Merlin and Arthur in Lockdown

Nine

Four months ago

Arthur found Guinevere at the upper floor colonnade railing that overlooked the main hall and the party guests below. She was checking her phone, when Arthur found her. 'You're still here,' he said, joining her at the railing. It was nearly eleven, but this being an official occasion sanctioned by the Crown meant the mingling guests below were still holding it together as they drank and chatted.

'Just going to find Lady Morgana and say bye to her before I go,' said Gwen, putting the phone away. 'I thought you were out partying with Owain and the guys. He asked Morgana to join but she told him maybe some other time.'

Arthur bent forward and rested his elbows on the railing, clasping his hands and looking out across the hall. 'Yeah, I was with them. Then I climbed out the window.'

Gwen raised her eyebrows in amusement. 'Right, sneaking off to the club wasn't thrilling enough, you had to up the ante and climb out the window there?'

'Alright, it was a ground floor window. Don't get too excited.' That made her smile.

'I couldn't get in a word over the music. Guess I should have told the guys I didn't wanna be there for the,' he waved a hand, 'mindless partying that was going on.'

She tilted her head to him. 'You didn't want them to think Prince Arthur was no fun?'

Arthur held her eyes for a moment before saying, 'It's not always easy...talking about how you really feel.'

'That's probably what makes it even more worth it.' She tried to look occupied, tucking strands of her curls that escaped her low bun.

Arthur was frozen and frenzied at the same time. His hand wanted to reach out and tuck in her hair for her. He was right, it wasn't always easy talking about what he really wanted to say.

So instead he let his fingers brush a strand of her hair away from her cheek and let himself lean in and kiss her. A second later he felt Gwen's fingers gently touch the side of his face.

Arthur's phone started ringing in his pocket, making him jerk back away from Gwen. He looked at the screen . 'Sorry...it's my father.'

'No, it's alright,' Gwen replied, smiling.

Uther sent a text before Arthur could ring back: Come and see me at the Upper Library.

<<>>

'You're not allowed to be with Gwen?' Merlin turned to look at Arthur on the driving seat as they headed back to their apartment.

'It's not as simple as that,' Arthur replied.

He recalled the night Uther called him into the library. He had seen Arthur with Gwen at the secluded spot on the veranda. Well, not secluded enough to escape Uther's eyes.

When he had met his father in the library, Arthur folded his arms and stretched out his legs under the heavy table where his father sat. 'You've never objected to anyone else I've dated.' He had a feeling he knew why, but he wanted to clear it up with his father.

Uther gathered his words while clasping his hands on the polished table. 'Guinevere is a polite, lovely girl. A great friend to you and Morgana both. But her father runs an ironworks business.'

Silence choked them save for the grandfather clock's ticking. Arthur did not leave his father's eyes. 'Yes, her father runs a successful business, and she's on her way to becoming a well-educated woman who's probably going to be successful on her own right. I'm not sure I understand what you mean,' he said.

'I think,' Uther said, almost with a dangerous edge, 'you understand very well what I mean. You just don't want to see it.'

Arthur shifted in his seat and glared across the table. To his surprise, Uther's next words were sober, gentle.

'I... know what you must be feeling. That it is just between you and Gwen. And it doesn't matter she's not from our circle and what anyone else thinks about that. But it will take its toll.'

Arthur looked up to meet his father's eyes.

'You can go out with her now, let the magazines run a few stories. But after a while they'll latch on to how different the two of you are; they'll try to catch you out at every turn. And not just them. You can bring her to all the garden parties. But eventually she will stand out. Worse: she'll be left out.'

Arthur swallowed. She was accepted as a mate to Morgana and him. But as a regular in the Royal circles?

'You can let her go through all of that and go your separate ways. Because she's not the one you'll get to marry.'

Arthur met his father's eyes with defiance. Even though his words were defeated. 'Of course not. You'll make sure I don't.'

Uther stood up, his business concluded. 'Remember, Arthur, someone like you is not just asking a girl out; you're asking her to be the future queen.'

'Yeah, that doesn't just apply to Gwen.'

'But between her and, say, lady Elena, who do you think has more to lose? So you need to decide if it's really worth her going through all this.'

Arthur stood up too and stopped in front of his father. 'Well, she shouldn't have to go through any of this. We don't live in medieval times anymore.' He walked out of the library, closing the door behind him.

Yet when he saw Gwen the next day, he took her aside to the quiet pathway that overlooked the rose garden and said, 'What happened last night...' Gwen smiled a little and looked away from him. 'I shouldn't have gone in for the kiss. I'm sorry.'

When she met his eyes, she was taken aback. 'It's alright; it wasn't just on you-'

'It shouldn't have happened.' Arthur forced a smile. 'I'm glad we became friends and you don't think I'm a jerk anymore.'

Gwen ducked her head and smiled.

'But the kiss was a mistake. We shouldn't ruin the friendship that we have -I just wanted to clear up the awkwardness.' He walked her back to the garden where Morgana was. Not mentioning how she had made his day that time some time ago when she had told him, 'You know, I always took you as a bit of a jerk.' She had paused and held his eyes. 'I'm beginning to change my mind.' He had thought of kissing her back then. 'I'm glad to hear.' And now he had wished that whole conversation and all the others with her leading up to last night had not happened.