Christmas Morning
Pairings: Arthur/Gwen, Merlin/Morgana
Word count: 2501
Prompt from Ellarose88: Arthur/Gwen: Arthur's in the army and away for Christmas, leaving behind his wife Gwen who misses him a lot and is sad that he can't be home for Christmas. Christmas Day arrives and Gwen gets a surprise, as does her husband.
It seemed like forever since the war began. It dominated all of people's thoughts and their conversations. No one knew exactly if the Allied Forces were winning or losing but everyone seemed to have an opinion on how to win the war.
It was harder for the wives left behind than anyone else. Gwen and Arthur had only been married a month before he got his marching orders. Morgana and Merlin had been married for two years but it was just as hard for them to say goodbye to each other.
There were so many crying children and wives when the bus left to take them to off to war. It was a day that Gwen would never forget as long as she lived.
Now that Christmas was coming, Gwen, as the new Countess of Tintagel, was expected to step in and fill the shoes of a woman she has only know from the stories that Arthur and Morgana had told. It was a daunting task for the daughter of the local blacksmith. It was made even harder now that she was worried for Arthur.
Gwen stood at the hall table and went through the stack of letters a third time. It was over a week and Arthur hadn't sent a letter in days.
Up until this point, Arthur had sent a letter every day. Sometimes, it was just a scribbled 'I love you' on a scrap of paper shoved into an envelope. Other times, it was a long and beautiful declaration of love.
Gwen was worried. What if he was hurt? What if he was…? She shook her head to get that thought out of her mind. But that thought still lingered.
"Gwen, why aren't you dressed? We have to be at the committee meeting in twenty minutes." Morgana walked down the front staircase dressed to go out.
"Why don't you go in my place and tell me about it?" Gwen put the stack of letters back on the silver tray.
"I would if I could but you are the Countess of Tintagel not me. I'm not his wife, you are. I'm just the sister of the Earl." Morgana pointed out. "Besides, no one likes me anyway. I'm a disgrace. Remember? I married a lowly doctor."
"Speaking of Merlin, have you heard from him?" Gwen asked.
"Not for a week or so. He's very busy. There are many casualties in war. He usually seeds something every few weeks." Morgana shrugged. "Arthur will send a letter when he can. Stop worrying."
"Arthur has been sending a letter every day but I haven't gotten one in over a week." Gwen bit her lip to keep from crying.
"Gwen, if something had happened they would have told us by now." Morgana hugged her. "Go get dressed. The village Christmas party needs your special touch."
Gwen sighed and nodded. "I will be right down." Gwen rushed up the stairs and went to change.
The entire time she was dressing she was wondered what Arthur was doing and if he was safe.
X
Merlin walked into the space that Arthur was using as his quarters. "Arthur, I heard that we are leaving? Is that true? Are the reinforcements coming today?"
"They should be here within the hour. I will be so glad to get home. I just hope that we can make it there before Christmas. Do you realize that Christmas is a few days from now?" Arthur finished writing the letter he was working on and put it in an envelope. He sealed it and put it in his pack.
"What are you doing?" Merlin asked. "You can't post that here. We haven't been able to get anything in or out in over a week."
"I know." Arthur sighed. "Guinevere must be worried because she hasn't heard from me in so long. I had been posting a letter to her everyday but since we have been pinned down here and I couldn't send a one. I hope she isn't too upset with me when we get home."
"Morgana doesn't expect a letter that often. She knows I'm busy with the injured and looking after you." Merlin chuckled. "It's a wonder that I have time to sleep."
"Very funny Merlin." Arthur stood up and went to the doorway. "There are the reinforcements."
"Are you sure? It could just be the Germans looking to steal your love letters to your wife." Merlin nudged Arthur over to see out the doorway.
"Gather your things and ready the injured for transport." Arthur patted Merlin on the shoulder. "We are finally getting out of this bloody hell hole."
Merlin nodded and went to get things ready to leave.
Arthur went over and pulled a small gold box out of his pack. "I hope this will keep you from being upset with me Guinevere."
X
The village Christmas party went off without a hitch. Gwen was actually surprised. It was her first one as the Countess of Tintagel and she had been a little nervous.
"So they are all off with gifts, cookies, and candy in hand. I think that calls for a cup of tea." Morgana said as she walked up beside Gwen. "Lady Ygraine would be proud of you. That was a miracle for your first official outing."
"I wonder." Gwen waved to the last of the party goers as they headed down the drive. "I just managed to keep everyone happy and make sure all the children got to see Santa."
"That's more than I could do last year. I swear half the children were in tears before the whole thing was over." Morgana sighed. "I'm glad that I don't have to do that again. "
"Morgana, it wasn't that bad last year. It was more like a third of them in tears." Gwen smiled. "I'm not sure how I feel about doing it again next year. Let's go get that cup of tea."
"Maybe with a little brandy in it?" Morgana winked as they went inside.
"Maybe we skip the tea and just have the brandy." Gwen laughed.
"I like how you think Lady Tintagel,." Morgana laughed.
X
Merlin settled the last of the wounded on the transport and looked around for Arthur. He found him standing next to one of the bodies of the men that had served with them. Merlin sighed. He knew that Arthur took each loss hard.
"Arthur we have to go. The transport is ready to leave." Merlin called out.
Arthur looked over and nodded then came over to where Merlin was standing. "I hate the fact that we are not all going home safe and sound."
"I know but this is war and there is death in war." Merlin put his hand on Arthur's shoulder. "Get in. We have to leave. It's a long journey home for all of us."
Arthur nodded and got in the transport. Merlin got in and closed the doors. The makeshift bus lurched then started down the dirt road to the next part of their way home.
X
Morgana put a red wrapped package under the tree. "Come on Gwen. Don't look so down. It's Christmas eve."
"I can't help it." Gwen sighed and put the silver covered gift under the tree for Arthur. "It seems strange putting their gifts under the tree when we know that they won't be here to open them."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Morgana smiled. "I told you I have a good feeling about this."
"One of your dreams again?" Gwen gave morgana a suspicious look. "If I didn't know better, I would think you were some sort of psychic or something."
"How do you know that I'm not?" Morgana laughed. "Let's go to sleep. Everything will look so much better in the morning."
Morgana seemed to be in good spirits and it was starting to annoy Gwen just a little.
"If you say so, Morgana." Gwen took one last look at the Christmas tree and followed Morgana out of the room.
Morgana disappeared out of sight before Gwen could tell her goodnight.
Gwen walked up the stairs and went into her empty room. She climbed into bed on Christmas Eve with a heavy heart. She was alone on their first Christmas. After a while she fell asleep holding on to Arthur's pillow like she had since he left to fight in the war.
X
Arthur had the driver go around to the back of the house. He didn't want to wake anyone with his unexpected arrival.
"Maybe, we should have called ahead." Merlin fidgeted with his hat as he sat next to Arthur.
"No. I want this to be a surprise." Arthur got out of the car and headed for the kitchen door. He went inside and startled a kitchen maid as walked past the kitchen. He stopped and held his finger to his lips and smiled.
The kitchen maid smiled back and nodded.
Merlin nodded to the maid as he followed Arthur up the back stairs to their rooms.
They got to the top of the stairs and went to part ways. Arthur put his hand on Merlin's arm to stop him.
"If you hear me screaming, come save me." Arthur took a breath and braced himself.
"If you hear me screaming, don't come in." Merlin winked and gave Arthur a big cheeky grin.
Arthur rolled his eyes and started walking to the room he shared with Gwen.
Arthur went in and knelt beside the bed. Gwen looked so beautiful in the early morning light. He took a moment to soak it in before he woke her.
"Guinevere." Arthur brushed a stray curl back from her face. "Wake up. It's Christmas."
Gwen opened one eye and looked at him. "No. You're just a dream to tease me. Go away and don't bother me again." She closed her eyes and pulled the covers up under her chin.
Arthur laughed softly. "I assure you that I am not a dream. Wake up and give me a kiss. I have been traveling all day and night to get here for Christmas morning."
Gwen opened both eyes this time. "Arthur! Is that really you?"
"Yes. It's really me." Arthur leaned over and kissed her. "Happy Christmas!"
Gwen sat up in bed. "You stopped sending me letters. I thought that there was something wrong. Morgana told me not to worry but I couldn't help it."
"I'm sorry but we were stuck in a bunker in the middle of nowhere until reinforcements came. I couldn't get your letters out to you." Arthur pulled a stack of letters out of his coat pocket. "I thought that I should deliver them myself as soon as possible."
Gwen took them from him and clutched them to her chest. "What a perfect gift!"
"Well, if that was all you wanted then why did I bother to buy you this?" Arthur took a small gold box out of his other coat pocket. He held it out to her. "It's yours for the price of another kiss."
Gwen grabbed Arthur's face and kissed him until they were both breathless. "Is that enough or do you need another?"
"I think that will do for now." Arthur handed her the box. "I saw it in a shop in London when we arrived. I hope you like it."
Gwen opened the box and gasped. "It's a locket!"
"Here. Let me put it on you." Arthur took the locket and fastened it around her neck. "There. Beautiful!"
Gwen opened the locket and found it empty. "I'm going to have to find a good photograph of you to put in this."
"Do it later. I want my present." Arthur leaned forward to kiss her again.
Gwen pulled back. "Your present is downstairs under the tree in the lounge."
Arthur reached over and pulled her dressing gown from the back of the chair. "Come on. Let's go get it."
Gwen stepped into her slippers and let Arthur help her put on the dressing gown. They went into the hall and heard noises from the direction of Morgana and Merlin's room.
"Merlin came home too?" Gwen asked.
"Yes." Arthur wrinkled his nose for a second. "We traveled together. Let them be for a while. They'll come downstairs when they're ready."
In the lounge, the fire had already been lit and the tree sparked in the early morning light. There was a heavy frost outside that almost looked like snow.
Arthur smiled when he saw everything decorated for the holidays. "Beautiful! Just how I hoped it to be." Arthur plopped down on the sofa in front of the fire.
Gwen got his present from under the tree and sat down next to him. "Don't laugh. I made it myself."
"Then it's perfect." Arthur carefully opened the silver paper and pulled out the scarf inside. It was blue and a little crooked in places. "Guinevere I will cherish this forever. He put it around his neck and kissed her."
Gwen leaned her head on his shoulder. "How long are you going to be home?"
"I'm home until the New Year then I will be sent back to wherever we are fighting." Arthur played with one of Gwen's stray curls. "Don't think of that now. Just be glad that I didn't miss our first Christmas together as husband and wife."
"Morgana told me that she had a feeling you and Merlin would come home." Gwen snuggled closer.
"Never doubt one of Morgana's feelings." Arthur chuckled. "Just don't tell her that I said that."
"Said what?" Gwen giggled.
"How was the Christmas party?" Arthur asked. "Did the children fair better than they did last year when Morgana was the hostess?"
"No one cried and everyone was happy when they left." Gwen poked him in the chest. "You shouldn't tease your sister."
"Hmph!" Arthur looked down at Gwen. "When she stops teasing me, I will stop teasing her."
"I will never stop teasing you." Morgana said as she came into the room dragging Merlin by the hand. She picked up Merlin's present from under the tree and led him over to a chair. She pushed him into it and handed him his gift then sat on the arm of the chair.
"Morgana, Arthur gave me this locket. Isn't it beautiful?" Gwen held out the locket so that Morgana could see it.
"How is it that my brother managed a Christmas gift for his wife and I have none?" Morgana looked down at Merlin as he was opening the paper on his gift. "Merlin?"
Merlin froze then he looked up and smiled. "I'm your present."
Morgana rolled her eyes. "We will talk about that later."
Merlin pulled a pair of woolen gloves out of the package. "I'm going to need these. Europe is freezing cold."
"Right now let's just be happy that we are all together." Gwen snuggled closer to Arthur.
"Here! Here!" Arthur pulled Gwen in for a kiss. "Happy Christmas Guinevere."
Gwen kissed him softly. "Happy Christmas Arthur."