EPISODE 3 – LITTLE GIRL LOST

THE ROYAL CHAMBERS.

"Sorry I am late!" Merlin declared breathlessly as he all but threw himself through the door into the Royal chambers.

Arthur looked up from where he was sat at his desk.

He shifted and leant back in his chair to try and hide the fact that he had had his face in his hands as Merlin approached.

"You are dressed!" Merlin pointed out.

"I do have some skills." Arthur said coldly and stared down at the top of his desk as Merlin walked closer.

Merlin saw that the king was tired and probably functioning on a tiny amount of sleep.

"You should have sent Tanya to find me… Gaius would have woken me; he thought I had already left…"

"I would have sent her, had I seen her." Arthur stated, "She has been with my wife, not in this chamber this morning."

It was then that Merlin noticed that Arthur and normally Gwen's bed had not been slept in at all on either side.

He looked back to the king.

"Oh."

Arthur drew in a breath, his eyes distant.

"I have hurt her so much…"

His voice was low and broken.

Merlin realised that he was not really speaking to him.

The king's eyes remained distant and clouded, his voice low and rough with the tears he would not shed.

Arthur swallowed before he spoke.

"She had no magic, no title, no wealth… she suffered abandonment, rejection, despising, friends' betrayal, abuse, loneliness, her father was killed, she was imprisoned, sentenced to death kidnap… yet she has the power to remain true to herself and to her values." He swallowed when his voice cracked.

"She never allowed her grief to weaken her… she said once that seeing revenge would degrade us, make us worse than even what my father did to her father… she never forgave him for she is only human, though she had the greatness to tend to him… she is completely made of strength… and I…"

Arthur's voice trailed way and he swallowed.

His voice broke and he shut his eyes for a moment as though he was in pain.

"And now she cannot stand the sight of me… m own wife…"

He laughed bitterly, quietly, in disbelief at himself and looked away.

Merlin swallowed and stepped slightly closer.

"Arthur…"

"I don't want to talk about it Merlin." The king stated and his eyes flashed up at his friend, "Please just leave it."

Merlin sighed slightly but nodded.

"I shall get you some breakfast…"

Arthur watched as his manservant turned and walked through the room to the door again.

As Merlin left Arthur leant forwards, resting his elbows on the top of the desk and pressing his palms to his face.

He closed his eyes against his hands and sighed deeply.

GWEN'S DAY CHAMBERS

Queen Guinevere stirred awake.

Her eyes blinked up at the sunlight in the room, which filtered through the lace curtains around the posts.

The white lacy material was much like the curtains that which had hung around Morgana's old bed.

The room she was in, as her day chambers, was far more feminine than her usual bed chamber that she shared with Arthur, which of course had been his chamber's his whole life…

The room she had awoken in, as her day chambers, were devoid of the shields and armour that hung around.

The rooms around her would have been the chambers that she would have spent her nights in.

Kings and Queens ever rarely shared a bed except to partake in marital pleasures.

Arthur's mother had once had these chambers, and had slept in the bed Gwen awoken in every night after she had conceived Arthur.

But Arthur and Gwen had spent very few nights apart since they had been married.

The rooms Gwen was in now had just become her day chambers, and she had spent an incredibly short amount of time in them.

The realisation that it was these rooms in which she awoken brought back the thought of the days previous, and caused her to swallow.

She drew in a breath and pushed herself to sit up, one hand falling low on her belly, where her stomach was churning.

She blinked her eyes and drew in a few deep breaths, blowing in and out of her cheeks.

With a sigh she shifted, her eyes flittering up through the streaming sunlight that filled the room as the door opened.

Tanya stuck her head around and smiled gently, letting it close behind her.

"My lady, you are awake." She smiled and walked to the side of the bed.

Gwen sighed slightly and shifted again, smiling briefly.

The light streaming in from the long windows made her blink again.

"What time is it?"

She swallowed when she realised how croaky her voice sounded.

Her eyes blinked rapidly against the dry feeling that was lingering on them, from lack of sleep and shed tears.

Tanya glanced at the window before looking back at her queen.

"It is a couple of hours after noon my lady."

Gwen stared as the maid walked to pull the curtains open further.

The sunlight shattered through the drowsiness in Gwen's brain.

The queen blinked, "But I never sleep so late…"

"It could perhaps be the stress of yesterday my lady. It was late, when you retired." Tanya said gently and glanced down at her hands, folded neatly in front of her.

Gwen's eyes flew to her maid and friend before she sighed.

"You know."

Tanya sighed slightly, it wasn't a question from her queen, it was a statement.

"It was cleaning the guest chamber beside the corridor of the royal chamber my lady," The maid said gently, "It heard the king and you talking… I didn't mean to overhear…"

"I know you didn't." Gwen murmured, sitting up straighter and pushing some of the hair that had come loose from her long braid away from her face.

Tanya started to ring her hands together.

"Pardon me my lady, but I thought you should know that the knights also know… and a few of the household staff…"

"They know about Arthur, or the truth about what we thought was my betrayal?" Gwen asked.

"Both, your lady ship."

"Tanya…" Gwen sighed.

"Gwen, sorry Gwen, I am sorry…" Tanya corrected.

Gwen sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead.

Tanya stepped slightly closer, "Would you like a bath before or after breakfast?"

"Before please, I do not think I am up for breakfast, my stomach feels strange." Gwen shifted.

"Are you alright my lady, I mean Gwen?" Tanya was concerned.

"I am fine." Gwen smiled fleetingly before she stood, "Just tired… a bath would be wonderful though."

Tanya watched as the queen peeled back the covers and stood, walking over towards her changing screen and reaching up to lift her robe from the top of it.

Gwen narrowed her eyes slightly as she pulled on her robe, at a movement in the courtyard.

She walked to the window, tying the robe tie around her waist, wrapping her arms as she folded them across her chest.

She looked down into the courtyard, seeing people laying flowers and various other packages on the stone stairs.

"What are they doing?" Gwen asked Tanya over her shoulder.

Tanya glanced to see what she was looking at.

"They are laying flowers and gifts for you."

Gwen stared at her over her shoulder, "For me?"

Tanya nodded once.

The queen looked back to the window.

The maid stepped slightly closer.

"They are saying sorry, for they heard about how you were innocent in what you accused of before you were banished…"

Gwen turned at that.

"How could they…"

Her words trailed away.

Tanya stared at her, a small smile on her face.

"The king had signs and messages posted and read out in the lower town at dawn, and throughout the entire kingdom… the people are saying sorry, acknowledging that they know you are innocent."

Gwen stared at her.

"Arthur did that?" She whispered.

Tanya nodded.

"He was ready and dressed at dawn this morning. I do not know how much sleep he got my lady, although I would say that it was not much more than you did."

Gwen looked down.

Tanya flustered and shifted.

"Oh my lady I am sorry! That was completely inappropriate and unkind…"

Gwen looked up at her and smiled sadly.

"It is true though." She murmured, "And I am your friend Tanya, not matter my station… I admire your honesty…"

Tanya stared at her queen and nodded, curtseying slightly.

"Very good my lady. I shall see to your bath."

Gwen inclined her head and watched as her maid and friend turned and bustled from the room, going to ask other servants to help draw a bath no doubt.

Gwen's stomach lurched and she moaned slightly, sinking to sit on the padded seat that was the window ledge.

She rested one hand on her forehead and drew in a breath.

Her stomach continued to roll.

CAMELOT COURTYARD

People queued and milled around, gossiping and speaking in hushed tones between themselves.

They stood in queues, winding through the lower town and in between guard's who were looking at each of them carefully.

Their murmurs were as bright as the noon day sun.

"I cannot believe it…"

"Neither can I – although I ever thought…"

"Imagine how she feels, the relief…"

"And the king!"

"He must feel awful…"

"I hope she appreciated all that people are leaving for her…"

"Of course she will, she is our gracious queen."

Tanya held her skirts as she walked down the stairs into the courtyard, where the mound of flowers and other presents was.

She looked around at the people who were still waiting to lay flowers and walked down to pick her way through them and over the stones.

She turned at the sound of a voice she would have known anywhere.

"Merlin." She smiled although her eyes were worried.

She sighed slightly as he skidded to a stop beside her, his eyes mirroring hers.
"How is the king?"

He shifted and sighed with her, "Everyone knows about his argument with Gwen, about what he was going to do… and now everyone knows that Gwen was innocent and enchanted when she kissed Lancelot… I don't really know what he is feeling."

She smiled sadly, "So much has happened, and the queen is so quiet… and I don't think she slept much…"

"I don't think Arthur got any sleep. The bed certainly hadn't been slept in."

Tanya sighed at his words, "They just need to talk to one another…"

"Yes." Merlin murmured.

Their eyes flittered around over the crowd, bending to put flowers on the floor.

"Tanya I…"

Merlin turned to her and shifted.

"I should probably get going; Arthur is in a council and…"

"Of course, yes." She said.

Merlin nodded his head and turned to race back up the stairs and into the castle.

He was watched from an alleyway by a small girl, perhaps five years old, with dirty blonde hair and wide blue eyes.

She watched the young man walk away, only breaking her gaze when she was shoved roughly from behind.

"Argh!" She cried out and fell to her knees, lifting her teary eyes to look up into the face of a rugged boy of ten years old, who laughed at her and kicked some dirt at her.

"What's wrong Clara," He jeered, "Sleeping on the streets again are we… Clara..."

"Don't touch me…" She cried.

Her young voice made several people in the town turn, including a couple of guards.

The boy laughed at her and shoved her.

"What are you going to do Clara..."

"Don't!" She cried and struggled.

"Clara!" He jeered.

She gave a shriek and she shook in anger, her eyes flashing gold.

The boy was sent flying on his back at such a force that it knocked the wind from him and caused him to crash into some people in the bustling market place.

People cried out in shock and put their hands over their mouths, staring as everyone did at the young girl who was crying in fright at herself, staring at the boy on his back.

Tanya's head whipped around and she stared for a moment before she rushed towards the scene. "Witchcraft!" One person in the crowd cried.

"Sorceress!"

"Magic!"

The guards exchanged a look and stormed to the girl, grabbing her arms and holding their hands around her tiny wrists, their grip as strong as shackles.

"No!" Clara screamed.

The guards continued to struggle with her.

"We will take you before their majesties King Arthur and Queen Guinevere Pendragon." One guard barked at her.

"You are under arrest for using outlawed magic in the kingdom of Camelot."

THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS

Queen Guinevere swept down the corridors, her hands ringing in front of her.

She kept her back straight and her eyes forwards as she wound down and around a stair case.

Guards stood straighter to attention when she past.

"My lady."

Their murmurs contained notes of apologies from behind their helmets and made her nod at them.

By now news of her innocence regarding the crime she had been banished for had spread far and

Servants passed her carrying flowers and gifts to take to her day chambers; for her to examine later.

She indicated with her head that the door to the smaller council chambers should be opened.

The double doors were opened and she stepped in to the long room.

Her husband's head snapped up from where he had been sat at the long wooden table peering over maps with her brother, Leon, Gwaine and Percival and a few other knights.

"Guinevere…" He stood.

She walked to the end of the table and inclined her head.

"I hope I am not interrupting anything…"

"Of course not." Arthur rolled up the map and handed it to Leon.

"Place all the men in the eastern territories on high alert, looking out for any movement by anyone even resembling Morgana."

"Yes sire." Leon and the other knights nodded, before they inclined their heads to their queen and turned to leave.

Gwen smiled tiredly at her brother who looked upset.

"Gwen I am so sorry… I should have known, everything with Lancelot and Morgana... I should have known you could never…"

"Elyan." Her voice was cool and regal, and bore a superiority that was not meant to goad him, but from the fact that she was his sister, ad that she was and always had been, more sensible and straightforward.

Her eyes flitted to her husband who was staring at her sadly across the room.

She spoke to her brother whilst staring at him.

"There are people other than yourself who should have known."

Arthur stiffened.

"Gwen…" Her brother apologised again and she turned her eyes on him.

He was silent instantly.

She shook her head at him ever so slightly.

Her voice was a low whisper.

"I do not blame you for not knowing that I was innocent, for I did not even know it myself." She breathed, "But I am your sister, and you should have at least had it in you to respect me enough, respect all that I have ever done for you through your shenanigans, as our father did, to risk your knighthood to help me when I had nowhere to go. Instead of watching as I was thrown on my knees with a look of bitter disappointment."

Elyan swallowed and straightened.

Arthur straightened and his heart faltered in his chest.

He had failed her.

The gap between them had never felt so large.

Her brother shifted and bowed slightly.

"I am sorry Gwen." He murmured, "I was wrong, I know… forgive me, I know I don't deserve it."

"I said that I do not blame you." She said in a quiet yet firm voice, "that is all there is to be said."

Elyan knew his sister well enough not to push his luck.

He nodded his head and straightened, walking past her somewhat anxiously to the door.

All of the knights had seen to tension between Arthur and Gwen.

The sound of the doors closing resonated in the air and the queen straightened.

Arthur drew in a breath and she swallowed, walking over to him slightly.

"I heard about you sending the word out about my innocence… the people are leaving flowers and gifts of apology…. I can only thank you…"

"You do not have to thank me." He walked to stare down at her, "I did it for you."

She nodded and looked down for a moment.

"Arthur…"

"Forgive me." He whispered, "Please."

She opened her mouth to speak.

"I…"

"I know that you have every right to hate me, I did something unforgivable but please Guinevere…" He breathed, "Trust me when I say that it will never happen again, I will spend the rest of my life… please…"

She shook her head ever so slightly and drew in a stuttering breath.

He put his hands on her shoulders, "I hate what I did, what I tried, and for all you can hate me…"
"I don't hate you." She whispered.

"I did it for you!" He pleaded.

She stared right at him.

He leant closer.

"I don't like this, with us; I want us to be better, the way we were yesterday before I…" He swallowed, "I don't like what this makes me… someone so cold and unthinking…"

"And I don't like what it makes me."

Her words broke his heart.

She stared right at him.

"I have never been a simpering queen, I have fought to be a strong one, one you can be proud of…"

He stared back at her.

She swallowed and lifted her hands to cup his face, her thumbs brushing his jaw gently.

His eyes fluttered closed at the feeling of it.

The silence that followed hurt them both.

She stared up at him, her eyes wide and locked on his face.

"And as I love you Arthur my feelings for you never falter…" She whispered, "And I love you more than anything in this entire world…"

She swallowed and her hands fell away from his face to rest folded in front of her stomach, her wide eyes staring at his face as his eyes snapped open to stare sadly at her.

She shook her head ever so slightly.

"But I do not always have enough to like everything that you do."

There was silence for a moment.

Both of their hearts faltered.

His mouth opened and closed yet no words came out.

The doors crashed open behind them and she wiped at her eyes, schooling her features.

They both stared at the guards as they entered, throwing a young girl to her knees before them.

"Your majesties," One of them declared, "This girl was found using magic to attack another child in the lower town."