Hi all, and welcome to my new story; My One and Only. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it, and don't forget to read and review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin. The only thing I own is the plot at the beginning of this story, any plot that you do not recognise at the end of this story and the OC's that you will be introduced to throughout this story.
Gwaine's POV
The word that had been sent from my mother had not been favourable. It hadn't done well for me at all. The blind fury that coursed through my veins at my mother's words made me do something that even shocked me. I stormed through the halls of the castle in Camelot, passing servants, nobles and knights of the like. I didn't even stop to acknowledge Leon and Elyan, my path completely clear in my mind. I could faintly hear them calling out from behind me and the patter of boots on the marble floor, but I didn't stop. I didn't even stop when I turned a corner and crashed into Percival.
The strong knight had become a good friend since the raid on the castle, and what was worse, was that he knew when something was wrong beyond compare. He knew me too well but still; I maneuvered around the knight and continued my trek. I could hear him asking Leon and Elyan what was wrong, but the chorusing sounds of confusion were strong in the hall.
When I had finally reached my destination, I pushed the doors open, the loud noise drawing all attention on me. Arthur was in the middle of a council meeting, his father had still been under the weather since Morgana, but that didn't stop me from approaching him, a fierce look on my face. I was angry, but not at the king. I was determined to be heard, and I knew that if he could help me, he would.
"Sire, permission to speak?" I asked, not wanting to be rude, but then again, that was my calling card. But now was not the time for such pleasantries. Not when I needed his help.
"Of course, Gwaine, you do not need my permission. Speak your mind," he replied, and I gave a courteous nod of my head.
"I'm afraid I must take a leave of absence for a few days. There was an attack on my home and my sister was taken," I said simply, scrunching my hands up into fists at my side. I could vaguely hear small gasps of shock. That was no surprise, most people didn't know I had a sister. But that was the point. I had spent most of my life away from my mother and Audrey to try and keep them protected, and I had failed in doing so, now that she wasn't safe. I knew in that moment though, that whoever had taken my little sister was going to pay for it with their life.
I watched as the surprise crossed over Arthur's face. At first, I thought it had been a trick of the light, as the expression was fleeting. The only emotion I saw after that was grim acceptance. His next words, however, defied any expectations I might have had of him.
"Merlin, have our horses ready, we leave at first light," Arthur said simply as he turned to his servant and friend. I looked on in shock and confusion. Was he really suggesting that they all ride out to my home together? That was a little too personal, even for me, but there was something nagging at me in the back of my head, something that told me to be grateful for the help, that there was a reason to having the most trusted knights there with me.
"Thank you, sire," I dipped my head and showed my respect for the Prince and turned to leave the room, however, I faltered in my step when I heard Arthur continue to speak.
"We'll find her Gwaine, I promise you that," he whispered and immediately I felt fear. I didn't know what state she was going to be in when I found her, but I was also worried that people were going to find out about my father, about my family. But then again, would it have been so bad? They were willing to go and help me find my little sister, shouldn't that have been enough?
II
The next morning, the castle was bustling with movement. I was anxious to get going, to see just how much damage had been done, and to see if my sister was still alive. I wouldn't know what to do without her, and the mere fact that she was in danger when I was supposed to be protecting her? Well, it just didn't sit well with me.
The horses were already tacked up and ready to go, waiting in the main courtyard just in front of the castle steps. I walked right up to my horse, checked the girth and mounted up. I was about to take off when I noticed none of the other knights had mounted their horses. I waited impatiently for them to do so, which then made the magnificent animal underneath me prance in annoyance, frustration and anticipation for what was going to come.
When all the knights had mounted their horses, we all looked towards Arthur to start the ride. He, in turn, looked towards me. I wasn't really all that surprised, the ants in my pants would have made it obvious that I was raring to go, however, my gratitude was all-encompassing, as I understood his intentions even before he spoke them.
"No, not today. This is Gwaine's mission. Lead on," he said simply and waved his hand in the direction of the lower town. All I could do was nod and I turned my horse around. I urged him on, and before I knew it, we were on my way to my home.
II
Darkness had approached quickly this day and I was frantic that we had not yet reached home. But there wasn't anything that I could have done about it. The worry I felt for my sister was coursing heavily through my veins and every little movement someone made had me on the edge of my seat. The knights were sharing worried looks with each other, they had never seen me like this before. But then again, they didn't even know that I had a sister, let alone cared for her as much as I did. But I swore that when I found her, those bandits would pay for what they had done.
A sudden crack of a twig made me jump in my seat and whirl around to face the outer ring of the clearing that we were in. I grabbed my sword, as did the other knights and we crept forward. A sudden flash of silver caught my eye and I jumped at the chance.
"There!" I called out and the person that had been spying on us had shot forward, racing through the trees. The clothes he wore were tattered and in desperate need of mending, which instantly made me think that he was one of the bandits that had taken my sweet sister. With that thought in mind, I ran faster, pushed myself harder to keep up with the suspected bandit. I could hear the clunking of armour that was coming from behind me, a tell-tale sign that my fellow knights were hot on my heels.
It felt like we had been running for ages, but finally, after so much time, the bandit burst forward into a camp, with all of us bursting in right after him. The bandits that occupied the camp were all relaxing around the fire, but when they saw us, their swords were in their hands and they were on us within a few seconds. My eyes scanned the clearing as I tried to figure out which one I wanted to go to first, when my eyes fell upon her.
My beautiful, sweet sister, Audrey. She looked a right sight. Her head was hung low, her hands bound above her head, the rest of her body tied to the trunk of the tree. Her hair looked greasy and mattered; her dress ripped to shreds. A new-found anger ripped through me in that moment and with a cry of outrage, I shot towards the bandits, making it my mission to kill every one of them for what they had done to my beloved sister.
II
Percival's POV
I had to admire Gwaine's persistence. When I had first seen him late yesterday afternoon, he looked positively furious. I had never seen him look so mad, never so… Determined. There was much that the knights didn't know about Gwaine. There was much that nobody knew about any of us, but the fact that he was going to such lengths for someone he had called an evil toad, well, it was a little confusing to say the least, but it was also honourable. Something of which Gwaine has proven to be time and time again. I had truly been amazed with the love and worry that Gwaine was holding for his sister, so there was without a doubt that I was going to follow him to help save her. I would do anything for my fellow knights, and I would do even more for my King. But they were more than just colleagues, or people that served with the same intentions. They were my friends, more importantly, my family. Nothing was going to make me stop being there for them.
So, when Gwaine shot forward at the sight of an armed man at the edge of our clearing, it was only normal reaction to take off after him. I had drawn my sword along with the rest of the knights and I was surprised at how well Gwaine was keeping up with the man. When we burst into a clearing, we were immediately swarmed with what I could only assume was bandits and the furious battle cry that left Gwaine could have shaken even the most confident of knights. Which could have only meant one thing. These were the bandits that had taken his sister.
I looked around the clearing, trying to find the woman that we were there to rescue. A bandit ran towards me, halting my search. I ducked the mace that he swung towards my head and pulled my sword up, slashing over his stomach. I sighed a sigh of relief when he fell to the ground, unmoving and I continued my hunt for the girl.
Protection was key here. I would find her and protect her, because she was important to Gwaine. I would not let his sister get hurt, not when I could do something about it. I spun around in circles but faltered in my step when I saw a young girl, bound to the tree with ropes. Her hands were above her head and her black hair was hanging down around her face. I now understood why Gwaine was so angry. If that had been my sister, I would have fought to the tooth and nail to help her.
I moved towards her, taking down bandits as they raced towards me, a newfound reason to fight boiling n my blood. I skidded to a stop next to the girl, which must have startled her beyond belief, because she started thrashing and struggling against the ropes that bound her. A thick, crimson liquid ran down her arms and with a horrifying understanding, I realised that it was blood. The girl had been tied so tight, that the bounds were cutting into her fair skin. How cruel.
Even with her thrashing and struggling next to me, I made quick work of the ties that bound her. When she realised that she was free, she shot forward, going to run.
"Please milady, you need to calm yourself. I'm a knight of Camelot," my arms slipped around her waist as I said those words and I realised just how tiny and frail she was compared to most other women. Not that I would know personally, it was merely an observation to say the least. It was then in that moment that I saw Arthur take down the last bandit and I sighed in relief. I turned my attention back to Gwaine's sister when I noticed the piece of cloth in her mouth, stopping her from saying anything. I made short work of that bound and the ear shattering scream that was heard afterwards made me flinch and I hastily clasped both hands over my ears.
I watched with slight hesitation and awe as the girl rounded and proceeded to throw a punch in my direction. What was even worse, and even more humiliating was that the blow landed. A small gush of air left my lungs as I felt the impact in my stomach and I don't know what it was about that one moment, but I truly felt as if this girl had more fire than I had anticipated. I was, almost, impressed.
The girl took the opportunity I had given her with my shock to get as far away from me as she could, and I don't know what it was that made me want to go after her, but I moved forwards to stop her from getting further away from me. But she was quick, small and agile, too.
"Audrey!" Gwaine called out and the girl, Audrey, halted in her step. The look of pure horror and confusion on her face somehow made me react, to reach for her, to comfort her. I was unsure what this feeling was, so I wrote it off purely as the need to protect those around me, a knight's duty. A sob ripped through her throat as she looked at the person that had spoken her name. Her family, her brother.
"Gwaine?" She asked, her voice raspy and cracking in some places. The bandits had probably treated her so terribly, they probably haven't given her any food or water since she was taken. It truly was a heartbreaking sight. Audrey raced over to her brother and threw her arms around his neck, sobbing into his shoulder. I felt bad for watching the moment, I really did. It felt like I was intruding on their moment, so I turned around to give them their space. It was lucky I turned around when I did though, because a bandit, who was left to die on the ground, had a crossbow in his hands. It took only a split second to react. I knew who the arrow was aimed for, the person that the bandits had died trying to keep hidden for their own spoils.
I reacted quicker than I had ever reacted in my life and jumped in front of Gwaine and his sister. The unmistakable pain of metal piercing skin and embedding into the body rushed up my arm and a groan of pain left me. I clasped the injured area with my spare hand and staggered heavily from the impact.
"Percival!" I heard someone cry out my name, I couldn't distinguish if it was Gwaine or Leon. The bandit sneered with success before his head dropped lifelessly to the ground. The pain was intolerable, but I've had worse.
"I'm fine," I managed to breathe out, even though the pain was almost unbearable. The blood dripped down my arms and I knew that this arrow had to come out now or I wouldn't be any help to the knights, ever again.
The knights weren't swayed by my persistence, but they let the subject drop. Then, it was almost as if everyone realised that the girl was standing there next to Gwaine. Sure, she was huddled into his side and hiding her face, but she was there.
"Boys meet my sister, Audrey. Audrey meet Leon, Elyan, Lancelot, Merlin, Arthur and of course, Percival," he introduced us to her and her to us and when I felt her eyes on me, I bowed my head slightly, a sign of respect. She still looked incredibly wary about all of us and to say I didn't blame her would be an understatement. She had been kidnapped and malnourished since her kidnapping, there was absolutely no reason as to why she wouldn't feel safe.
I looked up then and noticed just how dark the sky had gotten. The woods were always quiet and scary at this time and this wasn't what Audrey needed right now.
"We better get back to camp, we've a long ride ahead of us tomorrow and Percival, you need to get your arm sorted," Arthur spoke up and echoed my thoughts about returning to our camp. I gritted my teeth to try and forget about the pain, but it was proving a lot harder than I thought. The walk back to camp had been a silent one, but that was alright. Gwaine's arm was wrapped tightly and protectively around Audrey's shoulders as she refused to even glance in anyone else's direction. Or at least, I didn't think she did.
I thought that I had felt her eyes upon me at one point during our walk back to camp, but when I glanced up to look at her, her eyes were focused solely ahead. I didn't read too much into it, as I was a little preoccupied with the arrow that was sticking out of my arm. It tended to draw more than a little attention.
When we finally got back to camp, I immediately collapsed next to a log that had been placed around the fire that was slowly dwindling. The red, flickering flames had burned through all the wood that we had on it before we left, so it was no surprise that there was no heat. Merlin quickly added more wood to the waning fire and tended to it for a few minutes. I watched with bored fascination as the flames grew and danced around me. It wasn't until Leon started his patrol guarding the area that everyone seemed to feel the effects of the day that had passed.
I was almost about to call Merlin over when I heard a small voice. I looked towards it and saw Audrey standing before me. Confusion swirled inside me; why hadn't she stuck near her brother, like she had the entire time since we'd rescued her? I couldn't deny a certain wariness that crept up on me at the surprise company, but I couldn't say that I was complaining.
"Milady," I greeted, my head dipped low out of courtesy. She was of upmost beauty; I would not deny that. But she was Gwaine's sister, which automatically put her with the rest of the forbidden apples that we weren't allowed to touch. I was shocked when she moved closer and I honestly didn't know what to say, or even what to do. So, I just watched her.
"May I?" She asked, as she pointed towards the arrow the protruded from deep within my skin. I glanced between her and the arrow. At first, I was extremely hesitant. I didn't know if this was something a woman should be doing, but by the look on her face, I didn't really see the harm.
"It would be an honour, milady," I replied as she moved closer towards me. I kept deathly still, afraid that one single movement would chase her away. That was the last thing that I wanted to do. Scare her, I mean. I watched her with thoughtful eyes as she came around me, moving to my right side. She knelt slowly, not moving fast, and settled down beside me. She seemed nervous, which was completely understandable, and I wondered if there was anything, I could do to get her to relax and trust me.
An uncertainty, the likes of which I had never experienced, being a man of the plains, and now of the sword, washed over me like the effects of magic. I wasn't sure of much, but in that moment, all I wanted was to ensure her comfort. To take away the nervousness she seemed to feel around me, no matter that I had no actual idea how to accomplish such a feat.
Without conscious decision, the conviction tumbled from my lips. "I'm not going to hurt you Lady Audrey, I can promise you that," I whispered as I looked at her, nothing but seriousness etched into my features. I didn't want to hurt her in the slightest, and I didn't want to scare her like I did with so many others. I noticed the small flash of doubt that crossed over her hazel eyes and I sighed slightly. If I was going to get her to trust me, then it was going to be harder than I thought. A lot harder.
"That was a very foolish thing you did back there Sir Percival. But I thank you for what you did. Both freeing me and taking that arrow," she voiced, as her hands came up to my arm. I almost shivered when I felt the tips of her fingers on my skin, her touch almost like the caress of a feather. I could feel her face close to my arm and I could feel the way she tenderly poked at the edges of the wound. It was sore, and the arrow was starting to become a pain in my rear end, but her simply touches were doing everything for me in that one moment.
Merlin came over only a few minutes after she had sat down and placed a small pouch next to her. "Healing supplies. Needle, thread and whatnot," he smiled gently, his presence seeming to calm Audrey slightly. I grinned and nodded my thanks as he walked away and turned my attention back to Audrey, only for my eyes to widen in alarm.
"What are you doing?!" I asked, a little worried about the dagger she held in her hands.
"I'm removing the arrow?" She stated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. She moved closer to the fire and held the blade over the flames. The light that flickered over the metal was fascinating and I would have said calming if I wasn't wary of what she was going to do with that dagger. "This might hurt," she whispered as she, without warning, might I add, dug the blade of the dagger into my arm.
I cried out, but quickly bit down on my lip to stop myself from embarrassing myself any further tonight. I scrunched my eyes up tight and dug my nails into the palm of my hand, an effort to alleviate some of the pain. But that wasn't what caused me to relax. It had been her. Audrey had started humming a calming tune and the melody was positively beautiful. It was oddly relaxing, and I had to wonder where she learned such a hauntingly sweet tune.
That's when the pain had come. I had been so focused on the melody; I hadn't even noticed that she had grasped the neck of the arrow. But I did notice when she pulled it out. The cries of pain could be heard throughout the hearing and the sympathetic looks that the knight's sent my way was drastically ignored.
"You could have given me a little bit of warning," I whispered, my breath ragged, a futile attempt in controlling my breathing.
"I could have. But would that have made the removal any less painful?" She asked, albeit a knowing look on her face. I hated to admit it, but she did have a point. I stayed silent, not really knowing what else I could say.
A twig snapped in that moment and personally, I had never seen someone move so fast. Audrey scrambled away from the sound as fast as she could, and I hissed out when she came a little too close to the fire for my liking. That could have been dangerous.
"Audrey, it's me! It's Gwaine!" Gwaine's voice filled the clearing around us, and the sobs that racked Audrey's body as she just crumbled made something twitch in my chest. I wanted to reach out and hold her, comfort her until her cries receded. But I couldn't do that. For more reasons than one. I caught Gwaine's eye and the sadness that danced in his chocolate eyes made me feel guilty for not doing more to help. Not like I could.
"I have to go on guard duty. Are you going to be alright here?" He asked, his voice quiet. I knew that Gwaine was worried about his sister, if I was in his place, I would have been worried just as much as he was.
"I will look out for her, Gwaine," I spoke up, my voice soft so as I didn't disrupt the mood between the two. It would forever amaze me the bond that a brother would have with a sister. I had only ever grown up with brothers, so I didn't have that opportunity, but still, it would have been nice to experience that bond. Gwaine seemed a little hesitant to leave his sister here with me, but I didn't read too much into it. She had been taken once before, he had only just gotten her back, I highly doubted that he would want to leave her again so soon. But unfortunately, patrols took priority amongst us.
"Hurt her and I'll kill you Percival. You know that, right?" He asked, his tone far from humorous. I nodded though, nothing but seriousness etched into my rugged features and I sat completely still as Gwaine led his sister over to me. I didn't want to move in case I frightened her again, but when Gwaine sat her down next to me, she flinched away, almost as if I had raised my hand to strike her down.
"You're safe with me Audrey, I promise you that," I whispered, hoping that she heard me. There were many things that people seemed to just assume about me, but behind that tough exterior, there was a person just like anyone else. They just had to dig deep enough to see it.
She seemed almost hesitant to sit anywhere near the edge of the forest and inched closer to the fire. I watched on, a look of worry undoubtedly on my face. I saw her eyes flickering over the wound in my arm and I shook my head gently.
"It doesn't hurt. You don't have to finish it if you don't want to," I voiced, but I must have said something wrong in that sentence, for she was beside me in an instant, a bandage in her hands. I hadn't even known anyone that could move that fast, well, apart from Gwaine in the tavern, but that was beside the point.
Audrey didn't even say a word as she continued to bandage my arm. It made me feel a little sad, but I understood where she was coming from. She had been kidnapped by a group of men and now rescued by another group of men. Although the latter included Gwaine, she was still surrounded by people she didn't know.
I winced slightly when she tied the bandage and she looked at me almost as if to say; "I thought you said it didn't hurt". I knew in that moment; I was done for. There was no way that I was going to be able to lie to her. Her sparkling, hazel eyes were warm and inviting, but they also held a fire that I had never seen before.
It was then that I noticed just how ripped and mattered her dress was. The bandits had clearly pulled at the fabric, leaving Audrey indecent and exposed, something of which a lady should never be. With one arm, incapacitated, I shrugged off my cape and moved to wrap it around her. She flinched, and I instantly felt bad for my quick movements.
So, instead of wrapping it around her myself, I held it out for her to take. "Please, wrap this around you milady. You must be cold, and your dress is in ruins," I whispered, dropping my gaze to my left shoulder, away from her. I didn't want her to think that I was taking advantage of her situation and her current state of dress, so I did the noble and honourable thing. I looked away.
I felt the cloth moving in my hand and the weight of the cloth was decreasing quickly. Which could only mean one thing, she was taking what I was offering. That was progress in one way or another, I supposed. When I no longer felt the material in my hand, I looked up, to see her nestled in the cape. It was wrapped tight around her body, shielding her from the elements and prying eyes.
She didn't say anything, and she didn't have to, because for some strange reason, I knew she was thankful for it.
"Thank you," she whispered, and I noticed how she drew the bright red cloth tighter around her shoulders.
"Are you cold?" I asked, only now realising that she could be. It would explain why she was holding the cape so close to her skin and why she had chosen to sit so close to the fire. I'm an idiot for not noticing it sooner. She shook her head and I became silent after that; not entirely sure what else I could possibly say. The silence must have been what she wanted, because not long after we stopped talking, she crawled over to a small space near me and settled down, curling up into a small ball.
All I could do was watch and wonder what she was doing, but it became clear when her eyes closed. I didn't think that she would have been sleeping any time soon, especially considering what had just happened to her.
I settled back against the trunk of the tree behind me and watched as she slipped off into a peaceful sleep. I couldn't sleep, not when I had promised Gwaine that I would look out for his sister. My eyes were fascinated with the red embers that flew up from the flames and up into the dark, night sky. It was taking all my willpower not to fall asleep, but it seemed that my willpower must have been weak, because before I knew it, I was dozing off against the trunk of the tree. But then, movement next to me made me jolt awake from my slight slumber. I looked down at Audrey, to see her trashing around on the ground, a fearful look on her face. A nightmare. Something inside of me made me reach for her and I put a gentle hand on her shoulder, an effort to calm her, make her comfortable. Alas, that was not the case. She bolted upright in fear; her eyes wide as she scanned her surroundings.
"Audrey, you're alright," I whispered, my voice low and soft. She launched into my arms at that moment, her arms around my neck in a tight grasp as sobs racked her body. I was shocked for a moment before I came back to my senses. I wrapped my strong arms around her frail body, the blanket that was around my shoulders was now wrapped tightly around us both. I rocked her gently as I whispered gentle words into her ear, hushing her after her nightmares. It felt like forever, but in only a few minutes, she had succumbed back into her slumber, and that was all I needed to fall into a peaceful sleep.