Fic: What's in a name?
Summary: The Guinevere that legend remembers isn't the Guinevere that captured Arthur's heart.
A/N: I'm nervous about this one. It's only 300 words and consists of three drabbles but I have the feeling that the concept might not be popular with everyone but I was compelled to write it.
***
The wedding feast is a huge affair, mired in tradition and pomp. The nobility have turned out in force to pay respect to the King who has united the land and to welcome his Queen. She sits by his side, completely at ease. A nod here and a word there and the court is bewitched.
Or at least most of it is. Merlin, whose opinion matters above all, hovers on the edge of the festivities, keeping his distance and once again his words, his warning, ring in Arthur’s ears.
“Mark my words Arthur, she will be the fall of Camelot.”
***
Merlin is almost shaking, his tone accusatory, “you called her Gwen. She will never be Gwen.”
Arthur looks at him through lowered lashes, brings the cup to his mouth and drinks. He’s startled by the quiet rage in his voice when he speaks, “she will never be Gwen to you. She will never be Guinevere to me.”
Merlin slams the door on his way out.
He closes his eyes wearily and lets her memories wash over him. Guinevere. She didn’t live to be his Queen but her name, the way he said it, would only ever belong to her.
***
Legend remembers the Queen. The girl is all but forgotten.
Her only legacy, her love is weaved into the tales. Glimpses of it shine through, the rest is overshadowed by the betrayal of the other. Sift through the words, search between the lines and only a shadow of her can be found.
Her name is linked to the fall of Camelot, to the end of the golden age, she didn’t live to see. Her name is linked to Lancelot, a fleeting moment that never was. Her name is linked to Arthur, the only man she ever loved.