The following day, when I was done in the laundry room, Percival was waiting for me outside.

"Drea," he said, taking my hand. "I've found a house for sale and I think it could be just the right thing for us. But I want to know if you like it too, before I agree to any deal. I have borrowed the key from sir Gannel. Have you time to go and see it now?"

Sir Gannel was the council member responsible for housing in the upper town.

"Yes, of course," I said, eager to see what kind of house he had found. I walked with him into town, and the house he showed me was truly a very good one. It was roomy, were in two levels, was situated in a good part of town, had a fine cooking space and was generally solid and in a very good condition. It was just somewhat dirty from having been empty for a long while, but, walking around the rooms I could easily imagine how comfortable and lovely it would be when it had been cleaned and furnished. It was not exactly cheap, but the price was nonetheless reasonable and we could afford it. I told Percival I would be very happy if he bought it. When we were back at the castle he went directly to Sir Gannel and closed the deal.

Guinevere showed up in Gaius' rooms and invited me for tea in her chambers. I liked her instantly. She was so sweet and easy to talk to that I forgot she was a royal and about ten years older than myself. But then, we did have some things in common. She had once been a commoner, like me.

Like Arthur, she told me to call her Gwen, and not 'My Lady". She was also impulsive and funny, not at all how I used to imagine a queen. We started talking about the wedding, the gown, the flowers, the food, but soon the conversation moved between many more topics. I did not even notice how quickly time went by. I told her about the new house and how I wanted to clean and furnish it before the wedding.

"That's a big job," she said. "You are going to need help."

"I suppose so," I admitted.

"Will you let me and my maids help you? We have the time," she asked.

"You? That would not be fitting," I said, imagining her, the queen, scrubbing those dirty floors.

"You'd be ashamed to have me in your house?" she cried, alarmed.

"No – that's not what I meant!" I replied, afraid that I had offended her, until I realised by the spark in her eye that she was joking, and that she had understood my meaning very well.

"No, seriously," she continued. "I don't see why not. I have been working all my life. And I really would like to get to know you better," she said with a smile.

"Well, I could use some help," I said hesitantly.

"That's settled then. We'll meet you there tomorrow and you can tell me about your plans."

What was said was also done. Percival helped out with the heavier jobs when he was not on duty. Gwen and her maids came as promised, dressed fit for dirty work. The Queen had hidden her lively mass of curls under a plain scarf, so I hardly recognised her before she stood before me. I felt both proud and excited when I showed them around the rooms, telling them the plans and ideas I had for each one. They also added some very good suggestions.

I had brought a small pouch of money and the first thing we did was to go into the town to purchase buckets, mops and soap. Then we began to wash down the heavy layers of dust and cobweb. I lost count of how many buckets of filthy water we poured into the gutter. Time and time again I cast a look at Gwen. I still could not really understand what the Queen of Camelot was doing, cleaning my house. But as the hours passed by, we did have a lot of fun working together all four of us. The maids Sophia and Jocelyn were really nice and energetic.

I suppose Gwen liked to be out of the castle and just be her old self for a while: the blacksmith's daughter who used to be a maid and a serving girl. It must be difficult to change one's life so much as she had done.

We focused mainly on the living room with the cooking space in one end, and the bed chamber, so that I could furnish them and use them as soon as possible. When we were tired of cleaning, we walked to the carpenter and ordered a bed, a dresser, a cupboard and a dining table.

"Better make that bed extra long, seeing as Sir Percival is so tall," the carpenter grinned good-humouredly.

"How did he know I was to marry Percival?" I asked Gwen when we had gone.

"Word always gets around somehow. People are curious," she said with a smile. "The best thing to do is get used to it."

"Do you think they also know Arthur made me his warden?"

"No, no-one knows that. Not yet anyway. But people will ask questions when they see him walking you up the aisle."

"He's going to do that? He doesn't have to. I can walk by myself, or maybe Sir Gwaine would – no, he's the best man. But what about Gaius, or … "

"Drea, Arthur wants to do it. You're not sorry, are you?"

"No, of course not. I'm very happy it'll be him." I truly was. It would be as if he really was my brother. But I did not know how to react to all the attention I was getting from everywhere.

The days went by so quickly. I loved to spend time with Percival, getting to know him, just talking to him, holding hands with him, and also kissing a little more, when no-one else was around. He was so considerate. Nothing he said or did disappointed me. I only wish I could see him even more. But whenever he was not there, I looked at my ring. It reminded me that his thoughts were always with me.