Thank you so much for the first reviews! You don't know how much that means to me. :-) For those who are impatient for what happens next, here it is. Enjoy!
Merlin POV
'That untrusting ungrateful unchivalrous prince of ... of ... GOD, I can't even finish my insult! Whoever messed with my head is going to regret it! Can't believe he won't believe me, after all the crazy things we've come across over the year (his dad almost marrying a troll, a goblin taking over Gaius) and all those countless times I saved his life!'
I stop in the middle of the corridor feeling my pulse is too high.
'Okay Merlin, maybe you're overreacting. After all, Arthur believes no-one. He's a stubborn pig! You'll find proof and when you do, Arthur will beg you to forgive him. All things in time.
Wait ... am I talking to myself now? Okay, so where was I heading?
Right: Gwen. Because she'll believe me.'
As to be expected, she's in Morgana's room making her bed and dealing with the excessive amount of clothing Morgana leaves behind every day.
I tick her on the shoulder to let her know I'm there. She jumps at my touch.
'Aaaah! Jesus, you scared me Merlin!
So here you are ... I was affraid you would never speak to me again.'
'What? Why wouldn't I speak to you, Gwen? That's ridiculous.'
'Is it? I wouldn't say so after our little ... hmm ... confrontation last night.'
'Oh God, not you too! What did I do? I apologolize for whatever it was I did. I wasn't myself yesterday. Someone made me say and do things I wouldn't dream of!'
'Like writing that little note to Uther?' A giggle escapes her mouth. She quickly covers it up by placing a hand over her mouth.
'Haha, okay I know it was funny. We all had a good laugh there back in the royal hall. But it's not as funny to me as it is to you!
I risked my life for something I don't remember writing!'
Finally realising the seriousness of what I'm trying to tell her, she straightens her shoulders, a serious expression appearing on her face.
'So you don't remember that? And what about the other things?'
'I don't know ANYTHING Gwen! That's why I came to you. I need you to tell me what I've done so I can start making ammends with the people I bothered. Arthur, good for nothing, won't tell me anything.'
For a moment, Gwen seems to be concidering what to tell me.
'I want the whole truth Gwen, don't spare my feelings.'
Under my gaze she starts fidgeting the sleeves of her robe and walks back and forth from Morgana's bed to the closet.
'Okay, well to say the least; you were a PIG yesterday, Merlin!'
'Whoa ...'
'SHUSH! Do you want to hear this or not? You were a first- class jackass and if I didn't know you better, if we hadn't been friends for the past two years, I would have walked away from you, pretending I didn't know you! You told Uther to go fff fff ... oh to hell with it; FUCK HIMSELF, but you've told me much worse things! Ah yes...'
Gwen waves her arms like a maniac. I've never seen her so infuriated. It's quite an interesting sight ...
'You told me to stop being such a tease, you used the word maneater, and you told me I should finally make a choice between Arthur and Lancelot because soon both of them would be gone. But you didn't just mumble that to me in that drunken state of yours, you sputtered it out loud for everyone to hear!'
'Gwen.'
'... And than you said ...'
'Gwen.'
She supresses a sob coming from down her throat.
'What Merlin?', she says with a voice much softer now.
'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean any of those things.'
'But that's just it, you see. You were right! I am playing with their feelings, I am flirting with both of them because I can't make up my mind. I look at Arthur and I can't stop myself from being proud of the better king he'll surely be, of the difference he's going to make in this kingdom ...
And his big strong arms make me feel safe and he's just soooo SEXY the way he walks and talks and kisses and the way his hands go down ...'
'Woooow, too much information there Gwen!'
I can't help but feel the stinging sensation around my heart when I imagine them together, doing things he should be doing to me.
'Sorry. But than, whenever Lancelot is around, this feeling takes over me. My heart skips a beat and my chest tightens and I sometimes forget to breathe.'
'So what you're saying is Lance is killing you.'
'Not funny Merlin. And than his eyes... With Arthur it's all about lust, he looks at me like he looks at ... you sometimes.
'Wait there, WHAT?'
'But than Lancelot looks at me sadly, thinking he could never have me, and his eyes are so full of ... love ...They're full of love. Oh my God Merlin, that's it! I have chosen.'
Her face lightens up and she starts clapping her hands excitedly. I return her warm smile with my own.
'You choose Lance.'
'Yes, I do.' She throws herself at me giving me a big hug.
'That's great Gwen, I'm happy for you. But now I've helped you, you need to help me.'
'Absolutely, anything you want. Oh but I warn you, the rest of last night isn't pretty. My part was nothing concidered to what you did to others. Haha. I think you better sit down.'
She bumps my arm affectionately.
'Oh God', I think to myself.
'So no interrupting. You let me tell the whole story before you give your version, okay?'
'I'll be as good as a puppy.'
'Okay. So here it is. Yesterday, after I finished working, I was heading home when I bumped into Arthur.
He asked me where you were, he said something about pineapples not growing on his back ... don't know what that was about ...
He thought you had been spending time with me. I told him I hadn't seen you since breakfast.
So anyway, he asked me to look out for you. Later that evening, Freya, one of the other maids, and I were meeting at the tavern. We were drinking and having a great time, when you came in tripping over your own feet. I thought you had hid your head or something, so I called you over.
But you ignored me. Instead you turned your attention to Betty, one of the serving girls. I couldn't believe my eyes. You slapped her on the ass ...'
'I did not.'
'Oh yes you did! And than you ordered a blowjob.'
'Pfffff this is ridiculous.'
'Merlin, do you want me to finish the story or not?'
'Yes, I do. Please go on. Although I'm not sure I will be happy with what I'm hearing.'
'It's the God honest truth. But back to the story. Betty thought she misheard you, so she prettended she didn't hear that and she walked over to another customer. But than, you called after her and said your little Merlin down there had been lonely and cold for some time now and you needed someone to go and play with him.'
I broke eye contact with Gwen for a moment, shame coming over me.
'Betty was furious, to say the least. She threw water in your face from the jug she was carrying. But that only made you laugh. She went on with other customers, but than there was this other woman who walked up to you. She thought you were funny.
I wished you would remember, she was all over you! She was almost jumping you right there and then! So I told Lancelot, who had entered the tavern meanwhile, to do something. He went up to you and told you to stop, which of course you didn't. You said something bad to him as well, 'cause I saw his face turn awry, but I don't know what exactly. At that, Lancelot returned to me and said this was serious and we should get you out of that bar before you turned entire Camelot against you. While we were discussing how to get you out, Gwaine walked in. He went straight to you, ignoring everyone else.
He thought it was amusing to see you letting go for once, and you two were obviously having a good time, flirting.
'Flirting?'
'Yes, flirting.'
'What? Me and Gwaine?'
'Yes, you and Gwaine, Merlin. Really. But than, about fifteen minutes later, you went back to your previous state and you said something to Gwaine which he hadn't seen coming. Than you turned your attention back to that woman and you pulled her against you and you kissed her right in front of Gwaine. I have never seen him look so shocked ... and pissed! He called Lance to go fetch Arthur. He took grip of your arm, trying to pull you outside the softest way possible. But you wouldn't move. And that's where I stepped in, trying to calm you down. There, out of the blue, you started yelling those things at me.
I was so relieved Lancelot or Arthur weren't there to hear it! Gwaine couldn't take it anymore and he picked you up and threw you over his shoulder and carried you outside.
Halfway to the castle, we came across Arthur and Lancelot. Gwaine put you down for a second, after you kicked him several times and threw up on him, what choice did he have?
When Arthur opened his mouth to speak, you cut him off and rant on and on about how badly he is treating you...
That was a funny part actually...
You went NUTS! Arthur was dumbfounded. He took the cape from his back and pulled it over your head so you would shut up. Gwaine, Arthur and the other knights who had join in escortedyou to Arthur's room, because they didn't want to wake poor Gaius, the poor guy who is living with you. And so after we dropped you there we all left, except for Gwaine who wanted to make sure you were fine first. He left not long after us. And so that's all I know.
If I were you, I would go talk to Gwaine.
I don't know what you said to him, but he's been acting strange and avoiding everyone since then.'
'Okay then I'll do that, after I go to the library.'
'What are you going to do there?'
'Research. That's what I wanted to tell you too. Someone used a spell on me which made me do the things I did yesterday. I have no memories of anything since Arthur sent me to the market, yesterday morning. If I know what was done to me exactly, I can figure out why it could have been done to me and by who.'
'Okay. If you need help later on, let me know.'
'I will. And Gwen?'
'Yes?'
'I'm sorry for everything.'
'Don't worry about it Merlin. It's already forgotten.'
So there you go, chapter two. Stay tuned for more.
