Dimensional Descent

Arthur stood and walked off, leaving the Royal Court room alone.

One would have thought that he would bask in his decision, even try to reconnect with his wife and daughter immediately. Unfortunately, unlike Laeron made it seem, this wasn't a fairy tale. People don't change immediately, neither can relationships fractured over several decades be repaired in a day.

At this moment, Arthur was feeling quite desolate.

Pride was a hard thing to overcome, especially when it was your own. Now, Arthur had to come to grips with the fact that he would not only be handing over something he had worked his whole life to build, but in doing so would have to act like he was grateful.

It was a difficult thing for a man to set aside his pride. It was even more difficult for a King to do so. It was difficult to the point where even though Arthur knew that he stood at a diverging path – one facing his family and the other facing his kingdom – he still found this decision hard to swallow.

The Royal Court remained silent. It was taboo for a King to display such emotion and this could be the first time any of them had ever seen Arthur like this.

Guinevere cast a glance toward Arthur's back but she hesitated. Her gaze wanted to shift to another place, but she didn't dare to look.

Their relationship had never borne any fruit, but Guinevere still felt all sort of complex emotions about it. Guilt, trepidation… but even those were accented by a budding sweetness and a freedom she hadn't felt in a long time.

She couldn't help but feel like she had taken advantage of Lancelot's feelings to make herself feel better. Such a thing filled her with a swirl of thoughts she didn't know how to deal with.

"Your Majesty."

Leonel's sudden voice drifted to Guinevere's ears, stunning the Queen. She had never interacted with Leonel before and the start of such communication at this particular moment left her at a loss. If she was honest with herself, though she was grateful to Leonel, he was the last person she wanted to talk to now.

Leonel's next words shook her to her

with him and be as open

froze, her hand

course, not been expecting this looked toward

the most now is your transparency. When a man loses

the mind to, but because she couldn't replicate Leonel's silent communication. This left her feeling overly stifled and her breathing

a Queen. Maybe in some ways, the same pride that ran in Arthur's veins ran through

intimate matter would react defensively first. This would be the case even if two people were close, let alone if they couldn't have been closer to strangers like

she

eyes. What did he know about being a man? Such words coming from

knew he had no choice

that feeling again, that feeling that something was about to change. Spark lit in his mind, but he had no way of

feelings you don't know how to deal with, and I know that communicating with you in this way where you can't respond to me is even more stifling. I can't comfort you with any words

I have the best interest of Camelot at heart. Have you wondered

to freeze completely. All her anger vanished with the wind, a deep trepidation

would rather him hear it all from

her jaw,

"Mo –"

before she finished them. Could she really still call Guinevere mother? She didn't know if she was ready for

idea just the start of her words snapped Guinevere

looked toward where Arthur disappeared and back toward her