Greetings Readers! Here is a collection of drabbles that I wrote for the third series of writing challenges at the Heart of Camelot website. Each of the drabbles are prompted by a single word.

The word for this drabble is "Haunted."

Warning: Series 5 spoilers, angstiness

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, or any of its characters.

The veil shrouding Gwen since the Dark Tower had been suffocating. She could barely think, feel, or breathe. But as Arthur pulled her from the lake, the cloudiness seeped from her mind like the droplets of water cascading down her body, and she felt joy at the freedom.

But she was not free from the memories.

If only when she had emerged from the enchantment, it would have been like arising from a dark sleep. But she could remember the things her mouth had said, her hands had done, that the mind-that-was-not-hers had conceived. She could remember plotting the death of the man she loved, scheming to murder her dearest friend.

Neither of them let on what she had done. Merlin had pulled her into a hug, saying that it was all in the past, and Arthur had held her close, pressing kisses on her now responsive mouth, and said that none of it mattered.

But it did.

There were times when Arthur had a pensive look when he awoke in the morning, the latent grief fading into his expression as he looked down at her, thinking she was asleep. Sometimes when she called to Merlin in the halls, there was a slight jump that was different from the clumsiness that was familiar and fond to her.

Both loved her too much to let her know what had happened. She loved them both too much to let them know that she knew already.
But that did not stop the dreadful fears that would latch, cold-fingered, onto her thoughts and make her shiver. It did not stop the sharp pangs to her heart when she saw the shuttered emotions in their eyes they held back for her sake.

She hid them, but they continued to haunt her for months to come.

A/N: There you are. I hope you liked it!

Thanks for reading and please review! They make me happy and help me work on my writing!