DESPERATE
Summary: Arthur and Guinevere host their first meeting of five kingdoms. Things take an unforeseen turn and the outcome leaves everyone in a desperate situations.
A/N: This story is being posted by chapter, however the entire story has already been written. This gives me the chance to get it posted while I continue edit the later pieces. So don't worry, the story won't be abandoned mid-stream.
I hope you enjoy it. And please, please review – I'd love to hear from you.
Disclaimer: Why bother? You and I both know I don't own it.
CHAPTER I – Desperation of a King
Queen Guinevere stood in the grand hall and looked around. Everything was in place, the banners, the flowers, the food, and the table settings. They had prepared for weeks for this momentous event. It was another meeting of five kings in Camelot and the first hosted by King Arthur.
She was a bit nervous, she had met two of the Kings previously, one when she was a handmaiden and the other after she became Queen. The other two were completely unfamiliar to her. But she would not share her nervousness with Arthur; she could only imagine what he was feeling. And she was determined to make this as easy for him as possible. Arthur had been through such a meeting before, but it's very different when all the responsibilities fall on your shoulders.
Arthur's load was made a bit lighter by the fact that he consulted with his father at length about the Kings, and what each was like. It took hours to get his father focused enough to answer him. But when he did, he was a treasure of information.
A young servant girl was walking through the hall, and she was so busy admiring Guinevere's dress that she didn't notice the other servant who was carrying a box so tall that he could barely see over it. The two of them collided sending the pitcher of wine she was carrying flying into the air. It was all over the floor, all over the tables and made a grand design on Queen Guinevere's new lavender gown.
The teenager immediately burst into the tears. Guinevere was disappointed, but she could not be mad at the girl. She herself had still been just a serving girl barely more than a year ago. She knew the girl did not do this on purpose, but servants weren't allowed to make mistakes. In some ways she was still settling into her role as Queen. Some of the nobles were still resentful of her presence, but most had come around very quickly after she showed herself to be more than capable. But she vowed never to forget who she was, never to treat servants the way others had treated her in the past.
"Don't worry Hanna, it's Ok. We'll get this cleaned up."
"But your dress your highness."
"I have others" she said as she smiled to try and reassure her.
"I don't think that will be necessary" came Merlin's smug voice from the doorway.
"Oh really?" said the Queen. "Think you can fix this?" she said with a friendly challenge in her voice.
"Child's play." Merlin spoke and motioned his hands, and one by one everything righted itself. The wine droplets pulling themselves off of the floor, out of the table cloths and out of the Queen's dress and back into the empty pitcher. "I would toss that out" he said to Hanna.
The girl was beaming "Thank you so much Merlin" then she turned to Guinevere and bowed before making her exit.
"Show off" said Guinevere with a smile.
"I'm just making up for lost time. Arthur asked me to get you. King Olaf has just arrived."
Guinevere walked to the front steps of the castle to stand by Arthur's side. She considered her friend as she walked, who would have believed Merlin had kept such a secret for so many years. But now that Arthur was King, good magic was welcome and Merlin not only didn't have to hide, but was a member of the royal court – court sorcerer. He still acted like Arthur's manservant at times, but it was because he wanted to help his friend.
Olaf and Arthur were shaking hands when Guinevere walked up. "Queen Guinevere, you are looking well."
"How nice of you to notice" she said in a teasing tone. Olaf had proven to be one of Arthur's closet allies, in spite of the Lady Vivian incident.
The next three kings arrived almost back to back. The initial greetings went well, Arthur was beaming with pride. The talks were expected to go well, everyone arrived without incident, the palace looked good and most importantly Guinevere was by his side. He wondered if she really understood how much her presence calmed him, even in this most unsettling of occasions.
Before dinner, Guinevere had arranged for a social hour where the kings could converse freely with each other and the nobility of Camelot. Even though Guinevere briefly met each of the kings in the courtyard, this was her opportunity to speak with them at length. It was an uneventful time as she chatted with each. Kings tended to only want to boast about themselves which made the conversation easy.
The last king she hadn't socialized with yet was King Melwas. He was tall like Sir Leon and handsome by the average woman's standards. Guinevere admired his beautiful raven lochs that fell down to his shoulders. He had a large patch of gray on his temples and a gray streak in his beard. With his large green eyes and pale skin, Guinevere found his appearance striking. He saw her approach and he looked at her somberly. Guinevere could see a melancholy in his eyes, perhaps even sadness. She gave him a sympathetic smile and the two of them began to chat.
Eventually she learned that Melwas recently lost his only child, a twelve year old son. The death still weighed deeply in his soul and on his face. What's worse is that his wife died in child birth, he had no one to truly grieve with. Guinevere looked him in the eye and gave her sincerest condolences. Then they continued on to speak of other subjects.
The conversation lasted longer than Guinevere intended. She was enjoying the conversation, and was glad to see Melwas' spirits improved, but she wanted to continue circulating through the room, lest the nobles accuse her of snubbing them. Each time she tried to break contact he would continue to speak. It was Arthur who picked up on Guinevere's subtle body language and knew she wanted to move on from Melwas. Arthur strode over casually and was able to sweep Guinevere away without much fanfare.
Melwas took a deep breath. His interactions with Queen Guinevere left him feeling soothed. She was like a breath of fresh air. Olaf came over and the two of them began to chat. Olaf wanted to speak about the conference and their positions on the issues. However Melwas wanted to speak about Guinevere.
"The Queen is quite a woman and beautiful too. I've never met a noblewoman like her; she's so warm and approachable."
Olaf looked at Melwas conspiratorially and leaned in "That's because she was a servant, handmaiden to Uther's ward Morgana."
"Impossible. She is a woman of breeding; a peasant would not have such fine bone structure, such bearing and such a soothing voice."
"You can ask her, or Arthur for that matter. They are very open and unashamed about her less than humble beginnings."
"The handmaidens in my kingdom don't look like that."
"Mine either."
"But if I could find a woman such as her I would have married her as well, servant or not."
"Perhaps" mused Olaf.
As they moved into the main dining hall for the preliminary feast anyone who would have cared to observe would have seen that Melwas kept his eyes on Guinevere most of the night.
The next two days passed quickly for Arthur. He thought that the fact that Cenred had died, would make things easier. Unfortunately it made things more complicated. The status of his lands were still in question since he did not have an established heir. His kingdom was in turmoil as relatives, nobles and others vied to take Cenred's place as king.
The kings in the meeting argued all day about the same. Some wanted to claim the land for their own, others thought it should be broken into equal parts, still another thought they should mediate for a new leader and keep the land sovereign; but they broke bread together in peace each night at dinner. It was during these times that Guinevere began to feel uncomfortable in Melwas' presence.
At first it was at dinner when she felt that Melwas was staring at her. He wasn't necessarily looking directly at her, but she felt him tracking her out of the corner of his eye. Whenever possible, at any break where there was an opportunity to mingle she found he was right beside her. He didn't necessarily try to talk to her; it was as if he just wanted to be near her.
Guinevere wasn't sure if she should be flattered or offended. But either way, she would not involve Arthur. This was not a time for her to be weak, but to be the strong Queen that he deserved. If she could not handle some foreign dignitary who liked to stare at her on her own, then what use would she be to him.
Arthur might have noticed if it wasn't for the intensity of the negotiations. He found himself trying to reason with at least one of the other kings during these breaks. The only one who gave him no trouble was Melwas, Arthur figured it was probably because his kingdom was the farthest, and there was no practical way of him claiming Cenred's land unless he spread his forces so thin that he would lose everything. It was known among them all that Melwas had the weakest military of the group.
The talks were scheduled to end tomorrow, unless they could not reach an agreement. Arthur wasn't hopeful, and then victory at last. They found an agreement that all parties could agree upon. They would have a grand dinner, not quite a feast and tomorrow all would leave for their respective kingdoms. Melwas claimed he was ill and did not stay for dinner. Guinevere was silently glad that she could enjoy Arthur's triumphant moment in peace, and even more glad that Melwas would be gone tomorrow. He hadn't done anything to her, but she felt so self-conscious with someone watching her actions so closely.
Melwas was becoming obsessed. He thought about throwing the talks off so he could stay a few more days, but since he had such a small role in what happened to Cenred's land, no one would have taken him seriously. He had only one night left in Camelot and he deiced to make it count. He was able to find Arthur's chambers through a clueless serving boy. And as was his good fortune, the door was unlocked. He stepped in, and looked about the room. He went to the cupboard and opened it and saw several fine dresses. He reached in and pulled the fabric of one and began to inhale it deeply. He could tell it had been laundered, but something of Guinevere remained.
He closed it back just right and moved to the bed. There were so many dress pillows over the sleeping pillows; he would have to move them all to get to her sleeping pillow. He knew he wouldn't be able to put it back exactly as it was. Her hair brush was on the table. There were a few strands of those beautiful curls. He carefully pulled them out of the brush, a keepsake for when he finally left her. Lastly he spotted a dresser and opened it up. He saw her delicate undergarments. He picked one up and inhaled. Also freshly laundered, but knowing where they had been was sufficient. He carefully folded them and put them back.
Melwas didn't know how long they would remain at the dinner. He had been there for some time, and decided he would leave before he was discovered. He heard footsteps coming up the hall. He didn't know if they would come in here or not, but he didn't take any chances. Melwas ducked behind a large heavy curtain. There was a slight opening along the seam, barely noticeable and when he positioned himself correctly he could see through it.
He heard the door open and in came the King and Queen. They were followed by three servants; two who helped Guinevere out of her dress and took down her hair, the other one took care of putting away Arthur's clothes. After the royal couple was in their basic garments all the servants were shooed away.
The sight of Guinevere with her hair down and without all the trappings of being a Queen was breathtaking. She smiled at Arthur and moved towards him in the most suggestive of ways, playing with her mounds of curly hair, and sashaying her hips. He saw a level of sensuality he did not know she possessed.
Arthur grabbed her and threw her on the bed and they laughed together, and then loved together. Articles of clothing flew off of them and onto the floor and edges of the bed. Melwas swallowed deeply. Guinevere's body was glorious. She was shapely and yet toned, unlike the noble women who had never done enough work to tone their bodies.
Melwas watched and was amazed at the passion that they shared. He only knew of love through an arranged marriage. Sexual relations as such was only as a fraction of what he was seeing now. They moved together and moaned together with such enthusiasm. The sounds that Guinevere made as she approached climax spoke to Melwas' soul like a Siren song. It was a call to him, a call to fulfillment for his soul and to ecstasy. He found himself moved in a way he never had been before.
Part of him wanted to grab his dagger and run to the bed. He would plunge it into Arthur's heart and then take Guinevere on their bed. But one thing stopped him, if he did this, she would not sing for him. He dropped the strands of her hair to the floor, his little keepsake no longer sufficient. He would have more than a few strands of her hair, he would have her. And he would run his hands through her lochs while they made love and he imagined the joy there would be when she would utter those sounds of climax for him. Yes, she would sing for him!
The couple finally ceased their activities and they laid in bed whispering to each other for another hour. Eventually they settled down together in sleep. Melwas in his patience stood there in silence for another three hours, ensuring that the couple was in deep sleep. He spent his time wisely as he stood there, formulating his plans. He then snuck out of their room.
The next day at their parting Guinevere and Arthur stood side by side on the top of the steps leading to the courtyard. To each King they gave their good-byes and their warm wishes for a peaceful and safe journey home. When it was Melwas' turn he shook hands with Arthur and then turned his attentions to Guinevere.
"It has been a pleasure having you King Melwas" lied Guinevere.
As she was about to turn away he took her hand and kissed it.
"The pleasure has been all mine. Until I see you again… soon I hope."
Normally when a person kissed her hand, their eyes bowed, but not with Melwas. He stared into her eyes the entire time with an intensity that made her feel uncomfortable. It was like he was trying to communicate something to her, but she had a feeling it wouldn't be anything she wanted to hear. As he moved away she looked at Arthur, but he had not seen Melwas' odd behavior. He was still speaking with King Browin.
ooOOoOOoo
Two months later, the great meeting of the kings was a distant memory. For Arthur and Guinevere it was down to business and usual. Which for Guinevere meant balancing dealing with the noblewomen of the kingdom, ensuring things in the castle ran smoothly and trying to keep a reign on Arthur and Merlin. The two of them may now have higher titles and positions, but they were still prone to go off on adventures or other pursuits. She didn't mind as much when she was included, but at times it was declared too dangerous for her - she put up objections.
Although the plan as laid out by the five kings was in progress, at the present moment there had been some suspicious activity in the kingdom formerly ruled by Cenred. One report said that Morgana and Morgause were trying to assume control of the kingdom together; another report stated that King Alined who declined to be part of the meeting of the kings was trying to take the territory. There was no way to know for sure, but since it was right on Camelot's western border they had to check it out.
From the time he left Camelot months ago Melwas spent his time setting up everything in his kingdom. When he felt he was prepared he took his 20 best men and camped in the woods near the Camelot border. He sent two men into Camelot as spies. They pretended to be travelers, but what they did was watch the city, watch the gates, watch the patterns and the movements of the guards, and of the royal couple.
They discovered that the Queen was extremely open to all of Camelot. It was not uncommon to see her walk about the streets and speak to anyone and everyone. The only issue was that she was often accompanied by a servant and flanked by two guards at all times. They noted from spying on her through a window that as she walked through the castle, she often did so alone. This was the place of weakness; this would be where they would strike.
The two spies observed the king and one other mounting horses and they appeared to be carrying supplies. He kissed the Queen on the stairs of the main courtyard and from the length of time they lingered with each other the spies surmised that the king would be gone for a length of time. How long, they were not sure. They immediately made haste to tell Melwas. After the spies made their report it was decided they would come for the Queen that night.
The plan was simple. They would wait until the middle of the night, and go in with a small group of seven men. The first step was to knock out the four guards at the front gate and take their uniforms. They would leave two men at the front gate and another two would head into the castle. They had a simple horse drawn cart that they would wheel into the square containing the last three men in plain clothes. The two fake guards would enter the castle, subdue the Queen and sneak her out in a cloak. They would lay her in the back of the cart and return to meet Melwas. The four would ditch the uniforms and change back into their regular clothing. Everyone would meet at the camp. Their orders were not to kill anyone if it could be avoided.
The plan worked perfectly at first. The front gate guards were bound and in their underwear hidden a few feet from the entrance before they knew what hit them. The first of them didn't wake up until Melwas' party was long gone. At the next part of the plan they ran into a bit of trouble. The two fake castle guards came across one of the captains, who would not leave them alone because of an errand he wanted done. Unfortunately they had to use physical violence to subdue him and he was injured, but Melwas' men planned to use it to their advantage.
When they entered her room Guinevere was fast asleep. She never knew what was happening to her. One of his men put a cloth with a sleeping compound to her face. Her eyes flickered open for a moment, but then she fell back into an even deeper sleep that would last for several hours.
They took the injured guard and placed him in the bed, covering him over. One concern was that his form was so much bigger than the Queen's, but there was nothing they could do about this. They wrapped the tiny woman in the cloak and carried her out placing her in the back of the cart. Within two hours everyone was at the camp and Melwas had his prize. He pulled back the hood of the cloak to reveal her face, he lovingly stroked her cheek. She was his at last.
Now that they had her, the issue was being able to keep her. He took a knife and cut away about a foot of cloth off of the bottom of her night dress. He cut it into five sections and gave five teams of two, a piece of the fabric. They were sent into five different directions, none of them the correct one. They would set false trails before they made a meandered journey back to his kingdom. Melwas knew his camp would be discovered. He decided to leave a note staked to the ground.
'Arthur - Do not look for her, she has been claimed. Find yourself another Queen.'
With that Melwas smiled. He finally had her. She who would bring healing to his soul and sing for him in pleasure. She would also bear him a new heir, hopefully several new heirs. His life would be complete again.
He and the balance of his men make a beeline straight for his kingdom. The sooner he got her there, the sooner he could begin to put her on the path to becoming his loving Queen.
Guinevere woke in the back of the cart. She was dazed and disoriented. Her head hurt. She opened her eyes and saw the sky. Last thing she remembered was going to sleep in her chambers. She felt herself moving, in some sort of transportation. Before she could put the pieces together she heard someone call out
"She's awake."
'Good' Guinevere thought, 'finally some answers'. She saw a man stand over her with a cloth; she could see he intended to put to her face. She tried to defend herself, but she was bound. This second dose would knock her out until they reached Melwas' kingdom.
The next time Guinevere awoke she was in bed again. Her head still hurt and she felt confused, but she was in a bed, where she expected to be. The whole thing about being outside must have been a dream. She snuggled into the bed hoping the pain in her head would subside soon. When she finally ventured to open her eyes she was met with shock. This was not her room. She sat up abruptly causing a sharp pain to course through her temples. She groaned in spite of herself.
With that first noise the door opened. It was a fairly young, but matronly woman with a kind face and a big smile.
"Good morning my Queen. I have a remedy here for your headache."
Guinevere was in so much pain she took the small vial from the woman and drank it. Within moments her headache subsided. "Who are you?"
"I am Malina your highness. I am your handmaiden. Can I get you anything else?"
"Where am I?"
"I'm sorry your highness, but that is not for me to explain. Now that you are awake my master is on his way here to greet you. Is there anything you need? Some water perhaps?"
"Yes, water would be appreciated. Thank you."
Malina brought the cup to Guinevere who drank it down quickly.
"Do you have some sort of robe I can wear? I should not meet your master in bedclothes."
"Of course."
Malina helped Guinevere out of the bed. She looked down, this was not what she put on last night. Malina saw her looking at herself.
"I'm sorry my Queen, but your other garment was ripped. I changed you last night myself so that you could sleep peacefully." She placed the robe on Guinevere and just as she finished the door opened.
"Queen Guinevere."
"King Melwas?"
"I am so happy to have you here in my kingdom."
He bowed slightly as he took Guinevere's hand and kissed it just like he had done in Camelot, and she found the experience just as unsettling.
"As you can see, these are our finest accommodations. Malina here will see to your every need." Malina bowed as her name was mentioned.
"Thank you for rescuing me from those kidnappers. Do you know who they were? Have you sent word to Arthur?"
"Actually those were my men."
"Some of your own men plotted to kidnap me? How unfortunate, I'm sure Arthur won't hold it against you."
"Actually my Lady, they were acting under my orders."
"What?" said Guinevere in shock. Finally realizing what was going on. She took up a defensive posture and began to back away from the pair.
"Please remain calm. No one here means you any harm."
She backed away until she reached the fireplace. She quickly grabbed the poker and held it up, keeping them at bay.
"You will release me."
"Guards!" Melwas called out. Four men entered the room, so now there was an arch of people surrounding her.
"Please my Queen, be calm. We do not wish you to harm yourself" said Melwas as he nodded his head at Malina. The maid produced a cloth from her pocket. Guinevere swung the poker wide, but one of the guards rushed her from the side.
"Be careful!" screamed Melwas.
Guinevere struggled as the man's arms encircled her small body in a bear grip. Malina put the cloth to her face. Guinevere wasn't knocked out, but she could no longer move.
Melwas stepped forward. "Hand her to me. No one is to touch her longer than necessary." He carefully scooped the lethargic woman into his arms and carried her to the bed. "Malina, arrange the pillows so she can sit up." Melwas was in all his glory as he carried the small frame of his future bride. He carefully placed her in the bed like she was the finest, most delicate egg.
Guinevere was angered, but she felt very calm at the same time. She merely looked at Melwas. "I'm sorry that your first moments here were not pleasant. While you get used to the fact that you are in my kingdom, I have arranged a comfort for you."
Malina ran to the door and in walked a harpist. The harpist bowed and smiled. Then she sat and began to play beautiful soothing music while Guinevere reclined on her bed immobile.
Melwas turned to Guinevere before he left. "I will return later, take comfort my Queen. You will be very well cared for."
A/N: Thank you for reading so far. I hope you enjoyed the opening. The next chapter will be up in a few days. Your thoughts and constructive criticisms are welcome.