Page 104 of Bridget & Gabe Are Not Okay

“It is dangerous,” said Arthur. “But d’you want to die old in your bed in your nice slippers, knowing you had the power to change the world and hid in your library instead, or do you want to take a risk, and die handsome and valiant in the pursuit of something noble?”

“Ideally I’d like to die in the library,” Gabriel posited hopefully. Arthur laughed.

“I’m sure that can be arranged.” His expression turned serious, and he stopped walking. “I think… you’ve already half done it. Your reforms. Now you just need to see it through. What you said yesterday—that we won’t back down or whatever it was, I really did enjoy it, even if the wording didn’t stick in my mind—it needs to be true.”

Gabriel sighed. “It’s very humbling for me that you’ve become so wise. I sort of hate it.”

“No you don’t,” Arthur said. “I’m afraid you find it dashing. Before, I was simply an attractive and entertaining addition to any room, like a pedigree dog or a well-placed lantern; now, I’m the whole package.”

“Mmm. You were always too loud to be purely decorative.”

“And thank God,” said Arthur, “or we’d never have spoken at all.”

Gabriel drew him nearer, so that when his lips moved, they brushed against his forehead. “And you were always clever.”

“Wellll,” Arthur said, “I don’t know aboutalways. That might be over-egging the—”

Gabriel kissed him, smiling, and Arthur’s arms slid up around Gabriel’s neck as he kissed him back. Arthur, the sky, the sea. In another life, perhaps he’d have been allowed peace like this all the time. He could close his eyes for a moment and pretend. Imagine that they had all day, all week, to do nothing but walk and kiss and talk, and hold each other under the blankets at night, and remember how to be loved again.

Not in this life. But Arthur was here, and that was the part that mattered.

“I didn’t know this was one ofthosekinds of beaches,” Sidney shouted from the near distance, and they abruptly stopped kissing. The others were arriving. Sir Hurst may not have been opposed to same-gender romance, but he did seem to find all displays of affection extremely upsetting, with a little extra offense when it was between a sworn knight of the realm and a member of the royal family. The archbishop had clearly decided not to comment at all.

“What kind of beach?” Arthur yelled back.

“Oh,youknow,” said Sidney. “And don’t even try to pretend you don’t.”

“Sidney Fitzgilbert,” said a familiar voice. “Don’t make me regret the moment we made you a knight.”

Lady Oakley was striding toward them, clad in riding clothes, her hair slightly unkempt and therefore the messiest Gabriel had ever seen it.

“But—when did you get here?” Gabriel said, staring at her in shock as she approached. She seemed completely out of place on this beach; he was surprised to find himself glad to see her.

“Just now. I rode through the night. Amazing how fast a horse can go, when you don’t tell it to stop.” She wrinkled her nose. “I received word about what happened, and I wanted to come and see if you were… all right. This tour was my idea, and I feel responsible—”

“Don’t,” said Arthur. “Seriously. We’ve got enough guilt floating around here to start a new religion.”

The others reached them in drifts. They were all there, even Bridget, who was bruised lavender and blue all over the left side of her face. They gathered in a tight circle, a round table without any furniture, and Gabriel cleared his throat before he began to speak.

“I want to talk about the Lancelot laws, and the reforms. I know what I think,” Gabriel said, “and I know what Arthur thinks. But… I do worry that I’m putting people in danger. Not just us,” he amended. “I think we’ve proven that we can handle it. Ordinary people. The more we push for progress, the more people will push back. And it’s not like everyone can muster a small army of knights to protect their honor, if violence comes to their door.”

“Are you asking if we think you should give in to ignoranceand bigotry?” said Sir Bowen. “Because my answer is, and always will be, no.”

“Not give in,” Gabriel said. “Perhaps… be quieter.”

“No,” said Adah. “I think we should be extremely bloody loud. Begging your pardon, sire.”

“Please don’t,” Gabriel said. “I’d rather you swore a thousand times than everbegged my pardon.”

“Noted.”

“Why can’t there be?” Bridget said suddenly; everyone turned to look at her.

“Why can’t there be what?” said Gwen.

“A small army of knights,” Bridget said. When she spoke, she revealed a slightly split lip. “We can train them. Girls. Women. Thefriends of Lancelot, the Morganites. Everyone else who wants it. Needs it. I’d like to see that. Hell, I’ll train them.”

“Now, hang on,” said the archbishop, who’d been watching this unfold with an expression of concern. “Do you not think that it might be considered somewhat… inappropriate, if people find out that the King of England is funding the training of a private army of… um…”