When the knock came, he expected it to be Gwen who he suspected had been avoiding him the whole day. Instead, it was Ambrose. He raised one eyebrow, then stepped aside to let his supposedly best friend in.

"Gwen says she told you."

Arthur laughed at the obvious statement. "Doesn't half the tavern know this by now? I heard them whisper as I walked through earlier. Although Danny did still call me Kay," he mused.

Without asking, Ambrose picked his sword up and plopped himself on the bed. "So."

Sitting on the only other available space in the small room – a small chair, Arthur looked expectantly at Ambrose, as Ambrose turned his sword around and ran a hand over the blade. He took in the man's drawn face, the suspicion in his eyes and the flat line of his mouth and he knew. "You think I'm lying." Arthur said flatly. "That somehow I'm pretending to be this Arthur person."

"If it helps, I don't think you're doing it on purpose."

Frowning, Arthur stared at Ambrose. This was his best friend? This humourless, paranoid person? "Why would I pretend to be Arthur?"

"A lot of people would love to be Arthur," Ambrose said cryptically.

"It's certainly not because they want you as a best friend."

Ambrose's lips quirked, almost as if he wanted to smile. "Gwen said we were best friends?"

"She did, although I can't imagine why." Arthur leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "So if you think I'm pretending to be Arthur, why are you here?"

"I don't suppose you've spoken to any magic folks recently."

"No. And why would I? All I've heard about them is how destructive they are."

Emotions scuttled across Ambrose's face but before Arthur could make sense of them, Merlin quickly schooled his face into something more neutral. "That's a prevailing thought."

"You don't think they are destructive?"

Ambrose shrugged. "How about strange pools of water? Had any encounters with them?"

"No. Look, I woke up in the forest without my memory. Aside from the fact that I clearly have sword skills and am married, I know nothing else." Frustration bubbled in him and Arthur dragged a hand through his hair. Ambrose was decidedly odd and for some reason, both Gwen and Ambrose were being awfully vague about his history even though it was more than obvious that they knew a lot more.

"Mind if I look at your wedding ring?"

"I do mind actually," he gritted out. "What's with the questions?"

"I just need to make sure you really are Arthur. Gwen, she can't lose you twice." Ambrose's voice cracked slightly. "And neither can I."

All the anger and frustration drained out of him immediately. Silently he pulled off the rings on his fingers and placed them in Ambrose's open palm. Curiously he watched as Ambrose closed his hand around them, and then his eyes. He might have murmured something but Arthur wasn't sure.

"Here." Ambrose passed the rings back to him. "It would seem that you really are Arthur."

Trying to lighten the mood, Arthur quipped. "I can't have been a very good friend if you sound so miserable about it."

"You were the best friend, Arthur." With those solemn words, Ambrose rose from the bed and walked out of the room.

Gwen looked out of the cracked window, watching as various people went about their day, the rhythm of village life in full swing. She missed this life. Would it be so bad if she stayed here with Arthur? She shook the foolish thought from her head and rubbed her stomach, Exhaustion was claiming her more often these days, not helped by the sleepless night she'd just endured, and it was making her thoughts silly.

She didn't turn when the door to her room opened. Amber had just left the tavern, a bucket in hand. Moments later, Arthur walked out. Her heart clenched almost painfully and she instinctively put a hand to her stomach. "So, is he Arthur?"

"There doesn't appear to be dark magic involved. At least I can't sense any dark magic in use here. And that sword is definitely Excalibur - I could feel the magic."

"And yet, you're still not convinced." Her hand cradled her stomach gently. "It is him, Merlin. I know it's him, not a shade or a ghost. Somehow, he's alive."

"He was dead, Gwen. I saw him die with my own eyes, felt him breathe his last breath. There may be magic in the world, but none that is strong enough to fully raise the dead."

"He doesn't remember us," she said, ignoring the warning in Merlin's tone.

"No, he doesn't appear to. Look, Gwen, we must be careful. There are still those loyal to Morgana."

It was childish, petulant in fact but Gwen turned away, not wanting to listen to Merlin's dampening words.

"Gwen," Merlin placed a hand on her shoulder, "what do you want to do?"

"I want to go home, to Camelot. I want Arthur to remember everything. I want to tell him I'm pregnant with the child we always dreamed about. But I can't have anything I want, can I?" Hot tears pricked the back of her eyes again. Maybe it was her pregnancy, maybe it was the stress of everything, maybe it was realising Arthur wasn't dead after all but she could barely keep her emotions from breaking through her carefully practised facade the past few days.

Kneeling in front of her chair, Merlin rubbed her arm gently. "Perhaps we should break the news to him - that's he's the King. Then we can return to Camelot."

"But you don't trust him. And you have a point," she conceded.

"It's not him I don't trust. I don't trust the forces that brought him back."

Gwen let her head fall against the cool glass and sighed. "Didn't you say he would rise when Albion needed him most?"

Merlin laughed without humour. "I don't think two months later was what they had in mind."

"I know." Then she sighed again. "He has a lot of questions. I think it's time we told him some things. If there are darker forces at work, then it's better he is with us, where we can keep an eye on him."

"Why are you lying here?" Amber's face loomed over his as she kicked some dirt at him.

"I'm thinking," Arthur muttered, throwing his arm across his eyes.

"Mum said that she heard Gwen and that skinny guy talking." She squatted down next to him, her voice dropping to a whisper. "They said you were dead."

"Obviously, I am not dead." He adored Amber but he wasn't quite in the mood to humour her at the moment.

She sat herself down. "Maybe you're a ghost. Danny once told me this story about how his wife died and –"

He moved his arm from his face. "You mean Old Danny? You're too old to believe what he says."

"But if you are dead then maybe –"

"I'm not dead."

"But you could be."

Arthur sat up and glared down at Amber. "Do dead people do this?" he said before tickling her, smiling when she squealed and kicked out at him. "Hmm? Do they?"

"No! No!" laughed Amber, holding her arms up in the universal signal of surrender. "I'm sorry!"

He let her go, ruffling her hair. When she climbed into his lap, he merely slipped an arm around her waist and held her.

"Did you really forget who you are?"

"Mmm."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was too complicated."

Arthur could imagine the pout on her face when she replied sulkily. "Everyone always says that." Then she twisted to look at him. "You won't forget me, will you?"

"Forget you?"

Amber nodded. "Yes. Mum says Gwen and that skinny guy know you, so you'll be going to Camelot with her, won't you?" Arthur rolled his eyes inwardly. Muriel heard far too much and she talked just as much. Amber suddenly brightened. "Maybe I can come with you! And I can meet the Queen and –"

"Shall we go swimming? It's a lovely morning." He asked in an attempt to change the subject. Amber's eyes lit up and she nodded. Jumping out of his lap, she called out the usual taunt before dashing for the lake. As he watched her run off, something ached in him.

Gwen was glad she insisted they answer Arthur's questions in his room, small as it was. She sat on the creaky bed, balancing her bowl of gruel on her lap while Merlin and Arthur sat on the floor. Arthur didn't seem affected by her revelation last night and she took that as a good sign. As she watched Arthur shovel the gruel into his mouth, she couldn't help her smile.

"What is it?" Arthur asked, his mouth still full of food.

She started, unaware that he was watching her. "Nothing much. I just remembered how you hated such food. Once upon a time, you'd rather starve."

Arthur made a noise in his throat. "I must have been difficult to cook for then."

"Very," muttered Merlin.

Then silence fell upon them again, only the clatter of their spoons against the bowls marring it. She couldn't help darting glances at Arthur, with his golden hair and skin, his warm lips and strong hands. He looked every bit the husband she lost but he wasn't. Not completely and that scared her. He wasn't about to slip easily back into life with her in Camelot.

"Right," Arthur placed his now empty bowl on the wooden floor next to him. "I guess we need to talk. So far, I know that I'm your husband and I suppose that means I am from Camelot as well. And you," he waved his hand at Merlin, "are my best friend but you live in Ealdor?"

"Ah, no," said Gwen as she slid her bowl aside, ignoring Merlin's concerned look when he noticed her bowl was practically untouched. "We all live in Camelot."

"And what is it we do for a living?" He smiled. "I can't possibly be a blacksmith since I'm horrible at it. Perhaps I'm a guard for hire? I've come to realise that I'm very good with a sword. It's the only reason the people of Helb keep me here."

Gwen looked at Merlin who gestured for her to continue. "Actually, we live in the castle."

"I'm a knight?" The awe in his eyes was a sight to behold. How often had Arthur been awed by anything? "Not that it's surprising. If I were the King, I'd hire me as well."

Merlin chuckled. "I see death hasn't made you any less humble."

A pillow flew across the room, hitting Merlin on the head.

Gwen laughed, drinking in the familiar scene as Merlin rolled his eyes and grumbled about how things never changed.

"So I'm Sir Arthur?" He stretched his legs out, a smug smile on his face. "Am I the head knight?"

"Not really." This was it. "You're the King."

The smile slid from his face and he stared at her, before looking at Merlin. Then he laughed, a deep full-bellied laugh. "Fine, maybe I was a little too smug but seeing that I'd been worrying that I was a bandit, you can forgive my delight."

"You really are the King," repeated Merlin. "And she is your wife, Queen Guinevere."

For a while, Arthur said nothing, his eyes on Gwen. But there was no twinkle in her eyes and her mouth remained tense.

"You're lying. If you're the Queen, then how can you travel all the way here without guards?" Arthur glance briefly at Merlin. "Ambrose here looks like a gust of wind can blow him over."

"Arthur," Gwen reached out a hand. "It's true. Surely you've heard people talk about the battle that happened at Camlann and how their king died there fighting for all of Albion. That king is you and we all believed you were dead."

He stood, his face still a mask of disbelief. "No. I can't be King and I'm most definitely not the great King Arthur." Without waiting for an answer, he walked out of the room.

The door shut firmly and with it, Gwen's heart broke. She blinked, the familiar feel of tears in her eyes again, refusing to cry again in front of Merlin. "This was a mistake." They should have left everything well alone. She should be back in Camelot keeping an eye on things. Not here, chasing dreams that she should never have dreamed of in the first place.

"I don't know if we did the right thing," said Merlin, "but we have to finish this talk with him."

Much later, Gwen found him sitting on that rickety bench with Amber on his knee. For a while, she lingered in the shadows of the tavern, watching as Arthur indulged Amber with stories he obviously made up, about knights and big, ugly monster that were part bear and part lion. His voice changed as he narrated the story, mimicking the various characters involved. She thought of the child growing within her, feeling irrationally jealous of Amber.

"Why are all the knights boys? I want to be a knight too."

Arthur's laugh floated to her. "I thought you wanted to be a princess."

"Why can't I be both?"

"Why not? I'm sure you can be both a princess and a knight."

Amber nodded happily before breaking into a yawn.

"Alright, off to bed." Arthur set her on the ground, gave her a squeeze and pushed her gently towards the tavern. "Good night."

"Night," Amber murmured, rubbing her eyes, as she disappeared.

As Gwen hesitated, wondering whether to approach Arthur, she heard him call out. "I know you're there Gwen."

"I thought I was being quiet," she said as she sat down on the bench next to him.

He smiled slightly. "Perhaps it's because we're married. I can always sense you around. I can feel your eyes on me." His voice gentled. "It must have been hard, the last few months."

"I had a kingdom to run so I never really had a chance to sit down and think about it." She looked at him, took a deep breath and confessed. "I missed you."

He tilted his head and looked at the sky, his hand reaching for hers. "I guess it's true then."

"That you're the king? I'm not lying to you."

"No," he said softly, squeezing her hand. "You wouldn't lie to me. I know that."

This time, the silence that fell between them was comfortable, broken only by the occasional noise from the tavern when the door opened. The breeze kissed her face, lifting her curls and the growing darkness seemed to cocoon them from the rest of the world. His hand held hers gently. His thumb brushing across the back of her hand and Gwen let hope blossom in her heart. Perhaps he didn't remember anything about his life before, but he was still her husband, the man she loved and perhaps they would make this work.

"When I awoke without my memory," he said, his voice hushed, "I was lying in the mud in the middle of the forest. All I had were my sword and the rings and I knew they were the keys to my past. But I'd thought I was a mercenary. In more pessimistic moods, I wondered if I was a bandit. I never thought I was king."

Her lips curled into a smile. "You were born to be king. It is your destiny and despite your grumbles, you loved it."

"Destiny is a big word."

"I know but you wore it well."

Arthur sighed. "I guess Ambrose is really Merlin - my magical sidekick? There's a lot of stories about him being told here – some flattering, some not so flattering."

Gwen laughed at that. "Who have you been talking to? He's nobody's sidekick." Her laughter faded. "He's the most powerful warlock of our time."

A frown appeared on Arthur's face. "I don't understand. If Merlin is a powerful warlock and my best friend, why was magic still punishable by death just a few months ago? And why is everyone still so afraid of magic? What kind of hypocrite am I?"

"No one knew about his magic until the last battle."

Arthur's frown deepened. "He kept it a secret? For how long?"

"This is probably something you need to talk to him about," said Gwen, slightly uncomfortable with the questions.

Releasing her hand, Arthur rubbed his forehead. "I have so many questions."

"I know. Come back to Camelot," urged Gwen. "Maybe things will be clearer there."

"If I return to Camelot, everyone will know who I am. They will expect things of me, things I can't deliver." Gwen could hear the slight panic in his voice. "Gwen, I don't remember anything of my life before that moment I woke in the forest. I'm not the Arthur who knows how to be king. I'm not the Arthur who was born for that role."

And he was right Gwen realised with a sinking heart. Perhaps he looked like Arthur, even had the sword and rings that Arthur had, and possibly his personality but with his memories gone, he knew as much about being king as Muriel did.

"You know what I wish?" Gwen finally said, breaking the silence that had developed between them. "I wish we were just two ordinary people who lived in a village like this. I'd be a blacksmith and you'd be my assistant and we'd have a dozen little children."

His soft laugh lifted her spirits slightly. "You know, that sounds really good. But that's not going to happen, is it?"

"I could abdicate."

He turned his head and she could feel his gaze on her. "I have only known you for two days, but I know that isn't something you can do with a clear conscience."

Ignoring the ache in her heart at the reminder that Arthur didn't remember her, she smiled wanly at him. "You're probably right." She peered at him, taking in the familiar outline of his face, the curve of his lips, the slight dusting of a shadow along his jawline.

"I'm sorry I walked out on you and Merlin."

She said nothing, dragging her eyes from his profile to stare at the stars. The tavern door opened a few more times, letting out various people. Some noticed them in the shadows, called a hearty farewell to Arthur, or Kay as he was known, before going on their way. Eventually, the lights in the tavern dimmed.

"I need to return to Camelot soon. Will you come with us?"

Arthur shifted in his seat, rubbed the back of his neck then stared up into the sky. "It's just all so sudden."

"Don't you want to return?" She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. "I thought you were happy to be married to me."

"I am. That we have a strong bond, I have no doubts. I feel it even though I don't remember much. But to go to Camelot to be king?" He sucked in a breath. "I don't know."

"But you are king." A cold hand closed around her heart and she looked at him. "And my husband."

Arthur looked at her, uncertainty in his eyes. "Gwen - Everyone thinks I'm dead. I don't know how to be king. I don't remember anything. How can I go back?"

"I know you're not dead," she whispered. But even in her heartbreak and disappointment, she couldn't fault his reaction. The day Arthur placed the crown on her head, she had been terrified, spending the months beforehand second guessing her decision to marry him. And she'd years to prepare for it.

"Give me some time." He took her hand, his thumb rubbing across the back. "Please."

It was all he had for her and as she stood to return to the tavern, she felt as if she'd lost Arthur all over again.

AN: Thank you for the comments!

AN2: Ugh, my apologies but I messed up Merlin's names in the fic. Sorry. It should be fixed now. Thank you Insanityisgood for pointing it out to me.