A/N: I don't own Merlin. That was the luck of the BBC
Here's the next chapter - the story's all written (I did it all in one go O_O) so the chapters just need some tweaking before publishing
A big thank you to my guest reviewer and to onceuponatime47, you have no idea how happy your comments made me.
Chapter 2
Since becoming Queen, Gwen had learnt to get a better hold over her emotions. The girl she barely recognised from a lifetime ago, the shy maidservant who cried over every little thing, was gone. When once she would weep like a child over something as trivial as a comment made about her dress from another maid – a maid she didn't even know the name of – she now sat atop the throne, stronger than ever. When Camelot found itself attacked, vicious mercenaries or undead armies wrapped around its borders, Gwen no longer huddled in the background with fear in her eyes. Gwen stood up to the oppressors, managed strategies with her husband, saw a makeshift hospital set up and oversaw the workings of the castle whilst the King and his knights fought battle with their attackers, all the while with a fierce determination in her eyes.
'Will that be all, my lady?' A cocked eyebrow asked cheekily.
'How many times? I'm Gwen and I'm still Gwen. No need for such formalities.' A cocked eyebrow responded defiantly.
Those were the last words she spoke to her one true friend. Gwen was so grateful for that day she happened across a gangly form locked in the stocks, coated in a collage of rotten fruit. She saw the way he stood up to Arthur, the way he made him a better man without even trying. That day she made a friend for life, or so she thought. They were supposed to grow old and still gossip about castle rumours when they were grey and cranky. He was so courageous, so brave and selfless she sometimes wondered if he were an angel or a saint, despite the teasing of the knights accusing him of being weak. He had been so brave that day. As courageous as he was, Gwen never imagined he would have to be so strong. Never.
Since becoming Queen, Gwen had learnt to get a better hold over her emotions, but she let floods of tears slide down her face as the flames burned her friend's calves.