To her surprise and almost relief, they did not stay in the inn. Instead Gwaine told Elaina that he had picked a spot where they could be alone, which had earnt a disapproving hiss from Gladys who insisted that if he were to start any funny business with Elaina, then she was to run straight to her. Of course, this came with a cheeky wink from the old woman who Elaina assured that in any instance he was to try something, she could indeed defend her own honour with one sharp kick where it counts.

This remark had seemed to earn her some newfound respect and Gladys had to hold down her breasts as they jiggled from laughter, praising Gwaine that he had found a feisty woman, which was a richness in itself as it promised that life would never be boring. Although he should be careful in case he ever angered her.

At that moment, Gwaine had patted his head where Elaina had hit him a few times already in Camelot, then tapped his leg which would be healed by now, but when freshly wounded, suffered a blow after annoying her as well. This was followed by a wince at the mere thought of where she planned to injure him next if cause arised, declaring he already knew her wroth well though would keep Gladys's advice to heart.

Elaina couldn't help but scold herself for her short temper and counteracted her threats by squeezing Gwaine's hand in a way of comfort, although he unexpectedly responded to it by falling as limp as a boned fish, resting his head on her shoulder. Clearly, he wanted to test that inner promise Elaina had only just made to be kinder when he seized the chance to be a fool and with gritted teeth, she succeeded but wasn't so stiff that she couldn't take the joke.

Though her revenge was the two were sharing Greer, as Gwaine had sold his horse as payment for his accommodation. So as she sat in command of the reins, as the mare hated for anyone else to ride her, he had no choice but to hold onto her as a change of gender roles.

She followed where he instructed, a short distance from the town and in the opposite direction where Arthur and merlin had set up camp, thank goodness, and soon the night was filled with the sound of rushing water.

Elaina could not see the source as the brush was too thick, but as Gwaine gathered a satchel, he aided Elaina down. she assured him that the mare did not need tying off and that she would happily drift around until she became tired. Should a thief come near her, the horse like her mistress also knew where to kick to deter them from getting any closer.

"here, let me cover your eyes," Gwaine asked. Elaina was dubious, wondering what was behind all the mystery, but wouldn't dare take this from him as Gwaine seemed so excited. She nodded in consent as he darkened her surroundings further, trusting he wouldn't let her fumble with a stray stone in the way. however, like a gentleman, he kept her on a peaceful path, although remembering the thick brush surrounding them, Elaina couldn't help but wag her arms out before her.

"is that a new dance practiced in Camelot?" Gwaine whispered in her ear.

She giggled, imaging the sight of nobles acting as she was, wary on their feet but did not forget that Gwaine had done something not too different when he had invited her to take the dancefloor when they first met.

"ta rather fetching new move, one I should have shown you when we shared a dance, do you remember?"

Gwaine had been her salvation that night, at a point where she was still in the throes of her deep sadness that none before him could drag her out from, however he did with a simple hand in hers, a beaming smile and his ridiculous humour. Engulfed in a darkened ocean where it was difficult to even breathe, he pulled her out to finally break the surface of the water and embrace the light again, as well as the world around her, which Elaina had turned blind to. it didn't matter what they both amounted to for one another, because Elaina would always be eternally grateful for Gwaine taking the care to do that for her and by him doing so, it helped her better understand Edwin too.

That's because once she had done the very same for him when he could not find his way, lost as a victim to life's cruelties, but she had carried hope in Edwin being able to see that life was how he made it and to heal, he had to be willing to find and be the good he himself had been deprived of, keeping faith that all struggles pass eventually if we are willing to make the necessary steps to overcome them.

the woman he had found hidden in the corner, was so different to the one who was with him now, but Gwaine had seen the glimmer of this gem during that dance as she laughed and played with him, finding that not all joy was lost within her and needed nurture to grow once more to become better than it was before.

""how could I forget," Gwaine replied, as it was the first connection where in the days that followed, they grew ever more closer together. A spark telling of all that was to come, which he had often reflected on...his hand in hers, their chests close, his dark eyes on hers; these details just popped into his mind without warning.

Gwaine treasured every moment he had shared with elaina, and wanted to make more memories, which meant when he was with her like now, he absorbed everything to remember back on when they were apart. such as the heat of her body from their closeness as he could tell she was pleasantly flustered by his touch, confirmed by how her voice became hoarse, that she tried to clear away as she asked, "are we close?"

Gwaine stalled, having brough her out from an unruly fern and deciding on the perfect spot to unveil what was before them. he could not influence nature for how it displayed itself, but he even tried to ensure that nothing had spoilt the scene since his last visit, almost checking that the grass was still soft, the waterfall still flowing and the flowers in bloom. He just wanted it to be perfect and for Elaina to feel drawn here as much as he was, since it was where he felt the closest to Elaina while she was so far away in camelot, and if he were to start going in depth about destiny and fate, as he planned, Gwaine needed the place to look it's best to enchant her in in his favour.

with his tongue stuck to the side of his mouth after he gave everything a critical once over, finally he gave back her sight, "ok. Now!"

In a flash, Elaina had to flutter her eyelids to get used to her sudden sight again, pleasantly surprised that some moonlight had managed to beam its was through the treetops, like streams of silver. She found that they were on the precipice of a pool far below, which was constantly stirred by the water that cascaded off the opposite side to them, where a river must flow. Often waterfalls were loud and frothed by crashing off stones, however this one knew where it was headed and accepted it peacefully, allowing it to be more musical. A cooling freeze was ushered upward from the force of the water hitting water, making wild blooms billow around them, it was a charming image as though they were dancing themselves on the moss beds as inviting as feathered mattresses. It was like a place that the fae could come and rest for the night, lulled into sleep by the sweet elements and by how the trees encircled them it gave off an aura of protection, cutting off the rest of the world to allow any number of small freedoms to happen here while within the circle.

Overwhelmed by capturing everything, Elaina had wondered off from Gwaine and snapped her head back at him amazed, "what…what is this place?"

Her reaction delighted him, being what he had hoped for and maybe mimicking what his own might have been as he watched her eagerly kick off her dainty slippers to benefit from the grass under her feet, "I uh…well it's going to sound silly."

Picking up a hint of apprehension, Elaina stopped ogling and smiled at him for reassurance, explaining, "I'm good with silly," without word of a lie, for she had endured as just one example, Gaius being possessed by a goblin. What followed was hair loss, passing of gas, oh! and Arthur became a donkey…

Nothing could top that surely.

Gwaine took a deep breathe to soothe his nerves and again asked for her hand to lead Elaina to the softest part of the ground where they could both sit comfortably, he was stalling, but only to take a closer look at her, as Elaina had let her hair hang loose instead of her usual updo's, with the thick mane resting about her bare shoulders. A warmth touched her cheeks and he could tell she had been enjoying the sun, as freckles lightly dusted her nose which hadn't been there before and then he inhaled her scent, with the smell of roses and lavender transporting him back to that dream he had before ever meeting the noblewoman, or realising she was about to come into his life for the better…

"before I woke in Camelot, I had thought to be dreaming in fever. You see I was sat just as we are now and could hear the waterfall rushing into the pool below. I was under a sky of lush leaves, with only a few beams of light illuminating my surroundings. I could feel the petal of flowers, but none of them could be the source for the smell in the air."

Gwaine gently followed the curve of Elaina's neck, just to touch her fragile skin where he now knew that scent had emanated from. He felt her tremble as a line of goosebumps followed where his fingertip traced, grateful she did not push him away as he continued, though was sure to be cautious should she wish him to stop.

"lavender and rose…though the two did not come alone, as a voice followed after. All I could do was close my eyes and surrender to it, wondering who was behind this sound calling to me. then a hand-" Gwaine still had Elaina's entwined in his and guided it to his cheek to mimic what had happened in the dream, "it cradled my face leaving behind a burning ache within me; a longing for it to never let go since it eased a part of my soul…"

Gwaine had been so long haunted by nightmares, his sleep an emptiness induced by drink. But that dream instigated more sweetness in life than he had ever been prepared for, or even thought worthy. Never would he have suspected that it would not end there for him and that the dream was just a taste to his lips when he finally saw Elaina standing in the market and though he did not realise it then, that dream had laid a path before him laced in glittering gold, to lead him unknowingly at her feet and set the course for the rest of his life.

Gwaine was terrified. Terrified of rejection after placing all his hopes in Elaina returning those powerful feelings he had for her. only he could not continue never admitting them to her. that would be more painful, to keep it all a secret to weigh him down when he made it his ambition in life to fly through it. He could and would not cower from rejection, needing to let Elaina know where she stood in his world, at least so she could understand why he looked upon her the way he did. Why he would risk his life for the sake of hers and give all his being to ensure her happiness. Even if that might mean, that he was not the source of it for her in return.

He gulped down the lump in his throat, determined not to stop now, "then that same day after waking from it, I met you. Your smell filling my lungs with familiarity just as the softness of your flesh does when I touch you, with that same ache and longing left behind. I knew the person in my dream was you Elaina…then not long ago I was driven mad by our separation choosing to wander the wood, until I came across this place."

Elaina could feel her breathing becoming laboured, with his words reaching straight for her heart to know that he too had felt this connection from the moment they first met. While Gwaine was speaking, she had been reminded of her own inkling that something more stirred between them, though he had been unconscious at the time. strewn on merlin's bed, familiarity filled Elaina also as she had taken in his features, demanding his name from Arthur as though it were the final puzzle piece that would solve the reasoning behind believing she somehow knew Gwaine.

She again took in the sight with just them two protected by the barrier of trees and brush. Long ago, she had shared in such a place with someone else and knew what it meant to have somewhere they could go and be who they wanted to be with each other. Her eyes sparkled in finding such a fortune, worth more than all the gold in Camelot.

Gwaine leant his head against Elaina's, sealing the few inches that had been left spare between them, "I knew I was meant to find it, meant to find you…and that it was here I needed to tell you something."

Gwaine licked his lips so they would not be dry and faulter on the words, "Elaina-"

But she stopped him.

Elaina didn't mean to, it was just that she had come here to confess something as well, knowing where he was leading up to and she had promised to make sure he knew exactly who the person was, he was going to say those words to.

"Gwaine," she couldn't disguise the brokenness in her tone, because it had killed her to stop him when her ears yearned to hear what he had to say, because it was built up inside of her to return them. Only how could he love her without knowing more about what that entailed, for she carried baggage that even she struggled to bear.

She didn't let go of his cheek, his bristled beard rubbing at her palm but she did draw herself away so he could look into her eyes and understand the seriousness of what she had to tell him.

"...there is something you don't know about me and I don't want you to admit to feelings you may yet regret."

She needed to be honest with him, hold absolutely nothing back otherwise there was no point in all of this and she could not live with hiding anything from Gwaine. it just was not an option when so much of her life and the relationships she has shared, have had elements of lies and deceit riddled through them, which has all ended in tears. Elaina could not let that be the foundation of what they could build together.

It was hard to think where to start, so she began with the people who created her.

"you heard so much about my father while in Camelot. But not of my mother and her bloodline that is just as potent as Gorlois's."

Elaina could see the hard set of his brows, knowing she had piqued his interest and wondering where she might be going with it. for a moment she savoured the calm air, where it might be the last he could sadly tolerate her. Elaina didn't know much of his opinion regarding those possessing magic but not many people today had a positive one and so she had learnt to always expect the worse, though she herself had relinquished her powers.

However, blood was potent and her bloodline would always remain as it was.

She had stalled long enough and finally braved it, as her gut clenched, "Gwaine, my mother Vivienne was a high priestess of the old religion. Magic coursed through her veins, as it does each of her daughters. Morgause, morgana and myself. we are witches, sorceresses whatever you want to call us, call me…"

Tears fell down her cheeks. It was a profound thing to admit to, knowing that to anyone else it would mean her head and although she knew it was wrong, she couldn't help but surrender to the shame that has been instilled in her by the teachings of Uther for her kind. Everywhere Elaina has gone her people have been punished for who they were and to some degree it was only natural for a small part of her to forget the good she has seen magic do, when she has been a witness to so much darkness and been a victim to it. nervously Elaina let go to curl into herself to somewhat be shielded from the fear of Gwaine's rejection, feeling like she had sullied the moment and that he may not want to touch her.

Society today would see her as lowly as a sewer rat, with nothing but bad intentions to poison the earth with. As such, he must see too the deceit as she pretended to be something different from that and continued in the pretence of this highborn lady to save her own skin while denying who she was to the world.

Her mind ran rampage with all she considered Gwaine to think about her, realising quickly that it was her own insecurities she had buried deep down inside, never knowing that they were actually there and feeling more ashamed that they did exist, despite all her claims that no one should be ashamed of their magic but in how they wielded it.

Elaina's eyes were tightly pinched at this point, but somehow it instigated more tears rather than sealing them within, "I'm sorry to have deceived you, I am an outlaw due to being what I am and any affiliation with me, if it were ever found out it would cost you your life. Which is something I cannot stand."

Gwaine listened earnestly,while his face never faltered. He remained calm and patient, because actually her admittance of magic was not for his benefit since it did not matter to him or change his view of her. But what it did do as she continued to speak, was take the last remnants of stress off her shoulders, liberating her from this secret she has harboured and maybe only told to a few. he counted himself to be honoured that she trusted him enough to reveal this when it was, as she said, a dangerous thing to be a sorcerer. However, although he never suspected it and thought himself to have a keen sense of people and took him by surprise, his want to protect her intensified and he could feel the weight of the responsibility she mentioned, to keep her secret. but it was a burden he was willing to bear for her and as for defending Elaina, if the cause ever rose, it was no different than before she revealed she possessed magic, for he would die for this woman if need be, because his ties to her did not change and that was a powerful bond of love.

as she grew quiet, Gwaine's heart pinched watching her body be so tense and shaken, realising it was in anticipation for his rejection. He couldn't blame her for the fear yet hated it was there at all and what it might have meant if he were a lesser man, that maybe then it would have meant betrayal and her death...

he couldn't stand letting her thoughts drift to that scenario and immediatly, Gwaine wrapped Elaina within his arms, crushing her against his chest to feel his heartbeat only for her.

"you think I would damn you for something you can't control, that is part of who you are!?"

Elaina felt tiny and fragile in the strong arms of this man who came into her life and completely turned it around. Gwaine was her safety, the person she could be vulnerable with and not be judged or feel a burden as she began to crack for he was always more than willing to fix her and although it has done her good to find someone like him, she could not ignore how unfair it was for him to constantly have to do so. that maybe something will happen where she will have pushed him far enough and he will be fed up in trying to remedy all her problems and walk life after all, was not an easy one.

"it's not enough that I have magic, but the crimes my family have committed! Morgause and morgana, they are hellbent in seeing Camelot fall and they do not care who gets in their way, including myself. Those bandits that nearly took my life it was morgana who sent them and Morgause who allowed the poison to nearly kill me, as I stand as an obstacle between them and Arthur. it is always one thing after another, never any peace..."

Gwaine couldn't help his arms tightening at the mention of the bandits, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief that the true culprits for such butchery and treachery had been Elaina's own sisters. No wonder she had been so hollow when they met, with him having only known half the true story at the time and even that had been plenty to earn pity but with the added details, it was sheer cruelty what Elaina had to go through back then.

he pressed her deeper in, to make her feel warmth after all the coldness she has endured.

His poor lady…

Elaina was muffled, scarce for breath as her face was pressed into his chest, but carried on, "with all the good my father did in this world, they are undoing it. they wish to soak the earth in blood, to see the old religion be reborn and there will be no light and no place where the lush grass can grow, as the waters they too would run red. All as an act of vengeance and power."

He couldn't believe she and morgana were cut from the same fabric, wondering how she could remain so evil though her sister clearly still loved and needed her. Gwaine knew this because of how Elaina had held onto her after the altercation in the great hall with Uther. Again, in all her pain, Elaina was still able to give into love and bear hope for people and try to see the good when there was none.

merlin had told Gwaine more about Edwin; he too had been someone who let Elaina down, but she didn't give up faith that they could become better than their past mistakes. The new religion teaches about forgiveness and unconditional love and here he had his very own angel instilling those beliefs and he partly wanted to protect her here in this one spot forever, so as never to be harmed by reality again. However, she didn't deserve to be locked and hidden away. She needed freedom to reach her full potential and grow into the woman she was meant to be.

Gwaine stroked her silken hair, it a comfort to him as much as he wanted it to be for her, "I can tell by how you're trembling how much this plagues you. But Elaina, you could not be more opposite to your sisters."

Elaina was not so sure. she harboured hatred the same as they did and it was through finding Gwaine she understood that it was him, who would either make or break her. He was the person who mattered most and it terrified her because if something happened, as it always did, it would ruin her. it could be what pushed her into Morgause and morgana's clutches when without Gwaine, there wasn't a point in a prosperous world if he wasn't there to see it...

She was already the cause of one mans end, she couldn't be his too.

"but morgana was like me. she once didn't have a shred of darkness in her and now she is but a shadow of her former self."

she peeked a look up at him with red, swollen eyes, a runny nose and moist lips, all her deepest fears laid out before them and Gwaine had every confidence that they would not come to pass for he knew the integrity that lay within her. without it, she would not have made it this far.

"you have endured suffering too Elaina. There were so many points where you could have turned back on everything you stood for, but you kept on moving forwards instead of staying stuck in the past. You know that there is more in store for you ahead of the path, where the light shines rather than behind amidst the shadows. You never gave up, and still you found purpose in something to make other people happy. No person destined for evil would do so and instead be too absorbed in their own sorrows outweighing that of the masses. Pure selflessness is not the quality of someone meant for darkness. You understand that fear does not make you cowardly or cruel, because you have admitted it is not for your own sake you feel it. that is a strength and i know that your true magic, is in love. You proved stronger than your sisters and remain in the light, so know you will continue on being that way…besides, you're too stubborn to lose."

she remained trembling, wrapping her arms around his neck "but I can't risk your life. If Uther found out, I will be for the pyre and you the chopping block. I cannot let that be your fate just by knowing my secret."

he smirked, "you don't think I wouldn't fight my way into those flames after you."

Gwaine would not hesitate to battle through the crowd to get to her or smite down any guard who stood in his way, he would rather turn to ash alongside Elaina than to wander this earth alone. However, he watched as her cheeks flushed with emotion suddenly drained deathly white.

from his words, Elaina envisioned his flesh warped by fire's scorching caress, the same as Edwin's who had been trying to save his parents and the misery that followed him afterwards.

"don't say that, please! that is exactly what I fear. And between Uther and my sisters, you could be a means to manipulation. A means to hurt me in abiding to their will and if I thought they had you in their grip, then Albion would mean nothing to me…"

That was not a phrase he had heard before and repeated it as he got the impression it meant something great to her, "Albion?"

"a kingdom of peace, under the ruling of Arthur. It is his destiny and has been even before his birth. I have sacrificed so much for it, but I cannot sacrifice you. It is too high a cost."

So, that is what kept her bound to Camelot. Gwaine was glad to know finally, having been puzzled over why she stayed there when she so clearly yearned for adventure in the great wide world. She remained rooted because she knew that Camelot would not forever be clouded by the wroth of an angry old man much longer and she wanted to be there when the kingdom was liberated by someone she trusted since childhood.

To make her sacrifices and fight all worthwhile. He could respect such devotion and would not want to be the one who ruined it for her and would let Elaina do what she felt was needed, to see that day come to pass in her home kingdom, that her father fought for.

"lady Elaina of Camelot. You are scored on my heart. You say you carry risk and danger just by affiliation, I have chased both from one corner of the land to the next, captivated by their allure. Perhaps that's why fate put us together, for I will brave both because your touch brings me home. I love you Elaina. Without condition, I would take you in any way I can and for who you are."

She couldn't help but laugh. He called her stubborn, but he was more so, undeterred by her danger and in no way wanted to force change upon her, in order to follow a path that he envisioned to suit her better. others have tried in the past to do just that, but Gwaine allowed her to take things at her own pace, knowing that he was with her every step of the way in spirit if not in body, to be Elaina's reassurance that she was strong enough.

He was everything she needed and everything that she wanted.

"Gwaine the bold. You are a fool who I love", then repeated back his same vow, "without condition I would take you in any way I can and for who you are."