So I started this a while back and figured since this is an Arwen spot I should post it here for those who may not have caught it on fanfic.net and those who might like to reread it. I plan to update it soon and thought I'd post the previously written scenes in prep for that. Anyhow, hope Ты enjoy!


If he was honest with himself he knew exactly why he had сказал(-а) the things he сказал(-а) to her. Why he had basically accused her of betraying him, why he had told her if she wanted to cavort with her Назад lover than she should at least be woman enough to walk away from him first, why she obliged him after giving him a look he never wanted to see on her face again . . . utter disappointment.

His pride, however, would not allow him to be truthful. It would not allow him to admit that his words were spurred by nothing but simple jealousy. He was jealous of the scene he walked in on, the way she was sitting with “him”, focused on “him” and seemingly comforting “him”. He hated to see her giving any other guy that kind of attention but with Lancelot it was even еще troubling.
    
The knight had once vied with Arthur for Guinevere’s heart. He was someone she had еще than passing feelings for, someone who brought out another feeling in the prince that he was loathed to admit. . . fear. Whenever Lancelot so much as glanced at her fear blindsided him. A fear that Lancelot might one день convince her that he was the better choice, a fear that one день Guinevere might not be so willing to wait for all the things that needed to happen before they could finally, officially be together.

But instead of confiding in her about his concerns, Arthur had allowed his insecurities and ego to guide his words. Both surprisingly and not, Guinevere did not return his indignation but only spoke a few crestfallen words to him before taking her leave. As he watched her go, his ire immediately began to ebb away leaving him remorseful but still unwilling, yet, to admit his shortcomings. So instead he carried on to training with his knights, hoping to work off some of his frustrations.
    
He now stood alone in his chambers after a less than satisfying training session with his eyes closed, reflecting on the incident that lead to his outburst.


Arthur had just taken the last steps down the замок main entryway when a familiar flash of color caught his eye. Right off to the side of the square on a bench sat Guinevere, clad in her signature lavender dress. Any other time he would have simply basked in the glow of her beauty but this time he could not relish in that simple pleasure because she was not alone.

Immediately to her right sat Lancelot and instantly the prince’s dread rose. While he respected the knight’s skills and his willingness to come to Camelot’s aid, he remained wary of the man’s intentions towards his beloved and the scene before him was doing nothing to dispel his unease. The pair sat in a semipublic spot but appeared to be having a very private conversation.

Arthur briefly observed as the pair seemed to lean into each other and intently hold each other’s gaze. He saw Guinevere attentively nod to something Lancelot was saying before he returned the gesture when she responded. To any other passerby, the whole thing appeared quite innocent but in the prince’s eyes, it came across as a conversation between two people with a deep connection and that thought troubled him to no end.

No one could deny they made a comely pair and if it wasn’t for the fact that Arthur adored her so much he wouldn’t begrudge either of them a chance together. But she ruled his сердце and he could not abide by losing her especially to “him”. So with an iron resolve he headed over to the pair, hoping his mere presence would put an end to the chat.

Lancelot was the first to notice the prince approach and promptly rose and bowed slightly as the other young man joined them.

“Sire.”

“Lancelot.”

Arthur paused and glanced at the third party as she too rose but with a sweet smile.

“My Lord,” she softy replied.

Arthur cringed at her use of his title, a habit he still had not broken her of completely, especially when others were around but he pressed past it as he offered a slight smile of his own,
“Guinevere.”

He then turned his attention back to his knight and with a less amiable countenance stated еще than questioned.

“You are aware that we have a training session that is set to start imminently.”

Lancelot nodded, “I am, Sire, and was heading that way when . . .”

“When Ты became distracted by chatter,” the prince finished for him as he happened a glance over at a wary Gwen.

“I apologize for my delay, Sire,” Lancelot tried again but before he could go further, Guinevere, who probably noticed the tinge of annoyance in Arthur’s words, stepped in.

“It was entirely my fault, My Lord. I asked to speak with Lancelot.”

Arthur maintained eye contact with the other man as he pressed, “And what, pray tell, was so important that it would cause Ты to be late for training?”

Lancelot hesitated and glanced over to Gwen.

Arthur noticed and joined him in fully acknowledging the third party in their group,

“Well?”

The nervous knight cleared his throat and began to speak again, “Gwen and I just needed to clear the air between us about . . . some things.”

Arthur turned back to him and narrowed his eyes at his blatant vaguery, “Such as?”

This time Lancelot remained quiet causing Arthur’s gaze to return fully to his sweetheart. By this time the look on Gwen’s face told him she was less than impressed with his interrogation. His attitude seemed to be making her resistant to sharing whatever she and Lancelot had been discussing. With a flash of pique at the insinuation of his questioning, she spoke up once more.

“As Lancelot stated, he and I were simply clearing the air.”

Arthur’s jaw tensed at her matching evasiveness. Guinevere had to know she was not helping her cause или Lancelot’s yet she remained stoic in the wake of his displeasure. Normally, Arthur would not be too keen about airing his affairs in public but he could not seem to prevent himself from making public what should remain in the confines of his relationship with her. Finally seeing that neither was forth coming with the particulars, Arthur impatiently, snapped his attention back to his knight, “Training. Now.”

Lancelot stiffened at Arthur’s terseness but quickly recovered and bowed first to him, “Sire,” and then to Gwen, “My Lady,” before scurrying off. Once he was out of earshot, Arthur spun back around to find an equally as displeased Guinevere staring back at him.

“What, may I ask, was that all about?” she asked еще calmly than he would have expected.

Arthur narrowed his eyes at her, “I think it is I who should be asking that question.”

Gwen inhaled deeply before starting again, “Arthur, please. . . .”

“So now it’s Arthur. A moment назад in front of Lancelot it was Sire and My Lord. What’s changed, besides the obvious?”

“I do not know what Ты mean.”

“Please, Guinevere, I am no idiot. I see the way he looks at Ты and from the looks of what I came upon just now, Ты don’t mind.”

Gwen studied him quietly as he ranted. He could see by the look in her eyes that she knew what this was really about. Arthur, though, had no intention of admitting it to her или himself.
So, as she always seemed to do, Guinevere maintained her composure and tried to be soothing, “Arthur, we should have this conversation in private. No good can come from doing this right now.”

He gave her a terse smirk, “Why? It seems Ты had no problem chatting with Lancelot out here for everyone to see. Why should it be any different with me?”

“Because Ты are the Prince Regent of Camelot and you’re Актёрское искусство like a . . .”

“Like a what, Guinevere?”

“A prat,” she сказал(-а) abruptly.

His mouth briefly snapped shut at her comment. Though he had been called that and worse by Merlin she hadn’t spoken ill of him since he’d stayed in her home. It was this memory of her taking him too task for his attitude that would normally cause him to retreat and began to see the folly of his behavior but this time it seemed to instead propel him to prove her right.

“A prat? Well I’d rather be a prat than falsehearted.”

Guinevere’s eyes widen at his retort, “Falsehearted? How so?”

“You pit two men against each other and sit back as the innocent. If Lancelot is what Ты want then Ты should at least have the decency to be truthful about it instead of stringing us both along. Ты should be honorable enough to walk away from me first.”

It was with those last venomous words that her beautiful face paled and she ever so slightly began to back away from him. Then before he could even consider backtracking, she quietly, with all the integrity he had just accused her of lacking, concluded, “If your opinion of me is so low then perhaps Ты are right.”

And with that she turned on her heels and walked away leaving him standing alone in the square.

He knew he needed to make amends but after his cruel words he wondered if she would even hear him out. He knew Guinevere was no temptress. It was both her beauty and warm personality that attracted admirers. He could not blame them, even Lancelot, for being drawn to her but it rubbed all the same. She meant everything to him. Hell he was ready to walk away from his kingdom for her. The thought that he could lose her to anyone haunted the back of his thoughts constantly. His Любовь for her snuck up on him but once he recognized it for what it was Arthur could not imagine a life without it.

He needed to make things right but before he could get his mind around how to begin to fix things, his thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Arthur,” Merlin began.

The prince did not acknowledge him at first, so Остаться в живых in his thoughts, but Merlin was nothing if persistent.

“Sire . . . My Lord . . . dollop head?”

It was the last name that snapped him out of his stupor but the look on his face was not one of annoyed amusement but of sad resignation.

“What is wrong with everyone today? First Gwen was walking around as if she Остаться в живых her best friend and now you. What gives?” Merlin questioned.

Arthur’s eyes widened at his servants mention of Guinevere.

“When did Ты see her, Merlin?”

He shrugged, “A little while ago. She was strolling through the hall looking quite forlorn and when I attempted to speak with her she was so distracted that she never stopped.”

“Where was she heading?” Arthur continued as he finally turned fully away from his window.

"She was in her chamber hall so I assume . . .”

Before he could complete his thought Arthur was opening the door and stepping out.

Merlin shouted after him, “Hey. What’s going on? Where are Ты going?”

The prince ignored his Вопросы and continued on his mission.


When he arrived in the hall that housed all that he held precious, Arthur paused and contemplated that he still was unsure of what he could или should say. Before her, he found it еще of an exception than a rule to both offer an apology and truly mean it. Now, especially when it came to her, he found it almost natural to want to make things right. She made him want to always do the right things, including admit his failings. He inhaled a deep breath before continuing his foray to her door. With a bit of uncertainty about how he would be received, Arthur finally knocked tentatively and waited.

A moment later the heavy door opened and a petite мышь of a woman appeared before him. He recognized her as Guinevere’s young handmaiden, Lizzie. The fair haired, slight girl promptly bowed to her sovereign.

“My Lord.”

“Lizzie, is Guinevere in by chance?”

The young girl seemed to hesitate slightly. He knew she was loyal to her mistress and he did not want to use his rank to force her to go against that especially if Gwen, herself, was the one who was in fact hesitant.

He sighed lightly, “If it pleases your mistress please ask if she will receive me?”

The girl looked poised to do as he asked when he heard Guinevere’s voice softly call from within, “It is alright, Lizzie. He may enter.”

The youngster seemed relieved to not have to respond to the prince’s request herself as she curtsied again while opening the door wider. Arthur stepped into the spacious rooms bequeathed to his Любовь and briefly took in the surroundings before his eyes fell on her form seated on a chaise near her own window.

In spite of himself , he inhaled sharply at the vision of her as he often did. Even with everything that had happened that день she still had the ability to take his breath away. He was brought out of his reverie by Gwen’s voice once еще addressing her maiden, “You may leave us, Lizzie.”

The girl again seemed to hesitate but Gwen insisted with a tense smile, “It will be fine. I will see Ты this evening.”

The youngster finally bowed once еще to both Arthur and her mistress before taking her leave.
Once the couple was alone, an encompassing silence surrounded them. Neither appeared anxious to begin but it was eventually Arthur who initiated the conversation. He moved closer to his mate ultimately coming to kneel Далее to the lounge that she sat upon.

Guinevere had yet to look at him and this еще than anything prompted him to humbly begin, “Guinevere, Ты have to know I did not mean any of what I сказал(-а) to Ты earlier. I was just being . . . well Ты сказал(-а) it best, a prat.”

He studied her Профиль hoping his admittance would garner some response but her countenance remained unmoved. He sighed, “I know I was unfair and insufferable but it was only because . . .”

Arthur stalled. Could he really tell her the real reason why he had behaved so appallingly towards her? Could he admit to her that even now Lancelot’s presence still caused him great discomfort? As he searched for some way to make her understand his reasoning, Guinevere suddenly rose from her насест, окунь and moved over to her window. He followed her with his eyes and contemplated his Далее words but before he could begin again, she finally spoke her first words to him since the incident in the square.

In a wistful tone, she quietly stated, “Perhaps, it is I who should be remorseful.”

He furrowed his brow at that Комментарий and questioned her instantly, “How so? It was not Ты who threw around accusations.”

She finally turned slightly in his direction, though she still didn’t look at him fully as she replied, “No, but it was my actions that brought us to this point. By not making clear my intentions to both Ты and Lancelot, I have contributed to the turmoil between all of us.”

“Guinevere . . .” he began as he rose from his spot and began to Переместить closer to her. The last thing he wanted was her shouldering the burden for his insecurities. She, though, cut his protest short when she finally faced him and firmly retorted, “Arthur, please . . . just let me say this.”

The prince was now at her side and silently confirmed her request with a nod. She sighed lightly as she studied his handsome features, “I am no fool either, Arthur. I am as aware as Ты are of the stolen glances Lancelot has for me since his return. I see the longing in his eyes and I would be lying if I сказал(-а) it did not affect me. He matters to me and always will.”

Those words gave her beau pause. He knew how big Gwen’s сердце was and that she cared fiercely for those in her life but the thought of her having that kind of loyalty to Lancelot unnerved him because it was clear, at one point at least, that those emotions ran quite deep. He resisted the urge to Вопрос her about what that meant. He could see as he watched her again turn back towards the window that she was determined to say what it was she needed to say and so he resolved to remain quiet until she’d done so.

Once another loaded silence passed between them, Guinevere began again, “When I was a prisoner in Hengist Castle, I had never felt so alone. I knew it was only a matter of time before Hengist figured out I was not Uther’s ward and that I would then be of no use to him. It was obvious that no ransom was further coming and my time was short. My father was gone, Elyan and I were still estranged. I had no hope that anyone was coming for me. And then Lancelot appeared, swearing he would not let that cell be the last place I saw. Ты can’t imagine how it felt to know there was at least one person who thought my life was worth saving.”

She paused and glanced back at her partner. His bright blue eyes were transfixed on her and she could just make out the tension in his jaw. She knew he wanted to refute her last claim but she needed to make him understand her state of mind at that time.

“I know now that I should not have been so hopeless but at the time Ты and I were . . . we just were and after our last actual conversation, I took Ты at your word that whatever had happened between was as far as it would ever go. So no, I never entertained the notion that Ты would defy your father to come for me. Before Lancelot came I was resigning myself to seeing my parents again. He gave me hope. He was willing to lay down his life for me. How could I not adore him? These are the words I told him today. I thanked him for his determination, for his loyalty and for his friendship. But I also made it clear that friendship was all I had to offer now.” She paused again, this time turning her whole body towards him and giving him a sad smile, “I am so sorry, Arthur, for not making it perfectly clear to Ты both where my сердце lies . . . has always lain . . .”

She reached out a hand and rested it on his cheek. In response he nuzzled his face into the contact and exhaled a breath he hadn’t been fully aware he had been holding. “It’s with you, Arthur. Only you.”

A beatific smile finally graced the young sovereign’s face as he reached for her as well, pulling her closer to his frame, “As Ты are the only one in my heart, Guinevere. Always.” Her own smile grew.

This time there was a companionable silence that fell between them until Arthur slid an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to his frame. At first she believed he was about to Kiss her but instead he leaned his nose down to rest on her forehead before trailing it gently across her skin and finally coming to rest near her ears as he softly offered, “I am sorry, Guinevere. Sometimes I just . . . I just don’t know what I would do if I Остаться в живых you.”

His sweetheart pulled back slightly and found his bright gaze and firmly stated, “You will never lose me, Arthur. How could I live without my heart?”

He gave her a sparkling smile in response before she continued, “Besides, it is I who still finds it hard to believe that you, crowned prince of Camelot, are this enamored of me, a mere servant. That Ты are willing to buck centuries of tradition to be with me addles my mind at times. A piece of me often wonders if this is all nothing еще than a dream and I will wake at any moment back in my humble home.”

His startling blue eyes seemed to study her for a long moment before he tenderly but firmly responded, “Guinevere . . . this is the most real thing in the world and Ты are anything but a mere servant to me. Camelot means so much to me but I would tear it down brick by brick if it meant having Ты by my side.”

It was Guinevere’s turn to appraise him. It was a very rare occasion indeed where Arthur so freely spoke of his feelings and it gave her pause. Before her stood a proud young man who so willingly humbled himself for Любовь . . . for her. His words and the sentiment behind them touched her deeply and propelled her into a warm smile as she slowly moved closer to him.

“Arthur .”

He returned her beam as he closed the remaining distance. The duo tenderly shared in a Kiss that spoke of all that they had endured to reach this point as well as the hope they shared for their future.

And when finally they broke apart, maintaining light contact with their foreheads, Guinevere finally found the resolve to say the words she had been holding back throughout their courtship. Not because she didn’t feel them as deeply as he but because it was all she felt he had left if and, she believed then, when he decided she was not what he needed after all. But now as she held his affectionate gaze, she knew she could deny him или her Любовь no longer.

“I Любовь Ты . . .so much.”

Arthur’s breath audibly caught and his forehead separated from hers slightly and his eyes slightly widened. He had almost дана up hope of ever actually hearing her say the words. In his heart, he knew she felt what he did but to hear her echo a sentiment he had еще или less shared a few time prior caused his сердце to expand joyfully.

Gently he framed her face in his hands and placed another small peck on her lips before softly offering “I Любовь Ты too. With all of my heart.”

Her smile grew as her hands clasped over his and another brief silence fell over them. Arthur placed a loving Kiss on her forehead before finally breaking the quiet interlude, “So what comes next?”

She looked up into his eyes again and continued smiling, “We hold on to what we know in our hearts, leave the past where it belongs and look forward.”

His smile matched hers, “I like the sound of that.”

“Indeed,” was her last word before her Любовь engaged her in another intimate embrace, sealing their newly admitted feelings and their commitment to each other.