I've had this story in my head for quite a few days and I decided that I was going to sit down and get it written... took me a few hours but I'm very happy with this, some of it may not be historically correct but the show it's self wasn't a hundred percent correct in the historical area.

"The lower town is in desperate need of food Sire the crops have failed and they are left with nothing they won't make the winter if they don't get food," Leon informed Arthur circling the lower town of the map of the kingdom, the beginning of the summer had been very difficult in Camelot instead of a nice warm breeze and sun in the sky the skies had opened and for an entire week the city struggled with the down pour of the rain. It had become very clear to the King and his Knights that if the rain didn't stop the lands would be swamped and the crops would be ruined sadly there was nothing Arthur could do but watch the rain pour down from the window in his room. The rain had stopped after the 6th day of downfall and fearing the lands for his people he had sent Sir Leon, Sir Percival and Sir Gwaine to the lower villages. What greeted them was what Arthur had feared.

"All the crops are destroyed, is there nothing that has survived?" the king asked running his hand through his blonde hair.

"No my lord wheat, corn, barley, vegetables, seeds, flowers everything has been destroyed." Sir Gwaine said.

"It is only the third week of summer can they not plant knew crops and hope some of them grow over before the winter comes," Arthur asked looking directly at Percival the large knight had grown up as the son of a farmer leaving him with the most knowledge on farming out of all the knights.

"Unfortunately Sire that won't be possibly the ground has been swamped with water it'll take a lot of drying out before anything can be planted if we have a cold and damp winter the lands may not be able to handle crops for the next summer." Arthur sank lower into his chair and sighed, there was nothing he could do, all the villages in the Kingdom had suffered from the weather the lower lands suffering the most, it had been reported back to him that none of the other lands crops had been successful.

"Sir Leon how many crops stored does Camelot have?" Arthur asked him.

"Not enough to feed the entire Kingdom through the rest of the summer and through winter to the next year," Arthur looked over at Merlin.

"Merlin is there anything you can do, is there a spell to do something for the lands,"

"I'm not sure I've never needed to learn one I can always have a look but I cannot promise that magic will be able to help you, Arthur even if there is a spell it won't be able to speed the process up if the winter arrives early the crops will all fail."

Arthur sighed, "there is really only one thing I can do and that is to place Camelot on rationing, the entire Kingdom will have a weeks' worth of food delivered to them, depending on the amount of people in the family will determine how much they will receive." All the Knights and Lords of Camelot nodded there really was no over way, the towns people would have to ration their foods.

"It has to be done, it'll pain me to see the towns folk suffer," said Lord Alvain.

"Lord Alvain the rationing doesn't just apply to the town's folk and those in the villages it applies to us as well, depending on the amount of people in your family your amount of food will be reduced, feasts are to no longer be held we cannot be gluttonous in Camelot's time of need if the people have to suffer we must show them that we are a united Kingdom," said Arthur he could see the Lords and even the Knights were not too happy about this but it was his decision they were no longer at war, the food that's consumed in the feast never matches the amount of waste that is thrown out. "Wheat and Barley will be distributed to taverns, bakeries and then equally distributed to the people throughout the kingdom."

"Yes Sire," said the Lords and the Knights, the king ended the council meeting announcing to the group that he'd make the announcement of the rationing tomorrow morning. The knights bid their farewells and left the room.

"I can see quite a few problems will occur in the future if the kingdom has to stay in rationing for too long," admitted Sir Elyan, he remembered when he was a boy and this happened Uther placed the Kingdom on rationing by the fourth month people were starving, young children had died and many had been prosecuted for stealing. The only difference there would be this time would be the royals, knights and lords would be contributing to the rationing instead of them eating whatever they wanted while the poor suffered.

"I know what you mean, if people cannot sell their crops they will not be able to make money for the taxes, they'll struggle for things like warmer clothing and if it snows this year firewood will desperately be needed." Said Sir Percival, the future didn't look so bright. As they walked towards the Knights quarters they split off from one another. Gwaine opened the door to his chambers and was nearly knocked off his feet when a lively 2 foot little boy ran and jumped on him.

"Daddy your back,"

"I am, have you missed me?" the small boys head nodded, he was identical to Gwaine from the brown wavy hair to the cheeky grin. "Shouldn't you be in bed now?"

"Mummy said I could stay up and wait till you got home," Gwaine looked from his son to his wife seated on the chair beside the window she was watching them with a soft smile.

"Hagan come over here so daddy can get out of his armour," Hagan smiled once more up at his father before running over to his mother.

"Hagan give your mummy a kiss and then get into bed I'll come and tell you a story when I'm changed." Hagan nodded his head a kissed his mother on the lips and gave her a hug before he ran into his room.

Gwaine entered his bedchamber as he took off his chain mail his mind drifted away. Three years ago he fell for the Queens maid servant he spent a many of months trying to impress her but yet every attempt he made she just laughed at him and tapped him on the side of his face before walking away. After nearly 8 months of flirting he knew he was in trouble he had only ever meant the flirting to last for a few weeks but every time he was pushed away he tried harder and harder to get her attention it reached a stage though where he realised she was now in control, all his flirting had done was make him madly in love with her, at first he thought it was witch craft and had run to Merlin but he had chuckled and said it sounded as though he had fallen for the pretty servant girl. He had changed his approach and finally after 9 months of flirting she had turned around to him and asked why he continued chasing after her when there were so many beautiful noble women, he had taken her by surprised saying there were none as beautiful as her. From that moment on she'd slowly learnt more about one of King Arthur's most trusted knights and realised the ladies' man he was had disappeared and in its place was a devoted man who seemed to want to do everything for her. When he started to court her he noticed more things about himself changing, he wasn't in the tavern as often as before, he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.

2 years of courting he had decided it was time for him to make the next step he had asked her to marry him on the 14th of May, in the fresh meadows on the outside of the forest, getting down on one knee feeling quite a fool he pulled out a ring and he was relieved when she said yes. A year and a half after the wedding he had a beautiful baby boy in his arms and he couldn't have been more scared, he had surprised himself to how much his son loved him fearing that he'd be like his father but he promised himself that he would always be there for his boy. He now couldn't imagine his life without Hagan he was everything he could ever want in a son and even all the knights loved the little bundle of joy. Arthur had decided that after all the years of Gwaine driving the king up the wall that he'd get his own back and spoiled his son, teaching him to say "but Uncle Arthur said I could have it and he's the king." After hearing this for the first time he had stormed over to the King and Queens quarters and had ago at Arthur over it and all the king could do was chuckle.

"Daddy is you ready yet?" he heard his son call from his bedroom. Sighing he left the chainmail on the bed and walked into his son's bedroom, Hagan was sat up grinning widely at him and he stood there smiling back at the miniature version of him trying to work out how lucky he was.

He tucked Hagan in more snuggly before grabbing the chair beside the bed and seating himself down.

"You're only getting one bed time story tonight young man," Hagan looked up at his father and nodded staring eagerly waiting for his father to begin. "This one I'm going to call Lachlan and the magical tree."

"Daddy trees can't be magical," Hagan argued.

"Well this tree is magical," argued Gwaine, "so shush if you want a bed time story," Hagan placed his chubby hand over his mouth, Gwaine chuckled.

"There was once a boy called Lachlan who lived with his mother and father in Camelot, he wasn't the smartest boy in the world, nor the strongest or the biggest. His father was a clever man and one day he looked up at the sky to see that the clouds in the sky were dark which could only mean rain was on its way so he called for Lachlan. "Lachlan my boy I want you to run to the forest and get us some firewood before the rain comes, make sure the firewood is dry because if it is wet it'll not set on fire." Lachlan nodded his head and hurried off to the forest. Lachlan had a good knowledge of the forest and as he wondered looking for firewood he noticed something very strange,"

"What was it daddy,"

"Right in front of him he saw a bright light shining brighter than anything had shone before he shielded his eyes as he stepped forward, he was too amazed to run away in fear. As he neared he saw the light begin to dim and suddenly a voice spoke out to him"

"What it say daddy?"

Gwaine rolled his eyes but continued on, "'Lachlan come to me,' the voice was like an old mans and in fear of what would happen he walked towards the sound of the voice. The light had dimmed remarkably and in its place stood a tree the most bizarre thing about this tree than any other tree was the engraved face on its bark. 'Who – who are you?' Lachlan asked but the tree didn't tell him his name. 'How did you know my name' he stuttered out. 'You shouldn't question me, except what I know and move along,' The magical tree was very secretive but also very important to the lands around, the leaves on its branches had a special power that wherever they fell crops or flowers would grow depending on what the person who dropped it wanted. As he told the Lachlan this he could see the greed in the boy's eyes and the magical tree decided he would test how good of heart Lachlan was."

"I bet he wasn't good at heart daddy I bet he was really really greedy. It's naughty to be greedy because other people don't have a lot," Hagan nodded his head and smiled up at Gwaine who smiled and messed up his hair making him squeal as he tried to get away from Gwaine's hand.

"'I tell you what boy, if you take a leaf and place it down on to the floor tell the leaf what you want to grow and it'll have grown by tomorrow.' Lachlan took a leaf and thanked the tree before running back to Camelot with the firewood. He handed the firewood to his father and went into the house through the kitchen and out in to the back garden where he laid the leaf on the floor he thought for a few moments before whispering turnips, and suddenly the leaf vanished into the ground. Just then the skies opened and the rain poured down on Lachlan who hurried in to the house. The next morning he awoke and as he ate his breakfast he heard his mother gasp, both his father and he jumped up to see if his mother was ok. As they got to his mother she pointed out of the window and there on a patch of grass on the floor in the middle of their garden was a patch of turnips. They quickly hurried out into the garden and collected the turnips they couldn't believe how they had appeared."

"It was magic daddy,"

"A few days later Lachlan disappeared to collect more firewood, this time he made the exact same path as he did last time the magical tree was in front of him, his eyes closed, Lachlan stood still for a few minutes before realising that the magical tree was asleep, he tiptoed over to the magical tree stretched his arm high into the sky and plucked off one of the leaves, he turned his back and tiptoed away from the magical tree never looking back. If Lachlan had of looked back he would have seen the magical tree's eyes wide opened, his mouth moving as though he was casting a charm, he smirked before closing his eyes."

Hagan took hold of his stuffed animal as he listened to his father covering his yawn trying desperately to stay awake to hear the end of the story.

"Lachlan hurried home once more and placed the leaf on the floor in the back garden and said carrots. He went to bed that night waiting for the morning to see the carrots that he would have. Instead of his mother gasping of wonder waking him up he heard cries and screams from outside the house. Jumping out of the bed he looked out of his bedroom window to see that all the crops had spoiled, Camelot's entire fields worth of crops were ruined no good to eat. Lachlan stood in shock he raced to the kitchen window to see the carrots he had asked to grow were black, rotten and ruined. He didn't understand what had happened; it had worked last time and in the space of a night all the crops were destroyed. He left his house and headed towards the crowd of people. He realised that the group where crowding around the old ladies house she was the one that spoke of magic, many said she knew magic better than anyone in Camelot and as he neared he heard the words that made his heart stop, 'this has happened twice before, when somebody steals a leaf from the magical tree deep in the forest the tree gets his revenge by cursing the kingdom with ruined crops'. Lachlan stood there before turning and running to the forest jumping over fallen branches and dodging the leaves. He slowed as he neared the magical tree and saw the magical tree staring at him 'so you've come back again why this time to steal another of my leaves for your greed' said the magical tree. 'No I've come to apologise it was wrong of me to take your leaf I shouldn't have done it and now everyone is suffering, I'm begging you please take away the curse.' Pleaded Lachlan but the magical tree said nothing for a minutes he just stared at Lachlan, 'and what would you do if I took the curse of your land' said the magical tree 'you are greedy so tell me why I should remove the curse that was to punish you for your greed'. Lachlan looked at the magical tree almost in tears. 'I'll never allow my greed to overcome me again I shall be grateful for what I have and I'll never take without asking anybody beforehand.' The magical tree looked thoughtful before closing his eyes and his mouth moved but no sound came out, finally the magical tree looked up to Lachlan and said 'the curse has been removed when you awake tomorrow morning the crops will no longer be ruined remember this Lachlan as next time you won't be so lucky'. Lachlan nodded to the tree thanking once more and as he walked away back to his house he had learnt his lesson and vowed that he would never allow himself to be greedy. The morning he awoke the crops were back being healthy. Lachlan never went back to the magical tree he didn't wish to see it again he decided that living his life without greed would be easier if he never saw the tree again."

Gwaine smiled as he looked down at Hagan who had not managed to hear the end of the story as sleep had taken over. As he sat there watching his son sleep he couldn't help but think how lucky he had been to have a beautiful wife and an adorable son, he looked at his son one last time before blowing out the candles and walked towards the door looking back at him one last time before he left the room.

Reviews would be very much appreciated :)