With All My Heart
Summary: "I will not let you die." She breathed. "Not again.." – Time Travel, Arthur/Guinevere.
…WAMH…
Guinevere stared at the crackling fire.
Her mind was muddled with thoughts.
Thoughts that revolved around the recent events that eventually led to the death of the witch.
But not before she died.
Yes, she remembered.
Her own mind refused to acknowledge it, seeing that she's currently alive and well.
Yet, she remembered.
Guinevere could never forget the strangeness of feeling her heart burst inside her chest.
She knew that she had died at the hands of the witch.
However momentarily.
..
But why am I here?
Why am I alive?
..
She lifted her hand and placed it firmly on her chest.
Numbed, she felt a strong and steady thump.
It would be normal to feel relief at this situation, as she felt her heart beating normally when it was supposed to be destroyed. Yet, as time went on, feeling her heart beat every second that passed by, all that she felt was apathy.
A normal person would have been joyful and relieved that they came out alive and breathing. They may even feel anger and despair for having suffered such an ordeal. But this incident only proved that she was not normal in the least, far from it actually.
She felt nothing.
Her thoughts then turned to the visions that passed through her mind when she was lying there in the pool of her own blood. They were hazy images at best; none really left an imprint as she was being bombarded by one vision after another.
But she did recognize the people in her visions, well, most of them anyway.
..
Were they real?
..
That thought haunted her every waking moment.
She desperately wanted to believe that the visions that she saw was nothing but a figment of her imagination. Visions conjured by her mind because of her delirious state at that time. It would've been easy to just disregard those images and paint them as dreams like she had done in the past.
However, something held her back from doing so.
Dreams and Reality.
She didn't know what to believe anymore.
Guinevere had tried to decipher those visions, but nothing came to mind. Every time she tried to forcefully remember those images, a sharp pain will course through her head. It was like something was blocking her, preventing her, from accessing those visions again.
But if they were real, no matter how ridiculous it may seem to be, then it could only mean one thing.
..
Sorcery
..
For the first time in days, Guinevere felt fear crept on her being.
Sorcery was banned in the Kingdom of Camelot. Anyone who was caught practicing magic will be promptly sentenced to death. Anyone who was seen to be associated with the sorcerer would also be punished.
She stared down at her trembling hands.
If magic was really the cause of her miraculous survival from her fatal encounter,… then no one, not her Father, not Morgana, not Merlin,… and, especially, not Prince Arthur, could know about it.
Prince Arthur may have shown kindness to her, but Guinevere didn't know what the Prince would do if he ever discovered the use of magic on her part.
After all, he was the King's son.
Days after the encounter, she tried her best to act normal around her mistress. Morgana was exceptionally perceptive to the people around her, so if someone would notice anything peculiar about Guinevere, she was sure that Morgana would be the one to do so.
Fortunately, her mistress was preoccupied with her own problems to even take note of Guinevere's troubled state. It seemed that Morgana's nightmares were gradually getting worse ever since of that fateful encounter with the witch.
Guinevere may act as if nothing had happened, but deep inside, she was mystified by her condition.
Was she a witch?
Does she have magic?
Those thoughts swirled around her mind.
Grasping a bunch of her dress tightly, she tried to control the growing terror and anxiety that was bubbling inside of her.
..
No one must know
..
For her sake, and for everyone who was associated with her, no one must know.
If anyone were to discover what really happened to her, she will be burned at the stake before she could even begin to plead her case. After all, how could she explain her miraculous survival?
The whole situation screamed of sorcery.
Even Guinevere could admit to that.
Suddenly, she thought of that woman. The woman whom reached out to the deepest tresses of her mind when she was still in a delirious state. She knew that the woman was real, but for the life of her, she couldn't recognize the woman as her voice came from all directions. It was like three different people were talking to her at the same time.
..
Who was she?
..
Guinevere desperately wanted to seek out the woman. She was sure that the woman had the answer to all of the questions that were now circling in her head. She feared that she might go crazy with all the events happening around her.
Groaning tiredly, she covered her face with her hands, eager to get rid of such thoughts. All this thinking was progressively giving her a migraine.
"I'm home." Called out Tom, trudging inside the house quite exhaustedly.
Shaken from her thoughts, Guinevere weakly smiled at the sight of her father.
"Welcome back, Father." Said Guinevere, helping Tom with the sack that he carried.
Tom, finally free from all the baggage that he was carrying, slumped down on the chair by the kitchen table. It was a really busy day back in the forge. But no matter how tired he was, he kept on working through all the orders and requests made by his customers.
He would do all that he can to give his precious daughter a good life.
"Dinner's almost ready." Stated Guinevere, ladling the pot to keep their meal from burning.
"Great, I'm starving." Replied Tom, stretching his back, trying to relieve the aches that he was experiencing.
Lips twitching in mirth at the sight, Guinevere put down the ladle then went to stand behind her father. She then proceeded to massage his shoulders to try loosening the knots in his tight muscles.
"What would I ever do without you." Sighed Tom, his daughter's hands were heavenly.
"Nothing." Answered Guinevere, raised brows in amusement.
…WAMH…
..
knock
knock
..
Guinevere slipped through the door leading to her mistress's chambers and closed it behind her.
She saw Morgana standing beside the window, seeming to be lost in thought. Her pale, tired face suggested that the King's ward suffered yet again from another nightmare.
"Milady." Greeted Guinevere, curtsying to the Lady Morgana.
Morgana was shaken from her thoughts and was actually surprised to see Guinevere standing beside her.
"Gwen." Said Morgana, trying to smile but failing terribly.
Guinevere was getting very worried about Morgana. These nightmares that the lady had these past few days had been evidently taking a toll on the lady. She was even paler than before; dark shadows even circled her eyes.
"Did you have another bad dream?" asked Guinevere, placing a comforting hand on Morgana's arm.
Morgana didn't even try to hide her tired state to Guinevere; she knew that her friend would only see through her deception anyway. She just nodded wearily to the other woman.
"Do you want me to get you something?" said Guinevere, worried for her friend. "I can go to Gaius again if you want."
"It's fine, Gwen." Morgana shook her head. "I'm afraid that even Gaius's tonics are no match for these dreams." She added, smiling rather wryly.
Greatly concerned, Guinevere didn't know what to do. She had been plagued with dreams as well. She dreamt about those visions… but now was not the time to be thinking of such things, she had contemplated enough about it as it is.
She knew that she could do nothing but ease Morgana's fear with words of comfort.
"What do you dream about anyway?" asked Guinevere.
Morgana looked at her for a moment, hesitance clear on her eyes.
"I…" started Morgana, averting her gaze to look again out of the window. "Honestly, I don't even know what I dream about,… it doesn't make sense."
"What do you mean?"
"They're just like… images, they pass through my mind… but even before I could get a hold unto a scene, another image will take its place…" confided Morgana, troubled by her dreams.
Guinevere felt her breath come to a halt.
And for good reason.
Morgana's dreams were oddly similar to her own.
But, it can't be…
After a moment's hesitation, Guinevere gathered the courage to ask her next question.
"And these dreams…" Guinevere apprehensively began, heart beating fast in her chest. "Do you remember anything about these dreams of yours?"
Morgana looked at her for a moment, contemplating about her question.
"The images were just too fast… But, I do remember one thing…" Morgana furrowed her brows in deep thought.
"What is it?"
A moment of silence passed before Morgana spoke up.
"Fire." whispered Morgana, a strange expression gracing her face.
"Fire?"
"Yes." Morgana nodded slowly, she felt her palms sweat as she continued to relieve her dream. "Something was ablaze,… or someone,… I heard screaming."
Morgana's breaths came in gasps as her anxiety rose.
"I heard screaming." repeated Morgana, clearly distraught. Her eyes quickly filled up with tears as she remembered those horrifying images. Her form began to tremble in fright. "Oh Gwen, it was horrible."
Concerned, Guinevere embraced Morgana hoping to provide whatever comfort she could give. She hated seeing her mistress like this.
"Shh, it's alright." Consoled Guinevere, rubbing her hand on Morgana's back in a placating manner.
Letting out a shuddering breath, Morgana leaned to her, desperate for anything she can get to help soothe her mind.
"Don't worry," said Guinevere, her voice low. "It's only a dream. Nothing more."
A few seconds went by before she felt Morgana nod in response.
..
Nonetheless, they both knew how false her statement was.
..
…WAMH…
Trudging along the trail in the forest, Merlin breathed hard as he fought to keep up with the rest of the Knights. It didn't help that he was single-handedly carrying the luggage of his royal pratness.
Huffing exhaustedly, Merlin came to a stop next to Arthur, who was currently crouching down next to a bush.
Arthur felt himself cringe at the noise Merlin was making.
It seemed that his manservant was really aiming to infuriate him with every move he makes.
"What are we looking for anyway?" asked Merlin, resting his hands on his waist, looking around the forest. "And why haven't we caught anything yet? It's been hours." He waved his hands to emphasize his point.
"Well, if you haven't been making that racket," gritted Arthur, slowly. He fought hard to control his temper. His annoyance to his manservant was reaching new heights. "Then maybe we would've caught dozens of game hours ago."
It would be best if his manservant shuts up for now, for his sake.
"Don't blame me." Scoffed Merlin. "Not my fault that if you can't catch any."
His temper finally won out.
"I'll have you know-!" started Arthur, incensed with Merlin's audacity.
"Quiet!" intervened Sir Leon, holding up a hand. He was looking at the far distance before them. "Did you hear that?"
Silence fell around the group as they listened hard for the slightest of sounds.
"Hear what?" asked Arthur after a moment passed by with nothing happening. Though he kept vigilant and casted around another weary look around the forest, as did the other Knights beside him.
Confused, Leon tilted his head.
"I thought I heard somethi-"
Screech!
A sound of what seemed to be a dying bird sliced through the silence.
Loud, thumping sound rapidly approaching their direction was soon heard afterwards.
"On me!" bellowed Arthur, readying his spear.
The rest of the Knights converged around Arthur, weapons at the ready.
In the distance, they could make out the enormous form of the monster. It looked like a mix breed of sorts. It has the head of a rooster, its barbed tongue lolling out of its sharp beak that could probably tear anyone into shreds; its powerful wings looked reptilian at best. It didn't help that it also has a serpent's tail that ends with a deadly stinger.
Merlin felt his heart leaped up to his throat as he recognized the beast that was quickly heading towards their direction.
It was a Cockatrice.
"Don't look at its eyes!" Merlin yelled out, warning the Knights before him. "I know this creature; it can kill you with its gaze alone!"
Fortunately, the Knights heeded his words as they averted their gaze to the creature's body instead.
Arthur aimed his spear and threw it to the creature. But even before it could hit its intended mark, the Cockatrice suddenly managed to swat the spear away with its sharp claws. The spear exploded into splinters upon contact.
The other Knights also aimed and threw their spears and arrows at the creature, but the Cockatrice suddenly flapped its powerful wings, that action created a strong gale that blasted all the weapons away.
The Cockatrice continued to bat its wings, and in no time, powerful gales surrounded them, forcing the other Knights unto their knees, leaving them defenseless.
Gritting his teeth, Arthur forced himself to keep on standing despite the powerful winds that was pressing down on him coming from different directions.
Finally, the Cockatrice stopped its batting, but then it quickly charged at them, its tail poised and ready to stab at its unfortunate victim. The creature's claws harshly dug at the ground at its approach.
Drawing his sword out, Arthur managed to dodge out of the creature's way with a quick roll. He could hear the grunts and cries of the Knights as they battled the Cockatrice head on.
Seeing his opportunity, Arthur swiftly charged behind the Cockatrice and plunged his sword deep on its side. The creature let out an enraged and pained screech. He didn't expect the creature's sudden sweep of its tail.
Arthur was sent flying through the air; he collided rather harshly against a tree several yards away from the creature. Winded against the collision, Arthur leaned against the tree for a moment to get his bearings straight.
The Cockatrice focused its sight on Arthur's still form, intent to eliminate the one who caused its injuries. The creature charged straight at the Prince.
Yells of shout was issued by the Knights as they tried their best to avert the creature's attention by charging at the Cockatrice, but to no avail as the creature just swatted them away with its massive strength.
Merlin quickly looked around to see if anyone was looking at his direction, seeing that everyone was focused on the Cockatrice, he then frantically thought of a spell that can defeat the creature.
On the other side of the clearing, Leon grabbed a stray rope from their hunting gear, he tied it in the form of a lasso, and he then aimed at the creature's neck, hoping against hope that his ridiculous idea will work.
Fortunately, with the creature only a few feet away from the dazed Prince, and with its claw up ready to strike down Arthur, Leon's lasso connected and tightened around the Cockatrice's neck. Leon immediately pulled on the rope.
Screech!
The Cockatrice reared back at the unexpected force, but that was enough time for the other Knights to intervene. Spears and arrows deeply imbedded the expanse of the creature's body. It let out one last keening screech before it finally slumped to the ground.
Still slumped against the tree, Arthur stared in shock at the creature slumped a few feet away from his feet. His vision of the Cockatrice was suddenly cut off by the appearance of a proffered hand in front of him.
Arthur smiled gratefully at the Knight, before he accepted the help.
"Thank you." Arthur grunted as his back ached when he moved.
"Don't mention it." Said Leon. "You would've done the same if any of us were placed in your predicament."
Merlin sighed in relief that the Cockatrice had been dealt with; his mind had stopped working the moment he saw the creature at the ready to strike down Arthur. Merlin vowed then and there to study every page of the book of magic that Gaius had given him awhile back.
Preoccupied as they were, they didn't notice that the Cockatrice's tail had moved slowly, its tail rose up, ready to strike down its opponent.
But it never got the chance.
A sword was suddenly plunged down in its head, killing the Cockatrice for good.
"And that's how you do it." Said Sir Kay, pulling his sword out of the creature's head, before he brought it down again, ruthlessly beheading the Cockatrice.
His cold eyes then took sight of the Prince before him.
Arthur looked at Sir Kay for a moment before he nodded his thanks. Kay tilted his head slightly in response.
There was something about Sir Kay that made Arthur act cautious whenever the man was around. Kay was only a good few years older than Arthur; he also grew up with Arthur and Morgana when they were children. But, for some reason, Kay had always avoided associating with Arthur.
Shaking the thoughts out of his head, He turned his attention to the creature once again.
"This is the first time I encountered this sort of creature." Stated Arthur, brows furrowed.
"As do I." Leon nodded.
"No doubt it's a creature of magic." Kay sneered in disgust, wiping the blood from his sword before sheathing it into his scabbard.
A thought nudged at the back of Arthur's mind.
"Merlin," said Arthur, looking questioningly at his manservant. "How did you know that its gaze can kill us at first sight?"
Merlin stayed rooted at the spot, frozen in place.
"Uh," uttered Merlin, his eyes flittered around the group and found that all of the Knights focused their attention on him. Gulping in nervousness, he felt sweat trickle down at the back of his neck. "I… back in Ealdor, the village where I grew up, well,… Cockatrices run rampant around the place." He shrugged casually, ignoring the way his ears were burning.
Looks of disbelief and astonishment were sent to his direction.
Better that than telling them that he read about the Cockatrice in the book of magic Gaius had given him. He would be run through with a sword faster than the Cockatrice if these people ever discovered that knowledge.
…WAMH…
Strolling around the market place, Guinevere couldn't help but gaze in awe at the different cloths that the vendors offered. Silks, velvets, you name it, they have it.
Morgana had decided to visit the market today, eager to get her mind off her distressed state. That was why they were here now, looking at the various fine-looking cloths that the vendors offered.
"Gwen," called Morgana, eyeing an emerald silk on her hands. She smiled as she looked at her handmaiden. "What do you think of this?"
"Oh, it's lovely." Commented Guinevere, she was glad that, for the first time in days, Morgana seemed to be free from all worries. "This color really suits you."
"You think so?" replied Morgana, holding the cloth over her and examining her form in the small mirror by the stand.
"Of course." Giggled Guinevere.
When Morgana turned to the vendor to presumably buy the silk, Guinevere gazed once again at the various cloths in the stand. There were cloths of different kinds and colors, and they were all quite catching on their own. But one cloth caught her attention.
It was a baby pink shawl, though it was simple, she could not help but admire the beauty of it. Splaying the shawl on her hands, she marveled at the softness of the cloth. It was a pity that she couldn't buy the cloth, she haven't the money.
"Do you want that?"
Guinevere looked up to see Morgana smiling knowingly at her.
"This shawl looks wonderful on you." said Morgana, picking the shawl from her hands and then proceeded to wrap it over Guinevere's shoulders. "Look, it's perfect on your skin tone."
"Oh, no-" Guinevere shook her head, trying to get the shawl off of her. "Milady, I'm afraid I can't afford this-"
"But I can." Morgana cut her off, securing the shawl on Guinevere.
"Milady, you mustn't."
"Gwen, don't worry about it." Said Morgana, looking intently at her. Her hands were placed on Guinevere's arms to prevent her from taking it off. "Besides, think of it as a gift. You had helped me countless of times, as it is."
"But-"
"I think saying thank you now would be appropriate." Morgana raised her brow, lips twitching in amusement.
Perplexed, Guinevere looked at Morgana for a moment, before she finally gave in.
"Thank you, Milady." Said Guinevere, letting out an amused sigh. Morgana was really a handful when she gets into these kinds of playful antics.
"You're welcome." Morgana smiled in satisfaction, glad to have things going her way. She then turned around to the vendor to pay for the purchases.
Once they were done with their business, they strolled around the market again, amusing themselves by commenting at the various odd trinkets that the vendors had to offer.
"So," Morgana began, as they continued their walk comfortably. "You said awhile ago that someone had struck your fancy, correct?"
"I told you, I can't tell you who he is." Sighed Guinevere.
"Don't worry, I won't ask, I did promise you that." Said Morgana, glancing at her at corner of her eyes. "I'm just curious on why there aren't any developments in regards to your relationship."
"I could hardly call it a relationship, Milady." Replied Guinevere, quite amused. "I hardly even know,… No, I'm quite sure that he doesn't consider me in that way."
..
If you only knew
..
Morgana thought, exasperated.
Her thoughts turned to Arthur's crazy, if not bumbling, antics when it came to Guinevere.
"There's always hope," said Morgana, turning to Guinevere, helping her fix the new shawl around her shoulder. "I am certain that if he sees you now,… well, let's just say that he would be more blind than a blind man if he doesn't admire your beauty."
Guinevere just smiled at her mistress, shaking her head at the silliness of it all.
"Milady, even if he does see me in that way,… not that I'm even considering the possibility, because honestly? No matter what, we can never be."
"Why not?" frowned Morgana. "If you two like each other, then there's nothing wrong with that."
Guinevere looked at Morgana for a moment, before she sighed.
"You don't understand."
..
But I do, Gwen.
..
Morgana did understand the possible consequences that the relationship between her friend and Arthur would bring. But that didn't mean that they didn't have the right to like, or even love, each other. People shouldn't dictate who you are, who you want to become, or even who you want to be with.
King Uther had always been strict, even though he had been kind and caring to Morgana, he even doted upon her, but that didn't mean he would show the same lenience to anybody else. If the King were to know of his son's growing feelings for a mere servant girl, Uther would surely order the banishment of the servant before things gets out of hand.
Morgana loved Uther; he had been there when she needed him most. He was like a second father to her when her own had perished in battle. But, sometimes, she couldn't help but hate Uther for all his doings.
Especially, in regards to the people he sentenced to death when sorcery was involved.
While it was true that some people deserved that kind of punishment, she can't stomach the fact that others were persecuted for simply healing an ailing person with the use of magic. They were not even given fair trial.
Was it really wrong to use magic?
Even if magic was used in good intent?
Hopefully, when Arthur becomes King, he would not be as cold and ruthless as his father was.
..
Speaking of the devil
..
Morgana thought, as she caught sight of the Prince and his manservant walking a few yards away from them.
Quickly glancing at Guinevere, she saw that her handmaiden still hadn't noticed the presence of the two men nearby.
With a devious smile in place, she put her plan in motion.
"Arthur!" called Morgana, raising her hand to get their attention.
…WAMH…
It was nearing sunset when the party arrived in the City of Camelot from their hunting expedition.
All of them went their separate ways, except for Merlin and Arthur.
Well, it's not like Merlin had a choice in the matter, being Arthur's manservant and all.
Winding through the busy streets of the market, Arthur could see that some of the vendors had started to pack up their wares. He was dead tired from the events earlier; his bruised back didn't help the matter in the slightest.
Merlin was exhausted too, judging from his labored breathing. The Prince's knapsack also started to slide down from his wiry shoulders.
Not wanting anything more than a warm bath to get the grime off his body, and preferably a scrumptious meal to satisfy his grumbling stomach, Arthur dragged himself, and his manservant, towards the direction of the castle.
"Arthur!" a familiar voice called out.
He stopped his stride and looked around for a moment, searching for the one who called him. The moment he saw who it was,… well, let's just say he wished he hadn't bothered.
Arthur was exhausted as it is, he couldn't handle being in Morgana's presence at this state.
However, all of the annoyance that he felt faded from his mind the moment he set his gaze on her.
All logical reasoning too, as it would seem.
Morgana didn't miss the way Guinevere's eyes widened slightly upon realizing that the Prince was in their vicinity, or the way Arthur's jaw dropped upon setting his sight on her handmaiden. Actually, any sane individual wouldn't have missed it even if they wanted to.
She swore flies could have gone through the Prince's mouth and he wouldn't even notice, judging from the fixated way he looked at Guinevere.
Morgana and Guinevere were now standing before the two men.
Seconds ticked by without anyone saying anything.
"Hello to you too, we're doing fine at the moment, thank you for asking by the way." Said Morgana, sarcastically.
That seemed to shake Arthur out of his state.
"Huh?" uttered Arthur, looking confused for a moment. He shook his head, cheeks going ablaze. "Oh, yes! Splendid!"
Merlin started to snicker behind him.
Arthur immediately silenced him with a look that promised eventual retribution.
The group then started walking again in the direction of the castle.
"Where have you been?" asked Morgana, looking pointedly at their supplies.
"Just went for a hunt." Answered Arthur, simply.
"Did you catch anything?"
"Sadly, none." Replied Merlin, grinning widely at the sad fact.
"And whose fault was that exactly?" said Arthur, chagrined. "C'mon tell us, Merlin."
The men began to banter again about whose fault it really was.
Morgana just looked at the fools, quite amused by their colorful conversation. Blushing maidens who were unfamiliar with vulgar words were definitely not allowed in their presence.
Guinevere couldn't control the short laugh that escaped her lips.
That caught the attention of everyone in the vicinity.
"Sorry." muttered Guinevere, her cheeks slightly went pink.
"Wow." gushed Merlin, seeing his friend intently for the first time that day. "You look beautiful, Gwen." He added, smiling at her.
Feeling her face burn at the comment, Guinevere started to wring her hands in shyness.
"Really?" asked Guinevere, bashfully. She fiddled with the ends of her shawl that was wrapped around her.
Merlin nodded while he gave her a wide beam cheerfully.
"Oh, thank you then." said Guinevere, looking at him with a shy smile on her face.
They stood there for awhile, smiling and making small talk at the other.
Meanwhile, Arthur felt like he ate something sour. An unfamiliar strange yet unpleasant feeling was progressively spreading through his chest as he continued to stare at the two. He hadn't felt this ugly emotion before.
..
Did Merlin just make a pass at Guinevere?
..
He thought, bewildered and enraged.
Morgana, observant as always, noticed the expression Arthur was making. Hiding the smirk that threatened to cross her face, she sidled up next to Arthur.
"They're quite a match aren't they?" Morgana commented casually, though in a low tone.
"What?" bit out Arthur, still watching the two like a hawk.
"They like each other." Said Morgana, baiting the man beside her.
Hook.
Line.
"And how would you know that?" said Arthur, glancing at her with narrowed eyes.
And Sinker.
"Well, it's obvious, anyone could see that." Continued Morgana, raising her brow at Arthur. "I mean, look, they barely took their sight off the other." She added, gesturing at the two walking in front of them.
Arthur let out a sound of disbelief.
"Guinevere doesn't like Merlin." alleged Arthur, skeptic at the notion. But why did it sound like he was convincing himself? "Of all people,… Merlin?"
"Why not?" countered Morgana, crossing her arms, not meeting Arthur's eyes lest he saw the mirth dancing in her own. "Merlin had always been sweet to her, it's no wonder Gwen fell for his charms."
"Merlin? Charms?" spluttered Arthur, getting riled up, incredulity clear on his face. "Ha!"
The two people in question looked at Arthur when they heard his outburst.
Merlin, in particular, grew exceedingly wary when he finally realized the murderous look Arthur was sending him.
"What?" asked Merlin, apprehensively. He gradually edged away from Arthur.
"Merlin." Growled Arthur, trying to control the unpleasant feeling that he was strangely experiencing.
"Yes?" Merlin said slowly, eyes darting from side to side in nervousness. He was admittedly fearful for his wellbeing at present.
..
I'm a genius
..
Morgana bemused, a devious smile spreading across her face.
She then saw Guinevere looking quite befuddled at the side of the scene.
"Come on, Gwen." Said Morgana, wrapping her arm around Guinevere's own, and then she proceeded to lead the still puzzled woman towards the castle.
"What about-?"
"Don't worry about them, they just needed to have a little talk,… and, hopefully, do a lot more thinking on their part."
"What do you mean?"
Morgana just shrugged, a faint smile still gracing her lips.
Arthur should get his act together before some other man snatches Guinevere away from him. Hesitance had no role in properly wooing a woman.
Morgana just gave him a taste of what it would be like when that does happen in the indefinite future.
After all, one woman could only wait for so long.
..
Poor Merlin
I better make it up to him
..
Morgana thought idly, as she heard Arthur raging at his manservant at the back of her mind.
…WAMH…
In one of the chambers in the castle, a dark haired man sat on his bed, idly twirling a dagger in his hand. His room was dimmed as the sun began to set, he didn't even bother to light the candles, nor the fireplace.
Darkness had always comforted him.
Strange.
Odd.
Curious.
Cold.
Those were the words that people often used to describe Sir Kay. Ever since he was but a child, those words, and an assortment of many others with the same meaning, had been bestowed upon him to describe his personality.
But he took no offense, even if some of the people who described him as such meant it to be demeaning.
No, no offense at all.
Instead, he relished at the attention, to be described in such a way was actually a compliment to him.
Nonetheless, he could care less about what the others thought of him, because only one individual mattered to him.
King Uther.
The King's opinion of him was the one that essentially drove Kay on what he became now.
A respectable Knight of Camelot.
All that he had ever done, and all that he will ever do, was aimed to only please and be acknowledged by the King.
He owed his life to the King.
Kay's mother had died while giving birth to him. Sir Ector, his father, cherished his wife above all else. It was not surprising in the least that he blamed Kay for the death of the woman he loved.
His grip on the dagger tightened as he remembered the times when he had suffered at the hands of his own father. His own flesh and blood.
Nay, he would never consider that man as his father.
After all, no father would beat his own son to the brink of death.
When the man was slain in battle, Kay felt no anguish or sorrow, he only felt relieved that his tormentor was finally dead.
Days after the death of the man, King Uther visited his household.
From that day on, his life had changed forever.
King Uther, together with the Queen Ygraine, had decided to make him their ward. Sir Ector had been a dear friend to them. That was why they made the decision to raise the orphan as their own, seeing that they had yet to have a child.
The years that followed were one of the best years of Kay's life.
Queen Ygraine had been the mother that he never had. She had loved and treated him as a son, even if they weren't related by blood. She had always been there, caring for him, supporting him in any matter.
King Uther, even though strict, had shown kindness to him. He was definitely not like the man who sired him. The King had taught him many things, whether it be how to appropriately act in court, or even how to correctly handle a sword.
Though Kay was hesitant by the King's actions at first, seeing that his own flesh and blood had abused him. Kay had eventually given the King a chance to get close to him.
He was forever thankful that he had made that decision.
King Uther had become his mentor, his confidante,… and his father.
But then, Arthur was born.
His eyes flashed as unadulterated loathing began to seep into his being.
..
It was all Arthur's fault.
..
In a flash, he threw his dagger at the wall opposite him.
The blade deeply imbedded dead center at the Pendragon flag, tearing the royal crest in the process.
…WAMH…
The group was finally near the castle grounds.
Morgana and Guinevere made small talk every now and then, comfortable with the silence that surrounded them.
Or, at least, whatever silence they could muster.
It was rather difficult to bask in peace because the two men in their presence continued to disrupt it with their unrelenting banter.
This wasn't part of Morgana's plan at all.
Basically, her plan was to make Arthur realize that he couldn't be so indecisive when it comes to courting a woman.
The first phase of her plan was already completed.
However, the rest of the plan went down the drain soon after.
Arthur was supposed to make his move, to make his intentions for Guinevere known. But instead, the fool opted to argue with his manservant every step of the way.
Rubbing her temple in annoyance, Morgana tried to reign in her temper at the nonstop banter of the idiotic men behind her.
On the upside, Guinevere seemed to be more amused by the antics of the men.
..
But this would not do
..
Morgana contemplated, thinking of a way to get Guinevere and Arthur together.
Another idea suddenly came up to the forefront of her mind.
"Merlin." called Morgana, turning back to the men behind them, and effectively stopping their argument. "I just remembered that I needed to see Gaius. Would you be so kind as to escort me down to the Physician's chambers?"
"Sure." was Merlin's immediate response.
"Thank you." Said Morgana, smiling at the lad before turning to her handmaiden.
"Gwen, I wouldn't need your services at the moment. Perhaps I'll see you later then."
"What?" said Guinevere, surprised. "But, Milady-"
"It's fine." Said Morgana, placing a hand at her friend's arm. "Just get some rest for awhile. I won't be long; I just need to ask Gaius something."
Without further ado, Morgana turned and practically dragged Merlin away from the duo.
Arthur and Guinevere stared after Morgana and Merlin's retreating backs for awhile, watching until they turned around the corner to presumably head to Court Physician's chambers.
Exceptionally aware of the fact that she was now alone with the Prince in the vast courtyard of the castle, Guinevere began to fidget in nervousness.
Arthur was rather edgy too, while it was true that he was especially pleased with Guinevere's presence by his side, he didn't even know what to say.
Glancing at the young woman, he saw that she began to fiddle with her shawl again. He also noticed the way she bit her lip whenever she was nervous. Actually, now that he thought about it, she was doing various things that she always does out of habit.
The way she wrung her delicate hands to ease her tension, how her eyes darted from different directions if she's at a loss on what to say, and also the way she would wrinkle her nose ever so slightly in uncertainty.
Yes, he knew, he did sound a bit stalker-ish,… is there even a word?
But he couldn't help but be amused by her endearing habits.
Hesitantly, Guinevere glanced at the prince and was shocked to see that the man was already looking at her, quite intently too might she add.
She swiftly averted her eyes away from the Prince, embarrassed that she was caught glancing at him.
Arthur didn't even bother to justify on why he was staring at her. He was far too interested to even make an explanation. Instead, he just continued to observe her.
Everything about Guinevere intrigued him like no one else ever had.
"Sire, I need to go to work soon, I bid you good day." Guinevere abruptly said, curtsying at him before turning around.
"Guinevere."
She halted as she heard the Prince. Tentatively, she turned to face the man again.
"Yes, Sire?"
"Morgana told you to relax for now." Said Arthur, gently smiling at her. "You should probably heed her words, otherwise you'll overwork yourself."
Guinevere opened her mouth to protest, but eventually thought best not to. The Prince was second only to Morgana when it came to stubbornness. She would only waste their breath by arguing about it. Besides, the Prince was right. She did feel rather tired.
She nodded in assent to the man.
But a thought came up on her mind.
"My Lord." Said Guinevere, uncertainly. She felt conflicted as it was not her place to question the Prince but she was worried about the man. Unsurprisingly, her concern won out in the end. "Shouldn't you also be resting now? I mean, you did just get back from your trip."
"Not at all." Arthur shook his head, giving her a grin.
Alright, now that was a lie. He was dead tired; he could even barely stay up on his feet.
And basing on the look Guinevere gave him, he knew that the woman hadn't believed his words.
But he didn't regret it, not in the slightest.
Every moment with Guinevere, no matter how short, was priceless to him.
He wouldn't miss this for anything in the world.
"If you're sure."
"I am, don't worry about me. I went to countless of expeditions such as this that I'm practically used to it." Reassured Arthur, before raising his brows as he thought of something. "You should worry more about Merlin. I was afraid that he would just keel over, what with the way he panted throughout the rest of the hunt."
"Yes, I could actually imagine him doing that." Smiled Guinevere, clearly amused by what she visualized. "He's certainly not one of those big, brawny kind of fella."
"Big? Brawny?" asked Arthur, bemused. "I certainly hope that's not how you describe me to others."
"Oh,… I-, of- of course not." Stuttered Guinevere, letting out a nervous laugh. She averted her eyes away from the Prince, biting her lip in the process.
She couldn't exactly say to the Prince that those were the precise words that she had used whenever she would describe him to the others.
Arthur would've taken offense were it anyone else but Guinevere who said that, but all that he felt now was amusement as he saw how horrible the woman was at lying. Guinevere couldn't lie for the life of her.
Arthur realized that she only said that lest she accidentally hurt his feelings.
And that only made Arthur like her even more.
Mischievously, Arthur narrowed his eyes teasingly at Guinevere.
"Really now." Said Arthur, raising his brow. "How would you describe me then?"
"Uh,… brawny?" said Guinevere, cautiously.
"Brawny?"
"I mean-! Big, full, stocky." Guinevere rapidly listed off, getting quite frantic.
Arthur felt his jaw dropped, bewildered.
"Are you calling me fat?"
Guinevere gasped, abruptly putting her hands to her mouth to stop herself from spouting more nonsensical things.
"Oh my! I didn't mean it like that, no! definitely not-!"
She was cut off as she heard the Prince emit an odd sound.
..
He didn't
..
Face still ablaze in mortification, Guinevere watched as the Prince finally lost control as he let out a laugh.
Guinevere couldn't keep the pout off her lips as she realized that she had been had.
Crossing her arms, she turned away from the Prince.
"I was just teasing, Guinevere." Stated Arthur, coming down from his high.
"I realized that." Said Guinevere, turning her face away from the man lest he saw her already twitching lips.
Two could play at that game.
"Look, I'm sorry- I-"
Guinevere couldn't hold it any longer. She bursted into giggles at Arthur's progressively frantic tone.
"Ah, you." Smiled Arthur, waving his finger at her.
Guinevere tried her best to get her laughter under control, shaking her head at their absurdity.
"I'm sorry." Said Guinevere, biting her lip to prevent her from laughing again.
"I apologize as well." Replied Arthur, smiling at her quite widely. "Would you accept the apologies of a modest Prince?" he said, holding his hand out to her.
"Only if you accept the apologies of a humble servant." Said Guinevere, placing her hand unto his own.
Arthur looked at her in question.
"Apology accepted." Said Guinevere, after a moment.
"As do I." stated Arthur.
Gazing at the other, they just stood there for a moment, enraptured by the other's presence.
They were so preoccupied by the other that they didn't even notice that their hands were still entwined between them.
"You're beautiful."
Guinevere's eyes widened at the statement. Arthur's too, he hadn't meant to utter those words aloud.
Suddenly aware of their still joined hands, the both of them immediately let go of the other as though they were burned.
An awkward silence befell them once again.
Getting his thoughts together, Arthur realized what he had just said.
"I mean, today." Explained Arthur, clearing his throat and nodding at her. A light shade of pink covering his usually pale face. "That shawl looks mighty fine on you."
Guinevere just nodded shyly at him, blushing furiously at the compliment.
"Not that you don't look beautiful every day." Rushed out Arthur.
Guinevere just nodded, yet again, as she really didn't know what to say in reply to that.
Her face felt hot.
"I need to go." Guinevere said quickly, looking away from the Prince. She turned towards the castle.
"Uh, yes. I will- you know." Bumbled Arthur, gesturing at the opposite direction.
..
Alright Arthur, better shut up now.
..
Arthur thought, as he felt like beating himself on the head with his idiocy.
"Sire." Said Guinevere, before curtsying to him.
And with that, she went inside the castle, not looking back at the Prince.
..
Arthur could only watch as Guinevere walked away from him again.
..
…WAMH…
From one of the windows in the Castle, Sir Leon gazed at the pair below him.
He had seen what had transpired between them. His uneasiness only grew as his suspicion about the Prince's relationship with his friend was confirmed.
Even though they were clearly on the early stages of relationship, there was no doubt in Leon's mind that the bond between Arthur and Guinevere will only deepen with time.
They were getting careless. No one must know of their association with the other.
Especially the King.
Only god knows what the King would do if he were to know about his son's growing affections with Guinevere.
"Interesting." A familiar, yet unwanted, voice tore through the silence.
..
No
..
Leon tensed as he heard of the approaching footsteps of the man that had spoken.
Of all the people here in Camelot, why did it have to be him?
Sir Kay was a loyal subject to the King, and he was also unmatched when armed with a sword, only a few could possibly be on par with him when it came to combat.
But it was no secret that Kay disliked Arthur.
Kay had always seemed to loath Arthur.
For reasons known only to him.
"It is comical to see the Prince infatuated with a serving girl." commented Kay, the corner of his lip upturned in a demeaning manner at the sight of the couple below them. "I dare say that the King will be pleased to learn of this fascinating development."
Leon gave him a sharp look at his statement.
"You are not to tell the King anything." intercepted Leon, frowning at the Knight beside him. "Arthur's dealings with Guinevere is his business alone."
…
"Are you threatening me, Sir Leon?"
"No, definitely not. I do not do threats." Replied Leon, meeting Kay's gaze head on. "I make promises."
A tense silence fell upon them.
Bestowing Kay a hard stare, Leon gave the other Knight another fair warning to drive his point home.
"You would do well to remember that."
And with that, Leon turned and walked away, his cloak billowing behind him.
Leon would do whatever it takes to protect the people he cared about.
And If he would have to go against Kay in order to do so, then so be it.
..
No matter the cost.
..
…WAMH…
Deep within a dank dark cave, a woman in red could be seen sculpting something in between her hands.
The tiny sculpture was made from water and clay, but its form was very peculiar.
It looked like a creature of sorts, but only those who dealt with the Old Religion could possibly identify the sculpture for what it really was.
The woman worked diligently as she shaped the sculpture in great detail.
Still glistening with water, she placed her finished sculpture inside a circular casing marked with strange symbols with a small lock on it. She walked towards a scrying fount, her hands still holding the casing gently.
"Bebiede þe arisan ealdu."
The woman placed her hand over the casing as she enchanted the sculpture.
Slowly, the egg was encased by a radiating light. A loud throbbing sound was heard soon after.
The woman's lips gradually upturned at the corners before forming a sinister smile that would even send shivers down the spine of the bravest of men.
Dipping her hands in the fount, she gently released the egg and watched as it traveled down to the deepest depths of the water.
"Diegol cnytte, gewitte me yst, aliese hine, to Camelot he cymþ."
Waving her hand on the scrying font, she let her enchantment take place.
The water rippled for awhile before it stilled again.
The reflection of the water showed her the Kingdom of Camelot.
Gently caressing the sides of the fount, the woman watched in vindictive glee as she saw the first of the many victims that would suffer at her hands.
She would let them taste the sweet bitterness of death that many of her kind were unjustly subjected to. She felt no remorse as they had shown no mercy when they murdered her people in cold blood.
Nimueh would let Uther suffer as she had suffered.
..
She would bring the Kingdom of Camelot to the doors of doom.
..
A/N: Wow, 23 pages, new record for me. My apologies for the long wait; I needed to sort out my mind for a bit. And now, I have a general sense of where this fic is headed, I just hope you will like the plot that I planned out. And yes, Sir Kay is here, I didn't want to create an OC, we all know what I do with OCs… o_O
Just picture Sir Kay as Rufus Sewell. That's how I picture him; he always has this antagonistic yet sexy look on him, basically a natural at it.
I was really hesitant to post this chapter because I know that this chapter wasn't up to par with my other chapters. I hope I didn't make the Merlin cast act too OOC. Please tell me if you think that they're acting a bit strained. Actually, I think I made Arthur a bit of a stalker…
…Writing is hard…
At least, for me anyway. :D
Many thanks to the following wonderful individuals:
blissfulbeauty84, Arthurlover7, buzzy31bee, WhoNewbie, Birdy21, pwsm88, Loves to read books, Cowboy's Lover Dimitri No 1, myra, larasmith, whitecrossgirl, and MINAH25
