Restless Knight

[Lancelot du Lac]

An agonizing cry filled the air as Lancelot abruptly opened his eyes and sat up in bed. Another night threatened to leave him rendered sleepless. He looked around him, finding no comfort in the fact that the air was silent. It did not matter if the scream could not be heard; the point was that he had heard it. And that he had caused it. Though the men he killed in battle were enemies, as even Lancelot did not condone to ruthless and senseless killings, he could not ignore the fact that it was a life lost. He would never admit this to anyone, as it would greatly contradict the outward persona he put on. It was not a complete lie; he was cold, he was detached, and he lacked empathy for certain other people. But when he fell asleep, he no longer had control over his thoughts. Dreams would resort from whatever was deeply rooted in his mind and heart and only result in nightmares which in turn, forced Lancelot to be somewhat of an insomniac.

He got out of his bed, and did not have to look outside to recognize that it was still dark. It was not even close to morning and so most others would still be embracing peace by sleeping. If only there was some way to escape the suffering of the world. Even sleep was not an option for Lancelot. Death was the only escape really, but despite this, he was not suicidal. He was just not afraid of it. He picked up the candle still lit by his bed and exited the room. The entire place was quiet, with the exception of the guards on duty, wandering about. He gave them a nod of acknowledgment as he walked past them.

He did not have any intended destination. He just felt too restless to stay in one spot. They had spent the knight in Arthur's castle, a luxurious place where they could get their rest and recuperate from whatever their most recent journey was. While this extravagant lifestyle was undeniably comfortable, a part of Lancelot missed his home and more simpler life. He remembered -- however long ago it really was -- those nights in discomfort because they could not afford a proper roof over their head, and the collective effort of others living in the same vicinity to gather goods and hunt for food. It was a difficult lifestyle, but undoubtedly simple and one that he had been accustomed to for a little over the first decade of his life. And now, he was someone completely different in a place completely parallel. He was friends with a King, served as his knight, lived like a noble man.

And yet, something was still missing in this life. The peace and tranquility that he could not yet seem to find. The harder to tried to hide these feelings of emptiness, the more dominant they were. He feared that one day, he would not be able to withhold them and it would just come exploding out. Hopefully, that one day would be when he was in battle so that he would have something to channel his aggressions towards. He made his way to the balcony and looked out at the vast view. He could not appreciate the beauty the world had to offer. He could not see the more positive point of view. It was one of the many ways he and his friend Arthur differed. Lancelot was more the pessimistic one, only able to regard things from the worse side. The world was crumbling, and they would all have no choice but to embrace the corruption of it, for they had already done so to some extent. But he knew that there would always be another battle to fight and another enemy to defeat, and until he met his death, this pattern of life would never cease.

[[Open to anyone. Haha I plagiarized myself and just stole my sample post.]]

[Marina Tertius]

Marina leaned forward, gently patting the neck of her dapple grey stud, Alcarius. She had been out with the other trainee's for a day or two now, as they rode out, checking on the smaller villages outside of the wall. With a soft sigh, Marie tilted her head upwards, scanning the dark sky, lifting the lantern up, watching as small snow flakes began to fall downwards. The temperature was below freezing, and instead of raining, it had started to snow. She had never been one for colder weather; it was always the warm weather that would do her in. It had started to grow colder, earlier than usual; that usually meant a terrible winter was ahead. ”Alright, you’ve done well, and I think you deserve a nice, hot drink.” Marina said, glancing over the shivering, pink cheeked, red tipped nosed trainees.

She watched they all turned on their heels, and trudged away through the mud. Even though the ground was frozen, that didn’t mean the top layer was; it was all mud for them. Marina tugged on the reins, causing the steed beneath her to turn, and trot towards the stables. About five minutes later, Marina pulled the horse to stop, sliding off slowly. She would have to un-tack him, and then she could go to her living quarters in the castle. Reaching up, Marie gave the horse a loving pat, and then started to un-tack him. After she had made her sure all of the buckles has been un-buckled, Marina slid the saddle of his back, placing it on a hay bale in front of the stall. Turning around, she reached up, and slid the bridle and reins off, placing them onto the hay bale. Marina led the horse into his stall, grabbed a flake of hay, and placed it in the feed bin, then made sure he had sufficient amounts of water.

Once she had made sure the horse would be okay and that everything was in order, she closed the stall door, and headed towards her living quarters. Lifting an arm, she gently massaged her neck, glad to be home, walking down the quiet corridors. The only people that were out, were the guards. Marina grasped the wooden door knob, entering her living quarters, while closing the wooden door behind her. Reaching down, she placed her sword & knives on a stone table, and pushed past the piece of fabric that covered the door frame, that led to her sleeping quarters. Grabbing the dusty mirror from the table, she wiped it off with her hand, before peering at her reflection. Her group had ventured out to Brenin, a small village in the north, whenever the small Saxon group had attacked. They had already raided the village, and were waiting.

The trainee's had managed to run the Saxon's off, after a squirmish. No one had been hurt badly, but Marina did have a cut across her cheek, that was now red, and starting to scab over. She would tell Arthur of the news whenever he woke up, later on in the morning. Sitting the mirror aside, Marie washed her face and hair, pinning her hair back, before slipping into a Roman based dress. Marina adjusted the arm band around her bicep, before glancing at the bed. She was too awake to even think about going to sleep. Marina closed the door to her living quarters, brushing her hair back behind her shoulders, before looking around the hallway. Grabbing an candle, she made her way down the corridor, walking towards the balcony. Pausing for a moment, she realized that the figure was only Lancelot. Marina brushed her hand across her cut, before dropping it to her side. ”What keeps you up at this hour, Lancelot?” Marie asked softly, stopping beside him.

[Lancelot du Lac]

Lancelot had been so distracted by his thoughts that he had not noticed Marina approach until she spoke to him. He was not startled however. He gentle voice was never unwelcome and he would never reject her presence. He kept his gaze forward as a very small smile formed on his lips. "Perhaps I was waiting for the company of a beautiful woman. But now that you are here, the waiting is over." Was Lancelot flirting? Of course. He could not help himself, especially in the presence of someone as ravishing as Marina herself. What was different about his flirtations with her however was that they went deeper than words.

It was not as casual as it was with most woman. He may act passively, as if it was but he knew in his heart that he felt something deeper for her. Admitting this, being able to explain this, was a whole other story. Until then, he would engage in these innocent -- some what -- flirtations and teasing. How could he go any further than this? He had never really been with a women with the intention of it being on a long term basis, but he knew that if anything were to progress between them, intimately, then it would not be something short lived. Or at least, he would not want it to be.

After a moments pause, he turned to face her and immediately noticing the cut on her cheek. He was not the best as expression his emotions, but concern for his fellow knights, especially Marina, was never something he tried to suppress. While the emotion was void from his tone, and his face expressionless, he had genuine concern for her. He took a step towards her, as if to have a closer look at the cut. "What happened?" He asked. It was strange, caring this much for a woman who was also a fellow knight. He did not like seeing her directly in danger, but he knew that there was nothing he could say to change her mind, and he did not often try to. She was trained to be a knight and it was her lifestyle at this point. Still, Lancelot wondered that if something were to occur between them, would she give up this life, and settle. Or would she forever be a knight? He needed to stop thinking such things. He needed to face the cold, harsh reality of the world. Happiness was something he did not deserve, nor was it easily attained and yet, he could not help but feel . . . whatever this was he was feeling.

[Marina Tertius]

Marina paused for a second, watching Lancelot quietly, before walking towards him, stopping at his side. Blinking, she allowed her gaze to rest on the sky, watching as the moonlight illuminated a few specks of snow. They would be in for a rough winter, if the snow was already starting to fall this early in the season. Strangely though, the cooler air didn't really have that much of an effect on her. She was already used to the temperature, and if anything, it felt somewhat nice. Marie pulled her lips up so that they formed a slight smile, or smirk if that's what you wanted to call it, at his greeting. She hadn't really expected anything else from him. After all, he was Lancelot du Lac, the resident womanizer.

”Well then,” Marie said with a slight pause, before continuing onwards with her statement, ”I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long.” Marina said with a slight smile, glancing over at him. Usually, her little remarks meant nothing, and were rendered emotionless, but with him, things were a little different. Every since she had met him that day, whenever the healers needed her help, she had found herself drawn to him. He was handsome, and sturdy, and over the course of five years, she had finally realized she felt something different for him. It wasn't lust though, like her younger brother Maximus had felt oh – so – many times; this went down deeper. But then, Marina wasn't willing to tell him how she truly felt, not now, even if she was tempted at times.

Glancing to the side, Marina sat the candle holder in the hole that had been etched into the stone near the of the wall, just for that purpose. Leaning back against the wall, Marina folded both arms across in chest, in a relaxed motion, staring up at the stars. Marie lifted a brow, turning her head, resting her gaze on him. To be honest, she was surprised that he had asked about the cut, but she just masked it quite well. After all, it wasn't like it was something they could just overlook; it wasn't that invisible. ”The Saxons...” Marina said, pausing for only a second or two to stand up straight. ”They raided Brenin, and they were still there when we arrived.” Marina said softly, allowing an soft sigh to slip out.

Everyone around Lady Marina knew that she despised the Saxons, but was it really fair? She had killed 'innocent' people, taken them from the people that loved them. It was part of her lifestyle though, and after a while, you grew used to it. But there were times whenever it still bothered her.

[Lancelot du Lac]

Lancelot placed his hand on her chin, tilting her head a bit to the side so that he could get a better look at it. It did not look too bad. Still though. It was a wound, but he knew that being a knight, they were subject to far worse. He allowed his hand to linger a moment more, brushing a lock of her hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear. He stood directly in front of her, holding his gaze while saying nothing. It was not until she explained the source of the injury that he took a step away from her and moved towards the side of the balcony.

He rested his hands on the balcony wall, leaning forward a bit. "Damn the Saxons." Although his voice was not overly emotional or loud in volume, it held a certain aggressive tone. He hated what they were doing. He hated all those that he had killed. And he knew that as much as he hated them, Marina despised them even more. "When did you know about this? You should have told us. We would have given you aid." It was entirely possible that they were not here at the time, and that they would not have made it in time. But still. They were the enemies, and Lancelot would do whatever he could to defeat any adversaries of the King he served.

"What of Brenin?" How badly had the Saxons destroyed it? They were merciless and would leave no place free of their ruthlessness. Lancelot hated to admit that he could have something in common with them. Both of were ruthless in their own way. Lancelot often lacked compassion for those he did not know. He would leave the weak behind because they only slowed down the strong. He could not be ashamed of this, but he was not proud either. It was the way he was. The way the world had corrupted his morals and what he valued.

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[Marina Tertius]

Marina tilted her head back slightly, moving it to the side so Lancelot could get a better look. Compared to some of her earlier injuries, this one was just a minor one. It would heal within a week or two, at the most, but didn't mean it wasn't sore though. She was a knight though, and knight's were bound to get injured, or even killed; it was part of her lifestyle. Marie held his gaze quietly, subconsciously gently leaning into his warm touch. A few seconds, it felt like an eternity to her, had passed before she opened her mouth to explain what had happened, and realized that she was pressing against his palm.

She hid a soft sigh, watching as he stepped back, before leaning across the balcony, nodding her head in agreement. Marie knew that he felt the same way, especially whenever it came down to the Saxon scum. In her personal opinion, they didn't belong in Britain, or anywhere else for that matter. And whenever the opportunity came to defeat them for good, she would gladly take it. ”We didn't know they were still there, until they attacked us, Lancelot.” Marina said softly, folding her arms her chest. It was the truth though. They saw the smoke pillars, and then a few seconds later, they were attacked by them. Even if they had known, they couldn't of helped them. Hadrian's Wall was too far away, and it would be too late by the time more soldiers arrived.

Marina looked up at the stars, thinking about the attack on Brenin, before holding Lancelot's gaze. ”Brenin has been destroyed. They looted it, then torched the place.” The Saxon's had raided the place, and then torched it. Marie wasn't entirely sure if there were any survivors, but there had been tracks heading to the east. Then there was also the fact that Marina and her soldiers hadn't been able to search the whole place; there had been a few that needed some medical attention. Marina leaned against the balcony, staring down at the huts, and flickering lights that surrounded her home. ” I'm riding back there later on today. I want to know if there were any survivors.” Marina said softly, dropping her head.

[Lancelot du Lac]

Bastards. Had killed even more innocent people. Lancelot could not say that he was surprised. He often remembered telling Arthur that there would always be a battle to fight. The Saxons would not stop until they were dead. They would not stop burning villages. Defenseless villages. "Just another victory that they can boast about." His voice was a bit sarcastic and cold towards the group of people. He would not express any kindness when it came to them. He had no sympathy for the Saxons, and would not hesitate in killing one. The continuous battles they have fought against them proved this.

He then looked at her when she said that she was returning to the destroyed place. His expression said nothing, but inside, he was concerned for her. He could not help notice her say that she was riding back there, she as in, by herself? No. That was far too dangerous. What if there were still Saxons there? He knew better than to tell her that though, that it was too risky for her to go on her own. For the years he had come to know her, he knew of her stubborn ways. She was a knight and she displayed the utmost skills, being true to her status. So how could Lancelot tell her not to go?

"I will go with you." It was not a question. It was not an offer. It was not even a suggestion. It was a statement. He could be just as stubborn. And if anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself for letting her ride off on her own. "Can't have you stealing all the adventure for yourself," he added playfully. Adventure was not his motive for going. Duty and loyalty, to her, was why he was going. But Lancelot was not the overly serious type. He tended to crack a joke every now and then, minimizing the severity of any situation, this one included.

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[Marina Tertius]

The Saxons. The people that Arthur's god had placed on this earth, for whatever reason. Hence, it was Arthur's god. At one point in her life, she believed in his god, but after many years of war, she wasn't entirely sure of what to believe. If all he wanted was peace, then why place these corrupt, cruel, scum bags on earth? The Saxon's would only bring war, blood shed, and death, and that was it. After a few seconds, Marie found herself shaking her head slightly, in disbelief. Lancelot was right though. The Saxon's would claim this as an 'victory'.

”I'd hardly call it an victory. But they only know a victory when they are the only ones fighting.” Marina muttered, in a somewhat cold, harsh, or however you wished to describe it tone. At the moment, she absolutely and positively despised them. They had gone and killed innocent people. Women and children. The children didn't deserve death, much less death at the hand of an Saxon. That was one of the reasons why she wished to return. Marina was curious to find out as if there were any survivors buried under the rubble, or spread out across the village. If so, she would do whatever it took to help them. After all, they had already gone through enough.

After a minute or two had passed, Marina jerked her head up, focusing on Lancelot. What was that? ”Was that a question, or an statement?” She asked, lifting a brow. Knowing him though, it was most likely a statement. Over the past few years, everyone had grown to learn that she was one of the most stubborn people that they would ever meet. It would take a lot to make her change her mind, or force her to do something she didn't want to. ”Fine then.” Marina paused for a moment, before continuing on, ”Don't worry though, I won't let the Saxon's get a hold of you.” Marina said, pulling both ends of her lips up into a smirk.

[Lancelot du Lac]

That was true. Their victories lay in raiding small villages, harming young children, women, people who did not have the ability to protect themselves. Had the knights been there, surely they would have stopped it. After all, only a handful of them had faced an army of Saxons and using intelligence rather than numbers, they defeated them. Just that time. They seemed to be a never dying force. But Lancelot would fight until his last breath to defeat them. To take down as many as he could. And if he were to die, he would die in battle, striking as many as he could until he breathed his last breath.

Lancelot smiled at her question, seeming to have answered it for herself as she accepted his decision to accompany her. His smile then turned to an amused one, as he let out a short, deep chuckle at her attempt to ease his mind, by assuring she would protect him. "I do not think it is me, the Saxons would enjoy getting a hold of as much." He paused for a moment. The thought of them having her under their clutches was practically unbearable to him. He did not condone rape, and he was not oblivious to how frequent it was, especially when Saxons raided villages with vulnerable women. Some did not wish to mix the blood, but others did not care and forced themselves upon them anyway.

"They are lonely men out there." He added, for extra emphasis, still smirking though the thought of such a thing was not at all amusing to him. He remembered saying similar words to Guinevere in the past, when they had been faced with the Saxons. She of course had played it off then, and while there was no humor in the subject of rape, Lancelot had a habit of sometimes making crude jokes. This time however, he especially did not find it funny, though his words may have suggested otherwise. "I can only imagine what they would think to do when seeing such an alluring woman as yourself." His words were still clearly flirtatious, emphasizing her beauty rather than focusing on the subject of what the Saxons could potentially do to her if they had her under their control.

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[Marina Tertius]

Marina blinked, staring up at the stars as her thoughts reverted back to the village of Brenin. It had been a small, but hospitable village, and she had only spent a few nights there, at the most. Marina had bunked there whenever she had traveled up to the Antonine Wall with the soldiers. But, the people were kind, and willing, and didn't deserve such treatment. Marina was sure though, that they would be able to repay the favor back to the Saxon's in the months to come. Then the little scum bags would finally realize was a true victory was. Not the little petty victories that they claimed they had earned now.

Freeing one hand, she ran it up her arm, before finally massaging her neck. Just thinking about the Saxon's gave her chill bumps, not to mention the fact that the chilly air wasn't helping very much either. Marie looked over and up at Lancelot, snickering softly, her hazel eyes shimmering in the moonlight. ”You're probably right, but then again, I'm pretty sure I saw a few women in that group.” As bad as she hated to admit it, Lancelot had a point. Some Saxon's didn't care about who or what they were raping, or about mixing the blood lines. Marina didn't even want to think about what would happen to her if they ever got a hold of her. But there was one thing for certain, she wasn't going to go down without a fight.

For one, that would be a disgrace to her family, and herself. And for two, she would never forgive herself, even if it was something she couldn't help. ”As there are a lot of lonely women too.” Marina said playfully, smirking. Reaching up, she tucked the strand of stray hair back behind her ear, before glancing over at Lancelot. ”I don't want to imagine what they would think, but...” Marina paused, diverting her gaze away from him and up to the sky before continuing on, ”I would like to know what you think.”

[Lancelot du Lac]

In a strange way, Lancelot appreciate Marina's sense of humor. It was one of the many traits he was attracted to. She was not a submissive woman; one who would give in easily. She was stronger than that, put aside her duties as a knight, he had a feeling that even if she was not a knight in the army, she would still display such qualities. The only difference would be that Lancelot would not get to spend as much time with her. And get to know her. And care for her more than he has ever cared for a woman.

He maintained his amused smile as she spoke of the lonely women in the army. He could tell she was disturbed by the thought of being, vulnerable in that way to the Saxons. Had he been better at expressing his emotions, he would have assured her that he would not let that happen. That he would fight with her, against them, and not allow them to touch her. But such words were difficult for him to say. After all, if they had been simple, he would have said them to her years ago rather than just letting them build up and his feelings becoming stronger and stronger. Who knew that Lancelot du Lac was even capable of feelings. Sadly, no one. As he kept them to be a secret.

What he thought? Lancelot wanted her to be more specific. Not that he did not understand, but he enjoyed playing around and encouraging the flirtations -- obviously -- so why stop now? "What I think." He repeated in a falsely pensive tone. "I think that those women will continue to be lonely." He was teasing her, because really, he knew that she had not meant it in the way he acted as if he took it. She was avoiding eye contact with him, and he recognized that. So he acted as if she expressed curiosity to this thoughts regarding those oh so many Saxon women out there. He took a few steps towards her, in his previous position of being directly in front of her so that it would be more difficult to avoid eye contact. He then proceeded to take off the cape he wore for warmth, and wrap it around her. "Unless you wanted to know something else about my thoughts," he said in a suggestive as well as curious tone. Though she was now covered in his cape, his allow his hands to remain on on her concealed arms, just below her shoulders.

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[Marina Tertius]

Marina tilted her head slightly to the side, watching Lancelot quietly, a slight smile playing along her lips. She had grown up surrounded by two brothers, an older and an younger one, not to mention all of the knights in training. She couldn't keep to herself and ignore all of them, so after a while, she had grown used to it, and learned to play along with the men's antics. That may have been one of the main reasons why she had done so well as knight, the hard work and dedication she had put forth was working for her. Not to mention the fact that her father had been a former Sarmatian knight, until he had been killed in squirmish with the Woads. The knight's had played a major role in her life, and would most likely continue to.

As the talk of her and Saxon's start, Marina felt a knot form in her stomach. It was disturbing to think about, especially for her. Saxon's and rape were two things that could make her lower her guard, and show her true feelings. Both things disgusted her to no end, and always would. Marina had never been one to let her true feelings show very often, but instead kept them bottled up, and out of the public eye. Lancelot was one of the luck few, other than Hector and Maximus, and a few others, who could see the vulnerable side of her. A few seconds later, Marina lifted a brow, as a mental picture of Lancelot getting attacked by Saxon women popped up in her mind.

”You can only keep the women at bay for a certain amount of time.” Marina said teasingly, lightening the mood, but still avoiding eye contact. After a few seconds, she found herself looking up, watching as he wrapped the cape around her, allowing his hands to remain near her shoulder. Marina tilted her head back, looking up, catching his gaze with her own. She was having an mental debate as whether or not to actually ask him, or shrug the whole thing off? ”I'm being serious, Lancelot.” Marina said softly, holding his gaze, before breaking, and looking away.

[Lancelot du Lac]

The conversation was both light and heavy at the same time. On the surface it was playful, teasing, all in good humor. But the deeper, underlying message suggested something completely different. "Who would have thought I would actually want to reject the company of a woman." He was, yet again, finding the thought of all those lonely women to be something funny. As if they would take advantage of him. Lancelot would surely die before such an absurdity took place. Even when her tone and expression became more serious, he was still smiling and entertained by the topic.

He moved his head so that she could not look away all that much. He wanted her to look at him, as she spoke for he had a feeling this conversation was going to get deeper. "I have many thoughts Marina. I do not think you would want to hear all of them," he informed flirtatiously. Yes, she consumed his thoughts quite a bit. But as he always did, he would play them off as casual. Ironically, the fact that he had not tried to pursue her however, only showed -- to himself more than anyone else -- how much he cared and valued her.

"You will have to be a bit more specific so that I can filter them for your benefit," he added, still trying to get her to look at him. He slowly trailed his hands down her arms, before putting them back to his side. An intimate action. He was not sure why he could not just lean in a bit more and allow himself to get carried away in the moment. No. He could not. Not right now anyway. Lancelot may be selfish but to grant himself such a marvelous pleasure, to let himself be happy, was something his deadened heart would not permit. He however was not strong enough to cease any possibilities by maintaining a distance; he was far too drawn to her.

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[Marina Tertius]

Everything was so complicated, and in a way, it was kind of exhausting to even think about, much less talk about. But then again, everything in Marina's life had been complicated in one way or another. Her father had died whenever she was a young child. Her elder brother, Hector, was in love with Aurelia. While her younger brother, Maximus, slept with any and everything he could possibly get his hands on. Then there was the whole knight deal, and trying to protect herself, and keep her brothers out of trouble. And Lancelot. Couldn't forget him. Luckily though, little Miss Marina here was used to it by now.

Marina allowed an soft snicker to escape from her lips. She would never have thought in a million years, that she would ever hear Lancelot use 'reject' and 'women' in the same sentence. If she hadn't had all of those feelings for him, she probably would have thought their conversation topic was amusing, but right now, it wasn't. After a few seconds had passed, Marina tilted her head back slightly, peering up at him through thick, dark lashes. She felt vulnerable; her emotional wall had been lowered, and it wasn't something was had grown used to.

Blinking, she turned her head to the side, trying to find something else out. She wasn't entirely sure if he was just playing coy to get out of the deep conversation, or if he really didn't know. Marina glanced down, as he trailed his hands down her arms, biting back a smirk. He had won; she was finally looking at him. Marina stood there for a second or two, before inhaling deeply, and then allowing an sigh to escape whenever she exhaled. ”Nevermind.” Marina said softly, slightly disappointed in herself. Her mental guard was down, so why not go ahead and ask him? But on the other hand, she had fought those feelings, pushing them to the back of her mind, for five years now. Surely she could continue that for a little bit longer, unless he went on and told her.

[Lancelot du Lac]

Part of the reason that Lancelot was stalling in giving an answer, was because he did not know how. He did not know how to vocalize his feelings; how to phrase his emotions into coherent words that would be able to make sense. He was not a man who stuttered, or displayed signs of insecurity. And yet, to answer the very open question she asked him, only made him unsure how to answer. How could he admit this though? He did not want to be anything but confident, especially in front of her, even if deep down he felt very differently.

"Come now Marina," he urged. "You ask me such an open ended question. You will have to be a bit more specific," he repeated. Really, he was just trying to buy time, to see how far she was going to go with this. In a way, he was also testing himself to see if he would really delve deep into himself and express all the emotions he had been suppressing for so long. Did he have the courage to do this? Was it in fact courage that he lacked, or something more? He valued this far too much to ruin it. Yet he could not even bring himself to tell her that he did not consider her to be just a fellow knight and friend, but something more; far more.

[[ Sorry that it is a bit short]]

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[Marina Tertius]

Marina tilted her head, looking up at Lancelot, her facial features blank, void, free of emotion, or whatever you wanted to say. She wasn't entirely sure if he just didn't want to answer the question, or if he truly didn't know. But, little miss Marie did know that her emotional guard was slowly starting to slide back into place. Some times, it was a shield, but others; it was just a nuisance, for example, now. While training to be a knight, she had learned not to care, and block all of the snarky comments that the men had said about her gender. But she didn't want to be like that around Lancelot, she didn't want to have to worry about rude comments, or whatever else there was.

Marie looked up at him, literally having an mental debate on whether to continue the subject, or as she had done before, try to forget that she had said anything. Marina narrowed her eyes, before sighing, giving in to his request. ”Like I said before forget it, but if it makes you happy, fine.” She caught his gaze, before continuing on, ”I wanted to know you're thoughts on me.” Marina said simply, giving her shoulders a slight shrug as if the subject wasn't complicated at all. Turning to the side, she allowed her arms to rest on the balcony, leaning against it, peering down at the villages below, waiting quietly, for his reply.

( It's fine. =] )

[Lancelot du Lac]

And there it was. She asked it so casually, but in truth, it was far from simple. Lancelot did not even know how to answer. But he could not express that uncertainty. It sounded worse than giving the honest truth. What was the truth? He could not exactly spout of everything that he felt in his mind. No. That would be rather uncharacteristic of him. He was bad enough at vocalizing his emotions and now when she asked him what he thought of her . . . it was a difficult question indeed. He felt as if it should not be, but with the complexities of everything, over what he was feeling, over his inability to accept certain things, it became more complicated than it ever should.

Lancelot remained in place while she moved to the side. His gaze was forward, wondering if he had been silent for long. He hoped not, even though he felt like he had been standing there for hours, it could not have been more than a few moments. He needed to say something, anything. Lancelot du Lac was never rendered speechless. He felt as if there was so much at stake in his answer though. Good god man. He needed to pull himself together.

He turned his gaze towards her, but still remained in the same position. His bold actions towards her seemed to be at a standstill right now. For Lancelot, it was harder to say the words than to take action. Perhaps he could take action? No. That would only further complicate an already complicated situation. He smirked, trying to play off the deep feelings that he new ran within him; the very ones that he was fighting against, disallowing them to surface. "How could anyone have anything but very high thoughts of you." He was trying to generalize, trying to make it sound as casual as she asked it. And while it may have seemed effortless, it took a great deal.

"Why is it that you concern yourself with what I think of you anyway?" He asked it in a slightly teasing manner, though he meant it. He was trying to turn it around a bit. Wondering, that if she had mutual feelings towards him, if she would be so bold to say something. Maybe then he would find it easier to be more honest in his answer, but maybe not. It was a theory he was wondering if it would ever be put to the test.

[/blockquote]

[Marina Tertius]

Marina hadn’t been focused on anything else, except for the sticky situation she had just gotten herself into. It was kind of obvious though, or so she thought. Because before she had even realized what she had just said, much less thought about stopping herself, those complicating words slid out of her mouth. ”I wanted to know you’re thoughts on me.” Who knew those eight little words was so complicated. Marina sure as hell didn’t know, but then again, she had never pictured her being stuck in this position. It only took her mind a split second to realize what she had said, before giving a shrug of the shoulders and then turning around; it was just part of an emotional cover up.

Watching an light flicker in one of the villages below flicker, Marie folded both arms across her chest, allowing her left hand fingers to rest against the gold arm band. A few seconds had passed before she had realized that her fingers were currently tapping against the band, but luckily, the cloak muffled the sound. That was a sign that she was either nervous, aggravated, or excited, but this time, it fell under the nervous category. Marina had just done something that was totally out of character for her, for the most part, and she wasn’t sure how, or if, he was going to react.

Marina turned her head slightly to the side, glancing over at Lancelot, with a lifted brow. What was he thinking? Marina wasn’t entirely sure, and it drove her crazy. With some people, Marina could usually figure out what they were thinking about, such as Maximus or Hector, but Lancelot was different. She had tried, but nothing ever seemed to work whenever it came down to him. As soon as he began to speak though, Marina looked in the opposite direction, looking for something to keep her eyes occupied with, so they wouldn’t feel the need to stray, and meet his own.

Of course everyone had high thoughts, or so she had hoped, but that still didn’t answer the question though. Marina took a few seconds to conjure an answer up, before turning around to face Lancelot, both arms still folded across her chest. ”Have you ever thought about the possibility that my feelings may run deeper than just friendship?” Marina asked softly, a bright sparkle to her eye, before continuing on, ”But then again, that’s for me to know, and for you to find out.” Marina said with a cocky grin; she could play stubborn too.

( Sorry it took a while to get this up. =] )