He noticed right away that Gwen wasn't there. One glance at Morgana sent tendrils of fear down his spine. But he didn't dare speak her name in front of his father for fear of giving away his feelings. Luckily, his father noticed the worry written on Morgana's face and he didn't have to ask her.
"Is something the matter, Morgana?" asked the king.
"It's my maid, Guinevere. She never showed up this morning. It's not like her. I'm afraid something happened."
"I'm sure she's fine," the king replied unworriedly. "And if you need help immediately, she can be easily replaced."
A flare of anger shot through Arthur at those words. Of course his father thought servants were interchangeable, as easily tossed away as his dirty laundry. And of course he could not know that to him, Guinevere held great importance. He couldn't wait to get away from the breakfast table so that he could send Merlin to check on Guinevere.
As soon as he was dismissed from the table, he went to Merlin and told him to go to Guinevere's home in the lower town. He was beginning to have a bad feeling.
Merlin picked his way down the familiar streets to Gwen's home. He also had been concerned when he heard that she had not shown up for her duties that morning. It was not like her not to show up for work. Even before when she had been sick she would come up to the castle and have to be sent home. His worry grew when he got to the house and noticed the door had been left ajar.
Warily, he opened the door and stepped in. There was no fire and even in the daylight of the mid-morning it was still dark inside. He noticed a handkerchief on the ground and was leaning down to pick it up when he saw someone lunge for him out of the corner of his eye. Immediately he pushed him away, using a silent spell to add force to his defensive tactic, and sending his attacker sprawling towards the wall. He grabbed a fire poker and aimed it at his unknown assailant. "Who are you?" he demanded, aiming the poker at his face.
"Who am I?" the man asked incredulously. "Who are you?! And what have you done to my sister?"
"Sister?" asked Merlin. "You're Guinevere's brother?" Relaxing his grip on the fire poker he noticed that there was a slight family resemblance.
"Yes! And I demand to know where my sister is!" the man shouted angrily, getting up.
"That's why I've come looking for her. When she didn't show up to the palace, I got worried."
"And who are you?" the man demanded.
"I'm her friend, Merlin." He put down the poker and offered his hand.
The other man stared at it warily.
"What's your name?" Merlin asked awkwardly.
"Elyan."
"When did you get here?"
"Just a few minutes before you did. I noticed the door was open, but when I got inside there was no one here. The only thing I saw was this note on the table."
"May I see it?" Merlin asked.
"It's addressed to someone called Arthur." Elyan handed Merlin the note.
"Really?" Merlin took the note, puzzled.
It read: If you wish to see the maid alive, come to the Castle of Fyrien in a week's time. There was no sender.
The wheels began to turn in Merlin's head. Who could know Gwen's importance to Arthur? And who would want to use this information to get to him? As far as he knew, he was the only one who knew about the blossoming relationship between the prince and the servant.
His eyes fell on the handkerchief he had been about to pick up earlier. When picking it up he noticed it was damp, and brought it to his face only to take it away quickly after a strong odor threatened to take away his consciousness. It was hogwart. Only a powerful sorceress would have known to use something like that.
"What is it?" Elyan asked.
"It's what I believe was used to kidnap your sister."
"Why would anyone want to kidnap my sister?"
Merlin deflected. "Gwen has never talked about you before. Where have you been all this time?"
"That's between me and my sister."
"Well, how can I be sure that you're really her brother?"
Elyan quirked an eyebrow. "How can I be sure that you're really her friend? And who is this Arthur person anyway?"
"I imagine that would be Prince Arthur."
Elyan looked suspicious.
"Come with me. I imagine he'll want to talk with you."
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me how you know my sister," Elyan replied stubbornly.
"Look, we don't want to waste any time. I'll tell you on the way."
Arthur paced as he waited for Merlin to return. On the one hand, he wanted to know that Guinevere was sick, and it was just a common cold that kept her away. She would be back on her feet in a few days. On the other hand he had a gut feeling that something was wrong and he had learned to trust his instincts long ago in battle.
"What took you so long?" he roared as soon as Merlin stepped into the room. He was surprised when he saw a dark-skinned man step in behind him. "Who is this?"
"My lord, this is Elyan," Merlin supplied. "Guinevere's brother."
"Is she all right?" was Arthur's immediate concern. Elyan took note of Arthur's reaction.
Merlin handed him a slip of paper. He needed only a glance to understand what it said. It was as if all of Arthur's fears had come true. Guinevere was in danger because of him. He didn't even stop to wonder how anyone had found out about his feelings for her. He immediately began preparing to leave for the castle of Fyrien.
"I'll need my armor and my sword. Merlin, go down to the armory for me. And on your way you might as well pick up some food so that I can take it with me." He went to his wardrobe, found a bag, and began stuffing supplies into it.
"Wait," Elyan said in disbelief. "You are Arthur Pendragon, Crown Prince of Camelot. And you're just going to drop all of your duties and go off to face an unknown enemy. And all for a mere servant?"
"She's the servant of my father's ward," Arthur answered lamely. "But I do have an idea as to who may have captured Gwen." Again Elyan noted the tender way in which Arthur said her name.
"Who?" piped in Merlin.
"Cenred. His last known whereabouts were near there. And we all know he's been trying to kill me so that he can take over my father's kingdom."
"So do you have a plan?" asked Merlin.
"I'm going to go to the castle and rescue Guinevere."
"That doesn't sound like much of a plan. You're going to need some help," Elyan asserted.
"Mine too," Merlin chimed in.
"Out of the question," said Arthur to Merlin.
"She's my friend, too, and you're going to need all the help you can get," Merlin responded persuasively. He looked to Elyan for help.
"And she's my sister. There's no way you can stop us," agreed Elyan.
Arthur looked at both men and saw the determination written on their faces. If anyone would be able to help him rescue Gwen, it would be these two. "All right," he relented. "But be in the courtyard ready to go in thirty minutes. I want to get out of here as soon as possible." He didn't want to think about all the things that could have happened to Gwen in the few short hours that she had been gone. And he refused to think the worse.
Gwen woke up with a pounding headache. She tried to touch her forehead where she could feel a vein throbbing incessantly, but realized that her hands were tied in front of her. She tried to sit up, but swayed woozily as the world swam before her eyes. She felt as if she might be sick so she closed her eyes until the room stopped spinning and slowly sat up to survey her surroundings.
She was in a small dark room, sitting on a pile of hay that did little to offer her any comfort. The room was dark except for a torch on the wall above her and a small hole for a window in the wall adjacent to her. There was a small wooden door across from her that she imagined locked from the outside. She was about to get up to give it a useless tug anyway when it swung open and in walked a tall dark-haired man. He was carrying a lump of bread and a jug of water. He closed the door behind him casually with his foot and placed them on the ground before her.
"I see you've finally awakened. I must apologize for the headache. I hear hogwart has quite a nasty kick. But here is some water. You must be thirsty." He pushed the skein into her hands after opening it. "Drink up," he commanded when Gwen simply stared at it warily. Laughing at her, the man took a sip and then passed it to her.
Noticing that her throat did feel rather dry, she finally did bring it to her lips and began to drink thirstily. Water trickled out the sides of her mouth in her eagerness to ease the dryness of her throat. When finally she'd had her fill, she set down the skein and stared at the man.
"You're not going to eat your bread then?" he asked.
"What do you want with me?" Guinevere demanded.
"You're my bait."
"For whom?"
"Why Arthur Pendragon of course."
Shock made her gasp aloud. She quickly tried to recover. "I don't know what you are talking about."
But it was too late. "Now, don't be coy, we both know how much you mean to him."
"I'm just a servant! I mean nothing!"
"I beg to differ. And I'm sure the prince would too." He lifted a finger to boldly stroke her cheek.
"You are mistaken," Gwen replied feebly, but even she feared the terrible danger Arthur would face if he came to her rescue, even as in her heart she knew what he said was true, and it filled her with a spark of hope.
The man laughed at her words, and backed up and knocked on the door which immediately opened, leaving the room still chuckling.
Arthur was prepared to leave and waiting impatiently for Merlin and Elyan to show up. He was almost of a mind to leave them when Morgana showed up dressed in armor.
"Where do you think you're going?" Arthur asked.
"I know that something's happened to Gwen and I want to help you get her back," she responded.
Arthur didn't even think to wonder how Morgana had found out about his mission. "I think not," Arthur refused. "It's too dangerous and you'll only get in the way."
Morgana quickly drew her sword and aimed it at his throat. "I could still best you with a blade and don't you forget it," Morgana threatened.
Arthur conceded her point with just a sniff nod. He quickly mounted his horse and made it a point not to help her with hers as he might have usually done. "Do me a favor and try not to get hurt," was all he said.
Then before he could urge his horse into a gallop, Merlin and Elyan rushed into the courtyard leading their horses.
"Don't tell me you were trying to leave without us," Merlin grinned.
"I wouldn't dream of it."
Just then Merlin noticed Morgana sitting atop a horse behind Arthur. "What are you doing here?" Merlin gasped in surprise.
"I've come to help. And I imagine I'll be of more use in a fight than you," Morgana smirked.
"Arthur, I don't think—"
"Don't bother. I've already had this argument with her. Besides, we're wasting time when we should be on our way!"
Merlin knew that there was something strange about Morgana's behavior. Despite all the tears and concern she had displayed earlier, now she seemed less worried and more…satisfied. Merlin had a bad feeling, but knew that now wasn't the time to try to decipher Morgana's ever-changing alliances.
They rode fast and hard from the moment they left the outskirts of the castle. Arthur was determined to eat as much ground as possible and would have used an excuse of tiredness or fatigue as a reason to leave any of his companions behind. But they all kept apace. He was actually quite impressed with Merlin's stamina, and he suspected that Elyan was quite used to hard travel on horseback. He could see the effects of their pace on Morgana, but she stoically pressed on. He would have continued longer if not for the need to stop and give their horses a rest. It was only when they had stopped that he realized how tired he was.
He barely spoke to any of them as Merlin prepared dinner for them. And after he'd forced a few morsels of food down his gullet in order to keep up his strength he immediately sank into his blankets to try to get some rest.
But sleep did not come. He was tortured with nightmares about Gwen hurt, or scared and alone, and there was nothing he could do about it. He tried to remember when it was that she had become so dear to him. They had practically grown up together. She had been Morgana's handmaiden since she was ten, and her mother had been his nurse. But she had always been just a servant. What an arrogant prick he'd been! He remembered all the times that he'd ordered her around, not realizing the extra burden he was adding to her already burdensome duties. She had been so kind and patient, and yet she was never afraid to let him know when he was overstepping from being a prince, to simply being a prat.
He would never forget the day she had threatened him with a hot poker. He was eight years old and she was seven and Arthur had escaped to the lower town to get away from his dreaded tutor Wolfsbane.
He'd gotten into a fight with the butcher's boy who didn't believe he was the prince since he wasn't wearing a crown. He was bigger than the other boy and had been training to be a knight since the moment he could walk. He had given him a bloody nose and would have done worse if a tiny wood sprite wielding a hot poker from the blacksmith's fire hadn't come careening at him. "Don't harm my friend! You may be a prince, but he wouldn't know that would he? He ain't never seen one before. And if I hadn't a seen it myself I wouldn't have believed a big-eared git like you could be one neither. Now trot on!"
What had been immediately wounded was his pride and vanity. Beaten by a girl…and what did she mean by big-eared? But then her mother had come to his rescue and reprimanded her daughter for threatening the little prince, and she would have turned her in to be punished if Arthur hadn't begged her not to say anything to his father. He already knew the pain of the cane and he couldn't bear the thought of his dear nurse's only daughter having to suffer through the shame, simply for defending her friend. He thought she was the most courageous creature he'd ever seen.
After that, he never could bring himself to bully kids around her. That was until he'd met Merlin. But somehow he knew that his behavior was returned in kind and despite all the teasing Merlin never really took it to heart and could give it as much as he received it. Instead he'd taken to ordering Gwen around almost to see how much he could get away with. But she never complained, no matter how outrageous his requests were, from bringing him dinner at all times of the night, to re-making his bed even though she had just made it perfectly not just a few minutes before. After a while he became bored with unsuccessfully trying to get a rise out of her and stopped, ignoring her completely. That was, until he'd needed her help keeping his identity a secret as he'd competed in a tournament to prove that he didn't need special treatment from his knights to win. It was only then that he'd really begun to appreciate her, and then he also began to notice just how beautiful she really was.
He had been blind for so long, but even as he began to see that he was falling in love with her, he realized that they could never be. His father would never accept her, nor would his peers, or any of the aristocracy. And on top of that, if anyone knew about her, she would become a target and her life would be in danger, just as it was now. He'd been so careful, or so he thought, but he'd also become distracted and perhaps in some looks or words to her he'd given himself away. But he couldn't think on that now. The most important thing now was for him to find her and rescue her.
As soon as light dawned, Arthur was awake. He was actually surprised that he had been able to get any sleep at all considering his dreams had been filled with nightmares. When he got up he realized that Elyan was the only one up—he had taken over watch from Merlin. He decided to let Merlin and Morgana sleep just a little bit longer while he began to pack his sleeping roll. He noticed that Elyan was doing the same. He was reluctant to catch the younger man's eye. Was it guilt? That he was the reason his sister had been taken from her home? But he wasn't able to dwell on the thought for long when the man approached him and began thus:
"I cannot fathom, my lord, what could possess a prince to go after a servant, but I appreciate it. If there is anything I can do to show my appreciation, I am at your service. It is a debt I cannot ever begin to repay."
Arthur felt his cheek heat with embarrassment. "Do not thank me, for we have not yet found your sister. But I promise you that I will do everything in my power to return her to you."
"Thank you, my lord."
Arthur merely nodded. "We should wake up Merlin and Morgana. We'll need to get going if we're to make it to the Castle Fyrien by nightfall."
To his word, just as the sun was beginning to make its descent into night, they reached the cliffs at the bottom of the Castle Fyrien. There was an abandoned series of tunnels that could take them secretly into the castle. Arthur was sure that no one had used the tunnels for over hundreds of years, and thus it would give them an advantage. Nevertheless, he told Elyian and Morgana to be on their guard and told Merlin to stick close by him as they entered the caves.
The tunnels were dark and musky and covered with spider webs. They picked their way through by torchlight. Luckily they never really encountered anything but a few scattered animal remains. Arthur was beginning to feel hopeful that they would make it through without incident, when they were attacked.
His immediate thought was how had they figured it out, but that thought was quickly pushed to the back of his mind as he valiantly fought off his attackers. There were ten men and he felt that they were evenly matched. He easily cut one person down and went on the offense, pushing back two men. He noticed that Elyan was quite handy with quick reflexes and sharp thrusts. They had nearly overpowered them when he heard a cry from behind him.
"Put down you swords, or I'll cut her throat." A man was holding a knife to Morgana's neck.
Arthur had no choice but to do as he said, but he couldn't help the flare of annoyance he felt that his plan had been thwarted by the capture of Morgana.
They were led into the throne room where Cenred sat gleefully and thrown at his feet. It wasn't until Arthur looked up that he noticed Guinevere sitting bound to a chair beside him.
"Guinevere!" he yelled, jumping to his feet, and he was surprised that his captor let him get up and run to her. His hands were bound in front of him, but he was still able to reach out to her and caress her face. "Are you unharmed?" he asked as he surveyed her face. She looked dirty and tired, but other than that relatively fine.
"Arthur! What are you doing here?" she cried out shaking her head. "You shouldn't have come! He means to kill—"
But Cenred cut her off. "How sweet!" he roared. "The two lovebirds united at long last!"
"Let her go, Cenred. Your business is with me and now you have me. Let them all go!" Arthur demanded.
"But why would I do that when it gives me such and advantage over you? Guards, take them away, but leave the lady Morgana."
"No!" Arthur shouted, but it was in vain. They were all dragged away, including Guinevere and excepting Morgana. Arthur was put into a chamber by himself, while Guinevere, Arthur and Elyan were shoved into another cell together.
Guinevere burst into tears as soon as the doors shut behind them. "You shouldn't have come!" she cried out.
"Gwen!" Elyan said rushing over to her.
It was then that she noticed her brother and she was overcome with surprise. "Elyan! What are you doing here?" she questioned as he wrapped her in a bear hug.
"I always planned to return once I made my fortune."
"And have you?" asked Guinevere, eyebrows raised incredulously.
"I have indeed. Enough so that you may quit your job at the palace at least. And I went straight to our father's house only to discover that he was gone and you had been kidnapped. So I set off with Arthur, Merlin, and Morgana to rescue you."
It was then that Guinevere turned to Merlin who was sharing the cell with them. "I'm sorry you both got into this mess because of me. If something happened…"
"Don't worry about it," Merlin said, hugging her as well. "We all knew the risks in coming here. We'll get you out. We'll all get out somehow," Merlin responded optimistically.
"But how?"
"I have a plan. Guinevere, I'd like you to sweep all the hay and trash into the corner over there. Then when I set fire to it I want you to yell for the guards. When they open the door Elyan and I will overpower them and grab the keys and try to find Arthur. I think I overheard they were going to put him in a cell nearby."
"That sounds risky, but I haven't got any better idea. One thing, though. How are you going to start a fire?"
"Magic," Merlin smiled, revealing the flint and steel he had hidden in his cloak. Elyan and Gwen smiled back in return and set about piling the straw into the corner as far away from them and the door as they could get it. Then Merlin lit the damp straw. It took a couple of tries and it created a lot of smoke, but when it seemed big enough, they all began yelling, hoping that the smell of smoke would draw some attention.
Gwen stood directly in front of the door, banging on it and yelling through the peephole, while Merlin and Elyan stood on either side of the door out of sight.
"Help! Fire!" Gwen shouted. The flames had picked up and they began to cough from the smoke. "Somebody let us out of here please!"
There was only one guard and he came running down the corridor with a key. "What the—?" he yelled as he saw the smoke billowing out from the cracks in the door. He quickly unlocked and opened the door. As soon as the door was completely opened Elyan and Merlin pounced, knocking the guard out.
They quickly searched his body and found the keys. Then he closed the door to the cell, leaving the guard outside it. They ran down the hallway until they came to another selection of cells. There was another guard there, but Elyan knocked him out with a club he'd found hanging on the wall of the dungeon. Merlin grabbed this guard's weapon and they quickly searched the cells for Arthur to no avail. So they continued down the corridor to another set of cells on one end and stairs leading up to the other.
Merlin turned to Elyan. "If Arthur isn't in this cell block, then I want you to take Gwen and go up the stairs and get out of here."
Gwen shook her head. "I'm not leaving without Arthur."
"Don't worry, Gwen. I'll find him." And as luck would have it he was there in the middle cell. The guards were distracted with a game of dice so when Merlin popped his head in to see if Arthur was in there, Arthur was the only one who spotted him and he immediately drew their attention by demanding something to drink, allowing Merlin and Elyan to sneak up behind them and knock them out.
As soon as Arthur was freed, Gwen ran to him and embraced him, and Arthur allowed himself to hold her back for just a moment until he suddenly pushed her into Elyan's arms.
"You have to get her out of here, right now."
"What about you?" Gwen questioned.
"I've got to get Morgana."
"We'll help," she insisted. But Arthur shook his head. "You are in no fit state to help!" Before she could even begin to protest more, he was yelling at her to go. "I couldn't bear the thought of anything more happening to you, so just go." When she still seemed reticent to leave he gave her a cocky smile. "I'll catch up with you later. I promise."
"You'd better."
"Don't worry. I'll take care of him," Merlin promised. She tried to return the smile bravely and then he was pushing them all up the stairs. Elyan gently tugged on her hand, urging her to follow him and she took one last look at Arthur's retreating back followed closely by Merlin, before she turned to follow her brother. They managed to navigate out of the castle without incident other than the noise of alarm bells ringing through the castle. It wasn't until they had reached the safety of the tree line where the horses had been kept that she burst into tears.
Elyan embraced his sister, unsure of what else to do. He tried to reassure her that everything would be all right, but he wasn't sure how. He was still amazed that they had been able to escape all. But he was thankful that he and his sister were free at least. When she had quieted a little he told her that they should get going. She immediately and adamantly refused.
"We can't go. Not until Arthur gets back. I won't leave without him. Or the others."
"But it's not safe here. We need to put as much distance between you and that castle as possible."
"I can't. I won't," she refused, shaking her head. She had a stubborn set to her jaw that Elyan immediately recognized meant that there was nothing he could say or do that would change her mind.
"All right," he conceded. "We'll stay an hour, but no more! I'll knock you out and carry you on the back of my horse like a sack of potatoes if I have to."
"I'd like to see you try."
"I may be younger than you, but you can't sit on me and get me to do what you want anymore." Elyan grinned.
"You've grown taller." Guinevere said, noticing the changes in her brother for the first time. He'd left when he was 16, more than four years ago. He'd been nothing more than bony legs and ashy knees. But he'd filled out. He still wasn't as tall as their father had been—he'd taken more after their mother in that regard, but he had grown a few inches and filled out in his legs, arms, and chest. From the way she'd seen him fighting she suspected that he had some experience with that before. "Where have you been the past four years?" There was curiosity, worry, sadness, and just a hint of anger in that question.
"Here and there," he equivocated.
"Why has it taken so long for you to come back?"
"I was quite far away."
"Where?"
"On another continent in a place where there was sand as vast as the eye could see. In a place where water was more valuable than jewels, and mountains made of stone just for a dead king."
"What were you doing so far away?"
"I was looking for treasure."
Guinevere rolled her eyes. "And did you find it?"
"Not exactly. It was a bit more trouble than it was worth, but I'm wealthy enough that you can stop working as servant. That's why I came back. I couldn't live with myself thinking that you were here slaving away all alone, when I could help you."
"I'm not a slave."
"I can see that,' he said eyeing her astutely. He was still surprised that the prince of Camelot had risked his life to rescue his sister. He had known that Gwen and the lady Morgana had been close and had possibly even considered each other as friends, but never had he ever considered it a possibility that she would risk her life for his sister, let alone the prince. He had known that when he returned things would be different. He had begun his long journey home when he'd amassed enough wealth to purchase his own forge so that he would not have to work for anyone else, and neither would his sister. Along the way home, as he'd gotten closer to Camelot he had stopped by John and Mary's home in Longstead and learned that his father was dead. He had already suspected that his family home that had already been terribly empty after the loss of his mother would be even more empty and lonely still when he returned. But he hadn't been expecting what he got. He had not expected that his father would be dead, or his sister would have been kidnapped, apparently because of her connection with Prince Arthur. "How long have you been chummy with the prince?"
"We're not chums."
"If you're not, then why would he risk his life, going against his father's wishes, in order to save you when you're just a servant?"
"Arthur doesn't care about those things. He's a kind, caring decent man."
"So are you saying that he would do this for anyone?"
"Yes!" she let out angrily. But then, doubtfully, thinking it sounded insanely mad for such a thing to be true, she whispered, "No." it gave her a tiny spark of warmth to think that maybe, just maybe, he'd come for her and only her. The smile, the look on her face said it all. Elyan had no doubts any longer.
"So then I guess there's no way I can convince you to leave this godforsaken place? You stay loyal to him even after his father had our father executed? Even after your life has been put in danger because of him?"
"Arthur is nothing like his father! I know that one day he will be king. He will be king like no other before him. He will rule with fairness and equanimity. He will respect even the lowest farmer as an honored subject as a just and good king ought to. And I will be proud to call him my sovereign."
"Even when he makes a distant princess his queen?"
"Even if he does."
"Do you have any doubt?"
"I have hope."
"I hope that he is as deserving of your praise as you say he is," Elyan conceded.
Elyan could see that his sister was exhausted, so he begged her to sit down and rest while they waited, and he told her of his adventures. How he'd gone treasure hunting in some pyramids, and his narrow escapes from booby-traps. She couldn't help but smile, even as she admonished him for his recklessness. She was just happy that he was alive and he had finally returned. But as every minute went by she became more and more concerned that Arthur and Merlin hadn't been able to find Morgana, or if they had, they hadn't been able to escape. She had almost made up her mind to go back to the castle to look for them, when she heard a noise in the bushes. Elyan immediately grabbed his sword and was holding it at the ready, when Arthur burst through the woods, Merlin and Morgana behind them, looking no worse for the wear.
"What are you still doing here?"
Gwen smiled. "You may be a prince, but that doesn't mean I have to do what you say."
Arthur grinned back. "I think it does." But he couldn't help but feel a mixture of relief and pride that she had stayed behind. He wanted nothing more than to grab her and hold her tightly in his arms. But he didn't think it was right. He had already hurt her too much, putting her life in danger because someone knew how he felt about her. But before he could blink, she had hurtled herself into his arms and embraced him, and he gave into his need, holding her close and stroking her hair tenderly. "I'm so glad you're all right," he whispered to her. His whole body shuddered with relief. She too was trembling.
"I can't believe you came after me. It was exactly what Cenred wanted and you could have been killed."
"Don't you know by now? I would do anything for you." He gazed deeply into her dark eyes and leaned down to kiss her when he heard a subtle cough behind him. He pulled back from her uneasily, still holding her in his arms.
"I don't mean to interrupt," said Elyan, who clearly had meant to do exactly such a thing, "but we really should get going. We don't know how many of Cenred's men could be following and I'd really rather not be captured again."
Arthur nodded in agreement. "Right. Let's mount our horses." Everyone mounted the horse they had come on, and Arthur held out his hand to Guinevere. "You ride with me." Without further ado he hoisted her up onto the horse in front of him and pulled her close so that she was securely protected in his arms. Then they rode off.
They rode hard and fast, but once they were far enough away, he slowed down their pace to a slow trot, to give the horses a bit of a rest, and so that they could talk without being jolted by the horse. Arthur reveled in the feel of Gwen wrapped in his arms. It was such a relief to know that she was safe, and as long as he held her, he could pretend that he could keep her that way. But he was also worried about her and how she was coping after what must have been a harrowing experience.
"Are you all right, Guinevere?"
"I'm fine," she replied. But her grimace of discomfort belied her. "I'm just unused to riding so much. And I must say, I haven't been sleeping in the most accommodating of quarters recently."
Arthur was immediately apologetic. "I'm so sorry. Are you hurt?" His eyes searched her face.
"I'm fine. Or I will be. I just need to rest." It was then that Arthur noticed the bruises around her wrist.
"No, you're not. You're hurt." He immediately pulled his horse to a halt and turned to Merlin, who had stopped behind them. "Merlin, where are your medicines. Gwen is hurt."
Merlin rummaged through a pack and pulled out a bag. "Here you are, sire," he said, handing it over to him.
Arthur got off his horse, and helped Gwen down, then led herover to an overturned log a little bit away from the group to give them some privacy, and helped her to sit down. He took her small hands into his own and kissed the calloused palms. Then he gently touched her bruised wrists and apologized when she winced. He found a soft piece of wool and some salve from the bag and began administering to her wounds. Guinevere could have cried from the tenderness he was displaying towards her. When he was finished, he rinsed out the cloth with water from his canister and then proceeded to wipe away the smudges on her face. "I'm so sorry this happened to you," he whispered. And then he was kissing her with all the pent up passion and longing he'd been feeling for months. He kissed her deeply, thrusting his tongue in her mouth, claiming her as his own, hands tangled in her hair as he felt her arms pressed against his chest. He was sure that she could feel his heart beating as fast as a hummingbird. She had to know that his heart beat only for her.
But suddenly she was pushing him away. "We can't," she cried, shaking her head. Her hands touched her swollen lips, still tingling from his touch.
Arthur pulled away, a look of surprise on his face. "You're angry with me for getting you kidnapped."
Gwen shook her head frantically. "It wasn't your fault. You mustn't think that."
"But the only reason Cenred kidnapped you was because he somehow found out about my feelings for you. I put you in danger, and I could never forgive myself if something happened to you because of me. You must let me protect you."
"How can you protect me? Are you going to leave a guard at my door? Your father would never allow you to waste valuable resources on a mere mistress."
Arthur's mouth went slack at her crudeness. "You aren't my—I would never—"
"But you could certainly never marry me. So that is what I would be in the eyes of the world."
"I want to marry you. I love you, Gwen."
Gwen felt tears well up in her eyes and spill over. "I have dreamt of you saying those words to me. And it always made me feel happy. But now they fill me with sadness because I know we cannot be. As long as your father lives, I cannot be your wife. And I cannot be your mistress. I'm sorry." With tears in her eyes she leapt up abruptly and ran off in search of the others. She found them about a quarter of a mile ahead. They had walked on, apparently to give them some privacy. When she finally caught up she asked her brother if she could ride with him. Elyan agreed without hesitating, but insisted that he would walk to give the horses a rest.
Arthur appeared a few minutes later, his features schooled into a stony, unreadable mask, and took his place at the front of the party without a word. Gwen didn't even dare to look at him. They walked in silence.
When they returned to the castle, Gwen kept herself busy with helping her brother settle in. After trying in vain to convince her to leave, he decided that if she wouldn't leave then he would stay. He could not abandon her again, especially since he could see that she was hurting because of her relationship with Arthur. With the money he had brought with him he was able to buy a home and start up the forging business that lay abandoned after his father died. He had also become fast friends with Merlin.
Gwen was surprised when she received a note from Arthur. She had managed to avoid him except for at dinner where she helped to serve. It said that he needed a favor from her, so she was to see him in his room.
"Enter," he replied after she tapped softly on his door.
"My lord, you wished to see me."
"Yes, I—" he swallowed audibly. "I need two silk dresses."
"Pardon?" she asked, nonplussed.
"I told my father when I left to rescue you that I was on an errand to get dresses for Morgana. I knew that he would not let me go if I told him the real reason," he admitted guiltily.
"I still don't understand. Why didn't you ask Mary the seamstress, or—?"
"Because I had to see you!" he burst out.
Gwen gasped in shock. "Sire, you know that we cannot be—"
"I can't stand it! Not knowing how you are, or what you're doing. I know that you have every reason not to want to see me, but I can't help the way I feel. I can't just abandon my feelings."
"I'm very sorry for any discomfort that my presence causes you," Gwen responded coldly.
"Discomfort?!" Arthur let out in disbelief. "Discomfort is a stone in my boot, or the taste of one of Gaius' potions. Not this!"
"Sire, I know that this will be difficult at first. But it must be done. Please just try not to even notice me…like before. You never paid attention to servants before. There's no reason for you to now."
Arthur tried to get his ragged breathing under control. He could not even look at her. But he could see the sense in her words, and as much as it pained him, he knew she was right. He had seen firsthand how his feelings for her had put her in danger, and how she would be better off without him. Letting out a sigh of resignation, he nodded his head, and finally looked back up at her. Her face was a mask. She was looking at the floor, but she had controlled her mouth into an almost serene line.
"I can see that nothing I say will move you. You are right. So I will do my best to cut off those feelings, and treat you just like every other servant. I can't promise that it will be easy for me since we will most likely continue to see each other every day, but for your sake I will do my best."
"Thank you, my lord." She curtsied and turned to leave, but turned back around suddenly. "What about the dresses? Will you still need them from me?"
"No. I'll ask Mary, like you said."
"It's all right. I'll do it."
"Thank you."
Guinevere curtsied again and left the room. As soon as the door closed, she sagged against it, her heart racing. She had been so tempted just to give in. He had looked so pitiful and earnest, and everything he wanted was what she felt. She still loved him and wanted to be with him, but she was too practical and scared. So she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, forcing herself to walk away from that room and him, trying to remind herself that it was for the best.
Her will to resist him became harder and harder to keep up. She still saw him every day, and she still loved him. But he kept to his word and tried to avoid noticing her, which somehow was even more conspicuous. She could swear sometimes that he would steal glances at her when she wasn't looking, from the mere heat of his gaze. And despite all she could do to avoid it, they would still touch accidentally, and it would send a charge of electricity through her body.
She had become so consumed with thoughts of him that even Morgana commented on how distracted she seemed. But she denied that there was anything going on because there wasn't. She had made that abundantly clear to Arthur and he had agreed it was for the best, until one day he didn't.
She was at home laying out her herbs to dry when he came by. She was so startled to see him standing at her door that she let him in without thinking the better of it.
"What are you doing here?"
"I thought I might try one more time to try to convince you to give us a chance. And I promise that this will be the last time. But I have to try because I can't stop thinking about you. I love you. And I want to be with you, and I think you love me too. And I know that I'm asking you for a lot. But I think it's worth the risk. I think we're worth the risk."
"You ask too much—"
"Here me out! I just want to spend time with you. I want to hear your counsel when I don't know what to do. And I want you to tell me to stop being a prat when I get too full of myself. I don't want to stop seeing you because you mean too much to me. And I know you're worried about what would happen if we were found out, but I promise you, I won't let anything happen to you. We'll be very careful so that no one sees us. And I've enlisted Merlin to help us. We can pass messages to each other through him. He has promised me he will be discreet. I think we can do this Guinevere. You'll see, if you just trust me."
"Oh, Arthur, I want to trust you, but what if we get caught?"
"If we get caught, I'll renounce my throne and we'll run away together. Somewhere where no one knows us. Where I'm not a prince and you're not a servant and we can be together."
"Arthur, don't say that! You can't give up your throne for me. I need you to be king. I need you to be the king your father isn't. Someone just and fair, and who cares about his people no matter who they are, whether they be nobleman or peasant. I couldn't be selfish and take away that kind of king from all the people who deserve it."
"Then if you won't let me give up my crown for you, will you at least wait for me? I solemnly swear to you that when I am king things will be different. We will finally be together, and you will be my Queen."
Guinevere felt tears sting her eyes. She tried to think of all of the reasons she should say no. He was a prince and she was just a servant, and the idea of them together was almost unheard of. His father would never accept them, and she doubted many of the nobility would either, which would make ruling the kingdom difficult for Arthur. He was better off without her, and marrying some princess who could be the kind of queen that he deserved. And yet, if he was willing to be brave and follow his heart, couldn't she do the same? Wasn't the risk—even to her life—worth it, because wouldn't she willingly give up her life for him anyway? And looking up into is eyes, so filled with love and hope and the promise of complete happiness if she would just wait...it was all she ever wanted, and she knew she would regret it forever if she threw away that kind of love with both her hands. So she threw all caution to the wind, and gave in. "Yes, Arthur, I will wait for you. As long as it takes."
"Really?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes, really. I love you, too, and there's nothing I would like more than to be your queen."
Arthur broke out into a wide smile. "I honestly wasn't sure that would work. You've been so distant I wondered if you still loved me anymore."
"Of course, I still loved you,'' she gently admonished him. "I never stopped loving you, and I will always love you, Arthur Pendragon. Until my dying day."
Arthur sighed with relief and pulled her close and kissed her. She would wait for him, and knowing that made him the happiest of men. As long as he had his beautiful kind wise Guinevere by his side there was nothing he couldn't do. He felt like he could slay a dragon, or conquer a warlord, or brave a perilous quest all for her. And he would do it all because she loved him, and he loved her more than words could ever express.
A/N: So I've been holding on to this story since almost right after 3x07 "The Castle of Fyrien" originally aired. I wrote it because even though I enjoyed the shippy parts of the episode it seemed a bit convoluted in a way thatt took away from things that could have been even more shippy. Like why kidnap Elyan to force Gwen to go to Arthur? Why not just cut out the middle man and make it a straight up rescue the damsel, when that's what it ended up being anyway? So I wanted to write my own headcanon of what I wanted to happen in the episode, but that would still fit with the canon of season 3.
But I've only just gotten around to being satisfied with it enough to post. Originally it was going to end the way the episode did with Gwen promising to find Arthur two dresses, but it was so depressing that I couldn't end it there. However, the last part is basically a scaled down version of 3x10 "Queen of Hearts" but without all the angsty bits. Basically this story ends in the same place QoH does with Guinevere promising to wait for Arthur and Arthur promising that they will be together when he is king. So you could say this story happens in a universe where QoH didn't happen (or only certain non-repetitive parts), but everything else is the same.
I'd really appreciate some reviews, so please let me know what you think!