(no subject)
Title: Lower Quarter Queen
Author: romanitas
Characters: Guinevere, Gwaine.
Rating: PG
Summary: Someone had to come to Gwaine's rescue in the tavern, but how on earth did it turn out to be Gwen?
-
Contrary to popular belief, Guinevere had a social life. Granted, it wasn’t the greatest, but generally, she knew everyone’s faces in the lower quarter, even knew most of their names. Her mornings walking to the castle were always full of chats and idle conversation. After work, on days where she wasn’t completely exhausted, she would go out and meander about the town. She wouldn’t consider the townspeople friends of hers on the scale of Merlin or Arthur and Morgana (as strained as things seemed), but she enjoyed their company, and they were all very friendly with one another.
She wasn’t a big drinker, but she enjoyed stopping by the local tavern from time to time. The people there were always in good moods, and seeing them laugh could always put her in a good mood, even if she’d had the worst day in the world.
But today, she already was in a rather good mood herself. Work hadn’t been too bad, so she made her way to the tavern, to pop in and say hello. The usual chorus of greetings followed her in, which she replied to in earnest, complete with the occasional hug or pat on the back.
“Good to see you, Gwen!”
“Gwen! How’s it going?”
Even if she hadn’t seen them in days, weeks, they still welcomed her the same as always, and she them. It was nice, a sense of familiarity and comfort. She went up to the counter to ask for a glass of water, but saw something in the corner of her eye. A familiar face, but only recently familiar.
And he looked very… drunk.
“Gwaine, what are you doing?”
He turned around, and she was greeted by a very bright and warm smile. He held up his glass, as if toasting her, and some of the mead sloshed out onto the floor. “Ah! If it isn’t the lovely Princess Esmeralda.”
Gwen grinned a little. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Oh, you know. Just enjoying a drink with a few friends, huh?” he said cheerfully, his voice getting increasingly louder as he held up his glass, giving way to a tavern-wide cheer. “Tell me, are you the kind of person who’d want one? Because I’ve no problem buying you a drink.”
“And how exactly do you plan on paying for it?”
He stopped for a moment, but then laughed. “That part comes later! Don’t worry about it. Everything will be fine in the end!”
She looked at him somewhat sternly, but he couldn’t take it in for someone crashed into him, knocking the mead from his hand. Instead of getting angry, Gwaine laughed, patting the man on the back and offering him a drink. Gwen rolled her eyes, but she smiled; at least he was kind.
“Really, Gwaine, Merlin said you didn’t have much money. You shouldn’t be buying-well, any, but extra for others.”
“But someone’s got to supply the whole place!”
Gwen’s eyes widened. “The whole… place?”
He nodded eagerly, taking her hand and holding it up in the air. “Good people of the tavern!” he shouted, and the noise didn’t cease, but most people looked over. “What do you think, should I buy this princess right here a drink?”
There came a collective cheer in support, but Gwen pulled her hand away, half smiling and half narrowing her eyes. “Gwaine,” she said warningly. The barkeep held out a glass of mead for her, but she shook her head. “No thank you.”
Gwaine looked dejected. “You don’t want it?”
“I already told you that!”
Sighing, he took the glass himself, taking a long chug. “I’ll drink it for you then, my lady. In your honor!”
This was spiraling out of control. And by the looks of it, he’d already bought drinks for numerous people around the tavern. Drinks that she knew for sure he could not afford. She caught the eye of the barkeep, and they shared a knowing look. Gwaine was going to have to pay for them somehow. And if the knights got involved, who knew what might happen?
“Gwaine,” she said, putting her hand on his shoulder. He turned around, massive grin on his face, taking her hand in his own and attempting to spin her around. “Gwaine,” she said more forcefully, and he stopped in mid twirl, lowering his hands and taking another sip of his mead.
“Gwen.”
“It’s nice that you’ve gotten my name finally,” she said, pulling her hand out of his. “Tell me how you expect to pay for all this.”
He grinned impishly at her, and Gwen felt trouble instantly. He finished off his current glass, turning to the barkeep and asking for another.
Groaning, Gwen turned, scurrying quickly out of the tavern and heading off to find Merlin before things took a turn for the worse. She knew they would.
-
And it was the start of a beautiful, mischievous friendship. 8)
Author: romanitas
Characters: Guinevere, Gwaine.
Rating: PG
Summary: Someone had to come to Gwaine's rescue in the tavern, but how on earth did it turn out to be Gwen?
-
Contrary to popular belief, Guinevere had a social life. Granted, it wasn’t the greatest, but generally, she knew everyone’s faces in the lower quarter, even knew most of their names. Her mornings walking to the castle were always full of chats and idle conversation. After work, on days where she wasn’t completely exhausted, she would go out and meander about the town. She wouldn’t consider the townspeople friends of hers on the scale of Merlin or Arthur and Morgana (as strained as things seemed), but she enjoyed their company, and they were all very friendly with one another.
She wasn’t a big drinker, but she enjoyed stopping by the local tavern from time to time. The people there were always in good moods, and seeing them laugh could always put her in a good mood, even if she’d had the worst day in the world.
But today, she already was in a rather good mood herself. Work hadn’t been too bad, so she made her way to the tavern, to pop in and say hello. The usual chorus of greetings followed her in, which she replied to in earnest, complete with the occasional hug or pat on the back.
“Good to see you, Gwen!”
“Gwen! How’s it going?”
Even if she hadn’t seen them in days, weeks, they still welcomed her the same as always, and she them. It was nice, a sense of familiarity and comfort. She went up to the counter to ask for a glass of water, but saw something in the corner of her eye. A familiar face, but only recently familiar.
And he looked very… drunk.
“Gwaine, what are you doing?”
He turned around, and she was greeted by a very bright and warm smile. He held up his glass, as if toasting her, and some of the mead sloshed out onto the floor. “Ah! If it isn’t the lovely Princess Esmeralda.”
Gwen grinned a little. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Oh, you know. Just enjoying a drink with a few friends, huh?” he said cheerfully, his voice getting increasingly louder as he held up his glass, giving way to a tavern-wide cheer. “Tell me, are you the kind of person who’d want one? Because I’ve no problem buying you a drink.”
“And how exactly do you plan on paying for it?”
He stopped for a moment, but then laughed. “That part comes later! Don’t worry about it. Everything will be fine in the end!”
She looked at him somewhat sternly, but he couldn’t take it in for someone crashed into him, knocking the mead from his hand. Instead of getting angry, Gwaine laughed, patting the man on the back and offering him a drink. Gwen rolled her eyes, but she smiled; at least he was kind.
“Really, Gwaine, Merlin said you didn’t have much money. You shouldn’t be buying-well, any, but extra for others.”
“But someone’s got to supply the whole place!”
Gwen’s eyes widened. “The whole… place?”
He nodded eagerly, taking her hand and holding it up in the air. “Good people of the tavern!” he shouted, and the noise didn’t cease, but most people looked over. “What do you think, should I buy this princess right here a drink?”
There came a collective cheer in support, but Gwen pulled her hand away, half smiling and half narrowing her eyes. “Gwaine,” she said warningly. The barkeep held out a glass of mead for her, but she shook her head. “No thank you.”
Gwaine looked dejected. “You don’t want it?”
“I already told you that!”
Sighing, he took the glass himself, taking a long chug. “I’ll drink it for you then, my lady. In your honor!”
This was spiraling out of control. And by the looks of it, he’d already bought drinks for numerous people around the tavern. Drinks that she knew for sure he could not afford. She caught the eye of the barkeep, and they shared a knowing look. Gwaine was going to have to pay for them somehow. And if the knights got involved, who knew what might happen?
“Gwaine,” she said, putting her hand on his shoulder. He turned around, massive grin on his face, taking her hand in his own and attempting to spin her around. “Gwaine,” she said more forcefully, and he stopped in mid twirl, lowering his hands and taking another sip of his mead.
“Gwen.”
“It’s nice that you’ve gotten my name finally,” she said, pulling her hand out of his. “Tell me how you expect to pay for all this.”
He grinned impishly at her, and Gwen felt trouble instantly. He finished off his current glass, turning to the barkeep and asking for another.
Groaning, Gwen turned, scurrying quickly out of the tavern and heading off to find Merlin before things took a turn for the worse. She knew they would.
-
And it was the start of a beautiful, mischievous friendship. 8)