enchanted | a. pendragon [on hold]

iv | gwaine

"I believe this belongs to you," he said, holding out the small white flower.

"I don't think so. It's not my color," she said, smiling tightly at him.

Before she would walk off, he stepped in front of her. "Ah, well, let us see." Gwen stood there awkwardly as he stuck the flower behind her ear.

"I bet you've got a whole bunch of those to hand out," she said, smirking.

He showed her his empty hands as proof. "No. Yours is the only one." Gwen playfully scoffed, unimpressed, and tried to move past him, but he was persistent. "I'm Gwaine." He held out his hand for her to shake, which she did before continuing to walk. However, he didn't let go of her hand. "You haven't told me your name. You look like a princess to me. So it's probably something like Sophia or - or Esmeralda. That's it. Princess Esmeralda."

Gwaine dramatically bowed to Gwen, which embarrassed her as people turned to look at them. "Stop it. People are staring."

"Not until you tell me your name," he said.

"It's Gwen," she said quickly.

"There. That wasn't so hard now, was it?" he asked, smiling. Then he looked at the basket she was holding. "Let me carry that. A princess shouldn't have to lump her washing around."

"Unfortunately I'm not a princess," she said. And then Gwen spotted someone familiar across the markets and decided to unload the pushy stranger on her. "Why don't you try the princess line on her. I'm sure it'll work."

Gwaine looked over his shoulder where Gwen was pointing and found himself just as stunned as when he first saw Gwen. She was wearing a soft pastel yellow dress with white flowers embroidered into the fabric. Her long blonde curls were pulled back halfway in a pink ribbon that showed off her beautiful face.

Gwen snickered at the dumbfounded look on his face before taking the flower out of her hair and putting it in Gwaine's hand. "She loves flowers," she told him before walking off. She wondered how far Gwaine would get before Lia sent him packing — or if she'd find him charming and offer to show him around Camelot.

With the flower in hand, Gwaine sauntered — well, as best he could with a limp — over to Lia, who was looking over a selection of rare herbs laying out on the table. He was by her side in an instant.

"A flower for the princess," he greeted, presenting the little flower to her.

For a moment, Lia's eyes widened in fear before she saw just who was holding out the flower. "What?"

"Well, I can only assume that a maiden as beautiful as you must be a princess," he flirted, using the same charming smile that he had on Gwen.

Lia relaxed and smiled softly, looking from the flower to Gwaine. "Well, it's very sweet of you to offer maidens on the street flowers."

"Well, I aim to please," he told her. Then Gwaine placed the flower behind her ear, just as he had with Gwen. Though he let his thumb trail across her cheek for a moment.

Lia smiled shyly and glanced down. "Thank you, Gwaine."

He tilted his head in confusion. "I never told you my name."

"You did not have to," she said, chuckling. "I am a court physician. I was one of the ones to treat you when Merlin and Arthur brought you in."

"Ah, Lia," he said in recognition. "Merlin never mentioned that my guardian angel was so strikingly beautiful."

"I wouldn't say guardian angel," she said, laughing. "Gaius was the one to stitch up your leg. How is it, by the way?"

Gwaine was surprised to see genuine concern for him in her eyes, someone she had only just met. "I have had worse, My Lady. Nothing I cannot handle."