The King Has Returned . . . [Arwen]

[Guinevère]

He might have wanted her to remain comfortable but Guinevère arised the same moments he did, and picked up some keys beside the bed. She watched him put on his cloak and she hurried over to reach up and tie it for him. Her hands lingered on his slight shadowed beard. "Every one of the simple things I have missed so very much." She told him. "Each and every one of them."

Stepping back just enough so that he could leave, she held up the key that would unlock the door. "The room was built to hold the papers in order. You can see the dates as they circle the room. Everything on the left is the oldest and as it moves around the room it will get closer to the present." She explained, "Get the papers from the last year, or year and half, that should help you get caught up. You can look at the rest another night."

[Arthur Pendragon]

When she came up to him to help tie his cloak, and then her hands linger on his cheeks, he gave a soft smile. He had missed so many things about her. Even if he hadn't been gone for as long as he thought . . . he still felt like he had just been given these things back. His family. These moments of her tending to him like a wife did a husband. Like she had so many times, even before they were legally married. When she spoke of how she missed them, Arthur leaned forward to let his lips brush against hers for a moment, before pulling back and just smiling at her, taking the keys that she held up. "Thank you. I'll be back shortly," he told her before reluctantly turning away toward the servants entrance so that he go by undetected. He carried no torch to attract less attention to himself. Instead, he crept through the halls, until he got to the room that Guinevère had instructed him to go to.

Quickly locking the door, he went inside, and once again followed her instructions. He picked up several piles of the papers from the last year and a half so that he would be fully updated. He would have a hell of a lot of reading to do tonight, but he could rest assured that it wasn't only tonight he had with his family. That he would not be wasting time . . . because he was here to stay. Carrying the massive pile back and got to the servant door of their chambers and had to use his elbow to push open the door, nearly causing the towers of papers to collapse, though somehow managed to save them. Entering, he slowly and carefully kicked shut the door so that it would not make a noise loud enough to awaken his children.

[Guinevère]

Guinevère wished the kiss hand lingered more but knew that the sooner he left the sooner he could return. Using the moments he was gone to move a few of the unused pillows to the rug before the fire, and also two glasses with the pitcher of wine with them. Back before Arthur had 'left' she had not been able to drink wine often or allow for it went to her head. Now it was easier to handle a few glasses in the evening. She drank a glass at supper every night. A knock at the door made her hesitantly opened it, and she found the try of food she'd ordered. Letting them sit it before the fire, she waited until they were gone before taking a blanket to the fire as well.

As the door opened she looked up and smiled, "Do you need help?" She asked hurrying over and taking part of the pile from him. Even if he'd have said no, she would have done it. That was why she had not really given him time to answer as she asked. Carrying it over tot he fire she put the pile down near one of the pillows. "Are you thirsty? The food arrived while you were gone. You should eat something." If only to make her feel better! There was fruits and a bit of bread with a few bits of meat.

[Arthur Pendragon]

When he'd entered, Guinevère immediately came up to him and helped carry the burden . . . literally. She had taken some of the files and found it easier to move with less towering on top. "Thank you," he said gratefully as he followed her toward the fire. There, he saw the area set up for them with pillows, a blanket, drink and food. His smile only grew the sight. He set down the stack of papers on the side near one of the pillows while he looked at the rest. When she questioned whether he was hungry or thirsty, it was the first time he'd realized that he had not eaten all day. And that he was in fact hungry. He hadn't stopped long enough to realize the emptiness in his stomach.

"It looks wonderful," he told her as he took her hand to gently pull her down to sit with him. He then proceeded to pour some wine into each cup, unsure if she was fully accustomed to drinking wine but put it in her cup all the same. "I hadn't even realized that I was hungry until now," he said, knowing that it was always her who took care of him. Always her making sure that he ate and rested. One of the many reasons she was such an incredible wife. And this was something that she had done well before they were married even.

[Guinevère]

Guinevère let him pull her down next to him and she moved she was sitting almost completely in his lap. The papers on one side of him and the food on the other. This way they could both read over the papers he was going to be looking at. She could speak with him on whatever was happening or the events surrounding a certain paper. "Good, you should eat everything on that plate." She hoped he did too! Picking up a grape she ate it, not planning to eat allow for she HAD ate a large supper, but she did love the fruit.

Next she lifted the wine glass and spoke before taking a drink. "I kept every paper. I wanted to able to reference anything I had too at a later date. I wasn't good a remembering everything that had happened so after the first year I just started keeping everything." From notes to letters to offers to the papers that talked about treaties. Though the finalized one would be in the official records hall with lord Godffery. "It seems my bad habit has come in handy for you." She teased.

[Arthur Pendragon]

He smiled, moving one arm around her when she sat on his lap and his other casually resting on her knee for a moment. Before she spoke about him eating everything on the plate. He doubted he could, but that did not stop him from breaking of a small piece of bread and popping it into his mouth. "I don't think it is a bad habit to keep thorough records," he informed her. If she had dismissed the previous council, then it was also no wonder the files were just organized by date. For usually, such records would be fully organized and maintained by Geoffrey, or one of the other council members . . . not the knights. It didn't really matter though as she had kept everything and that was all he needed to be brought up to date.

He reached over for one of the files, opening it up on her lap since she was seated on his. He then broke off another piece of bread, holding it up to her lips with a smile. "Is there anything I should brace myself for?" He asked teasingly, wondering if there were any large things that he should know about before going into this. She had given him vague pieces of information . . . but he was referring more to larger things such as if they had an entire war in his absence. Which, he truly hoped they had not.

[Guinevère]

He held the bread up to her lips but she pushed it into his own as he was just finishing his question. She picked up another grape and ate that instead. Guinevère loved playing with him like this. It was wonderful! She'd missed it so much these last few years. It helped keep the moment light, despite his question. Let them play a little together.

"It's been dark times for your kingdom since you've been away--" Away, not dead for she hated that word right now. "--It might be better to just start from the beginning and work our way up." That way they could see things build and change and grow (or not grow) as they went along. She could not not have to explain everything out of order, and them jumping around. "Everything will be here. Letters, and notes and even copies of my replies that I wanted to keep to make sure I could follow the planning of many events." Looking down at the papers in his hand she commented on them, "So we can start with, a trade deal with the merchants of Altyon." Altyon being the sea that was north of them.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur had many questions but she was right; the best way to approach this would be to start at the beginning. Popping another piece of bread in his mouth and reaching for his wine, he took a small sip as his eyes began to scan through the papers, reading the trade deals that had been struck and . . . noticing several discrepancies. Perhaps it was just one deal that had gone a bit skewed? He turned the page to look at the next series of reports of trades with these merchants, however it was the same. Right away, Arthur's concern was raised. He stayed silent for a few moments, just familiarizing himself with the rations, the quantity given for what they gave in exchange. And how, it was slightly unbalanced -- against their favor. "Has there been a shortage of any resources?" He asked, wondering just what sort of effect this had on the kingdom.

"Specifically resources that we rely on trade for." No kingdom held everything of course. It was why it was of extreme importance to make sure that the relationships with merchants remained strong. It took time to build up such relationships to exchange, and as she said that it commenced with deals between them and the merchants of Altyon, then the kingdom may have suffered a bit in terms of what was available to them according to the amount they gave compared to the amount they recieved. If this was the case, foreign aid was of extreme importance. Because he couldn't exactly go back to the merchants and state that they have been getting ripped off all this time . . . it was easier to just go to an ally and get as much help as possible. It was not something Arthur liked doing, for it showed a kingdom's weakness, which was also why it was of paramount importance to determine who remained their truest and most trusted allies.

[Guinevère]

Guinevère heard his question and wondered what he could tell from just a few pages. "s-some." She admitted, "But we had to find the balance between what we could afford and what they could sell." She had thought about trying to get a lower price and at first had, but they said they would just sell to others who would pay what they asked and she'd had not choice.

Finally she'd just paid the asking price but ordered less from them to off set the cost. "They said the sea was growing more dangerous and they had to off set the cost of sailing the good to and from where ever they are getting them from." It sounded believable, she'd never been sailing. So she'd paid the amount they asked for. "We made sure to spread it out evenly so that everyone could work with the new lower amounts of what we had." That was good, right?

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur took another sip of his wine, a slightly longer one. This wasn't good. He knew she was not to blame for politics were indeed tricky. It was something that he had learned about from a very early age and every day, learned something new with them. He couldn't expect Guinevère to know everything right away. But this had been his major concern when hearing she had dismissed the council and replaced it with the knights. They were good men no doubt, but completely unversed and inexperienced in politics. The only one who had a chance of remotely understanding them, was Sir Leon. And that was because he'd been Arthur's second in command, and a noble who learned about such things while growing up. "You received a great deal less than what you paid for," he informed her, knowing that just from comparing the quantity to the cost. As he knew what the general amount should be.

"Merchants can be shrewd," he added, as an exempt from blame toward her. He did not believe her to be naive, but he knew the complications of trade. So felt the need to ask something before he continued on reading. Wondering, how much more serious it was going to get. "When did you dismiss the council and replace it with the knights?" He asked, making sure that there was no judgment or blame in his tone. He was asking out of general curiosity, to see how deep Camelot had found itself in. Because, this was just the start. It may be properly rationed for now, but they would not last with years of this decrease in resources. Eventually, they would find themselves with a huge shortage and it would not be so easy to get themselves out of it.

[Guinevère]

"You received a great deal less than what you paid for," How could he tell that from a few papers?! She looked down at them, and wondered if she had really been stupid enough to make a deal that Arthur would not have made--one that he could tell after a few moments was a bad idea. "Merchants can be shrewd," Apparently she had. Still, she had done the best she could with what little she knew. Guinevère would be the first to admit that she wasn't a good ruler, but the first paper he'd found, he'd found a mistake. It did not bode well for the rest of the papers.

"When did you dismiss the council and replace it with the knights?" Ah. "Almost a year after Anna was born." She admitted, "There had been a series of attacks and the latest was been . . . . when Morgana had gotten to Amaren. We knew there was a trader, I was afraid. They were pushing for Merlin to be sent away for they feared his magic would harm our relations with other kingdoms. Everything for a few days was hectic and . . . in the end I decided if I was going to do this, I needed Merlin with me. So I formed a new council. One that would bring the values and ideals that we knew you supported to the table, and not the ones of our forefathers." His father.

[Arthur Pendragon]

He listened to her response before moving to turn the page. He understood her reasons for doing it . . . to protect their family. At the same time, he still feared the inexperience the knights had, and he knew that in the end, that would be a strong problem with man political decisions that needed to be made for the kingdoms benefit. He gave a small nod as if understanding her reasons for doing things, not wanting her to feel he was blaming her for this. He was just slowly understanding why he was brought back. Because he had a strong feeling that this was only the beginning. "If you wished Merlin to be by your side, you could have without dismissing the entire council. The council would have no choice but to accept this decision as you are the ultimate authority in the kingdom." It was important to have the support of the council but at the same time, he had made decisions that they'd not supported, but he'd made them anyway.

"I believe they would have been a great help to you, in terms of political affairs of the kingdom." Because they understood them. It was one thing to dismiss their traditional views, but entirely different to dismiss them completely. "I trust you and the knights completely. But, they know little of politics and business. The elder men in council could have helped substantially in these fields." Which was why Arthur had kept them at his table. He was just explaining why he felt it would have helped to keep them around, rather than no longer surround herself with their services. "If trade continued in this direction, then we would have been faced with a detrimental shortage of necessary resources in the kingdom." He was not trying to worry her or make her feel bad. He just didn't want to keep anything from her, so was explaining why he was concerned with the direction that their trade had been taking.

[Guinevère]

During her first week as a maid, YEARS ago, she had walked into a room where a noble couple was sleeping and awoken them. She ended up getting her first (and almost last) scolding from the head maid. She knew that Arthur wasn't scolding her but she felt the same feeling all the same. "If you wished Merlin to be by your side, you could have without dismissing the entire council." Guinevère was glad that at the moment, her head was resting on his shoulder, so that her hair and the angle would held hide the expression on her face.

It had taken her years to become the detached but strong enough queen that she appeared to be. To be the one who gave ordered and not asked hesitantly. Yet even his kind words make her feel like she had not done good enough. "If trade continued in this direction, then we would have been faced with a detrimental shortage of necessary resources in the kingdom." Keeping her voice calm she spoke, "Then we shall have to change our deal with in the week." Arthur was back, she wondered how things would change. She wanted them to change--and knew the kingdom needed it--and she knew he could build the kingdom up to it's former glory.

[Arthur Pendragon]

He wondered if she was upset. He knew Guinevère to know that her quiet demeanor meant something. And under these circumstances, he feared that she was quiet because he'd upset her. He didn't want her to feel guilty, or feel that he was blaming her for anything. He moved himself back a bit, so that he could rest his hand on her cheek and have her look at him. He firstly leaned in to lightly kiss her lips; a reassurance that he had not meant to upset her. That he did not say these words to discourage her from all that she had done. "I know that the past five years have not been easy," he began to say in a soft voice. "When I had made the decision to marry you, I knew that I didn't just want you as my wife, but as my queen. Because I knew that you would make a wonderful one. I knew that the people already would adore you for your kindness and compassion."

He paused for a moment, lightly kissing her again as the memory of him thinking such things before he proposed surfaced in his mind. "I never wanted a queen who would constantly agree with my every word. Who would ghost around the castle. I wanted someone who was strong. Someone who I knew had a strong heart. I have not known, nor will ever know anyone who I would have preferred as my wife and queen than you." Regardless of what was happening in this kingdom, he never regretted for a second making her queen . . . or more importantly, his wife. He wanted her to know and understand that.

[Guinevère]

Arthur moved and kissed her, which alone was enough to get her attention. He spoke words that did her heart good to hear, yet at the same time she knew this was only the first pages. There were at least a year if not more of papers tot he side of them, and they had a long way to go tonight before this was done. "I love you." She whispered, having already known that his words were not meant to hurt her.

Arthur would never hurt her, and never seek to make her feel like she had done anything but the best that anyone could have done. It was the knowledge that her her best wasn't strong enough--her own thoughts that made her feel like she felt. Still, she loved him all the more for his efforts in trying to win her over and make her feel better. It was enough to make a small smile form over her lips. She didn't say anything else for the moment, for she knew that more was to come. Still, she would try to make sure she didn't take his words personally. That she kept his most recent words in her heart and head. Kissing him once more, she let him finish reading.

[Arthur Pendragon]

His soft smile remained when she told him that she loved him. He could see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice . . . that none of this had been easy for it. That it would only continue to get difficult. That, perhaps he should do this on his own. He didn't want to vocalize what he thought about every situation if it would upset her. He would rather read through the papers on his own and then discuss them with her tomorrow, when they could speak about it generally rather than pin point each problem that had arisen in the kingdom. Besides, he would need to tell her about his travel plans tomorrow as well. "I love you too," he answered. He returned the kiss his hand just caressing her cheek, until he pulled away.

"Maybe you should get some sleep Guinevère. I can look through these myself and then we can talk about it tomorrow." It was important for her to get rest, even if was just here in his arms and not on the bed with the children. Surely it would be better for him to just read it in silence, rather than shed light on every problem the kingdom had been faced with. It was not as if she didn't know. He'd been brought back for this reason. Tonight would be about updating himself with the goings on. Tomorrow would be about taking action and the appropriate steps to restore Camelot to prosperity.

[Guinevère]

"I am afraid to sleep." She admitted, knowing that she would be afraid that this was a dream, and going to sleep in the dream would mean waking up and him not being here. Though--if she did wake up the firs thing she would do would be the advice he'd just given her. Changing things. Being stronger like he was telling her. Yet she still rather have him here showing her, her own mistakes rather then being anywhere else in the world. "I want to stay."

Pushing the papers from his hand and to the side she turned to frame his still unshaven cheeks and ran her fingers back over them. Then she kissed him, and deeply. "So I have idea to make this easier," She kissed him again. "After every paper, you have to kiss me. A real kiss. Then no matter what, we are still happy afterwards." Then no matter what they both knew the other loved them no matter what.

[Arthur Pendragon]

"I am afraid to sleep." He knew the feeling. He was very much the same way. Afraid to close his eyes out of pure fear of never being able to open them again. Even if he would not know . . . it would be those seconds before he allowed himself to drift that he would be filled with fear and panic. Would he ever grow used to this? Or would this be a crippling fear for the rest of his life? She then took the papers from his hands and kissed him. A deeper kiss than their other ones had been. If their children were not sleeping on the other side of the room, he would have built up this kiss to something more. But he knew it could not go there. That neither of them wished to leave this room tonight. And he was quite alright with that. So instead his hand went back to her knee, gently moving up and down her leg over her dress. Just a casual movement, rather than something overly suggestive.

When she pulled away to start to speak, kissing him again before finishing, he smiled through it, and even more so when he heard her proposition. "I very much like that idea," he informed her. Liking that he could do something that would bring her comfort after discovering another way that their kingdom was facing hardship. He moved to kiss her again, deepening it as much as he could, letting himself sink in the moment before he knew it had to come to an end. Otherwise, he would just spend the whole night doing this, rather than what he was actually supposed to be doing. "I think we've made up for the first couple of papers now," he told her, though did not yet reach for more documents. Instead, he just looked into her eyes, preferring her touch far more than occupying his mind with the words on the papers.

[Guinevère]

Guinevère smiled up at him as he smiled down at her. the slightly awkward or bad air that had been settling over then lifted slightly, then disappeared. The power of his kisses lifted it up and cleared the air between them. "I am glad you approve, husband." She teased him, hoping that the air didn't settled badly again.

Reaching for the next paper she glanced at it before moving it on the the side, "That one might be best to do later." She told him, trying to distract him from it. She even pushed it with her foot a bit over so it would not be so close to him. That paper was from the newly self crowned king of Estia. Were he boldly stated he was king now and Camelot's men were not needed in his lands, he also offered an alliance between the kingdoms even going as far as suggesting his son and Anna marry the moment they were of age.

Most of the letter was actually the marriage contract he was suggesting happen in which he gained lands though the marriage of his son and her daughter. Guinevère's reply wasn't there with it, but she had been rather bold in her reply as well. Though the one Gwaine wanted to write had been a lot worse then her own version.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur grew curious when she tried to move one of the papers away. As if trying to spare him from something. He looked at it and then at her, before he leaned forward to kiss her again. He slowly reached his hand over to reach for the paper, not having to reach too far and nearly forgetting what he was trying to obtain due to the emotions she always filled him with by a kiss. When his fingers touched the paper, he smiled through the kiss and ended it. Simultaneously taking hold of the document. He flashed her a cheeky smile for a few seconds before he turned his gaze down to the curious document. As Arthur's eyes read through it, his expression transformed from cheeky to . . . well, he wasn't quite sure what it was. It wasn't the fact that the king of Escetia was telling him to move his men out. It was the fact that he was proposing marriage between his son and Anna. His Anna?! Hell no. Arthur didn't even bother reading through it in full detail.

His eyes only skimmed enough to make him toss the paper carelessly to the side. "That we will use if the fire grows dull." Meaning, he would burn it. He knew of course he couldn't technically, but hearing someone propose marriage to his daughter struck a protective nerve in him. Deciding it was probably best to be braced for it. "Are there any more proposals for Anna I should be warned about?" He asked curiously. Wondering how many had tried to strike an alliance with Camelot through this means. Though, he knew that his daughter was not the only one some may have made an attempt. He knew he had to ask though. For it would be far easier to be warned than just randomly lay witness to it. "Or, proposals for you?" He tried to make his tone almost teasing, though there were pangs of stronger emotions deep down. Jealousy. Anger. More jealousy. He knew it was to be expected, and it was something he had wanted to ask her about . . . the timing seemed fairly suitable for it.