Change of Plans

The New King

             The servants tip toed around the castle keeping their heads down and staying out of the way as they went on with their daily chores. No one dared gossip or whisper while any of the Knights or Arthur was around. After the events of the previous night the people were not sure how much more Arthur could handle before he finally snapped. In one night Arthur lost his father and learned that he had a sister. As if that was not enough he also learned that this sister was a sorcerer and responsible for killing their father.

As soon as the sun broke over the horizon Arthur would be busy having Uther's body prepared for a sendoff, he would need to oversee the reconstruction and repairs of the castle, and attend his coronation. Arthur barely had time to breathe no less take the time to process everything that occurred. As if sleep walking he went through the motions of getting dressed and giving the usual orders to the servants as the came in with his breakfast. After an appropriate amount of time had passed Gwen came into the room to collect Arthur's dirty laundry and dishes.

"Sire?... Sire?... Arthur!" Gwen called a few times trying to get Arthur's attention.

"Take them away." Arthur replied flatly. He assumed Gwen was asking him if he was done eating so he automatically responded. Even though Gwen was not asking about the dishes she followed Arthur's orders and reached down to grab the plates. Not one bit of food had been touched so Gwen put the plate back down and rested her hand on Arthur's shoulder. Arthur's gaze remained fixed on a tapestry that hung on the wall in front of him.

"Arthur, I am sorry. What happened last night was horrible and no one should have to bare that kind of pain." Gwen said quietly as she picked up the sheets and turned to leave.

Having lost so much in one night Arthur knew he could not let another moment go by without expressing how he really felt. Since losing his father and his friend the Lady Morgana Arthur realized how important it was to keep those you care about close. So just before Gwen opened the door to his chambers Arthur stood up and said, "Thank you."

The words were few and simple but it was enough to catch Gwen's attention and cause her to turn back around and smile at Arthur. Strands of her long curly hair had fallen in her face, her nails were chipped and broken, and her dress was stained but her smile was bright and warm. Gwen was the daughter of a blacksmith. She was not raised in the home of a nobleman and she did not know the proper way a Lady is supposed to conduct herself, but when Arthur looked at her he saw a woman of grace and elegance as well as a woman of class and nobility. Arthur's feelings for Gwen had always been there. From the first day he met her and she spent an hour apologizing for shutting the door to hard. Arthur found the naive air she had to be cute and charming. Unfortunately the gap in their social class kept Arthur from ever expressing his feelings. If Uther ever found out that his son was in love with a servant girl he would have the girl banished.

Arthur would never want to disrespect his father or his father's beliefs but when it came to Gwen things were different. Arthur had already wasted so much time that should have been spent with her. In a swift gleeful movement Arthur moved across the room and took Gwen's hands causing her to drop the pile of dirty sheets.

"Gwen... I..." Arthur was so excited he could barely think straight. "You have always been there for me. You are a strong and caring... I admire you for that." Gwen smiled and nodded as she began to thank Arthur and pull her hands away.

There was a change in the atmosphere of the room as Arthur stood in front of Gwen. The somber feeling that filled the room was replaced with excitement and joy. When Gwen thanked Arthur and began to pull her hands away Arthur just tightened his grip. Confused Gwen glanced down at their hands then back up at Arthur's face. As he smiled down at her with such compassion in his eyes it made Gwen blush.