PART 2

APRIL
Six weeks of fighting and the sight of the castle is a welcoming one to Arthur. He can't wait to sit with Gwen and tell her all about it. Hell, he just can't wait to see Gwen. His Lady is probably on the steps waiting for him. The messenger he sent ahead no doubt has arrived by now. He looks back at the battle weary Knights and he knows they have stayed too long. Even Merlin looks weary. They turn into the courtyard and Arthur looks to the steps where Gwen usually stands waiting and she isn't there. Gaius is there waiting for Merlin as usual. Confused, he dismounts and hands the reins to a waiting stable hand.

"Gaius, where is Guinevere?" Arthur called up to him.

"Arthur, I need to talk to you." Gaius came to meet Arthur at the bottom of the stairs.

"Sure but where is Guinevere?" Arthur repeated the question.

"That's what I need to talk to you about." Gaius looked at the ground for a minute then looked up at the Prince.

"What do you mean?" Arthur was starting to worry.

"Your father sent the guard after her." Gaius started.

"What? Is she in the dungeon?" Arthur looked worried for sure now and he was beginning to get angry.

"No Sire, he ordered her to be executed on sight." Gaius waited for what he said to sink in.

Arthur turned white. "Is she dead, Gaius?"

Gaius shook his head. "No, but she is missing."

"Missing?" Arthur was a jumble of emotions now.

"What's going on?" Merlin walked up to them and looked at Arthur.

"My father has ordered the guards to execute Guinevere on sight and now she's missing." Arthur turned back to Gaius. "When did this happen?"

"A few hours after you left." Gaius explained. "She was safely out of the city and was supposed to go to Ealdor but she never showed up. Hunith hasn't seen or heard from her."

Arthur closed his eyes to control his emotions then he turned back to the Knights in the courtyard. "Elyan, come here." He called out.

Elyan looked and walked up to where the three men were standing. "Yes Sire?"

"Elyan, your sister is missing. I need you to search all the small towns and villages on the way to Ealdor. That's the way she was supposed to go." Arthur said quietly.

"Go? Why?" Elyan looked confused then looked at Gaius and back to Arthur.

"My father sent the guards to execute her on sight but she escaped the city and never showed up in Ealdor." Arthur explained. "Take a fresh horse and provisions."

"I knew you would get her killed some day." The anger showed on the Knight's face.

Arthur put his hand on Elyan's shoulder "She can't be dead. I won't believe it and neither should you. He released Elyan as the knight looked at the ground and nodded, obviously upset. "Merlin, I need you to bring the captain of the guard to my chambers. I want to speak to him. Now."

Merlin went to fetch the guard. Elyan went to get a fresh horse and provisions for his search. Gaius bowed and took his leave. Arthur took the stairs two at a time as he went to find his father.
~x~

He found Uther in the council chambers going over parchments.

"What have you done?" Arthur slammed his gloved hands down on the table.

Uther looked up. "Arthur, you are back. I hope the borders are once again safe."

"Answer me! Why did you give an order to execute Guinevere on sight?" Arthur was not in the mood for pleasantries.

"I should have done it long ago. She was keeping you from forming an alliance through your marriage. So I ordered her execution therefore removing the obstacle." Uther said matter of fact. He looked back down at the parchments in front of him.

"I will never marry anyone but her. So I will be the last of the Pendragon line. Are you pleased now?" Arthur resisted the urge to draw his sword on his father.

"Arthur, it is your duty…. " Uther started.

"To hell with my duty and to hell with you!" Arthur stormed out heading for his chambers.

Uther looked up at him in wonder.
~x~

The captain of the guard was waiting on him. "Sire, you wished to see me."

"Yes, my father gave an order to execute Sir Elyan's sister on sight right after he left for the border with Odin. Has she been found?"

"No sire. We looked all over the city and the surrounding area and we never found her." The captain answered.

"Are you sure?" Arthur looked at him sharply trying to detect if he was lying.

"Yes, Sire. The King even had us search the outlying villages for her but she was nowhere to be found." The captain insisted.

"That order is hereby rescinded. Any guard that lays one finger on her is a dead man. Is that understood?" Arthur commanded.

"Yes, Sire. We never wanted to kill her anyway. We were all thankful that we couldn't find her. She is your Lady and our future Queen. It seemed wrong to even pursue the order but we could not disobey the King." The captain looked down at the floor.

"Show me on the map where you searched." Arthur said as he spread a map out on the table.

"Of course, Sire." The captain started to point to places they had searched.

When the captain left Arthur couldn't tell where she might have gone. The search of the kingdom had been nearly complete. If the guards hadn't found her then where was she? He went to look out the window to think and worry.

JULY
One day in early July, Gwen was serving a couple on their way south. They told her that there was work in Lord Bayard's castle. The work paid more than what she was making now at the tavern. They were on their way to Meridor to start a new life so they had left to travel south.

Gwen had sold the horse by this time and the journey was three days walk. Gwen, now in her seventh month of pregnancy, decided to take it slower and planed for a six day journey. She was carrying very little; just clothes, food and water. In her bag, safely wrapped in a handkerchief, was the Queen's seal. It was her most precious possession besides the child in her womb.
~x~

It was a long hot walk but resting when the heat was at its worst kept her from over exerting herself. When she finally saw the castle she was relieved the journey was over. She went to the door of the kitchen to see what work there was. She asked to see the head cook and was directed to a rather large lady stirring a pot of stew.

"Hello. I'm Gwen. I heard that there was work here." She smiled at the woman.

"I have an opening as a baker." The cook looked her up and down stopping her glance at Gwen's obviously pregnant belly. "Where is your husband?"

"I …. I'm alone." Gwen blushed slightly.

"Is he dead?"

"No, I was never married." Gwen sighed. "I can bake and I've been in service since I was twelve."

"If that's true why are you here looking for work?" the woman looked at her curiously.

"I left before I knew about my child." Gwen put her hands on her belly protectively. "I can't go back. Will you give me the job?"

"Sure. Just as a trial of course at first but if you do well it will be permanent." The woman turned back to the pot stirring it slowly.

"Thank you. I won't let you down." Gwen smiled again with relief.

"Hmm we'll see. You can stay in the servant's quarters until you find a place. No babies allowed there. Granny Abigail watches some of the girl's young ones. When will the child come?"

"Early September is what I think."

"What other positions have you served in?"

"I was a cook, a chamber maid and a lady's maid. I also take work as a seamstress. I just came from serving food and drink at the tavern in Bairn."

The woman stopped stirring and looked at Gwen. "A lady's maid? You're carrying some nobleman's bastard?"

Gwen straightened and looked straight at the woman. "Yes, my child's father is a nobleman."

"His wife ran you off then?" The woman chuckled.

"Something like that." Gwen felt the baby stir as if it was trying to reassure her.

"Hmm. Report at 4 tomorrow morning." She turned back to the pot.

Gwen nodded and headed off to the servant's quarters to look for an open room.
~x~

In the servant's quarters, a footman smiled and pointed to a room with an available bed.

She entered the small room with four beds and there was a young woman sitting on one of the beds. She was obviously pregnant as well.

"Hello I'm Gwen." Gwen smiled at her.

"I'm Penny." The woman had copper colour hair and deep green eyes. Penny just sat with her hand on her belly and a sad look on her face.

"I just got on here." Gwen looked around. "Which one of the beds is open?"

"That one." She pointed to a bed across from the one she was sitting on. "What position did you get?"

"A baker in the kitchens." Gwen put her bag down on the bed and sat down thankfully.

"When will your baby come?" Penny asked.

"Early September and when will yours come?" Gwen smiled and put her hand on her belly the baby was now kicking quite hard.

"August." Tears welled up in Penny's eyes.

"Soon then." Gwen nodded.

"You didn't ask if I was married." Penny looked at her curiously.

"It's not my business." Gwen shifted position to get more comfortable.

"I'm a widow. My Jack was killed just a month ago. There was an explosion in the granary. I couldn't afford the rent on our place so I'm staying here till they kick me out. No babies allowed in the servant's quarters." The tears welled up again and one escaped to fall silently down her cheek.

"I should think they wouldn't be so cruel." Gwen frowned.

"Where is your husband?" Penny wiped away the tear and looked at her.

"I don't have one." Gwen sighed and rubbed her belly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be …. What are you going to do? I mean, the midwife is telling me I should give my child to a family that wants it, but this child is all I have left of Jack."

"I understand. I will not give away my child. I don't care what I have to do. This child comes first." Gwen had an idea. "Maybe we can help each other. We could combine our resources and maybe afford a small place. That way neither of us will have to give up our child."

"I think that would be a wonderful idea. We should ask around soon. I don't have much time left."

"I should meet the midwife, I suppose. The cook also mentioned a woman called Granny Abigail that looks after the serving girls' children." Gwen thought what her child would have had if she was still in Camelot. Gaius would have delivered the child and it would have had a full time nurse.

"I'll take you around. Don't tell anyone you are on your own. Say that you are a widow. People are unkind to girls who get caught."

"Too late the head cook knows already." Gwen shook her head.

"That means everyone will know by this time tomorrow. She's the worst gossip." Penny turned to look out the window.

"I don't care. As long as I have a healthy child that is all I want. It wouldn't be the first time people have whispered behind my back and I'm sure it won't be the last." Gwen remembered all the things she was called behind her back when Arthur had exposed their relationship by kissing her in the courtyard for the first time.

"Did you still love him? The baby's father, I mean." Penny asked.

"I will always love him." Gwen took a deep breath to keep from crying. She wondered if Arthur would always love her