Let Me Be the Knight For Once {Gwen}

[Lancelot du Lac]

Somehow, Levi expected that his life was in peril. It wasn't so much that he was afraid that someone would quite literally end his life, though he wasn't quite willing to dispel that possibility entirely. It was more that his life, as he'd built it here at Trenale and Tintagel, was now flirting with something very akin to death. So Levi knew this, knew it full well, and it wasn't stopping him. If anything, it was making him move faster.

What was he doing? Packing. But not, technically, packing for himself, hence the eminent danger involved. He realized this, even as he shoved items into a bag, hoping that he managed to accomplish his task before the inevitable happened.

"She's not going to listen," he muttered under his breath. That was something that Levi already knew going in. He also knew, practically to his core, that Gwen was going to argue. A lot. It wasn't his place to do this; he certainly shouldn't be making her decisions for her. He definitely shouldn't presume to enter her home without her permission to pack up her things in a manner that was going to get him killed, likely in a spectacular fashion.

Levi knew all that, and he frankly didn't give a damn.

"You need to be safe!" he called, half over his shoulder, half reassuring himself. "They've created a sanctuary! They're called that for a reason!"

He held up a book that was near Gwen's dresser, tilting it to study it for a moment. She was going to kill him; he just needed to see if he could push this cart far enough that it would travel on its own first.

[Guinevere]

Guinevere had come home to the flat to find that the front door was already unlocked. Not an unusual thing since she shared said flat with Merlin but on entering she noticed a distinct lack of the wizard and a lot of commotion coming from her own bedroom. Since she was sure that Merlin was in fact terrified to even cross the doorway of her room she became instantly suspicious and on her guard. That was until she heard the familiar and reassuring voice of Levain.

She smiled fondly, knowing what he was talking about and slowly walked to the room, to lean in the doorway and watch him pack.

Her expression was one of bemusement as he went too and fro, packing everything wrong and indeed, packing all the wrong things. When he lifted up the book she finally walked forwards and took it from his hands. “I don’t think you would enjoy that one very much,” she said with a smile and placed ‘Emma’ back on the bedside table.

“It seems you have it all worked out,” she said crossing to her wardrobe, “pray tell. How exactly are you thinking of getting me down to the docks once you’ve packed all my things? Were you going to throw me over your shoulder like Tarzan, or just tie me up and put me in a trunk?”

[Lancelot du Lac]

Levi stood there, looking as sheepish as he'd ever looked for a few heartbeats. He'd really been expecting Gwen to act... angrier. He'd had everything prepared for a shouting match. He hadn't been prepared for her to take on a role very much akin to that of a disapproving mother who'd just found her child trying and failing to do something nice. The knight shifted awkwardly, looking at the book again.

"The arm carry is supposed to be romantic," he reminded her, finally daring to look back at Gwen. He took a deep breath, as if the inhale could strengthen his spine. It seemed to work, to some degree. Levi seemed a little more solid than he had a few seconds ago, at any rate. Not surprisingly, it didn't give him any brilliant arguments. He had to spend a few awkward, silent seconds remembering what exactly he had planned for that part.

"I was going to attempt to reason with you," he said, talking slowly as though considering each word. "Failing that, I figured a spell or potion might work... I think those might be alright with..." he gestured at Gwen's abdomen, then had the decency to look away for a few seconds. Another deep breath, and he looked to Gwen again. "You need to be safe," he said, then nodded to her abdomen again, "you both do."

There, appealing to her motherly instincts should definitely work. Definitely.

[Guinevere]

She liked that he was looking at least a little ashamed of what he was doing, not enough to stop though. It was hard to keep her ground when he looked like that, she wanted to walk forward and wrap her arms around his neck but she couldn’t, no she needed to hold her ground on this one.

“I like how you have a plan B should ‘reasoning’ fail,” she said folding her arms, pretending to look insulted, “and I know exactly what is best for me and this…” she pointed to her stomach, “inconvenience.”

It sounded harsh, but it was her way of dealing with it, especially around Levain. She didn’t want to call it baby, that still felt too raw, too harsh for him to have to deal with. And how was she supposed to tell him that she was actually beginning to warm to the idea? How was she to tell the man she loved that this child was actually something she was beginning to want?

Still facing Levain she reached behind her, swinging the sliding door of her wardrobe back revealing the large trunk that sat there already. Smiling a little she said, “I work for Grayle Corp Levain…I knew about the island before anyone else…”

[Lancelot du Lac]

"She's not an inconvenience; she's a life," insisted Levi. oh, he still hated the situation. He especially hated being continually reminded that the father was, in fact, Arthur Pendragon and not Levain Astolat. It was one of those things that grated on his every nerve and haunted about every other thought. At the same time, the knight couldn't blame the child, as much as he wanted to. The child was at least half her mother, and Levi loved the mother too much. Besides, you'd have to be a grade A ass to hate a baby.

Levi sighed, turning to look down at the mess he'd managed to create. His hand came up to rub at the back of his head, as if he could work ideas up. Gwen spoke; he almost visibly winced. "I should have figured that," he admitted. "Still, you need to--"

He'd turned while speaking, and he caught sight of the trunk. He paused. He swallowed. He pointed at the trunk. He lowered his hand.

"You couldn't have opened with that?" he asked, looking to her. He let out a laugh that was half sigh, again bringing up his head. "God, why do I keep looking like an idiot in front of you... first at your work, now here..."

[Guinevere]

Gwen smiled fondly and walked away from the closet, crossing to Levain and taking his hand. “You don’t look like an idiot,” she said and lifting his hand kissed the back of it, lightly, “you are an honourable and good man who just wants the best for me. I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

Letting go of her hand she crossed to the other side of her bed, opening the cabinet there and pulling out some more books, “however since you are here in all your manly honourableness you can do me a favour and pull that damn trunk out of there. I…I didn’t want to risk doing it myself…”

Guinevere did not like admitting weakness, especially not to a man, however in this case the inconvenience came first…it had too. It had pleased her that he had immediately assumed it was a girl and she thought it a little strange, especially for a male that had not been brought up in a matriarch society. Standing up after taking the last book out she asked, “how did you know? That I would wish it to be a girl?”

[Lancelot du Lac]

There really shouldn't be that tingling feeling in Levi whenever Gwen kissed him. He should really be past that by now. Way past. "More like an honorable idiot," he muttered, still not entirely pleased by his situation. Flailing was not becoming: not of a knight, and certainly not of a man. Still, he supposed his heart had been in the right place.

Didn't make it any harder for him to extract his head from his rear.

"Yes, your majesty," he responded to the order, even bowing slightly. He walked over to the trunk, fully convinced that Gwen was giving him busy work to make him feel less like a fool. He pulled the trunk, and actually had to pause and frown at it, surprised by its weight. He gave it another experimental tug before looking back at Gwen. He looked very much like he wanted to say something: his brow crinkling, his mouth opening, but instead he lapsed into silence, bringing the trunk over to where Gwen stood without much more than a grunt.

"I didn't," he said, practically muttering the words. He suddenly became overly interested in the bags. "That's just what I want. I--it'll be... easier for me. To love her. If she's a girl," he swallowed, then looked up, meeting Gwen's eyes. Easier, he said, but he fully intended on loving the child if he turned out to be a spitting image of his father.

[Guinevere]

She loved the way he immediately sprung to her command, of course it worried her a little as well that he was so willing to do so. There wasn’t even an ounce of sarcasm in his ‘yes majesty’. Guinevere wanted to be treated as a royal should be, but by someone so close to her? A friend? A…well…whatever they had between them? It made her happy but at the same time there was guilt, he should not be so willing, so formal. It was a strange thing that was probably best left unsaid…

Before she could betray herself and speak he had replied to her other question and there was an even worse feeling coursing through her.

“That is…very admirable of you,” she said meaning every word, however her eyes narrowed slightly taking on a very protective look as she continued, “I wish for a girl to take my throne, to train to follow in my footsteps, but…but I would be just as happy with a son…what if I have a son?”

A little boy just like Arthur…

[Lancelot du Lac]

Levi took the compliment in stride, even shrugging it off. It might sound horrible, but the knight was used to fair maidens complimenting him. Of course, it meant far, far more coming from Gwen, and Levi was half tempted to show it. He might have done just that, if not for the next few words that came out of Gwen's mouth. Those were enough to cause him to pause and give her a serious look.

"If you have a son, I'll have to learn to love him too," he said, his words filled with weight. "He'd still be part of you, and I love--" Levi shook his head, moving to grab onto the luggage. What had she put in this thing anyway?

"Did you want me to escort you down to the docks now, or later?" he asked, turning to face Gwen again. His expression gave the unspoken: "because I'm going to, one way or another." He figured that would more or less be apparent.

[Guinevere]

“No,” she said softly moving towards him, close to him, “no don’t change the subject. You were about to say something Levain, you cut yourself off but you were about to say it. You must know that in my presence, when we are alone, you must always speak your mind. You are my knight, my chosen champion if you will, and I will know your mind, your thoughts, your opinion, for you will be my most trusted knight.”

Well…second most trusted officially. Her first most trusted would always be Arthur and so long as he were to compete in the tournaments, so long as he was fighting, he would wear her colours, her favours. Should there come a day he was to stop then she could pass them on to Levain…until then….the two would need to come up with something else, some private token that he could cherish that would just be secret, just between them.

Placing her hands in his she looked up at him and said, “say it…please.”

[Lancelot du Lac]

She always did this. Levi should be upset, should deride his monarch for constantly diverting the subject, especially in a case such as this, where her safety was at concern. Yet he felt those hands touching his, heard the words, and everything else didn't seem to matter as much. Again, the knight felt like perhaps one day Guinevere would stop having this effect upon him, but he doubted it.

"I love you, m'lady," he said, he met her gaze then, his eyes as serious as they ever were. Leaning in, he took her lips in his. Not a deep kiss, but a simple one. A peck to seal the words he'd so recently spoken, to exchange them between the two of them and leave it there. He squeezed her hands as he parted from her, and nodded. "I love thee more than anything else, even mine own life. Which is," he motioned toward the luggage with his head, "why I want you safe. On the island. Away from this madness."

There, the truth certainly couldn't hurt, could it?