Guinevere Pendragon

Guinevere, known simply as Gwen, is the handmaiden to the Lady Morgana, friend Merlin and Love interest of Arthur Pendragon.

Biography
Little has been revealed about her background. She is the only daughter of a blacksmith named Thomas, she has been the personal maidservant to the Lady Morgana since they were both young children. According to Merlin, she is one of the best seamstresses in Camelot and has learned from her father Tom how to mend armour and work with weapons. She has never talked about her mother and no reason has been given for her absence from Gwen's life.

Series 1
Upon Merlin's arrival in Camelot Gwen befriends him. She praises him for standing up to Arthur Pendragon, the Prince of Camelot, when he was bullying one of the servants. After developing a friendship with him she quickly becomes smitten with him (The Dragon's Call) although Merlin is unaware of Gwen's feelings for him and simply loves her as a friend. (The Mark of Nimueh, The Poisoned Chalice, Lancelot et al)

Gwen has no known family other than her father. When Camelot was hit by a plague sent by Nimueh Gwen's father fell victim to it. Gwen begged Gaius to help him but there was no known cure. Merlin used magic to cure Tom as he couldn't bare to stand back and see her suffer when he had the power to save Tom. When news of Tom's sudden recovery reaches Arthur he arrested Gwen for witchcraft, although he disagrees with his father's assumption that Gwen caused the plague. She was saved when Merlin, Arthur and Morgana discovered an Afanc that was poisoning the water supply and destroyed it. (The Mark of Nimueh)

When Merlin is saved by a swordsman named Lancelot he is instantly taken with Gwen, who in turn, wishes to help him reach his goal at becoming a knight of Camelot. Like Merlin, she is the only one who knows that he isn't a nobleman. Although she takes a liking to Lancelot also his attentions awaken her more to her unrequinted love for Merlin, and the fact he is unaware of it. (Lancelot)

When Arthur is challenged to a duel to the death with a wraith - his uncle Tristan De Bois - it is from Gwen that Merlin gets the legendary sword Excalibur she tells him that it is the finest sword her father ever made. It is from The Great Dragon the sword gains its powers. (Excalibur)

Gwen has shown she is capable of standing up for herself. When she is arrested for witchcraft she protests her innocence to Uther and Arthur. (The Mark of Nimueh) When Merlin, Morgana, Arthur and Gwen travelled to Ealdor to defend it against bandits lead by Kanan she took it upon herself to represent the women of the town. She convinced Arthur to let her, Morgana, and the other women of the village fight. Moreover she scolds Arthur for his lack of gratitude for the food the people give him. Arthur, rather than scolding her for showing him disrespect, apologises for his behaviour. Gwen also encourages Arthur when he begins to doubt their chances of beating Kanan. (The Moment of Truth)

Tom is killed by Uther after he is accused of harbouring a sorcerer, Tauren, leaving Gwen an orphan. Although she holds as great hate for Uther as a result she states that she wouldn't kill Uther if she had the power of life and death over him stating that "would make her no better than him." Ironically it is these words that prompt Merlin to foil an attempted assassination on Uther by Tauren and Morgana. Arthur assured Gwen after Tom's death that her home and job were still hers and to ask if she needed anything. (To Kill the King)

Arthur was bitten by the Questing Beast the kingdom prepared themselves for the fact that he would die but Gwen refused to give up on him. As she nursed him she told him that the only thing that keeps her going is the hope that one day he will be king. It is obvious that although she dislikes his attitude and behaviour most of the time, she sees that deep down he is a good man and she beleives that he will be a great King one day, and has faith that he will grow into the best leader Camelot has ever seen. When Merlin brought back water from The Cup of Life Arthur recovers. When they were alone Arthur reminded Gwen about the things she said about him, playfully teasing her. flustered by his flirting she denies having said anything complimentry to him and flees leaving Arthur bemused.

Gwen nurses Merlin's mother Hunith when her life is taken for Arthur's, instead of Merlin. Before he leaves to confront Nimueh Merlin tells Gwen that she should never lose her good heart. (Le Morte d'Arthur)

Series 2
Gwen continues to aid Merlin in his adventures in every way she can. Growing up in Camelot she had been open about her dislike for Prince Arthur. However, she soon gets the opportunity to get to know him better (when he lives with her for a few days). She realizes her opinions of him had been too harsh and based on shallow conclusions (Moment of Truth, The Once and Future Queen) She and Arthur begin to fall in love, though their different social classes create problems for them. When Arthur stays with Gwen during the Jousting tournament they become very close. They initially clash over Arthur's rude behavior but Arthur soon seems genuinely sorry to have treated her so badly, he tries to make it up to her by attempting (and failing) to cook dinner for them. Gwen appreciates the effort he has gone to and they soon start to respect and like each other, the atmosphere becomes more comfortable and they begin to relish being in each others company laughing, teasing and confiding in each other. Before Arthur leaves her home for the final time he impulsively kisses her (The Once and Future Queen) but later tells her that it is not possible for them to be together as Uther would never understand, Gwen is accepting of this but they are both reluctant to part ways and have since developed the habit of staring at each other intensely whenever they come into contact.

Morgana suffers from nightmares and when she wakes up always calls for Gwen to comfort her, Gwen is worried for her friend and often stays awake with her so that she can look after her, she remains unaware that the nightmares are caused by magic and that Morgana is a seer. (The Nightmare Begins) Gwen and Morgana have clearly grown apart in series 2. Morgana has no idea that Gwen has fallen in love with Arthur because Gwen has chosen not to share her problems with her and Morgana has been too troubled by her own problems to notice, she has also chosen not confide in Gwen about her magical abilities.

Gwen is still close friends with Merlin but no longer has any romantic feelings for him. She is reunited with Lancelot when she is taken prisoner by an outlaw who believes her to be the lady Morgana. Unaware that Arthur has defied his father and is on his way to rescue her, she concludes that Uther would never pay a ransom for her and believes that she has been abandoned to die. She refuses to show her captors any fear, but privately despairs that nobody in the world seems to care for her. (Lancelot and Guinevere)

Lancelot has become an entertainer of sorts, he has fallen on hard times and now gets paid to sword fight for other (richer) people's amusement. He is participating in a cage fight when he spots Gwen being held captive. He vows to save her, and tells her that she gives him a reason to live. Gwen is overjoyed to see Lancelot and seems overwhelmed by his feelings for her at first, she soon accepts them and even returns his sentiments.

Throughout her time with Lancelot Gwen doesn't realize that Arthur is on his way to her and has admitted to Merlin that he is falling in love with her. She has given up hope of ever being with Arthur as it is just too difficult, she thinks Arthur would never defy his father and marry a servant. Her relationship with Lancelot is more realistic to her as they are of the same class/background and are very similar people. She has nothing preventing her from being with Lancelot and the relationship is easier than her complicated one with Arthur. Lancelot is also more vocal about his feelings for her, whereas Arthur finds it difficult to espress how he feels about her.

Her brush with death has affected her and she seems determined to take whatever happiness she can get, she no longer wants to be alone and is happy that she has found Lancelot. When Lancelot sees that Arthur and Gwen care deeply for each other he gives up Gwen without a fight refusing to come between them. He tells Merlin to tell Gwen that "some things can't be" and sneaks away in the night when Arthur and Gwen are sleeping. Waking up to discover Lancelot gone Gwen cries silently, heartbroken to be abandoned again. Arthur looks sad for her and equally uncomfortable over the situation. They ride back to Camelot and as Gwen is reunited with Morgana she notices how heartbroken Arthur looks and appears sorry that her impulsive behavior with Lancelot has hurt Arthur. It is clear that despite everything Arthur and Gwen still have strong feelings for each other.

When Arthur refuses to follow his fathers orders (Beauty and the Beast part 2) and punish a man who can't pay the new tax Uther has imposed on his people, Gwen witnesses Arthur giving people back their money and smiles admiringly at him - although he doesn't see her. Later in the episode, she visits Arthur in his quarters and comforts him (he is upset at his fathers uncaring attitude) he doubts that he can be a king and a friend to his people. Gwen insists he can and that one day he will prove his father wrong. She tells him that he has a kind heart and should never allow himself to change for anyone. As Arthur listens to her and starts to cheer up, Sir Leon interrupts them by summonning Arthur to the great hall. Even after the events with Lancelot, Gwen and Arthur remain close; Gwen’s respect and admiration for Arthur is growing and Arthur is clearly happy that Gwen would seek him out and he seems to appreciate her advice.

Arthur was later enchanted by a king to fall in love with another king's daughter as part of a plot to ruin a potential peace treaty between their kingdoms and Camelot. Around this time, Gwen started to regain trust in Arthur's feelings for her. However, she was left heartbroken when she saw him with Vivian. Merlin later sought her out and informed her that Arthur was under the control of a love potion and she was the only one who could break it. Gwen went to Arthur and kissed him, which broke the spell. Arthur later apologized for the pain he caused her, and Gwen accepted it, realizing that she had caused him pain when she was with Lancelot. However, when Arthur professed that he never loved anyone other than her, she sadly told him she couldn't be his queen, at least until things could change.

In the series 2 finally we see the first interaction between Arthur and Gwen after she tells him that she cannot be his queen and it is shown that their feeling still remain strong for each other, she also speaks with Gaius of it and he insists that no love is impossible. The last we see her do in series two is run to Arthur and hug him when he returns from the battle against the dragon.

Personality
At first Gwen was shy and awkward and often found herself in situations she didn't want to be in or saying things she didn't mean to say. This usually happened around male characters, particularly Merlin and Arthur. It was immediately suggested that despite disliking him as a person Gwen had a crush on Arthur although this was untrue in the first series. Merlin teased her about her attraction to "rough, tough save-the-world" types. (The Dragon's Call, Lancelot)

She took a liking to Lancelot although - as with Arthur - Gwen claimed that he wasn't her type when Merlin asked who she would choose between Arthur or Lancelot. Gwen also developed an unrequited crush on Merlin, attracted to the fact he was more or less the opposite of Arthur. (The Dragon's Call) However Gwen's attempts to reveal her feelings for him frequently fell flat. For example when Merlin stated that she wouldn't know the right man for her if he was standing right next to her Gwen looked at him and said "You're probably right." (Lancelot)

As time went on she began to stand up for herself. It was she who convinced Arthur to let the women of Ealdor fight when they were attacked by bandits, despite the fact that she was a servant. (The Moment of Truth) As a result Arthur began to acknowledge her more, seeking her out to promise her that she may keep her house and job after she was orphaned (To Kill the King), and flirting with her after he recovered from the Questing Beast's bite. (Le Morte d'Arthur)

By series 2 her confidence and self belief had grown significantly, she now saw Arthur as someone approachable and she often offered him counsel and comfort when he needed it. She had to mother Morgana as her nightmares got worse, often staying with her through the night and worrying about her when she was away from her. She is unafraid to berate and challenge people in positions of power but she has confided in Arthur that she sometimes finds it difficult to express what was truly in her heart. She is fast thinking and quick to speak up and defend both her friends and those who were unfairly treated. Gwen is very wise and mature for her young age. She is, however, still very bitter over the death of her father.

Merlin
She first notices Merlin when he stands up to Arthur when Arthur is taunting a servant. When she introduces herself she admits that she thinks Merlin is brave and a real hero, and it's the beginning of a crush that develops over Series 1. Merlin makes her laugh and she admits that she likes that. She kisses him, however, Merlin only loves her platonically, and Series 2 sees them as best friends; Merlin is a strong advocator in her blossoming relationship with Arthur.

Arthur
At first Gwen was disapproving of Arthur believing he was a bully but she later came to believe he will become a great king. In Series 2 their relationship became closer and Gwen was able to provide Arthur with council and comfort. At one point in (The Once And Future Queen) Arthur and Gwen kiss after Guen gives Arthur her token for luck. Arthur often valued her opinion and listened to her and she once used this power to help save Gaius's life. (The Witchfinder). Eventually they both realise they have fallen in love but they can't express their feelings openly as Uther would never allow Arthur to marry a servant.

Tom
Gwen loved her father Tom who was the only member of her family she had left. She was devastated when Tom was killed by Uther's guards but although she was still bitter over his death, she had moved on with her life.

Morgana
Gwen had a close bond with Morgana who considered her to be her dearest friend. She often comforted Morgana after she had a nightmare. They have recently grown apart as outside stresses (Gwens secret relationship with Arthur and Morganas magical dreams) have taken up more of their time. 

Lancelot
Gwen took a liking to Lancelot who had romantic feelings for her as soon as he met her. At first Gwen said that Lancelot wasn't her type but she later gained romantic feelings for him. Lancelot turned to Gwen to get armour and weapons before going out to kill a Griffin. Gwen was sad when Lancelot left Camelot thinking she would never see him again but they were later reunited while Gwen was the prisoner of Hengist. Lancelot said he had little to live for but seeing Gwen again renewed his spirit and he told her that he would die for her a hundred times over before they kissed. However once Lancelot realised that Arthur also had feelings for Gwen he left, not wanting to get between them. At first Lancelot called Gwen 'My Lady' but he later called her Gwen like most others.

Abilities
Gwen has no magical abilities. She was capable of planning alone as she demonstrated when retrieving a flower from Arthur after Uther locks him in the dungeon. (The Poisoned Chalice) Gwen knew pretty much everything about fitting armor, and making weapons from being the daughter of a blacksmith. (Valiant, The Moment of Truth) She also proved herself capable of defending herself with a sword. (The Moment of Truth)

Legend
The character of Gwen is based on Guinevere, the wife of Arthur and Queen of the Britons, in the Arthurian legends. She is probably most famous for betraying him with Sir Lancelot. After Arthur's death she fled to a nunnery where she remained until her death. The remaining living Knights of the Round Table bore her body to Arthur's tomb where she was buried.

A future relationship between Arthur and Gwen has been hinted at through humourous various comments made by Merlin, such as asking her to choose between Arthur and Lancelot. Arthur and Gwen's relationship also develops throughout the series, ending in some innocent flirtation between the two of them. Possible future relationships with Merlin and Lancelot have also been hinted at.