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    Gwen’s corazón thumps quickly as she and Uther near Gaius’ chamber. She hasn’t released Uther hand since she grabbed it in the corridor on their way to meet Arthur. She is scared and doesn’t know if she has the strength to see Arthur at all, especially in the condition Gaius explained to them a while ago. But she wants to. She needs to. It’s her husband lying there, possibly dying, and he needs her. She wants to see, but how will she cope? How will she endure? They near the chamber and as Gaius opens the door, Gwen wants to rush in. But she doesn’t, instead she enters slowly, followed por Uther. The moment she is inside, Gwen gasps, covering her mouth with her hand. Uther stands petrified beside her.

    Arthur lies on the cama while Merlin treats his wound. He is shirtless and blood is splotched on the covers underneath him. Merlin is trying hard to stop the bleeding. Arthur is unconscious. Gwen’s eyes well with tears as she stands, her hands still covering her mouth. Gaius leaves the princess and the king and walks briskly towards Merlin, rolling up his sleeves.

    “How is he?” he asks, inspecting Arthur’s eyes.

    “Still the same. There’s no improvement. We need to stop his bleeding,” Merlin replies.

    “Bring me some fresh cloth and the potion on the shelf,” Gaius orders and presses another fresh cloth on the wound.

    “Gwen?” Uther calls, touching her arm.

    Gwen shudders. Slowly she turns towards Uther.

    “Come,” Uther calls softly and leads her towards Arthur.

    Gwen removes her hand from her mouth and follows Uther. The moment she reaches the bed, she kneels down and takes Arthur’s hand in hers. Tear flows down her cheek. “Arthur?” her voice trembles.

    “Gwen, please …” Uther tries to calm her but she shakes her head, refusing to budge from the bed.

    “Arthur … Arthur, please … look at me!” she cries again.

    “Gwen …” Uther bends down and lifts her up. “Please.”

    “Look at him, Father … look at Arthur! Who could have done something despicable like this! Why him?”

    “They were bandits, Gwen,” Merlin answers, helping Gaius with the wound.

    “Bandits?” Uther seems surprised. “Did tu see their faces? How many?”

    “Two of them and they were interested in robbing us. Arthur killed one but the other escaped with our satchel,” Merlin explains.

    “I haven’t heard of bandits in Camelot for a long time … the only bandit attacks I hear about lately came from the borders of Meria.” Uther replies.

    “Maybe its about time we increase our watch at the borders,” Gaius advises.

    “Yes…” Uther agrees, looking back at Arthur. His corazón breaks watching his son lying unconscious on the cama but he knows he has to be Valiente for Gwen’s sake. If he breaks down, so will she. So whatever emotions he feels inside, he has to mask them for now. He believes in Gaius and knows he will heal Arthur. His son will be safe. But he still wants to know from Gaius himself. “What happened Gaius? How is he? Can tu cure him, Gaius?”

    “I’m trying my best, Sire …”

    “I believe it isn’t enough …” Uther insists. “Is there anything tu need, Gaius … medicine, help, anything at all?”

    “I need another hand, Sire … Merlin is injured as well.”

    “Merlin, are tu all right?” Uther walks over towards Merlin.

    “I’m fine, Sire. I can help Gaius.”

    “Let me help,” Gwen offers.

    “Are tu sure, Gwen?” Uther asks, looking at her curiously.

    “Yes, I want to help. This is my husband and I can’t just sit in my chambers waiting for the news of his recovery. I want to be here when he opens his eyes and I want to be as close to him as possible,” she tells Uther.

    “She has a point, Uther. And I really could use the extra set of hands,” Gaius tells the king.

    “Fine. If tu need anything at all … let me know, Gaius. And Merlin, please take a look at yourself as well,” the king replies.

    “I will, Sire,” Merlin replies.

    After Uther leaves, Gwen wipes her tears, rolls up her sleeve and nears Gaius. “Tell me what to do, Gaius.”

    “You sure tu can do this?”

    “Yes,” Gwen says, surprised at her own determination and the depth of her concern. “We need to save him, Gaius … I want my husband back. I am willing to do whatever tu need, just save him, please!”

    “Gwen, I promise I will do everything in my power to save him,” Gaius says.

    “Thanks, Gaius …” Gwen says.

    “Here, press this on his wound. We need to clean his wound and then I will sew it up. Merlin, get me the ointment. Take the potion I gave you, add a spoonful of that tonic and give me the mixture,” Gaius explains.

    Both Gwen and Merlin starts to do what they are being instructed. Arthur still lies unconscious on the cama while Gaius prepares his tools to sew up Arthur.




    Gwen enters Arthur’s chamber, carrying the flores she picked in the garden. She walks right up to the cupboard beside the bed, arranges them in the vase and turns around, walking right up to the window. She pushes the curtains aside and walks back to the bed. Arthur is still asleep. Gwen nears the bed, sits at the edge of the cama and softly strokes his forehead. It’s been almost a week and Arthur still hasn’t opened his eyes yet. Gaius dicho there isn’t anything to be afraid of because he has sewn the wound up and dado him all the proper medications. All that is left is for Arthur to find the will to wake. He has to fight to survive and not dado in. Gwen hasn’t left Arthur’s side since the día he was brought back to his chambers, spending all her time with him, tending to his needs. She wishes to do it on her own, asking the servants to leave. Uther is worried about both his son and Gwen. He is worried that Arthur still hasn’t opened his eyes yet, and at the same time, he is worried about Gwen. Since taking up the responsibility of tending to Arthur, Gwen hasn’t had proper rest o food. She looks as if she will drop off any minute. Uther had spoken to her regarding her health but she waved him off, saying she is fine. But Uther, not feeling satisfied, asked Gaius to prepare potions that will give her strength. And Gaius manages to force her to take the potion through Merlin. Though Gwen didn’t like what she drank, she knows it was for her own goodness so she obliged.
    
She bends down, kisses his forehead a few times, and lifts herself up again. She rakes his hair and sighs.

    “Arthur … please, if tu can hear me … wake up!” she tells him. “I need you,” she adds softly and reaches out for his hand. She clasps it in hers and lifts it to her lips. She kisses it and sighs again.
    
“Please, Arthur … please wake up. We need tu here, I need tu here with me,” she tells him again, leaning against his chest. She places her had against his chest and brings his hand to cup her cheek. A single tear streaks down his cheek.
    
Someone knocks on the door.
    
Gwen lifts herself up and wipes her tears. “Come in.”

The door opens and Katrina walks in.

“Morning, Gwen. How is he? Any progress?” Katrina asks, closing the distance between them.

Gwen slides down from the bed, curtsies to the queen and then shakes her head, sadly. “It’s the same as before, I believe. He hasn’t opened his eyes yet.”

Katrina watches Gwen closely. Something about Gwen disturbs her. She has been watching Gwen closely since Arthur was injured and noticed how Gwen has never left his side and how she cares for him. She suspects Gwen is falling in amor with Arthur, though Gwen never shows it to Katrina. But after watching Gwen closely all this week, Katrina suspects very much.

“I hope Gaius works on something else to give Arthur … it worries me when Arthur isn’t mostrando any signs of recovery,” Gwen says.

“I’m worried too, my dear. When I heard about it, I was crushed … I mean, who could have done this to him? Thankfully Merlin was around. Imagine if he wasn’t … no, I can barely imagine it,” Katrina clutches her head and shakes it, in fright.

“Yes … I cannot even dream of what could have happened,” Gwen agrees. “But thank goodness, he is fine.”

“Yes …” Katrina nears the cama and sighs, watching Arthur. “Uther is devastated …”

“I noticed … has been eating properly?” Gwen asks.

“Not really. He is worried for Arthur and for you.”

“But he has to take care of himself as well, please, Mother. tu have to ask him to take care of himself as well. He listens to you.”

“I did, Gwen, but he isn’t listening. He is as stubborn as Arthur and I think I might have dado up on him. I came here seeking your help. I want tu to talk to Uther and make sure he takes care of himself as well … Will tu ask him that?”

“Of course I will do it,” Gwen promises. “I can understand why he is ignoring his own health but of course I will talk to him about it. I will meet him tonight.”

“Thank you, Gwen. I know I can rely on you. But I think tu shouldn’t neglect your own health as well. I noticed how tired tu look, tending to Arthur. Perhaps tu should allow the servant to take care of Arthur while tu rest.”

“I’m good, Mother. I want to make sure Arthur is well tended for and I won’t know if he has been if I allow the servants to look out for him. I want to make sure he gets all the attention and proper medications and I think I can only be satisfied if I tend him personally.”

“Yes, I would do the same thing to Uther if he was in the same position. I am so glad tu are our daughter-in-law. I almost made a mistake but Arthur chose well.” Katrina closes in and takes Gwen’s hand in hers. “I don’t think the other princesses that I sought would have done anything like this for him.”

“He is my husband, and there is nothing I wouldn’t do for him …” Gwen replies, smiling. “I take this más of my responsibility than duty.”

Katrina pulls Gwen close and embraces her.

“Thank you,” Katrina says.

Gwen removes herself from Katrina and smiles. “All I want this moment is for Arthur to wake up and see us both together.”

“Yes … that will be very welcome,” Katrina agrees and turns towards Arthur. “I am really scared for him, Gwen. I don’t want anything to happen to him.”

“He will be all right, Mother. I give tu my word, he will be all right,” Gwen tells Katrina in a determined voice.

“Thank you, Gwen,” Katrina smiles.




Katrina slams the door of her chamber and strides angrily towards her bed. She peels off her jewels and throws them on the bed, tearing off her gown. Still in her inner garment, she stops por her cupboard and fishes out a burgundy vestido made from cotton and lace. She puts it on and zipping her back carelessly, she sits on the cama and sighs angrily.

“Arghhhh!!” she shouts and picks up the almohada behind her and throws them on the floor. “I hate you!!!”

The door opens and Agravaine walks in.

“Close the door and get in here now!” Katrina shouts at him, shivering in anger.

Agravaine closes the door and walks towards his sister. “What is wrong, Katrina?”

Katrina steps off from the cama and nears her brother. Without warning, she slaps him.

“Katrina?”

“Stop calling me that … address me as your highness o the queen. From now on, tu are not my brother!”

“What has gotten into you?” Agravaine asks, rubbing his cheek. The slap has shattered him and he still doesn’t why he received it in the first place.

“You!! Can’t tu get one simple instruction done properly? Do I have to do everything myself?” Katrina shouts again.

“What?”

“Stop pretending as if tu don’t know, Agravaine? I asked tu to get one simple … a very simple thing done and tu couldn’t even get that done? Why did I trust tu to get it done in the first place? I shouldn’t have dado it to tu … I should have trusted what Dolma dicho about you!!”

“Look, is this about Arthur?”

“Yes!!! Finally … that rusted piece in your head is actually functioning!! Yes, it’s about Arthur!! Why is he still alive?”

“How am I supposed to know that?”

“How am … What are tu talking about, Agravaine? The instruction was simple: Kill him! And he is alive … why?”

“Because I told the bandits not to kill him. That is why,” Agravaine respuestas Katrina.

“WHAT???”

“Why do we need to kill him? I thought he was supposed to marry Elena when we are done with Gwen … and now tu are asking me to kill him. I don’t agree with your decision and that is why the bandits did as I requested instead of what tu requested.”

“I have my own reasons for this order, Agravaine! Why did tu have to … arghh!!” Katrina walks back to her cama and sits own, burying her face in her hands. “You spoiled everything, Agravaine!”

“I spared his life for Elena!”

“I could find a prince for Elena!!!You need not worry about that!” Katrina snaps.

“I don’t want prince, I want Arthur …” Agravaine snaps back. “I asked the bandits to make it look like it was an almost murder but spare his life. And they honored their word.”

“I … am speechless.” Katrina shakes her head. “If he’d been dead, I could have thrown Gwen out and claimed the trono myself … now I have to wait and possibly come up with another plan.”

“Forget about killing Arthur … I will not do it, as long as I live,” Agravaine snaps and crosses his arms across his chest. “My daughter marries Arthur and no one else!”

“You … Arghhh!!!” Katrina hisses and pounds the bed. “It had been an excellent plan, idiot!!”

“Call me whatever tu want but my decision stays. I will not harm Arthur,” the knight respuestas adamantly.

Katrina glares at him and sighs. “Fine. Now that Arthur is alive, thanks to you, I have to come up with something else. And do think, I am not the only one with brain here.”

“What do tu want? Death? I have no problem with that …” Agravaine says.

“Yes, I can see that …” Katrina hisses.

“Anyone except Arthur. Do tu want Gwen dead?”

“No, it will be too risky. I need her alive but I also need her out of Arthur’s life as soon as possible.” Katrina gets up to her feet.

“Why? I thought tu needed her?”

“I do, but I am beginning to suspect my plans will backfire,” she tells him.

Agravaine doesn’t understand. “How?”

“I believe they are falling in amor with each other. If that happens, our plan will be foiled and Elena will not be his wife. And I will not get to claim the throne. And that is why I changed the plan. I wanted Arthur dead.”

“Fine, now we need to find another plan to get her out of his life.”

“And that is what I asked tu to do … to help me sort this out. If tu want your daughter to marry Arthur, then tu better start thinking yourself!” Katrina scolds her brother and walks to the table. She pours herself a goblet of water and drains it.

“Wait …now that Arthur is hurt, why not we put the blame on her?” Agravaine says.

Katrina sets the goblet and turns to him. “How?”

“Look, I understand the villagers look well on her because she is one of them but now that the prince is hurt, why not we get some who envies her to start turning the matter around. We can say she brings bad luck because Arthur is hurt.”

Katrina thinks a while. The idea is good. And the plan will work. But it still needs substance. “We cannot blame it upon her immediately, Agravaine … we need más drama added into it.”

“And what do tu have in mind?”

Katrina thinks a while and smiles. “I think I have just the thing but tu need to convince the king and the council about Gwen … “

“Sure.” Agravaine smiles.




A week later …

Gwen pushes aside the curtains and sighs, looking out of the window. It had been raining over night so the yard is still wet. The knights cancelled the training because the ground is wet and muddy. Sir Leon instead took the knights hunting in the forest. Gwen bites her lips and turns slightly around. Arthur is still asleep on his bed. Gwen wonders if Arthur would have taken the same decision as Sir Leon if the ground was muddy. Probably not. Knowing Arthur, Gwen knows he would have asked them to train in the muddy ground. She turns back to the view and after a while, steps back, turns around and walks towards the bed. She picks up the basin she set on the mesa, tabla and nears the bed. Setting it upon the cabinet beside the bed, she rinses the cloth in it and uses it to wipe Arthur’s forehead.

“Did tu know it rained really heavily yesterday?” she tells Arthur as she wipes his face. “No one was allowed to go out because there were heavy thunderstorms as well.” She dips the cloth back into the basin and unbuttons Arthur’s shirt. She pushes it open and fishes out the cloth, rinses it and uses it to wash Arthur’s body.

“And did tu know the villagers been visiting tu every day? They brought frutas and flores from their land for you,” Gwen explains. “I asked the servants to place the flores in here so that their fresh smell will fill this place up. And the frutas is on the mesa, tabla … see, over there.” She points to the table. And she smiles to herself. She turns back towards Arthur.

“They all amor you, Arthur … they all want tu to be well again. To wake up and be their prince once more,” she tells him and drops the cloth back on the basin. She sighs. Caressing her hand across his chest, she looks at Arthur.

“Wake up, Arthur … tu have slept enough. Please wake up, for me,” she pleads softly with him.

But Arthur is still asleep.

“You have slept enough … please. Wake up, Arthur.”

But he still remains unconscious.

A single tear escapes Gwen’s eye. She thumbs it off and watches him sadly.

She strokes his chest and leans down, bringing her hand upward to stroke his chin. “You have to wake up, Arthur. We all need tu here. Things really aren’t the same without you. Your father seems lost without tu por his side. The queen is worried for you. The council is worried as well because they know tu are the future king and Camelot cannot lose their king. Merlin needs a friend and he is praying for tu every day. Your uncle Tristan is hunting for the bandits every day, seeking revenge. Everyone needs tu and worries for tu Arthur … tu have to live. tu have to wake up. Please …” she reaches down, and captures his lips with hers, besar him.

She closes her eyes and feels the warmth of his lips on hers. Her corazón aches and soars at the same time. She doesn’t know why. She doesn’t understand why. But since Arthur had been wounded, she hasn’t been able to sleep o eat well. She is always uneasy, opting to rest por his side than in her chambers. She will watch him, look at his face for hours and despite him sleeping, his face makes her happy. Simply por watching him, she feels eased. And she doesn’t really understand why she feels this way. She isn’t supposed to care for him. She wanted out of this marriage and she couldn’t wait for the queen to help her out. But in reciente weeks, she’s realized that doesn’t want the marriage to end. She wants to be Arthur’s wife. She wants to be with him. She is beginning to develop feelings for him, some sort of caring that she is unable to explain. And she is uneasy because she doesn’t know if he has the same feelings for her o not? What if she does and he does not? What if she wants the marriage and he wants out? Will she be able to live with that? Will her corazón be able to take that?

Gwen removes her lips and notices her tears have wet his cheek. She wipes it away and sighs. He looks peaceful and she needs some time alone. A walk in the garden will do wonders for her soul. She gets and turns away. But the moment she walks, someone tugs her hand. She turns back around in a quick motion and finds Arthur’s hand is holding hers, firmly.

Gwen gasps.

Arthur opens his eyes, slowly.

Gwen’s corazón thumps in excitement.

“Guinevere?” Arthur’s voice breaks but he is looking at her. His hand is firm around hers.

“Arthur?”

“Guine …vere …”

“Oh my God!” Gwen rushes towards the cama and sits at the edge, clasping Arthur’s hand, holding it between both of hers, pressing it to her cheek, her tears flowing down like a river.

“Where … am I?”

“In your chamber. tu were wounded. Don’t tu remember?”

Arthur sighs and grimaces in pain. “Arghh …”

Gwen looks at him sadly. “I’ll get Gaius,” she starts but he holds her still.

“No … stay with me,” he says.

She sits back and kisses his hand.

“Don’t leave me, Guinevere … I’m afraid.”

“I won’t, Arthur … I will not leave your side. I promise,” she tells him.

Arthur swallows and sighs. “How long have I been out like this?”

“Two weeks.”

“That is a lot of days,” he smiles weakly at her. “You must have been bored without me.”

“Yes, I didn’t have anyone to bicker with,” she jokes with a smile. He smiles back.

“How is Father?”

“He is worried about you, Arthur. But I am sure he will be happy to see tu awake.”

“And Merlin?”

“He is fine. He has his own share of injuries but he is healing well. But he is worried about tu as well. He visits tu all the time. He should hear about your recovery, Arthur, he will be thrilled.”

“And you?” he asks.

“Of course I am happy that you’ve recovered.”

“And that’s it? tu are happy?” he asks.

Gwen blushes. Arthur reaches up and cups her chin.

“Just happy, Guinevere?”

“Hmmm …”

“Because I just heard tu say that tu need me … is that true? Was it just my imagination?”

“Arthur, tu need to rest …”

“Answer me, Guinevere. I heard you, every night when tu whispered in my ears, every morning when tu filled me in with what’s going on around, when tu spoke about me, when tu talked how it matters to tu that I recover … I heard everything and I know it can’t have been my imagination, that would be too cruel. I heard tu Guinevere, I heard every word.” He tells her. “I need to know now that I didn’t imagine those words in my mind. Tell me tu dicho those things.” He looks up at her, his eyes unusually earnest

“Yes.”

“Yes what?” he presses, caressing her cheek. Gwen clasps his hand over it.

“Yes, I need you,” she tells him.

Arthur smiles.

“I need you, Arthur, I won’t lie to you. I was devastated when tu came back unconscious. I was broken when Gaius told me he did all the best and the rest is upon you. I was simply … crushed. And I didn’t want to give up on you, not yet. I know it wasn’t just on tu to recover; it lies on all of us as well. That’s why I told myself that I will make sure tu will open your eyes. And thankfully tu did.”

“And it’s all because of you, Guinevere. tu gave me hope and gave me the will to fight,” Arthur tells her.

“No, Arthur …”

“No, stop being modest, Guinevere. I am alive today partly because of tu … and don’t tu ever forget that,” he says, cutting her short.

Guinevere smiles.

“I wanted to tell tu this when I recovered, up but I think it needs to be dicho right now. Guinevere … I amor you. And I mean this right from my corazón …”

Gwen opens her mouth but he places his finger on her lips, sealing her quiet.

“I know I haven’t honest with you. But tu deserve the truth, Guinevere. I married tu because tu embarrassed me. I wanted revenge, so I married tu to keep tu with me all the time. But after marrying you, I felt a change of corazón and I didn’t know if it was because of tu o some other unknown factor. But what’s certain was I didn’t want revenge anymore … I wanted you. But I understood tu hated me for who I was and I really don’t blame you, Arghhh …” he grimaces in pain.

Gwen pushes his finger from her lips and tends to him. “Stop talking, Arthur …”

“No, I have to tell tu this now,” Arthur says stubbornly. “I wanted tu in my bed, Guinevere, and I know tu didn’t want that … I didn’t understand why tu resisted me then, but as tu took me to the village and taught me humility, I understood everything doesn’t need to be about sex. The corazón matters as well and I learned that from you. And I began to fall in amor with you, deeply. Honestly, I didn’t think of just having tu in my cama anymore. Instead I wanted tu to amor me like I do tu …”

“I know, Arthur … I know …”

“I amor you, Guinevere.”

“And I amor you, Arthur,” she admits, her earlier confusion now finding its answer, like the sun bursting forth from behind the clouds.

“Really?”

“Yes,” Gwen smiles. “I do … in fact, I think I started falling in amor when tu got jealous of Gwaine.”

“Really?” Arthur seems surprised.

Gwen nods and rakes her fingers gently through his hair.

“Ahh …” Arthur sighs happily and smiles back. “I am happy that I am wounded.”

“Why? Don’t say that!” Gwen scolds.

“No I didn’t mean it in a bad way, but … if I hadn’t been injured, I wouldn’t have known your feelings for me.”

“Oh.” Gwen giggles.

“How I missed your smile, Guinevere.”

“Now, rest … tu have talked much … I will go and get Gaius.”

“No, stay with me a while more. They can wait …”

“But Arthur …”

“I want tu to kiss me like tu did just before,” Arthur presses.

“What? How?”

“Guinevere … I know tu kissed me. I really want another … and that’s an order.”

“Really?” she smiles mischievously. “From whom?”

“From your husband and the future king of Camelot,” he says with a smile and pulls her down.

“Really … well, then I must oblige I, suppose.” And with that she leans down and presses her lips softly to his, her stomach flipping and fluttering all the while. His hand on her arm tightens as he returns the kiss, squeezing gently, his thumb stroking the sensitive skin on the inside of her elbow.

Arthur is glad he’s awake and alive, but at the moment, he thinks he could actually die a happy man right now. Guinevere loves him.