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The Tale of Tristan and Isolt-Lady/Moon

Lancelot smiled a little as she spoke and then slowly pulled her into a hug, comforting her as she cried, just holding her so she knew she wasn't alone in her grief. he so hated to see a girl cry. "i met Loki once or twice." Lancelot admitted suddenly, after her crying had eased. "so had Tristan for that matter. Loki was a very good man, and Tristan went into battle with him, fully expecting to loose... i don't think Tristan has forgiven himself for killing Loki yet either." Lancelot admitted softly. "Loki once saved Aramis you know. several years ago, before the battles and the war, Aramis was hunting down a dangerous criminal that had escaped from Cornwall. the mad man escaped to Ireland, and Aramis followed. only it was a trap, Aramis ended up beaten by the ten or so people that the criminal had hired upon landing on Ireland's shores. Loki appeared out of nowhere, killed all the bandits, and sent Aramis back to Cornwall..." Lancelot snickered. "Aramis RAVED about it for DAYS!" he admitted with a smile. "and of course, that made Tristan sing high praises to Loki, just to annoy Aramis." he admitted with a small chuckle as he offered her a handkerchief. "and what in the world makes you think you're going to be a Catholic Bride? has someone asked for your hand? women still have their rights. tell him no. the Pope has no place in this Woman's world, i am sure he'll learn his place soon enough, nosy busybody that he is."
 
Isolt sniffled as she leaned into him, smiling a little as she relaxed, resting her head on his chest as she listened to him talk. “I remember that. He wouldnt shut up for DAYS about the idiot Englishman who didn’t know better then to walk in a trap. It was highly entertaining for him, for it was winter and I’d refused to let him go hunting in the highlands since it was dangerous. He said I couldn’t yell at him for getting into a fight in my own capital city, since he hadn’t had to travel to find it.”She giggled a little taking his handkerchief and wiping her face before smiling a little. “The world’s changing lance. England and Ireland are one of the few places women still hold power. I’m scared, and mark’s standing ready to make me a catholic bride even if I don’t want to be.”She sighed sagging into him, suddenly tired and overwrought.
 
he smiled a little. "i'll have to tell Aramis that." he stated with a snicker. "he'll rave for another week if he found out he was a 'stupid Englishman'." Lancelot admitted with a laugh. "the world is changing, but we are not changing with it." he stated with a scowl. "i don't like how those Catholics treat their women. it's... it's just wrong. Arthur will never allow those brutes to change HIS country! not while HE is king at any rate." he stated with a sniff. "and i highly doubt they would fin a foothold in Ireland with you as queen. besides, Mark will not get hold of you, even if i have to marry you myself to keep him at bay. he would not DARE challenge the likes of ME." Lancelot growled, his eyes flashing with anger at the thought of Mark forcing someone to marry. "you are exaughsted. go lay down." Lancelot ordered gently, indicating a bed that was on the other side of Tristan's. "that is Aramis's bed, but i doubt he will mind if you borrow it." Lancelot promised. "he can have my bed for the night, as drunk as he is, i doubt he could make it down all those stairs anyway..."
 
“Hm, I’ll tell Tristan to. It’ll do him good to laugh.Even if it is over the stupid Englishman.”She said smiling a little before laughing softly.”Hm, it is good that queens have such good knights to defend them.”She said yawning before getting him, looking down at him bemused as she studied the man who’d offered to marry her to keep her away from mark. While it had appeal, she was still mourning, and it hurt ot consider when she’d been thinking of finally marrying loki. Brushing his dark bangs off his forehead she smiled.”You are a good man, lancelot du lac, never forget that.”she muttered moving to the bed, laying down, facing Tristan, as if ready to get up at the slightest indication he needed care, but within moments she was asleep
 
Lancelot snickered a little. "no, it would be better if Tristan doesn't be the one to tell him. injured or not, Aramis will still beat up his brother." Lancelot admitted with a snicker before smiling at her. "yes, what would you Queens do without us?" he asked with a small chuckle. "Goodnight Lady Isolt. have sweet dreams." he whispered as he gently tucked the sleeping girl in before he tended to Tristan. it wouldn't be the first time Lancelot had tended the sick.

in the morning, Tristan was sleeping peaceful, and Lancelot gently shook Isolt awake. "My Lady, his fever has broken. i thought you might like to know." he admitted with a small smile. "he should be find now, right?" he asked, looking at Tristan, who no longer looked like death warmed over. Aramis, amusingly enough, was laying on the floor, sleeping away a hangover, though he looked a little banged up himself. "fell down the stairs." Lancelot explained away Aramis's injuries. "he left the party before anyone realized he was gone. usually they force him into an upstairs bed." he admitted with a shake of his head. "nothings broken anyway... i'd wake him up, but if i woke him up, i fear i'd wake up Tristan, and he needs his rest."
 
Isolt started as he shook her, hand instinctively moving to find a weapon before she checked the action, looking up at him with a sleepy look that said it took her a moment to understand him. “Oh. That’s good.”she smiled as she sat up, looking pleased to see that Tristan was better, looking down at aramis with a slight giggle. “Aw, well, we’ll go get breakfast for us all, then wake them. Even if he needs to sleep, Tristan needs food to.”She said rubbing a hand over her face, not wanting to think about facing Tristan when he was awake, but not knowing how to get out of it either. She was so nervous about talking to him now that she knew who he was.
 
Lancelot looked a little startled at the motion, any warrior would wake up like that.... but he'd never seen a HEALER do it before! he was rather surprised to say the least. "i'll go get breakfast." he agreed. "will you check this idiot? make sure he hasn't broken anything?" he asked, indicating Aramis before he left. he came back with enough food for five people and smirked as he sat the tray down on the table in the room and cracked his knuckles and then his neck before picking up a lid and a spoon, tossed a wink at Isolt and indicated she should cover her ears before he started banging on the lid. "GET UP ARAMIS YOU LAZY DOG SLOP!" Lancelot Roared. "YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO THIS ARMY!" Aramis shrieked, rolled around on the ground in an attempt to get to his feet and saluted. "SIR! i'm sorry Sir! it won't happen again Sir~!..... i'm gonna be sick,...." and with that the drunk clapped a hand to his mouth and ran pell mell out of the room and a weak chuckle emanated from the bed. "that wasn't nice Lance..." Tristan muttered, still sounding rather sickly. "and your supposed to TELL people when your not feeling well!" "...thought it was sea sickness..." Tristan mumbled. "got sick on the way there too... didn't think i was coming down with something..." Tristan admitted and Lance sighed. "yes, that's right... i forgot you get sea sick."
 
“I will.”Isolt smiled at the knight as she moved to kneel at aramis’ side, her face worried as lancelot left the room before relaxing, realizing that aramis would be bruised and achy, but he had managed to not to break anything. Looking up at lancelot she frowned a little before covering her ears, a startled laugh escaping as lancelot roared. Watching aramis leave she smiled softly before looking at Tristan, moving to see beside him on the bed, looking torn between worry for him and wanting to get away. “Well, next time you’ll just have to tell us even if you think its sea sickness. I don’t want to have to keep making you feel better sir Tristan.”She said offering him a weak smile, before sighing.”Are you feeling up to trying to eat a bit?”She said taking the bowl of broth from lancelot, smiling in thanks up at the knight, not used to having someone there to help her as she healed, she was finding lancelot’s steady presence while she took care of Tristan good.
 
Lancelot snickered a little as he watched Aramis take off and he shook his head. "i was the one who trained Aramis and Tristan, so they respond to my 'training voice' quite well." he admitted, looking entirely too smug. Tristan flinched as soon as he saw the Lady Isolt and he looked away, unable to handle the look in her eyes. "Lady Isolt..." he muttered softly. "i'm sorry..." he muttered softly. "for everything. i hadn't meant to..." but what he hadn't meant, he didn't say and Lancelot looked almost horrified as he realized. Tristan hadn't meant to Kill Loki, he had gone into battle fully intending to LOSE to the Ireland Champion. a suicide mission at it's best. "...i'll try. i'm not that hungry." Tristan admitted softly and Lancelot carefully helped Tristan into a sitting position, and settled the hot bowl of broth into the broken Knights hands who took a few sips. "thank you... Lady Isolt... for saving me." Tristan whispered softly, looking ever so guilty that he had lived and Loki had died... and even more guilty that Tristan had lied about it.
 
Isolt looked startled, grambling for the words as she realized to what Tristan meant. “Even on the green isle, we have heard of you, tristan of lyonesse, my champion was a good man, and had not wanted to kill you either. Said you were to entertaining as ‘stupid englishman’ causing problems in my own capital city when you offered him a way around his queen’s orders. It was…”she sesarched for the words, for the truth she’d known for months, even as she planned a wedding that she’d known would never happen. And staring at these two Englishmen, she couldn’t voice what she knew was truth, even if she knew Tristan would feel better for it. “a warrior’s death. You have him that.”She said shuddering a little as she looked away, swallowing compulsively, not wanting to even think about loki, because she knew and he had known he was already dying before he’d stepped on the field, the only reason Tristan had won, was ireland’s champion had been already preparing to die.

“you are welcome. Loki would have wanted to make sure the stupid Englishman went on to have more adventures like chasing criminals in Ireland. I could at least honor his memory and save you, even if I had not know it was you.”
 
Tristan choked on his Broth at the others words. "....you would bring that up..." he muttered, flushing furiously as he looked away. "Loki was an amazing warrior." he muttered softly. "i rather... fancied him as a role model..." he admitted. "when he took out ten men so effortlessly... it was amazing..." he admitted with a shake of his head. "it wasn't a warriors death!" Tristan hissed, pressing his face into his hands. "it was a freaking ACCIDENT!" Lancelot jumped and then glanced at Isolt. "that is enough Tristan!" Lancelot snarled, making it Tristan's turn to jump. "i knew you where depressed but i didn't realize that you would go so far as to diminish another man's death just to load yourself with more grief! you will apologize tot he Lady Isolt this instant! then you and i will be having a very serious talk!" Tristan was practically trying to hide behind Isolt at that threat, or he would have been if he'd been able to get out of bed. Lancelot was rather frightening when he got like that. "i'm sorry. your right, i didn't mean to..." Tristan promised. "it's just... i... i've never killed a man before... and it... it didn't seam a fair fight. Loki was injured, and tired... it wasn't..." Lancelot looked startled by that revelation. "i shouldn't have won... Loki was ten times the man that i was... i shouldn't have won... in no way, was i ever good enough to best such a noble man..."
 
“Well, I am sure he would have been amused by your admiration. He kept hoping you would come back so he could once again have a reason to break my ‘no hunting in winter’ rule.”She said rolling her eyes wincing at Tristan, eyes widening as she looked confused and hurt at tristan’s words. Looking up at lancelot she swallowed trying to brush away the grief that threanted her as she stood, looking down at Tristan, tilting her head a little. Avoiding looking either man in the eyes as she stared at the floor, she knew that they knew something was off about that fight. “He was already dying. He…he had gotten the wasting sickness months before and I had not be able to heal it.”She trembled, her mind reeling because she hadn’t been able to save her lover from what later centuries would know as cancer. Swallowing silent tears filled her eyes.”He was already dying when he stepped on the field. He wanted a warrior’s death, instead of a healer’s kindness.”She said knowing loki had chosen to go out and fight that day against her orders for him to stand aside and let her choose another champion, because he had been saving her from the grief of ending his life when it came to much for him later. He’d chosen the matter of his death, no matter how much isolt wanted to hate Tristan for killing him, or Tristan grieved for the action.
 
they stared at her, wide eyed in stunned amazement. "the wasting disease..." Lancelot whispered, horror in his voice. it was well known how horrible a death was at the wasting disease. it had taken Lancelot's mother after all. he had watched her die every day for two years. getting worse and worse, yet stubbornly clinging to life until she simply couldn't cling anymore. Lancelot just pulled her into a tight hug. "i am so sorry Lady Isolt... i am SO sorry..." he whispered, Tristan's hands clutching his chest as he realized why he had won. "..." but he... felt a little bit better. he had given the proud warrior and honorable death, and had saved him from the pain... "i too am sorry." tristan whispered. "The Wasting sickness is a hard thing to watch." he admitted, gently taking her hand and closing her eyes. "he went to battle, and died an honorable death... one might even say he won... for now he is in Valhalla, sitting with Kings, in no more pain. watching and smiling upon you." Tristan admitted softly. "he was a good man..." and if it hadn't been Tristan, it would have been someone else.
 
Isolt nodded slightly, startled as she was pulled into a hug, leaning into the strong arms of the knight as she shuddered a little. “It is…better this way, no matter how painful it is.”She muttered shuddering a little, because as a healer, she had rarely felt helpless to save someone, and being unable to save loki had killed her. Nodding a little,”he was that. The very best.”She muttered smiling sadly as she rested her cheek against lancelot’s chest, even as she looked down at Tristan, pulling away from lancelot after a moment. “Rest, Tristan. You’ll feel better.”She said leaning down to gently rest a hand against his forehead to make sure he wasn’t running a fever.
 
Lancelot smiled a little and nodded. "it will hurt, yes. death always does." Lancelot agreed softly. "but you are not alone in your greif." he promised her softly before letting her pull away, Tristan grimacing at the order to rest, but he didn't argue. he laid down and closed his eyes, not about to argue with an order from a healer. he was asleep in seconds and Lancelot chuckled. "he's looking much better." Lancelot admitted softly. "i'm glad you where here... we might have lost him if you hadn't been. we only have trainee healers on the castle staff right now." he admitted. "the fully trained all went to Ireland to try and save the men that Mark abandoned. the slime." he admitted with a small sigh. "come on, you need to eat too Lady Isolt. you can't save the world if you keel over from starvation."
 
“You’ll feel better after you rest.”She said smiling slightly as she studied the man, glad that the man hadn’t fought before nodding, looking up at lancelot. “He does. Hopefully we can keep him resting and not having to go back to mark.”She said a worried frown on her face as she looked down at the sleeping night, before sighing softly. “I am glad I was here to…no matter how much I want to hate him, its not really his fault.”She muttered before shrugging a little.”I’ll make sure your healers are trained here, before I go home. It is getting late in the season for travel, and my couselors ordered me away, to rest and grieve. They said they could handle things.”She said smiling, “Your men will be well taken care of, even if their king abandoned them.”She said running her fingers through her hair, laughing quietly as she move to sit on the other bed, picking her own bowl up and starting to eat, glancing up at the tall knight. “you should eat to sir lancelot, you cant be brave and save the world if you fall over.”She teased a little as she ate.
 
Lancelot smiled a little and nodded. "yes, though i doubt we'll be able to stop his wedding." Lancelot admitted with a sigh. "betrothal contacts are hard to break. and Mark is many things, but a slouch isn't one o them. he'd very, very good at writing contracts." Lancelot admitted with a shake of his head. "i can understand wanting to hate him. he is indirectly the reason why Loki is gone..." Lance admitted softly. "but if you really must hate someone, hate Mark, for it is him who insisted on that damn war. no doubt on the Catholic's behalf. it's no secrete that the Pope wants a foothold in Ireland." he admitted, shaking his head. "i am sure the healers would be incredibly honored to have you training them." he admitted with a small smile. "and you should know, that King Mark is no king of mine. i bow only to one man, and that is Arthur." Lancelot admitted with a firm nod. "Mark is only king by birth, Arthur is King by Fate." he admitted with a smile as he helped himself to some food. "and i'll have you know, i only saved the world once."
 
“Well, we’ll just have to bring his wife here, so we can keep him away from mark.”She sighed softly before looking up at the other man. “Well, that is true. I will hate him…and the pope will not have my kingdom as long as I breath.”She shuddered a little before laughing. “Well, it is a good thing then, that Arthur is the better king, and holds everyone’s lives in his hands instead of mark.”she said laughing at his words.”Oh, well once is enough.”She teased settling down to eat.

A month later Gwen smirked as she watched her husband and lancelot preparing for the joust, making her way to the padlock where the two men were talking with Tristan and aramis while the knights participating in the joust were getting ready, and isolt had allowed Tristan to come out and watch, on the terms that he was to keep her and gwen company in the stands. Shaking her head as she sat down on the bench next to Tristan she smiled, “Isolt said to tell you that she’ll be down in a few minutes.”She muttered, because the two had settled into a uneasy friendship, where Tristan let her take care of him, and they didn’t talk about anything to serious. Both two wounded still by loki’s death to speak easily with each other about everything. But even as they started to be friends, watching isolt and lancelot together was a true amusment as both knight and queen refused to admit to flirting with each other even if they were.
 
Lancelot grinned as he picked up his jousting lance and tested the weight as his horse shifted and fidgeted under him, eager to thunder down the line. Aramis and Tristan where watching, Tristan was much improved, and could even walk several feet without collapsing now, though he was still very much crippled at the moment. he spent most of his days in bed being bored, or sitting on the veranda being bored, or sitting in the garden being bored, so it had been Lancelot's idea to hold a jousting practice. out of the three competitions, jousting was the only one that he and Arthur where about equal on. Lance could kick Arthur's ass in the wrestling, but even with dull swords Arthur would kick Lance's ass in the swords. jousting was about the only thing that they could do that wasn't a bloody massacre. "Five Quid on Lance." Tristan commented suddenly as Isolt came out, Aramis laughing. "your on! Ten Quid on a broken lance." "Twenty on a glancing blow." they shook on it and turned their attention to the jousting ring with grins, well aware that Gwen was struggling not to role her eyes. "...i got another letter from Uncle..." Tristan admitted suddenly, and Aramis winced. "...he is most displeased..."
 
Isolt tilted her head, looking amused as she shook her head as the two made bets, “You know, they probably wouldn’t appreciate knowing you were betting.”The irish queen smiled a little as she sat down next to Tristan, settling in to watch the two knights jousting, amused that they had to do something like this since they were so unbalanced in other manly pursuits. Though if she admitted it to herself, it wouldn’t have been bad seeing the two men wrestling. Tensing at tristan’s words she tilted her head towards him,even as she watched the joust, both women more focused on Tristan then watching lancelot and Arthur try to beat up each other. “What did he say?”Isolt said finally turning her head, looking anxiously at her patient. “I hope he didn’t demand you return home. I cant let you do that.”
 
they both grinned. "appreciate?... Lady Isolt, they EXPECT it! you think they don't bet on us?" Aramis asked with a smirk. "i'll be wrestling with Lance after the joust, i'll win of course." "you can't beat Lance." "Twenty Quid says i can!" "Twenty Quid says you Can't!" Aramis shot back, looking highly amused. he paused for a moment and then glanced at Isolt. "he has threatened to... disinherit me from my Fathers honor...." Aramis choked hard on that. "He can't do that! Arthur won't allow it! Your fathers legacy is YOURS! Mark won't DARE keep you from it!" "...then why, dear Aramis, have i yet to receive it!? my father has been dead since i was a year old, and yet i have never once seen his legacy. i dare say Mark might have spent it all, and sold what he couldn't spend outright." Aramis winced at that and then nodded. he wouldn't put it past his father. Mark was a greedy man, and he had hated his own brother almost as much as he hated Tristan. "Arthur won. broken lance..." Tristan commented suddenly and coins exchanged hands. "Mark is demanding my return home immidiatly, so that i can be 'married to proper stock and stop being such an embarrassment to the family name'..."
 
“Well, that’s true.”Isolt said blushing, wincing a little at gwen’s laughter.”Poor girl, you need to attend more of these things with men.”the queen teased looking amused. Frowning again at tristan’s words.”I will speak to Arthur after this. We will deal with mark.”She scowled at the idea. Isolt stared down at the floor at tristan’s words, not knowing what to say before swallowing hard, “….he cannot demand the return of a queen’s champion. Especially a champion claimed to replace the one his war killed.”She said wincing at gwen’s face as the queen gaped at her. While they got along, she had never expected isolt to invite Tristan to return to Ireland.

“Well he cant stay here and be your knight, lancelot already is. He can come home with me.”Isolt said sounding defensive and annoyed as everyone stared at her, before standing to move to the fence as lancelot rode the horse closer. Wanting to not only make sure he was okay, but to escape the staring. “You okay, sir knight?”she said smiling up at him.
 
"there's no need to concern yourselves. My Uncle has already done his worst. he can't hurt me anymore than he already has." he stated calmly, yawning a little. "my inheritance is gone, i have always known this. Mark won't part with it, and if he is ordered to, it will become 'lost' on the journey to me. i care little about it." but that was a lie, and they could all see it. Tristan had never known his father but for stories and tales. he wanted the emotional value of his inheritance even if he didn't care about the monetary value of it. he winced and then stared at Isolt, shocked. "i can't be a Champion!" he protested. "i can't! i'm practically a cripple! what good would i do as a Champion!?" he demanded, scowling as she simply left to check on Lance. "i'm fine." Lance admitted with a grin as he studied her. "something is the matter my lady?" he asked, swinging off his horse and settling to the ground next to her, looking as worried as she did.
 
“If you say so.”isolt muttered frowning a little at tristan’s words, smiling to herself at the sound of tristan’s protests as she walked away. Looking him over as lance swung out of the saddle she shrugged a little, “Tristan doesn’t think he can be queen’s champion. Isn’t this my choice, in who I choose?”She said sounding amused before sighing softly. “Mark’s threatening to take tristan’s inheritance from his father away, and order him home to marry. If he must marry, he can bring the girl to Ireland, but I wont let him return to cornwall, I cant lance.”She muttered staring at the ground, embarrassed at the strength of her need to protect Tristan.
 
Lancelot snorted a little and shook his head. "Tristan is just... he doesn't value himself properly. he thinks he is useless on his good days, and a waste of space on his bad. it's been made even worse by his injuries and the knowledge that his uncle really did send him there to die." Lancelot admitted with a shake of his head. "i will go to Cornwall myself if i have to, to collect Tristan's inheritance. he should have gotten it the day he came of age. i'll have Arthur write me an official warning of some sort." he admitted with a nod. "and i'll take a Scribe to do an official audit. it's suspicious to say the least, that greedy man might even be hoarding money that is rightly due to the Capitol or to the People." he admitted with a shake of his head. "and i am not sure we can trust a woman who Mark has chosen. who knows what sort of woman it is. for all we know she could be an assassin, it's no secrete that Mark wants Tristan dead..." he admitted, looking concerned. "i'll have her brought back with me though, after i gather his inheritance. just to get a good bead on her."
 
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