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&039;TWAS almost dawn afore Arthur reluctantly left Isabel He did so only after she had deo do "you, do this, and, you, do that," kingly stuff

He was still s as he entered the outer quarters of the royal chambers where he had laid his head for days now

He stopped short when he saen, perched upon his furs

"Late night, Arthur?"

"It appears that you are feeling lad"

"Where have you been?"

"Why in the world would it matter to you?"

"You are my husband I am entitled to knohere my husband has been"

He stepped farther into the roory that she would ruin his exhilaration over the night he&039;d just had He had so hoped to climb into bed and relive the memories over and over until slumber overtook hiht to even inquire, Gwen But since you ask, I fell asleep elsewhere"

&039;Twas the truth In between love, both he and Isabel had dozed, only to have one or the other awake to have the other kissing and fondling, until they would ain

"You ith another," Gwen said

"Gwen, your hypocrisy astounds me"

"I am still your wife, Arthur And still the queen"

"By race only, if you need that reminder"

She stood, and Arthur looked at her, trying to remember the last time he had wanted her It was a sad fact that he could not She was a beautiful woht frame She had a flirtatious sht now she appeared pale, and her eyes so accusing, almost mean

"It is your precious countess, is it not?"

"First of all, she is not mine, unfortunately, but precious works And second, you lost all rights to ask questions of o Go back to your own bed, Gwen This is mine, and I desperately want an hour of sleep afore I wake to start the day"

She stepped forward "Arthur, I arave error But now I a for the two of us to renee had"

"You will toss Lance aside so easily?"

"You, my husband, are my first priority"

Arthur could not believe the disgust that had hi

"Do you not understand," he asked her, "howcabin, tearing and shredding those mushrooms that made you ill He was torn apart Has he been just a toy to you? Do you not care at all?"

She looked defeated "Yea, Arthur, I care very much"

"Then why this pretense? I have already promised you I will not expose your love for hih for you to protect you"

She shook her head "I trusted, Arthur, that you would also stay true to me, no matter I was always certain of your fidelity"

Arthur nearly gaped at her "Do you hear yourself? Do you even listen to yourself? I a it for your happiness and Lance&039;s, and yet you accuseshould I happen toconsider another?"

"You are my husband!" she said

He honestly could not believe this conversation He wished, so h it with Isabel She would have a wise answer Or maybe, as he had come to learn, a smart-ass one It did not matter He just already ached for Isabel&039;s advice, her laughter and, heaven help hi Even as she had already depleted whate&039;er he had in hiain

"Gwen, you arelittle sense Perhaps you would be better off in your own bed"

"Coht of that repulsed hi after your time with Lance?"

"I ask only that you hold me, Arthur"

"Perhaps, my wife, we have a failure of co where he had heard that afore He shook his head "Should you need holding, I will have aLance to your bed I have no desire to do so However, I a better"

"Your countess hurtout the door

That stopped hiain, she is not my countess How, pray tell, did she hurt you?"

"My chest andonwho the hell this woods Isabel pounded on you, Gwen She did that saving your life Were it not for her &039;pounding&039; as you call it, ould be holding services as we dropped you into the ground"

"I am your wife," she said as she stalked from the room

"So you have said," he retorted "Over and over and over again Itthe lorious drealed up against her

Then she felt a hand cover her breast and she shot straight up

"Get your hands off me and away from me before I neuter you, you - "