Gwendolyn underestimated how much something so simple, like being called her little nicknames, was such a comfort to her. Finally, there was a little chink in her armor— a flash of pain across her face that cracked into grief when she watched tears fall down Cameron’s cheeks. She released one hand to gently cup his face, her thumb brushing away the streaks that wet his cheeks. Gwendolyn bent at the waist and brushed her lips against Cameron’s forehead— he even smelled the same as she remembered after months of travel.<br/><br/>“Please stand. And if I ask anything of you, I beg you not to refer to me as Majesty.” Her smile was hollow. “In my mind, that is still reserved for my parents.”<br/><br/>It was there that the tears that threatened to fall since his return finally fell. Immediately, she dropped his hands and began dabbing at her face with a handkerchief, embarrassed by her display. “Excuse my state. I am... I’m delighted to see you again. I merely wish it wasn’t under these circumstances.”