Luminescence ✺ Arthur Pendragon

Queen of Hearts [2]

Sitting on her bed as night fell over Camelot, Arwen let her eyes scan over the books in her hands, separating those she knew were her own and those which she'd borrowed from Gaius' shelves and never returned. Gaius' went onto a pile beside her, while her own were swiftly stored away within a chest which already held her clothes and other items she'd brought to Camelot when they first arrived.

So much had happened since then and so much had changed, Arwen could hardly believe it. And she could hardly believe what it all led to. The sound of the bedroom door opening had her snapping out of her thought so that she may look over to her brother whose eyes were scanning the room in surprise. "You've already packed so much."

"I thought it best not to delay the inevitable." Arwen said with a small nod of her head, setting the books aside as he came over to sit on the bed next to her. "It would only make the pain last longer, I suspect." She couldn't imagine going through these motions for the entire three day she had in Camelot.

"You'll go to Prairene, won't you?" Merlin asked, although in a way it was clear he already knew the answer to his own question. And Arwen only confirmed it as she nodded her head.

"I suppose I'm lucky in that regard, at least." Arwen muttered out thoughtfully, her words making Merlin's brows furrow and the look on his face prompting her to explain further. "Not many who are banished can say they have the luxury of running away to a crown and kingdom, a palace just waiting for them to claim it."

"Even if you weren't a princess. You'd still have Ealdor." Merlin thought out loud, the mention of their home making a small smile appear on Arwen's face.

"Maybe I'll go there first." She said. "I've missed mum. And I think a visit would do me some good after everything that's happened."

"You sound like you've given up." Merlin admonished, making Arwen's head snap over in his direction, an eyebrow raised as she sent him a pointed look.

"What am I supposed to do, Merlin? Stand in front of Uther and announce I'm not a lowborn so that I may be with Arthur?" She questioned pointedly. "He's have me killed on the spot."

"I'm not saying to do that, but surely there's still something we can do to convince him to let you stay." Merlin tried to argue. "Especially after all the good you've done here as a physician. I won't just give up."

"No, Merlin, don't do anything." She instructed him, making the boy give her an incredulous look. "You know, a part of me can't help but wonder if this is how it was supposed to go. If this was meant to happen."

"Why?"

"I'm no longer sure if I've been staying in Camelot all this time because it was truly safer as I claimed or if... if I was just clinging on to my life here." She explained with a thoughtful look on her face. "Once I take the throne and become queen officially, my life changes forever. And there is no coming back from it. I think... I think this might be the push I need to stop avoiding it."

"So, you want to go?" Merlin asked as he struggled to understand what she was saying.

"No, of course I don't want to go." Arwen said sympathetically, reaching over to take a hold of his hand as she spoke. "The last thing I want is to leave you, or Gaius, or Arthur. I love Camelot, and I love being a physician here and all the friends I've made. But I always knew it would come to an end. We all did."

"Yes, but it wasn't meant to happen so suddenly. We were supposed to have more time." Merlin said, his voice growing even sadder than it had been before as he tightened his hold on her hand. "Ever since you came to Ealdor and we took you in, we've never been apart." He pointed out, unsure of what he would do when he didn't have his sister by his side. He didn't even remember such a time after so long.