AN: Still no beta... hopefully everything is ok...
And I hop you guys like this, I had a lot of fun writing. Kind of exciting to have a new couple going on. Plus, Lancelot and Guinevere are adorable together. But anyways...
quick note on schedule. My finals are next week and I will not be writing that week. At all. I'm sorry, but studying is way more important right now. They will be over on thursday and I head back home friday, so hopefully after that there will be lots more time to write. I get a month off for winter break, and I am planning on getting a lot done then, so hopefully soon there will be a lot more updating going on, but for now, you will have to be just a bit patient with me... Sorry.
And as you wait for my story to update, you should all check out "the lost prince" by wolvesarecool. She is a new writer and talented writer who I've been chatting with a bit, and definitely deserves some support on her first major fic. It really is a lovely AU though, and if you need something to read, please check it out for me!
Finally, I don't own Merlin. The whole having to take finals thing might have given that away though...
Chapter Twenty One: Lancelot meets Guinevere
Lancelot smiled as he looked over to the corner of the camp where Merlin and Arthur were still sleeping, their bodies so tangled together it was difficult to tell where Merlin ended and Arthur began. He had heard them whispering last night, he was pretty certain Gwaine and Percy had heard as well, even though none of them had said anything, and had been quite amazed by the amount of loved the pair shared. It had been strange having Arthur Pendragon living with them for a while, but it was worth it. Merlin was so happy around Arthur he practically glowed. Lancelot may not have known Merlin for very long, but he had never seen him happier, and no one deserved happiness more than Merlin. After working so hard to ensure everyone else's happiness, Merlin was finally getting his own happy ending. Well, maybe not an ending, but definitely a change, and a good one.
The only thing that worried Lancelot was thinking about what would happen to Merlin if anything ever happened to Arthur. He had almost murdered the assassin who hurt Arthur, and if Arthur had really died Merlin probably would have been unstoppable. It wasn't so much that Lancelot thought the man didn't deserve death, but Merlin would never forgive himself if he killed someone, especially the person was not an immediate threat. He was pretty certain that if that day did come, nothing would be able to pull Merlin back from depression, no matter how hard the three of them tried. Just like with the nightmares, there were some things Merlin needed Arthur for, and no one else would do. Well, Lancelot thought, he would just have to make sure it never came to that.
As Arthur and Merlin began to stir, Lancelot tried to look busy building a fire. He vaguely noticed Percival and Gwaine jolting into action as well, trying to hide the fact that they had all been staring at the sleeping couple and contemplating the future before they had woken.
"So Merlin," Gwaine said with a large smile, "What's it like having a Pendragon as a pillow?"
"Wonderful." Merlin replied, before giving Arthur a very loud kiss. Lancelot couldn't help but laugh along with Gwaine and Percival, happy to have some distraction from his dark thoughts. Merlin was happy now, and he wasn't going to ruin that by focusing on every possible thing that could go wrong.
When Merlin and Arthur had finally managed to untangle themselves and join the others around the fire, Percival had finished making the porridge and Gwaine had gotten back from the river with filled water skeins for all of them. Merlin may have been a little closer to Arthur than normal, and he might have sent more nervous glances back towards Arthur than usual, but otherwise there was no sign of Arthur's injury and Merlin's anger. It seemed Merlin and Arthur were doing their best to forget the incident, and Lancelot was happy to join them. Percival seemed a little concerned, but he said nothing which Lancelot thought was probably for the best. Gwaine seemed his usual crazy self, and was doing a good job distracting them from the incident as he told a story about one of his many adventures in a far away land, most of which Lancelot was convinced were false, or at least some alcohol induced fantasy. But it was a good distraction, and filled the awkward silence that could have settled over the camp as they tried to skirt around the subject of the assassin.
Unfortunately, they couldn't avoid the subject forever as Gwaine finished his story and Arthur pointed to the large pile of coins they had taken from the mercenary and asked, "When did we get that lot? Did you guys manage to break into the castle without me? And if you did, how long was I out? I was under the impression it was only a few hours."
Lancelot met Gwaine's gaze and gulped before turning to see what Merlin's reaction was. The warlock looked incredibly tense and angry, his gaze fixed on the money while the rest of the group watched him in silence. Percival seemed to be trying to catch his eye, but Merlin was lost, his eyes beginning to turn gold before Arthur's hand was on his shoulder, and he relaxed, turning back towards the prince. He closed his eyes for a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "We took it from the man who- the man from the forest yesterday. Apparently the king hired him to take me out, and spent quite a bit of the tax-payers money on him. Figured we might as well take it back to the people who actually deserve it. Uther obviously wanted us to have it, he practically sent it to us." Merlin finished with a pathetic laugh, as Arthur pulled him into a hug. Lancelot sighed in relief as Merlin straightened up with a smile, the anger that had been in his eyes completely gone.
"We should probably take it into the city today," Percival said, still watching Merlin with concern, "the men Uther's hired as tax collectors are getting more and more violent, we can't let them have a reason to abuse their power."
"Percival's right." Arthur replied, his hand still on Merlin's shoulder. "We should go soon too, while the market is most busy. None of the guards will notice a few extra peasants in the crowds."
Lancelot nodded, Arthur did know the guards better than the rest of them, and this would be a good way to get all their minds off the incident yesterday. Merlin seemed a little more hesitant, but he agreed as soon as Arthur promised he wouldn't leave his side.
It didn't take long after that before they were ready to deliver their goods. They had to be much more careful about their appearances now that their identities were a little less secret, but Merlin had gotten quite good at magically growing different facial hair and slightly altering appearances with other quick and painless spells. With those spells and their usually cloaks, they were completely unrecognizable to any who didn't know exactly what to be looking for. Of course, security was getting tighter as well, and with pictures of their faces posted on practically every corner things were getting risky. If it wasn't for Merlin's magic and Arthur's impeccable knowledge of the citadel, they would all have been caught months ago. But, somehow, they had managed to remain one step ahead of Uther and his men.
So, as they made their way toward the citadel, Lancelot felt he had little cause to worry. As long as they were careful, and none of them did anything stupid, the drop should go smoothly, just like every other delivery they had made since Merlin's recovery.
They waited at the edge of the forest for quite a while before a big enough party to disguise their presence made its way towards the city's entrance. Luckily for them, a group of merchants must have gotten a late start and they were able to easily disguise themselves among the large carts and bustle of crowds. Lancelot held his breath, just like always, as they passed through the gates, but, just like always, the guards didn't even give them a second glance and they were soon safe among the multitudes of people gathered for market day. Lancelot followed Percival's bulking form as he made his way over to a slightly secluded corner where Merlin, Arthur, and Gwaine were waiting for them.
"Can you believe this?" Merlin whispered, pointing to one of the wanted posters. It had quite a good likeness of Merlin, if it hadn't been for the fact he was now sporting a very bushy orange beard to go with his wavy ginger locks, above the usual, 'Emrys: wanted dead or alive.' Lancelot's poster was below it, along with Percy's and Gwaine's, all sporting frowns that really looked out of place on their faces. "One thousand gold pieces for my head? Maybe one of you should turn me in; we could use that gold to feed the people."
"Don't you even suggest that." Arthur said, as Percival glared at Merlin's attempted joke.
"Oh, lighten up guys." Merlin replied with a roll of his eyes. "You know I was just kidding. I rather like my head where it is, thank you very much."
"And shouldn't we focus on the real travesty here?" Gwaine said, "I'm only worth two-hundred and fifty gold pieces! How is that fair? And they just can't get my noise right."
"At least they got your lushes locks right." Lancelot teased, runny his hand through Gwaine's hair which was currently much darker and almost completely straight, making him almost unrecognizable from the poster. Well, that, and he did now have the bushiest mustache Lancelot had ever seen. Merlin really was getting good with the facial hair spells.
"Hmm, and Percival's worth five-hundred." Arthur added. "Seems my father does have some sense after all."
Lancelot laughed along with Merlin as Gwaine jumped Arthur, trying to get a hold of the prince's now long, brown hair. Percival didn't seem quite as amused as he grabbed Gwaine and pulled him away from Arthur saying, "Could we maybe save the childish games for when we get out of the city? The guards are watching us."
Lancelot slowly turned his head, trying to look inconspicuous as he risked a glance at the two men wearing the Pendragon crest who were indeed watching them. Gwaine settled down quickly as Arthur moved towards Merlin, his hand straying to the blade at his belt as it always did when he felt threatened. Merlin's face grew serious as he nodded and said, "Percy's right. We have a job to do. Gwaine, Percival, you two take the west side of town, and make sure you visit Sara and her children, her house was in need of repairs last time I saw her, and winter is coming. Lancelot, you take the houses near the castle, and be careful. The guards will be heavy there, but there aren't too many people to visit. Arthur and I will take the east. Some of the children there have fallen ill and I need to see if I can help. We will meet back in the woods by the old oak at mid-day."
As Merlin spoke he divided out the gold, using his magic to slip it into their pockets without moving his hands or attracting the attention of the guards. As soon as the gold was all divided, Merlin smiled at them, whispering one last, "Be careful." Before he and Arthur walked off towards the east where Merlin would heal the sick and Arthur would make sure he was safe. Gwaine smiled at them before thumping Percival on the back, grinning at Lancelot and offering him good luck before they too were gone, leaving only Lancelot in the corner. He waited till he was certain the guards were no longer watching him before heading off towards the castle, keeping as calm and relaxed as he could.
Arthur's plan to come during the market seemed a good one. With so many people milling about, Lancelot was able to blend in easily, even as he approached the houses nearest to the castle. Although there were quite a few guards wandering through the streets, none of them gave him a second glance as he made his first three drops. Everything was going smoothly until he saw her.
She was perfect. She must have been new to the city, because there was no way he could have missed her if they had ever crossed paths before. Not with such luscious ebony curls spilling down her back, not with such perfectly smooth, dark skin that seemed to glow as she walked gracefully through town, stopping to talk with almost everyone. And when she smiled, gods, Lancelot was sure he had never been happier in his life. He couldn't help but wonder if this was what Merlin felt when he looked at Arthur, because it had to be love. Never had he experienced feelings like this before. He couldn't help but follow her through the town, trying to think of some way to learn more about this beautiful girl.
Unfortunately, he wasn't the only person who noticed her beauty. A pair of 'guards', most likely some of the thugs Uther had hired to try to protect his gold after banishing half of his force, had taken some interest in her as well. Lancelot had never felt rage like he did when one of them grabbed her arm, forcing her to drop the basket she was holding and face him, the other moving behind her to block her exit. Somewhere, in the very back of his mind, a voice was telling him to get out of there, that she would be alright, that someone else would come to her rescue, but that voice was vastly overpowered by the overarching need to protect this beautiful maiden from harm. Lancelot pushed his way through the crowded streets as quickly as he could, reaching the girl's side just as one of the guards backhanded her roughly.
Lancelot thought he could never have been angrier than he had been when the guardsman first grabbed her. He was wrong. He saw red as her free hand shot up, protectively covering the cheek that had been slapped by the horrid man who was now less than a foot in front of him. Abandoning his common sense and all instincts for self-preservation, Lancelot said, "You will not touch her," drew his fist back and slammed it into the jaw of the man who had dared to harm the beauty. While the first guard was incapacitated, Lancelot moved as fast as he could, pulling the girl free and positioning himself between her and the two guards. The second guard got over the shock of being suddenly attacked by a peasant quickly, but Lancelot was quicker. He ducked below the fist that had been aimed for his face and swept the man's legs, knocking him onto his backside. As he rose, the other guard had taken a fighting position, his sword drawn. Lancelot had a small blade concealed in his boot, but his sword was back in the camp and the blade would do no good against the long sword he was currently being threatened with. He looked around desperately for anything he could use as a makeshift weapon, but there was nothing. He was forced to retreat slightly, dodging the thrusts of the sword until, suddenly, the handle of a broom came flying past him. He grabbed it, looking back in the direction it had come and seeing the maiden smiling back at him. His grin broadened as he saw her happy face and he attacked the guard with renewed vigor, forcing him back into the wall of the house behind them, whapping him on the head and shoulders at every available opportunity. Just as he managed to get the first man down once more, the second was on him again, his sword drawn as well. Lancelot didn't draw this out, taking his first opening and aiming a solid blow right between the guard's legs. The man let out a howl of pain and was soon on the ground next to his compatriot. Lancelot was panting slightly, but completely uninjured, as the two guards scrambled away and he turned back to the maiden.
"Are you alright, my lady?" Lancelot asked, giving a slight bow. The girl blushed, turning away bashfully before saying, "I am no lady, but thank you. You shouldn't have saved me. Which isn't to say I'm not grateful, it's just I don't want you to be in trouble. I'm nothing special."
Lancelot frowned in confusion. Could this beautiful maiden not know the extent of her own perfection? His brain couldn't think of a response, so he ending up mumbling "It was no trouble." while shifting back and forth awkwardly. He wished he could think of something clever, or sweet, or charming to say to her, but he could think of nothing but how much more beautiful she was close up. Her eyes were a deep brown, and sparkled with kindness as she watched him. The blush hadn't faded from her checks as she stared at him in return; making Lancelot wish Merlin had given him a better disguise. Something far more handsome and dashing than the cropped blonde hair and pointed beard. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as a man with skin that matched his maiden's ran to her side shouting "Gwen! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Elyan." Gwen said, batting away the newcomer's hands as he searched her body for wounds. Lancelot felt slightly ashamed at the jealousy he felt as this other man touched the maiden, or Gwen, as he had called her.
"Claire found me, she said you were being attacked by a couple of Uther's men, I came as fast as I could."
"There was no need, brother." Gwen replied, making Lancelot feel a rush of relief. He was only her brother, he still had a chance. "I was saved by, umm, sorry, I never did catch your name."
"Lancelot." Lancelot replied, not thinking at all about how giving his real name could cause problems. Elyan regarded him with curiosity as Gwen smiled.
"I'm Guinevere. Well, most people call me Gwen. And this is my brother, Elyan." Gwen said, offering her hand. Even though he could tell she meant for him to shake it, Lancelot could not help himself as he bent down to lay a chaste kiss on the back of her hand. She was blushing even more as he straightened up and said, "It is my pleasure, Guinevere."
Once again their eyes met, and suddenly the rest of the crowds and noises vanished, it was just them. Elyan must not have been incredibly keen on being ignored as he pushed his way between them. As he did, their eye contact was broken and Lancelot was once again surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the crowded city. He blinked, trying to regain his bearings as Elyan said, "Well, thank you very much, Lancelot, but we really should be going."
Lancelot could only nod mutely as the woman of his dreams slowly walked away. They had only made it a few feet when there was a commotion at the end of the street and Lancelot saw the one of the guards he had attacked leading a troop of about ten men towards him. Gwen must have seen them as well as she paled, but didn't move. Lancelot felt his breath pick up as he looked for a way to escape, but as he looked down the road he saw another group of guards blocking his only exit, lead by the other guard. He met Elyan's eyes for a moment and quickly whispered, "Get to the giant old oak at the southern edge of the forest, tell the men waiting there that Lancelot was caught by Uther, and please, keep her safe." Elyan nodded and grabbed Guinevere's hand as he ran out of the street while Lancelot braced himself, hoping he could at least put up a good fight before he was taken. Gwen had struggled a bit as Elyan pulled her away, and Lancelot couldn't help but smile at that. Of course Guinevere would be a warrior as well, was there no end to his maiden's perfection? Elyan whispered something to her that seemed to calm her down, and she offered Lancelot one last smile before running off down the street with her brother. Lancelot couldn't help but smile back, completely lost in the bouncing of her curls until the guard who had slapped her moved into Lancelot's line of vision, cutting off his view of Gwen. Lancelot gave a low growl as the guard yelled, "This man has been caught disturbing the peace and assaulting some of the king's men. For these crimes he has been sentenced to a month in prison." Lancelot stood his ground, his eyes never leaving the guard's as the man moved so close only he could hear him and said, "I hope you won't mind me and my friends taking care of your little lady while you're rotting in a cell. She is quite beautiful. I bet she is even lovelier when she screams."
Lancelot couldn't restrain himself any more. He knew he was outnumbered. He knew it was useless. But this man had threatened Gwen. And for that, he would suffer. Lancelot launched himself onto the guard, pummeling him with all his might. As he forced the man to the ground he kept hitting him as he shouted, "YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER!" each word emphasized with a punch to the face. He was spitting with fury as the other guards pulled him off the man who now had a black eye, a bloody nose, and a split lip. Lancelot couldn't help but grin at his work. His smiled didn't last long as the beaten guard pulled himself off the ground and launched his fist into Lancelot's face. The fist was quickly followed by the other, and as four other guards held Lancelot in place as the man who had threatened Guinevere used him as a punching bag. Lancelot was feeling slightly woozy as the man finally stopped, drawing back to admire his work. Lancelot could feel blood dripping down his face and into the beard that wasn't usually there, as the guard swayed back and forth in his dizzy vision. He couldn't help but wonder how long his disguise would last. If these men found out they had caught one of Emrys' men and not just some peasant, he really was in trouble. He felt slightly guilty as he thought about what Merlin and the others would do when they found out he had been arrested, but he couldn't help but feeling it had been completely worth it. Guinevere was safe, and for that he would pay any price.
"Not so pretty now, are you peasant?" The guard he had beaten said with a sneer, before leading the group of guards holding Lancelot back towards the castle, dragging Lancelot down into the dark dungeon and tossing him into the cell that, just a few months earlier, had held one of his best friends.