Married Life

Chapter 8

The knights and Arthur rode through the afternoon and made camp early in the evening. They settled into their usual chores with Gwaine tending to the horses whilst Tristan and Galahad collected wood. Merlin started cooking with some of the supplies from the first village. Arthur, Elyan and Leon went hunting nearby whilst Percival kept watch. They all sat down to enjoy a meal together, eating around the fire. A pheasant the hunters had missed screeched in the distance. Gwaine and Merlin looked at each other and stifled laughs. Tristan and Galahad wanted to know what was funny about a pheasant but the others wouldn't say.
"Just be glad it's not a Wyvern." Called Merlin over his shoulder as he went to clean the dishes. Arthur had an idea to what they might be referencing and decided to quickly change the subject.
"How did you and Princess Arrow meet?" He asked Gwaine who was making to follow Merlin. "I'm sure it must have been quite the adventure." Galahad and Tristan leaned forward eagerly, they loved Gwaine's stories. Even the older knights paid attention but Gwaine insisted there was no adventure.
"We grew up together."
"In Mercia?" Pressed Arthur.
"Yeah."
"But she was a Princess." Pressed Leon. None of them knew much about Gwaine's past so even an inkling could be as good as a story of adventure. Merlin quietly returned and sat next to Arthur.
"Did I tell you about the time I found..." Merlin started before Arthur cut him off with a light punch to the shoulder. Gwaine's frown deepened and he sighed. Fast as a parry, Gwaine grinned, stretched his legs to the fire, crossed his ankles and chuckled.
"Fine. Doesn't matter much now I guess." He took a long swig from his flask. "My father was a knight and I grew up in the palace." The words tumbled out so fast Arthur didn't even realise what he had heard for a few moments. He thought of their first meeting and how Gwaine could've avoided exile, if he had wanted. "Wake me for my watch." Gwaine leaned back with his arms behind his head and appeared to go straight to sleep. Each of the other knights seemed as stunned as Arthur felt. Merlin settled down into his side to sleep, Leon eventually stood and started a slow pace around the camp, taking up first watch.
Arthur laid back and told himself it didn't matter who Gwaine's father was, Gwaine was a knight now. A knight of Camelot. But he couldn't help wondering which of the Mercian knights it was. He'd heard stories about some of them and met others on diplomatic missions and at tourneys who could be the right age throughout his life. If Gwaine didn't want to say, maybe Princess Arrow would let it slip next time their paths crossed.

They were still riding in stunned silence then next morning as they left camp towards the last of the villages. Leon had tried making a game of guessing Gwaine's father but the knight had refused to engage with any acknowledgment. Merlin seemed to be the only cheerful one of the party and kept up a steady stream of prattle with Gwaine from the front of the column, talking about the village ahead, the woods around them, Gaius' list of chores for when Merlin returned.
Smoke rose above the tree line ahead, it was black against the blue sky like a bruise streaking upwards. Gwaine called a halt and suggested they scout ahead carefully. Percival and Leon dismounted and moved off through the woods whilst the rest followed slowly with the horses. Rustling ahead announced the return of the two knights at a jog. They had two bowmen with them whom Arthur recognised from the first village and from Princess Arrow's guard, months ago. Gwaine leapt from his horse into their path causing them to take a step back. "Report." Arthur demanded from Leon.
"Raiders came the night before last. The villagers hid as usual and tried to wait it out but the raiders had heard of trouble in other villages and started to burn this one down. Princess Arrow and her men intervened."
"What we're you doing here?" Interrupted Arthur looking at the two men who were avoiding Gwaine like a plague.
"Travelling home." The first man started.
"Arrow knew this would be the last village you'd reach and wanted to check on them." The second man shrugged as if this was nothing surprising.
Arthur wasn't sure he wanted the answer but asked anyway. "What we're you doing in Camelot to begin with?"
The men looked at each other, "Tracking a monster from Mercia."
"The Princess was tracking a monster?" Arthur didn't know whether to laugh. "With just two men?" They nodded back. Arthur thought he heard Gwaine grumble something before pushing one of the men to force his attention.
"And where is the Princess now?" He demanded. Neither man replied, they looked at Arthur like men begging a death sentence reprieve. Gwaine pushed passed Percival and ran to the village, the two Mercian knights followed. Arthur signalled for his knights to follow as well and told Merlin to bring the horses.
The houses in the village were still smoking from the thatched roofs. One house was still burning inside with smoke drifting out through the missing roof. Villagers were rushing around collecting cattle and stomping out small grass fires. Gwaine had stopped in the village green and waited for the two Mercian's to catch up and point him towards a house which seemed to have the least fire damage. Several villagers crowded outside some with bandages on limbs others just sat with blank stares. Men scowled at the red cloaked knights as they moved through the houses. Women holding children in their arms or behind their skirts shut doors in the knight's faces.
Gwaine shouted for Merlin from the hut with the wounded who promptly jogged over. Arthur ordered the others to help where they could and find out what direction the raiding party had left in. He followed Merlin into the house gently pushing past the villagers to stand behind a kneeling Gwaine.
Gwaine was kneeling on the floor next to Arrow who had been laid out on a blue cloak on the floor. Other wounded sat and laid around the room with a couple of women appearing to tend to them. Merlin kneeled next to Gwaine and checked Arrow from head to toe. He gently peeled back her eyelids, opened her mouth and peered inside, and then started squeezing limbs and prodding her stomach. The local women had stripped her down to a shirt and trousers and covered her with another blue cloak which Merlin removed to check for injuries. Gwaine watched every move Merlin made.
"What happened?" Arthur asked one of the women who had moved closer to surreptitiously watch Merlin.
"Raiders came." She replied not taking her eyes of Merlin as he undid some bandages from Arrow's middle and arm. "We sent to the King for help but the raiders came back instead. They came again night before last and were angry. They started killing anyone they saw and burning the houses." She tapped Merlin's shoulder who showed her the herbs he was using to make a fresh poultice. "The woman, she and her friends fought the raiders, gave some of us time to get away. Some of us tried to fight with her." She pointed to a few of the injured men and women. "When we returned there were dead raiders and villagers everywhere. The living told us the Mercians fought like devils; the men would get back up from what should have been mortal wounds." She shivered, "we found them trying to stop her bleeding out and muttering strange words, something Mercian I guess."
Gwaine's head snapped round, "Merlin needs to concentrate." He growled at the woman sending her scurrying off to other patients. He glowered at Arthur too but Arthur was not leaving the knight unsupervised with the foreign Princess.
Percival knocked on the house's doorframe and motioned for Arthur to come out. He was sorely tempted to refuse but how much trouble could Gwaine get himself into here, really. And Merlin was there. "The villagers don't think there were any survivors." He walked over to the where the other knights had gathered. "Some did whisper about magic though." Percival's voice dropped to a whisper and he looked over his shoulder towards the two Mercians who were tending to a couple of horses. "Tristan told us what the thugs said when you first encountered the Princess." He fixed Arthur with a serious stare, Arthur could feel all the other knights watching him intently too. This could all go very wrong very quickly.
He looked at the foreign knights, as if sensing his thoughts they mounted up and bolted from the village. He ran his fingers through his hair. Magic was outlawed and someone twice accused should be taken seriously. "If Mercia hears we've arrested their Princess after she saved our village, there'll be war." He watched to see their reactions, hoping they would agree with him. "Especially with just rumours from scared villagers and dead, murderous thugs." They all nodded, Tristan and Galahad almost enthusiastically.
"We're with you Arthur." Leon placed a hand on the King's shoulder. "Whatever you decide."
Merlin came out of the hut, wiping his hands with a cloth. He looked grim walking over to them, he'd barely made it five steps when one of the villagers brought their child over to him and showed them something on the child's arm. It looked like Merlin was in for a long day.
"See if there's any game nearby to hunt." Arthur turned back to the knights. "We might be here a while and Merlin's going to be too busy to cook." This garnered some concerned looks between the knights. "I'm sure someone will be happy to cook anything you catch in return for Merlin's help." He reassured them. None of them had Merlin's skill at healing or cooking.
Merlin eventually made it over to Arthur as the nights left. "I think she'll pull through." He was still wiping blood from his hands with the rag. "But she shouldn't be moved for a couple of days, at least." Arthur nodded absent minded my, he'd already assumed as much. "I could ask them to move her someone more private?" He asked but Arthur shook his head. Better that there were plenty of people always around her and Gwaine in case anyone comes for her.
"Her men left."
"Why?"
"The villagers were muttering about them using magic in the battle."
"You don't believe them?" Merlin took a step back towards the hut.
"It doesn't matter." Arthur looked past Merlin to the house of wounded. "Arresting her would start a war." Merlin's shoulders dropped. "Keep an eye on her." Merlin looked up, his brow slightly furrowed. "In case the villagers forget who saved them." Arthur needed a walk to clear his head.
The others returned after several hours, laughing and smiling. They each carried several rabbits and a horse towed a couple of deer behind it. Arthur wished he'd gone with them instead of pacing the village uselessly. The villagers gratefully took the animals and made a large fire in the village green to cook for everyone.
The healers, Merlin included all emerged around dusk to take a share of the food and stretch out in the front of the fire. Gwaine hadn't appeared so Arthur took him a bowl. The knight was sat next to the Princess holding her hand and talking quietly. As far as Arthur could tell the lady was unconscious but lack of willing audience had never stopped Gwaine's incessant talking before. Lancelot had once pointed out Gwaine had been alone for a long time before Camelot. But Arthur wasn't sure that was a good enough excuse.
The king patted Gwaine's shoulder who looked up more haggard than Arthur had ever seen him. He handed the knight the bowl and sat down next to him. Most of the other patients were sleeping but Arthur noted quite a few pairs of eyes watching. Knights were a novelty this close to the borders, let alone high-born ladies. And there was something captivating about the quiet devotion of the knight holding his lady's hand. Arthur had to remind himself that the lady wasn't Gwaine's.

Gwaine stayed by her side all night and the next day too. Merlin and Arthur brought him food but he wouldn't be moved. The king and knights went hunting again leaving Percival to watch over Merlin and his patient. Colour had seeped back into her cheeks when Arthur checked in and brought Gwaine dinner. A slight blush of pink against the pale skin. Merlin thought she was healing well but was worried she hadn't woken up yet. Gwaine sat his silent vigil, holding her hand and talking quietly. The house was emptier this evening, Merlin said several of the villagers were well enough to return home. This meant the other healers had even more time to follow Merlin around watching everything he did. Arthur could see it was starting to irritate his servant especially when he was trying to prepare medicines but he refused to order them away when they were just trying to learn to better help their village.
Arthur woke to the feeling of the ground moving early the next morning. He stood and drew his sword, shouting for the others to wake. A column of horses came bursting into the village from the far side of the fire. The riders wore blue cloaks and quickly dismounted moving their way from house to house. Arthur's knights gathered around him. He put his own sword away and motioned for the others to do the same. The Mercians had come for their Princess. One of the knights flanked by the two men who had fled the other day came up to Arthur, the mass of blue knights formed up in a loose array behind.
"King Arthur." The man bowed his head briefly. "I'm looking for my sister. Is she still here?" The knights all had hands on weapons. Arthur looked at his own massively outnumbered men and nodded to Leon.
"Fetch Merlin and Gwaine." He nodded to the house. "No excuses." He added quietly and turned back to the Mercian Prince. "My healer, Merlin, has been treating her." He gestured for the man to follow him to the hut but the Prince didn't move. Arthur stopped.
"Our healers will take care of her now." He man beckoned two knights forward to his side. "Your men can leave."
Arthur bristled, he stood up taller and looked the prince in the eyes. "This is Camelot." He stated. "My knights and I will leave when we're sure all the threats have been eliminated." This was apparently the wrong thing to say as several of the Mercian's drew their swords. Arthur snorted lightly. Hot tempers seemed to be a Mercian trait, he could only imagine the chaos of an army of Gwaines.
"Prince Rowan." Gwaine emerged from the hut and leaned back on the doorframe. The knights sheathed their swords and the Prince even smiled.
"Gwaine!" He ran over and the two men hugged each other. "It's been far too long." They separated but still held each others right forearms. "How is she?" He tried peering in the hut. "Is she safe?" He asked more quietly.
"I do hate when you talk about me." Croaked out a hoarse female voice. "Especially when I'm right here." Arrow shuffled out of the doorway holding a cloak around her shoulders. Gwaine ducked back inside and came back out with his own cloak bundled up around a bulky object. He handed it off to the nearest Mercian knight. Who took it and said something which made Gwaine chuckle. He moved up behind Arrow and put his hand on the small of the back. Arthur's eyes widened and he instinctively gripped his sword ready to defend the bold knight. But no attack or shouts came. None of the Mercian knights seemed to care when Gwaine picked up the lady by her waist and lifted her up sideways into the saddle of a horse brought forwards. Even Prince Rowan didn't batter an eyelid as Arrow leaned down to kiss Gwaine's cheek for much longer than was decent. He just gave the knight another hug before mounting his own horse and leading his knights away without a backward glance or word to Arthur.