Thaumaturgy

Chapter 26

Whilen the planning of how to take back Camelot commenced, everyone having ideas and talking at once, Merlin glanced over and noticed Gwaine wasn't his usual self. Instead he sat sasly and gazed from the window into the dark and windy night that flew bitterly through forest.

He frowned: maybe the cure hdn't worked and not all of the love potion had worn off, or if it was a meloncolic side affects of the cure. Merlin stood from the table and sat next to his friend, catching his eye with a gentle smiel.

"It's for the best" he mumrured, as though reading Gwaine's thought. The outlaw pulled his eyes from the wailign trees outside and looked deeply at the wizard. For a moment he said nothing; sat in thought and Merlin almost beliebed he would not answer him.

"I know that. I do." Gwaine spoke eventually. His jaw wavered. "It's just...." His speak trailed into a silence as stony as a grave. Merlin gestured for him to continue with his hand as Gwaine ran his fingers along the soft leather cuff that he always wore that covereed the part of his arm wher his soulmate's name was.

"It was nice to feel love like that. Even if it wasn't real. Even if for a little while....I could....pretend." he said, hzael eyes reflecting the candle light with sadness.

"You'll find your soul mate oneday. It just takes time." Merlin said. Gwaine sighed deeply, almost like a sob.

"No-" he started.

"Look!" Merlin said, in loud desperation, grasping his fiend's forarm desperately "I found Arthur and he was meant to be dead! Whatever it is, there is always hope! Always." he insisted.

"Yeah, you've found him though!" barked Gwaine, suddenly standing up and drawing all the attention in the room to himself, but he did not seem to notice, or to care.

"You've all found your solemates so easily, whether in Ealdor" he gestured to Will, who had done that "or Northumbria." he pointed to Leon and Percival who had regailed them with stories of the wives they left behind "or here...." he said looking at Meerlin and Arthur, and Lancelot and Guninvere.

"And it was so easy for you, you just meet and you know, deep in your heart and soul, that it's the right person for you. There's not many Lancelot's or Will's or freaking Elyan's around right? So boom of course it's the right one. Do you know how common a name Gwaine is?" he asked, looking at everyone with frantic eyes as his voice rised with every word he spoke.

A mumer ran around the table.

"He's right." said Elyan eventually "I went to school with three Gwaines"

"And then there's the baker in Ealdor." Put out Gwen helpfully.

"I know of a couple of innkeepers by that name in Northumbria" said Perical, almost embarassed.

"See?!" screamed Gwaine "And I meet my ladies - or gents - and I tell them my name and then I get to see the hope spark in their eyes and I know! I know I'm going to break their heart a little because I'm not their Gwaine. Anyways it doesn't matter" He muttered, looking down with a wave of his hand.

"But one day, to someone, you will be their Gwaine" Merlin insited.

"I already have been!" Gwaine revealed. There was a gasp. Everyone was quiet. He paused, running his hand in his hair and sighed when he spoke again.

"When I was growing up in Cork, I met her and she was....she was radiant. The sun had nothing on her, and she spoke like wind chimes." he smiled sadly at the memory "And I had her name and she had mine and I thought...." he tailed off again, staring into the middles distance with a small smile, as if he was staring into the past and seeing her beautiful face. But a cloud cast across his face, his eyes darkened, and misery entered his eyes again.