Arthur stopped mid-swing and only narrowly ducked the blow his sparring partner aimed at him. He glared and held up a hand to indicate a break in the routine. He dug his sword and leaned on it as he watched the scene that had distracted him from his Knights training. Sir Leon had been noticeably missing from the start of training and now across the field he was idly chatting to Guinevere. Arthur watched as the Knight ducked his head toward Guinevere and she smiled up at him brightly and touched his arm. A sudden and surprising urge to take to Leon's limbs with his sword swept over Arthur but he stayed where he was, jaw clenching and fist tightening around his sword.

He stood up straight and put on what Merlin called his 'princely expression', as Sir Leon strode over to join the training.

"You need to be more discreet."

Leon paused, turned and watched Arthur inquisitively; "Sire?"

"She may be a serving girl but she is still a lady. Her honor and reputation still mean something."

Leon's brow furrowed in confusion then realization dawned and he chuckled; "You think Gwen and I…."

"It is hardly a laughing matter," Arthur snapped, his patience ebbing away. Leon's laughter cut off abruptly.

"No, of course not, Sire. It's just Gwen and I, we are nothing. We are less than nothing." He moved to walk past Arthur but Arthur was not satisfied with that reasoning and called him back with a harsh; "Explain!"

Sir Leon turned back to the Prince; "What would you like me to explain, My Lord?"

"Your relationship with Guinevere."

"I knew her father, respected him. He adored Gwen, now he is gone and she is alone. I feel that he would want to know someone was looking after her."

Arthur took a step closer to Leon and lowered his voice so it held a hint of threat and menace; "And how exactly are you looking after her?"

Leon neither twitched, flinched or blinked at Arthur's blatant insinuation, he merely kept his own tone level; "I walk her home each night."

"You walk her home?"

"Yes. A young woman walking alone after dark? There are those who would take advantage of that, even here in Camelot."

Logically, Arthur knew Leon was right; a woman walking alone at night could and would attract the wrong kind of attention. That didn't mean that Leon escorting Guinevere sat well with Arthur.

"You escort her home every night?"

"Yes, My Lord, unless you would rather her continue to sleep in Merlin's bed."

Arthur flinched slightly, the thought of Guinevere cuddling up in Merlin's bed – even if Merlin was not in it – settled worse with Arthur than Leon walking her home. As Leon bowed his head slightly and brushed past Arthur, Arthur wondered what he and Guinevere talked about as he escorted her home, how many times did she smile up at him, laugh at something he said in that lilting way she had, did she touch his arm, kiss him on the cheek to thank him? Arthur both wanted and didn't want to know the answers to those questions. And when he sparred with Leon, he used a little more force than was entirely necessary.

Gwen wrapped her cloak more tightly around herself as she approached the castle gates, Sir Leon had not been waiting for her outside Morgana's chambers as had become routine, so Gwen assumed that she was on her own. She had made it through the gates when a voice called to her; "Hello, Guinevere."

There was only one person she knew who said her name like that, like they were tasting and testing each and every syllable. She turned back toward the castle and there was Prince Arthur grinning at her. She dropped into a small curtsey; "Sire."

"Come, Guinevere, I'm walking you home." He strode past her and started to lead the way to the lower town but she stood where she was, at a loss as to what to do. Protocol stated that she should walk behind the Prince, but then nowhere in the elusive rulebook did it say that the Prince would walk her home.

"Guinevere," he called back softly and she hurried to catch up with him, deciding to walk beside him because after all they had fought side by side before and were becoming tentative friends.

"Where is Sir Leon, My Lord?"

Arthur looked at her thoughtfully, "Are you missing him?"

Sir Leon was a good walking companion; he kept her talking and laughing and made her feel less worried about the prospect of being alone. But she sensed Arthur did not want to hear this so instead she said; "I am merely inquiring about his whereabouts since it has become habit for him to escort me home."

"He was detained by the King. You'll have to settle for me."

"My Lord, I doubt that anyone has ever settled for you." Flushing, she ducked her head down but not before she noticed a hint of a smile inching its way onto his face. Silence settled around them and the only sound evident in the dark of night was the sound of their steps as they moved further away from the castle to closer to her home. Gwen bit her lip and tried to think of something….anything to say to the Prince but she was coming up entirely blank.

"Do you blame me?" Arthur blurted out suddenly and Gwen faltered in her steps and frowned up at him.

"Sire?"

He came to a stop and she stopped too, gazing around, aware that it was not proper for her to be having conversations with the Prince of Camelot in the middle of the street, late at night. But as she looked around the deserted streets of Camelot for anyone who might see her standing alone with Arthur, Arthur himself seemed entirely unconcerned about propriety and more concerned with her answering his question.

"Your father's death, Guinevere, do you place the blame on me?" His eyes seemed tortured by the question and by the answer she may give.

"Your father killed my father for taking payment from a sorcerer, it was wrong to take his life for such a small crime," She said slowly, cautious that her words could be interpreted as treason, especially by Arthur; "But to blame you for your father's actions would be just as wrong."

Arthur bit his lip and nodded in that almost endearing manner he did when he was thinking; "Are you saying that because you truly mean it or because you think that is what I want to hear?"

"I don't blame you, I'm sure you did all you could." Even if all he could was not enough.