Chasing Pavements

Chapter 4 – Just Breathe

Arthur stared angrily at the alarm clock on his nightstand. The insistent beeping had torn him from his sleep, and demanded he prepare for the day. With a groan, he rolled over to turn the alarm off. As he lifted the cover back over his head, his phone suddenly began ringing.

It was his father.

His finger hovered over the talk button as he debated whether or not to answer. He had come here in order to escape his problems, but knew that this was merely a temporary reprieve and nothing more. His feelings of dejection and agitation would return ten-fold the moment he arrived back in England.

Merlin suggested he speak to his father about his thoughts, but Arthur hastily dismissed the idea, knowing that his father would simply view his admission as a display of weakness. Perhaps he would be right, perhaps I am weak for feeling this way. Arthur quickly shook his head as he struggled to clear his mind.

The ringing abruptly stopped. His phone then beeped once, indicating a missed call. With a tired sigh, he tossed his phone onto the nightstand and forced himself to get up.

He refused to dwell on what might have happened had he answered the phone, and spoke truthfully with his father. Instead, he chose to focus on the day ahead, and made a decision that his troubles, for the time being, could wait.

As he went about getting dressed, his mind briefly wandered to her. Yesterday, he had managed to avoid all thoughts of the woman from the café, after his attempt to search for her had yielded nothing. Even now he could still feel the sting of disappointment that had settled in his bones.

Again, he found himself needing to clear his thoughts.

Percy knocked softly on Arthur's door, before informing him that the car was ready.

Arthur grabbed his belongings then joined Merlin and Percy outside.

Today he planned to visit Scotland's Dunnottar Castle to see an old friend of his, Sefa Rundle, who he hadn't seen in over a year. He'd known Sefa since uni. Back then she had been a shy young woman, filled with a brilliant imagination and an eye for detail. Now years later, she had become one of Britain's most accomplished young directors.

Sefa's latest film, whose title Arthur could not remember, was currently being filmed at Dunnottar Castle.

The moment he saw her it was as if time had gone back. There was no tension in their voices or apprehension in their movements. It was as if things had simply picked up where they last left them.

Sefa's busy schedule could only allot for a short visit. Much of their time was spent reminiscing, as they strolled around the castle grounds. Trailing closely behind them, Merlin and Percy watched and listened as the two old classmates traded story after story.

As the visit slowly came to a close, Sefa turned to Arthur. "Do you want to tell me why you're really here?" She said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"Arthur, it's been a year since I saw you last. Now you suddenly arrive in Scotland and want to meet up and reconnect. I know you. Something's going on." She slowed her steps forcing him to do the same.

"I just needed to get away for a bit." He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Sefa knew that his family had always been a sensitive topic for him; and she could tell that he was not yet ready to discuss it. "I'm here for you whenever you need someone to talk to."

"I know."

"What are you planning on doing for the rest of your stay here?" She asked as they made their way to the parking area.

Arthur shrugged as they turned a corner. He opened his mouth to reply but instead suddenly stopped in his tracks.

It's her. His mind shouted.

Standing just meters away, was none other than the woman from the café. The very same woman he had searched for the day before.

Merlin nearly bumped into Arthur after his abrupt stop.

"What's wrong?" Percy questioned, as he began to hastily look around for any missed threats or dangers.

"Shhh," Arthur said in a harsh whisper, then quickly turned back around the corner.

Sefa, Merlin and Percy cautiously followed him.

"Arthur, what's the matter?" Merlin whispered, now fully on edge.

"Who is that?" He spoke in a hushed tone, as he completely ignored Merlin's question and the odd looks his three companions were giving him.

"Who?" Sefa glanced back around the corner. She could see only Lance, Gwen and Peter speaking to each other.

"The young woman. Do you know who she is?"

"Of course, that's Gwen," she answered, still confused over his behavior.

"Gwen? Is it short for anything?"

"Her first name is Guinevere."

"Guinevere." The name felt almost familiar, as if he had spoken it many times before.

"Arthur, why are you acting so odd?" Merlin asked.

"It's her." He couldn't believe that she was right there, just meters away.

"It's who?" Sefa questioned.

Merlin and Percy were still equally confused.

"It's. Her." He placed emphasis on each word.

"It's her? … Oh! It's her." The young assistant nearly shouted.

"Shhhh. Would you keep it down."

Percy chuckled at Arthur's behavior.

"I can't believe it. That's her? Are you certain?" Merlin could not explain why he felt so relieved that they had found her, mistakenly found her, but found her none the less.

"Yes."

"I'm still a bit confused here. What are you lot talking about?" Sefa looked at all three men and waited for some sort of explanation.

"Arthur met that young woman a few days ago and has been obsessing over her ever since." Merlin answered.

"I have not been obsessing over her," he hissed.

"Yes, you have."

"No, I haven't"

"Yes- -"

"Okay, you two, let's focus." She looked at Arthur. "You know Gwen?"

"Well no, not really. I met her at a local café, but I never got her name. I was honestly starting to doubt that I would ever see her again." Arthur suddenly felt sickly nervous. "What am I going to do?" He asked no one in particular.

"Say hello, and go from there." Merlin answered as if it should have been obvious.

The prince was no stranger to the opposite sex. If anything, Arthur had always seemed too sure of himself when it came to women. But now he found himself feeling apprehensive.

"It's not that simple."

"Yes, it is." Merlin replied.

"I don't want her to know who I am. Not yet anyway."

"So how do you propose meeting her?"

Arthur turned to Sefa. "Sefa, you could introduce me to her. You just need to tell her that my name is David."

"David?" Sefa questioned.

"It is technically one of my names" Arthur said, referring to the fact that he had 3 middle names, one of which was David. "Please Sefa." He was not opposed to begging if it meant he would be able to speak with Guinevere.

"You're serious?"

"Completely."

"Fine. I'll introduce you to her." Sefa acquiesced, but in all honesty she was unsure whether introducing Arthur to Gwen would be a smart idea. Gwen was not the type of woman Arthur usually dated. Gwen had a mind of her own, cared little about material possessions, and had an overly generous heart.

Sefa smiled inwardly as it struck her that perhaps Gwen was exactly the kind of woman Arthur needed. The young director lightly shook her head, knowing she was getting ahead of herself.

"Just wait right here David." She walked around the corner and headed towards Gwen.

Arthur quickly turned to his two companions. "You both should go," he whispered.

"Why? Are you embarrassed of us?" Merlin swiftly pretended to be offended.

"I just don't want to get stuck trying to explain who you two are."

"Fine," he replied, "we'll be close, but out of sight. And do try to keep your hands to yourself."

"Shut up Merlin."

In the meantime, as Sefa neared her destination, she could feel her thoughts running wild. Arthur's anxiety had seemingly become contagious, and she now felt both eager and anxious about what was about to happen.

"Sefa." Lance greeted her as he stepped slightly to the side, giving her room to join their small circle. "You're trying to freeze us to death." He joked, but was half serious.

"You say that now, but wait until you see the finished product. Trust me your temporary distress will not be in vain."

Sefa took a minute more to exchange pleasantries before turning her attention to Gwen.

"Gwen, can I steal you away for a moment? There's someone I would like you to meet."

"Of course." Gwen then excused herself.

When they fell in step, Gwen turned and asked, "Is it someone I know?"

"Kind of." Sefa wondered briefly if she should warn the other woman, given how dramatic Arthur's reaction had been to seeing her.

Sefa turned the corner with Gwen and found only Arthur standing there waiting. Merlin and Percy were nowhere in sight.

The word nervous could not have adequately described how Arthur felt as he watched Guinevere's eyes settle upon him. She appeared shocked; probably more shocked than he had been. All week he had dutifully worn the same hat, coat and sunglasses, in the hope that their paths would once again meet.

"Hello," he smiled, then held his breath and waited for her reaction.

TBC

I would love to hear what you have to say. A review is like a little thumbs up.