Gwen stretches herself and slowly lifts her eyelids. The morning sun warms up her skin and she can hear the birds chirping outside the window. It’s a beautiful morning and she feels light. Her head feels light as well as her heart. After talking at length with Merlin yesterday, she has learned a great deal about Arthur. And now her heart feels heavy for him, despite her good mood. She feels sorry and wants to help him but she still doesn’t know how. She now realizes that she had jumped to some hasty conclusions about Arthur and now she really does not have any clue how to mend that bridge. And despite hearing what Merlin had to say about Arthur, she knows she isn’t the only one who needs to apologise. Arthur has done his part as well, so he must be ready to mend the bridge, too.
She pushes off the sheet and steps down, slipping on her slippers and walking over to the table. She plucks a grape, pops it into her mouth and wonders what she should do today. She taps her fingers alongside the table, circles it and sighs, looking out the window. She can’t help thinking about yesterday. Her conversation with Merlin is still vivid in her mind, still fresh. Merlin had been honest, just as she has requested, and she appreciates that. But his explanation came as a shock both to her and Morgana. It seems there are some things that even Morgana didn’t know about Arthur. Merlin had been keeping them close to his chest all this while.
“You need to help him, Gwen … I can’t see anyone but you to get him to come around. Pleas,.” Merlin pleaded as he explained about Arthur to Gwen.
“But do you really believe that I can help him? What if he does not want me to help him? What if he … you know, he is an arrogant idiot isn’t he?” Gwen replies to Merlin.
“But he will listen to you, Gwen. Trust me. I have never seen him like this before. I mean, he has never been besotted like he is with you. And that’s why I believe he will listen to you,” Merlin adds.
“He is right you know … Arthur is a changed man after you arrived,” Morgana adds.
“But … I don’t know how …”
“Gwen,” Merlin grabs Gwen’s hand tightly and looks directly into her eyes, his own soft and warm. Pleading. “Arthur might seem all knightly and chivalrous to everyone, us included, but he is suffering silently. He lost his mother at an early age of his life and has been yearning for love since then. The only love he gets is from Katrina and it’s not genuine. He doesn’t know that and believes she loves him like a son. When he finds out about her true nature, it will break him, Gwen. Trust me, it will, and it will break him apart,” Merlin says. “And that’s why I need you to help him … you have to make him understand about Katrina before he finds out on his own. That will reduce his pain … because when he falls, you’ll be there to catch him. He needs to trust you because he will need you to support him when the inevitable happens.”
Gwen knows Merlin is right but she doesn’t know if she is ready for all this drama in her life yet. She is still hurt by what Arthur did to her and is still reeling from the pain he brought to her. She hasn’t forgiven him yet. But after hearing what Merlin had to say about Arthur and Katrina, Gwen seems to have a change of heart about the whole issue. And she’s even scrapped the whole issue about ending her marriage to Arthur … at least for the moment.
“Gwen?”
“Yes Merlin?”
“Will you help him?” Merlin asks again.
“I’m not …”
“Please, Gwen. No matter what happens … never leave Arthur, it’s all I ask of you,” Merlin tells her.
Gwen nods and says nothing else. Is there anything to say?
The knock on the door wakes her up from her day dream and she turns around to answer. “Yes?”
“It’s me, Katrina.”
‘What? What is she doing here?’ Gwen thinks quickly. “Come in,” she answers and turns around. She quickly pulls on a dressing gown and walks back to her bed.
The door opens and Katrina walks in, smiling.
‘Why is she smiling at me?’ Gwen thinks and smiles back. “Your highness.”
“Good morning dear.” Katrina nears Gwen and leans to kiss her cheek. “I see you are up early; planning to go somewhere?”
“Yes, actually, I’m thinking of heading to the village.”
“What? Why?”
“To meet the villagers … each and every one of them,” Gwen replies casually.
“Oh … why would you want to do that?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean … don’t get me wrong, sweetheart. What I meant was you are from there and you know every one by heart so why head back? Just curious, you know.” Katrina smiles again.
“I am taking Arthur with me. I want Arthur to meet them … everyone.”
“Really?” now Katrina is completely confused.
“You asked me to improve Arthur’s image, didn’t you? So I am taking him to meet the villagers. Let them know that their prince cares for them,” Gwen answers.
“Oh … yes. I did. Gwen, that is a wonderful idea. Why didn’t I think of that?” Katrina smiles. “Yes, please do …”
“Where is Arthur?”
“Training as usual, but you know what? I will ask him to find you this instant. He will not disobey me.”
‘Of course!’ Gwen thinks to herself. “Thank you … actually I didn’t know how to ask you to help me,” Gwen says, looking down.
“All you need is to ask, dear … I will send him immediately. You better get dressed,” Katrina advices and heads to the door.
“Thanks,” Gwen says and smiles.
Katrina smiles and leaves. Gwen blows to herself and sits down.
‘Great … you lied to get yourself out and now how am I going to bring him to meet all the villagers?’ she thinks to herself, slaps her forehead and drops back on the bed.
Arthur waits at the entrance with his hands firmly clasped behind his back. He is looking ahead but he isn’t directly focused on whatever he is watching. He is thinking. He recalls back the conversation he had with his mother this morning. She came to meet him at his training and it surprised him. She usually waits until he is done with his training before meeting him, but today she came out to the grounds. And she had a request. She asked him to promise to fulfill it before explaining it to him. She wanted him to accompany Gwen to the village. She didn’t say why but asked him to comply. And he didn’t ask her why, either. Only when Arthur realized that it was just the two of them leaving for this trip did he realize this was a special trip, one his mother must have arranged for him and Gwen. Perhaps she wants him to reconcile with Guinevere after what happened. Arthur twitches his lips and sighs. Well, it is a good thought and it’s about time they do so. He had been alone way too long.
Someone clears his throat behind him.
Arthur turns around and sees Guinevere. She looks beautiful and he can’t take his eyes off her, staring dumbly for a bit too long.
She clears her throat again.
He startles and clears his own throat. He smiles at her.
Gwen doesn’t smile back. His smile fades. “Shall we?” she asks and steps down.
Arthur follows her quickly.
“Which is my horse?” Gwen asks as she reaches the last steps, looking at the two horses in front of her.
“The white one. Can I help you?”
“No, it’s all right. I can manage,” Gwen says and mounts the horse easily.
Arthur arches his brow and mounts his own horse. He adjusts his cape and looks at Gwen. “Where are we going?”
“To my village,” Gwen says, and before he can ask further, she heads forward.
“Guinevere … wait,” Arthur says and hurries after her.
Gwaine finishes his last log and sighs. He tosses his axe aside and wipes his sweat from his forehead. The afternoon sun was heating his body and he is glad he decided to strip off his tunic. His muscles flex as he stretches to lift the logs one by one and set them inside the large basket. The logs are heavy and he hasn’t had his breakfast yet, so his energy levels are not really as high as they should be.
“Hello, Gwaine.”
He recognises that voice anywhere and he turns immediately, his lips twitching into a smile as he looks at Gwen. But the smile fades immediately as he looks over at Arthur behind her. He bows in respect.
“Come on Gwaine, that isn’t necessary … I’ve told you haven’t I? I am still your friend,” Gwen says.
But before Gwaine can answer, Arthur sticks his nose in. “But you are the princess and he is following the rules, aren’t you, Gwaine?”
“Hmm, yes,” Gwaine says. Gwen rolls her eyes. But she was standing with her back facing Arthur so the latter didn’t see what she did.
“Nonsense … he was my friend before I was a princess,” Gwen glances quickly at Arthur and walks towards Gwaine. “How are you, Gwaine?”
Arthur clenches his cheek and waits. He is actually uneasy with Guinevere coming down to meet Gwaine. His mother said she wants to head to her village for a reason; is this it? To meet her friend? And why did she bring him along? This is bound to provoke another fight between them.
“I’m good, Gwen. See … I’m actually filling my time.” Gwaine shows all the logs he has chopped into half around him.
“I can see that … why haven’t you visited me, Gwaine?”
Gwaine knew she would come to that eventually. “I have been busy, Gwen. I swear.”
“Really? Hmm … fine, I believe you. Are your parents around?” Gwen looks around. “I really miss them.”
“They have gone to visit my aunt … I didn’t know you were coming.”
“It was sort of unexpected, Gwaine,” Arthur chips in. Gwen sighs. Gwaine notices, but says nothing.
Gwen ignores Arthur and continues to scan the area. “Well, Gwaine … I wanted to see your parents, but unfortunately, that’s not possible today. Another time, then …” Gwen says and smiles. “Send my regards to them.”
“I’ll let them know you came, Gwen. It’s been a pleasure,” he adds. And he looks beyond Gwen towards Arthur. Bowing in respect he says, “Thank you, your highness.”
“Please Gwaine … Call me Arthur. A friend of my wife’s is my friend, too,” Arthur tries to be friendly.
“Thank you.”
“Goodbye, Gwaine …” Gwen says and walks back towards Arthur and the horses.
Arthur nods, mounts his horse and follows Gwen as Gwaine watches them leave, sadness creeping around his heart.
Gwen keeps quiet all through the journey. Beside her, Arthur does the same as well. He would like to talk to her, but he doesn’t really know what to say. They have been riding towards the village for almost twenty minutes and she hasn’t even turned her head towards him. She is quiet and focused on the ride. And it worries and makes him uneasy.
“Guinevere?” he finally decides to break the silence.
Gwen turns to him.
“Where are we going?”
“To the village.”
“Why?”
“I want you to meet the villagers … make them feel you are a prince they can count on.”
“What?” Arthur says nonchalantly but as Gwen shoots a glare at him, he tones down. “Meaning … why would you want me to do that for?”
“To prepare you to become king.”
“What?” Arthur stops his horse and his face darkens with anger. “What is going on?”
Gwen stops her own horse, turns it around and meets his eyes, unafraid of his wrath. “You were saying?”
“Why are you taking me to meet the villagers and why are you so concerned about me being the king?”
“My concern is not for you, but for your father.”
“Sorry?”
“I think your father has endured more than enough from your way of life, and it’s about time he took his rest. And you need to buck up and be responsible to your kingdom as well … be the man I was told you would be.”
“And you decide to take this task upon yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Why? What’s in it for you?”
“Nothing … but since no one else wants to do it, I thought I’d do it.”
“Really, Guinevere?” Arthur laughs and shakes his head.
“What is funny about this, Arthur?”
“You … I just,” Arthur stops and laughs again. “You hate me, I know this. You hate me and want nothing to do with me, but now, suddenly you are concerned about my welfare. And you are doing all this so that I can be the king? I just find it really surprising …”
“Very well, since you brought it up, I think I had better get this off my chest as well. Yes, Arthur, I hate you right now, and I don’t deny that. I hate the fact that I’m married to a man who doesn’t know how to respect another’s feelings, especially his wife’s. And I hate you because you claimed to marry me for my body rather than for me as a person. But I love your father and respect him both as my king and father-in-law. He has suffered enough and he desperately wants you to be the king … in fact, that is what you should be training for, to be the king.”
“Guinevere …”
“I am not finished yet, Arthur. You are the crowned prince and this is your kingdom. Like it or not, you are heir to the throne, not someone else. And you must be man enough to claim the throne that is yours by right. Be responsible for once in your life and do something right. I understand you and your father don’t always see eye to eye. Whatever happened between you and him is not my business, but as your wife, I have every right to push you to accept your responsibility.”
Arthur keeps quiet.
“Perhaps not many people have told you this, Arthur. Perhaps some didn’t want to irk your wrath or some simply didn’t care. But I will tell you this, because I believe in justice and I say what I feel. You have been wasting your life. If you are old enough to be married, you are old enough to understand that there is more to life than mindless frivolity. Yes, you should have fun, but you must balance it with your responsibility. And you have a huge one waiting to sit on your shoulders. Make the second half of your life worthwhile, Arthur … be someone that your people will be proud of. Your father already has his name written down in Camelot’s history … make sure yours sits next to his.”
Arthur still listens in silence.
Gwen sighs. “It is not my intent to scold you, Arthur, because you are not a child, but this is something that needed to be said. And I took it upon myself because while I say I hate you…” she pauses a moment, closing her eyes, “I do actually care for you.”
Arthur looks up at her.
Gwen opens her eyes and smiles a small smile.
Arthur’s heart flutters.
“If you are to be my husband, then I want that husband to be someone the whole of Camelot will be proud of. And I am wiling to sacrifice anything to see that happen,” she says. “Anything at all …”
Those words mean a lot to Arthur. Suddenly his heart feels strangely warm. No one has spoken so boldly to him or advised him like Guinevere just did. He feels as if he is needed, wanted and above all … loved. Previously he had been wasting his life because he assumed no one cared for his well being but now, from Guinevere’s words it looks as if he has possibly found meaning to start his life anew.
“All I am asking you to do is consider it, Arthur … you have your whole future laid in front of you, don’t ruin it by spending the rest of your life wrecking it. This is your life and only you can decide what is good for you. And you are not a child, you don’t need to be told what to do, but if you need someone to talk with or confide in, you can count on me. I might not be someone you might want to talk with but I’m there if you ever need me,” Gwen finishes.
Arthur clears his throat and looks around. He is happy beyond words but he doesn’t want to show his emotions or express his feelings to Guinevere yet. He is planning to do that in a different way, and for that he will have to wait.
“Hmm … so you believe I will be a good king?”
“It doesn’t matter what I believe …”
“It does to me,” he tells her softly.
Gwen sighs and meets his gaze. “Yes, I do,” she tells him. And she means it. She knows her words have reached him, and if he is to believe in her words than she must convince him. “I’ve believed it since I married you.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me before?”
“Did you give me a chance?” she asks.
“I would have if you have spoken to me rather than leaving me in the dark. Most of the time we started speaking, we ended up bickering.”
“Well, that’s your fault. You were the one who …”
“Like now.” Arthur smiles, cutting Gwen short.
Gwen has to agree that is funny and she laughs as well. “Well … you got me there.”
“I have to say … what you said is … true. And I appreciate your concern,” Arthur starts.
“Will you listen to me, them?”
“I might …” he tells her and when he notices Gwen’s face is changing from anticipation to annoyance, he quickly adds, “I will.”
“Great … now come on, let’s go and meet the villagers.”
“Wait a minute, about that… what is it that you have in mind, Guinevere?” Arthur asks.
“About what, meeting the villagers?”
“Yes,” he says shortly.
“I want you to show them that you care and let them get comfortable with you,” Gwen explains.
“And what do you have in mind?”
“I’ll show you.” Gwen smiles and urges Arthur to follow her as she rides ahead of him.
After spending all afternoon in the village, Arthur and Gwen head back home. Gwen had been chatty all the way back, recalling their experiences with Arthur. He likes listening to her talk and watching her laugh and smile makes his heart flutter with happiness. He has never been as happy as he is today. Though he didn’t really get excited meeting the villagers, he is happy he agreed, because he managed to be with Gwen alone. And they mend the rift between them. That was important. And he can’t wait to show his appreciation to her.
“Did you see all their faces when you said you would help them? They didn’t believe a word you said! That really proves your reputation, Arthur,” Gwen laughs as she rides alongside him.
Arthur smiles.
“And they must have thought that this was all a dream, I mean … come on, the crowned prince decides to help them? That is definitely going to give them sleepless nights for days.” And again she laughs.
“I have been nasty, haven’t I?” he asks.
Gwen stops laughing and looks at him, her eyes warming.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make fun of you.”
“No, you said right, Guinevere. They are all clueless about me and you can see that in their faces. They don’t trust me.”
“They will, Arthur, you just have to show them the way.”
“And what if I fail?”
“That’s why you have me. I will help you, Arthur, in every way I know. But you need to help yourself first,” she tells him.
Arthur sighs.
“Please, Arthur … just promise me that you will help yourself,” Gwen insists again.
“I’ll try.”
“Good … come on. Let’s race home … I know you are an excellent rider, but let’s see if you can beat a simple village girl.” She doesn’t even give him time to consider as she kicks the side of her horse and gallops ahead.
“That’s not fair …” Arthur says and follows behind.
Katrina watches Arthur and Gwen dismounting from their horses from her chamber. They look happy and she doesn’t like the smile she spots on Arthur’s face. He seems to be excited in Gwen’s presence. Katrina knows she has to make Arthur king before anything happens and has promised Gwen the chance to end the marriage with Arthur if she helps make Arthur king with the permission of the council. So, if this is all an act to convince Arthur and the council, Katrina is fine with it. But if it is not, then Gwen will have to pay the consequences. And Katrina is not the forgiving type.
Someone knocks on the door.
“Come in.”
The door opens and Uther walks in. Katrina immediately puts on her smile and turns around to meet him.
“Uther.”
“Katrina, I have something important to tell you, and you are going to be very happy about it,” Uther says in excitement.
“What is it?”
“I just noticed Arthur and Gwen coming back from their visit to the village and I noticed Arthur’s face. He is happy, Katrina, and I haven’t seen that happiness on his face for a long time. He seems to be smitten with his wife and she of him. I just loved the sight of them together like that. I wish you could have seen it.”
“Really?” Katrina says in excitement but deep in her heart, she is cursing.
“I can’t wait for dinner. I want to hear all their stories and I want to see Arthur’s face. He is beaming with confidence. What ever it is you did dear, worked. Thank you,” Uther says and plants a kiss on her forehead.
“I just want Arthur to be happy, and I am willing to do anything to see that.”
“Thank you, Katrina. I love you. I will see you at dinner,” Uther says and walks back to the door.
“Of course, dear,” Katrina says, waves and smiles as Uther closes the door behind him.
‘You better be acting, Gwen, or else …’ Katrina thinks to herself.
That night, Gwen walks back to her chamber slowly. Her stomach is full and she is tired. It has been a long day and she desperately needs a long sleep. She reaches Arthur’s chamber and her footsteps slow. Should she stop and see what is he doing? Perhaps enquire about him and what has he thought of her advice? Gwen stops right in front of Arthur’s chamber doors and thinks quickly. She nears the door, raises her hand and brings to knock it but she stops.
‘What if he doesn’t like me disturbing his privacy?’ she thinks. ‘What if he wants his moment alone? What if he is …’ she dreads to think further and drops her hand.
Thinking it unwise to barge into Arthur’s privacy, she walks past Arthur’s chamber and towards her own. All the way, she can’t help but think about Arthur. She didn’t think she’d have a chance with him today, but what surprised her most is that he listened! And not only that, he also began to consider her suggestions. And that, for Gwen, is an achievement. From what Merlin told her, Arthur never listens to anyone. But she took her chances and was bold and it paid off well, beyond her expectations. She is happy, and now she can pay attention to making Arthur king of Camelot.
Uther had been enthusiastic when he found out Arthur is considering taking the throne and was a happy man at dinner. He couldn’t stop talking about Arthur and how the latter will make a better king than him. Though Arthur has yet to fully involve himself with his father, he did enjoy the conversation the king made throughout dinner. Gwen reaches her door and thinks. Once she is done convincing Arthur about the throne, her next step will be to bring father and son back together. She wants to help mend the broken relationship. She doesn’t care what happened between them before, but right now they both need each other. And after that, she will deal with Katrina. She is glad she found out about the scheming queen from Merlin, and with his and Morgana’s help, she will slowly but surely extract Arthur from her clutches. But to do that, she needs to earn Arthur’s trust first. And in order to earn his trust, she must change her ideas about him. She must learn to accept him, forgive him and change her views. She must grasp the idea that she is his wife and that comes before everything else. And only then will she be able to win his loyalty. Gwen nudges the door with her elbow and enters. The chamber seems to be clean. The maids have done an excellent job getting the chamber readied for her.
Gwen closes the door and enters. She removes her earrings and chain and drops them on the dressing table and heads toward the window. The night breeze is refreshing and she likes to have it in her chamber. As she nears the table where a basket of fruit lays, she notices a rose with a small message scribbled on a paper alongside it. Gwen stops, circles the table and picks the message up. It says ‘Thank you, Guinevere. Love, Arthur.’ Gwen picks up the rose and inhales. It smells fresh. She smiles.
“Glad you like it,” Arthur says, stepping out from the shadows.
Gwen almost shrieks but she controls herself and whirls around, her eyes widening as she spots her husband in her chamber. “Oh … it’s you.”
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” Arthur tells Gwen. “Just wanted to deliver it myself.”
“Ermm … yes. Thank you. But you really shouldn’t have.”
“Shouldn’t what? Bring you flowers? I thought I was your husband and you cared.”
“I do … thank you,” Gwen says after a moment. “This is really sweet of you.”
“Well, it’s my way of showing appreciation to those I care about.” Arthur inches closer.
Gwen’s stomach knots and she looks around uneasily. What should she do if he comes closer? How should she react?
“Guinevere?”
“Huh?” Gwen looks at Arthur and notices he is now just an inch away from her. She can smell his clean, masculine scent.
“When you said that you cared … I’d like to know what you meant by that.”
“It means …” Gwen pauses. ‘What do I tell him?’ she thinks to herself quickly. “It means that I am willing to forgive you for everything you’ve done to me before this and start our marriage all over again.”
“Really?” he inches closer and Gwen feels like fainting. He is so close that she could almost kiss him. His scent, his proximity, and his masculinity is making her swoon.
“Hmm…” she trails off.
“Does that mean that you have forgiven me for those awful words I said to you before you left the castle and went to your father’s? Those words that I wished I could take back as soon as they were out?” he asks quietly.
“Yes … everything.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that,” she answers him. “I told you, I am starting this marriage all over again so everything is forgiven. However, if you say anything like that again …”
“I wouldn’t even dare,” Arthur raises his hand, as if swearing an oath. “I swear … I will not ever.”
“Good,” Gwen says with a smile and fakes a yawn. “Well, I’m sleepy, Arthur … maybe we can continue this tomorrow?”
“Sure … why not,” Arthur tells her.
“Good night, Arthur, and thank you again for the flower.”
“Pleasure’s all mine … good night, Guinevere,” Arthur replies. Before Gwen realizes what’s happening, he leans down and brushes his lips across her left cheek in a feather-light kiss. Unexpected tingles travel down her left side as she watches him stride to the door while she tries not to gape in surprise.
Just after Arthur opens the door, he turns back and smiles fondly at her. Then he’s gone.
The door makes a soft click as it closes, and Gwen sniffs the rose again, smiles to herself, and heads to her bed, a little perplexed but a little happy for the first time in a while.
She pushes off the sheet and steps down, slipping on her slippers and walking over to the table. She plucks a grape, pops it into her mouth and wonders what she should do today. She taps her fingers alongside the table, circles it and sighs, looking out the window. She can’t help thinking about yesterday. Her conversation with Merlin is still vivid in her mind, still fresh. Merlin had been honest, just as she has requested, and she appreciates that. But his explanation came as a shock both to her and Morgana. It seems there are some things that even Morgana didn’t know about Arthur. Merlin had been keeping them close to his chest all this while.
“You need to help him, Gwen … I can’t see anyone but you to get him to come around. Pleas,.” Merlin pleaded as he explained about Arthur to Gwen.
“But do you really believe that I can help him? What if he does not want me to help him? What if he … you know, he is an arrogant idiot isn’t he?” Gwen replies to Merlin.
“But he will listen to you, Gwen. Trust me. I have never seen him like this before. I mean, he has never been besotted like he is with you. And that’s why I believe he will listen to you,” Merlin adds.
“He is right you know … Arthur is a changed man after you arrived,” Morgana adds.
“But … I don’t know how …”
“Gwen,” Merlin grabs Gwen’s hand tightly and looks directly into her eyes, his own soft and warm. Pleading. “Arthur might seem all knightly and chivalrous to everyone, us included, but he is suffering silently. He lost his mother at an early age of his life and has been yearning for love since then. The only love he gets is from Katrina and it’s not genuine. He doesn’t know that and believes she loves him like a son. When he finds out about her true nature, it will break him, Gwen. Trust me, it will, and it will break him apart,” Merlin says. “And that’s why I need you to help him … you have to make him understand about Katrina before he finds out on his own. That will reduce his pain … because when he falls, you’ll be there to catch him. He needs to trust you because he will need you to support him when the inevitable happens.”
Gwen knows Merlin is right but she doesn’t know if she is ready for all this drama in her life yet. She is still hurt by what Arthur did to her and is still reeling from the pain he brought to her. She hasn’t forgiven him yet. But after hearing what Merlin had to say about Arthur and Katrina, Gwen seems to have a change of heart about the whole issue. And she’s even scrapped the whole issue about ending her marriage to Arthur … at least for the moment.
“Gwen?”
“Yes Merlin?”
“Will you help him?” Merlin asks again.
“I’m not …”
“Please, Gwen. No matter what happens … never leave Arthur, it’s all I ask of you,” Merlin tells her.
Gwen nods and says nothing else. Is there anything to say?
The knock on the door wakes her up from her day dream and she turns around to answer. “Yes?”
“It’s me, Katrina.”
‘What? What is she doing here?’ Gwen thinks quickly. “Come in,” she answers and turns around. She quickly pulls on a dressing gown and walks back to her bed.
The door opens and Katrina walks in, smiling.
‘Why is she smiling at me?’ Gwen thinks and smiles back. “Your highness.”
“Good morning dear.” Katrina nears Gwen and leans to kiss her cheek. “I see you are up early; planning to go somewhere?”
“Yes, actually, I’m thinking of heading to the village.”
“What? Why?”
“To meet the villagers … each and every one of them,” Gwen replies casually.
“Oh … why would you want to do that?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean … don’t get me wrong, sweetheart. What I meant was you are from there and you know every one by heart so why head back? Just curious, you know.” Katrina smiles again.
“I am taking Arthur with me. I want Arthur to meet them … everyone.”
“Really?” now Katrina is completely confused.
“You asked me to improve Arthur’s image, didn’t you? So I am taking him to meet the villagers. Let them know that their prince cares for them,” Gwen answers.
“Oh … yes. I did. Gwen, that is a wonderful idea. Why didn’t I think of that?” Katrina smiles. “Yes, please do …”
“Where is Arthur?”
“Training as usual, but you know what? I will ask him to find you this instant. He will not disobey me.”
‘Of course!’ Gwen thinks to herself. “Thank you … actually I didn’t know how to ask you to help me,” Gwen says, looking down.
“All you need is to ask, dear … I will send him immediately. You better get dressed,” Katrina advices and heads to the door.
“Thanks,” Gwen says and smiles.
Katrina smiles and leaves. Gwen blows to herself and sits down.
‘Great … you lied to get yourself out and now how am I going to bring him to meet all the villagers?’ she thinks to herself, slaps her forehead and drops back on the bed.
Arthur waits at the entrance with his hands firmly clasped behind his back. He is looking ahead but he isn’t directly focused on whatever he is watching. He is thinking. He recalls back the conversation he had with his mother this morning. She came to meet him at his training and it surprised him. She usually waits until he is done with his training before meeting him, but today she came out to the grounds. And she had a request. She asked him to promise to fulfill it before explaining it to him. She wanted him to accompany Gwen to the village. She didn’t say why but asked him to comply. And he didn’t ask her why, either. Only when Arthur realized that it was just the two of them leaving for this trip did he realize this was a special trip, one his mother must have arranged for him and Gwen. Perhaps she wants him to reconcile with Guinevere after what happened. Arthur twitches his lips and sighs. Well, it is a good thought and it’s about time they do so. He had been alone way too long.
Someone clears his throat behind him.
Arthur turns around and sees Guinevere. She looks beautiful and he can’t take his eyes off her, staring dumbly for a bit too long.
She clears her throat again.
He startles and clears his own throat. He smiles at her.
Gwen doesn’t smile back. His smile fades. “Shall we?” she asks and steps down.
Arthur follows her quickly.
“Which is my horse?” Gwen asks as she reaches the last steps, looking at the two horses in front of her.
“The white one. Can I help you?”
“No, it’s all right. I can manage,” Gwen says and mounts the horse easily.
Arthur arches his brow and mounts his own horse. He adjusts his cape and looks at Gwen. “Where are we going?”
“To my village,” Gwen says, and before he can ask further, she heads forward.
“Guinevere … wait,” Arthur says and hurries after her.
Gwaine finishes his last log and sighs. He tosses his axe aside and wipes his sweat from his forehead. The afternoon sun was heating his body and he is glad he decided to strip off his tunic. His muscles flex as he stretches to lift the logs one by one and set them inside the large basket. The logs are heavy and he hasn’t had his breakfast yet, so his energy levels are not really as high as they should be.
“Hello, Gwaine.”
He recognises that voice anywhere and he turns immediately, his lips twitching into a smile as he looks at Gwen. But the smile fades immediately as he looks over at Arthur behind her. He bows in respect.
“Come on Gwaine, that isn’t necessary … I’ve told you haven’t I? I am still your friend,” Gwen says.
But before Gwaine can answer, Arthur sticks his nose in. “But you are the princess and he is following the rules, aren’t you, Gwaine?”
“Hmm, yes,” Gwaine says. Gwen rolls her eyes. But she was standing with her back facing Arthur so the latter didn’t see what she did.
“Nonsense … he was my friend before I was a princess,” Gwen glances quickly at Arthur and walks towards Gwaine. “How are you, Gwaine?”
Arthur clenches his cheek and waits. He is actually uneasy with Guinevere coming down to meet Gwaine. His mother said she wants to head to her village for a reason; is this it? To meet her friend? And why did she bring him along? This is bound to provoke another fight between them.
“I’m good, Gwen. See … I’m actually filling my time.” Gwaine shows all the logs he has chopped into half around him.
“I can see that … why haven’t you visited me, Gwaine?”
Gwaine knew she would come to that eventually. “I have been busy, Gwen. I swear.”
“Really? Hmm … fine, I believe you. Are your parents around?” Gwen looks around. “I really miss them.”
“They have gone to visit my aunt … I didn’t know you were coming.”
“It was sort of unexpected, Gwaine,” Arthur chips in. Gwen sighs. Gwaine notices, but says nothing.
Gwen ignores Arthur and continues to scan the area. “Well, Gwaine … I wanted to see your parents, but unfortunately, that’s not possible today. Another time, then …” Gwen says and smiles. “Send my regards to them.”
“I’ll let them know you came, Gwen. It’s been a pleasure,” he adds. And he looks beyond Gwen towards Arthur. Bowing in respect he says, “Thank you, your highness.”
“Please Gwaine … Call me Arthur. A friend of my wife’s is my friend, too,” Arthur tries to be friendly.
“Thank you.”
“Goodbye, Gwaine …” Gwen says and walks back towards Arthur and the horses.
Arthur nods, mounts his horse and follows Gwen as Gwaine watches them leave, sadness creeping around his heart.
Gwen keeps quiet all through the journey. Beside her, Arthur does the same as well. He would like to talk to her, but he doesn’t really know what to say. They have been riding towards the village for almost twenty minutes and she hasn’t even turned her head towards him. She is quiet and focused on the ride. And it worries and makes him uneasy.
“Guinevere?” he finally decides to break the silence.
Gwen turns to him.
“Where are we going?”
“To the village.”
“Why?”
“I want you to meet the villagers … make them feel you are a prince they can count on.”
“What?” Arthur says nonchalantly but as Gwen shoots a glare at him, he tones down. “Meaning … why would you want me to do that for?”
“To prepare you to become king.”
“What?” Arthur stops his horse and his face darkens with anger. “What is going on?”
Gwen stops her own horse, turns it around and meets his eyes, unafraid of his wrath. “You were saying?”
“Why are you taking me to meet the villagers and why are you so concerned about me being the king?”
“My concern is not for you, but for your father.”
“Sorry?”
“I think your father has endured more than enough from your way of life, and it’s about time he took his rest. And you need to buck up and be responsible to your kingdom as well … be the man I was told you would be.”
“And you decide to take this task upon yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Why? What’s in it for you?”
“Nothing … but since no one else wants to do it, I thought I’d do it.”
“Really, Guinevere?” Arthur laughs and shakes his head.
“What is funny about this, Arthur?”
“You … I just,” Arthur stops and laughs again. “You hate me, I know this. You hate me and want nothing to do with me, but now, suddenly you are concerned about my welfare. And you are doing all this so that I can be the king? I just find it really surprising …”
“Very well, since you brought it up, I think I had better get this off my chest as well. Yes, Arthur, I hate you right now, and I don’t deny that. I hate the fact that I’m married to a man who doesn’t know how to respect another’s feelings, especially his wife’s. And I hate you because you claimed to marry me for my body rather than for me as a person. But I love your father and respect him both as my king and father-in-law. He has suffered enough and he desperately wants you to be the king … in fact, that is what you should be training for, to be the king.”
“Guinevere …”
“I am not finished yet, Arthur. You are the crowned prince and this is your kingdom. Like it or not, you are heir to the throne, not someone else. And you must be man enough to claim the throne that is yours by right. Be responsible for once in your life and do something right. I understand you and your father don’t always see eye to eye. Whatever happened between you and him is not my business, but as your wife, I have every right to push you to accept your responsibility.”
Arthur keeps quiet.
“Perhaps not many people have told you this, Arthur. Perhaps some didn’t want to irk your wrath or some simply didn’t care. But I will tell you this, because I believe in justice and I say what I feel. You have been wasting your life. If you are old enough to be married, you are old enough to understand that there is more to life than mindless frivolity. Yes, you should have fun, but you must balance it with your responsibility. And you have a huge one waiting to sit on your shoulders. Make the second half of your life worthwhile, Arthur … be someone that your people will be proud of. Your father already has his name written down in Camelot’s history … make sure yours sits next to his.”
Arthur still listens in silence.
Gwen sighs. “It is not my intent to scold you, Arthur, because you are not a child, but this is something that needed to be said. And I took it upon myself because while I say I hate you…” she pauses a moment, closing her eyes, “I do actually care for you.”
Arthur looks up at her.
Gwen opens her eyes and smiles a small smile.
Arthur’s heart flutters.
“If you are to be my husband, then I want that husband to be someone the whole of Camelot will be proud of. And I am wiling to sacrifice anything to see that happen,” she says. “Anything at all …”
Those words mean a lot to Arthur. Suddenly his heart feels strangely warm. No one has spoken so boldly to him or advised him like Guinevere just did. He feels as if he is needed, wanted and above all … loved. Previously he had been wasting his life because he assumed no one cared for his well being but now, from Guinevere’s words it looks as if he has possibly found meaning to start his life anew.
“All I am asking you to do is consider it, Arthur … you have your whole future laid in front of you, don’t ruin it by spending the rest of your life wrecking it. This is your life and only you can decide what is good for you. And you are not a child, you don’t need to be told what to do, but if you need someone to talk with or confide in, you can count on me. I might not be someone you might want to talk with but I’m there if you ever need me,” Gwen finishes.
Arthur clears his throat and looks around. He is happy beyond words but he doesn’t want to show his emotions or express his feelings to Guinevere yet. He is planning to do that in a different way, and for that he will have to wait.
“Hmm … so you believe I will be a good king?”
“It doesn’t matter what I believe …”
“It does to me,” he tells her softly.
Gwen sighs and meets his gaze. “Yes, I do,” she tells him. And she means it. She knows her words have reached him, and if he is to believe in her words than she must convince him. “I’ve believed it since I married you.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me before?”
“Did you give me a chance?” she asks.
“I would have if you have spoken to me rather than leaving me in the dark. Most of the time we started speaking, we ended up bickering.”
“Well, that’s your fault. You were the one who …”
“Like now.” Arthur smiles, cutting Gwen short.
Gwen has to agree that is funny and she laughs as well. “Well … you got me there.”
“I have to say … what you said is … true. And I appreciate your concern,” Arthur starts.
“Will you listen to me, them?”
“I might …” he tells her and when he notices Gwen’s face is changing from anticipation to annoyance, he quickly adds, “I will.”
“Great … now come on, let’s go and meet the villagers.”
“Wait a minute, about that… what is it that you have in mind, Guinevere?” Arthur asks.
“About what, meeting the villagers?”
“Yes,” he says shortly.
“I want you to show them that you care and let them get comfortable with you,” Gwen explains.
“And what do you have in mind?”
“I’ll show you.” Gwen smiles and urges Arthur to follow her as she rides ahead of him.
After spending all afternoon in the village, Arthur and Gwen head back home. Gwen had been chatty all the way back, recalling their experiences with Arthur. He likes listening to her talk and watching her laugh and smile makes his heart flutter with happiness. He has never been as happy as he is today. Though he didn’t really get excited meeting the villagers, he is happy he agreed, because he managed to be with Gwen alone. And they mend the rift between them. That was important. And he can’t wait to show his appreciation to her.
“Did you see all their faces when you said you would help them? They didn’t believe a word you said! That really proves your reputation, Arthur,” Gwen laughs as she rides alongside him.
Arthur smiles.
“And they must have thought that this was all a dream, I mean … come on, the crowned prince decides to help them? That is definitely going to give them sleepless nights for days.” And again she laughs.
“I have been nasty, haven’t I?” he asks.
Gwen stops laughing and looks at him, her eyes warming.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make fun of you.”
“No, you said right, Guinevere. They are all clueless about me and you can see that in their faces. They don’t trust me.”
“They will, Arthur, you just have to show them the way.”
“And what if I fail?”
“That’s why you have me. I will help you, Arthur, in every way I know. But you need to help yourself first,” she tells him.
Arthur sighs.
“Please, Arthur … just promise me that you will help yourself,” Gwen insists again.
“I’ll try.”
“Good … come on. Let’s race home … I know you are an excellent rider, but let’s see if you can beat a simple village girl.” She doesn’t even give him time to consider as she kicks the side of her horse and gallops ahead.
“That’s not fair …” Arthur says and follows behind.
Katrina watches Arthur and Gwen dismounting from their horses from her chamber. They look happy and she doesn’t like the smile she spots on Arthur’s face. He seems to be excited in Gwen’s presence. Katrina knows she has to make Arthur king before anything happens and has promised Gwen the chance to end the marriage with Arthur if she helps make Arthur king with the permission of the council. So, if this is all an act to convince Arthur and the council, Katrina is fine with it. But if it is not, then Gwen will have to pay the consequences. And Katrina is not the forgiving type.
Someone knocks on the door.
“Come in.”
The door opens and Uther walks in. Katrina immediately puts on her smile and turns around to meet him.
“Uther.”
“Katrina, I have something important to tell you, and you are going to be very happy about it,” Uther says in excitement.
“What is it?”
“I just noticed Arthur and Gwen coming back from their visit to the village and I noticed Arthur’s face. He is happy, Katrina, and I haven’t seen that happiness on his face for a long time. He seems to be smitten with his wife and she of him. I just loved the sight of them together like that. I wish you could have seen it.”
“Really?” Katrina says in excitement but deep in her heart, she is cursing.
“I can’t wait for dinner. I want to hear all their stories and I want to see Arthur’s face. He is beaming with confidence. What ever it is you did dear, worked. Thank you,” Uther says and plants a kiss on her forehead.
“I just want Arthur to be happy, and I am willing to do anything to see that.”
“Thank you, Katrina. I love you. I will see you at dinner,” Uther says and walks back to the door.
“Of course, dear,” Katrina says, waves and smiles as Uther closes the door behind him.
‘You better be acting, Gwen, or else …’ Katrina thinks to herself.
That night, Gwen walks back to her chamber slowly. Her stomach is full and she is tired. It has been a long day and she desperately needs a long sleep. She reaches Arthur’s chamber and her footsteps slow. Should she stop and see what is he doing? Perhaps enquire about him and what has he thought of her advice? Gwen stops right in front of Arthur’s chamber doors and thinks quickly. She nears the door, raises her hand and brings to knock it but she stops.
‘What if he doesn’t like me disturbing his privacy?’ she thinks. ‘What if he wants his moment alone? What if he is …’ she dreads to think further and drops her hand.
Thinking it unwise to barge into Arthur’s privacy, she walks past Arthur’s chamber and towards her own. All the way, she can’t help but think about Arthur. She didn’t think she’d have a chance with him today, but what surprised her most is that he listened! And not only that, he also began to consider her suggestions. And that, for Gwen, is an achievement. From what Merlin told her, Arthur never listens to anyone. But she took her chances and was bold and it paid off well, beyond her expectations. She is happy, and now she can pay attention to making Arthur king of Camelot.
Uther had been enthusiastic when he found out Arthur is considering taking the throne and was a happy man at dinner. He couldn’t stop talking about Arthur and how the latter will make a better king than him. Though Arthur has yet to fully involve himself with his father, he did enjoy the conversation the king made throughout dinner. Gwen reaches her door and thinks. Once she is done convincing Arthur about the throne, her next step will be to bring father and son back together. She wants to help mend the broken relationship. She doesn’t care what happened between them before, but right now they both need each other. And after that, she will deal with Katrina. She is glad she found out about the scheming queen from Merlin, and with his and Morgana’s help, she will slowly but surely extract Arthur from her clutches. But to do that, she needs to earn Arthur’s trust first. And in order to earn his trust, she must change her ideas about him. She must learn to accept him, forgive him and change her views. She must grasp the idea that she is his wife and that comes before everything else. And only then will she be able to win his loyalty. Gwen nudges the door with her elbow and enters. The chamber seems to be clean. The maids have done an excellent job getting the chamber readied for her.
Gwen closes the door and enters. She removes her earrings and chain and drops them on the dressing table and heads toward the window. The night breeze is refreshing and she likes to have it in her chamber. As she nears the table where a basket of fruit lays, she notices a rose with a small message scribbled on a paper alongside it. Gwen stops, circles the table and picks the message up. It says ‘Thank you, Guinevere. Love, Arthur.’ Gwen picks up the rose and inhales. It smells fresh. She smiles.
“Glad you like it,” Arthur says, stepping out from the shadows.
Gwen almost shrieks but she controls herself and whirls around, her eyes widening as she spots her husband in her chamber. “Oh … it’s you.”
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” Arthur tells Gwen. “Just wanted to deliver it myself.”
“Ermm … yes. Thank you. But you really shouldn’t have.”
“Shouldn’t what? Bring you flowers? I thought I was your husband and you cared.”
“I do … thank you,” Gwen says after a moment. “This is really sweet of you.”
“Well, it’s my way of showing appreciation to those I care about.” Arthur inches closer.
Gwen’s stomach knots and she looks around uneasily. What should she do if he comes closer? How should she react?
“Guinevere?”
“Huh?” Gwen looks at Arthur and notices he is now just an inch away from her. She can smell his clean, masculine scent.
“When you said that you cared … I’d like to know what you meant by that.”
“It means …” Gwen pauses. ‘What do I tell him?’ she thinks to herself quickly. “It means that I am willing to forgive you for everything you’ve done to me before this and start our marriage all over again.”
“Really?” he inches closer and Gwen feels like fainting. He is so close that she could almost kiss him. His scent, his proximity, and his masculinity is making her swoon.
“Hmm…” she trails off.
“Does that mean that you have forgiven me for those awful words I said to you before you left the castle and went to your father’s? Those words that I wished I could take back as soon as they were out?” he asks quietly.
“Yes … everything.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that,” she answers him. “I told you, I am starting this marriage all over again so everything is forgiven. However, if you say anything like that again …”
“I wouldn’t even dare,” Arthur raises his hand, as if swearing an oath. “I swear … I will not ever.”
“Good,” Gwen says with a smile and fakes a yawn. “Well, I’m sleepy, Arthur … maybe we can continue this tomorrow?”
“Sure … why not,” Arthur tells her.
“Good night, Arthur, and thank you again for the flower.”
“Pleasure’s all mine … good night, Guinevere,” Arthur replies. Before Gwen realizes what’s happening, he leans down and brushes his lips across her left cheek in a feather-light kiss. Unexpected tingles travel down her left side as she watches him stride to the door while she tries not to gape in surprise.
Just after Arthur opens the door, he turns back and smiles fondly at her. Then he’s gone.
The door makes a soft click as it closes, and Gwen sniffs the rose again, smiles to herself, and heads to her bed, a little perplexed but a little happy for the first time in a while.
