The moment the cell door slammed shut and the lock was bolted in place, Arthur turned to Merlin. "Great. This is all your fault."
"How is this my fault?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's because you woke the guards with your coughing fit?"
"If you'd listened to me in the first place, then we wouldn't even have had to sneak into Camelot to retrieve your stupid sword."
"Shut up Merlin." Arthur didn't need to be reminded of how he foolishly lost his precious sword in a drunken bet. "Use your magic to get us out."
"Shh! You know magic is banned here. Are you trying to get me killed?"
Grumbling under his breath, Arthur slumped in the corner of the cell. This was getting worse and worse. First Vivian broke up with him, claiming his life was too unstable, too dangerous although he knew it was really because he didn't have as much money or land as Gregory. Then, the drunken bet which resulted in him losing Excalibur to some knight of Camelot. And now he was stuck in the Camelot dungeons. He'll probably be sentenced to a lifetime of hard labour as a final hurrah of his miserable life.
"You're making that face again."
Arthur rolled his eyes. Here they were, captured by Camelot, a kingdom not known for their generosity or kindness, especially to their enemies and there was Merlin cheerfully inspecting the dungeons and passing remarks about his face. Why, he wondered for the millionth time of his life, were they friends?
"Go away."
"I would but if you haven't noticed, we're stuck in the dungeons."
"And whose fault is that again?"
"Look, I'm sure the Queen will pardon us when we explain -"
"When we explain we are here to steal a sword from her knight? I know you're not terribly smart Merlin but you can't think that she's going to just shake her head, smack us on the hands and send us on our merry way? Also, I don't intend to leave without Excalibur."
Merlin sighed and finally settled down in the other corner of the cell. "I still cannot believe you named your sword."
"Shut up Merlin."
He supposed that had he been a lord or a king, he might have found sleeping in the cell uncomfortable but for the first time in weeks, he had a safe place to sleep in, a place he didn't have to sleep with one eye open, especially since Merlin appeared to have no sense of self-preservation and slept like a log.
As expected, after being served a breakfast of mushy gruel, some guards turned up to haul Merlin and him to see the Queen. Arthur knew little about the Queen. With the sudden death of King Uther, she was quickly thrust upon the throne just a few months ago. Rumour had it that she was as heartless and ruthless as her father but that was hardly surprising. What did they expect from a girl who was cloistered in the castle with her tyrannical father all her life?
Whatever the Queen was like, it was clear that they needed to somehow talk their way out of their predicament. Either that, or persuade Merlin that this was a good time to use his magic, something Merlin had reluctantly agreed to when they discussed their options in the wee hours of the morning. For a man so powerful, Merlin was strangely reluctant to use his magic. He glanced at Merlin. Merlin grimaced and shrugged.
Then all hell broke loose.
Shouts and screams rang in the air and the emergency bells sounded deep in the castle. All of a sudden, Arthur and Merlin found themselves abandoned in the corridors of the castle as their guards dashed off. This was convenient, thought Arthur with a growing smile. With a mutter, Merlin quickly divested them of their shackles and the two men carefully crept down the corridors. The servants and knights, in their panic, ignored them, brushing past them without a second look.
"Excalibur!"
"Are you mad?"
"Look, this is the best time to get it. Come on!" If this castle was like the one in Rhegad, and Arthur couldn't see why it wouldn't be, then the knights' quarters wouldn't be far from the dungeons. Glancing back to make sure Merlin was following, Arthur continued down the hallways, darting into rooms to check for the presence of Excalibur. Luck was clearly on their side when on the table of the fifth room they entered lay Excalibur in all it's exquisite glory. With a sigh of relief, Arthur grabbed the sword, grabbed Merlin and ran.
"Let's get out of here!" Arthur yelled as they dodged frantic knights, screaming servants and falling debris. The shouting and screaming had intensified and Arthur thought he could smell smoke. Having Excalibur in his hand was extremely comforting. If need be, he and Merlin would be able to fight their way out of Camelot. It would be quite the story to tell in the future - how he and Merlin were there when Camelot fell. And to think Camelot was one of the biggest and strongest kingdoms in Albion.
"Admit it. You don't know how to get out of the castle."
Arthur slowed down enough to glare at Merlin. "It's not easy when the whole castle is in an uproar and dashing about. Also, we are trying to avoid those skeletons trampling through the castle - you know, the ones my sword nor your magic seem able to defeat? I don't think they care particularly that we are not actually from Camelot."
"Why don't we just jump out from a window? Surely any room will have one."
"I'm amazed Merlin. A promising idea from you?"
"Here." Merlin pushed open an ornate door and gestured for Arthur to get in. "I think this room probably faces the - oh."
Oh indeed. The room was not empty. A young lady stood in the room, her sword drawn and pointing at them. While her eyes shone defiantly, Arthur noticed that she was trembling. A sense of protectiveness swamped him as he looked at her.
"Who are you?" Her voice shook but she lifted her chin as if to make up for it. Her eyes were dark and she stared them down. "Why are you here?"
Merlin spoke first. "Hey, we're not here to hurt you. We're just trying to get to safety. You shouldn't be here either. It looks like the castle is about to taken down by a bunch of rampaging bones."
Yanking open the window, Arthur peered out. It was quite the drop but Merlin probably knew a spell to manage that. He looked back at the sword-wielding lady. Her sword had dipped a little but she still stood there and watched them warily. There was no way he could leave her there, not when he could hear the clacking of bones outside the room.
Merlin was already at the window muttering. Without a second thought, Arthur grabbed the lady's hand and pulled her to the window.
"I can't -"
"You'll die if you stay and believe me, dying isn't as romantic as people seem to think."
Unceremoniously, he picked her up and tossed her out of the window and jumped out after her. As expected, Merlin ensured they all landed safely in the courtyard below. The lady still seemed in shock so Arthur took her hand again, pulling her with them as they ran out of the castle and into the nearby forest before finally letting go as he leaned against a tree to catch his breath. The lady too slumped against another tree, breathing heavily. Merlin simply collapsed onto the ground.
For a few minutes, no one said anything. Then she slid to the ground and started to sob. Arthur turned to Merlin, whose only response was to widen his eyes and look absolutely terrified. Brilliant. It looked like Merlin was going to be completely useless. Sitting himself next to the lady, Arthur patted her shoulder awkwardly. He thought that would make her realise that she wasn't alone and she would stop crying. He certainly didn't expect her to turn and fling herself into his arms. Instinctively, his arms wrapped around her as she buried her face into his shoulder and sobbed.
"Rub her back," whispered Merlin as he mimed the actions as if Arthur was incapable of comprehending what rubbing someone's back meant. Arthur shook his head. He wasn't about to rub a random stranger's back, no matter how hard she was crying or how pretty she was. Merlin frowned, as if he disagreed with Arthur. "Comforting," he mouthed. If it wasn't completely inappropriate, Arthur would have simply passed the lady to Merlin since he was such an expert on comforting people. Rolling his eyes, Arthur continued to awkwardly pat her shoulder.
She hiccuped and pulled away. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have just - oh, I'm so sorry." Her eyes were red from crying and a slight blush painted her cheeks. "Oh god. Camelot is gone. Oh god." The pain in her voice was palpable and for a moment, Arthur didn't know what to say. Merlin too seemed similarly tongue-tied and for a while the three of them just sat there watching the smoke rise from the burning kingdom. The end of an era, Arthur thought. King Uther had been such an imposing king, ruling with such ruthlessness and terror, that it was unsurprising that his death would lead to Camelot's collapse. Briefly, he wondered what happened to the Queen, his daughter.
Footsteps. They could be more other refugees or they could be skeletons. Arthur had no intention of finding out. "Come on! Let's go. We're too near the castle."
They ran, stumbling over roots and rocks, pushing through foliage until they could run no more. Finally, when the only sounds they could hear were from the forest, they rested. Merlin busied himself checking what supplies they had while Arthur scouted the area.
"We can probably rest here a while. I doubt we're important enough for anyone to tail us all the way here."
"The skeletons were quite determined. I wonder who was behind them. That was some powerful magic." Merlin said as he settled against a tree.
"Morgana." The lady looked at them blankly. It was clear she was still in shock. "It must have been Morgana."
Morgana. Arthur immediately darted a glance at Merlin who for once didn't have his feelings written all over his face. Instinctively, he moved closer to Merlin.
Finally Merlin spoke, his voice terse. "Morgana. High Priestess of the Old Religion?"
The lady looked sharply at Merlin. "You know her?"
"Doesn't everybody?" Arthur interrupted quickly while keeping an eye on Merlin. "But what does she want with Camelot?"
Again the lady hesitated and Merlin answered instead. "She wants revenge for the magic purge."
Arthur caught the slight shift in the lady's expression. "Don't mind him. He's in a bad mood because I made him come to Camelot with me. We're off to Rhegad and you're welcome to join us if you want." It seemed the right thing to say to change the subject and really, all she had was a sword and in her distress, it seemed awful to simply leave her in the forest. And looking at the way she was dressed, she was likely someone important in Camelot and that could only be to his and Merlin's benefit. They could get rewarded for saving her life.
The lady stood and looked back as if she could still see Camelot. For a while she said nothing. Then, as if coming to a decision, she let out a shuddering breath but when she turned back to them, her face was stoic and her voice calm. "Yes please."
"How about a name then?" Merlin's mood having apparently cleared up, ambled up to her and stretched out his arm. "I'm Merlin, general dogsbody to this bully right here."
"I'm - er - my name is Gwen." She shook Merlin's hand. "You're his servant?"
"We're supposed to be friends but Arthur -"
"Shut up Merlin. I'm Arthur." Her warm fingers curled around his hand and he couldn't help the noticing how smooth her palm was. She was no servant. Hopefully by delivering her safely to Rhegad, he and Merlin would get enough to last a few weeks.
She smiled tentatively at him and something tugged at his heart. Immediately, he dropped her hand. "We should keep moving."
Gwen had no idea who these two men were or where they came from but she realised she had little choice at the moment. As defeated as she felt, as much as she just wanted to curl up and pretend that the last few hours didn't happen, she needed to pull herself together. Morgana might be victorious now but Gwen was going to make sure that her victory didn't last. While she may not be the best ruler, at least she loved her people. Morgana only wanted control of Camelot to make a point. And if she needed to make nice with these two men and then beg on her knees in Rhegad in order to save Camelot from Morgana, then she would. She would not fail her kingdom a second time.
It was that thought that kept her trudging through the forest in the company of the two strange men. At first she feared that they were Morgana's men but they seemed to have no idea who she was and if they were trying to kidnap her, they were doing a very poor job. She was unshackled and still had her sword.
Keeping herself slightly behind the two men, she used the chance to examine them. The skinnier one had magic and that scared her although she was careful not to show it. Her father had been convinced that magic was the root of all evil and she'd no reason to question it. All her life, she watched as various magic users attempted to use their power to undermine Camelot or to kill her father. She was aware that Merlin had used his magic to rescue her and with his friendly smile and open manner, he seemed far removed from all the other magic users she encountered. But he knew Morgana and she wondered at their connection.
The other was quieter when not barking out orders at them. He seemed to know his way around the forest and carried himself with an air of confidence, bordering on arrogance. Yet he had been unfailingly polite on the rare occasions he addressed her. They seemed so different. She wondered what brought them together.
"Bandits! Get down!" Arthur quickly grabbed her and pulled her down behind a bush. She watched apprehensively as a group of about six men moved near them, the leader insisting that he had heard voices just moments before.
"They must be here somewhere. Keep looking."
"Ok, here's the plan. Merlin to deal with the two stragglers over there. I'll deal with the rest and you back me up." Arthur nodded at her and she nodded her agreement. While she had trained in sword fighting before, she had never been in an actual, honest to goodness sword fight before. "On my signal."
It was both incredibly terrifying and exhilarating. Certainly, Arthur did most of the fighting and she realised he was frightfully good at it - good enough to put many of her knights to shame. But she wasn't some useless damsel in distress, not when she successfully distracted one of the men who was sneaking up on him. Her proudest moment came when she disarmed on of the bandits, laying him open for Arthur to subdue.
A strange warmth filled her when Arthur turned to her after tying up the bandits and smiled widely. "Good job. You're pretty good with a sword." She tried to say thank you but nothing came out and so she settled on a returning smile. No one had praised her before without an ulterior motive and it felt good. Actually it felt brilliant.
"What will you do with them?" Merlin had magically secured them while Arthur took their weapons and deposited them some distance away.
"Merlin's ties will loosen in a few hours and they can make their way back to wherever they came from."
They were strange, Gwen thought as they continued walking. The bandits had gold on them and a stash of weapons. Yet they took nothing.
The rest of the journey that day was uneventful and idle conversation distracted them from the tedium of their walk. Merlin was the chattier of the two but both were open enough. There was an obvious affection between them even as Arthur spent most of the time teasing Merlin. As she watched them, she felt a twinge of jealousy. What would it be like to have a friendship like theirs? All her life, she'd been surrounded by maids and knights and while they provided enough company when her father was away, she was always conscious of the vast divide that lay between her and them. Before the familiar pang of loneliness could raise its head, Merlin turned back to her and beckoned her to walk with them. Pleased to be included, she smiled shyly and increased her pace.
Soon enough, they exhausted the weather and silly things Merlin did as conversation topics. Things then turned slightly more personal. Despite telling herself she needed to keep her distance - they were really only a means to an end for her - she couldn't contain her curiosity.
"What do the two of you do? And why were you in Camelot?"
"We run errands, escort goods, defend people - anything that pays us really. Well, anything that isn't evil that pays us. We have morals, you know. " Merlin smiled at her then gestured to her clothes. "A far cry from you I expect."
"I - I work in the castle. As a handmaiden to one of the ladies."
Arthur frowned at those words but said nothing. Merlin continued to talk. "Better than us. After our homes in Rhegad burned down and the King refused to help repair them, we've been moving around. On a good day, we can afford a few nights at the tavern."
"And you aspire to nothing more?" It was the wrong thing to say. Merlin stopped talking and Arthur's eyes narrowed.
"We make an honest living and we're happy. I'm sorry you feel we are unworthy. Feel free to leave our company at any time." Arthur stalked ahead, leaving Merlin to shoot her an apologetic look and shrug.
Tense silence dominated the rest of the walk.
She stared at the burning flames, watching as sparks jumped into the air. Had the fighting in Camelot ended? How many of her people were dead? How many of them suffering? Was she doing the right thing by going to Rhegad? Should she have gone back to Camelot instead and stood with her people? The questions swam in her head but she had no answers. All she could do was hope to reach Rhegad as soon as possible and hope that all was not lost by then. Raising her eyes from the fire, she saw Merlin and Arthur in deep conversation.
She sighed. She should apologise for what she said but she didn't know how. No one had ever expected apologies from her before. But for some reason, the fact that two of them seemed unhappy with her hurt deeply and she desperately wanted to make it right. For a moment, after the bandit attack and when they were laughing together, she felt for once like she had friends. People who liked her for her. Then she had to ruin it all with her words. They probably regretted having her around and she wouldn't be surprised if they tried to abandon her in the forest.
So when Merlin plopped himself next to her, she jumped.
He held out a water flask. "Have some water."
"Thank you." Was this a peace offering?
"Don't worry about earlier."
"I didn't mean to offend."
"I know. Give Arthur some time and he'll realise that too. He can be a little slow. He used to be a blacksmith in Rhegar until our homes burned down in the great fire a few months ago. He lost everything and well, rebuilding was more or less impossible. He's pretty nifty with a sword and I've magic so we figured we'll run errands until we can save up to rebuild our homes."
"Oh." Gwen made a note to reward them once she sorted out Camelot.
"Yeah. And a month after the fire, his then beau dumped him with more or less the same words you used, accusing him of not aspiring for more. So really, you just rubbed a raw nerve." He smiled. "Don't worry. We won't just leave you in the woods."
"Thank you. You are good people."
That made Merlin laugh. Then he stopped and looked at her seriously. "I'm not sure how to say this but you come from Camelot."
"Yes?"
"And I know that magic is banned there and that the general sentiment is that magic is evil." He continued to look at her but she said nothing, unsure of how to react. "The thing is, it isn't. It's a tool - like a sword or a pot. And I know some very bad people have used it to do really terrible stuff but magic alone isn't bad."
"Why are you telling me this?" Her hands twisted in her lap. Uther had been very firm in his beliefs that magic was evil. What Merlin was saying contradicted everything she had been taught, yet Gwen found herself wanting to believe him.
"I saw the way you looked at me when I lit the fire."
"Oh. It still scares me - magic," she admitted. "And before you, I've only ever seen people use it for evil."
"Arthur thinks you might reveal my secret. I told him you didn't seem the sort. I hope I'm not wrong."
Gwen glanced up and saw Arthur watching them disapprovingly. "No. No, I won't betray your secret. I owe you that at least."
Merlin smiled. "Good. I don't suppose you want to see the fire dance?"
"Why not?" His smile was infectious and she grinned back at him.
As she watched Merlin make the flames dance in patterns, she thought about how many things she never questioned when she was princess. It was so easy to think her father knew everything - that he was the perfect king. But he didn't and he wasn't the perfect king. Far from it. And his actions had led her into this mess.
He told Merlin to watch himself around Gwen seeing that she was from Camelot and who knows how she felt about magic. So what did he do? Show her more magic. As much power as Merlin had, sometimes Arthur wondered how Merlin ever survived without him. He was pretty sure that Gwen was lying about working as a handmaid in the castle but she probably had her reasons. And he was feeling slightly bad about his reaction to her words earlier, especially when she looked so crushed after what he said.
But now, her eyes were sparkling and he could hear her giggle. In the firelight, she looked almost ethereal. As they chatted and laughed, Arthur had to admit they looked cute together. Hopefully Merlin was smart enough to realise nothing was going to come out of it. Arthur was pretty sure she was a noble lady. It was in the way she carried herself, the way she spoke. He had to admit that he was impressed that she hadn't complained at all when they had to trek through mud earlier. She also showed herself to be quite handy with a sword when the small group of bandits attacked them - not terribly skilled but at least she knew what she was doing. Plus she was brave. And earlier, before her comment, he had enjoyed talking to her.
He shook his head. He needed to stop thinking about her like this.
Somehow, she seemed to know he was thinking about her and looked up at him. A hesitant smile crossed her face and he sighed. Pushing himself from the tree, he made his way over.
"I'm sorry." She looked uncertainly at him.
He shrugged and sat down next to Merlin. "So I see Merlin is showing off his magic."
Later, the three of them huddled around the campfire after a meager dinner. Merlin continued to chatter about his life, spilling both his and Arthur's history to Gwen. She listened attentively, asking Arthur questions and laughing at Merlin's attempts at humor. He liked it when she laughed - it took the haunted look out of her eyes.
In the middle of the second day, they came across a lake. Somehow, Gwen found herself slipping on an extra shirt from Merlin and wading into the water with them. What was supposed to be a relaxing dip in the lake quickly morphed into a water fight when Arthur splashed water on her as she was floating by. Soon, the three of them were splashing water at each other and Arthur was pouting as she and Merlin joined forces against him.
"This isn't fair! I'm leaving you two kids here." Gwen watched as Arthur stalked out of the lake, water dripping off him. He looked like an angel, all blond hair and smooth skin. Something stirred in her stomach and she felt her face heat up.
Merlin splashed some water at her. "To cool you down," he smirked as he left the lake after Arthur.
They lay in the sun to dry off and for a while, all Gwen could think of was Arthur glistening in the sun, the way his blue eyes lit up when he smiled and the way his muscles had moved in the water. Her stomach clenched in guilt. Here she was lying in the sun, having fantasies about Arthur as her kingdom burned. What kind of Queen was she?
"Shall we make a move?" She jumped up. The faster she got to Rhegad, the better.
Merlin and Arthur seemed taken back by her declaration but they said nothing as they got off the ground and got ready to move on. Again, she found her eyes going to Arthur again and she flushed. She suspected she might be in trouble.
"Watch this!" Merlin muttered a few words and the fire took the shape of a butterfly, eliciting a gasp from Gwen. Arthur smiled. She was like a child, the way her eyes lit up with wonderment every time Merlin showed her his magic.
"I never knew you were such a flirt, Merlin," Arthur walked over to them and settled next to Gwen. "Why don't you use your magic and get us some food for dinner?"
Merlin grumbled good-naturedly before moving off.
"You two are very close, aren't you?" Gwen sidled slightly closer to him.
"We've known each other for a long time. And Merlin's mother more or less brought me up."
They lapsed into silence and Arthur noticed that the haunted look had returned to her eyes. For once, he wished he had magic like Merlin and could make her smile again. "Are you alright?"
Turning to him, she smiled sadly. "I was just thinking of Camelot. I shouldn't be here. I should be back there, helping."
"If Morgana is behind this and with her magic, what could you have done?"
"I don't know. I just - why was I in that room you entered? What have I done to deserve to live?"
"Hey." Without thinking, Arthur slipped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "If you stayed in Camelot, you'd have been killed. What use would you be dead? At least now, when we get to Rhegad, you can petition the king for assistance."
He rubbed her back, smiling wryly as he thought back to the first day they met. Over the past three days, somehow Gwen managed to worm her way into his and Merlin's affections. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he enjoyed having her around. He felt her relax slightly and lean against him. Maybe Merlin was right - rubbing backs was a good idea.
"You're probably right. Thank you." Her eyes met his blue ones. Warmth blazed from them, filling her with courage. "Would you consider us friends?"
As he was about to answer, Merlin returned and deposited his haul onto the ground in front of them. "What do you think Merlin? Gwen wants to know if we are friends."
Merlin grinned widely. "Of course we're friends. I don't lend my shirts to just anyone." Then Merlin frowned. "Why are you two all snuggled together?"
It was odd how it felt like Gwen had been a part of their little group forever. He didn't like it. She was a noble lady, someone worlds apart from him and Merlin. Under normal circumstances, they would never have met, much less interacted. Only now, shielded from reality by the forest, they played a dangerous game, pretending that nothing separated them, that they could be friends. And yet, he found himself unable to keep his distance. Instead, with every conversation, he learned more about her and told her more about himself.
Merlin had no such worries. Arthur watched, not without some jealousy, as Merlin and Gwen giggled over something. He supposed it helped that Merlin wasn't having inappropriate thoughts of Gwen at the most inopportune moments.
"Arthur!" She wandered over to him as he lay the firewood on the ground, preparing for yet another night in the forest. "Here let me help."
"Thanks. Where did Merlin go?"
"He said something about getting more wood. He told me it's another day at least before we reach Rhegad."
"That's right. What will you do there?"
"I know people there. I hope they will lend me some assistance."
"You know, you're a pretty good travelling companion. Why don't you join us?" It was meant to be a joke but the moment he said the words, he realised that it wasn't something he would be opposed to.
She took it as a joke. "And sleep on cold, hard, lumpy ground every night? I cannot wait."
"You'll have my company. I've been told I'm quite charming."
A blush appeared on her cheeks. "I've heard." Then something shifted in the air. She bit her lip and reached out a hand to touch his cheek.
Arthur immediately covered her hand with his, enjoying the feel of her soft flesh under his. "Gwen." His eyes dropped to her lips and suddenly, it didn't matter that she was probably a noble lady and that there was no reason to believe any relationship with her would go anywhere.
"Arthur." She swallowed and he recognised the desire in her eyes.
Then he was kissing her, softly at first. But when she opened her mouth and moaned, he pulled her closer to him and deepened the kiss. Until his lips met hers, he didn't realise just how much he'd been wanting to do this. And it was everything he thought it would be. She was soft and sweet and perfect.
She giggled and he pulled away, grinning at her.
"I've been thinking about kissing you since we took that dip in the lake." Her eyes didn't meet his and her blush seemed to have deepened. His heart contracted and he took her hand in his.
"Well," he said as he let one finger slide down her cheek, "I've been wanting to kiss you since you laughed at Merlin's terrible jokes."
"So why have we stopped?"
He leaned his forehead against hers and murmured against her lips, "I don't know." And he kissed her again.
Arthur knew that Merlin knew but he pretended that Merlin didn't. Merlin though wouldn't stop smirking despite the death glares he kept sending Merlin's way. Of course, Merlin was always slightly slow on the uptake. Why he couldn't be slow about guessing the change in his and Gwen's relationship, Arthur didn't know.
It was almost like a game, sneaking kisses behind Merlin's back. And shrouded by the forest, it was easy to pretend that they lived in a separate reality in which titles didn't matter and fairy tales came true. For the whole day, they walked side by side, sharing secret smiles and not-so-accidental touches.
"Really, you two are as subtle as thunder."
"Shut up Merlin."
But then, Arthur took Gwen's hand and pulled her to him, lacing his fingers with hers. Merlin grinned at them, eyes twinkling.
One more night before they entered the forests surrounding Rhegad. The forest floor was no more uncomfortable than any other forest floor he had slept on before but that night, Arthur found himself unable to sleep. After tossing and turning for a good half an hour, Arthur gave up and went to sit at the fire with Gwen who was on night watch duty. She watched him carefully as he approached. Settling down on the log beside her, Arthur slipped an arm around her shoulders and they sat side by side in silence. Her eyes were haunted again and he wanted so much to take her pain away. Yet he was reluctant to push her to reveal her secrets.
"That's a beautiful sword." It was Gwen who finally broke the silence. "Very well crafted."
"It is. My mother made it for me."
"Can I hold it?" Usually Arthur was very protective of the sword. Merlin was the only other person he allowed to handle it. But for some reason, he drew sword from its sheath and passed it over to her. The awe in her eyes made him smile. "I've never seen such delicate workmanship. Not even in the royal armoury."
"My mother, she was a blacksmith. This was the last sword she made."
Gwen handed the sword back to him. "It's a gorgeous sword. I wish I had something of my mother's too. All I have are vague memories. Sometimes I don't even know if I am making them up."
Slowly he sheathed his sword. "I have no memories of my mother at all. Just this sword. I'm not sure what is better."
"I don't know either. All I know is that I want to be half the person my mother was. She was kind, brave and just. Everyone loved her." Her voice faltered. "Look at me. My kingdom falls and I run away." He could hear the tears in her voice and he tightened his hold on her. Then the words she muttered hit him.
She wasn't just any noble lady. This was the Queen of Camelot. Queen Guinevere. Gwen. He should have known.
It was probably a good thing that the remaining journey to Rhegad was short because Gwen could hardly bear the tension that hung between the three of them. She desperately wanted to turn back time, take back her words. In silence, they walked until the turrets of Rhegad's castle could be seen in the distance.
She had to talk to them before they reached the main town.
"Arthur, Merlin." They stopped, turned to face her but said nothing. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you who I was."
"I am sure you had your reasons, your highness." She winced at Arthur's use of her title, knowing that he was doing it on purpose.
"Arthur." Merlin said warningly, leading to Arthur shaking his head and walking off, leaving her alone with Merlin. "He's being unreasonable. I'm sure you've noticed he has such tendencies."
Not trusting her voice, she nodded.
"You know, we all have our secrets. Even Arthur. Even me." He smiled. She couldn't help but smile back.
"Thanks."
The rest of the journey to the main gates of Rhegad continued in silence but this time, Merlin walked with her and she drew comfort from his acceptance. Arthur still walked in front, his back stiff and his strides angry. A few kisses and hand holding and already it hurt so much. Maybe her father was right - she was too soft to be a good Queen. Maybe Camelot would be better ruled by Morgana.
No.
Lifting her chin, she walked the rest of the distance to the main gates. She was Queen and if she wasn't a good Queen, then she would learn how to be one.
"Halt! Who goes there?" The gates were closed which probably meant that the kingdom was on alert. News of Camelot's fall must have reached them.
"It's just us, Sir Percival. Arthur and Merlin."
"Nice to see you two are safe. And who's the lady with you?"
"This," said Arthur, "is Queen Guinevere of Camelot. We escorted her to Rhegad as she wishes to speak with the King."
"My lady." The knight bowed.
"Sir Percival. I would be most grateful if you can get me an audience with the King."
"I'm sure Sir Lancelot here will be delighted to take you to the castle." Percival gestured to a knight who stood slightly behind. With a nod to Merlin (who waved jauntily) and Arthur (who looked away), she followed Lancelot into town. So many times, she wanted to turn back to them but what was there to say? As they turned the corner, she looked over her shoulder, hoping to catch one last glimpse of them. They were no longer at the gate.
She hadn't even thanked them for their company.
"I wasn't sure you'd survived Morgana's attack. I'm glad you did." King Melby said as they sat down to dinner together. Having had a warm bath and now dressed clean clothes, Gwen was feeling good, physically at least. Dinner smelled delicious and as she took a sip of the wine at the table, she found her mind wandering to Arthur and Merlin. Were they tucking into a good dinner as well? She hoped they were.
"You are more than welcomed to stay and enjoy our hospitality, Guinevere. Your father was a good ally of ours."
She placed her fork on the table and looked up at the elderly king. "Thank you but I cannot stay long. I must get back to my people."
"Surely Camelot is lost. Morgana wields powerful magic. It is said only one person can defeat her but no one knows if he even exists."
"Who?" Hope blossomed in her chest.
King Melby sighed and leaned back. "The druids call him Emrys. He has been said to be Morgana's doom. But no one knows what he looks like, where he lives or if he even exists."
"Then I must find him."
"Guinevere." She stiffened. The king had taken on the tone she heard often from her father and more recently from her council members. It was the tone that said I know better than you, listen to me. "Camelot is lost. How will you find him? Many people have tried and failed."
"Perhaps if you could spare me some of your knights -"
"I can spare you a few but it will be a futile quest. I myself have sent many men to search for this Emrys, but he's like the wind. How would you fare any different?" Then he placed a hand over hers. "I have a proposition for you instead."
"My wife passed away some years ago and my son was killed in battle recently. I have no heir and you are a Queen without a kingdom." King Melby's words echoed in her head.
Naive. That was what she was. Naive. Foolish. And a failure as Queen.
After King Melby suggested she marry him and be his Queen, a suggestion she never saw coming, she immediately pleaded tiredness and escaped to her room. Now, she sat staring out of the window into the starless sky, wondering what her next move should be. She had been so certain Rhegad would be as eager to divest Morgana from the throne that it never occurred to her that King Melby would be reluctant to send aid.
There was only one thing to do. She needed to find Emrys. And soon.