Here's a Gwen/Arthur fanfic. Not my favorite pairing but I needed someone for this idea. I was thinking of doing a Merlin/Morgana one with the same idea…but I don't know…

Strong Words

Merlin hurried up the stairs with Arthur's and Gwen's breakfast in his arms. He skipped every other step as bounded up the stairs. He reached the floor he had been looking for and ran down the corridor to the royal chambers and pushed the door open crossing his fingers and praying that the couple had slept in.

"You're late again, Merlin!" Arthur said from the table. Merlin groaned, "Just my luck…"

Arthur and Gwen were already sitting at the breakfast table, deep in conversation waiting for their breakfast. As Merlin entered, Gwen had looked up and smiled at him. Merlin waved his hand in greeting to the Queen. Arthur was shuffling through papers he would present to the council later that day; he didn't even look up.

"Sorry sire. I woke up late," Merlin defended.

"Like you do every morning?" Arthur drawled.

"Ha ha," Merlin muttered as he laid the meals down on the table. "There. Eat up."

Gwen removed the cover and gasped in delight. "Pancakes! No way!" She turned to Merlin and instructed, "Merlin, please give my thanks and compliments to Mary. She shouldn't have!"

Arthur looked up from his papers and glanced between his manservant and wife in confusion. "What-"

Merlin smiled back, interrupting Arthur. "Mary was happy to make the new queen pancakes. Especially for her first birthday as royalty!"

Arthur cursed under his breath as he remembered. He had forgotten his wife's birthday! What kind of man does that? His mind scrambled to find a last minute present.

Merlin did not notice Arthur's predicament and procured a gift from behind his back. "Here you go, my lady."

Gwen frowned and accepted the gift saying, "Merlin, you shouldn't have. You know I told you not to get me anything-"

"Too expensive, I know," Merlin finished. "But this wasn't expensive; it was just something I picked up in the market while we were traveling."

Gwen opened the package to reveal a simple necklace with a green jewel in the center. Gwen covered her mouth with her hand as she sat in awe of it. "Merlin…I-I don't know what to say. It's beautiful." Gwen stood up from the table and pulled Merlin into a hug. "Thank you."

As the hug ended, Merlin pulled back with a grin and said, "I'm glad you like it."

Gwen sat back down beside her husband and continued to admire the piece of jewelry. "I love it."

Gwen handed the piece of jewelry to Merlin to put around her neck. Arthur stood suddenly and hurried to Merlin's side. While his wife was distracted, Arthur whispered to Merlin, "Play along with what I'm about to do."

Merlin tilted his head to one side with a confused smile on his face. "What-"

Arthur snarled, "Just go with it!"

Gwen turned back to Arthur and asked, "What's wrong?"

Arthur quickly changed his face into a happy expression. "Nothing, nothing. I was just asking if Merlin had finished with the preparations."

"What preparations?" Gwen asked suspiciously.

Merlin raised his eyebrow in a Gaius-like fashion. "Preparations?"

Arthur laughed nervously and started, "Well, I know how you hate formal gatherings, so I decided there will be no big formal feast." Gwen smiled at this. Arthur drew confidence from Gwen's happiness and continued, "But I didn't want to let this day pass uncelebrated so I have prepared a picnic."

"A picnic?" Gwen asked happily.

"A picnic?" Merlin repeated confused.

"A picnic," Arthur confirmed. "We'll ride out of Camelot to the cliffs where we will eat lunch."

Gwen smiled and took her husband's hand. "Thank you so much! It will be so much fun!" Gwen stood and walked over to her closet looking for the perfect dress to wear.

Merlin stooped next to Arthur. His voice was low, too low for Gwen to overhear. "You never mentioned a picnic before, sire."

Arthur replied hastily, "Well, I guess you never listened, did you?"

"I always listen, sire. It is hard to tune out your annoying voice."

"What?" Arthur asked.

"I am confident you never said anything about a picnic for Gwen." Merlin thought for a moment and realization dawned on his face. "You forgot her birthday didn't you?"

Arthur sniffed. "Of course not."

Merlin grinned. "Yes you did. You, Arthur Pendragon, forgot your wife's birthday!"

"No I did not!"

Merlin straightened and pointed a finger at Arthur. "I cannot believe you forgot-"

Arthur hissed, "Keep your voice down!" He motioned to Gwen. "She's not deaf!"

Merlin smiled smugly. "You forgot."

Arthur took a deep breath and said indignantly, "Yes Merlin. I thought we had established that."

Merlin's grin grew bigger and he leaned down to Arthur again. "Were you really serious about that picnic?"

"Of course I was!" Arthur replied. "I'm sure you can throw together a picnic in two hours!"

Merlin's eyes widened and Arthur found temporary enjoyment in the look on Merlin's face. "Two hours! No way!"

Arthur clapped a hand over his manservant's mouth. "Will you keep your voice down?"

Merlin nodded and Arthur removed his hand. "How am I supposed to find a way to put together a birthday picnic in two hours?"

Arthur sighed, frustrated. "I don't know Merlin! That's your job! You find a way; you always do."

Merlin stood beside the table for a moment, half expecting Arthur to laugh and say it was all a joke. When he didn't however, Merlin walked out of the room with a heated manner.

"Throw together a picnic! Why not? It's not like I have anything else to do! After all, I live to serve," Merlin grumbled.

…~….

Two hours later, Arthur led Gwen down to the stables. On the way down he met Sir Leon and Sir Gwaine. The two were arguing, as usual.

"That doesn't make sense! Who in their right mind would jump off a second story into a pile of straw?" Leon asked exasperatedly.

Gwaine sighed. "That's the point! I was drunk! I wasn't in my right mind!"

"Then why on Earth-?" Leon started.

Gwaine shook his head. "Just forget it."

"But-"

"Forget it. I'm not explaining it again!"

"Leon! Gwaine!" Arthur called.

Leon and Gwaine's heads swiveled around to where Arthur was coming from. Gwaine jumped at the opportunity of a new listener. "Have I ever told you the time I-?"

"Can't listen today Gwaine. It's the queen's birthday you know!" Arthur said motioning to Gwen.

Gwaine smiled. "Yeah Merlin told me about that! He said he looked forever for that necklace."

Gwen looked at the necklace around her neck. "Yes, I love it."

Leon smiled. "That's good." He turned to Arthur. "Merlin also said something about forgetting-"

"I'm sure Merlin was lying," Arthur interrupted.

Gwaine said suspiciously. "Merlin doesn't lie that often."

Arthur glanced nervously at his wife but found Gwen was confused and not angry. He said hurriedly. "Well he's lying now. We have to go." Arthur started to walk off but then stopped when Gwen didn't follow. "Come on Gwen."

Gwen glanced between Gwaine and Arthur. She stood still for a moment before following Arthur.

Arthur continued down to the stables not saying a word to Gwen. When they reached the stables, they found Merlin standing with three horses and two picnic baskets. He smiled when he saw the couple and motioned towards the horses. "Mount up. We better get there quickly if we still want this to be a lunch."

Arthur glared at Merlin before helping Gwen mount her horse. Arthur then mounted his horse and together they set off through the streets of Camelot. Merlin watched them go, giving them a good head start. He grudgingly mounted his horse and grumbled, "This better work otherwise Arthur will put me in the stocks for weeks."

Merlin followed the fast vanishing royals with his horse burdened with two baskets of food and blankets.

…..~….

"Oh Arthur! This is beautiful!" Gwen stared out over the cliffs and admired the view of the many fields and forests. The sky was beautiful with many shades of blue and several fluffy, white clouds. A cool breeze drifted over the cliffs and down into the valley.

Arthur stood behind his wife and wrapped his arms around her. "I knew you'd love it."

Gwen melted into his arms while Merlin set up the picnic. When Merlin was done, he cleared his throat loudly and Arthur took that as the signal. He spun Gwen around and Gwen smiled.

On the ground was a soft velvet blanket. On one end of the blanket were pillows where the couple could rest their heads. Covering the blanket were trays of food, all food either romantic or held some kind of sentimental value to the couple. Gwen turned to her husband and gazed lovingly at his eyes. "Arthur, this is wonderful."

Arthur led his wife to the blanket and together they sat down. Merlin, with a napkin draped over his arm, said formally, "Welcome, sir and madam to the cliff restaurant. Today, I hear, is the lady's special day and I hope that it is going wonderful."

Gwen laughed and played along. "Well thank you. And today is amazing! I received a wonderful gift from one of my closest friends and now I get to spend the rest of the day with my husband."

Merlin grinned. "Good, good. I will just be behind a tree over in that direction," Merlin said as he indicated the area opposite of the cliff.

Gwen smiled, "We shall inform you if we require your services."

"Which we won't," added Arthur. "So you can go find a nice spot to cover your ears."

Merlin stuck out his tongue and left.

Gwen laughed and leaned her head into Arthur's chest. "This is all very nice Arthur. But I can't help but wonder…"

Arthur put his arm around his wife and asked, "Wonder what?"

Gwen sighed sadly and said, "You forgot my birthday, didn't you?"

"What? No!" Arthur said a little too quickly and in too high of a voice.

Gwen gave Arthur 'the look.'

"For a moment, a small moment, I might have forgotten your birthday," Arthur admitted in a small voice.

Gwen pulled back from Arthur and sat across from him. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

Arthur sighed and said, "Well, I didn't want to be 'that guy' and I didn't want to let you down."

"Arthur, it is more insulting for you to lie to me than to admit that you forgot my birthday," Gwen reprimanded.

"I know. I just wasn't thinking," Arthur admitted as he hung his head.

Gwen shook her head and bit back a smile. Her husband was really out of it.

Arthur peeked a glance at Gwen. "Do you hate me?"

Gwen smiled. "Hate is a strong word."

"So no?" Arthur asked hopefully.

"Hate is a strong word, but so is love," Gwen said.

Arthur scratched his head. "Um…"

"You don't throw words like hate and love around, Arthur. They mean something. They are reserved for the best and worst people on the planet," Gwen lectured meaningfully.

Arthur bit his lip. "Still not following…"

Gwen sighed and tapped his nose. "No, I don't hate you Arthur."

"You love me?" Arthur asked hopefully, eyes lighting up.

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Of course I do!"

"Good."

Arthur winked at Gwen and Gwen sighed. She leaned over to Arthur and kissed him. "I think it's sort of sweet that you tried to put together this all last minute."

"Really?" Arthur asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I mean, you ordered Merlin to work so hard…" Gwen said sarcastically. She sat in thought for a moment before continuing, "Which reminds me…Merlin!"

Merlin appeared from behind a tree. "You called?"

"Merlin, I know Arthur forgot my birthday."

Merlin grinned. "I heard."

"And I just like to say thank you for making this wonderful picnic last second. It really is wonderful," Gwen complimented earnestly.

Merlin blushed. "Thanks Gwen."

Arthur turned wide eyed to his wife. "None of the credit goes to me?"

Gwen winked. "Nope."

Arthur rolled his eyes and fell on his back. "That's what I get…"

Gwen pulled Arthur up and kissed him passionately. Their lips stayed locked and Merlin looked away uncomfortably.

"Well, I'm just going to go now…" Merlin said uncomfortably as he averted his eyes. When no one acknowledged him, Merlin slowly backed away and hid a cold shiver. That was never going to get less awkward.

…..~…

Be on the lookout for a Merlin/Morgana one of these. It won't be like this…it'll just be the strong words: love-and-hate thing.