As the months went by his mother became more and more ill. She had stopped eating and nothing Gwaine did could rouse her from her melancholy. He knew Sir Jaxon was responsible for what was happening; he had destroyed her spirit and now she was giving up.
"Please mother," he begged at her bedside. "We must leave this place. You have to get away from him." He'd tried convincing his mother to run away many times before but she always dismissed it as impossible. Maybe this time would be different though. Maybe she'd find a way to beyond her dire position and recognize there was a way to escape?
"Mother, come on. What's stopping us?" he continued, gently shaking her shoulder. There was seldom a response from her anymore, but today even her eyes looked empty. Gwaine clutched her hand tightly, wishing he could DO something. He'd promised her when his father had died that he'd look after her, but he was a total failure! If only he was bigger, stronger, older.
"Don't be silly Gwaine. Please, let me rest," came the weak reply. It seemed that's all she did nowadays - rest.
It was the following day or maybe the next day that his mother gave him the souvenir which he would come to value so highly that he would keep it close to his heart, both day and night.
Gwaine had been sitting by his mother for a few hours when her voice startled him. "My darling boy." He thought she'd been asleep, and hoped dreaming of a happier time.
"Mother! I'm here, I won't ever leave you." He tried to comfort her in the only way a child could.
"Gwaine, I love you more than anything." She continued quietly. "There is something I want you to have, to remember me by." Gwaine couldn't help crying again, as much as he wanted to be strong for his mother. He knew deep down that she was trying to say goodbye, but he refused to accept it!
"No mam, don't speak like that. You'll get better..."
His mother shook her head weakly at him. "Shhhh son, please." She gently pulled her hand from his grip and reached to her bedside table. "Your father put this ring on my finger the day we wed. Please Gwaine keep it close. I know you have few memories of him but he was a good man, a kind man. I see some of him in you."
Gwaine looked down at the small silver object she had placed in his hand and wondered exactly what parts of himself his mother meant.
"Mam, it'll be alright. I'll look after you." Gwaine bravely tried again to give his mother strength but she had slumped back onto her pillows again, looking completely drained.
Gwaine desperately tried to think of a way to save his mam. As a possible solution finally dawned on him he began to stand up.
"I know who'll help us mam, just hold on." He squeezed her hand once more, and then turned to leave the room. Why didn't he think of this before? His sister was selfish and vain but Gwaine was sure she wouldn't let their mother suffer so. She could help; maybe give them refuge or get her husband to speak to Jaxon. Gwaine didn't ponder on the details at the moment, all he knew was that his mother couldn't take much more and something had to give.
He clutched the ring tightly in his hand and set off to the castle and Berenice's chambers straight away.
Berenice's personal servant opened the door to Gwaine's frantic knocking and banging. He heard his sister's voice coming toward the door, "Who is making that racket?"
"Berenice!" Gwaine cried out "Mam needs you!"
"Oh. It's you." She answered him deflated."Nancy, you can go now," Berenice dismissed the servant and dragged Gwaine inside as though she was embarrassed for anybody to see him.
"What are you on about?" She asked her younger brother in annoyance.
"It's horrible. Sir Jaxon is cruel to Mam and now she's ill. You have to do something! Please!"
He begged his sister, tears welling in his eyes again as he spoke.
"Gwaine." Berenice sighed, "I'm sure you're mistaken. He's always given her everything, he dotes upon her." She pulled her arm away from Gwaine's hand that was grasping her arm in desperation and hurriedly strode way from him.
"Come and see her Berenice and you'll see what she's become."
"Gwaine, I will not listen to this. If mother is ill it's nothing to do with Sir Jaxon." She was studiously avoiding eye contact with him and Gwaine had an uneasy feeling that she was hiding something.
"Why don't you believe me?" he cried. "Please Berenice!"
"Calm down will you or people will hear!" She reprimanded the boy with very little sympathy in her voice. "I might visit tomorrow but I have important engagements today."
At the time, Gwaine thought his sister's denial of anything sinister was because she simply failed to comprehend that anyone could be as deliberately cruel as Sir Jaxon had been to their mother. However as the years went by and he experienced the darker side of human nature over and over, Gwaine realized that his sister must have been completely aware of what was happening, but just didn't want to do anything to stop it. There was no way she would have been ignorant of Jaxon's nature. She had lived in the house with Gwaine, Clarice and Jaxon for just over a year and must have heard or seen something. Furthermore, the private lives of the knights and nobles was the prime subject of gossip amongst the ladies at court, and Berenice had made sure she was part of the 'in' crowd since she'd married Tibald and moved into the castle.
Certainly, Berenice had gained a lot from the marriage: Sir Jaxon had helped reconcile the engagement between the well to do Tibald and herself, then aided her husband's rise through the ranks of knights, to a position of power within the court. After a few short years Berenice found herself with all the wealth and power she had craved since she was a child.
Dredging his memories even further, he wondered if Berenice had somehow foreseen the possible benefits that having a knight of Jaxon's standing and political strength as her step father could bring. It would help explain why she had been so pushy and manipulative in the initial stages of the relationship.
Gwaine was too shocked to do anything but stare wordlessly at his sister. He felt rejected, both for himself and for his mother.
"Off you go now," she ushered him out the door with finality.
With an escalating feeling of dread, Gwaine returned to his mother, tears clouding his vision as he ran.
As he started up the hallway towards her room he saw Sir Jaxon come out and closed the door behind him. The knight looked up as he walked toward him.
"Gwaine, don't go in there now," he abruptly stated, grabbing the boy around the upper arm so he had to obey.
"Why not? What have you done to her?" He pleaded, twisting to get out of the man's hold.
"Stop your wretched struggling boy. She's gone. Your mother is dead." The knight spoke with no trace of pain or sympathy in his voice as he delivered the news.
"No, I don't believe you! Let me see her!" the boy screamed at him, his struggles becoming wilder.
"For god's sake boy, it's over!" By this stage Gwaine was struggling so violently that the knight held him with both hands. He was desperate to appear strong in front of this bully of a man, but he could do nothing to stop the sobs that began deep in his chest, escape from his mouth as savage wails or the hot, and tears of devastation fall from his eyes.
After a minute or so the knight released his grip on Gwaine and he slumped to the floor still sobbing pitifully.
A/N: Poor Gwaine. What will he do now? Please review, I'd love to read your opinions.
