A Time of Peace-Kind of.
Disclaimer: Idon't own any of this.
This is going to be a collection of one shots based around the characters and their children. Anyone who has read my other story, Rebellion will know the children's personalities but I hope you can guess from these one shots. Please enjoy and review!
The sun was about to set over the kingdom of Camelot and in his royal chamber, as he looked over official documents, King Arthur was never so glad to have peace and quiet. It was this simple fact that he had noticed the most about himself as he grew older.
As a young Prince, Arthur never wanted to sit still, never wanted to settle for a moment. Back then, he may have had a number of royal duties but most of his days were spent training, walking through the town with his gang of followers or hunting. He used to dream of adventure; of fighting monstrous creatures and being Camelot's hero. But since his father had banned magic, those days were long over.
Until that witch disguised herself and tried to kill him.
Coincidentally, it was the same time that Merlin appeared in Camelot.
That should have been Arthur's first clue.
From that moment, his life was filled with quests and battles; of shocks and heartbreak. From Morgana's betrayal to his father's death, Arthur had had his fair share of tough moments. That was the price that came with have the busy life that he had once craved.
However, it had also brought him wondrous moments and people. His beautiful wife Gwen, who still kept him in line and laughed if he ever even tried to be the prat he once was. The knights were his brothers, who would always have his back no matter what. Then there was Merlin, his best friend and probably the reason he was still alive today. They had all stuck by him through thick and thin and he had never been so grateful to have them when Mordred and Morgana finally attacked.
That was a few years ago and the battle that had been prophesised centuries before raged around Camelot. It had been bloody and tiring but thankfully Arthur's side had won. Both Morgana and Mordred had died in the fighting and even after all she had done to him, Arthur grieved for his sister.
But Camelot had been rebuilt and the people had rejoiced; life went on. The children who were born after the war were told stories about it but thankfully, to them, they were just stories.
In fact, Arthur suspected that his own son, James, didn't believe half the things Arthur told him about his adventures.
"Father!" the six year old would say, "All you do all day is swing a sword around and wave at people!"
But this attitude suited Arthur and Gwen just fine, because that meant their little boy was still innocent to the dangers that lay outside the kingdom's borders. The quests that he, Merlin and the knights went on now, to stop said dangers were just 'visits to the nobles' to their children. And as much as James saw him as this great hero who ruled a great kingdom, Arthur preferred not tell him exactly how he because such a person.
Yes, King Arthur loved the peace and quiet because it meant that he had finally built a safe and happy kingdom.
He signed another document that was sitting on the desk in front of him and moved on to the next pile. Suddenly there was a quiet knock at the door and Arthur raised his head to look at it.
"Enter," he said in a commanding voice and the door opened slightly. Arthur frowned when he saw no one at the door but then dropped his eyes down a bit to child- height, to see his six year old niece, Lara, standing in the door way.
"Uncle Arthur?" she said quietly, her blue eyes standing out against her pale skin and jet black hair.
Arthur put down the quill and asked, "Yes, sweetheart? Is something the matter?"
Lara nodded seriously before closing the door and walking over to him. She was image of her father but had her mother's smile.
Katarina was a healer from a small village in Camelot and she had met Merlin after he and Arthur had travelled there because of a raging magical beast.
Naturally, Merlin was a complete failure in trying to interact with her in every way but, strangely she found that cute.
Or at least it was strange to Arthur. He really didn't see how tripping over one's own feet and landing in horse manure was 'endearing' but who was he talk about being brilliant with women. He still wonders how he got Gwen.
Lara was standing beside his chair and her blue eyes were glossy, like she was trying not to cry. "What's the matter?" Arthur said, picking her up and putting her on his lap, "Do you want me to get your father?"
Lara shook her head and replied, "No. I have to tell you this."
Out of Arthur's mismatched family of knights, sorcerers and royals, Lara was the only daughter. Gwain had troublesome William, Leon had loyal Edward and Elyon had sensible Thomas while he and Gwen had James. Percival and his wife had just married. So of course, Lara had her 'uncles' wrapped firmly around her finger.
And right then, seeing his niece near tears, he was ready to go through anyone who made her upset.
"It's about James, Uncle Arthur."
Ok, crisis averted, Arthur thought with a sigh. Lara and James fought every day, like cat and dog. Seeing them get along was more unnerving then seeing them yell at each other.
"Really?" Arthur asked, trying to remain serious, "What has he done now?"
Lara sniffed and said, "He has done something so terrible! There is only one thing to do!"
Arthur nodded and asked, "What's that?"
"Throw him in the dungeons!"
Arthur mentally applauded himself when he didn't burst out laughing. "You want me to throw my six year old in the dungeons?"
Lara nodded seriously. "Right. I understand but would you mind telling me why I have to do this?"
Lara looked up at him with big blue eyes, tears ready to pour down her cheeks. "He threw my teddy bear out the window!"
These words were spoken as if James had just committed a heinous crime.
"I see," Arthur replied, "And you want him put in the dungeons?"
Lara nodded again but turned when she heard her father's voice from the now open door. "You might want to hold off on that plan just yet," Merlin said as he ushered a sulking James into the room.
The blonde haired boy dragged his feet towards his father and Lara with Merlin and stood there with his arms folded. "James, explain why you threw Lara's teddy bear out the window," Arthur ordered and James frowned.
"It's not my fault!" he said, "She said my wooden shield looked silly!"
"It is if you drew that sheep on it!" Lara countered.
"It's a lion!" James huffed back, "And that is exactly why I threw her stupid teddy out the window!"
"Don't you call Sir Fluffy stupid!" Lara said as she lunged for James who moved to fight right back. Arthur grabbed Lara by the middle, scooping her up into his arms while Merlin held James back.
"That is enough!" Arthur said loudly, in his commanding voice, and the two children paused.
"James you will apologise to Lara for throwing her bear out the window!"
"And you, Lara will say sorry for calling James' shield stupid!" Merlin said back.
Both the sulking children were placed back on the floor, but after taking one look at each other they turned their back to one another and folded their arms.
Arthur and Merlin exchanged glances and then Arthur said, "You know, one day the two of you will realise how lucky you are to have each other. And then maybe you won't fight like this."
Lara and James stayed in their frosty phase for the following day and didn't say a word to each other. The other three boys, Will, Eddie and Tom, found this very strange. But they were five and soon got distracted.
Gwen and Katarina were filled in and at dinner, when Gwen cast an eye at both James and Lara, she saw that they were both sitting as far away as possible from each other. "You know," she said to her husband, "I think this is the longest they have ever gone without speaking to each other. I wonder if that bothers them."
It seemed to bother James because by night time after a whole day of frosty silence, when Katarina was brushing Lara's hair in her room, he burst through the door as quickly as a six year old could. He was covered from head to toe in mud and when he reached Lara, he plonked a dirty, soaking wet teddy bear on her dressing table.
"I'm sorry," he said, "Please talk to me again."
Lara blinked as him but couldn't respond as Gwen walking in and starting giving out at the state he was in. James was dragged out, washed down and put into bed.
Gwen was tucking him in when she asked him, "Did you search outside for Lara's teddy bear in the mud?"
James shrugged and replied, "I had to. If Daddy can go across kingdoms and save you from giant baby rats, I can look through some mud."
Gwen was about to reply when Lara stuck her head through the door. She looked at James and hurried into the room. Sir Fluffy the teddy bear was now fresh and clean, thanks to a quick spell by Merlin.
She stood at the side of his bed and said quietly, "I'm sorry I called your shield silly and I forgive you." She paused and then said, "But Sir Fluffy doesn't."
She held out the teddy bear to James, who closed his eyes and sighed for a moment as if to say, "The things I do for you."
Finally he replied, "I'm sorry Sir Fluffy."
Lara grinned and jumped up on the bed. "Yah! Now I can talk to you! I have so much to tell you!"
Gwen watched as James sat up quickly on his made bed, excited and she knew there was no way they were getting to sleep now. "Hold on," she said, "I know you were angry with him but why didn't you say even one word to each other today? That seems very mean."
Lara nodded but then replied, "Yes, but that's what Mummy does to Daddy when he says something stupid and then Daddy gets this weird look on his face like somebody hit him."
Gwen raised her eyebrow at the young girl; she was starting early. The two children chatted away like she wasn't even there so with a smile she sat down in a chair and waited for the first yawns to come from their mouths before telling them that it really was time for bed.
The next day, Gwen, Arthur, Merlin and Katarina were standing on the steps outside Camelot castle, watching their children playing in the courtyard. James was showing Lara his shield and the wooden sword to go with it while Will, Eddie and Tom were just glad everything was back to normal.
As Lara sent James a mega watt smile, which caused him to blush, Katarina turned to Gwen and asked, "What do you think?"
Gwen tilted her head and then said, "Oh yes, I think so."
Arthur and Merlin frowned at this and glanced at each other before Merlin asked, "What? Are we missing something?"
Gwen shrugged and replied, "Oh we were just thinking about wither those two will remain friends as they get older or will they be together?"
Arthur gave it a moment's thought but Merlin frowned and replied, "Oh no! I don't think so!"
"Excuse me?!" Arthur said, giving his friend a light shove, "What is wrong with my little boy?"
"Nothing!" Merlin said, "But Lara is not going near boys until...until...well until I say so!"
Katarina rolled her eyes and said, "Honey, you do know that some boys will come to court her. There are a great many suitors in the kingdom."
"There will be no courting!" Merlin said in an unusually high voice, "And I know about suitors-why do you think I keep the dragons around? They've got to eat someone!"
James and Lara were standing in the courtyard, watching their parents have this conversation with complete confusion.
"What's courting?" Lara asked. James thought for a moment before saying, "I'm not sure. And I don't know why you need suitors for it."
Lara frowned slightly as her father started to wave his hands wildly in the air, making hand gestures like something was trying to devour someone.
James gave Lara a side glance and said quietly, "Lara?"
She turned to him and he said, "Please don't stop talking to me ever again."
She smiled at him and nodded happily before grabbing his hand and dragging back towards the steps of their home.
