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Merlin was irritating at the best of times, always chiming in when he wasn't asked for, constantly slipping up or making messes when he should be cleaning them. Arthur sometimes wondered, after all these years, why he kept the fool around. Even recently he had teased him, the king, about his plans to propose to Guinevere, absolutely giddy over Arthur's decision.
If he hadn't known better, he'd think Merlin was the one getting married.
But no, he’d mocked and jeered at his master as he helped him set up all of the candles in Gwen's house whilst she was working in the kitchens, mumbling about how Arthur was going to burn her house down as he tailed him and readjusted the position of some of his tastefully placed candles. He'd managed to convince the cook that she was a needed set of extra hands for an upcoming feast, so that she might be busy throughout the afternoon. Then, he'd asked the steward to have her dress down a room for a visitor that would never arrive.
"Very romantic of you, Arthur," Merlin had said, "giving her chores. Should I be expecting a proposal too, then?"
Arthur had elbowed him– admittedly rather hard– in the ribs for that one.
Once everything was ready, he sent Merlin home for the night, and crept up to the door that Gwen was meant to be behind. He pressed his ear against it, listening, and sure enough he could hear the rustling of fabric and the soft tutting of Gwen's busy noises.
He slowly opened the door, being sure to leave it propped open slightly, so that the latch wouldn't click shut. Then, he took long, careful strides across the room in his most lightfooted shoes, until he was just behind her.
Reaching his hands up slowly on either side of her head, he then swiftly covered her eyes.
She jumped, shoulders coming up to her ears and she nearly dropped the sheets she'd been folding, but Arthur breathed out a satisfied little laugh and she recognized him instantly.
She relaxed, smiling warmly as he withdrew his hands. Her heart still rabbiting in her chest, she moved to face him, look into his bright, shining eyes as they gazed down at her with such mirth and want that she'd hardly experienced with any other.
Oh she wanted him with all her heart.
But before she could, her eyes were covered again, this time with a thick fabric that let no light through. It caught her off guard, and she tensed as it was tightened around her head, tugging slightly on her skin as it was worked into a knot.
A gasp caught in her throat and she held her breath for a moment, trying to remember how to breathe. It was a loving gesture, a surprise. It was Arthur, of whom she trusted so wholly and devoted to defend and to listen.
But suddenly she was on her knees in a musty room, a bag over her head as she recovered from the drugs and the journey, and Cenred's voice taunting her overhead.
"Guinevere?"
She was touched and pulled and moved to and fro, made to watch men fight beasts in cages, made to sleep in a cell as time slipped away and Lancelot grew weary of his challenges.
She remembered how to breathe, only in short gasps that pumped her chest up and down in a panic. She brought a hand up over her heart, feeling it beat thunderously.
Guards arrested her, dragged her to the dungeons with hands behind her back as she pleaded her innocence with all the desperate voice she could muster.
Her hands finally found the blindfold and she tugged on it, fingers shaking, but it only made the garment feel tighter. A small yelp escaped her as she grew more and more overwhelmed until, at last, Arthur loosened the knot and slipped the hanky off of her.
She gasped, letting out one short sob before her legs gave out. Arthur caught her, holding her up enough to lower her onto the bed. She pressed her palm to her chest again, trying to slow down her breathing, forcing herself to breathe hiccuping breaths in through her nose, and out unsteadily through her mouth.
"What was that?" Arthur asked as gently as he could, but he too was scared. He wasn't sure what had just happened and, with his nerves already shot from the anticipation of a proposal, having such a shock interrupt his plans had him scrambled as well. "Are you alright? Guinevere?"
"I– I'm fine." Her breathing was getting slowly but surely better, but her hands were still shaking from the fright.
"Guinevere," Arthur uttered, softly, doubtfully.
"I just . . ." She felt embarrassed, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth for a moment as she swallowed. She wasn't the flustered girl she used to be, but sometimes things were just too much. She hadn't expected a short length of fabric to be among them. "I don't– I can't do the blindfold."
"I'm sorry," Arthur whispered.
She saw him kick away the hanky with his foot and she stuttered out a wet laugh at the gesture, appreciating his foolish attempt to keep her from harm.
They spent a few minutes calming down, Gwen letting herself cry as she realized it was the only way out of this trap she'd landed in. Arthur had never been good with these sorts of things, but he tried his best, offering to hold her, rub circles into her back, or hold her hand.
When her cries died down to sniffles, they heard a knock on the door. Gwen tensed and Arthur looked to the door in confusion, having expected to be left undisturbed for the rest of the night. But, before he could answer, the door creaked open and Merlin popped his head in.
The idiot had been eavesdropping.
Merlin bowed slightly, apology written on his face, but as he stepped in he revealed that he was carrying a tray of water and wine, with a few samples of cheeses and a small apple tart.
He tiptoed about them, setting the tray on the bedside table before blowing out half the candles to dim the room. He even went to the window to pull the curtains, letting the stars twinkle and make the space feel larger. Additionally, he opened the latch a crack, to let fresh, cool air in.
When he turned back around, Gwen was already sipping on the water he'd brought and he smiled. Merlin nodded to her, then met his king's eye. Arthur's eyes flickered between Merlin's facial features, trying to decipher his complex expression to no avail. All he could identify in his servant was an intimidating amount of simple approval.
He gulped at the show of respect and gave him a tight lipped smile and a nod, before Merlin scurried past them and out of the room.
Ah, Arthur thought, that's why I keep him around.
He takes care of us.
Gwen's hand brushed his shoulder and he looked down at her, thankful to see that she was nearly calmed to comfort. She leaned against him, them both sitting beside each other on the bed in their day clothes, but both feeling suddenly very tired.
She hummed after a while, and looked up at him. "I'm sorry," she said, not needing to. "Was there something you wanted to show me?"
Arthur grinned, expression warm and golden. "Not tonight. Let's get you home."