Chapter Nineteen
The three of us, Gwen, Hunith, and I, watched the procession until every last man walked through the gates. And we continued watching, until we couldn't even hear the sounds of the army moving through the city. "I've got a council meeting in an hour," Gwen sighed, cradling her belly with both hands. "I'm going to lie down until then."
"Let us help you," Hunith offered, and I turned with her, after one last look out the gates.
"I'll be fine, ladies," Gwen said, smiling tiredly at us, but I could see the strain behind the smile. It hit me then, the reality of just what she was going through. Not only had she sent her husband off to war, like I had, but also the father of her child, and her co-ruler. Everything that she normally did with Arthur, sharing the load with him, now fell to her alone. And there was the war to continue providing for, and no one knew how long it would take. It shocked me out of my own self-pity enough to take her arm.
"At least allow us to escort you to your chambers, my Queen," I said firmly. "We are here to help you. Please allow us to do so."
Gwen smiled again, more fully this time. "Then let us be on our way, my ladies. This baby is getting heavier every day. He'll be as big as his father from birth, it feels like."
"Even with a baby as slight as Merlin was, it still felt that way," Hunith assured from Gwen's other side as we entered the castle again.
"So, this is what I have to look forward to?" I asked, slightly alarmed. "I mean, eventually, of course. I'm not announcing anything."
Both of the other ladies laughed. "Exactly what you have to look forward to," Gwen teased, then rubbed her belly again. "And not being able to see your feet anymore."
"And being so tired you can hardly keep your eyes open," Hunith added.
"And you can't forget the nausea."
"Or the fact that foods you once loved now taste like dirt in your mouth."
"Or the sudden cravings for very specific, very odd foods."
"You're terrifying me," I told them. They merely laughed.
…
As a wedding present, Gwen and Arthur had given Gwaine and me new quarters, in the same wing as Leon and his girls. It was the wing for married knights and their families, and our quarters had several bedchambers and a sitting room that was nearly the same size as my earlier chambers. Gwaine and I hadn't really had much time to move in, given that we'd only been married a week and had spent most of that week… together, so after the council meeting, I worked with Glynnis, my lady's maid, and a few pages to move our things. Gwaine, even though he'd been in the castle for years, didn't have all that much, and so we'd tackled his things first. It only took the remainder of the afternoon, and we decided that my things, which were far more numerous than his, would be just fine if we waited until the next day. An early dinner with Gwen presiding over a rather empty dining hall allowed me to escape to our new chambers fairly quickly.
Glynnis helped me to loosen my dress, but I promised her that I didn't need her to get into my nightclothes. Because, as soon as she left me alone, I slipped my dress off and pulled one of Gwaine's shirts over my head. Given the rather large size difference between us, it covered me well, and it gave me a slight comfort, as it smelled like him. As did his pillow, and the quilt that had been on his bed. All of which I cuddled around me, needing something as I missed and worried and fretted.
There wasn't much sleep to be found that night. For any of us, from the looks of the rest of the ladies as we broke our fast in Gwen's chambers. Hunith and Lynette fussed over Leon's girls, even with the dark circles under their eyes. We all tried to make it as normal as possible, but Alys did toddle over to Lynette at the end of the meal. "Miss Lion," the little girl said, lip quivering.
"Me, too, my darling," Lynette replied as she gathered all three girls into her arms. "We all miss Uncle Lion."
Gwen and I exchanged a glance, which told me that my friend shared my suspicions. It may have been a slip of the tongue, but it really did seem that Lynette was missing one particular knight more than the rest.
After the meal, I visited the seamstresses. During my lessons with Gwaine, he'd suggested that I keep a knife on my person as much as possible, and then had given me a beautiful one as a wedding gift. That had sparked an idea that I had taken to the seamstresses, and they had let me know that they were done with the first dress just that morning.
"You see, it has this slit in the dress and the corresponding under layers," Tessa said, demonstrating for me by sticking her hand all the way through five layers of cloth. "It's not the easiest to get to, but it's very difficult to see if you don't know what you're looking for, giving you an advantage over anyone who might try to grab you. Though your guards should keep any unsavory types away from you."
"They do a wonderful job at that," I replied, "but I'd like something more, just to be on the safe side. A woman can never be too careful in this world."
"Ain't that the truth," Mary said, nodding furiously. "My sister, Agnes, coulda used somethin'… but it's no matter now. Have Glynnis here bring us the rest a yer dresses, milady, and we'll get 'em done up like this in no time."
"Would you like to change into this one now, milady?" Tessa suggested. "That way you could leave this one and we can get started right away."
At their suggestion, Glynnis took me behind the dressing screen and helped me into the modified gown. "You can't even tell, milady," she said, inspecting the gown for the small slit with her professional gaze.
"Which is exactly what I was hoping for." I grinned as I pulled up the layers to fasten the knife, my wedding present from my loving husband, to my thigh. "Can you tell now? That the knife is there?"
Glynnis inspected me again, then shook her head. "Not even a bump. It's completely covered."
"Just like I wanted. Tessa, Mary, you're miracle workers," I told the seamstresses, who laughed.
"Nothin' miraculous about dresses," Mary smiled.
"But your nimble fingers are most certainly miraculous, and I thank you for your hard work. I plan on telling the queen and the other ladies about this, so you'll probably be even busier than usual."
Glynnis and I then went to my chambers to collect the rest of my dresses and underskirts for slight remodeling. She collected a few pages on our way, so they followed her back to the seamstresses with arms full of colorful fabric and clear distaste on their faces. None of the boys were happy about carrying something as girly as dresses, and it was terribly amusing.
I stayed behind to start packing up my books. It was a bit surprising, really, how many I had collected in the short time I'd been in the castle. But Gwen and Gwaine had each found out how much I enjoyed reading, especially the histories of our land, and I suddenly found myself with several shelves full. Which meant I now got to move them all, but that wouldn't be terrible.
The first crate was nearly full when the bells tolled, signaling something was wrong. I rushed to the door, where my faithful guards still stood. "What is it?" I asked them, heart pounding in my chest. I feared bad news from the army, though they weren't even supposed to reach Lot's lands for another day.
"It seems a prisoner has escaped, my lady," Sir Atticus answered. "Six tolls, then a break, then six more means someone has escaped the dungeons."
And my heart stopped for another reason. "Laudine," I gasped, then turned to see the witch in question stalking down the hallway toward us.
"Me," she said, grinning ferally. Her stay in the dungeons had clearly not agreed with her, as she looked utterly mad, hair sticking every which way and clothes torn and stained. But it was her eyes that worried me most. They shone with a red light, dancing with a mad glee.
I saw it all in an instant, but there was nothing I could do to stop her sending a spell toward the three of us. As her spell hit Atticus and Thomas, making them drop, I could only hope it was a sleeping spell and they were still alive. They didn't deserve to die because they were guarding me, and then it hit me, as well, and blackness enveloped me.
AN: I am so sorry that I haven't posted this sooner! I had a massive ear infection that knocked me out for a week almost, and then things have just been crazy with Corona, and I'm a slacker. I'm so sorry. But I do have one more chapter to post today, so that makes up for it just a little! Thanks for still reading, and an especially big thanks to those of you who take the time to review. I adore reviews!