"Sigune, I'll only be gone for a few days." Leon announced to his wife who was standing in front of him at the time. He placed his well worn hands around her enlarged waist. "Everything's going to be fine. It's just a short patrol trip."
Sigune was very pregnant at this time and as always was worried that her husband wouldn't come home. "I know. But the times are changing. Whenever the knights leave for patrol, only half comeback. What if you don't comeback Leon? What are Tristan and I to do then? Especially with the next one coming any day now."
Leon knew his wife's grief. Their second child was only days away from arriving. He knew he would be back before the child was even born. "I'll be back. I promise." He tried to get her to look at him. "When have I ever broken my promises to you?"
"Just go say goodnight and goodbye to your son, since you will be gone by morning." Sigune sighed knowing that there was the chance her husband wouldn't be coming back. She didn't know what she would do if he didn't comeback home to her and children. She just couldn't bear to think like that at this time.
"I must be going my love." Leon picked himself off the bed he shared with Sigune. "I'll be back in a few days time. I promise I will always comeback to you." He kissed her cheek before leaving the room dressed in his chainmail and cloak.
It was days later that the patrol still hadn't comeback, a search party had been sent out to look for the knights that were on patrol. When the search party had arrived back to Camelot, they had grave news to report back to the king. "They were slaughtered Sire, every last one of them." A knight told the king.
When the news reached Sigune, she was devastated. Her children would grow up without a father, just like she had feared. Above all, she was heartbroken that the love of her life was gone. Her Leon gone, taken from her forever.
Hours later Sigune had gone into labor, giving birth to a little girl. The little girl was beautiful, with light blonde wispy hair that would one day most likely be curly one day. As well as the baby had green eyes, just like her father's. "Your father would be so proud of you little one. Sweet little Elsa. Your father was so brave, so strong. He would have loved you so very much. I'm so sorry he isn't here now."
A day later, Camelot had a most mysterious visitor. Sir Leon had been brought back from the from the brink of death by the Druid people. Everyone was most astonished when they discovered the man thought to be dead.
"May I go see my wife and child Sire?" The knight asked after being questioned by the king in front of everyone of the royal court. He need to make sure they were okay. Especially Sigune, he knew she must have been very hurt to hear that he had been killed. He needed to see his little boy, he needed to make sure this wasn't some sort of dream that came after life.
The king wouldn't let the knight see his family until the court physician had a good look at him to make sure he wasn't some sort of reincarnated man brought back from the dead.
"Merlin, go find Sigune and the children. Tell her that her presence is required in my chambers immediately. Tell her to bring the children with her as well. " The old man asked his assistant to go fetch the knight's family, he knew how important they were to him.
"Sigune?" Merlin rapped on the door. "Sigune please open the door."
Sigune got up from her chair, holding the sleeping baby. The past couple of days had been hard for her, with the birth of her daughter along with the death of her beloved husband. "Quiet Merlin. I just got her to sleep. As well as Tristan is still asleep." She scolded him in the whispered voice. "Now what is it that you want?"
"Gaius said your presence is needed in his chamber. It's important." Merlin huffed out as he had just been running to their chambers. "He told me to tell you to bring the children as well."
Sigune looked at him questioningly. "Everyone is well though. I am fine. The baby is fine. As well as Tristan is fine. There is no need for us to go to Gaius anytime soon." She was to physically tired to travel to Gaius' chambers with the children in tow at this time. Everything going on was taking it's toll on her.
"Please. Sigune. It's something to do with Leon." Merlin told her, "He's alive."
Sigune's eyes went wide. That was impossible. Just the other day they were telling her that the patrol he was on was all killed. Now they come to her and claim her husband is alive. "No that's impossible Merlin. Men don't just come back from the dead."
"I'm not lying Sigune. It's really him." Merlin tried to convince her. "The Druid people found him before it was too late. Please just come with me and see for yourself.
"Gaius is this really necessary?" Leon asked the old physician. "I'm fine. I'm not some sort of dead man walking. I just want to see my wife and child." He pleaded it was all he wanted right now.
"Leon, they are on their way actually. I just sent Merlin to fetch them." Gaius smiled at the knight. "Though there is something you must know. You have a - …" He started telling them when the door to the chambers fell open and in came a crying Sigune holding a small child.
Leon frowned slightly not really getting a good look at his wife before she had come up to him to kiss him. Before she had thrown herself into his arms she handed something to Gaius.
"You came back. You promised. And then you didn't. But you did, you came back." Sigune was over joyed that her husband was now back home safe where he belong.
Leon noticed something different about her figure. Her belly was no longer round like it had been when he had left for patrol. "Sigune. The baby?" He asked worried something had happened to it while he was gone. It didn't even really register to him that she had given birth to the child until his wife turned to Gaius and took the thing she had given him only minutes before back into her arms.
Sigune smiled at her husband whilst holding the still sleeping baby in her arms. "She was born the day we found out the knights on the patrol were killed." She told him.
Leon looked at the blonde hair baby in Sigune's arms. "It's a girl?" He smiled widely, as he couldn't contain his happiness. "I have a daughter?" He kissed Sigune again before looking at his sleeping infant daughter in the arms of his wife.
Sigune couldn't help smiling. This was just perfect to her. "Would you like to hold her?" she asked already knowing his answer. She passed her little only over. This was the first time since she had given birth to the child that she really let someone else hold her.
"What her name?" Leon smiled and cooed at the baby in his arms. "Surely she has a name, right Sigune?" he finally took a chance to look up at her to find she was in tears again.
"Her name is Elsa." Sigune smiled as Merlin entered with a bouncing toddler in his arms.
"Elsa, that's beautiful." He softly stroked the cheek of the child with his finger.
"Papa!" The toddler cried out as he saw his father for the first time in what seemed like forever. He tried squirming out of Merlin's arms with little success.
"Thank you Leon." Sigune looked up at her husband later that night as they laid together in bed. "For coming home. I truly don't know what I would have done without you."
Leon sighed and just held Sigune for the longest time. "I promised I would always come back to you. I wasn't about to break that promise,"
((There will be at least one more chapter to this story, It will be most likely some what darker than this. Since idea for that chapter is what inspired me to write this story. Please R&R))