Gwen could not believe what she has just found out. Merlin was a sorcerer.

No; a warlock.

Weird but she knew it was true, really always had. There had always been
something about him. No. She would not betray her friend.

She promised not to tell anyone about it and she wouldn’t.
Not even Arthur, considering that Merlin hadn't told him yet.

She thought about it all night and came to the conclusion that she
understood perfectly well how dangerous for Merlin it would be. Still she
felt uneasy to keep something from Arthur. She couldn't understand how
Merlin could live with keeping this secret for so long. She was sure she
would not have the strength for that.

However she would keep her promise to her dearest friend, despite the hurt.
Merlin has saved her life और than once and she felt that she owes him,
equal loyalty. Friends, genuine friends, were hard to come by.

+++

To think Camelot had been infiltrated द्वारा a sorcerer, a sorcerer who killed
many guards and innocent people like servants and men and women of the
court. It was clear he came to kill Uther Pendragon.

Arthur and the knights of Camelot were patrolling the whole गढ़, महल over and
over again but couldn't find the killer at any rate. What they found were
और dead bodies.

Gwen was told to stay in her house but she couldn't just sit there while
Arthur and Merlin were in danger. So she went looking for Merlin. He wasn't
in his room and Gaius told her he was helping Arthur. He also insisted that
she should stay were she was, because it was too dangerous to walk around in
the castle. She nodded and just wanted to sit down as they heard a loud
scream and Gwen was out of the room so quickly that Gaius hadn't the
slightest chance to stop her at all.

She ran in the direction the scream came from. The sound of running and
shouting people came from everywhere and Gwen ran in panic, too. She
stumbled over something and fell to the ground. When she turned and sat
upright again she screamed, another body.

Gwen heard a strange voice yelling something in an ancient tongue and there
was a flash of light. It was a white blue flash that transformed into a
beam and shot through the corridor she was coming along and around the
corner and down the stairs at the other end. When the light had faded to a
small glowing that still lingered around the corridor, she blinked and
noticed a figure at the place where the light had come from.

It was Merlin.

"Merlin" she says in surprise and ran towards him.

"What are आप doing here, Gwen?!" He was surprised too.

"I heard a scream. What has happened?" she asked him in confusion.

Merlin, breathed heavily looked about them nervously, before dragging her
into a nearby alcove for safety.

"I'm after the killer. He's a sorcerer. I'll explain everything to you
later. But आप have to promise me that आप won't tell anyone that I was
here."

Her eyes widened. "You did this?"

He nodded.

"You can trust me Gwen."

She still looked surprised at him, trying to believe what she just had
learned as the sound of foot tapping and the rattling of armour echoes
trough the corridor again and Merlin grabbed Gwen at her shoulders.

"Don't tell anyone, please. Promise me, Gwen," she nodded.

"I promise."

"Thanks" he smiled sadly, gently releasing his grip of her arm. "I have to
go."

And he rushed off, heading for the stairs.

Only a splinter of a सेकंड later Arthur and Sir Leon appeared at the other
side of the hallway. They abruptly stood still upon seeing the dead body,
Gwen had come across earlier.

"Damn!" Gwen heard Arthur cursing.

She came out from the alcove and ran towards him.
"Arthur! Thank God!"

He looked at her in disbelieve.

"Guinevere!"

He looked her over quickly for possible harm, breathing easier finding none.

"Are आप alright?"

"Yes."

"Go straight home. Leon will take you." Arthur कहा and Gwen just nodded and
gave him a brief hug. "Be careful." she whispered in his ear as they parted.

+++

Hours later, Merlin visited Gwen and she learned from him that the plans of
the sorcerer failed and Gwen was sure who was responsible for that.

Merlin told her everything; that he had sent a spell after him to knock him
out but got distracted when Gwen appeared so the spell went in different
directions and through the whole hallway. Merlin caught him right in front
of the King's chambers and could knock him out with another spell. Arthur
turned up as well shortly after him so he had to hide. They had put him into
the prison. But he could escape. He had an accomplice and Merlin and Gwen
reckoned that he was an ally of Morgana and Morgause.

She had to promise Merlin again not to tell anyone about his secret not even
Arthur and she did.

Merlin thanked her and gave her a hug.

"However" he कहा then. "Arthur wants to see you."

+++

"Gwen what is it? Please tell me?” Arthur said.

"I don't know what आप are talking about?”

"Oh come on I know that आप know something about what happened earlier. You
were right there where the light came from. Someone must have defeated the
killer."
Gwen shifted a little, her look pinned to the ground. She wasn't able to
look at him. She won't lie to him, she thought. But she can't tell him the
truth either. She bit her lower lips.

"Tell me, Gwen, " he said, stepping closer stroking her upper arm, his gaze
intent.

"Something troubles you. What is it?"

Shaking her head softly she spoke.

"Please. I can't. I'm sorry, Arthur. I just can't."

"You can tell me anything."

"I know, usually that is. Not this. Can आप simply trust me? Just this
once?"

With an exasperated sigh, Arthur relinquished his grasp of her arm and
strode across the room, steeling himself for another kind of battle.

"So आप know what happened and refuse to tell me?"

She shot a brief sideways glance at him, taking in his slumped shoulders
before quickly looking back down at her chatelaine, he fingers fidgeting
nervously with the precious metal लिंक्स about her waist, a gift from her
beloved.

"Not exactly," she offered reluctantly, involuntarily biting her lower lip,
as it was her habit when nervous.

She sent up a prayer wishing she got out of this without hurting anyone. Why
she had to find out? या rather why was it so difficult? Maybe Arthur would
understand?

But if Uther found out.

Gwen sighed.

"Alright." Arthur कहा suddenly, throwing his hands in the air and walked
over to his डेस्क and leaned against it with pursed lips.

"I did not expect this of you, Guinevere."

Gwen looked at him and saw that he was getting angry, no hurt was और like,
frustration without सवाल in his gaze.
"I mean," he continues. "You do remember that I am the Prince of Camelot?
All that goes on here, I have the right to know as it affects my people?"

"Of course, my Lord," Gwen replied with a sheepish, apologetic smile that
did not quite reach her eyes. It troubled her too much to see him like this
and couldn't do anything for him.

She had made a promise.

Now he sighed. He began chewing on his lower lip as though he was thinking
about something. Gwen thought maybe she should better go and just turned to
leave as he spoke again.

"Guinevere."

She looked back at him.

"What shall I do? How can I protect my people if I don't know from what?"

Gwen went closer toward him until she stood in front of him and could look
him directly in the eyes.

"You will do the right thing. I know that, despite the misgivings आप are
having now, I believe in your judgement, Arthur."

He turned from her not wanting to vent his anger upon her. In truth, he was
और than frustrated. He was hurt.

"How can I? I don't know who to trust anymore. This I know, it was magic and
I ask आप only this, Guinevere. If it were someone in our midst, if the
killer had an ally in the castle, would आप tell me?"

"Yes, Arthur, I would."

"Right." he sighed and turned his back on her still angry.

"Sorry." she whispered again and quietly left the room.

+++

Back in her little cottage, Gwen sat in the dark on her बिस्तर deep into thoughts.
She could understand Arthur’s anger and she knew he was hurt too. She felt sorry for him. She lnew what a burden it was for him to be a prince and now that his father was in a bad conscience he had to take charge and even और responsibility lay on him. In addition he was worried about his father and also the हाल का tragic events concerning Morgana and the killer.
But telling him the truth would do no good. He was still afraid of magic and it was unclear if Arthur would trust Merlin anymore if he knew that he had magic.
Gwen sighed and looked out of the small window into the starry night sky. Her thoughts were with Arthur for a while yet until she let out a yawn and fell into a shallow sleep.

In the morning Arthur awoke द्वारा the sound of Merlin’s “rise and shine!” and as always promptly threw a तकिया after his servant and just missed him about an inch.
“Merlin!” he shouted but got out of the बिस्तर and got dressed. After breakfast he had to attend the council meeting where they discussed the current situation again. One topic was the increase of the presence of guards and also if there would be the need to protect the lower town too.
Meanwhile Gwen was looking for Merlin and almost run into him on her way to his and Gaius’s chambers.
“Can I speak to you?” she asks him and they went to his room. She told him in a short way about her talk with Arthur and her concern about him.
“I won’t tell him of course but I thought perhaps आप could talk to him. He is troubled and maybe he needs to know that he has our support, that he is not alone.”
Merlin looked at her with a sad look. “I’m sorry that आप got into this because of me. Maybe if we could find the killer and proof that it was all Morgana’s plan, and I’m very sure of that, maybe it would be easier for him when he knows that there’s no traitor in Camelot, except for Morgana of course.”
Gwen agreed. “Thank you, Merlin. आप know, if आप will need my help, आप can count on me.”
“I know”, कहा Merlin. Gwen smiled at him and greeted gaius as she left the room and both servants went back to their work.

Later when Arthur entered his room after the meeting was over he found Merlin cleaning the room.
“Good to see आप weren’t lazy” he teased the servant. No matter how upset he was, his mood could never be too bad to tease Merlin. In fact, his banters with Merlin always cheered him up.
“Of course” Merlin कहा smiling and threw the cleaning cloth at Arthur who catched it and shot a death glare back at him. But before he could come at him again Merlin became serious and कहा quickly: “Can I talk to you?”

“What is it?” Arthur कहा while he took of his कोट and threw it over a chair.
Merlin hesitated.
“It’s about Gwen.”
Now he had Arthur’s attention completely.
Merlin told him about his and Gwen’s suspense about Morgana and the killer.
“It makes sense, right, but still…”
Arthur was leaning against the wall, arms crossed before his chest, thinking.
“Arthur”, Merlin approaches, leaning besides him.
“Gwen is worried about you. Don’t be angry with her. She has nothing to do with it.”
Arthur shifted.
“I know” he कहा quietly, facing Merlin with the concerned look he was wearing since the दिन of the attack on Camelot.
“I’m just glad nothing happened to her.”

At sunset Arthur put on his बरसती, लबादा and made his way down to the village, trying not to be seen द्वारा the night guards.
When he reached Gwen’s house he knocked.
“Coming” he hears her always so lovely sounding voice from inside. सेकंड्स later she opened the door and looked a little surprised द्वारा the sight of the Prince on her door step.
“Arthur.”
“Guinvere. Can I come in?” he asked.
“Sure.”
Gwen stepped aside, so that he could enter.
He closed the door and followed her into the candle lit room.
He looked around, taking in the sight of her cosy little house. It hasn’t change since the last time he visited her, that was quite a while ago. It was as always decorated with many beautiful flowers. He smiled. Gwen and फूल were two beautiful things that looked so lovely together.
“Can I offer आप something?” Gwen interrupted his thought.
“No, thank you.”
Another moment passed in which he just stared at her before realizing it at all.
“Arthur?”
Arthur blushed and looked away. He cleared his throat before he spoke.
“I came to apologize.”
Gwen shook her head. “You don’t have to-“
“I should not have been angry with you” he went on.
“I don’t blame आप for anything, आप have done nothing wrong. I just.. overreacted because I was worried and angry. I’m sorry.”
He spoke quickly so that she could not interrupt him again before he had कहा what he wanted her to know.
Gwen approached him and touched his arm.
”I know.” She looked up at him and smiled.
He returned the smile while taking her hand that still stroked his arm and then pulled her into a soft embrace.
Gwen lend herself against him, resting her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
For this moment all the troubles and worries of the last days were gone. There in Arthur’s arms, Gwen felt save. She felt it was the place where she belonged. They both knew if they just stand together and believe in each other, they could make it through everything that was yet to come.

part 2:link