Camelot's knights anxiously awaited the arrival of Merlin in the armory, hopeful he would have some insight for them on their King's foul temper. When he finally arrived, they all spoke at one. "Did he tell you anything?" "What did he say?" "Is it about Gwen?"
"Hello to you, too, I did get him to talk, and it was as we suspected."
"So it is about Gwen?" Elyan questioned.
"What is about Gwen?" asked Arthur from the entrance.
They all flinched as a group. "Oh we were just talking about her house." Merlin improvised on the spot knowing that Arthur had forbidden them to speak her name. Arthur raised an eyebrow in response as he knew that the knights were worried about him and his moods.
"Do you not have anything better to do, Merlin? Or do you need to clean out the stables again?"
"Arthur!" Gwaine spoke out. "You need to snap out of this sulk and do what you need to do."
"You dare speak out against me? Do you want to join Guinevere in banishment?"
"It would be better than staying here with you in a girlish sulk!" Gwaine responded. "Why don't you join Gwen? Sort out your problems and speak to her."
Everyone thought that Gwaine had gone too far but Arthur remained silent glaring at Gwaine as if wondering how he could punish him for his outspoken words. "I won't accept anymore talk on the matter. Now I'm going to training and I expect the rest of you in 5 minutes with your mouths shut."
The knights watched Arthur leave, wondering if he would ever think to talk to Gwen and sort out what had happened between them.
Resigned to his fate of cleaning out the stables an hour after he'd already performed the task, Merlin was asked to return to Arthur's chambers after training, although he didn't relish the prospect he followed the request. He was still worried about Arthur and felt it was his place to listen to him and try to help him get back to Gwen. After all Arthur was fated to marry Gwen and Merlin didn't know whether he had to play a role in their reunion but he was hoping Arthur would act before he had to. After entering the room, he found Arthur writing.
Without looking up, Arthur said, "Merlin, you know where Gwen is don't you? I need to find her."
"Why should I tell you? You've hurt her so much you need to promise you will listen to her."
"Merlin!"
"She's my friend; I had to watch her cry as she pulled her cart from Camelot. I don't want to see her abandoned again. I don't think she can take that hurt again."
"I can't promise that I'll never hurt her again but I want a chance to listen to her and regain her trust. You were right she does deserve my love and I should have had more trust in her. Guinevere was always honest and true."
"She's with my mother in Ealdor."
"We ride for Ealdor in the morning. Oh and Merlin thank your mother for taking care of Guinevere."
Merlin bowed to Arthur pleased at his words and appreciation for his mother. It was rare for Arthur to thank anyone and for him to say thank you to him, made him smile.
A month after the battle for Camelot, Ealdor had settled back into the normal and quiet village it was. The excitement of King Arthur and his knights retreating to Ealdor readying to battle Morgana had waned, the children still pretended to be knights and fight with wooden swords. Gwen was thankful for the quietness and normality the village provided, and could she have had some of her friends with her, everything would be perfect.
Hunith, Merlin's mother, had received an urgent letter which she had received and read with pleasure. The letter had been from Merlin informing her that Merlin was coming to visit in a day or two. Hunith was happy as she shared the news.
Gwen didn't know what to make of the news, she was happy that Merlin was coming, but found herself wondering whether Arthur would join him. Would he come to express his regrets in not forgiving her? When she remember what had happened between her and Lancelot, she was full or regret but when she considered how Arthur refused to listen to her before he had condemned her, her anger returned to him, and how betrayed she'd felt when all his words of love had obviously been hollow.
She did not think it likely that she would see him again, except perhaps if he was ever in the kingdom. He would move on, marry and have children with another woman. Therefore, it took her completely by surprise when Merlin arrived four days later with Arthur. She settled down on a chair and picked up her needlework determined to appear composed and content with her life in Ealdor. On Merlin and Arthur's entrance, Gwen kept her eyes locked on her needlework, and without betraying her inner turmoil said hello to them both.
"Hello Gwen, I'm so happy to see you!" Merlin spoke with his usual enthusiasm and wrapped her in a tight hug.
"Hello Merlin, it's nice to see you as well. I hope all is well with you." she replied, she couldn't force herself to say the words I hope all is well in Camelot. It would bring her to tears to remember the home she was forever forbidden from.
The room fell silent as Gwen returned to her needlework. "Guinevere, I'm also happy to see you." Arthur broke the silence and with all her courage Gwen forced herself to look up at him, seeing that he was as nervous as she was at this meeting. She put down her needlework and determined to be at least civil with him.
"I hope all is well in Camelot and that Morgana has stayed away." Gwen responded trying to find a neutral subject.
"Yes, everything is fine and Morgana has kept away for now." Silence once again fell in the room and Arthur cursed himself for not being able to express how he really felt upon seeing Guinevere again. He had done quite well and admired the fact that Guinevere appeared calm but the shaking of her hands revealed how uncomfortable she was with him.
"I'm glad that everything is well in the kingdom, but I enjoy the peacefulness and calm here." Arthur knew she was making a pointed remark at how different and happy she was without the fast pace of Camelot and how happy she was without him.
Gwen was startled to find that Hunith and Merlin had long retreated from the room, probably not wishing to get caught in the conflict. She was glad of it; she didn't want them having to feel that they needed to take sides.
"Guinevere, I wondered if you would give me an opportunity to talk with you, and listen to your point of view on what happened between us."
Gwen was taken aback by Arthur's request to speak, but she was pleased to know that he realized that he should listen to her; it made her hopeful that his character had changed. She was far from certain about whether she should give him an opportunity, whether she should give him a chance. However, she could not see any reason to refuse him if he was willing to listen to her. "I would be glad to talk to you, but you have to listen to what I have to say."
Arthur had noticed her hesitation in agreeing to speak to him, and though disappointed, reminded himself that he would have to be patient and take it very slowly in rebuilding a new relationship with her. He wanted this to be successful, he wanted Guinevere back, but he would have to be careful not to rush her. He had managed to remain calm and had promised himself to tread carefully but when he walked into the room and saw her, with her beautiful eyes cast away from him and her curls tumbled down her shoulders, he was immediately seized with need for her affection, and prepared to do whatever it took to earn back her trust and love.
"How long do you plan on staying in Ealdor?" she asked, and then quickly realized that her question might sound like she wanted him gone as soon as possible.
'As long as it takes." Arthur responded mysteriously with his thoughts realizing that he might have given away his plan with those words. "That is to say, however long Merlin wants to stay."
"Well, that is nice, in two weeks I'm going to be moving to Mercia as I've been offered a position as a lady's maid," she replied, relieved that she would be leaving him if he planned to stay longer than that.
That only gives me two weeks, he thought. Enough time to earn back her love, if everything goes well.
Merlin returned to the house with his mother, and Hunith invited them to stay with her.
"We wouldn't want to intrude on your hospitality," Arthur said, "there is only enough room for you and Guinevere and I don't want to force you out of your home. We already have rooms at the inn."
Hunith looked relieved at his words, as she'd been wondering whether Gwen would panic with Arthur under the same roof as him. The men both went away leaving Gwen and Hunith puzzling over Arthur's gracious and polite manner.
"Perhaps he regrets the way he treated you, and is here to ask for your forgiveness," Hunith spoke, clearly guessing at Gwen's thoughts. "Hopefully he will be as pleasant and kind the whole time he is here."
A/N: I was watching a repeat of the first episode of series 5 of Doctor Who and realized that one of the actors in it was Tom Hopper (Percival) nearly all of the cast of Merlin have been in Doctor Who. Richard, Anthony, Angel, Colin, Georgia and Tom have all been in Doctor Who.