Once Upon a Time AU: Set during season one, when the first curse was in place. Along with those characters on the show, other figures from Arthurian Legend were brought over. How did they fit into life in Storybrooke?

- Prologue -

Even for Storybrooke, it was a quiet day. Everyone was sticking to their business as usual, wherever that may be in the small town. Guinevere Welsh's day was going extremely ordinarily. The secretary had gotten her usual coffee and breakfast at Granny's Diner before going in to work. Currently she sat solving the weekly crossword in The Mirror; there were very few appointments on the calendar and walk-ins were hardly a common occurrence.

"Hey Guin, you wanna take our lunch break early?"

"Arthur, it's only ten-thirty," the brunette laughs. "We just opened an hour and a half ago."

"Well, yeah, but there's nothing to do," Arthur shrugs. He takes off a pair of work gloves and tosses them behind him as he walks through the doorway from the workshop into the storefront.

"I'm sure you and the boys can find something to do," Guinevere smirks and turns back to her crossword.

"Ah, but there's the catch," Arthur places his hands on the back of Guinevere's revolving chair and spins it. His girlfriend gasps at the sudden change in movement. He stops the chair to face him and leans closer to her face. "It's not the boys I want to spend time with."

"We're at work, if somebody –" Guinevere protests before Arthur closes the space between them and kisses her gently. She responds by lightly tugging the strawberry blond hair at the base of his neck and he deepens the kiss. However, the ringing telephone cuts their break short. Guinevere pulls away and reaches for the phone.

"Just let the machine get it, it's nothing important anyway," Arthur moves away from her face and places kisses along her neck.

"Whatever, this is the one thing I actually get to do here. Stop that," she swats his shoulder before picking up the phone. "This is Guinevere at Camelot Construction, how may I help you?"

Arthur sighs as his girlfriend makes small talk and politely responds to the customer on the phone. He grins at her, which causes her to roll her eyes, and returns to kissing her neck.

"Yes, ah, of course we can fit you in. No, no problem. We'll see you then, bye," Guinevere hangs up the phone and gently nudges Arthur out of his position straddling her desk chair.

"Hey, what's that for?"

"You have an appointment in fifteen minutes," she informs her pouting boyfriend as she spins to face the old desktop computer. After a few clicks and quick typing, she has made the necessary changes to the scheduling program and minimizes it again.

"What? Anything exciting," Arthur asks with renewed energy.

"Not really. Doc is bringing a few of the miners' pickaxes by to be sharpened; they were apparently really impressed with Percival's forge work."

"Did somebody call my name out –" A large figure appears in the workshop doorway but trips and sprawls flat on his stomach. Percival rubs his elbow, which he used to catch himself, and flings the guilty gloves at their laughing owner. "Come on Arthur, you can't expect Guin to clean up after you all of the time."

"And you can't expect your footwork to get any better if you don't look down once in a while," Arthur jokingly shot back, referencing the pick-up soccer games that the men took part in. Percival mimed being shot in the chest before the two friends laughed and continued talking about soccer.

"Percival," Guinevere coughed.

"Oh, yeah, did you call me out here?"

"No," Arthur cuts in and grins at Percival. "But you're getting some short company soon, so you better start up your fire."

"Oh, not the dwarves again," Percival groans. "I don't know how they dull their picks so quickly, they were just in here last week."

"Some people actually get work done," Guinevere raises an eyebrow in the direction of the men. "Instead of loitering in my reception area."

"Oh, shots fired!"

"Perce, you head back to the workshop, I need to have a talk with my employee about ownership and such." Percival grins and shakes his head as he returns through the doorway, without tripping this time. Arthur crosses his arms and puts on a reprimanding tone. "Now, Mrs. Welsh, I am the rightful ruler of this domain, as bequeathed to me by my father. Do you insist on challenging me? We can spar to determine who is best, but I warn you that I'm quite handy with a sword."

"Hm, I bet you are," Guinevere smirks and stands to kiss her boyfriend. "How about I just manage this territory for you?"

"Very well. I grant you reign over the lands of Reception in my absence. I will now return to my craft in the other part of my kingdom, but I will return at a later hour to rescue you from the bore of your duties."

"All right, I'll see you for lunch later," Guinevere calls out as her boyfriend swaggers into the workroom. Sighing, she returns to her crossword and waits for Doc to arrive.