Comments: Not beta'd just a rushed story I had going around my head. Hope you like it. xxxx

The Advisor

"You should have heard them, I thought the Prince was going to kill him" Gwen froze by the door of the laundry room as the two gossiping maids chatted away.

"Really what was it all about?"

"I don't know exactly...but something about Mercia, anyway...I am surprised there was no blood spilled. I mean honestly the Prince has changed so much lately, I hardly recognise him now...he's always disagreeing with the King...he needs to be careful"

Gwen smiled and walked away from the laundry room. Since the dragon attack, she had found Arthur seeking her council on all sorts of matters that bothered him. At first it had come as a surprise to her that a Prince would talk to a simple handmaiden on matters of the court...but more and more often he would appear and just start talking and over the last few months, the man that she had so embarrassingly told him "she saw inside" was becoming more prominent.

Normally during these precious moments, Arthur would talk and Gwen would mainly encourage him and act as a listening post. It had surprised Gwen how similar their opinions were on most matters...although rarely a heated debate had occurred, which usual was dissolved the next day, with a rose or some such token left on her table and never discussed again.

Gwen smiled, the time they spent together, although to her disappointment was always just talking...had become precious to her and she found herself wishing that some urgent matter would arise and Arthur would once again call on her...it looked like today would be one of those days.

Gwen looked at her reflection in the glass as she walked along and placed a curl behind her ear, she would just wait and make herself easy to find.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The day went past and so far Arthur had not shown, Gwen felt disappointed that she would not seem him today.

"Gwen" Merlin broke her out of her thoughts as he popped his head around the door.

"Merlin?" Gwen continued to dust the already spotless table.

Merlin laughed "Come on...stop pretending you are cleaning?...William wants' you!" Merlin lifted his eyebrows up and down suggestively and Gwen blushed.

Instead of walking towards Arthur's chambers Merlin took her out of the castle "Where are we going?"

"Home" Merlin leaned his head lower to match her height "He has been waiting for an hour for you to come home" He rolled his eyes "You two will be the death of me you know that?"

Gwen internally cursed herself, she had stayed late working in all rooms near his chambers, just so she would not be far when he needed her and now she had wasted an hour of their time together...she quickened her pace.

Merlin stopped by her front door "I will keep watch"

Gwen nodded and her stomach gurgled in anticipation as she opened the door and closed it behind her. She found Arthur leaning against her wall...he looked so distressed that she immediately regretted thinking that she looked forward to these moments. "Arthur?"

"Guinevere" the way he said her name, sounded so dejected.

Gwen went to say something but was cut off!

"First off, can we not talk about it?" Arthur's words surprised her and caused a look of disappointment to cross her face for a moment, but she quickly covered it.

"Of course my lord...may I make you a drink?"

Arthur sighed and approached her "It is not that I do not want to discuss it, it is just that I have spent eight hours talking in the council meeting" he ran his hands through his hair "I came here to not talk for a change!"

Gwen's eyebrows raised "I mean...well to sit" Arthur cleared his throat "And listen to you talk"

"You want me to talk?" Gwen stared at him, what could she think of to say that would interest the Prince of Camelot?

"Yes" he sat down on her bed his back against her wall and patted a space next to him, Gwen blushed "About anything...just not about Mercia" Arthur rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Gwen stood there for a moment staring at him and he patted the space again in a more demanding manner and she complied, but instead of sitting fully on the bed as he had done, she sat at the edge of the bed her back to him. Arthur smirked at her shyness and patted the space behind her again loudly. Gwen bit her lip and scooted backwards their arms almost touching as she leaned against her stone wall.

Gwen turned her head slowly to see that Arthur's eyes were now closed. He was so close to her, his perfect lips his perfect body, Gwen could just lean up and kiss those "Well...talk then"

Gwen blushed "Um...well" think Gwen, think of something intelligent to say.. "Mary is dating Peter" she clasped her hand over her mouth 'very intelligent' she thought. Great he talks for hours about the safety of Camelot and all I can find to discuss is court gossip...very smooth Gwen!

"Mary who?" Arthur replied his eyes still closed.

"Mary from the kitchen, the blonde one!" the prettiest maid in all of Camelot Gwen thought, of course he would know her, although maybe not by name.

"Don't know of her...Peter who?" Gwen let out a breath she didn't know she was holding relieved that he did not know the finer qualities of Mary!

"Peter, works in the stables...red hair?" Gwen couldn't believe she was even bothering to discuss this with him, royalty never normally remembered any servants name. Arthur was now looking at her.

"Ahh...well I am glad he has found someone...so Guinevere, tell me more, who is dating who, who likes who... I am so out of date these days?" Arthur smiled and Gwen laughed turning her body so she could see him properly.

"I did not think you would be one to listen to court gossip?"

Arthur laughed "Why Guinevere of course I am, what happens in Camelot is definitely a matter of interest to me" Arthur enjoyed the gossip, Merlin used to keep him up to date with all the goings on but he had not updated him in months.

"I am not sure I should tell you...after all it is gossip and information is told to me in secret" Gwen tried not to laugh but to be serious. She usually tried not to pay any attention to those types of things as they were usually wrong. But lately since her father had passed and the ordeal with Morgana, she found it a comfort to sit with the other maids and just listen.

Arthur laughed "Come on Guinevere...I promise not to tell" he raised his hand and placed it over his heart causing her to smile.

So she told him everything...keeping to the romances and crushes behind the scenes of Camelot...she stopped when she noticed Arthur looking a little disgruntled. "What's the matter?"

"Well, do no maids find me attractive?" he had listened to an hour of maid's crushing on Sir Leon, Sir Gwain and Sir Anthony but nothing for him! Not too long ago, he could make a maid faint by simply walking past her...but now, had he really lost his touch?

Gwen snorted loudly. Should she put him out of his misery? Or tease him a little "Well I do believe Anne from the kitchen talks about you often"

Arthur looked disgusted "ANNE...you mean the one the size of a bull?"

Gwen tried not to laugh "Well I think that is a little over exaggerated...I think she is very pretty"

"PRETTY...is there no one else?" the truth is, he had been hoping that Guinevere would confess her attraction to him, after all what did he really care for the favour of other maids, when the most beautiful person now sat next to him.

Gwen pretended to think hard, placing her hand on her head "Hmmm" Arthur huffed angrily.

"DO YOU NOT FIND ME ATTRACTIVE?" he said now standing from the bed and pacing around, Gwen tried not to burst out laughing, an angry Arthur was very attractive.

Arthur finished pacing and stood in front of her hands on hips "Well?" he looked very much a Prince, his golden hair...his lip slightly pouting and his demanding perfect blue eyes glaring at her.

Gwen stood up as well, did he really not know? "I find you agreeable yes"

Arthur scoffed "Agreeable?" he looked so hurt and offended that what happened next was a moment of pure insanity.

Gwen kissed him, not softly but with such force that Arthur stumbled back against her table knocking everything over.

His initial shock, replaced with passion equalling hers, his hands laced around her waist and hers grabbed a chunk of his golden hair pulling him closer to her...Arthur moaned.

"Are you...oh" Merlin had come in to check about the loud crashing sound he had just heard, only to find Arthur and Gwen kissing. All he could do was stare they looked like one person, he doubted there was even a hair of a gap between their bodies. Merlin snapped out of his trance when he noticed Arthur gesturing wildly with his hand for him to leave and he did quickly closing the door behind him. Merlin leaned against Gwen's door a goofy grin now fixed on his face... "This is going to be so much fun" he couldn't wait to wind them both up about this, days of pure entertainment.

xxxxxxx

Gwen eventually pulled back needing air...Arthur's grin lit up the room "You just kissed me"

Gwen bit her lip embarrassed at her attack on Arthur "Sorry"

Arthur stroked a curl from her face "Hmm...so does that mean you find me attractive?"

Gwen smiled "Well you are not bad"

Arthur laughed loudly "Not bad, you really have a way with words don't you?" he leaned down slowly to her lips.

"Well some people are better with actions" Gwen said lifting up slightly to reduce the gap between them.

"Prove it" and so she did.