My Kingdom for a Kiss

Evangeline seemed to have awoken, to come to her senses and pushed him away.

She internally scolded herself, muttering her lack of willpower under her breath, though it was only audible for Evangeline's ears.

Arthur felt a painful jab at his chest, and stared silently at the ground.

''I'm sorry, Arthur. I never should have done that. I feel like I'm leading you on and I'm terribly sorry.''

Arthur glanced up, and these words only hurting him more, though he could see she didn't realize.

Morgana and Merlin came back at last, tearing across the silence in between the two.

They had no apples, only half worried, half excited expressions.

They must have seen their long embrace.

''Are we leaving now?'' Evangeline asked Merlin, who looked to Morgana for the answer.

She thought it was no use to continue this awkward 'adventure' and nodded.

The four young and silent, rode back to Camelot.

After the Knights took their horses, to put in the stables, they walked, distances a part, up the many stairs to the entrance hall.

The days after were uneventful and Arthur was still in the tournament.

This was the second to last pairing and it was only Arthur, Sir Godwyn, Sir Alred and Alexandrus.

It was Arthur up against Sir Alred and Sir Godwyn against Sir Alexandrus.

Morgana was particularly nervous for Alexandrus. Who was taking on a man three times his size.

Nevertheless, he was a good warrior and that gave her some hope indeed.

''I can't believe you're seeing him when he has to leave for Mercia in two days time.'' Evangeline displayed her disbelief.

''Why not? I seize the moments we have left.'' Morgana smiled at him from across the arena, he smiled brightly at this and nearly stumbled over the manservant fastening his armour.
Morgana giggled lightly, blushing as Evangeline suppressed her oncoming illness at the scene before her.

''You two...'' She shuddered teasingly, smirking when Morgana lightly smacked her arm.

''At least I don't annoy you with denying something quite obvious.'' Morgana said, wiping all traces of joking from Evangeline's expression.

Evangeline sighed quietly, glancing away from Morgana.

Sir Alexandrus had won and next up was Arthur.

With a frightening crack, Arthur's opponent groaned in pain, lying facedown in the dirt.

The next battle they would witness would be the last remaining competitors, Arthur and Alexandrus.

They did quite a bit of damage to one another. Arthur sustained a large bruise and Alexandrus took a rather deep gash.

But, in the end, it was Alexandrus who was thrown down, and Arthur had won yet again.

The noise in the arena was even louder than ever and Evangeline found it heard to remain amongst their constant cheering and shouting.

Arthur warily smiled, cradling his injuries and helping Sir Alexandrus up off the sandy ground.

At last the cheering had ceased and Arthur and Sir Alexandrus were being treated by Gaius in their tents.

Morgana had left Evangeline's side to check on Alexandrus and Evangeline, knowing not what to do, walked back to the castle.

Two days had passed since that day and Sir Alexandrus was set to leave at noon.

Evangeline had not spoken to Arthur since their ride and was happy for this.

Seeing Morgana and Sir Alexandrus had made her both ill and feeling lonesome.

She and Morgana were in the townsquare, giving their farewells to Sir Alexandrus, who was reluctant to leave.

He leaned down and kissed Morgana on the cheek, but she pulled him back and kissed him on the lips.

Evangeline could see the dark flush of his cheeks as he recovered to kiss back. Shaking her head and looking away, Evangeline busied herself by watching the still stone flagged ground of the townsquare.

''Write to me.'' Morgana smiled, and Evangeline had only just realized they had at last, broken apart.

''Everyday.'' He promised, ''Goodbye, Evangeline!''

Evangeline waved.

And, giving Morgana one last charming and shy smile, before mounting his horse, and with one more wave, he disappeared beyond the gates of Camelot.

''Makes me sick, the two of you.'' Evangeline grimaced, walking back up the stairs.

Morgana could only smile in pity.

Two weeks had passed and Morgana and Sir ALexandrus were writing constantly, much to
Evangeline's dismay.

The reason being, Morgana loved to giggle loudly and read the letters he wrote to her aloud.
In an attempt to avoid Morgana's next letter, which would be arrive at any moment,

Evangeline took a walk through the villiages outside of the castle, and she wandered then to the Darkling Wood.

She did love it. So enchanting and lovely.

Until the loveliness was momentarily wiped from her mind by the sight of the fair haired Prince, Arthur Pendragon.

She could never get away from him, could she? She thought.

''Evangeline!'' Arthur greeted, he didn't expect to see her, though he was most pleasantly surprised.

He was happy that he had at last caught her.

''Arthur.'' She greeted quietly. ''Where are we? I've never been to this part of the wood before.''

Arthur looked around, as if he had just remembered he was somewhere at all. His eyes widened once he stopped looking.

''We have to go. This isn't Camelot anymore.''

And, naturally, a group of men came running toward them from behind trees and over hills, shouting as they did.

Arthur immediately shielded Evangeline, but he didn't know they were coming from behind them too.

One of the men grabbed her from behind, threatening to kill her if Arthur tried anything.

Evangeline wasn't scared. She thought maybe she would see her brother again, but then, her brother would want her to live.

Though she was hesitant to use her magic in front of Arthur.

The other brute men surrounded them, their weapons drawn.

She knew she had to act, and act now.

Just as Arthur glanced around, her eyes burned silver and the man who had her against her will was thrown backward by an invisible force.

The man's blade ran across her stomach, leaving a four inch wound as he tried to remain on his feet and her new wound was stinging violently.

Though Arthur didn't see this and took his chance to begin fighting the men, who were advancing on him and Evangeline.

She held her wound carefully, attempting to keep pressure on it.

''Arthur...'' Evangeline spoke quietly, once all the men where knocked out of gone. She needed something to stop the blood.

It wasn't deep enough to leave a scar, but the blood was coming as if it were.

Arthur looked over at her at once, his eyes going from hers to the blood staining her dark purple dress.

He took her hand carefully, taking her to a nearby stump up against a viney cliff wall so that no one could attack her without going through him first.

The men who had attempted them were recovering, and quickly.

Arthur ripped the bottom of his shirt, gently pressing it to her wound, to stop the bleeding.

Maybe it was the blood loss or perhaps the dizziness, but she had never seen Arthur in the way she was seeing him now.

The men were starting to recover and Evangeline noticed.

''Arthur, they're starting to get up again.'' She informed him, watching them from behind Arthur.

Arthur glanced back, then to her again. He didn't want to leave her, but he didn't want to have her unprotected either.

''Just hold it here for a moment, please.'' He waited for her to hold the cloth against her wound and stood up, taking his sword and standing in front of her as if he were a wall, keeping her safe from the anything that would seek to harm her.

He fought valiantly, all the while shielding Evangeline from their swords and spears.

She felt so uncontrollibly strange about him after this and tried reminding herself to apply pressure to her gash, instead of watch him.

She fought the most strange urge to kiss him. To cast away the cloth and kiss his lips.

Feeling most regretful for such thoughts, she shook them away, or at least attempted too.

At last the final man was thrown down and Arthur kneeled by her side at once.

He bit his lip, glancing into her eyes. ''We need to get you to Gaius.'' And he began picking her up.

''Woah! Um... No. I can walk.'' Evangeline objected. She just couldn't let him touch her right now. Not while she was still fighting inwardly. If he touched her, she was sure to loss all the progress shes made.

''Evangeline...'' Arthur sighed. ''It's too far.''

Evangeline stood up the stump, towering over Arthur by no less than a foot.

''I walked here, I can walk back.'' She crossed her arms over her chest.

Arthur took the cloth and handed it too her. In her stubbornness, she seemed to have forgotten she was injured.

He really seemed to care for her and that worked against the part of her wishing to still loath him.

When he glanced back into her eyes, she lost all her composer.

Without another thought besides kissing those lips, she did as her heart wished.

She kissed him.

He stood, frozen in beautiful surprise, quickly recovering from his shock before she thought better of her decision, he kissed back.

He kissed wildly. Desperately. As if her lips were water for a thirsty man.

Evangeline had forgot about her wound. She had forgotten everything she ever worried about or regretted.

And as his lips hungrily kissed hers, all that mattered was him. This moment.