A/N
Hi folks.
Another story up and running, this one slightly different from my others. That's because this is a joint venture with author RikusAngel, so any reviews you send to me make sure you send to her to. She has as much input in this as I do! Thanks. Hope you enjoy it.

"NOW!" Arthur Pendragon roared, turning a table with his hands and sending papers, food and trinkets flying across the room. "I want to see them now!" The whole court was afraid. Their king had never flown into such a rage. Inside a room to his right a woman's scream echoed – His wife Guinevere was giving birth to his first child.
"My Lord," His chief advisor stepped forward. King Mark, the ruler of the southern land of Cornwall, was King Arthur's oldest and dearest friend, and was allowing them to rest at his castle at Tintagel. Arthur had wanted his first son to be born in the place of his own birth, hoping that would inspire in the child the same power and gifts that he had. Above all it was on the sea coast, and all knew that being near water was a good omen. "My Lord, we must not disrupt the birthing process. It will only bring sorrow upon the household. If the child were to die because of it…"
"I care not!" He roared again. "I want to see my wife no-" There was another scream, louder than before and all turned to look at the door. Silence flooded the room. Both rooms. It seemed an age before Arthur rose and barged through his council of advisors throwing the door open to see the midwife removing her hand from his wife's face.

Her eyes were closed, her skin looked a pale yellow, almost jaundiced. She was not breathing. Another woman stepped forward.
"My Lord…' She bowed lowly. "I am sorry…" Arthur couldn't move, couldn't breathe. 'No… Guinevere…' It was then he registered there was no crying. Were babes not supposed to wail?
"My child…" He whispered looking at the midwife. "Where is my child?" The woman moved towards him, holding a bundle in her arms. She handed it to Arthur.
"You have a son my lord." She whispered before looking down. "A stillborn son." Arthur stiffened.
"NO!" He half screamed pushing her to the floor. "You lie! Do not lie to me wench! Where is my child? Where is my new born child?" The other woman hurried over to see if the midwife was alright.
"There is your child my Lord." She said, choked up herself. "As regal as his father, as beautiful as his mother, and as still as his mother is too." A single tear ran from his eye.
"It cannot be true…" He murmured weakly. "Both were well, both were healthy! How can this atrocity have happened?"

The midwife was helped to her feet and sighed.
"I tell you honestly my Lord." She said. 'That I do not know. There was much blood, so much blood. And there was no real wound. Beyond that, the babe was moving and kicking even as his mother tried to birth him. I have no explanation to this phenomenon." The advisors had by now heard all that had been spoken, and had stepped into the room.
"I have an explanation, my Lord." King Lot of Gododdin stepped forward. "This happened in my kingdom, women dying in childbirth, babes being stillborn and white as the new fallen snow. Some even had horrific deformities, extra fingers or hunchbacks." Arthur stared in horror. It seemed beyond possible comprehension, how could it be true? "It is the work of a sorcerer my Lord." There was a round of gasps and secretive murmurs. Arthur growled.
"The only man with magic who has been allowed to touch my wife is that of my tutor and teacher Merlin. Are you accusing him?" He demanded. Already though, the seed of doubt had been planted in Arthur's mind. Lot Luwddoc looked away.
"It is a law of your land, is it not?" He commented. "That, should the bloodline of the royal family drain away, then the job of ruling will be passed down to the strongest man of the land." He turned to hold Arthur's penetrating, furious gaze. "Just how strong is your warlock?" The room was silent, awaiting the King of Camelot's answer. "And where is he?"
"He… He is the strongest magician in the known lands." Arthur said his voice in a deathly angry whisper. "He is away now?"
"Where?" Lot demanded. "Where has the wizard Merlin gone?"
"He has travelled to Stonehenge." He muttered. "To visit someone…"
"You allowed a Sage to go to a forbidden magical ground while your wife gave birth." Lot said, failing to keep the scorn from his tone. Arthur glared.
"Guards!" He barked, and three armed men rushed into the room.
"Yes my Liege!"
"When Merlin returns, have him arrested." Arthur said coldly. "And have him brought before me. For treason."

"You can see he has been touched by magic," King Lot said studying the dead child. "Look at the little locks of hair on his head." The other advisers leant over to see and a low mumbling broke out around them. "They're sliver." King Mark looked up at the furious Arthur.
"Neither you nor your wife, nor anybody in your family has had that hair before." He said. Confirming the suspicions.
"My lord, we must honour your son and wife before the wizard traitor returns. So he can not harm their bodies, and to appease their spirits." King Lot said, "If we do not bury them now they will haunt this castle and you." Arthur shuddered. The thought of his still born son's wails in the deep of night, and his wife's cries for her son that would keep him awake cast a fear in him deeper than any monster or jousting match. The spirits were always a thing to be wary of.
"You are right." He murmured. "I will deal with the dead then deal with their murderer." King Arthur's voice sounded almost broken in it's sadness. "My dear friends, please make the arrangements to have the Passing Ceremony to honour the dead to take place at sundown. We will pass over their bodies and souls to the protection of the lady of the lake." The advisers all nodded and left, the maids and midwife departed too, leaving Arthur to sink to the floor, and moan at the loss of his baby boy in his arms and his wife on the bed, both pale and motionless.

That day just as night fell Arthur's loves were loaded into a rowing boat and pushed off in to the gentle waters to find eternal rest. Arthur fell once again to his knees in the sand of the beach, his body shaking with bone rattling sobs. He reached out, and just managed to touch the sea line. From here he would be able to... He called the Lady of the Lake himself. This, this one request, would be the last thing he would ever ask of magic.
"Lady of the Lake, please show yourself to me!" He choked out. For a moment nothing happened, but suddenly from where his fingers touched the water ripples spread out to perhaps two feet in front of him. And from there, a ghostly figure dressed in a pure white gown rose from the water, spinning slowly. She came to a rest after a while, gazing at him.
"Yes Arthur?" She said as gentle as ever, her ghostly chime echoing along the now empty beach. She could see the pain he was in, and it wrenched her own heart in pain as well. This was the nature of the water woman. "You called for me?"
"My lady. You are the most powerful force of magic I know..." He looked away unwilling to ask this but his grief forced him to. "Give me back my son." He begged. "Let him live, please my lady!" He dropped to his knees again, clutching the sand in front of him in fists. "I cannot live without them both... Give me him at least." The woman sighed sympathetically, her voice like music across the ocean.
"I cannot Arthur. I can't help your son, I'm sorry." She said. "The only thing I can do is take him to a place where he will always remain untouched by time and remain your beautiful prince. His body will remain untouched by anything, immaculate forever and ever." She sung holding her arms out for the baby. "I will do this for you Arthur. Give me your child." Arthur nodded, too lost and sad to resist her as she took his dead child. The Lady of the Lake took the child and backed up further into the water. "I am sorry, Arthur." She said, before spinning slowly and sinking back in to the water with the baby in her arms. Arthur screamed in pain once she had left, and cried, moaning, grieving the loss of his loved ones. Then, his face turned hard. Merlin would pay for this. Pay for this pain, for this misery... He would never forgive him. He would not get away. Arthur made his way back up to the castle, to wait for the wizard.

Merlin sighed as he touched the crystal headstone he had forged out of rock mineral.
"Hello Vivian.' He said stroking a finger along the carved top "It's Crispian's day soon, I thought I would visit." He felt the wind tousle his long white hair. "It's been so long, my love. Two long years. I am... Still missing you dearly." There had been a time where his knees would have given out by now, and he would have sobbed into the Earth. But having to be strong for his children had hardened his skin slightly. He was stronger now. "Ash and Alexia are well." He said. "They are living in our home in the mountains. They get on so well, for siblings. They love each other, and they ask me about you every night." He chuckled. "Alexia had a vision yesterday. The first sign of powers. I was so proud, I know you will be too. Ash was a little jealous, but he soon was practising trying to surpass her. They're developing magic so fast, I think they will surpass even me." The shadows of Stonehenge crept longer and longer as the sun sank to the west. "Arthur's wife is with child. It will probably be born by the time I return. Once it is, I think I will leave. I feel an urge to spend the rest of my days with my family." The last rays of the golden orb sank behind the horizon and twilight fell. "I must leave you now." He stood and brushed the dirt from his robed. "I must return to Arthur before going home. I will come and see you again at the Blood Oath Ceremony." Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to the cool stone. "I love you, Vivian." A single tear rolled down his cheek and splashed onto the frozen ground. It had been a harsh autumn, and the frost had made the ground solid and unforgiving. He wrapped his cloak around him tightly and whispered a spell, and as a further gust of wind passed over the hill he disappeared in a wall of fallen leaves.

He reappeared in a gust of cool air on the draw bridge of Camelot. He gazed up at the city, it never failed to send a sensation of awe through him. Arthur had done well to erect such a beautiful city...
"Merlin Myriddin!" His arms were wrenched behind his back. "You are under arrest on charges of high treason against his imperial majesty King Arthur, and for the use of magic with intent to harm the royal family!" He barely had time to protest before he was marched through the town's streets, into the castle, and dragged into the throne room. He was thrown onto his knees.
"The warlock, my Lord." The guards bowed and retreated. Merlin looked up.
"Arthur what is the meaning of this..." He stopped. That look in Arthur's eye, that glint... He'd seen it before. Seen it in his father, seen it in so many... Pure unrefined rage. "Arthur..." King Arthur stood up and walked over.
"You killed them." His voice was so cold it was like shards of ice. "In an attempt to take my throne!" Merlin spluttered.
"Arthur what is this nonsense, I..."
"SILENCE!" Arthur roared. "I can barely believe I trusted you, with my safety and well being and that of my people!" His fury was unparalleled, unstoppable. Merlin tried to calm himself. Arthur wouldn't act rashly... "They are both dead! My wife and my son! Touched by magic, and the only sage who has gone near them is you!" Arthur shook in anger.
"Arthur." Merlin tried to appease him. "I have never done anything to harm your family before, why would I now..."
"Because." He said darkly. "You have only ever wanted power. You wanted it with my father, and with me." Arthur Pendragon's eyes grew cold, and Merlin shuddered ever so slightly. 'How... How did this happen...'
"My Leige I..."
"Do not speak." Arthur snarled. "You have lost the right to address me." He turned his back on his mentor. "Send out the word!" The king yelled to his court. "Tomorrow at dawn, the sorcerer Merlin will burn at the stake!" Merlin froze.
"Arthur no!" He yelled, fighting against the men that held him down. "Arthur I have..." 'No...' He stopped talking, biting his tongue. 'If I say about them... He'll kill my children too...'
"And among the people of Camelot!" He heckled. "If any with magic should be found, they will burn too! From now on, all forms of witchcraft, magic and sorcery are outlawed!" Arthur turned to the guards who were holding Merlin, not even glancing at his own mentor. "Take him away."

That night, Alexia and Ash Myridden, twin children of the sorcerer Merlin, sat on the overhang of the ledge their hut was placed on, and waited for their father to come home. It was about dawn, when Ash had long fallen asleep, that Alexia saw him. But not how she wanted. In front of her the air shimmered and she gasped lightly, staring as an obsidian oval appeared in front of her. She gazed into it, and the reflection was that of her father.
"Papa..." She whimpered. He was bleeding, bruised and hurt...
"This... Is goodbye." She gasped. This was a terrifically powerful spell. Her father had told her if she was ever to see it, to expect the worst. "I love you, my darlings." Merlin whispered, his chin resting on his chest from weakness and exhaustion.. "I am sorry. I love you, I love you so much. I will watch over you. Take care of yourselves." The oval shattered, splintering into a thousand pieces that fell from the cliff and down the mountain side. Alexia stared.
"P-Papa..." Tears fell from her eyes. "No! Papa!"
"Do not.. Stray into... Camelot..." The wind whispered as the sun rose, and sown below smoke towers began to rise from the town square in the city.

It was a week later as the sun set that Morgan le Fay came to her uncle's court to pay her respects.
"I'm so sorry uncle!" She said with teary eyes. She could believe, her new little cousin, herself and her uncle would have all been so happy together. The court had been flooded with excitement and eagerness for the new babe to be born, and it had been born a baby who was a victim of magic. Then, above all, when trying to honour the babies death and the death of his wife, the Lady of the Lake had snatched the child's body. It was so... Overwhelming...
"Thank you Morgan." Arthur said sweetly to his niece, breaking her from her thoughts. Morgan le Fay smiled sadly and embraced her uncle, being the support and comfort he needed. Arthur rested his weary head on her shoulder.
"Uncle? If he had lived what would you have called your son?" She asked. Trying to make him happy even if it were for only a few moments. Arthur paused to think, a small smile playing on his face. He was in a world where his child had taken its first breath and lived.
"I do not know." He mused. "I myself would have probably called him Uther." He said eventually, the smile fading. She smiled nodding.
"A grand name." She said, kissing his hand. "I must go and settle myself, I will be back soon." She walked off, and when she was out of ear shot let out a relieved sigh.

"That's a terrible name." She muttered to herself, shaking her head in amazement.
"I know what you mean. I probably would have tried to get him to change his mind." A man said from behind her. Morgan gasped.
"I-I didn't mean..." She gasped again and stared into his sapphire blue eyes, drawn so deeply into them. They were the deepest shade of blue she'd ever seen... His facial features were perfect, handsome, his hair was a shock of unruly black hair. Everything about him, from his strong muscles to his soft gaze made him look like a God among men. 'Who is this...'
"Aragón" He said answering her unasked question with a gentle smile. "Do not fear, I mean no harm. I will not report you to Uther. May I be so bold to ask your name?" He asked.
"Morgan le Fay." She said a light blush on her face. "So," She tried to keep conversation flowing. "If you were to name the baby," She said looking the man in the eyes that took her breath away. "What would you have called him?" The knight chuckled.
"I think... Riku would have been a good name, my Lady." He said smiling and bringing a hand to meet her hand on his chest. As one family ended, another one began to blossom.

The Lady of the Lake looked down at the child in her arms, having listened to everything.
"Yes." She cooed. "I think Riku is a fine name too, don't you my angel?" Her sing song voice was lyrical, like a lullabye as she looked down at Arthur's baby, who was alive in her arms and looking up at her with big bluey green eyes and sucking his thumb quietly while she smoothed his sliver locks. "Hush little Riku mama is here, stroking you hair, kissing away your fear..." The babies eyes began to slide closed as she sung to him softly. She'd look after this little unwanted baby. She'd already wanted one of her own... Now she could.