Married Life

Chapter 5

Gwaine was swaying dangerously in his saddle as they rode back through the castle gates. Tristan rushed forward to help him down before he fell down and Galahad came to hold the King's horse until more stable hands arrived. The stubborn knight tried to wave off the offered help and walk by himself but Arthur grabbed an arm, threw it over his shoulder and took the man's weight. "Tell Gaius and Merlin I'm bringing Gwaine to them." The king barked at Tristan, sending him off at a run. Arthur could feel the blood seeping into his own shirt where Gwaine leaned on him. Merlin was going to be very unhappy.
"What happened?" Arthur asked Gwaine, hoping to keep him conscious. "Did you at least get the lady's name?" Gwaine jumped a little against the King's shoulder and groaned out a low laugh.
"Arrow." He coughed, "Her name is Arrow, daughter of King Offa of Mercia."
"I think my father tried to marry us, once." Arthur smiled and resettled Gwaine on his shoulder. Merlin came sprinting up the corridor; one slight misstep from flying through the air as usual.
"She's married." Muttered Gwaine. "Merlin!" He dragged his eyes up to look at Merlin who was prodding at the cut on the knight's side. Arthur rolled his eyes at the obvious subject change. The man had been stabbed, several times, and was still more embarrassed to admit he'd not won over the lady.
Tristan appeared in a more dignified jog than Merlin's and took Gwaine's other side. The stubborn knight talked the whole way down to Gaius' rooms. Telling Merlin about their adventure or Tristan about the lady of Mercia.
"Do you think she was a sorceress, Gwaine?" Galahad asked from behind them just as they entered the physician's chambers. Merlin quickly turned away and started clearing the cot in the middle of the room. It was practically Gwaine's second bed nowadays.
"Definitely." Answered Gwaine before sitting himself down with a groan. He took a big sigh and reached over his shoulder to pull his shirt forwards over his head. Merlin knelt in front of him and started washing the wound on his side. "I want you two to stay by Arthur's side today and tomorrow incase anyone comes for revenge." Gwaine groaned again and laid himself down on the cot leaving his injured leg hanging off the side.
Arthur started to protest but the young knights shouted their agreement and flanked him.

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"Well, I for one am grateful to Gwaine for putting you out of harms way." Guinevere climbed into their bed and settled under the blankets. Arthur huffed and climbed in alongside her.
"I was supposed to go on the adventure not just escort Gwaine to and from it." He turned to blow out the candle. "And if the stubborn fool hadn't left us all outside, maybe he wouldn't have got himself hurt." The pillow got a few light thumps to straighten it out. But Arthur still couldn't sleep. "Do you remember hearing about Arrow of Mercia getting married?" He asked Guinevere. She rolled over to face him.
"I heard she was betrothed from a young age."
"Uther wanted to me marry her." Mused Arthur turning to look at his wife. "I guess that's why she never visited."
"Or she just wanted idiotic princes to leave her in peace." Smirked Quinevere and rolled away from Arthur who started tickling her demanding she take it back.

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Outside in the stone courtyard, a shadow slipped onto the wall and made its way along the battlements to an unlocked door. It crept along the corridors making its way down to the chambers of the court physician. The door slowly creaked open just enough to let the shadow through and silently closed again. It moved along the shelves flittering along the multitude of small bottles, pausing on some and nudging others to reveal those behind. Three small bottles disappeared into the shadow itself alongside an empty cup and they all moved over to the sleeping knight. Gwaine's hair moved as a shadowy hand stroked through it. The shadow turned to pale skin and a voice started chanting quietly whilst the contents of the bottles poured themselves into the goblet. Gwaine opened one eye, "Princess." He muttered. His forehead was hot and his eyes heavy but he struggled against himself to keep them open. To watch her. The shadow smiled and started singing, barely above a whisper, in Old English. She brought the goblet to his lips and gently lifted his head a little. He thought he saw the shadow's eyes glint like fire but he wasn't sure.

Merlin woke and shot up into a seated position. He skin tingled and adrenaline coursed through him. He could hear singing coming from the main room and he could have sworn he felt someone do magic. Galahad had mentioned something about a sorceress, but Merlin hadn't been listening closely enough to remember if she had threatened the group. He padded barefoot to the door and slowly opened it. Gwaine was still on the cot, a flash of blue caught Merlin's eye by the door to the corridor but nothing was there.
Gwaine was breathing easier when Merlin checked on him and his fever seemed to have dropped a little. "She's nothing to worry about, just a shadow." Murmured Gwaine, Merlin jumped back knocking something over with his feet. A goblet clattered across the floor and under the table. He turned to ask Gwaine what he had said but the knight had fallen back asleep, if he had ever been awake.
Merlin retrieved the goblet and put it on the table then walked over and checked the door. It was still locked. From the inside.

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Arthur was surprised to see his injured knight on the training field in the morning. Gaius was keeping watch but was too slow to intervene when Gwaine stepped between two sparring knights to show them how to properly disarm each other. Arthur noticed the slight limp as he returned to the side to watch another pair.
"I think it's time the knights got a lesson from someone who knows what they're doing." Arthur marched into the middle of the field grabbing a sword from the rack on his way. "Feel free to take a seat somewhere out of the way, Gwaine." The knight stabbed his sword into the ground and slouched off to stand by Merlin and Gaius.
"He just wants you to rest properly." Commented Merlin keeping his eyes on the King who gestured for Percival to attack him. Merlin looked sideways as Gwaine, trying to think of how to ask if he remembered anything from last night. A squire ran across the field from the direction of the courtyard and handed Gwaine a sealed letter. Merlin could see the knight's name written on the front, no honorific or last name, though it was hardly needed. There was only one Gwaine in Camelot.
"I missed breakfast." He turned the letter over a few times before stuffing it in his jacket. "Tell Arthur not to spoil all my hard work." Each knight in turn took a quick look at the retreating Gwaine.
The knights trained with their King for another half an hour before breaking off to set to their other duties. Merlin, Arthur and Gaius were walking back to the courtyard with a couple of the knights in tow when a scarlet cloaked rider disappeared through the main gates. It seemed their errant knight was up to his old tricks again. Arthur almost ordered a horse to follow and see where Gwaine went, he felt several of the knights behind him tense ready to leap to the chase, but they would be too late.
Gaius carried on across the stone ground muttering about ungrateful fools.
"Where do you think he goes?" Merlin asked loudly, walking backwards to watch the gateway and keep pace with the King.
"The first disreputable tavern outside the city." Arthur shrugged, "Or in search of a better healer." Merlin nearly fell over his own feet again and stared with mock indignation before grinning widely.
"Probably trying to find a better king." Merlin ducked the Kings outstretched hand and fell back among the knights laughing.