Disclaimer: I don't own this. If you recognize this, I didn't create it.
AN: I got my USB Drive back. Thank you so much for your patience. And now for kindly words for my kindly reviewers.
HGandRHForever: The Nephew was Archie. Lucan is Morgaine's nephew because of her adoption by Merlin. You'll learn more about Lucan's parentage today. And today we learn about Guinevere's pregnancy as well. Although, Guinevere doesn't find out for another couple of chapters.
Woody101: Welcome to the party! I hope it suits your liking. Thank you for your sympathy about my drive. I'm so happy to have it back.
Chris: You amuse me dove.
Babak: We'll see about that Birthday celebration. I mean, we can't spoil the surprise, can we? ;)
LANCELOTTRISTANBABY: Yes, Arthur does know about the three of them. You'll see his humor about it later.
:op: If you love me, I love you back. Call me, we'll do lunch. ;)
Natalie: Glad to have you back! And I'm glad that you and your friend have reconciled. I patterned Arthur and Morgaine's relationship together after my relationship with my oldest brother, He Who Will Not Be Named. He's in the Navy and he's always so levelheaded, though from time to time he needs my support too.
Lady Morgaine: Yes, today Arthur learns about Guinevere's pregnancy. And I haven't decided what scares Lancelot in the dark. I think only Morgaine knows that (I'm hoping that she's willing to tell pretty soon!). ;)
TonyBA: You're my best friend. Review some more. And thank you for the compliment, Tony. I'll call you tonight.
ZELINIA: I'm glad you like my cliffy. I hope that as soon as you can you'll review again. I'm going to miss you sweetie!
Andromakhe: Where you been sweetheart? I've missed you.
To Meraculas, A Little Bit of No One, Shorty51, and anyone else I may have missed: I hope you're still enjoying this story, even if you can't always review. My prayers are with you always.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
He looked over at her askance. "Am I that obvious?"
"Only to those of us who love you. What's wrong?"
"Well for starters, it's Guinevere. Lancelot mentioned that she's been acting different. And now that he mentions it, I've noticed the same. She hasn't been herself lately. What do you think?"
Unwilling to tip her hand quite yet, Morgaine replied with a not-so-subtle hint, "There's nothing wrong with her that nine months won't cure. And the second?"
Arthur didn't seem to notice the reference and continued in frustration, "Your father has been trying to talk me into becoming King. And taking Guinevere to wife."
Morgaine nodded, speaking quietly, reminding herself again that neither Arthur, Guinevere or Merlin knew the girl was pregnant. "I know that, Arthur. I've always known that. Guinevere was being groomed to be your wife when Merlin was still the enemy. Why do you think that Merlin made her father tell her stories about you? And, as bedtime stories? You're stalling, Arthur. Get to the real concern."
"I don't know if I can do this without Lancelot and the Knights. They are the only people on this Island, besides you and Vanora, that I have ever allowed myself to trust. I need them here, to tell me when I'm being stupid and when I'm getting ahead of myself and when I need to slow down."
Morgaine hummed low in her throat, before stopping. Arthur stopped with her, looking down at her in confusion. "What?" he asked at her pensive look.
"Arthur, the Knights made their choice when they came back. True, they might yet change their minds, highly unlikely but possible. But many will remain. I do know for a certainty that Gawain and Galahad will stay here, with me, because they know I will not leave your side. You are my brother. Britain is my home, and Merlin is my Dark Father; I will not leave this place and everything I love behind. Dagonet has nothing to go home to in Sarmatia, but Lucan is here. And Lucan so desperately wants to become a Knight. Bors will stay here, marry Vanora and have many more children, all the while being your strongest sword. He'll be governor of his own village, if he and Vanora keep on as they have been. I think he intends to repopulate the known world single-handedly.
"Lancelot is your best friend and your most trusted Knight, as well as your ablest. He will not leave if he thinks you need him. Not to mention, he says that he's got to stay to keep Galahad, Gawain and me alive and out of significant trouble. Tristan, well, he's debatable. He might become a mercenary somewhere, or he might stay here and become a part of the army you most certainly will require. Personally, I'd bank on the latter option. Tristan is nothing if not loyal." Her voice trailed off for a moment, before she spoke again with a wicked curve to her lips. "And should he decide to stay, it's about time the man got married. I have the perfect maid in mind for him. Her name is Isolde and she's a scout, tracker and warrior like him. They would well suit, I believe."
Arthur chuckled. "I don't think that Tristan will much like you meddling in his affairs."
"Oh posh. I won't be meddling; you're going to order it of him." Arthur stopped and stared, dread and fear lingering in his eyes. Morgaine could only chuckle at his shell-shocked look. "Think about it as an arranged marriage, if you must. It's high time all of your knights have gotten married. They're in their early and late twenties, plus Bors and Dagonet are in their early thirties. They're not going back to Sarmatia, so they no longer have the option of holding out for a Sarmatian wife. Besides me, there're no Sarmatian women to be found in Britain; and I'm already spoken for. Only Britons, or, slightly less favored, Romano-Briton women reside in Britain."
Arthur looked at Morgaine half horrified and half concerned. "And Gawain! What do I do about Gawain, when Lancelot demands to know why, and I can almost quote him, 'the bumbling blond' isn't being married off?"
"You'll tell him that Gawain is married. Gawain is mine! Mine! Just as Galahad is mine! No other woman will ever touch either of them again. And besides, you won't have to worry about Lancelot for awhile yet, Arthur. I haven't found a woman nearly stubborn or strong-willed enough to handle him yet; well none except for Guinevere, but she's in love with you. So, that throws a bucket of icy water over that particular fire. And you know Tristan. He will follow any order you give blindly. Isolde is young and beautiful, and she's patient with a kind heart. If anyone can make Tristan's icy heart melt, it'll be Isolde."
"So, I'm just supposed to order my Knights to get married? And no doubt have children, of course."
"Why not? Rome did it. They…and I use this word liberally… 'encouraged' every generation of Knights before this one to get married and have lots of sons, so that those sons could be conscripted into the Roman cavalry, carrying on their bargain for one more generation." Morgaine paused, before speaking again, "And if Rome tries to take Archie away from me, Arthur, I swear on all three of their heads that I will start chopping at places. And they won't be pleasant places, let me assure you."
Arthur cringed slightly. He knew three things for sure about Morgaine; her family was her first and foremost concern, she wasn't a pushover in her infirmary nor did she make idle threats. "All three? I thought there were only two."
"Archie and Galahad and Gawain. Come on Arthur, keep up," she scolded fondly, rolling her eyes in mock-exasperation.
Arthur shrugged, continuing to follow her to the kitchen. "So Gawain's been added to the triumvirate?"
"Gawain's always been a member of the triumvirate. When I was at the Wall before, it was always Galahad, Gawain and me. If anything, Archie is the new addition. But that's all right, because his cherub cheeks and his father's green eyes make up for any bad feelings at the intrusion. All of us adore him; we're going to make him one of our gods before he's four years old, I'm sure of it."
Arthur shrugged hopelessly at his sister's back, before entering the kitchen. Vanora looked up at her, Archie screaming loudly in her arms. "Ah, Child, there ye are. Thank the Gods. Come, be a mother to your son."
Morgaine smiled, taking Archie from Vanora and cuddling him close to her. "Momma!" Archie cried, throwing himself closer to her. "Daddy? Papa?"
"Daddy" was Galahad, but "Papa" was Archie's term for Gawain. Despite everything the three could say, the child wouldn't call Gawain anything else. They had finally just decided to let him call Gawain what he would. "Daddy and Papa are sleeping, baby."
"Hungry Momma." Archie demanded, his tiny hands going to her bodice.
Morgaine laughed, and took her child's hands. Though the boy was a year old, she continued to breast feed him, along with solid foods. It gave her a chance to be close to her son. "All right then, darling," she chuckled, sitting down in the rocking chair in the corner, smiling up at Vanora as she draped a blanket over mother and child. Unlacing her tunic, she gave the boy her breast, watching him fondly as he ate voraciously.
Vanora chuckled, continuing what she had been doing. "He's definitely like his father that one; a complete and utter glutton."
"Which father?" Arthur asked, with a roll of his eyes.
Vanora shrugged. "I don't know, choose one. Both of those boys love their food."
Morgaine glared at her brother. "Be nice, Arthur. There's much that must be accomplished. Merlin sent me a message. The Saxons are gone. Those that survived the battle are being dispatched by Merlin's scouts as we speak."
Arthur nodded, sitting down as Vanora dropped a plate of meat and potatoes on the table. He looked up at her with a smile, to which she only ruffled his hair and turned away. He began to eat as Morgaine continued to feed her son. Smiling at the top of her son's head, she mused absently, "Arthur, do you remember your concern about Guinevere? What would you say if I told you that I knew that Guinevere was close to two months pregnant?"
Arthur choked, coughing on the food he had almost inhaled. His eyes were wide as he stared at Morgaine, before Vanora came over and landed a hefty blow to his back, dislodging whatever had remained stuck in his throat. He took a moment to compose himself, before roaring in surprise, "Who is what?"
"Guinevere…you know, the woman you call your lover…is pregnant, Arthur. Surely you knew?" she taunted, smiling at him amusedly. "I'd say almost six weeks along by now. She has all the symptoms: morning sickness; perpetual nausea; trouble eating; trouble sleeping; a heightened sense of smell; plus she's filling out and getting curvier as the days pass by, just like I did. I'd lay odds with Lancelot himself that the lass is pregnant, Arthur."
Arthur stared at his sister, asking dazedly, "What do I do now?"
Morgaine's feet worked automatically, pushing the chair to-and-fro, watching Arthur steadily. "Well, usually the first thing to do would be to marry the girl. You know, so that the child has a legitimate father. At least, that's what you'd do if you want to be the child's father."
"Of course I want to be the child's father. It is mine, right?"
"I'd say so; timed right, it's been about six and a half weeks since we arrived back at the Wall after the confrontation with the Saxons. So the child was probably conceived on one of the first nights you were together. And besides, Guinevere doesn't do men. In her opinion, they're too much hassle and they take up too much of her time, but for some reason, she seems to want to keep you around. If I didn't know any different -which I don't- I'd say she was in love with you. So, marry her."
Arthur shook his head. "I'm not getting married without my Knights there. They are my dearest friends and most trusted companions. I can't imagine doing anything this important without them."
Morgaine nodded. "Well then, before that gets done, the first thing to do would be to build a more permanent residence. The Wall was great for its purpose, but it was designed to be a garrison….not a permanent living space."
"The Knights and I have lived in this tower for 15 years," Arthur protested, composing himself enough to begin eating again and taking a bite of the food in front of him.
"With the rare exceptions -namely, Bors and much more recently, Galahad-, said Knights have been sleeping in a dormitory together for the last 15 years. And I've seen your chambers, Arthur; how you managed to keep them so Spartan for so many years is ridiculous. It's time to build a true home for all of us. You can't expect us to have our families here, or your family either. There's hardly enough room for all of Bors' bastards, let alone the wives that will soon be found. And when the children are old enough to run around, there won't be enough room to let them play."
Arthur nodded, before sighing heavily. "What about Badon Hill?"
"You want to build your castle on the site of our greatest battle?" Morgaine questioned incredulously.
"It's also the site of our greatest victory. I think it would be fitting."
"Okay; fitting and haunted by the spirits of Saxon dead. Think of somewhere else, Arthur." Morgaine encouraged, looking back down at Archie's head. His curls ran like water through her fingers, reminding her of his father's own curls.
"I don't know, Morgaine. Where do you suggest?"
Morgaine was silent for a moment, before speaking softly, almost as though she was in a trance. "When I was a child, my father showed me a beautiful cliff overlooking all of Britain. He told me that to stand on the end of the cliff and watch the sun rise over the land of my birth was heaven. My father loved this land, and had planned to stay, had the Romans not taken him away. He called it Camelot."
"Camelot?"
"Yes. You could name your new palace after it. It's about a quarter days ride from the Wall. It's South of the Wall, as well, so that any 'reluctant' Woads would be hard pressed to attack it. Not to mention, with the river at the base of the hill and the cliff against the ocean to the back, it's naturally fortified."
Arthur nodded, spooning a mouthful of potatoes into his mouth and chewing silently. "Can you leave your patients for half a day?"
"Not right now, no, but maybe in a week. If Gawain's still fevered in a week, we should find him a plot in your little graveyard," she murmured, tears building in her eyes.
"Gawain's not going to die on you. He loves you. And he adores Archie. And both you and Galahad would kill him if he died."
"That might be overkill, brother. He'll already be dead; why bother with murdering a rotting corpse?"
"You know what I mean. He's strong and he's young. He's got both of you and Archie to come back to. He'll be all right." Arthur encouraged her, taking a bite. There was a silent pause as he chewed, but when he swallowed, he breathed in awe, "I'm going to be a father."
Morgaine smiled indulgently, hefting Archie up onto her shoulder and rubbing his back gently. Archie belched loudly, before subsiding sleepily against her shoulder. Morgaine smiled, still rubbing her son's back, as she smiled up at Vanora. "I'd say Gawain, what do you think?"
Vanora laughed outright, "Oh, absolutely."
Arthur's eyebrow cocked. "Huh?"
"Nothing, Arthur; it's something that only a woman would understand." Vanora assured him, patting the commander's arm tenderly, before clearing the used plates left by her earlier diners.
Arthur just shook his head, focusing on his meal, leaving the women laughing in amusement.
The next morning, they almost lost Gawain.