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THE great hall, once again, looked aht, the floere abundant and awesole pig or chicken scent in the air

"Is Ashton ready?" Isabel whispered to Gwen

"As ready as any ht," Gwen replied

"And Jenny?"

"She knows nothing But we had a long talk this day She is aware that she will never lose her position, no matter the circumstances"

"Does she love him?"

"Do you love Arthur?"

Isabel stared at her

"All right, that was not fair I will ask an easier question Do I love Lance?"

"I truly hope that you do Because, Gwen, he is so in love with you"

"I do I do not have a wakingmoments, for that matter"

"Good He is a wonderful ether"

"Good Now back to you and Arthur"

"You sound very hed, then sipped her wine "That &039;takeold, do you not think?"

"You have no idea I mean it, really You have no idea"

"Now back to you and Arthur"

"How about we not go back to Arthur and me?"

"Isabel, you asked for honesty fro that you are also as honest I care for Arthur deeply I know that I have already wounded him I would truly hope that no other woain"

Isabel squeezed her eyes shut, then opened theain "My honest answer is that I cannot predict the future, Gwen"

"He loves you, Isabel Deeply He has admitted asto face Gwen "I love hiht was possible I would walk through fire for that h for you?"

It was a scene out of a really bad B movie Thein the freaking room had stopped Except, apparently, Isabel&039;s overly loud tirade

She looked around, and the one face that stood out was Arthur&039;s And he was grinning

"And that," she said to the entire room, "is the final line in that last play we put on in Dumont"

NobodyBut I didn&039;t write it, so give me a break Musicians? Please? Or for God&039;s sake, where is Hester?"

"THANKS for stepping in there, hooblet of wine

"&039;Twas in a bit of shock I did not realize that you put on plays in Dumont"

"Well, we do"

"And &039;twas not a cheesy, as you say, ending to me Sounded much more of a love story"

"Could be"

"One about a wo her love for a man"

"Could be"

"A woh fire for her ist Your point?"

"I would also walk through fire for my woman"

"And ould she be?"

"Take a wild guess I give you two chances, and the first better not be Pix"

Her irritation sort of disappeared Fast "I a him "I never meant those words for anyone&039;s ears but Gwen&039;s"

"I know this Do you kno proud and happy I am that the entire hall happened to overhear?"

"How is that possible? I could have just put both you and Gwen in jeopardy"

He shook his head "No We are soon to be free"

"Are you nuts?"

"I would hope those would be walnuts I would kiss you ht now, but I made a promise to you earlier and must needs fulfill it"

And he did He loped to the large table and jule bench or chair

"Ladies and gentlemen of Camelot, please have a listen"

The entire hall went eerily quiet

"We have so in with an important one Ashton? Where be you?"

"I a," a voice caet your bloody ass over here"

Arthur looked around "Jenny, where are you?"

It just so happened Jenny was very near to Isabel Isabel inched over "Go with it, Jenny"

"May I have a sip of your wine, Countess?

"You mean Isabel My name is Isabel"

"May I, Isabel, have a - "

Isabel thrust it at her "Slug down all you want Just remember that the word you need to pronounce correctly is &039;yes&039;"

Jenny did a great job of glugging In fact, she colass Then she stood up tall, looking back once "The word is?"

"Yes," Isabel said, nearly laughing

"What is the question going to be?"

"Let it be a surprise," Isabel said, as she pushed the girl farther toward the table "Just answer yes"

Jenny held up a thue voith ree to be my wife?"

Jenny looked back to that corner of the roo fervently

"Yes," she said "I want, very much, to be your wife"

Ashton stood froods, wo?"

"I wanted to be certain you meant it," she said

Arthur bowed his head and chuckled, then glanced over at Isabel and Gwen, and sods, the women in his life He did not knohether to feel blessed or afraid Possibly he should feel a bit of both

AFTER the celebration for Ashton and Jenny settled, Arthur again stood up upon the table

"We haveWe have peace without any Camelot blood shed" A roar fro to cover his ears He atte his ar and yours," he said "A very, very low roar would be welcome May we practice that?"

He received just as he asked

"Excellent Noe had Countess Isabel to thank forhelped us"

"And our friends in the kitchens," Isabel yelled "And the queen and Jenny and Mary And all of you, willing to fight for Ca to that Isabel," Arthur said "For once, just once, allow me"

"Sorry"

He shook his head "The success yesterday came about because all of you, all of you, took part to keep Ca so blessed that I count each and every one of you my friends I a challenge and succeeded beyond my wildest drea Mordred standing still as a statue, staring at his father She s to be okay Better than okay

"When that day comes that I choose to retire from service to Camelot, I truly believe that Mordred ear that croell and continue the legacy that is Caly folloith hi of a distasteful task!" Arthur said

"To Mordred and his men!" the people answered

"Many -down drunk people," Isabel whispered to Gwen

Gwen giggled, although her eyes roauess as seeking out

"He&039;s over there, Gwen, by the entrance to the for room"

Gwen looked over then nodded "I so wish I could join him, Isabel As I am certain you wish you could be at Arthur&039;s side"

"I knoen I know What a sorry pair we are, aren&039;t we?"

"Or, depending on your thoughts, how lucky we are We both have men who love us There are many who cannot claim as much"

Isabel was stopped cold "Woen Those are the wisest words I have heard in a long tis in perspective"

Gwen looked at her "I was not born isdom, Isabel But I have watched yours over the days and have tried to learn"

"Dahness, but I can state for a fact that you are a supre else, Countess, you are the best model of wisdoged her "We ork this out"

"And, may I make just one more comment?" Gwen asked

"Of course"

"You talk funny"

Isabel nearly bent over with laughter "I know And I thank you for trying to understand what I a is how you would actually pronounce it You cut down your words in such an intriguing manner"

"Oh, Gwen, you would be head of the class"

"I will take that as a coh I know not what that even means"

"Trust me, it&039;s a compliment"

"And it is oodness in your heart It is, as I have heard you say, a &039;pay it forward&039; oblet of wine into Isabel&039;s hands "Here Drink this You ht have need"

And while Isabel stood there, astonished, she watched Queen Guinevere push off from the wall and run to Arthur She whispered in his ear, and he shook his head adamantly But apparently Gas on a ed Arthur to the great table and cliestured for him to join her

Arthur looked over at Isabel with a "what the hell" expression she had no answer for She shrugged her own confusion, then did as Gwen suggested She took a major sip of that wine

"All?" Gwen called out, then waited while those in the hall stopped their merriment to listen

"I have a confession," Gwen said, "that needs to be told You deserve the truth"

"Do not do this, Gwen," Isabel yelled, dreading what she feared Gwen&039;s confession ht be

"That would be &039;don&039;t do this, Gwen,&039; to you, Isabel"

Arthur broke out laughing "So you noticed as well?"

"We have all noticed that the countess speaks differently," said someone in the crowd "But she speaks wisely"

"Correct, Christopher," Gwen said "Another pouring of mead for Christopher, please"

"Ghat in Hades are you doing?" Arthur asked

"Correcting a wrong," Gwen said

"This is neither the time nor the place"

"This is the perfect time and place For all here deserve the truth"

"Gwen, do not do this The repercussions"

"Are so I can liveor die with The lies, no"

"Good gods," Arthur said

"Here is the truth, good people," Gwen announced "I have been untrue to the kindest "

Oh, for land fucking sakes, Isabel thought She feels the need to pour her heart out now? Isabel drained Gwen&039;s goblet, then asked for another If there was a time to be drunk, this was it

"I accept the consequences of this," Gwen continued "Should you all decide to punish ret or rescind my love foranother"

Arthur planted his hand over her mouth, probably before she helped her executioners pick out just which ropes on which to hang her

"Who is he?" several shouted "We will hunt him and exact the punishment!"

"&039;Tis not treason!" Arthur yelled "Not when I condoned that love I knew and gave them full permission to follow their hearts &039;Tis not treason when your king said aye to them I wanted, desperately, for the two to follow their hearts Any ould lay harm to either will answer to me Hoe resolve the issues will be up to us This I demand No harm to either Is this understood by all?"

"Aye, King Arthur," many said

"And while we are at adan

No, Arthur, please! Isabel thought, although she knew he and Gere on a truth-telling roll that was not about to end anytilanced over at her first

"I&039;ll take Shut the Hell Up Right Now for a thousand, Arthur," she said

"What is, no way, Countess?" he shouted back at her

"Oh, good gods," she whispered

Mary ran over to her and grabbed her hand "&039;Tis for the best," she said

"The best for whom?" Isabel asked

"For all here The queen had need to speak her heart And by the by, you truly do talk funny"

"Great And now you are turning on , Isabel? No one is turning on you All are standing up for you"

"I&039; and queen to be scorned by the people of Caentle Gwen fall on the sword alone He knew not what provoked her unhealthy honesty, but if she felt the need to spill to all, he was not allowing her to do it by herself "I have also found myself deeply in love &039;Twas not meant to happen, I did not seek it out, but the fates decreed it so

"Can you believe I have fallen for that funny-speaking woht at Isabel "&039;Tis true I am desperately in love with Countess Isabel And Queen Guinevere is in love with another We are all happy about it So should one of you set out to harm the queen or the countess while ork out the details to ht woht to certain ht to fix those ainst our woood hard look into your very own hearts"

"Happiness to all!" Ja up his stein "&039;Tis what Camelot is about, after all"

"Happiness to all!"up their various steins and goblets in toast

But Arthur noticed that way tooaskance at Isabel, as if she had sprung straight out of Hades "Do not," he warned again, "cast blaainst Gwen or Isabel You do so at your own peril For the people who know us best will be at our sides Now please enjoy the rest of the evening," Arthur said "And remember to tell the ones you love just how ht to his woman He probably should have been prepared for the thump to his chest he received upon his arrival He was not

"Ow!"

"What were you thinking, Arthur?

"Just, perhaps, sos for you?

"Did it even occur to you what ht happen to Gwen?"

"Did you not note that &039;tho s first?"

"Okay, that&039;s true What in hell was that all about?"