"Percival." Someone was shaking his shoulder. "Sir Percival, wake up."

Percival blinked his eyes sleepily. "Wha…?"

Anna was standing over him. "Did you sleep here all night?"

He rubbed his eyes and shifted uncomfortably in the chiar he had set outside Gwaine's door the night before. "I couldn't sleep in my bed knowing how sick Gwaine was," he said, rolling his shoulders. "How is he?"

"Sleeping peacefully right now," she said. "Actually, I have some things I have to do. Would you like to sit with him while I'm gone?"

"Yes!" Percival sprang to his feet, wincing as his back reminded him he had slept in a chair. "Ow."

Gwaine lay so unnaturally still and pale that Percival found himself tiptoeing and holding his breath as he crossed the room.

"What do I do if—if his heart—"

"Sit him up so he can breathe more easily," she answered. "Other than that—just be there with him. Reassure him."

Percival nodded, but felt in need of a little reassurance himself. When Anna shut the door behind her, he fought down the urge to call her back.

Too sore to sit, Percival stood looking down at his friend. He wasn't used to seeing Gwaine so quiet, so still. So…lifeless. Percival gulped. It made him feel small and weak—helpless.

Percival didn't know how long he stood there before Gwaine finally shifted and opened his eyes. "Perce?" he said, squinting up at him.

"Hey, Gwaine," Percival said, sitting down next to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Thirsty." Percival fetched him a drink of water. "What's happening out there?" Gwaine asked when he was finished.

"They're working on rebuilding the houses that were burnt in the lower town," Percival said. "Some of the crops were destroyed, but it's early enough in the year they can replant. The castle's kind of a mess, too. Gwen's martially the staff to clean everything up." He smiled. "Actually, there's some news, there." Gwaine looked at him expectantly. "Gwen and Arthur have made up. They're getting married."

Gwaine grinned. "Finally! When's the ceremony?"

"As soon as they have everything cleaned up and can get some clothes made. Couple of weeks. I know we don't really talk about this," he added, "but what do you think about Gwen?"

"She's a good woman. Kind, smart, has her finger on the pulse of the people. She'll make an excellent queen."

"Yes, but what do you think about… what she did?"

Gwaine frowned. "A person she cared about very much came back from the dead," he said at last. "That's enough to throw anybody for a loop. I'm not saying that's justification for what she did, but it certainly explains it. But we know she loved Arthur—loves him still." He paused. "I've always thought there was something more to the story. Something we don't know—that Arthur doesn't know."

Percival nodded. "I always thought so, too," he disclosed. "Glad to know I'm not the only one with that feeling."

"But it doesn't matter now," Gwaine added. "Best forgotten."

000

Percival stayed with Gwaine most of the morning, and other than some mild palpitations, Gwaine had no problems with his heart that day. He was still rather weak, and occasionally had a little shortness of breath, but it seemed like he was much improved. "I think your magic must have worked after all," Anna told Merlin after two days of steady improvement.

Merlin shook his head. "You said he was still pretty bad after I saw him. Healing magic doesn't have a delayed reaction like that. It can help little by little with every application, or it can help all at once. But it doesn't start working well after the magic is applied. I think it's probably your nursing."

"But I didn't do anything," Anna said. "There was nothing I could do."

"You said you were going to pull him through it."

Anna blew out her cheeks and ran a hand over her hair. "I was just willing him to live. I really didn't do anything."

"Well, your nothing worked, apparently." Merlin smiled. "Gwaine's strong; maybe he just needed some comfort and reassurance to get him through."

000

In a couple more days' time, Anna decided that Gwaine was strong enough to leave his bed. She entered his room that morning with a tray of food. He was lying in bed with his arms crossed behind his head, waiting for her.

"Breakfast!" she said cheerfully.

Gwaine moved to sit up, but seemed to be having trouble. Anna frowned; she had thought he had regained most of his strength. Setting the tray down on the bedside table, she leaned over and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him up into a sitting position as she had done so many times.

But just as she moved to let go, she felt Gwaine wrap his arms around her, embracing her, stopping her from pulling away. "Thank you," he murmured, pulling his head away, brushing a stray hair off of her brow. He put his hand to her cheek and leaned in…

Anna pulled away, her face alternately red and white, and stood up. "I—uh—have to go," she said, and went over to the door. "Oh, you can—get up later, if you like," she added quickly, not looking at him. "Just don't overdo it." She slipped quickly from the room. Gwaine stared after her in confusion.

TBC


AN: Please review!