Thank you for your continued support. I appreciate it.
This is the promised update, only a couple more chapters left.
I do not own Merlin or the characters. I do however, own this story.
For the past couple months, Lance has been nothing but a great father to his kids.
His first visit to their home was a bit awkward, but at the end of it, he and the kids had bonded better than he'd hoped.
In the weeks that followed, he came by for dinner once a week and actually met Arthur for the first time, on his fourth dinner visit.
To everyone's surprise, they got on well with each other and that was the start of a good relationship.
One day, just out of the blue, Arthur called Gwen into his office and asked her opinion on hiring Lance.
"Well...I think it's a great idea...but..." She paused, trying to phrase her words correctly.
"But what?" Arthur asked.
"But...if you're doing it because of me and the twins..."
Arthur held up a hand.
"Let me stop you there, my love. Yes, I would do anything for you and the kids. As long as you all are happy, then I'm happy. But, after getting to know Lance and seeing the effort he has put in to win yours and the kids' trust back...not to mention...his avid search for the right job...I think he deserves a chance. Think of it...as more of a helping hand. Now, I don't know if he will accept my offer or not...but I'm willing to be that helping hand."
Allowing his words to sink in, Gwen reached out and touched his face gently.
"You are a remarkable man Arthur Pendragon. Lance would be a fool if he doesn't accept the job. I understand what you said, but...thank you anyway for doing this for him. I too, think he deserves a second chance."
A smile blossomed on Arthur's face, as he pulled her into his arms.
"No thanks necessary, my love. Now, a kiss... I'll take that any day."
At that, he covered her lips with his and thoroughly kissed her, leaving her a breathless mess.
Days later, Lance was called into meet with Arthur in his office.
With no Merlin in sight, Arthur stood and met him, offering his hand, as he ushered him into the room.
"Thank you for coming Lance. I know it's short notice..."
"No worries Arthur though I'm a little curious, as to why I'm here."
"Well, let me put you at ease. For a while, I have been looking for someone to add to my tech team and after gathering a bit of information, I think you're the person I need."
Lance's eyes widened in surprise.
For a brief moment, he was rendered speechless.
"Now, I know what you're thinking...but this isn't a handout. I've come to truly respect you and think of you as part of my circle. Not to mention, your previous work experience speaks for itself. You don't have to give me an answer now, take some time and think about it. And whenever you're ready, I'll accept whatever answer you decide to give."
Finding his voice, Lance said,
"Wow! I wasn't expecting this. I thought...well, it doesn't matter what I thought. Uh...first of all...thank you, Arthur. You are an honorable man, so I take your word that this isn't a handout and I'd be happy to accept whatever you are offering me."
Arthur smiled and rubbed his hands together.
"Great. I'll have human resources set everything up and then we'll go over the contract. I'm very happy to have you here with us at the company, Lance. I think you'll make a great addition."
"Thank you for this opportunity Arthur. I won't let you down."
"No thanks necessary...and I'm not worried. You know, I have to apologize to you actually, I should've done it when you first came..."
A puzzled expression, masked Lance's features.
"Normally, my lazy assistant, Merlin, should've been here to show you in, but as you can see, he's nowhere to be found. I can't get him to stay put for an hour sometimes. It's nothing short of a miracle, that he hasn't scheduled me at the wrong meeting...or send me half-way across the world by mistake."
Lance chuckled.
"Merlin is..." he started.
"Don't finish that, please. My definition of Merlin and yours are completely opposite. I would bet this company he's in my sister's office. And I would bet Guinevere is making herself busy like the great assistant she is, as she keeps out of their way."
Offering his hand to Arthur, Lance smiled and said,
"I don't envy you. Seems as though you have your hands full with Merlin. But if I may say, he's a great guy..."
"That may be, but it won't stop me from saying he's a lazy bum. MERLIN!" Arthur bellowed, causing heads to turn in the office.
Within the next week, Lance was hired and was happily enjoying his training and acclimatization of Pendragon Inc.
Sometimes he would run into Gwen, but their meetings were always cordial and respectful.
There is no doubt he still has feelings for her, but seeing her and Arthur interacting, and seeing her happy, made life tolerable for him. And deep down, he was very happy for her.
His time with his kids blossomed and after a couple months of unsupervised moments with them, they were doing sleep-overs at his place.
As the holidays approached, he begun to spend more and more time with them.
Everyday, he would visit them on his lunch hour and eat his lunch with them, since school was out.
They had lots of free time on their hands and one of Morganna's housekeeper's would normally watch them until their mother came home from work.
A week away from Christmas, the Pendragon siblings decided to host a dinner at Arthur's home, in lieu of a staff party.
Everyone from the company was invited to attend and they even extended a special invitation to Alex and Alexandria...who of course, would only attend for the first half of the dinner.
Well, Arthur suddenly turned secretive, as the night drew closer. And Gwen had to wonder, what he was up to.
"I'm telling you Morgs, something is up with Arthur. I've never seen him so...I don't even know the word for it. Have you seen anything different about him?"
Morgana knew exactly what her brother was up to, but she was sworn to secrecy.
"I haven't noticed anything different...he's his usual prattish self...except when he's with you and he's still bossy and demanding." She chuckled and added, "He banned Merlin from my office. Can you believe that?"
Gwen giggled.
"Poor Merlin. And poor you," she said.
Morgana scowled.
After that, the topic drifted to gowns and what each would wear to the upcoming dinner.
About an hour into their little conversation, Morgana said,
"Mithian has been very quiet recently. In fact, I haven't seen her hanging around Arthur for a while. Wonder why?"
Gwen shrugged.
"I can't say. I try to limit contact with her and keep things professional. If I have to ask her anything regarding work, I do so and then, that's it."
"Good for you. Maybe she got the message. Arthur isn't and will never be interested in her."
The night of the dinner, Arthur Pendragon was on edge. For some reason or the other, he had been distant and 'busy' as he'd put it.
Currently, he was in the process of making a final check on the seating, the food and everything else regarding the dinner.
With everything meeting his expectations, he took a drink to calm himself, before the first guests started to arrive.
About half an hour later, people started to arrived and as host, Arthur greeted each employee and their plus ones, wishing them a great night ahead.
As the room started to grow crowded, Morgana arrived with Merlin in tow and directly behind them, was Gwen and the kids.
Arthur's eyes widened the moment he saw Gwen...
He hastily greeted his sister and Merlin and waved them inside, his eyes remaining on Gwen the entire time.
She was a vision.
Her lovely long curls hung around her enticing bare shoulders, and the beautiful, purple, bodycon, bat-wing sleeve maxi dress, fitted her perfectly.
As she stood in silver heels with matching silver belt, which accentuated her small waist and showcased her well-proportioned hips, Arthur could only think of one word, to sum up what he thought of her... gorgeous.
He met her with barely disguised lust and tons of love in his now darkened blue orbs.
"Hi," he started. "I'm so happy to see you. You look gorgeous."
A sweet smile played on Gwen's lips.
"Thank you, Arthur. You look very handsome."
He smiled, wanting to kiss her so bad, but alas, this was not the time or the place.
A soft clearing of someone's throat, broke his stare from her and he looked down, realizing, the sound was coming from little Alexandria, who was looking intensely between him and her mother.
Extending his hand to her, Arthur said,
"Lady Alexandria, I am pleased to welcome you to this Christmas dinner. And may I say, you look very lovely this evening."
At that, he bent, lifted her tiny hand to his lips and kissed it. She burst into giggles, making her twin, Alex, roll his eyes.
Next, Arthur extended his hand to Alex and said to him,
"Master Alex, it is a great pleasure to have you with us tonight. I hope you both enjoy your dinner...and Lady Alexandria, please save me a dance before you leave."
Gwen was smiling so hard, she thought her face would split in two.
Just then, Morgana returned and took the kids to their seats, leaving Arthur and Gwen alone.
"Um...Arthur, maybe I should..." Gwen started.
"Don't you dare! I need you in my sight and right here beside me..."
"But..."
"No buts, Guinevere. You can help welcome the guests. I think everyone who works at Pendragon Inc probably knows how I feel about you."
To solidify his statement, he threaded their fingers together and returned to the task of greeting his employees and their tag-alongs.
A few minutes later, Lance turned up with a young lady and for the first time in months, he actually looked happy and contented.
He chatted for a brief moment, introducing his date and then moved away, to say hello to his kids.
Next in line, was one of Arthur's favorite employees, Michael Johnson, the night janitor. And Arthur greeted him happily, along with his nice wife.
The janitor took one look at Gwen and then at Arthur, before saying,
"I'm happy to see you took my advice, Mr. Pendragon. I couldn't be more proud of you."
Arthur smiled, recalling, almost a year ago, the janitor's advice back then.
He shook the man's hand, brushed a kiss across his wife's brown cheeks and bade them a good night.
Mithian turned up with a huge smile on her face when she spotted Arthur at the door, but the smile fell from her lips the moment she saw who was beside him.
From her place in the line of steady streaming guests, she eye-balled Gwen, with a nasty scowl on her face.
'Smile now, Gwen. I bet you won't be smiling after the retreat...after Arthur realizes he's better off with me.'
With a host of ill wishes and nasty thoughts creeping through her mind, she didn't even realize it was her turn to be greeted.
The moment she saw Arthur smile and extend his hand, she schooled her features and said,
"Good evening Arthur, lovely to see you."
"Good evening Mithian, it's good to see you too. I hope you have a grand time tonight."
"Yes, I hope so too." Eyeing Gwen, she dipped her head in her direction and said, "Gwen, you look positively radiant. Enjoy your evening."
Before Gwen could reply, she was off, with her head held high.
Arthur quickly turned to Gwen and moved her hand, so it was resting in the crook of his. Gently, he patted said arm and whispered,
"Don't let her steal your joy."
After greeting everyone, Arthur turned to escort Gwen to her seat. On the way, he leaned over and softly whispered in her ear,
"You're the only woman I want in this world. Remember that."
Heat suffused Gwen's pretty face, as she allowed his words to sink in.
His grip tightened on her hand as he took her to her seat, which was next to his. And just before she sat, he kissed her cheek and helped her into her chair.
A huge smile lit up Morgana's lovely face. She squeezed Merlin's thigh in delight, feeling extremely happy for her brother and best friend.
Merlin grasped her hand, smiling along with her.
"I know Morgs. She's exactly what the prat needs."
Later in the night, after the many different dessert courses, Arthur took his first dance with little Alexandria.
It was a sight to see...
She looked so tiny compared to Arthur, but she looked really happy, grinning from ear to ear.
As soon as the song was finished, Arthur escorted her back to her seat, with the intention of asking her mother to dance.
Extending his hand to Gwen and giving a slight nod, he smiled widely, as she placed her small hand in his and stood from her chair.
On the dance floor, Arthur drew Gwen closely into his arms and placed a soft kiss to her forehead.
"Now I'm complete...and probably the envy of every male in this room...married or otherwise..." he started to say.
Gwen leaned back and looked up into his dazzling blue eyes, a question in her own brown eyes.
He smiled and said,
"I have the most beautiful woman in the room in my arms. And she's all mine."
Blushing, Gwen dipped her head, but Arthur wasn't having any of it. He lifted her chin and looked directly into her warm orbs.
"I repeat, I have the most beautiful woman in the room in my arms and she's all mine."
At that, he leaned down and sealed his lips to hers in a lingering kiss.
Gwen's heartbeat doubled and heat flooded her face, not only at his words, but because they were in a room full of people and he was kissing her.
With one more soft kiss to her lips, Arthur pulled back and whispered,
"I love you Guinevere."
Before Gwen could say a word, scant applause broke out and then grew uproariously.
Arthur turned with her in his arms, just as someone whistled and a few people shouted,
"Way to go, boss!"
He beamed, whilst Gwen felt totally embarrassed by all the attention.
Chancing a glance at the diners scattered around the room, she saw Morgana, her kids and Merlin, all smiling widely.
Next, her eyes were drawn to Lance, and he too was smiling. In a nice gesture, he gave her the thumbs up, lifted his drink to her and took a sip.
All around the room, everyone seemed to be smiling or grinning happily.
Her eyes landed on Mithian next, and she had the biggest scowl on her face. It was downright nasty, the way she was looking at her.
She tensed, and Arthur felt it.
"What is it, love?" he asked. When Gwen said nothing, Arthur looked down at her lovely face, and followed her line of vision, right to Mithian, who was now smiling.
Gwen's eyes widened, then snapped to Arthur, realizing who he was looking at.
Now, she knew what had caused the change in Mithian's behaviour and could only conclude, the woman was still up to no good.
The night progressed wonderfully after that.
Arthur and Gwen shared many more dances and when it was time for the kids to go, Lance volunteered to let them spend the night at his place.
It took Gwen approximately half an hour to get the kids organized with their overnight bags and other knickknacks, before she was able to say goodbye to them.
With the kids sorted, she returned to the dinner and back at Arthur's side.
During the course of the next hour, she shared many dances with Merlin, some of the male employees and even one with Morgana.
Whilst dancing, she was able to tell Morgana about the weird moment with Mithian.
"She's not a genuine person. She shows my brother one face and when he's not looking, she shows her true colours. She hates that you and him are together," Morgana said.
Gwen nodded.
"I don't know what I've ever done to her. I've always been cordial with her."
"Gwen, she wants Arthur. Long before you came into the picture, she wanted him. But now that you're around and Arthur is interested in you..."
"She hates me."
"Exactly!"
"Something tells me, to be very careful with her."
"You should. Don't trust her. I think she's up to something..."
A soft tap on Morgana's shoulder interrupted their conversation.
Both women looked around to find Arthur standing there.
"Can I have my date back, please?" he asked. Both women smiled, but Morgana arched an eyebrow and said,
"Of course. Talk to you later Gwen."
"I missed you," Arthur said. And Gwen swatted his arm, just as he pulled her against him.
"Really?"
He nodded.
"Yes, really. In fact, I think we should get out of here so I can have you all to myself."
Gwen flushed at his words and the intense heat in his blue eyes.
Swallowing hard, she nodded, not trusting herself to say anything.
Within ten minutes, Arthur disappeared from his huge dining room, down the hallway and up the stairs, with Gwen's hand clasped securely in his.
On reaching the top, he headed for his room.
Gwen's heart fluttered, as he opened the door and gently ushered her inside.
Although this wasn't her first time in his room, somehow, this time felt different...
Hearing the soft click of the lock, she glanced back, just as his hands came around her waist from behind.
He softly kissed each side of her neck and then the top of her head.
"Did you have a good time tonight?" he asked.
Gwen nodded.
"I did."
"What was your favourite part of the night?"
"Um...there were quite a few. Of course, every moment I spent with you, I loved. But, if I had to pick a moment... I absolutely loved it when you and Lexi danced. Her face...your face...you both looked so happy."
"Hmm. I really enjoyed my dance with her. That moment was surreal. It made me feel so many things in that moment. And I saw so many things..."
He trailed off and turned her around to face him.
Looking right into her warm eyes, he sighed and said,
"There were so many highlights to my evening and I enjoyed every moment spent with you. Of course, the night isn't quite over..."
Once again, he trailed off, but leaned in and started placing kisses all over her face and lips.
On pulling back, he smoothed his hand down her long curly hair and said,
"You know what? I had so many things I wanted to say to you...so many things I've memorized for this exact moment. Now, none of it matters. Almost a year ago, you blew into my life and from the moment I met you, I started falling for you. I fell so hard and so fast, I couldn't believe it. I was powerless to stop it... but I didn't want to... I wanted to feel everything I was feeling for you. And right now, I feel ecstatic. You're just what I needed and I thank God for giving you to me."
He dropped to one knee and Gwen's hand flew to her mouth.
"I've thought of you as my wife for months. So now, would you do me the honour and make it official? Will you marry me?"
With one hand on her chest and the other covering her mouth, and silent tears leaking from her eyes, all Gwen could do, was nod.
A huge smile bloomed on Arthur's handsome face.
He stood, gently took her hand from her mouth and slipped the gorgeous twelve carat sapphire ring surrounded by fourteen solitaire diamonds onto her slender finger.
Gwen stared at it for a brief moment, then looked up to Arthur's face with watery eyes, as if she couldn't believe it.
Seemingly reading her mind, he dried her tears, kissed her and said,
"This is real... what I feel for you is real. I love you so much, Guinevere."
Once again, he captured her lips in a scorching kiss, and after a while, the kiss turned hungry.
All of a sudden, clothes started to come off, and there might've been a few buttons flying...
Now, Gwen stood, in just her underwear and Arthur shirtless, with his hair mussed.
He gently cupped her cheeks, savoring every second with her.
This is the furthest they've come to being intimate and he wanted to make sure she was ready for the next step.
Softly, he kissed her lips, gently nipping the bottom one, then pulling it between his, lightly sucking on it.
"Are you sure about this, Guinevere?" he quietly asked.
Gwen looked into his darkened blue eyes, which were filled with so much love and so much desire, she almost cried.
"Yes, Arthur. I've never been more sure. I want this... I need this. I need you."
Stay safe!