A/N

My apologises for confusing everyone. I have set the character selection back to Arthur rather than Arthur and Gwen. This is mostly a story about Arthur and Tayla, though there is Arthur/Gwen content, it is just not exactly the main story.

Also, the story is set after "Once and Future Queen", as this was the episode that started the story rolling in my head. There won't be any reference (that I know of yet) to any further episodes, so it is a bit of an AU from there. Sorry for not mentioning that before hand. It starts at a point after "Once and Future Queen", probably about 6 months down the track, where Gwen and Arthur know how they feel toward each other but are still resigned to nothing being able to happen, though the friendship and respect has secretly blossomed between the two of them.

Hope that clears things up.

Thanks for all the reviews and alerts.

Also, there will be no Gwen bashing in case anyone else is concerned about that. Arthur would never allow that! :-)

Disclaimer in Chapter 1

Chapter Two – To Save a Princess

"Tayla you are bleeding!" Arthur said, ignorning her question, his hand still stroking her hair.

"No kidding. Happens when you get a sword in the side," she replied. Arthur couldn't help but smile. She hadn't changed. Serious but joking at the same time. Before he could respond further, he heard a groan from the other fighter, Tristan he assumed, as he came to. Arthur looked up at him, as he started to get to his feet, trying to bring the sword up with him ready to defend.

"It is alright my friend. You are safe," Arthur said, as Leon moved over to help Tristan up. Once Tristan was on his feet, he looked over at Arthur and nodded. His eyes swiftly moving over to Tayla's face then down to see her hands held tightly over her wound, blood seeping through her fingers. Stumbling over to her, still reeling from the blow, he knelt down, looking at her.

"Princess, you're hurt," Tristan said, concern and anguish in his voice.

"So are you," Tayla replied gently, looking at his face too, which was bleeding from a cut above his eye.

"May I?" Tristan asked her, indicating her wound.

"Of course," Tayla replied. As Tristan's hands went to her wound, Arthur spoke.

"What are you doing? Camelot is not far, we must get her to our physician."

"It is alright Arthur," Tayla spoke. Arthur turned to look at her, a frown on his face.

"Tristan has trained under our physician for this. It allows him to treat the wounded on the field, better survival rates. Tristan, this is Arthur Pendragon, Prince of Camelot. Arthur, this is Sir Tristan, my own personal knight and body guard."

"My Lord! My apologises. I didn't..." Tristan started to say.

"No apology necessary Sir Tristan, your attention was most definitely in the right place. What can you do for her?" Arthur reassured the knight and directed the attention back to Tayla, intrigued by the idea of medical assistance during battle.

As Tristan gently moved Tayla's hands off the wound, the blood started to flow faster and she groaned and closed her eyes. Tristan placed his hands where hers had been and looked at Arthur.

"My Lord, I need to get pressure on this that will stay whilst we ride. I need something to use as a bandage and something to tie around her waist to keep the pressure on," Tristan said.

Arthur looked over at Leon, "Your belt, Leon please," Arthur said as he looked down at his shirt. He reached for his dagger and sliced open the seams of one of his shirt sleeves. Pulling the sleeve off, he held it out to Tristan as Leon approached with his belt.

"Thank you," Tristan said as Tayla took both items.

"This is going to hurt again My Lady," Tristan said, looking at her.

"It has not stopped Tristan," she said smiling gently back at him. "Just tell me what to do'" she continued. Arthur knelt back down, silently offering his services to Tristan. Tristan quickly removed one of his hands and reached for the sleeve, which he then pushed onto the wound and placed pressure back on it. Turning to Arthur he said, "My Lord, could you help her sit up a little. I'll need to get the belt around her and tighten it." Arthur nodded and moved behind her, slipping his hands gently under her shoulders and back. He looked at Tristan, "Ready when you are," he said.

Tristan nodded and looked back at Tayla, taking her hands and placing them back over her wound so his hands were free to deal with the belt.

"My Lady?" Tristan asked. She nodded to him.

"On three then. One, two, three." As Arthur lifted her, Tristan threaded the belt quickly around her.

"Lower her." Arthur gently lowered Tayla's shoulders back to the ground. As Tristan tightened the belt over her wound she let out another scream and Arthur instinctively reached for one of her hands to offer comfort. She took his hand and held on tight.

"My Lady, I'm sorry.." Tristan started to say.

"Don't be," Tayla said through clenched teeth, her hand gripping Arthur's tighter. "It's not your fault I did not see the sword coming."

"No?" asked Tristan, Arthur noted a small smile forming on Tristan's face as he worked. "So you were just screaming my name for something to do?"

"I was trying to warn you," Tayla said weakly.

"Next time, my Lady, please don't. I worry about you enough without having to be concerned that you are not watching out for yourself,'" Tristan replied as he finished tightening the belt. Her grip on Arthur's hand lessening once he had finished.

"You should be alright for us to move you now, though it will hurt. Try not to move any more than necessary." Tristan then looked at Arthur. "We still need to get her to your physician as soon as possible. This will only slow the bleeding, not stop it entirely." Arthur nodded. He would feel much better once Tayla was back at Camelot and Gaius was taking care of her.

"Are you right to ride Sir Tristan?" Arthur asked, concerned that the knight had been unconscious, even if it was only for a short while.

"Yes My Lord, I believe I am," Tristan replied.

"Well, you take your horses, I will take Tayla and ride on ahead with Leon. You can follow with Oliver and Thomas," Arthur said indicating his other two knights.

"Yes My Lord," Tristan replied, though Arthur sensed the knights reluctance to leave Tayla with him.

"Tristan, I will take good care of her and have her in the hands of our court physician as soon as possible. I do not believe you will be able to ride as fast, or as safely, as I can back to Camelot with her, with that head injury." Arthur reasured him.

"Of course My Lord, I certainly did not mean to imply anything. It's just the Princess... She is my responsibility," Tristan replied.

"Not anymore Tristan, at least not for this ride. I am in very capable hands with Arthur. Please Tristan, just bring the horses and get to the physician yourself," Tayla begged gently. At the tone and concern in her voice, Arthur wondered if there was more to it than merely concern for her bodyguard's health.

"Yes My Lady, as you wish," said Tristan, nodding.

Arthur turned around in search of his horse, which Leon was already leading over to him.

"Tayla," Arthur said to her, "I am going to get Leon to lift you to me on the horse, then we will go to Camelot. Please, tell me if it hurts too much." Arthur looked her in the eye, begging her silently to follow his instructions.

Tayla nodded to him and he looked at her face, noticing the pain still evident on it. Quickly he rose and mounted his horse.

"Alright Leon, gently does it." Arthur watched as Leon carefully picked up Tayla and brought her to him. Arthur heard a whimper from her when Leon passed her up to him, and noted how Tristan moved toward her quickly at that slight sound.

Gently Arthur pulled her onto his horse in front of him, wrapping one strong arm around her, trying to avoid the wound but still hold her firmly enough to ease the jolting from the forthcoming ride. She whimpered again as she let her body sink back into his.

Arthur looked back at Tristan whilst Leon went to mount his horse, "I will keep her safe Tristan. You have my word."

"Thank you My Lord," Tristan replied to him, then turning to Tayla he smiled. "I will be close behind My Lady."

"As always, My Tristan," she replied to him, Arthur noting her voice sounded weaker.

"Ready My Lord," Arthur heard Leon say.

"Time to go, Tayla. Are you ready?" Arthur asked her. He felt her nod against his chest.

"As ready as I will ever be," Tayla replied.

With that he started his horse forward, building up speed gradually and only once he was sure that she could handle the pace. They were going at a reasonable speed when he heard her whimper slightly. He slowed down.

"Are you alright?" he asked, hoping that in his haste to get her to Gaius he hadn't caused her too much additional pain.

"It hurts Arthur, that is all," she replied quietly. So quietly that he almost didn't hear her over the footfall of the two horses. As they rounded a corner he saw Camelot for the first time.

"Look," Arthur said in her ear, "Camelot, we are almost there."

"Now if only I was in a pretty dress, I would be the envy of every woman in Camelot," she said with a smile in her voice.

Arthur smiled as well, replying, "And I would be the envy of every man."

"Then I guess it is lucky that I am not. We would not want rioting in the streets now would we?" she said with a little chuckle that turned into a whimper of pain.

"Perhaps we should not be engaging in conversation with you in your present condition," Arthur said, though he had been enjoying it immensely. He had missed her, letters could only do so much.

"My Lord, whatever do you mean? A Princess should always be willing to engage in conversation, especially with such a handsome prince as yourself, not matter what her condition," Tayla replied. Arthur smiled, in spite of the condition of the dearly loved princess in his arms.

"God I've missed you, Tayla." Arthur said in her ear, to make sure she heard him.

"Took your time answering," she replied barely loud enough for him to hear again. They were almost on the streets of Camelot, not far to go, but he was getting concerned about her with each stride of his horse. Her voice seemed to be getting weaker. He was about to ask her how she was when she spoke up again.

"Arthur, is it getting dark, or is it just me?" she asked, her voice even softer. Before he could answer he felt her slump against him as she fainted. He tightened his grip on her.

"Leon!" Arthur yelled. Leon turned, and taking in the sight of the Princess slumped in his Prince's arms, he turned around and spurred his horse on faster, with Arthur doing the same.

"Hold on Tayla! We're almost there," Arthur said to her, though he didn't know if she would hear him.