accomplishedAuthor:
ella_rose88Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Arthur/Gwen
Character/s: Arthur, Gwen, Merlin, mentions of Gaius and Lancelot
Summary: A month has passed since Arthur married Gwen and everything is happy and peaceful until a discovery is made.
Warnings: This is a canon divergent from the end of series 4. It always annoyed me that they never discovered the truth behind Gwen’s betrayal in 4x09, so this is my way of retifying that.
Word Count: 767
Prompt: Prompt #228 - Second Chances for
camelot_drabble. Author's Notes: This is completely unbetaed and unedited so I apologise for any errors. As always, comments are welcomed and encouraged!
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A month has passed since Arthur and Gwen were joined together in wedded bliss after they took back Camelot from his evil half-sister Morgana. All of Camelot was overjoyed by the King’s marriage (well most of Camelot’s citizens were anyway), since it was very much evident how Gwen’s banishment had affected him. Arthur and Gwen too were overflowing in love and happiness of finally being reunited after everything that had happened.
Arthur had forgiven for Gwen for her betrayal with Lancelot and Gwen was relieved that she had his forgiveness and love.
However, one day that was all to change. For you see, whilst Arthur and Gwen were indulging in celebrating their reunion and marriage, a mysterious bracelet was discovered in the cells.
Arthur and Gwen are entwined in their bed, nothing is covering them but a white blanket. Gwen’s head is resting on her husband’s strong chest, while her arm is draped across his waist. Arthur’s left arm is holding his wife to him, as if he’s afraid that if he moves, she’s disappear because it’s not real and just a dream. The king is lightly snoring, not so badly as usual because he’s not on his side, giving Gwen the opportunity to actually asleep.
Their peaceful slumber, however, is interrupted by their servant Merlin.
“Blast it, Merlin!” Arthur complains loudly as he tries to ignore the knocking on the door, snuggling further into his wife’s embrace. Hoping that Merlin gets the message and returns later with their breakfast.
Instead, the knocking gets louder and more insistent. Leaving them with no choice but to leave their lovely, warm cocoon to put some clothing on and find out what Merlin wants.
“What is it, Merlin?” The king demands to know, annoyed by the disruption.
“There’s something Gaius needs to discuss with you and the Queen urgently,” Merlin explains, though his voice is laboured, suggesting that he was in quite the rush and his face is serious.
“Well, what is it? Surely it can’t be so urgent that you wake us up so early.”
“I’m afraid it is urgent, Sire.” Merlin tells him, before explaining, “Gaius says he needs to see you both now.”
“Alright, Merlin,” Gwen pipes up, giving Arthur a stern look because she can tell by the look on his face that he would prefer to go back to bed than to Gaius’s Chambers. “Give us a few minutes and we’ll meet you there.”
Arthur huffs in annoyance, but Gwen manages to persuade him to get dressed so they can meet with Gaius.
An half an hour later…
Arthur’s knocking on the door, “Open the door, Guinevere,” the King pleads desperately to his wife while standing outside their bedchamber door.
But she doesn’t listen and the only sounds he can hear is her crying.
“Please, my love. Open the door. I know it’s hard, but we need to talk,” Arthur tries again.
Suddenly, he hears his wife’s soft footsteps coming closer to the door, and the door flies open, revealing an angry and devastated Gwen.
“Talk!” She spits at him, before using her dress sleeve to wipe her tears that have fallen down her red and blotchy face. “Now you want to talk, yet when I tried to tell you that I didn’t know why I kissed Lancelot you wouldn’t listen!”
Arthur doesn’t know what to say next and he knows Gwen is right. He should have known that it wasn’t in Gwen’s nature to betray him so. He should have realised that Lancelot’s return was strange and that Morgana was determined to be Queen. But instead he let his devastation at seeing his future wife with one of his most trusted knights dictate his mind.
And now it turns out that Gwen didn’t betray him. That she was under the influence of magical bracelet that the shade Lancelot had given her that Morgana had bewitched.
And the most ironic thing for Arthur was after he asked Gwen to marry him for the second time after they claimed Camelot back from Morgana, he saw it as a second chance for them. But now he realises it was a second chance for him.
For if it wasn’t for their reunion and the discovery of the bracelet, Arthur would not have known how much he had let his feeling of betrayal and his sister’s manipulations overwhelm him and doubt Gwen’s love for him. He would not have known that it is actually him that needs forgiveness, and not his wife.
And he’s not going to let his sister’s evilness destroy them once again.