Wizard's Wish - (Kinda) Yandere SGE x reader

Chapter 71: Failed Assignments

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The thing Tedros liked about girls is that they always started the conversation. Most of the time, his job was just to listen, ask questions, and try to understand what in God's name was going on in their complicated little heads. he rarely had any idea what girls were talking about or why they made everything so torturous in their logic, so playing the role of the strong, silent type usually gave him time to catch up.

But this was different. This was his mother. And he was the one with the storm in his head. Which meant he was definitely going to have to start this conversation. The breeze over the lush moors was brisk enough that Guinevere had to cling to her lumpy sweater, but Tedros was sweating like a mule, tugging at his shirt, wishing he could take it off. His chest pummeled like a pressure cooker and the silence between them was only making it worse. He didn't even know where he was taking her– there wasn't some hallowed landmark that would make this any easier– so without warning, he plopped down midstride into the grass, still fidgeting with his sleeves.

Guinevere calmly sat down beside him.
"When we met the Lady of the Lake, Merlin asked her to hide us the way she'd hidden someone before," said Tedros, not looking at her. "Which means Merlin helped you escape from me and Dad."
"Merlin knew I was unhappy for a long time," said Guinevere.
"Father adored you," Tedros shot back. "He decorated the castle with your portraits, brought you the most extravagant gifts from his quests, and lavished you with attention and affection. He never raised his voice to you or laid a hand on you or deprived you of anything and now you're acting like he was some mad man in the attic? I know he wasn't the best person, I never wanted to be like my father, but no relationship is perfect. Look at me and Y/n–"

"The difference is that Y/n loves you back."
Her answer disarmed him. Tedros exhaled. "So you were unhappy enough to just... abandon me?"
"I didn't want to. It's why I stayed with your father much longer than I should have," Guinevere replied. "Believe me when I say I was well educated in the values of Good. I'd been trained by a Dean far less progressive than yours to put king and kingdom first. I knew full well that no one would forgive a queen who absconds with a knight from her king's court, and for good reason. Even if Lancelot was my true love, the idea of going off with him felt childish, selfish, and deeply Evil. I had a duty to keep my family together."
"Exactly," said Tedros.
"It wasn't as if I could take you with me," said Guinevere. "That'd be unfair to you, to your father, and a kingdom that needed its future king–"
"Not just unfair, but unconscionable," Tedros piled on.

"Which is why I told Merlin all of this, hoping he'd condemn such sinful thoughts and force me to focus on the life I'd chosen, not the one I kept imagining." His mother paused. "Instead he asked me if I so desperately wanted to leave Camelot, why was I still there."
Tedros looked at her, agog.
"Why? Because you have a child!! You have a husband! Because that's what you're supposed to do! How could he ask you such a stupid question! It's a matter of right and wrong!"
"I was even harsher," his mother concurred. "I said only a man would have so little regard for a woman's sense of duty. How irresponsible to think this was simply a matter of choice. I couldn't just dump my old life and start a new one. How would I wake up every day knowing I'd left a son behind? He's my child! My blood!"
"He needs you," Tedros fought–
"He needs my help," Guinevere finished.
Both were quiet, looking into each other's eyes.

"What did Merlin say?" Tedros asked tightly.
Guinevere's eyes glistened. "He just looked at me and said: 'who's helping who'"
Tedros shook his head. "I don't under–"
But he did. His soul did. Tears stung his eyes, washing away his anger.

"To stay with your father would have ruined my life. And it would have ruined your life too," said Guinevere. "Arthur may have been a wonderful king to his people, a loving father to you, and a faithful husband to me... but I loved someone else, Tedros. I'd always loved someone else. And if I found out I'd clung to an unhappy marriage for your sake, you would carry that weight for life. Not to mention, what would that teach a little boy? That to get what you want, you must force it? That you should go with the one you're told to be with, not the one you love? And as much as I wanted to give up my life and stay by your side, I couldn't make that choice for you. Part of your journey was to see your mother for who she truly was, not who she pretended to be. Most children would never get past the resentment and wither away from the pain. But Merlin knew you were different. He said my leaving wasn't just necessary for my own fate, it was the essential seed of your fate too. It would make you look closer and find real love. It would make you the king you needed be. And even though leaving would strike us both with an indelible wound... one day, you would find a way to forgive me."