Chapter 17 A Brief Respite #3
Galehaut turned, and the way his face brightened was more than a little gratifying. Lancelot did not know what he had done to garner this man's interest, but he would gladly keep doing it. No one had ever looked at him, spoken to him, surrendered for him, like Galehaut. "Sir du Lac."
"I think under the circumstances, Your Highness, you can use my name."
"Lancelot." He said it slowly, like savoring a particularly fine piece of meat or sugary sweet, and Lancelot could not help but shiver. "Thank you for agreeing to spend this time with me."
"Your Highness, your surrender was worth a thousand of me, and we both know it. Your price was trifling. I hope you've not come to harm for your decision."
Galehaut smiled wryly and lifted one shoulder.
"I am disowned, my father comes in two days to claim my home and throw me out of it.
My people pack what they can for me to take when I leave after your departure.
Where I'll go, I've not yet decided. I'm lucky he is not coming to take my head, though some would say expecting me to run like a coward is a far greater insult. "
Lancelot scowled. "It takes great courage to sacrifice a victory in favor of saving lives, Your Highness.
Many men suffer greatly from the sin of pride, and would never sacrifice it to save those they see as beneath them.
What you did was smart, brave, and extraordinarily kind. I admire you greatly for it."
"That makes happy hearing," Galehaut said softly, and closed the distance between them.
He smelled of sandalwood and cloves, earthy and warm.
When he offered a hand, Lancelot took it without hesitation.
"Would you like breakfast? You must be tired and hungry after days at camp waiting for war, and then traveling here to me. "
"Breakfast would be greatly appreciated, thank you."
Instead of leading him to the table, though, Galehaut just drew him in closer still, and rested one of his enormous hands against the side of Lancelot's face, thumb stroking his skin gently. "You are truly the most beautiful person I've ever seen."
"You're wealthy enough to afford mirrors, Your Highness," Lancelot replied teasingly in a vain attempt to hide his fluster. "You know you're lovelier by far."
"Not even close, Lancelot du Lac," Galehaut whispered, thumb brushing over his lips, shockingly bold in a way nobody else would ever dare be with a knight of Camelot, let alone the captain of those knights. "May I take liberty?"
"Take all the liberty you like."
Galehaut kissed him softly, exploring gently, as if still uncertain of his welcome.
He was a literal gentle giant, and Lancelot adored him all the more for it.
He had always been on the slight side himself, made more for speed and fluidity, a fish perpetually out of water, always loomed over by large, muscular men like Arthur, Percival, and Bertilak.
Galehaut wasn't looming though, just big and warm and comforting.
Standing there, kissing Galehaut, surrounded by the scent of sandalwood and cloves, bathed in the warmth of the fire, was such a singularly perfect moment, he did not think he would ever forget it.
He let go of Galehaut's hand and gripped his fine tunic instead, pushing up on his toes to deepen the kiss, taste and learn more of this beautiful man who'd surrendered a kingdom for him.
Sacrificed family and honor, even though, in Lancelot's eyes, he'd made a brave and highly honorable decision.
Galehaut made a rough, hungry noise into his mouth and tore away, eyes half-wild as he looked at Lancelot like he was a solstice feast. He stepped back and gathered himself with visible effort.
"I'm sorry, I meant to make it clear to you that this is not required under any circumstances.
I know full well the jokes that would have been made after my departure, the assumptions everyone has made, but I do not bed the unwilling.
I truly wanted only to spend time in your company, which I did not think was too terrible a request."
"Galehaut, you asked if you could kiss me. If I hadn't wanted you to, I would have told you no. I'm also more than capable of defending myself," Lancelot added dryly. "Your castle is surrounded by a moat of running water. I could reduce this place to rubble if I truly wanted."
"You used my name," Galehaut replied. "I like that very much.
Seeing you reduce my beloved home to rubble would be fascinating in an awful way.
" He took Lancelot's hand again and this time escorted him to the table an absurdly short distance away, pouring mulled wine for them both before taking his own seat.
"I'm terrified of water, you know. I'm too heavy, too much my giant blood, to float or swim well.
Anything above my head is a death sentence. It's how my mother died."
Lancelot stilled in picking up his cup. "Why in the name of the Waters would you have anything to do with me?
" Nevermind that he'd just baldly stated his greatest weakness for Lancelot to do with as he pleased.
The man was nearly stupid in his reckless trust. "The most isolated peasant in the Isles who hasn't left their farm in forty years knows I am a child of the mystic waters. "
Galehaut smiled faintly, staring at his freshly-filled plate but not touching it.
"I follow my mother's religion rather than that of the land as I'm told I should.
We have an admonition, or saying, or whatever you want to call it, that says to always watch your fears, because you never know what you will find in them.
I am earth-bound, save for the winds that heed me, but I have always watched the waters, and there I found you, beloved son of the Lady of the Lake. "
"I don't know what to say. You're good at leaving me speechless."
Something shone, hot and bright, in Galehaut's eyes. "I might not be able to get speech out of you, pretty thing, but I bet I can get other sounds before the next sunrise."
Lancelot smirked and finally turned his attention to his food. "I will hold you to that."