Page 36 of Gwen and Art Are Not in Love

‘Sounnerving,’ Arthur muttered, as he and Gabriel started walking away across the courtyard. ‘He’s not usually like this. Maybe he’s ill.’

‘What lengths have you gone to while pining?’ said Gabriel, his face obscured by his hood.

‘Oh, he’s just trying to … There was this thing with a song, I was never particularly good at the lute – not important,’ Arthur blustered. Gabriel slowed down and glanced over his shoulder, back at the chapel.

‘I don’t really feel I should just leave her in there,’ he said. Arthur could see the lower half of his face now; he was chewing anxiously on his bottom lip, which by rights shouldn’t have been the least bit attractive.

‘Oh, she’sfine,’ Arthur said, taking him by the arm. ‘Come on – we’re far more conspicuous lurking out here than she is partying in there.’ Any other heir to the throne, Arthur thought, might protest at being hauled around by a minor member of his court; Gabriel seemed to take it in his stride, as if he’d just been waiting for somebody to tell him what to do next, and Arthur’s direction was as good as any.

‘I would have liked to see it,’ Gabriel said, as they approached the alleyway.

‘Yes. Well. It’s not in my nature to leave a party early, but we were very much surplus to requirements,’ Arthur replied. ‘I feel at a bit of a loss, now. All worked up and nowhere to go.’

‘Yes,’ said Gabriel vaguely. They lapsed into an awkward silence, which to Arthur was tantamount to torture.

‘Off to bed then?’ he said, for lack of anything else.

‘Actually, I – I’ll probably go to the library.’

‘In the middle of the night?’

‘In the middle of the night.’

‘Oh,’ said Arthur. ‘That’s … admirable, I suppose.’

‘Is it?’

‘Well, somebody’s got to do it.’ The fact that this made no sense at all was not lost on him.

‘I’m sort of … studying,’ Gabriel said, and even in the dark Arthur could see that he was blushing. It was a shame not to be able to see it more clearly; his kingdom – or, Gabriel’s kingdom, he supposed – for a well-placed brazier.They reached the gate into the main castle, and Gabriel removed his hood for the guards, who quickly scrambled aside.

‘Studying for what?’ They were slowing down, and Arthur didn’t know who had initiated it. He was usually a fastidiously fast walker; Sidney was forever complaining about it.

‘Um. Everything? My future,’ Gabriel said. Arthur’s instinct was to laugh, but he managed to keep himself in check.

‘You’re studying forlife? Foryourlife? Is there a – is there a how-to guide for monarchs? Tips and tricks for subjugating the masses? Prevent a revolt in ten easy steps?’

‘Yes,’ said Gabriel. ‘Well. Sort of. But it’s chronicled in a thousand different volumes about the history of the kings of Britain, or written by the kings themselves, and they all disagree about precisely how to go about the … subjugating.’

‘So you’re working on the pamphlet,’ Arthur said. ‘To make it snappy. Summarise it on to one piece of parchment, to instruct future generations.’

‘I’m working on …’ Gabriel sighed. They had reached the middle of the north-west courtyard and come to a complete stop. ‘I’m just working.’

‘Well, I’m sorry we couldn’t liven your spirits with a secret cultist party,’ said Arthur. ‘Clearly you needed it.’

‘Right,’ said Gabriel. There was another awkward silence.

‘So you’re going to the library?’ Arthur said.

‘Yes,’ said Gabriel. His voice was much higher in pitch when he said, ‘Are you – do you want to come?’

Thiswas unexpected. Arthur couldn’t imagine what could have precipitated the invitation, besides perhaps general panic.

‘Better than going to bed, I suppose,’ he said, shrugging. ‘Or – probably about thesameas going to bed, but at least it’s a change of scenery.’

Gabriel just nodded, and Arthur followed on as he set off towards the main keep. He managed to restrain himself from talking for the sake of talking until they had made it to the library entrance.

‘Wild in here past midnight, is it?’ he said, peering dubiously around as Gabriel took up a lantern that had obviously been left for his use by the door. The room was packed with bookshelves, arranged back to back and bookended with large pillars, creating a dark and dusty warren. They had to take several hairpin turns, but eventually they made it to a corner that had clearly been furnished for extended stays. It contained a small linenfold table with a hard-backed chair behind it and a thick stack of books neatly piled atop it. There was also a large, well-used armchair; the velvet was slightly worn at the back and the seat, patches threadbare and faded.