The Wanderer

by BynWho

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfic for entertainment purposes only. All characters and plots from the BBC show Merlin belong to the BBC. All other characters and plots belong to BynWho. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: After Marian's disastrous day, Gwaine concocts a plan to cheer her up.

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Marian's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Marian received a summons to the lower town. One of her regular patients, the youngest of the Felton twins, was lethargic and unable to eat. Theodore was small and had a weak constitution, so everything seemed to hit him harder than the other children. She sat on the bed next to him, with Cathryn, his mother, wringing her hands behind her. Marian reached over and felt his head. His brow was cool and sweaty. No viruses were circulating, and he had no fever. There were no signs of infection, either. She felt his glands. Slightly swollen. Perhaps an allergic reaction? It had to be something the boy ate, then. His brother, Alexander, was well. In fact, he was so well that he was outside playing with the other boys in the town.

"Theodore, have you eaten anything recently?" she asked him.

"I gave him some broth earlier. He kept it down, but he said his stomach ached," his mother answered for him.

It wasn't what Marian was after. She looked the boy in the eye and raised her eyebrows. "Have you eaten anything else? Maybe something outside?"

Theodore looked at her and then his mother. His eyes filled with guilty tears.

"Gaia berries," he said in a small voice.

"Gaia berries?" Marian asked. "Whatever for?"

The disgusting berries were the very same she had once used to disguise her scent when she and the Knights of Camelot traveled in wilddeoren territory. They smelled like a sewer and likely tasted just as terrible.

"I lost," Theodore explained. When she gave him a stern look, he continued. "I bet Timothy Price that I could run faster than he could, and I lost. I had to eat the berries."

"Theodore Felton! Of all the stupid—"

His mother never got to finish her tirade. As soon as she had raised her voice, Theodore paled. He leaned forward and emptied the contents of his stomach all over Marian.

Cathryn clamped her mouth shut and looked at the healer as she sat there in shock, covered in sick.

Marian made the long journey from the lower town to the citadel in silence. Cathryn had apologized profusely for her son and had offered the healer one of her dresses to change into. She had declined, knowing that the Feltons had little to spare, and told the woman that her son would be fine. He just needed to pass the berries he had eaten. And in the meantime, she suggested he drink lots of water and fetch a bucket to sit by his bedside.

She climbed the steps to the palace, careful not to touch anything or anyone. Passersby held their noses and gave her disgusted looks as she entered the building. When she reached the corridor that led to her chamber, she saw Gwaine walking from the other end.

His eyes lit up as he saw her approach. "Hello, beautiful!"

Before he had gotten too close to her, he scrunched his face at the smell. He was about to reach out to her when he saw her dress and arms covered in sick.

"What the hell happened to you?"

Marian had kept her teeth clenched, choking back her gag reflex. "Felton boy. Sick," was all she managed to say. Her eyes wide and her mouth clamped shut, she walked past him, still in shock.

Gwaine grinned. Of course, it was a Felton twin. Those boys were a menace. "Anything I can do to help?"

"No!" she bit out. She turned the corner and went through her chamber door.

Gwaine chuckled and shook his head. It seems the healer was having a tough day already.

Later, after scrubbing her skin, soaking her dress, and changing into fresh clothes, Marian headed back out into the town. She had a couple more patients to see before her day ended, and fortunately, neither of them threw up on her.

The sun was approaching the horizon as she walked through town, ready to go home. Marian turned a corner, and in a flash, two children ran out in front of her. She came to a sudden stop, having nearly run into them.

"Watch it, you two!"

Walking in the lower town felt like its own form of birth control. Why anyone wanted children was beyond her. Though, perhaps with the right partner… Maybe a knight… A knight with a good sense of humor and deep brown eyes… She shook her head and sighed.

She started forward again, and this time, a third child bumped into her hard. Marian lost her footing and fell face-first into a mud puddle. She lifted her head from the mud, face and hair covered, and saw the child turn around. Alexander Felton.

Of course.

His eyes grew wide when he saw her looking at him, and he took off. Marian stood and looked down at her dress. She was covered from head to toe in mud. Exhausted, Marian walked to the citadel with a frown on her face.

As suppertime approached, Gwaine washed and changed from his chainmail into his grey tunic and jacket. He took care to clean his boots and ensure his trousers were stain-free. Looking in the mirror at his hair, he tried to smooth down the wayward locks. Lastly, he cleaned his teeth and held his hand up to his mouth and nose, checking his breath for freshness. There was only one reason a man such as himself would be so careful with his appearance and hygiene so late in the day—a woman. More specifically, a particular pretty blonde healer that had caught his fancy years ago.

After their misadventure with the Green Knight, Gwaine became convinced that Marian had feelings for him. At least, she had said she cared for him. Her actions, though, said more. The care she took with his injury, the sweet kisses she'd given him, her embraces. Even her words. I'm very fond of you.

Despite the evidence before him, he had a tiny voice in the back of his head telling him she was just being friendly. He adored her, loved her more than anyone or anything. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. So, if she didn't genuinely care for him like he hoped she would, well, it would be heartbreaking. Because of this, he couldn't decide on the next step. There were times he wanted to just kiss her senseless. But most of the time, he just chickened out.

It was time, though. Time to put an end to the fear of rejection and not knowing. he meant to find out tonight just how far Marian's affections went. He was going to invite her to dinner and speak with her about it. Communication is the key to a happy relationship, after all. No secrets. With everything out in the open, he was going to proclaim his undying love and hope that Marian felt the same way.

With a bounce in his step, he turned and headed toward the physician's chambers. He reached the stairway leading outside when he saw a figure climbing the stairs, covered in mud from head to toe. He squinted, trying to see who the unfortunate soul was. Finally, it clicked. He'd recognize those eyes anywhere.

"Marian?"

The sour look on her face said everything he needed to know. Her lousy day had turned into a terrible, horrible day. A terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

"Don't. Say. A word," she bit out as she passed, heading to her chamber. After a moment, he heard a door slam.

So much for a romantic evening.

As he looked toward Marian's chamber, a sly grin crossed his face. He had an idea and turned back toward his chambers to prepare. All thoughts of wooing Marian left his mind as he formed a plan to turn her terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day into a lovely, wonderful, much better, happier day.

An hour later, having washed the mud from her skin and hair, Marian stood from her bath, wrapping a towel around her wet body. Just as she was stepping out of the tub, there was a knock on her door.

"Go away, Merlin. I told you, I'm not hungry." She walked over to her bed and sat down slowly. Shoulders slumped, she sighed. She didn't think she even had the energy to dress.

"It's… it's not Merlin, beautiful," came the soft reply.

Marian rolled her eyes. She should have expected him to come by after the state she was in the last time he saw her. "Come in, Gwaine."

He walked into the room and closed the door behind him. Surprised at her state of undress, he quickly turned. "Sorry, love. I didn't realize…"

"It's alright, you goof. I'm perfectly decent. No private bits hanging out or anything."

Grinning, he spun back to her. "I came by to see how you are."

She was sitting on her bed, wet hair and skin shimmering in the candlelight. He tried to ignore her bare shoulders and arms. He tried to ignore her exposed knees, calves, and ankles. Sure, her private bits were indeed covered, but the rest of her was… He took a deep breath.

She gestured for him to sit on the bed beside her. "I'm alright, I guess. It's just been a hell of a day." As he sat down, she told him of her run-ins with the Felton twins. "I swear, if any of my children ever turn out like that…" she left her threat unsaid.

Gwaine laughed with her. "I don't think you would have to do anything. The rest of the town would probably murder them for you. It's a wonder those boys have survived this long."

"They are walking birth control, aren't they?"

"What do you mean by birth control?"

"Oh, like a condom," she said, looking at him.

His eyes widened just a bit, and his eyebrows rose.

"A condom, the sheepskin that goes—"

"I know what they are!" His face reddened, and he couldn't look at her.

"Gosh, Gwaine, I never took you for a prude."

He narrowed his eyes at her, embarrassment forgotten. "I'll have you know that I've used them plenty—"

She held up her hand to stop him. "I don't want to know!"

"I do have a reputation to uphold, you know." He winked at her and smiled brightly, pleased to see her small smile in return.

"Thanks, Gwaine. I feel a little better."

He studied her face in the candlelight and all but swooned. Well, he almost did whatever it was that men did when they swooned.

So beautiful.

"Marian, I…" I love you. She watched him, oblivious to the battle between his brain and his heart. When he couldn't continue, he sighed. "Get dressed, sweetheart. I'm going to treat you tonight."

"What?"

"Get dressed."

She gestured to the wood laundry bucket where her dresses were soaking. "Gwaine, both of my dresses are dirty."

"You only have two dresses?"

Her face fell. "Yes, I only have two. I can't help that I'm a lowly servant, Sir Gwaine. Besides, they keep getting ruined by sick children or clumsy knights or—"

Realizing too late that he had been rude, he held up his hands in defeat. "I'm sorry." When she quieted and looked at him sadly, he sighed. "I shouldn't have said that. It was rude. You aren't a lowly anything, Marian." He crouched in front of her, and taking her hands, he made sure she was looking at him. "Forgive me?"

She nodded and looked away. "I'm really knackered, Gwaine. I was just going to go to sleep."

"Without supper? What kind of knight would I be if I let a damsel in distress starve herself? Tell you what…" he looked around the room, eyes landing on the tunic and trousers folded in her chair. "Put those on and meet me by the kitchens. I have something that will cheer you up!"

"Gwaine, I don't even have clean shoes."

"For me?" he asked as he raised her hands to his mouth and kissed her knuckles softly.

She rolled her eyes and grinned. She couldn't deny him anything, it seemed. "Alright. By the kitchens." Stupid charming knights.

Gwaine gave her the brightest smile she'd ever seen, kissed her brow, and left her alone to dress.

As promised, Marian dressed and went down to the kitchens in her traveling clothes. Her feet bare and her hair still damp, she shivered as she waited for Gwaine to make his appearance.

Just as she was about to give up, Gwaine tiptoed down the stairs next to the kitchen. He lifted his finger to his lips and grabbed her hand, pulling her into a small alcove.

"Gwaine, what are—"

"Shh," he whispered. "I don't want Audrey to hear us. You go in there and distract her, and I'll get us some supper. Alright?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. Her voice was more of a hiss than a whisper. "You can't be serious. What am I supposed to do to distract her? The woman hates me, Gwaine!"

"It'll be fine, beautiful. I promise. Just keep her attention on you. I'll take care of the rest."

He shoved her to the door and snuck back into the shadows. She sighed and walked into the kitchen with purpose.

"What are you doing in my kitchen? Shoo!" Audrey bellowed at her.

"I just needed to… ask… you a question…" Behind the cook, she could see Gwaine tiptoeing into the kitchen, looking around to see what he could nick.

Audrey tapped her foot and put her hands on her hips. "Well? I haven't got all night, girl!"

"Right… I needed to know how… you make those delicious meat pies you serve at the Feast of Beltane," she said, eyes wide. The cook looked at her, eyebrow raised. "There's something about them. A certain spice you use?" she asked as she peered behind the older woman, checking on Gwaine's progress.

"You think I'm gonna give you my secret? So you can go and make your own for the king? Ha!"

Marian held up her hands in defense. "No, no! Of course not. It's just…"

She watched as Gwaine's eyes lit up. He had found his target, a deep, golden pie.

"…there's a man I fancy… and I thought… maybe with one of your delicious pies…"

Gwaine tiptoed toward his prey.

"He absolutely loves them and if I, who has no talent for cooking or baking at all, could make one…"

As he had his hands around the pie, one of the serving spoons sitting on the table rolled off the stack and made a tiny clink!

Audrey started to turn to see where the noise had come from. Gwaine froze, pie in hand, as Marian tried to get the cook's attention.

"You know, you win a knight's heart through his stomach!" she shouted, catching the older woman's attention before she turned around. She smiled innocently and shrugged.

Gwaine blew out a quiet breath in relief and turned to tiptoe out of the kitchen.

Audrey grinned. "Ah, you mean Sir Gwaine."

Gwaine froze again. Marian's eyes went wide.

"What?" A nervous laugh bubbled up from her. "No, of course not. I hardly… know the man… Sir Gwaine? Who's that…?"

"No, I've seen you two together, making eyes at each other. No one likes my pies more than Sir Gwaine. If it's him you're trying to woo, then I'll help you. Stay right here a moment," Audrey called as she ran past Marian to go to a cupboard.

Gwaine looked back at Marian and smirked at her. Making eyes? he mouthed to her.

She checked to make sure Audrey wasn't coming back yet and shooed him away. Go, you idiot! she mouthed back at him.

His shoulders shaking in silent laughter, Gwaine snuck out of the kitchen.

Audrey came back with a small cloth bundle. She cradled it tenderly against her ample bosom as though it were her most cherished possession. Reaching out to Marian, she placed the bundle in her outstretched hands.

"This, my dear girl, is called cinnamon. It's difficult to get and comes from a tree that grows far east from here," she grinned proudly. "I usually reserve it for special occasions for the king, but for our dear Sir Gwaine, I'm willing to part with a piece. Grate it up into a powder to use in a pie. Or…" She looked around to make sure they were alone. "If'n you're needin' him to be particularly amorous, I'm willing to bet a quick rub of the bark behind your ear or in your bosom will do the trick! Any place you want his attention. One sniff, and he'll be pudding in your hands!"

Marian stood there in shock, her mouth gaping silently. She couldn't come up with a single response. She nodded to the cook, her mouth still open, and turned to leave.

"You'll be telling me how it goes with that handsome knight, won't you?" Audrey called after her as she exited the kitchen.

As soon as Marian stepped into the dark, she was pulled further into the shadows. Gwaine stood before her, struggling to contain his laughter. He had heard the whole thing.

She tucked the cinnamon into a pocket. "Boy, she sure does have your number, doesn't she?"

He had no idea what that meant, but the shocked look on her face was worth it. He laughed as they walked up the stairs and away from Audrey's ears. "She gave you some cinnamon, did she? Are you planning on making it a powder to feed me or are you feeling particularly amorous?"

She rolled her eyes and swatted him away.

"I'll be pudding in your hands anytime you want, sweetheart!" Gwaine couldn't stop laughing. "A man has a right to know how he'll be wooed, you know!"

She turned to him at the top of the stairs, her eyes narrowed. "How in the hell did she know you liked cinnamon so much?"

"I told you she liked me." Gwaine shrugged. "Come on, this way," he said as he led her down the corridor, pie in hand.

Marian was out of breath once they reached their destination—the tallest tower in the castle. Gwaine handed her the pie and went up the ladder to open the wooden door in the ceiling.

His hand appeared from the opening. "Here, hand me the pie."

"Gwaine, where in the world are we?" she asked as she lifted it to him.

He disappeared with the food and then reappeared, lowering his hand down.

"The east tower. Best place to stargaze."

She gave him her hand, and he helped her to the top of the tower. Despite a small wall preventing them from falling, being the tallest point in the castle afforded them an unrestricted view of the night sky.

Marian smiled as she looked around. There was a blanket laid out on the floor and a crate sat next to it, with a jug and two tankards. Some forks were laid out next to where Gwaine had left the pie.

"You… you brought me stargazing?" she asked, turning to look at him.

"I thought… you like to stargaze, don't you?"

She hugged him. "Oh, Gwaine! This is the nicest thing anybody's ever done! Thank you!"

He laughed as he returned her embrace. "I thought it'd be nice to get away from everyone. Especially after the day you've had."

She shivered but nodded. "It's perfect. Why are you so good to me?"

He leaned back from her but still held her in his arms and brushed her hair from her face. "You deserve it, Marian," he said, barely above a whisper.

At his smolder, her stomach did flips, and her heart fluttered. She smiled at him, her teeth chattering.

Seeing her chill, he removed his jacket and placed it over her. She snuggled into the leather as she slid her hands through the arms of the jacket. His warmth, still present, surrounded her and comforted her. She lifted the collar to her nose and sniffed. His scent. His wonderful, unique scent—leather and musk.

Gwaine poured her a tankard of ale and handed it to her. "There. The ale should warm you up," he said as she took a long draft.

She swallowed and wiped the ale froth from her upper lip. "What's for supper?" she asked, eying the pie hungrily.

He grinned. "Audrey's famous cinnamon apple pie!"

They sat on the blanket, eating the pie straight from the pie tin and drinking ale. Marian had never felt so content. She leaned back and stretched out on the blanket, an arm behind her head and a hand on her full belly. She looked at Gwaine as he finished the last bite of the pie and stretched out beside her, still chewing.

Something had changed between them. She wasn't sure when or how it happened, but her heart leapt at the mere thought of the man beside her. She realized she should have known things were changing after he had narrowly avoided death by the Green Knight's ax, but at the time, she had chalked it up to fear of losing him. Marian now knew that it wasn't just a fear of losing him, it was the affection for him that she felt deep within. Gwaine made her happy. And for once, she wasn't going to think about the curse or leaving her heart in Camelot.

"So, beautiful, tell me of your favorite stars."

They lay there on the blanket, side by side, as she pointed out the constellations she recognized. Though she wasn't too sure of the origins of most of their names, she could tell the stories of a few.

When he saw her shiver again, he looked down at her feet, finally realizing they were bare. As he listened to her stories, he sat up and removed his boots to take his socks off. He quickly pulled his boots back on and then took the warm socks down to her feet.

She started to tell him about the brightest star in the sky but stopped. "Gwaine? What are you doing?" she asked as he took hold of her foot.

"You're cold," he said, holding up the socks. He pulled the first over her foot and up her calf, followed by the other. When he was done, he crawled back to her head and laid down beside her, their shoulders touching. "Better?"

She beamed at him. "Much better. Thank you."

"So, you said the brightest star?"

She pointed to one, the brightest star in the sky, Vega.

"There. And that constellation," she said as she pointed. "Is called Lyra." He followed her movements as she connected the stars in the constellation with her finger. "It's named after the lyre that Orpheus played."

"Who's Orpheus?"

"He was the son of the god Apollo and a muse called Calliope. He played his lyre so beautifully and sang songs so compelling that even the rocks and the trees were entranced with his music. The breeze would stop blowing as he sang, and the gods and goddesses would pause to listen to him."

She sighed as she looked at the stars, remembering the story of Orpheus and Eurydice.

"What is it, love?" Gwaine asked, concerned.

"Just remembering his story." She sighed again. "It is one of the most romantic and tragic of the myths."

"Romantic and tragic? How so?"

"He was a man in love. What can be more tragic than falling in love and losing it?"

Marian missed the pained look on his face.

"Never feeling love, I'd expect," he said.

She looked at him for a long moment, wondering if he could see into her heart and know that her greatest wish and her greatest fear were one and the same. She cleared her throat and shook those thoughts away.

"He fell in love with a beautiful woman, a nymph called Eurydice. They loved each other deeply and married. But while she was wandering in the forest, a satyr saw her and lusted after her. He was so struck by her beauty that he chased her and tried to bed her. In her escape, Eurydice fell into a nest of vipers and was bitten, dying instantly."

Gwaine reached over and held her hand, entwining his fingers with hers.

"Orpheus fell into heavy mourning. His songs of grief touched not only the gods but everything in the world, so much so that all of existence felt his sorrow. According to the myth, he filled the highs of heaven with the moans of his lament."

Gwaine frowned. "Knowing that a man can feel sorrow that strong is frightening."

"His father, Apollo, suggested that his grieving son travel to the Underworld, where the dead spent eternity, to see his Eurydice. Any mere mortal would have died at the feat, but not Orpheus, because he was protected by the gods.

"He got past the guardian, a three-headed dog, by charming it with his music. He passed ghosts and other lost souls, and once he arrived, he met with the god and goddess of the Underworld and played his mournful song for them. The cold heart of the god melted as Orpheus played out his grief.

"He told Orpheus that he would send Eurydice back to the mortal world with him. There was a catch, though. On their journey back, while walking to the light, he couldn't look back for her until they both stepped through the threshold to the mortal world, or she would be lost in the Underworld forever."

"Why would they do that? Taking advantage of a grieving man is cruel."

Marian looked over and squeezed his hand. "Like most men, Gwaine, Orpheus was over-confident. He was sure that he could be patient enough if it meant he'd have his love by his side once more."

"But how could he be sure she would be there if he couldn't look?"

"Faith."

"It would drive me mad."

"Orpheus started his ascension back to the mortal world, believing that his wife was following. He listened for her footsteps but didn't hear her, so he started to lose his faith, thinking that the god had tricked him."

"See, I knew it!"

"He didn't know that she was a shade, following him silently, and would only be a mortal woman again once they reached their destination."

She took a shaky breath. "He only had a few feet left until the mortal world, but Orpheus couldn't bear it any longer. He looked back to see if she was there. As he looked, he saw Eurydice's shadow being pulled back into the Underworld for eternity."

"I can't imagine…"

"He tried to go back for her, but no living person could enter the Underworld more than once. In his grief, Orpheus played his lyre and sang his songs, calling for death to take him to be reunited with his love."

"And did he? Did he die?"

"The Maenads, angered by his fidelity to his dead wife, found him and killed him. They threw his head, still singing his lament, and his lyre into the river. The Muses, though, gathered up all the pieces of his body and buried him. They placed his lyre in the night sky, which is where the constellation Lyra comes from."

"Was he ever reunited with his wife in the Underworld?"

Marian couldn't remember if the myths ever said, but when she looked over at his hopeful eyes, she couldn't disappoint him. It was the first time she wasn't truthful with Gwaine.

"Yes, they were reunited and have spent eternity in each other's arms."

"You were right, beautiful," he said finally. "That was very tragic."

"It's like you said—it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. It's easy to forget that, sometimes. I don't know if that's really true. I can't even imagine what true heartbreak must feel like."

He gave her a sharp look. "You've never felt love?"

"Not romantic love," she said as she shook her head, unwilling to admit how she felt about him out loud. That was the second time that she lied to him.

Gwaine swallowed his disappointment. "You didn't love your… boyfriend, then?"

She laughed. "Joey? Hell no! I loved the idea of him. But definitely not him," she looked over at him, as he frowned in confusion. "I was only with him because I thought I was supposed to be. We grew up together, so after I had dated a few other piece-of-shit men, I figured he was the best I could get. But he didn't make me laugh or feel safe or feel pretty or smart or… anything. Just regret."

She looked back at the sky. Gwaine saw the shimmer of tears in her eyes. He rolled over to his side and held her chin between his thumb and finger, turning her to face him. "I'm sorry, beautiful. I shouldn't have mentioned it."

She held his hand to her face and closed her eyes for a brief moment. "No, it's fine. I promise," she smiled sweetly at him. "Tell me more about your childhood. I want to hear more about the trouble you caused. Surely there was more than just pig rescuing."

"Well," Gwaine laughed as he laid back down. Marian moved closer to him and snuggled in the crook of his arm as he told her tales of his village. She convinced herself that it was only to keep warm, given that they were on the highest tower during springtime. But she knew that deep down, she just craved the nearness of Gwaine.

He told her stories of his childhood until she fell asleep in his arms. He looked down and watched her in the moonlight. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes, letting blissful sleep take him.

Marian woke with the rising sun but kept her eyes firmly shut. She wasn't ready to wake just yet. She had slept her first full night's sleep in quite some time. Even her usual nightmares had left her alone. She tried to stretch, but she was pinned down.

She opened her eyes and saw Gwaine lying half across her, his head resting on her chest. His arm was thrown across her middle as he held her tight. She smiled as she realized she didn't mind that he was lying on her, or that he was snoring very, very loudly. She stroked his hair and marveled at his beauty.

Well, you've gone and done it now, she thought. She had let her guard down. She loved Gwaine, and she knew he loved her too. Now would come the hard part—not giving in.

Her stomach rumbled in Gwaine's ear, and she felt him shake as he chuckled.

"Hungry, are you?" he asked sleepily. He picked his head up, smirking.

She laughed. "How could you tell?"

He lifted his body but stayed hovering over her. He looked down at her, his hair framing his face and his eyes roamed over her as he smiled. The hand on her waist slid back and down to her hip.

"Gwaine…" she whispered.

Even though she wanted this, wanted him, she knew it was wrong. She couldn't let it happen. The proverbial devil on her shoulder egged her on, begging her to encourage him. Surely it wouldn't hurt to do just this once. A few moments of passion would be alright. It was sex, not giving in, right?

Her lips parting, she slid one hand up his arm and to his shoulder, while the other wrapped around his torso, stroking his back.

He leaned into her, his hand beneath the jacket. The tip of his nose brushed against hers, his breath caressing her lips.

She felt his hand move around her body. Assuming it was to find the hem of her tunic, she held her breath in anticipation. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her core ached for him. Her back arched, her breasts pushing up toward his chest, begging to be touched. She opened her mouth to tell him to just rip the tunic off and ravish her when he pulled his hand back and sat up.

She leaned up and looked at him in confusion. "Wha—?"

He held up two small apples that he had pulled from his jacket pocket and handed on to her."Breakfast?" He smirked when she snatched it from him. She was hot and bothered, and he was delighting in it. Pleased with himself, he settled back down next to her and stretched out. Gwaine stared at his fruit. "You're like an apple."

She took a bite of her breakfast and looked over at him. "How am I an apple?"

"You're pleasant, all dressed up and fancy, like an apple pie. Despite that, you're even better just as you are. Not dressed up or fancy."

She laughed as she chewed. "I've never been compared to food before, you know."

He looked over to her, eyebrows raised. "Not just any food, mind you. The perfect food. Apples can be sweet or tart. Used in puddings or savory dishes. They're versatile. And they'll keep you alive when you're starving."

She burst into laughter. "I can be used in puddings or savory dishes, can I?"

He smiled at her as he patiently waited for her to calm. "The apple is the perfect metaphor for a woman."

"What?" she giggled. "How?"

Gwaine rolled onto his side to face her. She fidgeted as he was close enough that she could feel the warmth from him. He held his apple out in front of her and compared them.

"She's beautiful as she grows. Round and shapely, holding delights unseen inside of her," he said, his voice low and soft by her ear. "And when she's ripe and ready, you don't pluck her. No, you let her decide when the time is right. All red and supple, she lets go of her home and comes to you." He mimicked an apple falling from a tree.

He studied the apple carefully and took a bite, juice dribbling down his chin. "And that first bite is so sweet and wet," he said as he licked his lips, his eyes rolling back into his head as he moaned at the taste of it. "It's heaven from beginning to end." He took another bite, sucking the juice from the apple's flesh.

Marian licked her lips as she watched him enjoying the apple. His lips dragged slowly and agonizingly across the flesh of it as he bit off more into his mouth. He continued to eat it, his face a picture of ecstasy, his soft moans tantalizing. When he was done, he licked his lips, savoring the taste of the juice that had spread as he consumed the fruit.

Her lips parted when he scooted even closer, leaning over her. He looked down at her with a dark look of longing in his eyes. Her breath quickened, and her chest rose as her desire for Gwaine grew. She never thought that a fruit could be so… erotic.

"And when she's ready…" He held up the apple core. "…you lay her to sleep, warm in her bed." He took his apple and balanced it on her stomach as she lay stretched out. He moved so close that they were touching each other.

Marian held her breath to keep the apple core from falling over.

"You care for her, cherish her. You tend her garden, waiting patiently for your reward," he said as he brushed his knuckles along her jaw, sending chills all over her body. His thumb ran across her lips, tracing their shape.

Beneath her corset, her nipples hardened, and she felt warmth stirring between her legs. She ever so slightly pressed her thighs together against her sex, desperate for relief.

"Then, the seed in her belly grows," his voice low, he slid his hand down to the apple core.

She gasped as he grabbed the fruit between his index finger and thumb while the palm of his hand softly pressed against her belly.

He leaned his head down beside her, his lips brushing against her ear as he spoke. "And another tree, another life, breaks through the soil," he finished, grinning from ear to ear.

She squirmed in agony, her need desperate to be released.

Pleased with himself, Gwaine sat up, breaking the spell he had cast over her. He smirked as he noticed her skin flush and her pupils grow large. Desire. He had been right. She desired him.

Marian sputtered, unable to say a word. She tried to swallow, but her throat was dry. Trying to calm her body, she sat up. In her entire life, she had never felt so aroused. All because of Gwaine and his damn apple.

A week later, as the castle prepared for the Feast of Beltane on the next day, Marian rushed from patient to patient, tending to minor colds and sprained wrists. She hadn't been sleeping well, plagued with nightmares most nights, so she was utterly drained when she returned to her chamber for a rest. It wasn't even lunchtime, and she had been exhausted from all the work.

Marian opened her chamber door and was surprised. There on her bed were two dresses, perfectly folded, and a small bouquet of wildflowers, complete with a note.

Beautiful,

Just a small token of my admiration. And to tell you, I'm sorry. I don't deserve you, you're too good to me.

As always, yours,

A lowly knight

She smiled as she picked up the flowers and took in their fragrance. Unfolding the dresses to look at them, she saw they were serving dresses. Precisely what she needed. One was bright blue, and the other was pale pink. Instead of flowers, there were stars embroidered on the front. Gwaine had them made special, just for her.

Leon and Gwaine were on guard duty for the next few days, so neither could join the festivities tomorrow. They roamed the corridors of the castle, checking that everything was in order before the feast. Gwaine had double-checked the lock on the armory while Leon went to speak to Arthur about the guard assignments.

They met up at lunchtime for a quick break before going back to it. As they headed to the stairs that led to the kitchens, Gwaine stopped suddenly. Leon looked over at him to see what was wrong. Gwaine stared ahead, mouth agape.

"Gwaine?"

Leon followed Gwaine's gaze to the end of the corridor. Marian, a vision in bright blue, was walking toward them. Her hair flowed freely, except for a small braid circling the crown of her head. In the braid, there were tiny wildflowers and a lilac tied with a blue ribbon in the back.

Marian was positively glowing as she approached and gave them a sweet smile. "Good afternoon, Sir Gwaine! Good afternoon, Sir Leon!"

As she walked between them, she paused to turn to Gwaine, and lifting herself on her toes, she reached over with her hand on his arm and left a soft kiss on his cheek. Without another word, she continued on her way down the corridor with a spring in her step.

Gwaine turned to watch her go, wearing the dress and flowers he had left her that morning. With a stupid grin on his face, he clapped Leon on the back and headed to the stairs.

"Let's eat! I'm starving!"