Hi it's me again; this is an attempt to show my own idea of 3.10 which was one of my favourite episodes. The first part of this chapter is mostly Arthur's point of view, but there's some dialogue also.
As usual, this was written mostly in one go, and it's pretty much completed. It's only about four chapters long, and I must say, I was pretty distracted by a weather system east of my island, but so far so good. We've only been experiencing moderate rainfall, but it is expected to get a bit worse later in the day. Anyway here goes…
I do not own Merlin or the characters
"Merlin! Merlin! Where in God's name could that idiot be," shouted Arthur Pendragon, Crown Prince of Camelot.
He was irritable, angry, bordering on cranky, and getting angrier with each passing minute that his bumbling manservant Merlin didn't show up. He'd hardly had
any sleep the night before, and it was beginning to take its toll, all because of her, Guinevere.
Arthur didn't know what to do anymore. He'd tried everything, but he just couldn't put her out of his mind, or his heart, for that matter.
I love you Guinevere.
He doesn't know what possessed him to tell her that, again, after she had uttered her favourite line so often.
You will find your real princess.
He doesn't know how or why it happens, but every time he finds himself remotely close to her, it seems as though he takes temporary leave of his senses. He
ran his hand through his already mussed up hair, and a heavy sigh escaped his lips.
For a short while his anger at his manservant was forgotten, and it was replaced by nostalgia, as his thoughts began to drift towards her, Guinevere.
He doesn't really know when it happened. He knows he felt the stirrings in Ealdor, when they had gone there to help vanquish the bandits that were raiding the village.
She had properly chastised him and made him look differently at life and its hardships.
His mind drifted to the time he spent hiding out at her humble home, and again he saw the real Guinevere and a glimpse of the true queen she would become,
if he gets his way, as she showed him up for the selfish, arrogant prat he was. They have come a long way since then, and he has grown, into a mature,
thoughtful man. He knows it is because of her that he has changed for the better, and he knows without a doubt, with her beside him, he can truly become the
man that she have seen inside of him.
Thinking back to that day when he had first told her that he loved her, he really believed that she had felt the same way, but just a few weeks later, she
expressively told him, I cannot be your queen.
That day, as he exited her home, it was done with great reluctance. He remembers wanting to grab her, and kiss her until they were both breathless, and then
tell her how wrong she was, but he didn't, and everyday since then, he has regretted it.
When his father, had decided to marry him off to the visiting princess from Gawant, Princess Elena, he wanted to kill him. He had lain in his bed that night and
thought about the many ways he could murder him. The only reason that he didn't try anything was because of her, Guinevere. He knew she would have been
greatly disappointed, and she would want nothing to do with him, except serve him and respect him as her ruler, if she were to find out what he was thinking,
so he decided against it.
He thought about the conversation the two of them had, just before he had decided what to do.
And if I do it, if I marry her, what would you do? He had asked, as his two beautiful blue eyes became misty.
He watched her as she steeled herself, by trying to put on a brave face, and she told him,
then I will watch you grow into the king that Camelot deserves, just as it should be.
After hearing her say that, it was all he could do to stop the tears from falling down his handsome face.
He remembers the anger and the hurt that had consumed him after they had parted, because those weren't the words he wanted to hear.
He wanted to hear I love you Arthur, even if there was a 'but' coming right after, because he didn't want to marry anyone but her, and she knew it, but as always, she puts everyone else's needs ahead of hers.
So he resolved, I'll show her what it feels like to hurt. I'm going to marry Princess Elena.
Turns out, he did in fact almost marry the Princess, but during the ceremony, he happened to look back for her, Guinevere, and when he saw her, his heart
cried out to her, and he knew he could never go through with it.
Consequences be damned. I love her, I love Guinevere.
Later he recalls the way she had flirted with him on the stairs, as he playfully told her, he was still a single man.
He walked heavily across his room, and stood against the window, looking out over the courtyard. A flash of lavender caught his attention, and he knew it was
her, Guinevere.
He watched as she made her way across the courtyard, greeting her fellow servants and bowing respectfully to the nobility.
She's so lovely. One day she will walk across that courtyard, and everyone will have to respect her, because she will be my queen, he thought.
He continued watching her as she came closer, and she eventually disappeared into the castle. His mind drifted to Merlin, and he began to get angry again. So
he decided to go and look for him. He left his chambers, and made his way down the corridor, and as he rounded the corner, he smacked head-on into someone.
His quick reflexes caused him to reach for the person, and he caught them just before they hit the ground.
Guinevere Leodegrance, or Gwen as she is familiarly known, awoke happier than usual.
She'd had a fairly good night's rest, because for the first time in a long time, she didn't have a dream, at least she can't remember dreaming.
Usually her dreams were consumed with the Crown Prince of Camelot, Arthur Pendragon, and she would have to spend all day trying to avoid him, as the dreams normally painted a very vivid picture.
Maybe it was tiredness, because she had left the castle very late the night before, after attending her mistress, Morganna, the King's ward.
She remembers the close friendship they once shared, but since Morganna went away for about a year, that friendship had all but disappeared.
She had sensed the change when she had first returned. Morganna had become cold and secretive, and she no longer looked out for her as she did before.
On more than one occasion she had actually caught her leaving the castle at strange hours in the night, and she could have sworn that she was somehow involved in magic.
The night before, she had kept Gwen standing and waiting around for a few hours, as she sat reading a book.
So, after running around during the day and standing up for so many hours, Gwen was dead on her feet.
She remembers literally falling into her humble bed and going to sleep almost instantly.
She made her way to the castle, hoping for a better day, and hoping to avoid a certain prince as much as she can.
She congratulated herself, for being able to avoid him for three whole days. Whenever she happened to see him, she would change course and go in another direction.
It hurt her to do these things, because she was deeply in love with him, but she knew that nothing could ever come of it, at least that is what she believed, but her heart still cried out for him, daily.
As she walked to the castle, she greeted some of her fellow servants, who worked there, and politely bowed to the few people of noble backgrounds, who were
actually up and about early. She entered the castle and decided to head to the kitchens to see if the cook was at work. She does this most days, because, if the
cook is there, she would not have to make breakfast for Morganna, the cook would.
So after seeing the cook and greeting her, she decided to head up to Morganna's chambers to see if she was awake.
Gwen couldn't believe what was happening. One minute she was walking, on her way towards Morganna's room, next she found herself, knocked clear off her
feet by something or someone.
She braced herself for the hard landing she knew was coming, but she instead found herself being grabbed and lifted by two large strong arms, as they pulled her into a solid wall of warm flesh.
She opened her eyes, and found two beautiful blue orbs staring down at her, marred by concern, but full of love, belonging to none other than the object of her desire.
"Are you okay Guinevere?" Arthur asked.
Gwen was lost, somewhere in those blue and gray pools, which were his eyes, she was lost. She felt them pulling her in, and she only caught herself slightly,
when she heard Arthur's concerned voice pleading to her.
"Guinevere, are you okay? Speak to me, please."
Gwen couldn't trust her voice to answer him, so she nodded yes instead.
Arthur looked around to see if they had somehow attracted an audience, but there was no one around, so breathing a sigh of relief, and satisfied they were on
their own, he gathered her into his arms, and headed to his chambers.
Once inside, he walked over to his bed and placed her gently on it. He went to his table where he normally took his meals, and poured a goblet full of water, to
give to her. He placed it gently to her lips, and with his other hand, he held the back of her head, and fed her the water.
After Gwen had drank her fill, everything seemed a bit clearer.
She took in her surroundings and immediately she became apprehensive.
She made an attempt to get off the bed, but Arthur placed his hand on her shoulder, stilling her movements.
"Relax Guinevere; you need to take a few minutes to catch yourself. Do you know what happened?" he finished by asking.
Gwen settled herself comfortably back onto the bed, and inclined her head slightly.
"Yes, I think so. I remember walking, and as soon as I came around the corner, I hit something…or someone. Instead of falling, I found myself being grabbed and lifted. Then someone held me, and when I looked up, it was you who I saw," she said softly.
Arthur smiled sheepishly then.
"Um, I was the one you ran into…or…maybe I ran into you, doesn't matter, the only thing that does matter is if you are alright.
Did I hurt you in anyway?" he asked worriedly.
Gwen could see the turmoil etched clear on his handsome features, and it tugged on her heart.
"I don't think so. I was a bit stunned at first, but that's about it." She said quietly.
"Good, but what about your arms, where I held you?" he asked.
She had almost forgotten about the pain in her arms. She lifted her sleeves, wincing a little, and showed them to him.
"They're just a little sore, a cool cloth and some balm from Gaius, and they'll be good as new," she said, trying to put him at ease.
Arthur felt sorry when he saw the red and purple looking bruises on Gwen's arms. His tight grip was the cause and they looked really painful.
"I'm so sorry Guinevere. I reacted quickly, I didn't want you to fall," he said apologetically.
Gwen was touched. In a flash, she was off the bed and standing in front of him.
She cupped his cheeks with her two hands, allowing her thumbs to caress his chiseled cheek-bones, as she told him,
"You have nothing to apologize for Arthur. We both didn't know the other was going to come around the corner, and especially at the same time.
The way I see it… you actually saved me from a worst fate, because if you hadn't grab me, I would have gone flying into the hard ground. So I believe I should say thank you. Thank you Arthur."
Arthur felt an immediate sense of relief, and he smiled sweetly at her.
"You are so kind Guinevere, and you always know what to say to me," he said honestly.
His eyes dropped to her lips, and he wet his in anticipation. Everything around them seemed to fade into the background, as he leaned down, and claimed her
lips, slowly and deeply.
His hands found her tiny waist, and he drew her to him, as hers found their way around his neck. This action caused Arthur to groan, and he lost himself in the kiss.
After a while, they parted breathless, and stood with their foreheads touching, as they caught their breaths.
Arthur nuzzled her nose with his, and she looked up into his blue eyes, as he looked deeply into her beautiful brown orbs.
He couldn't help but to tell her,
"I love you Guinevere, more than you can imagine. I want to be with you, so much…I know now is not the time…but in the meantime, I want us to spend as much time as we can together.
If I make it happen, I mean arrange a time and a place for us to be alone, will you come?" he finished by asking.
Gwen knew she couldn't say no to him. She wanted to, and she really should, but no matter how much she tried to resist him, she finds herself falling deeper
and deeper in love with him. She can never see herself with anyone else, because he has already laid claim to her heart, and her very soul can only be satisfied
by him and him alone. She looked at his handsome expectant, but yet worried face, and replied,
"Yes of course Arthur, I'd like that very much."
The whole room seemed to have been lit up by his sweet boyish smile, and Gwen couldn't help but to smile in return. He kissed her then, and said,
"Good. I'll arrange everything, and have Merlin tell you before-hand, so you'll have time to prepare okay?"
Gwen smiled at her love.
He looked so happy, and it gave her hope that maybe, just maybe things could work out for them.
So what do you think? I hope it was good enough.