seamstress took her measurements. She was a woman slightly older than Vanora by the name of Elsie, and she had been a seamstress since she was old enough to learn how to create clothes. She hummed as she studied every part of the young girl before her, and once she was done, she stood up before her.

"Okay. I got everything I need, dear. I'll have those riding clothes ready for you around this time tomorrow. Come see me then, okay?"

"Aye, ma'am. Thank you," Iliana said with a nod.

"I also want to announce that a festival will take place here in town the day after tomorrow, and I will have some dresses prepared for you to try out as well."

The woman's generosity surprised Iliana.

"Oh. Okay. Thank you, ma'am."

"Bring Vanora with you too. I have some ideas in mind for her as well," Elsie announced. "I know she's going to want to look her best for that knight of hers."

Iliana couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Vanora looking as gorgeous and fresh as a daisy for Bors.

"And I'm sure you're going to want to look your best for that scout."

Those words surprised her, and it took everything she had to keep her composure in check.

"Don't think I'm not aware of the fact that he has feelings for you, dear," Elsie explained. "I've seen it by the way he looks at you. Even if you're not convinced of it now, you'll see what I mean in time."

Unable to speak, Iliana just nodded.

"Okay. I better let you get going before Vanora has my head over keeping you longer than I should have. Have a good evening."

"I will, and I will see you tomorrow."

"One more thing, dear," Elsie called, just as Iliana was about to leave. "Be careful as you head out. I've caught a group of men eyeing you the way a predator eyes and studies its prey. I'm sure you're aware of the power a man can possess when he really wants something, and I don't want you at the brunt end of whatever wicked intentions they have in mind."

Her warning flashed Iliana back to when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up earlier. So, she wasn't the only one that noticed, and with this knowledge, she was definitely going to keep her guard up on her way to the tavern.

"I will definitely keep that in mind. Thank you," she said before taking her leave and following the familiar path that she knew led towards the tavern.

No sooner did she walk did she hear footsteps coming up a few meters behind her, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up. Either the one whose gaze she didn't recognize was behind her, or it was one of his cronies that was tailing her. She continued on walking, keeping her gaze forward and her head up, refusing to look back and give whoever it was more reason to add to the fear that was slowly growing within her.

Her walking eventually took her to an empty plaza that was in the northern part of town. While it wasn't as grand as the main plaza where the fountain was located, it was large enough for even the smallest of gatherings. The second she stepped in, Iliana felt her heart stop at the sound of a snicker as a man that was about a decade older than her made his presence known amongst the lit torches. He had a smug grin on his face as his beady eyes roved her body from top to bottom, and Iliana realized things were going to end in disaster if she didn't remove herself from the scenario entirely.

Just as she was about to leave, she found herself surrounded by three other men that blocked her from both the front and the back.

"Where are you going, little lady? You're coming with us," one of them said.

When he tried to grab her by the arm, Iliana kicked him in the groin and then seized his nose between her index and middle finger, crushing and twisting it, which earned her a scream of agony as he stumbled back. They held her in place by seizing her arms and twisting them from behind, and then wrapping a brawny arm around her throat. A hard kick to her stomach caused the air to rush from her body, making her groan.

"My, my. Never thought my intended prize would be such a feisty one."

When she caught her breath, Iliana looked up to see the man that was eyeing her and had that smug grin standing before her.

"The name's Gregor, my dearest, and there's no need to worry. No one will hear you scream where we're going."

His cronies chuckled evilly, and as he reached out to stroke her cheek, Iliana bit down on his finger, causing him to jerk his hand back. In response, Gregor grabbed her by the hair as the man holding her in place let go of her and threw her down on the ground. Iliana ended up hitting her head on the stone below her, stunning her for a moment.

"You little bitch! You'll be wishing you never defied me and begging me to stop when I'm through with you!"

She rolled herself until she was lying on her back, bracing herself for the inevitable, when she saw a knife fly from the darkness of the night. The blade hit one of Gregor's cronies directly in the throat, causing him to gurgle blood and his eyes to bug before he ultimately dropped dead. Before anyone else could react, the other two cronies got caught in a chokehold, and Iliana had to blink several times to see that it was Gawain and Bors. The sight of them angered Gregor, and she put her arms up to shield herself just as he lunged at her. The hit would never come, however, and when she lowered her arms, she saw Tristan grab him by the throat and throw him against the wall of a nearby building. Dagonet soon appeared from around the corner of the building with his sword drawn, the tip pointed at Gregor's throat, and she then saw Lancelot and Arthur appear from the cover of the darkness with their respective swords drawn.

"Ili!"

She turned as Galahad appeared, kneeling down next to her and helping her sit up.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied with a nod as she sat upright, clutching her head from where she hit it when Gregor threw her to the ground. From where she was at, she could see Tristan choking the life out of Gregor, whose face was slowly turning red thanks to a lack of oxygen. Oh, how the scout wanted to murder him for hurting her, much less laying even a single finger on her.

"Easy, Tristan. I know you want to kill him, but we need him alive," Dagonet warned in a gentle yet stern tone. While Tristan loosened his grip slightly around Gregor's throat, he kept him pinned against the wall as Arthur and Lancelot approached him.

"Well, I didn't have any solid evidence or witnesses to back up my suspicions about you, but now, having seen your wicked intentions firsthand and up close, I have every reason to lock you up, Gregor," Arthur announced. "You and your two pathetic friends are under arrest for assault, rape, murder, attempted rape, and attempted murder."

"I claimed that woman the second I laid eyes on her!" Gregor snarled. "She belongs to me because I say so!"

He was soon cut off when Tristan tightened his grip around his throat, causing him to gasp for breath.

"You have no claim on Ili," he growled menacingly. "If you ever say that again, much less even look in her general direction, I WILL kill you, and I will make sure you die a slow, painful death."

He then threw him against the wall once again, and when he let go, Gregor slumped down. Dagonet caught him before he could hit the ground and tied his hands behind his back.

"Go tend to Ili," Arthur announced, gesturing towards the girl as Galahad tried to comfort her. When Tristan turned to her, he saw she was sitting up with Galahad's support, clutching her head. He approached her and then knelt down beside her, proceeding to scoop her up in his arms to carry her bridal style. He felt her relax in his arms, and she wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

"Are you going to take her back to her quarters?" Galahad asked as he stood up.

Tristan shook his head.

"No. She's staying with me in my room tonight."

His words surprised the men, but they couldn't help but chuckle at how much he cared for her.

"Alright. We'll take Gregor and his men to the brig to be locked up. Galahad, head to the tavern and inform Vanora of what happened," Arthur announced. "Tristan, you take care of her."

He nodded and left without another word, wanting to get her out of here before somebody else tried to hurt her.

End Notes: Aww...the knights to the rescue! The next chapter will be out tomorrow! Check back!