"Av...Avalon?" he breathed, staring wide-eyed at the queen filling his eyes. Why was he here? What was his reason for coming to his wife's bed chamber? He had one, didn't he? "I umm...I was just...are you...how do you feel? Are you...well?"

She stared at him and felt as though she had forgotten how to breathe, or that time was standing still. She was shivering, though not the least not cold. On the contrary, she felt feverish, she was burning up and she felt like she was going to faint.

"Avalon!" Artemis gasped, lunging forward to catch his wife that was slowly falling to the ground.

He lifted her into his arms and climbed to his feet. She was still staring enchantingly at him, the depths of her deep green eyes pulling him in. She reached up and gently caressed his cheek, lightly brushing the back of her fingertips across his fur. She pressed her finger to his lips and traced its smoothness.

"Artemis," she whispered, "please," she sighed, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck and reaching up to his ear to whisper...

"...take me to bed."