The Knight She Fell For

chapter 14

Araluna (Melina)

We all followed the servant out of the room. He led us to a room with a balcony and huge windows. Everyone gasped for air as they looked outside. The dead land had turned into a green paradise. Trees and flowers were growing everywhere. There were still ruins visible. The remains of what once were villages dark against the horizon. I walked out on the balcony. My hands rested against the stone barrier at the edge of the balcony. The smell of the roses that grew against the wall filled my nose. Beneath me I could see the citizens run out of the main gate. They were dancing around in the fields filled with flowers and green grass. Someone walked up next to me and looked at the horizon as well. I didn’t need to look to know that it was Lancelot. His eyes shimmered in amazement and wonder as his eyes glided over our surroundings. Over all the flower fields, forests with big trees and lakes that shimmered in the sunlight.

“It really is beautiful,” he said softly. I just nodded knowing that he was looking at me. I didn’t look at him as he continued talking. Heat rose to my face as I kept my eyes straight on a group of trees right in front of us. My shoulders tensed with embarrassment.

“You didn’t let me answer your question,” he said.

I didn’t look at him as I interrupted. “I know. I know. You don’t have to answer, it’s a stupid question anyways. Just forget what-” That's when Lancelot put his arm around my waist, pulled me closer to him and kissed me softly. It was as good to shut me up as it was an answer to my question. Butterflies exploded in my stomach as my eyes closed and my shoulders relaxed again.

I quickly pulled away when I heard footsteps. I looked at the door of the balcony and there stood all the knights and Merlin. They were all smiling at us. I blushed and looked away. Lancelot just chuckled when he saw his friends. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and led me towards them.

“So, what’s next?” he asked no one in particular. I composed myself again and cleared my throat.

“Now that we are all here, how about we take a look around the castle. I have never seen it myself but my parents used to tell stories about it so I should at least be able to find the basic rooms like the kitchen.” The knights nodded and let me pass so I could lead the way. Gwaine of course had to ask if there was any food in the kitchen, or at least a drink. Lancelot just hit him on the back of his head, called him an idiot and followed me through the hallway.

I managed to find the kitchen, the guest bedrooms, the throne room, the library and the stables. The knights took their chance to take care of their horses and stall them in one of the stables. There were thirty of them so there was enough room for the eight horses we had with us. After eating a quick lunch we returned to the balcony and I pointed at the ruins of the four villages that were close enough to see from where we stood. At the other side of the castle were two others but of course we couldn't see those.

“We will need to rebuild a lot of the houses and probably a lot of bridges as well,” I thought out loud. Arthur was quick to offer the help of Camelot. He even signed a contract that states that Camelot will provide builders, supplies and money to help rebuild the villages. Forty Two of the sixty citizens that came with us offered their help to clean up the castle and fix all the damage. Three older ladies went to work with linen for curtains and bedding. The rest were too old and we had lost nine of the sixty in the battle with the monsters. The knights all went their separate ways and

Lancelot and I ended up in the fields around the castle. We had saddled our horses again and were now riding to the border. There in the forest was my home. I had always wanted to go back but was too scared to do so. Now I felt stronger than ever and I had Lancelot with me.
It still looked almost the same. The garden was not nearly as well cared for as it had been. The grass reached the knees of our horses and plants had grown on the stone walls of the small house. I showed everything to Lancelot as I told him stories about my life here. How I used to play games with my mother. The first time my father took me with him on a hunt. The hours we had spent together in front of the hearth. He listened to every word I said, a soft smile on his lips the whole time. When we walked outside and around the house I pointed to the target I used to learn to shoot with bow and arrow. My smile faded as I saw two towers of balanced stones. I walked closer and knelt down next to them. When I looked up to Lancelot I could see the question in his eyes.

“Graves,” I explained.

“Someone must have found their bodies and buried them.”

“Do you think it was the bandits?” Lancelot asked. I shook my head.

“It is customary in Elmet  to make such towers out of balanced stones. For every ten years that person has lived one stone is placed on the grave. Someone who has lived sixty years has a tower of six stones on their grave. The years in between don’t count. There is no difference between sixty and sixty four. The tower will be six stones high for both of them.” Tears burned in my eyes as I looked at the towers. One four high, the other five. The towers were the only thing I needed to see which grave was my mothers and which one was my fathers.

Lancelot softly pulled me up and back to the horses. We rode back and dismounted our horses on a small hill close to the main gate at the castle. Lancelot sat down with his back against a tree. He held out his hand to me. I didn't know why he did it but grabbed his hand anyway. A smirk appeared on his face as he pulled me down and wrapped his arms around me. I settled between his legs and rested my back against his chest.

Together we looked at the sunset. The sky was painted in red and yellow as the clouds turned from white to pink. I could feel Lancelot shift and he pulled one arm away from me. A moment later his hand appeared again. This time he was holding a silver ring with three blue gemstones on it.

“Will you marry me?” he whispered in my ear. I didn't have to think about an answer. With butterflies in my stomach I said yes. We fell asleep there under the tree. The stars twinkled in the sky above us and our arms were wrapped around each other.