Note: Lara Smith-I hope this chapter answers some of your questions! I planned for this one to focus more on Gwen and her story. Some of your questions have to remain a mystery for the time being, but I can say that Mergana will probably not make a reappearance. I follow cannon ships, but it was hard to ignore the Series 1 chemistry between the Merlin and Morgana. Thus, I put their relationship in this story as a nod towards that as well as a means for why Merlin and Arthur would meet.

Chapter 3

Gwen groaned as her alarm clock rang loud and shrill. She didn't want it to be morning. Despite what many people thought due to her early morning and chipper disposition, Guinevere Leodegrance was not a morning person. She flopped her arm over the side of her bed to snooze the irritating sound and grabbed the pillow out from under her head. A feeble attempt at smothering herself with the pillow was in vain. She wanted to forget about the events of last night. From Arthur's perfect form which haunted her dreams to the ghostings of his lips on her cheek which still tingled. 'I have a boyfriend,' Gwen thought. She attempted to repeat this like a mantra in her head as suddenly her phone rang.

Gwen looked over at said phone, and noticed the caller id: Lance. 'Could this day get anymore worse?' Gwen thought darkly.

Mustering up her courage, and her consciousness, she picked it up.

"Hello?" she said.

"Gwen!" Lance's bright reply came ringing back at her, "Did I wake you up? You sound tired. I'm sorry; usually you're up this early!"

Here, he laughed. Then he continued on, "I have time before the big debate today against the enemy"-another laugh-"Do you want to grab a bite? Afterwards you can come with me-as moral support, you know!-to the debate. If you would like, since I know today is your elusive day-off!"

Gwen smothered the sigh she so desperately wanted to release. Leave it to Lance to make everything worse through his morning-person disposition and unusually good mood.

"Yes, it was a late night so I've just woken up. No, you did not wake me, my alarm did. You sound unusually happy about the debate-are you confident about winning? No, I don't mind coming. I'd be happy to spend my day off with you," she replied.

'That is what I'd be happy to do, right?' Gwen thought, 'I would be happy to spend the day with him my boyfriend at the debate. Not because I want to see Arthur.'

"Excellent!" Lance replied, "See you in about…say…an hour?"

"Perfect," was all Gwen could muster before she hung up the phone.

The bed called to her. It was tempting to stay in it and just hide herself from the world. 'Yet,' Gwen dejectedly though, 'I can't.' So she emerged from her tangled mess of blankets and went out into the world.

"Hey Gwen!" was the first thing she heard as she walked into the kitchen to get herself a glass of water. "Did you have a rough night or something? You don't look too good sis," Elyan continued.

'Elyan-always the one for concern," Gwen thought.

"Nah, I'm fine. Just tired from work, and the recent move and such. Lance just rang-he asked me to go with him for a quite bite and to be moral support at his debate today against Arthur," she said.

"Oh yeah? Well don't be out too late!" Elyan waggled his eyebrows.

"Oh hush,' Gwen grumbled, blushing as she left the living room quickly.

It was another blustery cold day in November. Gwen chose to bundle up again since she was easily chilled, but that didn't stop her natural style and beauty from shinning through. She wore a classic little black dress with grey leggings, black boots, and a gray hat. Her signature lavender pea coat completed her ensemble, as she pinned her hair back from her face again. She gave Elyan a quick kiss on the cheek as she bid him farewell and slipped out of the door.

Lance was waiting for her downstairs in the lobby of her apartment complex. He looked as dashing as he always did. His muscular tanned skin was hidden underneath his classy black pea coat and grey slacks. His dark wavy locks were groomed to perfection, and his 5 o'clock shadow gave him a "devil may care" aura. His chocolate brown eyes brightened as he laid his eyes on Gwen's form.

"Gwen! You look lovely, as always," Lance greeted her. He pulled out a pink rose from the depths of his jacket, and he presented it to her.

Gwen blushed and murmured, "Thanks Lance."

And with that, they left Gwen's apartment building linked arm-in-arm. As they were walking, many people stopped to greet the couple. Lance's face-unlike Arthur's-was a veryrecognizable symbol. Whereas the media played up the image of an arrogant-player-who was too good to associate with common people for Arthur, they did the opposite of Lance. Lance was the symbol of the "common-albeit very good looking-man". He kissed babies on their foreheads, and gave people a voice. 'Although,' Gwen thought as she and Lance walked on, 'The media have never exactly been 100% accurate.' She was beginning to think that they portrayed Arthur wrong-very wrong. 'It was ironic,' she thought, 'that he was portrayed completely contradictory to his character, yet he still had the lead in the polls.' Indeed, Arthur was actually not at all like his image in person-and somehow the people had seen his true personality instead of the lies which were circulated around him. Lance, on the other hand, received a "good-two-shoes" image. While Lance wasn't particularly enjoying the limelight-he never did-he could hardly complain about his perceived image. 'Yet again,' Gwen continued, 'His image wasn't very accurate either.' Lance was a good guy, but not thatgood. He had his faults-nothing major or dangerous, but faults none the less-which the media tended to turn a blind eye to. Overall, the public could clearly see which way the media swung when it came down to who they would rather have for their prime minister.

Gwen's musings were stopped as they did too for brunch at their favorite bistro. However, instead of searching for a table like normal, Lance called for their orders to go.

"Sorry," he explained, "But the debate is too soon to sit down for our meal. I was kinda hoping we could eat it on the way."

He flashed Gwen an apologetic look.

"No problem," Gwen smiled as warmly as she could. The butterflies which had gone away came back in full force in the pit of her stomach at the thought of going to the debate.

Arthur felt like an idiot. He was in his bedroom getting ready for the big debate against Lance which would be broadcasted all over the UK. As he tied his tie in an impeccable knot he signed deeply. 'How I have not noticed Guinevere when she's publicly been with Lance for six months?' Arthur thought, 'Maybe, it's like how people think of me. You don't know it's them because the picture doesn't capture the true person.' On top of this, he wasn't sure about how she would perceive his forwardness of giving her his number.

'Would she even call?' was the only thought which kept replaying in Arthur's mind before he chastised himself. Then, he would repeat the second part of the thought again, 'Why do you care? She has a boyfriend.'

Arthur sighed deeply as he left the room. He made his way to the kitchen where Merlin was already happily chatting away with the new Irish cook-Sally. Merlin, being from Ireland, greatly appreciated the cook's culinary talents since it reminded him of home.

"Hey there lazy daisy!" Merlin chirped.

"What are you talking about?" Arthur quipped back as he flopped down into his chair. Sally placed the morning's food and coffee in front of him. He gulped down some coffee and wolfed down his breakfast quickly as Merlin responded.

"Well this is the latest you've slept in a while," Merlin said, "Just surprising considering what's on the agenda for today! Normally you're bouncing with excitement-you can't wait to share your ideas with the public."

This was true. Arthur needed to think about an excuse that would cover why he rose so late. An excuse that didn't involve beautiful ebony curls or warm chocolate eyes. Just then his phone rang. 'Saved by the tone,' Arthur thought as he looked at the caller id. It was his secretary, Anne. 'Probably just wants to confirm the times and other last minute details,' he thought.

"Sorry Merlin, I've got to take this," Arthur said as he hastily stood up, "Are you going to come with me to the debate?"

"Of course. It's not like I haveto go to work today," Merlin chuckled. His favorite part about his profession mainly being the independent work hours.

As Arthur left to take the call, Merlin helped Sally clear the table. When all was put back into sorts, the men left for the debate.

Gwen and Lance arrived at the park early, but the preparations for the event were well underway. The park was a rather picturesque location for the debate about everything from foreign policies to whether the candidates wore "boxers or briefs". The weather was overcast, chilly, and rather dry. Lance kissed Gwen on the cheek as he directed her to a place in the front row. Whether he meant to or not, Gwen instantly noticed that the chair he chose for her was dead center between his podium and Arthur's. 'How poetic,' she thought drily as Lance moved away to get ready.

As the paparazzi came pouring in, and the camera men got set up, Gwen sat quietly observed that Arthur had arrived. He and his friend-Merlin, she believed his name was (she tried to remember from the numerous articles about Arthur and his closest friend)-had snuck onto the scene. They made their way over to some trees on the edge of the open field, and were quietly practicing over Arthur's notes. Hardly anyone noticed their arrival, which Gwen thought was interesting. 'For someone who's supposedly an A-Lister, no one really notices him,' she thought, 'Although, he could just be good at hiding from the press.'

Soon the debate was underway. Yet, as Arthur and Lance took their positions Gwen couldn't help but compare the two of them in her mind. As she looked at Arthur, she mulled over their brief encounter yesterday. They hadn't interacted with each other for more than a few hours, yet Gwen had instantly felt a connection with him. She wondered how she couldn't have picked up on this before when she and Lance had gone to political events similar to the one she was at. Then she realized why-she had never actually seen or interacted with the man. She had attended the functions with Lance-not Arthur. It made sense that Lance wouldn't want to interact with the "enemy" unless he had to. She didn't know Arthur well, but there was no denying the pull she felt towards him as her butterflies escalated.

As Arthur finished speaking, Gwen found her attention shift to Lance as he formed his rebuttle. Lance she thought as he spoke. He was a good-no great-guy. She remembered back to when they had first met.

-Flashback-

Gwen had just been promoted to a junior partner at Jarban and James-the most renowned Human Rights and Activists Law Firm in the country. She was the "next up and coming" thing according to Aladdin Jarban, one of the senior partners of the firm. As she finished up moving her possessions into her new, larger office, she smiled. She had just received a call from Lance du Lac-a recent addition to parliament-inquiring about various policies that needed to be created dealing with countries overseas in the category of human rights. 'Well,' she thought, 'more accurately Mr. Jarban received the call and directed it her way.' It was her very first assignment as a junior partner. She was to meet with Mr. du Lac in a little less than two hours. Just enough time to finish arranging her office, and getting the correct files in order.

Gwen sat behind her desk impatiently. She still had a quarter of an hour until Mr. du Lac arrived and she had finished her tasks early. 'Twenty minutes ago-to be exact,' she thought, dully. She straightened her shirt, smoothed her skirt, and patted her hair for what felt like the umpteenth time in the past ten minutes. Since she had time to kill, Gwen had looked up a little more information about Lance du Lac on the internet. She had enough on Mr. du Lac to do adequate business with him, but she also wanted to know what he looked like, if he had any hobbies, and other personal tidbits. What she wasn't prepared for was seeing a picture of a startlingly handsome man stare back at her on the other side of the screen. His brown eyes immediately captured her attention, and she felt herself hoping to gain his approval in a decidedly "non-professional" way. As she sensed her feeling change, her desire to look good increased at an exponential rate. Thus began the smoothing of the skirts, the patting of the hair, and the constant straightening of her shirt.

Precisely on the hour Gwen received a knock at her door. She eagerly got up, and opened it. As she did so she was faced with the image of Lance du Lac-but in the flesh.

"Hi, I'm Lance du Lac," he extended his hand to her.

"Guienevere Leodegrance, but you can call me Gwen," she greeted him warmly, "Please do come in."

-End Flashback-

Gwen held a faint smile on her lips as she thought about their encounter. Over the course of her consulting days with Lance, they had begun to bond. She remembered when he first asked her out.

-Flashback-

They had just finished the long process of drafting up the policies on human rights. Both Lance and Gwen were exhausted and pleased with what their work had produced.

"I think that this turned out really great," Lance began after he threw down his pen on the contracts for the last time.

"I agree," Gwen said, and began putting her laptop away.

"You know what? This is cause for celebration!" Lance proclaimed with a smile. Then suddenly, in a more nervous attitude, he cast a sideways look at Gwen, "I was wondering if you would like to grab a drink sometime? You know-because we're done and all."

"He was sweet when he was nervous," Gwen thought. She had noticed Lance's demeanor begin to change around her recently. No longer did he continue to insist on calling her "Miss Leodegrance", but "Gwen". He also made it a habit to pick up her morning coffee before arriving to a meeting-and always managed to get the right order. Furthermore-and perhaps the most dramatic change-he seemed to consult her over every little detail. Whereas at the beginning of their collaboration Lance rarely consulted her (not to say that he was impolite-he was a perfectly courteous), he now felt the need to call her up daily.

"You know what, I would love to go for some drinks," Gwen started saying as she saw Lance's face brighten up, "But I can't today."

His face fell quickly as she hastily amended, "It's my brother's birthday today. So I promised him a sibling only outing. But I'm free next weekend."

Next weekend quickly dawned on Gwen as she waited for Lance to pick her up for their date. It was late May, and she decided to go with a casual purple summer dress with woven wedged heels. Her brother Elyan was standing by her side looking at his watch. He had insisted on meeting Lance to scope him out even though Gwen had pointedly said she could take care of herself. This led to a heated argument in which Elyan finally won by using his last and most powerful round of ammunition-that since their dad had died that January he felt it was his duty to protect her. Gwen stopped arguing instantly and mutely nodded her head. Elyan felt rather bad about the way he went about meeting Lance, but he couldn't take any chances when it came to protecting Gwen. He kept glancing at his watch waiting for it to read 13:00. If Lance was just one second late, Elyan would know.

As soon as his watch changed from 12:59 to 13:00 Elyan looked up to see the dark haired man standing in front of him.

"Hi, I'm Lance," the stranger stuck out his hand, "You must be Gwen's brother Elyan."

Elyan narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he began his interrogation, "I'm Elyan. You wouldn't mind answering a few questions before your outing, would you?"

"Of course not," Lance smiled. Gwen had warned him about this.

"Have you ever done any time in jail?"

"No."

"Done drugs, smoked, or have participated in any illegal acts?"

"No-although I tried smoking in high school. It didn't bode well with my respiratory system and I stopped after my first cigarette."

"Ever cheated on a girlfriend?"

"No. Although I have been cheated on in the past."

"Come from a rich or poor family?"

"Poor. My father has been absent for most of my life. My mom did the best she could to support our small family, but she died when I turned eighteen. She didn't have a single penny left to pass onto me. I've made my way up in the world due to incredibly kind and giving people that can be found in this country."

Eylan raised his eyebrows. So far Lance's story seemed to check out. In particular his background seemed impressive-perhaps it sounded too rehearsed, but impressive nonetheless.

After a few more drilling minutes, Elyan voiced his utmost important question.

"Arsenal or Manchester United?"

"Arsenal," Lance firmly replied.

Here, Elyan broke out into a smile. He clapped his hand on Lance's back as he proudly proclaimed, "Welcome to the family mate!"

He then turned around to Gwen, "Just because I approve doesn't mean that I don't have eyes or ears everywhere."

He wagged his finger back and forth, while giving Gwen a meaningful look before bounding back into their small house.

Gwen was a healthy shade of red when Lance next looked at her. He laughed, saying, "I understand."

Then, taking on a slightly more serious note, he continued, "Your brother only wants what's best for you-and why shouldn't he? You deserve the best Gwen."

He cautiously reached to grab her hand, and Gwen accepted. She was pleased at how comfortable Lance could make her, and loved that he already wanted to hold her hand.

Their lunch at the quirky establishment in the heart of London was perfect for their first date. It had the most random assortment of food from all over the world in the one little place. Furthermore, Lance seemed to be on "first name basis" terms with the owner of the restaurant, and he got a great deal on their lunch. The best part of the place, however, was that no one seemed to prod Lance for details about his political doings like most people. Instead, they left him in peace, and they both were able to have fun on their first date together.

-End Flashback-

Lance's bit had ended, and now it was Arthur's turn once more. Gwen took a deep breath. Lance was an amazing guy. He was a courteous man who cared about others, and he also had deep respect for his loved ones. He was honest and loyal. He had helped her cope with her father's then-recent death, and had been her emotional rock. He was funny, and could hold down a few-or more-drinks. He even got Elyan's seal of approval, and the two of them frequently bonded over the football matches. In short, he was the guy every girl hoped to bring home. Her family-Elyan-loved him, he respected her and her desire to "save herself", and he was a great kisser. Ultimately, Lance was a good man. Gwen honestly had felt like she could spend the rest of her life with him. They both had a deep mutual respect of each other, and that's what true love really was. Or so she had thought. Since meeting Arthur her whole world had turned upside down. And it hadn't even been 48 hours since meeting him.

The debate ended quickly-or at least what seemed like a short amount of time to Gwen. Her internal debate over Arthur and Lance easily made her lose track of time, and the next three hours breezed by.

"Gwen?" Lance asked, "Are you ok?"

She suddenly realized that most of the paparazzi had gone, and now only the workers hired to take everything down, Lance, Arthur, Merlin, a blonde woman with green eyes and ivory skin, and herself were left. And she was sitting by herself in the middle of rows of empty seats. Everything else had been already taken down. The workers were just beginning on folding up the chairs. Merlin was standing by where the podiums used to be. He was concentrating on texting whoever was on the other end with a look of pure concentration on his face.

Then she noticed Arthur. He was lingering back by the trees where he and Merlin had been going over his notes. He was too far away to make out the details of his face, but Gwen could see that his face was turned towards her general vicinity. His hands were in his jacket pockets, and she wondered why he was so far away from Merlin without any sort of explanation. It was then that Gwen could also make out the pretty blonde's form making her way over to Arthur. Arthur seemed to not notice the blonde until she was less than a foot away from him. Then, he turned. Immediately he was greeted with a sound kiss by the blonde. She wrapped her arms around him, forming a rather intimate embrace as Arthur's body tensed before relaxing into the arms of the woman.

'So,' Gwen thought, 'It hasn't even been a day yet he's already picked up another woman. I wonder if our meeting even meant anything to him. I guess he was lying about not being a womanizer. I can't believe that I wasted all this time and energy on him. At least the blonde opened my eyes to what an idiot I've been. I have Lance. He's a fantastic boyfriend. And he's good enough, isn't he?'

Yet even as her rational mind insisted this as the right reaction, and was congratulating her on her sound logic, her heart told her a very different story. Or at least, what one could conclude was an action completely opposed to her self-congratulations for her heart felt as if it was breaking into a million pieces.

"Yes, I'm fine," was Gwen's reply.

To be continued