Disclaimer! Merlin and any other character are not mine. However, adorable little Kelda I do hold claim over 3
A/N! I'm so glad you all seem to like it! Thank you to those who have reviewed as well! As stated in the summary I don't have pairings yet but I have an idea for a few such as Merlin/Arthur, Merlin/Lancelot, Merlin/Gwaine, Merlin/Freya (not sure how I would do this one), Merlin/OC, Arthur/Gwen, and lastly Lancelot/Gwen. Please tell me which you guys would like to see.
Chapter 2
Arthur looked at the little girl in front of him in surprise as she looked at him with wide eyes. There was something about her round cobalt blue eyes that reminded strangely of his Court Magician, Merlin. He'd received a letter from a falcon that Merlin and Lancelot would be arriving today so he'd headed towards the courtyard to meet them there only to find this little girl standing by the stairs. He'd approached her to find out where her parents were only to be stunned by her likeness to his best friend. "Are you the King? Kelda never saw a King before. Papa said he was friends with the King. Are you papa's friend?"
Arthur looked at her slightly perplexed and asked, "Who exactly is your papa?"
A small shy smile lit her face as she said, "Why Emrys of course."
Arthur froze, knowing the name the druids called Merlin but being able to have a child was something he couldn't understand. He opened his mouth to reconfirm what the child just said but before he could he heard a familiar voice shout, "Kelda! You shouldn't run off like that."
A grin that was all too much like Merlin's lit up the girl's face as she twirled around and raced towards e all too familiar figure of Merlin who met her with open arms. He picked her up and she giggled as he said, "You wicked little Kelpie. You escaped me once again."
The little girl squealed with delight as Merlin showered her with kisses before carrying her up to meet Arthur. Who watched with a half-amused, half-perplexed at what was happening. He hadn't realized Gwen had come only a few minutes after the little girl's words about Merlin until Gwen squealed making the little girl start in Merlin's arms at the noise. Gwen covered her mouth and looked apologetically at them before she came closer, cooing at the small girl who blushed and looked shyly at them. "Oh Merlin, who is she? She's absolutely precious."
Merlin smiled warmly down at the little girl before he said, "This is Kelda…my daughter."
Gwen froze along with Arthur as Merlin said it and Kelda looked at them quizzically. "Merlin…"
The warlock understood that tone and the unsaid words, Arthur wanted an explanation and Merlin knew he had to give him one. Clearing his throat, Merlin looked at Kelda and said, "Kitten I need you to go with my friend, Gwen, here okay? She'll look after you while papa talks to his king."
The little girl's lip stuck out and began to quiver slightly as she nodded her head. Merlin's heart sunk a little and he hugged her close as he said, "Papa will come to get you soon. I promise."
"Okay papa." Her voice was small and meek with understanding as she let Gwen take her from his arms. Arthur and Gwen's hearts tightened at taking the girl away from her father –as crazy as that sounded- even for a short time. "Come little one. We'll find you something to play with."
Merlin watched as the little girl left before he felt Arthur's hand on his shoulder and he looked up at him. "Merlin, what in hell is going on here? I send you out to find out what that light was and you come back a father. Care to explain?"
The warlock fidgeted before he spoke, "I told you about…Freya right? And that she was the lady of the lake?"
"Yes, what about it?"
"It turns out when I tried to save her with my magic. It mixed with hers and linked together making a womb in her belly. When she crossed over to Avalon it reawakened the magic as well as the womb but of course she was in between our world and Avalon when she became the lady of the lake. So for a while the world allowed Kelda to exist there but she is a creature of pure magic, a creature of this world and it was rejecting her existence now. Freya sent that let out to get our attention in hope I would come. She needed me to take our daughter away from there and teach her how to control the magic. She's my daughter Arthur, made from magic or any other means. She's still my daughter."
Arthur was shocked at the conviction in Merlin's voice and the feeling shining in his eyes. Arthur paused and thought it over before a small smile quirked his lips as he stated playfully at the younger man, "I hope you plan on making her my God daughter."
He saw the relief flash through the warlock's eyes and a weight seemed to lift off his shoulders as he chuckled a little. Arthur only hoped that maybe with the discovery of this child some of the weight on his friend's shoulder would be lifted and he wouldn't be so haunted anymore. Arthur thought about what his friend just told him and shook his head in wonder. Whenever Merlin was involved Magic was always a wonder to behold. It was hard to think that only a few years ago he'd thought all magic was evil but the little girl he'd seen was anything but. A slight cough from behind them had Merlin jumping a little, a small grimace on his face as he knew who it was. Arthur looked to see Lancelot staring at Merlin, having heard how the child was born.
"If you'd excuse Merlin and I sire we have some things to discuss."
Arthur gave his friend a sympathetic look at Merlin's pleading gaze but said, "Go right ahead, Lancelot."
Merlin pouted slightly and threw a glare at the King to which he patted his friends shoulder in a comforting manner before Lancelot and the Warlock were walking off.
Merlin stayed quiet until Lancelot decided to say whatever was bothering him because Merlin knew the night well enough to know how he worked. He didn't have to wait long either as the knight huffed and asked as they walked, "Is this wise? How can you be so sure this is a good decision?"
Merlin nearly bristled at Lancelot's words, knowing the underlying question was 'How can you be sure she's really yours?' but he held back from snapping at the knight. Knowing his friend was only worried about him and his wellbeing. "Lancelot, I am sure this is wise. She is mine, I can tell. The decision was mine to make so unless you are beginning to doubt me now out of all times please trust me."
The knight bit his lip before slowly nodding his head, looking at though he wanted to say more but deciding not to in the end and Merlin was grateful for that little mercy. Suddenly, out of nowhere a mass of brown hair and giggling mess ambushed Merlin, sending him to the ground. Blue eyes glowed with delight and satisfaction as a young female voice cried out, "Got you papa! Got you!"
Merlin's face lit up as he playfully growled and began tickling the little girl, her peals of delight and laughter filling the corridors and making people who passed them smile. "You wicked little Kelpie. How dare you attack me! Face my wrath."
Her squeals and laughing pleas made Merlin's heart warm and for a moment he didn't feel like the world was weighing down on him anymore. He didn't notice Lancelot's eyes take in the scene with a smile nor did he notice Gwen step up and laugh until she said, "She said you were coming but I couldn't figure out how she knew."
Merlin paused in his tickle attack to let the obviously exhausted but entertained Kelda catch her breath as he said, "Most magical beings can sense when another is around, that ability is only magnified when they are connected way of family ties."
"Oh my but how is it you always know where Arthur is?"
"I've been protecting him a good portion of my life so it became easier if I could sense his aura to know where he was at. So now it's almost like a second sense to know where he is and in what condition." The warlock explained as he got up and settled little Kelda on his hip, to which she happily snuggled up to his side and rested her head on his shoulder.
Gwen smiled warmly at the picture the two posed. Merlin was a good father that much was obvious by the way he took care of Kelda and held her like she was the most precious thing in the world. Gwen vaguely wondered if she and Arthur would be good parents and then the fleeting image of her and Lancelot passed through her head but she shook it off. For a minute she thought she saw Merlin give her a knowing look but as soon as it came it went and his attention was on his daughter. Merlin stood up straighter though and looked over his shoulder as though something caught his attention and Gwen knew all too well that it was Arthur by past experience with this reaction. However, she was surprised by Arthur's grim features as he walked briskly up to them.
"We have a slight situation, it seems as though something has happened in one of the smaller villages close to here. We are to have a meeting at the round table." Merlin had only ever seen Arthur's face this grim a few times and the thought of what could have caused it made Merlin swallow thickly. However, at the feel of Kelda's nervous tightening of her hands on his tunic he relaxed a little for her sake. He was surprised by her next words though as she meekly said, "I don't want papa to leave me alone again. Stay with Kelda."
Merlin looked down at his daughter's pleading blue orbs and looked at Arthur in a questioning manner. The King seemed conflicted a moment but at two blue puppy dog eyes being thrown at him he gave in. "She may come with us."
Two identical grins lit father and daughter's face at the words and Gwen giggled at Arthur's dismayed look. Lancelot shook his head as he murmured in amusement, "Why do I get the feeling there will be quite a bit of mischief going on between these two."
Merlin and Kelda gave him an innocent look but Lancelot knew his friend well enough to know it was only a matter of time before they made trouble. What none of them realized was that that moment wouldn't take long to come with they're newest member to their family.