#when i conceived of this i was imagining 50% less plot and 50% more pining and domesticity and being cute and the whole cottagecore shebang

[ursus-mari]

Guinevere is a noblewoman, ward of King Bayard, married off to Prince Arthur of Camelot in a political alliance. Arthur is brash and arrogant, but he is also noble and true and genuinely cares, and Guinevere thinks she could love him, if only she had been given a choice. As is she feels stifled and trapped, stuck in a loveless marriage and given no more to do than be fussed over by maids and embroider. So she runs. Goes to the Darkling Woods, where no one dares venture for fear of the witch Morgan le Fay, a powerful, vindictive sorceress. Guinevere fears the witch, but she wants out more, and no soldier of Camelot or Mercia would dare enter her woods. But in the forest, Guinevere finds no vindictive witch, just a worn down woman who introduces herself as Morgana. Guinevere knows she has likely just met the witch, but Morgana doesn’t seem malicious, just tired and lonely. Still, Guinevere doesn’t want to invoke her wrath as the Prince’s wife, and she wants to be free of the expectations and limitations that hound her, so Guinevere introduces herself simply as Gwen, a name she has not been called since her parents died and Elyan ran off.

And so, with the passing of the seasons, the witch and the noblewoman fall in love.

(If you’d like to hear me ramble more about this AU and its spontaneously developed plot, that’s under the cut)

Features of this AU include

mutual pretending that they don’t know who the other is

Gwen learning survival skills and swordplay from Morgana

running around in the leaves in fall

snowball fights

sleeping pressed together during winter (and consequently realizing, hey, I really, really want to kiss you)

Gwen actually combing Morgana’s hair?

Gwen learning to trust and love magic. She has no magical ability herself, but she helps Morgana with physical preparations of spells and potions, and her enthusiasm helps Morgana find her abilities beautiful once more.

On the subject of magic, Morgana sets up a spell that allows only those who mean no harm and those in need of help to find their home.

This means they act as a haven for those in need, and though no one stays, they leave with their well being ensured and a memory of kindness

Gwen looking herself using the water, wearing worn, threadbare clothes, hair shorter and pulled back simply, and realizing that she likes her reflection more like this, watery and distorted as it is, than she ever did when she wore elaborate gowns and had long hair in complicated updos and looked at herself in an expensive, perfectly reflective mirror.

Also relating to water, there’s the awkward bathing together thing and sneaking glances at each other before turning away with burning cheeks

Trips to the city rarely and in disguise, but when they do go they have fun with shopping

Universe-wise, Gwen has taken on Morgana’s role here a bit as the orphaned ward of a king. Her mother died when she was young, and her brother left to experience adventure and learn a craft (hi, Elyan), so when her father died, she was taken in by Bayard, an old friend of her father’s, who then married her off for political gain.

Morgana is Uther’s bastard child, and her mother was a commoner rather than a noblewoman. She was kept around as Gaius’s assistant, neither she nor Arthur knowing of their shared blood. When her nightmares start up, Gaius sends her away to train with Morgause, who teaches her hatred as well as spellcraft. Somehow or another, they learn of Morgana’s parentage, and Morgause takes this as an oppurtunity to take the throne and hatches a plan. Morgana, meanwhile begins to dream of Arthur’s death at Morgause’s hand, and though they were not equals, they had grown up together and developed an odd sort of friendship, and she finds she does not want to see him hurt. She tries to talk Morgause out of her plan, to change it so only Uther suffers and none of the townspeople or Arthur, but Morgause is out for blood and will not be swayed. So Morgana does what she can to thwart Morgause’s schemes and runs. She finds refuge among the druids, but Uther sends a raid to slaughter them, and Morgana finds herself a target when she uses magic to defend herself. She runs off to hide in the woods, where she fights off bandits and knights, and soon she makes a name for herself as the witch of the Darkling Woods, which is how Gwen finds her at the start of the tale

(But back to the Morgwen)

Gwen’s never done any practical sewing before, but she learns, and this is how they come by their disguises and non suspicious clothing

wait no darn it I’m out of morgwen thoughts

Merlin definitely ends up taking refuge with them once he gets found out, and Arthur follows. He finds them, which is how they know Arthur means no harm even if Arthur himself doesn’t

I imagine they assist all the knights at various points, so when Merlin and Arthur stumble in and the four of them (once all the angsting and shouting of a magic reveal and the awkwardness of finding your runaway wife in a relationship with your runaway sister subsides, at least) decide to take down Uther and usher in an age of magic and prosperity and not killing people, thanks, they call the knights to them to help

Uther is defeated and Arthur is king and the Golden Age is ushered in and Morgana and Gwen are very happy together the end

If you’ve read this far I love you forever and would love to hear your thoughts and additions re: sapphics in the woods and also I’m sorry I really, really didn’t mean to let this get so long