Change of Plans

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.

“Arthur, what is going on?” Gwen quietly asked.

Just as Arthur was about to answer Gwen and openly admit his feelings for her the door to his chamber opened. Gaius peeked his head through the door to see if it was ok for him to enter. When he saw Arthur hold Gwen’s hands he automatically jerked his head back a bit and gave a confused look. Arthur dropped Gwen’s hand and walked over to Gaius as Gwen picked up the pile of sheets she dropped earlier.

With the death of the King all of the royal duties fell to Arthur. As if that was not enough pressure Arthur had a list of other things to attend to. He relied on his father’s advisors and the wise words from his Knights to guide him through the transition of becoming a King. Gaius had been the royal physician for several years and Uther held him in high regards. So automatically Gaius was the one who assisted Arthur through his hectic day. When Gaius popped his head in Arthur’s chambers it was to let him know that the King’s funeral was about to begin.

“I am sorry to interrupt Sire, but you are needed in the Great Hall.” Gaius said while he watched Gwen pick up the sheets and scurry out of the room.

“Yes, yes. Um…” Arthur put his hand to his head and glanced around the room. “Where are my dress robes?” He asked.

“Excuse me, Sire?” Gaius asked as he stepped farther into the room. Gaius may have been a good and trusted friend of Uther’s but he did not know the ways of a King. The term dress robes meant nothing to him. To Gaius all clothes were the same.

“Merlin took them to be cleaned last night.” Arthur explained. “He should have brought them back by now.”

“Oh….” Gaius bit his lip and said, “I am sorry, Sire. I sent Merlin out on an errand this morning.”

“What!” Arthur exclaimed. Merlin was Arthur’s personal servant or manservant. Merlin was supposed to be at Arthur’s beck and call.

“I am truly sorry, Sire. I.. well I thought given the circumstances you might not want Merlin around today. He has only been your servant for a few weeks. He would not know how to properly address you and serve you on a day like this.” Gaius explained to Arthur.

Arthur nodded in agreement with Gaius’s thinking. Merlin was still new to the castle and work as a servant. When he came to Camelot he bumped into Arthur on the street and asked for directions to Gaius. Unsure of who Merlin was Arthur just pointed him in the right direction and went on with what he was doing. Later that evening Gaius introduced Arthur to Merlin and explained that they were family friends. Gaius told Arthur and Uther that Merlin came to Camelot looking for work at the castle. Right away Uther assigned Merlin as Arthur’s manservant. Uther assumed that Merlin was a trust worthy person since he was such good friends with Gaius.

In an effort to make up for sending Merlin away Gaius helped Arthur get dressed and prepare for his father’s funeral. As Gaius tied the strings on Arthur’s shirt he decided it was a good time to talk to Arthur about Morgana. Everyone saw her use magic to escape the castle and everyone saw how angry she was when Arthur killed Morgause. It was only a matter of time before she organized an attack against Camelot and Arthur.

“I know you have a lot to worry about right now, but I think you need to be thinking about what you are going to do about Morgana.” Gaius advised.

Even though Arthur knew Gaius was right he was not sure what to do. Thinking about Morgana and everything that she said and did was just too much for Arthur. He had to send his father off proper and assume the role of King. He could not think about how Morgana betrayed him or how she may be trying to start a war with Camelot.

“Sire, Morgana is powerful. If we ignore her I fear we will not be able to defend ourselves if she tries to attack.”

“I know, I know. Gaius, I have not even been crowned yet and you are already asking me to make decisions about the wellbeing of Camelot. How am I supposed to rebuild the castle, lay the King to rest, comfort my people, and stop Morgana from declaring war all at the same time?” Arthur let out and exhausted sigh. “Gaius, I am not ready to be King. There is still so much I do not know. I want to make my father proud and bring respect back to the name Pendragon, but how do I protect Camelot without starting a war?”

Gaius stayed quiet for a bit while he tried to come up with a solution to Arthur’s problem. Arthur was being pulled in several directions and did not know which way to turn. It was clear he needed help. He need people who he could trust to guide him and assist him while he oversaw all of these different tasks.

“Sire, if I may make a suggestion?” Gaius said as he stepped in front of Arthur and examined his outfit.

“It is clear to me that you need to enlist in some help. You will be busy assuming the role of King while your men will be working to protect Camelot. I know you are very close with you Knights. Pick a few of them to prepare a defense plan. Then a few of them to help you with your other tasks.”

“I suppose if I disperse the work things will get done in an orderly fashion. So that solves the problem of getting everything done, but that still doesn’t help us with Morgana.” Arthur pointed out.

“Well… I know that you want to respect the way your father ruled over Camelot, but I think in this case you may want to make an exception.”

“What do you mean?” Arthur asked as he shuffled through the scrolls on his desk trying to find the speech he prepared.

Nervously Gaius looked down at the ground as he suggested that Arthur find Sir Gwaine. At the mention of the Knight’s name Arthur’s head shot up and he stopped looking for the scroll. Quickly Gaius explained why he suggested they allow Gwaine to come back to Camelot. If Gwaine were to come back he would be able to provide protection to Camelot and Arthur if Morgana did lead an attack on Camelot. Even Arthur himself admitted that Gwaine was a talented warrior. Camelot could really benefit from his return.

Gaius knew that Arthur was not fond of the idea. After all it kind of defeated the purpose of banishing him. Arthur worried that if he did what Gaius was suggesting it would show the people of Camelot that he did not respect the laws and way Uther ruled.

“I understand, Sire. Just take into consideration the relationship Gwaine had with the Lady Morgana. Before Gwaine left the two of them were very close. If anyone would be able to predict what Morgana will do it would be Gwaine.” Gaius said before leaving Arthur to prepare for the funeral.

The day was filled with events. Some of which were joyous and some were saddening. Arthur attended each one and displayed poise and a sense authority. Arthur may not have felt ready for the role he was given but his transition seemed flawless. To the people of Camelot Arthur assumed his Kingship with ease and elegance. The moment that all of the events were over and Arthur was left alone he crashed on to his bed and closed his eyes. The hardest day of his life was now over. He could finally just rest.

Then Arthur heard the sound of slow scrapping on the floor. Immediately he knew that someone was opening the door to his room. Reluctantly he rolled over and groaned at whoever was coming into the room and preventing him from relaxing. Arthur heard a little giggle as the person made their way farther into the room and into Arthur’s view.

“Sire? I am sorry to disturb you but Gaius has requested to see you.” Gwen said as she smirked at Arthur’s sprawled out position.

“Oh, Right!” Arthur said as he jumped up and tried to look charming in front of Gwen as she turned to leave. “Gwen?” Arthur called to her. “I wanted to thank you for this morning.” He said quickly trying to come up with something to say to her.

“Hahaha you already thanked me earlier this morning.” Gwen with a smile then said, “I am very proud to call you my King, Arthur. You proved to everyone today that you will be a good King.” Before stepping out of the room Gwen bowed her head and smiled.

Like a young boy Arthur stood staring at the door Gwen excited from blushing and grinning. He mind was focused on one thing and one thing only, Gwen. When she was around him everything seemed better. He world seem brighter and lighter when she was there. Problems seemed nonexistent when she was there to support and guide him. It was not until she was gone and the room was not floating anymore that Arthur remembered that Gaius was waiting to see him.

When Arthur was walking down to Gaius’s chambers he walked passed his father’s old chambers. The entire hall had been blocked off by guards and chains until all the damage could be repaired. As Arthur looked down the hall he could not believe how quickly things had changed. In less than a day Arthur had become King and Morgana became a threat to Camelot. Arthur’s pace slowed as he thought about Morgana. He wondered what she was doing and where she was. At one time he looked up to Morgana. If things were different he would have gone to her for the guidance and support he needed during his father’s funeral. Then again he realized Morgana may have been at a funeral of her own. Arthur replayed the image in his mind of Morgause falling to the ground after he pulled his sword from her chest. For some reason Morgana cared about that sorcerer and was probably paying her respects to the dead as well.

The farther down the castle Arthur traveled the darker it became. Torches were spread father apart and windows were few as Arthur descended to Gaius’s chambers. Inside Gaius’s chambers there were small candle stubs placed on every shelf and table in the room. Sitting around a small work bench was Sir Leon, Sir Percival, Sir Richard, and Gaius. When Arthur entered the room they all stood up and properly bowed to address their King. As soon as Arthur was seated Gaius began speaking.

“Sire, I called you and the Knights here to discuss a plan of action as far as the Lady Morgana. I have already told the Knights about my suggestion to seek out Sir Gwaine and offer him a deal to return to Camelot. We all think that we could benefit from his skills as a warrior….” Gaius paused and read Arthur’s face then continued to say, “Sire, I am not trying to go against your will, but I believe Gwaine is our best chance to defend ourselves if Morgana attacks.”

“It is ok, Gaius.” Arthur said as he stood up and patted Gaius on the back. “Thank you…. everyone. I cannot tell you how much your support has meant to me today. Each of you has provided me with encouragement and support. Without it I would not have been able to make it through today. It just goes to show that everyone has power and that there is power in friendship. I hear what you are saying and advising me to do.”

The Knights each watched Arthur and looked on him with admiration as he spoke and led the group. Sir Leon had been a Knight for several years and was very close to Arthur. They were like brothers and while Sir Leon watched Arthur thank the men for their work and help he could not help but be glad that Arthur was King. Camelot had been at war with its self for a very long time but with Arthur on the throne it was clear that peace would soon find them.

“I appreciate everything you have done for me, and with that said I want to tell you that I agree. I have thinking about it all day. Sir Gwaine was a good friend to many of us and a trusted Knight. I believe having him back in Camelot will help us rebuild and prepare of Morgana’s attack.” Arthur declared as the men cheered. “Merlin and I will leave Camelot at first light to find him.”

“Knowing Gwaine he probably has stopped at every tavern from here to the end of Camelot’s borders. I am sure someone will know how to find him.” Sir Percival said with a laugh.