Hours later, Gwen’s final shift was over and she was getting ready to go home. Only a few regulars were left, Helios and the grabbing man gone, but the handsome stranger still sitting at the bar.
Gwen pulled her coat on over her other dress, a home-fashion dress she brought since she didn’t want Morgana or her brother and sister yet to know that she worked as a barmaid.
A sigh escaped Gwen’s mouth for she knew soon she would be walking the long way home. Merlin, her rock knowing friend, the only other one who knew her barmaid secret also, wouldn’t be able to pick her up this night like he did most, having to spend another long night in the lab.
Although he was very good at his work, he was still having to pay for classes at the college and couldn’t afford to miss a lesson. Like she made do with walking home from Mr. Pendragon’s because Merlin was always in class then, she’d do the same here.
On her way to the door though, Gwaine called out, getting Gwen to step back with a touch of fear. “Did I do something wrong?”
Gwaine shook his head. “No Gwen, nothing. Just..uh…him.”
He pointed down to the handsome stranger who had been talking to everyone around him with a drunken slur. Other than that he was a quiet drunk, albeit a messy one. He looked so out of it now that Gwen actually felt a bit sorry. “Why do you think he’s so upset?”
Gwaine shook his head. “Don’t know. But hey. He can’t steer his horse I’m betting. Has a fancy carriage outside. And you have to walk home. Sweetheart, I’d take you myself, but can’t close up yet and need Percy here too.”
“Of course.” Gwen nodded. “But then, what?”
“Maybe you could take him.”
Gwen looked at Gwaine with shock. “What was that you said?”
“You won’t have to walk Gwen.”
…
Ten minutes later Gwen wasn’t sure what she was doing, just that Percival was holding onto the handsome man by the wait, tugging his thin arm around his big meaty shoulder, and that Gwen was walking beside them both. Percival helped the man to sit on the passenger side, letting out a hissing sigh as the handsome man slumped in his seat. Then he assisted Gwen on the other side.
“Gwaine’s crazy.” She told Percival who laughed heartedly.
“Yeah he is, but right too. You can’t walk Gwen. And the guy’s passed out.”
He gestured to the slumped over handsome man. “He won’t even notice until you’re safe and home.”
“And then what?” Gwen asked the short haired burly man. “How is he to get home?”
Percival patted her hand, stating casually, “One thing at a time.” And then he headed back inside the bar.
“Oh, goodness.” Gwen complained, gathering up the reigns to get the horse of the small, but extremely refined carriage, moving. She was doing fine for someone who had never even ridden a horse, but for once in her life, until they started going down a little hill. That was when the horse kept getting faster, faster, fast-
“Whoa Nellie!” The handsome drunk man muttered from his slumped over position. “Think m-going to be sick.”
“Oh!” Gwen let out with exasperation and fear, getting the man to be a little more alert.
We’re heading straight for that well.”
“Yes, I know!”
“It’s made of stone.”
“Oooohhh!”
“We’ll die.”
“Then do something!”
Gwen yelled and right at that moment the handsome man sloppily sat up, grabbed the reigns from her and steered the horse in the opposite direction, getting the horse to slow down to a safer canter.
When all was steady again, he scraped his fingers through his shining hair, letting out a belching moan. “I have a terrible headache.”
Gwen peered at him sympathetically, with a touch of honest reproach. “You drank too heavily.”
“Was trying to forget something.” He moaned.
“What?” Gwen asked.
He faced forward. “A woman.”
Gwen nodded her head slowly and then noticed he had stopped the horse. “Uh…”
The handsome man peered down at her. “Where were we going?”
Gwaine, this was his entire fault! Gwen quietly whispered, “My house.”
Part IV: One Man Too Many
Hours later, Gwen’s final shift was over and she was getting ready to go home. Only a few regulars were left, Helios and the grabbing man gone, but the handsome stranger still sitting at the bar.
Gwen pulled her coat on over her other dress, a home-fashion dress she brought since she didn’t want Morgana or her brother and sister yet to know that she worked as a barmaid.
A sigh escaped Gwen’s mouth for she knew soon she would be walking the long way home. Merlin, her rock knowing friend, the only other one who knew her barmaid secret also, wouldn’t be able to pick her up this night like he did most, having to spend another long night in the lab.
Although he was very good at his work, he was still having to pay for classes at the college and couldn’t afford to miss a lesson. Like she made do with walking home from Mr. Pendragon’s because Merlin was always in class then, she’d do the same here.
On her way to the door though, Gwaine called out, getting Gwen to step back with a touch of fear. “Did I do something wrong?”
Gwaine shook his head. “No Gwen, nothing. Just..uh…him.”
He pointed down to the handsome stranger who had been talking to everyone around him with a drunken slur. Other than that he was a quiet drunk, albeit a messy one. He looked so out of it now that Gwen actually felt a bit sorry. “Why do you think he’s so upset?”
Gwaine shook his head. “Don’t know. But hey. He can’t steer his horse I’m betting. Has a fancy carriage outside. And you have to walk home. Sweetheart, I’d take you myself, but can’t close up yet and need Percy here too.”
“Of course.” Gwen nodded. “But then, what?”
“Maybe you could take him.”
Gwen looked at Gwaine with shock. “What was that you said?”
“You won’t have to walk Gwen.”
…
Ten minutes later Gwen wasn’t sure what she was doing, just that Percival was holding onto the handsome man by the wait, tugging his thin arm around his big meaty shoulder, and that Gwen was walking beside them both. Percival helped the man to sit on the passenger side, letting out a hissing sigh as the handsome man slumped in his seat. Then he assisted Gwen on the other side.
“Gwaine’s crazy.” She told Percival who laughed heartedly.
“Yeah he is, but right too. You can’t walk Gwen. And the guy’s passed out.”
He gestured to the slumped over handsome man. “He won’t even notice until you’re safe and home.”
“And then what?” Gwen asked the short haired burly man. “How is he to get home?”
Percival patted her hand, stating casually, “One thing at a time.” And then he headed back inside the bar.
“Oh, goodness.” Gwen complained, gathering up the reigns to get the horse of the small, but extremely refined carriage, moving. She was doing fine for someone who had never even ridden a horse, but for once in her life, until they started going down a little hill. That was when the horse kept getting faster, faster, fast-
“Whoa Nellie!” The handsome drunk man muttered from his slumped over position. “Think m-going to be sick.”
“Oh!” Gwen let out with exasperation and fear, getting the man to be a little more alert.
We’re heading straight for that well.”
“Yes, I know!”
“It’s made of stone.”
“Oooohhh!”
“We’ll die.”
“Then do something!”
Gwen yelled and right at that moment the handsome man sloppily sat up, grabbed the reigns from her and steered the horse in the opposite direction, getting the horse to slow down to a safer canter.
When all was steady again, he scraped his fingers through his shining hair, letting out a belching moan. “I have a terrible headache.”
Gwen peered at him sympathetically, with a touch of honest reproach. “You drank too heavily.”
“Was trying to forget something.” He moaned.
“What?” Gwen asked.
He faced forward. “A woman.”
Gwen nodded her head slowly and then noticed he had stopped the horse. “Uh…”
The handsome man peered down at her. “Where were we going?”
Gwaine, this was his entire fault! Gwen quietly whispered, “My house.”
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