AN: Thank you lovely reviewers! I can't say just how touched I am, and for that reason the chapters are flowing out and I'm updating so often. Nothing much to say for this one other than the usual apology for spelling and grammar. Enjoy and please leave me a review!

"Between two lungs it was released
The breath that carried me
The sigh that blew me forward"

-Between Two Lungs by Florence +The Machine

Chapter 4

He was in a meadow, where array of flowers grew. He laid on his back with the warm summer breeze blowing between him, he could see the pinks of his eyelids as the sun danced on his face. These moments when he was far from the responsibilities of being the crowned prince that he cherished. Far from the weight of having his father's judgment. He was just Arthur here, in this place. It was here that he believed that he could be anything, anyone, be just a man with normal desires.

It was becoming increasingly difficult living with his father's hatred of magic, with his prejudice of those who were not like him. The very fact that he so simply stated that as the crowned prince his duty was to marry for Camelot. He found himself wonder if his father truly cared for Camelot or if it was what Camelot represented that he wanted to uphold. The power, the prestige, and the wealth. He supposed that his father was slowly becoming to him the image Merlin and Guinevere had of him years back.

How things changed, he was now crowned prince who was in love with a maid servant, and could easily call a man servant a good friend. A maid servant who taught him about humility, and a pain in the behind man servant who showed him how obnoxious he truly was living in decadence and a cloud of privilege. With every trial they faced together he was slowly and grimly realizing just how difficult being king would be, how much he wanted to change, and where his desires should be discarded for the good of the people.

"So this is what the crowned prince does when he's not toiling away behind paper work," her voice a sweet melody that he's grown to listen for. He opened his eyes and there she stood arms full of blossoms, for her quaint little home or perhaps for Morgana's chambers.

"Oh if only I could tell you the woes of being a crowned prince, you would not mock me so!" he smiled at her slowly pulling himself up to sit. "And you? Fulfilling girlish fantasies of running through a meadow of flowers daydreaming of your prince?"

"You've caught me, my lord!" she impassively said but the playful glint was in her eyes. "Here I was having to play out my fantasy of a knight rescuing me from some beast or other all alone, when you were here the entire time."

He smiled up at her, eyes squinting from the sunlight. "I shall be more than happy to fulfill any fantasy you may have, Guinevere..."

Her lips fell open just slightly but her smile remained. Her lips that haunted his dreams now that he's known the feel of them, the taste of them, the softness of her lips and the curves of her hip. "You should not say things like that..." she whispered softly her eyes turning away from his.

He stood and took the two steps that took him to her, one large hand on her small waist, the other went to hook under her chin to make her look at him, her earthy orbs shining with restraint that begged to break free. "But I mean every word of it...for you Guinevere nothing is too arduous..." touching his head to hers, he closed his eyes for a moment.

It hurt him to know that she held back, that she was so pragmatic. He desperately wanted to assure her that it was only her that he loved, and there was only room for her in his heart. But he also knew that while romanticism was good, her cautiousness was better. His father wouldn't understand, and the sad truth was, he wouldn't care to understand. There was a lot he didn't know about his father, and even less about his mother. His father was the king and that's the man he knew, not Uther. So how could he possibly stride up to this man who felt like a stranger to him at times and tell him what he truly wanted, when deep down when he was truly honest he knew that what he wanted would not be considered even in thought.

"Arthur..."

He tipped her head back, looked into her eyes, "one day Guinevere I will make all your desires come true, whatever you want, you shall have."

"What if you can't give me what I want?" she asked softly.

"There is nothing I would not give to you." the pad of his thumb brushing her cheek feeling the softness of her skin."What is it that you want?"

"I want to remain in your heart, but you can't give that to me if it belongs to another." She said eyes moving away from his again but a shaky hand was placed on his chest over his heart.

"Then I've already given you what you want, because you've conquered my heart and it could never belong to another." He said.

"You don't know that, things may change." Her words an echo of what he once spoke to her, he smiled and captured her lips. He was so very glad that he decided to take the afternoon for himself, because here in this meadow he was Arthur and she Guinevere. As her lips kissed him back,he felt the flowers that she held in her arms fall to their feet, as her hands wrapped around her neck and pulled him close. He could feel her warmth, the pressure of her lovely breasts against his chest.

"There is only one name in my heart," he said pulling back a little to catch his breath, before his mouth was on her again, his tongue tasting, probing and shocking her. That afternoon he learned Guinevere's mouth throughly, and his heart sang the only name that resided there...

...Guinevere.

It was morning when he finally woke, this time his body didn't feel as heavy. His mind was flooded with images of what happened. The blood on his sword, he could feel his exhaustions as he fought of the many bodies that headed towards him. His eyes narrowing on the hooded figure on the black horse, her emerald eyes familiar yet so foreign now. He sat up and looked at Merlin's sleeping body against a tree. He must have fallen asleep keeping watch. The fire had mostly burned out now, leaving a stream of smoke moving upwards. The morning dew just settling and the sun peaking through the trees.

His mind wondered to the battle again, they had been ambushed on their way back from Odin's kingdom. Odin who turn them away and declared he wanted nothing to do with Arthur, he would stay neutral in this warm between him and his half sister witch. Arthur tried to voice his thoughts but once again they fell on deaf ear, in that moment he was reminded of his own father who often did the very same thing when he thought his pride was more important. They were half a day's ride from Camelot when the soldiers in black swooped down from the trees and took them by surprise, hundreds to the thirty men he had with him. Morgana was a hundred men all on her own with the magic she possessed.

He left Camelot defenseless, he left his queen and people defenseless against Morgana! Suddenly as if the pieces were falling to place in his mind, his eyes widen. "Merlin!"

Merlin jerked awake, it seemed his spell worked and Arthur was alright, he imagined that he'd still be a bit sore but no harm done. "Good morning to you too!" he said rubbing his eyes clear to look at his king. It was then did he realize that Arthur had indeed had enough time to pull it back together, and that meant he knew that Camelot and Gwen were in trouble.

"We have to head to Camelot!" Arthur exclaimed waiting for Merlin to get to his feet. "Why aren't you moving?!"

Merlin looked up at him, "Arthur, we need a plan, we need to be prepared for what we may face..." that Gwen will not be waiting for you was the unspoken words. He watched the blond man's jaws tighten, the fire in his eyes light, he's seen it enough time to know that every hair on his body was now calling out to her.

"No, Gwaine and Percival would have protected her, taken her out of Camelot. We're going now!"

"Arthur!" Merlin called now on his feet.

Arthur turned around, his eyes so hard that Merlin felt his feet turing to stone, "what?"

Merlin bit the inside of his cheek before speaking, "Morgana is so much stronger now, and if we rush in there without any forethought, and there is a chance that Gwen got away, you will get yourself killed. Remember that Gwen and Camelot needs you alive."

Arthur listened his eyes staring into Merlin, his mind running hundreds of scenarios as to what happened, she couldn't be dead, not when he was able to live to get back to her. When he finally spoke in a calmer voice he simply said, "let's go."

Merlin followed quietly keeping a few paces back, he needed his own plan just incase Arthur decided to be an idiot. He didn't know what greeted them, but one thing he knew for sure was Morgana wouldn't be easy take, not this time. She's learned, she's gotten stronger, and though he hoped that her hot headiness still lingered, he wouldn't be taking any chances. He wouldn't let anything happen to Arthur.

Arthur knew he was being rash, but he couldn't just sit around idly planning. He needed to make sure his people were safe. But how could they be with Morgana and her band of mercenaries looting the city? What he needed more was to know that Gwaine and Percival had indeed kept their word, but he knew that holding them to such an oath when they were out numbered and against Morgana was unfair. In his internal battle he realized he didn't have Excalibur with any longer, he stopped and looked at Merlin, "I don't have a sword."

Merlin smiled at him, "You do, we just have to go get it." In the years that Arthur had acquired Excalibur, and the many minor battled fought, Merlin came to the conclusion that he would lose it in battle and since it was a blade made especially and magically for Arthur he needed to make sure that if ever out of Arthur's grasp that Excalibur would be hidden from anyone else. He cast the spell one rainy afternoon while he was cleaning Arthur's armor. A combination spell that would both protect the sword and help either Arthur or himself to locate the blade. Arthur being connected to Excalibur by ownership and to him by magic. He was so proud of it when he had concocted this particular spell on his own, never really thinking just how useful his burst of creativity and whim would help them now.

Arthur watched Merlin for a good few seconds, the young man always peculiar, but lately he saw something else in him, as if his buffoonery was just an illusion, he had times shown his wisdom, but Arthur always chalked that up to a moment of clarity and sense rather than anything deeper. "alright lead the way Merlin, since you seem to have a sense for these things."

Merlin smiled, "finally some recognition of my abilities!"

Arthur couldn't help but curve a smile and shake his head as he followed. Maybe, just maybe there was hope yet.

TBC

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