"How long is he going stay here for?"
Guinevere took a deep breath and turned to Val, "as long as he needs," she told him.
"What happened to the flat where he was staying?"
"I'm trying to get him away from those friends of his," she explained to him, "I don't like what they're turning him into."
"Surely he has enough money to get his own place," Val told her.
"If he did we wouldn't be having this conversation now, would we?" she threw the dish cloth into the sink. "Besides, this is my flat and he is my brother."
"I know, I know," Valiant pulled her close; "I'm not suggesting that you throw your brother out into the streets but this place isn't big enough for the three of us."
"It's a good thing the three of us don't live here then."
"I didn't mean to offend you," Valiant said, "And I'm sorry if I did but Elyan doesn't really like me much."
"He doesn't know you," Gwen told him.
Valiant wanted to press his point; he didn't like Elyan and didn't want live to live with him but like Gwen had reminded him this was her flat not his so she could do whatever she wanted. He couldn't wait for them to get married and live together in his house.
"Sorry, I meant to ask earlier about the money," Gwen had briefly explained about Elyan's plight when Valiant had called her the night before asking if they could meet for drinks, "but seeing as he's here you must have got it somehow."
"Yes."
"It's a lucky thing that you father left you a bit of money," Valiant continued, "otherwise you'd have had to encroach on the money we're putting away for our life together."
"Yes," Gwen agreed again, she didn't bother to tell him that the money their father had left them on his death wasn't yet available to them and wouldn't be for a few more years.
"Still, it's such a shame that you had to use it to bail Elyan out," Valiant said, "it would have been put to much better use you know, like a small cottage in the country or even a boat."
"We don't really need any of those things," Gwen said.
"No we don't," he agreed, "certainly not right now, but who knows how we'll feel in a few months' time."
"I'm sure I'll never want a boat," Gwen told him.
"Boats are all the rage," Valiant told her, "I know you've been sheltered all your life but you're now going to join the big leagues. Trust me, anyone who's anyone has a boat docked somewhere."
"Well, like you said, we don't have to think about that now."
"Sorry," he touched his forehead as if he'd just remembered something, "I always forget that we come from different backgrounds but never fear you'll soon learn how to live like us."
If there was anything Guinevere hated about Valiant it was that he thought of himself more highly than he ought; sure his parents had money but she was also from a good family, as good as his at least, and she'd gone to very good schools, much better than his. The only differences she could see were that her parents were dead while his were alive and that she'd decided to train as a nurse while he was a doctor. It made her so mad when he tried to teach her about 'appropriate behaviour' as he called it; her manners were far better than his.
"Please tell me you're going to change," he said.
"Change?" she asked him, "what's wrong with my dress?" She was wearing a yellow thin strapped dress with a fitted bodice that floated just above her knees. She loved her dress.
"There's nothing wrong with it, babe," he replied, "but we're meeting Jeffrey and his wife at Martinelli's."
"Jeffrey and his wife?" it was the first she was hearing of it; she had never met Jeffrey but Valiant talked about him all the time.
"Yes," Valiant told her, "I ran into them last night and they invited us to join them for lunch today."
"I can't," she told him.
"You're not working today are you?"
"You know, I'm not," she replied, "but I have to sort out Elyan's stuff."
"Yes, I should have thought of that."
"You should still go and meet them," Guinevere said, "I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do."
"You don't mind, do you?"
"Of course not," she smiled at him, "you go, have fun, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Tomorrow's not good," he said, "I have a long list but I'll call you later today." He pecked her cheek and walked to the door.
Elyan entered the kitchen just as Valiant closed the door behind him. "I can't believe you're going married to that guy," he told her.
"What's wrong with Valiant?"
"Nothing," Elyan replied, "he's a good man I guess."
"Just spit it out Elyan."
"You haven't really known him long," Elyan said, "how can you be sure you want to marry him?"
"I've known him for almost two years," Gwen told him, "and besides what has that got to do with getting married?"
"He doesn't like me," he told her, "I'm sure he's very unhappy about my being here."
"You don't like him either," Gwen reminded him.
"I don't," Elyan agreed, "and I think this thing between you is a mistake."
"This thing between us is known as an engagement," Gwen said, "and we're getting married in December."
"You haven't even said anything about loving him," Elyan said.
"Of course I love him," Gwen snapped, "I wouldn't be with him otherwise."
"You don't seem happy or in love," Elyan said.
"I've never been in love so you don't know if this is my in love look," Gwen replied.
"Fine, whatever," Elyan picked up his rucksack.
"Where are you going?" she asked him.
"I'm meeting some friends," Elyan said.
"Which ones?"
"I don't have to tell you who I'm meeting," Elyan complained, "I am not a child."
"Then stop acting like one," Gwen said, "just yesterday someone threatened to bring your severed head to this house."
"Gwen, I already said I was sorry," Elyan said, "Agravaine likes to make people think that he's some sort of gangster."
"So who are you meeting?"
"I promised I wouldn't say a word."
"It's important to keep promises," Gwen said, "but I promise you either you tell me who you're meeting or you don't leave this flat."
"Fine," he sighed, "I'm meeting Arthur and his friends."
"Arthur? Why?"
"They said that if I want to fight I should get proper training and maybe even actually get paid for it," Elyan told her, "there's taking me to their gym or something."
"I don't think I like the sound of that."
"You should have seen Arthur and Gwaine fight last night," Elyan said, "it was the coolest thing ever."
Gwen had been forced to stay outside with Merlin while Arthur, Gwaine and Leon had gone in to get Elyan; additionally when they'd returned they had refused to tell her exactly what had gone on inside but judging from the lack of injuries on their bodies she had assumed that they had just talked.
"They fought to get you out?" she was horrified.
"Gwen I promised not to say anything about that as well," Elyan said, "it wasn't a big deal."
"It wasn't a big deal?"
"I think we should focus on the fact they got me out in one piece," Elyan said.
Gwen shook her head. This was even worse than she'd thought; a respectable surgeon had had to fight to get her brother out. She tried to remember if his hands had been wounded at all; she wouldn't be able to live with herself if helping her brother affected Arthur's ability to do his job.
As if answering an unspoken question Elyan said, "they were using rapiers, so it was more like a swordfight and not the usual thing we do."
"So, let me get this straight, there was no money exchanged, rather they fought to get you out?"
"Yes," Elyan was excited, "it was the most amazing sight ever, Agravaine couldn't believe what was happening, he even asked them to join his club and fight for him."
"So there was no money involved?" Gwen asked again.
"Yes, Gwen, no money," Elyan said, "just fighting." He saw the look on her face and added hurried, "I know it's worse than money, they could have been seriously hurt but it turned out okay."
Gwen didn't bother to reply; she'd been thinking of how she was going to thank Arthur for all his help, she had had this idea of coming up with a payment plan and maybe a fruit basket or something but now she knew it wouldn't do at all. She wondered what Emily Post would have in mind for such a situation; she needed to say thanks in huge way.
000
"A fruit basket's too… I don't know," Gwen said, "I don't think it sends the message I want."
"What message do you want to send exactly?" Mary, her friend, asked her. "I thought it was a thank-you thing."
"He fought to save my brother," Gwen reminded her. "Fought."
"Who would have thought that he could that," Mary said, "although when you think about it, looking like does he must have ways of staying fit and I guess fighting's as good a way as any."
"Mary, focus please."
"Right," Mary turned back to look at the fruit infront of them, "a fruit basket, I don't think it's right somehow."
"That's what I was saying," Gwen said, "but now what? I've already written a thank-you letter but I don't know."
"You've written a letter?" Mary looked at her friend with interest. "Actually written a letter?"
"Yes."
"Who writes letters in this day and age?" Mary asked herself, "can I read it?"
"No."
"Just give him the letter, it'll be enough," Mary said.
"You think so?"
"You actually sat down, got a pen and paper and wrote from your heart," Mary told her, "I think it's enough."
"Let's go catch that matinee."
000
Gwen entered the nurses' breakdown to find them all gushing over a huge bouquet of flowers. She wondered which of Louise, the staff nurse's, many admirers had sent her flowers this time.
"Well, are you going to make us wait?"
"What do you mean?" Gwen asked.
"These flowers are yours," Louise told her.
"Mine?"
"You better open the envelope before we do," Louise told her, "although we can already guess who they're from."
Valiant had never given her flowers, he considered them a waste of money; they wilted and withered in a few days and weren't worth the fuss. She opened the tiny envelope and read the short note.
I was such an idiot
forgive me?
Love V
She showed it to her friends and they wanted to know what he was apologizing about so she told them that Elyan was back, and since many of them knew about his disappearing acts, they sympathised and said that Valiant would get used to him.
"Is it me or do you seem a little disappointed?" Louise asked as the two of them made their way to the ward.
"It's you," Gwen replied promptly.
"He'll soon get used to Elyan," Louise said, "it's not as if he has much choice. So don't worry, it will all be okay."
Gwen smiled at her friend and tried to squash her disappointment further. There was no earthly reason why Arthur Pendragon would send her flowers.
000
Arthur looked at the letters on his desk. Most of them were weddings invites, two newsletters and then one addressed by hand. He threw the put the rest aside without reading them and opened the envelope.
"Dear Arthur," he read, "words cannot begin to express how grateful I am for what you did for my brother. You literally rode in like a knight in shining armour saved us both. I still don't know what I would have done if I hadn't run into you that night at the pub but I just want to say thank you for being there and for caring enough to help.
Elyan told me that he had promised not to tell me about the fighting but he did and I'm even more grateful because without you risking your life for his he might not be here with me today.
So, I know these words aren't enough, and I doubt anything ever could be but with all my heart,
Thank you, Arthur Pendragon and may God bless you,
Guinevere Thompson."
He read the letter three and then folded it and put in his pocket. It was going to be a good day.
000
