Chapter 9

Guinevere wrapped the bandage as carefully as she could around Arthur's arm, wanting to be gentle, but knowing that it had to be tight enough to stem the flow of blood. They were both together in Arthur's room, with Arthur out of his armour and standing in his loose tunic, with his right sleeve rolled up. The tunic was anything but white now, and most of the right sleeve was bright red from the wound. The two of them were standing close together without saying anything, with Arthur watching Gwen as she completed her task.

"Is that better?"

Arthur smiled at her, "Much. Thank you."

She rolled the sleeve down for him, and as well as being bloodied, it did of course now have a big cut in it.

"Well, the royal seamstress better wash and mend this for you, as we can't have my future king going round looking like – what was it? - a vagrant!"

Arthur smiled again and spoke gently to her, "You don't have to do that."

"You have plenty of fresh tunics, then?"

Arthur paused before replying, and when he did, he looked a little sheepish.

"Shall we just say that packing was a little… haphazard."

"Honestly, I thought you and Merlin would be well practised at it by now!"

"We're easily….. distracted."

Gwen just laughed. "Well, in that case, I'd better have the shirt from you."

"Merlin can do it!"

Gwen laid her hand on his good arm, and looked up at him, almost shyly: "I want to do it … for you."

Arthur smiled again at this comment. "Thank you."

Gwen picked up a cloth from a bowl of water that was already red from washing the wound on his arm, and started gently cleaning up the cut above Arthur's eye. They stood in silence for a few seconds, and Arthur winced as she cleaned the wound. Gwen suddenly stopped though, and looked at him with deep concern on her face. "Why does he hate you so much?"

Arthur thought for a moment, furrowing his brow. "I'm not sure – I don't think it's just the fact I've beaten him on the field so many times. He just seems to hate everything I stand for."

As Gwen resumed cleaning Arthur's wound, she voiced her troubling fear, "Just be careful, Arthur. I don't like him." There had been something about the expression on Ivan's face when Arthur had defeated him that left Gwen feeling uneasy.

"Well, that makes two of us. I will be careful – don't worry." And Arthur decided that the best way to deflect Gwen's concern was to change the subject. "And the reward that I get for this afternoon's victory is, of course, facing Gwaine tomorrow!"

"Well, let me give the prince a better reward then!" And with that Gwen put her arms around Arthur's neck and he responded by putting his around her waist, and they shared a long and lingering kiss.

Arthur looked down happily into Guinevere's eyes. "I'd better get ready for the meal – and for another delightful round of Ivan's company. I honestly don't know what's worse – fighting him or having to listen to him!", and they both laughed. Arthur added, "I'll bring the shirt to you when I've changed."

"And I'll have it done by the end of the evening."

And with that, they shared another quick kiss, and Gwen left him to change.

But Arthur never got to fight Gwaine the following morning. The events of that evening were to change everything.