p class="MsoNormal"Merlin/p
p class="MsoNormal"The New Wave/p
p class="MsoNormal"France Gamble/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Chapter 8/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He had the baby again with him just a few days later while he was cleaning up their chambers next to Gwen's maid. Sefa was new to the service, so Merlin was showing her the best of what her duties would entail. Gwen was holding the sleeping infant. "I'm sure she will feel better soon," the queen added to their conversation./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Lilly had been still too exhausted to move from the bed for any real length of time. Gaius wanted her to sleep when she wasn't feeding the child, and thus Merlin had found this day his first back. "I know, it is just a struggle to raise two children at once," Merlin commented while he moved some breeches to the laundry bin off the floor./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm not a child," Arthur commented back from his desk./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""And yet you knew whom I was speaking of?" Merlin offered him back. The king only looked up long enough to make sure that the babe was not near Merlin before a goblet went sailing at him./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Ow!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""It didn't hurt," Arthur scoffed. "Now be quiet while I finish these papers."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Sefa snickered at them both and whispered, "Did you name him, yet?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Merlin could tell Arthur was trying to concentrate on his papers and still eavesdrop. "Yes, I think we may have a name. I want to make sure that Lilly isn't too exhausted before I confirm it again."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""You're the father, Merlin. You name the child," Arthur said. Merlin raised his eyebrow in a very Gaius like gesture. Arthur looked up to see all of them looking at him in almost a shocked way, "What?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""My mother named me," the sorcerer stopped it there, though. Arthur stumbled to explain himself without offending his friend. "It's fine, Arthur. I'm sure my father would still have picked this name since it was my mother's favorite."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Is it a bird name?" Gwen giggled. She cuddled the bundle near the fire. The winter was crisp, and they were doing whatever they could to keep the baby warm./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""No," Merlin assured her. Then he pointed to some of the things that needed to leave the chambers and asked Sefa if she would care for them for him. "Sorry, I have to get him back to Lilly soon."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""It's my job, Merlin. I know. Tell her that I hope she heals quickly," she smiled at him./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Taking the baby back and making sure he was tucked into his jacket against his shirt, he made his way back to his wife./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Not that they had done anything a married couple should. Lilly was still healing. The door opening made the woman's blue eyes open from the cot. "That time again?" she asked. She shuffled to sit up and helped settle the baby./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Merlin watched as he usually did, but first he went over to make sure the fire would burn hot for another couple of hours. Gaius would be back soon. He wanted to make sure no one caught a chill. Castles were drafty things; he had realized a long while ago./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""I am feeling a lot better," she assured him as he settled himself back against her side. "The bleeding is slowing up."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""That's good. It's been almost two weeks now. I was worried you were going to sleep his first year away," Merlin smiled at her./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"They sat in quiet for a while. Even long after the baby had fallen back to sleep against Merlin's shirt. "Lilly, I have been thinking. We need to go and visit my mother as soon as it warms enough for travel again, and maybe go to tell your tribe that you're safe."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"She smiled up until the last part. "Merlin, I don't think going to see my people will be a good thing."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""What will they do to you for marrying me? Having a child?" he asked her. "What are you scared of?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""They won't hurt me," she said slowly, "but rejection hurts just as much as physical pain."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He nodded. He knew that all too well. It was one of his fears of what would happen when Arthur found out about him. "I just want them to know you're safe. I cannot imagine their fears that you were found to be a druid when we were visiting that village. They probably think you're dead."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"She nodded as she leaned against him. "You'll keep me safe, right?" she smiled up at him. He nodded. Then shifted, leaned down, and captured her lips for the first time. It was slow, and a bit sloppy in their position on the bed. He leaned his forehead against hers as she whispered, "Thank you."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""I think I'm falling for you," Merlin smiled./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""I have a feeling I am right there with you," she said as well./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Are you still tired?" he asked as he pulled her into a more comfortable position./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""No. I have slept for a long time, and I think my body is doing a lot better," she sighed against him./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"They talked about their new house in the town that the knights had rushed out the other day to get for them. She explained to him that she was going to be the perfect wife for him. She could cook, sew, and would have everything for him when he came home from work. He wouldn't have to suffer Gaius' stews anymore. It came about that he told her about the bath water food from when they had had the plagues on them the few years back. "I also can cook, clean, and sew," he told her. "I only had my mother to raise me."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""You should probably save those talents for the king's wardrobe and meals," she snickered./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""I really can do these things. Not saying it like Gaius does. I promise that man only took me in to learn medicines," he smiled at her./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"When Gaius walked in to see the new family, he smiled at them and quickly left again. "We also need our own home for that reason," Lilly said as the old man walked back out. "I cannot imagine what would he do if he walked in while we were kissing?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Let's find out," Merlin leaned forward for another kiss. The baby did not like being tousled a bit, though, and let out a wail to his parents./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Hand him here and go tell the others his name," she took the baby to rock in her arms to calm him back down again./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Same name we discussed before?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"She nodded. "Now go," she smiled at him. He kissed her forehead and ran out the door./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"((Review))/p
p class="MsoNormal"The New Wave/p
p class="MsoNormal"France Gamble/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Chapter 8/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He had the baby again with him just a few days later while he was cleaning up their chambers next to Gwen's maid. Sefa was new to the service, so Merlin was showing her the best of what her duties would entail. Gwen was holding the sleeping infant. "I'm sure she will feel better soon," the queen added to their conversation./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Lilly had been still too exhausted to move from the bed for any real length of time. Gaius wanted her to sleep when she wasn't feeding the child, and thus Merlin had found this day his first back. "I know, it is just a struggle to raise two children at once," Merlin commented while he moved some breeches to the laundry bin off the floor./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm not a child," Arthur commented back from his desk./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""And yet you knew whom I was speaking of?" Merlin offered him back. The king only looked up long enough to make sure that the babe was not near Merlin before a goblet went sailing at him./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Ow!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""It didn't hurt," Arthur scoffed. "Now be quiet while I finish these papers."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Sefa snickered at them both and whispered, "Did you name him, yet?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Merlin could tell Arthur was trying to concentrate on his papers and still eavesdrop. "Yes, I think we may have a name. I want to make sure that Lilly isn't too exhausted before I confirm it again."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""You're the father, Merlin. You name the child," Arthur said. Merlin raised his eyebrow in a very Gaius like gesture. Arthur looked up to see all of them looking at him in almost a shocked way, "What?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""My mother named me," the sorcerer stopped it there, though. Arthur stumbled to explain himself without offending his friend. "It's fine, Arthur. I'm sure my father would still have picked this name since it was my mother's favorite."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Is it a bird name?" Gwen giggled. She cuddled the bundle near the fire. The winter was crisp, and they were doing whatever they could to keep the baby warm./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""No," Merlin assured her. Then he pointed to some of the things that needed to leave the chambers and asked Sefa if she would care for them for him. "Sorry, I have to get him back to Lilly soon."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""It's my job, Merlin. I know. Tell her that I hope she heals quickly," she smiled at him./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Taking the baby back and making sure he was tucked into his jacket against his shirt, he made his way back to his wife./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Not that they had done anything a married couple should. Lilly was still healing. The door opening made the woman's blue eyes open from the cot. "That time again?" she asked. She shuffled to sit up and helped settle the baby./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Merlin watched as he usually did, but first he went over to make sure the fire would burn hot for another couple of hours. Gaius would be back soon. He wanted to make sure no one caught a chill. Castles were drafty things; he had realized a long while ago./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""I am feeling a lot better," she assured him as he settled himself back against her side. "The bleeding is slowing up."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""That's good. It's been almost two weeks now. I was worried you were going to sleep his first year away," Merlin smiled at her./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"They sat in quiet for a while. Even long after the baby had fallen back to sleep against Merlin's shirt. "Lilly, I have been thinking. We need to go and visit my mother as soon as it warms enough for travel again, and maybe go to tell your tribe that you're safe."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"She smiled up until the last part. "Merlin, I don't think going to see my people will be a good thing."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""What will they do to you for marrying me? Having a child?" he asked her. "What are you scared of?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""They won't hurt me," she said slowly, "but rejection hurts just as much as physical pain."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"He nodded. He knew that all too well. It was one of his fears of what would happen when Arthur found out about him. "I just want them to know you're safe. I cannot imagine their fears that you were found to be a druid when we were visiting that village. They probably think you're dead."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"She nodded as she leaned against him. "You'll keep me safe, right?" she smiled up at him. He nodded. Then shifted, leaned down, and captured her lips for the first time. It was slow, and a bit sloppy in their position on the bed. He leaned his forehead against hers as she whispered, "Thank you."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""I think I'm falling for you," Merlin smiled./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""I have a feeling I am right there with you," she said as well./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Are you still tired?" he asked as he pulled her into a more comfortable position./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""No. I have slept for a long time, and I think my body is doing a lot better," she sighed against him./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"They talked about their new house in the town that the knights had rushed out the other day to get for them. She explained to him that she was going to be the perfect wife for him. She could cook, sew, and would have everything for him when he came home from work. He wouldn't have to suffer Gaius' stews anymore. It came about that he told her about the bath water food from when they had had the plagues on them the few years back. "I also can cook, clean, and sew," he told her. "I only had my mother to raise me."/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""You should probably save those talents for the king's wardrobe and meals," she snickered./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""I really can do these things. Not saying it like Gaius does. I promise that man only took me in to learn medicines," he smiled at her./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"When Gaius walked in to see the new family, he smiled at them and quickly left again. "We also need our own home for that reason," Lilly said as the old man walked back out. "I cannot imagine what would he do if he walked in while we were kissing?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Let's find out," Merlin leaned forward for another kiss. The baby did not like being tousled a bit, though, and let out a wail to his parents./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Hand him here and go tell the others his name," she took the baby to rock in her arms to calm him back down again./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal""Same name we discussed before?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"She nodded. "Now go," she smiled at him. He kissed her forehead and ran out the door./p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"((Review))/p