Unrequited and Forbidden
CU: Merlin (TV Show)
Character: Guinevere
Prompt: This is the story of how I died. Don't worry though! I come back.
Word count: 1947
Warnings: N/A
This is the story of how I died. Don't worry though! I come back. Believe it or not, it all started in Camelot.
It was six hour before the feast began, and three before the envoy would arrive. The castle of Camelot was buzzing with life and the streets were full of whispers.
"I heard that their princess 'as kicked 'bout e'ry servent she's 'ad," Milderd always had a wild imagination and a keen ear, I should have expected as much when I first arrived in the kitchens. "Really? I heard she's afraid of chickens!" Astrid barked heavily, chopping up onions as she spoke.
"Now, now ladies it's not nice to gossip," I lifted the basket of fresh market vegetables onto the bench. "When did you ge' so proper miss L/N?" Mildred hauled a bucket full of water onto the bench taking a turnip and dunking it in. "pro'lly when the Queen took 'er in," the two woman laughed haughtily working away with the vegetables.
I knew from many years of working in the kitchens that they meant well but it always hurt when Guinevere was mentioned. Gwen and I used to work together in the palace. She'd do the laundry - which I hated - and I'd do the dishes - which she hated - the perfect compromise. But then she caught the eye of King Arthur and my perfect world was ripped away from me and now I must do both on top of my ladies maid duties and whatever king Arthur wanted of me.
Never once had Guinevere lightened my load since she had become Queen. For a Queen could never love a servant.
I stood on the outskirts of the beautiful hall. The Pendragon colors flew along side blue and black, the colors of their neighbors Agraton. I looked upon the princess who sat poised in her seat and realized her cup was empty. I silently glided over, "More wine, my Lady?" I questioned softly. "Please," She held her cup for me as I steadily poured the wine. "My what manners you have dear, what do people call you?" her voice is soft and kind not harsh nor firm nor demanding.
"I am Y/N my Lady, handmaiden to Queen Guinevere." I watched as her eyebrow twitched almost unnoticeably and she clicked her tongue. "Well if you weren't in such a position I'd have half a mind to hire you myself," she smiled widely digging her fork into the chicken on her plate. "And it would be an honour to receive such an offer," I bowed deeply and scurried back to the outskirts of the grand building to observe the feast goers once again.
She had been neither rude nor demanding like Mildred had told me nor Alektorophobic like Astrid had told me, in fact she was perfectly nice and calm upon meeting.
An hour in and all the royals were verging on drunk as their private conversations became easier to hear. As I looked around the room my eyes focused themselves on a boy, he looked to be about twelve with long hair and green eyes. The boy held a jug much like my own but he soon rested it on a decorative table. I saw him reach into his pocket pulling out a small bottle containing something unnatural. He took off the cork with his teeth but then his eyes glanced around the room and I was forced to look away.
When I looked back he was pocketing the empty vial and picking up the jug to swirl it. Next the serving boy moved over to the King and Queen and poured it into their outstretched cups and it suddenly hit me. This boy could be trying to poison them. Guinevere's cup made contact with the table as the boy slipped into the crowd but I had to sprint to swat the cup from the Kings hand before it could touch his lips.
He made an annoyed grunt looking down at the mess on the floor before looking at me, "What do you think you are doing?!" His voice was loud in the near silent hall. I opened my mouth to defend myself but didn't have the time. "What gives you the right to knock my drink from my hand!" his fist collides with the table and I bow in terror trying to get my words out, "I am so sorry my King bu-" I was cut off once again. "I have a right mind to throw you in the dungeons for this- this insubordination!" He himself was cut off by a polite cough and attention was turned to the princess of Agraton.
"King Arthur, perhaps you should give miss Y/N a chance to plead her case before you throw her in the dungeons," I was so surprised by the princesses intermission that I didn't even realize when all eyes had turned back to me. "Well?" The king said I turned to him immediately for fear of getting into more trouble.
"I saw a boy put something, a vial, into the jug before pouring it for you and the Queen sire. I was only trying to stop it in case it was poison." I bowed to him again, my hands trembling and clammy. The king picked up his Queen's cup smelling it. "It doesn't smell like poison, very well then, if you saw the boy put something in the wine than you shall drink it and if it is not poisoned you shall be thrown in the stocks for a week for unnecessary action against your king. If it is you shall receive treatment from our court physician."
Looking around the room I took the cup. I gazed inside and took in a deep breath, my eyes landed upon Guinevere's and I couldn't see any worry in them almost like she believed nothing of what I had said. She used to hang on every word. And as I took a sip, that was all that ran through my brain.
This could possibly be the end of my life and the one I love most couldn't seem to care less.
---
I don't remember blacking out or anything after that. The first thing I do remember however, is when the King came to see me. I was awake, and according to Gaius I had been awake before but now I was conscious and able to speak properly. "Thankfully you were relatively healthy and you were able to fight off most of the poison with the help of an antidote." he told me to stray away from heavy lifting and he had told me I was going to live, now that made me think.
Guinevere stood by and watched as I drank poison for her. She did nothing but bat an eyelash, even after all our years of friendship she still chose the King over me.
Before I could get too far my thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock, "Come in," I called. My quarters weren't that big but they were livable and possibly not mine for much longer. I stood up and the King entered, I bowed, "There's no need for that, you saved the lives of me and my Queen last night, I came here to thank you," And he bowed to me, albeit briefly.
"If there is anything I can get for you to make your healing more comfortable don't be afraid to ask." I sighed, I suppose it should be now rather than never. "Is the princess of Agraton still in Camelot sire?" I watched as a confused expression washed over his face, "Yes, she is." I nodded, mostly to myself, "Would you mind showing me to her quarters? I would like to thank her."
"Very well then." I walked slowly and painfully along as the King lead me to the guest wing and two flights of stairs later I stood before a grand door. "Thank you, that is all," I said the King nodded before walking away. I stood at the door and knocked and about a minute went by and the door was flung open by the princess herself.
"Oh, miss Y/N! You're alive thank goodness!" The princess place her hands on my shoulders in what I deemed excitement based on the expression on her face, "But... What are you doing out of bed? You should be resting!" she actually seemed worried about me, a lowly servant. "I came to ask you, if perhaps, your offer was real? To work for you, that is." I straightened my posture to look more up for the task.
"Well, yes of course but, aren't you already working for the Queen?" I smiled sadly. "I have had my resignation letter written up for weeks, I've just not had a viable reason to hand it over." The princess nodded, I wasn't quite sure but it truly looked like she understood. "I know how you feel, I once fell for someone I couldn't have as well. It's alright once you hand in this letter I will make sure you live comfortably in Agraton." I soon bid goodbye for now to the kind princess and made my way back to the stairs.
They looked daunting in my pained state and I stood there contemplating giving up my dignity and just rolling down them when my saving grace assented the steps in the form of the Queen the very epicenter of my emotional cyclone.
"Y/N do you... Need help down the stairs?" Her tone was almost condescending and I wasn't quite sure if she meant it to be so. Either way it felt like an arrow to my already fragile heart. "Uh, Yes please, if it's not too inconvenient." the Queen scoffed, "No, not at all," her arm slipped under mine and for a moment, just a moment, I could imagine that we were strolling through a field together and then the moment was gone and we were at the bottom of the stairs.
"Your Majesty?" I asked, "You know you can call me Gwen when it's just the two of us... What is it?" she had countered my question. "I need to give you something," we walked the last of the way to my room once more and as we entered Guinevere recalled times I wish I could have forgotten. "Do you remember the day when, I had just started working for Morgana? I came to you for help because it was so much work and you said we should run away together. Then we paid a serving boy to do our chores the next day so we could plan?" she smiled to herself.
I looked away going over to the draw beside my bed as she rattled on about the carving she had made in my perfectly good table. I pulled out the letter and made a b-line for the Queen, "What is it that you needed to give me?" she asked as I held the letter before her.
"This is my letter of resignation. I was offered a job by the princess of Agraton at the feast last night and I have decided to take it." Guinevere took the letter. "We leave in two weeks because it is state law that any servant under the crown must give two weeks notice to their resignation." She looked between the letter and I for a while then decided to speak. "Very well."
This was the story of how I died, of how I left unrequited and forbidden love behind. I simply can not put into words, my desire to return. But, for her sake and mine I shall stay away for all of time.
Requests open as of 14/04/23