Bet you weren't expecting me! But here I am! This chapter is tragic! Again! I suck! Anyway, yup just thought I'd be giving and give a short chapter.. Gwen is going to appear more now... sorry Gwen haters, but she is a good person. Ava is not going to be appearing for a while. Dude... in microsoft words this thing is 265 pages already. I am beast. lol. Also, I'm going to medieval times! woot! I'm excited! Anyway, throw in disclaimer. Comments, complaints, review please. You know the drill.
Artemis scrubbed the floor with little enthusiasm. She was no longer working for Arthur, but her and Gwen spent the days cleaning the overall castle. She found herself enjoying Gwen's company. Artemis had managed to easily avoided Arthur over the last half a year since he and Merlin were always off now on a quest to find Morgana. Things had become relatively and disappointingly quiet.
"Have you missed him?" Gwen asked through the silence.
"Who?"
"Arthur. I've notice you two avoiding each other when not even a year ago you two could be found in a secluded corner of the castle kissing."
"I don't wish to talk about it," she said bitterly trying to scrub a stain clean.
"Is it because of his title, because I think you are very worthy of him and I know Merlin thinks the same."
"He has to. He's my brother."
"Still." Artemis sighed. "I know that sigh well. It's the sigh of someone with a broken heart."
"Yeah," Artemis said. "I kind of am heart broken, but it's my own fault."
"You think?" Gwen asked.
"I know."
"There is a bright side," Gwen said.
"Oh?" I asked. "And what's that?"
"You've been spending more time with Ava and when Merlin is not with Arthur he's with you." Artemis stared at the floor in front of her. She blinked a few times before she smiled gently.
"I suppose you're right. I always have family. Though I believe that Ava and Everett have been getting very serious lately. She's nearly the age I was when I got engaged. I'm becoming a bit worried."
"Why? Everett's very kind."
"I just don't want her rushing into something like I did. I want her to think about herself a little instead of everyone else."
"You mean like you do?" Gwen asked.
"I don't know what you mean."
"You always put others happiness before your own. Even I can see that," she said. Artemis stopped her scrubbing again and stared at the floor.
"I suppose I'm trying to prevent her from making my own mistakes. Mistakes, even mistakes that others make, should be learning experience and I've made a lot of mistakes."
"And do you consider Arthur one of those mistakes?" Artemis was silent, and for a moment Gwen thought that she wouldn't answer, but she did.
"No. I would never consider Arthur a mistake. He is one of the few things in my life that I know without a doubt I would never take from my life." Gwen smiled gingerly at her friends words.
"I believe that it is meant to be," Gwen said. "You and him are just too compatible and love each other to much for destiny to deny you him. It will work out in the end."
"I surely hope," she replied.
"Artemis," Ava said to her. She was spending more time with Ava it was true, but she had been distant since the tournament. While they did eat together every evening and Merlin and Gaius came over much more often she still spent her time staring out the window eating very little.
"Yes?" she asked.
"I've decided something today," she said.
"What's that?" Artemis asked.
"I don't want to be a Servant of the World. I never want to be a Servant." This caught Artemis by surprise. She had always thought Ava would follow her path Servants and all.
"Explain," Artemis said. Ava hesitated, but then she spoke both with sorrow and cruelty.
"I have always wanted to follow your path Artemis. Always, but lately seeing you so torn and useless and lifeless. So bound to rules you wish to break makes me realize… you aren't happy. You've never really been happy working with the Servants, but I want to be happy. I can't do that following your path. You've always taught me to follow a path I want, but you don't follow your own advice. You follow a path that everyone else pushes you to. You love Arthur, and instead of doing something you just followed orders and broke both your heart and his. See… Lately… I've been questioning you, your choice, your life, and you're wrong. Nearly everything you taught me has been against your own choices. You're a hypocrite, and I'm telling you this because I love you. I cannot learn from someone who will not listen to herself. I have grown out of you," she said. Artemis stared at Ava. She wasn't sure what to say.
"Ava…"
"Artemis… you know I mean the best for you. I think before you can give me advice or teach me you need to gather your own life together and do what you know is right." Artemis nodded.
"I accept your choice Ava." It was just another thing to add to Artemis's list of things going wrong in her life.
"Everett and I are leaving Camelot together." Artemis frowned.
"What?" she said confused. "Why?" Ava shrugged.
"Freedom. Everett feels to confined in the city as do I. We're going off to wherever the wind takes us."
"Ava, you're fifteen years old. You're too young. You're letting your emotions get away with you."
"I told Artemis. I'm done following your advice. Everett and I are leaving at dawn tomorrow. Don't bother coming to see us off."
"Ava!" Artemis yelled standing now. "I am your guardian and I forbid you to make such a reckless decision!"
"No!" she yelled back standing as well. "The Artemis that is my guardian doesn't sit around and stare out windows all day! She does something!"
"If this is about getting you're point across what the hell do you want me to do!"
"It's not about getting my point across! It's about me! You're suffocating me! Throwing rules and ideas at me that you don't even live by! It hurts too much to be around you! You're a ghost of who I knew! I can't sit here and watch you day after day stare out a damn window! I can't stay here and see what I could become! I'm sorry Artemis. I can't do it," Ava sighed. She looked at the floor unable to look at Artemis's sorrowful expression. She turned and left. Ava was gone.
Artemis had one more hallway to scrub the floor of. Gwen wasn't joining her. Gwen had started on cleaning the banisters that were long past there due date. Gwen and her had been cleaning so much to keep Artemis's mind on the now. Gwen was trying to be a good, supportive friend, and it was helping a little.
The hallway that Artemis was cleaning was the same hallway that Arthur's chambers were on. However, she was sure he was out today like usual on his quest for Morgana. Artemis tried hard to concentrate on the floor she was scrubbing but cleaning just didn't do it today. She started to cry but just continued to scrub the floor with the tears that started to fall in more of a rush now until she just couldn't anymore. She started to cry harder and had to stop. She fell back and sat against the wall crying into her knees trying to muffle the noise of her loud crying.
Arthur had returned from another unsuccessful attempt at finding Morgana. Of course, he had to head off again soon, but in the meantime he need some well deserve rest. He went off to his chambers. Only to find Artemis in the hall scrubbing the floor. His face turned cold and he glared at the back of her head. It was in this fashion that he had come to look at her when he would catch brief glances of her throughout the palace. He had every intension to tell her off for slacking on her job or whatever before he walked into his chambers until he heard her crying. Finally, he watched as she collapsed against the wall and continued to cry harder than before. The cold expression melted on his face and was replaced with sympathy. He could try and deny it, but he still held deep feelings for her. He felt pain watching her. He could go into her room and ignore her, but he just couldn't find the capacity to do it. He walked to her before he leaned against the wall and slid down it next to Artemis. She didn't seem to notice. He pulled a small cloth from his pocket and handed it to Artemis. She stared for a moment before shakily taking the handkerchief. She wiped her tears away with it.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"What's wrong?" he asked as she continued to wipe away the continuously falling tears.
"Ava left," she said in a scratchy voice. "We argued before she left. She called me a hypocrite and said I was suffocating her. She left with Everett this morning and told me not to bother to see her off."
"You'll be okay," Arthur said. "You're strong."
"Arthur," she whispered. "I'm tired of trying to avoid you. Please, can we at least attempt to be acquaintances?" He looked down at her before nodding.
"I think that would be wise," he said. "After all, you are a Servant of the World, and there opinions are valuable as well as their allegiance." Artemis wiped the last of her tears away. She knew that it was a simple agreement not to hate each other now. She knew Arthur still felt something to her and it was only confirmed when she attempted to hand back the handkerchief and he gently pushed it back to her and kept his hand on hers longer than necessary. "Keep it. It looks like if life keeps throwing things like this at you, you'll need it." He let go of her clutched hand and stood before he walked into his room.
Artemis sat alone in her empty house. It depressed her even more. Ava's things were gone. The place where she usually slept was cleaned up and empty. Artemis ate dinner alone. There was a knock on her door. Artemis opened it. Gwen faced her. She hugged her.
"I heard what happened," she said pulling away. "I'm sorry."
"Thanks. I'm… not alright. This house… it's too empty."
"Come stay with me," Gwen insisted. "I have an extra bed. The least we can do is keep each other company."
"It's alright Gwen. I don't want to be a burden."
"You won't be," Gwen assured her. "My house has been empty too since my father died. It would be a nice change." Artemis smiled sadly and nodded. She hugged Gwen.
"You are a good friend, Guinevere. I don't deserve you."
Gwen helped Artemis move her things into her home. There was another bed set up for her, and life, although it felt like it couldn't, moved on.