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A/N: Ok, if you lovely people are still out there, you have my sincere apologies for not updating this last chapter faster! I wanted to add more Tristan/Gaia, but couldn't finish it right. Now I think I have. I could have divided this into two chapters, but I kept it one unearthly long one. So sorry for that. The people in my head liked it this way. Anyway! Here we go: the final chapter! Enjoy!
Fulciana had tended to Arthur’s wound and dressed it decently. She and Titania, once hearing that the war was now over, decided to help both wounded men to the grounds to rejoice with their brothers. Though both men were barely able to walk.
Upon reaching the ground, Guinevere rushed to Arthur’s side, helping him to stand. They looked at eachother lovingly for a long moment before their eyes rested on the others. All eyes met and everyone knew the message in Arthur’s eyes. His decision, his land, had come to him.
There they all stood: Tristan and Gaia, Dagonet, Bors, Lancelot, Gawain, Galahad, Titania and Aeron, Arthur and Guinevere. Jols and Horton, Alecto and his family. Merlin. Little Elijah and his father. Everyone stood in silence, a prayer running through every mind present. A prayer of thanksgiving.
And without warning, thunder rolled off in the distance and rain fell, softly at first, but soon it grew into a strong storm, pounding unflinchingly on the armor of the knights. For a moment everyone seemed annoyed, but then just as suddenly they all began to laugh.
They roared with laughter. Laughter for no reason. And why did they need a reason? Their trials were over, their lives finally their own. Laughter should be expected. It was certainly the sweetest laughter, accompanied by the squeals of children as they played in the rain, reenacting their own battles and dreaming of being a knight.
Bors pounded a fist on his armor and thrust it into the air. He was joined by everyone else in this movement as they all screeched out the infamous Sarmatian war cry, their hearts finding a new passion, a new life. A new freedom.
“Artorius!”
Gaia’s sides hurt from laughing as she thrust her fist into the air a second time, but she could not resist smiling and could certainly not fight the laughter, the happiness that welled inside her. She felt her cheeks grow crimson once more as Tristan pulled her to him and kissed her in a long, sweeping motion that took her breath away. Their lips parted as the crowd roared once more in cheer for Arthur and his knights. King Arthur and his knights.
The Woads and Sarmatians we no longer. Only Britons, united into one mass. It was an amazing thing to ride her mare through the woods as Gaia did and engage in conversation with the men and women who dwelt there. The Britain her mother had told her of, the one she had dreamed of coming to pass, was finally here.
Beside Gaia’s mare Lancelot rode in silence, his face rather placid while others around him laughed together. This was not Lancelot, she knew it. And she knew why.
“I do hope,” Gaia drawled sarcastically, “that, when Arthur becomes King and you become his most trusted knight, you will not burden that round table of his with such a heavy dramatis personae.”
Lancelot laughed silently, lightly. “And what would be your contribution against such a persona?” he asked, the trademarked wicked smile playing charmingly across his features, his curly hair blowing so slightly. He really did look perfect in Gaia’s eyes and she smirked at his personality.
“Ah,” she sighed as she fixed her eyes on the road. “To think, I missed you for a moment.”
This time Lancelot laughed heavier and shook his head. “You are charming, Milady.” he said mockingly.
“You’re going to be famous, Lancelot,” Gaia sighed, ignoring his jeers and looking seriously, lightly into his eyes.
“And how is that?”
“What’s you’ve done,” she said, “and what you’ve yet to do. It will all go down in the greatest of histories of the world.”
Lancelot nodded in thought. “Sir Lancelot the Gallant. Or perhaps Sir Lancelot the Brave? The Chivalrous?”
“Oh,” Gaia laughed, “I do believe that you are already dubbed Sir Lancelot the Asinine, my dear knight.”
Lancelot nodded expectantly at this and joined the surrounding knights in a round of laughter, nodding in acceptance of his certain new nickname.
Vanora was beyond ecstatic to see her Bors again. In fact, their reunion was enough to set Gaia’s complexion afire and she immediately turned her attention from them.
Presently, Lancelot stood silently by the fire, his third drink poised in his hand. Not a mark of drunkenness was found in his demeanor, to be sure. In fact he was more sobered now than ever before. But he was deep in thought and concentration, two things he rarely entertained. He did not see Titania approach him from the side. She stood in silence beside him for a long while, a drink too in her hand though she had undoubtedly yet to taste it.
“Lancelot,” she finally whispered and he turned to her with raised eyebrows. She struggles for the words. “I just want to tell you how sorry I am. For everything. I hurt you, I know. I will never forgive myself for what I’ve done.”
He smiled a small smile. “You did nothing wrong,” he said. “I simply am too persistent. I must realize I am perhaps not meant to love at all.”
“Oh, Lancelot!” she sighed in frustration, dropping her drink and taking his hand. “You’ll see! A beautiful blonde with a heart as big as the stars will someday cross your path. And she’ll be yours, forever. Completely under that magical spell you have. You’ll see!”
Lancelot laughed and shook his head. “I can only hope you are right.”
“I am right.” There was a moment’s silence before someone cleared his throat beside Titania and both turned to Aeron. He was not angry, but smiling lightly. He nodded slightly to Titania and she turned back to Lancelot.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she joked. “If I get tired of him...”
“Indeed!” Lancelot replied, but he immediately took Aeron’s hand and the two men shook with smiles, all sense of contestation finally lost on them as the three laughed together. Titania kissed Lancelot’s cheek and retreated with Aeron to where Merlin stood with Arthur and Guinevere.
Lancelot looked after her for a moment, contemplating her words.
“How’s the handsome one holding up?” Lancelot turned to Gawain with a smile and thrust his cup into the air mockingly.
“Good and drunk” was his reply.
“Bloody well, then,” Gawain smirked as he stood beside Lancelot, his eyes watching Titania as well. “And how will you be when you aren’t drunk? She’ll be around, you know. None of your tricks this time.”
Lancelot nodded and looked around, taking in the scene and every person present. His eyes caught on a beautiful blonde barmaid standing by herself and he smiled brightly. “No tricks? Can’t say I can agree to that, Gawain,” he laughed as he slapped his brother on the back.
Arthur to Guinevere, the king and his queen. As lovely a pair as any could hope for. Bors and Vanora, the woman was exasperated by the proposal after the birth of their twelfth child. Aeron and Titania, the prince and princess of the wood were perhaps the happiest two people on the planet that day. And finally, Tristan and Gaia.
After so long, there they were. Finally. Together forever, as they declared it. So much love have never before been shared between two people, and only afterwards was its replacement attempted, though never achieved. Through wars and differences, heartaches and loneliness, they were finally together as one.
The four couples stood in the knights’ quarters, each beside a seat at Arthur’s round table. Accompanied by the appointed knights. Of course, Gawain and the healed Galahad, Dagonet and Lancelot, but also by Sir Jols the Courageous who had proven himself twice-over as worthy as any man could be for such an appointment.
The king raised his goblet and his knights and ladies followed suit, all clothed in the most ornate fashion of the day. The ladies wore beautifully crafted gowns with golden-leaved coronets adorned atop their heads. The men were handsome, especially Tristan despite the locks he refused the untangle.
Alecto Honorius stood looking on with his family, a smile on his face as he prepared himself for the life ahead of him. He had promised himself, and Arthur, that he would do his best to change the world as Arthur would. They would be one, Britain’s kingdom and the church.
Merlin’s voice rang out as the knights and ladies, their king and queen all raised glasses and drained them softly.
“Let this day be remembered,” said Merlin, “as the day Britain became reborn. As did its people. Hail King Arthur! The once and future king!”
The room erupted with cheers, with Bors’ Sarmatian cry, with applause, with music. Indeed it seemed the entire world was reborn. This was not a world of war and anger, of winter and rain, but of beauty and reverie and barefooted walks through sunlit river woods. This was Britain as it was meant to be, Gaia knew. And she was happier than she ever thought she could be as she embraced her knight once more, taking in every scent of the moment, evert sight to be seen.
She promised herself to never forget it, any of it. It was amazing to think, as she did, that once again she had been blessed with the happiest of endings as only Midsummer’s Day could deliver.
“I beg your pardon?” she asked, a little taken aback. He smirked and left his seat, walking behind her to enfold his arms around her shoulders.
“I want to know your every reverie,” he answered before bending and gently kissing her neck. “Your every desire, your every dream. I want to be inside your head.”
Gaia was slightly breathless, but managed her reply. “If you were in my head,” she returned, “you would find no thoughts, no expectations: only a dream that has very much come true.” She turned around to face him, her eyes instantly connecting with his. “If you were inside my head you would find the most blissful happiness, unlike anything we will see on this earth. You would find two people very much in love, walking barefoot through grass a shade so green that we would not even comprehend its colour; rivers so blue, it would be as such the same. This place, these people, you and I: those are my thoughts. And I swear I shall never let them go.” She sighed and paused, noting the glow in his eyes before adding, “You are already very much inside my head. Does that satisfy you, my love?”
Tristan leaned forward and laid his forehead on hers, their eye contact stronger than ever.
“Either we share one brain, my love,” he said, “or you have stolen my thoughts and are masquerading them as your own.” She smiled without words, uncertain of what to say, not wanting to say anything at all. Wanting him to speak more. And he did. It was unusual to hear soft, kind words from the introverted soldier, the man who killed for the mere pleasure of it. She almost didn’t think it possible for him to love anyone. She did not know that the same thought was running through his mind. He did not believe he would ever love anyone like he loved her. She was everything to him, and the most beguiling part of it all was that she had absolutely no idea. Her modesty was only a facade, covering something much more, some undescribable purity that lit his world. And presently, for the first time in his life, he prayed a simple prayer of thanks to whomever created the beautiful woman who had unknowingly altered the course of his life and the man who lived it.
Finis
This story is over, I your humble narrator now proclaim,
That it might continue under new name.
And in words immortalized by such cleaver a sprite,
I leave you now with endearment requite:
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumb'red here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
If you pardon, we will mend.
-Puck; A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespear
A/N: Thank you so much to everyone for sticking with me through this story, as boring as it may have gotten at some points - and as long as it took me to update! Special thanks to Ms Genova, Captain Annie, Janell (hey, did you catch the hint to the pretty blonde? Get in there! lol!) and of course my dear friend PantherS. You four wonderful ladies have helped me a lot and have inspired me so much! I love you all and thank you for your unending kindness.
I may be back with another story to add on here, but for now I'm going to try my hand at some original stuff (I'll be posting that in a journal, the link to which will be up in my profile soon) and hopefully get to work on the other two fanfictions on here that have gone without updates for far too long. :) Again, thank you all for you immense support!
Your Humble Friend,
Idril the Pirate
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