The Time Meddler (6/?)
Title: The Time Meddler
Spoilers: Up to "The Sword in the Stone", eventually, beginning with "The Nightmare Begins".
Warnings: Character death, violence, possibly incest?
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin; Arthur/Gwen; Arthur/Morgana; Merlin/Morgana; Merlin/Gwen; Morgana/Gwen; Gwen/Lancelot; Morgana/Gwaine - although it's not focused in the romance at all, they all might be mentioned, so you are warned.
Rating: R
Chapter Word Count: 3,642
Summary: They said no man can change his history, but Merlin doesn't believe it. Time is his to bend and his destiny is his to shape. Again.
Chapter 6
Arthur was the kind of man that rather takes matters into his own hands. He always had a hard time in delegating tasks for other people, and while his father always said that a good king rules by himself, Arthur had a feeling that didn’t meant he should go himself inside Hengist’s fortress to recover Gwen and Morgana.
He didn’t like the idea of sending his man into danger while he stood back, but some of the old knights had reminded him of the obvious problems: it was supposed to be a surprise that they had a whole army, just a small retinue was supposed to meet Hengist at first, and it wouldn’t be near enough to protect him in case they decided to make another captive.
Arthur didn’t fear the possibility, but he knew it would be a set down for his forces if he were to get caught. It would be best if Hengist didn’t even learn that Arthur himself had come until it was too late, and he was on his back, Arthur’s sword’s in his chest, ready to die like the dog he was.
Maybe it would be also best for him to stay behind if he was having such a hard time controlling his nerves.
In the end, it was easy to pick three knights to send Hengist the money he had asked for, while allowing other five to stay around but not to enter the fortress. It would be better to give Hengist a good pretense that they were doing business. It would be also safer for the girls if Hengist didn’t think they were a threat, and Arthur’s presence was sure to tip him off to something odd. He wasn’t the kind of man that would understand that Arthur would come because he cared far too much.
Sir Leon was the obvious choice to lead, for he managed to make everyone respect him while staying calm and composed. He was not only a fair fighter and a seasoned warrior but also the child of one of Camelot’s most important nobles and had a sure talent for politics and peace talks, as well as any sort of compromise he might need to reach with Hengist.
Arthur sent Sir Fraomar and Sir Kegan with him for support, and a handful of others to watch over the gold cart. Uther had devised a trap, which wasn’t Arthur’s favorite way of handling things, but he had to agree it should work - if they managed to stay out of sight from the sentries. He would stay behind with thirty other knights, not an easy party to hide, but he had to trust it would be for the best. The knights of Camelot were the best in the land, and while Hengist might hold thrice that amount of man inside his walls, surely they weren’t nearly as skilled or loyal as his own man were.
When it was all said and done, it was still hard to sit around and do nothing, just wait for the outcome before the battle. He liked to spend time with the men, and they could always count on each other in the eve of an attack, but his heart was heavy as he thought of what might have passed during the few days since he had last seen Gwen.
He knew that Hengist was no fool and would never harm Morgana, not if he hoped to get his money; but Gwen was worthless to him. Surely he had entertained the idea of killing her instead of having another mouth to feed; but Arthur had to believe that Morgana would have threatened him and bullied him until he left her alone. Still, it didn’t mean that she had come to no harm - he knew men, and he knew how they thought of servants, and Gwen was a beauty. Hengist might have spared her life, but that didn’t mean she was being well-treated or not suffering.
It was the worst part - not knowing what happened inside those walls. He had no doubt Morgana would do everything in her power to keep Gwen as safe as she was herself, but even with all her fire, there was little she could do if they decided to ignore her words.
No, he wouldn’t think of it - of what might come to her. He had to keep his calm, and hope for the best outcome. And if he learned they had done as much as lay a single hand on her, he would kill the man himself.
“That won’t undo whatever he has done” said a small voice in his head, and Arthur grunted. He hated feeling hopeless, but there was little he could do about it now. All that was left for him to do was waiting.
And so he did.
It shouldn’t surprise Merlin how fast the druids are arranged for their departure, but, as he reminded himself, they had been ready for everything about that journey. It was clear that Hirwen, the druid seer that had been with Morgana, was indeed very powerful. She had taken little notice of Merlin, completely involved with the girl that had been put under her care.
“It’s not enough” she warned, putting a necklace around Morgana’s neck. “But it should help you to sleep. You must remember to take it out during the day, and allow it to be bathed by the sun. It shall not be touched by anyone else.”
Her voice was grave and serious, as she watched them.
“What happens if someone else touches it?” asked Morgana, feeling the jewel with her fingers.
Hirwen gave her a sad smile.
“The current of time will again pass through your head” she said, seriously. “It’s a simple spell, so it can past unnoticed even by most people familiar with the Old Religion; I wouldn’t want you to drag attention to it. You will still need to practice every day, and try to find your own control and balance - as we all do - but it should allow you to rest much better until you are ready to wield this control over yourself.”
“Will it take long?” asked Merlin, worried. It wasn’t so much the visions that were a problem, but the magical outbursts during the night.
“Yes” said the woman, gravely. “It will be years before she can fully control what she sees - even now, sometimes, I am claimed by vision against my will. It is something you’ll have to grow used to.”
He could see the tension in Morgana’s face, and he was sure that it was the same he felt. It wasn’t what he had hoped for, but it was better than nothing.
“I know you are scared” said Hirwen, touching Morgana’s head with affection. “I wish there was more we could do, but it is a lonely path, that of a seer.” She turned towards Merlin, looking at him fully. “If you help her deal with her power, it is unlikely that even a powerful nightmare would cause magic to happen spontaneously. It happens because it’s been bound too strongly for too long, so it leaks when she’s vulnerable. As everything in life, it has to be honed and used, put under our control so it won’t control us. It is a sense, a gift, a need like any other” she added, looking at the girl. “You shouldn’t be afraid of using it, but you must remember that it is you that rule it, not the other way around.”
Morgana nodded tightly, and Merlin found himself wishing against all odds that they could have Hirwen with them in Camelot, to help. It was a selfish desire, and foolish as well, but he couldn’t avoid thinking that she was better equipped to deal with Morgana than he would ever be.
“Now, I won’t keep you longer” she said, smiling at them.
“Thank you” said the girl, hugging the druid seer, warmly. “I can’t say…”
“There’s no need for that” said the woman, patting her again. “It is a duty and an honor, as I said before. I’m glad to be of service. It is more than I could expect for, and it pleases me greatly.”
Merlin knew he hadn’t imagined the way Hirwen’s eyes flashed towards him as she said those words, as if she was thanking him for allowing her the chance to try. It was weird to think that other people might actually understand what he had done, but it was to be expected.
“Genthin will take you two where you need to go” said Aglain, reaching them. “Or as close as he can, but I think it would be better if he didn’t go inside the fortress with you” He nodded toward an older man, close to his sixty decade, before continuing. “He’s gifted, but not a warrior, and no longer young enough to face well the hardships of unexpected encounters.”
“Don’t worry” said Merlin, seriously. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Honestly, I can’t even begin to…”
“You have already begun” answered Aglain, nodding pleasantly. “And we’re all thankful for it. I shall follow our conversation and prepare Mordred to leave in a few days.”
“Where are you sending him?” Morgana asked, nervously. She glanced around, and Mordred appeared by her side as if he had felt her distress.
“He’s going to leave with an old friend” reassured Aglain, kindly. “He’s still young, and we’re always at the mercy of bandits and armies that might not believe in our peaceful life style. It would be better if he were to have a true home, with someone to care for him. Mordred was never supposed to stay long with us” he added, smiling. “Iseldir left Mordred in my charge as his group moved to Cendred’s lands, and asked me to find him a place where he could grow properly, without being endangered by other’s man’s ambitions. I think that now I have found the right person to care for him.”
Merlin could see that Morgana wanted to say the same thing he had said before - that she’d take him with her, and that they’d take care of him, but, somehow, the words didn’t come out. She seemed to understand too well that what Aglain was about to give him was more than she could offer while she had to stay in Camelot, under Uther’s watchful eye. They had not forgotten the incident in which he escaped, and it would be certain death to bring him back to the city.
Slowly, she nodded, before crushing the boy between her arms with a tender love that made Merlin think of his own mother and her worries about his safety. He would have smiled, if he could, because from everything that had changed, Morgana’s feelings for Mordred wouldn’t be one of those things.
“We will meet again” she said, clearly trying to sound surer than she felt. “It will be alright.”
Aglain smiled at them once more, and he motioned Genthin to approach them.
“Our thoughts and hopes are with you” said Aglain, one hand at each of them. “Now, go and save your friends.”
Merlin hardly had the time to wonder what he meant, since while they carried their bundles, there were no horses around, before Genthin had gotten a strong hold of both of their wrists and whispered words of power, enveloping them in a whirlwind of colors and sounds as they moved away.
After all those years serving in the castle, Gwen found it was easier to act like a noblewoman than she would have expected. These man were nothing like the ones she knew in Camelot, for they had no shred of honor or respect for other people, but Hengist seemed to hold them in fear, and for that, they left her alone for the most part, even as they escorted her towards the dinner.
Gwen knew there was little she could do - her charade was nearly over. Soon enough, there would be Knights from Camelot around, and they’d soon notice that this wasn’t the person they had come for. Even if she was lucky enough that one of them wouldn’t say it out loud at the first opportunity or challenge Hengist on his deceit, there was little chance they would be able to do something for her. Even know, Lancelot’s promises were her biggest source of consolation, and the only way out of the situation she was in.
One small measure of comfort that she was granted was that Rowan seemed to have no other chores but to walk around her all the time. The girl had helped her to dress in the fine red silks that had been sent, braided her hair and set a long red veil around her head, that shielded her from the view of most man.
Rowan was also, clearly, well known through the fortress, and in spite of her shyness around Gwen, she didn’t seem to have the same kind of trouble around the common people hovering around. She had a sharp tongue, and wild manners that seemed to amuse the men, who all threated her like a little girl with too much confidence in her hands. She had clearly had taken seriously her duties to ‘the lady Morgana’, and made sure that no one disturbed them or bothered them, protecting her fiercely.
“She’s not in a dungeon, you know? She’s a guest” said the red-haired, annoyed.
“She’s a prisoner to be sold for money” was the man’s curt answer, and she could hear the tone of annoyance in the girl’s voice.
“Yes, but a royal prisoner, not a whore to be paraded around while you all imagine what it would be like to have their way with her. Now, move along, I’m sure you’re supposed to be patrolling the corridors, not trying to sneak a view of her.”
“You are a little pester” said the man, already walking away.
“Yes, and you all love it” replied Rowan, shutting the door with a sharp movement. “Man! Honestly, it’s like they’ve never even seen a woman!” she complained, and Gwen couldn’t avoid a smile. It was amazing that living in the middle of such people Rowan could still be so caring and sweet.
“Won’t talking like that get you into trouble?” asked Gwen, worried.
Rowan gave her a little laugh.
“Maybe a few lashings, but I don’t think so. I don’t think Hengist would approve of them cutting short on their rounds to look at you, it is what he pays them for. Now, if it were someone else… But they all think I’m still a girl, so, they never take me seriously.”
“I know the feeling” Gwen said, softly, and touched the girl’s hand. Rowan was clearly uncomfortable with that, and started looking for something to keep herself busy.
“I was born here, you see?” she babbled, moving towards the curtains. “My mother worked in the kitchen, and she was one of Hengist’s favorites, so, I guess that’s why he kept her around after the got pregnant. He never claimed me, and my mother never claimed I was his child either, so they kept their peace and I managed to grow up almost as a normal child - well, as normal as it can be in a place like this, but it wasn’t too bad. Mom was amazing, and everyone around cared for me since I was the only child around. They spoiled me rotten, the old man says, and he’s right. By the time I started actually having duties, I was too familiar with most of them to be scared, and even the new ones hardly ever bother me. Well, that and because when Accan tried to make his moves on me, my mom put wild mushrooms in his supper and gave him a good week sick, so, it warned them off.”
Gwen felt more than a bit sick at this idea - she knew too well those things happened, even in Camelot, but Rowan didn’t seem to be old enough to be dealing with those kind of problems yet. She must be yet shy of her fourteenth birthday.
“Your mom sounds amazing” she said, trying to hide how she felt.
“Yeah, she was” agreed Rowan. “It was a fever that took her, last winter, so I’ve had enough of here. While she was around… Well, it was home for her, and I couldn’t imagine myself leaving her behind, but now… I’m not bound to stay, you know? Hengist might want some gold for me, but I can have been saving it for a while, whenever I manage to win a bet or do some extra chore, so even if you claimed me… I would pay you back” she reassured the woman, and then, her face fall. “I mean. It’s just… I could leave any time I wished, but I think it would be safer for me to look for a new life if I set out in the middle of a company. I’m just worried about the road, you know? I wouldn’t… Expect you to keep me or anything.”
It hurt Gwen that the girl managed to talk about herself as if she was a thing to be had by one person or the other, but those were the ways of life for those who had nothing but themselves to offer. She told herself that it could be worse, and wished with her whole heart that there would be a way to take Rowan away with them - if they managed to escape, they surely would find Camelot’s army easily, and even if it mean they would be disappointed at Morgana’s absence (Gwen shuddered to think what might have happened to her lady, where could she be that they believed she was here?), surely they wouldn’t mind having the girl following them as she moved back to Camelot.
There was a knock on the door, and Rowan jumped eagerly, moving briskly towards it and opening it forcefully.
“I’ve said it before, it’s not time for supper and she’s not here for you to ogle” she said, before she could even see who it was. “Oh.”
The girl’s silence startled Gwen, but, as she moved to see who it was, scared of what might happen, she saw Lancelot’s face.
“I only wished to share a few words with… the lady Morgana” he said, politely.
“I thought…” Rowan said, back to her shy behavior. “Nevermind.”
She looked at Gwen, unsure.
“It’s the new champion” she said, tightly. “He wishes a word.”
“Send him in” said Gwen, trying to control her emotions.
Rowan hovered around, unsure of what to do. It was clear that she was torn between staying and protecting Gwen from whatever she thought Lancelot wanted, while, at the same time, she knew she should give them some privacy. After a few seconds, she leaned against the door she had just closed as Lancelot walked towards Gwen.
“I was terrified when I found your cell empty” he said, his voice soft.
“The knights of Camelot have been sighted” she informed him, nervously. “Hengist moved me up so he could up on a show of how I’m being treated.”
Lancelot nodded slowly, clearly measuring his words.
“You must keep the pretense. I will not allow you to die here.”
Gwen looked inside his eyes, fully registering his words.
“What about you?”
“I have little to live for” was his answer, and the bitterness she had felt in their previous meeting was still there, even if not as strongly as before.
“Do not say that” she said, moving over against her own will and clasping his hand.
“It is the truth. For all of my words, all I believed, I have come to nothing.” He looked at her, still holding her hand, and there was an infinite sadness in his eyes. “This is what I must do, and I care little for what might happen next, if you are safe - it’s all that matters.”
“It matters to me that you’re also safe” she whispered, without being able to stop herself. Lancelot stirred something different inside her, something that she knew she could never feel about anyone else. She had fancied herself in love with him before, when they first met, and over the long months after he left Camelot, she had fought against her feelings and wished them away, for she thought they’d never meet again. Now that she had found him again, she couldn’t bear the idea of a world in which Lancelot didn’t exist.
“I did not know you felt this way” he said, and she blushed.
“I didn’t even know I could feel this way about anyone” she confessed, looking at him.
“Then you give me reason to live” his voice was soft and caring, but there was steel beneath it as he went on. “Be ready. I’ll come to you after supper.”
He let go of her hand, but not before he had bowed and kissed it as a knight would do to a high lady. Rowan seemed a bit uncomfortable with their previous movements, but not surprised at his final moves, as Gwen gave him a short bow as a woman of Morgana’s station should give to a man of common birth that had proved himself a champion.
Lancelot left with a small curtsy to the girl, that looked at Gwen wide-eyed as she closed the door.
“You have a serious admirer in there. And handsome too!” she said, clearly thrilled. “It is a pity that he’s a mercenary - he has the standing of a true knight!”
“Yes” said Gwen, softly, sitting on the bed. “Yes, he does.”
And as Rowan giggled and spoke of boys, she wondered if they would ever manage to leave the fortress unscathed and what would they do next.
Author's Notes: I know, I know, it took me ages -AGAIN-. But, honestly, I wrote this whole chapter in the last 24 hours, so!!! Well, that doesn't mean I had completely dropped the fic during the meantime, because I actually have some 15k words on many future scenes written down already - while chapter 7 is yet to be written, chapter 8 is pretty much done, and bits of chapters even furthest ahead. And they are getting longer - the chapters - as well. I know I take too long to update, and I know it makes it hard to keep up with the story, but I'm really having the time of my life with it, and I have so many plans! :)
Also, I'm now keeping it posted and updated in my journal and on my ff.net account, so, if you wish to drop by (or use it for better keeping up with it, since sometimes warnings on communities get a little crazy), you can find the story here and here.
Spoilers: Up to "The Sword in the Stone", eventually, beginning with "The Nightmare Begins".
Warnings: Character death, violence, possibly incest?
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin; Arthur/Gwen; Arthur/Morgana; Merlin/Morgana; Merlin/Gwen; Morgana/Gwen; Gwen/Lancelot; Morgana/Gwaine - although it's not focused in the romance at all, they all might be mentioned, so you are warned.
Rating: R
Chapter Word Count: 3,642
Summary: They said no man can change his history, but Merlin doesn't believe it. Time is his to bend and his destiny is his to shape. Again.
Chapter 6
Arthur was the kind of man that rather takes matters into his own hands. He always had a hard time in delegating tasks for other people, and while his father always said that a good king rules by himself, Arthur had a feeling that didn’t meant he should go himself inside Hengist’s fortress to recover Gwen and Morgana.
He didn’t like the idea of sending his man into danger while he stood back, but some of the old knights had reminded him of the obvious problems: it was supposed to be a surprise that they had a whole army, just a small retinue was supposed to meet Hengist at first, and it wouldn’t be near enough to protect him in case they decided to make another captive.
Arthur didn’t fear the possibility, but he knew it would be a set down for his forces if he were to get caught. It would be best if Hengist didn’t even learn that Arthur himself had come until it was too late, and he was on his back, Arthur’s sword’s in his chest, ready to die like the dog he was.
Maybe it would be also best for him to stay behind if he was having such a hard time controlling his nerves.
In the end, it was easy to pick three knights to send Hengist the money he had asked for, while allowing other five to stay around but not to enter the fortress. It would be better to give Hengist a good pretense that they were doing business. It would be also safer for the girls if Hengist didn’t think they were a threat, and Arthur’s presence was sure to tip him off to something odd. He wasn’t the kind of man that would understand that Arthur would come because he cared far too much.
Sir Leon was the obvious choice to lead, for he managed to make everyone respect him while staying calm and composed. He was not only a fair fighter and a seasoned warrior but also the child of one of Camelot’s most important nobles and had a sure talent for politics and peace talks, as well as any sort of compromise he might need to reach with Hengist.
Arthur sent Sir Fraomar and Sir Kegan with him for support, and a handful of others to watch over the gold cart. Uther had devised a trap, which wasn’t Arthur’s favorite way of handling things, but he had to agree it should work - if they managed to stay out of sight from the sentries. He would stay behind with thirty other knights, not an easy party to hide, but he had to trust it would be for the best. The knights of Camelot were the best in the land, and while Hengist might hold thrice that amount of man inside his walls, surely they weren’t nearly as skilled or loyal as his own man were.
When it was all said and done, it was still hard to sit around and do nothing, just wait for the outcome before the battle. He liked to spend time with the men, and they could always count on each other in the eve of an attack, but his heart was heavy as he thought of what might have passed during the few days since he had last seen Gwen.
He knew that Hengist was no fool and would never harm Morgana, not if he hoped to get his money; but Gwen was worthless to him. Surely he had entertained the idea of killing her instead of having another mouth to feed; but Arthur had to believe that Morgana would have threatened him and bullied him until he left her alone. Still, it didn’t mean that she had come to no harm - he knew men, and he knew how they thought of servants, and Gwen was a beauty. Hengist might have spared her life, but that didn’t mean she was being well-treated or not suffering.
It was the worst part - not knowing what happened inside those walls. He had no doubt Morgana would do everything in her power to keep Gwen as safe as she was herself, but even with all her fire, there was little she could do if they decided to ignore her words.
No, he wouldn’t think of it - of what might come to her. He had to keep his calm, and hope for the best outcome. And if he learned they had done as much as lay a single hand on her, he would kill the man himself.
“That won’t undo whatever he has done” said a small voice in his head, and Arthur grunted. He hated feeling hopeless, but there was little he could do about it now. All that was left for him to do was waiting.
And so he did.
It shouldn’t surprise Merlin how fast the druids are arranged for their departure, but, as he reminded himself, they had been ready for everything about that journey. It was clear that Hirwen, the druid seer that had been with Morgana, was indeed very powerful. She had taken little notice of Merlin, completely involved with the girl that had been put under her care.
“It’s not enough” she warned, putting a necklace around Morgana’s neck. “But it should help you to sleep. You must remember to take it out during the day, and allow it to be bathed by the sun. It shall not be touched by anyone else.”
Her voice was grave and serious, as she watched them.
“What happens if someone else touches it?” asked Morgana, feeling the jewel with her fingers.
Hirwen gave her a sad smile.
“The current of time will again pass through your head” she said, seriously. “It’s a simple spell, so it can past unnoticed even by most people familiar with the Old Religion; I wouldn’t want you to drag attention to it. You will still need to practice every day, and try to find your own control and balance - as we all do - but it should allow you to rest much better until you are ready to wield this control over yourself.”
“Will it take long?” asked Merlin, worried. It wasn’t so much the visions that were a problem, but the magical outbursts during the night.
“Yes” said the woman, gravely. “It will be years before she can fully control what she sees - even now, sometimes, I am claimed by vision against my will. It is something you’ll have to grow used to.”
He could see the tension in Morgana’s face, and he was sure that it was the same he felt. It wasn’t what he had hoped for, but it was better than nothing.
“I know you are scared” said Hirwen, touching Morgana’s head with affection. “I wish there was more we could do, but it is a lonely path, that of a seer.” She turned towards Merlin, looking at him fully. “If you help her deal with her power, it is unlikely that even a powerful nightmare would cause magic to happen spontaneously. It happens because it’s been bound too strongly for too long, so it leaks when she’s vulnerable. As everything in life, it has to be honed and used, put under our control so it won’t control us. It is a sense, a gift, a need like any other” she added, looking at the girl. “You shouldn’t be afraid of using it, but you must remember that it is you that rule it, not the other way around.”
Morgana nodded tightly, and Merlin found himself wishing against all odds that they could have Hirwen with them in Camelot, to help. It was a selfish desire, and foolish as well, but he couldn’t avoid thinking that she was better equipped to deal with Morgana than he would ever be.
“Now, I won’t keep you longer” she said, smiling at them.
“Thank you” said the girl, hugging the druid seer, warmly. “I can’t say…”
“There’s no need for that” said the woman, patting her again. “It is a duty and an honor, as I said before. I’m glad to be of service. It is more than I could expect for, and it pleases me greatly.”
Merlin knew he hadn’t imagined the way Hirwen’s eyes flashed towards him as she said those words, as if she was thanking him for allowing her the chance to try. It was weird to think that other people might actually understand what he had done, but it was to be expected.
“Genthin will take you two where you need to go” said Aglain, reaching them. “Or as close as he can, but I think it would be better if he didn’t go inside the fortress with you” He nodded toward an older man, close to his sixty decade, before continuing. “He’s gifted, but not a warrior, and no longer young enough to face well the hardships of unexpected encounters.”
“Don’t worry” said Merlin, seriously. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Honestly, I can’t even begin to…”
“You have already begun” answered Aglain, nodding pleasantly. “And we’re all thankful for it. I shall follow our conversation and prepare Mordred to leave in a few days.”
“Where are you sending him?” Morgana asked, nervously. She glanced around, and Mordred appeared by her side as if he had felt her distress.
“He’s going to leave with an old friend” reassured Aglain, kindly. “He’s still young, and we’re always at the mercy of bandits and armies that might not believe in our peaceful life style. It would be better if he were to have a true home, with someone to care for him. Mordred was never supposed to stay long with us” he added, smiling. “Iseldir left Mordred in my charge as his group moved to Cendred’s lands, and asked me to find him a place where he could grow properly, without being endangered by other’s man’s ambitions. I think that now I have found the right person to care for him.”
Merlin could see that Morgana wanted to say the same thing he had said before - that she’d take him with her, and that they’d take care of him, but, somehow, the words didn’t come out. She seemed to understand too well that what Aglain was about to give him was more than she could offer while she had to stay in Camelot, under Uther’s watchful eye. They had not forgotten the incident in which he escaped, and it would be certain death to bring him back to the city.
Slowly, she nodded, before crushing the boy between her arms with a tender love that made Merlin think of his own mother and her worries about his safety. He would have smiled, if he could, because from everything that had changed, Morgana’s feelings for Mordred wouldn’t be one of those things.
“We will meet again” she said, clearly trying to sound surer than she felt. “It will be alright.”
Aglain smiled at them once more, and he motioned Genthin to approach them.
“Our thoughts and hopes are with you” said Aglain, one hand at each of them. “Now, go and save your friends.”
Merlin hardly had the time to wonder what he meant, since while they carried their bundles, there were no horses around, before Genthin had gotten a strong hold of both of their wrists and whispered words of power, enveloping them in a whirlwind of colors and sounds as they moved away.
After all those years serving in the castle, Gwen found it was easier to act like a noblewoman than she would have expected. These man were nothing like the ones she knew in Camelot, for they had no shred of honor or respect for other people, but Hengist seemed to hold them in fear, and for that, they left her alone for the most part, even as they escorted her towards the dinner.
Gwen knew there was little she could do - her charade was nearly over. Soon enough, there would be Knights from Camelot around, and they’d soon notice that this wasn’t the person they had come for. Even if she was lucky enough that one of them wouldn’t say it out loud at the first opportunity or challenge Hengist on his deceit, there was little chance they would be able to do something for her. Even know, Lancelot’s promises were her biggest source of consolation, and the only way out of the situation she was in.
One small measure of comfort that she was granted was that Rowan seemed to have no other chores but to walk around her all the time. The girl had helped her to dress in the fine red silks that had been sent, braided her hair and set a long red veil around her head, that shielded her from the view of most man.
Rowan was also, clearly, well known through the fortress, and in spite of her shyness around Gwen, she didn’t seem to have the same kind of trouble around the common people hovering around. She had a sharp tongue, and wild manners that seemed to amuse the men, who all threated her like a little girl with too much confidence in her hands. She had clearly had taken seriously her duties to ‘the lady Morgana’, and made sure that no one disturbed them or bothered them, protecting her fiercely.
“She’s not in a dungeon, you know? She’s a guest” said the red-haired, annoyed.
“She’s a prisoner to be sold for money” was the man’s curt answer, and she could hear the tone of annoyance in the girl’s voice.
“Yes, but a royal prisoner, not a whore to be paraded around while you all imagine what it would be like to have their way with her. Now, move along, I’m sure you’re supposed to be patrolling the corridors, not trying to sneak a view of her.”
“You are a little pester” said the man, already walking away.
“Yes, and you all love it” replied Rowan, shutting the door with a sharp movement. “Man! Honestly, it’s like they’ve never even seen a woman!” she complained, and Gwen couldn’t avoid a smile. It was amazing that living in the middle of such people Rowan could still be so caring and sweet.
“Won’t talking like that get you into trouble?” asked Gwen, worried.
Rowan gave her a little laugh.
“Maybe a few lashings, but I don’t think so. I don’t think Hengist would approve of them cutting short on their rounds to look at you, it is what he pays them for. Now, if it were someone else… But they all think I’m still a girl, so, they never take me seriously.”
“I know the feeling” Gwen said, softly, and touched the girl’s hand. Rowan was clearly uncomfortable with that, and started looking for something to keep herself busy.
“I was born here, you see?” she babbled, moving towards the curtains. “My mother worked in the kitchen, and she was one of Hengist’s favorites, so, I guess that’s why he kept her around after the got pregnant. He never claimed me, and my mother never claimed I was his child either, so they kept their peace and I managed to grow up almost as a normal child - well, as normal as it can be in a place like this, but it wasn’t too bad. Mom was amazing, and everyone around cared for me since I was the only child around. They spoiled me rotten, the old man says, and he’s right. By the time I started actually having duties, I was too familiar with most of them to be scared, and even the new ones hardly ever bother me. Well, that and because when Accan tried to make his moves on me, my mom put wild mushrooms in his supper and gave him a good week sick, so, it warned them off.”
Gwen felt more than a bit sick at this idea - she knew too well those things happened, even in Camelot, but Rowan didn’t seem to be old enough to be dealing with those kind of problems yet. She must be yet shy of her fourteenth birthday.
“Your mom sounds amazing” she said, trying to hide how she felt.
“Yeah, she was” agreed Rowan. “It was a fever that took her, last winter, so I’ve had enough of here. While she was around… Well, it was home for her, and I couldn’t imagine myself leaving her behind, but now… I’m not bound to stay, you know? Hengist might want some gold for me, but I can have been saving it for a while, whenever I manage to win a bet or do some extra chore, so even if you claimed me… I would pay you back” she reassured the woman, and then, her face fall. “I mean. It’s just… I could leave any time I wished, but I think it would be safer for me to look for a new life if I set out in the middle of a company. I’m just worried about the road, you know? I wouldn’t… Expect you to keep me or anything.”
It hurt Gwen that the girl managed to talk about herself as if she was a thing to be had by one person or the other, but those were the ways of life for those who had nothing but themselves to offer. She told herself that it could be worse, and wished with her whole heart that there would be a way to take Rowan away with them - if they managed to escape, they surely would find Camelot’s army easily, and even if it mean they would be disappointed at Morgana’s absence (Gwen shuddered to think what might have happened to her lady, where could she be that they believed she was here?), surely they wouldn’t mind having the girl following them as she moved back to Camelot.
There was a knock on the door, and Rowan jumped eagerly, moving briskly towards it and opening it forcefully.
“I’ve said it before, it’s not time for supper and she’s not here for you to ogle” she said, before she could even see who it was. “Oh.”
The girl’s silence startled Gwen, but, as she moved to see who it was, scared of what might happen, she saw Lancelot’s face.
“I only wished to share a few words with… the lady Morgana” he said, politely.
“I thought…” Rowan said, back to her shy behavior. “Nevermind.”
She looked at Gwen, unsure.
“It’s the new champion” she said, tightly. “He wishes a word.”
“Send him in” said Gwen, trying to control her emotions.
Rowan hovered around, unsure of what to do. It was clear that she was torn between staying and protecting Gwen from whatever she thought Lancelot wanted, while, at the same time, she knew she should give them some privacy. After a few seconds, she leaned against the door she had just closed as Lancelot walked towards Gwen.
“I was terrified when I found your cell empty” he said, his voice soft.
“The knights of Camelot have been sighted” she informed him, nervously. “Hengist moved me up so he could up on a show of how I’m being treated.”
Lancelot nodded slowly, clearly measuring his words.
“You must keep the pretense. I will not allow you to die here.”
Gwen looked inside his eyes, fully registering his words.
“What about you?”
“I have little to live for” was his answer, and the bitterness she had felt in their previous meeting was still there, even if not as strongly as before.
“Do not say that” she said, moving over against her own will and clasping his hand.
“It is the truth. For all of my words, all I believed, I have come to nothing.” He looked at her, still holding her hand, and there was an infinite sadness in his eyes. “This is what I must do, and I care little for what might happen next, if you are safe - it’s all that matters.”
“It matters to me that you’re also safe” she whispered, without being able to stop herself. Lancelot stirred something different inside her, something that she knew she could never feel about anyone else. She had fancied herself in love with him before, when they first met, and over the long months after he left Camelot, she had fought against her feelings and wished them away, for she thought they’d never meet again. Now that she had found him again, she couldn’t bear the idea of a world in which Lancelot didn’t exist.
“I did not know you felt this way” he said, and she blushed.
“I didn’t even know I could feel this way about anyone” she confessed, looking at him.
“Then you give me reason to live” his voice was soft and caring, but there was steel beneath it as he went on. “Be ready. I’ll come to you after supper.”
He let go of her hand, but not before he had bowed and kissed it as a knight would do to a high lady. Rowan seemed a bit uncomfortable with their previous movements, but not surprised at his final moves, as Gwen gave him a short bow as a woman of Morgana’s station should give to a man of common birth that had proved himself a champion.
Lancelot left with a small curtsy to the girl, that looked at Gwen wide-eyed as she closed the door.
“You have a serious admirer in there. And handsome too!” she said, clearly thrilled. “It is a pity that he’s a mercenary - he has the standing of a true knight!”
“Yes” said Gwen, softly, sitting on the bed. “Yes, he does.”
And as Rowan giggled and spoke of boys, she wondered if they would ever manage to leave the fortress unscathed and what would they do next.
Author's Notes: I know, I know, it took me ages -AGAIN-. But, honestly, I wrote this whole chapter in the last 24 hours, so!!! Well, that doesn't mean I had completely dropped the fic during the meantime, because I actually have some 15k words on many future scenes written down already - while chapter 7 is yet to be written, chapter 8 is pretty much done, and bits of chapters even furthest ahead. And they are getting longer - the chapters - as well. I know I take too long to update, and I know it makes it hard to keep up with the story, but I'm really having the time of my life with it, and I have so many plans! :)
Also, I'm now keeping it posted and updated in my journal and on my ff.net account, so, if you wish to drop by (or use it for better keeping up with it, since sometimes warnings on communities get a little crazy), you can find the story here and here.