A/N: This is the last instalment. Yes, I know it ends abruptly. Ah well.
"No, Gawain believes you dead and so, I fear does Guenevere."
Lancelot jumped to his feet. "But how can that be? She saw with her own eyes that I left the castle alive!"
"Yes, she did. But it was from Guenevere that I eventually heard the tale of your affair, and her description of your condition after Gawain's attentions was graphic enough without your added version. You were close to death by her own appraisal, and when Elaine sent word that it was so, it was not hard to believe."
"So all believe I am dead?" Lancelot was appalled. His own lovely Elaine had told everyone that he was dead?
The fool nodded gravely. "Even Arthur. There was a time of mourning for you. Gawain was never allowed to sully a dead man's name. But a dead man cannot reawaken and walk about the city. You cannot go back."
"But I can, don't you see? No one would expect to see me again, and I have changed much." Lancelot reasoned.
"But Guenevere would know you, and you cannot disturb her. She is only now recovering from her grief and growing to be satisfied with Arthur." The fool gave a sad smile. "Lancelot is dead. Your name now is..."
"Idris." Elaine entered the room and stood next to the table. "Greetings." She gravely acknowledged the stranger. "Forgive me, but I listened to your conversation. Idris I knew that as soon as you were found to be involved in treason your life was as good as over. Even if you did not die from your wounds you would be killed returning to Camelot, or even perhaps any other town once word got about. And so I took the liberty of setting your feet onto a new path. To do that you had to be forgotten in Camelot, and I knew that Guenevere could not live knowing you were alive and apart from her. So I sent word to her that you had not survived. This ensures that our future together could not disturbed." She stopped, her eyes pleading. "I am sorry Idris, but you cannot deny that this life of peace was what you needed to recover. We could never have had this if the Queen was constantly sniffing around for you."
Idris battled against anger. Elaine was right of course. He could never go back to court and face Gawain and his men. Yet it still hurt that all his bridges were burnt, even though without that action being taken his life would surely now be forfeit.
Pity filled Elaine's eyes. "Idris, I knew you could not live on forever in solitude, but we have been here long enough to heal your scars and the world's memories enough to return. That is why I called the fool here. Our reintroduction begins."
"For Galahad's sake you mean. Yes, he can go back to court, but what the fool said was right. I can never be seen by Guenevere. She has suffered my death once, let us save her from that event again, for if she would recognise me even through these scars, I am sure others would. Gawain would recognise his work anywhere.
"Take my son, fool. I can take pleasure in watching him turn into the knight I should have been. Elaine you may stay here or go with Galahad as you wish. I deem that what you did was for the best, but I cannot countenance living with a woman who would steal a man's life just to have him for himself."
Idris turned heavily from the hurt on Elaine's face. Her actions spoke louder than words. While he could not hate her for saving his life, he could not help but doubt her intentions in severing his links to Guenevere.
"No, Gawain believes you dead and so, I fear does Guenevere."
Lancelot jumped to his feet. "But how can that be? She saw with her own eyes that I left the castle alive!"
"Yes, she did. But it was from Guenevere that I eventually heard the tale of your affair, and her description of your condition after Gawain's attentions was graphic enough without your added version. You were close to death by her own appraisal, and when Elaine sent word that it was so, it was not hard to believe."
"So all believe I am dead?" Lancelot was appalled. His own lovely Elaine had told everyone that he was dead?
The fool nodded gravely. "Even Arthur. There was a time of mourning for you. Gawain was never allowed to sully a dead man's name. But a dead man cannot reawaken and walk about the city. You cannot go back."
"But I can, don't you see? No one would expect to see me again, and I have changed much." Lancelot reasoned.
"But Guenevere would know you, and you cannot disturb her. She is only now recovering from her grief and growing to be satisfied with Arthur." The fool gave a sad smile. "Lancelot is dead. Your name now is..."
"Idris." Elaine entered the room and stood next to the table. "Greetings." She gravely acknowledged the stranger. "Forgive me, but I listened to your conversation. Idris I knew that as soon as you were found to be involved in treason your life was as good as over. Even if you did not die from your wounds you would be killed returning to Camelot, or even perhaps any other town once word got about. And so I took the liberty of setting your feet onto a new path. To do that you had to be forgotten in Camelot, and I knew that Guenevere could not live knowing you were alive and apart from her. So I sent word to her that you had not survived. This ensures that our future together could not disturbed." She stopped, her eyes pleading. "I am sorry Idris, but you cannot deny that this life of peace was what you needed to recover. We could never have had this if the Queen was constantly sniffing around for you."
Idris battled against anger. Elaine was right of course. He could never go back to court and face Gawain and his men. Yet it still hurt that all his bridges were burnt, even though without that action being taken his life would surely now be forfeit.
Pity filled Elaine's eyes. "Idris, I knew you could not live on forever in solitude, but we have been here long enough to heal your scars and the world's memories enough to return. That is why I called the fool here. Our reintroduction begins."
"For Galahad's sake you mean. Yes, he can go back to court, but what the fool said was right. I can never be seen by Guenevere. She has suffered my death once, let us save her from that event again, for if she would recognise me even through these scars, I am sure others would. Gawain would recognise his work anywhere.
"Take my son, fool. I can take pleasure in watching him turn into the knight I should have been. Elaine you may stay here or go with Galahad as you wish. I deem that what you did was for the best, but I cannot countenance living with a woman who would steal a man's life just to have him for himself."
Idris turned heavily from the hurt on Elaine's face. Her actions spoke louder than words. While he could not hate her for saving his life, he could not help but doubt her intentions in severing his links to Guenevere.