Merlin couldn't believe that Gwen would just...turn her back on Arthur so easily. Yes, he could see Lancelot's appeal, many young ladies of the court made that very obvious. But...Gwen? Leaving Arthur? On the night before their wedding?
He visited her in the cells, staring at her beseechingly.
Verse 1
"How could you, Gwen? Arthur loved you," Merlin whispered, remembering how broken his master seemed as Merlin readied him for bed minutes ago.
He didn't leave in time to miss the tears on Arthur's face.
Gwen just smiled sadly, twisting the knife deeper to Merlin's point of view.
"I love Lancelot."
Verse 2
Arthur had nightmares.
After he banished Lancelot and confined Guinevere to her house and father's smithy, he seemed to be a shade of his former self.
Shadows under his eyes betrayed the fact that he wasn't taking Gaius's sleeping drafts.
Merlin took to sleeping in the halls outside of Arthur's room, to the annoyance of the guards there and the worry of Gaius.
Arthur would scream that woman's name, easily heard through the wooden door. His sobs were harder to hear, but not impossible.
Merlin set up a pallet in front of the fireplace, sleeping there instead.
He blamed it all on Guinevere. And Lancelot. They were no longer his friends, Gwen and Lance. They were the traitors, Guinevere and Lancelot.
And Arthur still loved her.
Chorus
Arthur visited Guinevere. He stared at her, angry, hurt, confused, in love. She refused to meet his eyes.
"Do you still love me? Or will it always be Lancelot?" he asked quietly.
"I will always love you, Arthur!" she protested.
Bridge
Arthur laughed. There was no joy, or relief, or mirth. It was broken and cold, and Guinevere flinched when she heard it.
"And yet you ran straight to Lancelot's arms when he showed up again," Arthur accused. Guinevere but her lip and bowed her head, unable to deny it.
"I do still love you, though," she whispered.
Verse 3
"Not the way you love him. Just tell me, Guinevere, if you love him more than you love me! That's all I ask!" Arthur pleaded uncharacteristically, one hand going to lift her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes.
"Arthur, I...I can't! I don't know! Please, Arthur, don't make me do this!" she pleaded, eyes watering. Arthur drew back his hand as if she were suddenly made of hot metal instead of flesh and blood and bone.
"I'll lift the banishment on Lancelot. You'll have no farther interference from me," he said flatly, leaving her house to do just that.
Chorus
Bridge
Arthur watched from the training field as Guinevere greeted Lancelot. It seemed, just from those two, that Lancelot had been gone for months instead of a few days. The pain that usually accompanied seeing this wasn't as sharp as it was a few months ago. In fact, it was more of a dull ache, healing well.
He glanced at Merlin, to complain about his silence, and saw him glaring at the couple. He couldn't help but chuckle. The servant was far too loyal.
"Cheer up, Merlin! If they're happy, I'm happy," he said, his grin just a tad stretched, but real enough to pass Merlin's searching look. The boy broke into the goofy grin that never failed to warm Arthur's heart.
"Oh, good. I was starting to hate them on principle alone. I'll still never forgive their...trespass, but they are good friends," he stated thoughtfully, watching blankly as Gwen and Lance passed by, arms interlocked. Arthur pulled him into a headlock, rubbing his knuckles forcefully through the soft black hair.
"Ow! Arthur! Ow, ow, ow! Stop!" Merlin laughed, pushing at Arthur's arm. Laughing slightly, Arthur let go of the younger man.
"Stop being so melancholy and go talk to them. I'll get someone else to do the horses, but be in the courtyard in fifteen minutes! We're going hunting!"
"Oh, but, Arthur–"
"Now, Merlin."
"Yes, Sire."