Comments: Apologies, not beta'd and a total start in the middle story...a little bit more odd than my normal stories but just got the idea in my head. Hope you like it sorry if you don't. Total imagination overload again.
"There is only one room love...and a strictly only two people per room " The large lady took another swig of ale and looked Arthur, Merlin and Gwen up and down...she took a little too long looking at Arthur and when she reached his face smiled a toothless smile and burped right near him causing Arthur to look away.
"But you my darling...can share with me" Arthur looked disgusted and grabbed Gwen's arm.
"My wife and I will take the room" Gwen blushed and Merlin looked horrified. "Merlin can sleep with you or with the horses" Arthur tossed a coin at the lady and she scrambled to grab it.
"You can't leave me with her" Merlin said through gritted teeth. This whole trip he had already felt like a spare part, listening to Arthur flirting with Gwen all the way...and Gwen politely smiling at his desperate attempts to woe her. He vowed never to go on a mission of Gauis's with only the three of them again!
Arthur clamped his spare hand on Merlin's shoulder.
"Well it's only two people per room and you are not staying with Guinevere" The lady grabbed a key and walked to the start of the stairs.
"Come with me" she looked at Merlin and then smiled ... her eye brows now going up and down "You stay there...I will be back in a minute"
Merlin went pale and as Gwen and Arthur followed her up the stairs, Gwen turned to see Merlin running out of the door, obviously to find somewhere to hide.
"How long ye two been married then?" Her words were said between loud unfit breaths as she climbed the stairs.
"Two years" Gwen watched as Arthur lied, he had a smile on his face as if he could have imagined the wedding itself.
"Two years" she huffed "That nothing my old man was with me for ten until he accidently died" she laughed and turned to bare her two yellow teeth again causing them both to take a step back. This women was definitely a bit scary and this thought made Gwen not think about being alone with Arthur, because when she did she felt nervous, excited and worried.
Arthur held tight to Gwen's hand and entered the room. The room itself was small, mainly because a large double cot took up most of the room. Arthur gulped.
"Don't be too loud...we have other guests" Gwen and Arthur 's mouths dropped as the lady closed the door behind them. They finally turned and looked at each other, Arthur let go of her hand and nervously ran it through his hair.
"Well...she was interesting"
Gwen let out a nervous laugh "Yes very"
Arthur looked around the room, clearing his throat as he went "Of course I shall take the floor"
"No, I will...I am after all just..."
"Guinevere, I could not even entertain the idea" Arthur waved his hand dismissing the thought.
The argument went back and forth until Guinevere finally conceded and took the bed much to her dismay...Arthur was very stubborn. So she lay there staring at the ceiling as she listened to Arthur struggling to find any comfort on the cold stone floor. He kept huffing and shuffling about. Gwen peered over the bed and started laughing.
Neither were sleeping but staring up at the ceiling and Gwen laughed at the sheer awkwardness of the situation.
"What is funny Guinevere?" Arthur looked up and noticed Gwen beaming down at him.
"This" she gestured between them.
"What about this?" Gwen laughed again.
"It is ridiculous, one that a servant takes the bed..." Arthur shot her a warning look, he hated it when she reminded him of her lowly status...so she continued "Ok, we are both adults...this bed is huge and you can't sleep and I can't sleep because you keep rolling about huffing and puffing... so let's share" a slight blush now formed on her cheeks at how the suggestion sounded.
Arthur looked between the floor and Guinevere, it was of course in proper for him to even entertain the idea...his back twinged slightly as if encouraging him to accept. "It is in proper Guinevere...I could not share with a lady"
Gwen laughed again "Excellent because I am not one" plus she thought, they were so far from home no one would know them here.
"Guinevere" Arthur was liking the sound of her proposition very much, but his honour kept him from making the move.
"Arthur, I promise I won't tell anyone" at this Arthur had to laugh she was teasing him.
Arthur stood up and brushed his trousers down "If we do this thing, I promise you shall not know I am there" his intentions were to be so far on the edge of the bed as to not make it in proper.
Gwen sighed, how many maids had he dragged to bed and she had to beg him to sleep fully clothed next to her. She scooted over to the other side of the bed and patted the free space.
Arthur sighed and lay down as far on the edge as possible and blew out the candle. Now only the faint moonlight beaming through the window lit the room. "Thank you Guinevere"
Gwen looked at the large gap between them and sighed "I don't bite you know"
Arthur laughed "I am trying to be honourable"
At this point Gwen could give a stuff about honourable...they rarely got a moment alone and she had imagined at least a cuddle, but he had not touched her since they arrived in the room. "I am sure I am not the first maid to have slept next to you"
Arthur whipped his head around the look at her, she could see his disappointed look. "Guinevere...that was, well it...I am different now" Arthur couldn't deny it many a maid had entered his chambers, but he felt guilty that Gwen knew of his years of messing around.
"It's fine" Gwen bit her lip, the truth was it made her blood boil thinking about it, but the past was the past "We have all done silly things in the past...I was more concerned that in your bid to keep honourable you might fall off the bed!"
Arthur sat up immediately and Gwen thought he would get off the bed, instead in the faint moonlight he looked hurt and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on but he said nothing. "Did I say something wrong?"
Arthur's mind went to Guinevere warming men's beds in the past and he felt angry and hurt. He knew he had no right to feel these things, but he couldn't help it, he wanted to know everything and kill everyone one of them...but the words would not come out.
Gwen sat up as well, Arthur now sat there looking at her, his eyes a mixture of hurt and angry puff of air came out from his mouth. "Arthur? You are worrying me now what is wrong?"
"You...how many things in the past?" his words were incoherent and mixed with puffs of anger.
Gwen just stared at him and then it dawned on her, he was concerned about her virtue and that thought made her angry. It was alright for Arthur to bed the whole of Camelot but when she mentioned a few regrets he gets all high and mighty. "Does it really matter?"
"YES..." Arthur stood up now and started pacing his hands on his hips "I thought...well I guess I was wrong"
Gwen stood up eyes a flame "What you thought WHAT?"
Arthur just stared at her angrily.
How dare he, how dare he look at her with disgust now
"You thought that I was the only maid that you and your knights had left intact!" she was mad now.
"Yes, I thought you were..." he ground his teeth trying to find the words.
"What?" Gwen practically spat her words at him.
"I thought you were better than that?"
"I am a servant Arthur, no different from the dozen others you invite into your quarters" the truth is that her virtue was intact, she wanted to wait for that honour until she was married. But what made her not back down here was the fact that Arthur had treated maids as his play things and now he would judge her for being one of them
Arthur just stared at her, disappointment filled his face "How dare you Arthur Pendragon, how dare you judge me!" She poked him hard in the chest .
"You proclaim that you care for me, but to truly care for someone is to love them for who they are no matter what journey they took to get there"
Arthur closed his eyes and slumped his shoulders. She was right, he loved her, of course it didn't matter...but he couldn't help but think it did. It was jealousy that had caused his reaction, jealousy for any man who had spent any time with her physically or not and yes he had wanted his bride to be with her virtue. But he wanted his future wife to be Guinevere, no matter how many that had claimed her before him.
Gwen tried to hold back the tears but they threatened to fall "Damn you Arthur" she turned and made for the door.
"Where are you going?"
"To sleep with the pigs, they have better manners than you" Gwen made her way to the door and as she held onto the door handle her other hand got grabbed by Arthurs.
"Don't go" he sighed "I am an idiot...an over..." he couldn't find the words.
Gwen kept looking at the door, but her hand tingled in his "Jealous pig?" she suggested.
"Yes...please don't go" Gwen turned her head slightly to look at him. "I am sorry I upset you, I had no right to talk of such things"
Arthur looked worried and disappointed "You still care for me then, no matter what?"
"Of course I do" Arthur pulled her around to face him and he held onto her tightly.
Gwen smiled, it felt good to be in his arms. "Now please let's start again"
Arthur placed a gentle kiss on Guinevere's forehead and led her back to the bed.
Gwen lay down first and Arthur followed this time nearer to her, they both lay there looking at the ceiling and Gwen felt Arthur's hand find hers and he held it.
A silence passed between them as they both got lost deep in thought "My virtue is intact"
Arthur turned to look at her his confused look turning into a smile "It is?" Gwen smiled "You lied to me?"
"I never lied, I just chose not to give you what you wanted" Arthur pulled his pillow and hit her softly on the head causing Gwen to laugh.
"You really are..." Arthur laughed thinking of the words "A wonder"
Gwen smiled his lips were inches from her "Hmmm I like being a wonder...now kiss me" Arthur laughed and did as she said. The kiss was soft and gentle and Gwen wished it hadn't of ended so soon, but given their current position a passionate embrace would probably lead to a lot of trouble. So when Arthur lay down, Gwen moved her head onto his chest and Arthur wrapped his arm around her and they lay there is silence until Arthur whispered his final words as sleep began to claim him. "I am sorry Guinevere...I L... " words failed.
"I know" Gwen replied as she closed her eyes. Tomorrow would be another battle, but for tonight everything was how it should be...and for the first time in ages she felt safe in the arms of Prince Arthur .