Rest Assured

[coconut]

She should have stayed with her. Why didn't she stay with her? Had she stayed Gwen wouldn't have been alone with those kidnappers now. Morgana paced in her chambers, one arm wrapped around her stomach the other resting on it as she held her palm to her cheek in worry. What id anything had happened to her? Gwen was irriplacable. Morgana didn't want a new maid, the very idea made her sick. She had invested so many secrets and so much trust into Gwen... No one could take her place.

Morgana stopped pacing and decided to leave her chambers. She had spent enough time in there over the past couple of days, it was time she got out. Stepping out, she walked aimlessly down the hall to the staircase where down the first flight was a large window that peared over Camelot. Morgana went to stand by it and look out it. Perhaps she'd see Arthur and Merlin coming back with Gwen in tow? She sure hoped so.

---tag: Gwen (maybe Arthur for a moment?)---

(in season 1 when Arthur brings Gwen back to Camelot after her kidnapping)

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur had barley said two words to Gwen on the rest of the ride back home. After his conversation with her . . . well, he didn't know where to go from there. Merlin and her were mostly the ones holding the conversation while he rode ahead, silently, just wanting to get back to Camelot so that it would be easier to avoid the situation. Deep down, he knew that it would be impossible to ignore, but surely anything was better than the tension which existed right now. He had sent Merlin home, and decided he would personally escort Gwen to Morgana.

He had found out from one of the knights that she was pacing in the hallway, looking out the window. He was also told that his father wanted to see him immediately . . . something else he was not looking forward to; something he did not want to deal with right now. The walk to Morgana was silent, as he walked ahead of her. He went up the stairs to see Morgana standing there, looking horribly worried. Arthur's expression wasn't very reassuring either. It was solemn, but not because he had not brought back Gwen safely home. It was because he felt as if his heart was breaking, and could not force a smile on his lips when he felt so . . . hurt.

He said nothing, he just looked at Morgana, knowing that Gwen wasn't far behind him, and waiting for the Lady Morgana and her maid, her best friend, to run up from behind him so that they could be re-uinted. He had done what he needed to do, for both of them.

[Guinevère]

^{ஜ ஜ ஜ ஜ}

Guinevère walked slowly behind Arthur and felt horrid. He had saved her life and how had she repaid him? By hurting him. Not that, knowing it was hurting him would change her actions, --at lest she did not think it would. Lancelot was everything good in this world, but Arthur was everything noble and great. How did one handle loving two men with such passions?

She paused when he paused, standing behind him. Then after a moment he leaned over tot he side and Guinevère felt her self smile for the first time since the two men in her live saved her. MORGANA! Guinevère ran forward, and wrapped her arms around her best friend. Guinevère was still wearing Morgana's dress, and it felt almost weird to hug her friend publicly while dressed so finely.That thought however was far from Guinevère's mind. Gwen only thought about seeing Morgana safe. Because until this moment, she had wondered if Morgana had made it safe to Camelot.

[coconut]

How she longed to see her friend be back home and safe. Guinevère just had to be OK, she just had to! Morgana gazed longly out the window, heavy hearted. Worrying deeply. She almost didn't notice the approaching sound of footsteps coming up the staircase towards her. Looking to her side she saw that it was Arthur. Her heart skipped at the sight of him. He was back! Morgana looked next to him and saw no one else. Looking at his face, her heartrate quickened and she started to feel panic setting in. Gwen was gone. Arthur hadn't been able to save her. Her best friend was gone forever and it was all her fault for leaving her there. Her eyes started to water as Arthur stepped to the side revealing someone behind him.

"GWEN!" The tears rolled down her cheeks, but they were of joy now. "You found her!" She exclaimed in releaf as she hugged her friend close and held her as tightly as she could without harming her. Morgana cried, her sobbing sounding more like light laugher, which might have been what she was doing. "Thank you!" She managed between her odd noises of contentment to thank Arthur, though she was no longer facing him. Gwen was safe! Morgana was so happy and releaved! And so very greatful to Arthur.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur watched the two women that he loved -- in different ways now of course -- hug and express so much enjoy in reuniting themselves. He still could not smile though. He just watched them, relieved that they were both happy and so excited to see each other. He looked at Guinevère carefully as Morgana's back was turned to him. He did not plan to say anything to either of them right now. He gave a short nod when Morgana thanked him, and that was all there was to it. He had done his duty . . . for Guinevère, for Morgana . . . for himself?

After just standing there awkwardly for a few moments, he turned to leave, not looking back once. Now, to deal with the next thing that was worth being fearful of: his father.

[Guinevère]

^{ஜ ஜ ஜ ஜ}

Gwen watched the prince walk away after they shared a long stare. She knew she should feel safe and sound and joyous for being home but she felt heartbroken, and guilty. Lancelot had left her! He had not even woken her to say farewell, only asked Merlin to give her a message. Why had he left? Why had he not taken her with him? Then there was Arthur, whom her feelings for where new and she felt guilty for hurting him.

She held Morgana tightly for a long moment before pulling back just enough to look into her face. "Thank you as well." She told her, "for sending the prince when you did. He saved us." She said us, but by then Lancelot had needed to be saved as well. Arthur had come though for them both. She noticed the cuts and busing on Morgana's face, and knew it came from trying to save them, "Are you well, My lady?"

[coconut]

Morgana was overwhelmed, she never wanted to let go of Gwen. She was too happy to have her back safe and alive. Morgana pulled back but kept her friend in her hands. "You don't need to thank me for that! Come, I'll explain everything when we get to my chambers. And you have to tell me everything that happened! I've been worried sick." Morgana took Gwen's hand to pull her toward the staircase but stopped when she questionned her. "I'm fine. Don't worry, Gaius has taken care of me, my cuts will heal." She reasured her friend. "Perhaps we should have Gaius look at you."

[Guinevère]

Gwen followed along behind Morgana and when she stopped, Gwen paused. "I am injured, I promise." Gwen assured her, "Nothing that being home wont cure." She still did not feel quite safe, as if out of the shadows something would drag her back or she would awaken or something. The emotional stress of being kidnapped, pretending to be Morgana, finding Lancelot, losing Lancelot and not knowing what to say to Arthur was making her so emotional and unsure she felt like she could cry.

Seeing the cut on Morgana's cheek from the fighting she asked the same question, "Has Gaius seen you? Your injured." Gwen had not seen Morgana since she'd begged her to run and save her self int he woods.

[coconut]

"No. You must see Gaius, I insist on it, Guinevère. I will bring you there right after we talk." Morgana was serious. She didn't want anything to happen to her maid servant and best friend. Gwen was too important to her, she was irriplacable. Morgana smiled widely and laughed a little. "Yes, I've seen him already. I just told you that. I'll be fine!" She giggled still as she turned toward the staircase, lifting her dress as she started to climb them and pull Gwen along.

Closing the doors once they were in the room — not letting Guinevère do it as she usually would — Morgana turned to go sit on her bed which was undone. She did not care. "Tell me what happened. Tell me everything!"

[Guinevère]

Everything?! Gwen knew she could not tell Morgana everything, for she could not tell anyone everything. That was part of the reason it hurt to love someone like the Prince. It meant you were unable to talk about it to friends, because of the repercussions of others finding out. If the king ever discovered what was going on in his very castle, he would have her burned for a witch this time.

The thought made Gwen slow as she followed Morgana, but then she hurried to keep up. "There is so much to say, I do not where to start. So very much has happened. did you have to run far after escaping? You tell me everything first, while I catch my breath, I was so worried about if you were safe!"

[coconut]

"You must sit down, then. I imagine you have been through a lot." Morgana was greatly conserned when Gwen spoke of needing to catch her breath. She motioned her to come sit ext to her on the bed. "No. Not as far as you'd think." She started to explain, remembering the run through the woods. How terrifies she had been. "I kept wishing I had not left you behind." She frowned. Thinks would jave been far more different if she had not left Guinevère behind. Perhaps they would have both found Arthur and both been saved that day.

"Then Arthur found me," almost killing me with his crossbow she added to herself, "and we came back to Camelot. I was greatly against returning without you." She had fought with Arthur about this, he even had he put on the horse by force so badly she didn't want to leave without Gwen. But it was Uther's orders for them to find Morgana and bring her back to Camelot safely. Morgana was greatful when she had run across their path at first but it never took long for her and Arthut to get into an argument and she rode behind him, angry, the whole trip back home.

"Uther didn't care to go find you after I was brought back to Camelot. He said there was nothing we could do to save you. It would break the treaty even more than it ready was." She remeberes that moment in the main chamber. She was furious, livid. The life of her servant was less important than that of her own?

[Guinevère]

Gwen was not surprised to hear that the king had not wanted to send men after her. She had known as much when she had begged Morgana to leave her int he woods. Gwen knew there was no reason for them both to die, and Morgana was her best friend. She had not wanted to see her hurt. "The prince said you asked him to go after me. Thank you for that." Gwen said very openly, knowing that was what had saved her and Lancelot's life. Arthur coming when he did.

She sat down on the wooden chair beside Morgana's bed, and took a deep breath. So much to say, so much to tell and still more that she could not speak of even to Morgana. Still, there was some heartbreaks that she could talk about with Morgana. Morgana and Gwen were close, and they often spoke of things other then mistress and servant things. "Lancelot was there." She told her, with some heart break in her tone. "He saved me."

[coconut]

Morgana raised a brow when Guinevère thanked her for sending Arthur. Did she not know? "There was no way on Earth that I as going to leave you there and Uther forbid Arthur and I from going back for you..." That monsterous side of Uther, she hated it. She hated him when he was like that, loathed him. "When I actually came to see Arthur a beg for him to go and find you anyways... He had already been packing for quite some time. So I did not exactly send him. Your thanks is not needed here, Gwen."

"Lancelot? What in God's name was he doing there?" Morgana asked out of an amazed curiosity. But then she thought about it and looked at her friend. "Why do you tell me this while you look so glum? Did he hurt you?"

[Guinevère]

Gwen's eyes widened at Morgana's news. Arthur had been coming for her before Morgana asked him too?! Why had he told her other wise? Suddenly everything seemed more troubling. "Then I should make sure to thank the Prince, and Merlin for coming after me. They truly saved us both."

"Lancelot was there, working as a hired sword. He seemed so out of place there, but he saved me. Was trying to. They had these beast and they would feed men to them. When Lancelot failed to get us out safely they tired us together and placed us in a cage to be feed to these monsters. The Prince came out of no where. Jumped right in and saved us both. I had never been so happy to see anyone in that moment." But she had been so in love with two men in that moment that her heart could only break as it could not hold enough. "Lancelot decided not to return to Camelot with us. He left while I was sleeping. He did not say goodbye."