Summary
The Winter King dials up the romance in Episode 7, as Arthur and Guinevere tie the knot – perhaps at the political expense of the kingdom.
You can use many adjectives to describe The Winter King until this point, but Episode 7 is the first one I’d apply the “romantic” label to. Still, here we are. Arthur doesn’t just have the fate of his kingdom to consider, but also the needs of his heart (and perhaps other appendages), so most of the latest episode is devoted to the rapid progression of Arthur’s relationship with Guinevere.
There is plenty of politicking in the margins, though, so let’s break down all of the salient points with – all together now – major spoilers along the way.
The Winter King Season 1 Episode 7 Recap
In some ways, it’s an almost laughably typical situation for Arthur. On the one hand, Arthur marrying King Gorfydd’s daughter, Ceinwyn, is the right move politically, but he just can’t get over her hotter best friend. What’s a guy to do?
READ: The Winter King Season 1 Episode 5 Recap
Arthur’s decision is sped up by Ceinwyn, who isn’t an idiot and can see very well what’s going on. She wasn’t thrilled at the idea of an arranged marriage in the first place, but Arthur’s charm and general handsomeness won her over. However, those upsides don’t make her blind; she can see the sexual chemistry between her friend and her husband-to-be from a mile away.
Rather tragically, a tearful Ceinwyn proposes an idea to Guinevere – they’ll split Arthur. She’ll marry him and have him for the weekends, and Guinevere can be his mistress during the week. It’s a totally unviable solution born of desperation, and Guinevere, proving herself to be a good friend, outright refuses. She won’t be anyone’s mistress. And Arthur, in his gallantry, wouldn’t let her anyway.
Why does Arthur break off his engagement to Ceinwyn?
Whereas most kings would just marry whoever and sleep with whoever and use their kingly status to make the admin someone else’s problem, Arthur isn’t down for that. He confides in Bishop Bedwin that he doesn’t love Ceinwyn and that nobody should be forced to marry a person they don’t love just for political convenience – the wedding ought to be postponed.
However, as Bedwin points out, there is the small matter of an invading Saxon army to consider. After all, you can’t marry anyone if you’re dead.
Nevertheless, Arthur takes a stand and calls the wedding off, before fleeing with his new woman.
Why does Bishop Bedwin leave Dumnonia?
This decision has some real knock-on effects. For one thing, Gorfydd will not be thrilled about his child and thus himself being humiliated by Arthur’s decision. For another, even Bedwin, historically Arthur’s staunchest ally, can’t get behind such a politically rash decision. He doesn’t return to Dumnonia and instead decides to try and broker the peace with Powys that Arthur’s choice will inevitably rupture.
Gundleus will doubtlessly have a part to play in whatever pushback Gorfydd has in mind since Episode 7 makes it very clear that he’s not one to let sleeping dogs lie. Here, he tries to kill Derfel again by strangling him from behind and is thwarted in his efforts by Derfel and Arthur, and warned against further attacks on him by Ladwys. The Gods, it turns out, wouldn’t be thrilled with the idea, and Gundleus is susceptible to anything, it’s an omen.
This comes after Derfel discovered that Gundleus had gifted Ladwys with a knife that once belonged to his mother, acquired by Gundleus after he led a massacre – seems to be making a habit of that, doesn’t he? – on their Saxon village. So, you can see why Derfel’s annoyed.
The Winter King Episode 7 Ending Explained
By the end of Episode 7, Arthur and Guinevere are married. Arthur’s proposal is pretty finely balanced between routine romance and no-nonsense fantasy-epic hero stuff, so she doesn’t take much convincing. And, with Derfel as a witness, they tie the knot.
Of course, this remains a terrible idea. Civil war is likely. Gorfydd will be fuming, and in the final scenes we see Gundleus rat out their union to him, so it isn’t like it’s going to remain a secret. Dumnonia will have to face the consequences of Arthur’s rash actions, and he’s rapidly running out of allies.
Additional reading:
