Arthur's Choice.
Set sometime in series four after Uther's death and Gwen's betrayal. The story varies between different people's POV but mainly Arthur's. This is my first fanfic so please be kind! Hope you all like it! Please rate and review :) Rated T just in case
As he walked through the walls of Camelot on his way to training, Arthur decided to make a small detour. He wandered hazily into the lower town, stopping to buy some roses from Cynthia, the local flower seller. He approached the door of a small hut with a thatched roof and entered as quietly as he could. As he hid behind the stone wall, Arthur heard a sweet melody coming from her lips. Her. The only woman who mattered to him, the only woman he could consider he loved. Gwen. He decided he could forgive her as she had been enchanted by Morgana to love Lancelot over a year ago. As she entered through the cracked arch and walked to the table, Arthur coughed to announce himself forcing Gwen to jump and give a slight shriek in fright stopping her dulcet whistling.
"Arthur, you startled me!"
"Well my apologies, maybe these will help you forgive me?"Arthur said with a smirk and presented the crimson red roses to Gwen. She accepted them graciously and moved to place them down on a nearby table.
"Thank you. They really are very beautiful and you shouldn't have." Gwen leant to embrace Arthur and gave him a quick hug, smiling into his soft shirt. "Don't you need to be at training by now?"
"Oh I'm sure the knights can cope without me for a few minutes." Arthur smiled and suddenly pulled Gwen close to him and lightly kissed her on the lips. Moments later the couple were forced to part when the door burst open only to reveal a sweaty looking Merlin who was evidently exhausted with his dark, ashy hair sticking to his forehead.
"Merlin! For goodness sake, how many times have I reminded you about the amazing invention of knocking because you really never listen?" Arthur exclaimed jokingly but still with an element of annoyance to his voice.
"Oh very funny sire! I've been looking for you all morning as a matter of urgency! Sir Gwaine and his knights have returned from their patrol." Merlin's serious comment left Arthur with a sense of confusion to what could have been so important that it couldn't wait until later that day.
"So I'm presuming from your desperation to find me that they have news?" Merlin nodded.
"Very well, I will be in the council chamber in five minutes. Thank you Merlin." Arthur exchanged glances with Gwen, then Merlin, then back to Gwen until Merlin finally got the hint to leave the newly crowned King and his love in peace.
"Well I'll see you soon then?" Arthur said slowly and bent down to give Gwen another kiss but was stopped when Gwen placed her finger to his lips and simply said "You have important work which you must attend to now so stop wasting time!" A slightly startled Arthur gradually moved to walk out of the door whilst smiling at Gwen who had moved to find a vase for the flowers as she thought of Arthur and how much she admired him.
As Arthur made his way back to the citadel he constantly mused to himself, why now? After a year or relatively normal life in Camelot, why now? Upon entering the council chambers, he was confronted by a tall man with floppy brown hair who was one of Arthur's most recently appointed knights.
"Sire, I believe Merlin informed you of the situation?"
"Not exactly but I can imagine the worst predicament. Did you find her?"
Gwaine hesitated before he replied. "We discovered a small cabin one day's ride from the city where she is presumed to be hiding but no my lord we did not find her."
"Then how do you know Morgana lived there?" Arthur questioned his knight with complete trust but with a puzzled tone to his voice.
"If you'll just follow me everything will be explained." Gwaine continued into the chambers followed by a concerned looking Arthur. As Arthur entered the royal banquet hall he could see how naturally beautiful the room was without all the exaggerated decorations which plastered the walls at every feast; but his eyes were drawn away from the walls and forced to look upon a man in chains, kneeling on the cold stone floor. Instantly Arthur recognised the accused but he was so puzzled his reply became jumbled.
"Agravaine... will someone please explain... what is he doing there? Someone help him up?" The room fell silent as no man wanted to harm Arthur by informing him of his Uncle's betrayal. To break the tense, silent atmosphere, a tall muscular knight stepped forward to approach Arthur.
"Sire, the patrol followed your Uncle's movements yesterday after he behaved out of character in the lower town with some of the residents. They were able to follow him to a small hovel in the woods Sir Gwaine described as Morgana's hide-out. They found this note." Percival reluctantly handed over the note to the astonished King who snatched it out of his hand and read in disbelief: 'My lady the king does not suspect a thing, he believes my council is perfectly normal and entrusts me with Camelot's secrets and plans. I am pleased to say your plan to overthrow him and this so-called kingdom of his is well under way. I will return in five days from now with more news, stay strong Morgana, Camelot will one day be yours. Your trusted ally- Agravaine'. Arthur remained still for several moments reading the note over and over again wishing the words on the page would change. Without raising his voice he demanded his Uncle to be imprisoned and left for his chambers in a hurry.
How could his own Uncle betray him like this? Could he not trust anyone? His thoughts were broken when Merlin burst into the room with a concerned look on his face.
"Arthur it's not your fault. Agravaine only craved your power for himself and his own benefits." Merlin tried to console his clearly distraught friend but only saw a broken look of horror in his eyes.
"You're wrong! So many people I thought I loved have just betrayed me; first Morgana and now Agravaine. How can I possibly know who to confide in when my own relatives despise me?" The desperation in Arthur's voice caused Merlin to be left speechless. He didn't know what to say, it was true people did crave Arthur's power and he had no idea how to protect him. It was of course Merlin's destiny to aid the king in any way possible and up until now he had done an alright job. That was until people started changing and lies started being told.
"What do I do Merlin?" Arthur knew he could always rely on Merlin for help and council; although he was a complete idiot most of the time, Arthur knew he was the best friend he could ever have but he would never admit it. He also knew it wasn't fair to always rely on a servant for answers; there were some things he had to do by himself.
"Sire I don't think I'm in the right position to say that. But seeing as I never listen I would say that you need to speak to your Uncle, understand his opinion and why he betrayed you. Then you may realise not everybody hates you."
"I appreciate that Merlin and I think you're right." As he spoke, Arthur left Merlin cleaning his chambers and continued to walk down to the dungeons deciding to do as his servant told him to and speak to the traitorous wretch lurking below him. Without a warning, Arthur was thrown off of his feet and flung to a nearby stone wall, his head hitting the wall with a loud smack. Arthur knew that pain instantly. Magic. Arthur immediately turned his head and was confronted by every demon simultaneously: his sister.
"Well dear brother, what a surprise to see you here!" Her sarcastic voice ricocheted through the castle walls sending shivers down Arthur's spine.
"Guards! Someone please!" Arthur began screaming for anyone to help him. The desperation in his voice clearly visible.
"Oh Arthur surely you know the guards can't hear you, I'm not that insolent. There's no-one here to save you." Morgana grabbed Arthur's face tightly forcing him to look at her. "So listen to me, Agravaine failed me so you probably know of my plans... But judging the look of turmoil in your eyes I presume not. Well then let me fill you in. We as people are defined by who we are, not what we do and who we are is defined by other people. You Arthur, you are defined by two people in particular: the serving girl who broke your heart and the foolish servant who has stood by you for so many years. In one day I will take one of them from you and who I take is up to you. If you cannot choose between the two then I declare war upon Camelot and you know I have the power to overthrow the entire kingdom. I will return at dawn tomorrow and you will give me your answer or you and solely you will sow the seeds of Camelot's destruction.