Authors notes: The final chapter! I wish to thank everyone who has reviewed; you have been brilliant and cheered me immensely. Please review with your thoughts on the story plus any hints on how to improve my writing (I know my grammar etc is not the best :-)). Also what you liked about it or disliked etc. I plan to continue writing but I am heading off in just over two weeks to Botswana for 3 months (I am both excited and terrified) so I won't start anything before I go but I will be writing if I can there in a notebook to post when I get home. I hope to continue in this genre and also try some CSI which I have been itching to do… Anyways enough with the blabber. You have been a great audience…Enjoy!

OO

"Are you just going to sit there and watch me?" Lancelot asked softly without opening his eyes. He knew Arthur had been sat in the corner of his cell for at least an hour. Lancelot had been hoping that he would go away. Instead Arthur just sat still in silence.

Arthur didn't respond and Lancelot opened his eyes.

The cell wasn't as bad as some he had been in. It was damp and cold as the sun never reached it because of the lack of windows but it was not bone chilling. Arthur was sat in the corner on a chair he had obviously brought in with him as the extremely uncomfortable cot that Lancelot was currently led on was the only piece of furniture in the room, but it was a prison cell and you couldn't expect luxury.

He had been awake for many hours on and off. As there was nothing for him to do but sleep he had lazily dozed trying to regain some strength. He was not surprised to awake in a cell, Arthur had no option and Lancelot held no grudge.

"So are you disappointed in me?" he questioned.

"Should I be?" Arthur responded.

Lancelot sighed and rolled onto his side with a grimace.

"Most people would be."

"Well I am not most people. I know you Lancelot."

"And you expected nothing less." Lancelot murmured. It was always said the truth hurts.

"No that is not what I meant." Arthur protested rising to step forward and kneel beside the cot.

"Then speak plainly. Why can no one speak plainly? Why does everyone hide behind elaborate and long drawn out speeches? I am a simple man."

Arthur stared into Lancelot's soft brown eyes. For a brief moment the knight looked young, vulnerable and scared. It was quickly covered but Arthur had seen it all the same.

"You are not simple. You are a complex man let no one ever accuse you of being simple." Arthur demanded. Lancelot looked away and then attempted to move into a sitting position. Arthur quickly attempted to help but Lancelot waved him away. The roman tried to ignore Lancelot's little gasps of pain.

"Sit here." Lancelot indicated the space next to him. Arthur did as requested.

"Prison huh!" he said leaning his head against the wall with a wry smile.

"What did you expect me to do? You have hit two soldiers and my god the insubordination that you have committed is beyond belief. You know Marcellus wanted you executed."

"So am I awaiting my execution?" Lancelot asked and Arthur turned to him with a shocked expression.

"NO!"

"Why not?" the knight demanded. "You are going to get in trouble."

Arthur was stunned. "Because you don't deserve it and you saved this fort."

"And?" Lancelot prompted waiting for the words he knew were coming. Arthur shook his head.

"And?" Lancelot said again.

"Because you are my best friend." The man admitted reluctantly.

Lancelot cursed. "You are jeopardising both your life and career for me. I am not worth it."

"Why don't you let me decide what is worth it and what is not."

"Because you are so naïve in many ways Arthur. I know you desire to see people treated equally but I do not want you to be hurt trying to protect me. I can protect myself."

Arthur turned to regard Lancelot carefully.

"You have to be more careful. You are right I am more lax than other commanders and indeed your first commander…" Arthur paused as he saw Lancelot flinch at his mention. "but look at the amount of trouble you have gotten yourself in."

"Its not like it is a surprise Arthur. If you weren't my commander then I wouldn't still be here."

Arthur bowed his head at the inevitable truth. When Lancelot and the other knights had come to him there had been massive problems due to the attitudes and abuse of those that had come before him. The Sarmatian idea was heading for disaster and Arthur had been lucky but it so easily could have gone the other way.

Silence again claimed the pair as they thought about the same things.

"How are you?" Arthur said finally asking the question he had wanted to ask when he had arrived.

"Oh and don't lie. Whatever you say I am not going to tell anyone else even Crassus, you know that."

"Tired. So very very tired." He whispered. "So much has happened so quickly and it is very hard to take in. Perhaps being in here will be good to give me time to adjust, think it over."

To anyone else this conversation would have been startling but it was only in a quiet conversation that the serious side of Lancelot was brought forth. He had two sides to him, public and private.

"Well." Arthur said with an attempt to introduce his punishment. "You have a week with which to contemplate as much as you want."

Lancelot laughed bitterly. "A week that's it. I deserve a lot more."

Arthur grabbed Lancelot by the arm. "You don't deserve that. I've already said that. I would have been hard pressed not to hit some of them."

Lancelot pulled away and swallowed harshly.

"But you wouldn't have and that is the difference between you and me."

"I wouldn't want you to be like me. That's what I love about you. You can do the things I can't say or do. I would never want you to change." Arthur impressed desperately upon the knight.

Lancelot smiled slightly and then suddenly slumped forward and threw up. Arthur leaned forward to rub his back trying to offer some comfort as the fact that he was injured made itself apparent again.

"Lay down." Arthur ordered and Lancelot did as he was told. Arthur gathered the blanket and moved it to cover the man. As he lifted Lancelot's arm he noticed the new leather wrap around the scar. He examined it and saw the marks.

"Tristan?" he asked. Lancelot nodded.

"It means freedom." He whispered as he dropped off to sleep. Arthur brushed some hair off Lancelot's forehead.

"You will be free my friend I will see to it if it is the last thing I do." He promised. The roman rose to his feet to go and find Crassus.

An almost silent whisper reached him as he put his hand on the door.

"It had better not be."

Arthur smiled shook his head and left.

O 2 Weeks Later O

"Woohoo!" An excited voice screamed as a bay horse burst out of the stables and charged across the courtyard out of the gates.

"Lancelot! LANCELOT!" a voice shouted. The occupants of the courtyard who had darted out of the way in surprise at the charging horse now watched as Crassus ran across after.

"I SAID ONLY LIGHT DUTIES! GET BACK HERE!" he continued yelling. Only Lancelot's laughter could be heard as he turned Scimitar back towards the gates.

The stallion trotted back in and came to a halt a few paces in front of the puffing doctor.

"I am hardly moving." Lancelot said back with a broad grin. Crassus's face turned red as he prepared to berate the knight into an early grave.

"You don't stand a chance." Gawain's voice said from behind the doctor and he saw the other knights' mounted with broad grins.

"See you later." Bors yelled as they galloped past and Lancelot whirled Scimitar to follow.

"If you wanted him to do light duties you should have chained him to the saddle cleaning rack." Arthur said as he joined the doctor.

"I never learn." Crassus moaned as he watched the knights' gallop into the distance.

"He'll be fine. The others will look after him."

"That's what I am scared of. Unholy terrors the lot of them."

Arthur chuckled and slapped the doctor on the back.

"We wouldn't have it any other way."

"No I guess not. Although I wish he would listen to me more often."

"He knows his limits."

Crassus and Arthur turned to head back inside discussing the knights various faults and merits. Things had changed but then again some things remained the same and as a new day dawned it filled those alive who could see it with hope for the future.

OO