Lovely Surprise Me
Part X: Wrong
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Lovely…
Nothing’s changed.
I’m still here.
I feel no different.
Meet with me this day…
This very special day.
I will reveal it all to you…
If you do not hurt me first.
If you do not burn me.
Lovely…
Hear the truth.
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It was odd for things to be like this. Early that morning he had received a message from one of the royal guards. His services would not be needed this day. The prince had left on a personal mission and would not return until late afternoon. Normally it would make Merlin want to infer what the matter was, but with this particular day, he was glad for the allowance of time. He surely needed it.
Taking out the object that she had fully completed in the novel hours of morning, before he insisted he be the one to bring it there, Merlin slipped something inside within the wrapping. Then departing the quarters he shared with Gaius, the object in hand, he made his way to the town area…
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Guinevere was still a little melancholy about the events of the previous evening. She couldn’t help the bit of excitement creeping in too though. After she saw him…she could only hope all would be remedied.
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Standing silently underneath an overhang, he hid, dark cloak concealing most his face, his expression soberly cold.
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{Astronomical Clock Hours Later}
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In its canopied area, he finished setting it all up, every bit, leaving something written there too…
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She went to the stables, saddled up a horse, and set it to gallop away from the castle’s walls…
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Locating his own horse, undecorated, no regal bearing displayed on it, he followed her…
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Taking one last look at it, Merlin smiled. Perfect. Then he ran to meet her so she wouldn’t get suspicious and find him…
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“Merlin!”
Guinevere called out as she arrived there to the spot they agreed to meet at. She jumped down from her horse, waited. Surrounding her were all the forest’s climbing trees. Underneath her foot the tall wild grasses grew. Turning around, she called out his name again, pulling at the red cloak that surrounded the dress she was wearing.
“Merlin!”
“There you are. Ready?”
Out he came from behind the trees coverage. She smiled at the familiar face, the colorful outfit all complete with one of those customary scarves of his, this time of course the bright red one. It was so fitting with it being February 14th…
Valentine’s Day.
Merlin stopped in wonder. “Wow…you look really pretty.”
Guinevere blushed. So she had once again taken out some material she’d been given a year or so ago…and finally completed a gown that she had always…
“No, it’s silly. I shouldn’t have even worn it.”
Merlin grinned. It was peculiar. Gwen once kissed him, after he had that poisoned fever, and yet even then it was apparent it was some little happy crush.
This was something altogether…
“No. It’s perfect.”
Guinevere moved forward, spontaneously hugged him as he handed it to her. “Thank you Merlin…so much for helping me with this. I don’t know if I would have had the courage to do it alone.”
He smiled down into her shining eyes. Thankfully they were so much brighter than last night. She had to know that once all the truth was revealed, everything would be okay. For too long they’d been kept apart because of all the circumstance and order that was expected to be followed.
Love paid no heed to those kinds of immaterial matters though. Love was falling into total enchantment with a girl who horribly had to become some creature that terrorized her at night. It was cradling that girl into your heart because you only saw her as one thing, creature or not. Beautiful.
Of course Gwen never became a creature, but she was not rich, instead poor in money. She had no type of regal bearing at all and yet…
And yet how similar it was, underneath all the seeming differences.
You fell in love with someone that everything, everyone told you was wrong, and yet you held fast to it. You looked beyond the so-called divisions, and saw only the beauty.
You know everything is against this, ready to defeat this, and yet still, you have courage. You fight, because love doesn’t obey things like rules of order and…horrible curses.
He couldn’t have his…
And so let them have theirs.
He hugged her solidly…
Neither of them hearing it.
The blade came out as the animal, the one with no regal insignia, no decoration, the one that followed her, came to a fierce stop by its rider. He pushed away the dark cloak, holding it firmly in hand. The blade was another one that dulled too quickly.
But so be it.
Maybe he was just a bit too anxious though, because even as he so coolly lifted it for the fight, he actually too slipped down so far from his horse that he landed flat…
Ever so unceremoniously…
On his arse.
Merlin and Guinevere pulled away from each other at that noise.
Staring, Merlin noticed how the prince looked a little beside himself right now, flat on his rear.
Guinevere gasped as the prince quickly moved off his…grass-weeded arse…and ran toward them erratically, sword high in hand.
Grasping onto Merlin’s arm, she asked tensely, “Is this the result of another vial?”
Merlin pulled Gwen behind him protectively. He looked really ANGRY. And kind of…out of his mind. “Uh, not that I know of. And trust me, I didn’t go having any Cider last night either. Went straight to bed, learned my lesson the first time.”
“AAAHHH!”
The prince’s odd war cry rang.
Guinevere dropped the wrapped object into the tall grass to keep it hidden.
Merlin swallowed as with that bellowing cry, he raced to meet them. Or maybe slice and dice them…ha. Not funny. Oh bother!
A bit off his senses, and so definitely off range, Arthur waved the sword, not hitting any intended victim. Seemed maybe he was just giving them a warning…swipe.
“MERLIN YOU FOOL.”
Okay, that was normal, except having it yelled at one million decibels. “Uh…Arthur…are you alright?”
Regaining some of his control now, hurt, angry and…yes maybe a bit off…Arthur kept the blade high. At least he had their attention now.
For a second he looked past Merlin, seeing shock in her eyes. He averted his own quickly.
A couple of thoughts pooled through Merlin’s mind, including the fact that Arthur could spoil everything now by having returned earlier than they thought he would. “Weren’t you supposed to be gone…longer?”
Oh that was definitely the wrong thing to say.
The prince tipped his head back and laughed, before coldly sneering. “Ha…you would wish for that, wouldn’t you Merlin?”
The servant shook his head, confused, trying to figure out in his busied mind where this could have come from. Well Arthur had definitely not been happy when he left Gwen’s, but that was because she denied his kiss. That had to be the only reason, right?
Still…
It seemed strange for the prince to be this upset, so outwardly.
Guinevere started to take a step forward, but the ripping interrupted any move she could make.
Holding it in his hand, after tearing it past his wrist, he threw it across the ground…
Merlin’s face whitened as he saw it bouncingly roll through the grasses, landing at his feet.
“Arthur?”
The voice railed against the cool afternoon wind, interrupted the beautiful still sunlit day.
“I, ARTHUR PENDRAGON, CROWN PRINCE of CAMELOT, challenge you…MERLIN THE FOOL, to a match, TO THE DEATH.”
Guinevere could only think one thing. This was preposterous.
Merlin held still, completely dumbfounded, before he smiled upward at his master. Okay, so was he enchanted or something? At least he didn’t set up a specific time…ha ha…oh bother. This was crazy. The Prince of Camelot, a killing device by his own admission, had just challenged he, Merlin the ‘bumbling idiot useless’…
Let’s see…there were more colorful adjectives, but let that suffice for now. He was challenging HIM….to a match, a death one at that. “Arthur, I nearly fall flat on my face every time you take out the mace and swing it around and all, you know that!”
Arthur rolled his eyes. It was true. Merlin was no fighter. He’d probably faint before the fight was two seconds in, but this was his fault. This was the price he would pay for his treachery.
Guinevere pushed past Merlin now. “Are you mad Arthur? Why would you want to hurt Merlin?”
Arthur tried to keep his eyes averted, tried to avoid the fact...
That she looked absolutely breathtaking.
It wasn’t for him though…it was for…
Merlin, still majorly confused, asked something else. “Is this because I got drunk and switched the vials?”
Arthur’s eyebrow’s rose with annoyance. It was hard to stay fully angry when the kid asked ridiculous things. “NO! Now shut up! Like I said, I Arthur-
She cut through furiously. “You cannot challenge him to a match! You know he would lose in seconds!”
Merlin frowned. Great. Forever he would be known as the servant who could barely lift a sword, even though that little fact happened to be true. It didn’t make it any easier to take. Of course he had his magic, but he doubted either of them would react all that pleasantly to Arthur’s sword just flying away from him or anything else like that.
Suppose he could freeze the prince…but that might turn him into a permanent statue. Freezing could sometimes have interesting side effects.
Ah…Sire…sorry…your son is now a decorative statue. How about we put him in the front hallway for a lovely display?
No…wouldn’t sit too well with the king. It would be another head chopping round, plus then his destiny never would be completed.
So Merlin, why was Albion never united? Oh…because I turned the Crown Prince of Camelot into a marble effigy.
Yep, definitely wouldn’t work.
Realizing that even though she had been extremely truthful, her words may have sounded just a bit unkind too, Guinevere turned back. “No offense meant Merlin.”
The servant waved his hands with friendly dismissal. “No…totally fine. No problem.”
Arthur raised the sword now to under Merlin’s chin.
He gulped, whispering. “Aaaah…THIS…could be a problem.”
Guinevere complained. “Arthur, put that sword down! Is this about last night? You still don’t understand.”
Arthur kept his eyes hard, focused on Merlin’s whitening face. “Oh no. I think understand all too well. Right, Traitor?”
Merlin searched fruitlessly through his brain. “Look, Arthur, only one thing would make you this angry that I can think of and you can’t be mad about that because that’s…”
The prince gave a grim grin.
“Sire?”
He tipped the blade higher.
Guinevere ran past them.
Merlin didn’t get it. He was calling him a traitor…for what?”
Arthur whispered straight to his face, filling in the answer. “I saw you…last night…with her. Two nights actually. You’ve been seeing Guinevere behind my back!”
Merlin gasped, it all becoming crystal clear now. He shook his head fervently. “NO, oh Arthur you have it completely wrong. It’s not what you think at all.”
“Quiet!” Arthur roared.
She came back now and swung HARD with her arm.
“FIE!
WHAT ARE-
It worked.
He fell down to the grass. Above him, Guinevere stood with the strong thick branch she had retrieved from the forest ground to smack him, having directed it right at the one part below the elbow where his armor & chainmail didn’t so fully protect.
Merlin gave a look of amazement as Guinevere reached down to the wild grasses and picked up the prince’s fallen sword before he could get a hold of it again. “Here Merlin!” She called out.
Haphazardly Merlin caught the thing, bouncing it back from hand to hand a bit with absolutely no coordination.
Arthur rolled his eyes as he nursed his hurt arm, but stayed down on the ground as Guinevere held the branch at him. He spoke authoritatively. “You do still realize that I am the Prince of Camelot and can put BOTH of you in the dungeons, right?”
Merlin signaled over to her with a bit of nervousness. She could be pretty tough when she got resilient. “Uh…Gwen…you’re not planning that we’re going to kill him or anything like that, right?” Hope not. He was his destiny, even if he was a…scary one right now.
She ignored his question, too outlandish. Instead she focused directly down to the prince. “What is this about? Last night?”
Merlin interrupted, holding the blade below toward the prince’s chest…in only a semi-successful way.
In fact he was so shaky about it that Arthur tipped his finger against the blade playfully. Merlin would drop the thing before he actually took a decent swing, and by that time he’d have it against the servant’s throat.
“He thinks that you and I were together. He thinks we’ve been meeting in secret.”
Guinevere frowned. “Well we have-
Arthur lifted his hand with barely contained anger. Great! Now she even easily admitted it! Would be funny if his heart wasn’t…
Merlin gave her a meaningful look.
Guinevere stared. “You’re not saying…”
Merlin nodded his head. “Yep. He thinks that we started something behind his back.”
Arthur came in strongly. “Well you have. Which was why I had to make up that crazy wildren story last night. Catch him red-handed.”
He frowned with frustration. This was getting as out of control as the previous evening. It had to be Merlin. Anytime that boy was around everything went whacky. His servant should be cowering in fear down on his knees. Instead, it was he, Arthur Pendragon, down on his knees, after Guinevere’s whack…by the way highly successful…and Merlin standing above with the sword, albeit barely managing to keep it in his hand.
He should just jump up and scare them both.
Instead he brought in begrudgingly. “Only it didn’t quite work out.”
Merlin snickered. “Uh…well sure. Pot size wildren…hah.”
Arthur gave him a fierce glare.
“Uh…sorry Sire.” Merlin came in, before frowning.
Wasn’t he the one with the sword?
Oh yes, while the prince below him kept playing around with the tip of it. So they all knew…he was no sword fighter.
Ah…too bad magic would be too obvious.
Unless he turned him into a…
As Merlin rambled in his head about the way he could use magic without causing too much of an obvious display, she reacted to one very important thing the prince had stated.
“You made it up? You lied about the wildren?”
The prince came back at her quickly. “Well you lied about being alone! He was there the whole time, wasn’t he?” Arthur frowned. “In fact, you never even saw anything crawl by like you told me, did you? I bet you were just covering for him!”
Merlin countered, out of his magic wanderings now.
As he did so, he waved the sword for emphasis…
WILDLY.
“NO! Arthur, it’s not what you think, really! Hah, do you think I would be DUMB enough to meet with Gwen in secret when you’ve made it clear how you feel about her?
I actually value my life Arthur!”
Guinevere turned away from both of them now, the branch back on the ground, her arms crossed with some kind of upset.
The wildly swinging blade whipped dangerously close to the prince’s ear. Frantically he ducked. IDIOT.
As Merlin continued his precarious ranting…
“I would have to be the stupidest person alive to actually go after her! Especially after you made plain how you f-
Another dive down, nearly shaving the top of the prince’s head.
BUMBLING FOOL WAS GOING TO KILL HIM…
IF NOT…
MAKE HIM GO BALD.
Furious, and having so much vanity to not want to be a hairless soul, Merlin’s Destiny caught at it and yelled out.
“Enough!
MERLIN, give me this thing before you kill us both!”
He pulled it fully away from the boy with relief.
It would not have been pretty going back to Camelot having to explain why his head was now so…
Shiny.
Or as he entered ghost spiritual state having his memory embarrassingly marred by the fact that some scrawny kid murdered him totally by…ACCIDENT.
Moving up to his feet, the prince held the sword at his side, blade tip downward. It was ridiculous to try to even threaten him with it. The boy had no fighting skills whatsoever, and yet it was too hazardous to let him hold it obviously. “You already said that you’ve been meeting her in secret. Guinevere said it too.”
She still had her back turned, fussing through something in her mind with little happiness.
So of course the servant and prince focused on just each other, nothing new for either.
“I saw you walk out of her house.” Arthur accused viciously. “Twice I saw you with her since that vial incident. You’ve been meeting with her clandestinely!”
Merlin shook his head. “Come on Arthur! You really think I would be so much an idiot?”
“Well you were idiotic enough to mix up two vials of treatment, weren’t you?” The prince countered easily.
Merlin rolled his eyes. “I was drunk.”
“On CIDER!” Arthur yelled. “Merlin, you could have a sip of alcohol and be swaying all over the place!”
Merlin pointed with emphasis. “Right! So why would you want to fight me? I sway just as much sometimes…when I’m sober!”
Wait a second. That wasn’t what he meant.
Arthur smiled with agreement, before he frowned hard again. “Prepare to pay the price Merlin of your betrayal.”
The servant lifted his eyebrows. “Uh…Gwen? Help? You do remember that he wants to kill me, right? Tell him this is no…”
She did interrupt now, focused on just one thing, once again some of the prince’s previous words.
“Oh-oh.”
Merlin let out as he saw how hard she fisted her hands at her hips.
He whispered to his master. “Watch out if she grabs that branch again. She’s really skilled with it.”
Arthur darted his eyes to his servant, with possibly a bit of fear, the idiot being right about one thing, and then to Guinevere, before complaining. “Shut up Merlin!”
She interrupted fiercely all their ridiculous nonsensical arguing. “You’ve been SPYING on me?”
For the hundredth time that week Merlin swore once more…to never dip again into the Cider.
Arthur took a bit of a step back. She definitely seemed a bit irate right now. He came in with half weak defense. “I wouldn’t exactly call it that. I wasn’t…SPYING on you, not that first night anyway. I just happened to see you two during a night patrol, that’s all.”
“But last night you were.” Guinevere pointed to her chest now with emphasis. “I was scared last night! I believed you about the wildren. Should have known how silly a story it was.
Everyone knows there’s no such thing as a wildren that is the size of a POT.”
Her last words came out with an angry hiss.
Merlin snickered at that, before Arthur’s dark glare came. He muted his face.
Arthur turned back to Guinevere. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I realized, after it was too late, that it was a dumb story.”
Merlin couldn’t help but mutter. “You think?”
Both Arthur AND Guinevere glared. Merlin lifted his hands in the air. “Pretend I’m not here…disappeared.
POOF…gone.”
Both rolled their eyes and turned back to each other. Where in all of Camelot were they with this? Remembering now, Arthur railed. “But what about you, huh, hiding him from me? That’s why you wanted me out of the house, right, because he was there and you didn’t want me to find him! What, have you been planning this since the vial fiasco? Is that what it was all about? You never told me everything. This is why, isn’t it? So you two could be together and make a fool out of me!”
Guinevere’s temper was gone, but too the hurt was creeping in ever so slowly and yet successively. How could he think such a thing about her? He knew her not at all. “Yes, he was there, but not for the reason you are INSINUATING. What do you take me for? Someday you will be king and this is how you will treat your people? Your friends…your…”
The last part hung darkly. The mood found a certain hollowness.
Even Merlin could feel it and sighed.
Even the wind bellowed a bit with an aching cry, as the clouds dimmed the sun for a handful of seconds.
His what?
There was the question.
There never could be an endearment, a title, a fondness of a nickname, for everything had to be in the shadows. What was she truly to him? What was he to her? Lives of secrets had nowhere to lead to but to these misunderstandings. This foolery of what was really true.
Arthur still felt his mind as muddled as it had been since that day of waking up surrounded by her precious lap. Yes, she had told him that he got affectionate, but as he asked specifically what kinds of things he had done, she never filled it in. She told him they kissed some more…that they embraced and that his words were strong, but she never detailed it to a way that he could fully get it. Maybe that was why after seeing them together, spotting them, it was so easy to believe this…
What he hoped now was not true. So he be the fool…at least he be one with a heart still fully intact.
Of course the prince was too brusque as he demanded it, but maybe his armor was that the answerless state terrified him.
“I think I deserve to know what has been going on, why you have been spending so much time with Merlin. Tell me…why Guinevere.”
“Deserve?” She asked tightly.
The prince nodded his head.
She shook her own sadly.
This could not go on.
Resolutely she walked away, reached behind where Merlin stood.
The servant called out. “Gwen-
She already had it in her grasp though, and within seconds was forcing it into his. “Here.”
Merlin sighed. All spoiled.
The prince frowned at the wrapped object now in his hand.
She smiled unhappily. “Why was he there? To help me…with this. Surprise…
My Lord.”
Pulling her cloak around her shoulders, she moved away from them both. She just wanted to go back to her duties and then spend a lonely night at home. At least it would be away from him.
Arthur kept still, looking down with confusion at what she had placed in his hand.
Merlin filled in quietly, thinking how wrong this had just gone. “I told you it wasn’t what you thought. You should know she wouldn’t betray you like that…neither of us would. She wanted to make something special for you. I just helped her…keep it secret and all. That is until…now.”
Arthur frowned, shaking his head. “What?”
Merlin nodded his. “Yes…that’s all it was Arthur. She wanted to surprise you. She did it all for you. The only thing she did behind your back was…create something for you.”
Any leftover hardness slowly drained out of the prince’s eyes, shame slithering in to take its place. “She made me this?”
“Yes.”
Guinevere held at her cloak, a bit chilled even with the sun’s light, saying nothing, not wanting to look at him now.
How could he think such things about her?
Pulling her cloak tightly around her dress, she moved forward quickly to her horse.
Arthur noticed a tightness come to Merlin’s face. He turned around to see her preparing to leave. He had to make this right. He couldn’t just let her depart. His heart wouldn’t allow it.
Merlin called out. “Gwen!”
She didn’t heed the voice, just held at the animal’s neck, pushing behind her cloak as she started to lift her foot.
But then it came.
That voice.
“Guinevere!”
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Next Time:
“God have mercy…you’re beautiful.”
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