"I take it you know this name?" Guinevere asked.
Danni's eyes were wide. "In our legends of King Arthur Mordred was his son by Morgana Le Fay, his half sister." At the look of repulsion on Guinevere's face she held up a hand. "I know, gross, but in our stories Morgana used magic to appear as his Queen Guinevere. The illusion worked and she bore him a son Mordred. Morgana then took the boy and raised him to hate his father and all of Camelot. Mordred waged war on Arthur, and even though eventually Arthur won the battle he died because of it."
"Jezzy, calm down you're gonna hyperventilate!" Larissa looked at her friend with concern.
"What the fuck? Mordred's some big bad Saxon bastard?" Jes sputtered.
"You aren't going down there." Carly said through narrowed eyes.
"You're damned skippy I'm not going down there!"
"You know Jezzy, in theory it wasn't only you who killed old Mordred." Carly told her reassuringly. "I mean, I backstabbed, and Guinevere shot him full of arrows."
"I'm sure that'll make a big difference with his mother Carly." Jes said sarcastically. "Why don't we tell her that? Hey, Morgaine, Ya know, it took three or four of us to butcher your son."
"Okay, okay, not the best idea I've had." Carly murmured.
"She'll just have to go away." Tonia said calmly. "You aren't going to see her, and if the men get back and she's not gone well, then, they'll take care of it."
"Good call Tonia!" Larissa brightened considerably.
"I've got an idea!" Jes said.
"Oh lord." Tonia muttered.
"No, no, it's a good one." she whispered excitedly. "I'll talk to her from here. Larissa, you can throw a shield spell on me, so I'm protected."
"Okay, well that's not as dumb as I thought it might be." Danni said thoughtfully.
"Gee, thanks Danni." Jes scowled.
Larissa muttered a few words, and Jes stood to face Morgaine.
The woman spotted her immediately. "I want to speak to you down here Witch!" she yelled.
"Ain't gonna happen." she returned.
"Do you fear me?" the older woman taunted.
"Only an idiot wouldn't fear a mother who's lost her son." Jes called back. "I'm not an idiot."
Morgaine looked at the woman on the battlements for a moment. "No, you are no idiot Witch. Tell me, how did one as weak as you fell my son?"
"Well, I've been told it was pure luck." she said thinking of Lancelot and his anger that night.
"You are not insulted by being called weak?"
"Nope. I know my limits."
"And my husband Osric, did you have something to do with his downfall?" she asked.
"Indirectly I suppose you could say that I did."
"One of your strength and power could easily defeat me Witch, why not come down and look me in the eyes?"
"Flattery won't get you anywhere Morgaine. I'm sorry for having had to kill your son. But it was necessary. He and the men with him were killing children. Doing worse than that really. Just as you would protect your people, I protect mine." Jes hoped the woman heard her. "Even if he wouldn't have molested the children, he wouldn't have stopped it, and he would have killed them. The same for Osric. He went to kill innocents. I, we, protect innocents."
While the women spoke Merlin made his way back to the Keep. Neither Morgaine, nor her people tried to stop him.
"And now you sit protected on your battlements carrying the child of the dark knight who slayed my husband." Morgaine said bitterly.
"Unfortunately that's the way it works." Jes said sadly. She felt bad for the woman who'd lost both.
"Perhaps I should take those from you Witch?" the woman screeched.
"I won't fight you Morgaine. If you wish to live then your smartest move would be to leave, go back to where you came from. If you dare to attack us we will unleash our fury on you and yours." Jes's voice was grim. "We won't take a chance with anyone else's lives."
"I will think on your words Witch." Morgaine was just as grim.
Jes descended the wall and headed directly to the tavern. The others followed leaving several guards to keep an eye on Morgaine and her followers.
"You did well Jeslyn." Guinevere told her with open admiration.
"Yeah, whatever." Jes said gloomily. "That woman isn't leaving."
"You don't think so?" Larissa was frowning.
Tonia added. "I thought you made some good points."
"Dude, if you lost your husband, and your child, would you just walk away from the person who'd killed them?"
Everyone was silent. They'd all answered the question in their heads as soon as she'd posed it. Hell no.
The men rode steadily. "I feel there is something wrong at the Wall." Tristan muttered.
This worried the others. Normally Tristan had a good read on things. It had not taken them long to route the rogue Saxons once they'd been located. They'd been merely a handful of men. Now they headed back for home at a quickened pace. Tristan's worries were falling upon all of them, and they were beginning to wonder what awaited them when they returned. Hopefully it was just expectant father nerves on the part of the scout, but they doubted it. They'd been gone seven days, but would be arriving home the next day. They were tired, and dirty. Each man wanted home so they could be held in their wives arms once more.
The next morning they arose early and made their way back to the Keep.
"It looks as if there have been camps here." Lancelot murmured as they approached. "Newer than the Saxons."
All of the men were silent. Lancelot was correct. These signs were fresh. They sped up their horses and raced home. The gates swung open easily, and they dismounted. Jols was there to greet them. "Where are the women Jols?" Arthur asked.
"Your highness! They are at the Round Table with Queen Guinevere."
The men raced up the stairs, and it was quite a sight to behold. Arthur swung open the doors and the women gasped. "Arthur!" Guinevere cried happily. She stood and raced to him.
As the knights entered all of the women stood and raced to their husbands. Lancelot felt a stab of joy as he saw his precious Jeslyn. She looked beautiful in a light blue gown; her belly swollen with his child. Her face lit up as he entered and he moved to her quickly. "I'm afraid I'm dirty." he whispered.
"I don't care." she whispered back and pulled him into her embrace. She turned to look at the other women. "Why don't we let our husbands get cleaned up, and then we can tell them of our adventures as we eat?"
Guinevere nodded. "Yes, that is a perfect idea. We will meet back here in a little while."
Jeslyn ordered the bath for Lancelot immediately. As soon as it was poured she had him stripped and in the tub. "Tell me?"
"Not yet my love." she said softly. "Why don't we wait until everyone is together? Please? I just want to bask in you being back with me."
"Did you miss me? I wasn't gone very long." he teased.
"I missed you terribly." she said honestly. "It felt like forever."
"And our children. Did they sprout and grow taller while I was away?"
"They do seem bigger, and they both say 'Where Da' quite a bit. It isn't easy explaining to them that Da had to hunt down the bad guys."
Lancelot leaned back in the hot water. It felt wonderful. "The bad guys, I never heard it put that way until you."
"Yes well, I'm sure we've given you all sorts of education since we came here." she grinned.
"Oh indeed." he laughed. "The things you alone have taught me…"
"You are a naughty man Lancelot." she said smacking him lightly. Jes shrieked as he pulled her into the tub with him. Lancelot pulled her against him and proceeded to kiss her with as much passion as he had.
They met in the room of The Round Table. The men and their wives all attended. Food was brought in, and as they ate the women filled them in on what had happened with Morgaine. While Lancelot was not pleased that the woman had come looking for Jes. He was extremely pleased she hadn't left the safety of the wall.
"The next morning, after I spoke to her, they left. They packed up and left." Jes informed them.
"Odd." Arthur muttered.
"I don't think it's for good." Jes said after meeting all of the other women's gazes. "We don't think it's for good. She'll be back. I don't know when, but she will."
"We shall have to be on the look out for her then." Arthur announced. "I too believe the woman will return."
"Is it possible the small party we went to destroy was just a decoy for the woman?" Gawain asked.
"Quite possible." Lancelot agreed. "The woman waited for us to be gone. She asked only for Jes and Merlin. I am the one who killed her husband, but she looked for Jes alone."
"Jeslyn, until we know what this woman wants you cannot leave the wall alone." Arthur spoke.
"Arthur. I don't plan on leaving the wall period. Not until she's gone for good." Jes said meeting Lancelot's eyes. "She terrified me. And let me tell you something, that woman won't be satisfied until Lancelot, my child, or both are dead and buried just like her son and husband."
A week later Guinevere came to her in secret. "Jeslyn, I must ask you to help me."
"Sure, what's going on Guin?"
"I believe I am with child." she whispered excitedly. "I need help to see if it is true."
Jes was exuberant. She examined her friend and found that indeed Guinevere was expecting. "Are you going to tell Arthur right away?"
"Yes." Guinevere said faintly. "I can't believe it. A child."
"It's pretty fun stuff." Jes smiled.
There was much celebrating that evening, and Jes realized that her vision, the one she'd had when she'd learned of her pregnancy was starting to come true. So far there had been no sign of Morgaine, or her people, and if there were any sightings of Saxons, they came to nothing. The Keep fell into a routine, and everything seemed calm.
Larissa was the first to give birth. Their daughter was born early in the morning and they named her Drucilla, Dru for short. Two days later Tonia gave birth to a son, and they named him Tanner. It was a bright sunny day when her vision came true.
Jes had taken to walking along the battlements every morning. The breeze was incredible. She happened to look down and the events unfolding. The déjà vu hit her at once. Larissa strolled through the market holding Dru close to her. Dagonet swept her into an embrace, kissed first Larissa then little Dru, and then let her go with a pat on the bottom. Tonia was sitting breastfeeding Tanner, and Carly, due any day now, stood chatting with her. Bors and Lancelot were teasing Gawain, the twins playing at the men's feet, and Galahad had pulled Danni into a corner to kiss her soundly. Arthur stood below on the archery range with his hands folded over his forming child. Jes wrapped her arms around her belly and tears ran down her face. She couldn't imagine a happier moment. "Thank you." she whispered. "Thank you so much."
"Don't thank me yet Jeslyn." the voice came from her side and Jes looked over to see her Creator.
"Why?"
"I wish I could say no more hardship would come, but you are wise enough to know this is not so." the woman said sadly.
"Morgaine?"
"Yes, a bitter woman indeed. Mordred was the only child who lived past childhood."
"I didn't know." Jes whispered.
The woman smiled at her kindly. "And how could you have Jeslyn, favored child of mine? Morgaine used dark sorcery to insure his life. She certainly doesn't fall under my worshippers."
"So she is evil?"
"Did you ever doubt it? Yes Jeslyn, she is evil. She plans, or hopes to plan for the ultimate destruction of Camelot and Arthur. And you. She wishes to take your child and raise it as her own."
"Will she succeed?" Fear had invaded Jes's body.
The woman smiled at Jes very gently. "Jeslyn, you have the power within you to make this not happen. All of you. Keep your faith Jeslyn. Keep your love, and keep your faith. Hold your family and friends close to you and you will all survive this."
Jes blinked and the woman was gone. She let out a cry and Lancelot was on his feet running for her. She dropped to her knees. The fear made her weak. She knew that she would have to be strong soon, but for now, yes for now she would not be strong.. Jes wept bitterly and waited for Lancelot to carry her away.