Disclaimer: wish I owned 'Merlin' but I don't so in the meantime, I hope TPTB don't mind me playing with them a little
Note: lots of Christmassey and tinselly thanks to everyone who has been reviewing, u keep me on the right track of how the fic is going. Also, a special nod to Casualp . hope ur studies get back on track soon :D x
Stunned. The word didn't begin to cover what Gwen was feeling at the moment. Her brain barely processed what the handsome heir to Camelot had said to her, her powers of speech and movement temporarily lost as she could only stare at him with her mouth agape.
"Huh, I wasn't aiming for the village idiot reaction," deadpanned Arthur.
Gwen blinked slowly before seemingly coming back to consciousness. She was belatedly aware of being pressed close to his chainmail-clad chest and despite the metal, she could sense the warmth that lay beneath. The maid's focus was also distracted by the sensation of strong arms holding her securely to the man who had occupied her dreams and fantasies for so long.
"Gwen," Arthur did not often use her abbreviated name.
He let the fingers of his right hand trace the line of her jaw before stopping under her chin to angle her face up towards him. Time seemed to slow almost to a standstill as she watched him lower his head, his eyes focused on her soft mouth. Gwen felt herself tilt her head and lean up to meet his approaching lips with her own. Arthur felt her fingers run through his hair as her lithe body rose to press against him as the soft kiss became more passionate and they both sensed the urgency that fuelled the kiss.
After what seemed like forever but was really only a few seconds, they parted with both taking a deep, recovery breath.
"Arthur." Gwen's voice was barely a whisper. "I wasn't sure that I would see you again."
He shook his head in confusion. "I don't follow."
"I was going to write and say I was going to stay on here, um…indefinitely." She broke the gaze and lowered her eyes to the ground. "Em…when I heard you were to be married." If the Crown Prince had not been watching her lips as she spoke, he would have questioned whether he had heard her say those words at all.
A soft smile appeared on his face. "And now?"
She looked up shyly, "I can't stand to be apart from you either."
They were interrupted then by a loud cough and turned to see Merlin standing to one side, a happy knowing grin on his face as he looked at his friends.
Having made her decision to return to Camelot, the three friends stayed the night in the village so that Gwen could say proper goodbyes to the friends she had made during her time there. In the morning, Morgana's maid hugged Hannah warmly before riding out of the village back to the kingdom's castle city. Behind her, from the security of his own cottage her would-be suitor, Kirin, watched her leave with wistfulness and thoughts of what might have been.
The three companions had been in good cheer on the first part of their two-day journey but as they neared the imposing white castle, the group's mood became sombre. They stopped for a last rest before completing the final few miles. Sitting around the small campfire, Arthur jabbed distractedly at the flames with a long stick whilst Gwen stared into the middle-distance and Merlin watched them with concern before finally breaking the gloomy silence.
"It might not be so bad, you know." Merlin said in a too-bright voice.
"No," replied Gwen, "it will be far worse."
"For once, he might be right." Arthur was unable to disguise the forced optimism in his tone.
The young woman sighed. "Stop it, both of you." She directed her next statement at Arthur. "Your father will never agree to this. There can be no 'us'."
Gwen and Arthur respected the sorcerer too much to exclude him from a conversation which they knew he already knew about. The two men said nothing, aware that she was correct. The only thing the King felt as strongly as magic about was the rigid guideline that dictated the etiquette between social classes. In other words, the nobility ruled and the lower classes were there to serve them and absolutely no more.
With little else to say, the three sat for a while longer in melancholy silence before setting off again.
It was dusk when they passed through the city gates and unusually, Arthur assisted the two servants to stable the horses before Merlin bade them goodnight and made his way to the quarters he shared with Gaius. Left alone, the two normally self-assured people suddenly found themselves acting like awkward teenagers, flickering shy smiles at each other then looking away.
Eventually, they sat down close together on a straw bale, arms touching. Arthur examined his hands closely as he tried to think of the next thing to say but his attention was roused when he felt movement beside him then the comforting weight of Gwen's head as she laid it on his shoulder.
He smiled down at her and took her hand in his, fingers interlacing. There was an easy silence for a few minutes before Arthur spoke.
"I'm going to tell him. I'm going to tell my father."