Part of Your World

[isadora]

The sun had yet to rise, but Isadora was already out of bed, leaning over the cradle that stood not far from the foot of her own bed, checking on the baby. She could have sworn she heard her fussing...and sure enough, when she looked down, her gaze was met by two big, blue, expectant eyes, and a soft mewl of approval. "I thought I heard you," she whispered softly, before she bent down to scoop her little girl up. "Shhh, we don't want to wake up daddy." She added, keeping her voice just as quiet as she took a seat in the comfy chair next to the crib so that she could feed her.

When she was finished, Isadora took her over to the window to watch the sun rising. The baby, fed and sleepy and happy, yawned and her little eyes fluttered closed. Isadora watched her, a smile coming to her face, before she went back to the cradle to lay her down to sleep, yawning herself. It was a good thing she was a princess; it meant she could sleep in if she wanted to, and no one could fuss at her for it.

She returned to her own bed, or rather, the bed that she shared with Alistair, her husband, in every sense of the word. She didn't know how they'd gotten so lucky that everything had worked out for the two of them, but she wasn't about to question it. Crawling into bed next to him, she lifted his arm so she could tuck herself in under it, resting her head on his chest and closing her eyes. Yes, everything was going just right for them.

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tag; Alistair

[Alistair]

The bed dipped under the weight of a body climbing in next too him which told Alistair two things; He was not alone; and he was not where he'd fallen asleep. He never slept in bed for they were too soft and left his body feeling stiff in the mornings. While the body grew closer to him; he took a very quick inventory of what he had around him; with out opening his eyes to alert them he was awake. As far as he could tell; he was naked in the bed; which meant no weapons close by.

The body seemed confidant; as (Clearly a she) moved closer and moved his arm to wrap around her. Holding very still he wanted for the body to cease it's movement before he let his mind think again. He last remembered traveling alone; possibly toward Camelot; but his mind was not set on it for it was still just an idea to return to his mother's people. He had skills to help them; and not purpose in life. Wondering around with out a designation was starting to weight on his soul.

Moving with all the speed a man of his size could summon; he turned over so he was atop the female and wrapped one hand around her neck; near the top to cut off a scream and the other over her lips to help seal the sound in. His weight pinned her down and he finally got a look at whomever was trying to trick him by bringing him here.

Hair fell around his face; and worse he could feel it on his cheeks. What the hell was going on here?! Alistair did not fail to notice that one of his hands had a metal ring on his finger. A sign of slavery? Had he been taken? Looking at the girl he took in the sight of her. Her skin was pale and flawless; and she smelled like no woodland woman; with a subtle type of beauty that working women lost as lines built on their strong and braver faces. He felt a slight engagement with in him at the thought of being in bed with a noble woman; but showed nothing on his face. "Who are you?" He demand.

[isadora]

Isadora made a soft sound of surprise as Alistair swiftly shifted her onto her back, pinning her down. She blinked softly, her surprise showing on her face, but even as he grabbed her, there was no fear there. She had no idea what Alistair was doing, but she wasn't afraid of him; he would never hurt her. Do stupid, crazy things that she couldn't possibly understand, on the other hand...oh yes, yes he would. She was still blinking to wake herself up when she registered the fact that he had one hand on her throat, and the other was covering her mouth. This was new.

And her look of surprise was quickly changed to one of confusion when he demanded to know who she was. She didn't have an answer to that, but even if she did, his hand was still covering her mouth...otherwise she probably would have asked him what the hell he was doing. But how did he expect her to answer when he was holding her mouth shut? Moving her hands slowly, she reached up to grasp each one of his wrists, not pulling hard enough to actually remove them, but just to show him he'd need to let up his grip if he wanted her to say anything.

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[Alistair]

Her hand came up to his wrist and pulled slightly on it. He knew he asked her to speak; but he did not trust her to not scream. He could feel the adrenaline hitting his system as the escape started; and he didn't even know where he was to escape from. It would not matter; he was leaving as soon as he discovered who was behind it so he knew from where this attack came form.

He let her pull his hand from her lips but he grabbed her wrist in an almost painful manner and held it from her body; so she could not reach for any hidden weapons. "If you scream; you're dead." He hold her in a low threatening tone; and loosened his grip on her neck to allow her to speak. "Speak!" He cared not for any emotions that could be faked on her face; for right now he only cared as to why he was here.

[isadora]

Now he was threatening her? What the hell?! This had gone from being confusing to being infuriating. She winced when he held her wrist down; now he was hurting her. Whatever game he was playing, was ending, now. "I'm your wife, and you're hurting me." Her tone was scathing, and unimpressed, and angry. There was still no fear; Isadora had gotten over being afraid of Alistair a long time ago, and even if he was acting like a crazy person, it didn't make her fear him.

"What are you doing, Alistair?" He was only holding one of her hands down, so with the other, she reached up to touch his face lightly, brushing his hair back with her fingertips, she placed her palm against his forehead, checking to see if he was delirious with fever or something. That might explain his strange behavior, but his temperature was normal. "Did you have a vision or something?" Sometimes he was disoriented right after waking up from one of his dreams...but never this bad. He usually realized where he was and who she was right away.

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[Alistair]

Alistair saw her hand lift; then felt her touch him. Shifting his hold from her neck and reached up to grab her hands and force it down to pin it to the bed. When the hell did his hair get long? Something wasn't right and the unsettling alarm that was building wasn't a fond emotion. Uncaring over his state of undress; he shifted his weight to roll them both off the bed; forcing her up with him and pull her back to his chest and her hands before her. "Not a word."

She had not seem afraid when he threatened her life; so either she was a fool; or expecting his actions. Pulling her to the window; he glanced out--both below and above. The sun gave him great pause. What the bloody hell?! Looking down at her as best he could he let her free. Still not trusting her; but the sun told him something was wrong. "Where?" Was there hell was he! When was he!

When he was traveling to Camelot; and last slept the sun had hung high up in the sky; as winter was easing off. The sun now; hung lower int he sky as summer seemed upon them. He knew there was months between the two so something had happened in the missing time. What spell did he use?

[isadora]

He didn't say anything, but he grabbed her hand away from his face, pinning both her hands down. She gave an exasperated sigh, wondering what the hell he was doing. He hadn't treated her like this since the first few days they'd met, and since then, he had promised not to do so ever again. Then he was hauling her up to her feet, still holding her tightly to his chest. She was wearing a light, gauzy nightgown, so she wasn't totally exposed when he dragged her to the window uncomfortably, but she was totally pissed off.

"What's wrong with you?! Let me go!" She growled angrily, she didn't understand what was going on, or why, but it did remind her of something. Her father, when he didn't recognize her, didn't have any idea who she was or, sometimes, where and who he was. But the same thing couldn't be happening to Alistair...could it? "Caerleon. In the castle. Where you live, with me, your wife." Since he seemed to have ignored that when she said it the first time, she decided to reiterate it, with somewhat more force. "Don't you remember?" Her anger faltered, replaced by a bit of hopelessness. He would never treat her like this...he had sworn he wouldn't. But even if he didn't remember, she still wasn't afraid that he'd hurt her. He hadn't meant to hurt her the first time he'd kidnapped her, and while he might threaten to now, she knew he wouldn't go through with it. He wasn't a cruel man, no matter what he might have...forgotten.

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[Alistair]

Alistair watched her carefully for a few moments. He was not ignoring the wife comments but he didn't believe them; so didn't find them worth thinking on for longer then to dismiss them in his mind. Caerleon? Where the hell was that? He stared at her for a moment before connecting it to the kingdom of Gwent. VAGUELY. How the hell did he get here?

He looked away from her; keeping and eye on her though the corner of his own eyes while trying to look around. That was when he saw the bed for a babe. He walked over to a few feet from the basket and stretched over to peek into it. There was a baby. "Futu!!" He muttered before turning to look at her. What the bloody everlasting hell was going? He could feel a tight patch of skin over his chest and as he watched her; he lifted his hand to touch it; feeling the twisted skin there.

"What year is this?" He demand; while trying to figure out where his pants were with out looking away from her.

[isadora]

She knew she shouldn't be surprised that he wouldn't respond to anything she said. He was a hard man to have a conversation with at the best of times, even for her...but if she was right and he couldn't remember that...well, this wasn't going to go well. She'd have to find a way to make him believe her, or to make him remember her. Neither seemed like great options, especially since she had no idea what could have made him lose his memory, or what he did remember. And that was when he decided to notice the baby cradle by the foot of their bed.

Sabina was still asleep when Isadora looked down at her, and she turned to see what Alistair's reaction to their baby would be. It was not what she hoped for. "Watch your language!" She scolded automatically, the same way she always did when he swore around the baby. She hated foul language enough as it was, and even moreso around her child.

He let go of one of her hands, and while he was only holding her by one hand, she twisted her other wrist around and pulled free of his hold. She didn't go far, though...just to the other side of the baby's cradle, where she could keep an eye on him and the baby. Not that she thought he'd hurt a child...but Isadora was protective of her baby, and if he wasn't in his right mind, well, she didn't want him around the baby. "It's XXXX," she told him the year, noticing that he was curious about the scar on his chest. "You were shot by an arrow a few years ago. You would have died if a woman named Maeve hadn't healed you," she explained, something occurring to her. "Do you remember Maeve?" He'd known the faery queen longer than her, it was possible he would still remember her.

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[Alistair]

Watch his language?! She knew what that meant?! "It's XXXX," XXXX?! Not XXXT? Like it had been when he went to sleep in the middle of the woods! How the bloody hell did one miss almost bloody four years of his own bloody life!? She was talking again, about his scar but he ignored her as best as he could. He could barley take in that it'd been four years much less that she was claiming to be 'wife'?!

He looked at her while she spoke; his eyes ranking up and down her trying to find anything that either would seem like he might know it. Nothing. "Do you remember Maeve?" Yes, but his first and last encounter with the woman had been over ten years ago! He'd been . . . . . eighteen? Young enough; to be stupid enough about his gifts and trying to stop every one of them. His eyes moved around the room while he tried to take in the place around him; the stone walls making him feel trapped; when he found his pants beside the bed. Thank the bloody stars!

He moved quickly over to them, with out giving her his back; in case she was the witch who put him here; and pulled them on. While putting on his pants; his attention was again pulled the the band of metal on his hand. He went to pull it off; as it felt unfamiliar on his hand but when it got half way he noticed the paler skin under it; and pushed it back on. He wore this often? What the hell was this? Looking up at her he knew that right now she was his only hope at finding out. "Who are you?" Besides 'his wife'!

[isadora]

With her father, she could remind him of who he was if she spoke with him longer enough --sometimes-- but Alistair wouldn't even listen to her. She could tell he was panicking, confused and hurried, and probably looking for a way out. He pulled his pants on, and she glanced around quickly, looking for any weapons he had out in the open. She knew he had some hidden in places she wouldn't look, but she wasn't worried about those; if he couldn't remember where he was he wouldn't know where to find them. But on a chair near the fireplace, his swordbelt hung. It was never his favorite weapon, but in a pinch, she was sure he wouldn't mind using it, especially if he was freaking out.

She didn't know what to do. He didn't remember her. He didn't remember their daughter. And he wouldn't listen to her; just like when they'd first met, he didn't care what she had to say. "I'm Isadora," she felt like screaming at him and crying at the same time, but that wouldn't help. She was not going to cry. She could feel her face growing hot, but she kept telling herself she wasn't going to cry, no, she wasn't going to lose control, she wasn't going to cry, even as she felt the tears welling up...

She was jarred out of her own impending panic by a sudden, shrill cry from the cradle in front of her. Sabina had woken up, and she was crying. Isadora didn't think as she leaned down to scoop the baby up, holding her upright and rubbing her back soothingly, making soft shushing noises to make her feel better. She'd probably had a vision. Isadora didn't know if she understood what she was seeing, but they seemed to freak her out just the same. She took a deep breath, if both Alistair and the baby were going to freak out, she had to remain calm. She had to do something to make him remember who he was. She looked up from her baby to meet his eyes. "Rom, 'chavaia." She ordered firmly in his own language, she needed him to stop and listen to her for a moment if she was going to figure this out.

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[Alistair]

He had started looking for a shirt or something to put on when the child let out a high pitched sequel; and he stepped back a few steps while the mother comforted the babe. Then yelled at him in the language of he druids! It was a mix of both her words that she used to tell him; and her even using the words at all that made him stare at her; this time with surprise clear on his face.

She knew his language; and the druids come out of hiding to share everything. Most the time; wherever he went he hid his heritage to avoid getting killed. He'd been heading back to attempt to embrace it and help his mother's people. How the bloody hell did he end up so far from that?

His hand came up to run though his hair; and he could feel how long it was. Alistair gave it a tug; as if he expected it to fall out and he could find the first flaw in this whole story. Years. He'd lost years of his life? That was when the full realization hit him at what she had said and done just now. Bloody everlasting hell! The kid was his!?

Years upon years of hard travel with Vaughn and Alistair had assumed that of all the men; in all the world; Vaughn would be the one with brats out there that he didn't know. He held out his hand as if to point at the babe and tried to speak but he couldn't find the words; and this time it wasn't because he did not know them. Looking at the child in her arms he could not . . .

He could not even think! Moving down to rest on his haunches; Alistair took a few deep breaths. He didn't trust her; didn't trust anyone right now! Yet he knew if he wanted answers that he had to ask. Had to tell. "I do not remember." Any of it! "I was traveling to Camelot; and went to rest int he forest for dawn and I woke up here."

[isadora]

She'd thought that might get his attention. If he was surprised to find himself in bed with a noblewoman, he hadn't shown it, but he was certainly shocked to find that she knew his language...even just a little bit. Regardless of why he had stopped, he had, and Isadora was glad for that. Maybe now she could convince him of who he was and why --a daunting enough task-- so that they could find a way to get his memories back. This had to be some kind of spell, something had erased his memory, and magic was likely the cause. She wanted it undone, and she wanted her husband back.

He stared at her and their daughter incredulously, while she slowly quieted the baby's sobs until she was silent, safe and warm in her mother's arms. Her head was leaning against Isadora's chest, but now that she was calm she opened her eyes, still slightly red from crying, and watched Alistair on the other side of the room with something like curiosity in her eyes. When Alistair gestured towards her but said nothing, Isadora nodded. "Yes, she's yours." She answered his unasked question, in case there was any doubt. He ought to know his own daughter.

He dropped down to breathe, and instead of plying him with too much information too quickly, Isadora waited. She still wasn't sure what else she should say, but she didn't get any closer. He was like a baby deer, and she didn't want to spook him. When he finally spoke, she nodded when he said he couldn't remember; that much was obvious. "You were traveling to Camelot? So you hadn't arrived yet, you hadn't yet seen your people or met Prince Arthur yet?" No wonder he didn't recognize her. But why would someone do this? Erase his memories of the last four years, to before he came to Camelot? It seemed like someone sought to specifically remove her from his mind.

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[Alistair]

She's his? She! He had a daughter? Alistair did not know much about buildings and the way they were all built but he knew that stone was meant for the bigger richer ones; like castles. He knew who lived in castles. Upon hearing he had a daughter his first reaction was to wonder why the bloody hell he had a daughter in a castle filled with nobles this bloody close to the kingdom that killed his kind on sight?!

He stood up; his eyes not leaving the child in her arms and tried to make sense of her words. Why would it matter if he had been to Camelot yet or not? "No, I was closer to the southern sea." Not inland enough to be near the kingdom." Yet that had seemed important to 'his wife'--if she was in truth--to ask. "Why?" Had something changed in five years?! Was it safe for him and his to move around?

Alistair reached for the shirt that he'd saw not far from the end of the bed and pulled it on. Now all he needed was his boots; but they were not in plain sight anywhere. His shirt was made of better quality then his normal clothing. It felt too light to be real; and he knew it would offer no warmth from the cold. Who wore this type of cloth?!

[Baby deer? Really?]

[isadora]

He seemed startled by the news that the babe was his, regardless of whatever else he might have put together in his mind, hearing it out loud must be disconcerting. "Her name's Sabina," she said slowly, wondering if that would help to jar any memories out of him. He could forget Isadora, but could he really forget his own child? She'd never seen him happier than the first moment he'd held her in his arms, and now he wouldn't even remember that.

She nodded as he explained how he'd not even been in Camelot yet, well, that would explain why he didn't know her. When he asked why she wanted to know, she shrugged as if it were obvious. "I wanted to find out exactly how much you remember. You met me shortly after you arrived in Camelot for the first time," she explained, wondering if he'd even believe her. So far he hadn't, but she hoped the more he realized things were not as he remembered them, the more he'd be willing to listen to someone who he didn't know.

But he was still getting dressed. She hoped the plan wasn't to make a run for it; she knew she couldn't stop him if he did. She could order the guards to hold him, but that would both seem odd, and probably wouldn't make him trust her more. "I know this must be..." she wasn't sure what exactly it would be. Strange? Confusing? Damn near impossible? All words that occurred to her. "...disorienting for you. But you should believe that I only want to help you remember. I love you," which was probably not the right thing to say just now, she realized once she'd said it. She braced herself for him to freak out again.

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((-pets the Alideer- A manly baby deer?))

[Alistair]

She was talking allot; and he wasn't sure he liked it. Something about the child's name and something about Camelot where he met her. He hear the words and commented them to memory but he was not giving them credit. Alistair made a wide circle as he walked past her; not wanting her or the babe to get close to him as he looked for a sign of footwear.

"I love you." His whole body froze and he looked at her; being very still. Bloody hell. The words were echoing in his head over and over again. Words he had not heard since before his parents had been murdered. I love you Why say such a thing? She looked as if she believed them; the foolish girl!

"A spell has been cast here;" He told her; knowing it was the only way to explain everything. "To make you believe the story in your head." Because she claimed to love him. He never stayed in one place long enough to get to know people. He disliked people. Why would he stay here; in stone walls and sleep in a soft bed? What could have happened to do this to him?

[Your making it worse]

[isadora]

Well, at least they could both agree that it had been some kind of enchantment that erased his memory. She hoped that meant that he'd help her find a way to break it. But he didn't stop talking there, and Isadora's mouth fell open and her yes widened when he decided she was the one who had been spelled. She gaped at him for a moment, before her eyes narrowed and she glared at him in disbelief. "There's nothing wrong with my head." She insisted, putting the baby back down in the cradle so she could be properly angry with him.

"I remember my life perfectly." She added, yep, right up until she had gone to sleep next to her husband and woken up in bed with a crazy person. "And it is not some story I dreamed up! I did not simply imagine that I was pregnant, nor that I was married. And if you would just listen to me for a moment, I can explain the details of your life that led you to this point." Since he didn't remember anything, she doubted very much that he'd be able to offer the same. "For instance, besides the scar on your chest, you've another you won't recognize, just over your shoulder blade. You were stabbed protecting me back when we first met." She could explain everything he couldn't, and he wanted to blame her for creating some fictional life?

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((It's what I'm good at.))

[Alistair]

Alistair reached his hand up to his shoulder blade while watching her yell at him and touched his shoulder as best as he could. Nothing was there; but he moved his hand to his other shoulder and felt it there. Bloody hell! Why the hell was she in trouble in Camelot? Was she of magic too? Had he gotten her free?

He watched her and the babe; knowing that if it was his child then the chance of her having magic was strong. More so if the mother--whomever she was--had magic as well. He knew that this woman before him claimed to be his wife and the mother of the baby however; he could not fully believe her until he knew that she did not remove the last years in his mind. What if she had remove them to replace another woman there.

WHY was there a woman even in his life!? The few he'd spent enough time around to know were nothing but trouble! Even Maeve whom she had spoken of! The woman thought she was a faery who would save her race by selling necklaces! She had not the common sense to see when she was in danger of loosing her life or her virtue!

Looking at the babe; he took in her face and her eyes. He knew what he looked like; had seen his own reflection in enough streams and dreams to know his own face. He could see himself int he child enough to admit that it was his. It also meant he needed footwear; and a bag to take whatever he needed for the child in it; for they were both leaving. Soon.

"From the beginning." He hold 'his wife'. Wanting to know how her side of the story; be it true or not. He had yet to decide; and yet to decide if she was coming with him or if he would regret not bringing her.

[isadora]

From the beginning...she didn't know if she should be glad he was willing to listen to her, or if she should worry whether or not he'd believe her. They had often said that their whole relationship was based on madness, and at the moment, he didn't seem very prone to insanity. She'd just have to be convincing. "Well...you kidnapped me." How would she convince him that she'd fallen in love with a man who had kidnapped her? Or vice versa? Oh hell, this wasn't going to end well. "I'm a princess, and you needed money to help your people, so you held me hostage."

Stick to the truth. That would be best, right? Probably not, but it was the best she had at the moment. She believed they were meant to be together; that it was their fate. So this would work out. It had to. No silly little spell could be enough to destroy what they had...could it? "We hated each other, and for good reason. I kept trying to escape, and you kept catching me. You made me do chores and labor to keep me busy and tire me out, and because you thought I should see how your people lived. It was awful." To put it bluntly...sugar-coating things wouldn't help. He knew what kind of man he was, and if she tried to tell him that he'd treated her the way he did now back in the beginning, he'd know it was a lie.

"But...I wasn't what you were expecting. It caught you off guard. You said...you liked that I fought back even though it was hopeless, and that I wouldn't give up." What else had he said he'd loved about her? She tried to remember what he'd said months ago when she asked him; something about the rabbit. He liked her dirty and sweaty? Oh, she doubted that would sound right out of context. It hardly sounded right in context, bloody druid. "And despite your best efforts to be terrible...well, you're not Vaughn. You couldn't help it, you were kind to me. " That sounded ridiculous, she knew. She fell in love with a kidnapper because he was kind to her? "I know how it sounds, but it's the truth. You kidnapped me and then I fell in love with you, and you..." she looked up at him, her heart wrenching because she knew he couldn't remember it, "...you fell in love with me."

It was insane, and he'd never believe her, and he was probably going to jump out the window just to get away from her in about a minute. So she figured she ought to finish quickly. "After that we tried to stay apart, but...it never worked. You kept coming back. We decided we had to find a way to be together, so, for almost two years now, you've been pretending to be a noble of Gwent. A knight." He wasn't going to like that. "We got married almost a year ago, and a few months ago, Sabina was born." She braced herself for him to make a run for it.

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[Alistair]

"Well...you kidnapped me." Alistair had not started looking for a bag; first he was scanning the room trying to appear as if he was not even planning this all in him mind; find footwear; find clothing for the child; find a bag to carry it in. What else did children need? Her words came to him but he did his best to appear as if he were only half hearing her. "I'm a princess, and you needed money to help your people, so you held me hostage." He knew that he planned to help his people; but he had not thought he'd be so . . . proactive. What changed? "We hated each other, and for good reason. I kept trying to escape, and you kept catching me. You made me do chores and labor to keep me busy and tire me out, and because you thought I should see how your people lived. It was awful." Good; he apparently made a point.

"But...I wasn't what you were expecting. It caught you off guard. You said...you liked that I fought back even though it was hopeless, and that I wouldn't give up." What idiot liked it when someone made their life harder? Her reasons were not valid in his mind. "And despite your best efforts to be terrible...well, you're not Vaughn. You couldn't help it, you were kind to me. " There were mixed feelings in that; she was a woman so he was at ease knowing it; but she was a noble woman. A bloody princess!

"I know how it sounds, but it's the truth. You kidnapped me and then I fell in love with you, and you..." . . . He? "...you fell in love with me." Here was the proof that she was lieing. Oh she was good; but he didn't let himself get close to anyone. He would not let her get close enough for emotions to cloud his judgment. It would have made him stupid; cause him to drop his guard. "After that we tried to stay apart, but...it never worked. You kept coming back. We decided we had to find a way to be together, so, for almost two years now, you've been pretending to be a noble of Gwent. A knight." Bloody *#$%ing Hell? She wanted him to think he would pretend to be a NOBLEMAN--A druid hunting KNIGHT for some woman?

"We got married almost a year ago, and a few months ago, Sabina was born." Married to a princess? Had children with a woman who's people hunted down his; and them made his bed in the enemy's camp?

Vaughn. He was the key to this; he would know. He knew that there had been a big uptodo in Camelot; and it was one reason he was going there. He could blend in easier. Vaughn; as a knight; would have been there too to cause trouble. Vaughn would know. The biggest concern right now was how to get the child from her with out doing the babe harm. He also did not wish to converse with her but did not know how else to discover her motives. "I gave up my people; in return for you?" There was a hesitantly in his tone; it was clear he didn't believe.