It was a fact that Arthur was a jealous man. Sometimes all a man had to do was look at Gwen the wrong way for him to get jealous. And because there were lots of men in and out of Camelot, and because she was the queen, Gwen got a lot of looks from men, and, men being men, not all of them were strictly appropriate. Gwen, being Gwen, always tried to calm Arthur down before his jealousy lead to anything. But she couldn’t babysit him constantly, and sometimes, though rarely, things happened before she arrived to diffuse the situation.
She was walking through the courtyard with her daughter when she heard a commotion on the other end, and, when she saw Arthur taking off his glove, and all of her sons encouraging him, she knew that something bad was about to happen. Gwen marched across the courtyard, and, when she saw the look on his face, she had a feeling she knew exactly what was happening. Decorum be damned, she was not going to let Arthur fight another man just because he’d been looking at her. Again.“ Arthur!”
Arthur’s head turned towards her, and the look on his face changed from something she could only describe as “annoyed jealousy” to happy to see her, to “….oh, crap.” She’d used the same voice when saying his name that she used on the children when they were in trouble. He swallowed. “Hello, Guinevere.”
“Do I even have to ask?”
Arthur shook his head. “Probably not.”
“Go inside.” She pointed toward the closest door, and looked at her sons, who were all staring at the floor, hoping she wouldn’t notice. “All of you.”
It didn’t take her long to decide what to do with them, after that. Arthur’s jealousy was a problem, and if she had to punish him to get him to knock it off, she would. And she couldn’t have her sons acting like that in public.
“I want all of you to go to the kitchens after dinner tonight, and help with the dishes.”
“But Guinevere—“
“Don’t you “Guinevere” me. You’re washing dishes. All of you. And hopefully it’ll teach you some manners.”
She wasn't sure it it actually did teach them manners or not, but she did know that it kept Arthur from challenging men to duels over her for a long time.
DISHES.
She was walking through the courtyard with her daughter when she heard a commotion on the other end, and, when she saw Arthur taking off his glove, and all of her sons encouraging him, she knew that something bad was about to happen. Gwen marched across the courtyard, and, when she saw the look on his face, she had a feeling she knew exactly what was happening. Decorum be damned, she was not going to let Arthur fight another man just because he’d been looking at her. Again.“ Arthur!”
Arthur’s head turned towards her, and the look on his face changed from something she could only describe as “annoyed jealousy” to happy to see her, to “….oh, crap.” She’d used the same voice when saying his name that she used on the children when they were in trouble. He swallowed. “Hello, Guinevere.”
“Do I even have to ask?”
Arthur shook his head. “Probably not.”
“Go inside.” She pointed toward the closest door, and looked at her sons, who were all staring at the floor, hoping she wouldn’t notice. “All of you.”
It didn’t take her long to decide what to do with them, after that. Arthur’s jealousy was a problem, and if she had to punish him to get him to knock it off, she would. And she couldn’t have her sons acting like that in public.
“I want all of you to go to the kitchens after dinner tonight, and help with the dishes.”
“But Guinevere—“
“Don’t you “Guinevere” me. You’re washing dishes. All of you. And hopefully it’ll teach you some manners.”
She wasn't sure it it actually did teach them manners or not, but she did know that it kept Arthur from challenging men to duels over her for a long time.