Disclaimer: As chapter one; so please, for the love of God, do not make me keep writing it out people!
WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE AND SOME SEXUAL REFERENCES (though not too graphic) SO READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL.
All reviews, and constructive criticism, gratefully received – but no flaming please; and I will try to update regularly.
'Thoughts'
"Speech"
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Bethan & Lucan
Chapter Thirty-One – Names & Betrothal
Dagonet recovered from his wounds fairly quickly as did Lancelot. The Celt attacks dwindled and finally ceased altogether as word spread of the Woad witch and her Shaman brethren that had cursed their people so.
The next 7 months sped past and Lancelot wasted no time in constantly teasing his fellow knight about the impending birth.
"Knowing how in tune with nature Bethan is, are you sure she is not having a litter?" he joked one day "I mean eight babies is not so much!"
He had not reckoned with Tristan being in earshot "Are you saying my daughter is a dog?" he enquired mildly, fingering his dagger.
"Ummmmm" Lancelot was now on the back foot; they had learnt from San and from watching him, that Tristan did indeed have a sense of humour - however it was open to interpretation exactly when he was jesting, as his face never changed "Well…..I…." he took a deep breath "what I mean is…."
"Shut up Lancelot…" Tristan walked off; smiling a small smile that only San and Gawain saw.
"You know you can be cruel!" she grinned and Gawain nodded.
"Aye, but he deserved it. He has ridden the boy for months now and enough is enough."
"You should not worry Tristan, I would have hit him with my axe when I had had enough." Gawain smiled.
San rolled her eyes at her husband "You know you are a bad influence on him…and because of that, his brother" She looked pointedly at Galahad, who in turn was staring murderously at Lancelot….
"Gal!" Gawain called to his brother.
"What!" he swung his irate gaze over to the three stood by the door of the stables.
"Is that your happy face?"
Everyone fell about laughing, including the youngest knight.
Lancelot for his part merely breathed a sigh of relief, Tristan was actually quite scary…..and you did not always know how to take him – especially where his family was concerned, and that was most of the bloody knights now!
Gawain obviously as he was married to Bethan, Bethan was his daughter, Galahad was considered family as Gawain's 'brother' and so was Dagonet as both 'brother' to Tristan and 'father in law' to Bethan….that only really left Bors….
He sighed; oh well….he could go wind his wife up – but then wondered if his brood had done that already!
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As they walked across the compound to their quarters Milo appeared with the other children, Bethan had not been on any missions for a while now. She was big and fed up, and the children of the fort had been keeping her company; especially the knights children.
"Thank God you are all returned; the baby is coming and we cannot find Van! She tried to wait for you to come back Gawain - but the babe is quite insistent it will make a show now!"
Everyone broke into a run for the door; they found her laying on the bed panting heavily. "I waited until you returned but…." She gasped and held her breath "I do not think the baby will wait too much longer….."
Guinevere and Amila, who had gone in her stead on this mission, were upset as was San "We should not have left you…" Guinevere ventured, kneeling beside her.
"Tis not your fault Guin….I am two weeks early." Bethan smiled between the pains.
Merlin appeared in the door "you could never wait for anything child" he chided merrily "always in such a hurry for everything! It seems this is no different!" he indicated her swollen stomach.
"Merlin! Glad I am to see you…." she gasped "I knew you would know…"
Van rushed in "Sorry Bethan, I was in the tub; Eight had had a fight with Six, and then I got as muddy as they sorting them out!"
"Van it is alright! I am early! It is not as though everyone knew I was in labour and then left me!" She chided her friend gently "No one need apologise…"
"Right, well I suggest we get this birthing done…" Merlin spoke.
All the knights filed out, except Gawain who had paled "I wish to stay…if…if aught goes wrong….I…." he could not finish.
"I will not leave you, my knight….whatever the outcome you would feel me with you every day…" she spoke gently to him and chafed his hand to her cheek.
"You wish to be here to say goodbye if aught goes wrong?" Gawain nodded silently gripping tightly to her hand, more than she was to him "It will not…..." was all Merlin added.
Tris crept in and patted Gawain's arm "All will be well Papa, come with me…." He winked at Merlin.
"Aye, go with your son, boy; I will call you should things change and your child arrive…"
Gawain looked uncertainly at Bethan "If he says naught will happen I believe him…" she reassured him.
He reluctantly took Tris' hand and left, being guided by Darry as well…he felt they were ensuring he left and this made him even more concerned.
Two hours later and Van strode to the door; Gawain immediately leapt up "she is alright…..do not fret so…" she smiled at him, but there was something behind the smile he did not like and he burst into the room with the other knights close behind him.
"Gawain!" Bethan exclaimed, looking tired but very happy "Come and meet your new son!" he looked gingerly around the room and then came and sat on the bed.
"You are lucky brother!" Laughed Lancelot "Only the one…."
"Oh, you only wanted one….oh, I see….." Guinevere looked upset "Then I had better throw this one out with the rubbish…" Gawain's head nearly spun off his shoulders as he turned and instinctively grabbed the baby in her arms "or maybe you would rather keep your daughter too then?" she laughed…
"My heart, that was cruel!" Chuckled Arthur, pulling her into his arms.
"Two?" He smiled at Bethan.
"Have we not been here before?" roared Lancelot "I vaguely remember saying the same!"
"Nay, yours was three!" reminded Bors with a smile.
"Two!" Bethan smiled back, ignoring Lancelot.
"I am pleased…" he gently hugged her and the babies, and he was – shocked, but pleased "what should we call them?"
She looked deeply into his eyes "Lucan and Ysabeau…."
Alisia and Dagonet both caught their breath as tears instantly pricked their eyes.
"I could not think of anything better…." He smiled and kissed her deeply. "Is that alright with all of you?" He turned to Dagonet, Ilara and Alisia; they could only trust themselves to nod.
"Thank you for my wonderful children…" he said to Bethan with utter devotion in his eyes.
"You never look at me like that!" Van slapped Bors' head.
"OOWWW! You evil woman! I bloody do!" Bors moaned.
"When! I do not see it, when I have a baby; all you worry about is wetting its head, which is Bors speak for getting drunk - as bloody usual!"
"Gawain! Stop looking at her like that…you are getting me into trouble boy!" Bors barked at the younger knight.
Gawain laughed out loud "I will try…" he looked at Bethan then he looked at Tris "Why do I get the feeling you already knew, son of mine, that your mother was about to have twins!" he laughed.
"Aye Papa, I did - I told Darry and it was hard getting her to keep the secret!" Tris laughed. He looked at Ysabeau and Lucan "No odd eyes!" he smiled.
Their parents looked, Tris was right Ysabeau had deep green eyes and strawberry blonde hair like her father and Lucan had blonde hair and blue eyes like his mother. Tris, now 5, and Darry, 4½, walked over "can we huggle them Mama?" Tris asked.
Gawain settled them on the bed and they each held a baby on their laps "Hello Lucan…I am going to love you muchly!" cooed Tris to his little brother.
"So am I…Ysi…Iso…Bo-Bo!" Darry finally found a name for her sister she could say.
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Six months later it was time for the naming ceremony. Not only were Ysabeau, now known to all as Bo-Bo, and Lucan, also known as Luc, being formally named by Merlin – but also Tris was being officially called Tristan instead of Thane.
"I had no idea Lucan hated it!" laughed Bethan to Dagonet and her father as they all played with the four children "He never once said; but he told Gawain!"
"Well, he probably thought you liked it…." smiled Dag.
"I had only just had a baby, I do not think I knew what I was saying!" she laughed "I could have called him 'Fish Stew'! But I admit that Tristan is better!"
The three laughed, but Dag could see the pride in his brother's face.
"Are you happy?" Dag asked, it had been over a year since she and Gawain had married.
"Blissfully…..he is the deepest part of my soul…" she smiled and it lit her whole face "I could not face life without him now…"
The object of their discussion entered the room and swooped on her, kissing her neck "How is my wife?"
"Well, my husband…" he bent down and kissed her deeply. "how was your mission?"
"Quiet……I just wished you had been there" he said, before whispering in her ear "these last three days I have missed you muchly" then he blew gently before kissing it, he felt her go limp and grinned.
The two older knights found themselves suddenly finding the ceiling and walls of the room interesting, before hastily remembering they had pressing chores to do that required the help of all four children.
Tris pulled his Poppas hands until they both bent down to him, each holding Luc and Bo-Bo "Mama and Papa are going to be moving the furniture again; Uncle Lancelot told me that is what grown-ups love to do!"
Even the little shaman could not understand why the two men fell about laughing.
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Gawain swept Bethan into his arms, holding her close and kissing her deeply. "I really missed you Bethan; the nights were the worst."
"You mean you had no furniture to move alone?" she asked mischievously.
He kissed her again and smiled "Nay, though I could have found something to shift I am sure!" then he sobered "but it was you…I missed you; just holding you, cuddling you….kissing you…" he kissed her again, and carried her to the bed.
He lay down beside her, drawing her into his arms and nuzzling her hair. "You are all to me Bethan; I just hope that Arthur sends us together on the next mission."
"I doubt it….you know Arthur hates sending us together…" she sighed and snuggled closer "though as a knight and the fact there is little trouble at the moment I might ask...a few nights with my wonderful knight might chase away my melancholy."
"You feel melancholic?" he asked concerned.
"Only a little….." her face looked incredibly sad.
Gawain was worried and raised himself on one elbow to look down at her, trying to gauge how deep her sadness went. "Why?"
"Well, I am married to this marvellous man; he is an angel to me and his children and he went away for three days. I stood on the battlements watching for him, listening to my hawk who watched over him for me and came back to tell me he was safe; I missed him…..more than he will ever know…" she hesitated to tell him, but wanted him to know how much she loved him "so I would go to sleep clutching one of his shirts…"
"I….you…" he clutched her to him "I would not be without you for all the world Little Scout…" he muttered into her hair.
She turned her head and her lips met his; she sucked gently on his bottom lip, her tongue flicking gently against his teeth. He growled as he pulled her tightly against him "What you do to me Bethan…what you do…." He groaned against her lips.
She kissed him deeply "But what you do to me….Gawain…you have no idea how you rule my world." She muttered as she kissed his neck tugging his shirt off and then trailed her fingers down his side to the deep scar from the wound that nearly killed him, and was the catalyst to her first binding herself to him; at least then in deep friendship.
He grasped her hand "I fear I will not be able to contain myself if you persist…" he muttered.
"Then do not; for I have missed you in every way my husband…." She nuzzled his cheek; her lips once more seeking his, even as her hands pulled at his breeches.
They loved each other for a long time before rising to retrieve their children, even then the night and their bed called them after the little ones were asleep…..
Before they retired again, Gawain stepped to his pack and silently pulled something from it; it was an old shirt of Bethan's…but it smelt of lavender and her….it was well crumpled and had obviously been with him for some time.
No words were spoken as they now discovered they had shared the same want and need, even without realising it. He ensured they were quickly naked and soon were beside each other in bed; though this time they merely held each other snuggling as close together as possible, kissed and murmured their love long into the night, until sleep finally claimed them.
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The next day was the naming ceremony… Merlin carried it out and everyone thought all the children looked lovely. Tris was becoming excellent with a dagger and bow, but all could tell his heart really lay with the animals; although now 5½ he could ride as well as children twice, even three times, his age as he and the horse almost became one and were able to move as a single unit.
Tristan thought he could be a formidable warrior, but knew his heart would not be in it; he would be a shaman as Bethan thought, though even at this young age he was adamant he would learn at the fort and not leave his family.
She could see him and Merlin locking horns, but knew how stubborn her son could be. All thought him to be a sunny natured child like his sisters and brother, but in actual fact he had a lot of her in him. He could be as mule headed as she, and it amused her greatly; she knew her blood would have his work cut out with the boy!
Darry demanded they name her too as she did not want to feel left out; it was unusual for the child to be so mutinous and so Merlin agreed, whilst hiding his smirk at the little girl's glowering look which brightened immediately he acquiesced to her demand.
Blythe, Darrel and Hale were now a year old and were a real handful for Lancelot and Amila; but with Suriana, Celeste and Ehsan to help they were able to feel like they still maintained some control over the triplets. Though it was Celeste and Suriana that ruled the roost with them; the girls, now 11, were keen to help their siblings and Ehsan, now 9, was as eager to play the father figure to his younger siblings when Lancelot was away on a mission.
Lancelot never knew how Amila missed him when he was away. She never told him, that was not her way, that every night she took a shirt of his to bed with her; it was her only way to sleep, it was something that Bethan had told her about - as sleeping with an old shirt of Gawain's was the only way she could sleep.
But neither did she ever learn that he always took a used gown of hers with him and slept with it tightly wrapped in his arms, it was the only way he could sleep…..it was a trick that Gawain had told him of, as taking an old shirt of Bethan's was the only way he could sleep now.
But on this special day the triplets were angels; the strange thing was that as Darrel and Hale gravitated towards their twin sisters, so Blythe latched onto Ehsan. Between them all they were as inseparable as the other knight's children were with their siblings.
Suriana had hold of Darrel as she wandered over to 11½ year old Milo. He put his arm around her shoulders and her little brother and tickled Darrel's chin "And how is my little friend, eh?" he cooed at the little boy.
"Miwo…Miwo!" Darrel bounced in Suriana's arms; she laughed and handed him over.
"I think he loves you as much as I do…." She grinned.
"Is that possible?" asked Milo smiling in mock surprise.
She pretended to think about it "Hmmm….possibly not, actually!" she laughed.
He leant down and kissed her forehead "I love you as much…"
She turned his head to get his attention "I am still for you Milo…."
"You are…in two years when I am 13 I will ask your father for your hand…"
She hugged him tightly round the waist "Good. But do you think he will agree?"
Milo was unsure…it was hard to gauge Lancelot - he had dropped the use of the word 'Uncle' with the knights over the last few months - sometimes he was extremely funny and very nice, but when it came to his girls….
Milo, never one to walk away from a problem as proven with his sister, decided he could not live a whole two years wondering…. He strode over to Lancelot, who happened to be talking to his father. "I will ask now…" he said as he walked away from her, handing Darrel back as he went.
"Milo!" Lancelot grinned at the boy.
"Has he had much to drink?" he asked his father.
"Nay…why?"
"I wish to ask a question and I need a reasonable answer."
"Then ask…" Tristan considered for a moment "if he says nay, I'll kill him."
"Papa if you had your way you would kill all who upset your children!" chuckled the boy.
"Aye….so?" his father asked mildly. Milo merely hugged him tightly.
"What is it?" asked Lancelot, slightly confused by the strange conversation twixt father and son.
"I wish to ask you an important question…."
"I see…" Lancelot spotted an anxious looking Suriana bobbing her equally anxious brother, who was picking up on her anxiety and the loss of his friend and was starting to whimper quietly "You had best ask then…"
"I wish to know if you would be amenable to Suriana and I becoming betrothed when I am 13; that is in 2 years time…" he hesitated "I would be happy to be betrothed now as I know there is no other for me, but am willing to wait."
"I see; I need to speak to her mother…."
"About what?" Amila walked up, immediately taking in the situation.
"About Milo now becoming betrothed to Suriana…."
"I do nt see why not...they have been attached for over 5 years…"
"Now!" Milo was shocked.
"Would you rather wait?" Amila asked.
"Nay….nay, I would not…I just thought you would."
"I do not see the point, do you husband?"
"Nay…I would be proud to call you family Milo. You have impressed me much over the years. Plus you are loyal to Suriana…."
Milo looked genuinely confused "Why would I be aught else? I love her and wish to be with her always."
Lancelot realised that he was completely unaware as to what a handsome boy he was growing into, and how a lot of the girls in the fort had been making doe eyes at him.
He saw the way he was grinning at Suriana and knew, in that moment, that whether or not he knew other girls liked him he only had eyes for his daughter.
"Why indeed?" he patted Milo on the back "Go…..go tell her you are betrothed…" he smiled.
Milo ran over to Suriana and swung Darrel around before kissing her on the cheek; they watched him speaking excitedly and then her jumping up and down and flinging her arms round his neck…
"Is it alright with you?" Lancelot asked Tristan who had been standing quietly by during this exchange.
"Aye - if you had nay, I would have killed you…" he replied mildly.
Lancelot laughed out loud "I do believe you Tristan, I do…."
