the next generation: keepers of Excalibur

Artis' POV:

*Skip to 11:25AM*

"Gwaine! Where are you, you drunk asshole?" Gwen yelled, trying to find Gwaine for me. We may have been five minutes early, but Gwaine was usually there.

"Maybe he's drunk somewhere. Or hungover. Or hungover and still drinking." I stated, walking back over to Gwen who was waiting by the barn. Fuck, she looked cute in this sun! Almost as cute as when we met. But something had changed since we'd been here. Something had unsettled her to the point that she usually refused to talk about her issues anymore to me. I was about to start a heart-to-heart when that drunkard came bounding over the hills singing 'Artis is gonna go apple picking in a strangers orchard. If we die, up they'll fly. To a fucking... to a fucking... shit! What rhymes with orchard?"

"The words 'I'm going to murder your ass in an orchard' spring to mind, Gwaine," I yelled as I drew my sword ready to teach him a lesson, but not quite kill him.

"Umm Gwaine," yelled Gwen as she caught up with me. "You know picking apples from a stranger's orchard is called scrumping and it's illegal, right?" Wow, she looked like a lawyer with her facial expressions pulled into a glare. Before Gwen's death glare could kill Gwaine I interjected,

"It's not like we'd get caught. And besides, he's probably not serious anyway." quickly she turned her attention onto me. Her face didn't soften like i expected though she just kept scowling but before she could say anything Gwaine continued,

"Oh no, Artis, I'm totally serious! Hailey Basilfield has been killing all the best wild apple trees so I'm going to steal more apples and eat them then plant the seeds in the palace grounds." was gwaine fucking crazy?! My brother is gonna kill him before we even get chance to explain ourselves. So quickly I state,

"And you expect Arthur to be completely okay with this? Even though it's an insane ass plan with a slim chance of getting away with it and not getting punished, and by royally pissing off my royal brother's royal ass?" Gwaine smiled before continuing with,

"Well, since you're technically the next ruler of Camelot. I was hoping you could get us both... what did you call them again? Go out free jail cards?"

"Get-out-of-jail-free cards, Gwaine." I correct as Gwen shakes her head at me silently begging not to go. When I refused Gwen sighed and shrugged her shoulders. Can I just murder her please!

"Well, while you two discuss the terms of your arrests, I'm off to find Percival. Apparently, he has something really cool to show me?" Gwen said before slowly wandering away.

"We aren't going to get arrested, you know," I exclaim.

"Keep thinking that, Tissy!" Gwen responds bowing and smirking.

"If I don't get arrested - which I won't - you can tell Arthur about the thing," I exclaim across the courtyard. Gwen quickly turns around shocked.

"What thing guys?" Gwaine asked concernedly.

"How much can I trust you Gwaine?" Gwen asked walking back.

"Oh sweaty Jesus nerd on a bicycle, you're going there," I state before sitting down on a haystack.

"I only know what half of those things are. But Gwen, you can trust me with your life. What's happened?" Gwaine asked concerned to Gwen.

"This morning amidst all of the carnage of Arthur trying to force Artis into a dress, I saw Guinevere and Lancelot making out and saying they were gonna fuck each others brains out and run away with Lucy," Gwen said nonchalantly. She was terrified. The reason I can tell is whenever something really scares Gwen she acts like it's nothing.