The next morning found Guinevere fed and clean, in the back of Alice's Toyota Prius type car. The small vehicle was unassuming as it made its way to Nimueh's home.
Much to Gaius' chagrin, Alice kept the conversation light and sparse. After a three hour ride, full of talk radio, Alice pulled down a long driveway made of dirt. The moment they turned onto the driveway, Gaius could feel Nimueh's magic. From the wimpers coming from the car seat, Gaius would venture to say that the child had as well.
As they pulled up to the small cottage, that he assumed was Nimueh's new home, he could hear Alice sigh. He decided to focus on the trees outside, no doubt they had been enchanted, the subtle glow of gold couldn't be mistaken. He too knew that this would not be an easy encounter; nothing with Nimueh was easy, especially when she was mad.
As if reading their thoughts, the front door of the abode flung open, and there stood Nimueh, eyes flashing with anger and grief.
"Come on you traitorous coward." she hollered at the car.
"Come on," Alice began, throwing him a warm, although pitying smile, "...might as well get it over with." she offered as she opened the door and climbed out of the car.
Gaius sighed as he reasoned she was right, and he, too, exited the vehicle, quickly making his way to the backseat to retrieve the princess. As if she had teleported, Nimueh was right there when he turned around, Gwen in his arms.
"Give me NaMoira's child, you swine." Nimueh screamed as she yanked the child from Gaius' hands, startling her awake. This drew a cry from the child and her eyes flashed gold. Nimueh's grip was immediately removed as she was thrown back. The child landing softly on the ground.
Alice turned to Gaius. "That was unnecessary." she warned as she readied herself to fight her former paramour. Yet, a low, familiar chuckle caught her attention.
"Heard loud and clear, princess." Nimueh spoke to Gwen. "She didn't like that at all." Nimueh informed Alice.
"The child?" Aice asked, confused.
"The child." Nimueh answered, giddy. There was no mistake, they were in the presence of the Once and Future Queen. The horror of this knowledge knocked all of the excitement from Nimueh, if the child was here, so soon, that meant their suffering under this ban on magic had just begun.
She stood, and quickly went to pick up the child; this time gently, how she should handle any child, let alone the one who would one day deliver them from tyranny, and unit the lands on Albion. She turned swiftly, not looking at Gaius, and disappeared into the cottage; leaving Gaius and Alice in the muggy morning air.
When Gaius entered the cottage, he found that Nimueh was well prepared. Scattered about her large dining table were all the tools he assumed were needed for the ritual. There was also a place prepared for the princess to lay comfortably, with a spot for another child beside it. It was then that Gaius noticed the strands of long black hair on the table.
"What creature did this come from?" Gaius asked, fingers poised to grab the hair.
"Don't TOUCH that." Nimueh seethed through her teeth quietly, trying not to disturb the peaceful child.
"What is it?" He inquired, while quickly drawing his hands back.
"The hair of the host's host." Alice supplied.
"What?" Gaius asked, confused.
The sisters exchanged glances. Alice took the lead.
"Here, take a seat, relax; I'll put in some tea and explain everything." Alice direct Gaius to sit at the part of the table not overrun with supplies.
She quickly grabbed a crystal tea pot, with a tea infuser, and began mixing up herbs.
"Gaius, when I left I told you it wasn't all you." She began, while she measured out a teaspoon of lavender, rose bud, and red clover. She then threw a knowing look to her sister.
"We knew this was coming; not only Nimueh and me, but also NaMoira. She knew she would die and Uther would start this nonsense." Alice continued, with adding a little Eyebright and Blue Lotus to their tea.
"How-" Gaius began, but was cut off by Nimueh.
"She had been having dreams since the conception. The first one was of her dying, which is what prompted her to come to us. She wanted Alice to confirm it."
Alice, though not as powerful at the practice of magick, as Nimueh, was the more powerful seer.
"She came to me almost every morning, disheveled, like she had just woken and came straight to our chamber. Do you remember the mornings she would interrupt us?" Alice prompted.
"Yes." He had remembered, and had assumed it was pregnancy things that Alice could deal with. He hadn't imagined she was having prophetic dreams.
"NaMoira knew who she was carrying, knew of the tyranny her husband would rule with, in her name; she also knew that she wasn't the only woman carrying Uther's child." Alice dropped the bombshell on Gaius, who just looked at her, confused.
"Excuse me?" He was finally able to respond.
"When the conspiracy flocks in the yard, Uther's second born will begin her journey into the world, and so will we begin our binding." Alice offered prophecy. However, something in that made Gaius even more curious.
"Vivienne?
"Nimueh was able to break the enchantment she held over Uther, but not before the seeds of conception had been planted. She's been carrying a girl all through her banishment." Alice confirmed.
Gaius then remembered his initial question. "Whose hair is that?
"Hers."
"Why?" He inquired cautiously, eyes slits of suspicion.
"I realize now, you have a part to play too, Gaius. You had to do what you had to do to maintain favor in Uther's eyes. I get it now." Came Nimueh's voice, laced with realization, from where she had firmly rooted herself, in a corner, away from Gaius.
She uncrossed her arms and slowly made her way over to the table, with her sister, and with Gaius, her friend. She spoke as she sat down.
"We, too, have a role to play, Gaius."
"And what might that role be?" He pressed, sensing her hostility towards him lessening.
"To bind the child's magick. The only way we can do that, to a being this powerful, is to remove as much of it as possible. To do that though, we need a vessel. That much magick building up until its restored to her, could be a catastrophe." Nimueh explained.
"A vessel, like a sword or book?" Gaius refused to believe they were saying what he thought.
"A vessel like a child; like a sister. NaMoira actually came up with the plan." Alice smiles, softly, bowing her head. Her friend's death was still very recent.
Gaius whipped his head around to look at her.
"You want to put the princess' magick into Lady Vivienne child?"
"No, we're going to put the princess' magick into the child. This is how it is, Gaius." Came Nimueh's fiery retort. "And then you're going to take both back to Camelot."
"What?!" Gaius yelped.
"This needs to be done the last full moon of every month to maintain it. It would be for the best if the vessel is close at hand." Alice took over the conversation.
"How?"
"Vivienne won't last through the birth; Alice is her midwife, and she's going to make her passing as easy as she can for her. When the child is born, I'll do the transfer. Then we'll bring her back here, it'll be easier to mask the powers in her, because they won't all be hers to begin with. She'll have her own magick, but she'll be exceedly more powerful with the princess' powers." Nimueh explained, as Alice poured Gaius' tea.
"And what do I tell Uther?"
"Whatever you'd like, as long as this child isn't killed, if she perished before the time for the princess' powers to be restored, they will be restored anyway. It would be wise for Uther to keep this one as safe as his daughter." Nimueh advised.
"Restored?" He asked.
"Oh yes, one day, and she will be magnificent. Now we're all about to go out and grab the herbs needed." Nimueh announced as she got up to go put on her foraging boots and grab the picnic she had prepared.
:::
Hours later they returned. The sky was streaked with Magenta and the ravens were everywhere.
"Ah" Nimueh yelped at the sight, and hastily made her way into the cottage, Alice and Gaius hot on her heels.
"Gaius, you know herbs the best. Grind these up into a paste. Then grab some those dry herbs had blend up some ritual incense and herbs. Alice, you go to Vivienne." Nimueh delegated tasks as she began dressing candles. Alice threw on a light jacket and was out the door.
Gaius went to work on the herbs. There was a lot to work with and he was able to find the mortar and pestle, easily. After about an hour of preparation, Nimueh produced a large hollowed out price of wood, the shape resembling a valley. She placed chunks of charcoal into the wood, and then lit them on fire, waiting for them to catch. While waiting on that she began to cast a circle in black salt.
Gaius watched as the circle began to glow, as if on fire, after a quick incantation. Once the charcoal had began to burn, she sprinkled the dried herbs and resins on them, inhaling deeply. Gaius knew she was changing her frequency in order to do the spell, he too took deep breaths, he intended to help.
Once she felt the spiritual 'high', and had lit all the candles, she began smearing the fresh herb paste all over the princess'naked body. There was plant matter on her little face, on her hands, her chest, everywhere.
Nimueh began chanting, slow and low at first, in a language that Gaius could not understand. However, her chanting became increasingly louder and more rapid. She chanted for what seemed like forever, until her and the princess' eyes flashed gold, simultaneously. In an instant, Gaius could she the herbal paste glowing, and could feel the rawest, purest magick her ever felt.
Nimueh, on her part, quickly collected the paste from the child's body; as much as she could. She explained to Gaius that she wouldn't ever be able to remove all the magick, like she wouldn't be able to remove all the paste by hand, but she could get the large chunks. She quickly and gently placed the paste in a bowl, covered it up, dressed Gwen, and was out the door.
Leaving Gaius and a very cranky baby alone in the cottage. Gaius decided to get her food ready. He looked down at the child and whisper, "I'm so sorry." The baby began crying.
:::
When Alice and Nimueh returned to the cottage, the wails could be heard from outside. Blood curdling baby screams soared out of the open windows.
Guinevere was pissed.
Nimueh entered the house first, taking the Gm child from a frazzled Gaius, who had been trying to calm the babe in the hours since Nimueh departed.
"What's wrong with her?" She asked him, attention on the baby?
"She's been like that ever since the ritual, just screaming." He could see the guilt instantly settle in for Nimueh. She murmurs a spell and Gwen was asleep.
Alice then walks in, she's holding another child, and there are tears in her eyes. Her clothes are stained with blood, her hands, stained with blood. She hands the baby to Gaius, and promptly goes to the back of the house. Nimueh watches her as she goes.
"It was a rough birth." She finally inform Gaius, who is looking at this new child. "Unfortunately, Vivienne suffered, quite terribly." She bowed her head some.
"Is it done?" Gaius asked after a few moments of silence for Vivienne.
"Yes. This one has all the magick I could get out of the princess, and most of her magick has been bound too. There will be flair ups here and there, but soon, you'll begin to teach her to control it. The last full moon of each month, you have to bring them to me to keep it going. I'm tired Gaius, I believe I will retire as well. " Nimueh told him as she too went to the back of the house.
Gaius knew that the sisters were both feeling guilt for what they had done, even if it was the plan. He could also tell that the death of Vivienne had been somewhat traumatic for them.
He placed the children in the places that Nimueh had prepared for them, and he took his spot in the couch. He too was tired, drained, and feeling a bit guilty. Tomorrow he would have to face his King, with his King's children.
:::
A few days later, Gaius drove up to the castle walls. Both children fast asleep in the backseat. Vivienne's child had to sleep in a makeshift car seat.
Gaius looked at her as the automatic gates slowly opened. She had yet to be given a name, but the destiny this one had was large and sad. Nimueh had told him that she would become not only Camelot, but the Once and Future Queen's greatest foe. Yet there they were, asleep next to each other; the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Uther for his part had taken Gaius' advice. He made his way to the physician's chamber, something so below a king, and was stunned when he entered. There on the bed were two children, as he approached he appraised the scene; of all things he hadn't expected Gaius to return with a second child.
Where his dearest Guinevere skin was like cinnamon, the other child was pale. Hair black as night and sparse. When her eyes opened, they were emerald; his mother's eyes.
The girls were raised as princess and servant, although those lines were so blurred, not only by them, but by Uther. The child is given the name Morgana, she looks like Uther's mother. He loves them both, to a point.
Uther would NEVER make Morgana royalty; nor would he ever tell her he was her father.
And every full moon, the girls go to visit Gaius's aunt with him, and to pull herbs. They've been doing it since they could remember; what they don't remember is the ritual performed on them.