The Wrong Man

Word Count: 5836

Pairing: Arthur/Gwen, Merlin/Morgana, Lance/Gwen

Round Table Minutes October 2016 Theme: Angst

Part 1

Early Thursday morning, Arthur let himself in to Morgana's flat. It was a standing appointment to catch up with each other. They had started it after they both started at their jobs after University.

Arthur looked around but didn't see Morgana waiting for him like she usually did. "Morgana? I came to take you to breakfast. Where are you?"

"I don't have time today, Arthur." Morgana said as she wheeled a suitcase behind her and put it near the door.

"Are you going somewhere?" Arthur looked at the bag.

"I'm going to Cornwall. Gwen's wedding is this weekend." Morgana picked up a lavender envelope and handed it to him. "I'm the maid of honor."

"Right. She's marrying Lance. I forgot." Arthur stood there holding the envelope like it was poison.

"No you didn't. She is marrying him because you were a fool. You broke up with her for nothing." Morgana glared at him. "You have no one to blame but yourself if you don't fix this."

"How am I going to fix it? She's made her choice. I'm not it." Arthur threw the envelope down on the hall table. "It's too late to do anything now."

"She hasn't married him yet." Morgana picked up the envelope and put it back in his hand. "You're clever, My Lord Duke. I'm sure you can puzzle it out."

Arthur started to say something when there was a knock on the door. He stepped away so Morgana could open it.

Merlin smiled when the door opened. "Are you ready to go?"

"He's going with you?" Arthur asked.

"He's my date. If I don't have a date, one of Lance's friends will try to get me alone." Morgana rolled her eyes. "Lance has dreadful friends. Olwen is the best man and he's a bore. The other one with the funny name just looks at me like I'm wearing nothing but my knickers."

Merlin walked in and took the suitcase. "No one gets to see you in your knickers but me, Love."

Arthur made a disgusted face. "Morgana, make him stop."

Merlin laughed.

"Just do what I said." Morgana patted Arthur on the shoulder. "And lock up when you leave."

Arthur nodded.

"Bye Arthur." Merlin called out as they walked down the hall to the lift.

Arthur started to put the lavender envelope down on the table but he decided to open it instead. There it was in gold script on purple card stock, his nightmare come true. Gwen was marrying Lance.

Arthur looked at the invitation and took a breath. "No. I can't let this happen. I can't let her marry him without trying one last time to fix what I did." Arthur shoved the invitation in his pocket and left Morgana's flat.

By the time Arthur got down to his car, Morgana and Merlin were gone. He headed home to throw some things in a bag then drive to Cornwall. If there was a chance that Gwen would take him back, he wanted to take it.

It was Friday morning in Cornwall as Gwen gazed out the window and wondered how she had come to this moment in her life. She was not where she had planned to be. She thought she would be in Cardiff with Arthur, happily married by now not here one day away from marrying another man.

"Darling, is something wrong?" Lance stood up from where he was sitting on the sofa when she didn't answer him. "Gwen!"

"I'm sorry. What did you say?" Gwen turned around and faced him.

"I asked if there was something wrong." Lance didn't like the troubled look on her face.

"Nothing is wrong." Gwen faked a smile and shrugged. "I guess I have a case of the nerves. It's nothing more than that. I need to check on Morgana. I will be right back." Gwen grabbed her bag and jacket and left before he could stop her.

Ten minutes later, Morgana opened her hotel door and moved aside to let Gwen in. "Gwen? I thought you were spending the day with Lance."

"I was but I needed to get out of there. Morgana, what am I doing?" Gwen dropped down on the end of the bed and let her bag and jacket fall to the floor. "This is madness!"

"Yes it is. Why don't you just call it off?" Morgana sat down next to her.

"Arthur made it clear that he doesn't want me. I didn't really do anything. I gave Lance a goodbye kiss that was all." Gwen put her face in her hands. "I only accepted Lance's proposal because I was angry and upset with Arthur."

"Does Lance know that?" Morgana asked.

"I'm not sure. I think he may be starting to suspect something is wrong but he would never call me on it." Gwen wiped her tears and sat up. "It doesn't matter. Arthur won't take me back after this. I've ruined it."

"Don't be so sure." Morgana said cryptically. "My Lord Duke may surprise you yet."

"Morgana! What have you done?" Gwen looked at Morgana warily.

"I just put a bee in his bonnet." Morgana smirked. "I wanted to put a foot up his arse but I was interrupted. Merlin showed up to take me to the train."

Gwen chuckled. She sighed then shook her head. "Thank you for trying but he won't come. He's too proud."

"We shall see." Morgana rubbed her friend's back. "We should go out to lunch. That's what we need."

"What about Merlin?" Gwen asked. "Shouldn't you wait for him? Where is he anyway?"

"He said he had to do a favor for Gaius." Morgana stood up and grabbed her jacket and bag. "I'll send him a text to tell him where to meet us."

"Thanks Morgana. I knew you would hear me out." Gwen got up and followed Morgana out the door.

"I'm your friend. I will always hear you out." Morgana said over her shoulder as she led the way.

In a pub across town, Merlin walked in and scanned the room. He found Arthur sitting alone at a table near the back. He went over and sat down at the table. "Hullo Arthur."

"Did you tell Morgana that I was here?" Arthur asked as he looked up.

"No. I told her that I was running an errand for Gaius." Merlin looked around at the half empty room. "Why am I here?"

Arthur looked into his half empty cup of coffee. "Merlin, I'm a fool."

"I've been telling you that since we went to Uni together." Merlin smirked. "Are you here to break up the wedding?"

"That's why I came but I don't know if I should now." Arthur tipped his cup then put it back on the table. "She's happy with him or else she wouldn't be marrying him."

"Morgana isn't so sure. She sent me a text saying they were on their way to an 'emergency' lunch." Merlin grinned. "You know what that means, don't you?"

Arthur nodded. "Either you did something that Morgana is in need of complaining about or he did."

"Or Gwen is having second thoughts about the wedding." Merlin tapped the table. "Come with me. I will tell them that I found you wondering about."

"No." Arthur shook his head. "Do you know where Gwen is staying?"

"Yes. She's staying at the Heritage House with all the other members of the bridal party. Lance is staying alone in the bridal suite until they are married and leave on honeymoon."

"I need to talk to her but I won't do it if he's around." Arthur bit his lip the asked for a favor. "Can you distract him for a few hours?"

"Sure." Merlin grinned. "Wait for my text then go to her room. I'll send the room number then."

"Thank you Merlin." Arthur took a relieved breath then almost smiled before he remembered something. "Oh! Don't tell Morgana. I don't want her to make a big deal out of this. You know she will."

"I promise. Not a word." Merlin stood up. "I better get going or she will want to know what's keeping me. Where are you staying?"

"I have a room upstairs. I thought it best to be discrete." Arthur said.

"I suppose it is prudent to be discrete when you're trying to bust up a wedding." Merlin chuckled. "I will let you know."

Merlin left Arthur alone with his coffee and raw emotions.

Two hours and two cups of coffee later, Arthur got a text from Merlin with Gwen's room number and a message: "I'm taking him out for a drink or two. She's in room 513."

Arthur made his way to the Heritage House and took the back stairs to Gwen's room. He knocked on the door and waited for her to answer. He was thinking about leaving when the door finally opened.

"Arthur, what are you doing here?" Gwen asked in a hushed whisper. "Come in before someone sees you."

Arthur looked up and down the hall then went inside. "I don't think I was spotted."

"Why are you here? I didn't send you an invitation." Gwen folded her arms in front to her. "Did Morgana tell you where the wedding was going to be?"

"You know she did. I just want you to tell me that you are sure that this is what will make you happy." Arthur shifted on his feet. "I just need to hear you say it then I will go and never bother you again."

Gwen frowned and tilted her head. "Yes. This is what will make me happy." She said it more to convince herself that to convince Arthur. "Now can you just go?"

"Just one more thing. I'm sorry for ending it the way I did. I was a jealous fool. I should have trusted you." Arthur sighed. "Even if I didn't trust him."

"Arthur!" Gwen glared at him.

"Sorry. I knew he loved you but I thought you loved me more than him. I must have been mistaken." Arthur bowed his head. "I should go. I've said all I wanted to say."

"Wait! I have one question." Gwen blocked his way to the door.

"Ask it." Arthur braced himself.

"Do you still love me?" Gwen asked.

"I will always love you, Guinevere, until my very last breath." Arthur felt his heart ripping to pieces even more that it did the day he walked out on her.

Gwen nodded then stepped out of his way. "Will I see you at the church?"

"Only if you want me to come." Arthur took a step forward.

"I want you to come. You came all this way so you should come." Gwen moved away from him. "You had better go."

"I will see you tomorrow then." Arthur opened the door and looked both ways down the hallway before he left. He used the stairs again and slipped out of the hotel.

Gwen leaned against the door after he left and let the tears flow. Why didn't she ask him if he wanted her back? All he had to do was ask and she would stop this farce and be with him. But she didn't ask and now she was going to marry the wrong man.

Later that evening, Gwen and Lance walked into the rehearsal dinner. Neither one of them looked happy to be there. They separated as soon as they came in.

Lance walked over to his friends and turned his back on Gwen as she walked over to Merlin and Morgana.

"What happened? And don't say nothing." Morgana looked over at Lance. "I can tell by his posture that he is angry about something."

"He didn't like that we went to lunch and didn't invite him." Gwen sighed. "I made up something about you wanted to talk to me about something private. I sort of mentioned that Merlin was with us and he thought that he should have been invited as well. We had some words about it before we got here."

Morgana rolled her eyes. "What did he think we were doing in a crowded restaurant? Seeing who could snog Merlin the best?"

Merlin chuckled and Morgana elbowed him in the side to shut him up.

"You need to stop this." Morgana glanced over at Lance. "If he gets jealous of Merlin then what is he going to do if you talk to some strange man at a shop or something. Gwen, he will only get worse."

"I think I'm beginning to realize that." Gwen sighed. "It was one of the reasons we broke up the first time."

"Maybe you should just snog me now and get it over with." Merlin joked.

Gwen glared at him and Morgana elbowed him again in the side even harder.

"Why should she kiss you when she could kiss Leon or Gwaine?" Morgana looked over at the two men at the bar.

"I'm not kissing anyone. The servers are waiting for us to take a seat." Gwen walked away toward the table.

"She needs to stop this wedding. Morgana put her arm around Merlin's arm.

"Do you think she will?" Merlin asked.

"If she doesn't, I will." Morgana said as they walked to the table to sit down. "She's my friend and I won't let her make a huge mistake like marrying Lance. I had enough of him and his jealousy when they were together the first time. He has always been worse than Arthur on that front."

As the dinner wore on, Gwen got quiet. She looked around at the people at the table and she felt trapped. She couldn't even make eye contact with Lance or Morgana. she was afraid that they would see what she was thinking in her eyes.

When everyone left the restaurant, Gwen hopped into the taxi with Merlin and Morgana to avoid riding back to the hotel with Lance.

"Not a word! Either of you!" Gwen warned them as she got in.

Merlin and Morgana just nodded and they rode in silence to the hotel.

On morning of her wedding day, Gwen was staring out of the window in the bride's dressing room of the church. She had lain awake all night trying to find a way out of this mess. Short of breaking Lance's heart, there was nothing she could do but go through with the wedding.

Morgana walked in with the bouquets. "Gwen, I'm sorry that Arthur didn't come. I really thought he would."

Gwen turned away from the window. "He came. We talked for a few minutes. I told him to come to the wedding."

"What? Why didn't you tell me?" Morgana asked.

"I didn't want you to make a fuss like you are right now." Gwen gave her a pleading look. "It doesn't matter anyway.""

"You're still going through with it after you talked to Arthur?" Morgana put the bouquets on the dressing table. "Why didn't you leave with him right then and there?"

"Arthur didn't ask me to. He asked me if I was happy and I told him that I was then he apologized and left." Gwen walked over and sat at the dressing table. "He never asked me to stop the wedding and leave with him."

"Arthur still loves you." Morgana was annoyed as she put her hands on her hips. "I'm sure of it."

"He does. He said he did when I asked him." Gwen stared into the mirror. "When I asked him to come to the wedding, he said he would."

"I swear! You're both fools." Morgana sighed.

"Just help me get my dress on. I just want to get this over with." Gwen stood up.

"You know that if you do this, it will make it harder to get out of it when you come to your senses." Morgana went over to the garment bag and unzipped it. "It doesn't matter how you dress it up, a lie is still a lie."

"Morgana!" Gwen sighed. "I will have a comfortable life with Lance. He loves me very much."

"But you don't really love him. It will come out. The truth always comes out." Morgana carried the dress over to the settee. "I suppose there is nothing I can say to make you stop this."

"No but I love you for trying." Gwen hugged her and looked at the dress. "It's such a lovely dress, isn't it?"

"Too fluffy for me but you always had a thing about grand dresses." Morgana helped her into the dress. "Let's get this on then I will help you with your veil so we can get this tragedy on the road."

Gwen sat at the dressing table when her dress was fastened and let Morgana put on her veil. She stared at her reflection for a few moments then stood up, picked up her bouquet and braced herself.