Page 34 of Gwen and Art Are Not in Love

They were already halfway out of the door, and Gwen felt a pang of longing like she had back in the Great Hall; she couldn’t help but think of all the times she had watched groups of young ladies laughing together at feasts and dances, telling herself she wasn’t anything like them, burying the part of herself that quietly ached for companionship.

Perhaps she didn’t need to act oneverythingshe wanted; perhaps it was enough just to have this, and then be done with it.

‘I’ll come,’ Gwen said.

‘No you won’t,’ said Arthur, pausing in the doorway and looking mildly scandalised.

‘Yes I will,’ said Gwen. His indignance just made her want to double down. ‘It’s – it’s not outside the castle, is it?’

‘No,’ Agnes said reluctantly. ‘It’s within the bailey, your highness.’

‘Fine. I’m only coming to keep an eye on you, Arthur, so you don’t do something rash. Agnes – just – fetch my cloak.’

‘Don’tfetch her cloak, Agnes,’ Arthur said firmly. Agnes looked from Arthur to Gwen. Gwen narrowed her eyes.

‘Fetch. My. Cloak.’

Agnes sighed, and ducked past Gabriel to go back into the bedchamber.

‘I’m really not sure this’ll be your sort of thing,’ Sidney said slowly; Gwen suspected that Arthur had given him a pinch on the arm to inspire him to speak.

‘Ifpeoplelike to celebrate this day, then I’m sure I’ll find some part of it amusing. I’mpeople, aren’t I?’

‘No,’ said Arthur, as Agnes reappeared and reluctantly helped Gwen into her cloak.

‘I think it’s probably best if I come too,’ Gabriel said suddenly.

‘What?’ Gwen and Arthur said at the same time, managing to match each other in tone and pitch.

‘Just – give me a second,’ Gabriel said. ‘I need to go back to my rooms and—’

‘If you sayfetch my cloak,’ said Arthur, ‘I am going toscream.’

Arthur insisted that Gwen and Gabriel put their hoods up as they walked, and that they weren’t to take them down under any circumstances, as they would risk ‘ruining the integrity of the event’.

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Gwen said, rankled despite the fact that she had absolutely no intention of getting caught at some questionable cultist bacchanal.

‘Do you thinkanyone’sgoing to relax and take part in dark and terrible magic rituals if they think they’re being observed by the heir to the throne and the heir to – hmm, whatareyou the heir to? The slightly smaller seat next to the throne?’

‘Do you suppose people will notice?’ Agnes said quietly to Sidney.

‘Nah,’ he said. ‘They’ll blend right in.’

‘Ohyes,’ said Arthur. ‘Why wouldn’t they? They’re only about eight feet tall with flaming red hair, and act like they were raised in a haunted tower away from all human contact—’

‘Well, we were,’ said Gabriel. Arthur laughed in a strangled sort of way.

‘What wasthat?’ he said incredulously. ‘Gwendoline, did your brother just make ajoke?’

‘Don’t ask me,’ said Gwen. ‘Where the hell are we going?’

They had left the familiar confines of the inner castle and were now out in the bailey; Gwen knew the areas to the north and south of the main keep well, but they were currently walking east to the servants’ domains, and in the darkness all the squat little service buildings looked identical. They ducked down an alleyway, following close at Arthur’s heels, and it opened out into a small courtyard that Gwen knew she had never seen before in her life.

‘Is that achapel?’ she said, frowning at the structure at the far end.

‘What gave it away?’ said Arthur. ‘Was it the massive bloody cross on top?’

‘I didn’t know there was a chapel in here,’ Gwen said, looking at Gabriel, who shrugged.