Author's Note: Oooohhhh! You guys are gonna like this chapter! Well…I think you're gonna like this chapter J But if I'm completely wrong, or completely right, please review!

So yeah, BIG twist in the story! Any preconceptions you may have had about Ceira and Emrys, I would be tempted to rethink them right now… That is all I am saying! Now read! Read like you've never read before!

Hope you like and please review! x

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of the BBC's TV programme Merlin (wish I did!) but any added characters and plotlines were completely my genius! All mistakes are also my own.

Chapter Twenty Four

Close

The sun started to set on Camelot, turning the castle's walls into a shade of claret as night draped itself over the city. Ceira watched the sun hide out of the small window.

"Ceira?" Arthur's voice has a stern edge to it tonight. Ceira turned to face the agitated looking Arthur.

"Yes Sire?" Ceira asked politely. She had been thinking about Emrys.

"I won't be requiring any supper tonight, I think I will retire early," he said unhurriedly.

"Is something wrong Sire?" Ceira asked concernedly.

"No, just tired, that's all." He stretched and deposited his jacket on the chair. Ceira hurried across the room, retrieved it and hung it up in its correct place. Arthur began to pull off his shirt. Ceira took the shirt off him, trying not to look at his bare chest.

"Is there anything else I can do Sire?" Ceira asked tentatively as she hung his shirt up with his jacket, keeping her back to him.

"No I think that is… actually, could I ask you something?"

Ceira frowned but still didn't look at him.

"Of course Sire."

"If you were me, would you still want to release the Thief, even if he killed one of your best Knights?"

Ceira was silent.

"I-I couldn't possibly say…""Please Ceira. I value your opinion very much."

Suddenly, Ceira felt hands on her waist. She gasped sharply. She held her breath, feeling Arthur's fingers pressing gently on the fabric of her dress. Ceira kept staring at the dresser in front of her, her breath still caught in her throat. Arthur's voice was very close now. But then Arthur's fingers started to twist her round to face him. What is going on? This cannot be happening. Her head screamed at her but of course it was happening. This was no dream. Arthur's eyes stared down into hers. She looked back into his reluctantly. What she saw there scared her. His eyes were very close to hers. They were full of longing and desire and yearning and craving and hunger and … love.

No… No!

"Ceira?" Arthur's voice was soft and delicate, completely opposite to his usual arrogant and overpowering voice.

"I…I really don't know…" Ceira's tiny voice was audibly shaking but Arthur didn't seem to notice. Without warning, Arthur started to move closer to her. Ceira's eyes darted around the room, desperately looking for something to get her out of this. Her thankfulness took over her panic as she heard the latch on the door click and someone step into the room.

"Sire, the- oh, um…" Lancelot's voice trailed off as he saw what he had interrupted. Arthur sprang off Ceira like she was red hot. He whipped round and glared at Lancelot who suddenly came to his senses. "Oh, um, yes. The King requested to see you in his chamber, Sire, as soon as possible," Lancelot blurted. He seemed to want to be out of the room as fast as he could and Ceira couldn't blame him. She wouldn't mind herself to run out of the door right now.

"Very well," Arthur said, his eyes darting anywhere other than Lancelot, embarrassment written all over his face. Lancelot nodded and left the room swiftly. Arthur reached over Ceira, seized his shirt and pulled it over his head. He then strode out of the room, avoiding Ceira's gaze. Ceira was left stood in the empty chamber, wondering what just happened.

xxx

Arthur sighed as he closed the door behind him. 'I just wanted you to understand why I'm not freeing the Thief. I would have never wanted Sir Gwaine to die, but the fate of the kingdom comes before the life of one man. Would you rather I surrendered the whole city to the wrath of the Thief?' They had been his father's exact words. Arthur had been completely swamped with feelings. He knew how his father felt and understood why he was so reluctant to free the Thief, since Arthur's last meeting with him he had understood exactly how Uther felt. But the pain of losing Gwaine was equal to the loathing toward the Thief.

And then there was Ceira. God, that had been so embarrassing. He couldn't deny for the two years that Ceira had served him, he had never felt so attracted to her as he did now. It was strange. He had first started feeling something toward her only in the previous few months. But now that everything was going wrong around him, he felt like he needed at least something to go right. That thing was Ceira. He knew that their love was forbidden but every time he saw her face, all of his troubles seemed to disappear. Her dark hair, perfect lips and deep eyes were something that he could stare at for hours. But today, Arthur felt like Ceira should know about his love. Then Lancelot had had to go and interrupt his perfect moment. But now wasn't the time to be thinking about that. He had to get some sleep, it was a big day tomorrow.

xxx

Ceira hugged her pillow against her chest. Sleep had abandoned her and she was left with her thoughts of the evening's events, which was something she really didn't want to have to think about, but they refused to leave her alone. She still felt Arthur's warm grip on her waist even now. It seemed to be burned into her skin. Arthur's eyes remained in her mind also. The hunger in them scared her. He had been like a wolf that had finally caught its prey and was closing in for the kill. Thank God for Lancelot. She didn't even want to think about what could have happened if he hadn't stepped in. Where had all this come from anyway? He had never shown an interest in her and now, all of a sudden, he was trying to get as close as he could to her. She had been trying to decide whether she should tell Emrys or not. She felt like something was holding her back. Why would she tell him anyway? Why was she involving him in all this? He was just a friend. Wasn't he?

Author's Note: What's that little blue button? You like all these people clicking you? What did you say? It makes you feel loved? And you want to make friends with all the lovely people who click you? Well isn't that nice! Well that's it folks! If you want a little blue button as a friend, I'd give it a nice big click if I were you! :P x