Season 1 Episode 12.

Story 12: Hidden

Chapter 16: Eilonwy

Four days later, they were married. Gwen had insisted that Lancelot and Gia attend the wedding as honored guests. In Ealdor that only meant that they got to sit closer to the bride and groom, but Gia still seemed flattered by the offer.

It was at the ceremony that Arthur met Eilonwy.

Eilonwy was one of Merlin's childhood friends. She had only been born a week and a half after him. Things had been less than pleasant between them since she ended things between her and Will. They never really were a thing, but she had let him believe they were and Will had been crushed when she told him she didn't have feelings for him. Merlin hadn't chosen sides, not exactly. He had just stopped spending as much time with Eilonwy during the day when Will could see them. Merlin was grateful that they were able to put that behind each other now.

Arthur hadn't taken his eyes off her since she walked up to Merlin. Once there seemed to be a lull in the people congratulating Merlin and Gwen, Arthur approached Merlin.

"Who is that?" He asked quietly. Merlin looked towards where Arthur was staring and had to suppress an eye roll.

"No Arthur," Merlin told him. It wasn't that Merlin didn't trust Eilonwy, because he did. She just had a history of playing with men until they were emotionally attached and then leaving them. Will wasn't the first man she did that to and he undoubtedly wasn't the last. It wasn't Eilonwy's fault, not exactly. But she should know better than to do that to a man when she knows nothing can happen between them. Merlin didn't want to risk Arthur getting emotionally invested in someone, particularly when he was still so vulnerable after his father's death.

"Why not? She's beautiful," Arthur said.

Merlin resisted the urge to slap him. Eilonwy was beautiful alright. She had wavy blonde hair that fell to her waist and eyes that were bluer than Arthur's. But beauty wasn't everything. "Eilonwy's too much like you. She's far too stubborn. Can you imagine if you got into an argument with her? It would end right there because both of you would refuse to apologize and accept you are wrong," Merlin told him. It wasn't a lie. Not entirely. It just wasn't the whole truth. There was an endless list of reasons that Eilonwy and Arthur would never get to be together.

Arthur sighed. "Perhaps you are right," he said grumpily. "I suppose it wouldn't matter anyway. I would never be allowed to marry a commoner."

"Why does it matter? You've never cared about this before. Why now?" Merlin asked him curiously.

Arthur hesitated. "I'm king now Merlin," Arthur said quietly. "My people expect me to choose a queen to rule by my side. The council told me that if I don't pick a bride soon it will be arranged."

"But surely they cannot do that," Merlin argued. "You're the king. You make the laws. You've already started to allow commoners to swear into knighthood, why should this be any different? Surely a union of love is more powerful than any other." Merlin hesitated. "Just that union of love should not be with Eilonwy."

Arthur sighed. "It's not that simple," Arthur explained. "My people expect–"

"They expect you to rule with a kind heart and they expect you to be happy," Merlin cut him off. "Don't allow a group of old men that have nothing better to do with their time than plan arranged marriages, to dictate your life. You're king. You decide how you want your life to happen."

Arthur looked at the floor. He wished he could believe what Merlin said, but it was hard to believe his people would want him to defy centuries of tradition just to be happy. Merlin groaned in frustration when he saw his words hadn't effected Arthur. "You're going to stop thinking about arranged marriages and you are going to go enjoy yourself," Merlin ordered.

"Is that an order?" Arthur asked amused.

"Yes," Merlin warned. "Now go!"

Arthur reluctantly joined the throngs of people that where talking and laughing. His feeble attempts at making conversation hadn't been successful and less than an hour later, Arthur found himself sitting on a bale of hay watching the people of Ealdor dance and be merry while he brooded and sipped his mead.

A shadow crossed over Arthur and he looked up to see Eilonwy. "Is this seat taken?" She asked, pointing to the hay bale next to Arthur.

Arthur shook his head. "All yours," he said gesturing to her seat.

"Is everything alright. I couldn't help but notice that you seem… less than happy to be here," Eilonwy observed. "Is King Arthur too good to celebrate with us common folk?"

Arthur was taken aback by the bitterness in her voice. He chose to ignore her last comment and instead answered her earlier concern. "I am happy to be here. Truly I am," Arthur said. "I'm happy for Merlin. I just have pressing matters weighing down my thoughts."

"Ah yes. I'm sure the mighty king has far more important things than celebrating. Merlin's just a servant after all," Eilonwy taunted. For all the good things Merlin had said about the young king, Eilonwy had expected him to be different, but Arthur was proving to be just like every other man in a position of power. He cared for nothing but himself.

"Have I wronged you in some way?" Arthur asked her confused. He had never met this woman before in his life yet she spoke to him as if he had scorned her. Any feelings of infatuation he had for her disappeared. "If I have tell me."

"It is not what you have done, it is what you are going to do," Eilonwy said. "It's what everyone who has any semblance of power inevitably does. You care more for the power you possess than your people. All that matters to you–"

"Do not pretend to know me," Arthur said in a harsh voice. "You do not know what is in my heart, nor do you know how I feel about my people. I don't care if you make assumptions about my character, but do not tell me that I do not care for my people."

Eilonwy looked taken aback by his outburst. She opened and closed her mouth several times before she found the question she wanted to ask him. "If you care so much for your people why do you not show it?" She asked him.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked confused.

"You claim to care for your people, yet you sit at your servant's wedding looking like you'd rather be anywhere else," Eilonwy told him.

"Stop calling him my servant," Arthur told her. He was really starting to get annoyed with this girl. Merlin was right. She was far too much like him. "Merlin is not just my servant. I would not be here if he was. I am here, because I am taking a week away from all the petty problems in Camelot to be here for my best friend. I am not without burden which is why I sit here. Even when I am not there, I still feel my people suffering, I still know their sorrows. I know that while I sit here trying to be merry, problems are arising that my people cannot come to me for solutions about because I am not there. I hate knowing that I am not there for them, but I endure it, because my friendship with Merlin is just as important as my crown. Now if you'll excuse me."

Arthur stood up. He had every intention of leaving. He could feel bad for himself somewhere else. "Wait," Eilonwy called, stopping him in his tracks. "I'm sorry. I am but a peasant. I know nothing of the burden you carry. I may have misjudged you. I have never met a prince nor a king that spoke with such love for his people."

"And you've met many princes and kings?" Arthur asked skeptically.

"I've met enough to form my judgments," Eilonwy said with a shrug. She had been denied help by many which had made her resent all men that hold power. Eilonwy hesitated. "From past experience, I've heard of an excellent way to cheer oneself up."

"What might that be?" Arthur asked skeptically.

"Joining the festivities," Eilonwy said, extending her hand to Arthur.