Gwen heard the argument long before she saw it. The shouts and cries of her two favourite boys' echoed throughout the castle hallways, and normally she wouldn't have taken much notice. It was, after all, a common enough sight; the arrogant Prince scolding his dim witted servant, but there was a bite in Arthur's voice that Gwen had never heard before. And it made her sit up and listen. As it turned out, she needn't have bothered moving from her seat, sowing in Morgana's chambers, since the pair burst through the doors not a moment later.

Gwen looked up, standing in pure shock at what was in front of her. Arthur, face a mask of pure rage, holding Merlin, looking suitably worried, in a painful looking head lock.

"What's going on?" She gasped, stepping closer to the pair, though hesitantly. "What's happened?!"

"Gwen," Merlin chocked, desperately trying to free himself from Arthur's iron grip. "Please-get-him-off-"

"DON'T YOU TALK TO HER!" She had never really heard the Prince shout before. Gwen had seen him angry, at his father, she'd seen him outraged, when she said he snored, but never this...this volatile.

"Arthur!" She reprimanded, "Let him go, you're hurting him-"

"GOOD!" He shouted back. "THAT'S MY INTENTION!"

"You're overreacting-"Merlin whispered, and Gwen was sure that his face shouldn't be that shade of red.

"Overreacting to what?" Arthur opened his mouth to snarl again but she cut him off, "And stop screaming, you'll have the whole of Camelot in here if you don't keep it down..."

Arthur drew a deep breath, in a vain attempt to calm himself, but didn't relinquish his hold on his man servant. He relived the day in his head and wondered how he had got here, when everything had started out so well. He'd woke up early, after a particularly nice dream involving Guinevere and a white dress, to a good breakfast. He'd gone training with his knights, got in a few good blows against Sir Leon and beat Sir Bors with the mace. Then he and Merlin had gone into the lower town to check on taxes. That's where it all fell apart. He'd asked Merlin, that ruffian, to tell him about his first days in Camelot. And amongst the incessant ramblings about unicorns and sorceresses, Arthur heard Guinevere's name...though not in the context he'd have liked. It was the sort of story that made his heart lurch and his stomach clench. It brought back memories of a dark haired knight, of running through tunnels and of hands entwined. Since Hengist's, since the Dragon and everything they had fought for this far, he was adamant not to let anything else come between them. And even more determined not to lose her.

"Is it true?" The tone of his voice had changed from anger to bitter and, if Gwen wasn't mistaken, slightly hurt. "Is it?"

"What?" She drew nearer, and would have laid a hand on his cheek were it not for the struggling servant still bent between them."Arthur, I have no idea-"

"AHHH!" Merlin sprang up, having finally freed himself from his master's hold, ducking behind Gwen as Arthur swiped at him. "I told him," Merlin smiled, from the safety of the maids back, "about our little kiss."

"Oh." She breathed, "Is that all? Why on earth are you killing Merlin over that?"

"What do you mean, 'is that all?'! You kissed Merlin! Merlin! Him, that...that...bumbling, useless, twig of a-"

"I am still stood here you know..."

"Oh, I know!" He made to grab him again, but Gwen touched at his arm, and pulled him away.

"Merlin, would you give us a moment?"She never took her eyes off of Arthur's blue ones, only moving to pull him against her when she heard the door click shut, and she was sure that they were alone. "Really, Arthur..." She stroked his chest over his blue shirt; his arms still limp at his sides.

"I can't believe it..." He shook his head, dropping his gaze, "why- why Merlin, of all people..."

"You're acting like it's some sort of betrayal-"

"Well it is!"

"You didn't know me then, not as you do now." She smiled, peering up from beneath a mass of dark curls. "It was a different era of our lives. One where we were naught but strangers, maybe passing acquaintances, but not this..." Gwen brushed a hand through his hair, and titled his head to look at her, letting her fingers curl around the base of his neck. The feel of his arms winding around her waist was a familiar sensation, but one she never got used to or grew tired of.

"Merlin?" He breathed, now more unbelieving than angry. "Really? You used to like Merlin?"

She blushed and smirked away slightly. "It was a silly crush, a long long time ago...and besides, I know that you happened to have kissed many a maiden." It was Arthur's time to redden, but he concealed it with a chuckle rather well. She was right, more than he cared to admit. Arthur didn't think he'd ever want to tell Gwen about his 'romantic' liaisons, which mainly consisted of kisses behind the stables and quick tumbles in the alehouse rooms. A handsome young Prince with an endless line of girls just throwing themselves at him, well, it didn't make for a very chaste upbringing. But even now, stood in this room, with Guinevere so close to him, her hands stroking his hair and his arms tight around her middle, Arthur wished for nothing more than to take it all back. For him to have this, have her, and only ever have had her. And if the idea of him loving no other was hard, the picture of her and someone else made him want to die.

"Yes." She whispered, and he almost forgot what he'd asked of her. "But I've only ever loved you." And if the glaze in her eyes didn't convince him, the taste of her lips sure did.