Dark Desire, A Reylo Camelot

Only two left standing

                                His love was forbidden, but he risked his life for it because without it  he had no life. ..Valorem

A slight chilly breeze fluttered the red feather in Ben's helmet.   He shifted in the saddle, his armor making it difficult to move much.
His horse stamped at the ground causing puffs of dirt to lift into the air.  The large creature was eager and ready to run .  

   Ben waited at the top of the List on his side for his opponent to arrive.   Sir Luke was almost his equal.  The man was the second best at King Poe's round table.

         His size and strength and stamina was commendable, but Ben had never lost a challenge with him, be it in wrestling  to a game of Chess.

        They now faced each other in a mock battle.  The victor would be the known as best knight  in the land, and Queen Rey's personal bodyguard.

      Sir Luke was tired of losing to a foreigner and a braggart.  He would take Benjamin Solo and wipe his horses ass with him!

               Both men's eyes turned to look at the king and waited for the signal.
It seemed that everyone was holding their breath in anticipation.  King Poe smiled and raised his hand. He loved  to hold everyone in suspense.  Even Reyna was looking anxious.

        Pausing for one more heart beat he quickly swiped  his right hand down and the horses lunged forward.
   The  animals thundered towards  each other, their hoofs kicking up dirt. 

      Ben directed his lance at Sir Luke's chest.  They came closer until Ben felt  the impact of Luke's lance hit him square in the chest.

       He didn't budge , but his lance  caused Luke to bend backwards as both lances shattered.

        Both men had stayed upright in their saddles so they prepared for another attack.  They were handed new lances and with barely enough time to catch their breath, they charged at each other again.

           Rey sat in her comfortable seat, but she was anything but comfortable.  Her heart silently slammed painfully in her chest each time the lace hit Ben.
    She griped the chairs armrest so hard her hands began to hurt.   She tried to stifle a gasp when all around her  gasped . She wanted Luke to win. He had her kerchief wrapped around his arm.  But secretly, in her innermost heart she wanted desperately for Ben to win.

          King Poe was caught up in the excitement.  He cheered and whistled when a new  lance was given to the knights.

       Over and over Ben and Luke  charged and still no one fell.
  Both men were tiring  and frustrated, but neither would give up.  

       They took a short brake and changed horses on the kings orders.  Ben almost protested the  interruption , he felt a little sore , but stoped himself in time. He would never go against the king!

       Now they were back at it.

        New horses charged at each other and again Ben felt the brunt of a lance to his chest. Unbelievably, he was still on his horse and so was Luke.  Again they charged at each other but this time Ben held his lance at a different angle.

   That's all it took for Luke to be hit just off center and he lost his balance.  But instead of falling off to the side, he lunged forward and crashed into the heavy wooden barrier that separated the horses.

        The crowed gasped and some women screamed as he fell into the barrier with a sickening  crash.

  It took all of the rest of Ben's strength to stop his horse in mid charge. He jumped off and ran back to where Luke was laying.

          People had scrambled over the walls and were rushing up to the knight on the ground. 
    Pushing his way through the mass of people, Ben knelt down next to his fallen comrade. Shock and disbelief  coursed through his entire body.
  This had never happened before.

What had he done?

      Ben looked at the fallen man and fell to his knees in front of him.
   He  pulled Luke's helmet off his head  and saw the blood  mixed with saliva  trickling out of the side of his mouth.  Blue eyes looked blankly up into the sky. There was an expression of  shocked surprise on  his rugged masculine features.

        He wouldn't panic!   Quickly he removed the breast plate and began massaging  his chest. 
  Ben grabbed Luke's shoulders and tried to sit him up, causing his blonde head to loll to the side.

     "Live...... Live.......Live!"   Came the desperate plea. Ben's face was stricken  with grief , sweat and tears.

         A warm hand touched him gently on  the  shoulders, urging him to stop.
"Benjamin, he's dead." King Poe  said sadly. "There's nothing you can do."

       Ben for once in his life , disobeyed the king.  
  Ben squeezed his eyes shut and chanted over and over with everything he had left in him.  He plead with the Force  to not take this bravest of knights.

       "Live..... Live.... Live...."

      Women were openly crying and wailing.  Reyna had come to stand next to her husband, and looked down at the bloody corpse and the man she thought she had sworn to loathe throughout eternity .

         Fat tears coursed down her cheeks. This had suddenly gone so terribly wrong .  Had Ben killed one of her favorite knights?
  She couldn't accept what was laying right  in front of her. Sir Luke had been such a loyal and committed knight. He served King Poe with all his heart and soul. This couldn't happen not him!

       But then someone gasped again as they witnessed a true miracle.

        Luke had begun to breathe, his chest rising and falling quickly as he gulped in air.  He looked around confused and disoriented then looked up at Ben who was looking just as confused as he was.

      Someone came from behind Luke and helped him to stand then helped him walk away.
  Ben rose to his feet but didn't know where to turn.

      So he stood there in a daze until Rey walked up to him.  She looked upon him with  new eyes. And a new respect. 
What he said about himself was true.  His virtue and purity did give him miraculous powers. He brought a dead man back to life before her very  eyes!

Everyone had witnessed the miracle, there was no denying it now.

      Her knees gave out and she crumpled to the ground at his feet.  Bowing her head in a reverent attitude she began to pray .
  All those that saw her, did the same.    It rippled across the crowed, until hundreds of people were also on their knees.
   They bowed before Ben in reverence,and awe. Only he and the king were left standing.