My Kingdom for a Kiss

Evangeline bit her lip lightly, suppressing a small shiver that threatened to climb up her spine at the simple touch of his hand.

She began to wonder if this was a bad idea.

''Oh,'' She smirked lightly, ''I thought you said no touching.''

Arthur smiled, ''I couldn't resist. But if you wish...'' He sighed, reluctantly letting go of her hand.

Evangeline smiled, feeling much more at ease without the nervousness and strange feelings his touch had brought her.

''Please, sit.'' Arthur smiled, gesturing to a large scarlet blanket laying on the forest floor. Pillows of silk and velvet surrounding.

Merlin must have set it, she gathered.

Evangeline was reluctant, to say the least, but swallowed her hesitancy and slowly took a seat.

As Arthur took a seat near her, she looked out at the lake, the sun glistening on the small ripples in the water.

She couldn't push away the feeling of familiarity of the scene she was set in and as she thought frantically the reason, a tear slide down her cheek at the realization.

The vision. The entire reason she left Camelot in the first place.

''Oh no....'' Evangeline breathed, her brows coming together in sorrowful confusion. How could this be? She left her friends to escape this, yet here they were.

Arthur asked, confused himself, ''What's wrong?''

Evangeline shook her head. ''I made it happen. That was a self-fulfilling prophecy. I should have known...''

It didn't sound as if she were talking to him, but Arthur asked anyway. ''What prophecy? What's wrong, Evangeline? I don't understand.''

''I... I made this happen by trying to avoid it...'' She covered her mouth with a hand and looked anywhere but at Arthur.

He was still confused, and shook his head. ''What are you talking about Evangeline?'' He asked quietly, getting a terrible feeling from her behavior.

Evangeline took a deep breath, then glanced over at him. ''When I stayed in Camelot, I had this dream... of course, it felt more like a nightmare to me... But every night, the same dream. This. Us. I knew it was a prophecy. It was so clear, so matter-of-fact that I couldn't deny. That 's why I left, to escape that prophecy, but it's back to haunt me... I made it happen.''

Arthur didn't know what to say, and he didn't have time to say anything. A loud snap of a twig put him on full alert and he stood quickly, pulling out his sword.

But his one sword would not do against four men armed.

''Father!'' Evangeline stood quickly, shame, fear and regret widening her emerald eyes.

''Evangeline?'' Odin asked, a betrayed and confused look on his battle worn face. ''What are you doing with that man?'' He asked, suddenly angry, but not as angry with Evangeline, than with Arthur.

Her heart had felt as though it had stopped completely. She never wished him to find out this way, or any way, for that matter. She never wanted to disappoint him so severely.

Odin glared at Arthur with the wrath of a thousand demons and prepared to strike him, but Evangeline used her magic, quite without meaning to, and around Arthur a beautiful glowing aura of protective energy formulated around him and Odin's sword flew back on impact.

Arthur was astonish and grateful and stared at it in awe.

''Father, please just listen to me... I'm so sorry. I never wanted to disappoint you. Please forgive me?'' She begged with a hauntingly sincere sadness and Odin could not stay too angry.

''Tell me everything.'' He demanded, feeling betrayed and perplexed beyond all words he could possibly say.

''After Matthew died, I didn't want to think of all those memories in the Kingdom and I wandered too far into the woods. A small group of bandits stole what I had and stabbed me. I was too weak from sadness to use my magic and I fainted from blood loss.

''But the Knights were hunting that day and stumbled across me. He,'' Evangeline gestured to Arthur, afraid to say his name and invoke her father's angry more, ''carried me to Camelot to be treated by Gaius, their court physician.

''He didn't know who I was. Giaus bandaged me up and I woke later that day. When I saw him, I was angry, I was hurt. I knew his face from the duel and I hated him instantly.

''I expressed my hatred the entire duration, but he wanted to apologize and he wanted to make sure I knew he was sincere. I didn't care to see it then, but I do now and I know he is truly sorry. I know that does not bring Matthew back, but hating him doesn't either.

''I made friends in Camelot and until I recovered, I could not leave. But that was not the only thing keeping me there. I feared going back to Bernicia. I was afraid of the memories. But I was selfish, father. I left you. I left you alone to deal with your grief. And I'm sorry, father, truly.''

Her eyes were glossy as she said these things, and only softened her father's heart. His own eyes were beginning to pool up.

''But in my sadness, I was weak hearted and did not fight hard enough against Arthur's advances, because I-'' Evangeline bit her lip, afraid to speak this in front of Arthur. ''started to accept him into my heavy heart one small piece at a time. I'm sorry I betrayed you... Matthew...'' Her eyes downcast, a tear fell and she feared to see her father's face.

After a long silence from all parties, Odin spoke at last and to Arthur.

''You killed one of my children and... saved the other?'' Odin was lost and confused and emotionally broken.

Arthur hung his head, he never wished to inflect such pain on even his worst enemies. Odin was broken by the loss of his son, but his heart still beat for the daughter Arthur had taken from him.

But he hadn't really taken her away. She would always be there, she loved her father more than anything in all the five kingdoms.

''I never wished for you to find out this way, father. I'm so sorry.'' Tears again filled those beautiful green eyes, the eyes of her mother.

And Odin was instantly disabled by the sight.

''Your mother used to always say, 'You cannot choose those you love, you can only accept that you love them.' ''

Odin sadly recalled, but a small sorrowful smile tugged at his lips. ''Did I ever tell you the story of your mother and I?'' He asked his daughter, glancing up at her with those sad, dark eyes.

''A thousand times... Tell me again.'' Evangeline said softly, sad and in need of her mother. Stories was all she had left of her.

Odin took a small breath, ''My father was growing quite gray the year I met your mother. He told me that I would soon inherit the throne and that I would need a queen to take the thrown with me.

''There was a war, a long running war against Bernicia and Lyonesse. It was weighing heavy on both sides and so my father and the King of Lyonesse met to discuss a peace treaty.

''To establish peace, an arranged marriage was formulated. Your mother, Duciana and I, were thrust together for the sake of peace.

''Your mother was, reluctant, to put it kindly. But she cared greatly for her Kingdom and her people and accepted it with the wrath and stubbornness with which I had never seen. Remind you of someone?'' He smirked lightly at his beloved daughter.

''She was cold and cautious and constantly reminded me of her desire to be anywhere in the world, than with me. The day of our wedding, she wore black. She explained that she was mourning the loss of her spirit. But I don't believe I knew anyone with more spirit than she.''

Odin smiled lightly at the memory of his bride, taken from him far too soon.

''But after an immense amount of attempting to please her, she finally began to smile. I couldn't believe it the first time I saw. A smile so beautiful, so dazzling, I could not look away. But I pretended not to notice, as to not scare her off or remind her of her progress. And her daily raven gowns slowly turned to rich, but still dark colors. Red, green, blue, purple.

''I would see her around the castle, smiling and helping the servants and peasants. And she started to love my people, but still, she would not call them her own. Though she was queen, she would not command. She no longer acted as though she were a prisoner and I had hope.

''I loved her, love her...'' He frowned, but continued. ''And eventually, she began to love me.''

Everyone was so engrossed in the story, even the guards were leaning against trees and sitting on the forest floor, listening attentively.

Odin cleared his throat and they all jumped back into attack position.

Evangeline's shield did not weaver as the story was told, which proved to her father how powerful her feelings toward Arthur were, though she failed to notice.

''Father,'' Evangeline broke the short silence, ''I'm deeply sorry. Can you ever forgive me?'' She peeked up at him through her thick, long lashes, her full dark lips frowning.

Odin crossed the forest floor, closing the gap between himself and his only daughter.

She cringe, not sure what to expect. She had betrayed him deeply and would accept any punishment he would give.

But punish he did not. He embraced his child with forgiveness, but still a heavy heart.

Evangeline slowly hugged him back, surprised but relieved he was not too angry.

''I love you, father.'' She cry into the fur collared cloak over his shoulders.

Odin squeezed her gently, ''I love you, my child.''

A sound, disturbing close to a sniffle could be heard in the direction of the three knights of Bernicia.

Arthur smiled lightly, happy that he did not create a rift between the two. They were all they had left of family, and he never wished to harm that relationship in any way.

When they pull apart, Odin said to his daughter, ''I forgive you. How could I not? But Pendragon? I cannot.''

Evangeline understood, though she frowned lightly.

''Sire,'' Arthur spoke for the first time in quite a while, he was meek and quiet, hoping not to push his luck, ''I understand how you cannot forgive me. I can't even forgive myself. I see what sadness and pain I have caused you, your kingdom, Evangeline...'' His frown deepened, ''I never wish such sorrow on even my worst of enemies.''

''Please, if not forgive, then now that I am truly sorry. Not a day goes by that I don't regret doing what I did. It is unforgivable, I understand. I am more regretful than I can possibly say.''

Odin was touched, deep down, but his heartbreak and angry were still the rulers of his judgement.

''I understand that. Though I am not ready to forgive or even consider doing so.'' Odin turned away from the murderer of his son, and toward his sad, lovely daughter.

''Come home with me, Evangeline. Where you belong.'' He held his hand out to his daughter, who looked at it with reluctance.