Merlin ran through the corridors, pushing past servants and guards alike. Most side stepped or jumped out of her way, accustomed to seeing the King's maid rushing around carelessly.

Her mind was a vicious blur. Thoughts barely surfaced before scattering away amongst millions of other sensations and feelings. Muddled up inside her were more emotions than she could ever count: the main of which being denial.

Turning around a corner, Merlin slammed straight into hard, unforgiving armor.

"Merlin!" A familiar voice cried, gloved hands automatically catching her arms.

The maid stood stock still, trying to regain her bearings for a moment, before looking up into Leon's mildly amused and concerned eyes.

She forced a smile. "Whoops, clumsy me"

Leon's returning smile with rueful "It was my fault, I should have been looking where I was going"

Grateful for the sudden clarity in her mind, Merlin tilted her head and her grin became genuine. "If anyone can see where they're going it's you"

The knight laughed darkly, releasing her arms. Not long ago Leon had walked straight into a tree during a patrol, and the news had spread like wildfire. As soon as word reached Gwaine's ears, there was little to no chance that even the lowest level servants didn't know about Sir Perfect's mishap. While the gossiping maids giggled about it, only Leon's closest friends teased him to his face.

"I could have you in the stocks" He told her.

"Careful, you're sounding like Arthur" She shot back, her grin ever expanding.

Leon looked away in exasperation, but his mouth was quirked. He sobered quickly however, as he always did. "Why were you in such a rush?"

'From Arthur's chambers' was left unsaid. Merlin felt her smile fade.

"Ah just you know, prat's orders. Mustn't let the Princess go unattended" Merlin quipped, angling from side to side as she spoke. Leon's brow furrowed. Her stomach dropped.

"I just saw Arthur" His tone was warning, and the concern was back.

Merlin waved a hand dismissively. "You're getting old, Leon. Must be your memory playing tricks on you"

Leon was no longer in the joking mood, and his eyes narrowed. "I'm thirty-three, Merlin, that's not old. What's happened?"

Gods, she hated the knight in Leon. She much preferred her playful, jovial friend. "Nothing, Leon. I need to go-"

He grabbed her arm again as she turned away. Merlin wanted to glare at him, she wanted to scream at him and do... something. But his face had once again morphed into a mask of worry.

"Can you promise me that?" His voice was low, as though they were exchanging a secret.

Merlin's mouth opened and closed, and then pursed into a tight smile. She nodded hurriedly.

Reluctantly, the knight released her once more and watched with brow creased as she hurried down the corridor and disappeared from sight.

Gaius looked up when the door burst open. There stood his ward, a stony expression on her face.

His intimidate thought was that Morgana had struck. The look was too dark for just another of Arthur's acts of 'prattishness', but after a moment he realised it was too blank for a Camelot Crisis.

"I'm pregnant aren't I?" She asked, voice weak.

Gaius blanched as Merlin's steady blue eyes pinned him down where he stood. He looked down at his hands. "I had suspected. You have begun to show the signs... I had hoped I was mistaken"

"You are not"

"We don't know just yet-"

"Look at me, Gauis" Merlin hissed, slamming the door shut with magic as she marched up to the older man. "Gwen noticed. You noticed. The two people who would know"

Father and daughter stared at each other, eyes swimming with numerous different emotions. Merlin suddenly felt very empty as Gaius rubbed his eyes tiredly. She tried to find an emotion to express. One to pinpoint. But there was nothing. Her limbs felt heavy and she found herself gazing down at her knees in a daze as she slumped down onto the bench.

"I don't know if I'm angry. Sad. Upset. Furious. Scared. Humiliated...Happy..." Her brow creased at the last word. "What can I do? A bastard child in Camelot... no one will ever speak to me again-"

Gaius' hand came to rest on one of her knee's, drawing her eyes back up to him.

He was smiling at her.

"The gift of a child is not something to be taken lightly, Merlin. But nor is it something that should be scorned. Your mother did it, and you are just as strong and determined as she was" The Physician shook her knee as if to ignite hope within her. "The bond between a mother and her child surpasses the petty whispers of kitchen maids and stable hands"

Merlin blinked at him owlishly, stunned by his sudden passion. Lately, Gauis only ever spoke with a weary tone and an ache to his bones. Now, it was as if years were burnt away by the flames of the physician's love for his niece, and the memory of his younger sister's achievements in raising said niece.

"Your mother had her friends, and you have yours. If any of those boys do not stand by you, then they shall have me to answer to" Gaius said, inclining his head in an utterly Gaius-like manner.

Merlin laughed weakly. "Then gods help them"

"And that is before even Gwen has gotten to them"

"You know Leon stopped me on my way here. He asked me if everything was alright and wouldn't let me go until I'd promised it was"

Gaius nodded approvingly. "There you go then. Now my child, those leech tanks won't clean themselves"

Merlin gaped at him as he hobbled back onto his feet and around the table, pointing to the tanks. The physician rose a famous brow at her reaction. A beat.

The witch broke out into a wide smile, laughter bubbling out. Gaius smiled and laughed too, and soon the pair were chuckling away together.

Their chuckles did not die until a faint knock sounded at the door, and a familiar face poked around it.

It was Mordred.

So, not as long as people have requested, but I needed to get something up. People have asked for a timeline, and an explanation for Gwen's statement about being thrice pregnant. Well here you go:
Series 1 to series 5 is canon about nine years. If you add each series as one year each, and the year gaps between series 2, 3 and 4, and then the three years between 4 and 5 then it works out as roughly nine years.
In this story, during the three years of Arthur and Gwen's marriage, there have been two miscarriages and one stillbirth. This has left a huge impact on Gwen, and will become apparent as the story goes on.
All the knights will have cute, heart-to-heart caring brotherly moments with Merlin throughout this story, some a few times over. This includes: Arthur, Leon, Percival, Elyan and most of all Gwaine. At this moment in time, Merlin has five overprotective big brothers (Well, Gwaine's are more leaning towards romance but hey), and this is not something I'm going to leave out in favour of merdred. Merdred will happen! But Merdred, along with the actual pregnancy, will take a step back and the friendship side of this story, and now the group is just one big surrogate family will be more the 'focus'. How their bonds are tested, how they change, and how they develop. :D