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Camelot was buzzing with life and so was the seamstress' shop. Madelyn and Jayne worked long and hard to make the best work they could, and for all the dresses to be finished for the celebration of the prince. Thankfully Madelyn and Jayne had some dresses pre made shop so they had less amount of work but they still had much work to do.
Jayne had thrown herself into work, wanting to make both Madelyn and Gilda proud. Madelyn smiled as she watched her apprentice work hard, but this day was more difficult than others for Jayne to focus. Acrobats and other entertainers were arriving for the big celebration and they passed right buy the window where Jayne sat and worked. Madelyn didn't miss the many glances out the window from her apprentice.
Smiling Madelyn stood up from her seat and walked up to Jayne who's eyes were now glued to the passing wagon of acrobats outside.
"Thank looks perfect." Madelyn spoke up, making Jayne jump on her chair.
"Yes! Wait, W-what?" Madelyn smiled at the young girl's blushing face.
"Your sewing. Let me finish that dress, you're free for the rest of the day and tomorrow." Jayne practically jumped out of her seat, hugged Madelyn a thank you before she ran out the door with a huge grin on her face. Madelyn smiled wider before she continued to finish the rest of the work.
"Will you join the feast tonight or will you stay by the king? " Madelyn asked Gwen as they walked together through the castle.
"Actually, Uther is joining so I'll be there aswell." Gwen smiled, happy to be able to join the celebration for the birth of the man she loved, but also happy that Arthur had his father to join his side this night.
"That's wonderful." Madelyn smiled, also happy for Arthur.
"Will you... join someone to the feast?" Gwen's question didn't really surprise Madelyn, Merlin had asked many times, as had Jayne, lady Celia and even Gaius.
"I'm not sure." Madelyn felt her heart ache as she missed her knight more and more every day. "I miss him."
Gwen watched the sad and pained face of her friend's face. "He hasn't spoken to you in a while, has he?"
Madelyn shook her head at first. "Well, it's my fault. He tried for a long time but I kept denying his request to speak to me so... I am the one to blame really."
Gwen stopped her friend by putting a hand on Madelyn's arm. "I'm not really sure what happend between you, but would you regret leaving it like this if something would happen to him? "
Madelyn smiled slightly as she knew the answer instantly. "I would."
Gwen smiled. "So... is it possible to forgive him?"
Madelyn looked down at her own hands. "I'm not sure it's him I need to forgive... I think I did that a long time ago." Madelyn looked up at her friend, her eyes showing regret. "I think the problem is myself. I've put him through so much pain by ignoring him, I doubt my own worth for him."
Gwen stood silent, shocked by the words Madelyn spoke. Before anyone of them could continue their conversation they were interrupted with someone calling for Gwen who was needed to help the king.
"She said those words?" Lancelot spoke, sadness filling his words as he looked at Merlin. The servant of Arthur nodded.
"I think so, Gwen just told me. Maddy thinks she isn't worthy of you."
After a few seconds, Lancelot let out a small laugh. "Here I was, thinking the same thing."
"That ... she isn't worthy of you? " Merlin asked, his face showing confusion.
"No! That I'm not worthy of her." Smiling, the knight of Camelot slapped his hand on his friend's shoulder before running towards a certain part of the castle.
Madelyn's hand hesitated slightly but eventually she knocked on the door. She cringed internally as the knock came out much weaker than she had anticipated.
After a few seconds and no answering, she knocked again but this time it came out much louder than she wanted and she blushed slightly as a few servants down the corridor started whispering as they heard the loud knock.
"I think all the knights are already gathered in the great hall,M'lady..." a small voice was heard behind Madelyn and behind her stood a very young servant boy, blushing as he had spoken to a lady for the first time.
Madelyn felt her courage fly away, she should've known that the knights would gather earlier in the hall to greet everyone. Putting on a smile she looked at the boy.
"Thank you..." Madelyn waited and the boy's eyes almost budged out before he managed to stutter out his name.
"T-Tim."
Madelyn thanked him again before heading to the entrance to where the feast would be held, discouraged.
Lancelot smiled and greeted some of the guests as he stood between Leon and Percival, all lined up to display the famous knights of Camelot. He wasn't smiling on the inside. After he ran from Merlin, he went to the shop where he knew Madelyn would spend the time sewing for last orders, but she wasn't there and so he ran to her chambers but no one answered there either. Hoping he would be able to locate her somewhere in the castle he ran around, asking everyone he met if they'd seen her but suddenly he had been called to join all the rest of the knights with an early gathering.
Lancelot cursed himself on the inside, but his eyes kept glancing to the doors to the room, hoping to see Her.
And he did.
In she walked in and it was as if he saw her for the first time. His chest tightened and his breath got stuck in his throat actually making him have to cough. Feeling a shove in his side he glanced to his side to see Percival smile at him and Gwaine looking out from beside Percival with a smirk on his lips. They all knew who had walked into the room for Lancelot to react like this.
Madelyn felt his eyes on her before she saw him and she smiled. Looking up she search for the red capes that all the knights wore, and then her eyes met his and she didn't even know why she was mad at him for so long. Everything and everyone in the room completely vanished as the two's gaze was held. Madelyn's heart felt as if it would beat out of her chest and Lancelot felt the same, there was only those two.
Well, until Gwaine dared to cough out loud, making them both blush and look away.
Madelyn got a feeling as if this had happend before as during the first part of the dinner, she and Lancelot shared many glances and gazes, both blushing slightly the first times.
"I'm to deliver a message from sir Lancelot that you look beautiful this evening." Merlin's smirking voice was heard before Madelyn even saw him as he poured her some wine.
"I'll pretend that it's actually from him and that you didn't just make that up, brother dear." Madelyn answered back in a quiet voice. She obviously hadn't seen Lancelot and Merlin talk all night.
"How can you possibly know he didn't tell me that? Have you, let's say, not stopped looking at him all night?" Madelyn almost went to say that she infact had, but Merlin's voice was amused and teasing and stoped her before he would win this teasing. But Merlin beeing Merlin simply smirked wider, knowing he was right and walled away in triumph.
The evening and feast progressed and the entertainment started. Acrobats and tricksters, jokers and fools all made their best to get the audience's attention and Madelyn stood by Gwen, deciding she needed to talk to her friend who hopefully wouldn't tease her actions. Gwen spoke about something when all of a suddenly, Madelyn felt certain eyes on her. Turning her head slightly to look past Gwen, she realised that further down the hall stood Merlin talking about something and Lancelot stood by his side but was watching her with a smile. Madelyn felt herself smile back and she was about to walk over to him when the leader of the merry jesters and acrobats called out for a volunteer.
Madelyn stayed by Gwen's side as the prince was led up to the huge round board and was tied up, Madelyn didn't really like this and she was sure Gwen liked it even less. And then they started spinning it.
Madelyn stood closer to her friend for each knife they threw and when the third and final knife hit the apple in Arthur's mouth, Madelyn's hand was squeezed tightly in Gwen's. Madelyn knew the knife thrower wouldn't dare to hurt the prince but she couldn't help to flinch in fear for his life, but what she did fear more was the fate of her hand so she was very thankfull when Gwen exhaled in relief and let go of Madelyn's hand.
Seeing how Gwen turned to speak to Elayn who just walked up to them, Madelyn moved away to leave them some privacy. As she walked around the room she was suddenly gently tugged out of the main hall into an outside corridor. Smiling, feeling the all familiar hand in hers, she followed as she was led to an unknown destination.
After a few minutes of walking in silence and not showing any signs of stopping soon, she decided to try and speak up, even tho she didn't trust her own voice.
"May I ask where we're goi-" just as she started speaking, Lancelot stopped walking and turned towards her.
"I'm sorry." Realizing he wasn't apologizing for just leading her away for many minutes, she looked down at their joined hands.
"I'm sorry too." Madelyn's words came out weaker than she wanted them to. A gentle hand reached her cheek and lifted her face so she met his eyes.
"You have nothing for me to forgive. I'm the one who..." Lancelot's voice got stuck in his throat as he closed his eyes, still angry and sad on himself for doing such an awful thing, even if he didn't go through with it.
"I would've done the same if your life was at stake." Madelyn's voice was the same gentle and calm that he had dreamed of, but somehow he didn't feel like he deserved it. "And William's death was in no way your fault."
Shocked, Lancelot opened his eyes again to look at the woman infront of him. He had spoken to no one about his thoughts about partially blaming himself for Will's death, and yet here She was, knowing exactly where his mind was.
"And I am truly sorry for not being with you when you needed me, please forgive me for being such a... prat." As Madelyn said Merlin's favorit word, they both felt the tension between them ease and Lancelot pulled his lady into his arms, burying his face in her hair with a smile on his face.
The two had forgotten all about the feast many hours ago as they walked and talked through Camelot and in the castle, her arms through his. As the cold of the night finally reminded them, they walked through the corridors towards Madelyn's chambers. They still had a few corridors left when Madelyn got a nauseating feeling and stumbled into Lancelot.
"Are you alright?" His arm was quick around her waist to keep her up, and his eyes searched her face quickly.
"It's... something's wrong." Madelyn clenched her teeth as a sudden feeling of pain stung through her stomach, but as soon as it came it was gone. "I'm fine-"
"Is it ... that feeling?" Lancelot had a worried face and Madelyn swallowed before nodding. Something bad was going to happen. They changed direction and hurried towards Gaius chambers, he had expressed wishes to be informed if Madelyn experienced any of these "feelings" again, and so that's where they were heading. Suddenly Madelyn was stopped by Lancelot's arm.
"Did you hear that?" The sound from clashing of metal was heard from far away but Lancelot already drew his sword as they hurried to find where it came from. As Lancelot hurried first into a corridor to the right, Madelyn already feared where they were headed.
"Someone! We need help..." Madelyn almost froze as she heard the almost unrecognizable voice of Arthur and she hurried back to the left to the royal chambers that was close by, her running steps drowned the voice of Lancelot who yelled for more guards while he ran after her.
Madelyn would never get the sight out of her mind. The broken Prince holding his bleeding father in his arms, tears streaming down his confused and pained face.
Not wasting a second, Madelyn run up to them as she ripped her dress and pressed the fabric to the wound of the king and then pressed Arthur's hand back, but Arthur's bloody hand seemed to slip off.
"Sire, you need to keep pressure on his wound." Madelyn spoke up as she ripped more and more pieces away from her dress as the blood soaked trough the other rags. But as she looked at the prince, he didn't seem to comprehend what was happening, it was as if he didn't even see her there.
"Sire." Madelyn spoke up softly again. As if he just realised she was here he twitched and seemed to see an enemie as he quickly pulled the king away from Madelyn's hands. Quickly another pair of hands came in to help so the king wasn't hurt even more. Lancelot had come inside after sending a guard to alert everyone and Gaius and was now trying to help Madelyn calm the shocked prince but he didn't seem to comprehend what was happening.
"Arthur!" Something inside Madelyn made her remeber the first time Merlin had panicked after he discovered his magic and so she did now what shs did then. She called out to the prince and gripped his face in her hands and forced him to look at her. "It's Madelyn and Lancelot, we're here to help you." Her voice was stern at first but as Arthur's eyes focused on her she softened her voice, to keep calm. "We're here to help your father. Gaius and guards are on the way. Let us help him."
Lancelot was at first second slightly scared for Madelyn as she spoke to the prince with such disrespect but as he saw Arthur regain focus and control, Lancelot kept silent and watched.
Arthur soon nodded and as Madelyn moved his hand back to the kings wound, he listened and followed every instruction and as the guards and Gaius came running, he found Madelyn with a teared up dress as she checked the king's pulse and the prince, silent and pressing another fabric to the wound of the king.
Madelyn had changed into a new dress and now she stood outside the king's chambers. With her hand in Lancelot's she couldn't really believe that the king was dying. A squeeze from Lancelot made her focus on the opening door and Merlin stepped out.
"The knife grazed Uther's heart. It's only a matter of time." Merlin's voice was quiet and pained. Madelyn felt her chests tighten as she looked down on her hands and saw the blood still staining her nails.
"But he would already be dead if it wasn't for you two." Gaius spoke up as he had walked out and heard Merlin. Lancelot nodded in gratitude to the physician. He knew both him and Madelyn needed that comment.
"Gaius..." all three looked at her as she spoke up quietly. "The only reason we walked this way was to go speak with you." As Madelyn finished talking, she looked up and met the eyes of the physician, hoping he would understand what she meant. Gaius nodded a final time before he gestured for her to follow him. As Lancelot had and wanted to stay to help the prince in any way he could, Madelyn gave his hand final squeeze before letting go.
Merlin walked up to his sister and wrapped his arm around her shoulder before leading her behind Gaius to his chambers.
Thankfully Merlin stayed quiet as Madelyn spoke to Gaius. She told him about the feeling that came minutes before they found or even heard Arthur call out. After telling him and Merlin everything, Gaius nodded and gave her the same potion as before if she ever needed it, and walked back to the king as Madelyn and Merlin stayed.
"Why did you never tell me about this?" Merlin spoke up first as he sat himself beside her on the bench. Madelyn smiled as she looked at his worried face.
"Because I believed you have enough on your shoulders as it is and didn't want this to burden your mind aswell." She rested her head on his shoulder and grabbed his hand. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I understand, I'm just a little scared." Merlin spoke as he leaned his head ontop of hers.
So was Madelyn.
