Once Upon a Camelot Curse - Chapter Eleven
“This is crazy, right?” Arthur questioned, looking at Gwen as they jogged through the crowds of guests who were blissfully ignorant of what was going on behind the scenes of the faire. This wasn’t really happening. Arthur had felt something extraordinary when he had kissed Gwen, but that didn’t mean anything, did it?
Fighting alongside the men who helped him joust each day. Standing in front of an entire court of people, a crown upon his head and his hand held by Gwen, large smiles on their lips. Sprinting through a thick forest, running from something that surely wanted to kill him. Speaking with a man who was a stranger, but Arthur knew to be his father.
Watching his father die.
Watching Gwen as she was torn away from him more than once. Banished. Kidnapped. Bringing her home and kissing her deeper and with more feeling than he had ever experienced before.
It was those last few images that had allowed Arthur to be dragged away from Gwaine. He sprinted on his own after a moment or two, realizing that his question was dumb.
“No. It’s not. You saw what I saw, right? You felt that?” Arthur caught Gwen’s glance as they dodged a family taking pictures of one of the court jesters. She looked and sounded worried that this was one big hoax, just something to rile up the actors and get them reenergized after a long summer. But it wasn’t just that.
Arthur nodded.
“I felt it too.”
“Good. Then we’re in agreement that we’re going to try this.” Gwen’s voice was strong, commanding, and Arthur wondered why they had never spoken to one another before. Granted, he spent most of his time in the stables, performing for the crowds and and only ever ventured to the side with the games when he was showing off for his adoring fans. He never really paid attention to those that ran the booths, merely what products and services they provided so he could impress his fans.
He never really noticed Gwen until now.
“What do you think is happening?” He asked, not sure if he wanted an answer.
Gwen shrugged. “I know Merlin isn’t playing around. How would he have gotten us to see what we’ve seen? Or…”
Arthur risked a glance in her direction as she trailed off. “Or… felt what we felt?”
She looked shocked at the revelation, but nodded after a moment. Relief filled Arthur. After she had broken away from the kiss, there had been a lingering feeling there that had been coupled with the visions in Arthur’s head. It was a feeling of home, of belonging, of…
Well, of love.
“There are the gates,” Gwen broke the silence that fell, a finger pointing ahead. There weren’t many people around the exit of the grounds, considering the faire had recently opened and everyone was filing through the entrances where they could be seen taking tickets. But as Arthur looked closer, he saw a slight shimmer of blue light every time a tourist moved through the gates.
“Gwen… you see that, right?”
“It wasn’t always there. Not that I had seen before,” she replied, already answering Arthur’s question.
They slowed down to a quick walk, approaching the wall. Arthur glanced around, seeing a few men in green cloaks, but no one seemed to want to stop them from getting close to the gates.
“Then I guess that’s what we have to try and get through, right?” He asked, looking to Gwen. He wanted to tell himself that this was ridiculous. This was dumb and Merlin was playing a stupid game on them. But the blue shimmer was real and he knew that Merlin wasn’t that good of an actor to fool them all into believing this charade if it were a trick.
“I guess so,” she responded, her voice strong and steady. Arthur had to give her credit. There was strength inside her that he suddenly found himself drawn to. How could he not have noticed her before this morning?
He held out a hand, not sure what he was doing exactly. But Gwen didn’t hesitate as she slipped her warm fingers between his. Arthur’s stomach flipped at the physical contact. They couldn’t distract one another right now, but it was difficult not to focus on that fluttering in the back of his head. This was all so familiar, but it still felt like they were complete strangers. Or maybe strangers that had met once or twice before but didn’t know anything about one another.
“Time to see if Merlin was right,” he said. It was Gwen who initiated the charge and they both set off at a sprint, hands nearly welded together as they darted towards the unguarded gate.
Fighting alongside the men who helped him joust each day. Standing in front of an entire court of people, a crown upon his head and his hand held by Gwen, large smiles on their lips. Sprinting through a thick forest, running from something that surely wanted to kill him. Speaking with a man who was a stranger, but Arthur knew to be his father.
Watching his father die.
Watching Gwen as she was torn away from him more than once. Banished. Kidnapped. Bringing her home and kissing her deeper and with more feeling than he had ever experienced before.
It was those last few images that had allowed Arthur to be dragged away from Gwaine. He sprinted on his own after a moment or two, realizing that his question was dumb.
“No. It’s not. You saw what I saw, right? You felt that?” Arthur caught Gwen’s glance as they dodged a family taking pictures of one of the court jesters. She looked and sounded worried that this was one big hoax, just something to rile up the actors and get them reenergized after a long summer. But it wasn’t just that.
Arthur nodded.
“I felt it too.”
“Good. Then we’re in agreement that we’re going to try this.” Gwen’s voice was strong, commanding, and Arthur wondered why they had never spoken to one another before. Granted, he spent most of his time in the stables, performing for the crowds and and only ever ventured to the side with the games when he was showing off for his adoring fans. He never really paid attention to those that ran the booths, merely what products and services they provided so he could impress his fans.
He never really noticed Gwen until now.
“What do you think is happening?” He asked, not sure if he wanted an answer.
Gwen shrugged. “I know Merlin isn’t playing around. How would he have gotten us to see what we’ve seen? Or…”
Arthur risked a glance in her direction as she trailed off. “Or… felt what we felt?”
She looked shocked at the revelation, but nodded after a moment. Relief filled Arthur. After she had broken away from the kiss, there had been a lingering feeling there that had been coupled with the visions in Arthur’s head. It was a feeling of home, of belonging, of…
Well, of love.
“There are the gates,” Gwen broke the silence that fell, a finger pointing ahead. There weren’t many people around the exit of the grounds, considering the faire had recently opened and everyone was filing through the entrances where they could be seen taking tickets. But as Arthur looked closer, he saw a slight shimmer of blue light every time a tourist moved through the gates.
“Gwen… you see that, right?”
“It wasn’t always there. Not that I had seen before,” she replied, already answering Arthur’s question.
They slowed down to a quick walk, approaching the wall. Arthur glanced around, seeing a few men in green cloaks, but no one seemed to want to stop them from getting close to the gates.
“Then I guess that’s what we have to try and get through, right?” He asked, looking to Gwen. He wanted to tell himself that this was ridiculous. This was dumb and Merlin was playing a stupid game on them. But the blue shimmer was real and he knew that Merlin wasn’t that good of an actor to fool them all into believing this charade if it were a trick.
“I guess so,” she responded, her voice strong and steady. Arthur had to give her credit. There was strength inside her that he suddenly found himself drawn to. How could he not have noticed her before this morning?
He held out a hand, not sure what he was doing exactly. But Gwen didn’t hesitate as she slipped her warm fingers between his. Arthur’s stomach flipped at the physical contact. They couldn’t distract one another right now, but it was difficult not to focus on that fluttering in the back of his head. This was all so familiar, but it still felt like they were complete strangers. Or maybe strangers that had met once or twice before but didn’t know anything about one another.
“Time to see if Merlin was right,” he said. It was Gwen who initiated the charge and they both set off at a sprint, hands nearly welded together as they darted towards the unguarded gate.