Merlin

The New Wave

France Gamble

Chapter 3

"It's been a WEEK?" Merlin almost shouted as they walked back toward the physician's tower. He almost slipped on the first step up in his shock. He knew he had been tortured somehow, but Morgana had done a good job of keeping him out of it. The drug was out of his system, according to Gaius, but it was the only explanation.

"Yes, we have been looking for you ever since we saw her knock you over your head. We rushed her, but she used some spell to make wind. When it settled, you both were gone," Arthur explained as he steadied his servant. "Don't smash your face, idiot."

Merlin rolled his eyes, "I saved the girl, though."

"Just one?" Arthur asked as they reached the top of the stairs.

"Yes?" Merlin questioned back.

"Merlin, there are at least a dozen missing across the entire kingdom." Arthur sighed, "That we know of."

Merlin knocked in case Lilly was still being checked over. He didn't know what Morgana had done, but Gwen opened the door with tears threatening to fall. "She is done. Oh Merlin, how could she?" she fell into Arthur's arms. The little bit of crying that overtook the queen had both men stumped.

Arthur decided to maybe change the subject while his wife tried to compose herself again, "Why would Morgana kidnap you?" He had directed the question to Merlin, "She was only kidnapping women, I thought?"

Merlin said, "No men that I heard."

"Emrys wouldn't be protecting a servant," Lilly spoke up from the cot.

"Who is Emrys?" Arthur asked. Gaius and Merlin both shook their heads and shrugged. "So, this Emrys person is protecting the knights of Camelot?"

Lilly nodded, "That is what she said. I just assumed that would be the reason for Merlin to also be taken… since… since…" She started shaking again as she started to cry again. Gwen rushed over to hug her and hold her.

"She is going to be quite emotional for a while, sire," Gaius said to Arthur.

It didn't take long for Lilly to fall into an exhausted sleep as Gwen let her gently down to rest. She moved the blankets over her and both of the monarchs left. Arthur gave Merlin the rest of the day to be looked over by Gaius, but expected him back at his job at daybreak.

"Merlin," Gaius started quietly as they sat down to grind some herbs for more medicines, "What Morgana did…"

"Gaius, I was out the entire time. I don't know what happened to Lilly," Merlin admitted.

"Morgana used magic to cause Lilly to come along with child quickly," Gaius started.

"Why would Morgana kidnap her being pregnant and use magic like that?"

"Merlin," Gaius leaned forward, "Lilly wasn't pregnant before she was taken."

Merlin was confused, so his mentor held his hand up to stop anymore interruptions, "Listen, don't talk until I am finished.

"Morgana raped the girl to impregnate her. I think she did so to you as well. You won't remember it, but she did not put Lilly out to do what she did."

Merlin turned toward the cot again to the bright haired girl who was sleeping fitfully. Gaius continued, "She used magic to do this. I don't know what spell she used, but I have a theory that Lilly's pregnancy will be less than a normal one."

"How?" Merlin asked. "I mean, how is it not a normal pregnancy?"

"She is too far along for this to have happened this week. It is as if Morgana had sped up the time until the baby will be here," Gaius explained. "I will know more in a few days, but I have a feeling we will be seeing this babe born at least in the next 20 weeks."

Merlin thought about it and decided he would forget about the violation done on him for now, "Gaius, will the child grow normally once he is out?"

"We can only hope," Gaius said. "To accelerate the pregnancy is one thing. To raise a child in less time than to majority, too…" Here the man shrugged at not knowing the implications.

"Why would she want to cause Lilly to be pregnant?" Merlin asked.

Lilly sniffled and they both turned back to see she was looking at them both again awake, "She told me that she would raise the babe to be her soldier. She was so thrilled about it. She was going to let you free, so that later you would know that Arthur was battling your child on the field."

She sat up, and asked with tears in her eyes, "Can't you make it go away?"

Gaius sighed, "No, I'm sorry. She used magic to make it happen, and I am afraid she would have protected against all of that."

She turned her back toward them to silently shake again in more tears.

"Her emotions are going to be even higher than a normal female being pregnant. Morgana's force of this would make her body trying to compensate," Gaius said softly as he saw Merlin struggling with his own emotions at the crying girl.

Merlin turned back to the table and put his face into his hands. Morgana had violated him, too. He felt like he had harmed the girl behind him, even though he knows that he had been also helpless during the whole ordeal.

Another thought came into his brain, "Will this be like Uther…" He trailed off as he looked up in fear to Gaius.

"I don't think so. Lilly's body was willing. Only the time her pregnancy will happen was altered with the magic," he assured his adopted son. "There should have to be no equivalent life for a life."

"I don't want it," Lilly sobbed. "You can have it. I don't want it."

With his back still to the suffering woman, Merlin teared up too. What was he going to do with a child? He wasn't ready for that. He needed to care for Arthur still. How was he going to protect the king and care for a baby?

He knew he had the day off, but he couldn't sit there a listen Lilly sobbing any more. As Gaius was giving her a calming drought, he stood up and left the chamber.

He didn't want to be a father.

((Review))