Gwen sat at Arthur's bed, gently wiping his forehead with a damp cloth. The serving girl, Sefa, had objected at first. After all, it's not the Queen's job to look after the sick, but Gwen had insisted, kindly, of course, and Sefa left it at that. It may not be the Queen's job to personally help the sick but it wasn't a servant's place to tell her Queen what to do.

Gwen sighed as Arthur scowled and shifted, instinctively turning toward her comforting hand. He mumbled in his sleep at the debate going on inside his head—his entire body. She knew what was happening; he wasn't prepared to deal with something as big as this. The King had magic? The very thing he and his father had been fighting for years? Not to mention the thing that killed his father and his mother in the first place. How could he have it, the thing that had taken his family from him? His mind couldn't handle it, not yet, and therefore, neither could his body. It was making him sick. This was the cover story in Arthur's sudden disappearance in the kingdom matters. Gaius explained that anyone who gets bronchitis gets sick twice as easily as anyone else. Even the common cold could leave them bed ridden for weeks.

Yes, the King was merely sick again and he would be up and on his feet soon.

He shifted again and this time, he opened his eyes.

"Arthur." Gwen sighed in relief.

"Guinevere." He whispered closing his blue eyes and rolling his face toward the ceiling, shifting to make himself more comfortable.

"How are you feeling?" she asked gently.

Arthur sighed and stopped moving, eyes still closed and wished he could sink through the bed and into the floor.

Who knows, maybe he could. He did have magic after all.

"What has Gaius told you?"

"Everything."

He sighed again, dreading the moment.

"But, Arthur, it doesn't matter." Gwen added quickly, letting him know she wouldn't pass judgment on such a thing.

"'It doesn't matter'? How could it not matter? How can I—"

"I only meant no one will hate you because of it. Of course it could matter in the grand scheme of things, but not in the eyes of those who already love you."

Arthur looked in his wife's beautiful brown eyes and saw nothing but sincerity and love.

"I love you." She said. "Magic or not, you're mine. And I'm yours."

She kissed him then. A deep, gentle kiss on the lips and he kissed her back.

"I love you, too." He said. And Guinevere smiled for the first time since her King got sick and when he fell asleep again, it was peaceful and relaxed.

But as Gwen got up and left to let him rest, she knew it wasn't over. Arthur would still have trouble adjusting and things wouldn't always end well. The only question was, how prepared were they to deal with the upcoming, inevitable troubles?

~!~!~!~!~

hey, guys! it's been a REALLY long time, I know, I know and i'm SO sorry for the wait. I was in Grease and there was homework and i'm making a Youtube series with my friends:) well, it's also gonna be a web comic. i'll let you know if you're interested. anyway, here it is!

plz review:D