Sweet Dreams

Anna finished Evaine's hair, grinning and clapping her hands as Evaine turned to her in confusion. "Even I am impressed with my own skills of making you look even more beautiful than you already are," she said, and Evaine rolled her eyes, smiling nonetheless.

"You are very modest," Evaine points out, the two sharing a smile before leaving for the banquet. She felt Anna tense as they entered, noticing the four Kings sat beside Uther. Evaine held her head high, dropping to a low curtsey before them.

"Lady Evaine, how good to see you again," King Olaf says, and she smiles, rising to turn to him.

"I trust your wife is well?" she asks politely. Olaf nods, before gesturing for her to look to her left. "Lady Vivian!" Evaine calls, the two smiling at one another as Evaine moves to sit beside her.

"My dear, how I hoped to see you here. Your presence is the only reason I agreed to journey here with father," Vivian tells her, and Evaine smiles apologetically to a surprised Morgana.

"Really Vivian, it isn't that bad," Evaine tells her, and Vivian scoffs.

Their friendship was an odd one to many, but they shared one common failing in the eyes of their father's – their rebelliousness.

The banquet is filled with laughter and song, especially when Trickler stands breathing fire to impress the knights and Kings in the hall, bowing as everyone claps.

"But it is not enough to please just the gentlemen of the court. Now I have a spectacle for the ladies," Trickler says, holding his arms out, and a dozen blue butterflies emerge from behind him. Evaine smiles, clapping as Vivian gasps in awe. "But what is this? Lady Vivian," Trickler gasps, stepping forward and reaching behind her ear, a butterfly perched on his finger as he moves back. "It has mistaken you for a beautiful flower," he says, everyone clapping as he nods at their amusement.

XXXXXX

Evaine enters her chambers the next day after her ride out with Vivian, sighing as she shuts the door behind her.

"How was it?" Anna asks, grinning as she holds something behind her back. Evaine eyes her, untying her cape and throwing it over her chair.

"Fine. What are you hiding?" she asks, and Anna squeals as she reveals a beautiful bouquet of flowers. "They are beautiful!"

"They came with this," Anna tells her, holding out a note as Evaine admires the flowers, smelling them. She takes it off her, reading the words with a smile.

"A vase please, Anna," Evaine said, her eyes looking back to the flowers now in her hands as Anna runs off to find one. She jumps, almost dropping the flowers when Merlin bursts in.

"Merlin, can't you knock?" Evaine asks, hiding the note.

"Rats," Merlin states.

"What?" Evaine asks.

"Big. Hairy. Sharp teeth. Er...yeah, definitely under here," Merlin says, looking under the table.

"Are you feeling alright?" Evaine asks, ducking to look under the table as well.

"Me? Never better. You?" Merlin asks, standing back up right and looking at the flowers in her hands.

"I'm having a very surprising day," Evaine says, smiling down once more at the flowers.

"Really?"

"You know one of those occasions when you've lost all hope and then, out of the blue, something happens to restore your faith?" Evaine asks.

"Sort of," Merlin says, watching her look at him still smiling.

"Well, that's what's happened to me today," Evaine tells her friend, forgetting his earlier odd behaviour as she looked at the flowers.

XXXXXX

Evaine smiles as she walks past Arthur, noticing him stroking his horse as he mopes. "What is it, Arthur? You look like you have something on your mind."

"You read me like a book. I've made a fool of myself, that's all. That's everything," Arthur says, sighing, handing his horse's reigns to a servant.

"I'm sure that is not true," Evaine says, the two walking.

"You have a good heart, Evaine, but I'm afraid it is. I have made a gesture, but it was not well received," Arthur explains, Evaine frowning.

"You sure?"

"Pretty sure."

"Then you are wrong," she tells him, the two stopping and facing one another.

"You are very close to the lady in question," Arthur says, remembering their interaction at the banquet.

"Your token was much appreciated. But the situation is delicate, and it is not always easy to express what is really in one's heart," Evaine tells him, blushing.

"You think there's hope?" Arthur asks.

"There is always hope," Evaine tells him, smiling slightly.

"If only I had some way of knowing," Arthur says.

"Indeed, my lord," she says, smiling before leaving.

XXXXXX

Evaine smiles, stepping into her friend's room the next day, seeing Morgana looking out the window. She stands next to her, seeing people make their way to the tournament grounds.

"Anything interesting?" Evaine asks.

"Haven't you heard? Arthur was discovered in Lady Vivian's chambers," Morgana tells her, and Evaine's smile falls.

"What?" she asks, her face paling.

"King Olaf has demanded recompense. They are to fight to the death. All for the love of a woman. And Lady Vivian at that. You look more shocked than I did," Morgana says, placing her hand on Evaine.

"It is very surprising," Evaine managed a weak smile.

"Well, I don't know why he couldn't control his feelings," Morgana mutters, glancing out the window once more.

"Indeed. I will miss the tourney, if you don't mind. I have to answer some letters from my family," Evaine says.

"But of course," Morgana says, smiling at her friend, watching her leave. Evaine hurries out, pausing as Arthur and Merlin walk past her.

"Ah, Evaine! You will wish me luck?" Arthur asks.

"Will I?" Evaine mutters, her sadness turning to anger.

"Haven't you heard?" Arthur asks, pausing.

"Oh, yes. I've heard. Though sadly not from your lips. I wish you could've been more honest with me, Arthur," Evaine says, glancing at Merlin before leaving for her chambers.

XXXXXX

Anna watches Evaine sit at her desk, her quill in hand with a piece of blank paper in front of her. She had not said much, but Anna could tell her lady was suffering. The two look back, startled as Merlin bursts into the room.

"Rats again, Merlin?" Evaine asks, staring back out to the window.

"What? No. No, erm...I, I need your help. Arthur needs your help," Merlin says quickly.

"I do not think that Arthur needs me," Evaine scoffs.

"Evaine, don't worry. I know," Merlin says, and Evaine looks at him.

"You know what?" she asks, already knowing what he means.

"Everything. Anyone who spends five minutes with you can see how you feel about each other. Look, I do not have a lot of time to explain, so you are gonna have to trust me. Arthur does love you," Merlin says.

"No, he doesn't," Evaine says, closing her eyes.

"If you don't trust me, trust your feelings," Merlin tells her, standing beside her desk.

"I'm never trusting my feelings again," Evaine mutters.

"He's enchanted!" Merlin tells her, and she stands up.

"Yes, with Lady Vivian! I can see that!" she shouts back.

"No, I mean literally enchanted with magic, potions, love juice! None of his feelings are genuine!" Merlin explains. Evaine frowns, shaking her head.

"When I saw him, his feelings seemed real enough," she says.

"Gwen, none of his feelings for Vivian are real. But if you do not break the spell, his death will be. Search your heart. You know who he loves," Merlin says, and Evaine looks back to the window before looking to Anna.

"Fetch my cape," she instructs, Merlin smiling in relief.

The three of them hurry to the tournament ground, Merlin and Anna waiting outside as Evaine hesitates before entering Arthur's tent.

"Ah! Have you finally come to wish me good luck? 'Cause I really don't think I need it anymore," Arthur tells her.

"No, Arthur. I have not come to wish you luck," Evaine says, stopping in front of him.

"Well, honestly, that's rather rude," Arthur mumbles.

"Then let me make amends," she says, before pinning him against the tent pole and kissing him. He looks confused for a moment, before his eyes slowly close and he pulls her closer to him, kissing her back. Evaine places her arms around his neck as he holds her waist, dipping her slightly. They pull apart, Arthur smiling at her before gasping, feeling his injuries now the spell has worn off.

"What am I doing?" he asks, and she strokes his cheek.

"You're in a fight. To the death. You're losing," she explains, whispering slightly.

"But..."

"There's no time to explain. Just...live for me, Arthur. That's all I ask right now," she asks, reaching up to kiss his cheek, the two hearing the horns sound before hurrying outside, Evaine taking a seat next to Morgana.

"I thought you had letters to write," Morgana said, smiling at her friend.

"I managed to write them faster than I thought," she says, smiling softly as Arthur enters the grounds with Merlin.

"Merlin, if anything should happen to me, look after Evaine. The world may think she is just dispensable, but...she's not dispensable to me," Arthur says, Merlin smiling as Arthur admits his feelings. Anna sits beside Evaine, the latter taking her hand tightly as the fight begins once more. Evaine winces as Arthur cringes in pain, smiling encouragingly at the prince as he fights on. Arthur is knocked to the ground, Evaine looking away before Arthur flips Olaf over, disarming him and pointing his sword over him.

"This is no way to achieve peace!" Arthur shouts, lowering his sword. He offers Olaf a hand to stand, the crowd cheering as they shake hands. Arthur nods to Gwen, who smiles.

XXXXXX

"Goodnight, Anna," Evaine calls, shutting her door to her room and sighing. She stops as she notices the single rose on the table with a note. She picks the rose up, smiling.

"I thought I'd better deliver it myself this time," Arthur says, stepping forth from where he was hiding behind the door. She turns, her eyes dropping to the floor as he stands in front of her. "I'm sorry...for...what I put you through."

"No. You have nothing to apologise for. I, too, have caused my fair share of hurt," she says, smiling softly.

"You must believe that my feelings for...Vivian...were not real. I have never loved another," Arthur promises, and Evaine smiles sadly.

"One day you will. One day you will find your real princess. One day you will be King of Camelot. And I cannot be your queen," Evaine says, her words tinged with sadness.

"You don't know that," Arthur says.

"I am as sure of that as you are," Evaine says, the two sharing a small smile.

"Things may change," he says.

"Well, until they do," Evaine says, before curtseying low. "Arthur." He watches sadly, before turning and leaving. Evaine turns around, leaning on her table and looking down at the rose, sighing.