With All My Heart
Summary: "I will not let you die." She breathed. "Not again.." – Time Travel, Arthur/Guinevere.
…WAMH…
"What is this?" said Arthur, scowling at his new manservant.
"Uh," said Merlin, brows furrowed, as he looked between Arthur and the tub. "What?"
"I told you to draw me a bath." gritted Arthur, eye twitching.
"And I did."
"A hot bath."
"You didn't tell me that you want it hot."
"Who the hell will want a cold bath?!" shouted Arthur, very much infuriated. Of all the people in the world, his father just had to pick the biggest idiot to ever grace the earth to be his manservant.
Granted, his last manservant ran away in tears, as did many others before that. Since then, the other servants were quite hesitant to take up the position. But still.
"Well, if you just told me then I could have prepared you a hot bath." countered Merlin, smartly.
"On second thought," deadpanned Arthur, irked by the simpleton's nerve. "I want you to polish my armor, sharpen my sword, clean the stables-"
"Clean the stables?!"exclaimed Merlin, jaw dropping.
"Don't tell me you've gone deaf too?"
"But it's the middle of the night!"
"And I want it all done by morning."
"Wha-" spluttered Merlin, outraged. "But-! You're such a-!"
"Oh, you want more chores then?" grinned Arthur, sarcastically, pushing Merlin out of his chambers. "Fine, I heard the trophy rooms were a little dusty."
"But-!"
Arthur slammed the door on the simpleton's face.
Sighing in an aggravated manner, Arthur went to sit by his desk. He shuffled the papers off to the side and proceeded to slump down on the table.
He could feel the familiar aches his tired body was currently experiencing. This day was truly exhausting – from the constant whining of the bumbling fool and down to the unexpected entrance of a magical creature – He groaned, closing his eyes from an incoming migraine.
He cradled his head in between his arms, willing his headache to go away.
Arthur often experienced migraines whenever he's under a stressful situation. These aches started a few years ago when his father began to seriously educate him on his duties as the Prince of Camelot. The King had thought him everything he needed to know.
For obvious reasons, he didn't dare voice out the headaches he experienced during the course of his education. His father would only think him weak for experiencing such petty pains.
He groaned once again as a particularly nasty jolt ran through his head. He started to rub his temples in his hopes to relieve even just a little bit of tension.
Arthur stopped his ministrations as he remembered her. He slowly opened his eyes as he leaned back unto his chair, lost in thought.
The corners of his mouth gradually lifted as he remembered the flustered look she had on her face.
Now that he thought of it.
The only good thing that happened to him today was when he met her at the town square.
At the mere thought of the woman, he could feel the pain in his head began to ebb away little by little. For some reason, she brings him comfort even when she's not here by his side.
..
Strange
..
Arthur mused, shaking his head.
He was quite thankful that he's in the privacy of his own room as he began to grin like an idiot.
..
There really is something about Guinevere.
..
…WAMH…
"You're thinking about him again, aren't you?"
Guinevere's hand stalled as she tried to process her thoughts.
"Pardon?"
"You always get that look when you think of him." Morgana said with a smile on her face, as she studied Guinevere's expression that was reflected by the mirror in front of them.
"About who?." Simply said Guinevere, resuming her work in brushing Morgana's luscious locks.
"Arthur."
Her hand stalled yet again, but this time, it was her whole body that tensed.
"W-what?"
Morgana turned on her seat to face her friend. The lady looked at her for awhile before calmly responding again.
"I know that it's Arthur."
"I-I don't know what you're talking about-" Guinevere stuttered, her grip on the comb tightened.
"Gwen." Called Morgana, she stared intently at her.
With her heart hammering fast, Guinevere put down the comb on the dressing table and hurriedly turned away from Morgana. She took several steps away from her mistress, and grasped her hands to stop it from trembling.
Standing up from her seat, Morgana looked concernedly at her friend, whose back was still turned to her.
"Guinevere," started Morgana. "It's ok."
"No, it's not." Sighed Guinevere, unable to look at her mistress.
A moment of tense silence passed between them.
"Gwen-"
"He's a prince and I'm a servant." Guinevere stated, turning back to her mistress, defiant on her point.
"Why does it matter?" Morgana interrupted, furrowing her brows.
"It's the way things are." Said Guinevere, smiling in a self-depreciating manner. "It's common knowledge that a servant cannot be associated with a Prince, of all people."
"When Arthur becomes King," stated Morgana, taking a few steps towards her friend. "Then it won't be."
Guinevere looked at her for a moment before shaking her head.
Morgana sighed. She was getting tired of those two 'secretly' liking each other. It's practically driving her mad; it was quite obvious when you think about it. She wouldn't be surprised if Arthur's manservant was in on this 'secret'.
"It's clear as day that you two fancy each other." groaned Morgana, exasperated.
"What?" Guinevere let out, shocked.
"Arthur likes you Gwen." stated Morgana, she reached out and held Guinevere's hands into her own.
"N-no, you're wrong." Guinevere shook her head, quite perplexed.
"I'm not." Said Morgana, firmly. "I've seen the way Arthur looks at you."
"Well, you got it wrong." disagreed Guinevere, pulling her hands away from Morgana. She hurriedly busied herself with her mistress's laundry. "There's no way that Prince Arthur could even possibly like me."
…WAHM…
The warm rays of light of the early morning sun trickled through the glass panes of the windows, illuminating his chambers with ease. Dust particles could be seen floating in the still environment that surrounded him.
Leaning back on his desk, Arthur held a mallow in his hand. He just randomly noticed this fragile object that was placed in a vase in the corner of his room whilst he was enjoying his breakfast. Some maid probably placed it there in an attempt to liven up his, quite admittedly, dull chambers. He usually had no care for such things, but for some reason, something drew him to it.
It reminded him of her.
He gently rolled the stem of the violet flower in between his fingers, marveling at its delicate beauty. If he could even possibly begin to describe this flower, then it was her that first comes to mind.
He paused in his action as he realized what he's doing.
..
Great, I'm turning into such a pansy now.
..
If the Knights ever saw him like this, in which he swore that it will never happen, getting all soft and – for heaven's sake – deciphering flowers all of a sudden, he would be the laughing stock till the end of the century.
Sighing, he shook his head to clear his mind of such petty things.
"Glad to see that you still have your delicate side."
He jumped a little at the sudden, and most definitely, unwanted intrusion.
"Oh, please, don't let me interrupt you." Said the idiot, showing off his dorky smile. "I'll be just here – taking the laundry." He added, waving his hand off to the Prince.
"Don't you ever knock?" scowled Arthur.
He watched as the simpleton just proceeded on cleaning up the clutter around the chambers whilst grinning like a fool.
"Are you planning to give her that?"
"What?"
"That." Said Merlin, gesturing at his hand.
Arthur looked down as he was, indeed, still holding the mallow. He immediately placed the flower on the dining table, almost throwing it actually, as if burned.
"Give who what?"
"Who else?" Merlin tilted his head, raising his brow at the Prince. He paused in his cleaning, hands full with laundry.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Said Arthur, curtly. He went to his desk, picking up random pieces of paper, scanning – or at least pretending to read – said papers.
"Guinevere? Flower?"
"And I should be interested, why?" said Arthur, still not looking up from his papers.
Merlin just looked at him in clear disbelief.
"But you like Gwen, right?"
"Gwen? You mean Guinevere? That Guinevere?" Arthur briefly glanced at him, before turning back to his paperwork. "Morgana's handmaiden, if I'm correct?"
Merlin continued to stare at him as if he had gone mad.
"Yes, that Guinevere." Exasperation dripped from every word. "I didn't know there's another Guinevere."
Arthur just ignored him.
"Well? Are you giving that to Gwen?"
"You're one persistent chap, aren't you?"
"Well, of course." Replied Merlin nodded unabashedly, crossing his arms. "After all, Gwen's my friend, just lookin' out for her."
Arthur ignored him again, immersing himself in the pile of paperwork in front of him.
"Well? Are you?"
"Merlin," Arthur closed his eyes in aggravation, begging whatever gods or goddesses to grant him patience at this moment. "Why on earth will I do that?"
"Because you like her."
"Guinevere's Morgana's handmaiden, I'm supposed to like her."
"I mean, romantically like her."
"Wha-… I do not…"
"Yes, you do. Don't even try to deny it."
"Wow, expert on feelings now, aren't we?" said Arthur, mockingly.
Merlin sighed in exasperation.
"You know what? Fine, deny it." Said Merlin, raising his hands.
"There's nothing to deny in the first place, isn't there?" countered Arthur, patience running quite thin.
"Just trying to help," said Merlin offhandedly, in an annoying 'matter-of-fact' tone. He turned his back to Arthur, making the bed. "With the courting and romancing and all." He added, in an undertone.
Strained, Arthur looked up the ceiling, doing his best to muster his temper deep within its cage.
..
The utter nerve of that idiot.
..
It wouldn't do for him to fly off the handle this early in the morning.
"In case you don't know," said Arthur, slowly. "I know how to court a girl; I don't need you for that, Merlin."
Merlin just gave a non-committal noise in the back of his throat.
"Of course I know how to properly romance a girl. I'm not an idiot." Commented Arthur, rolling his eyes. "Unlike you." He added casually.
"Really now? Had you ever courted a girl before?" challenged Merlin, eyebrow raised and arms crossed.
..
"…No," Arthur fidgeted in his chair, before throwing another scathing reply. "But it's all common sense, which you lack by the way."
"Oh let's see it then." Said Merlin, dropping the load he's carrying on the bed and facing Arthur. "Pretend that I'm Gwen."
"Are you insane?" exclaimed Arthur, in disbelief. "You know, I am really questioning your sanity right now."
"Tsk tsk, knew it." taunted Merlin, shaking his head mockingly.
"You are infuriating!"
"That's what they all say."
"I will not do it."
..
..
..
..
..
"Your skin is smooth and red like a ripe tomato."
..
..
"Gwen's allergic to tomatoes." Said Merlin, bewildered.
"What?" Arthur blinked.
..
..
"Are you trying to kill Gwen?" Merlin said, skeptically.
"Of course not!" Arthur said, aghast.
..
..
"You are one annoying bugger."
..
"Just here to serve, Your Highness."
..
…WAMH…
..
'…ar-…'
..
'-natureof-''-no-''-difficult-''-whatdothey-''-dead-''-fulminating-' '-help-''-don'tjust-''-getyour-''-worldspunandhe-' '-alwaysfound-''-morbid-''-it'sapleasureto-''-more thanhe-''-fascinating-''-help-''-shaggedherallnigh t-''-formstandingapartfrom-''-it'slocked-''-trogdi ngon-''-youdidn't-''-actforyour-'
..
'…enhw...'
..
'-pupils-''-becominghooded-''-youarea-''-markedlydi fferent-''-despair-''-shutup-''-worthlesswench-''- nodon'tplease-''-fivepenniesapiece-''-doyouthinkit wouldgowith-''-helpme-''-unabletobelievesomethingl ikethis-''-howrude-''-killthemall-''-blissful-''-t hreeharmfulblows-''-thecoldairwent-'
..
'…hwyfa…'
..
'-needahand-''-sharply,clearly-''-coveredhiseyesamo ment-''-workedatthe-''-loveyour-''-please,helpme-' '-thisbringsmeto-''-rompingthroughthesheetsaye-''- youowemea-''-listenedtothechatterofthose-''-knowin gatauntwhenyou-''-iwanttolive-''-boringasfuck-''-i ntroduceyoutoher-''-aboutthelineage-'
..
'…yfar…'
..
'-don'tkillme-''-haveyouheardthatshe-''-nothingatun kardofalecan-''-please,Ibegyou-''-takekindlytothos ebeing-''-hardlytheplace-''-otheruseful-''-grief-' '-marryme-''-whichmaycontinue-''-havinganaffair-'' -whydid-'
..
'…Gwe…'
..
…
"Gwen!"
…
..
'…Gwenhwy…'
..
…
"Lass!"
…
..
'…yfar…'
..
…
"Guinevere!"
…
"GUINEVERE!"
Pak!
Her eyes flew open as a wave of shock went through her body, from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes. In a distance, she could hear a faint sound.
"Gwen! Look at me!"
She felt something warm on her cheeks. Her unfocused gaze took note of the blurry figure hovering above her.
What was that noise?
"Gwen! Please!"
The figure was cradling her, holding her tight in its arms, rocking her gently to and fro.
Suddenly, her mind cleared from the haze it befell from. The noise had stopped, it was only then that she realized that she was screaming herself hoarse. At the same time, she took an involuntary huge gulp of air as her body demanded of her, her chest burning agonizingly as she did.
"Gwen."
She looked up at her father, whom was gazing down at her worriedly. She could see the lines on his face deepening as he became more frantic by the second.
"Gwen, what's wrong? Does something hurt?" Tom spluttered, panic in his eyes at the sight of his unresponsive daughter.
She honestly tried to answer his queries, but she could once again feel the darkness that succumbed her in its visage. The temptation was just too great for her to overcome. The last thing that she heard was her father's frantic voice droning on about something.
But she could care less at the moment, as she slipped from the shadows of reality.
…WAMH…
Traversing the path towards the direction of the castle was very familiar to one Tom Leodegrance, He was after all, one of the chief blacksmiths in Camelot. He supplied and also maintained the weapons and equipments of the Knights, guards, or anyone who knew their way with the sword. However, his business was far from his mind right now, what with the state of his daughter.
He didn't want to leave his still unconscious daughter alone in their home. But he had no choice; he needed to get to Gaius fast, in hopes that the old man would know what was ailing his daughter and provide the appropriate treatment.
Last night was truly a scare. Tom couldn't bear the thought of any harm befalling his precious Gwen. Sweet, kind and responsible Guinevere. Everything that he had worked for, suffered for, was all for her. So that she can have a good life.
She's all that he had left.
His mind was a mess; he kept on bumping to other people as his head was jumbled with different thoughts regarding the state of his daughter. He ignored the shouts of anger and irritation as he trudged onward his destination. He had no ounce of care for them.
In the corner of his eyes, he occasionally caught sight of someone or the other looking at him and whispering at their neighbor.
"…Look, it's the father…"
"…But it can't be,… right?..."
"…said that she's been possessed…"
"…Rubbish, must be going mad more like it…"
"…screeched like the demon itself in the middle of the night…"
"…a witch?..."
"…don't even joke about that! You could get us into trouble!..."
His temper rose at the abuse he kept on hearing regarding the events that occurred last night, but he quelled it as he had more important things to do at the moment. He settled on just glaring at anybody who had the guts to do so.
No matter how much he wanted to throttle those who had something malicious to say regarding his daughter, he refused to be baited. Guinevere needed him now.
With that in mind, Tom picked up his pace.
He would deal with those people later.
…WAMH…
Clang!
The sounds of blades clashing disrupted the silence that hovered over the field. The light offered by the sun gleamed at the swords that were being swiftly swished around, dripping with calculation and precision with its every move.
Clang!
Clang!
Sweat dripped from the forms of two battling men, but they paid it no heed as they were immersed in overcoming their respective opponent. Not one of them gave the other an edge as they parried their strike with every blow.
Even an untrained eye could see the utter skill of the two swordsmen. They were truly deserving of the title as the best Knights of the Kingdom of Camelot
Swish!
Clang!
One man made an overhand swing, bringing his sword in a wide but powerful arc but his opponent parried it by using his sword to slide off the other's attack.
Even when Merlin accompanied Arthur every time the prat was training his fellow Knights in the field, he still couldn't follow the battle in full details with his sight. The strikes were just too fast for an untrained individual like him.
..
Arthur maybe a prat
But he sure knows what he's doing
..
Merlin mused, as he tried his best to follow the battle happening in front of him.
He could see that the other Knights were just as immersed as him in this rare show of skill between the two best Knights in Camelot. Especially, the new recruits, they were so focused in the battle in front of them, hanging in every strike, and hoping that they could one day be as skilled as the two battling opponents.
Clang!
Suddenly, the two men were at a standstill. One had his sword inches away from the neck of his opponent, while the other had the tip of his sword hovering over the heart of the other man.
..
It was a draw.
..
A tense silence filled the grounds once again.
..
Simultaneously, the two men relaxed their stance, and sheathed their sword. They bowed and clasped the forearm of the other, as was customary.
Applause rang in the field; the other Knights could just shake their head at the skill and prowess of the two.
"Nice duel." Said Kay, arm still clasped with Arthur. His helmet resting on his other arm.
"You're very skilled." Stated Arthur, removing his own helmet. They shook once again before they let go.
"It was an honor, Your Highness." Kay bowed to him, his cold countenance withstanding as he regarded the prince, before striding off to leave the field.
Arthur just stood there as he observed the retreating form of Sir Kay.
Even though they grew up together as children, he could only remember very few instances when Kay had voluntarily interacted with him. Even then, he seemed to avoid Arthur like he was a plague or death itself. It was not just him that Kay avoided; Morgana was in the receiving end of it too. But that was probably because Arthur was always in her presence.
There was something about Kay that did not sit right with Arthur. Don't get him wrong, Kay had long ago proven himself and was truly a loyal subject to the King. But every time the other man was in his presence, Arthur could not keep himself from being on edge.
In short, he didn't trusted Kay as far as he could throw him.
"Creepy." Said Merlin, helping Arthur out of his armor.
"I did not hear you, a lowly servant," deadpanned Arthur. "just slander Sir Kay, a Knight of the highest standing."
"But it's true."
Any further rebuttal died away from Arthur's lips as he saw something in the corner of his vision that made him do a double-take.
Was that Morgana?
And it truly was, Morgana seemed to be walking briskly towards the direction of the town, garbed in a heavy cloak to block off the chilly wind. What made it strange was that she was alone.
Arthur dumped off the rest of his equipment on his manservant's arms before walking towards the lady.
Merlin, curious as to what's happening, also dumped off the Prince's equipments on another unsuspecting servant, whom were just innocently passing by. He quickly took off after the direction of the two nobles.
"Morgana." Arthur called out to the lady.
Morgana halted in her stride and saw the two men that were approaching her.
"Is something the matter?" questioned Arthur, as he saw the worried expression of Morgana.
"It's Guinevere." replied Morgana, wringing her hands.
"What? Did something happen to Gwen?" said Merlin, alarmed.
Arthur turned his attention to Morgana, eager to find out what happened. His own worry increased as he saw the distressed look on the lady's face.
"I don't know the exact facts, but Gwen didn't show up this morning," Morgana told them. "I was asking about her around the castle, but the other servant's didn't even see her today. I was just about to go back to my chambers when I saw Gaius and Gwen's father rushing off towards the town."
"Gaius? Are you certain?" asked Arthur, furrowing his brow in concern.
"Yes! Gaius!" said Morgana, her worry getting the best of her. She hoped nothing bad happened to her friend.
Arthur shook his head before leading the way to the direction of the town. He stomped down the growing concern in his chest.
"Let's go."
…WAMH…
The trio were fast approaching Guinevere's house when they saw Gaius stepping out of the humble abode accompanied by Tom.
"Gaius!" called Merlin, quickly walking up to the old man. "What's wrong? What happened?"
The elderly man saw the approaching company.
"Oh, Merlin," said Gaius, hefting his physician's bag in his arm. "Fancy seeing you all here."
"Please Gaius, did something happen to Gwen?" Morgana intervened, drawing her cloak around her form.
Gaius and Tom exchanged a look at this, before Gaius turned back to the three younger individuals.
"There's nothing to worry about," assured Gaius, placating the group. But it didn't escape Merlin's, and even Arthur's, notice that Gaius had evaded the lady's question. "Gwen had just been stressed out these couple of days; she's taking a rest right now."
Morgana breathed a sigh of relief.
"Can we see her then?" asked Morgana, eyes shifting from Gaius to Tom, who was hovering beside the door. "We were really worried about Gwen; we just want to see if she's alright."
Tom hesitated for a moment, quickly glancing at Gaius before resting his eyes again at the group. Eventually, he nodded his assent.
"Certainly." Said Tom, stepping aside to let them in his home.
Merlin didn't miss the exchange between Gaius and Gwen's father. There was something strange going on here, and he resolved that he would ask the old man about it later.
Arthur also noticed it, and thought it strange, but he dismissed it in favor of seeing Guinevere.
Gaius bid himself off and the group went inside the house.
Morgana immediately went to sit beside Guinevere, who was sleeping soundly on a quaint bed in the corner of the room. She knew Gwen's house like the back of her hand as she often visits her when her life in the castle became too dull and overbearing.
Merlin went after her and stood beside, what seemed like, the kitchen table. He looked over at Guinevere, relieved that she was truly alright as Gaius had said but he was soon lost in his thoughts as he tried to process this strange happening that occurred to his friend.
On the other hand, Arthur hesitantly stayed beside the door, just outside of the house. As much as he wanted to check on Guinevere, his principles screamed at him not to do so. It wasn't because he's a prince and she's a servant, he didn't care about that in the least and truthfully, he hadn't even thought about it that way. But it was because he was about to go in a room that occupied an unconscious woman.
His upbringing prevented him from just going inside the woman's home, even with the reluctant permission of her father. The need to see the condition of the woman he fancies and the manners that were instilled within him since he was but a child warred inside of him. His brows furrowed and he clenched his hands into fists as he had thrown himself in a dilemma.
"My lord?"
The sound of Guinevere's father, Tom Leodegrance, interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see the man that called his attention.
"Do you want to go inside?" asked Tom, his hand raised to the doorway.
"Yes, yes I do," said Arthur, honestly and hesitantly. Before fixing the man with a serious stare, asking for permission. "But,… is it really alright for you to let us see your daughter?"
Tom regarded him for a moment as he processed the young Prince's words.
..
Well, this is new
..
Tom thought, but not unkindly.
Tom had always regarded Prince Arthur as an independent and kind young man, and though it was true that he was arrogant and even spiteful at times – alright, childish, if he didn't get his way – not to mention a bit of a brute as Merlin always complained about, Tom could see that the immaturity of the Prince was being shed off little by little, enough for the people around him to catch a glimpse of the fair and trustworthy leader that the young man will surely have the potential to become.
Young Arthur could have just waltzed in his house, as he had the right since he was the Prince of the Kingdom and because Tom gave them permission to do so, albeit reluctantly as he feared that the group will find out about what truly happened to Gwen.
Yet again, the prince broke Tom's expectations of him. He saw through Tom and now, he was giving Tom the choice in whether he would truly allow the young man to see his daughter, no pretenses this time around.
..
Least to say, his respect for the Prince went up a notch.
..
"Yes." Nodded Tom, giving his permission to Arthur to see his daughter, Guinevere.
..
…WAMH…
A woman slowly stirred as she was slowly brought in the precipice of consciousness. Her hand twitched slightly, her eyes fluttered every now and then, and her lips twitched in distaste as she felt the dryness of her mouth.
She let out a groan.
"Gwen?"
Her eyes slowly fluttered open before closing again as the light of the setting sun filtered through the window.
"Gwen, Sweetie." Her father said, stroking her head gently. "Does it hurt somewhere?"
She slowly opened her eyes again and saw her father sitting beside her bed. He looked tired and exhausted judging from the deep lines on his face and the look in his eyes. But he seemed to be happy that she was awake now.
What happened?
She tried to ask, but when she opened her mouth to do so, she winced as she felt how truly dry her mouth really was.
"Here, drink this." Said Tom, gently cradling Guinevere's head and lifting a cup of water to her lips.
She drank the cup, a sip at first, but eventually finished the whole contents of it.
For some reason, she was really thirsty.
..
Strange
..
"What happened?" she finally asked, lying back on the bed as her vision swam around her. She looked at her father and noticed his slightly troubled expression.
He looked like he wanted to say something, but thought better of it.
..
Why?
What's wrong?
..
"Don't worry about it, lass." Said Tom, gently smoothing her furrowed brows. "You were just stressed out these past couple of days."
"But…" said Guinevere, trying hard to remember what had happened. She dug to her memories, but nothing came to mind.
"As I said, don't worry about it." said her father, stroking her head again in a comforting manner before leaning down to kiss her forehead. "You just fainted just as you were going to the palace. I had Gaius look at you, said that you needed to rest for a few days."
Something didn't sit right with her father's words. First of all, she didn't remember getting up to get ready for work, but she guessed that she didn't remember anything at all, so that one's out. Secondly, her father seemed to be troubled by something, he seemed to be hiding something…
But there's no reason that her father would lie to her.
Right?
..
Stop being so paranoid, Guinevere.
..
"Do you want something to eat?" asked Tom, interrupting his daughter's thoughts.
Guinevere's stomach grumbled in response.
Tom barked out a laugh at that.
"I'm going to make something to eat, stay in bed for a little while, ok?"
Guinevere just nodded at her father and watched as Tom prepared dinner.
After a moment, she decided to help her father with their evening meal. All this lying down was making her tired. She slowly sat up on the bed to prevent dizziness but as she did so, something rolled down from her pillow to the sheets of the bed.
Hm?
What's this?
Her hand grasped something.
She gasped.
It was a mallow.
"It's beautiful." She smiled, before smelling the petals of the delicate flower. "Did you pick this for me?"
"What?" her father looked up from what he's doing.
"This flower," Guinevere held up the flower. "Did you pick it for me?"
"No." said Tom, eyebrows raised. "Never seen it."
"Huh?" said Guinevere bewildered, head tilted. "If you didn't do it, then who did?"
"Oh, maybe it's the Lady Morgana." Replied Tom, adding ingredients into the cauldron. "Merlin, Lady Morgana and Prince Arthur went to see you today."
"WHAT!" exclaimed Guinevere, blushing to the roots of her hair.
Tom jumped a few inches in the air from the shout of his daughter; it was so comical that Guinevere would've laughed at it.
But no.
"Oh my lord! That's so embarrassing!" moaned Guinevere, burrowing his face on her knees she wrapped her arms around it.
"Hey, hey, calm down." Said Tom, hands out to placate his daughter. "I mean, there's nothing embarrassing about it."
"Yes, there is, it's very embarrassing." Denied Guinevere, pouting at her father. She knew that she was acting very childish at the moment – but what the heck? – Prince Arthur probably saw her snoring till kingdom come.
"No, there isn't." stated Tom, pointing the ladle at her, before going back to stirring their dinner in the cauldron. "In fact, you should be proud that you have friends who care so much about you."
Guinevere knew that what her father said was true, even if it was still embarrassing; it was really true that she was blessed with wonderful friends. So she kept her mouth shut after that.
Glancing down at the flower that was still cradled in her hand, she could not help but smile as she saw the simple beauty that it contained. It was not gaudy like some flowers and roses – she never liked – because of its thorns, but although this flower was probably not as eye catching and popular as the others, it has a beauty in it that made it more so delicate and sentimental.
..
I would have to thank Morgana for this
..
Guinevere thought, smiling as she once again smelled the soft aroma of the mallow.
…WAMH…
"Gwen?"
Halting in the process of changing Morgana's sheets, Guinevere looked behind her and saw her mistress looking in disbelief at her.
Alright, fine, she wasn't supposed to be here. Her father told her that she needed to rest for a couple of days as per physician's advice. But she couldn't help it; she'd go barmy if she had to stay another minute inside the house. So here she was, working in the castle even though it's already late in the afternoon. Judging by the location of the sun, she guessed that it will be several more minutes before sunset.
Her father would go ballistic if he knew she snuck out, she'd better be going soon. Sometimes, she really didn't understand her father's over protectiveness. He needed to understand that Guinevere wasn't a child anymore; she was an independent woman who could take care of herself. But her father didn't understand that.
And judging by Morgana's expression, she also didn't.
"What are you doing here?" came the accusation.
"Hello to you too." Greeted Guinevere.
"Gwen, it's really good to see you," said Morgana, shaking head and arms crossed. "But you also need to rest."
"I assure you that I had plenty of rest."
"No, go home now."
"But-"
"No buts," intervened Morgana, holding up her hand to interrupt Guinevere. "Look, it's great that you're up and about. But please go home now and rest for the night. You can come back to work tomorrow morning if that's what you want, but for tonight, just rest, alright?"
Guinevere opened her mouth to argue, but closed it again because she knew it was a lost cause. No one can win against Morgana when it came to stubbornness.
"Alright, I'll go." sighed Guinevere, holding her hands up in defeat.
Morgana smiled in triumph, before going over and embracing Guinevere.
"It really was good to see you again." Said Morgana, before stepping back and guiding her friend out of her chambers.
"You too." Smiled Guinevere, walking out the door.
"Oh, by the way," Guinevere turned back to Morgana. "Thank you for the flower."
"What flower?" asked Morgana, brows furrowed slightly.
"The flower," said Guinevere, persistent. "The one you left in my bed."
"I didn't leave any flowers," replied Morgana slowly, before a smile gradually lifted the corners of her lips as she pieced together what had happened. "Unless, someone else left it."
..
Uh oh
..
Was Guinevere's only thought, as she saw Morgana's smile. She had a guess on what was going on in Morgana's head right now, and unwittingly, she remembered their conversation yesterday.
Blushing furiously, she shook her head at the possibility.
..
It can't be
No
No, it can't be
..
"You know what?" said Morgana, devious smile in place.
"No." interrupted Guinevere, shaking her head, already walking down the hall. "You're right, I need to rest right now, and I'm very tired."
"But-" called Morgana.
"No buts." Guinevere called back. "See you tomorrow."
Chaos diverted.
Guinevere sighed, now she had to go back home. At least she was able to take a respite even just for a little while. Glancing at the sky, she saw that the sun had just set. It was still a little early to see the full expanse of the night sky, but she could see the occasional star twinkling down at her.
Maybe she could take a little detour; it wouldn't hurt anyone after all.
As she went down the path towards the garden of the castle, her thoughts went to the flower and its mysterious benefactor.
..
It wasn't father
And Morgana said she didn't do it
…
Merlin or Prince Arthur?
..
She stopped in her walk and placed her face in her hands as she groaned, willing the thoughts to go away.
The thought of either man being the benefactor of the flower made her red in the face.
All this blushing couldn't be healthy.
With that in mind, she resolved herself to not think of any man for awhile. After all, she's getting ahead of herself; maybe the flower wasn't given to her by anyone.
..
Yeah, right
The flower just magically floated beside her head while she was sleeping
…
I'm going barmy
..
Needless to say, she gave up thinking altogether for awhile.
After all, talking voices – especially debating voices – in her head was the first sign of mental illness.
…WAMH…
Guinevere had always loved the castle gardens. Even when she was a child, newly appointed as Morgana's handmaiden, this garden had been her favorite place to go to. The environment just made her relax as the different aromas of the flowers mixed together in the air that surrounded it. The sight it made was just an added bonus.
One would think that mixing together a bunch of different flowers in one place would be disastrous, but no, whoever designed this particular garden had it right from the start. The colors of the different flowers all clashed together which resulted in an other worldly appearance. No words could even possibly describe the beauty of it.
Walking leisurely around the garden, Guinevere let her hands graze at the different flowers. Everywhere she looked, not one flower beside it was the same. Symmetry was thrown out of the book.
Even at night, with the moon high in the sky, the garden still glowed ethereally. It was like the garden was a huge blank canvass and the painter just randomly threw different colors at it.
She laughed lightly at the thought.
As she enjoyed the vision the garden made, her eyes soon caught sight of a flower that had thrown her thoughts into turmoil just awhile ago.
She slowly walked towards the flower, bidding her time as she didn't want to face the possibility that…
No.
It didn't matter now.
Slowly, she grazed the petals of the mallow with a gentle hand. She took great care not damage the fragile little thing.
"Aren't you cold?"
Gasping, she whirled around at the sound of the voice.
It was the Prince.
The thought of a man being surrounded by flowers was quite laughable to others; some might even say that flowers and men simply do not do. But it seemed that if you're the Prince of Camelot, stereotypes and normality was out of the question.
Even wearing just a simple white tunic and brown trousers, Prince Arthur still looked fetching. The man could even wear a peasant cloth and most of the women in Camelot would still be after him. The light of the moon just enhanced his aristocratic features, not to mention it made his golden hair looked like a halo the way it glowed in the night.
..
And those eyes, oh don't even get me started in those eyes.
Those eyes that were filled with… amusement?
Hm?
Did he say something?
..
And truthfully, his lips were moving, and lips moving means talking.
Her mind was working very slow right now.
So, of course she had to do something very idiotic.
"You're pretty." was her response.
..
Silence filled the air.
..
Then her mind was working again.
..
I did NOT just say that
..
"I-I meant the FLOWERS." Exclaimed Guinevere, pointing at an innocent random flower like it was a murderer. "The flowers are pretty, Not you-… but I don't mean that you're not pretty, it's just that you're more handsome than pretty-…"
"Oh, so I'm handsome now aren't I?" smiled Prince Arthur, amusement clear in his face. "Are you sure I'm not pretty? I mean, I could live with that too."
..
Why, oh why didn't I listen to my father?
..
Guinevere thought in agony, she wanted to kill herself right now. Alright, maybe not that morbid, but she did want to hit herself – repeatedly – due to her utter idiocy.
Obviously, she did neither of those things; otherwise the Prince would think she had finally gone over the edge.
Instead, she just hid her mortified face in her hands and turned away from the Prince.
What made it worse was that the Prince started laughing now.
She couldn't handle this mortification any longer.
"Good night, My Lord." She hurriedly curtsied, before turning around to walk away.
Well, that was until a hand grasped her own and stopped her from advancing onward.
"Don't'." said Arthur, simply. His face was still marred with amusement, but not unkindly.
She had nothing to say in reply, so she didn't.
She stayed.
For a few moments, they just stood there, not saying anything to the other. It was a comfortable silence, neither expected the other to start a conversation, or just say anything really. Both of them just closed their eyes and basked in the gentle breeze of the night. It was moments like this that made life more bearable to live by, a moment devoid of the craziness that the world had offered in their lives.
"I was quite surprised to find you here." Said Arthur, finally opening his eyes and focusing on Guinevere.
"I just made a little detour really." Replied Guinevere, eyes still closed as the breeze lightly ruffled her hair. "Morgana kicked me out." She added, smiling slightly.
Arthur let out a gentle laugh at that.
Guinevere had always loved the deep tenor of Arthur's voice. There was something about it that made her warm and tingly inside. The best of it was every time he laughed about something or the other.
"She can be a bit bossy." giggled Guinevere, outing out her mistress. She finally glanced at Arthur, only to see that said man was already looking at her.
"A bit? Don't you mean a lot?" smiled Arthur, eyebrows raised. "You're too kind, Guinevere."
Another breeze went through the field, and the both of them watched as the flowers swayed gently towards the direction where the wind had gone.
"I had always loved flowers." Said Guinevere, gently caressing the flower that invaded her thoughts. "They're beautiful when you look at it."
"I agree."
"You do?" Guinevere let out, a shocked look on her face. "What I meant was- well, I'm used to men who have no care for flowers or such things." She added, waving her hands at him lest he took it the wrong way.
Arthur just smiled at her.
"Then that only means that I'm different from other men," Said Arthur, picking the mallow from its stem. He looked at the flower in his hand, musing at its fragile nature, before he focused his sight on the woman before him. "Because I find this flower very beautiful." He then proceeded to gently tuck the mallow behind Guinevere's ear.
Guinevere didn't know what made her stop breathing altogether. It maybe the statement that he had uttered, the intense look in his eyes, or even the hand that tenderly caressed her cheek when he placed the flower on her. But she did know that all three of those things made her heart beat like mad.
"Really?" She gasped, taking a much needed breath. She stopped caring on her tendency to blush whenever the Prince was concerned.
A moment passed before Arthur answered her, not once did his gaze left her own.
"Absolutely, anyone who can't see that will have to be looked over by Gaius." Said Arthur, quirking his lips in a quite boyish manner.
…WAMH…
Deep within the Castle of Camelot, there lies a vault that was dimly lighted by flickering torches.
In the center of said cave was an underground water source that supplied the whole Kingdom of Camelot. The calm surface of the water gently swayed whenever a stray breeze managed to find its way into the vault.
Suddenly, the surface of the water was disrupted as an object in the shape of an egg with markedly strange symbols burst out of it.
..
Crack!
..
The egg started to crack, the creature inside was rather eager to get out of its cage.
..
Crack!
..
A/N: I noticed that in this fic's traffic graph, there were a lot of American and British readers, more so than the readers in my country,… wow, I really hope that my English is ok. I find it hard to converse in English, I mean, I could write it but I usually stumble through my words. Believe it or not, I even surfed the net for some British English words and phrases. Thank god for thesaurus… quite sad, right? :)
LONG, and I mean LONG, wait for this chapter huh? My only excuse is,.. well, my life,.. I got accepted into med school and now, I'm being bombarded with several challenges all at once, I think the appropriate way to sum the life of a med student is, hm… Agonizing… no joke… o_O
This chapter has a PWP floating in the air, it mostly focused on the Arwen scenes, but not to worry, next chapter is where all the excitement begins.
Forgive me for the fight scenes, I don't like fight scenes, especially Physical (sword) scenes coz I don't know how to write them. I'm more ok with magical fight scenes coz I just have to let them swish their hands sideways, outwards, or maybe even let their eyes glow for a moment – and voila! – their opponent is either injured or in the next life, easy right? LOL! :D
And please tell me if the characters are getting too OOC, that's because the last time I watched the Merlin BBC series was around 3 to 4 months ago, I think?
QUESTION: What's your favorite scene in this chapter? I really want to know, coz mine is _, if you tell me then I'll tell you mine, hehe! XD
Many thanks to the following wonderful individuals:
Birdy21, WhoNewbie, Mediatrix, Guest#1, ABVM, Arthurlover7, blissfulbeauty84, MINAH25, larasmith, Kohimoana, SweetieR, and freckled98, Guest#2, Guest #3, catherinedoncaster1995, Guest#4, and Guest#5
