Gwynnever - Queen of Camelot

Chapter 22

She was taking her frustration out by beating a wooden puppet. Could Merlin be more irritating? She would show him. She would. Just wait.

"Gwen!" Percy was running fast down the street coming to training field. "Gwen, come quick."

"What is it?" she inquired and put the sword on her shoulder. "Did Gawain break a nail?"

"It's Arthur." All the life drained from her face and she didn't make any more questions. Instead, she stealth her blade and rushed toward the castle.

Please, do not make him die, she was muttering under her breath as she busted through the door. Merlin had his palm on the King's forehead and was reciting what Gwen believed to be a spell. She sprinted to the bed but before she could touch Arthur's hand, Lancelot chest blocked her view and he pushed her back.

"The King needs rest. You may wait outside, when he'll feel better, he'll call for you if he wished to see you." Gwen swore on her life and what she held most dear that, if he did not move in one second, she'll pierced his heart with her sword. There was something different in the way Lancelot was talking to her now. She couldn't tell what it was yet.

"She can stay. The king sent for her." Told Percy grabbing Lancelot by the arm and pulling him away. "And if you do not step aside, Merlin will have two injured people not just one."

"She won't harm the King. Come forward, my child." Merlin gestured her to move closer and she did.

"What is wrong?"

"It's the arm." He pointed to the swollen wound that was turning purple. She didn't clean it and it got infected. She was so busy letting him know how he jeopardize her mission to care and check after him. "He has a fever, nevertheless I don't believe it to be bad. We caught it on time. Now we need to hope the temperature lowers on its own." Gwen nodded and she touched with the back of her hand his cheek, he was burning.

"Gwen?" whispered Arthur that turned on the side and with his hands grabbed the girl's wrist, not letting it go.

"I'm here." She used the other hand to caress his hair and his breath started to become regular.

"He'll need to sleep most of the night so whatever happens do not wake him." Warned Merlin and she agreed while he pushed everyone out of the room.
"One person is enough, and the king doesn't want any of your ugly long faces around so to bed you go." And the door closed behind the tall warlock and his red tunic.

She didn't dare to close her eyes once during the whole night. She changed the bandages in the enchanted water Merlin had left for her that stayed chill through the many hours that passed.

Arthur's fever did not lower.

It was weird. There had to be something wrong for him not to recover. Then took a look at the cut. Still purple, still swollen. She gazed through the room to find what she needed. Gwen took a piece of cloth and shove it into Arthur's mouth.

"I'm sorry, my love." She found herself whispering as she placed a tender kiss on his forehead. "Something is wrong, I'll be quick, I promise." she dared to grab a knife from her garter and moved it to the fire to warm it up and cleansed it. she hoped it would turn out to be a good idea.

Then calmly undid the stitches and Arthur's eyes flung wide open, staring shockingly into hers. She felt like a traitor still, she couldn't stop now.

"I know." She muttered as he started screaming for the pain but the cloth numbed most of the noises. She inserted the incandescent blade into the flesh and this time, not even the cloth could stop the dreadful shriek that escaped the king's lips. "I'm so sorry, Arthur. Please do not move."