Fic: Moment # 2: Counsel, Gwen/Arthur, G
Title: Moment 2: Counsel
Author: kepp0xy
Rating: G
Characters/Pairing: Gwen/Arthur, pre-ship
Warning: mmm nope.
Summary: Gwen returns to Morgana's rooms to find Arthur, who is in need of some advice.
Author's Notes: I have a series ficlets that are random A/G Moments that span from just after Le Morte to the night before Arthur rides to the battle of Camlann; since they were just sitting in my documents, I thought I'd start posting them. Because they're ficlets, they're unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine. I'll probably aim to post one every two weeks. First found here
Gwen hefted the freshly laundered linens into one hand to open the door to Morgana's rooms. It always surprised her how much bed linens and blankets weighed. Or, more accurately, how awkward they were to transport.
Pushing the doors open, Gwen stumbled over a trailing sheet with a muttered curse. She impatiently gathered the guilty fabric out of the way before turning her attention to the room.
Arthur stood at Morgana's windows, now looking over his shoulder at Gwen. The look on his face suggested he wasn't quite sure how to react to her: amusement, sympathy or royal indifference.
"Sire," she said in surprise. "Morgana has gone to see Gaius, she's not feeling well. I'm not sure when she'll be back..." Arthur turned back towards the window and Gwen's words died on her lips.
"Will she be all right?" he asked after a few moments of quiet in which Gwen was at a loss for what to do.
Relieved that he was at least not going to just stand there, a silent and imposing statue, Gwen went to Morgana's bed and began sorting out the linens. "She'll be fine. Morgana didn't sleep well last night and has a headache today. She hoped Gaius would be able to help."
Arthur nodded. "I'm sure he will." He continued gazing down into the courtyard and Gwen wondered why he was still standing there. It was clear he was distracted by something, but could he not go be distracted in his own rooms?
"If you suspected that someone close to you had a secret," he said suddenly, each word leaving his mouth slowly, as though chosen very carefully. Gwen looked up from fluffing Morgana's pillows. "And the secret could destroy everything you have worked to build, but keeping the secret appears to change nothing..." He let out a sigh and Gwen could see the tension tightening the muscles in his shoulders and back. "And yet, the topic of the secret is the most dangerous..." he trailed off a second time and turned to face her. Gwen couldn't help but stare at him: his face was pale, eyes drawn and the anxiety and confusion was roiling off of him and bombarding her halfway across the room. "What would you do?"
"I suppose..." Gwen paused, thinking. She and Morgana told each other almost everything, but she knew there were some things that Morgana kept from her, just as Morgana was not privy to all of Gwen's secrets. The secrecy, however, was more a symptom of their social positions than anything. "Some things are better left unsaid, I think. If this secret is dangerous, perhaps the person you speak of is keeping it from you to protect you."
"They're doing it to protect themselves, I suspect," Arthur muttered bitterly. He rested his elbow on his crossed arm and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Gwen glanced down at the bed in thought. "Is there reason for this person to do so? What would you do with the knowledge of their secret?"
Arthur winced and Gwen stopped her ministrations to watch him. She had been in court for over a decade and had rarely seen Arthur react in such a way. "I would be bound by the law," he said, voice strained and barely above a whisper. "Their life would end."
"Then I believe you have your answer, Sire," Gwen replied in clipped tones, unpleasant memories surfacing like rotten apples in the lake. He dropped his hand and looked at her. "If you would have to end this person's life because of their secret, then no matter how close they are, they will keep it." Gwen turned her attention back to making the bed. She threw the duvet roughly across but it folded onto itself at the far end of the bed. "And if you value this person, then would it not be best to leave them be?" Gwen continued harshly, not looking at the Prince as she moved to fix it. When she reached the side of the bed, Arthur's hand got there first and straightened the mussed blanket for her.
Gwen looked up at Arthur, surprised by his sudden close proximity and feeling strangely intimate by standing so close, if only by accident. He watched her, his expression reminding Gwen of someone trying to figure out a puzzle, before stepping away. "Thank you." He inclined his head to her saying, "Guinevere," by way of farewell before he left the room.
"Sire," she replied, watching him leave.
Next Moment...
Author: kepp0xy
Rating: G
Characters/Pairing: Gwen/Arthur, pre-ship
Warning: mmm nope.
Summary: Gwen returns to Morgana's rooms to find Arthur, who is in need of some advice.
Author's Notes: I have a series ficlets that are random A/G Moments that span from just after Le Morte to the night before Arthur rides to the battle of Camlann; since they were just sitting in my documents, I thought I'd start posting them. Because they're ficlets, they're unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine. I'll probably aim to post one every two weeks. First found here
Gwen hefted the freshly laundered linens into one hand to open the door to Morgana's rooms. It always surprised her how much bed linens and blankets weighed. Or, more accurately, how awkward they were to transport.
Pushing the doors open, Gwen stumbled over a trailing sheet with a muttered curse. She impatiently gathered the guilty fabric out of the way before turning her attention to the room.
Arthur stood at Morgana's windows, now looking over his shoulder at Gwen. The look on his face suggested he wasn't quite sure how to react to her: amusement, sympathy or royal indifference.
"Sire," she said in surprise. "Morgana has gone to see Gaius, she's not feeling well. I'm not sure when she'll be back..." Arthur turned back towards the window and Gwen's words died on her lips.
"Will she be all right?" he asked after a few moments of quiet in which Gwen was at a loss for what to do.
Relieved that he was at least not going to just stand there, a silent and imposing statue, Gwen went to Morgana's bed and began sorting out the linens. "She'll be fine. Morgana didn't sleep well last night and has a headache today. She hoped Gaius would be able to help."
Arthur nodded. "I'm sure he will." He continued gazing down into the courtyard and Gwen wondered why he was still standing there. It was clear he was distracted by something, but could he not go be distracted in his own rooms?
"If you suspected that someone close to you had a secret," he said suddenly, each word leaving his mouth slowly, as though chosen very carefully. Gwen looked up from fluffing Morgana's pillows. "And the secret could destroy everything you have worked to build, but keeping the secret appears to change nothing..." He let out a sigh and Gwen could see the tension tightening the muscles in his shoulders and back. "And yet, the topic of the secret is the most dangerous..." he trailed off a second time and turned to face her. Gwen couldn't help but stare at him: his face was pale, eyes drawn and the anxiety and confusion was roiling off of him and bombarding her halfway across the room. "What would you do?"
"I suppose..." Gwen paused, thinking. She and Morgana told each other almost everything, but she knew there were some things that Morgana kept from her, just as Morgana was not privy to all of Gwen's secrets. The secrecy, however, was more a symptom of their social positions than anything. "Some things are better left unsaid, I think. If this secret is dangerous, perhaps the person you speak of is keeping it from you to protect you."
"They're doing it to protect themselves, I suspect," Arthur muttered bitterly. He rested his elbow on his crossed arm and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Gwen glanced down at the bed in thought. "Is there reason for this person to do so? What would you do with the knowledge of their secret?"
Arthur winced and Gwen stopped her ministrations to watch him. She had been in court for over a decade and had rarely seen Arthur react in such a way. "I would be bound by the law," he said, voice strained and barely above a whisper. "Their life would end."
"Then I believe you have your answer, Sire," Gwen replied in clipped tones, unpleasant memories surfacing like rotten apples in the lake. He dropped his hand and looked at her. "If you would have to end this person's life because of their secret, then no matter how close they are, they will keep it." Gwen turned her attention back to making the bed. She threw the duvet roughly across but it folded onto itself at the far end of the bed. "And if you value this person, then would it not be best to leave them be?" Gwen continued harshly, not looking at the Prince as she moved to fix it. When she reached the side of the bed, Arthur's hand got there first and straightened the mussed blanket for her.
Gwen looked up at Arthur, surprised by his sudden close proximity and feeling strangely intimate by standing so close, if only by accident. He watched her, his expression reminding Gwen of someone trying to figure out a puzzle, before stepping away. "Thank you." He inclined his head to her saying, "Guinevere," by way of farewell before he left the room.
"Sire," she replied, watching him leave.
Next Moment...