[Locked to KA Muses] Awakening
Mar. 31st, 2005 06:30 amTears trickled silently down Guinevere's cheeks to disappear into the pillow as she listened to her two men talk. She had been conscious for only a short time, but time spent in that hellhole of Marcus' and the Priests had taught her how to regulate her breathing so anyone around her thought that she was still unconscious.
It had come in very handy during that time.
Now, now she did it because Arthur and Lancelot needed this time to talk about what was between them and if they knew she was awake, they would use that as an excuse to stop talking and hover over her.
There were things that Lancelot and Arthur needed to say to each other. Things that they talked around. They both were full of hurt and worry about where each stood in this unique relationship the three of them shared. She listened to them talk in soft voices, voices that in some instances held a wistfulness and she didn't understand how the two of them couldn't see how important they were to each other.
She had often thought over the past few weeks that maybe the next time Arthur came home, she should go and stay with her people for a few days, give Arthur and Lancelot some time to themselves. Maybe if she wasn't around, they would drift closer towards each other and realize how they loved and needed each other.
Although the thought of leaving them for even a few days tore at her, she couldn't see any other way to remove herself from the two of them using her as a shield. She knew that they did this so they didn't have to try to confess their feelings to each other. She understood that some men had problems talking about what was in their hearts, but she had never encountered it first hand.
Arthur and Lancelot were indeed two of the most stubborn men she knew, and they acted like it on more than one occassion, too. It was like they were holding a contest on which one of them could be the most stubborn and stoic when it came to affairs of their hearts.
Stoic was a wondrous trait on the battlefield, but it had no place in affairs of the heart. That's where you got into trouble.
She heard them ask each other questions and it did her heart good to hear them bantering back and forth at each other.
She swallowed slightly, pulling at her healing throat wound and bit back a gasp of pain. She froze, worried that if they had heard her...but no, they kept talking. This was good.
She had been waiting for the two of them to finally realize how important they were to each other...she just hadn't expected that it would take another near-death experience for the two of them to open their eyes.
"...It seems like I've not been as clear about it as I should have been, so I'll make it clear now: you are my strength, Lancelot - you and Guinevere. It seems like I'm not the only one that needs reminding of these kinds of things..."
Guinevere smiled faintly at Arthur's words. Truer words were never spoken. No matter how strong one may be when it comes to war and battle...love and emotions seemed to be a harder thing to get a grasp of. It didn't always make sense, but that's how it was.
It was Lancelot that she heard next. "Do you think she's alright? She's been asleep a long time..." Then Arthur said something which she didn't catch all of, mainly because waking up reminded her of the pain from the battle. "...she should, hopefully, wake up soon..."
It was time to let wake up and alleviate their worry.
She closed her eyes and let out a breath that did pull at her throat and she gasped out loud this time.
It had come in very handy during that time.
Now, now she did it because Arthur and Lancelot needed this time to talk about what was between them and if they knew she was awake, they would use that as an excuse to stop talking and hover over her.
There were things that Lancelot and Arthur needed to say to each other. Things that they talked around. They both were full of hurt and worry about where each stood in this unique relationship the three of them shared. She listened to them talk in soft voices, voices that in some instances held a wistfulness and she didn't understand how the two of them couldn't see how important they were to each other.
She had often thought over the past few weeks that maybe the next time Arthur came home, she should go and stay with her people for a few days, give Arthur and Lancelot some time to themselves. Maybe if she wasn't around, they would drift closer towards each other and realize how they loved and needed each other.
Although the thought of leaving them for even a few days tore at her, she couldn't see any other way to remove herself from the two of them using her as a shield. She knew that they did this so they didn't have to try to confess their feelings to each other. She understood that some men had problems talking about what was in their hearts, but she had never encountered it first hand.
Arthur and Lancelot were indeed two of the most stubborn men she knew, and they acted like it on more than one occassion, too. It was like they were holding a contest on which one of them could be the most stubborn and stoic when it came to affairs of their hearts.
Stoic was a wondrous trait on the battlefield, but it had no place in affairs of the heart. That's where you got into trouble.
She heard them ask each other questions and it did her heart good to hear them bantering back and forth at each other.
She swallowed slightly, pulling at her healing throat wound and bit back a gasp of pain. She froze, worried that if they had heard her...but no, they kept talking. This was good.
She had been waiting for the two of them to finally realize how important they were to each other...she just hadn't expected that it would take another near-death experience for the two of them to open their eyes.
"...It seems like I've not been as clear about it as I should have been, so I'll make it clear now: you are my strength, Lancelot - you and Guinevere. It seems like I'm not the only one that needs reminding of these kinds of things..."
Guinevere smiled faintly at Arthur's words. Truer words were never spoken. No matter how strong one may be when it comes to war and battle...love and emotions seemed to be a harder thing to get a grasp of. It didn't always make sense, but that's how it was.
It was Lancelot that she heard next. "Do you think she's alright? She's been asleep a long time..." Then Arthur said something which she didn't catch all of, mainly because waking up reminded her of the pain from the battle. "...she should, hopefully, wake up soon..."
It was time to let wake up and alleviate their worry.
She closed her eyes and let out a breath that did pull at her throat and she gasped out loud this time.
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Date: 2005-03-31 10:13 am (UTC)He pressed a kiss into her hair, before turning and resting his cheek there. "It has to be done," he murmured, closing his eyes and just letting himself relax.
"There isn't anywhere else I want to be other than here, with the two of you."
But I can see it's causing problems and I wouldn't hurt you two for the world. I want to see you happy - and you seem like you're happier when I'm not here.
"You know I'll be back." Eventually.
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Date: 2005-03-31 10:16 am (UTC)She pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. What she saw there made her unhappy.
"You're leaving...for a period of time."
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Date: 2005-03-31 10:21 am (UTC)"It has to be done," he said resolutely.For whatever reason, it has to be.
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Date: 2005-03-31 10:29 am (UTC)"I see," she said in that too calm voice she often resorted to when she was feeling a strong emotion.
"Because you do not know how to work things out with Lancelot, you are leaving us..." She moved from Lancelot's bed, even though moving was causing her pain. "After saying you only had a few things to do, now you plan to be away indefinitely..." She stood in the middle of the room and looked at the man she loved. "You do realize that you're being a fool, Arthur..."
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Date: 2005-03-31 10:33 am (UTC)For the better. They deserve to be happy without a third wheel ruining it all.
"This is home to me, love, I will come back."
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Date: 2005-03-31 10:42 am (UTC)Guinevere stared at him, her face showing him exactly what she was hearing. "You won't be back soon," she whispered painfully. "You'll be back when you think that he and I...or that you no longer have such deep feelings for us..."
Each thought was shredding pieces of her heart away and she couldn't believe this was happening.
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Date: 2005-03-31 10:47 am (UTC)"Without you two, I'm nothing - life wouldn't be worth living. What matters is your happiness, beloved. I'll be back, I swear it - and I'll love you just as much, here or not. That won't change - you two will always be my world.
"Please, Guinevere, please believe me - do not think I love you any less."
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Date: 2005-03-31 12:09 pm (UTC)"We need you here, Arthur. Your people need you here---especially now!" She shuddered from the pain raising her voice had caused, but she had to get out what needed to be said. "You'll love me just as much, here or not? Damn it, beloved, are you even listening to yourself?"
Guinevere turned and walked to the door, trying not to let him see the physical pain that moving as quickly as she was was doing to her. She turned around and looked at him, tears pouring down her cheeks.
"The two of you are so stubborn and are so much alike," she said. "God, the two of you! You think the same things! The two of them will be happy if I'm not around." Guinevere choked as she tasted blood in her mouth from where she had bitten her lip. Her father was going to be annoyed as she had torn stitches somewhere and she didn't care at this point. "Have either one of you considered talking to the other about what would make you happiest? No. Have either one of you thought to ask me if I would be happy with one of you gone? No!" That last word was a shout and Guinevere rarely raised her voice.
"The two of you are getting so worked up and so lost in what you fear is happening or are worried about happening that you lose sight of everything you have. You each have two people deeply in love with you and instead of taking joy in that, both of you think on how to sabotage it." She swallowed, trying to regain some control. "Maybe sabotage is the wrong word...but neither one of you can be happy and plot on how to make yourselves miserable." She shuddered from pain again. "I love you both, but I don't understand why you both think I would be happiest if one of you went away." She brushed hair from her face.
"Don't the two of you realize that losing one of you would kill me as surely as if that Saxon had cut my throat any deeper?" Guinevere's voice was shaky and she leaned against the door and looked at Arthur. "Both of you make comments about my happiness...but you don't ask me what I want." Her throat convulsed as she swallowed past the pain. "I love you both so much that my life would end if anything happened to you. I love you and if anything happened my world would end. But Arthur..." she looked at him with pain shining deep within her eyes. "I don't want to be the excuse that the two of you use not to communicate. I mean it. I will leave and not come back."
Each word she said shredded Guinevere deeply, but she knew if she didn't say anything, Arthur would leave and he would use her and Lancelot's supposed happiness as an excuse not to come back for a very long time.
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Date: 2005-03-31 07:11 pm (UTC)Look at you, Arthur Castus...can't do a damn thing without hurting someone, can you?
"We'll talk about this later - whatever happens, I need to find out what's going on. Those Saxons almost killed you and Lancelot, and I'll be damned if I let it happen again. The villagers around here need to know what happened and they need to keep an eye out." He tugger her lightly towards the bed, but she didn't move so he sighed and let her go; she probably wanted to find Lancelot.
"I won't let it happen again; I won't lose either of you." He put a hand on the door handle, ready to go and make preperations and deal with anything else he had to b efore he left again. "I don't know how long it will take, but I'll come back - and I'm hoping you and him will both be here when I do."
It's selfish but I want to see the two of you together.
He sighed again, running a hand through his hair and looked at Guinevere tiredly. "Please find Lancelot? Get him to rest a little. I promise I won't go anywhere without telling you first - I just want to see what I have to clear up. Be with Lancelot now, Guinevere."
Do what I cannot do.
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Date: 2005-04-01 02:51 am (UTC)"It is not me that he needs comfort and reassurance from right now, Arthur," she said as gently as she could. "He left because he felt that he was intruding on us. He left for the same reason that you will busy yourself elsewhere." She raised a hand to stroke his cheek. "As much as I need you, he needs you as well." She sighed. "I heal better when you are near me, beloved."
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Date: 2005-04-01 04:08 am (UTC)But what he wanted most was their happiness - and he'd seen them together before, and it'd been something of beauty; they'd been together and comfortable - and happy. And then he'd come...and as soon as they'd been awake, Lancelot had left - and Guinevere had cried.
It was better this way - they'd at least be together.
"I'll be back," he whispered again, pulling finally and opening the door. When you are both fully healed, I'll come home because this is not helping you heal - I'm not helping.
"Don't doubt I need you both and love you both, Guinevere - do not doubt me." He pressed a kiss to her forehead before heading out the door. "I'll come and find the two of you before I leave. Go and be with him now, love - and offer what I cannot seem to."
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Date: 2005-04-01 05:42 am (UTC)She moved to the bed and sat for a moment, trying to still the flow of tears.
She would go find Lancelot because Arthur had asked her to do so.
She would talk to the dark-haired knight.
Then she would make her decision.
Far better for me to tear out my own heart than watch the two of them be hurt any further.