Gwen would be characterised by anyone but herself as a prodigy with a sword. That would be, if she let anyone see what she can do.
She started beating Elyan when she was six. It took her far longer to beat her father for the first time but whenever she lost he would tell her that she just needed some time to get a little stronger. Some time to grow up.
Gwen beats her father for the first time when she’s fourteen. He smiles from where he’s lying on the floor with a knowing look.
“I told you so.” he manages, despite how winded he is.
She rolls her eyes and let’s the glow of pride set a fire in her chest.
~
Gwen is twenty-two years old and has been the Lady Morgana’s maid servant for a little under a year. She’s a prodigy at it and this time she does let people see. She spends all the time she has with Morgana and all the rest of it practicing with a sword in the forge’s yard.
It takes longer for anyone to notice than she thought it would.
She’s practising behind her father’s forge. Moving through the same jabs and cuts she’s repeated a thousand times before. It feels good, like it always does. It feels powerful.
“Well aren’t you full of surprises?” Lady Morgana calls wryly from the forge and Gwen almost drops her sword.
“You’re not supposed to be here.” she hisses, forgetting just about everything she’s ever learned about how to treat those of higher stations than hers. “Sorry.” she tags on the end, like that would stop a regular noble from having her beheaded for such words.
“Don’t be.” Morgana smiles slyly. “You could probably put Arthur on his arse with moves like those.”
Gwen is immensely lucky that Morgana isn’t a regular noble. “I’m sure that he would be a formidable opponent.” she says diplomatically.
Morgana grins, because she loves Arthur just like Gwen loves Elyan, but she isn’t meeting Gwen’s eyes and seems hesitant in a way that’s unlike her.
“Yes, milady?” Gwen prompts.
“I don’t suppose-“ Morgana’s eyes dart to the sword rack in the corner of the yard. “I don’t suppose you could teach me?”
Gwen smiles, relief flooding her. “Of course”
After all, it would hardly be proper for her to refuse a request from the Lady Morgana.