LBB CHAPTER 3 : SMILES, STEPS AND SYLLABLES 1913
Gaius was worried about Uther. The ranting and raving had passed for the time being but it was only lying below the surface. He was still taking the sleeping draughts which Gaius sent regularly. He had survived his wife's funeral; Gaius's medications helping him through the ceremony and the meetings with extended families and friends.
Gaius was surprised that no reference had been made to Igraine's and his surviving son. Not one funeral guest came to see the little prince, who was thriving under Rosamunde's care.
Tilly, her young sister was excellent and not only kept on eye on Arthur but also on Gaius. Making sure that he had proper meals and his clothes were hung up or dried by the fire if he had been out in the rain. It was a novelty for him to have women around the place. He chuckled as he had accepted Tilly's offer to wash all glass vials, mortar and pestle, various knives and spoons. He had never had a cleaner work surface and was quite impressed with the ease in which he founds things in this organised milieu.
But...the joy of his life was still Arthur. He would open his eyes and try to focus on Gaius's voice. Even though the little boy was not communicating with him, he was present and Gaius had found himself chattering away to him as he prepared salves and potions.
On warm days, he would wrap him up and the two of them would go and sit in the little private courtyard off Gauis's chambers, one bench and a soil-deprived tree but it was private and quiet. There was a little warbler who came looking for crumbs in return for singing.
Baby things had been a problem to begin with but as the word filtered out that he had the baby, little gifts kept arriving at his door; a pair of baby booties and tiny socks; a homespun baby dress; a tiny little linen bonnet and the thing which impressed Gaius the most, a stuffed lamb, well worn but obviously well-loved... Gaius accepted all the gifts as tokens of the people of Camelot's love for their new Prince.
But, still nothing official had come from Uther. The baby was the most toasted child around as each knight who visited was offered a drink and usually toasts were made. Gaius was particularly touched by one from Sir Kay, who solemnly raised his goblet of mead saying, "For the love of Camelot and our new Crown Prince, although neglected by his father, he is championed by the Knights and the staff of Camelot."
Gaius would laugh when extra delicacies from the kitchen arrived in his chambers, a pork chop, a tasty piece of salmon. Thanks from people who appreciated that Gaius had stepped in when Arthur's parent had not. And slowly, the days and weeks passed.
The first time that Arthur smiled, it was for Gaius and the court physician became teary-eyed. He picked him up and held him to his heart and for a second wondered what it would be like to have a son of his own. Tilly was so thrilled that the baby had smiled and at Gaius to boot. She told her sister and Rosamunde said that it was right and fitting that Gaius had been the recipient of his first smile. Gaius decided and rightly so, that this was a big step in Arthur's life.
He loved it when Arthur was sleepy and he yawned. His mouth made a cute shape, not unlike a rosebud. Rosamunde enjoyed watching Gaius's reactions to all the little movements which hundreds of babies were making across Camelot. But, she smiled to think that she was one of the privileged few to see it happening as her Crown Prince grew. Most of her neighbours knew she was working at the castle but few knew whom she was looking after.
One day, Arthur sneezed for the first time and Gaius was beside him immediately. Was he coming down with something? Tilly laughed and said that babies sometimes sneeze without being sick. Arthur gurgled and cooed, and Gaius was impressed. As far as he was concerned, this child was exceptionally talented...
After Rosumunde bathed him, if the room was warm she used to put him on the bed and he would entertain everyone by waving his arms around and kicking out with his legs. Alfrud was quite happy to stand beside his mother and watch fascinated as the baby showed off his strength. In no time, he had a halo of tiny golden curls. His eyes were deep blue and he was a sturdy little boy; quite capable of voicing his impatience when he was hungry but willing to impress visitors with smiles. Having received so many different visitors from an early age, he was not worried by strangers accepting them all as fans. Gaius used to smile to himself, Arthur had the right attitude for growing into a self possessed, if possibly demanding prince.
Gaius saw Uther both privately and in the Council Meetings, never once did he query as to what had happened to the baby whom he had threatened and almost hurt. Never once was it brought to his attention the costs paid by the general housekeeping for raising a baby. Gaius knew that one day he was going to have to remind the King of his duties towards the child but he had the troubling feeling that speaking out might result in the child being taken away from him and handed to some other female members of the staff. Rosamunde, Tilly and he were quite capable of raising a baby especially one that meant so much to the three of them. So he decided to let the status quo stand.
Arthur was growing in leaps and bounds, he had learned to hold his head up and roll over. He spent hours preparing for the crawling manoeuvre but at the moment had only been practicing what looked to Gaius like swimming on dry land. He loved the little lamb but Gaius's coloured glass orbs also caught his eye and he would reach for them waiting for Gaius to bring one close enough for him to touch. It was one of the glass orbs that gave him the incentive to raise his bottom in the air and manage to crawl a few feet towards it on his blanket.
Falling to sleep easily and always being happy upon waking, Arthur was making life easy for Gaius and his caregivers. They had yet to experience teething problems. One day, the baby didn't settle, he was fidgety and drooling, he was sucking on his fingers, or rather to Gaius's surprise his whole hand, and was generally not a happy soul. Lo and behold, his gums were swollen and Gaius thinking he must have chewed on something that had bruised it mentioned it to Rosamunde. She smiled and said, "Welcome, to the world of teething..."
Like the easy-going baby he was, Arthur produced his first tooth with minimal trouble. Gaius laughed to himself as he caught himself one day, in the many one-sided conversations he had with Arthur, saying "Clever you!" Then he had a sudden image of Igraine and sadly realised that the little mite would never be able to call anyone Mam. He hoped that one day, Arthur would be able to call someone father, something which Gaius did not want to face and felt he had at least another four years before really needing to worry about it.
He was trying to be the mother and father model for this baby and he only hoped that he was doing what was right. At the moment, loving him and caring for him were his only duties but would he be able to teach him as he progressed. He mentioned this to Rupert, who told him. "I didn't have a clue what to do with Rudyard either but he seems to be on the right track, Gaius don't worry, just enjoy these easy years."
Gaius wondered if Uther knew where the child was, if his lack of interest was real or if he had just conveniently filed the child in the back of his mind. No need to remind him now but once Arthur was toddling, he was not going to keep him confined to his chambers but would arrange for Tilly to take him into the corridors so he could see another part of this wonderful kingdom which one day would be his. He could also play with Sir Rupert's son Rudyard who was only a little older.
Gaius did not worry about anyone going to tell the King about the baby. Most people had heard about Uther's ranging temper and valued their life more than the need to tell on Gaius and the many people who were in the Crown Prince's entourage. Gaius often wondered if it was because there was a sweet satisfaction in knowing that they had information unknown to the King, even if he probably wouldn't have given a damn about it.
Certainly, the knights were supportive as was the king's manservant and his various other lackeys, kitchen staff, the young housemaids and even Ladies of the Court who were often known to pay short visits to see the little Prince. Arthur even then was a ladies' man, cooing and gurgling for them and trying to reach their colourful clothes and trappings. Mind you, his favourite women by far were Rosumunde and Tilly.
Gaius never considered this child as his own son. He was a little abandoned mite whom he had rescued and whom he was guarding until his rightful parent laid claim to him. No child deserved to be brought up in a loveless vacuum and what Gaius was providing was nowhere near as opulent as Arthur deserved but it was a life filled with love and someone who took the interests of the boy to heart.
Arthur could now stand if supported and he loved being bounced on someone's lap, he'd gurgle and clap his hands and his face would light up with a huge smile. He was beginning to repeat sounds and da-da-da was one of his favourites. Gaius sadly heard the sounds and thought of Igraine who would have been thrilled to hear them. Sadly, the only person who could have attributed those sounds to himself, had not laid eyes on his son in eleven months.
When Gaius wasn't around, Tilly had been prompting Arthur to say Gaius. Realising that it was too difficult to manage, she shortened it to Gai. One day, as she left the room with him in her arms, she turned and waved the baby's hand in Gaius's direction and said, "Say Bye-Bye, Gaius." Arthur who was beginning to mimic sounds and who had recently mastered Bye-Bye, suddenly said quite clearly, "Bye-Bye... Gai-Gai!"
Tilly thought that Gaius was going to fall off his chair. He looked up with tears in his eyes and huskily said, "Bye Bye, Arthur My Love."
Tilly and Arthur left but Gaius could hear him going down the corridor, practicing his new word, "Gai... Gai... Gai... Gai!"
He took a small leather bound book off the shelf, turning the pages where he had written the milestones in Arthur's short life and added, 'Twenty-fifth day pre-Autumnal Equinox, Arthur called me Gai-Gai...'