THE ROYAL CHAMBER
Guinevere sat at the foot of the long wooden table, eyes distant as Tanya lay plates and trays of food before her.
The young maid set a jug of wine in the centre of the table.
She glanced at the queen anxiously.
"Is there anything else I can get you my lady?"
Gwen was silent, eyes staring forwards, almost as though she was transfixed on something she or Tanya could not see.
Guinevere was staring at a memory from the morning, a memory of having seen a dream…
The deepest and most desperate desires of our hearts.
That was what Gaius had said…
She could not deny it any longer, how much she wanted a child…
Gwen swallowed at the memory of having seen what she wanted just in front her.
Some have even gone mad…
Gaius's warnings resonated in her head, but she could not shake the feeling that what she wanted was so close…
To gaze upon the future she wanted desperately, was surely not wrong…
Everyone was entitled to dreams.
Tanya stepped closer to her slightly.
"My lady?"
Gwen shook her head slightly to clear the fog like haze from her brain.
"Oh I am sorry." She looked at Tanya.
The young girl seemed concerned.
"If there is nothing else my lady, I will leave you to your supper…"
"Thank you Tanya. I am fine." Gwen smiled, although it did not reach her eyes.
Tanya curtsied and exited, curtsying again when Arthur strode in, before she closed the door.
"Sorry I am late…" He walked over to his wife and bent to kiss her soundly.
She stared after him when he pulled away.
Yes, he was far more magnificent in the flesh than he had been in the mirror…
Or was that what he would look like in the future, when he was older…
He would still be handsome…
If that was so, was it a sign that she would be older when she bore him a child, or more than one, if her dream… what she had seen, was anything to go by…
She swallowed at the aching feeling in her chest, spreading around her heart.
"Training took longer than expected, as did removing my armour as Merlin was distracted every five minutes by Gwaine teasing him about your maid…" Arthur removed his brown long coat and hung it over the screen, as he removed his belt and sword, throwing it on the bed.
His blue shirt hung open slightly and she swallowed, looking down at her hands.
He smiled at her but his eyes were deeply concerned.
She couldn't look up at him.
She grieved too much, for the vision she so wanted to be real.
If Arthur had been concerned before, he was nearing frantic now.
He walked over to her, crouching down by her chair, covering both her hand with one of his on her lap, the other reaching up to cup her cheek.
"Guinevere what's wrong?"
She swallowed, banishing her tears and irrational emotion.
It was a magic mirror, one Gaius has now warned me about… I should just forget it and move on…
"I am fine." She tried to assure him.
"No you aren't." He was firm in his concern, "Nor were you fine this morning."
She sighed, looking down.
Forget what you saw.
But she couldn't.
She wanted it desperately.
He watched her sadly.
"Would it make you feel better to know that you are going to be proved a better person than me this year once again, because I really don't know what to get you for our anniversary?"
At that she smiled.
She glanced at him and he stroked her cheek, staring at her.
"There's that smile…"
Her eyes were sad and it broke his heart.
"You can tell me." He breathed, "Whatever it is…"
She surprised him by bending forwards in her seat and hooking her arms tight around his neck, pressing her face there as she did whenever she hugged him, as she had done when he proposed…
He rubbed her back gently.
"Tell me, please… whatever it is…" He murmured, "I hate to see you upset."
She hugged him tighter, her heart aching, and feeling like a cold rock in her chest.
"I am fine… don't worry about me."
Arthur couldn't believe her.
GAIUS'S CHAMBERS
"The mirror…" Gaius explained to the young warlock, showing Merlin the pages of the book he had shown Gwen.
"The Mirror of Salamin… gateway to the realm of desire." Merlin finished.
Gaius nodded, "It shows us, nothing more or less, than the deepest most desperate desires of our hearts… It is of dark magic, extremely heavy on enchantment… and addictive to those who gaze into it…"
Merlin stared at him.
"What do you think ti was that Gwen saw?"
"I don't know." Gaius answered, "She wouldn't tell me."
Merlin looked down in thought.
"My guess…" Gaius closed the book gravely, removing the glasses from the end of his nose, "Is that she saw something of the life she wants with Arthur…"
Merlin stared at him, "A baby?"
Gaius shrugged, "Quite possibly… we can only speculate."
Merlin bit his lip as he thought worriedly.
"You said it was addictive to those who gazed into it…."
"It is." Gaius answered gravely. "And tonight is a full moon, when the mirror allows people to enter the realm of desire, in search of what it is that they most want…"
Merlin watched as the old man sighed.
"I fear what Gwen may do, without realising her mistake."
Merlin stiffened.
"Then we must tell Arthur."
After a moment Gaius nodded.
"For once Merlin, it may be the best way."