There was something different about this pregnancy. Merlin knew that it was probably because she was carrying the future Dragon Lord, but there was something more to it.
It was Arthur too. It was as if he knew something she didn't, and it was pressing down on her. He treated everything about this pregnancy as if it were the most miraculous thing to have happened to their world. He wasn't like this with Rhys, and quite honestly, Rhys was probably the most important person, aside from Arthur, in the whole of Camelot. It would all fall to Rhys when Arthur passed away, and it would become Rhys' job to keep the Pendragon name alive.
So why Arthur was so fixated on the unborn one was mystifying to Merlin.
But, she had to admit, his fascination was actually quite endearing.
Even though he had his own chambers, he had taken to sleeping with Merlin, and depending on who had nightmares, at least one of the boys on occasion. But more often than not, it was just Merlin and Arthur in bed. And as her pregnancy progressed, the more often she was in the room, sleeping. She would usually go to sleep knowing Arthur was nearby and would wake up and know that he was in his study. There were a few occasions where he would still be there when she woke, watching diligently.
The day that he discovered that the baby would react to his voice ended up being the end of any hope of Merlin having some silence before the baby came. Arthur would be at Merlin's side every chance he got, chattering on about some inane topic to the baby. It usually bored Merlin to sleep, so that was useful, but she didn't quite see the appeal. She understood the importance for Arthur to bond with the baby, but she was tired and his chattering distracted her from sleeping.
Thank goodness for Hunith and Gwen. Even though Gwen had her own son to run after, she was still a saint with helping out with the three princes. Hunith knew a thing or two about children, especially after years of helping out the other mothers in Ealdor, so her expertise was greatly appreciated. Merlin looked forward to being able to be a completely active parent again, able to run after her boys and keep them in line. She felt a little guilty that Gwen and Hunith had to do most of the work, especially since Arthur was virtually helpless when it came to discipline.
As a father, Arthur had one saving grace: he was diligent about training his knights, and that diligence spilled over in the training of his sons. He saw potential in each of his boys and made sure to use that to the benefit of the Knights of Camelot. He expected his sons to adhere to the strict code of the knights on the field, and as they became more and more acquainted with these manners, the expectation followed them off of the field.
But beyond that, Arthur was hopeless. If he couldn't find a training situation analogous to a non-training issue, he was rather weak. Despite the fact that Rhys was twelve, Arthur still hadn't figured out how to not relegate to Merlin for the default-parenting standard. Merlin supposed that it was a sign of good parenting that Arthur looked to her for the answers, but because it demonstrated the huge gap in their communication and united front, she took it to mean that they needed to work on this area of their relationship.
They could save the whole of Albion without a shadow of a doubt that the other stood behind them, but they couldn't agree how to reprimand their sons. The irony nearly killed Merlin.
But she was really looking forward to getting readjusted to her semi-familiar life. She suspected that their routine wouldn't be too terribly different; what was one more kid? It'd just be another set of feet running away from Merlin at every open opportunity. Another kid to lose to the wilderness surrounding Camelot. Another indication that the throne of Camelot was occupied by a strong and viable leader who had a good head on his shoulders.
Privately, that strong and viable leader who supposedly had a good head on his shoulders had taken to trying to catch Merlin while she was naked. He hadn't backed down on his promise to catch her in the nude, and the closer she got to delivery, the more fervent his efforts became. He had taken to deliberately walking in on her when he knew that she was about to take a bath (she really enjoyed her baths) or while she was dressing.
Of course, she knew that he was joking around and he managed to keep it relatively decent. (As decent as being a perverted man with an obsession with catching his wife in compromising situations could be.) He respected Merlin's right to privacy and shortly after starting his quest, it became a game for both of them.
So of course, she wasn't expecting it when she lost in a very stupid way.
It was after Arthur and his men had returned from a trek into the outskirts of the kingdom, as a means of doing a wellbeing check-up for his people. They had been gone for two weeks, long enough for Merlin to let her guard down, but not long enough for Arthur to forget the name of the game.
The group had returned late in the afternoon, just before supper, but instead of feasting with the men down in the banquet hall, Arthur had requested to take his meal in his chambers. Merlin had elected to join him, despite the fact that she had already had supper with Rhys, Bowen, and Gareth. Once she knew that Arthur was in his chambers eating, she quietly let herself into the room and sat down. "Anything notable to recount?" she asked him simply as she reached over and snagged a grape from his plate.
He eyed her warily before taking a bite and chewing it thoughtfully. After swallowing, he nodded. "Lots of babies in most of the villages we visited. It seems like it's a common theme around here," he explained.
She hummed in interest and reached over to snag another grape or two. The rest of his meal was quiet until he stood up and kicked off his boots in the corner. "Are you sleeping in here tonight?" he asked.
Merlin glanced at him. "When was the last time you bathed?"
Arthur rolled his eyes. "You aren't serious."
"You smell musty."
"I smell like the woods. That's the smell of nature, Merlin."
"Unless you were walking through manure woods, that's not the smell of nature, Arthur."
He sighed and turned away from her before pulling his tunic over his head and tossing it over a chair. "I forgot that you always seem to acquire an acute sense of smell while pregnant."
"Yes, I do," she agreed as she drummed her fingers across the top of her belly.
After helping him with the tub, Merlin left Arthur to his own devices while she left the room to go change. She wasn't expecting Arthur to enter her chambers. The only indication she had that someone was in there was the snickering from the doorway. "Well, would you look at that: not only have I succeeded in seeing you naked whilst pregnant, but I have also found that pair of trousers you swore you hadn't seen."
She let out a squeak and tried to cover up for modesty. Arthur shook his head and walked towards her. "Seriously; those are my favorite pair of trousers."
"Funnily enough, they're my favorite pair of trousers too!"
"Why do you have them?"
"None of mine fit."
"So you stole mine? Don't you have an entire wardrobe designated for when you're pregnant?"
"Oh, I do, but they're all very uncomfortable."
She stepped out of the trousers and handed them over to Arthur. "I'm relinquishing control of the trousers," she announced solemnly.
"Thank you."
She turned her back to him and pulled her shift down from over the room divider. The garment was almost over her belly when Arthur stopped her. "May I?" he asked her.
Merlin shrugged and held the hem of her shift above her belly button. She was as good as defeated, and there was nothing wrong with letting him explore a little bit. It was doubtful they'd ever get to do this again.
"You know, I don't think I'm a fan of those dresses and skirts you wear," Arthur finally remarked.
"I've been telling you… dresses and skirts are rubbish!"
"No, it's not that," he muttered dismissively. "It's more than that… you could display this more prominently, but you don't. You never have. It's almost as if you're self conscious about this."
"You go around lugging this everywhere you go."
She braced her belly with her left hand and gave a gentle jerk, indicating what she was talking about. Arthur rolled his eyes dramatically and chuckled.
"You make it seem like you're dragging a cart or something."
"For all I know, I could be. It certainly feels like it sometimes."
"But it's nice. I like it."
"You do?" she asked softly.
"Why wouldn't I? You're my wife, you're my naked wife, and you have a spotting of freckles that remind me a little of the Big Dipper."
"All I need now is the Pendragon crest branded into me, and you're sold!" Merlin laughed.
"No, that's barbaric," Arthur hummed absently as he rested his hands along the back of her pelvis. "Does it hurt?"
"Does what hurt?"
"Being pregnant. It looks like it hurts."
"Sometimes it hurts. Backaches and headaches and my feet are sore almost all the time these days. But all that happened while I was still your manservant."
Arthur stood back and helped pull the hem down the rest of Merlin's body. "Thank you. You handled defeat well."
Merlin rolled her eyes and padded over to the bed. She pulled back the covers and as gracefully as possible, climbed into the bed. Arthur followed her lead and almost instantaneously fell asleep, with his arm curled around her and his long body stretched out against hers. But before he did, he stared at Merlin with a solemn look.
"What?" Merlin asked.
"Your belly button looks weird," he explained.
"Go to sleep, Arthur," Merlin sighed as she blew out the candle on the table next to the bed.
Before falling asleep herself, Merlin decided that this wasn't necessarily a bad game to lose. She just had to convince Arthur that she was devastated about the defeat.