Short and, hopefully, sweet. I know it has been forever since I updated and i hope y'all will stick with me on this journey. This is kind of filler but I thought that after the last chapter, we could all use a little filler.

Camelot

Guinevere climbed a swirling staircase, her legs still shaking, her wrists still burning. She swallowed hard with each step she took, pain coursing through her body.

"Majesty, may I be of assistance." Leon, who was walking patiently up the stairs behind her, asked gently.

"I-." She groaned and gripped the railing. "I really, don't see how you could be much help."

"Majesty, you've just been kidnapped, perhaps you should rest."

"That's exactly what I'm planning to do." She sighed happily when she reached the top of the stairs. "I'm positively exhausted." She heaved a deep breath and started to make her way down the hallway, but her legs were still wobbly and she tripped, nearly tumbling to the floor.

She felt the breath blow straight out of her lungs as a firm arm grabbed her right under her ribs and pulled her upright. She fought to regain her balance and in the process stepped clumsily on Sir Leon's foot.

He cursed under his breath but did not drop her, quickly adjusting his hands so that they were in a less compromising position

"Oh goodness Leon I am so sorry, I fear I have made quite a fool out of myself." She chuckled, shifting under his grip but still not quite able to properly keep herself standing.

"You've been through quite an ordeal." The knight replied gently, continuing to support her.

"My legs are a bit wobbly from having been tied up for so long." Guinevere commented, rolling her eyes at her own helplessness.

"Perhaps I ought to…" Leon trailed off, and though she couldn't see his face because her back was to him she could feel discomfort radiating off of him.

"Ought to what?" She managed to turn around in his arms and became suddenly aware of how little space was between their bodies.

Leon blinked, staring at her for a moment and making her feel even more uncomfortable before quickly saying, "Perhaps… Would it please you if I perhaps-, um-, carried you to your bedroom?"

Guinevere's eyes widened in surprise. "Um,"

"Forget I said anything I am sure you are perfectly capable of walking yourself there." Leon dropped his arms and stepped away from her. "See, you can stand perfectly well without assistance."

Guinevere peered down at her legs which were still wobbly but somehow managing to hold themselves up and then glanced back up at Leon. "Sir Leon is everything alright?" She inquired.

"Yes, everything is perfectly fine." Leon replied to quickly, clasping his hands behind his back and bowing his head slightly. "I should go check on the horses."

"But Sir Leon that isn't your-." Before she could finish he was gone. "-job." She shrugged and hobbled the rest of the way down the corridor and into her bedroom

She was about to flop onto her bed when the door swung open revealing a very disheveled-looking Elizabeth, who rushed over and pulled the Queen into a hug.

"I was in town and I heard that you had been captured," She rambled. "and I couldn't be sure whether it was true or just a silly rumor but I couldn't stop thinking about how much it would kill me if anything happened to you and I knew that if anything had happened to you it would be my fault for not coming to your aid that night and I just wouldn't have been able to live with myself if you had been hurt or injured or worse and I got here and heard that you were alright and this relief just flooded over me like a crashing wave and I-." She pulled away for a moment and took a deep breath, staring into the Queen's eyes. "I-. I, um."

"You what?" Guinevere couldn't help but chuckle a little at her maidservant's flushed face – she must have run all the way up those stairs – and practically incoherent words.

"I just, I'm very um, happy that you are alright." Elizabeth finally said, sighing and throwing her arms around the Queen once again, squeezing her even tighter this time.

"Elizabeth you're suffocating me." The queen muttered.

Elizabeth immediately released her. "So sorry majesty. I don't know what's come over me." Her face was beat red.

"Thank you for your concern, dear, but I am fine now." Guinevere soothed, reaching out and squeezing her servants arm reassuringly. She noticed something strange. "Elizabeth do you have goosebumps?"

"I-, um-, it was a cold night milady, and I came all the way from the lower ring of the village. I had gone home you see."

"Very well." Guinevere decided not to press the girl any further as it wasn't her business. She turned around. "Will you help me with my gown?"

Elizabeth's fingers fumbled clumsily with the corset and when she went to put the clothes away in the wardrobe, her hand slipped and everything tumbled out onto the floor.

Guinevere rushed to help her, but her presence seemed to only make things worse. Elizabeth jumped up and away.

"What is the matter with you, Elizabeth?" The queen asked, beginning to get irritated.

"Please, just, don't touch me." She whispered. "I-, I-, I can't take it."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you felt so uncomfortable with my touching you." Guinevere was so confused. "You touch me every day when you help me undress or bathe."

"I-, I-, I-, I don't think I can do it anymore." Elizabeth was shaking, her fingers twisting together in anger. "I apologize but I do not think I can be your maidservant anymore."

"Why on earth not?" Guinevere inquired, anger bubbling inside her. "You are the best I've ever had. You have helped me get through the most difficult challenge I have had to face thus far in my life. You have nurtured me through the loss of my husband and the transition into being a queen. You have stuck by me through everything and I would trust you with my life. I refuse to lose you."

"I must leave."

"Where will you go?"

"I'm not sure. Anywhere but here."

The queen gritted her teeth. "Why are you so insistent to leave me?" She couldn't lose another person she had grown close to. "Have I done something?"

"You have done absolutely nothing but be the amazing woman you are." Elizabeth assured her. "I simply cannot be around you any longer."

"Am I so repulsive that you can't stand to be in my presence?" Guinevere seethed.

"No, you are anything but repulsive, milady."

"Then tell me please," She walked over and cupped Elizabeth's face in her hand, but the young girl turned away. "Or I will go the rest of my life wondering if you're leaving was because of-."

Before she could finish her mouth was stopped by a kiss. Her eyes widened as Elizabeth captured her lips carefully, tentatively, respectfully and then pulled away.

They stood staring at each other for a moment, Elizabeth finally catching her breath and Guinevere in complete shock.

"And that, your majesty, is why I cannot stay." Elizabeth bowed her head and left the room solemnly, leaving Guinevere alone.

London

"For the last time, Gwen, I'm fine." Morgan opened her lap top and began typing. The bags under her eyes had somewhat receded, but she still seemed warn out. "The dreams have been getting less frequent ever since that night at the bar. I guess talking about it and getting it out of my system really helped."

The secretary sighed and tapped her fingernails on the back of her clipboard. "Alright." Gwen sighed, pulling a pencil out of her pocket and scribbling down a task.

"Why are you so insistent that I am not okay? Did I say something that night?" Morgan inquired, barely paying attention as she squinted at her computer screen. "Forgive me if I don't remember, I was drunk enough that the only thing strong enough to sober me up was discovering an unconscious person in a creepy alley way."

Gwen bit her lip, remembering Morgan's words – "it didn't feel like a dream, it felt like a memory" – and debated whether or not to recount them. "No, it's just, this only happened awake ago. And you seemed really out of that night."

"Alcohol will do that to you Gwen." Morgan replied sarcastically. The phone at Gwen's desk outside the room started ringing. "You'd better go answer that." Her boss raised an eyebrow and she rushed out of the room.

"Hello, you've reached the office of Morgan Pendragon, can I help you-?"

"Gwen!" It was Arthur. "I need you."

Gwen sighed, feeling heat rush to her cheeks involuntarily. She gritted her teeth. What was it about the sound of this man's voice that made her stomach do a summersault? "You need me?" She repeated incredulously.

"I need you. It's urgent."

"Okay." Those damn butterflies leaped up into her chest at the way he emphasized the word need. It sounded so sincere. "By urgent do you mean, like, with-in-the-next-thirty-seconds urgent or by-the-end-of-the-day-urgent?"

There was an audible groan from the other end of the phone. "Just-. Ugh-. Please Gwen just come up."

She couldn't help but smile. "Give me fifteen minutes."

"Excellent!" She could hear him grinning though the phone and it made her blush again.

Good god, what was wrong with her?

-o-

The elevator dinged and she stepped out, twirling her pencil around in her hand. Her heart was pounding much too hard for her own comfort, but she seemed to have no control over it. As many deep breaths as she took it continued beating so hard that she was sure the gentlemen sitting, eating lunch around the round table could hear it.

Drew was also sitting at the table, eating a sandwich and conversing excitedly with his father's coworkers whilst drawing a picture with his crayons. His bright blue eye lit up when he noticed Gwen and he jumped out of his chair and ran over to her, paper in hand.

"Guinevere!" He shouted, wrapping his arms around her.

Again with the name. She sighed and ignored it, bending down and smiling at the boy. "Hello, Drew. How are you doing today?"

"I'm doing quite well. Mummy and I went to the Zoo today because I didn't have school and she didn't have to work." He beamed. "I got a coloring book with all sorts of pretty animals in it."

"Really? Can I see?"

"Well, I haven't actually started coloring them yet." Drew shook his head. "But I drawed you a picture."

"Me?" Gwen asked in alarm. Why would he draw something for her?

"Yes." He held out the paper.

It was three stick figures – one tall with short blonde hair and knight's armor on, one short one with bright and a blue cloak around him, and one with dark brown curly hair and an apron tied around her waist – holding hands. Gwen instantly realized who it was supposed to be. "Is this me?" She asked.

Drew nodded proudly. "You, me and daddy."

Above each of the stick figures was one of the strange symbols – the one that Drew had drawn on Arthur's head that one time – in black crayon. Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Why did you draw this Drew?" She inquired.

"Because this is how it could have been." The boy said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "If Arthur hadn't been so afraid."

Did he just call his father by his first name? Gwen shrugged it off. The boy was still young and had a vivid, albeit a bit odd, imagination that was very sweet. "Well, I've got to go and get something from your father." She said after gazing at the drawing for a moment. "Enjoy your lunch."

"Bye Guinevere!" Drew called as she walked over to the door of Arthur's office.

She knocked on the door and slowly pushed it open. Her jaw dropped at the sight that greeted her.

The floor was covered in newspaper and magazine clippings, large posters covered in red sharpie, photographs and sticky notes. But, that was nothing unusual in the days leading up to publication. What had Gwen slamming her mouth shut in fear of being caught staring was the woman sitting on her bosses lap. Caroline was straddling Arthur, one had tangled in his hair, the other caressing his cheek, and planting kissing all over his neck and face. Arthur's arms were wrapped around her small form.

Gwen's chest tightened, her stomach did yet another flip. She wasn't quite sure what do make of the situation. Before she could lightly cough to indicate her presence, Arthur noticed her.

"Gwen, you've come." He greeted, blushing and lightly removing his ex-wife from him. "I have news." His neck was smeared with lipstick and his hair was all tousled, he seemed so disheveled.

It was adorable.

No, not adorable. Gwen tried to calm herself, biting her lip and clenching her fists behind her back, but she couldn't take her eyes off of him. He was so cute when he was embarrassed.

She was suddenly not in the mood for any sort of news that this man could give her. The heat rose in her body and she felt the urge to punch something, or someone.

Caroline inched her way over to wear her bright red pumps were leaning against a file cabinet, picking them up as well as her purse – no doubt some fancy brand that no secretary would ever be able to afford – and pulled out her lipstick and a mirror, reapplying.

Gwen felt so flustered by the feelings bubbling up inside her she was barely able to say, "What news?"

Arthur beamed and stood up from his seat. "'The past cannot be changed, forgotten, edited or erased; it can only be accepted.'" He said with a grand sweeping motion of his hand. "Anonymous."

Gwen frowned. "What?" Her impatience with this man was doubling by the second.

"It's the quote for this week's edition." Arthur continued, rushing around his desk and over to Gwen. "Accepting history is the theme."

She didn't reply, just lifted an eyebrow. How as this even remotely relevant to her? Why had he called her up here just for her to walk in on him and Caroline's private moment?

"What do you think?" He asked, his eyes widening in excitement. He looked like a puppy dog, begging for a treat.

Gwen softened a little. "It's good." She replied.

"I think it's great, sweetie." Caroline added, coming up behind him and massaging his shoulders. "Really innovative and intelligent. The readers are going to eat it up." She nuzzled her noes against his hair and Gwen thought she might burst into a million pieces.

"I bet you're wondering why I am telling you this." Arthur smiled and grabbed her hands sending shivers up her entire arm. He shrugged Caroline off of him and stared into Gwen's eyes.

She thought she might go weak and the knees.

"It's because I want you to write an article for it." He told her, grinning like an idiot.

"What?" Her eyes widened, and fought with all she had to keep the corners of her mouth from curling up into a smile.

"Elizabeth told me about your article idea earlier this week. I think it's amazing." He squeezed her hands tighter. "It's bloody brilliant. I want you to write it and I want to help you. I'll help you with the interviews and everything. My father knows some war vets that I am sure would be interested in helping out. I'm really excited about this."

"Arthur," Gwen said quietly.

"What? Is something wrong?" His face fell.

"No it's just-." She grimaced. "I think that you may be cutting off the circulation in my hands."

Bam. I see a potential Merthur reunion in the future of this story, maybe in the next chapter or so.

I know y'all probably hate Arthur right now because of the Caroline business but be nice to him. He's got a lot of feelings and confusion to sort out and is very vulnerable.

He also wants what is best for his son so there's that.

Remember, review and let me know what you think and I will love you very much.