No matter how many times he is reborn, it seems his fate is always that he's to be some sort of a Rather Important Person. Well, aside from that one lifetime, but apparently that involved some sort of birth-switching drama that should be reserved for the telly. Like, seriously. So when his memories were inevitably returned to him, so did the feeling that he really ought to be doing something Rather Important - other than what he already was.
With the mix of memories in his head, it's truly a wonder he hasn't gone off the rails yet.
Arthur sighs.
Well, there's always the next life.
--
Arthur and reincarnation.
Notes: SO I'M BACK ON AN ARTHUR/GWEN KICK AHEHEHE. This one's just an excuse to have Arthur missing and waxing poetic about Gwen because that's ALWAYS been my favorite part of any Arwen fic, and I'd like to give it a go.
Gwen's eyes flew open at the sound of her name. Only one man called her Guinevere. One man who could say it so reassuringly and so meaningfully.
She was lying in bed, her clothes gone but she was still warm. This was their chambers - from the red silk curtains and sheets and her lavender cloak discarded on a bench next to her husband's own deep red cloak.
She turned her head and lying next to her was Arthur. Her Arthur. Just as he looked the last time they saw each other and yet, younger. Relaxed. He smiled gently when she looked at him, his eyes as gentle as always.
“Arthur.”
“I've been waiting for you. A change for us, is it not?” Arthur says and she laughs softly.
“Is this real?”
“Of course it is. I love you, Guinevere."
“I love you too." Gwen whispered, “It's been so difficult, Arthur. So difficult.” her voice breaks. Keeping the kingdoms united to honour his wish of Albion. Being strong for Camelot and their son.
Llacheu had only been ruling a year. He would be a great king - with Merlin by his side and the knights of the Round Table.
Arthur gently hushes her, “That is all over now. I am so proud of you, Guinevere.” He reached out and stroked her cheek as he did when she was upset or fretting about something or the other. She had missed his touch, and she stroked his hand, her eyes fluttering closed.
"Llacheu...he is so like you." She whispers. Their son was nearly his image. A blessing most days and a curse on other days.
"I think he is more like you." Arthur smiles, "He is so beautiful. I have always watched over you. Always."
She let out a content sigh as Arthur leaned over and pressed his lips to hers, brushing his nose against hers.
"I have missed you so much." Gwen whispered.
"And I, you. But no more sadness, my love." Arthur says, "Do you want to stay with me?"
"Of course I do," Gwen smiled, "With all my heart."
Arthur sat in his chambers, eating the fruit Merlin had just set out for him. He nibbled on an apple, instinctively leaving the nicer ones for Gwen before he remembered that she was out for the day. Instantly, the lack of her presence settled around him like winter’s frost, a frigid ache that not even Merlin’s sunshine ways could thaw.
As though he could read his thoughts, Merlin spoke. “Stop worrying about Gwen,” he advised. Arthur rolled his eyes.
“I’m not worrying about her,” he lied. Merlin glanced at him, evidently not believing a word he had said.
“Then why are you running your fingers over her name?” he pointed out. Arthur glanced down at where he had etched Gwen’s name onto the table, confirming that he was indeed running his nails through the worn-out grooves.
“Okay, I’m a little worried about her,” he admitted. “I hate it when she goes out alone,”
“She’ll be fine,” Merlin reassured him. “She can take care of herself,”
“I know she can, believe me,” he said. “But she shouldn’t have to,”
Merlin smiled slightly as he glanced at Arthur. “You just miss her,” he said.
Arthur glared at Merlin, who was now smirking as he turned away. “Yes, I do miss my wife. Is there a problem with that?”
It felt so good calling her his wife. He had never cared much for romance until he met Gwen, but when he fell for her, he fell hard.
“Not at all, my liege,”
Arthur threw a grape at Merlin’s retreating figure. “I’ll have you sacked for that,”
“Please do. Then I can watch from my chambers while another poor servant tries to replace me. It’ll be quite entertaining,”
Before Arthur could deliver another biting retort, the sound of hooves clattering on the pavement reached their ears through the open window. The two looked at each other in confusion. Merlin looked out the window.
“It’s Gwen,” he said. “She’s not due back till sundown,”
An icy weight settled itself in Arthurs’ stomach as he blindly made his way to the courtyard, barely aware of Merlin following him.
“Gwen!” he called out as soon as he was in hearing range.
“Arthur!” she cried, running towards him. The two of them embraced, warmth warring with the concern in his heart. She was shaking, just slightly, but enough to feed into his worries.
“What happened?” asked. “Are you okay?”
In response, she pulled away from him and let him look at her. Arthur’s heart tore in two at the sight of her wounds. There was blood trickling from her cheek. He lifted his thumb to gently brush it away.
“Who did this to you?” he asked, a quiet fury building up inside of him.
She shrugged. “A couple of rogues,”
“Where are they now?”
“Somewhere in the forest licking their wounds, I suppose,” she said. “Don’t worry. I dealt worse than I took,” she smiled.
“I can’t believe I was foolish enough to let you go out on your own,”
“Really, Arthur, I’m quite capable of handling myself,” she said with a raised eyebrow.
“I know you can take care of yourself, but you shouldn’t have to. Besides, you’re the queen, Guinevere,” he said, grasping her shoulders as he placed a tender kiss on her forehead. “You’re too valuable to not have extra protection. I should have sent one of the knights with you,”
Gwen smiled, and Arthur thought he would collapse on the spot. “Don’t worry about it now,” she said. “I’m alright,”
And thank the universe for that, he thought. “I love you,” he said.
“I love you too,” she responded, kissing his cheek as she buried herself into his arms.
With Gwen in his arms and broken sunlight all around them, Arthur didn’t think he knew how to be happier.
Upon becoming engaged to the King, Gwen's life changed overnight.
That was unsurprising, for she knew that would always happen. She would not longer merely be Gwen, the lady's maid and consort to the King, but Guinevere, soon to be Queen Consort of Camelot.
"Oh, Arthur you did not need to." Gwen gasped when he placed a gold necklace around her neck.
It was beautifully made, gold shaped into delicate flowers, joined together like the daisy chains she would make as a child. However the tiny pearls at the center of each flower were far different from her girlhood daisy chains.
"Of course I did not need to." Arthur said, his hands resting on her shoulders, "I wanted to. My future wife, you deserve beautiful things. And I shall be most devastated if you do not accept the token of my affection."
Gwen smiled at him, "Well, we cannot have the King of Camelot upset, can we?"
It takes her a while to get used to him wishing to spoil her. Gwen was a woman who had been self-sufficient and so used to giving and taking care of others.
Every once in a while, Arthur would surprise her with jewelry - bracelets, necklaces and earrings. Jeweled hairpins and cuffs for her curls and braids. She would protest every time, but Arthur did not take no for an answer. He wanted to shower his wife, his Queen with presents. And it was never just jewelry but sometimes floral displays (set up with Merlin's help of course) and animals for Gwen adored dogs.
Her favourite piece was the ring he had crafted for her for their first wedding anniversary. A silver band with a vine of flowers engraved on the outside and on the inside words.
Gwen nearly wept when she read the words.
You are my heart.
She leapt at her husband, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tearful embrace, kissing all over his face.
"Do you like it?" Arthur asked, amused and Gwen nodded, her eyes glistening with happy tears.
"I suppose I finally have a gift for you." Gwen told him.
"Guinevere, your gift to me is breathing and being by my side." Arthur told her, kissing her hand, "No, no. You do not need to get me anything."
She bit her lip, "Well, I cannot exactly return this gift. Especially since it is, well, half yours and half mine."
He stared at her, confused as to what she meant. But when she brought his left hand to her stomach and he grinned.
"Oh, that is worth so much more than the jewels I could bestow upon you."
Somewhere down the line..
Elinor was fascinated with every piece of jewelry her mother owned. She was content to sit at her dressing table and look at the shiny selection. She knows because her papa was King, they had lost of gold and silver and shiny things. Alys and Llacheu sometimes wore shiny thing too.
"Elinor?" Gwen called softly to her daughter, knowing where she would be. She smiled seeing her at the dressing table, playing in her jewelry box.
"Mama, what about this one?" She held up a silver bracelet and Gwen smiled, sitting down and lifting the three year old into her lap.
"That one your father gave to me when you were a baby." Gwen explained, "Because he was so excited to meet you."
"Is it mine?"
Gwen chuckled, kissing her cheek, "When you are bigger, yes my love."
"Guinevere?" Arthur called out, as he entered their chambers "Is Elinor here?
"Papa!" She climbed down from her mother's lap to run to her father who smiled at her.
Arthur pretended to strain as he lifted her, "Oh, you are getting too big, my love! I may not be able to give you hugs and kisses."
"No!" Elinor protested, clinging to her father's neck, "I will never be too old for hugs and kisses." She kissed him on the cheek and rested her head on his shoulder to prove her point and Arthur chuckled, cradling her in his arms.
"Good, I like the idea of you being this small forever and ever!" Arthur agreed as Gwen shook her head fondly.
"Papa, can I wear Mama's jewelry?"
"That is up to Mama." Arthur said, "She is in charge, remember?" He pretended to whisper.
Elinor nodded, and looked at her mother, "But your birthday is coming up and I do not know what to do with jewelry I have for you." Arthur said, feigning sadness as Gwen tried not to laugh.
He was utterly adored by his youngest and vice versa. So when she started showing an interest in her sister and her mother's jewelry, he had a small necklace much like the first one he had given to Guinevere made for their youngest who wanted to be just like her mama.
Elinor grinned happily and Arthur bent down so she could give Gwen a kiss and then he did. Gwen smiled at her husband who winked at her before taking Elinor to the nursery for her nap.
Looking at her messy jewelry box, Gwen was now far more comfortable with the large collection she had been given over the years. Another symbol of her and her husband's love for each other.
Arthur gently stroked his daughter's hair and continued combing it out with care. He always wanted to help his wife, who enjoyed looking after the children herself when she did not have her duties as Queen. One of the many duties he would help with was Alys hair.
Like Guinevere, their daughter was blessed with thick curls and coils and Arthur had always believed Gwen was effortlessly beautiful.
He was learning it took a lot of effort. Camlann felt easy compared to getting five-year-old Alys to sit still on a cushion.
He had gotten better. He was very good at detangling, remembering to apply a medium amount of Gwen's hair cream and peppermint oil (not too much otherwise, her hair is wet and too little, and her hair is dry). Merlin had been secretly showing him how to braid, usually using Gwaine as a dummy.
....
"Mother!" Guinevere turned around at the sound of her daughter. She skipped towards her in her light pink dress and curls flowing with some of her hair braided in a crown.
"Good morning, my darling!" She gave her a big kiss and hug as they already sat down for breakfast.
"Father did my hair and Uncle Merlin gave me a flower crown!" Alys squealed happily.
"I am thoroughly impressed," Gwen said with a smile. It did look neat, much better than his previous attempts.
"I aim to please my girls." Arthur said, leaning down to kiss her gently, "Perhaps another soon?" His eyes drifted to her stomach, always hoping she was with child again.
Gwen smiled at her husband, rolling her eyes fondly.
"I have a council meeting. I will see you later." He kissed her again and picked up Alys for extra dramatic kisses that always caused her heart to burst.
Merlin sat with them for breakfast, as he always did, "Arthur is getting much better," He hummed.
"Merlin." Gwen deadpanned.
"It's painful to watch," Merlin protested and she fixed him with a look, "I did not have to fix too much this morning, so he is improving!" He could not help but help his closest friends, even in the most trivial matters.
"You are the court sorcerer - surely there are more pressing matters?" Gwen asked.
"Than the princess' flower crown? Of course not!" Merlin said playfully, then bowed to them dramatically, "My Queen. Princess."
"Remember, we don't tell father until he gets better at it." Gwen said, and her daughter nodded happily. She just adored the look on her husband's face when he did Alys' hair and did not want to spoil it for now.
