link
Gwen sits alone at the railway station, waiting for the coach that’ll take her to Mercia and then to Caerleon. She plans to meet up with Elyan there and the train is supposed to have made it past twenty minutes il y a but unfortunately, there is a delay and now she’ll have to wait another hour. Fifteen minutes has passed and she looks at the time nervously and then as the empty railroad, waiting for the blasted train to make its appearance. She pulls her manteau tightly around her and sighs. The railway station was almost empty when she arrived but now, it’s getting filled quickly with people from all walks of life. Train service is the seconde highly sought after transportation in Camelot after car. For those who hardly own their own transport will look towards the train to get them around and sometimes, it’s a choice for those who wish to travel far and save on petrol. It’s no wonder the railway station gets packed before noon. Someone taps on her shoulder and she turns around.
“Did toi get it Morgana?”
“Well, he didn’t have strong black coffee but I managed to get toi tea. Is that all right?” Morgana asks, handing Gwen the cup of thé she held.
“Anything will do at the moment Morgana. I’m cold and could use something hot.” Gwen takes the cup from Morgana. “Is it sweet?”
“Yeah… what time is your train?” Morgana asks and sits down beside Gwen.
“It’s delayed… need to wait for another half hour,” Gwen says shaking her head and sipping her tea. “This is frustrating, toi know… just when toi are in a hurry, toi get these sort of problems!”
Morgana nods and waits in silence. There is a question that has been burning in her cœur, coeur all morning and wants to know the answer from Gwen, but she is afraid her friend may not like what she is about to ask. But she still needs to know. “Gwen… I know toi have answered me already but what’s the hurry to get to Carleon? toi know what jour it is today, don’t you?”
“Elyan wants to meet me urgently, and I don’t know why. All I know is I have to get there as soon as I can.”
“Yes, but…”
“Arthur will understand, as should you, Morgana. Elyan is important to me as well. toi know that don’t you?”
“I do, I’m sorry. Just… never mind.” Morgana ends her curiosity and looks around. Her stomach rumbles and she is hungry, there’s no doubt in that. She skipped breakfast today because Gwen called her in the wee hours informing she’ll be leaving Camelot and Morgana didn’t have the time to think about her own hunger. She dressed up as quickly she can and accompanied her friend here. And now her hunger pang is retuning, threatening to eat her up from inside if she doesn’t do anything about it. “I need to get something to eat, Gwen… be back in a minute,” Morgana says and leaves.
“Get me a sandwich, please.” Gwen requests and Morgana nods and walks off.
Arthur shades his eyes with his eyes and waits in the car as Merlin and Gwaine talks to Gaius. From Gaius’s body language, Arthur knows he will be disappointed again. He sighs and leans his head back. His cœur, coeur is still beating rapidly, thinking what possibly could have happened to his Guinevere. But no one seems to have an answer for him. Merlin and Gwaine get back inside the car and Arthur straightens up.
“He doesn’t know, right?” Arthur says without much of an emotion.
“I’m sorry, Arthur… looks like Gwen didn’t tell Gaius where she went, but she isn’t due to be at work today.” Merlin informs.
“Meaning?”
“She took a mois off, Arthur,” Gwaine answers.
“A month?”
“Yes, to be with you… from what Gaius told us. That’s why he seems fine that she isn’t around,” Gwaine adds and starts the car.
“But…” Arthur stops when Merlin’s phone rings.
Merlin fishes it out and flips it open. It is an unknown number and he thinks twice about answering. Finally he clicks on the button and brings it to his ears. “Hello?”
“Hello, Merlin?” the voice seems familiar but Merlin couldn’t quite put his finger to it. “It’s me, Morgana.”
“Ahhh…” now it makes sense. Merlin’s face lights up the moment he hears her name. He points to the others. “Yes, Morgana, where have toi been? What happened to your phone?”
“I changed my number because of a problem, but… listen, I haven’t much time and I just want to inform toi that Gwen is leaving for Caerleon now. We are at the railway station and her train is delayed. It should be arriving in another half heure ou so. She didn’t tell me why but I think there’s something terribly wrong with her today. She looks nervous yet she hides her emotions well. I am not sure if she told Arthur but she hardly spoke about him today.”
“Oh…”
“What is it Merlin?” Arthur leans over and shakes Merlin’s hand.
“Is everything fine, Merlin?” Morgana asks from the other side of the line. “I am really worried for her.”
“Yes, it is. Thank toi Morgana. We are on our way there. Keep us updated if there’s anything. Thanks.” Merlin ends the conversation and looks at the other two in shock. “Gwen’s leaving for Carleon and in the railway station as we speak. Morgana says something’s not quite right with Gwen.”
“Get me there now, Gwaine!” Arthur instructs and Gwaine hits on the accelerator, speeding the car towards the railway station.
“You took ages to get this sandwich,” Gwen laughs, taking the sandwich, "sandwich" from Morgana. “I almost thought of looking for toi myself.”
“You know how fussy I am with the vegetables… I took time to discard the vegetables I didn’t like,” Morgana says, finishes her pain and tosses the wrapper into the litter bin. She wipes her hand and mouth and throws the tissue into the bin as well. “Looks like toi are not going to Carleon today, Gwen… I don’t see the train at all.”
“I have to… par any means. I don’t mind waiting for the train, no matter how long it takes,” Gwen says determinedly.
Morgana smiles but deep down, she is worried for her friend. Gwen is in some kind of a trouble but she is not talking about it. Morgana is also worried that Gwen has hardly mentioned Arthur’s name today. Did they have any misunderstanding? A fight? Did they bicker? question after question flooded her brain yet she couldn’t find the answers. The one person who can answer that is Gwen alone and she isn’t talking.
A small boy plays with a ball near the girls. Both Morgana and Gwen notice the boy and Morgana smiles when the boy looks up at her. He smiles back and continues playing with his ball, bouncing them up the ground.
“He’s cute, isn’t he?” Gwen says.
“I feel like cuddling him, but where are his parents? They surely can’t be serious leaving the boy all alone here and around such a dangerous place, too,” Morgana says, looking around. But before she can spot the boy’s parents, the ball slips from the boy’s hand, rolling off towards the edge of the platform. Gwen, who’s been watching the boy quickly, drops her bag, sandwich, "sandwich" and rushes towards the boy, picking him up before he tumbles over the platform.
“Got you!” Gwen says as she swings him away from the edge. Morgana lets a sigh of relief and crosses herself.
“Jeremy!” a woman rushes towards Gwen; fear in her face and her arms extended. “Oh, Lord! Thank God toi are fine!”
“Is this your son?” Gwen asks, handing him over.
“Yes, thank toi so much. I was searching all over for him,” The woman takes her son from Gwen and hugs him. “Thank you.”
“Better keep him with you… imagine if he’d fallen off. We almost died of a cœur, coeur attack watching him!” Gwen scolds the woman.
“My cœur, coeur was in my mouth!” Morgana replies, nearing them. “You have such a lovely son; don’t allow him to wander off on his own,” she adds.
“I won’t, sorry. But thank toi so much for the help. Bye… say bye, Jeremy.” The woman waves towards the girls. After a second, the boy waves at them too.
“Bye, Jeremy,” Gwen says waving at him. Morgana blows him a Kiss and they watch the lady disappear among the crowd.
“Such a reckless parent… hmph!” Morgana says and walks back to the bench she had been sitting.
Gwen smiles at Morgana, turns around on her heels and a guy slams against her, falling down and taking her with him. The guy lands on her, Gwen underneath him, her head slamming on the ground but she is glad the fall isn’t as bad she thought it might be. She manages to hold onto the man she slammed against and makes the fall less painful.
“Ooofff!” she grumbles as she is pinned on the ground, the man crushing her. She tries to push him away but he is heavy. “Hey!” she shouts and tries to roll him off. “Get off me!”
The man stirs and looks up and Gwen’s cœur, coeur sinks. ‘This can’t be!’ she thinks as she stops pushing him away, though her breathing is getting raspier because of his heavy crush on her.
Arthur adjusts his shades and pulls himself up, embarrassed for falling on haut, retour au début of an unknown woman and seconde for pinning her in a compromising position. But something about this woman reminds him of a person he knows well. He lifts himself up and the moment he does, he comes in contact with her arm and he accidentally holds it. Arthur’s cœur, coeur races. The touch, he knows it well… he has held this hand before, but… could this woman underneath him be his Guinevere?
Gwen knows Arthur probably had found out about her so she didn’t want to waste his time. So, instead of peeling him of her like she intended, she smiles at him. “Arthur?”
The voice, yes… the same voice. He knows it. He has heard it many times before. Is it her? Is this Guinevere? “Guinevere?” Arthur asks, curiously.
“Yes… it’s me, Arthur!”
Arthur lifts himself and kneels beside Gwen while the latter picks herself up and dusts off the grime and dust from her elbow, hands and back. She looks at Arthur and smiles again.
“Don’t toi recognise me? It’s me.”
“Is this you?” Arthur’s fingers tremble as he brings them closer to Gwen. He touches her shoulder, trailing his hand down to her hand and feels her skin. But he is confused. He couldn’t feel her like he did when he was blind. Then he thought of a way. He closes his eyes and touches her skin again, feeling her. That hit the jackpot. It is her after all. He remembers the way her skin responds to his touch and it still does that. Arthur reopens his eyes and smiles, sighing in relief. “Guinevere!” he says and leans across to hug her.
“Whoa… careful, Arthur. toi don’t want to crush me again, do you?” Gwen laughs as she embraces him warmly.
“Oh, my… is this you? Guinevere… is this how toi look?” Arthur releases her and feels her face, caressing her soft skin. “I see you… I finally see you!” he says happily.
“Have I disappointed toi Arthur?” she asks quietly.
“No… no sweetheart, not at all! I always knew toi were beautiful, but now I know toi are the most gorgeous woman in the world. And I can’t believe I finally got to see you… and look at you,” Arthur says softly, caressing her lips with his thumb. As he leans closer, Gwen stops him gently.
“Are toi sure we need to do all this while sitting down on the ground in the dirt and dust?”
“Of course not!” Arthur smiles and gets up to his feet and helps Gwen up on her feet as well. Gwen wipes her pants while Arthur dusts off the dirt from his own pants and shirt.
Morgana smiles happily as she watches both Gwen and Arthur together. Her prayers have been answered and all she needs now is for the train to be further delayed. ou if possible, don’t come at all. She wants Gwen to get back with Arthur and forget about Caerleon. Gwaine and Merlin come to stand beside her.
“They always have to meet in such a hilarious way, don’t they?” Merlin says, smiling.
“Tell me about it!” Morgana answers.
“You a dit she’s leaving for Caerleon today… do toi know why?” Gwaine asks but Morgana shakes her head.
“She didn’t talk much but there was some sort of sadness on her face. She told me Elyan needs her urgently and that’s all I know.”
“Is that why she didn’t come to the hospital?” Merlin asks.
“She’s been here all morning Merlin.”
“All morning? Wow!!” Merlin remarks and looks briefly at Gwaine. “No wonder your homes were empty when we visited them this morning. But we couldn’t get her on the phone too. Do toi know anything about that?”
“No, not at all. She called me from a new private number but I didn’t ask her what she did with her old one. I didn’t know toi couldn’t get hold of her?”
“We couldn’t and thank God toi called ou we would have missed her.” Gwaine says, looking at Gwen and Arthur in front of him. He wonders why Gwen decided to leave town in haste.
“Caerleon? Is something wrong with Elyan?” Arthur asks worriedly.
“No, he’s fine.” Gwen’s voice is flat.
“Then why are toi heading there for?”
“Because I want to pay him a visit, he is my brother after all Arthur. I can’t abandon him.”
“I know that, I’m sorry but since toi didn’t come to the hospital today, toi had me worried. And when I found out toi decided to leave Camelot, I was shocked as well. toi promised to be with me at the hospital and I wanted to see toi first when I open my eyes, so imagine what must have gone through my mind when I didn’t find you.”
“Arthur… sometimes I can’t be there for toi at all times yeah. toi have to learn to depend on your own. toi are not a child anymore and now, toi have your eyesight back so… think about it,” Gwen says nonchalantly.
Arthur looks puzzled at her. “What is it Guinevere? toi sound different. Is everything all right? I have never seen toi talk like this before?”
“Arthur!” Gwen smiles at him and blows a sigh of exasperation. “Look… I am fine yeah, and now, toi are fine too, so… let’s head our separate ways, shall we?” she says, throwing her hands in the air.
“Separate… what are toi talking about, Guinevere?” Arthur is confused. “What separate ways toi mean? toi and I are supposed to be married this week, toi know that don’t you? Let’s go home!”
“Home?” she laughs. “My accueil lies in Caerleon, Arthur… and who ever a dit I will marry you? Who gave toi that hope ou told toi that lie?”
Arthur’s cœur, coeur thumps wildly. “Guinevere!” Arthur’s says her name and stops, unsure what else to say. Her words had him tongue tied. ‘This can’t be true! Why is she talking like this?’ he thinks. After a minute, he gulps down a huge breath of air. ‘No, something is terribly wrong. I have to find out what is it. She needs me.’ Arthur thinks and tries to calm himself. ‘Perhaps she’s just teasing me.’ He says and chuckles to himself. “You are my fiancée Guinevere! Have toi forgotten that?”
And Gwen laughs, clutching her stomach. Her laugh stuns Arthur as well as the rest. Merlin watches in horror while Morgana covers her mouth. Gwaine doesn’t even know what to say.
“Arthur… toi are funny!” Gwen says in between her laugh, still clutching her stomach. “Oh… my, oh… Arthur!” she continues to laugh.
For Arthur, her laughter seems like a thorn, piercing his heart. ‘Why is she laughing?’ he thinks to himself, still too stunned to talk.
“How can toi even consider that I’ll marry you?”
“Guinevere, this isn’t funny and it has to stop. What is wrong with you? Why are toi even…”
“Look, Arthur!” Gwen stops him short par pointing a finger at him. “I thought toi are being funny but apparently not. And I think it’s time I put an end to this crap toi are blabbering about.”
“Crap?”
“Yes, for me… all this is nothing plus than some crap. Who gave the idea that we are engaged? And when did I even say I’ll marry toi Arthur?”
“But… but… that ring and the preparation?”
“That was all part of my plan Arthur,” she informs calmly.
“Plan?”
“Yes, look I haven’t got all the time in the world, so I’ll cut your miseries short. I have never loved toi ou promised to marry you. NEVER! For me, toi are nothing plus than a piece of a jigsaw I’d been putting up. toi killed my father and I wanted to get even with toi and if I had it my way, I would have toi behind bars a long time il y a until your father stepped in. He wants toi spared and offered me money, a lot of money. It was tempting, Arthur; who wouldn’t be tempted, so I accepted it and then your father made another offer I couldn’t resist. He wants to restore your eye sight but toi wouldn’t accept his offer so he asked if I could convince you,” Gwen explains. “I don’t know who ou what gave him that idea but there was plus money at stake which I thought I’d be a fool to let it pass and I accepted the challenge. I didn’t know toi ou met toi before but the challenge and the money was an interesting prospect and I decided to give it a try. So in order to convince you, I have to be your friend and then someone you’d listen to… but unfortunately, I had toi falling for me, but it was fine because toi made my work easier than I could ask for. And… that’s how everything happened and now, my job is done. I have received my sum and on my way to reap the benefits I sowed. And toi have nothing to lose Arthur because toi are free from the crime toi had yourself attached with and a brand new pair of eyes. Now, who would get that for free, huh?” Gwen explains and laughs, looking at Arthur calmly.
For Arthur, he feels as if the world had just come crushing down. He feels numb all over, his cœur, coeur shatters into shards and his lips quivers in anger. He is angry, sad, guilty and completely broken; all rolled into one. He couldn’t say ou déplacer anything. Everything about him has just turned numb. Is it true? He thinks to himself. Is she telling the truth? Is all this even happening? Is he dreaming? He must be dreaming because the Guinevere he knows will not break his cœur, coeur cruelly. Maybe she isn’t Guinevere at all! Yes, that must be it. Maybe this is a different person. He must chercher for his true l’amour elsewhere because this woman, in front of him isn’t the woman he had fallen in l’amour with.
Gwen snaps her fingers in front of him to snap him out from his dilemma. “Hello?” she says, almost teasingly. “Are toi all right?”
“You …” Arthur begins. “You are not my Guinevere; no… toi are not her!”
“So when the truth hurts, I am not Guinevere! Come on Arthur, toi can be smarter than that!”
“No, toi are not…”
“Look, Arthur, I haven’t the luxury ou the time to argue with you. toi want full details about me, go and ask the man toi call father. He knows it, all of it because he gave me the money. ou do I have to montrer toi the money to gain your trust? Do I have to? Do toi want to look at it?”
“No… I don’t believe you, NO!!” Arthur covers his ears and shakes his head, trying to make this madness leave him.
“It’s your wish, Arthur. I haven’t got anything to lose. toi too, remember that. It was all a plan where everyone benefitted from it. There isn’t any loser, only winners. I have to go, Arthur, and I had fun knowing you.” She turns to leave when Arthur sprinted in front of her, stopping her with his arms extended.
“You can’t do this to me, Guinevere! This isn’t fair. I loved you, I still do. Please… please!!” he begs her, tears welling up in his eyes.
Gwen sighs in frustration and shakes her head. “You still don’t get it, do you? I have never loved you!”
“That’s not true. toi accepted my ring, promised to marry me… toi l’amour me.”
“I like being in your company Arthur. There’s a huge difference between like and love.”
“You promised?”
“I make thousands of promises in a day, Arthur, and I don’t intend to keep any of them. Never did… toi are no exception. Besides, to gain your trust I had to lie, didn’t I, and promises are part and parcel of this lie!”
“No… No!”
Gwen hears the train from far and claps her hand in joy. “Look, my ride is here and I have a place to go. I hated hurting you, which is why I decided to leave before toi found out but unfortunately toi did. I can’t do much about it and neither can you, Arthur. And try not to look so sad about all this, Arthur… we both enjoyed each other’s company didn’t we? Sex would have been good, but it was not to be, but hey! We still had plenty of fun!”
“Guinevere…” Arthur staggers and almost falls but Gwen catches him first. He looks at her, tears rolling down his cheek. He is sad and broken but she watches without remorse. There is no sadness in her face ou her eyes. She seems relaxed and it hurts him more.
“Now, Arthur, be a man and accept it, all right?”
“How can toi betray me, Guinevere?” Arthur’s voice croaks with emotion and sadness.
“Betray you?” Gwen laughs. “I never betrayed you, Arthur. toi did that to yourself. I never asked toi to fall in l’amour with me; toi did that on your own. toi proposed and decided on the wedding yourself. I never uttered a single promise. So don’t tell me that I betrayed you! I didn’t!!” she adds angrily and releases him. Behind her the train comes to a halt, screeching to a stop. Passengers start to hurry towards the coach.
“I trusted toi Gwen! I trusted you… it’s not fair!!” Arthur’s voice rises. He is angry and he rolls his fist until his knuckles turns white.
“Hmmm…” Gwen sighs. “Let me get this fact straight since toi prefer getting all dramatic. This is life, Arthur, and this is how the system works. It’s a test of survival and like it ou not, this is all a part and parcel of our lives. toi can never be kind, honest and all things good, Arthur, toi need to survive and the only means of your survival kit has to be packed with some lies, betrayal, greed and dishonesty. There is always light and day, yin and yang, black and white in our life. And same goes with us. toi can’t be all good and saintly; toi have to be bad to win some and lose some. I Lost my father and no matter how good I had been, I still Lost him. I didn’t think it was fair to me, but did anyone listen? No, no one did… and you, toi almost got away with it until I decided to reap some benefits from your mistake. It might not sound fair to toi but then, is life always fair? toi still the big winner here, Arthur. toi killed my father, Lost your eyesight but had it restored and walk free. I got the money, yes, but… my father is still lying dead in his grave. I am the loser here, Arthur and how fair is that? Tell me?” Gwen grabs Arthur’s collier and shakes him, angrily. “Nothing is fair in life and nothing comes for free. Money is the answer for everything. toi have it and I don’t, so… is it wrong if I chose to enjoy some of it through you?” she releases him and looks at him sharply. “I am not sorry for what I did… but if toi are, that’s your problem, not mine!” she finishes.
Arthur’s cœur, coeur cracks and he no longer feels the pain. He stares at her for a long time. “So, all this while… everything, about us… toi and me… it’s been about the money?”
“Finally!” Gwen throws her hand in the air in relief. “You got it!! Yes Arthur! It was all about the money! I needed it and now I have it!”
“You could have been truthful, Guinevere. I was accepting my mistake and willing to pay the price for your father’s death. Even without your interference, I was willing to head to the jail for the murder I committed. toi didn’t have to do this to me.”
“You were willing to let yourself be tried, Arthur, but your father had the authority eating out of his hands. He was the power and he had the judge in his pocket. He was willing to go to lengths to see toi not tried and convicted. He was throwing the money to see the justice reversed and my father ended up being the victim of your father’s injustice and your carelessness. Elyan wants it to be done with because he felt he couldn’t win the case but I couldn’t let toi Pendragons off the hook so I decided to reopen the case. And I did and found some people willing to try the case. And with toi willing to let yourself be tried, I was certain to win it and that had your father worried, Arthur.” Gwen explains. “So he decided to choose a better way to shut me up… par offering me bigger sum than he did to close the case.”
“And is this the justice toi gave your father? par deciding to accept my father’s money and keeping the lid of the murder close forever?” Arthur asks, angry at being used and bullied.
Gwen laughs. “Your father’s offer had me thinking Arthur… par accepting the money and keeping myself away from the case, I’ll be benefiting in lots of ways. What good will I get when I see toi jailed and my father still dead? Nothing. My old man is gone forever and even through your punishment, I will still not have my father back but I can be rich through him. And I thought, why not? This is way better than see toi in jail.”
“Where are your values, Guinevere? Is this what your father taught you? I thought toi had plus decency than to stoop to such an indecorous level?” Arthur shakes his head in disgust.
“You shouldn’t be talking about subjects toi and your father don’t practice in your lives, Arthur! My father taught me plus values than toi know ou your father uses in his life. I am what I am now because of what toi and your father did to me! Remember that!!” Gwen snaps back at Arthur.
Arthur sighs sadly. “Look… what happened… I am truly sorry for it, Guinevere. I am, honestly. But… I would have appreciated if toi had told me the truth. I would have listened.”
“And blow my cover? No way… look! Your father tabled an offer I couldn’t say no to, so I took up the challenge. I didn’t have any other intentions on toi but if you’ve fallen in l’amour with me, then I’m sorry, mate. I never gave toi that idea in the first place but I use it for my foil. That’s all. But toi and I were never made for each other. It simply wouldn’t have worked!”
“Why, Guinevere… I could have made toi happy. I will give toi all my love…”
“Love alone will not buy my happiness Arthur, only money does.”
“Money! Money! Money!” Arthur screams, attracting the passengers. “What is wrong with you, Guinevere? I will give toi my life if toi ask; I will drop all my wealth at your feet… why do toi hurt me like this? I want toi back in my life, Guinevere… please! I will forget everything that happened… please, give me a chance, Guinevere!”
“You are starting to piss me off, Arthur. Haven’t I made it clear to toi already? I cannot marry toi because I don’t l’amour you. And I don’t want to be bound to toi for life!”
“Why?”
“Because I’ll be caged, Arthur! I’ll be caged with guilt of marrying toi for money and not love, I’ll be caged with responsibility when I crave freedom and I’ll be caged with toi for the rest of my life when I don’t l’amour toi at all! I don’t deny marrying toi will secure me financially but that’s all. I l’amour money, I don’t deny that, but I prefer enjoying it on my own, not with toi trotting behind me with your pathetic l’amour stories, get it? That’s why I’m running off, Arthur! I don’t l’amour toi and I will never l’amour you, no matter what toi tell me. I am not ready to share my life with anyone, especially someone I don’t love, so… I hope I’ve made myself clear. I hate repeating it again and again. Just leave me alone!!”
“Enough, Gwen!” Gwaine says as he closes in Arthur and holds his friend par his shoulder. “I have heard enough from you!” he adds. Beside him, Arthur remains quiet obviously shattered and completely broken par what he heard from Gwen.
“Look, Gwaine… I didn’t start this, your friend here did, so if toi have an issue, ask him. I have to leave.”
“How can toi be so cruel, Gwen? Why?” Gwaine asks, looking pitifully at Arthur. “How can toi do this to him?”
“How many times do I have to tell the same thing again and again? I haven’t the time, Gwaine. Not for Arthur ou you… I have a dit my piece and should he choose to believe and accept it, that’s his choice. I will not decide anything because my task is done and I’ve been handsomely rewarded. So goodbye, everyone,” Gwen smiles and turns. But someone grabs her hand and as she turns around, Arthur slaps her hard.
The slap stuns Gwen and some passengers looking out from the window of the train. Gwen trails her hand from her cheek down to her lips, feels her fast swelling lips and looks down at her hand. There were traces of blood on her fingers. She looks up at Arthur angrily.
“I wish I have never seen toi at all, Gwen. I hate everything about you. Your name leaves a amer taste in my mouth, your sight disgusts me and I am humiliated par the fact that we had some moments together. toi will now remain my nightmare, my past and a amer pill to swallow. toi no longer exist in my life, and today marks the final meeting between us. toi are a bitch, Gwen! A bitch! Keep that ring, I don’t need that anymore and that money I loaned you… that’ll be my payment to toi for the services toi offered me all this while!” and with that, Arthur turns on his heels and walks away. Gwaine shakes his head and runs after Arthur.
Gwen watches with a smirk on her lips. The cut she feels in her lips hurts but she is satisfied with how the event has turned out.
“Gwen?” she looks to her left and finds Merlin looking at her. She smiles at him.
“What is that all about?” he asks softly.
“You heard…”
“No, I don’t believe a single word toi said, Gwen. I’m not stupid and I am not Arthur. I know toi and I know toi don’t mean all that you’ve just said.”
“Here we go again. What is wrong with all of you? What do I have to do to get the information drilled into your head?” Gwen shouts at Merlin.
“You can shout all toi want to convince anyone, Gwen, but not me. I don’t believe a single word toi said.”
“Then that’s your problem, not mine. Look, I have to go and I cannot find anything bad to say about toi ou Gwaine. You’ve been good Friends to me, though I doubt after today any positive image of me will still stay in your minds. So, until then… goodbye Merlin!” Gwen says and rushes to the bench to pick her bag. She slings it across her shoulder and looks up at the still petrified Morgana. “Goodbye Morgana. Our journey ends here, I suppose.” She says and smiles at her friend and hurries to the coach. She climbs up the steps and enters, without looking back at her friends. The train moves slowly. Morgana hurries towards Merlin and they chercher frantically for Gwen but they don’t find her anywhere. The train speeds up and after five minutes, the railway becomes empty again with the train now a distance picture. Merlin sighs and leaves but Morgana still waits at the platform, looking at the disappearing train.
Gwen sits alone at the railway station, waiting for the coach that’ll take her to Mercia and then to Caerleon. She plans to meet up with Elyan there and the train is supposed to have made it past twenty minutes il y a but unfortunately, there is a delay and now she’ll have to wait another hour. Fifteen minutes has passed and she looks at the time nervously and then as the empty railroad, waiting for the blasted train to make its appearance. She pulls her manteau tightly around her and sighs. The railway station was almost empty when she arrived but now, it’s getting filled quickly with people from all walks of life. Train service is the seconde highly sought after transportation in Camelot after car. For those who hardly own their own transport will look towards the train to get them around and sometimes, it’s a choice for those who wish to travel far and save on petrol. It’s no wonder the railway station gets packed before noon. Someone taps on her shoulder and she turns around.
“Did toi get it Morgana?”
“Well, he didn’t have strong black coffee but I managed to get toi tea. Is that all right?” Morgana asks, handing Gwen the cup of thé she held.
“Anything will do at the moment Morgana. I’m cold and could use something hot.” Gwen takes the cup from Morgana. “Is it sweet?”
“Yeah… what time is your train?” Morgana asks and sits down beside Gwen.
“It’s delayed… need to wait for another half hour,” Gwen says shaking her head and sipping her tea. “This is frustrating, toi know… just when toi are in a hurry, toi get these sort of problems!”
Morgana nods and waits in silence. There is a question that has been burning in her cœur, coeur all morning and wants to know the answer from Gwen, but she is afraid her friend may not like what she is about to ask. But she still needs to know. “Gwen… I know toi have answered me already but what’s the hurry to get to Carleon? toi know what jour it is today, don’t you?”
“Elyan wants to meet me urgently, and I don’t know why. All I know is I have to get there as soon as I can.”
“Yes, but…”
“Arthur will understand, as should you, Morgana. Elyan is important to me as well. toi know that don’t you?”
“I do, I’m sorry. Just… never mind.” Morgana ends her curiosity and looks around. Her stomach rumbles and she is hungry, there’s no doubt in that. She skipped breakfast today because Gwen called her in the wee hours informing she’ll be leaving Camelot and Morgana didn’t have the time to think about her own hunger. She dressed up as quickly she can and accompanied her friend here. And now her hunger pang is retuning, threatening to eat her up from inside if she doesn’t do anything about it. “I need to get something to eat, Gwen… be back in a minute,” Morgana says and leaves.
“Get me a sandwich, please.” Gwen requests and Morgana nods and walks off.
Arthur shades his eyes with his eyes and waits in the car as Merlin and Gwaine talks to Gaius. From Gaius’s body language, Arthur knows he will be disappointed again. He sighs and leans his head back. His cœur, coeur is still beating rapidly, thinking what possibly could have happened to his Guinevere. But no one seems to have an answer for him. Merlin and Gwaine get back inside the car and Arthur straightens up.
“He doesn’t know, right?” Arthur says without much of an emotion.
“I’m sorry, Arthur… looks like Gwen didn’t tell Gaius where she went, but she isn’t due to be at work today.” Merlin informs.
“Meaning?”
“She took a mois off, Arthur,” Gwaine answers.
“A month?”
“Yes, to be with you… from what Gaius told us. That’s why he seems fine that she isn’t around,” Gwaine adds and starts the car.
“But…” Arthur stops when Merlin’s phone rings.
Merlin fishes it out and flips it open. It is an unknown number and he thinks twice about answering. Finally he clicks on the button and brings it to his ears. “Hello?”
“Hello, Merlin?” the voice seems familiar but Merlin couldn’t quite put his finger to it. “It’s me, Morgana.”
“Ahhh…” now it makes sense. Merlin’s face lights up the moment he hears her name. He points to the others. “Yes, Morgana, where have toi been? What happened to your phone?”
“I changed my number because of a problem, but… listen, I haven’t much time and I just want to inform toi that Gwen is leaving for Caerleon now. We are at the railway station and her train is delayed. It should be arriving in another half heure ou so. She didn’t tell me why but I think there’s something terribly wrong with her today. She looks nervous yet she hides her emotions well. I am not sure if she told Arthur but she hardly spoke about him today.”
“Oh…”
“What is it Merlin?” Arthur leans over and shakes Merlin’s hand.
“Is everything fine, Merlin?” Morgana asks from the other side of the line. “I am really worried for her.”
“Yes, it is. Thank toi Morgana. We are on our way there. Keep us updated if there’s anything. Thanks.” Merlin ends the conversation and looks at the other two in shock. “Gwen’s leaving for Carleon and in the railway station as we speak. Morgana says something’s not quite right with Gwen.”
“Get me there now, Gwaine!” Arthur instructs and Gwaine hits on the accelerator, speeding the car towards the railway station.
“You took ages to get this sandwich,” Gwen laughs, taking the sandwich, "sandwich" from Morgana. “I almost thought of looking for toi myself.”
“You know how fussy I am with the vegetables… I took time to discard the vegetables I didn’t like,” Morgana says, finishes her pain and tosses the wrapper into the litter bin. She wipes her hand and mouth and throws the tissue into the bin as well. “Looks like toi are not going to Carleon today, Gwen… I don’t see the train at all.”
“I have to… par any means. I don’t mind waiting for the train, no matter how long it takes,” Gwen says determinedly.
Morgana smiles but deep down, she is worried for her friend. Gwen is in some kind of a trouble but she is not talking about it. Morgana is also worried that Gwen has hardly mentioned Arthur’s name today. Did they have any misunderstanding? A fight? Did they bicker? question after question flooded her brain yet she couldn’t find the answers. The one person who can answer that is Gwen alone and she isn’t talking.
A small boy plays with a ball near the girls. Both Morgana and Gwen notice the boy and Morgana smiles when the boy looks up at her. He smiles back and continues playing with his ball, bouncing them up the ground.
“He’s cute, isn’t he?” Gwen says.
“I feel like cuddling him, but where are his parents? They surely can’t be serious leaving the boy all alone here and around such a dangerous place, too,” Morgana says, looking around. But before she can spot the boy’s parents, the ball slips from the boy’s hand, rolling off towards the edge of the platform. Gwen, who’s been watching the boy quickly, drops her bag, sandwich, "sandwich" and rushes towards the boy, picking him up before he tumbles over the platform.
“Got you!” Gwen says as she swings him away from the edge. Morgana lets a sigh of relief and crosses herself.
“Jeremy!” a woman rushes towards Gwen; fear in her face and her arms extended. “Oh, Lord! Thank God toi are fine!”
“Is this your son?” Gwen asks, handing him over.
“Yes, thank toi so much. I was searching all over for him,” The woman takes her son from Gwen and hugs him. “Thank you.”
“Better keep him with you… imagine if he’d fallen off. We almost died of a cœur, coeur attack watching him!” Gwen scolds the woman.
“My cœur, coeur was in my mouth!” Morgana replies, nearing them. “You have such a lovely son; don’t allow him to wander off on his own,” she adds.
“I won’t, sorry. But thank toi so much for the help. Bye… say bye, Jeremy.” The woman waves towards the girls. After a second, the boy waves at them too.
“Bye, Jeremy,” Gwen says waving at him. Morgana blows him a Kiss and they watch the lady disappear among the crowd.
“Such a reckless parent… hmph!” Morgana says and walks back to the bench she had been sitting.
Gwen smiles at Morgana, turns around on her heels and a guy slams against her, falling down and taking her with him. The guy lands on her, Gwen underneath him, her head slamming on the ground but she is glad the fall isn’t as bad she thought it might be. She manages to hold onto the man she slammed against and makes the fall less painful.
“Ooofff!” she grumbles as she is pinned on the ground, the man crushing her. She tries to push him away but he is heavy. “Hey!” she shouts and tries to roll him off. “Get off me!”
The man stirs and looks up and Gwen’s cœur, coeur sinks. ‘This can’t be!’ she thinks as she stops pushing him away, though her breathing is getting raspier because of his heavy crush on her.
Arthur adjusts his shades and pulls himself up, embarrassed for falling on haut, retour au début of an unknown woman and seconde for pinning her in a compromising position. But something about this woman reminds him of a person he knows well. He lifts himself up and the moment he does, he comes in contact with her arm and he accidentally holds it. Arthur’s cœur, coeur races. The touch, he knows it well… he has held this hand before, but… could this woman underneath him be his Guinevere?
Gwen knows Arthur probably had found out about her so she didn’t want to waste his time. So, instead of peeling him of her like she intended, she smiles at him. “Arthur?”
The voice, yes… the same voice. He knows it. He has heard it many times before. Is it her? Is this Guinevere? “Guinevere?” Arthur asks, curiously.
“Yes… it’s me, Arthur!”
Arthur lifts himself and kneels beside Gwen while the latter picks herself up and dusts off the grime and dust from her elbow, hands and back. She looks at Arthur and smiles again.
“Don’t toi recognise me? It’s me.”
“Is this you?” Arthur’s fingers tremble as he brings them closer to Gwen. He touches her shoulder, trailing his hand down to her hand and feels her skin. But he is confused. He couldn’t feel her like he did when he was blind. Then he thought of a way. He closes his eyes and touches her skin again, feeling her. That hit the jackpot. It is her after all. He remembers the way her skin responds to his touch and it still does that. Arthur reopens his eyes and smiles, sighing in relief. “Guinevere!” he says and leans across to hug her.
“Whoa… careful, Arthur. toi don’t want to crush me again, do you?” Gwen laughs as she embraces him warmly.
“Oh, my… is this you? Guinevere… is this how toi look?” Arthur releases her and feels her face, caressing her soft skin. “I see you… I finally see you!” he says happily.
“Have I disappointed toi Arthur?” she asks quietly.
“No… no sweetheart, not at all! I always knew toi were beautiful, but now I know toi are the most gorgeous woman in the world. And I can’t believe I finally got to see you… and look at you,” Arthur says softly, caressing her lips with his thumb. As he leans closer, Gwen stops him gently.
“Are toi sure we need to do all this while sitting down on the ground in the dirt and dust?”
“Of course not!” Arthur smiles and gets up to his feet and helps Gwen up on her feet as well. Gwen wipes her pants while Arthur dusts off the dirt from his own pants and shirt.
Morgana smiles happily as she watches both Gwen and Arthur together. Her prayers have been answered and all she needs now is for the train to be further delayed. ou if possible, don’t come at all. She wants Gwen to get back with Arthur and forget about Caerleon. Gwaine and Merlin come to stand beside her.
“They always have to meet in such a hilarious way, don’t they?” Merlin says, smiling.
“Tell me about it!” Morgana answers.
“You a dit she’s leaving for Caerleon today… do toi know why?” Gwaine asks but Morgana shakes her head.
“She didn’t talk much but there was some sort of sadness on her face. She told me Elyan needs her urgently and that’s all I know.”
“Is that why she didn’t come to the hospital?” Merlin asks.
“She’s been here all morning Merlin.”
“All morning? Wow!!” Merlin remarks and looks briefly at Gwaine. “No wonder your homes were empty when we visited them this morning. But we couldn’t get her on the phone too. Do toi know anything about that?”
“No, not at all. She called me from a new private number but I didn’t ask her what she did with her old one. I didn’t know toi couldn’t get hold of her?”
“We couldn’t and thank God toi called ou we would have missed her.” Gwaine says, looking at Gwen and Arthur in front of him. He wonders why Gwen decided to leave town in haste.
“Caerleon? Is something wrong with Elyan?” Arthur asks worriedly.
“No, he’s fine.” Gwen’s voice is flat.
“Then why are toi heading there for?”
“Because I want to pay him a visit, he is my brother after all Arthur. I can’t abandon him.”
“I know that, I’m sorry but since toi didn’t come to the hospital today, toi had me worried. And when I found out toi decided to leave Camelot, I was shocked as well. toi promised to be with me at the hospital and I wanted to see toi first when I open my eyes, so imagine what must have gone through my mind when I didn’t find you.”
“Arthur… sometimes I can’t be there for toi at all times yeah. toi have to learn to depend on your own. toi are not a child anymore and now, toi have your eyesight back so… think about it,” Gwen says nonchalantly.
Arthur looks puzzled at her. “What is it Guinevere? toi sound different. Is everything all right? I have never seen toi talk like this before?”
“Arthur!” Gwen smiles at him and blows a sigh of exasperation. “Look… I am fine yeah, and now, toi are fine too, so… let’s head our separate ways, shall we?” she says, throwing her hands in the air.
“Separate… what are toi talking about, Guinevere?” Arthur is confused. “What separate ways toi mean? toi and I are supposed to be married this week, toi know that don’t you? Let’s go home!”
“Home?” she laughs. “My accueil lies in Caerleon, Arthur… and who ever a dit I will marry you? Who gave toi that hope ou told toi that lie?”
Arthur’s cœur, coeur thumps wildly. “Guinevere!” Arthur’s says her name and stops, unsure what else to say. Her words had him tongue tied. ‘This can’t be true! Why is she talking like this?’ he thinks. After a minute, he gulps down a huge breath of air. ‘No, something is terribly wrong. I have to find out what is it. She needs me.’ Arthur thinks and tries to calm himself. ‘Perhaps she’s just teasing me.’ He says and chuckles to himself. “You are my fiancée Guinevere! Have toi forgotten that?”
And Gwen laughs, clutching her stomach. Her laugh stuns Arthur as well as the rest. Merlin watches in horror while Morgana covers her mouth. Gwaine doesn’t even know what to say.
“Arthur… toi are funny!” Gwen says in between her laugh, still clutching her stomach. “Oh… my, oh… Arthur!” she continues to laugh.
For Arthur, her laughter seems like a thorn, piercing his heart. ‘Why is she laughing?’ he thinks to himself, still too stunned to talk.
“How can toi even consider that I’ll marry you?”
“Guinevere, this isn’t funny and it has to stop. What is wrong with you? Why are toi even…”
“Look, Arthur!” Gwen stops him short par pointing a finger at him. “I thought toi are being funny but apparently not. And I think it’s time I put an end to this crap toi are blabbering about.”
“Crap?”
“Yes, for me… all this is nothing plus than some crap. Who gave the idea that we are engaged? And when did I even say I’ll marry toi Arthur?”
“But… but… that ring and the preparation?”
“That was all part of my plan Arthur,” she informs calmly.
“Plan?”
“Yes, look I haven’t got all the time in the world, so I’ll cut your miseries short. I have never loved toi ou promised to marry you. NEVER! For me, toi are nothing plus than a piece of a jigsaw I’d been putting up. toi killed my father and I wanted to get even with toi and if I had it my way, I would have toi behind bars a long time il y a until your father stepped in. He wants toi spared and offered me money, a lot of money. It was tempting, Arthur; who wouldn’t be tempted, so I accepted it and then your father made another offer I couldn’t resist. He wants to restore your eye sight but toi wouldn’t accept his offer so he asked if I could convince you,” Gwen explains. “I don’t know who ou what gave him that idea but there was plus money at stake which I thought I’d be a fool to let it pass and I accepted the challenge. I didn’t know toi ou met toi before but the challenge and the money was an interesting prospect and I decided to give it a try. So in order to convince you, I have to be your friend and then someone you’d listen to… but unfortunately, I had toi falling for me, but it was fine because toi made my work easier than I could ask for. And… that’s how everything happened and now, my job is done. I have received my sum and on my way to reap the benefits I sowed. And toi have nothing to lose Arthur because toi are free from the crime toi had yourself attached with and a brand new pair of eyes. Now, who would get that for free, huh?” Gwen explains and laughs, looking at Arthur calmly.
For Arthur, he feels as if the world had just come crushing down. He feels numb all over, his cœur, coeur shatters into shards and his lips quivers in anger. He is angry, sad, guilty and completely broken; all rolled into one. He couldn’t say ou déplacer anything. Everything about him has just turned numb. Is it true? He thinks to himself. Is she telling the truth? Is all this even happening? Is he dreaming? He must be dreaming because the Guinevere he knows will not break his cœur, coeur cruelly. Maybe she isn’t Guinevere at all! Yes, that must be it. Maybe this is a different person. He must chercher for his true l’amour elsewhere because this woman, in front of him isn’t the woman he had fallen in l’amour with.
Gwen snaps her fingers in front of him to snap him out from his dilemma. “Hello?” she says, almost teasingly. “Are toi all right?”
“You …” Arthur begins. “You are not my Guinevere; no… toi are not her!”
“So when the truth hurts, I am not Guinevere! Come on Arthur, toi can be smarter than that!”
“No, toi are not…”
“Look, Arthur, I haven’t the luxury ou the time to argue with you. toi want full details about me, go and ask the man toi call father. He knows it, all of it because he gave me the money. ou do I have to montrer toi the money to gain your trust? Do I have to? Do toi want to look at it?”
“No… I don’t believe you, NO!!” Arthur covers his ears and shakes his head, trying to make this madness leave him.
“It’s your wish, Arthur. I haven’t got anything to lose. toi too, remember that. It was all a plan where everyone benefitted from it. There isn’t any loser, only winners. I have to go, Arthur, and I had fun knowing you.” She turns to leave when Arthur sprinted in front of her, stopping her with his arms extended.
“You can’t do this to me, Guinevere! This isn’t fair. I loved you, I still do. Please… please!!” he begs her, tears welling up in his eyes.
Gwen sighs in frustration and shakes her head. “You still don’t get it, do you? I have never loved you!”
“That’s not true. toi accepted my ring, promised to marry me… toi l’amour me.”
“I like being in your company Arthur. There’s a huge difference between like and love.”
“You promised?”
“I make thousands of promises in a day, Arthur, and I don’t intend to keep any of them. Never did… toi are no exception. Besides, to gain your trust I had to lie, didn’t I, and promises are part and parcel of this lie!”
“No… No!”
Gwen hears the train from far and claps her hand in joy. “Look, my ride is here and I have a place to go. I hated hurting you, which is why I decided to leave before toi found out but unfortunately toi did. I can’t do much about it and neither can you, Arthur. And try not to look so sad about all this, Arthur… we both enjoyed each other’s company didn’t we? Sex would have been good, but it was not to be, but hey! We still had plenty of fun!”
“Guinevere…” Arthur staggers and almost falls but Gwen catches him first. He looks at her, tears rolling down his cheek. He is sad and broken but she watches without remorse. There is no sadness in her face ou her eyes. She seems relaxed and it hurts him more.
“Now, Arthur, be a man and accept it, all right?”
“How can toi betray me, Guinevere?” Arthur’s voice croaks with emotion and sadness.
“Betray you?” Gwen laughs. “I never betrayed you, Arthur. toi did that to yourself. I never asked toi to fall in l’amour with me; toi did that on your own. toi proposed and decided on the wedding yourself. I never uttered a single promise. So don’t tell me that I betrayed you! I didn’t!!” she adds angrily and releases him. Behind her the train comes to a halt, screeching to a stop. Passengers start to hurry towards the coach.
“I trusted toi Gwen! I trusted you… it’s not fair!!” Arthur’s voice rises. He is angry and he rolls his fist until his knuckles turns white.
“Hmmm…” Gwen sighs. “Let me get this fact straight since toi prefer getting all dramatic. This is life, Arthur, and this is how the system works. It’s a test of survival and like it ou not, this is all a part and parcel of our lives. toi can never be kind, honest and all things good, Arthur, toi need to survive and the only means of your survival kit has to be packed with some lies, betrayal, greed and dishonesty. There is always light and day, yin and yang, black and white in our life. And same goes with us. toi can’t be all good and saintly; toi have to be bad to win some and lose some. I Lost my father and no matter how good I had been, I still Lost him. I didn’t think it was fair to me, but did anyone listen? No, no one did… and you, toi almost got away with it until I decided to reap some benefits from your mistake. It might not sound fair to toi but then, is life always fair? toi still the big winner here, Arthur. toi killed my father, Lost your eyesight but had it restored and walk free. I got the money, yes, but… my father is still lying dead in his grave. I am the loser here, Arthur and how fair is that? Tell me?” Gwen grabs Arthur’s collier and shakes him, angrily. “Nothing is fair in life and nothing comes for free. Money is the answer for everything. toi have it and I don’t, so… is it wrong if I chose to enjoy some of it through you?” she releases him and looks at him sharply. “I am not sorry for what I did… but if toi are, that’s your problem, not mine!” she finishes.
Arthur’s cœur, coeur cracks and he no longer feels the pain. He stares at her for a long time. “So, all this while… everything, about us… toi and me… it’s been about the money?”
“Finally!” Gwen throws her hand in the air in relief. “You got it!! Yes Arthur! It was all about the money! I needed it and now I have it!”
“You could have been truthful, Guinevere. I was accepting my mistake and willing to pay the price for your father’s death. Even without your interference, I was willing to head to the jail for the murder I committed. toi didn’t have to do this to me.”
“You were willing to let yourself be tried, Arthur, but your father had the authority eating out of his hands. He was the power and he had the judge in his pocket. He was willing to go to lengths to see toi not tried and convicted. He was throwing the money to see the justice reversed and my father ended up being the victim of your father’s injustice and your carelessness. Elyan wants it to be done with because he felt he couldn’t win the case but I couldn’t let toi Pendragons off the hook so I decided to reopen the case. And I did and found some people willing to try the case. And with toi willing to let yourself be tried, I was certain to win it and that had your father worried, Arthur.” Gwen explains. “So he decided to choose a better way to shut me up… par offering me bigger sum than he did to close the case.”
“And is this the justice toi gave your father? par deciding to accept my father’s money and keeping the lid of the murder close forever?” Arthur asks, angry at being used and bullied.
Gwen laughs. “Your father’s offer had me thinking Arthur… par accepting the money and keeping myself away from the case, I’ll be benefiting in lots of ways. What good will I get when I see toi jailed and my father still dead? Nothing. My old man is gone forever and even through your punishment, I will still not have my father back but I can be rich through him. And I thought, why not? This is way better than see toi in jail.”
“Where are your values, Guinevere? Is this what your father taught you? I thought toi had plus decency than to stoop to such an indecorous level?” Arthur shakes his head in disgust.
“You shouldn’t be talking about subjects toi and your father don’t practice in your lives, Arthur! My father taught me plus values than toi know ou your father uses in his life. I am what I am now because of what toi and your father did to me! Remember that!!” Gwen snaps back at Arthur.
Arthur sighs sadly. “Look… what happened… I am truly sorry for it, Guinevere. I am, honestly. But… I would have appreciated if toi had told me the truth. I would have listened.”
“And blow my cover? No way… look! Your father tabled an offer I couldn’t say no to, so I took up the challenge. I didn’t have any other intentions on toi but if you’ve fallen in l’amour with me, then I’m sorry, mate. I never gave toi that idea in the first place but I use it for my foil. That’s all. But toi and I were never made for each other. It simply wouldn’t have worked!”
“Why, Guinevere… I could have made toi happy. I will give toi all my love…”
“Love alone will not buy my happiness Arthur, only money does.”
“Money! Money! Money!” Arthur screams, attracting the passengers. “What is wrong with you, Guinevere? I will give toi my life if toi ask; I will drop all my wealth at your feet… why do toi hurt me like this? I want toi back in my life, Guinevere… please! I will forget everything that happened… please, give me a chance, Guinevere!”
“You are starting to piss me off, Arthur. Haven’t I made it clear to toi already? I cannot marry toi because I don’t l’amour you. And I don’t want to be bound to toi for life!”
“Why?”
“Because I’ll be caged, Arthur! I’ll be caged with guilt of marrying toi for money and not love, I’ll be caged with responsibility when I crave freedom and I’ll be caged with toi for the rest of my life when I don’t l’amour toi at all! I don’t deny marrying toi will secure me financially but that’s all. I l’amour money, I don’t deny that, but I prefer enjoying it on my own, not with toi trotting behind me with your pathetic l’amour stories, get it? That’s why I’m running off, Arthur! I don’t l’amour toi and I will never l’amour you, no matter what toi tell me. I am not ready to share my life with anyone, especially someone I don’t love, so… I hope I’ve made myself clear. I hate repeating it again and again. Just leave me alone!!”
“Enough, Gwen!” Gwaine says as he closes in Arthur and holds his friend par his shoulder. “I have heard enough from you!” he adds. Beside him, Arthur remains quiet obviously shattered and completely broken par what he heard from Gwen.
“Look, Gwaine… I didn’t start this, your friend here did, so if toi have an issue, ask him. I have to leave.”
“How can toi be so cruel, Gwen? Why?” Gwaine asks, looking pitifully at Arthur. “How can toi do this to him?”
“How many times do I have to tell the same thing again and again? I haven’t the time, Gwaine. Not for Arthur ou you… I have a dit my piece and should he choose to believe and accept it, that’s his choice. I will not decide anything because my task is done and I’ve been handsomely rewarded. So goodbye, everyone,” Gwen smiles and turns. But someone grabs her hand and as she turns around, Arthur slaps her hard.
The slap stuns Gwen and some passengers looking out from the window of the train. Gwen trails her hand from her cheek down to her lips, feels her fast swelling lips and looks down at her hand. There were traces of blood on her fingers. She looks up at Arthur angrily.
“I wish I have never seen toi at all, Gwen. I hate everything about you. Your name leaves a amer taste in my mouth, your sight disgusts me and I am humiliated par the fact that we had some moments together. toi will now remain my nightmare, my past and a amer pill to swallow. toi no longer exist in my life, and today marks the final meeting between us. toi are a bitch, Gwen! A bitch! Keep that ring, I don’t need that anymore and that money I loaned you… that’ll be my payment to toi for the services toi offered me all this while!” and with that, Arthur turns on his heels and walks away. Gwaine shakes his head and runs after Arthur.
Gwen watches with a smirk on her lips. The cut she feels in her lips hurts but she is satisfied with how the event has turned out.
“Gwen?” she looks to her left and finds Merlin looking at her. She smiles at him.
“What is that all about?” he asks softly.
“You heard…”
“No, I don’t believe a single word toi said, Gwen. I’m not stupid and I am not Arthur. I know toi and I know toi don’t mean all that you’ve just said.”
“Here we go again. What is wrong with all of you? What do I have to do to get the information drilled into your head?” Gwen shouts at Merlin.
“You can shout all toi want to convince anyone, Gwen, but not me. I don’t believe a single word toi said.”
“Then that’s your problem, not mine. Look, I have to go and I cannot find anything bad to say about toi ou Gwaine. You’ve been good Friends to me, though I doubt after today any positive image of me will still stay in your minds. So, until then… goodbye Merlin!” Gwen says and rushes to the bench to pick her bag. She slings it across her shoulder and looks up at the still petrified Morgana. “Goodbye Morgana. Our journey ends here, I suppose.” She says and smiles at her friend and hurries to the coach. She climbs up the steps and enters, without looking back at her friends. The train moves slowly. Morgana hurries towards Merlin and they chercher frantically for Gwen but they don’t find her anywhere. The train speeds up and after five minutes, the railway becomes empty again with the train now a distance picture. Merlin sighs and leaves but Morgana still waits at the platform, looking at the disappearing train.
