LC#1 - How To Love, PG (Teacher)
ENTRY 1, LONG CHALLENGE 1
Title: How to Love
Themes: Teacher
Rating: PG
Word count:2581
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Gwen, Merlin, Morgana
Disclaimer: I own nothing than the idea and the character of Melody.
Summary: After the OT4 got into a battle Gwen asks Arthur to teach her how to fight like a knight, in return, she tries to show him how to cook.
Author’s notes: set somewhere between seasons 2 and 3.
How to love
One day when Arthur and Merlin were out hunting, they found a little girl in the woods. She was hurt and so frightened that they could not get her to say what had happened to her. So they brought her to the city where Gaius treated her wounds. Gwen came in and brought some food and water for her to drink. After she had drank and eaten she wasn’t so scared anymore and begun to talk to Merlin.
Her name was Melody. She told them that bandits came to the little village where she and her parents lived and she escaped but had got lost in the woods. That was when they had found her.
“We have to bring her back to her parents.” Merlin said to Arthur and he agreed.
“But what if the bandits are still there?” Gwen asked worried.
“We’ll fight them” Arthur said.
Melody looked scared again and Merlin tried to calm her down.
“Let me come with you” Gwen said but Arthur shook his head. “It’s too dangerous.”
Gwen looked angrily at him. “Please, I can fight too. I can help you.”
They argued a little more until Arthur finally gave in.
Morgana joined them too and the four of them took the little girl back to her village.
When they arrived, they could see some of the bandits sitting around, drinking and laughing. They had taken the villagers as hostages and took what they could get out of the houses. One man was fighting a bandit who had caught his wife.
“Mother!” Melody cried.
That was when the bandits spotted them.
“Leave them alone!” Arthur said.
One of the bandits ran to him and attacked him, the others following one by one. The battle started.
Arthur and Morgana were fighting very well and Merlin helped them from behind with his magic.
Suddenly Gwen got attacked too and she fell to the ground and Arthur came to save her and fought her attacker very hard.
In the end there were only two men left and they gave up and ran.
Arthur helped Gwen up and asked: ”Are you alright?”
“Yes” she nodded. “But I have to admit I was scared when that man attacked me.”
The little girl Melody, ran to her parents who took her gratefully in their arms.
They thanked Arthur, Gwen, Merlin and Morgana for bringing their daughter back and saving them from the bandits.
Then the four of them returned to Camelot.
In the evening, Gwen made her way to see Arthur. On her way to his chambers she met Merlin. He had just come from Arthur's chambers.
What are you doing here so late?” he asked her.
She blushed and said nothing.
Merlin understood.
“Well then, good night Gwen”.
“Good night, Merlin” she said and they both went their ways.
She knocked on Arthur’s door and entered when she heard his “Come in.”
“Guinevere?”
He seemed to be a little surprised to see her.
“I’m sorry to come here like this so late..”
“It’s fine. What is it?”
“I wanted to thank you. For saving my life today.”
He just nodded and stared at her. She came closer to him and took a deep breath before speaking.
“Arthur…I want to ask you something.”
She paused and looked at him he said nothing so she continued.
“What happened today…when that man attacked me…I felt so helpless. I don’t want to feel like that again.”
She paused again and could not look at him.
“I know that you can’t always be there to protect me and I don’t want you to have to look after me all the time…”
He looked at her in confusion and wanted to say something as she spoke again.
“What I wanted to say is…I wanted to ask you to teach me how to fight properly. Would you teach me to fight like a knight? I know it sounds a bit ridiculous,
I mean I’m just a servant, but I want to be able to defend my self.”
Arthur was slightly surprised, she could see it in the expression on his face but there was something else there. He seemed rather impressed as well.
At first ,she had been a little embarrassed and uncomfortable with her request, now she smiled lightly.
Arthur stared at her for a little while.
“No, it's not ridiculous.” He answered then.
She sighs a little in relief.
“Anyway,” Arthur continues. “You’re not just a servant. Not for me, you know.”
Gwen could not help but smile. All the angst and frustration she had felt before was suddenly gone. Arthur always could wash her worries away with a simple sentence like that. But this feeling only lasted for a second. Then the "reason" took over again and the painful awareness that it couldn’t be, that there could never be anything between them. At least not yet.
“So I can train with you?” she asked.
“Of course.” Arthur nodded.
“Let’s meet tomorrow morning early at the training yard. It’s less likely that we will be disturbed then.”
“Alright.” she said and gave him another little smile before she left.
The next morning Arthur and Merlin went to the training yard. The sun has just begun to rise and it was a pretty morning with a cool spring breeze. When they arrived, Arthur looked around for Gwen while Merlin put down the equipment he had carried for Arthur. After a minute or so a figure appeared at the other end of the court and he saw Gwen walking over to him. She wore her battle clothes. Arthur thought she was beautiful even in trousers.
“So you really want to do this?” he said as she reached him and Merlin left them. "Yes i do" she said firmly.
“Are you ready then?”
“Of course” she said.
“Alright then”
He took a sword.
“I’ll show you the basics... but I think you will get it fast.”
She nodded “I’m a blacksmith's daughter. I have experience with swords.”
“I know.” He was always impressed by her time and time again.
He handed her the sword.
“So show me how you hold it.”
She grabs the sword tight with both hands and holds it a few inches away from her body. She leans in a little and with one foot she takes half a step forward.
“I see you already know how to get into defensive position.” He said proudly.
“Sure, I’ve seen you fight many times so...”
“Right. Then let me show you how to move it.”
She straightened again and suddenly Arthur stood behind her.
“Wha...?”
“Relax” he said and she could feel him very close and his breath on her neck.
He put his arms around her and wrapped his hands around hers on the sword.
“I will lead you. You just have to feel it.”
What she felt was how her heart beating faster being so close to him, feeling his body against hers. Slowly he guided the movements of her hands and then her arms. From left to right and back several times but very slowly. She could hardly breathe in his embrace. And then she could feel his breath near to her ear.
“Can you feel it?” He said in a husky voice that made her shiver.
“Yes” she whispered because he still took her breath away.
After a few seconds, what seemed more like an eternity, she realized that the movement of their arms had stopped. The sword lay now heavy and uneasily in her hands. Arthur’s hands were gone and rested now on her shoulders. They lay warm on her skin in the cool morning air around them and it made her feel very warm and safe. She hadn’t felt like this for a long time. Honestly she hadn’t felt like this ever before.
She sighed in delight and smiled. She let go of the sword and turned slowly around to face Arthur who looked at her with a strange expression in his eyes. Was it desire?
She couldn’t hold on to her own desire and cupped his face in her both hands and kissed him.
It was a passionate and desperate kiss. Not like the first kiss they had shared or the other sweet kisses. It was more like the kiss of true love she has given him to break the enchantment. But this was a different feeling and she couldn’t find a way too describe it. Her mind was blank. She could only feel him as he pulled her closer and wrapped his arms tighter around her.
She felt his warm and wet lips on hers. And then his tongue and she parted her lips to let him in. it was the most intense and passionate kiss they had yet and it seemed to last forever when they finally pulled apart because they had to come up for air. She licks her lips, they feel swollen and she hopes that no one will notice or at least ask her questions.
She looked into Arthur's blue eyes and they were full of pleasure. They were looking at each other without saying anything. They needed no words anymore.
Arthur placed his hand on her cheek and stroked it lightly.
“If training could always be like this” Arthur said still a little breathless.
She smiled. But then she took his hand that had rested on her cheek and looked away.
The sun was now very high up in the sky and shone bright upon them. Gwen realized that it was getting late and she had work to do.
“I have to go” she said.
He still held her hand when she turned to leave.
“You can come to the knights training tomorrow if you want” he said.
“Sure" she replied.
“And Arthur,” she smiled at him.
“Thank you for ..this”
He smiled back and she gave him a brief kiss on the cheek before she walked away.
~~~
Arthur had just returned from patrol with the knights. Sir Leon was talking to him but he was barely listening to him, because he was starving to death. But as much as he wanted something to eat the more he was starving to see Guinevere. When he came to her house he saw that she hadn’t come back from work yet. He sighed and decided to wait for her return. Maybe there was something to eat in her house.
Gwen came back from her work in the castle and almost got a heart attack as she entered her home and saw the prince standing in the room.
“Arthur!” she could only manage to say in surprise. She hadn’t expected him.
“Guinevere! You’re back. I was waiting for you.”
"What are you doing here?”
He shrugged “Nothing?”
She laughed and walked past him to light the candles. He watches her as she walks around the table, the candle in her hand, lighting up her face. She put the candle down and faced him.
“I don’t believe you came here without any reason. I know you Arthur.”
He looked away and smiled. Yeah, she knew him too well. He could hide nothing from her anymore. Why should he? He trusted her with everything he had and to hide his feelings for her in public was hard enough.
“To be honest, answering her question,
“I hoped you would cook something for me. I’m starving.”
“What?”
That she hadn’t expected either.
“I haven’t got something in my stomach for hours and I thought we could eat dinner together?”
Gwen smiled. “Sure. As long as you don’t cook or rather steal food from the palace kitchen again.”
Arthur bites his lip and she laughs.
“Maybe you could show me how to cook dinner?”
Now she laughed even harder.
“I’m serious” Arthur said outraged.
Gwen stopped laughing but the amusement still lingered on her face.
She looked at him coyly, eyes sparkling and he thought that she was truly beautiful.
“Alright” she said. “Let’s make dinner. I feel a little hungry as well.”
“Great!”
He took her hand and dragged her to the small cooking area. She stood there thinking for a second.
“Well, first we need to light the fire” she said then in a tone that made her sound like a school teacher.
“Right” he said” I think I can do that.”
He was grinning and he saw the smile on her face hadn’t faded yet and he was glad about because he couldn’t get enough of it. She doesn’t smile enough he thinks. He hoped that there will be times like this more often in the future.
While they prepare the food they talk about nothing in particular. Gwen shows him how to cut the vegetables and how to cook the meat she has bought this morning in the market.
“I have to admit" she said, looking a little sheepishly at her fingers that were fumbling on her apron “That I’m not very good with meat. It always gets too bloody or too tough.”
“Oh, I like it when it’s a little bloody” he winked.
She looked at him and he thought to himself that he really enjoyed being with her, laughing with her and that he could forget all the pressures of being a prince.
He snagged a piece of carrot and took a bite. Then he took another one and held it to her mouth so that she could take a bite too. He ate the rest of it and she began giggling again.
“You must be really hungry that you cant wait until it’s ready.”
“Yes I am.” he said and took another carrot. But Gwen took it away. “Stop, the rest is for the soup.” She said like she was talking to a little child.
Arthur pouted.
“Ok, only one last” she gave in. She could not refuse if he looked at her like that.
“Open up” and she fed him the carrot.
“Hmm, I could get used to this”. He smiled.
“Get used to what? Gwen asked.”
“You. Feeding me” he smiled and grabbed her hand, pulling her nearer to him. She looked a little startled but fell gladly into his arms.
“We must not forget the food” she whispered, not knowing why she said that as she had already forgotten about it.
She wanted to say something more but he pulled her into a kiss.
As they parted ,Arthur asked: “Do you think I will ever learn to cook"
She smiled at him.
“No" she answered and they both laughed again.
Then Gwen turned to the stove again and gave him the order to look after the soup so that it wouldn’t burn.
Half an hour later, it was finished but the meat was overdone and the soup had way too much salt. Arthur insisted that it was not his fault and Gwen gave up arguing with him about it.
“You will always be a prince and you will never learn to cook.” Gwen said as they sat at the table eating the salty soup.
“Maybe your right” Arthur said.
Nevertheless, they had really enjoyed cooking and having dinner together.
It reminded him of the first time they had dinner together and the memory made him smile. He had never thought that they could ever do that again or that he would really cook one day.
“I was thinking about the first time we had dinner together.” Gwen said suddenly.
“Me, too. “ Arthur said and all was perfect.
The End
_________
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(Feel free to leave your feedback for the authors here. All comments will be screened until the end of the vote and the winners are announced.)
Title: How to Love
Themes: Teacher
Rating: PG
Word count:2581
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Gwen, Merlin, Morgana
Disclaimer: I own nothing than the idea and the character of Melody.
Summary: After the OT4 got into a battle Gwen asks Arthur to teach her how to fight like a knight, in return, she tries to show him how to cook.
Author’s notes: set somewhere between seasons 2 and 3.
How to love
One day when Arthur and Merlin were out hunting, they found a little girl in the woods. She was hurt and so frightened that they could not get her to say what had happened to her. So they brought her to the city where Gaius treated her wounds. Gwen came in and brought some food and water for her to drink. After she had drank and eaten she wasn’t so scared anymore and begun to talk to Merlin.
Her name was Melody. She told them that bandits came to the little village where she and her parents lived and she escaped but had got lost in the woods. That was when they had found her.
“We have to bring her back to her parents.” Merlin said to Arthur and he agreed.
“But what if the bandits are still there?” Gwen asked worried.
“We’ll fight them” Arthur said.
Melody looked scared again and Merlin tried to calm her down.
“Let me come with you” Gwen said but Arthur shook his head. “It’s too dangerous.”
Gwen looked angrily at him. “Please, I can fight too. I can help you.”
They argued a little more until Arthur finally gave in.
Morgana joined them too and the four of them took the little girl back to her village.
When they arrived, they could see some of the bandits sitting around, drinking and laughing. They had taken the villagers as hostages and took what they could get out of the houses. One man was fighting a bandit who had caught his wife.
“Mother!” Melody cried.
That was when the bandits spotted them.
“Leave them alone!” Arthur said.
One of the bandits ran to him and attacked him, the others following one by one. The battle started.
Arthur and Morgana were fighting very well and Merlin helped them from behind with his magic.
Suddenly Gwen got attacked too and she fell to the ground and Arthur came to save her and fought her attacker very hard.
In the end there were only two men left and they gave up and ran.
Arthur helped Gwen up and asked: ”Are you alright?”
“Yes” she nodded. “But I have to admit I was scared when that man attacked me.”
The little girl Melody, ran to her parents who took her gratefully in their arms.
They thanked Arthur, Gwen, Merlin and Morgana for bringing their daughter back and saving them from the bandits.
Then the four of them returned to Camelot.
In the evening, Gwen made her way to see Arthur. On her way to his chambers she met Merlin. He had just come from Arthur's chambers.
What are you doing here so late?” he asked her.
She blushed and said nothing.
Merlin understood.
“Well then, good night Gwen”.
“Good night, Merlin” she said and they both went their ways.
She knocked on Arthur’s door and entered when she heard his “Come in.”
“Guinevere?”
He seemed to be a little surprised to see her.
“I’m sorry to come here like this so late..”
“It’s fine. What is it?”
“I wanted to thank you. For saving my life today.”
He just nodded and stared at her. She came closer to him and took a deep breath before speaking.
“Arthur…I want to ask you something.”
She paused and looked at him he said nothing so she continued.
“What happened today…when that man attacked me…I felt so helpless. I don’t want to feel like that again.”
She paused again and could not look at him.
“I know that you can’t always be there to protect me and I don’t want you to have to look after me all the time…”
He looked at her in confusion and wanted to say something as she spoke again.
“What I wanted to say is…I wanted to ask you to teach me how to fight properly. Would you teach me to fight like a knight? I know it sounds a bit ridiculous,
I mean I’m just a servant, but I want to be able to defend my self.”
Arthur was slightly surprised, she could see it in the expression on his face but there was something else there. He seemed rather impressed as well.
At first ,she had been a little embarrassed and uncomfortable with her request, now she smiled lightly.
Arthur stared at her for a little while.
“No, it's not ridiculous.” He answered then.
She sighs a little in relief.
“Anyway,” Arthur continues. “You’re not just a servant. Not for me, you know.”
Gwen could not help but smile. All the angst and frustration she had felt before was suddenly gone. Arthur always could wash her worries away with a simple sentence like that. But this feeling only lasted for a second. Then the "reason" took over again and the painful awareness that it couldn’t be, that there could never be anything between them. At least not yet.
“So I can train with you?” she asked.
“Of course.” Arthur nodded.
“Let’s meet tomorrow morning early at the training yard. It’s less likely that we will be disturbed then.”
“Alright.” she said and gave him another little smile before she left.
The next morning Arthur and Merlin went to the training yard. The sun has just begun to rise and it was a pretty morning with a cool spring breeze. When they arrived, Arthur looked around for Gwen while Merlin put down the equipment he had carried for Arthur. After a minute or so a figure appeared at the other end of the court and he saw Gwen walking over to him. She wore her battle clothes. Arthur thought she was beautiful even in trousers.
“So you really want to do this?” he said as she reached him and Merlin left them. "Yes i do" she said firmly.
“Are you ready then?”
“Of course” she said.
“Alright then”
He took a sword.
“I’ll show you the basics... but I think you will get it fast.”
She nodded “I’m a blacksmith's daughter. I have experience with swords.”
“I know.” He was always impressed by her time and time again.
He handed her the sword.
“So show me how you hold it.”
She grabs the sword tight with both hands and holds it a few inches away from her body. She leans in a little and with one foot she takes half a step forward.
“I see you already know how to get into defensive position.” He said proudly.
“Sure, I’ve seen you fight many times so...”
“Right. Then let me show you how to move it.”
She straightened again and suddenly Arthur stood behind her.
“Wha...?”
“Relax” he said and she could feel him very close and his breath on her neck.
He put his arms around her and wrapped his hands around hers on the sword.
“I will lead you. You just have to feel it.”
What she felt was how her heart beating faster being so close to him, feeling his body against hers. Slowly he guided the movements of her hands and then her arms. From left to right and back several times but very slowly. She could hardly breathe in his embrace. And then she could feel his breath near to her ear.
“Can you feel it?” He said in a husky voice that made her shiver.
“Yes” she whispered because he still took her breath away.
After a few seconds, what seemed more like an eternity, she realized that the movement of their arms had stopped. The sword lay now heavy and uneasily in her hands. Arthur’s hands were gone and rested now on her shoulders. They lay warm on her skin in the cool morning air around them and it made her feel very warm and safe. She hadn’t felt like this for a long time. Honestly she hadn’t felt like this ever before.
She sighed in delight and smiled. She let go of the sword and turned slowly around to face Arthur who looked at her with a strange expression in his eyes. Was it desire?
She couldn’t hold on to her own desire and cupped his face in her both hands and kissed him.
It was a passionate and desperate kiss. Not like the first kiss they had shared or the other sweet kisses. It was more like the kiss of true love she has given him to break the enchantment. But this was a different feeling and she couldn’t find a way too describe it. Her mind was blank. She could only feel him as he pulled her closer and wrapped his arms tighter around her.
She felt his warm and wet lips on hers. And then his tongue and she parted her lips to let him in. it was the most intense and passionate kiss they had yet and it seemed to last forever when they finally pulled apart because they had to come up for air. She licks her lips, they feel swollen and she hopes that no one will notice or at least ask her questions.
She looked into Arthur's blue eyes and they were full of pleasure. They were looking at each other without saying anything. They needed no words anymore.
Arthur placed his hand on her cheek and stroked it lightly.
“If training could always be like this” Arthur said still a little breathless.
She smiled. But then she took his hand that had rested on her cheek and looked away.
The sun was now very high up in the sky and shone bright upon them. Gwen realized that it was getting late and she had work to do.
“I have to go” she said.
He still held her hand when she turned to leave.
“You can come to the knights training tomorrow if you want” he said.
“Sure" she replied.
“And Arthur,” she smiled at him.
“Thank you for ..this”
He smiled back and she gave him a brief kiss on the cheek before she walked away.
~~~
Arthur had just returned from patrol with the knights. Sir Leon was talking to him but he was barely listening to him, because he was starving to death. But as much as he wanted something to eat the more he was starving to see Guinevere. When he came to her house he saw that she hadn’t come back from work yet. He sighed and decided to wait for her return. Maybe there was something to eat in her house.
Gwen came back from her work in the castle and almost got a heart attack as she entered her home and saw the prince standing in the room.
“Arthur!” she could only manage to say in surprise. She hadn’t expected him.
“Guinevere! You’re back. I was waiting for you.”
"What are you doing here?”
He shrugged “Nothing?”
She laughed and walked past him to light the candles. He watches her as she walks around the table, the candle in her hand, lighting up her face. She put the candle down and faced him.
“I don’t believe you came here without any reason. I know you Arthur.”
He looked away and smiled. Yeah, she knew him too well. He could hide nothing from her anymore. Why should he? He trusted her with everything he had and to hide his feelings for her in public was hard enough.
“To be honest, answering her question,
“I hoped you would cook something for me. I’m starving.”
“What?”
That she hadn’t expected either.
“I haven’t got something in my stomach for hours and I thought we could eat dinner together?”
Gwen smiled. “Sure. As long as you don’t cook or rather steal food from the palace kitchen again.”
Arthur bites his lip and she laughs.
“Maybe you could show me how to cook dinner?”
Now she laughed even harder.
“I’m serious” Arthur said outraged.
Gwen stopped laughing but the amusement still lingered on her face.
She looked at him coyly, eyes sparkling and he thought that she was truly beautiful.
“Alright” she said. “Let’s make dinner. I feel a little hungry as well.”
“Great!”
He took her hand and dragged her to the small cooking area. She stood there thinking for a second.
“Well, first we need to light the fire” she said then in a tone that made her sound like a school teacher.
“Right” he said” I think I can do that.”
He was grinning and he saw the smile on her face hadn’t faded yet and he was glad about because he couldn’t get enough of it. She doesn’t smile enough he thinks. He hoped that there will be times like this more often in the future.
While they prepare the food they talk about nothing in particular. Gwen shows him how to cut the vegetables and how to cook the meat she has bought this morning in the market.
“I have to admit" she said, looking a little sheepishly at her fingers that were fumbling on her apron “That I’m not very good with meat. It always gets too bloody or too tough.”
“Oh, I like it when it’s a little bloody” he winked.
She looked at him and he thought to himself that he really enjoyed being with her, laughing with her and that he could forget all the pressures of being a prince.
He snagged a piece of carrot and took a bite. Then he took another one and held it to her mouth so that she could take a bite too. He ate the rest of it and she began giggling again.
“You must be really hungry that you cant wait until it’s ready.”
“Yes I am.” he said and took another carrot. But Gwen took it away. “Stop, the rest is for the soup.” She said like she was talking to a little child.
Arthur pouted.
“Ok, only one last” she gave in. She could not refuse if he looked at her like that.
“Open up” and she fed him the carrot.
“Hmm, I could get used to this”. He smiled.
“Get used to what? Gwen asked.”
“You. Feeding me” he smiled and grabbed her hand, pulling her nearer to him. She looked a little startled but fell gladly into his arms.
“We must not forget the food” she whispered, not knowing why she said that as she had already forgotten about it.
She wanted to say something more but he pulled her into a kiss.
As they parted ,Arthur asked: “Do you think I will ever learn to cook"
She smiled at him.
“No" she answered and they both laughed again.
Then Gwen turned to the stove again and gave him the order to look after the soup so that it wouldn’t burn.
Half an hour later, it was finished but the meat was overdone and the soup had way too much salt. Arthur insisted that it was not his fault and Gwen gave up arguing with him about it.
“You will always be a prince and you will never learn to cook.” Gwen said as they sat at the table eating the salty soup.
“Maybe your right” Arthur said.
Nevertheless, they had really enjoyed cooking and having dinner together.
It reminded him of the first time they had dinner together and the memory made him smile. He had never thought that they could ever do that again or that he would really cook one day.
“I was thinking about the first time we had dinner together.” Gwen said suddenly.
“Me, too. “ Arthur said and all was perfect.
The End
_________
Click HERE to return to the Masterlist
(Feel free to leave your feedback for the authors here. All comments will be screened until the end of the vote and the winners are announced.)