A/N: Thank you so much for all your reviews! They help me to carry on writing! I've lowered the rating to T as, even though it has the last scene, it isn't anything a teenager can't handle. I mean, if a 17 year old can write it, why not be able to read it? :P
Merlin
It didn't take long to realize what had happened, considering the blood covering her, and her screams. Gaius ran into her, and upon gazing at her, immediately went to her side, and wrapped his arms around her.
"Who did this to you?" he gained no reply but her sobs, wracking their way into his chest, "My poor child, who did this?"
"Arthur!" her answer, barely a whisper escaped her lips through the sobs.
"Fetch the King." He called to the guard who had found Morgana. He gave a swift nod, and quickly left.
"No! No he…he can't know!"
"Morgana, child, he must know."
She shook her head, tears dripping down her cheeks, "No. No, no, no."
Gaius felt he could do nothing for her but comfort her at that moment.
"Gaius, what has happened? Why did you call upon me?" Uther's voice boomed from the entrance of Morgana's chambers.
Morgana instantly recoiled back into herself, hugging her knees to her chest. Gaius stood up, and walked over to the King, "Sire…I have grievous news." He hesitated.
"What is it?"
"The Lady Morgana… Sire…she has been raped."
Uther's heart almost stopped, "What?"
"Sire… she said that… Arthur, did this to her."
"No. No, he… he wouldn't." he walked over to where Morgana was huddled, her own blood pooled around her, "Dear God…" he put a hand on her shoulder, "Morgana, my dear, who did this to you?"
It was as if she couldn't talk, couldn't move, couldn't breathe. But at the same time, it seemed as if she had so much anger, so much sorrow, so much damage, that every feeling came out in one, screamed word, "Arthur!"
And then, she curled back into herself, and shut out the world.
Arthur, himself, couldn't remember the night before. He had been so drunk, so intoxicated, that memory failed him. His day continued as any normal day would, training young noble boys in the art of swordfight, flirting with young Ladies, ordering servants to clean his chambers. Everything for him seemed perfectly…normal.
It was almost a month later when she finally took up Uther's request for her to join him for dinner. She wore the most drab, loose fitting dress she owned, and let her hair fall around her face, hiding it. She came to the dinner, and as she sat across from Arthur, she refused to look at him. The courses came, and as she looked at the food, she felt sick. It's just because he's here, she told herself.
But, as the evening continued, and she attempted to eat the fine foods, she could feel the bile rising in her throat. She suddenly pushed her chair from the table, and proceeded to vomit all over her dress.
"Morgana!" Uther almost leapt from his seat, and rushed to his wards side. He held back her hair, as a fresh wave of bile worked its way up her throat, and onto her dress. He swiftly lifted her up, and called to an on-looking Guard, "Inform the Court Physician the Lady Morgana is in need of attention."
"Sire." The Guard nodded, before taking off, in an almost run.
When the King reached
"Does she have a sickness, infection?"
It barely took Gaius an examination. He feared that he had known the answer already. "No…No, My Lord… the Lady Morgana is pregnant."
Merlin
In the months that came to pass, the people of Camelot became under the impression that Morgana had contracted an incapacitating disease.
Of course, there were always a few that questioned it. Not that they spoke it aloud of course, fear of being prosecuted was still a heavy weight on the people of Camelot's shoulders.
Arthur questioned it openly, seemingly not believing the story his father had weaved, "I don't think it's that simple, Father. How could she have contracted a disease so quickly, without warning?" Over and over he asked, until, at last, Uther cracked.
"Enough!" he shouted, "She is sick, grievously so. It would do you well to leave her be, and leave your questions in your mind."
Morgana stayed in her room, never leaving. The only light she gained was through the small window in her bedroom that she stood by as often as possible. Her skin became almost opaque in appearance, her body thin, even though her belly became swollen. Her visitors consisted of Gaius, Uther, and one, lone servant, who had been sworn to secrecy on punishment of death. She was called Josiah, and was in her mid-twenties.
Josiah had already had two children, and often comforted Morgana through her sicknesses, and gut-wrenching pains. She would wake up sometimes, her body paralysed in pain, almost like a ripping sensation along her back.
When she first felt the child kick, she was so scared. She'd expected the kicks, both Josiah and Gaius had told her that they would come, but still, it frightened her. Before, she didn't need to accept that she was bearing Arthur's child. Now, she had no choice but to. The fear didn't last very long though. Soon, she anticipated and welcomed the kicks, enjoying the feeling, loving knowing that her son or daughter would soon be ready to be born into the world.
The birth was all she was frightful of.
And when she was almost crippled by a pain in her abdomen, not in her back, and felt something trickle down her legs, she knew it was time. "Josiah…"
"My Lady?" Josiah walked away from the bed she had been busying herself with making.
"I…I think the baby's coming."
Josiah put her hands to her mouth, "Of course, I'll… I'll go get Gaius." Another pain hit her with full force, and she gasped, as Josiah helped her to kneel on the bed, "I'll be right back my Lady."
And with that, she was gone, shutting the door behind her.
The pain continued to rip through her, and before she knew it, she was on all fours, pushing.
It was only minutes until Gaius appeared, and rubbed her back as her own blood began to trickle down her legs, mixing with the ammonic fluids. "Josiah, get some new sheets would you? Morgana's bed sheets will need to be changed."
"Of…of course."
Merlin
Blood. Blood everywhere. It covered the sheets, it covered her legs, and it covered the child. She held it close to her, crying.
He was perfect. Perfect in every little way. From his black hair and blue eyes, to his pink, wrinkly skin, and ten, tiny fingers and toes. And she knew, knew without any doubt, that Uther would take him away from her. He wouldn't want anybody knowing what his precious son had done to her now would he?
She smiled down at the wriggling, cloth wrapped baby, "Hello baby…"
"Morgana,"
"No."
"Morgana."
"No, Gaius. He can't take him. He can't take my baby."
"And you know that I will try my best to be sure that he doesn't. For now, I've persuaded him to let you keep the child for a little while."
"How…how long?" she continued to gaze at her new born son.
"A week. Possibly two."
She traced a finger across his cheek, "I want to keep him. I'll leave Camelot, live in a hovel, anything. Just let me keep him. My little Mordred."
Gaius rubbed her arm, "Come, you must clean yourself, and your bed sheets need to be changed.
She nodded, "Yes…yes, I should." She gently lay the child into the basinet next to her bed, safe in the knowledge that she would have her son for a time. A short time, yes. But at least it was some time. Gaius gently helped her walk over to where a warm bath was waiting for her. It had been filled only a few minutes before she had started having contractions, so the water was still warm enough to bathe in.
Gently, gingerly, she eased herself in the water. She hissed in pain as the water stung at her skin. She continually kept looking over at her son, unable to believe he was finally here.
Josiah had not returned since Gaius had sent her away, but now she did, carrying bright white sheets in her arms. She glanced at the child, and beamed at Morgana, "You did well, my Lady. He is a fine child." Then, she started pulling away the bloody sheets, and replaced them with, crisp, white, new ones.
"Thank you, Josiah." She slowly pulled herself from the bath, reaching for her bathrobes. After she had dried herself off, she slipped on a nightdress, now falling loosely on her. But, she liked the looseness. She sat on the bed, where Josiah had just finished making it.
Mordred began to wail a little, and Morgana picked him up, and cradled him in her arms, hoping it would stop his cries. "Sh…hush, Mordred."
Josiah smiled at the sight, and tentatively set next to Morgana, "My Lady, he may wish to be fed."
Morgana looked at her, her eyes wide, "How…how would I do that?"
Josiah smiled lightly at the new mother, "Here…"
Merlin
She slept soundly now. Mordred was fed, and lay sleeping in his basinet.
She did not hear the creaking of her door as it was opened. She did not hear small moan of her new-born son. She was exhausted.
Morgana woke only when Mordred let out a piercing wail. "Mordred..?" she called out, groggy.
"Quickly, take it." A man's voice said in a hushed tone. Uther.
"Uther? What's…what's happening?" as her eyes focused, she saw an ageing man holding what seemed like a container of sorts in his arms. She looked for the basinet at her bedside, but there was none. "Uther. What are you doing?"
He turned to face her, "Morgana, please. This is for your own good."
"You…you said I had a week. You said I could keep him for a week!"
The man put down the container he was holding, which in turn, turned out to be the basinet, and walked over to Morgana, as she advanced on Uther. It was Gaius, and as swiftly and strongly as he could, he pulled her away from the King.
"I'm sorry Morgana. But it has o be this way"
"No!"
"I'm sorry."
"No! No! Uther Pendragon you give me back my child, you give him back!" tears soaked her cheeks as she screamed at Uther, clawing at him, pulling on his clothes until his shirt ripped, "You have no right! No right! He is my child, my son, not yours!"
"Gaius!" he shouted, and Gaius gave a stronger pull, and she collapsed against him, weeping. He guided her to the bed, slowly, so she barely noticed. They sat, and Morgana pounded her fists against his chest.
"My son! My son!"
"I am so sorry… forgive me."
"Gaius, please!"
"I'm sorry." He put his hands on either side of her head, and closed his eyes, "Ofergietee þæm æwda," she fought him, tried to pull his hands away, but to no avail,"ofergietee þæm ærdæd, ofergietee þæm ándaga, ofergietee þæm áworpennes." Forget the truth, forget the past, forget the time, forget the cast. Gaius opened his eyes, and a flash of gold went through his blue irises. Morgana became quiet, calm, and as she fell back against her bed, her eyes rolled back into her head. "It is done."
The King nodded, "Good. She'll…she'll never know what happened?"
Gaius shook his head, "Unless sorcery is used, she'll never know the true events of what has happened. We'll tell her that she's been sick for many months, as the people believe she has been, and has started to recover now."
Another nod from the King, "Yes, yes." His eyes looked vacant, "The child…what did she name it?"
"Mordred, sire. She named him Mordred."
"See to it that the child is sent far away. A family at the border's, perhaps."
"Yes my Lord."
Mordred still cried in the basinet near the door.
Merlin
A/N: I really hoped you liked it! The birthing thing, well, that's how people used to give birth. We still would – I mean, that's how our bodies are meant to – but centuries ago, a King wanted to see his kid being born, so the Queen had to lie down to give birth. Since then, it's just become the norm thing to do…*shrug* oh weeeelll. Please review! xXx