Percival

The King need not say so twice. Percival pelted down the stairs and was about to go to the laundry room, when he checked himself and ran towards the town instead. He jogged all the way to the jeweller's where he stepped inside. A few moments later he emerged again and set off back towards the castle.

Now he made his way to the laundry rooms to see if Drea was still there, but she had gone already. Then he went to Gaius' chambers. The old physician was preparing supper with the help of his apprentice.

"I'm here to see Drea," Percival said after they had exchanged greetings.

"She's in there," Gaius said, indicating the door to Merlin's room.

He knocked carefully on the door and waited for her to reply. When she did, he opened the door, stepped inside and closed it carefully behind him again. She was sitting on the bed. Her face softened in an shy smile when she saw who it was.

"How are you, Drea?" Percival asked.

"I'm alright," she said, looking down.

He was silent for a little while, trying to find the right words and gathering his courage.

"I came to ask you something," he said.

She looked up at him again.

He knelt down in front of her. "Drea. I love you very much. Will you marry me?" His heart hammered in his chest. He had meant it to come out more … elegantly.

She did not say anything. She just kept staring at him. Then he noticed that she started shaking.

"I'll understand if you say no," he hurriedly said. He had not wanted to upset her. "You might think it's too early and that you don't know me well enough, but … "

"No," she interrupted him, "it's not that. I want to marry you, but … " Her voice was shaking. She took a deep breath to get it under control. "You can't marry me. You're a knight of Camelot. And I'm nobody. I'm not good for anything. I've nothing to give you … "

What was she talking about? He'd had no idea she felt that way. "Drea! Don't speak like that. You are the most wonderful, beautiful thing I've ever seen."

He grabbed her hands in his and stared into her eyes to make her understand that he was telling the simple truth of his heart. "Please say yes. Please. If you want to, we can wait a year or two, but … "

She smiled. "I don't want to wait, Percival. I've loved you since the first time I saw you."

Percival could hardly believe his ears. She had loved him all the time?

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes," she confirmed.

Drea

I was just sitting in Merlin's room, resting and thinking, when Percival knocked on the door. I was really happy to see him. I'd not known when he would come back. The presence of him was such a comfort.

"How are you, Drea?" he asked.

"I'm alright."

Why was it so hard looking him in the eye?

He did not speak for a few moments and I was beginning to think something was wrong. Would he not help me anyway? Was this the moment of goodbye forever?

"I came to ask you something," he then said.

I looked up into his steady gaze, wonderingly. What favour could I possibly do for him? But the next words that came over his lips surprised me more than I could say.

"Drea. I love you very much. Will you marry me?"

Marry him? First, I thought that I must be dreaming. Then I thought that he must be joking. But that would be a cruel joke, and Percival was not cruel. He just wasn't. When I realised he must be serious, I started to tremble all over. Did he realise what he was offering me? He was the one, the man of my dreams. When had I ever gotten what I dreamed of?

But then I realised that I could not accept, for his sake. If he knew how stupid and useless I was, if he had seen the scars on my arms, he would never have asked me. I could not let him burden myself with me for the rest of his life, no matter how much I loved him. He could never love me back the way I loved him.

"I'll understand if you say no," he hurriedly said when I made no reply. "You might think it's too early and that you don't know me well enough, but … "

"No," I cut him off before he made matters worse, "it's not that. I want to marry you, but … " The blasted tears pressed and burned behind my eyelids again. Why did I always burst into tears when I was around him? I was so stupid. Taking a deep breath I continued: "You can't marry me. You're a knight of Camelot. And I'm nobody. I'm not good for anything. I've nothing to give you … "

"Drea!" he burst out, looking shocked. "Don't speak like that. You are the most wonderful, beautiful thing I've ever seen." He grabbed my hands and stared fiercely into my eyes. He meant it. I could tell he did. He did not think I was useless. I thought he was mistaken, but how could I keep on resisting? I wanted to be with him so badly. "Please say yes," he begged. "If you want to, we can wait a year or two, but … "

Wait two years? He must be insane. "I don't want to wait, Percival. I've loved you since the first time I saw you."

He looked incredulous.

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes." Yes, yes, yes, with all of my heart. Bubbles of joy rose up inside of me. He pulled me up from the bed where I had been sitting and almost crushed me against his chest in his embrace. My bruised ribs ached, but I didn't care. He held me close for a long time and I savoured every second. If I had been able to melt into his body and just disappear in there, I would have done it.

Then he released me a little bit and I looked up at him, searching his eyes.

"Can I … Can I kiss you?" he asked in a whisper.

I wanted to say yes, but I could not speak. At the thought of kissing Percival I couldn't even breathe. What if I wasn't good at it? I just kept looking into his eyes while my heart was pounding harder and harder, hoping he would read my heart. And then, slowly, he moved his face closer to mine until our lips finally touched. He cupped the back of my head in his big, loving hands. His mouth was warm and soft and brushed against mine so very carefully. I had never felt anything more wonderful.

After, he said "Oh, I nearly forgot … " He stuck his hand in his pocket and produced a small, black, velvet drawstring pouch. He opened it and shook it gently upside-down over his palm. Out dropped a ring. He held it up in front of him. "I hope you like it. If you don't, we'll get you another one."

It was a thin band of gold set with a single small, blue star sapphire the same colour of my eyes. I held out my hand and he slid it onto my finger where it sat as if it had been made for it.

"It's beautiful," I told him.