A/N: Sorry about the repeated delays. My self-discipline is awful.This one is one of the shortest chapters yet, I know, but it's almost like a trailer. The next one will be that much longer for it.
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"We always thought we were inseparable,
sisters not by blood, but by soul.
Well, something's come between us now:
Get ready to watch the fall, fall, fall.
Forever doesn't live here anymore.
Forever took its bags and shut the door."
- Marit Bergman, Forever Doesn't Live Here Anymore
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A Message for the Queen
Lancelot was on his way to the round table. He was late. The sound of his own footsteps echoed in his head. The last few days he had felt almost as if he was walking around in a fever. His head felt as if it was filled with fog, and his thoughts felt slow. Even his reactions when he was fighting were beginning to get sluggish. He wondered how no one else had noticed.
Lancelot was torn out of his reveries when a door flew up further ahead and a maid stumbled into the hallway as if she had been pushed. After her followed Sir Hector, fuming.
"You, miss, should learn your place," he growled. "Do you really think your tittle-tattle is of any use to me? What do you imagine your word is worth?"
As Lancelot carefully walked closer, he thought he recognised the girl as Gwen's missing maidservant; but there was something strange about her appearance, as if it had changed in some way and Lancelot could simply not see what it was.
"I only thought ..." she began, but Hector cut her off as if he had not even heard her.
"Save the thinking for others, young girl. I don't need busybodies like you to tell me what I can see with my own eyes."
The old knight stomped away down the hallway, seemingly in hurry, and the woman (whom Lancelot was now almost certain was Elaine) levelled a scorching glare at his retreating back.
Lancelot walked up to her.
"Elaine?"
She stood still for a second as if she had not heard him, then suddenly she spun around.
"Sir Lancelot!"
She curtsied awkwardly.
"I didn't know you were back," Lancelot said. "The Queen told me you had gone missing."
"I did. I had, sir. I only just came back, sir."
"I'm sure she's glad to have you back. I appologise for Hector's rudeness. He should know better."
She smiled at him, and for a moment he thought she looked sad.
"Some men step over dead bodies without blinking to get what they want, why should they have a problem with stepping on the living?"
It was such a simultaneously very true and absolutely improper thing for a servant to say that Lancelot could not think of an answer. But then that strange expression disappeared from Elaine's face.
"I had a message for you, Sir Lancelot. I had not expected to run in to you like this, is all, sir. My lady asked me to tell you that she wants you to go and see her in her room as soon as possible."
Lancelot frowned.
"In her room? Why?"
"I don't know, sir," Elaine said, "but she said it was very important."
Lancelot had never even been in that room, and this seemed like a bad time to start. He wondered what could possibly have given Gwen such an ill-advised idea.
"And she was crying," Elaine added.
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When Arthur had left their room in the mornings, he seldom returned to it before evening. The work he had to do was usually found in the great hall, or the council chambers, or on the court yard. If he had to do paperwork of some kind, he had taken to sitting in the library. Gwen had her own set of tasks and duties, but it did not take up nearly as much of her time as Arthur's did his – meaning she had plenty of opportunities to return to their room over the day. This last week, she had spent more time than ever in their room, just to hide herself from people's knowing eyes.
She returned to the room about noon to find a piece of paper lying on the table. When she walked up to read it – assuming that it was a note from Arthur – she saw that it was a blank envelope. She picked it up to see if something was written on the other side, but as she did, the world turned black.
In the darkness, she heard the voice of Morgana speaking inside her head.
My dear Gwen. Things didn't go as I had planned. I shan't be coming back to Camelot in a while, but I felt so bad that I hadn't got to see you, so I decided to leave you a little message. I'm sorry about Elaine. I know how painful it is to realise that your maidservant will no longer be by your side.
If you get the chance to talk to Emrys, who I'm sure is enjoying his place, by Arthur's side, being allowed to use magic in public, being the hero that made it legal - then you can tell him that Mordred disagrees with me, but that I have seen what the future holds for Emrys, and the price he is going to pay will be more than enough, when that day comes. But you, my sweet, will pay yours and then make your exit from this play right now."
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When Gwen woke up she was lying on the floor. Her left shoulder hurt, and her head throbbed.
Someone was knocking on the door.
