The crowd gave a great gasp as Gwaine brought the axe blade down—and stopped it a bare inch from Bertilak's neck.
"I would chop your head off for threatening my King, if it weren't for the sensibilities of the ladies present," he hissed. Bertilak stared up at him in alarm. "I spare your life," Gwaine announced loudly, "on the condition that you never return to Arthur's domains."
"I enforce the decree," Arthur confirmed.
"And I extend it to my own lands," Gaheris added. "A man who would pick such an unfounded quarrel with his host deserves to be banished from all civilized lands."
"Your horse and your belongings will be brought out to you from the castle," Arthur added, "and you will be immediately escorted from Camelot. Guards!"
"Let us," Elyan said as he and Percival stepped forward and pulled Bertilak to his feet.
"Oh, and one last thing," Gwaine said, reaching forward and pulling off Bertilak's now-dirtied sash. He turned and walked back toward the stands, the axe in one hand and the sash in the other. The crowd burst into loud shouts of acclaim—but Gwaine didn't seem to hear.
Arthur, Gaheris and the herald conferred and decided it was as good a note as any to end a tournament on. Arthur called Gwaine forward to the stands.
"By your undefeated status in the morning's bouts, and for your defeat of Sir Bertilak, we hereby declare you the champion of this tournament," Gaheris declared. "Kneel, Sir Gwaine."
The crowd cheered as Gwaine knelt, still holding the sash and axe. Guinevere placed over his shoulders a heavy golden livery collar. "Rise, Sir Gwaine, Champion of Camelot." Gwaine rose and kissed her hand.
"Now the part I know will please you most," she whispered with a twinkle in her eye, and announced, "Let us feast!"
Gwaine pressed his lips together in a smile at her sally, and accepted Arthur and Gaheris's congratulations with courtesy—but it was clear his heart was not in it.
At the feast, the axe was hung on the wall over Gwaine's chair. The Hall was filled with laughter and talk—but the person in whose honor they feasted didn't join in. Gwaine sat in a brown study the whole night, only looking up when someone nearby called his name, and answering almost at random.
"Aren't you going to go congratulate him?" Leon asked. It was after the meal and everyone—except Gwaine—was mingling. Leon had meandered down to the bottom of the hall and was chatting with Anna and Gaius.
Anna glanced up the hall at Gwaine. "I don't know. He doesn't seem… very happy about it." In truth, Anna was hesitant to go up and speak to him—partly because he hadn't sought her out at all since lunch, and partly because she felt out-of-place at the top of the hall and was worried someone would think her encroaching.
"I don't know what's wrong with him," Leon said, shaking his head. "Do you think he could be coming down with something?"
Anna didn't think a sick man could defeat Bertilak as Gwaine had done, and said so.
"I suppose you're right." He offered her his arm. "Why don't we go see if we can cheer him up."
Anna hesitated for a moment, but took his arm and walked with him to the head of the hall. "Gwaine!" Leon called, and Gwaine looked up. "Another dance is about to start, and I've brought you a partner."
"I don't much feel like dancing," Gwaine said calmly, not giving more than a glance at Anna.
Anna felt her face go red. Leon, however, wasn't deterred. "If you're not careful, someone else will snatch her away!"
"I think they have already," Gwaine answered, staring steadily at Anna.
"Well, thank you!" Leon answered. "Anwen, may I have this dance?"
Anna nodded automatically, somewhat stunned. She walked with Leon over to the dance, and began moving through the steps automatically, her mind racing.
"Are you alright?" Anna looked up to find Leon staring down at her, concerned. "You look awfully pale."
"I'm not feeling too well," she answered.
"Why didn't you say something?" Leon said, and escorted her gently from the dance floor. The dance closed behind them. Leon escorted her back to her seat and procured a drink of water for her.
"I'm fine, really," she said at last. "Don't miss out on the dancing on my account."
As Leon moved away, she looked back up the hall toward Gwaine and found his eye on her. The moment their eyes met he looked away again, his expression stone-cold.
000
Anna saw Gwaine leave the festivities soon after. She waited several minutes and then slipped out unobtrusively, heading toward his quarters. The door was shut when she reached it, and she knocked. She could hear Gwaine pacing inside, and he walked over the instant she knocked and opened the door. On seeing her, he walked over to the table by the window and picked up her favour, holding it out to her wordlessly.
She shut the door behind her, and took it from him. "Thank you." Her voice sounded small, even to her ears.
"I believe this is yours, as well," he said, holding out Bertilak's sash.
Anna frowned at him. "No, it's not."
"Well, if you don't want it back…" he shrugged and dropped it on the table. "You seem to be very generous with your… favors."
"What are you talking about?"
"I saw you." He perched on the edge of the table and crossed his arms, would-be casually. "In Bertilak's tent—there was a gap in the side. Well you might blush," he added as she felt her cheeks flame. "I hadn't thought Bertilak was so attractive to the ladies."
"It wasn't like that," Anna said quickly.
"Then what was it like?"
"I was—playacting. To help a friend."
"What friend?"
"I—" Anna suddenly realized the terrible bind she was in. There was no way she could explain the situation to Gwaine—the questions he would be sure to ask would bring him too close to the truth about Merlin. And she had promised not to let anyone know about his magic. To lead Gwaine even that close to the truth would be a betrayal—he might well figure it out. "I promised not to tell," she answered weakly.
Gwaine snorted. "I'm sure. Can you at least explain how your kissing Sir Bertilak was to help this friend?" When Anna opened and shut her mouth without answering, Gwaine gave a sardonic smile. "I thought not."
"Have I ever given you a reason to doubt my honor?" she asked, hurt. "If I give you my word that it meant nothing, can't you trust me?"
But it was clear from his expression that the answer was no. "It was pretty clear, from where I was standing, that it meant something. Well, I used to think Guinevere was the most loyal woman I knew—and she betrayed Arthur. I suppose I really shouldn't have been surprised by your behavior."
Anna was suddenly furiously angry. "You talk about me being unfaithful, but you won't even trust me! I thought you, of all people, would understand keeping one's word to one's friends. And this is Gwaine the Chivalrous, Gwaine the Faithful, Gwaine the Ladies' Knight!" she flung at him. "I thought you knew me better—I thought I knew you better."
She turned on her heel and marched out the door, slamming it behind her.
000
"Ah, there you are," Gaius said as Anna walked into the surgery. He and Merlin were seated at the table, talking over the day's events. He looked down at the white and scarlet favour which she still held. "I take it you've been to see a certain champion," he twinkled.
Anna began gathering up her things without answering. "Is Gwaine alright?" Merlin asked. "He was so quiet at the feast—I thought maybe Bertilak had hurt him more than he let on. That axe is pretty heavy, after all."
"As far as I'm concerned," Anna said viciously, "he can sit on that axe and twist." She marched out of the room as Gaius and Merlin stared after her.
"What was that?" Merlin asked. Gaius shrugged, wide-eyed.
Anna hurried home, gulping back tears, hoping that she would get to the privacy of her house before the flood began.
Up in his room, Gwaine sat staring at the heavily embroidered green sash before him. Finally, he picked it up and flung it into the fire. As the flames consumed it, a penny fell, unregarded, to the ground.
TBC
AN: It took me FOREVER for find the name for a livery collar. Thank God for Google.
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