A/N: Pointless story time!
So last night I went to the store and when I opened my door a fairly good-sized white spider fell on me and just laid there.
I stared at it for a second or two thinking 'Is it dead?' before just blowing it off my arm.
It landed in a puddle and was perfectly still on its back, just floating aimlessly. Guess so.
20-30 minutes later I come out of the store and the spider's doing the arachnid equivalent of the backstroke in the puddle.
What the heck?
Cheers for Sahba, submitter of the 200th review :)
Also, 'rips'. *sigh*
Y'know, it's perfectly alright to leave a review saying: "Hey, idiot, you completely ruined the mood with that typo at the end of the chapter. Otherwise, though, it was completely mind-blowingly awesome." (Feel free to adjust for personal preference.) Luckily I happened to spot it this morning so it is fixed.
We now return to this irregularly scheduled fanfic (don't get too excited, it's not the resolution you're looking for):
Guinevere stood at the back of the hall with the other Ladies of the court, watching Arthur with a false look of adoring approval as he bent to sign the document.
She clasped her hands tightly to hide the way they shook in anticipation- any moment now that petty excuse for a king would be falling over dead.
She restrained herself from looking up to the mezzanine where she knew the assassin was posted- he wouldn't be visible from here regardless.
The blond straightened and passed the quill over to Sarrum who gave a brief glance upward before leaning over the parchment, dipping the nib in ink slowly and deliberately.
The queen heard a slight scuffle from above and turned, only to have her attention brought back to the table where her conspirator had keeled over with a crossbow bolt in his neck.
Nobles screamed and fled the scene, knights rushed forward to push the king under the table for protection, and a guard grabbed Guinevere's elbow.
"Your Highness, we must get you to safety."
The guard began pulling her into the corridor, which was strangely empty despite the chaos in the hall.
Perfect.
Guinevere pulled a blade from her skirts- a simple defensive dagger Arthur had given her- and stabbed the guard in the back, leaving him to choke on his own blood as she made for the stairwell to the upper level.
Her eyes narrowed at the scene before her.
Sarrum's man was nowhere to be seen, a young boy lay against the wall unconscious or dead, and Merlin was next to him.
"You!"
This was inconceivable.
Blind, mute, can hardly stand and he still makes a nuisance of himself.
"This is the last time you will get in the way."
Spying a discarded dagger on the floor, she decided to make use of the foreign weapon.
Much better to implicate the assassin.
She stabbed at his chest, the clumsy fool somehow managing to roll out of the way.
"It'll be less painful if you just hold-"
Another jab evaded.
" -still!"
And another.
How was he doing it?
Her next stroke, however, pierced flesh and she pressed the blade in as far as it would go before cruelly yanking it out of the wound.
His mouth gaped in silent agony as Guinevere aligned her next blow over his left breast.
Shouts erupted from the room below.
"Where is the queen?"
"Queen Guinevere!"
"Your Highness!"
Time's up.
The knife penetrated his chest easily and she couldn't resist one final taunt.
"Long live Morgana Pendragon."
Leaving the dagger in his heart she turned and fled back down the steps into the still-empty corridor, hiding herself behind a statue in an alcove.
Guards and knights spilled out of the meeting hall, calling for her, Arthur at the fore.
"I'm here!" She called, trying to sound distressed.
"Guinevere!" Her husband called with relief, pulling her into his arms.
She fought to keep the revulsion from her face as he smoothed her hair and embraced her tightly.
"What happened?" He asked.
"A guard brought me out of the hall and told me to hide in the alcove until he came to get me- I haven't seen him since."
"Sire!"
Arthur turned to Sir Leon, who had just discovered the queen's victim.
The king's face clouded over.
"Was it this guard?"
Guinevere nodded, then buried her face in Arthur's chest as if she were too disturbed by the sight.
"Sir Leon, take the queen to her quarters and stay with her- I want extra guards posted outside her door. Also send men throughout the castle, it looks like the assassin had an accomplice."
"Yes, Sire!"
The knight commander took charge of the monarch, steering her toward the royal apartments as she pretended to sob lightly.
Arthur frowned as they retreated- it was unlike Guinevere to be so upset.
Perhaps it's just the built up stress...
Turning his attention to the door which definitely should have been locked, the king ascended the staircase and froze at the sight of the tableau before him.
"Merlin?"