When she awoke because of the pain in her chest, she found herself in Arthur's chambers. She felt like she was on fire and every time she breathed the gash across her chest throbbed. She cried out, and was immediately greeted by Arthur's worried face as he sat on the bed beside her, and then Merlin joined him on her other side.

"Gwen, you're awake! Thank god!" Arthur exclaimed with relief.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" Merlin asked.

Gwen nodded. "But at least it lets me know I'm alive." She smiled weakly and was rewarded with a forehead kiss from Arthur.

Merlin got up to get something from the table which she presumed to be medicine, as Arthur continued to stare at her intently. Brushing sweaty curls from her forehead he told her, "You gave us quite a scare, but you were right. Merlin says you were lucky the cut wasn't very deep, and you ought to make a full recovery."

Merlin returned with a potion and asked Arthur to help her sit up so she could drink it. By the end of the ordeal she was crying from the pain of moving and felt exhausted, but the potion soon had its intended effect and she could relax. Arthur sat with her the whole time, watching her as she fell into slumber.

She spent the next few days like this, waking up when the medicine wore off and the pain became too much, but Arthur was always there, and if Merlin wasn't there to give her the potion, he would. Sometimes he would be at his desk going over paperwork, and he would lift his head and smile when he heard her stirring. Other times he would be in bed with her, not too close because he didn't want to disturb her, but he would sometimes wrap his hand around hers, or tangle his leg through hers so that they were always touching. He was a careful and tender nurse. He would mop her brow when she was feverish, gently feed her fine gruel because moving was too painful, and carefully clean and re-bandage her wound, modestly averting his gaze from her nakedness. She was touched and humbled by his devotion, and yet felt so completely unworthy, and tried to tell him so, but he was undeterred, refusing to leave her side except when she was asleep, which was much of the time, and for pressing matters of state.

She wondered at why he was being so kind to her. He had told her they had been a mistake and she had accepted it. Obviously, he had never wanted her dead, and she knew that he would have any of his subjects cared for to the best of his ability if they had been injured in service to him. But she also feared that the only reason he was being so kind was because she was hurt. She couldn't help but wonder if he would be so…servile…if she hadn't almost died. If it had been Isolde who had been hurt instead, would she even still be in Camelot, or would he have asked her to leave? She was too afraid to ask him, and he seemed only concerned with making sure she was taken care of, and didn't want anything to disturb her, or hinder her recovery. He always talked about the rebuilding that was going on to put Camelot back to rights after Morgana's path of destruction. He also kept her up-to-date on matters at Court and asked her for her counsel and advice if there was an issue that he was concerned about. It felt very domestic, like what she had imagined marriage to Arthur might have been like if she hadn't betrayed him. And it was so…nice. She felt in the pit of her stomach that it could not last, and she was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. She just knew that as soon as she was well enough to go, he would ask her to leave, so she was determined to leave before he asked her to. She was too much of a coward to have to hear him tell her to leave again. It had almost killed her the first time.

It was only when she was feeling good enough to get out of bed that she managed to escape from Arthur's chambers. He had been called away on business and she thought it would be the perfect opportunity to slip away unseen. She only had a vague idea of where she might go—first to her old cottage to see if she could scavenge some supplies—but she thought it would be prudent to leave. The more that he did for her the more unworthy she felt, and the guilt was crushing her. She even managed to get to the end of the corridor before she was stopped by Sir Percival.

"And where do you think you are going, my lady?" he asked, raising a brow in curiosity.

"I am no lady."

"But you are. You showed courage and great nobility when you saved the king's life, and he has rewarded you with a title. You are now the Countess of Lyoness."

Guinevere gasped in surprise. "That can't be true…"

"I suppose it hasn't been made official yet, as you have been an invalid, but everyone is talking about it. Ever since the King announced it."

Gwen wondered at his words. Why would the King give her a title? Was he trying to pay her off? Get rid of her guilt-free? But she was distracted from her thoughts when Percy continued, "Now, again I'm going to ask you where you were going…"

"I was just…leaving…I cannot be a distraction to Arthur anymore. He has much more pressing matters than to take care of me."

"And just how far do you imagine you could get hobbling as you are? You are not well. You need your rest." With those words he lifted her up into his arms and carried her back to Arthur's quarters mindful of her wound and doing his best not to jolt her too much.

She protested weakly, but knew there was not much she could do, so she meekly acquiesced and let him settle her back on the bed. Then he left, and she tried to occupy her time by finding something to clean, but Merlin had been remarkably good in his cleaning duties, and she couldn't find anything that needed tidying, so she occupied her time counting the number of threads on the embroidery of Arthur's pillows and trying not to think about how she must leave when she was able. But soon Arthur was back.

"What's this I hear about you trying to leave?" he asked her pointedly.

"My lord," she said, unable to look him in the eye, "you have been ever so kind and caring of me, but I'm afraid I've outstayed my welcome. It's not right for me to stay here in your bedchambers and take advantage of your hospitality."

Arthur's face scrunched up with exasperation. "My lord? Take advantage of my hospitality? There's no need to be so formal." He sighed deeply. "I had hoped that I was showing some humility. That I was doing something kind for you, to show you how much I respect you."

Gwen was moved by his words, stunned that he remembered what she had said to him all those years ago. But she was afraid to believe him, because despite her own guilt, there was a part of her that had felt betrayed by him, that after everything they had gone through, he would just banish her. What if she did something he disliked, or they had a disagreement, would he banish her again? So she asked him cautiously, "But how can you respect me when you don't trust me? I betrayed you, and you banished me for it."

Arthur flinched at her words. "I never should have banished you."

"But you had every right to."

"Perhaps I had the right, but it was not the right thing to do. I was hurt and angry, but you didn't deserve to be banished." Sitting down next to her on the bed, he took her chin into his hand so that he could force her to look up at him. When he had her attention, he continued in a soft voice filled with remorse. "Merlin told me that you had been forced to become a serving girl for Helios, and turned into a deer by Morgana. If I hadn't had you banished you never would have been put in such danger, and I'm sorry for it."

"It was not your fault. The fault belongs with me. I was the one who betrayed you and I cannot forgive myself."

"Don't. Please." Arthur closed his eyes, pained to hear her words of self-recrimination. Then he opened his eyes and looked at her, his eyes filled with tenderness. "I have given that a lot of thought as well, and though it hurts me to think of you with him, with Lancelot," he said clearing his throat, "I can understand it as well. You thought he was dead. But if you tell me now that you never loved him, I will believe you. I don't care about what happened before. All I know is that I don't want to ever lose you. You scared me half to death, and all I could do was regret all of the things I did to hurt you, and all of things I never told you, and I promised myself that if you got better I would never let you go."

Tears filled her eyes. She wanted to believe him so badly, but she was still afraid. "But what if I hadn't been injured? Wouldn't you have wanted me to return to Ealdor? After we made love, you said that we were a mistake. Is that why you have given me a title? So that you can send me away?"

"No, Guinevere. I don't want to send you away. I never want to be parted from you again, and I felt that way even before you were injured. It was only I was being a prat because I had lost my confidence. I felt so hurt and betrayed, not only by you, but my uncle, and my sister…I didn't think I could tell who I can truly trust any more. But I know I can trust you. And I know I can't help who lies to me and tries to hurt me, but I know that you would never and have never tried to hurt me on purpose, and though you have hurt me, and will probably hurt me in the future, I can forgive you because I love you, and I know that you love me. And I hope you will forgive me for breaking your trust, for hurting you, for losing my faith in you."

She was filled with profound relief and happiness at his words. She hadn't realized until that moment, but his words were exactly what she needed to hear. Hope unfurled inside her, spreading from her heart until her veins fairly sang with it. "Oh, Arthur, I love so much, and I don't deserve you, but if you'll have me, I am yours."

Arthur pulled her into his arms, and careful of her wound, hugged her as tightly to him as he dared, feeling happier and more secure than he had felt since he broke off their engagement. Even after he had won back his kingdom, it had felt like a hollow victory with Gwen's life hanging in the balance. But now that she was in his arms and he had forgiven her, he felt freer than he had ever felt before. It was like a great weight had been lifted from his heart and he could finally breathe again. He pulled back so that he could look her in the eyes and then asked the only question that mattered anymore. "Will you marry me?"

She smiled. "Yes! With all my heart!" And when she smiled it lit up her face and he felt as if he was looking at the bright warmth of the sun, and he felt content. He kissed her breathless, but then pulled away abruptly, remembering something important. He jumped out of bed to retrieve an object he had put away for safekeeping. "I have something to give you. I found it in the woods during the festival of Ostara and the sight of it prevented me from making a terrible mistake." He took her hand into his and slid her engagement ring onto her finger where it belonged.

"My ring! I thought I'd lost it and would never see it again. After I was taken by Helios it was the only thing I had to remember you by, and I was devastated to lose it."

"When I saw it I could hardly believe that it was real, and it filled me with dread that something had happened to you. But it also reminded me that I still loved you and I wasn't ready to move on."

"Then I'm glad that you found it, and I'm grateful to you for returning it." She held her hand up in display and smiled at him.

"And to answer your question earlier, I thought to give you a title to make marrying you easier. If you were a man, and you had saved my life, I would have knighted you. But seeing as you are a woman, and a beautiful one at that," he grinned rakishly, "I did not think knighting you to be appropriate. But I can give you property. Lyoness is a small castle along the southwestern borders of this kingdom. It belonged to my mother, so I think it only fitting that it should belong to my future wife. And everyone knows of your courage and bravery in saving my life. So no one could protest me rewarding you, or why I would I forgive you for your indiscretion. And if you have a title and property, even though you are a commoner by birth, you are Countess by royal appointment and the other nobles will have less of a reason to protest our marriage."

"That's brilliant, Arthur. I never would have thought of that. But I didn't save your life for the reward."

"I know and I thank you for saving me. And I'll thank you to never do that again! I don't know what I would have done if you had died because of me." Even now, remembering how pale and small she had looked as her life's blood spilled out of her, made his chest feel tight with fear.

Gwen reached up to cup his face in her hand. "You would have grieved for me, but then you would have put away your grief so that you could be the king that this land needs. You couldn't and you shouldn't let my life or death deter you from being that king."

But Arthur shook his head. "I'm nothing without you. Whatever makes me good is because I have you there beside me encouraging me. I tried to live without you once, and I couldn't do it. You bring out the best in me, and I don't want to live without you ever again."

"Then I promise you, my lord, the only way I'll leave you is in death, and I don't intend to die any time soon." She grinned and he kissed her.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I hope this conclusion satisfies your questions about whether or not Gwen and Arthur can trust each other again. Please let me know what you think.