All the Cost (Already Married AU)
The snippet of my new fic that nobody asked for!!! Please enjoy :D
Now that Lancelot was invested as a knight, Arthur assigned him a shift guarding the Queen. Every third week of the month.
It quickly became Genny’s favorite time. Not only was he kind and obscenely observant, but he was also witty. He made her laugh. It was like it was his personal duty to make her smile. The days passed by quickly when he was with her.
“We should head back, your majesty,” Lance said, eyeing the sky as dark clouds swarmed around them. “It’s going to rain.”
“We’ll be fine. If I spend any more time in that castle, I’m going to explode,” she sighed. His lips curled in disapproval, but he didn’t insist. He would never say no to her. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, pretending to read her book. “Do you miss it?”
“Do I miss what, majesty?”
She huffed and tossed her book to the side. “As I've insisted before, it's Genny. We’re friends, you can call me Genny. And I meant, do you ever miss France?”
He hesitated. “I miss the France I thought I lived in,” he admitted reluctantly. “The France that actually exists? No. No, I don’t miss it. Serving as a knight in your husband’s reign is much more... Fulfilling, than it was to serve at Joyous Gard.”
She nodded, and she looked down at the velvet material of her skirt.
“Do you? You grew up there, yes? Your mother was French,” he said, and it wasn’t a question.
If she were being honest, she purposefully avoided thinking about her time in France. They’d moved when she was a young teenager, her English father worried about the decline of resources available to their average family. They decided to move after a young Andrei had asked for a slice of bread, and they had nothing to give.
“This has been my country for a long time. Before Arthur was even King.”
“I cannot imagine Camelot without King Arthur. He has done so much in his short time as ruler, I forget there ever was a time where he was not,” Lance said, and she could feel his inquiring gaze. She couldn’t meet his eyes. “I’m sure you’re very proud of him.”
“Yes,” she said. It wasn’t a lie, necessarily. She was proud. Arthur was an incredible, just and thoughtful king who always strived to do the right thing. In his short reign, the lives of their people, both on and off their court, had improved substantially. Still, she couldn’t help but be resentful. “Yes. I’m very proud of him.”
Lance stared at her. “You said we are friends, yes?”
“Then… As your friend, can I ask how…Why things have deteriorated between you and the King?”
She couldn’t help but bristle. “That is none of your business,” she said, and she got to her feet.
He held up his hands in a surrendering gesture. “I only mean—When I first met the King, he could speak of nothing but of the war and how much he loved you. How he wanted to get back to you. Whenever your letters would arrive, we were expected to leave immediately so he could read it. And now it's… you two barely speak.”
Genny felt sick to her stomach. They loved each other. They had loved each other so much. “When my family died, things changed. We both changed over the course of the war, and. Arthur doesn’t seem to think we’re that…compatible any longer.”
She spun around to look at him. “It is.”
“Arthur hasn’t so much as looked at me for several weeks now. I assure you that it is very much true. He is no longer interested in me.”
Lance stayed quiet, and she gathered enough courage to finally look at him. “I don’t believe that,” he finally said.
She laughed and turned away to gather her things. “And why is that?”
“Because it’s simply impossible to not be interested in you.”
She dropped her blanket at that and spun to look at him. He looked back at her, unapologetic and matter of fact. “Lance,” she said softly.
“I know nothing can happen between us—I don’t even know if you feel the same,” he trailed off, and he stepped forward until he was only a few feet in front of her. “I’ve only known you for a couple of months, Genny, and I think you are the most interesting person within Camelot. Our King is a smart man, he must also know how special you are. I guarantee it.”
Genny couldn’t help herself. She kissed him.
His kisses were different from Arthur’s. Lance was urgent and all encompassing. His large hands spread across her waist, and they somehow ended up against the tree. The bark scratched against the material of her dress, but she didn’t care. Her hand fisted the leather material of his overcoat in her hands, pulling him in closer when it appeared his brain caught up with their actions.
He broke the kiss, but Genny attempted to follow. “Genny,” he said, and the sound was strangled. She knew she needed only to ask and he would do anything she wanted. As she contemplated the power she had in that moment, a loud clap of thunder sounded and they jumped apart. “Shit,” he growled, and the rain began to downpour. She bent to pick up her things, and they began to make the long, now muddy trek back to the castle.
At one point, Lance took off his coat and held it over Genny to attempt to shield her from the thick downpour of the rain. She was still soaking wet and shivering by the time they returned.
Arthur was pacing back and forth in their parlor as Genny stepped inside, Lance following close behind. “Lance, what the hell were you thinking?” he snapped, moving across the room to meet them.
“I wasn’t, your majesty.”
He took Genny’s arm, leading her to sit in front of the fire. “Page, go fetch Lady Sybil. Or Catherine, whoever you find first, have them bring the Queen some dry clothes.” He grabbed the nearest blanket and wrapped it tight around her shoulders.
Genny watched him in shock. This was the closest they’ve been since their fight. He looked… worried for her. “It’s just a little rain, Arthur,” she said, and she meant it to be comforting. It might have been, if she didn’t stutter through the next sentence due to her chattering. “I-I’ll be fine.”
He gave her a look, and turned to glare at his knight once more. “Have the kitchen bring some tea. You are dismissed for the evening.”
Lance bowed, and Genny refused to look at him before he left. She couldn’t, not now. The guilt would set in.
