PART 4
Arthur knocked on the rough hewn door of her house in the lower town.
The door opens and Gwen stands there looking at him questioningly. "Arthur, what are you doing here?"
"I just wanted to know if you would like to take a walk with me." Arthur smiled.
"It's late and I have to work in the morning." Gwen looked at him and sighed.
"I'm sorry. I …. I'm sorry I disturbed you." Arthur turned to walk away.
"Don't be silly. Come in." Gwen opened the door wider to let him in.
Arthur smiled and entered.
Gwen shut the door and turned to him and smiled.
Arthur took a dark red rose from his pocket and presented it to her. "For you, My Lady."
O~X~O~X~O~X~
Roses in hand, Arthur knocked at the door of the modest house. They were going to dinner. He looks down at the dark blue suit he was wearing. I wish I was wearing chainmail and full armor. He hadn't said anything about what Merlin had told him to her. She would think he was dangerous not just rude.
An older man opened the door and looked at him questioningly.
"Uh, I've come to pick up Guinevere." Arthur shifts uncomfortably on his feet. I hope I have the right house.
"Yes, she said she had a date tonight. Come in I'm Tom, her father." He motions to the small lounge. He looks him up and down."She lets you call her Guinevere?"
"Yes, she does. Oh, I'm Arthur by the way." Arthur held out his hand.
Tom chuckles and shakes it. "You're kidding?" His name is Arthur?
"No." Now her father things I'm mental. Great.
Gwen enters the room from a door behind him. I don't remember him being so tall or so fit. "Arthur, I hope you haven't been waiting long." She gives her father a stern look.
Arthur turned to see Guinevere in a form fitting dress of lavender with a silver chain belt riding her hips. She's even more beautiful than I remember. He stood there with his mouth open for a minute then remembered the roses in his hand. "For you, My Lady." Oh great, now her father definitely will think I'm mental.
"Thank you." She took the roses. They were the dark red ones that smelled heavenly. The ones she loved. I wonder how he knew. "Let me put these in water and I'll be right back. Be nice Dad." She shot her father a warning look before she smiled at Arthur and headed off to the kitchen.
"Well, at least you bring her flowers. That's more than her last boyfriend did. Lance something. He was a real tosser." This one is possibly a keeper. He seems alright.
"I'm sure." Arthur thought that sounded vaguely familiar. Now he remembered, that was the knight that was his rival for Guinevere's affections. Great that annoyance is here.
Gwen came out of the kitchen with the roses in a vase. She sat them on a table near the door she came out of. "Ready, Arthur?" She picks up a wrap Arthur steps up to her to help then offers her his arm. It feels so very familiar to her.
"Good night, sir." Arthur said with a nod to her father.
"Good night, you two." Tom chuckled. First she dates a bloke named Lance then one named Arthur.
They leave for the restaurant.
~X~
Dinner is quiet with more of those comforting silences. They talk about little things shyly.
Finally desert is served, a large piece of chocolate cake and two forks. Did they have chocolate in Camelot? Arthur couldn't remember.
"You've been quiet Arthur is something wrong?" Gwen looks at him with curiosity. He feels like something is different. I hope it's nothing I've done. It was starting to worry her.
"No it's just been a long week that's all." He's lying to her of course. His mind is full of questions without answers. How do I tell her? What if she won't kiss me?
Gwen takes a bite of the cake. "Hmm this is very good. Here take a bite. Don't let me eat the whole thing." She holds out a forkful of cake to him. I can't believe I'm feeding him cake. I don't care. I want to.
Arthur takes the bite offered. "I don't want to deny your pleasure." Oh that was strange. I can't believe she's feeding me cake. I don't care. She's my wife, sort of.
Gwen looks at him curiously. "It pleases me to share. So have another bite. I insist." She holds out another bite to him teasingly. This feels so natural.
Arthur laughs and complies. When he marries her again they must have chocolate cake. What if she doesn't want to marry me? He looks at her. I refuse to even think of that.
Gwen feeds him bites of cake and he lets her till the plate sits empty between them. He pays.
They head for the car. He opens the car door for her and gets in the driver's side. Do it now, he thinks. He looks at her and smiles. She smiles back. He leans over and kisses her, softly. Emotions and memories all flood in at once. They look at each other with the love of the past with the potential of the future.
"Arthur?" Gwen looks around still a little confused. Too much, so fast. My head is spinning.
"Yes, my Queen?" Arthur smiles at her. It sounds so good to call her Queen again.
"How?" Gwen looks at him in amazement as she touches his chest where the mortal wound was.
"Merlin cast a spell. Remember?" He covers her hand with his. He knows she's thinking of that horrible day. The day he fell at the Battle of Camlann.
"Yes I do. I fed you cake at our wedding feast. Apple cake wasn't it?" It was the driest cake ever. Her head was clearing now.
"Yes. It wasn't as good as that chocolate one tonight." He smiles. She had flowers in her hair.
"Take me home." She leans over and kisses him again, softer deeper. I never want to stop kissing him.
"Guinevere, Camelot is no more." He captures a curl in his fingers. Finally, I get to play with her curls again.
Gwen sighs. That's right everything is gone. "Take me to your flat then."
"Guinevere, this is our first date in this life. It's not proper. Besides Merlin lives there too. Oh, I hope she doesn't believe that.
"Arthur, I don't care. Merlin will understand." He is alive, that is the only thing I care about now.
Arthur starts the car. "Are you sure?" Please don't change your mind.
"Yes, I am sure my King." It sounded good to call him King again.
Arthur heads the car to his and Merlin's flat.
~X~
The door opens and Gwen walks through. Merlin looks up from the telly and seeing Gwen, he stands. "My Lady!?"
Arthur looks at Merlin and chuckles. "Well if I knew that bringing Guinevere here would get you off that sofa I would have done it already."
"Arthur, be nice for once. It's because of Merlin that we have this second chance. Relax Merlin. I am not the Queen in this time." Gwen looked at Arthur. So different but yet still the same Arthur.
"Nonsense, you will always be the Queen to me." Arthur holds out his hand to seat her in the big overstuffed chair across from the sofa. My Queen.
"My Lady would you like some tea or anything else?" Merlin smiled at her. They had Gwen back finally.
"Merlin, you are not a servant anymore. You haven't been one for a long time, no matter what Arthur says." Gwen sent Arthur a stern look. Arthur just avoided her gaze for the moment.
Merlin sits back down. "Thanks. Arthur your father called. He wants you to go on a trip to France. Something about trouble with a supplier. " Merlin eyes him cautiously.
"See Guinevere, here I am still the Prince." Arthur laughed. Not wanting to give anyone any attention but his love. I'll deal with later.
"Go see what he wants. Merlin will entertain me for a few minutes." Gwen smiles at him. Arthur takes his mobile out and goes into his bedroom to make the call.
When the door shuts, Gwen looks at Merlin. "Merlin you know we can never tell him about how I died." Secrets already. What am I doing?
"I promise you and I will always keep my promises to you." Merlin assured her. "Has he asked?"
"No not yet, but you know he will." Gwen started to tear up a bit. I can't tell him.
"You are younger than when you married. Much younger than when you both died. This time things will not end up the same. Make the best of this chance, Gwen. I don't know if the spell will work a second time." I wasn't sure it would work at all. I better not tell them that.
"I will make sure of it. We will not wait this time. Uther is alive and so is my father. This is so odd. What about Morgana?"
"She was here but she died in a car crash last year. Arthur was a mess about it for a while so was Uther, who's called Luther in this time. Her daughter lives with Luther. Good to know Tom is well. Elyan?"
"At University. He's studying to be an engineer. Lancelot is here too. Do you know of any of the other Knights? Morgana had a daughter?"
"Yes she's about four years of age now. Her name is Vivvie. I'm not sure where the other knights are but they are sure to turn up. Wait. Lancelot is here? How do you know?" Merlin looked at her suspiciously. Oh that's not good.
"I dated him for a while." Gwen laughs.
Merlin laughs. "Does Arthur know?"
"My father told him."
They laugh just as Arthur walks through the door.
"What's so funny?" Arthur looked at the two of them; His friend and his wife. Well she was sort of his wife, anyway.
"Gwen dated Lancelot and didn't even know it." Merlin chuckled.
"Yes, her father told me. But I don't find that amusing, Merlin." Arthur looked annoyed at the name of his past rival for Guinevere's affections. I can't even get free of him in this life time.
"Father wants me to go take care of this thing in France. I should only be gone a few days. When I get back we have much to talk about." He reached down and toyed with one of her loose curls. I could do this all day.
"Gwen, Arthur says you are a nurse. Do you work in casualty?" Merlin asked.
"Not anymore, I did a year ago." Gwen looked curiously at him. "Why do you ask?"
"I thought I saw you the night Morgana died." Merlin explained. "She was taken to St. Thomas."
"That's where I work. I'm in geriatric now. It was possible then that I was there." Gwen sighed. We could have already been together.
"That night was so overwhelming for us all." Arthur looked sad and sighed. I miss my sister even though she was a pain in my ass.
"Yes, I can see that it was." Gwen caressed his cheek. He misses her.
Arthur takes her hand and kisses her palm. My wife.
"We should get some rest." Gwen stood up. "Goodnight, Merlin, sleep well." She walked to the bedroom door and looked back at Arthur. "Are you coming?" Just don't stand there. He can't be shy. Can he?
Arthur looked at her with surprise. "I ….Guinevere…." Bloody hell!
"Oh for pity's sake, Arthur. It's not like we have been chaste in this life. Well have you?" Gwen stood with her hands on her hips and with the familiar tilt of the head. Well come on. He's blushing!
No …. But …. Really Guinevere? Arthur looked completely embarrassed. Surely she isn't intending on having sex. Or is she?
"This is a new time My King and we should make the most of it." She turns and walks into the room as Arthur stares after her.
Merlin chuckles. "I wouldn't keep the Queen waiting if I were you. You do remember her temper, don't you?
"Shut up, Merlin." Arthur took a deep breath and followed His Queen. Oh yes, I remember her temper.
Merlin shook his head. I'd better go. He grabbed his jacket and wondered what was playing at the late night cinema as he headed out of the flat.
~X~
The sight that met Arthur as he entered his room was breathtaking. Gwen with her hair down and her dress draped over a chair. Standing next to the bed in her bra and knickers, she was moving the various reports and files off bed to the night table. OH MY GOD!
"I see you still like lots of pillows." She says causally. She nodded towards the pile on the floor where she had moved them off the bed. Good, I have his attention.
Arthur opened a drawer and grabbed a t-shirt and thrust it in her direction. "Here!" Remember to be a gentleman even though I don't want to.
"What is that for?" She was looking at like it was a slimy worm or something. He's got to be kidding.
"To wear while you're sleeping, of course." Arthur waved it at her again trying to get her to take it. Please, I can't take it.
She started laughing. "Arthur, please, you'll just take it off me. You always said that you preferred me naked in bed." She reached up and unhooked her bra and draped it over the dress on the chair. She looked at him and smiled. I always preferred him naked as well
Stunned he stood there not able to take his eyes off her. "Uh …um …I guess I did. But that was when we were married. And we were older then." He tossed the rejected t-shirt on the chair. Well, I tried anyway.
"Only a few years older and it was your father that made us have to wait so long." I am not going through that again. She draped her knickers on the chair and walked over to Arthur. She kissed him as she unbuttoned his shirt, running her hand underneath over the fine hair and to his sensitive nipples. She felt him respond to her touch. She smiled.
"Oh bloody hell Guinevere." He mumbled into her hair. Oh I have no chance against her.
He pulled off his jacket and tie and pulled his shirt out of his pants. Her fingers made quick work of the remaining buttons and moved on to the belt and his zip.
His discarded clothes lay in a heap as he lifted her into his arms and laid her on the bed. He kissed her deeply as she ran her hands over his chest and onto his back. She is here and she is his, all his. He kissed her lightly as he moved down her neck to her collar bone. She curled her fingers in his hair and he listened to her breath quicken.
Arthur's hands moved over her with a familiarity that caught Gwen by surprise. He caressed the fullness of her breast and the curve of her hip. Her hands lightly caressed his shoulders and back. His mouth kissed her here and there making her moan softly.
She started to run her hands through his silky golden hair. She felt her need of him intensify. Their breath quickened. His hand slowly moved to where he knew she was most sensitive. She gasped and moaned and leaned into his touch.
He parted her thighs and moved to take her. She kissed him, her tongue searching and caressing his. She knew he was hungry for her as he pressed against her. He is alive and he is hers, all hers. She moved to give him what he wanted. He moaned as he entered her.
Moving together in a familiar rhythm, it was almost hypnotic. He could feel her building to her peak. He guided her hips as he caressed her. He pressed deeper inside and she moaned with each thrust.
She was completely taken over by the pleasure of joining. She cried out burying her face against his neck and let the waves of it wash over her.
He felt her reach her climax and with a few more thrusts he came deep inside her. They lay completely spent and panting in each other's arms.
"Definitely better that we used to do it." Arthur mumbled into her hair. Wow.
"Uh huh." Gwen laughed. Tell him. Suddenly she was quiet as she whispered in his ear. "Arthur, I want a baby."
He lifted his head and looked at her. "Really?" She never fails to surprise me.
"Yes, really." Gwen laughed and kissed him running her fingers through his hair. This time we will have our family.