Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, it is owned by BBC, SyFy and the creators of Merlin, I own Anne, Caylene and Faston.

Uther strode out of the castle the next day, flanked by Arthur and his noblemen. Swinging up onto his horse, he sat watching as the rest of his party joined him. Anne stood on the castle steps watching him with Caylene in her arms, the women around her already gossiping and laughing in high-pitched voices.

He gave her a small smile of encouragement, which she tried to return but it turned into a grimace at a high-pitched giggle from one of the women, a giggle that even made Uther cringe in pain at the sound of it. He turned his horse toward the gate and rode off, the hunting dogs and servants running ahead of his party. The men of the nobility rode behind him as they began discussing the state of affairs throughout the areas of the kingdom under their command, while he and Arthur enjoyed a quiet conversation with each other interspersed by stretches of companionable silence. When they reached the forest the men spread out as the servants began jogging ahead beating the ground with their sticks to help the dogs flush out prey for the nobles sitting on their horses.

I leaned back in my chair, keeping Caylene with me as she slept, knowing that I could use her sleeping state to keep the loudness of the women at bay. Several of the women had giggled over the newest man who had caught the attention of the majority of the women of the nobility, but I sighed in annoyance as the topic quickly drifted to Arthur. Morgana chuckled at hearing my sigh, and I saw Gwen trying to hold back her smile from behind Morgana's shoulder. Morgana leaned over and whispered, "As much as I love the topic of who the most handsome man in the nobility is at the moment, I'd rather not have to discuss Arthur, especially in that capacity."

"Agreed," I whispered back, grinning at Gwen as she filled my goblet with apple cider, and placed some fruit, bread, cheese and meat on the table in front of us with several of the other servants. I watched with Morgana as the women began placing food on their plate, complaining about what the food would do for their figures even as they ate it. Others, however, ignored this topic and enjoyed the food in front of them. I pulled back and murmured a thank you, when one of the servants placed a small bowl of apple sauce in front of me for Caylene. As I spooned some into her mouth, she gave a toothy smile as she ate it and tried to keep the spoon in her mouth, as I gently tugged at the other end to take it away from her while chuckling at her.

One of the elderly women sat down next to me, and smiled at Caylene a soft hand reaching out to claim one of Caylene's, "She's quite a well-behaved baby."

I smiled at her, before placing a kiss on Caylene's head and giving her some more food, "She is for the most part. She does act up though when she hasn't had enough sleep, food or attention when she wants it." I smiled down at her as she used her teeth to eat her apple sauce.

"Oh, they're all like that. Are you and the King thinking of having more or just the one? After all he does have an heir, and now a second one that could help bring a spare heir into the kingdom through marriage," another woman asked, butting in on the conversation.

I felt my body stiffen at the topic, after all I was definitely not in the mood to think of my baby as a grown woman when I had only had her for so short a time. I gave the woman a slight disapproving glare before I answered, "That is a matter that will remain between the King and I actually. If we do or do not have any more children it will be because we both want it. It will be our choice and not based on the advice of anyone else."

The woman blushed slightly, and then glared at Morgana, who added, "Besides, we are still getting used to Caylene. Let us enjoy her for a while before talk begins in court of adding another child or so to the royal household."

"I don't see why it should concern you," we heard a condescending voice interject. Morgana and I's heads flipped in the woman's direction, matching looks of unbelief at what she had just said on our faces. The look on her face was very smug, as she reminded Morgana, "You are the King's ward, and as such in the grand scheme of things your position is as a member of the nobility, the lesser nobility at that, not that of a member of the King's household."

As Morgana opened her mouth to reply scathingly at the woman, I heard a voice cut her off, finding myself shocked that it was me, "If I were you I'd think twice before making such remarks as that." I glared at the woman, and looked around the room challenging anyone else to make a remark against Morgana as I continued, "Morgana is a member of our family, may be not of blood relation, but of heart and choice, our choice." I paused and returned the smile Morgana had given me, before turning back to the woman in question, a cold look on my face, "I would watch my tongue as well if I were in your position, as King Uther takes all insults directed at his family very seriously, and I can guarantee you he holds Morgana as a member of his family. After all I am sure you know from past experience just what the king is capable of when he finds action necessary to remind someone of their place in his kingdom." The woman paled at the blatant threat before turning back to the other women, who had quickly began gossiping once more after hearing the threat in my voice.

As soon as all eyes were off of us, I turned to Morgana placing Caylene, who had fallen asleep during the exchange of words, in her arms. I looked around the room as I grumbled to her, "This may be a necessary activity to keep the nobles happy and loyal, but I wish Uther and his men would hurry up and return home." Morgana nodded and we slowly rejoined the conversation, though Morgana spent most of her time focused on the baby in her arms, joining in vocally when we were required to do so.

Uther laughed as the conversation around him intensified. They had managed to pick up several fowl and a few deer during their hunt, and were enjoying dinner beside a river inside the forest. Arthur came and sat down next to him, as he began to eat he cast a quick glance in his father's direction, "How do you think Anne is doing with the women?"

Uther chuckled, "If I know Anne, she's getting irritated, Morgana as well by this time."

"Should we cut the trip short?"

"No we will continue as plan, stopping only when it is time to head back to the castle before night fall and the autumn feast." Arthur nodded, and they turned their attention to the gathering. Five hours later, Uther led the way back to the castle. When they reached the inner courtyard Uther searched the gathered women until his gaze fixated on Anne. He groaned inwardly as he took in her stance, he could tell that her patience level was nearly lost if nonexistent and that she was barely maintaining her will to not lose her control of her anger in loud vocal tones at the women around her.

As he dismounted she bowed before walking toward him, the closer she got the more he could tell that she was so frustrated that she was holding back the tears her frustration was causing. He reached out a hand which she took, and he tugged her gently toward him. When he heard several of the people around them chuckle, he looked up letting those who were chuckling see the rebuke in his eyes at their reactions, silence quickly descended as they moved to their rooms before the King acted more forcefully on his displeasure. He leaned down and whispered to her, "Was it really that bad, Anne?"

"If I hear one more of those ladies," she spat out the last word in her disgust at their actions and words, "try to maneuver their way into our familial decisions or slight Morgana again, I swear my subtle approach is going to become the more obvious approach."

Uther chuckled softly remembering that Anne's "subtle" approach had been to glare at the people who had offended her and that she had claimed her not-so-subtle approach was to stick a sword in their face. But his brow and mouth quickly dipped into a frown as he remembered what she had said in its entirety, "Come along, we need to talk about this more freely than we can at this moment."

When we got to our rooms, Uther sat me down in a chair and pulled a second one over taking my hands in his owns. "Now, what was this about our decisions and Morgana being slighted?"

I breathed in and out trying to keep my emotions from coloring my voice, and failing as the tears of frustration started falling as I told him about the conversations that had taken place while he was gone. His eyes were blazing with rage as he listened, and I felt his hands tighten around mine as I finished up on the day's conversations. "Insufferable busybodies," he snarled, standing up and pacing around the room. He looked around and noticing the room was empty of everyone but us, looked over at me in confusion, "Where's Caylene?"

"I had Gwen take her to Gaius. I was worried I was going to lose control of my anger while she was in the room and wake her up from her nap with my yelling. Gwen said that Gaius would bring her to me when she woke up," I informed him.

Uther nodded, before he started frowning once more, angered that his nobles were treating his ward in the manner they had and yet knowing he could not publicly proclaim her as a member of the royal family without a huge scandalous standoff between his family and the nobility occurring. However, he could stop the nobility from sticking their noses into his and his wife's business, especially where more children was concerned.

"Uther?" He turned to Anne, whose tears had dried up. He walked over to the pitcher of water that was always in the room, and poured some water into a basin, before dipping a cloth in it and going to wash her face of the tears that had dried upon it.

"You did well for what was going on. As for anyone else who feels they need to advise or speculate on our affairs, send them to me and I will deal with them. I'm sorry I was unable to protect you from some of the more cutting tongues of the nobility," Uther apologized. Anne leaned forward kissing his forehead in acceptance of his apology, and he straightened up, "Now, I believe we have a feast to get ready for, and if anyone bothers you or Morgana again tonight, let Arthur or I know and we will settle the matter immediately." Anne nodded and turned to dress for the feast, Uther following her example.