Prologue

“Here we are once again at the Round Table. So tell me brave knights what adventures have been bestowed upon you this passing year”, King Arthur asked; all the while staring at Sir Ryan with a big grin on his face. All at once everyone began to talk, each one trying to talk louder than the next, everyone except Sir Ryan that is. He was off in his own world counting the second till he could be with his betrothed, Elizabeth. “Tell me Sir Ryan”, King Arthur asked in a voice that was meant to be heard by all. “Why is it you do not speak, you act as if you do not wish to be here and in that I feel somewhat insulted. If you have better things to do or people to see then you should go.” Even in his most formal voice Sir Ryan was still in a daze until his brother Sir Henry hit him in the side with his elbow and said “Are you stupid in the head, the King has addressed you.”

“I’m very sorry I don’t know where my head is. Please forgive me my lord”, said Sir Ryan in his most apologetic voice. King Arthur waved his hand in a sign that it was all in the past, “Is it your head or your heart that has been misplaced.” Putting his best poker face on Sir Ryan asked “What do you mean my lord?” As Sir Ned begins to make kissing noises at Sir Ryan the King said “I think you quite well know to what I’m referring to. That lovely young woman I saw you ridding in to town with. You know the dark brown haired beauty of yours. Tell us Ryan what she is like, this damsel of yours. From the beginning if you please.” Of course my lord






Winter










Chapter 1:
First Glimpse
I met her this past winter about a mile out if Trent in The Mystical Forest of Merlin. She was being attacked by a small group of bandits. It’s had just started to sleet and the temperature was getting colder by the minuet. I heard screams coming somewhere off the road so I followed them. It brought me to her, and five bandits who where forcing themselves upon on to her.
I rushed into battle, adrenalin pumping and I was ready to fight. I was out numbered five to one but I knew I could not turn away; there was someone in need so I went forth and drew my sword. I noticed one of the men had a large scare across one of his eye’s you could tell he has killed before. You could tell he was in charge by the way the other men looked at him; they were terrified of him but at the same time they respected him. I took him down first a slash to the legs immobilized him, and then was a boy of maybe eighteen or so. He tore the girl’s skirt and when she tried to defend herself he slapped her across the face so hard it drew blood. When he saw me coming he through the girl to the ground and drew his sword. When our swords struck, it shook me so hard it raddled my body to the bone. I got a lucky shot and slipped my sword into his gut and blood flowed out like a river. Next were the two men who held onto her, they were identical twins muscular but slow I managed to knock them out. The last was a skinny fellow slanted eyes and a slick braded ponytail. He seemed to speak many tongues, a powerful sorcerer perhaps, he was able to call upon the animals of the forest to fight for him. He was the hardest to take down, but I finely managed to do so; I was able to thru a knife and strike him in the leg. I asked him to yield but he didn’t, he took the knife out of his leg attacked me so I cut off his head. I walked back to the man with the scare on his face but alas he was dead, he lost too much blood. As for the twins they as well chose not yield, so I killed them as well a quick and painless death.

I walked to the girl and asked “Are you all right?” I put my hand on her shoulder and kneeled on my knee, waiting for an answer. When she said, “I will be fine.” I could tell she was not, she was pale as a spirit, and her voce shook so much that I was barely able to understand her. “Here let me see your cheek. The cut isn’t too deep it probably will not scare.” At that moment I looked into her beautiful violet color eyes and fell in love with her. I didn’t know if she felt the same way but I knew I just couldn’t let her go. “Thank You for saving me, Sir.” Cutting her off I half way shouted, “Ryan, my name is Ryan.” Grate look I have made a fool out of myself. She smiled the smile of a thousand angels “Thank you Sir Ryan, for saving my life. My name is Elizabeth” I nodded “It’s no problem it’s my duty as a knight of the round table. Here let me help you up.” As I helped her up I could smell her sweet scent of strawberries and wild flowers. “Ouch.”
“Are you all right!?”
“Yes I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not you can barely stand. Is it your ankle?”
“I will be fine. You have all ready helped me enough, you saved my life. I do not wish to burden you any longer, should just go on your way; I have already wasted too much of your time as it is. I’m sure you have a noble quest you are on or something of that sort.”
“Well what kind of man would I be if I just left you out her all alone? Come, my home isn’t too far from here. There you can have a nice hot bath and a change of clothes. As for your ankle and cheek I will send for a doctor.”
“That will not be necessary; I will be fine on my own. I’m sorry but I have nothing to give to you for you kind actions except my thanks. I’m sorry I don’t have more Sir Ryan.”
“You’re coming with me that final, and for payment it is not necessary it was my honor to help you Ms. Elizabeth.”

I carried her to my horse and hoisted her into the saddle, then grabbed a blanket out of my saddlebag and wrapped her in it, and got on myself. We didn’t reach my house till the moon was high in the sky, but by then my darling Elizabeth was sound asleep. She looks so peaceful, so beautiful I wish I knew what she was dreaming about. “Mrs. Swan, take this girl and bring her to the finest room we have here, put her into something warm and send for a doctor in the morning. Try not to wake her she has had a rough day so let her sleep in tomorrow she will be staying here for a while so make her feel welcome.”
“Of course my lord” said Mrs. Swan. “Thank you Ryan for all you have done for me.” She whispers in her last stage of conciseness. “Sleep now my love, you are safe now.” I wonder if she heard me, and if she did I wonder if she feels the same way.



Chapter 2
A Favor
“Sorry to interrupt you Sir, but Ms. Elizabeth just woke up. What do you want me to do with her?” What to do, what to do, think Ryan. Do I go to her and proclaim my love to her? How can I possibly show her how I feel without scaring her off? “Sir, are you ok?” I wonder, “Sir Ryan?”
“Yes I’m fine, has she seen the doctor yet?”
“Yes, he said she has a severe sprained her ankle, and for her to be taking it easy, for the next few weeks.” Ding, ding, ding. “It sounds like breakfast is ready. Shall I invite Ms. Elizabeth to eat with you today?” That’s it Mrs. Swan should know how to woo her. “Yes. Mrs. Swan I want to ask you for a favor. I want you to find out everything about Ms. Elizabeth you can and report back to me. I also need your advice on something.”
“Of course Sir, I will be glad to help you in any way I can. You only need to ask and I will serve.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Swan. Believe it or not in all my life I never once have had to woo a woman, for I have never felt this way about someone before. Do you understand?”
“Sir you are not making any sense.”
“Let me start again, I think I have fall in love with Ms. Elizabeth, and I need your help to woo her. You see I never had to do something like this before. You see women have always seem to thrown themselves at me, so I do not acquire the skill to woo such a woman as Elizabeth, so I need your help.” At that moment a smile swept across Mrs. Swans face, showing a gap between her two front teeth. “Yes of course I will help you Sir, it will be my honor. All you need to do show her affection and love, but not enough to make her feel uncomfortable. You need to bring her flowers and sweets. Make her feel special, complement her, and take her into town for a nice dinner or even a show of some short. Make her fell wanted, you need to give a reason for her to stay and when she feels comfortable with you, and then you can start to hint to her about your feelings toward her. I’m so happy for you Sir Ryan, and that girl you brought she is special I can tell. I can also tell that she has been through lot, and because of that she may not trust you at first.”
“Thank you, if there is anything I can do to repay you, just name it.” I said as I fot up to go down stars to the dining area.










Spring












Chapter 3
The Garden
“Lovely day to be in the garden don’t you think Ryan. I think this the most beautiful place I have ever been. Don’t you just love the spring, it reminds me of new begging’s.” I look up from my book and see her spinning in circles, with a smile on her face. “New beginnings, I like that. It is kind of like you and I don’t you think?” She stops spinning and looks at me only to turn around and pretend not to hear me, the same thing she has been doing since winter. How am I supposed to be patient when I want her so bad it hurts? Unaware of her standing next to me I was startled when she sat next to me. She had a red tulip in her hand, “You know every year on my mom’s birthday or anniversary my dad would scrounge up some money to buy her a bouquet of red tulips. He always told me that they meant eternal love, and that’s why he got them for mom” she told me this with tears in her eyes. “Dad loved her with all of his heart, even with his last breath he was proclaiming his love. Romantic, don’t you think?” She smiled at me with that smile that could make my heart stop, then she handed me the red tulip and begin to dance around the garden humming some sort of lullaby. Maybe there is hope after all. I just wish there was some way I could erase all of the pain she has endured. No matter what I do or say she still has so much sadness in her, so much it shows in her eyes. Maybe a trip into town will take her mind off of things.

“Elizabeth would you like to go into town tonight with me. They always have games and food on the first day of spring. It’s a lot of fun, so what do you say?” Her eyes lit up as she said “Yes of course I do, it sounds like fun.” I put her arm around mine and we walked around the garden all day talking about absolutely nothing, just enjoying each other’s company. “It’s getting late; I guess we should go in and get ready for dinner.”

“I was thinking that maybe we could go for a picnic”
“Picnic? Ryan if you haven’t noticed the sun is going down it’s too late for a picnic”
“Well I meant here in the garden, we could eat outside under the stars. What do you think about that, we could set up some candles on the veranda or something like that, so what do you say?”
“How romantic, but it’s kind of cold out, anyway and I’m kind of tiered as it is, maybe next time, alright.” I take of my blazer and put it around her shoulders and slip my arm around her waist. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize that you where cold.” Some gentleman I am. “That’s all right I’m warmer all ready.” She said this as she laid her head on my shoulder, so I hold her tighter not wanting to let her go. I know that soon one of the servants will come to check up on us, so I just kiss the top of her head and wish her a good night.







Chapter 4
The Question
Today was a glorious day for an adventure for a quest, but even then I just couldn’t manage to leave her side. She walks into the room caring a vase full of red tulips, with such grace and beauty I watch in awe, “Good morning Elizabeth how did you sleep?” I move towards her taking the vase and setting it down on the table. “Fine thank you, and how about you?” Then I take her hand in mine and say “Yes my love I slept well.” She smiles, removes her hand from mine and sits down at the table. “Don’t the flowers look beautiful this time of year? I could spend all day out in the gardens. I can’t wait for tonight I was up all night dreaming about the spring fair in town tonight. ” I took a deep breath and ask “Lizzy can I ask you a question?” She stops eating and looks up at me with those stunning violet eyes of hers. Come on Ryan pull yourself to gather and just ask her before you chicken out. “Do you like it here? I ask because I don’t want you here just to be here, you know what I mean.”

“Yes, of course I love it here. Why?” Her eyes where full of sadness and pain. The same pain that I have been trying to erase since I met her, “Do you want me to leave? If you do then I will, but I would like to stay, I love it here, with you and, and Miss. Swan of course. I do not wish to go.”
“Elizabeth please don’t do that.”
“Please Ryan I beg of you, I have nowhere else to go. You know my family was killed by those bandits, and my home was burned so please don’t make me leave Ryan. If it’s about money I can pay for my stay. I can clean or help with the farm and crops.”
“No! I don’t want you to go anywhere, or do any work; I just want you to be happy. That’s all I ever want from you, well that and your heart.”
“My heart, I don’t understand”
I kneel on one knee before her, take out my grandmother’s ring and say “Will you marry me?”
“Ryan you don’t want to marry me, I’m not noble I have nothing to give to you. What will everybody think; you will be looked down upon. Believe me you don’t want that kind of life Ryan.”
“Please stop. Will you just here me out I love you. I have loved you the moment I laid eyes on you, you’re the only one I want, the only one I need. I love everything about you, your stubbornness, and your wits, the way you laugh and sign when you are having a good day. I will make you happy, and give you anything your heart desires. I know I’m not much but a simple man. I know you deserve more than this, but I will give you my heart and soul. I will let you win every argument, and I will stop going on quests if you want and stay home with you. I will give you a family only if you want one. Please my love, give me a chance that’s all I ask, Lizzy I love you with every fiber of my being, and you are my soul mate. ”
“Please Ryan stop. You don’t know what you are saying.”
“Yes I do, I’m saying I love you.” She looks at me and says nothing; she just looks at me with no answer, none at all. Then suddenly she smiles and nods “You win, ill marry you Sir Ryan, my soul mate, and my best friend. You win.” I was frozen in place unable to breathe or think I was in complete bliss. She smiled and tears begin to flow from her eyes. The only thing that came to mind was to pick her up and kiss her. So that’s what I did. I put the ring on her finger and swept her into my arms; while hers went around my neck, and I buried my fingers in her hair while we embraced. She tried to pull away but, I would not have it. Our eyes only met for a breathless moment, and then somehow my mouth found its way to hers. We stayed that way for a while her breath warmingly mingling with mine, while we held each other so tightly never wanting to let go. We smiled and giggled both of us out of breath, me still holding onto her and she holding onto me, we were finally happy in complete bliss. Then she whispered the most beautiful words I have ever heard, “I love you too Ryan, with all may heard, soul, and being.”











Epilogue
5 Years Later
“Hello my love how are you today” She looks up from our newly born daughter Lia and say’s “I’m good, a little tired. Lia has been screaming for more milk all day, so much so in fact I don’t think my breasts will ever go back to they were before I had her or Martin. Who by the way is bouncing of the walls, waiting for his daddy to come home.” I smile and kiss the top of her head, “I’m glad I’m home, I missed you all very much”
“Daddy, daddy your home, your home! I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too Martin, I have something for you. It’s a wooden sword and shield, now you and I can spare a little what do you say.”
“Thanks Daddy I love it.”
“Be careful Martin” Elizabeth said as he ran out of the room. “Ryan I thought we agreed no fighting of any kind until he is older.” I kissed Lia’s head and smiled, “How about you, did you miss daddy.” I look from Lia’s eyes to Elizabeth’s which were filled with happiness and joy. “I love you Elizabeth. I missed you so much, you and our wonderful kids, I’m so grateful to have you all. I could not wish for anything more than this, being here with you, Lia and Martin. I hope you know I can’t wait to grow old with all of you here in our home.”
“I love you too Ryan, with all my heart.”