Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.
Chapter 25 – Odin's Daughter
News of Guinevere's pregnancy stayed quiet about as long as news that the ban on magic was being lifted, meaning not long at all. They were first alerted to the news having broken when Isolde and Mithian burst into the royal chambers shouting their congratulations, their husbands following behind at a more sedate pace. Although they had not been the initial source – a source that remained a mystery – Isolde and Mithian's loud voices had confirmed the rumours and saw the news spread faster so by the end of the day the entire citadel knew. The excitement at the prospect of an heir was palpable and Guinevere at least was buoyed by it for she no longer felt as if she was failing her people. The only one who didn't greet them with congratulations that day had been Merlin who immediately demanded to know why he hadn't been told. In response, Arthur smacked him over the head and told him it was because they hadn't had time, the news having spread too fast. That calmed him some and he finally offered his congratulations, happy for his friends.
Once news had spread throughout the citadel it wasn't long before it made it beyond the citadel gates, throughout Camelot and even to the neighbouring kingdoms. Gifts began arriving from nobles and commoners alike, as well as from neighbouring royalty, both Annis and Rodor having sent lavish gifts for the baby. Knowing that with all these gifts arriving, some without a name attached to it, Morgana could easily slip one in to harm Guinevere and the child, Dragoon the Great was seen looking at all the presents to determine if they were harmless or not, and to discourage those who would send something with malicious intentions. However, gifts were not the only thing to arrive. A rider bearing the crest of King Odin of Meredor arrived and presented a missive from his King to Arthur.
"He wants to pay us a visit?" Arthur was quite incredulous. Although not officially at war, Camelot and Meredor had been close to it for years given the animosity their Kings shared.
"He says that 'it is time to move passed all this and work towards peace to build a better future for both our kingdoms.' " Guinevere said, having taken the letter from Arthur, when in his shock, he read no further than Odin wanting to visit.
"I smell a trap." Said Merlin, the three of them being holed up in the royal chambers after having dismissed the messenger.
"But if it is a trap, why risk coming to Camelot?" Arthur asked.
"He knows we would never go to Meredor." Merlin said logically.
"Yes, but he will be surrounded by our men and would not be permitted to bring more than a handful of his own through the city gates. And if he thought to bring his whole army they would be easily spotted and we would face them in battle. He would never get away with any kind of attack, even if he succeeded it would cost him his life."
"Perhaps he no longer cares." Suggested Guinevere. "He has wanted revenge on you since you killed his son, regardless of how justified your actions were. Maybe he no longer cares if he lives or dies so long as his son is avenged."
"He has a grown daughter who is his heir. It's not entirely impossible." Muttered Arthur.
"Have you thought though that perhaps it is not Arthur Odin intends to kill?" A thought suddenly struck Merlin. "You killed his son and word has spread throughout Albion of Gwen's pregnancy. Perhaps he intends to kill your child in return for you killing his. The fact that he also gets to take away your wife is just an added bonus to him." Arthur's face darkened.
"If he so much as touches Guinevere I will raze Meredor to the ground. Not even Odin is so stupid as to sentence his entire kingdom to death simply to get revenge on me."
"Then what could be his purpose here?" Guinevere wondered, none of them believing that he came for the reason he said in his letter.
"I don't know." Said Arthur. "And we won't know unless we agree to his visit." While none of them liked the idea, they knew a refusal would probably give Odin exactly what he was actually looking for: war. He had, supposedly, extended the hand of friendship and them not accepting his visit would be seen as a refusal of that friendship and a declaration that they wanted war. With little other choice Arthur sent the messenger back with a letter inviting Odin to Camelot in one month's time. All this had been done without even consulting the Privy Council, let alone the Round Table, so it was understandable that their friends were a bit put out about hearing of it only after the fact.
"Odin? From Meredor?" Isolde asked with slightly widened eyes that did not go unnoticed by Guinevere, nor did the look she shared with Tristan.
"Yes."
"At least you've given us a month." Grumbled Leon. "It's going to take that long to secure the citadel and the city, and arrange for more extensive patrols to ensure Odin doesn't take us by surprise, and we have to ensure we do not spread the guards so thin with the extra patrols that there won't be enough to guard the citadel while he's here."
"And this is why you're my First Knight." Said Arthur. "Don't know what you were complaining about, you've clearly got everything under control."
"I have no choice given my King apparently tries to make things harder for me. I don't want either of you going anywhere without one of us while Odin's here. Not even within the citadel, am I clear?" While Leon was usually quite the prim and proper knight, when it came to their safety he was in charge, no matter what Arthur said. "Especially you, my Queen. If Odin does intend to harm you and your child we will not give him the chance."
"Whatever you deem necessary, Sir Leon." She wisely replied.
"Well, shall we get to it then?" Gwaine asked. "Lots to do after all." With the meeting over, everyone rose to depart the presence chamber.
"Isolde?" Guinevere called before she could leave. "Might I have a word?" Isolde nodded and told Tristan she would see him in the nursery in a bit. "What is wrong?" She asked when the doors had closed.
"Nothing, my Queen." Guinevere didn't buy it and her look clearly said so.
"Isolde please. I saw the look you exchanged with Tristan and there was real fear in your eyes. I cannot help you if you do not confide in me." Isolde sighed knowing Guinevere was right and that she had kept this to herself long enough.
"You remember me telling you that I was born into the nobility, but said no more other than that my father promised me to someone I did not love and so Tristan and I ran away together?" Guinevere nodded. "Well…it appears my father is now going to be visiting Camelot." Guinevere looked confused for a moment before realizing set in.
"Odin is your father?!" She gasped. Isolde nodded.
"I have not seen or spoken to my father in over seven years. The last time I did he was bellowing at me that I would marry King Marke of Cornwall whether I liked it or not and there would be no more talk of a servant I claimed to love. That servant and I vanished from Meredor that very night." Guinevere took a moment to process all this and when she did she gasped.
"His son…" Isolde smiled humourlessly.
"My brother, Everard, was too much like our father for his own good. Yet he was good to me, even tried to stand up to father about my betrothal, though the spineless coward backed down the moment father glared at him. He always did." She let out a laugh, though it took had no humour to it. "It seemed he tried to force himself to be brave for once in his life, though why he chose picking a duel with Arthur Pendragon to do it I'll never know." She reached over and grasped Guinevere's hand. "It happened a long time ago, before I ever came to Camelot. I mourned my brother, but I have no doubt his death was his own fault. I do not blame Arthur. I never have."
"We heard about it when you ran away." Guinevere confessed. "Odin sent word that his youngest daughter had gone missing and asked Uther to keep an eye out for her. This was before Prince Everard's death of course, so while not allies Odin and Uther were not enemies either."
"No doubt he sought to find me quickly to ensure his pact with Marke didn't sour." She said bitterly.
"I don't know." She admitted. "I only remember Arthur mentioning it, that's all. I honestly didn't even know your name. Royalty of neighbouring kingdoms that never visited and were not allies of Camelot didn't exactly interest me." Isolde laughed again, this time with some humour. "What do you intend to do?" She then asked, referring to Odin's upcoming visit.
"Tristan and I will leave for awhile. I want nothing to do with my father." Guinevere's lips thinned but she didn't say anything to try and dissuade her.
"We should tell Arthur. He'll want to know why one of his best knights and my lady in waiting will not be here for a royal visit."
"Hmm, we'd best tell Leon as well. He's probably already got Tristan included in some guard schedule." Linking her arm through Guinevere's, the two women left the presence chamber and headed upstairs, Guinevere asking Sefa along the way to once again summon the Privy Council, though this time to the royal chambers. Naturally they wondered why they were being called together again so soon, but after Isolde explained everything it became clear.
"Princess Isolde…" Arthur began when he'd had a moment to take in what had been said. However, he stopped as soon as he started, having received a glare from Isolde.
"Don't you dare start with that, Pendragon, or I will gut you." She threatened, her husband trying to smother his laughter.
"But you are-"
"Nobody. Regardless of my birth I left my kingdom and renounced my title. I am not a princess and want nothing to do with my father." She said passionately. "He has my sister, Mathilde, to inherit the throne. He needs nothing from me and I will give him nothing." That she had named her daughter after her sister did not go unnoticed; clearly though she despised her father, she was not as done with everyone in her family as she claimed.
"Very well, Isolde." Arthur conceded with a sigh. "But you do not need to run. I will allow no harm to come to you, Tristan or your children. With so many years passed, having renounced your title and married, he has no claim on you, and I will not allow him to even try and harm you."
"And that is exactly why we must leave." Said Tristan. "Odin is not a man to think before he acts, and even when he does his response is usually war. He will see you harbouring his long lost daughter and will declare war then and there."
"Perhaps. But perhaps not." Said Arthur. "When you went missing we received word from Odin. Father said he practically begged us to look out for you. Clearly he was desperate to get you back."
"For his alliance, nothing more." She scowled, but again Arthur wasn't so sure.
"You seem so certain that a man who loved his son enough to try and kill me more than once would disregard his other child so. He is your father, Isolde. You may not like it, but he is still your father, and you his daughter. The bond between parent and child cannot easily be broken. I should know. There were times I hated my father, times I thought he had no love in his heart and that he was nothing but a ruthless old tyrant. And to a certain extent I was right. But he was still my father, and I his son and we loved each other." Isolde's scowl didn't abate and her glare returned, making Arthur hold up his hands in surrender. "You may, of course, do what you like. But if you decide to stay I promise nothing will happen to you. It may even do you some good to see him again. He might surprise you. If he ever had any love you I have no doubt that losing you as he did tore him apart." Isolde didn't know what to think, but Arthur had certainly given her a lot to think on. She and Tristan talked about it often over the next month, Tristan promising that whatever Isolde wanted was fine by him. When the time of Odin's arrival came she still had not made a decision about seeing her father, yet they did not leave, choosing instead to remain hidden in their chambers; whether they left them or not, however, was anyone's guess.
oo00oo00oo
"King Odin. Welcome." Arthur greeted from the citadel steps where he, his wife and his knights waited. Usually more of the court would be there with only a few cloaked knights present, but given what they suspected Odin to be here for Arthur had decided that it was better to give this subtle warning that they were ready for whatever he tried. And, given that the knights were also technically still members of the court, Odin could not claim that Arthur had not welcomed him properly.
"Arthur." He returned the greeting stiffly.
"Allow me to introduce my Queen, Guinevere." She smiled and accepted the kiss on her hand. She did notice that as he bowed over her his gaze lingered on her belly, her pregnancy now being obvious, though there were still months to go.
"A feast has been prepared for this evening." Arthur explained as he reclaimed his wife's hand and began to lead Odin inside; he too having noticed Odin's gaze lingering on Guinevere. "I will have my manservant show you to your room where you may refresh yourself after your long journey."
"Wonderful. Oh, and I am sorry, but I will require another room." He tried, and failed, to sound apologetic. "I brought one of the sorceresses of my court. It was a last minute decision, so we could not send word. I heard you repealed the ban on magic that your father instilled so I trust this will not be a problem?" He raised an eyebrow and Arthur tried not to roll his eyes at the blatant test.
"Not at all. We have plenty of rooms, I am certain we can find something suitable." He said. "And we will probably be joined by my unofficial court sorcerer as well." This was news to Merlin who stood off to the side, having come as himself as part of the delegation to greet Odin. However, he understood why Arthur said it and agreed with him. If Odin had brought a sorceress of his own, then Arthur too wanted one out in the open lest the sorceress be here to try anything. It would be easier for Merlin to fight off an attack as Dragoon the Great than as himself, and it would not be hard to go missing for awhile during the feast; few would notice the absence of a servant. And, he reasoned, he would actually enjoy himself regardless of being on edge. In all the years he had been at Camelot this was the first time he would actually get to eat at a feast. And to think, it only took not being himself to achieve it.
A/N - Tristan and Isolde's past is finally revealed! I decided to at least somewhat keep with the original folk tale, though there's obviously major differences. This arc will span at least a couple more chapters.
Review please!