Gwynnever - Queen of Camelot

Chapter 33

He slipped and fell on the ground, his eyes closed as he was repeating. "Oh, God."

"Percival." Admonished the King who didn't move because he was under shock, like the rest of them.

"It's okay. I haven't seen anything. Nothing happened..."

"Percival? Why are you on the ground?" inquired Gawain and kicked the knight laughing but his giggled died in his throat when he noticed the two inhabitants of the bed.

"Oh no." Gawain turned the other way and was struggling with someone that eventually managed to move it to the side and stepped in.

"What have you done?!" Lancelot was angrily pointing at the girl under him.

"First of all, don't you ever knock? "Lancelot raised his eyebrow to that technicality. "Second of all, it's not how it looks."

"You didn't sleep with Gwynnever then?" Arthur nodded. "You just happened to wake up... inside of her?"

"You stupid royals good for nothing. You think you can go around sleeping with every female just because you will not face any consequences." Gawain was livid like someone just deflowered his sister.

Arthur raised, grabbing his shirt to cover himself up. Gwen curled up in her duvet, looking scared.

"Hey! You are talking as if I did everything on my own. We both decided. It was mutual. And I don't have to explain myself to you." Gawain rolled his dark eyes.

"That would be very useful when the Queen of Corbenic finds out that with her in the palace, you not only humiliated her yesterday, but slept with another girl. What am I supposed to tell the Queen?" Lancelot pointed a finger to Gwen

"Too bad for her, I guess. I haven't proposed and I have no intention to." Gwen finally lifted her eyes, was that hope or fear? "As far as Gwynnever. I don't want her as in I want to possess her. I want her as my wife."

"Again, worst timing possible." Added Lancelot crossing his arms. "You're going to break her heart for this stupid thing you did. You gave her the one thing you weren't supposed to give her: hope."

"It wasn't me who arranged this marriage okay? Why don't you marry Elain, if he like her so much?"

"You asked me to call upon her. She made all that way from her kingdom up north to here. Wars happened for less, sire. You cannot, in anyway break this engagement."

"There is no engagement. I want Gwynnever." He simply said as if it would be enough. And it should have been, if he wasn't a king and she was just a girl. "I'll not marry anybody else."

"She's a person not a thing and you betrayed her by giving yourself to her. That Gwen wanted you too wasn't a mystery. We all knew. Why do you think Lancelot pushed on this union with Elain? It was to protect her too." Stated Percival. Everyone was furious at Arthur.

"It was consensual, I desired her as much as she did, maybe even more. I do not repent my decision."

"You will" was the sentence of Lancelot. "Sire." Lancelot eyed Gwen. He couldn't tell what it was but something in her glare made him cringe. "What have you done..." he protested and Arthur was about to rip his ears out. His court looked like they only had one thing to say.

"Can you leave us?" he demanded but the guests all shook their heads.

"As for now, I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone with our guest. I'll take her through the tunnels and out of this castle." Both Arthur and Gwen winched back. "We can resolve this the easy way which is, give Gwen to be married to anyone who wants her. It will be hard but we'll find someone, she's enough pleasing after all. If we manage to find someone willing to take your scraps, you can keep fucking her but no disgrace will fall on any of you two. I might have that person already. Worst case, we'll send her away from Camelot to take care for herself."

"You are not the King of Camelot, Lancelot." Said Percival moving toward Gwen, he looked so tall and scary as his fingers whitened around his sword. "You don't get to send no one away from Camelot. People of this Kingdom want her here, and they will riot if you unjustly cast her out."

"She slept with the king. That is more than a rightful reason. She dishonored herself and Camelot. We do not tolerate that kind of conduct in this court." Gwen was as white as the sheet under her legs.

"I slept with her too." Said the King. "I provoked her so much she thought she wanted to do it." Jumped in Arthur to protect his beloved. Everyone was acting crazy. Like she wasn't there and it was driving her furious. Why didn't they ask her what she wanted to do?

"Rules are clear. If a woman brings shame on herself and this court, she must be cast away."

"I'm the King and she will go nowhere. I promise I'll not touch her again but she stays."

"What is this mess?" Inquired Merlin joined eventually. "I heard Arthur screaming from downstair- "

Lancelot was about to speak but Gwen stood and walked toward him raising slowly her head as if she was very heavy. She had the sheets wrapped around her body tightly. "I'll behave. Please don't send me away." She pleaded like a small child and even Lancelot softened at that view.

"You will obey Camelot Law and never break it again?" he demanded and Gwen put a hand on her heart.

"I swear it on my life."

"You will have to marry whoever I chose for you." He warned her and she agreed.

"Camelot is the only home I've ever had. I will do anything to be here."

"Very well then." Lancelot reached for Gwen's hand and carefully caressed it. "Then, to prevent any further temptation, I Lancelot of the Royal Guard of Camelot and Advisor of the King, offer you Gwen, my hand in marriage to repair the mistake the King did toward you."

Everybody stopped breathing. Gwen was a statue of salt and Arthur felt like he was suffocating.

"Do you accept?"

Gwen swallowed loudly, but she raised her chin and looked him dead in the eyes. "If I do. No one will take me away from Camelot? I could stay?"

"Yes, and you'll be free to go where you please. The only thing expected of you would be to be loyal to me and to the kingdom I serve. My decision will be your decision. My answer, yours."

Merlin tapped with the rod on Arthur's shoulder begging him to do something but he was in shock. The woman he loved was being taken from under his fingers once again and he couldn't do anything about it. He was the King, the most powerful man in whole Camelot and couldn't bear to fight back.

"I do." Said Gwen and bowing elegantly. He stopped her by stepping in her way and stared at her, thrilled.
"Dinner in my chambers, tonight. We have a lot to discuss." She cringed and ran off the room leaving the man to their business. She didn't dare to look at him scared she'll rethink the whole thing,