Chapter One:
A fortnight later
Lancelot watched Kelleigh from his vantage point beside Arthur on the parapet. He watched as she rubbed her back and stretched out her arms. He watched her face contort with frustration at Elaine for following her everywhere, and then it went soft again as she looked at him. There was a hitch in her waddle as she made her way toward the parapet to greet them.
Arthur watched Kelleigh as well, but he sensed that something was wrong with her. He saw the hitch in her step and wondered if she was going into labor. Then he saw the smile she wore, and saw how she threw herself into Lancelot's arms. He smiled, and felt the weight he'd been holding fall off his shoulder. She was just happy to see Lancelot again.
"Kelleigh, are you sure that you're ready to leave?" Arthur asked, looking at her and Lancelot. She turned her green orbs on him.
"Artorius, we've been over this," she said, almost as if she were talking to a child. "We have to leave."
Arthur doubted that fact, but he said nothing. Kelleigh escaped Lancelot's arms and slid her arms around him. "I wish you would stay, at least until after the baby is born," Arthur whispered into her ear, after kissing her forehead. "It shouldn't be to long now, right?"
"Not to long now, no," Kelleigh agreed, "but we are not staying." She released Arthur and went back to Lancelot. The three of them stood there on the parapet, overlooking to main road of the fort. They looked like a family. A family that had been together forever. It was only when Guinevere found them that Kelleigh and Lancelot took their leave of the king and queen.
Lancelot stood nearby the wagons as he watched peasants rush to and fro to pack things away. Kelleigh stood beside him, fidgeting with a flower that one of the peasant children had given her. He watched the emotions that played in her eyes; watched as she looked around, as if to memorize everything that she saw. He felt a twinge of guilt, and remembered how they had come to the conclusion of leaving the fort in the first place. They had been lying in bed, sated after a night of making love with wild abandon, when Kelleigh had asked him if he had ever wanted to leave the fort and seek a place to call their own. Lancelot had been truthful. He did wish to have a place to call his own. He wanted a place that their children could inherit once he died and left this earth.
Lancelot looked around the fort, looking at all the places he'd been, all the memories he'd had there. Part of him was going to miss the fort; yet, part of him knew that it was for the best. He looked up to the sky and smiled when he saw Tristan's hawk flying high. He watched as it landed on its perch near the doors of the wall above them. He suddenly felt chills run down his spin when he saw the direction it was sitting in. He looked at Kelleigh beside him and watched her face contort with pain.
"Love?" he asked, taking her hand in his. Kelleigh gasped for air. Lancelot looked at the peasant beside them. "Call Lady Elaine, and then send for Queen Guinevere," he yelled. Kelleigh gripped Lancelot's hand with strength he didn't know she had. Her green eyes were filled with worry and pain.
"Our child wasn't supposed to come…" she said breathlessly, in an apologetic voice. Lancelot caught her as she began to sink to the floor. He swung her into his arms and ran for the Valetudinarium (Roman Hospital in the forts). Peasants rushed to get out of Lancelot's way as he made his way along the streets. The terror that rose in Lancelot's mind pushed him to move faster until he was inside the fort's sanatorium and laying Kelleigh on a bed.
"Sir, is everything all right?" A woman asked. Lancelot turned his sharp eyes on her, his nostrils flared and fear in his eyes.
"Does it look it like everything is all right?" Lancelot snapped. He knelt down beside Kelleigh and took her hand in his. "Squeeze, my love," he urged her. "Fight the pain." Kelleigh squeezed his hand tightly, and bit back a scream of agony.
Guinevere and Elaine rushed to Lancelot's side, both flushed from running so hard. "What happened?" Guinevere asked, looking at Lancelot. He looked back at her.
"I don't know, we were standing…then…" his voice trailed off as he looked back at Kelleigh.
"My lord, please, let me help her," Elaine said, looking at Lancelot. She tried to give him a reassuring smile. "She'll be safe." Lancelot moved so that Elaine could take his place beside Kelleigh.
"Where shall I stay?" Lancelot asked, looking at Guinevere, seemingly helpless. Guinevere knew how important it was that he was there for the birth of his children, and pointed at Kelleigh's head.
"Let her brace herself against you," Guinevere said, and looked at Kelleigh with sympathy on her face. "She'll need to push the baby out." Lancelot obeyed, placing Kelleigh against his chest, and taking her free hand in his own.
"What should I do?" Lancelot asked Guinevere, his face full of worry.
"Nothing," Guinevere answered, "just be her support." Kelleigh looked up at Lancelot. He looked down and kissed her brow softly.
"We'll do this together," he said, and squeezed her hand again. Arthur rushed in and stopped his mouth open, staring at Kelleigh and Lancelot. Guinevere looked up at her husband and king.
"She's having the baby," he said, looking at Lancelot.
"She is," Guinevere said, "and I need you to mop her brow. It'll be a while before the baby comes." Kelleigh looked sharply at Guinevere.
"I'll be going through this pain for a while?" Kelleigh asked breathlessly, her voice hoarse.
"I'm afraid so, my lady," Elaine answered. "The best we can do is make you comfortable for the time being."
Kelleigh nodded her head and leaned back against Lancelot, sighing harshly. Arthur brushed a wet piece of linen over her brow, brushing the sweat out of her eyes. She looked at him, and tried to smile bravely, but in truth, she feared the worst. No one could withstand this torture. Arthur smiled back, and then looked at Lancelot's pale face. Both men shared a look of fear.
The day passed slowly for Kelleigh, who suffered from labor pains. During the evening, her labor started to grow harsher, and Kelleigh found herself clutching Lancelot in pain. "Make it stop…please…" she gasped in pain, tears streaming down her face. Lancelot stroked her face with his fingers.
"I swear, I'll never put you through this again, my love," he said. Guinevere looked at Kelleigh.
"You're close now, Kelleigh," she said. "When I tell you to, I need you to push."
Kelleigh nodded her head, and looked beside her at Elaine. Elaine smiled at her with sympathy in her eyes. Arthur whipped her brow with the linen, and looked at Guinevere.
"Push," she told Kelleigh. Kelleigh bore down against Lancelot's chest and pushed, letting a scream tear from her lips. "I see the head, Kelleigh," Guinevere said. "Push one more time." Kelleigh pushed, and Guinevere grasped the head, easing the shoulders until the baby was out. Elaine took the baby from Guinevere and proceeded to clean it up. "Kelleigh, you need to push one more time," Guinevere said, and looked up at her and Lancelot. "There is one more baby."
Kelleigh screamed in agony as she expelled the baby from her body. Lancelot was pale. Arthur brushed the curls out of Kelleigh's eyes and looked down at Guinevere, who gave the other baby to Elaine to clean. "You gave me two, my love," Lancelot said in amazement. Arthur smiled.
"Congratulations, my friend," he said, and patted Lancelot on the shoulder. Guinevere cleaned Kelleigh up, and looked at Arthur. Elaine held the first child out to Lancelot.
"You've a girl, my lord," she said as Lancelot took the child in his arms, "and you've a boy," she added when Guinevere handed the second child to Kelleigh.
"They're beautiful," Kelleigh said, looking from her son up to her husband tiredly. "She looks like you," Lancelot looked from his daughter to Kelleigh.
"And our son looks like you," he whispered, smiling softly. "You've given me a gift, love," he added moving his hand to touch her cheek lovingly.
"Have you thought of names?" Arthur asked, looking from Lancelot to Kelleigh.
"Rhiannon," Lancelot said, looking at Kelleigh. She smiled and nodded at him. "Rhiannon du Lac."
"Maddox," Kelleigh looked at the son she held in her arms. "Maddox du Lac." Guinevere and Arthur looked at the family, smiling benevolently. Elaine stood in the background, scowling at the happy couple, jealous that Kelleigh could give Lancelot such beautiful children. She stared at the family, noted how happy they were, and then left the room, all the while planning her enemy's demise. Kelleigh would lose all that she held dear.
A month later
Kelleigh and Lancelot each held a child in their arms, cooing softly to each child. Guinevere and Arthur stood next to them, smiling like the affectionate aunt and uncle they were. Lancelot and his family were finally ready to leave. Kelleigh looked at Arthur.
"I've stayed until my children were born," she said, smiling. "What would you have me do?"
"You've obeyed my last order as your commander, Kelleigh," Arthur replied with a smile. Guinevere looked at Kelleigh and Lancelot with a smile.
"Take care of them for us," she said, looking the children over. "Don't let them forget us."
"Never," Kelleigh replied, and looked at Lancelot.
"You'll come to Aneirin," Lancelot told Arthur. "You're welcome, my brother."
Arthur gave Lancelot a smile. "You're welcome here at Cambloglanna as well, brother." Lancelot nodded, and passed Maddox to Arthur. Arthur held the child in his arms and smiled. "Keep your sister safe, young Maddox. You'll never know when she'll need you." Arthur handed the little boy to Guinevere and smiled.
"Young Maddox," Guinevere said, and placed a string around his neck with beads on it. "The necklace of the Woads," she told Lancelot and Kelleigh. "Wear it always, and he will be safe. The Woads will protect him."
Kelleigh nodded her head and smiled. Maddox cooed at Guinevere. She handed him back to Lancelot. Kelleigh handed Rhiannon to Guinevere with a smile. Guinevere slid another string around the child's neck. "The same goes for you, my little dear," Guinevere said. "You'll both be safe for as long as you wear these. The protection of the Woads will go with you always." Guinevere kissed Rhiannon on the head and passed her to Arthur. Arthur looked down at the little girl.
"You're as pretty as your mother," Arthur whispered softly to the little girl. "You'll give your father a merry chase when you grow older." Kelleigh looked at Arthur and smiled.
"You're charming our daughter already?" she teased.
"I'm not charming her, Kelleigh. I'm telling the facts," Arthur replied. "Take care of your brother, little Rhiannon." Arthur handed her back to Kelleigh. Lancelot slid his free hand around Kelleigh's waist, and looked at Arthur and Guinevere with a smile.
"This isn't farewell, then," he said.
"No, not farewell," Guinevere said. "Never farewell."
"We'll send news with Gawain," Lancelot said, "and we'll camp at Laren with Bors and Vanora."
"Don't forget Galahad and Ardra," Kelleigh added, smiling. "We'll be seeing them in Camdene as well."
Arthur smiled. "Good." He looked behind Kelleigh and Lancelot and saw Elaine. "Elaine?" He asked, moving so that he came to stand beside her. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, my lord," Elaine answered, looking off toward the wagons.
"Good," Arthur said, "and you'll take good care of Maddox and Rhiannon?"
"Yes, my lord," Elaine answered again, but this time she looked at Lancelot. Arthur noted the sadness in her eyes, and wondered at its cause. He looked at Lancelot and saw how he held Kelleigh to him. Then it hit him. Elaine had fallen in love with Lancelot.
"Elaine, you can still stay here," Arthur said, turning to look at Elaine again.
"No, I must go with Sir Lancelot and his family," Elaine said sharply, looking at Arthur. "I was asked to serve them, and I will, until I am married or I die."
"Or until you get him to love you," Arthur said. "You'll only hurt yourself if you try to come between them."
Elaine looked at him. "My lord, I know naught of what you speak," she said. Arthur sighed.
"Go then," Arthur said and watched as Elaine walked away toward the wagons. Kelleigh walked past Arthur, following Elaine slowly. He felt a peg of sadness when he looked at her. Elaine was going to create a void between her and Lancelot, and he hoped that Kelleigh was strong enough to hold Lancelot forever.
Lancelot pulled Kelleigh up in front of him on the horse and they both looked down at Arthur and Guinevere. Maddox and Rhiannon were both with Elaine, safely tucked away in the wagon behind them.
"Take care, my brother," Arthur said as he and Lancelot clasped hands. "Protect the family. Live free…"
"I will," Lancelot said. Kelleigh looked down at Arthur. "Die well, my brother."
"You take care too, Arthur," She said, and touched her hand to his and Lancelot's.
"Together," Arthur said, and watched as Lancelot gigged his horse, leading the caravan away from Cambloglanna.