A loud shriek pierced the peaceful night sky. Anyone left on the cobblestone paths could heard a loud procession of yelling coming from one of the houses near the stables. Suddenly a woman came rushing out the house slamming the door behind her. A man quickly darted out the door looking disheveled, still trying to clothe himself as he ran after the her. Shortly after an entirely different woman quietly crept out of the house.

"Comon' Keira! Wait!"

"Leave me alone!" She shouted over her shoulder.

"Keira please! Slow down-let me explain!" He half shouted half whispered after her, frantic to get her to stop, but also desperate to avoid onlookers.

"No!"

Lancelot closed the distance between them. He grabbed her arm stopping her from rounding the corner, swinging her into his arms. Before she was able to slip out of his grip he crushed his lips onto hers. Keira's eyes widened, her temper was raging as she pushed away from him creating just enough space to wind up and punch the knight squarely across the face.

"You don't get to touch me again!" She fumed as she stormed away, Lancelot stood in shock from the blow. He should've known Bors's sister would share his temper, but he never expected her to hit with the same power and ferocity. Defeated and only half dressed, Lancelot turned on his heels and headed shamefully back to his now empty room.

After almost a year of sneaking around and dodging the public eye, she had found another woman not just in his arms, but in his bed. No matter how he tried to explain himself she was resolved to never forgive him. It was over. Keira thought she had finally tamed the lustful beast within him, but now with the evidence in front of her never had she felt a bigger fool.

Things had been different between them as of late, she had been making less excuses and telling less lies to make the same amount of room for him in her life. Perhaps that's what drove him to another – but it didn't dull the betrayal as much as a drink would.

As she stormed back to her room above the tavern she seriously debated finally telling her brother about Lancelot. Sure, Bors would be furious with her, but he'd take it all out on Lancelot and possibly even kill him for defiling his sister. This very likely outcome had after all been the main reason they kept their relations secret.

'Death would be to quick for the bastard.'

Keira brooded as she stomped down the dirty path before her. It was late but she could still hear some of the regulars at the tavern, loudly hitting glasses together in drunken toasts. Keira scoffed at the motley crew before her.

"Keira!" She heard one of the men garble.

"Ah Galahad, why am I not surprised to find you here?"

"Join us fer a drink!" Galahad hiccupped.

"I dunno how much fun I'll be, it's been a-a bit of a rough night." She slowly felt her plans of finishing her stashed bottle of rum alone, wallowing in her room slipping away from her as Jacquelyn hopped off the bench and made her way over, taking Keira's hands in her own.

"I thought I heard the sound of a man getting a well earned wallop over there – might that have been you?"

She nodded slowly, Jacquelyn brushing a finger across Keira's swollen knuckles.

"Well then you're in dire need of a drink, and most certainly joining us-" Jac twirled her friend around towards the table gleefully as her brothers pulled up a chair.

Although she wasn't much in the mood to be in the company of knights she had to admit a drink sounded like an excellent way to take her mind off of things, or at least off of Lancelot.

Keira begrudgingly smiled at the siblings as she joined them at their table. Galahad, Jacquelyn and Gawain hurriedly pushed drinks in front of her challenging her to a drinking game. As one of the barmaids Keira certainly knew how to hold her liquor, and was easily able to defeat the already drunk menagerie of siblings.

She felt her mind begin to relax and the knots in her stomach loosen, finding herself able to genuinely laugh for the first time all day.

As the game progressed Keira felt herself becoming more and more clumsy, her words became slurred but she wasn't the only one.

"Alri'ht. So-so, so Kera" Galahad began barely able to form the words out.

"Keira" Gawain corrected him with a raised finger.

"Kera? Keira? Keira! Right! So Keira, if you was to pick one knight to kiss who would et' be?" Galahad hiccupped violently, his entire body jumped. Lancelot immediately sprung to the forefront of her mind.

"I wouldn't!" She started angrily. "The lot of you are jus' a bunch of pigss!" Keira tried standing up but tripped over the bench and fell landing on her back, she erupted with laughter as she stood back up, legs wobbling all the while.

"Oh get off itt!" Gawain laughed, roughly setting his drink on the table. Jacquelyn started wagging a finger inelegantly at her.

"Well hows bout this then, which of my dear ole' brothers? Hm? Who'd the lucky chap be?"

"Alri'ht, alright! Hmm, I 'spose it would have to be…" Keira paused for a moment pursing her lips as she looked the two brothers over, evaluating her options before coming to her conclusion.

"Neither of ya."

The table erupted with disappointment. "Comon'!"

"No- no!" Keira persisted. "D'ya know what Bors would do?" She raised her hand as she spoke, jerking it across her throat. "He'd wring you out by yours necks is wha' he'd do."

"Bors ain't here though – probably off with Vanora." Jac practically fell back herself as she waved off vaguely behind her.

"Jus' pick one, promise we won't bite!" Galahad goaded as the table picked up a chant, banging their fists on the table in rhythm. Keira began to scrunch her face up, failing to keep her resolve against the chant.

Suddenly she blurted out. "Gawain."

"Ah-ha! Hey wait-wait a minute!" Galahad pointed back and forth between Gawain and himself, his brother laughing in triumph. It was Jacquelyn's turn to fall over the stool from laughter.

Galahad recovered showing a wicked smile. "Alr'ght then, lets see it!"

"Fine!" The drinks she had consumed gave her an extra boost of confidence.

"Hows bout it Gawain?" Keira stumbled from her bench and stood in front of Gawain, her hands on her hip.

"Do you dare kiss Bors sister?" Her eyebrow was raised signaling her challenge.

Jacquelyn and Galahad began pounding the table once again.

"Kiss 'er-kiss her!" Gawain took one last swig of his drink before slamming it on the table, wiping the froth off his beard he stood and approached Keira.

"Oh I dare." Gawain slowly closed the gap between them, taking Keira in his arms he dramatically swung her to the side letting her hang in the air for a moment before pressing his lips to hers.

Keira's eyes opened wide as she was surprised by the softness and utter tenderness of the kiss. Slowly Keira's eyes flitted closed as she began to lose herself in the kiss. Gawain slowly lifted her upright again as their lips parted, but only just. For a heartbeat they simply stared into each other's eyes, suddenly the effects of the alcohol seeming to have been dampened.

"What the hell is this?" Bors voice cut through the silence like a dagger through a curtain. At first he had thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when he saw his fellow knight kiss his beloved sister, but the reality had set in when he saw them gazing at each other. He saw the spark in her eye as she kissed Gawain and he wasn't about to let his sister be taken advantage of by a knight, no matter what. As Bors quickly drew nearer Keira stepped in front of Gawain

"Bors just wait-" Her attempt was futile, she was easily pushed aside by her brutish brother. In the same movement he swung his arm landing a solid punch on Gawain's jaw, sending him reeling into one of the bar tables. Bors reached him in one step and pulled Gawain up by his shirt.

"Stay the hell away from my sister!" Bors yelled pointing a threatening finger at Gawain that looked more like a knife than a finger.

Gawain raised his hands in surrender. "Bors take it easy."

Keira regained her balance and pushed her brother into one of the support beams.

"Bors stop! Bloody hell! Get your ass back to your house before I send for Vanora!"

He only managed to get one last dirty look across to Gawain before heading home. Vanora was the only woman who had any semblance of control over Bors, the threat of calling her to the scene has been enough to send him on his way; he knew that she too was a force to be reckoned with.

Keira angrily glared at her brother as he trudged home, Galahad and Jacquelyn still sat at the bar table shocked. Gawain leaned against the wall rubbing his jaw and wincing at the skin that had broken from the force of the hit.

"Gawain I'm so sorry." Keira approached the knight taking his face in her hands to observe the wound. He winced as she touched the tender cuts.

Gawain chuckled "Heh, guess Bors was hanging 'round." He stood off the wall and faltered, Galahad and Jacquelyn jumped from the table to support Gawain. He felt like he had been hit in the face by a door ram, and hard.

"Bring him on upstairs, I'll get him a damp cloth and water." Keira went to fetch water from the well as Jacquelyn and Galahad each looped an arm around their shoulders, the three siblings swaying with weight and drink up to Keira's room above the tavern.