sidhe_faerieTitle: It Takes a Queen
Rating: PG/K+
Pairing/s: Arthur/Gwen, Merlin/Morgana
Character/s: Elyan, Knights, Queen Elizabeth of England, Sara (maid)
Summary: The negotiations for the Peace has begun in an unexpected way.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 916
Prompt: 111 nepenthe
Author's Notes:
The Golden Kingdom (Modern AU Series 3)
xx
It Takes a Queen
Gwen and Morgana along with their guards were ushered into a room in the palace of the English Crown. The four Knights that had accompanied them spread out to the four corners to watch their Queen and the King’s sister.
“Now what?” Gwen said as she sat in a silk covered chair.
“We wait.” Morgana looked around the room. “Merlin said they made Arthur wait almost an hour.”
“I’m not Arthur.” Gwen scanned the room and found the bell pull. She stood and walked over and pulled the cord.
“What are you doing?” Morgana looked at her in shock.
“I’m ordering some tea. If I have to wait then I want tea.” Gwen said.
An ancient maid came into the room and bowed. “Madam, you rang the bell?”
“Yes I did. Bring us tea and by the way I am ‘Majesty’ not ‘madam’. I am Guinevere Pendragon, Queen of Britain.”
“My apologies Majesty. I will bring the tea right away.” The maid said with pink cheeks.
“You may also remind our hosts we are here and are displeased with waiting.” Gwen said.
The maid bowed again and rushed out.
Morgana started laughing when the door closed. “Bloody hell Gwen. You must have been one hard arse Queen.”
Gwen shook her head. “If they think that we will just forget all of what they did and what we have gone through in the past months, they are taking too much ‘happy potion’.”
“We do not allow the practice of magick in this Court. We find it unsavory.” A woman’s voice came from a camouflaged door on the north wall. “I am Elizabeth.”
“I thought we were meeting with Prince Charles for the negotiations.” Gwen said.
“When I heard the Queen of Britain was here to negotiate I sent him back to his wife.” Elizabeth said. She turned to look at Morgana. “Who might you be?”
“I am Lady Emrys, the King’s sister and Crown Treasurer.” Morgana curtseyed just enough to not be offensive.
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at that last part. “King Arthur does not employ a professional?”
“I am a professional. Would you like to see my CV’s?” Morgana countered.
“We are wasting time.” Gwen said. Gwen nodded to Elyan and he brought over the pouch he was carrying. Gwen took it and opened it. She pulled out a thirty page document and walked over to Elizabeth. She held it out to Elizabeth. “This is what we propose.”
Elizabeth looked at the document like it was a snake on fire. “I have ministers for that.”
Gwen dropped her hand. She sighed and went to sit in the chair again. “Where are they? We are here to negotiate and I don’t intend to leave until we are in agreement.”
“You have a lot to learn about being Queen.” Elizabeth said sharply.
“I ruled all of the lands we have now on my own without difficulty. I needed no one to tell me how to think or how to rule.” Gwen stood and walked back to Elizabeth. She held the document out again. “You are their queen. Do you not rule your lands?”
“It is more complicated than that.” Elizabeth said. “You know that. You were once my subject.”
“I am now you equal. Or so I thought.” Gwen waved the document at her.
Elizabeth took it and started to look at it. Elizabeth took a seat on a matching silk settee.
Gwen looked at Morgana. Gwen went back and sat in the chair.
Morgana smirked. She had never seen Gwen so powerful and confident. Morgana took a seat in the chair near Gwen.
“Reparations? For what?” Elizabeth looked at them both.
“The dragons eat a lot and the sheep farmers need to be compensated.” Morgana said.
“I thought the dragons had been killed. How are you controlling them?” Elizabeth looked a little worried.
“My husband is a Dragon Lord. They have no choice but to obey his every word.” Morgana said. “Currently the five dragons have taken up residency in some cliffs overlooking a prime pasture area.”
“Five? We only sent four.” Elizabeth said.
“We already had one.” Gwen said. “She is more of a pet really.”
Elizabeth stared at Gwen. She was stunned. “A pet?”
“She was my pet but Merlin took care of her for a while after he killed me, of course. She disappeared and he thought she was dead but she was just hibernating.” Morgana said.
“He killed you?” Elizabeth shook her head in disbelief. “How do you people keep from being completely mental?”
Elyan chuckled in the corner.
Gwen shot him a look.
“I think you will find we have been reasonable in our requests.” Gwen said.
The door opened and the maid came in with tea. She sat it on the table between the Queens and bowed.
Gwen looked at the maid then at Elizabeth. “What is your maid’s name?”
“I am Sara, Majesty.” The woman said. She glanced at Elizabeth then Gwen.
“Did you know that?” Gwen asked.
“No. I did not.” Elizabeth said. “She is a servant.”
“You should have. I was a servant before I was Queen of Camelot.” Gwen told her. “You are as much their servant as they are yours. They deserve respect.”
“Sounds like you have been taking your ‘happy potion’.” Elizabeth said.
“The only happy potion I drink is tea.” Gwen said as she poured herself a cup. “Maybe you should stop taking yours and look at the state of your kingdom.”
Elizabeth huffed.