AM I THE ONE? | Arthur Pendragon [1]

Gwen... Merlin!

*Annabelle's P.O.V.*

I was walking down the corridor to Morgana's chambers. We both agreed to go to the dungeons to visit Gwen, because we knew that if one of us would go alone, we wouldn't be able to handle it. All this time I was walking, I thought about what Merlin did. I knew he loved Gwen, and she loved him, but they were both oblivious to it. I know he meant well, but he was too impulsive.
I was snapped out of my thoughts when I bumped into someone's chest. I looked up, only to see Arthur looking down at me. I immediately looked down and curtsied, but he grabbed my arms and pulled me back up into a standing position.
"My Lord." I greeted quietly, and I heard him sigh.
"Please Annabelle, call me Arthur." He said, and I nodded, still refusing to meet his gaze. I heard him give another sigh, before lifting my chin up gently with his fingers to look him in the eye. "I'm sorry about Guinevere." He said quietly, and I gave him a nod in thanks. I could see that he truly meant it, but I couldn't help but still blame him for Gwen's sentence. I went to walk around him, but he stopped me by grabbing my arms gently. "I know you think this is all my fault." He said quietly, and something in me snapped.
"It is your fault." I growled, pushing his hands off of me. "You were the one who arrested her, and you were the one who turned her in, even though you know she's innocent!" I expected him to defend himself, but he just looked down in, what I think is, shame.
"I know, I'm sorry." He then looked at me. "I tried to persuade my father to let her go, but he wouldn't listen." I looked at him in shock. "I really am sorry, Anna." He said in a quiet and regretful tone. I sighed and looked at him with a small, soft smile.
"Well, thank you for talking to your father. But if you'll excuse me, I have to go to Morgana." I said, and he nodded. I went to walk around him, but he stopped me by grabbing my hand. I looked at him questioningly, but he just looked at me with a small, warm smile and brought my hand up to his lips, kissing my knuckles. I gave him a small smile, curtsied, and left to go get Morgana.

*5 minutes later*

Morgana and I made our way over to the dungeons. The guard bowed to Morgana and showed us the way to the cell that Gwen was kept in. I thanked the guard, and he gave me a nod with a smile.
"Gwen!" Morgana exclaimed, and we both grasped the bars of the cell door. She started walking over to us, but was stopped shortly by the handcuffs around her wrists that were chained to the wall of the cell and restricted her from coming any closer.
"Thank you." She said, and Morgana and I both looked at her, confused.
"What for?" I asked, and she gave us a small smile.
"Coming to see me." She replied, and tears came to my eyes, as well as Morgana's.
"How could we not?" I whispered, trying to contain the sobs that were threatening to escape my lips.
"You're our best friend." Morgana finished in a quiet voice, and tears came to Gwen's eyes.
"You both were the greatest friends I could ever ask for." She said quietly, and Morgana and I both looked at her in shock.
"Why are you saying that?" I asked, and she looked at me, confused.
"Why are you saying that as if it was a goodbye?" Morgana clarified with tears running down my cheeks.
"Because it is." Gwen replied, and I looked at her with tears spilling out of my eyes.
"No." I denied, and shook my head. Morgana did the same thing, agreeing with me.
"No. I'll speak with Uther, he'll let you go." Morgana choked out, and I put an arm around her shoulders.
"You both know as well as I that he won't listen." Gwen said, and a sob escaped my lips. "Just, please... Remember me." At this point all three of us were sobbing. "Go." Gwen ordered, and Morgana and I looked at her in shock. "If you'll stay here too long, they'll think that you're trying to help me escape." We began to shake our heads, but she continued. "Go!" Morgana and I looked at each other, and then back at Gwen. She nodded for us to go, and we did so reluctantly.
When we exited the dungeons, we bumped into Merlin. Morgana looked at him for a second, and then ran away, crying. Merlin looked at me, and I put a comforting hand on his shoulder, before running after Morgana.

*10 minutes later*

I stroked Morgana's hair as she cried into my shoulder. We were both sat on a seat next to a window in her chambers. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. I gently pushed Morgana away from me, and walked over to open the door. Once I did, I saw someone I definitely did not expect to see.
Gaius.
"Anna, you have to come quickly." He said with urgency in his voice. I looked back at Morgana.
"Morgana, I need to go with Gaius. Will you be alright?" I called, and she nodded, sniffling. Gaius then quickly walked out, and I followed hot on his heels. "Gaius, what's wrong?" I asked, and he looked at me.
"Merlin." He simply said, and I groaned.
"What has he done now?"
"He told the King that he's the sorcerer that caused the disease." I stopped abruptly.
"What?!" I exclaimed, and he nodded.
"Yes, he did, but thankfully Arthur got him out of that situation." I sighed in relief.
"Well... Thank God for Arthur."

*5 minutes later*

Merlin opened the door to our chambers and stormed in, fuming.
"Arthur's an idiot." He exclaimed, as Gaius and I followed him inside.
"No, he was right to do what he did, and thankfully he saved you from your own stupidity!" I replied.
"Anna's right." Gaius agreed, and Merlin turned around to look at us.
"What else could I do? It's my fault Gwen's going to die." I nodded.
"Yes. But you don't prove her innocence by offering to jump into the flames. You do it by finding out what's causing the disease!" I said, trying to get it through his thick skull.
"Well, w-w-whatever it is, one thing's for sure: Arthur's not going to find it. He thinks, he is so sharp." Merlin blabbered, whilst Gaius looked for something on a table. "Even when I told him I was a wizard, he still couldn't see it."
"Well, sometimes it's pretty hard to spot." I said, still watching Gaius that searched for something all over the place.
"Maybe I should go around wearing a pointy hat." Merlin suggested jokingly, and I looked at him with a teasing smile.
"I don't think you'll find one big enough." I said, as Gaius picked up some keys from another table.
"Alright you two, that's enough." He ordered, and Merlin and I looked at him. "If we're going to save Gwen, we have to find out what's contaminating the water." I nodded in agreement. We then headed out the door.