Forgetting Lasts So Long (G)
Title: Forgetting Lasts So Long
Rating: G
Author: blackmamba_esq
Fandom: Merlin
Characters: Arthur, Gwen, mentions Lancelot
Pairing: Arthur/Gwen, Lancelot/Gwen
Word Count: 300
Written for: camelot_love drabble fest prompt by la_esmeralda “AU, A/G, Gwen marries Lancelot.”
Summary: There is a line he doesn’t cross.
There is a line he doesn’t cross. A king’s power is not limitless, despite how it might appear to others. Blood doesn’t earn respect; men do, through courage and strong will. This is what he tells himself, that nothing is worth losing the confidence of his people. Not even her.
Lancelot has been missing a fortnight when she comes to him. He knows she’s desperate because she wouldn’t do it otherwise. She’s careful as well; deliberately formal in his presence, terrified that someone might catch a look between them, a careless glance. He hasn’t touched her in two years, not since blessing her marriage to his bravest knight.
“I know you’re worried,” Arthur says. “But Lancelot’s skill is unmatched. He’ll come back to you, I’m sure of it.”
Gwen forces a smile that doesn’t meet her eyes. She’s staring at his chest, hands clasped against her stomach. “I appreciate your confidence my lord,” she says. Her voice is small and thin with worry. He wants to reach for her, but balls his hands into fists instead. “But I know better than anyone how foolish such hope can be.” Her eyes slide upward, briefly connecting with his before she lowers them again. “I just…” her voice fades, and she clears her throat before continuing. “I need to know if he’s gone.”
Arthur studies her, the stubborn tilt of her chin, back ramrod straight as she blinks back the constant threat of tears. “Would that make it easier,” he asks. “Knowing there’s no hope?”
She looks at him, really looks at him, for the first time since she’s entered the room. There’s no pretense this time, and everything between them, everything they’ve lost is right there in her eyes. “It’s never easy Arthur,” she says. “It’s just how we start to grieve.”
Rating: G
Author: blackmamba_esq
Fandom: Merlin
Characters: Arthur, Gwen, mentions Lancelot
Pairing: Arthur/Gwen, Lancelot/Gwen
Word Count: 300
Written for: camelot_love drabble fest prompt by la_esmeralda “AU, A/G, Gwen marries Lancelot.”
Summary: There is a line he doesn’t cross.
There is a line he doesn’t cross. A king’s power is not limitless, despite how it might appear to others. Blood doesn’t earn respect; men do, through courage and strong will. This is what he tells himself, that nothing is worth losing the confidence of his people. Not even her.
Lancelot has been missing a fortnight when she comes to him. He knows she’s desperate because she wouldn’t do it otherwise. She’s careful as well; deliberately formal in his presence, terrified that someone might catch a look between them, a careless glance. He hasn’t touched her in two years, not since blessing her marriage to his bravest knight.
“I know you’re worried,” Arthur says. “But Lancelot’s skill is unmatched. He’ll come back to you, I’m sure of it.”
Gwen forces a smile that doesn’t meet her eyes. She’s staring at his chest, hands clasped against her stomach. “I appreciate your confidence my lord,” she says. Her voice is small and thin with worry. He wants to reach for her, but balls his hands into fists instead. “But I know better than anyone how foolish such hope can be.” Her eyes slide upward, briefly connecting with his before she lowers them again. “I just…” her voice fades, and she clears her throat before continuing. “I need to know if he’s gone.”
Arthur studies her, the stubborn tilt of her chin, back ramrod straight as she blinks back the constant threat of tears. “Would that make it easier,” he asks. “Knowing there’s no hope?”
She looks at him, really looks at him, for the first time since she’s entered the room. There’s no pretense this time, and everything between them, everything they’ve lost is right there in her eyes. “It’s never easy Arthur,” she says. “It’s just how we start to grieve.”