RULES- Gwaine, BBC Merlin

FIVE

Gasping breaths and a brow beaded with sweat took ahold Merlin as he vacated, or escaped 'Oswald's' chambers. Who knew that one knight could have so much stuff... not mention what an utter CLOTPOLE (it's idiomatic) Sir Oswald was. Not a good bone ran through his body that's for certain.

As he leant against the hard, wooden door, laboured breaths dancing through the air, the familiar footsteps of a certain Princess pirouetted into his presence. They didn't hold the familiar joy that she held, nor the anger that she'd left with previous. Instead, despair. Sadness.

While Merlin tended to be over-zealous in his greetings toward who he would consider his closest friend in the steadily suffocating Camelot. He knew this time not to. Merlin knew Eliana Pendragon oh so well and Eliana...

Eliana knew his secret.

Many evenings consisted of secret gatherings of whispered words of magic, glittering dragons flew across her chambers before disappearing in an ephemeral mist. He could conjure zephyrs to fill the room with a salty sweet smell and could create incantations that replicated the heather kisses of the summer sun even in the darkest and coldest of winters. Out of sight, a stained glass of crimson red was permanently living upon her window pane where a spell had gone wrong. Peals of laughter rang loudly before a hissed 'shh' would emanate from Merlin's lips in case a guard.. or worse a brother and father were to appear.

Merlin and Eliana were best friends. Nothing more nothing less. 

As her sombre steps came closer, Merlin slipped beside her. She sniffled, looking up at her dearest friend and in the empty corridor, the tears finally fell. Her throat felt restricted as she gasped for breath, still trying desperately to stifle the cries that escaped her. At this, Merlin ripped off his neckerchief, wiping the steady stream of tears that fell.

Sniffling some more, Eliana gripped the neckerchief and tucked herself under Merlin's arm as they began to walk toward the safe haven of the physicians chambers.

''What happened, Sir Oswald touch a nerve?''

She dismissed this (although Merlin was right, Sir Oswald DID absolutely strike a nerve).

"Just my Father, his priorities for the kingdom over me, the usual." 

Now, Eliana didn't want to sound selfish, there was no doubt she was lucky to not live in destitution or face life threatening circumstances that many did. Nor did she need to submit herself to the desires of many man in order to preserve scraps of coin to get by like many did. She lived a comfortable life, incredibly lucky life. But she was still trapped. Just trapped in a different way.

"What has he done?" Merlin tutted, he never liked the king and he never would.

"Encouraging me to... make myself known to the knights. A secure marriage would help establish a strong kingdom. Said it was my duty."

They turned the corner. The safe haven was in sight. Merlin squeezed her tighter.

"Your father is a clot pole, I can turn him into a toad?"

"I'd rather you didn't, you in the flames is not something I'd ever wish to witness in my lifetime, Merlin"

Opening, the door, he allowed Eliana to enter first and she sat herself upon the bench.''

"Customs are old, perhaps when Arthur's king, things will change and you can do whatever you wish, love or otherwise."

Sighing wistfully, Eliana tucked her chin onto her hand as she stared up at Merlin who had begun to organise some herbs for Gaius. 

"Maybe, that's if I can hold off Sir Darius' advances till then!"

"He's still bothering you?" Emphasising the still- Darius had been after Eliana's hand for a long time.

"Unfortunately so, perhaps I should marry you.. or Gaius... maybe he's too old."

"Who's too old?" Gaius had decided to walk in the door at this moment, hearing the last dregs of the conversation between Princess and servant. Setting his medicine bag down, he patted Eliana's shoulder.

 Flustered, Eliana struggled to gather her words. "Oh, no one, Gaius! Especially not you-"

She was cut off by Merlin's obnoxious laughter and as he did, she chucked his neckerchief back at him in mock-anger.

"You flatter me so, my dear. Now what brings you to our humble corner of the castle? I'm afraid Gwaine isn't in."

She blushed under Gaius' eyes and she tried to protest over Merlin's louder peals of laughter.

"I may be old, but I know the look of affection and you, Eliana are besotted."

Jumping up, Eliana backed up to the door, desperately trying to dismiss Gaius' comment but her spluttering only confirmed Gaius' shrewd suspicions. As she did so, the door flung open and she backed into the hard mass of a body. Praying to all the lords above that it wasn't who she thought it was, Eliana turned around.

It was.

"Oh hello, um yes. Thank you, Gaius, Merlin for the- the potion, it'll be most helpful."

"Ah, My Lady, and here I thought you'd seen enough of me earlier. Back for more?"

His smooth voice erupted the butterflies that seemed to always escape when he was near as she. again, struggled to come up with something to say.

"No! Just the potion! Now I really should go, Morgana needs help with her... latin"

With that, she fled the chamber, leaving her honeyed scent wafting behind her and leaving Gwaine to be overcome with her scent and presence once more.

He truly was besotted.