Okay, kids, we all know that Gwennie isn't going to return to Arthur unless her conscience is clear. And that means finding the damn bracelet. So these 2 possibilities came into my head this morning, so I wrote them down for you all. They're probably nowhere near what will actually happen, as usual, but I have to get these things out of my brain or I do not sleep.
1.
Leon enters the council chambers. "Excuse me, Sire."
"Yes, Sir Leon, what is it?" Arthur is sitting with Agravaine at the table. Merlin standing behind, off to the side.
"This was found in the dungeons. Two guards were fighting over it." He places a silver bracelet on the mesa, tabela in front of Arthur. Merlin looks at it, and he can sense the magic coming from it. He gingerly steps forward.
"Where was this found?" Arthur says, not touching it.
"Um, it was in the cell that... she was in," replies Leon, clearly uncomfortable.
"It's all right, Sir Leon, you can say her name," Arthur says softly. Still he stares, but does not touch.
"My lord?" Merlin ventures.
"What is it, Merlin?" Arthur says, still quiet.
"The symbols on this..." Merlin steps closer. "Perhaps you should have Gauis take a look at it?"
"Whatever for?" Agravaine snaps, desperate not to have the enchantment discovered.
Merlin ignores him, speaking to Arthur quietly. "Well, have you ever seen it before? Have you ever known Gwen to wear a bracelet like this? Gaius might be able to tell if there is anything... unusual about it."
Arthur listens to Merlin's words, the now-familiar haunted look crossing his face.
"My lord..." Agravaine begins.
"Go and fetch him, Merlin," Arthur orders.
2.
Merlin knocks on his mother's door. Hunith opens it, "Merlin!" she cries, thowing her arms around his neck. He hugs her tightly.
"Mother, is Gwen here? I need to talk with her. Please. It's very important."
Hunith sighs. "She's out back. Poor girl."
Merlin walks around to the back where Gwen is hanging up laundry to dry (or some such other mundane task).
"Gwen."
She hears Merlin's voice and freezes. Without turning she says, "I know why you're here, Merlin. I'm not going back."
"Gwen, Arthur wants you to come back. He needs you to come back. He's... a shell of his former self without you."
"Merlin..."
"He rarely sleeps. When he does, it's usually at the table, his face in a plate of comida that he hasn't eaten. He's a broken man without you."
Gwen drops her head and turns. She is crying. "He may be able to forgive me, but I am not able to forgive myself."
Merlin walks to her and puts his hands on her shoulders. He pulls her to him for a hug, then guides her over to a large rock where they can sit.
"I've gone over it and over it in my head, Merlin. I just don't know what happened."
"Tell me what you remember," Merlin says.
"I remember being shocked at seeing Lancelot. Confused. But that's it. There was nothing else. He was an infatuation, years ago, before I knew what it was to truly amor someone," she breaks off, unable to continue.
"What else?" Merlin gently prods.
"I remember being happy. With Arthur. Happiest I've ever been. I was finally going to be his wife."
"Go on."
"Lancelot even came to my house. And still I felt nothing mais than friendship toward him. Then after that, I... I don't know. It was like there was an unseen force pushing me to him. I had no control, Merlin, I don't know why!" She sobs into his shoulder.
"What happened when he was at your house?" Merlin asks.
Gwen looks up at Merlin, eyes huge. "He gave me a bracelet."
"What?" Merlin cannot believe this detail was missed.
"Yes, he said it was given to him for luck, and that he wanted me to have it. Surely..." she trails off, not willing to believe her own thoughts.
"Gwen?"
"Yes?"
"Would it help if I told you that Gaius and I have reason to believe that that Lancelot was not the real Lancelot, not the man we knew and trusted?"
"How..."
"I cannot explain right now. But it is important that you tell me where this bracelet is now." He looks her in the eyes, deadly serious.
"I... flung it from my wrist when I was locked in the dungeons."
"With any luck it is still there." He stands and walks quickly towards his horse. He turns and calls back to her, "Don't go anywhere."
1.
Leon enters the council chambers. "Excuse me, Sire."
"Yes, Sir Leon, what is it?" Arthur is sitting with Agravaine at the table. Merlin standing behind, off to the side.
"This was found in the dungeons. Two guards were fighting over it." He places a silver bracelet on the mesa, tabela in front of Arthur. Merlin looks at it, and he can sense the magic coming from it. He gingerly steps forward.
"Where was this found?" Arthur says, not touching it.
"Um, it was in the cell that... she was in," replies Leon, clearly uncomfortable.
"It's all right, Sir Leon, you can say her name," Arthur says softly. Still he stares, but does not touch.
"My lord?" Merlin ventures.
"What is it, Merlin?" Arthur says, still quiet.
"The symbols on this..." Merlin steps closer. "Perhaps you should have Gauis take a look at it?"
"Whatever for?" Agravaine snaps, desperate not to have the enchantment discovered.
Merlin ignores him, speaking to Arthur quietly. "Well, have you ever seen it before? Have you ever known Gwen to wear a bracelet like this? Gaius might be able to tell if there is anything... unusual about it."
Arthur listens to Merlin's words, the now-familiar haunted look crossing his face.
"My lord..." Agravaine begins.
"Go and fetch him, Merlin," Arthur orders.
2.
Merlin knocks on his mother's door. Hunith opens it, "Merlin!" she cries, thowing her arms around his neck. He hugs her tightly.
"Mother, is Gwen here? I need to talk with her. Please. It's very important."
Hunith sighs. "She's out back. Poor girl."
Merlin walks around to the back where Gwen is hanging up laundry to dry (or some such other mundane task).
"Gwen."
She hears Merlin's voice and freezes. Without turning she says, "I know why you're here, Merlin. I'm not going back."
"Gwen, Arthur wants you to come back. He needs you to come back. He's... a shell of his former self without you."
"Merlin..."
"He rarely sleeps. When he does, it's usually at the table, his face in a plate of comida that he hasn't eaten. He's a broken man without you."
Gwen drops her head and turns. She is crying. "He may be able to forgive me, but I am not able to forgive myself."
Merlin walks to her and puts his hands on her shoulders. He pulls her to him for a hug, then guides her over to a large rock where they can sit.
"I've gone over it and over it in my head, Merlin. I just don't know what happened."
"Tell me what you remember," Merlin says.
"I remember being shocked at seeing Lancelot. Confused. But that's it. There was nothing else. He was an infatuation, years ago, before I knew what it was to truly amor someone," she breaks off, unable to continue.
"What else?" Merlin gently prods.
"I remember being happy. With Arthur. Happiest I've ever been. I was finally going to be his wife."
"Go on."
"Lancelot even came to my house. And still I felt nothing mais than friendship toward him. Then after that, I... I don't know. It was like there was an unseen force pushing me to him. I had no control, Merlin, I don't know why!" She sobs into his shoulder.
"What happened when he was at your house?" Merlin asks.
Gwen looks up at Merlin, eyes huge. "He gave me a bracelet."
"What?" Merlin cannot believe this detail was missed.
"Yes, he said it was given to him for luck, and that he wanted me to have it. Surely..." she trails off, not willing to believe her own thoughts.
"Gwen?"
"Yes?"
"Would it help if I told you that Gaius and I have reason to believe that that Lancelot was not the real Lancelot, not the man we knew and trusted?"
"How..."
"I cannot explain right now. But it is important that you tell me where this bracelet is now." He looks her in the eyes, deadly serious.
"I... flung it from my wrist when I was locked in the dungeons."
"With any luck it is still there." He stands and walks quickly towards his horse. He turns and calls back to her, "Don't go anywhere."
