The Coronation of Guinevère Pendragon

[Guinevère]

Guinevère liked to pretend that in this moment, standing out side the closed door of the grand hall that her father was standing beside her. That if she looked over behind her, he would be waiting to tell her how proud that he was of her. She felt her handmaiden pull her hair back and she reached up to hold the woman's hand for a moment, almost tightly. Nervous about being before that many people. Finally, Guinevère was able to let go, and walked toward the doors.

They opened and she began her walk down the red carpet that would lead her to her husband of a day. After this moment she would not just be his wife, but his queen. Seeing Arthur at the end of her walkway--looking proud and so very handsome in the sunlight--was what gave her the confidence to talk forward and past the rows and rows and rows of people. Making sure to take one step at a time for fear of falling, she made her way down the carpet to the little steps before him. A small pillow waiting there to rest her knees on.

As she knelt there, she bowed her head in the last bow that she would ever had to give him, before looking up to his face, taking a few deep calming breaths and smiling softly at him. Oh Arthur, she thought, how very proud I am of you. Of all the great things he had done and would still do. And for some reason, he had chosen her to stand by his side and let her help him.

As he spoke, she lowered her eyes and tried to stay still and not faint in this moment. "By the scared laws bested in me," He began and she knew that he was going to be sitting the crown on her soon. She was excited to be his wife but feared she would fail as his queen. She knew only know the world from a servant's view. "I crown you," Guinevère felt the weight of the crown--that had once been his mothers, before he had the gems replaced with purples ones for her--be placed on her head. "Guinevère, Queen of Camelot."

Guinevère looked up at him, and smiled again, as he held his hands down to her to help her rise up. Taking them, and walking up the few steps she could not look from his face. She felt such joy in the moment, but more for being his wife! Finally! After waiting for so many years and over coming so many things between them she was his wife! His queen!

Arthur must of felt the same for they broke another tradition there, when they moved forward and shared a kiss. It was light, and she almost pulled away but then let it linger for just another moment. When she pulled away, and they both turned to face the crowd she knew this was the first moment of the rest of their lives. As husband and wife. King and his queen. Together. Nothing more would ever come between them.

Her eyes found Merlin's in the half second of silence, and she had to fight a grin at how dashing he looked in his new clothes. And her brother besides him, who had given her away as a bride just yesterday. With Leon, a man she'd known since he was in knee pants, and had been a friend even when it wasn't allowed. Gwaine the brother of her heart, and had always called her princess. And Percival the gentlest yet strongest of them all, perhaps the easiest too see the crowd, and easiest to welcome into her heart. They were the safest place for her eyes to look right now. They were her family. These men were her brothers. Not because they were friends of Arthur, but because they were friends of her's. She loved them all.

"Long live the queen."

Her hand gripped Arthur's tighter, as the room began to repeat his words, in and event chant. Her eyes moved from the home-made family to the room, knowing that while Morgana might had brought darkness to the land, Arthur was bringing it back. And she would do whatever she could to aid him. To help him.

[Arthur Pendragon]

This was the day that Arthur had been waiting in anticipation for years. After everything that he had been through as an individual and as a king . . . this moment would make every single thing worth it. Ever since he had been a child, he had never expected to marry for love. He had grown up, aware that one day he would have to marry for the good of the kingdom, and it would be a political alliance rather than a union of love. All of that had changed when he had fallen in love with Guinevère. Since then, his perspective of practically everything had altered. It had made him strive for equality, as his following actions of knighting commoners suggested as such, and fight to place a queen on the throne that he and everyone else would love. They say that the course of true love never does run smooth, and this could not be more true. They had their share of obstacles and tensions; they had their share of fears and sorrows. But after everything they'd endured both as a couple and as individuals . . . the moment had come; their time had finally come. First so, when he had married her. He knew that she was uneasy about the idea of being queen, but had no concerns with being his wife.

Even after everything that had been through . . . Arthur knew, that he could not be without her. He had tried to marry another, to imagine a life where he called her his queen and wife. But he could not. He had even tried to live without anyone, but again, he could not. What he did know was that he loved Guinevère, and despite the pain and betrayal . . . it was well in the past. With Morgana having taken the throne twice now, it was time to have a queen whom the people would actually love. Arthur had never doubted Guinevère's love nor compassion for the people. It was why he knew she would be a wonderful queen, for she had the strongest heart of anyone he knew. And he would be a better king for having such a woman and love by his side. Together, they could rule Camelot to peace and prosperity; pull it out of the darkness that it seemed to fall under every so often. After over two decades, Camelot would have a queen that they could love, cherish and be proud to call their sovereign. He stood in the front of the grand hall where everyone was gathered. The doors opened and he watched as Guinevère gracefully walked toward him.

She always managed to take his breath away with her beauty . . . especially today. For she walked in as his wife, and would be leaving with a new rank: his queen. He did not take his eyes off of her for a moment. Even as she came near the stairs and slowly knelt on the pillow set in place for her, his head slowly lowered to look down at her. His expression was soft, while he was training to maintain some type of formality. He gazed at her, until her crown presented on a pillow was brought forth. He turned and picked it up in his hands, now having to address the crowd. He slowly lifted the intricate queen's crown, that had not been in use for over twenty years. And now, it would be given to Camelot's newest queen. Its truest queen. More true than Morgana. She would never claim this kingdom as her own, and now . . . the people would see what a true queen was.Arthur's eyes raised to the crowd, looking at the group of them who were all here to lay witness to this momentous occasion.

"By the sacred laws vested in me," he began to say, holding up the crown. He paused for a moment, before looking down and slightly leaning forward, slowly lowering the crown as he continued to speak. "I crown you," he continued, one again pausing as he very slowly lowered the crown . . . onto her head. Where it was a perfect fit. Where it seemed to make her even more beautiful, as if that was remotely possible. Once it was gently placed on her head, he finished the words. The words that would solidify her position of authority; her position of rank. "Guinevère; Queen of Camelot." Even the words themselves sounded so unfamiliar on his lips, yet were ones that he loved saying. From here on end . . . she would be known as Queen Guinevère. She would be known as his wife. The woman he loved. The woman who would be a greater queen than anyone he ever knew. Letting it sit on her head for a moment, he took a very small step back, straightening his posture once more.

Looking down at her, he gave her a small smile, not wanting to prolong this position of looking down on her any more than need be. So instead, he extended both his hands for her to take. When he felt her hands gently placed in his, he helped her to her feet as she walked up a couple of steps. He knew that everything about his relationship with her was nontraditional. But he didn't care. He loved her, and he wanted to express that love. So still holding her hands in his, just lowering them to their sides, he leaned forward until his lips met hers. It was not a deep nor overly passionate kiss. It was soft and gentle. He did not care that they were in a hall full of people. He married her out of love rather than politics. And that truly made all the difference. The crowd may as well not even have existed in this moment, for every time he kissed her, everything else ceased to exist. Eventually, he felt her slowly pull away, him doing the same, as he opened his eyes to see her smiling at him. His wife. His queen. He held one of her hands up and shifted to the side, so that they were now both addressing the crowd. He looked at them, never having felt more pride nor honor in this moment.

"Long Live the Queen!" He announced, his voice echoing in the hall. Everyone joined in the chant. "Long Live the Queen! Long Live the Queen!" Such words had never been said in all of Arthur's life. For he did not include the troll as a queen of Camelot. The words may have sounded unfamiliar but in no way sounded bizarre. In fact, they sounded perfect. Everything felt . . . perfect. He knew that there could still be some tension about past actions and the way their relationship had fell apart for a few months. But nothing else mattered in this moment. Only that he had made a decision to marry Guinevère, and crown her queen. She had been the woman he loved for so many years, and now the whole of Camelot and every other kingdom would know it. She was the woman he had selected as queen, and now she would have the opportunity to show everyone how truly compassionate and caring she was. She was the woman who would carry the line of succession, bearing Pendragon sons and/or daughters that would provide them with an heir to the throne. She, Queen Guinevère of Camelot, was Arthur's everything. His hope, his strength, his greatest love . . . his everything.

[thegwaine]

Gwaine was stood shoulder to shoulder with his brothers, waiting for the doors at the back of the hall to open, and for the proceedings to begin. The wedding yesterday had been suitably well done, and Gwaine was sure that an intimate wedding had been a more sensitive way to celebrate the Pendragon wedding. After all, the kingdom was able to celebrate the wedding along with the coronation, so all Gwaine knew was that this all was going to lead to the mother of all feasts afterwards, and Gwaine was going to be taking full advantage of the situation of course. There were already many pretty few noblewomen in the all awaiting the start of the coronation. Gwaine would concern himself with such matters later, for now this moment was all about Gwen, and her rise to Arthur’s side.

As the doors opened, Gwaine didn’t feel the need to look round. He knew that she would look as beautiful as she always had done. He had always known she was too beautiful to be serving noblewomen all her life, and now he was only being proved right. As she stood in front of them, waiting to be crowned, Gwaine felt a feeling of pride sweep through him. This was the dawn of a new age, he was sure of it. The ceremony itself was quite short and sweet, but in Gwaine’s mind this just left more time for the festivities. This event was long overdue, and Gwaine was sure everyone would enjoy it to the fullest. “Long live the Queen!” He chanted along with his fellow brothers, “Long live the Queen, long live the Queen!” He meant every word of it, he was sure Gwen would make the perfect Queen alongside Arthur. They were strong, and that was what Camelot needed.

It felt strange to think that it was such a short time ago that he, Elyan and Gaius were locked up in the dungeons. Of course they had all been nursed back to complete health. Those had been dark days, and Gwaine never wanted to see Camelot returned to such desperation. He was sure that Camelot was far from being completely safe, not just from Morgana’s wrath but in general, but with the new King and Queen sat upon the throne, Gwaine hoped that this would be a new era within Camelot’s history. Looking on at them both, Gwaine couldn’t help but grin. This certainly was a new era, and it would be celebrated in the right way. After all, nothing had ever gone wrong at a feast.