Page 53 of The White Enchantress

We love each other. Our love is so powerful it reached through time to bring us together. I can feel it in my bones, in my chest, and in my groin. I long for his touch. I long to feel him inside me again but I also long for his companionship. Knowing I will spend the rest of my life as his wife fills me to the brim with happiness.

And marrying Lancelot means saving Camelot. I will never become King Arthur’s wife, destined to betray my vows by sleeping with another man. And not just any man, a knight of his innercircle, a most trusted friend. Lancelot and I are meant to be together. That much is obvious to me now.

On the thirteenth day of waiting, Arthur and a small band of riders are seen from the watchtower. I am glad of his arrival, though I do not yet know what sort of mood he is in. But his presence means that Lancelot and I can get married. I convinced myself that if Arthur allowed Lancelot to court me, he would surely let us marry. Knowing that he hasn’t brought an army to fight Lancelot and take me back to Camelot solidifies my theory.

Lancelot and I stand next to one another outside the gate of Joyous Gard as Arthur and his men approach the castle. Lancelot brushes my hand discreetly, making sure Gaheris doesn’t see. I look up at his encouraging smile and my heart expands inside my chest. Both of us are unafraid. We know our love will be enough for Arthur. Everything will work out the way we planned. We’ll be married by sunset.

Lancelot bows graciously to Arthur as he dismounts his horse. I follow suit, looking down at the floor. “Welcome to Joyous Gard, your grace. We are honored to receive you.” Lancelot says with his usual confidence.

“Have you two been wed yet?” Arthur speaks quietly, in a deadpan tone.

“No, your grace. We intended to wait until your arrival to bless our union if you would be so kind.”

“Then let us not wait any longer.” Arthur pulls Lance into a brotherly hug, his expressionless face quickly turning into a brightly woven smile. To the rest of the crowd standing in silence all around us, Arthur shouts, “There will be a wedding tonight!”

The three of us are all smiles as cheers drown out the crashing of the waves. I couldn’t help but notice Gawain’s look of disapproval though. Lancelot grabs my hand, pulling my attention away from Gawain as Arthur steers us inside the castle walls.

To my dismay, Elaine traveled with the small group of knights and noblemen of Arthur’s cavalcade. She falls in step with us, following us into the keep. “Lady Guinevere, I trust you remember Elaine. I thought she would be a good companion to help you prepare for your wedding day.” Arthur calls her over, instructing her to retrieve the trunk she’d packed for the trip. “I will take the groom and make arrangements for the evening festivities.”

I, in turn, call Mairenn over to join us. I am not about to lock myself in a room with Elaine all day.

As soon as we are in my chambers, Elaine asks me if I’m pregnant.

“What? No. Well, not that I’m aware of.”

“He must really want you then. Lancelot never did more than kiss me. He was desperate to be a pure white knight.”

“Oh?” I say, curious to know more about her relations with my husband-to-be. I keep my questions to myself though, not wantingto stir that pot. But I do want to boil up another. “And yes, he does want me.”

I expected a retort but only receive a bitchy eye roll. “King Arthur instructed me to go through your quarters at Camelot and pack up your clothing as you left in a hurry.”

“I didn’t leave in a hurry. I was kidnapped by Melwas.”

“And now you are just happening to be marrying Sir Lancelot?”

“It would have happened regardless of the kidnapping.” At least I had thought so. After our first kiss, how could we go back to polite friendship?

“What dress do you wish to wear for your wedding, my lady?”

I dug my own grave with Elaine. I know that. She was always kind to me though. Even now, she is doing amazingly well to keep her demeanor polite and calm though on the inside, I know she is screaming, just as I am. She is so obviously in love with Lancelot, and I am going to become his wife in a few hours.

Not wanting to create any more drama, I take a deep breath. “Thank you for bringing me my belongings. I’ve been borrowing clothing for the past two weeks while Mairenn helped me put together a modest wardrobe.”

Elaine mumbles back, “You are welcome, my lady.”

I turn from her to look at the dresses she brought along. I don’t have a large wardrobe so she was able to bring all of my dresses, including my original wedding gown. The one I wore the day I traveled through time and when I attempted to hand over Excaliburto King Arthur. She begins to hum inside me, clearly biased as to which dress I should put on.

That dress has already been through so much though. So I picked out a pale blue dress that I had only worn once. Nothing exceptional happened that day and it is a beautiful dress, embroidered by Lynette, one of the many ladies at Camelot. It would make a fine but modest wedding gown.

Lance and I have a church wedding, as that is the only acceptable marriage ceremony in Arthur’s eyes. Though Lancelot and I aren’t believers of the Christian faith, we still don’t mind. And we would rather not pick a fight with Arthur after everything that had happened in the last few weeks. I am glad to see everyone getting along. Even Gawain loosened up during the feast. But we don’t stay long at the wedding reception.

Lance and I sneak off a couple of hours after the party starts. Most of the guests are too deep in their drinks to care, unaware that we were there anyway. It has been over three weeks since Lancelot and I first slept together. We have barely touched since. And the circumstances around our first time were strange and highly emotional. I had been so out of it that the memory was more like a dream. So tonight feels like the first time, and I am jittery as fuck.

As Lance carries me up to his chambers, I can’t help but giggle. It’s like I’m in a fairytale. The G-rated happy ending has finished playing and now I will get to see what happens after the credits. I am married to Sir Lancelot, the White Knight of Camelot.Holy fucking shit!And this is my reality.

I am not stuck in a fantasy or an erotic dream. The real Sir Lancelot, a man I have fallen so completely in love with, is kissing my neck. He holds me against the door of his bedroom. His lips are soft and wet, tasting, savoring me.

“Are we going to do this out in the hallway?” I joke, my breath tickling this chin.

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