Author's Notes: And we start the plot of the movie! Enjoy!
Chapter XXIII
Tristan groaned as the sunlight crept through the window and hit his face. Opening his eyes, he blinked a few times to clear his blurred vision, and the sight of Iliana sleeping soundly next to him greeted him. Following collecting her from the sparring arena, he took her back to his quarters, and they spent yet another night together. They agreed to just sleep the previous evening, Iliana wanting him to save his strength and stamina for when he and the men left to collect the Bishop. He felt his stomach flip multiple times as he propped his elbow up on the pillow to gaze at her. Having her lying next to him in his own bed and breathing the same air provided him with a sense of comfort he hadn't felt in such a long time.
He took a moment to study her in the slip she wore. He liked how scantily clad she looked in it, the material thin enough where he saw her curves. However, it paled compared to when she was bare. She hid nothing from him every time she bared her body, and she didn't have a reason to hide. Her raw and vulnerable side (which was for his eyes only) made her the most beautiful girl in the world.
He watched her sleep for a little while longer before leaning towards her, planting a gentle kiss on her lips in which she responded to in her sleep. He touched her face and pressed his forehead against hers, taking in the closeness before having to pull himself away from her. Rolling over, he sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and stretching his arms up over his head, hearing and feeling his bones crack slightly. His movement roused her from her deep slumber, and she smiled at the sight of his bare, broad back.
She sat up and reached for him, stroking the muscles and skin of his back before wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She rested her chin on his shoulder as he took one of her hands and kissed her knuckles tenderly.
"Good morning," she greeted as she turned to look at him with a smile.
While Tristan didn't greet her back, the small smile he gave her spoke for him when he saw her eyes light up. She leaned forward, nuzzling her nose into his neck and breathing in his scent. After taking in her presence and closeness now that she was awake, Tristan kissed her temple before having to pull away from her and standing up from the bed. Iliana leaned back against the pillows, watching with keen interest as he got dressed and ready to head out.
"You know, the next time we sleep together, you'll be a free man, and I have to admit I'm looking forward to it," she announced, a hint of innuendo in her voice.
Her statement made the scout smile as he looked at her, the look in his eyes expressing it all.
"You and I will be in for a long night tonight, for I intend to make deep, passionate love to you the entire night."
"Do you intend to have me make a lot of noise?" Iliana asked.
"I do. Those moans of yours are music to my ears," he purred, chuckling at the sight of her cheeks flushing a slight shade of pink.
When he began working on the ties of his leather jerkin, Iliana got up from the bed and approached him, helping him secure them. She then strapped his sword to his back and slipped his bow and quiver of arrows over his shoulder. She stepped back to look at him, and she couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips at the sight of him dressed up in his warrior attire. The two of them stared at each other in silence, and after a beat, Tristan seized her by the wrist, pulling her towards him. His hands found her hips, and he hoisted her until she was sitting on the edge of the table. He then parted her knees, creating a niche for his hips as he stepped forward.
Iliana giggled as she placed her hands on his cheeks, his beard tickling her palms. She leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his as he kept his hands on her legs.
"Tristan, you're already dressed and due to leave soon. We don't have enough time for even a quickie. Considering how early it is, you're probably due to scout and make sure the road to the Bishop is clear before you and the men head out."
"You know me too well, Ili," he growled. "Just allow me to be close to you for a little longer."
Unable to refuse that offer, Iliana nodded, and Tristan's lips found her neck, smothering her throat with attention. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him as close to her as physically possible as she squeezed her legs around his waist. She relished in the attention he was giving her, her fingers digging into the sleeves of his coat, and when she let out a breathy moan that flooded the room, his kisses only grew more fierce, with occasional suckles in between. One of his hands traveled upwards, pushing the hem of her slip up to expose her thigh, and he gave her leg a squeeze as his calloused palm and fingertips rubbed her smooth skin.
Just as his kisses traveled down to her chest, there was a knock on the door, making Iliana jump in his hold as she tensed and froze in place. Tristan paused in his kissing assault, pulling away from her to look at the door as Lancelot spoke from the other side.
"Tristan, Arthur wants us to gather at the stables for a meeting before we head out to collect the Bishop. Get dressed and get ready as soon as possible."
"Okay. I'll be right there," Tristan called back.
Lancelot then walked away, his footsteps becoming distant, and Iliana giggled as Tristan rested his forehead against her chest. He breathed out a heavy sigh that rattled the valley between her breasts, and she let out a content sigh as a pleasurable shiver tore through her spine. He was still for a moment before pulling away to look at her, and she smiled at him.
"Hurry and get going," she announced. "The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll get back to me and we can pick up where we left off."
She gently cupped his face with both hands and gave him a brief kiss.
"I'll see you later. Be careful."
He nodded, and with a final, affectionate look at her, Tristan pulled away from her and headed out. Iliana watched him go, and after hopping off the table, she smoothed out her slip and made her way back to the bed. Since it was still fairly early, she wanted to get some more sleep, and once she was comfortable, she allowed herself to doze off, breathing in his faint scent.
A gentle knock on the door roused Iliana from her slumber, and she groaned as she buried her face in the pillow. Looking out the nearby window, she saw she got another hour of sleep after Tristan departed.
"Ili? Are you awake yet?"
She turned towards the door at the sound of Sophia's voice calling to her from the other side.
"I'm awake. Come on in, Soph."
The door swung open, revealing the auburn-haired girl.
"I apologize. Were you still sleeping?"
"I wasn't asleep for too long," Iliana replied. "I woke up earlier and saw Tristan off. After he left, I went back to sleep. It was only for an hour, though."
Sophia nodded as she walked in, shutting the door behind her and making herself comfortable at the edge of the bed.
"I guess you and Tristan had a little fun before he left," she commented slyly, gesturing to the crinkles on Iliana's slip, making the blonde girl chuckle as her cheeks grew warm.
"We had a brief interlude before Lancelot interrupted it."
The irritation in Iliana's voice made Sophia giggle.
"Did you and the girls get to see the men off?"
"Aye. We did," Sophia replied. "We saw them off at the stables and helped Jols with the horses. Except for Tristan, the men wanted to bid you goodbye, but they couldn't, so they wanted to let you know they would see you soon."
Iliana nodded, silently offering a prayer for the men to return to the Wall safely. When she opened her eyes, she saw what appeared to be a hint of pink adorning Sophia's cheeks.
"Okay. Something happened during your goodbyes at the stables. Spill it, Soph."
She watched as Sophia took a deep breath, speaking once she found her voice.
"Lancelot and I finally cleared up the fog between us," she explained. "He kissed my hand and said many sweet words to me. It was the most gentlemanly thing I have ever seen in my lifetime."
"Well, it's about damn time," Iliana said with a chuckle. "It's a shame I wasn't there to see it, but I can picture it."
The two girls then exchanged giggles.
"I suggest you get up and get changed, Ili," Sophia announced. "Now that the men are away, Vanora wants to take advantage of that and have some girl time besides mingling with the children."
With a nod, Iliana got up and stretched, relieving herself of the tension coursing throughout her back and shoulders. She was about to reach for the dress she picked out when something else caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Lying atop the chest, Tristan had was what appeared to be a specific set of clothes. Inspecting it up close, she saw it was an old tunic and a pair of worn out breeches that were still holding their own. They were too small to fit him, and the more she thought about it, she realized they were probably from his younger days when he was her age.
"What have you got there, Ili?" Sophia asked, and Iliana held up the clothes for her to see.
"These are Tristan's from when he was younger. I have my boots, and with the right tailoring, I can make them fit my figure."
At the sight of Sophia's hazel eyes lighting up, Iliana knew she hit her mark.
"Well, let's see what we can do."
Iliana walked alongside Sophia towards the tavern about thirty minutes after waking up from her brief slumber. They made the adjustments to Tristan's old clothing, and the tunic and breeches in combination with Iliana's lace-up boots fit her perfectly. The townsfolk have been stealing looks her way as they navigated through town, but she didn't mind. She was Tristan's woman, and she wanted everyone to be aware of it, especially the wenches, who were giving her the same dirty looks when she first arrived two months prior.
There was a bustle about the tavern when they finally arrived. Gilly and his brothers were running about with Dimitra chasing them, and Estrella and Catalina were dolling up Vanora's daughters. Vanora tended to Eleven, trying to coo him as he had yet another one of his crying fests, and Jols was attempting to relax after helping to get the horses ready for their journey.
"Got room for a couple more?" Sophia called.
When Gilly saw Iliana, his eyes lit up, and he took off running.
"Auntie Ili!"
Once he was close enough, Iliana picked him up and spun in a circle, and the boy wrapped his arms around her neck, screaming in delight.
"How's my favorite little man doing?" she asked when she stopped spinning and he pulled away to look at her.
"I'm good. How about you?"
"I'm doing well. Thanks for asking."
She flattened the tip of his nose with her index finger, making him giggle.
"Are you wearing Uncle Tristan's old clothes?"
"I am," Iliana replied.
"They look good on you. They fit you perfectly, Auntie Ili."
"Why, thank you, little man."
Gilly then looked towards Vanora and Jols.
"Ma! Uncle Jols! Auntie Ili is wearing Uncle Tristan's old clothing!"
His call caught the attention of the older woman and squire as Iliana walked towards the table they were at, holding the excited boy in his arms.
"He isn't kidding. You are wearing Tristan's old clothes," Vanora said. "They look good on you."
"And probably better on you than they ever did on Tristan," Jols commented, making her blush.
"It's a shame Tristan isn't here. I can only picture his reaction upon seeing you," Estrella teased, giving Iliana a smirk that added to her blush and earned her some laughs. Amidst the commotion, Sophia joined her and Catalina to doll up Vanora's daughters.
"Knowing how big and buff Gawain is, you'd probably drown in his clothes, Estrella," Iliana countered with a smirk of her own that made the ebony-haired girl fall silent as another round of laughs took place.
Satisfied at her comeback, Iliana sat down next to Vanora, still holding Gilly in her arms. The little boy had one arm around her neck, his temple pressed against hers as he relished in the closeness. Looking at Vanora as she rocked Eleven, she saw a miniature version of herself and a miniature version of Tristan running about in the grassy plain. Arion and Siria were chasing after them the same way they chased each other, their noses and hot breaths tickling them as they nudged them.
"Are you seeing yourself holding your own child?" Vanora asked, snapping the young girl out of her trance. In response, Iliana turned to the redhead, the longing look clear in her eyes.
"I imagined it for a split second, and it reminded me of my six-year-old self promising my father I would bear him lots of grandchildren."
She shook her head and laughed slightly, and Vanora laughed with her.
"You would make a wonderful mother someday, Auntie Ili, especially with how well you've been to me and my siblings," Gilly said, playing with her hair.
"You really think so?" Iliana asked.
"I know so," Gilly replied.
The determined look in his eyes made Iliana chuckle, and she couldn't help the small smile that formed on her lips.
"Do you want your first child to be a boy or a girl?" Gilly asked.
It was silent for a moment as Iliana thought it over. After a beat, she spoke up.
"I would want my first child to be a girl. I can almost picture her looking like a miniature version of me with my personality and being a little aloof, like Tristan.
"If I had to decide on a name, I would name her Aria. It's Greek for 'honorable', and I see her as independent and respectable. Reminiscent of my father, myself, and Tristan. The name always appealed to me as a child, and I think it would fit a miniature version of me perfectly."
"Aria. I like it," Vanora said with a nod, rocking Eleven gently.
"Tell me, Auntie Ili, do you plan on marrying Uncle Tristan someday?" Gilly asked.
His question caught Iliana off guard, and she looked at him with intrigue, making the boy giggle.
"I mean, it's fairly obvious. You and Uncle Tristan love each other, and I picture you marrying him down the line someday."
Iliana flattened his nose with her finger once again.
"While I'm not opposed to the idea of marriage, my relationship with your Uncle Tristan is still fairly new," she replied. "We've only been together for a little over a month, and I've never really thought about it, especially since he's still in servitude to Rome."
"Do you see yourself as Tristan's wife, Ili?" Vanora asked.
"Aye. I do," Iliana replied. "However, there are still some things I have to figure out before I consider marriage and children. I want to be absolutely sure of it all and be content with it before I make a final decision."
Vanora reached out towards her, taking her hand and giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.
"It may be a frightening concept to you now, but if there is one thing I'm certain of, it's that it will all work out in the end."
Iliana nodded, returning the squeeze of her hand with a squeeze of her own, and Gilly hugged her tightly, which she happily accepted.
"Can you, Auntie Sophie, Auntie Estrella, Auntie Cat, and Auntie Dimitra sing for us?" he asked.
"Of course we can. Just let me gather them," Iliana replied with a smile.
Following singing for the children, Vanora, and Jols, Iliana took a walk to the Sarmatian graveyard, and to her surprise, her Sirens accompanied her. They huddled together in front of the grave of Arthur's father, gazing out at the grassy plain and enjoying the gentle breeze that blew on by.
"You know, you'll make a wonderful wife and mother when you're finally ready, Ili," Dimitra announced, breaking the silence in the air. "I can see miniature versions of you and Tristan running around in the grass with Arion and Siria chasing after them."
Her words made Iliana blush, her voice catching in her throat and rendering her speechless as she turned to look at Dimitra. The blush on her cheeks made the brunette chuckle and smile slightly.
"I agree Ili will make a wonderful wife and mother someday," Estrella said. "However, I picture you and Dagonet with children rivaling Bors and Vanora's brood, Dimitra."
This statement earned her a round of giggles and a look from Dimitra as her cheeks flushed a slight shade of pink.
"Aww…look. She's blushing," Sophia said, pointing at her, earning her the finger from Dimitra.
"Do you know what I see, Estrella?" Catalina asked, catching everyone's attention. "I see you having a son as handsome and strong as Gawain, and he's got his long, golden mane and sapphire eyes."
Another round of laughs took place at Estrella's shocked expression and the blush adorning her pale complexion. Unable to form a counter, the ebony-haired, emerald-eyed girl lay down on the grass, staring at the sky.
"And I see miniature versions of you and Galahad running amok and so full of emotion and life as they chase Vanora's children," Sophia said, earning her a playful smack in the arm from the redhead as her face flushed a shade of pink.
"Don't think you're off the hook here, Soph," Iliana announced. "I picture several sons as handsome and flirtatious as Lancelot, and each one of them is attempting to sweep Vanora's daughters off their feet because they learned from only the best."
She laughed at the glare she received from the blushing, auburn-haired girl besides the playful smack she received.
"I can definitely see that happening," Estrella said towards the sky.
"You girls have come a long way this past month," Iliana said. "I may already be an aunt to Vanora's brood, but I expect to be an aunt to plenty more children someday."
"As long as we get to be aunts to your future children, Ili," Sophia said.
"I'll fulfill that when I'm finally ready," Iliana said.
She looked up at the sky, taking in the sun's warmth.
Father, if you can hear me, bring the men home safely. My Sirens and I want to see them again soon.
Andres was watching them off in the distance, smiling at the sight of them. Iliana not only blossomed into the woman he knew lingered within her, but also led and mentored the girls that he hardly even recognized as the same traumatized survivors he rescued. Glancing up at the sky, his smile widened slightly as the sun shined down on Iliana.
Leoric, please ensure Arthur and his men return in one piece. I want to see Ili and her new friends keep on smiling.
Tristan had blood splattered on his face as he went to get Siria. He and the men were amongst the carnage of dead bodies comprising both Romans and Woads, after engaging in combat with the natives painted in blue. They stumbled across the Bishop's carriage as it was being guarded and escorted by a band of Roman soldiers. However, what was supposed to be a smooth, last mission turned into a dangerous one when a band of around fifty Woads ambushed and attacked the carriage.
Thankfully, their intervention prevented further casualties, but when a Woad Arthur spared mentioned Iliana by name, everyone was on edge. Perhaps Merlin expected she would be among the men, and this also confirmed their earlier suspicions that he was watching her from afar.
Multiple questions were running through Tristan's mind at this revelation. Why was Merlin expressing so much interest in Iliana, and what did he want from her? It appeared he wasn't intending to hurt her, but that thought lingered in the back of his mind since he didn't know for sure. He could feel the disappointment lingering in the mist that was fresh out of the nearby forest, and it fueled his desire to return to the Wall and hold Iliana in his arms.
"Tristan, ride ahead and make sure the road is clear," Arthur announced after he spoke with the Bishop.
As Tristan directed Siria into a gallop on the road, he internally dared Merlin and the Woads to take Iliana from him. Her heart, body and soul belonged to him, and if he had to kill to ensure she never left his side, then so be it.
End Notes: I cannot believe we are at this point in time! I am so excited for what I've put together in these next several chapters! Check back next week!