Lovely Surprise Me
Part VII: Everything
Next part!
~{}~
Lovely…
My mind is blurred with fantastical thoughts…
And yet soon enough all will come clear…
With whatever calamity there might be intended…
And yet…
Lovely will this all be remembered?
Or fully…
Forgotten
And If so…
Will you remind me?
~{}~
“OH.” She clasped her hand against her heart, relief flowing at the sight of him. “Merlin, finally! The king was here!”
He nodded his head, noticing now how Arthur was once again too besotted by Gwen’s neck to pay attention to anything they were saying. “Yeah, I know. Hey, look, if you don’t see me again, tell Arthur I’m in the stocks. I’m not sure I’ll be able to escape the king and the guards once more. Just give it to him and make sure he drinks it all. He’ll then fall asleep, but for a very short time, and when he wakes, he’ll most likely forget all this. One last thing, make sure he’s somewhere that uh…”
Guinevere reached for the vial. “Understood. Go ahead.”
Using the door on the far side, Merlin raced out of the room, ready to sneak around again until finally Arthur would be back to his…
Normal self.
Of course then he had no idea how he was going to explain any of this, but leave that for later.
~{}~
Feeling the prince’s caresses still wetly against her neck, Guinevere took a deep breath. One last game to play. “Arthur…look at me now.”
He lifted his head with a dreamy smile.
She smiled too, holding the vial behind her back. “Now Arthur, let’s go over to the bed.”
Well that turned his smile into a full-fledged goofy grin. He practically skipped over there, holding at her hand. Guinevere watched the reaction with a rolling of her eyes. Men indeed. Like boys when they got what they wanted. Little did he know, it wouldn’t be exactly as he thought.
She pointed as they reached it. “Sit down on the bed, Arthur.”
He shook his head with emphasis. “I’d rather we lie down on it.”
She came back at him definitively. “Well this is my game. Perhaps when it is yours, we can play it your way. For now, it’s my rules.”
Seeing how she had her little hands solidly fixed at her waist, he chuckled with admiration. “Oh you know I love when you become commanding my Lovely.”
She smiled shortly. “Yes I do.”
Taking the vial in her hand, she lifted away the lid, took a sniff and…
Oh it smelled horrible!
She tried to hide the fact with a smile that barely edged out past the tight grimace.
“First Arthur, I need you to drink this.”
He took one sniff, wrinkling his nose with disgust after, and shook his head firmly. “Oh, no…that smells dreadful Guinevere. I can’t have any of that.”
She sat herself down too on the bed, moving right next to him. “But I want you to Arthur. And you see…” She reached for his hand, caressing it with her fingers lovingly. “If you do…drink it…” Her lips found his cheeks, traveled with warm wetness against his neck. “We can play your way next. Follow my rules…
And then I will have no choice but to follow yours…”
She brought in with whispering emphasis, trailing her lips up…and down. “My Lord…”
That did it.
Even though he grimaced at the smell once more, he took the vial from her.
Guinevere wondered with a slight smile at maybe the way she could enchant him. Seemed she just had.
Arthur lifted the vial to her with a jaunty salute and took a sip, giving a hard grimace after. “Ohhhhh…Guinevere. It tastes worse.” He complained.
She smiled with understanding, kissing the top of his brow, her fingers lingering over his cheek. “I know Arthur, I know, but it will be over soon.”
All over, she thought with emphasis.
He gave a lopsided unhappy look, but lifted the vial again, downing the remaining liquid inside it with a tight swallow. Guinevere watched, seeing how he showed her not a drop was left. “Very good Arthur!” She clapped and watched carefully.
Now it was his turn!
It filled Arthur with excitement. He moved in to bring her down with him to the…
That was when it started to hit him. She viewed it as his body began to slump, his head falling, his eyes going heavy. Hurriedly she moved to be in the way. His descending form fell into the cradle of her lap, his head right in the middle, as fully his eyes closed.
Guinevere peered down gently, wiping at his still wet lips from the drink. Then she stroked back his fallen hair from his eyes. “Oh Arthur…” She whispered, for a second just a bit scared, hoping everything would be okay. Merlin said though it would be fine, that he would sleep for a few moments before he wakened again…
And forgot everything that happened.
Everything.
Her lips curved slightly, words coming out of her mouth. “I’m sorry Dar---oh goodness. Look what you’ve done to me. I’m sorry Arthur. I never meant to lie to you about the surprise. Or this game or…I’ll just say it now. My heart turned in so many patterns…
When you called me your love, lovely…your darling. When you kissed me and didn’t hold back a bit. Even when you brought us to this bed.”
“Mmmm…”
“Arthur?”
He murmured again, his head starting to turn, his eyes beginning to open. As the images in front, around, above, lost their blur, he looked up, stunned at who peered down at him. At who was holding him. “Guinevere?”
She smiled. He was back. Her Arthur. She could tell just by the clarity in his eyes. “Yes…My…My Lord.” It was hard to not utter the loving words. He had made her used to them in the past moments of time.
He looked around, seeing the unkempt royally red bed covers around him, the lavender patterns of her dress skirts and…they were on his bed? His eyes widened. “Guinevere…what is…”
He started to rise. She held at his arm. “It’s alright. There is so much to explain, but there is no time now. Just…everything’s alright.”
He touched at his head as he sat up with her hand’s assistance. Stunned, he looked back down at the bed, all its state of being unmade. He gestured to it with a deep frown. “Guinevere, you and I didn’t-
She cut him off, knowing full well his meaning. “Oh…no. Nothing like that Sire.”
He nodded his head, getting his bearings and remembering enough of the day before, but only shadows of the morning and then…nothing. Strange. “I was supposed to go out on the hunt early. Is it still morning?”
She negated. “Very late morning Sire.”
“What-
He started to ask more, but just then the door burst open.
“Oh no! They’re coming! And I don’t think I can do this anymore, you know…hide from them! Please tell me he’s---
It was instinct. Even as he was still highly confused, the complaint came out with pure normality. “Merlin, you bumbling idiot, what are you doing running in here like that?”
Merlin beamed. “Arthur! You’re awake! And you’re back to normal!”
Arthur stared at his servant and then looked back to Guinevere. “What is going on?”
The banging came now. “Arthur!
Ahhhh…get the door open again!”
“That’s my father.”
Merlin nodded his head anxiously. “Yeah, he’s furious we haven’t left yet for the hunt…and Gwen, she can’t be…”
The door started to part. Guinevere gasped, pointed to the curtain and piece of furniture she’d hidden with him behind before.
Arthur stared as she scurried. “You seem accustomed to this.”
She poked her head up quickly. “Just a bit. I’ll explain it all later.”And then disappeared completely from sight.
He gave his affirmation. “Indeed.”
The door flew open right as Arthur jumped away from the bed and greeted the king with a…half smile. Guinevere hiding made sense, since she had been on his bed. As for her being on his bed, that was not so normal. It swam back to him now in half puzzled memory. Merlin came to him last night with some…vial. He started to drink it and…not much more after he could remember, except for all the blurriness recalled before. But he was guessing now that the vial had a lot to do with this.
“Father.”
“Arthur, where have you been?”
How to answer? Okay, his father would not take all that easily probably to anything that had really happened in this room. He knew well how the man felt about servants. Obviously too he was late, and his father was not pleased about that. Both Guinevere and it seemed Merlin had some sense of what was going on. Actually, whatever this was, he was most certain Merlin had helped cause it. Probably also helped solve it…and yet.
He pointed to his servant now with strong emphasis, the explanation almost fully forged, and the boy easy to use as an excuse. “Merlin got my schedule wrong for the day, not to mention he was too lazy to make my bed this morning. Told me the hunt was this afternoon…not this morning. So you see, I just came back from…”
He searched for an answer, getting it quickly.
“From a perusal of the crops down on the southern side. You know how they’ve been having issue with some of the tomato fields out there. I made sure that the planting had improved. You’ll be happy to know Sire that it’s much better.”
Uther smiled at his son, giving approval. “Well that was very responsible of you to do Son. Now as for your servant…I hear the stocks are empty and the baskets of food are all ready for the affair.”
Merlin looked to Arthur now with pleading. “Potatoes. My Lord, they have new kinds of potatoes. HARD ones.”
Arthur raised a cocked eyebrow to his servant. Really, he could be so overly dramatic, even though the prince was not intending to send him to such punishment.
Giving his servant boy only that bit of royal reaction, he turned coolly back to the king. “Father, actually I will need Merlin out on the hunt with me. I know how…BUMBLING…he can be, but we will need his assistance with all the arsenal and such. Perhaps…the stocks could wait.”
Uther frowned at Merlin. Sure, he was a loyal worker to his son, but the boy too seemed to always be surrounded by chaos. “Fine. Oh and Arthur…you might want to fix your shirt.”
The prince looked down with a frown.
Behind her hidden area, Guinevere gasped, but closed her mouth fast enough not to be heard. He had been smooth through the whole explanation, impressing her as the cool-headed prince he normally was, but now she realized too that his shirt was indeed inside out, all the stitching showing.
“Yes Father.” Arthur nodded now and walked out with Merlin, following the king, before the two of them stopped at the stair’s railing. “Alright, what on earth just happened?” He whispered to his servant. “I know you had something to do with this Merlin.”
The boy turned to him with innocence. “Why would you say that my Lord?”
Arthur pointed to the peculiar sight below. “Because there is a statue off its base…MERLIN.”
“OH…well that’s not my fault.”
Arthur just smirked. Really, this should feel strangely wild, but oddly enough, it was becoming a circumstance he was growing accustomed to. He had a load of questions he wanted answered, and yet there was this. Ever since Merlin had come along, very peculiar things happened.
Look at the record, and yes maybe not all of it could be blamed on Merlin, but nothing as outrageous as much of this had happened in Camelot before Merlin, or seemed to have not anyway: His father married a troll (give that one a high point value…troll…enough said), a beam of light helped him out of a cave (okay so Merlin was practically unconscious during that one), a spell was put on him that made him falsely fall in love with…ah…Lady Vivian, a knight came who was supposed to be dead, but miraculously lived as some wraith who simply wanted to end the Pendragon Dynasty, other knights stayed alive even after they were supposed to be dead and their leader put all of Camelot into a deep sleep…hmmm…let’s see what else…he nearly eloped with a woman he had just met, Merlin trying to cause a diversion knocked down the entire squad of guards at the gates of Camelot with a bunch of barrels…
“Okay…so I kind of blew something last night.” Merlin finally admitted now.
Arthur crossed his arms over his chest, abandoning the list. Too long. “Uh-huh.” He moved in closer, whispering. “And what does Guinevere have to do with any of this? I mean not that I’m complaining, but why was she in my room?”
Merlin shrugged. “Because you wouldn’t let her leave.”
Arthur’s eyes grew big.
Merlin smiled.
Arthur had a whole bunch of more questions, but for now he needed to make sure of something. “Alright, get my horse ready. I’ll meet you down there in a bit. I have to…tend to something, like fixing my shirt…since it’s probably another that you put in my drawer INSIDE OUT.”
“Probably.”
The prince gave him a dirty look.
Merlin started to run down the steps.
Arthur rolled his eyes and returned to his quarters, closing the doors behind him. As he turned around he noticed now that she was standing there at his bed, flattening the covers.
He shook his head with disapproval. “You don’t have to do that. You’re not my servant.”
Holding the sheet in her hand, Guinevere stopped.
He moved forward, touching at her fingers and muttering. “I don’t know why, but something about those words. Something odd.”
She nodded her head with a slight smile, remembering…woman…servant. She was ever so glad he was back to his normal self, but also…
Strangely melancholy. The order would be remembered, what was expected…
What had to be.
Gently he pulled the sheet away from her fingers. “No really. You don’t have to clean this. I can have someone else do it. I have so much I want to ask you, but…if I don’t get down there now my father will become suspicious…and even angrier. I can only guess the reason why is because I’m late. I’m just not entirely sure why I’m so…late, except obviously Merlin had something to do with this. I wonder at your part though…Guinevere.”
There was still a mirage of confusion in his face. She touched his hand, understanding he was seeking reassurance, without being too direct about it. “When you come back…it will become clearer.”
He quietly nodded his head, just looking into her eyes, so colored alive and deep.
Her fingers moved down, touched at the bottom hem of his shirt.
Arthur stared, thinking how much lately he had longed for being this close to her. Whatever had happened, couldn’t have been that bad. Waking up with his head on her lap sure hadn’t been something to upset him.
“Remember…it’s inside out.” She told him now, referring to the shirt.
“Right.” He said back absentmindedly.
With all practicality Guinevere lifted up his shirt now, pulling it over his head as she saw him lift his arms to assist her. It was a slightly intimate moment that neither really wanted to discuss. Arthur watched as her small hands turned it around. Then he felt as she brought it back over his chest. Guinevere lowered the material until it sat flat over his stomach and all. Then lifting her hands, she started to straighten the collar around his neck.
Arthur caught her fingers with his, whispering emotionally. “I miss you.”
She gave a little nervous laugh, bringing her arms down, but he kept hold of the delicate fingers of one hand. She had rejected the other already. “Guinevere. I’m not sure what happened…” He gestured to his room, his bed specifically. “Here, but I can say this. Waking up to see your face…
Nicest surprise I’ve ever had.”
She nodded her head with a slight blush, but didn’t comment on his last remark, instead his former. “I miss you too…Sire.”
He smiled softly, reaching out to touch her cheek, but then heard it.
Guinevere cleared her throat with full intention. “Well, I have so much work to do. I’m late for it all. And you don’t want them to have to send out a search party for you again. You must go…My Lord.”
A grimace tightened his face. She was dismissing him, reminding him of his duty that she seemed to never forget. He was the prince and yet she was the one who got the protocol more than ever. Sometimes maybe too much.
She parted away from him now, picking up the earlier fallen laundry, her back to him as-
“Guinevere…”
Holding her work, she turned around, seeing his strong blue eyes on hers, alert and with authority, the Prince Arthur she respected so.
“I’ll make sure that the reason for your lateness is explained so you are not burdened by too much more this day. Rest assured on that.”
She smiled, gave a short bow. “Thank you…my Lord.”
He simply nodded his head.
And she left him alone…
To his duty.
To follow her own.
Any mentions of Darling and Lovely…
Forgotten.
~{}~
It was her little humble home. That was where they met. Now she had explained a good portion of it to him…yet not all.
And not in any great detail.
Arthur laughed through parts, had widened eyes through others, and complained boisterously about his servant through the bits of how it had all gotten started. Leave it to Merlin to get smashed simply by having some liquored cider, and then causing a whole mess of everything.
As Guinevere now yawned though, he got up from the bench and smiled down at her, taking the cup she was holding and returning to the kitchen with it. Back turned, he spoke. “You’re tired. It’s been a long day for you, with all that happened.”
She hadn’t told him everything, not filling in with specifics just how amorous he had been, and not allowing Merlin either to ever remark about it. Just some silly fantasy anyway, that maybe had been too perfect to even be to her liking. So he was a bit more distant this way and less open. It was still how she most preferred him…
Arthur could tell some had not been spoken about. Of course he didn’t understand the extent, but by her momentary silences he knew she had not provided him with every bit. Even as he wondered why, he did not press.
She stood up now too, realizing he would be leaving soon. She remained at the side of the door as he came to its front.
Gently he lifted at her hand, looking strongly into her eyes. One thing bothered him, that he hoped urgently was not the reason for her…quiet. “Guinevere, I didn’t do anything unseemly while all this was going on, did I?”
She smiled with appreciation for his concern at any way he could have offended her. “No my Lord. Nothing of the sort.”
“I just wouldn’t have wanted to make you uncomfortable in any way.”
“You did not.”
He looked down into her dark reflecting eyes, with tiny bits of russet flair striking through them. Something so…beautiful. And hidden, what she still was not telling him. It seemed there was some bit of his personality during that time that she had yet to reveal.
If ever.
“Good.”
Guinevere started to turn around.
Arthur caught at her arm. Then gently he pressed her back against the wall. Whispered. “I wouldn’t want to ever offend you.”
“Well you didn-
He…
Didn’t let her finish.
Pressing his mouth against hers, Arthur tasted all of the woman who he had woken to earlier this day, with not enough clear memory of whatever had happened before. He felt her precious fingers come up against his desiring cheeks. He wished he could stay. No. He wished they could be silly enough to exchange each others’ name on their sleeves. He wished he could walk down the town’s streets with her at his side, his hand tucked through her arm to assist. He wished he could laugh with her in public and take her to the festivities. Dance in the crowd with her. Hold at her hand.
L-
Achingly Arthur ended the kiss, hearing her breathing fast and seeing her mouth still slitted open. Wishing as much as he did probably…
That it didn’t always have to end like this.
If only one more moment.
One bit more of feeling her soft skin. One minute second of all her rich taste.
Of…
“Goodnight Guinevere.”
So much to say and yet what?
Say no more.
“Goodnight Sire.”
He walked out into the cold night.
Alone.
She pushed back against her wall with an unfulfilled sigh.
Forlorn.
~{}~
Part VIII: Secrecy
Lovely…
Do not forget what you whispered to me in the moment of madness.
Lovely…
Help me be brave.
Lovely…
Let me surprise like I promised you…
As the madness reigned.
Lovely…
Obey my secret.
~{}~
Back from another errand for Gaius, this time his sobriety fully intact, Merlin noticed a strange light near Gwen’s house. Approaching closer, he stopped, watching silently. The flame, a mask over her face to protect its vulnerable features, the liquid metal hardening to what it would become, she was hard at work. It was hours into the night and there she was, creating something it seemed that looked like…
It was late. He didn’t want to startle her, so he whispered softly, hoping it wouldn’t cause too much interference. “Gwen?”
She lifted her head with definitely some shock flowing through her body, lifted at the mask to make it sit over her dark hair.
Merlin lifted his hands to reassure. “It’s okay. Just me. Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She finished the side she had been working on, extinguishing the flame, before removing the mask completely. Questioningly she faced her friend. “Do you need something Merlin?”
He shook his head, seeing the stump near where she had set up some kind of temporary shop, and moved to it. “No. I just…”
Her face didn’t smile. The curve of her lips didn’t come.
Too much like him.
Oh how temperament could change from one day to the next.
In just this week a wide range of them had presented themselves.
It was kind of erratic, but then so could be love.
As he looked down at all that surrounded her, and how diligently she still was focused on a piece she was toiling with, he asked. “Is that what I think it’s to be?”
Guinevere nodded her head. “Yes. Probably”
“For who?”
She simply smiled with little emphasis, her dark curls falling over her forehead, now entirely escaped from the mask’s earlier confinement.
Merlin smiled too, getting it, before he reached to touch her hand. “Everything okay Gwen?” He kept touching until she finally rested on the stump next to him, leaving the unfinished piece to reside alone.
It was a dark night, but half starred with beauty. In the distance could be heard a few couples who were out late, ready for the days to come that would bring in all the romantic occasions.
“I think I’ll be finished with it in an evening or two. Maybe then you can give it to him.”
Merlin negated that, coming in with an apology instead. “I’m sorry, you know about the other day. All that mess with the vial and everything. Hope you’re not too mad about that still.”
Guinevere laughed softly. “Merlin, I never was mad.”
He told her strongly. “You should give it to him. He’ll want to know where it came from. It’ll mean something-
She shook her head, all the curls now coming out of the loose hair tie she had wrapped around them. “No. It does not matter Merlin. Maybe all that with the vial was meant to happen. Maybe…”
She lifted her head to the stars with a tight swallow, finishing solidly. “It does not matter. It can never happen. That’s all.”
Merlin grimaced, thinking of who he had recalled the night he had indulged, what for a second had entered his heart. He had never told anyone but Gaius…
That is until now. At least just a tiny bit. “Don’t say that Gwen.” He reached for her hand, held at it with friendly comfort. “You love each other. That means…everything. That goes beyond things even like sorcery and battles. When you love someone, it hurts a lot, but also it’s…
Magical.”
She stared.
Merlin swallowed hard. “At least I’m assuming it’s that way.” He knew it was. He felt it when he first kissed her. And he felt the agony when he turned the boat into a funeral pyre. And watched the flames take her away.
His Freya. His lady of the lake.
Maybe he couldn’t be with her, because she was now gone, part of that lake she so loved, but Gwen and Arthur were alive, very much and…
They were his friends. He wanted them happy, even if the time for such emotion was limited.
Even if Arthur was a prat…ha.
He looked over to the makeshift table, littered with her progress…and then to his friend. “Give him it Gwen. Trust me, I know it’ll make him happy. And you I’m betting. Don’t waste a single moment…because you’ll regret it.”
She was still staring, wondering how Merlin seemed to be talking about something that went beyond…
Before he could make it too personal, he backtracked now. “Look, I messed things up pretty badly with that vial. Let me make it up to you. We can work together to…”
She completed his unfinished thought, distantly thinking of that day. “Surprise him…”
Merlin nodded his head enthusiastically. “Ah, that’s perfect Gwen!”
She shook her own. “No…I just meant that I promised him a surprise that day and…
Well I didn’t really have anything to give him. It doesn’t matter though, too late.”
Merlin went on with resolve. “No, it’s not. Listen to me. It will work…”
She negated his words, standing now, brushing off the pants she had put on to do the dirty tasks…
“Merlin, it wouldn’t. He explained as much after he stayed with me…that first time.” She sighed, lifting her hands with defeat. “There are so many things. He is a prince, his father, his world…so far from mine. It could never be. That’s what he told me.”
He wouldn’t let her go. Merlin held tight to her arm before she could fully turn away. “Not what he told me.” He probably shouldn’t be saying this, but one bit she should know. “After all that craziness with Lady Vivian, and he had to continue the fight with Olaf, he told me to look out for you…if he didn’t…well you know. He said you were indispensable Gwen.”
Her face creased with emotion. He always was protecting, her Prince, her Sire, her…Lord… a fighter to the death, Camelot’s Prince, but…easily he seemed to take his role on, as long as those he cared for…stayed away from harm.
Her Arthur.
She should just let it go, but it was only days away. He kept up his duty with ones that disappointed him. She wanted to see his…
As…
The words out of her mouth were quiet.
But drizzled with hope.
“Maybe you can help me. You know…keep it secret.”
Merlin smiled fully, tightening his hand around hers. “Definitely.
My Lovely…”
He gave her an adoring playful look, reminding her of Arthur’s silliness that day.
Guinevere couldn’t help but crack a bit as she responded in kind. “Darling.”
Before she warned with fun teasing. “You stay away from the Cider Merlin.”
“Trust me I will.”
Their friendship started from the day he first arrived in Camelot, they held at each other’s hands still, laughing together…
Moods finally lightened.
And an objective planned.
~{}~
He was issuing the guards an evening message as he caught just a glimpse. Enough.
He was too far away to hear, to see enough clearly, but what he did…
The lateness.
The darkness.
Hands clasped.
Smiles.
Ridiculous laughter it seemed.
Her hair falling too intimately.
His happiness too stark.
Made him frown.
Wonder.
Merlin and Guinevere?
~{}~
With all he had to do in just less than two days, he rushed.
And that he rushed…
Was partly the reason a certain prince asked with suspicion…
“Have somewhere to go Merlin?”
As he poked the sword’s tip at his servant’s back, just partly teasingly.
The touch filled him with surprise. Merlin turned around with a rapidly placed smile, seeing his master standing there with a peculiar smirk. He had been hastily making his bed before picking up the dirtied breakfast dishes to take to the kitchen. Arthur had actually left the room many moments ago to lead a training round for a new crew of knights. Merlin was surprised to see him now returned so early.
For a second the prince kept the sword out, so that it tickled at the servant’s chest. Merlin pointed to it a bit shakily. “Eh…uh…Arthur. Might want to put that down.”
The prince lowered the sword with a dismissive shrug. “Well it’s not like it’s all that sharp anyway. Another poorly made one. So what are you in such a hurry for Merlin?”
The servant boy shook his head. “Who said I was in one? Shouldn’t you be down there now Sire…you know…training?”
“Trying to get rid of me?” Arthur asked, nonchalantly swinging the sword low to the floor.
Merlin came out with a chuckle. “Ha…why would I do such a thing? Of course not.” He patted the prince’s shoulder. “Well…I should get these to the kitchen.” He gestured to the dishes in his other hand.
Scrutiny was sharp in the prince’s eyes as he called out to prevent his hasty departure.
The boy was right. He probably should be down in the practice field with the new group of possible knights for their morning practice. He had only returned to his room to get a different sword, hopefully a better one.
And to…
“Merlin.”
“Sire if I don’t get these taken to the ki-
“Busy last night, Merlin?”
The servant shrugged as he kept the dishes in hand. “Well, as you know, I served dinner for you and your father, Sire.”
The prince took the new sword, firmly fitting it down into its sheath with a loud hissing drive. “Yes, I know all that Merlin. Anything after, any errands for Gaius or something else?”
Merlin frowned before an amused smile hit his face. “Ah, if you mean did I get into the Cider again, no Sire.”
The Prince smiled somewhat too. “Good to hear.”
He paused for a minute, seeming to want to say something else…
Merlin looked at him questioningly. “Arthur?”
The prince came out of his silent pondering with a dismissive smile. “That’s all. You can go take those to the kitchen.”
Merlin gave a slight gesture before departing the room, thinking nothing at all odd about the prince’s behavior.
Perhaps he would have felt differently if he saw the scowl that came after the door was closed.
~{}~
Gwen lifted her head from the last bit that she was finally completing. She couldn’t help but be excited about it now. It was a barely a day away. Nights ago she had been feeling down after the vial’s predictable complicated outcome. And yet now, having this to plan with Merlin, her mood had brightened.
It was such late afternoon that the dark was already drifting in. She sat at her table on one bench with her handiwork, Merlin at the other side, handing her the wrapping.
“I’ve enjoyed being part of this, but I’m glad too that all the secrecy can end tomorrow.”
As Gwen laid out the material to bind around it, she felt bothered by Merlin’s words.
“I’m sorry if it’s been a burden on you Merlin.” Her look was apologetic.
He responded quickly, thinking he probably should have watched more carefully what he said.
“No, it’s been no burden at all. Just…you know who…might be getting a little annoyed with how I keep rushing to do my work.”
Guinevere frowned at that. She hadn’t asked him to do so much that it would keep him from his service. “Merlin, what do you mean? I didn’t think it was interfering with your duties.”
Merlin sighed inwardly, knowing for sure his mouth had blabbed more than it should have, again.
“No, it’s no-
A knock came at the door, cutting through Merlin’s answer.
Gwen called out. “Who is it?”
“Prince…”
There was a pause, a tight one.
“Arthur.”
They exchanged anxious looks. He couldn’t know Merlin was here.
Guinevere searched the room with as much calm as she could muster. Looking to the back area, where she had slept when he stayed that time and mistakenly thought she had a second bed, she gestured to her friend. “Over there…I’ll try to make it quick.”
Merlin was already getting up from the table, heading to where she pointed. “Okay.”
Eyes lowering, Guinevere caught at Merlin’s arm. “Oh, and take this. So he does not see.”
Merlin smiled tightly, grasping it in his hand. “Right.” He rushed over and hid behind the curtain.
Guinevere watched until he was fully hidden from sight, and then worked at her hair. She imagined it had to be a mess right now. Hastily she fussed at it to set it more firmly into her flowered ties, achieving partial success.
~}
As the delay continued, he pressed his ear hard against the door, struggling to hear something. Anything. He could have sworn, there was more than one voice.
Or maybe that’s just your overly anxious hearing.
Shut up.
Lost in his rambled rantings at himself, for what he had only partly concocted, Arthur gulped with surprise as the door unexpectedly opened, moving away from his ear. Catching him completely off balance.
“WHOA-
Guinevere’s eyes widened with shock as he started to tumble forward.
FIE.
He desperately grasped at the wall with his hand, saving his pride before it could land flattened at her doorstep.
“Ah…” He cleared his throat, trying to act like he hadn’t just been listening, and now had to hold onto the wall for dear life just to remain…standing. “I was checking the door and you opened it and…well…
I’m here now.”
~{}~
Next time:
Oh sure Arthur, she’s seen it, like she’s also seen a bear with the head of an eagle and the tail feathers of a peacock.
Thanks for reading/feedback adored!