I Used to Think Maybe You Loved Me | Gwaine, Arthur... and an apple tree | PG (part 1 of 2) (A/N: I apologize in advance. I think this challenge has broken my brain... XD)
Soon after Gwaine had arrived at Camelot, he found that he had a favorite apple tree in the palace orchards. It made what were, in his opinion, the sweetest, juiciest, most perfect fruit he had ever seen, and he often found himself wandering down the sun-dappled path from the castle to the orchard just to visit that tree.
Likewise, the tree became especially fond of Gwaine. Most people who visited the tree plucked her apples and flung them in a basket, to be mixed with those from any number of other trees around. But Gwaine-- he clearly preferred her apples above all others. Not only did he like her apples, he also seemed to enjoy her shade, spending many an afternoon leaning against her trunk as he snacked away, and occasionally, napped. Once in a while, he even thanked her when picking an apple from her branches. After he had come along, she put special effort into making her fruit the sweetest, juiciest, and most perfect it could be.
But then, the Dark Day came. Gwaine came down the path... munching on a green apple. At first, the tree thought she must be mistaken; after all, she only made red apples.
She only made red apples.
She could not believe it; how could he? After all she had done to make perfect apples for him, and this was how he repaid her?
At first, she was injured, but when he went to pick one of her own apples whilst still chewing on that green one, she became angry.
The green apple Cook had insisted he take was all right, but Gwaine would really have preferred one from his favorite tree. Still, there was no sense in letting a decent apple go to waste, so he chewed on it as he went down to get an amazing one.
As he reached up for an apple, he suddenly found himself shielding his head as a positive avalanche of them rained down. Jumping back, he looked up to see what could have caused that, but... nothing. There was no explanation that he could see. Cautiously, Gwaine picked a couple of apples up off of the ground, and made his way back to the path-- peeking over his shoulder at the tree in confusion as he went.
The tree fumed as he made off with some apples to eat. Well. If he thought he was getting any more, he was sadly mistaken.
A few days later, he loped down the path again, mouth already watering at the prospect of biting into one of his favorite apples... but was met with disappointment when he got to the tree. Every apple was rotten to the core. Very concerned now, Gwaine hied off in search of the master of the orchards.
"Dunno what it could be," the man said, scratching his head. "Weren't a problem with her a few days ago."
"Do you think it could be an enchantment?"
"I suppose, but why would somebody enchant one tree? The others are fine."
Gwaine had no answer for that, but he checked back daily to see if things had improved-- and they had not.
With the lifetime a tree can lead, they are capable of holding grudges for some time.
A week later, the master of the orchards came in to the meeting of the Round Table, to give his report. After summing up the fruit harvested that week and the expenses for upkeep, he said, "There's one tree what's gone rotten. We should cut it down before it infects the others."
Arthur nodded. "All right--"
"No!" Gwaine stood up. "That's the best tree in the whole orchard; you can't just cut it down after a bad week."
"If it's gone rotten and could affect the others, I don't think we have a choice," Arthur pointed out, wondering what had gotten into his knight. "It's a tree."
"I won't allow it," Gwaine declared.
Shooting a confused glance at him, Arthur turned back to the orchard master. "We will discuss this later."
Gwaine could not wait for the meeting to end. As soon as it had adjourned, he made a brief stop in the palace storerooms, then ran down the path to the orchards.
When a pair of orchard workers came over later that afternoon with axes, they found one of the king's knights chained to the tree they had been ordered to dispose of.
(A/N: I apologize in advance. I think this challenge has broken my brain... XD)
Soon after Gwaine had arrived at Camelot, he found that he had a favorite apple tree in the palace orchards. It made what were, in his opinion, the sweetest, juiciest, most perfect fruit he had ever seen, and he often found himself wandering down the sun-dappled path from the castle to the orchard just to visit that tree.
Likewise, the tree became especially fond of Gwaine. Most people who visited the tree plucked her apples and flung them in a basket, to be mixed with those from any number of other trees around. But Gwaine-- he clearly preferred her apples above all others. Not only did he like her apples, he also seemed to enjoy her shade, spending many an afternoon leaning against her trunk as he snacked away, and occasionally, napped. Once in a while, he even thanked her when picking an apple from her branches. After he had come along, she put special effort into making her fruit the sweetest, juiciest, and most perfect it could be.
But then, the Dark Day came. Gwaine came down the path... munching on a green apple. At first, the tree thought she must be mistaken; after all, she only made red apples.
She only made red apples.
She could not believe it; how could he? After all she had done to make perfect apples for him, and this was how he repaid her?
At first, she was injured, but when he went to pick one of her own apples whilst still chewing on that green one, she became angry.
The green apple Cook had insisted he take was all right, but Gwaine would really have preferred one from his favorite tree. Still, there was no sense in letting a decent apple go to waste, so he chewed on it as he went down to get an amazing one.
As he reached up for an apple, he suddenly found himself shielding his head as a positive avalanche of them rained down. Jumping back, he looked up to see what could have caused that, but... nothing. There was no explanation that he could see. Cautiously, Gwaine picked a couple of apples up off of the ground, and made his way back to the path-- peeking over his shoulder at the tree in confusion as he went.
The tree fumed as he made off with some apples to eat. Well. If he thought he was getting any more, he was sadly mistaken.
A few days later, he loped down the path again, mouth already watering at the prospect of biting into one of his favorite apples... but was met with disappointment when he got to the tree. Every apple was rotten to the core. Very concerned now, Gwaine hied off in search of the master of the orchards.
"Dunno what it could be," the man said, scratching his head. "Weren't a problem with her a few days ago."
"Do you think it could be an enchantment?"
"I suppose, but why would somebody enchant one tree? The others are fine."
Gwaine had no answer for that, but he checked back daily to see if things had improved-- and they had not.
With the lifetime a tree can lead, they are capable of holding grudges for some time.
A week later, the master of the orchards came in to the meeting of the Round Table, to give his report. After summing up the fruit harvested that week and the expenses for upkeep, he said, "There's one tree what's gone rotten. We should cut it down before it infects the others."
Arthur nodded. "All right--"
"No!" Gwaine stood up. "That's the best tree in the whole orchard; you can't just cut it down after a bad week."
"If it's gone rotten and could affect the others, I don't think we have a choice," Arthur pointed out, wondering what had gotten into his knight. "It's a tree."
"I won't allow it," Gwaine declared.
Shooting a confused glance at him, Arthur turned back to the orchard master. "We will discuss this later."
Gwaine could not wait for the meeting to end. As soon as it had adjourned, he made a brief stop in the palace storerooms, then ran down the path to the orchards.
When a pair of orchard workers came over later that afternoon with axes, they found one of the king's knights chained to the tree they had been ordered to dispose of.
"Here now, what's this?" the elder worker called.
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