The Warlord's Wife

[Guinevère]

"What does it matter?" What did it matter? What could it matter? Yet she still wanted to know. She wanted to know more about him, and it bothered her. Why bother knowing more when shew as leaving? Tonight. Soon! She needed to stop wondering if there was an ounce of something inside him that was . . . what? Savable? "It matters little, I suppose." She whispered almost too soft for him to hear. "I don't think the color suits me," Because there wasn't. She looked down at the blood gift. Taken from a woman he had either killed or taken; meant to make her welcome him when he returned and ease his guilt over their lost child.

Her breathing deepened and quickened over the thought of her son, but thankfully Arthur was moving he would not notice. Pulling the blanket around her she looked back into the flames. No. No one was out there and would save her. If she wanted to live, she'd need to escape. He was still undressed. She needed to act. "That was certainly a good first bath," And quickly. Forcing her voice to be light she spoke without looking at him. "Hang your trousers by the fire and they will dry." She tried, knowing that if he was undressed then it would be easier.

Guinevère stood, and moved deeper into the room and away from the fire and the gift. Let that remove any worry that she'd burn them or something.

Arthur Pendragon

[Arthur Pendragon]

Tag: Guinevère
Note: Better layout coming soon!

for the love

OF CAMELOT

Yes. It did matter little. It shouldn't matter at all. The man he was before was not the man he was now and it was best to remember that. Yet the fact that she had asked at all . . . was making this, all this, far more personal than it should be. Perhaps that was why the silence lingered, and no longer did they have the same air of taunting between them. Though Arthur knew that surely, this would not last for long. He was ordered to keep watch of her for the duration of the night. Whatever else the night had in store -- apart from what they had already done, multiple times -- Arthur knew the expectation was to remain in the room. With her.

She told him to dry his pants and he went over to them, taking hold of his trousers. It was odd, that he feel so . . . exposed, despite the lack of shame of being completely naked in front of her. But right now, he felt more exposed and vulnerable than ever before. So instead, he pulled his trousers on, removing the towel, and letting both the towel and his shirt dry in front of the fire as he sat where she had moved from. "My shirt needs more drying," he told her, not wanting to get into the reason of wanting to keep his pants on. "You should sleep." It was late, and he hoped that it would divert any further conversation about . . . well, personal information about one another. Keep him from asking and keep him from answering.

[Guinevère]

Guinevère moved toward the bed, just as Arthur suggested she sleep. Arthur. It had been 'him' until just recently. It had been just a nameless killer. Maybe tomorrow would break this spell--she'd be able to see him for what he was with the miles that was put between them. "You should as well." She told him, as she crawled into bed wearing only the blanket, letting it stay very wrapped around her.

She knew it would be a few hours before he was sleeping but she was ready to wait it out. The knowledge that she was going to escape brought in an strong awareness of everything in the room. Every sound, and every move he made. She needed to take her herb before going as well. If not then she knew the risk was too great that his seed would take, and she couldn't have a child now. One day, yes. One day maybe a man would make her feel what Arthur did, but he would be a man of honor. A man who fought to protect others, not kill them. A man who would protect her. Someone made up in her mind. She pretended sometimes that he was real, but there was no golden prince coming to save her. If she wanted to live, she needed to save herself. She closed her eyes and thought about what needed to be done, and where she needed to go.

"Sleep well," and good bye.

Arthur Pendragon

[Arthur Pendragon]

Tag: Guinevère
Note: Better layout coming soon!

for the love

OF CAMELOT

Yes. He should as well. Though he knew full well sleep should not come so easily when on watch, he could not help but feel . . . relaxed. Perhaps more than he had in weeks. Perhaps, for the first time since his village was attacked. The irony, considering he was lying in the same room as the wife of the man who killed his mother. He took one of the pillows on the floor and tucked it behind his head, against the wall so that he was seated up right, still near the fire. He shouldn't sleep, and yet his eyes felt heavy.

After their vigorous actions, the soothing sensation of the bath, and the warm heat from the fire . . . it all was lulling him to sleep, despite his mind telling him to stay awake. He did not know what she planned, what games she was playing with him but . . . he well knew that if she intended to kill him, this would not be the time she would strike. It would be most wise, to wait for her husband to return. To expose him and all that he had done. Arthur waited for it. He took a slow breath, knowing that there would not be many more nights like this. For when Helios returned . . . Arthur would either kill him or be killed. "Good night, Guinevère."

[Guinevère]

"Goodnight, Guinevère." Her breath caught, and her face turned to where he sat against the wall, with a pillow behind his head. Since he was near the fire she could see him half shadowed there against it. Her name on his lips. She wasn't sure how she felt about it. There was the surface of the emotions, mimicking storming waters, that his man--who served a war lord so well that just three weeks into his service was one of Helios' favorites--evoked more from her y using her name then Helios had from three years of calling her every pet name he could think of. Then there was the deeper emotions, the ones that were like dark calm waters under the stormy choppy ones, that took a small pleasure from it, and didn't ask why.

Wrapping the blanket tighter around her body, she kept watching him. Her bed was in the shadows of the room, so she knew he could not see her gaze--and she really hoped that she was right about that. She wondered who he was before this. Before Helios made them something they were not. He had taken to killing so well, that her husband had favored him quickly. She hated that he was good at it.

The next thing Guinevère knew, she was blinking awake with the morning light. NO! She turned to look at the window. She had missed her chance! In her efforts to wait until he was sleeping and disappear she had fallen asleep too! Burring her face into the pillow she blinked away the tears, and brought up the detachment she used to survive each day. She'd failed in her plan. There would be another chance. She only need to take the herbs--THE HERBS!

Pushing to sit up, she blinked around the room, trying to adjust her eyes to the light, while pulling the blanket tighter around her to cover her nakedness. She needed to take them within so many hours of the coupling to stop the seed from taking. Blinking she looked for him.

Arthur Pendragon