since you asked for it, here it is, the shot Game of Thrones is now a 3-shots series and will end with the next part, here is the second one :) thank you so much for your sweet reviews and words, the alerts and favs :)

Enjoy...

By the Hearth

The King galloped through the thick forest almost in a blind hurry, a hurry to get away from everything. It had been almost a year, a year of him dealing with Uther's death, the corruption and destruction he left behind, a year of the King dealing with the betrayal of his most loyal Knight and the previous Queen… a year ever since he sinfully joint with his own sister upon their so wanted throne… a year of pain.

He had lied to everyone, he had told Merlin he would be in the armory, he had told his guards he would be with Merlin and he had told the people in the armory that he would be outside the gates for a hunt of a good big stag if he was lucky. All he was doing was escaping for a few hours to be on his own, to enjoy the forest he once knew so well, after a year of being indoors, dealing with a kingdom that struggled to stay on its feet like a dying horse, he felt as if not recognizing the forest that always remained spread outside Camelot's castle.

He could have blamed anyone but himself for the state of the kingdom. He could have blamed Uther and his abandonee after a point , he could have blamed his enemies, Lot and the rest who wished to take it down, he could have even blamed Queen Annis and the rest, or he could have even blamed Her, but he couldn't fool himself.

His enemies had been doing what they always did and Uther was gone, leaving the kingdom a long time before his actual death because of his broken spirit. As for Her… she hadn't given a single sign of life in the past months, let alone of hostility and that was killing him.

Was she alright? The last time he had seen her, she had walked outside the castle with the blood of their father in her hands, taking him and herself into sin for what they had done upon their throne, but it had been eleven months and yet, she had been silent and still, as the ghost everyone wished she had turned to, everyone but him.

He kept galloping with the image of her body against his on the throne, when she whispered and cried out his name, when she became his, their first and only time, her first and he hoped only time. He had missed her, her hateful eyes, her painful voice, her sinful skin, all of her, he missed her and he wished he knew if she was alright at the least. He would prefer to fight her every day but make sure she was alright than have his kingdom at peace and not knowing if she was alive or not…

The hood he had worn remained above his head and his eyes were just able to see where he was going, he had stopped running, being far enough from Camelot, he broke into a small run and then into a stride with his horse that gasped and sniffed the fresh air.

He kept moving around until he heard a noise, his trained as a knight brain functioned immediately and he dismounted the horse and moved slightly close to a small opening two hillocks created, he noticed a door and he grasped his sword as he realized the noise was the crackling of a fire and he was seeing a small hut, hidden in the hillock and protected by the camouflage of the leaves and tree trunks.

He moved closer to the door still with one hand upon the handle of his sword and pushed open the wooden piece with his free hand to reveal a small, rather shaggy hut with pots and pans hanging from the low ceiling, pieces of wood and trees keeping most of the light outside from the windows, a wooden table, a hearth and a bed with rough fabrics above it and a few more items scattered around the place. What caught Arthur's eye immediately was a small cot by the hearth and the fabrics in there, all in a buddle holding warm and safe something that stirred.

The king moved closer carefully in silence and moved above the cot only to come in direct eye contact with a newborn with dark hair, the palest of skins and the most intense blue eyes he had ever seen, apart the times he saw himself in a mirror or against glass.

Arthur didn't have time even to take another breath in as he felt the point of a dagger pressing against his back, someone had entered the hut while he was lost in the sight of the little babe.

'Reveal yourself or I'll run you through,' her voice was like the hottest of fires and the coldest of waters running through his veins. Only then he realized he had been wearing the hood and he had been threatening even by the posture above the cot. He turned slowly around to find her fierce emerald eyes looking up at him and the dagger in her hand slowly lowering itself in her grasp.

He could see the changes, he knew her like no one else, fuller breasts, the slight bump before her stomach, her even paler skin and the black circles under her eyes, yet the amazing effect motherhood had upon her, the light that had been gone from her eyes even when she was still in Camelot, was now back. In the hand free of the dagger she was holding a bunch of chamomile that she would probably use in warm water as to clean the tender skin of the child… their child…

Not afraid of the dagger in her hand, he turned and looked at the little one again, eyes, skin and hair color, he didn't need to know more. He then looked back at Morgana and smiled as she watched him warily looking at their son, his heir, her heir, their blood, the next Pendragon.

'That's why you had been there that night… it wasn't about the throne wasn't it?' he asked quietly, confirming the truth she knew for so long. She only smiled and left the dagger close to the table and then put the chamomile inside the little cauldron that remained above the hearth.

'It was about us,' Morgana said quietly, this time her voice much more calmed and quiet. 'It was about you having the kingdom for your reason to go on and myself having something else to cling to, to live for…' she added and he watched her hungrily as she approached the cot and smiled the sweetest of smiled down at it. 'Will you help me clean him?' she asked softly as she put their son close to her breasts and he only nodded hastily, he wasn't even shocked at the fact of having a son with his sister, with her, his woman, if he wanted to be honest with himself, he had repeated their conversation in the throne room again and again in his head, and more or less he knew, something great she had done and now he was right.

'Take the cauldron from the hearth and bring the water and a cloth from the table over there…' Morgana instructed as she took the bundle of clothes to the bed and opened them for her to reveal her son's little body. Arthur did as he was told and approached the bed of the mother and son. Morgana whispered a few words and the water in the cauldron turned from hot to warm for her to dip the cloth in and then run it over the boy's sensitive body, causing the newborn to squirm and squeal, his cord still to fall but bound with a herb that probably kept it clean from infections. Arthur watched in amazement, he could even see the boy's fingers were like his own. And then he realized, his only son, his blood and flesh would never be able to live in Camelot, where he belonged with his mother and father.

'He should be raised in the finest of sheets, watched by the best of tutors and his parents… trained to be the next king by us…' Arthur whispered and Morgana didn't take her eyes from their boy.

'He will be raised in the finest of forests, watched by the Goddess to become a strong man, trained to become who he is to be by me…' Morgana replied and looked at Arthur finally in the eye. 'I will do my best.' She added and he knew she meant it, she would do exactly what was needed to keep her words, they would win in the game of thrones that they were playing, they wouldn't die, at least not the two of them…

'How you call him?' he asked softly as hesitantly, he reached with his hand and touched the boy's little hand, his only son, given and taken from Morgana… not his queen, not some maid, not even a new wife… his sister, the woman he grew up with, his nemesis and savor.

'Mordred, to remember the boy I lost,' she whispered and run tender fingers down her son's cheek. Arthur nodded, their son even looked like the teenager he had killed back in the fight of Camelot, almost a year ago. 'I like he has your eyes, I hoped he would, so I could look at something yours every day.' Morgana whispered again as she finished cleaning their child and wrapped it in the blankets again and without hesitation, she revealed her right breast and placed their baby close to it so he could start drinking the milk. Arthur moved slightly closer and wrapped an arm around her, their son between them.

'How am I supposed to leave, knowing we have a son out here?' Arthur asked desperately as he watched the intimate moment of his son and his love, making sure it would remain in his mind forever, his only moment of being with his family, with the remaining Pendragons.

'You shall go in peace, knowing I am willing to die than have harm upon him, you will go in peace like I will be in peace here knowing you won't let anyone reach my hiding place, for if they find me… they will kill my child as well, for they know he's magical as well…' Morgana replied as Arthur touched his son's head and then looked at her in slight surprise.

'Born by a witch and a man born of magic… the chances were slim for him to be born without magic, Arthur, his blood, like ours, sings with the powers of the Blessed. He will remain in the mortal world for us to move on and reach our deserved destination.' She said in a soft voice, her riddle not bothering him yet as he only wanted to enjoy the moment of theirs.

Mordred stopped drinking his milk after a moment and before he could squirm or cry, Morgana placed him on her shoulder from Arthur's side so she could pat his back, Arthur found the chance to kiss the little boy for the first and possibly last, a tender kiss only a father can give on the boy's little shoulder. When the little one was ready, Morgana stood with little effort and placed him back in the cot by the hearth, Arthur wanted to tell her to keep him a bit more close to them but the hut was chilly and he didn't want his son to be cold, his child deserved the best and his mother would provide it. Morgana returned close to him, stood before him and he opened slightly his legs for her to step closer, she did so and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his head on the slight bump that formed beneath her breasts, it couldn't be more than mare days that she had given birth to their child. Morgana's hands moved to his blond hair and she closed her eyes as she felt the fabric of her dress getting wet with his tears, she felt her cheeks in the same state.

'I missed you,' she whispered and he clings to her more.

'I will miss you, both of you.' He whispered back and she cupped his face so he could look at her, she leaned down and pressed a kiss on his lips.

'Let me hold you for one more time,' she whispered, they couldn't get intimate even if they wished so, it was still too soon for her body, yet they knew now that he had discovered her hiding place, he would visit again, he would do his best to make it, he would see his son and his true wife again, his lady and their offspring, up until Mordred could ask and they could answer, up until he could get angry for the deprive of his rights and their explaining, up until he could hate them both, turn against them and ultimately give them what they both wanted: the victory in the game of thrones that he was ought to lose; they could be family until then.

Arthur moved back on the bed and laid down on it, it was harder than his own and harder than hers back in the castle, a bed he had tasted as a teenager who wanted to comfort the girl from her nightmares, the bed he wished she could feel now as his rightful queen with the crowns resting on their nightstands and their throne waiting every morning.

She moved on the bed too, laid next to him and they embraced as equals in love under the Gods' watchful eyes, they kissed and caressed with no feel of sin, in the Religion, the God and the Goddess were everything, siblings, lovers, soulmates and relatives, each other's existence.

They kissed again and again passionately but they always paused and smiled at each other in understanding, Morgana's body was still tender and he was too afraid to hurt her in any way, she had already been through enough pain to last a lifetime and they were to feel more of it so he wouldn't harm her if he could help it.

'How's the kingdom?' she whispered and he smiled, even if they had chosen their sides, him as the king, her as the Priestess, of course she wanted to know, she half owned it after all and now that there was no Queen upon the throne, she was gladly sharing the feeling of loneliness in their roads.

'Hard to lead, Aggravaine is not helping at all, earning more and more power,' Arthur whispered and Morgana sighed but gave a smile as she glanced at the cot by the hearth, she had seen the future, Mordred would help his parents in a way, but she couldn't say the same thing for Aggravaine and his very end.

'I see,' she only whispered finally and Arthur tightened his arms around her and kissed her forehead before he could look at her eyes again.

'How's the Isle?' he asked and she chuckled, he had seen the place only once, yet he wished to ask about it, only for her to vent whatever she could want to say out loud or complain about it, as if Magic would ever let you down if you know how to use it.

'Enchanting, preparing for our boy,' she finally whispered but he didn't smile at her words, he looked at her steadily, wanting her to elaborate.

'I must take him away for now, he's too young and I need him to be safe, the hut is close to you, I know but he must be trained, he must understand, and I must train him, I must show him his way, Arthur… he needs to live like I couldn't, out of fear and this place only fear will seed in his heart…' Morgana finally whispered and there she crumbled his hopes of stealing days for him to visit them both.

'I… how am I supposed to see the two of you again? I have lost everyone…' Arthur whispered and Morgana sighed.

'I have lost everyone as well… it's the Kings and Priestess' curse I suppose… but you will never lose me, for that I promise.' Morgana whispered and Arthur sighed and glanced at their son again.

'I wish I could change things,' he whispered in regret and Morgana smiled and touched his face, wishing the same.

'Albion needs you like Avalon needs me… and one day both places will give us shelter… until then, we must follow our paths,' Morgana spoke wise words but Arthur sighed again.

'Once you told me not to fight..' he pointed out and she smiled a sweet smile.

'Once I was young and fool… now at least I grew… our kingdom needs you… I didn't give up on the throne for you not to claim it rightfully…' she added with humor and he finally smiled and caressed her face.

'And what about our son? How will you help him with his ways?' he asked and Morgana sobered.

'I have seen the future… our son will lead a life full of emotions and knowledge, and though that knowledge he shall see the future as well and act upon it, our boy will be what he must become.' Morgana said and Arthur frowned at her riddles but decided to trust her. 'You should go, I'm sure your lame lies have already been exposed between your knights and servants.' She added and he took a deep breath and stole another kiss.

They stood up from their bed and straighten up their clothes before they could move close to the hearth and the cot where their baby had fallen asleep.

'How long will you need to leave from here?' he asked as they both watched their son.

'A few more days, I hope to be gone by the next moon.' Morgana replied and he nodded to himself, less than twenty nightfall times and she would be sealing the gates of Avalon.

'I will do my best to come back here until then, bring you fabrics and whatever you need for him and yourself.' Arthur announced and Morgana smiled at him sweetly yet daring.

'My sweet family man…we have anything we need.' She replied but he ignored her words and made a mental note to make sure to bring at least a few sacks with goods for his family, she could be as proud as she wished but he wanted his son as warm and comfortable as it could get. He hugged her again more tightly this time and she sighed at his neck as she relaxed against him.

'I love you, remember that,' he whispered and she nodded and stole one final kiss. She was ready to tell him to warn Merlin but she couldn't do it yet, he had no idea about Emrys and even if she had been warned about him, now with her son, she had a way out of her doom if not of her destiny as well, she would create her own path and this time it would be craved by Arthur's, no matter how much Merlin would hate that.

'Take care, my king,' Morgana finally said and he smiled and looked back at their boy, he hadn't even spent a full day with his little one, his only heir, yet he had to leave already, he bowed above the cot and kissed his son's little forehead, promising to the Pendragon line that he would see him again the soonest.

He left after a final embrace with the mother of his son and left, galloping back to his castle, his heart however was still behind, stolen and kept by the other two Pendragons…

oook here we go, we didn't have smut in this one since Morgana was still unfit to go at it :P but maybe at the finale of this mini series, what u think guys? i hope you liked it, i wanted Morgana to have a child with Arthur and I don't care about the bbc series with every episode the writing becomes more and more lame so we have fanfiction and this is how the ship will keep sailing :) please support this armor shipper-author and let me know if the shot was ok :)

xxx