As Una trotted close behind Gareth, she felt Frey's pendant dance across her chest. Fearing it would be caught on a passing branch, Una tucked the necklace behind her blue wool peplos and her long linen garment. The chain hung and settled above where Una's heart was. She felt close to Frey this way as if he was still with her somehow.

"It's nearly high noon. Would you like to take a short rest?" Gareth asked.

"That sounds most delightful, your highness." One of Gareth's personal guards suggested.

"Would you mind, Una?" Gareth asked, peering back at her.

"By all means." Una agreed.

"Thank you, my lady!" The guard said toward Una.

Una asked Gareth at the beginning of the journey not to divulge that she was Snowdon's queen in Gwynedd. He asked that his two personal guards address her as a noblewoman. Gareth even threw in that Una had been through a tragedy and would not like to be pried about her private matters such as family, friends, and missions.

"I'll see you all shortly," Gareth said as he made his way into the woods.

As the men got off their horses, Una slid off hers, not realizing that a noblewoman would never do such a thing. She was to be aided in dismounting, especially being on such a beast as Gwen. The guards stared at her strangely, for they were coming over to help her.

"My apologies, lads, I'll be off now!" She said, darting into the thicket beside the trail.

Una flew away from the men as fast as she could. Gareth ordered them to watch after her, even while she relieved herself. Una found it embarrassing, and she didn't like not having any privacy. When Una found an open patch, she quickly squatted down and pulled up her dresses. As suspected, there was blood on her fingers. She knew her moon blood had come today. She learned to expect it soon since she bled each month with the new moon. It was only last night that it was barely a sliver in the sky.

"No wonder I have been so hapless with my tears!" Una whispered to herself as she peered around, looking for blood moss, which grew everywhere.

She must hurry. It was at their last stop a few hours before that Una relieved herself. She had trained her bladder to hold almost an entire day if she limited her water intake. She needed this advantage on the battlefield. Being a woman didn't help matters much either. She had to squat and couldn't stand like a man. She wouldn't need to go for the entire trip, but now that her red moon cycle has come, she would have to address this issue at nearly every stop.

As she spotted in the distance a large clump of absorbent blood moss, she spotted Gareth with his back to her, there relieving himself. Una quickly darted her eyes away and blushed. She would have to look elsewhere. After Gareth finished, he saw foliage rustling around and saw Una scrambling on her hands and knees. He didn't want to disturb her, so he quietly walked around and headed back on the trail.

"Why are you two not with lady Una?" Gareth demanded, walking back up to the men.

One of them stepped forward.

"Well, your highness, you see she ran so fast away from us. I nary lost me footing chasing after her before losing sight of the lady."

Gareth suddenly caught a brief scent in the soft breeze through the trees. It was blood, not from a decaying animal, but fresh like from a gaping wound. Through many battles, Gareth has learned to identify the distinct scent. Gareth looked around, scared that Una had vomited blood up, or worse, had injured herself. He did see her bent over in the thicket. Perhaps she was hurt!? He quickly then caught the sight of a red stain on Una's saddle. It took him a moment to realize what Una's condition was. He sighed and knew that this was the problem.

"She's injured, your highness!" One of the men blurted, seeing the blood-stained saddle and darting to the woods.

"Leave her be!" Gareth shouted as he stuck his arm out and grabbed the man before he could proceed any further.

"Your highness, the lady is injured...!" The man shouted.

"She is bleeding from her loins. Now let her be." Gareth insisted.

"Oh. My apologies, sir!" The man blurted.

"Watch the horses. I will tend to her." Gareth demanded as he rushed off into the thicket.

At first, he couldn't find Una. He felt a sense of panic as he had lost sight of her.

"Una!" He shouted.

Una froze, like a stag being cornered by a huntsman.

"Um, I'm right over here, your grace." Una hesitated in the distance as she scrambled to wipe the blood away.

Gareth turned around and saw Una quickly ducking behind a tree. He began to walk toward her as Una panicked. She was bleeding heavily, more than usual. She thinks the riding might have induced her menses early.

"Are you alright?" Gareth said, peering around the tree at Una.

Una was desperately wiping her hands across the soft grasses of the forest to rid herself of the red on her hands.

"There is a nearby stream. I can take you to it if you wish to wash clean." Gareth insisted.

Una was still bent over but froze in her attempts to wipe her blood away. Una's cheeks flushed as vibrant crimson as the red on her fingers. She was very embarrassed and felt quite frankly horrified at her condition being presented to Gareth in this manner.

"I'm so sorry, Gareth. I didn't know it would happen today, I swear!" Una clenched her jaw as she turned around nervously.

"Why are you apologizing? Here, I'll lead you since I know your foot is still aching." Gareth said, grabbing Una's bloody hand, completely disregarding that he was infecting himself with her contaminated blood.

Una was speechless. What could you say to a man who shows no disgust towards the blood of a woman's cycle?

"How did you know?" Una hesitated as he led her gently through the brush.

"Well, I could see it riding down from the hill. It marked an obvious rift in the land denoting a water source."

"No,...my condition." Una hesitated.

"Oh, well, I had two older sisters. I was, unfortunately, very well acquainted with it. The youngest sister, Mildred, was quite fond of the hunt. So, naturally, when we made our way deep into the forest, she would not bring her handmaids along if it was a long trip. On many occasions, I was the scout for blood moss. I also cleaned her soiled linens when she was in too much pain to do it herself. She would not have her male servants do it for her. She was much too embarrassed and never once told them she was bleeding. She believed her blood lured in large stags and bears. She would only hunt during this time. I must say, though, every time she came along, we would always bag large ones. Be it her blood or luck, it worked." He laughed as he led Una to the stream.

The stream was shallow, but it had a fair bit of water rushing through it from the nights before it rained.

"You cleaned blood all for the sake of a stag!?" Una laughed.

"It was a worthy trade. If Mildred were not with us, we would be lucky to catch a dove." He laughed.

Una sat and began to unlace her thick leather boots, wondering when Gareth would turn his back.

"She and I will get along well then!" Una laughed, remembering her own successful hunts with Eurion.

"Oh, she is no longer here. She died when I was a teenager." Gareth said solemnly.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. My condolences." Una said meekly as she remembered Eurion, her brother.

"It's no bother. She is with God now. Until I meet her again, I suppose I could still make her happy by helping other women with the same ailments." Gareth laughed.

Una unlaced her boots wide enough where she could pull them off of her feet.

"Ugh, that feels good!" Una said, placing her bare feet on the soft moss next to the stream.

"You'll feel better if you get those bloody clothes off too. You better had hurry before the blood dries. Then we'll never be able to get that stain out!" Gareth laughed.

"Oh. I didn't realize it had shown." Una widened her eyes and blushed.

"I saw it on your saddle. You must have bled through your garbs completely. If you hand them to me, I will go wash them for you downstream." Gareth smiled.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly allow you..." Una waved her hands and smiled with embarrassment.

"It's no trouble, Una. Trust me. You can't cleanse yourself and your garbs at the same time. I'll spot clean these, so your entire dress won't be wet. I don't need you to fall ill, and I certainly don't want you to be nude in front of my men. They're older men, and nothing would excite them more to see a young noblewoman baring it all for their viewing pleasure." He laughed.

"Oh, I see." Una thought about the men seeing her now, probably touching themselves secretly under their cloaks as they rode along next to her.

Gareth mistook Una's look of wide eyes and biting her lip as she thought that Gareth would stare at Una as she bathed. Though Gareth did see his sister's nude, it never bothered him. In fact, he found it quite repulsive to be viewing Mildred in her natural state as he scrubbed her bloodied garments.

"Of course, I will be downstream washing, and I ordered the men to stay put so they cannot see you here. I will turn away if you would like to hand me your dresses." Gareth said, sticking out his arm and turning to the side, facing downstream.

Una felt herself become nervous and hesitated. After a few moments, she stood up and began to disrobe as he looked away.

"I hope I can reward your kindness one day, Gareth. You are truly the most gentle of gentlemen, more than any other noble or knight I have met." Una said as she unclasped her belt and cloak pins.

Una watched as the sun through the trees dimly lit Gareth's soft and silky dark hair. It was beautiful, more than any hair she had seen. It looked like spun silk and shined twice as bright. As she thought more about it, Idris did have dark eyebrows, but his hair was solid gray and his beard. She wonders if Idris looked like his son when he was younger or did Gareth take after his mother? She wonders about his mother. Idris barely mentioned the queen, but it was in the past tense when he spoke of her. Una knew she was no longer a part of the kingdom of Wessex, whether or not she was alive or dead.

"You gain wisdom through kindness," Gareth said, still holding his hand out, waiting to receive Una's clothes.

Una's heart began to flutter as she slipped off her undergarments. She unwrapped the long section of cloth bound around her chest, and her breasts were freed. She dropped it at her feet, for they were not soiled, but the sweat gathered at her chest and back needed to be washed away. She deeply blushed, her ears were on fire, her chest burned. She was so close to Gareth. At this angle, he did look like Darren in this light. However, there was something more gentle about Gareth, more ethereal and beautiful in a way. Where Darren played the dreamy and brave Knight, Gareth was the gracious and benevolent king.

"Yes. It is an infection of sorts. You can pass it on to so many people. Some may contract it. Others are immune. Either way, kindness will never go to waste." Una said, finally placing her soiled clothing in Gareth's hand.

"Thank you, Gareth. You're wonderful!" Una said as he gently pulled her garments away.

Gareth began to walk forward in the direction he was staring at, downstream as he promised.

"I'll call your name out, and you will know to hide when I come back up. I will drop these dresses in this tree." He said, pointing to a tree in front of him.

"Then I will head back to the horses. I trust you won't find yourself lost in between here and the trail?" He laughed.

"Yes, Gareth. Thank you." Una meekly said as she stepped back and gently turned to enter the stream.

The water felt like knives as her feet entered the frigid water. She slowly lowered herself in, feeling like jumping out but forced herself in deeper. Sitting on the cold pebbles at the bottom of the stream, it only came up to her mid-belly.

"Ahh!" Una uttered as she began to quickly wash her blood-smeared skin in the frigid and stinging water.

She looked down the stream and could not see Gareth at all. Gareth had followed his way down the stream to a slight fall in the water. It cascaded over an edge in a forceful stream.

"Now, then," Gareth said, holding up Una's clothes, only seeing trees and the hill behind them.

He located the spot and observed where it was. Not much was on the wool peplos since it naturally repelled liquids. After he dipped that small section into the water and rubbed the blood away, he turned his attention to the other dress. It was the spot on the linen gown that goes underneath the peplos that sustained the most soiling.

"Poor Una." Gareth grimaced as he looked at the large spot on her dress.

It was as large as Gareth's hand spread out. Gareth bunched up the dress around the spot so that the unsoiled section would not get wet. He gently dipped the bloody site into the stream. He rubbed out most of the blood, from the inside and outside the dress. There was only faint discoloration, but nothing that soap back at his castle couldn't get out. No one would see the spot anyway. It is hidden under the other dress. Now he addressed Una's undergarment pants. They were vastly soiled too, but like the linen, he could get the blood out fast.

As Gareth washed the linens, he remembered Mildred like yesterday, teaching him to rid blood from clothing. When Gareth got older, she realized Mildred taught him this not just to get moon blood out, but the blood from himself. The blood of war, the blood of others, he had washed the blood from his clothes so much. Luckily Mildred was able to teach him in time before she died. He had to wash her blood away one last time, this time being from her sickness. She coughed up blood and the blood-filled blisters across her body burst.

When Gareth was done, he climbed back up the hill and headed back to where Una was.

"Una, I'm coming up!" He shouted.

Una didn't hear him. She was too busy dunking herself entirely in the water. She had grown used to the water and wanted to wash her sweat off from the heat and cold of the day. Gareth scanned up, careful to look away if he saw skin. Instead, he saw Una slumped over in the water.

"Una!" He screamed, running forward, thinking she was somehow drowning.

Suddenly, Una burst out of the water with her back turned to Gareth.

"Hello?" Una called out, hearing a noise under the water.

Gareth found himself slipping on the roots of a tree as he tried to avert his gaze and fell back.

"Gareth?" Una called out, looking around.

Now Una's naked body was in full view as Gareth rose, hidden in the brush. He wanted to look away, but he found himself staring at her. He was mesmerized as he saw her unbraided drenched hair stick to the curves of her full breasts. Frey's pendant was sitting between them, gleaming as crimson as the blood dripping from Una's thighs. Gareth began to feel his mind drift elsewhere as Una's naked body entranced him. The way her broad shoulders curved down into her proportioned waist down to her narrow hips. It was as if he had watched one of the abandoned Greek goddess statues of old being resurrected into life.

Gareth quickly turned as fast as he could, his cheeks ablaze from a mere few seconds of gazing at her nude form. In one hand were her clothes, now covered in dead foliage. The other hand had found itself clasped over his groin.

"Lord forgive me. My impure thoughts have created a stir in my loins." He said, bending over, trying to prevent himself from becoming further aroused.

For a split second, he imagined himself holding Una's naked body against his, touching her shapely breasts and kissing down her neck. Gareth quickly turned to the side, still clutching himself, and gathered up Una's clothes under his arm.

"Una!" Gareth shouted.

"I have your dresses ready." He said, wincing as he threw his back against the trunk of the tree he slipped on.

Una could hear his voice from afar. She quickly covered her modesty and ran to a nearby tree, standing behind it.

"I heard you. I am hidden now! You may come up to the tree." Una shouted and leaned back behind the tree.

Gareth took a few deep breaths. He didn't need to hear her voice. It would remind him again of what he just saw. Gareth suddenly had an idea. He unsnapped the brooches at his collar bones, holding his cloak in place, and folded it up in front of him. He was so embarrassed, and he couldn't bear the thought of Una seeing him in this condition. He would hide it.

Gareth hopped up and trotted over to the tree where he said he would leave her clothes, and as soon as he did, he bolted back to the trail with his cloak in his hands.

Una watched curiously as he ran off, walking cautiously out as she watched him disappear. She pulled the dresses from the tree and closely observed how there was no trace of blood, only a small damp, wet spot on each. Una then quickly got dressed and scampered back to the trail, with an armful of blood moss she found in each hand.

"Let's go," Gareth said as he ran up to the men with his cloak centered at his pelvis.

"Aye, your majesty." One of the men said, mounting his horse.

The other peered down at Gareth's cloak and grinned at him.

"My cloak got wet in the stream," Gareth said, biting his lip as he lied.

"It appears so, your highness." He said as he got on his horse.

"Where be the lady, your majesty?" The other man asked.

"She'll soon be here," Gareth said, quickly mounting his horse before anyone noticed what the cloak was hiding behind it.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Una said out of breath as she made her way to Gwen and stuffed as much blood moss as she could into her saddlebags.

"Let us be off now!" Una smiled, ringing her wet hair out.

Gareth's personal guard stared at Una.

"Are ye alright, me lady?" One of them asked.

"Quite so. Thank you for your concern." Una smiled.

She just realized she had sat in her on dried blood that had soaked into her leather saddle. Perhaps that's why the men stared at her so strangely. Una hated herself because she would have to stop every hour or two to tend to her bleeding. She hated this aspect of being a woman. It reminded her of how annoying it can be, being that she is a female warrior. Nothing was worse than having a painful moon blood cycle during a great battle. It was Una's only weakness.