Oh Baby!
I woke up and knew I was going to be sick. I leaned over Arthur and I's bed and retched into the empty chamberpot that I knew was there. I felt Arthur pulling my hair back and rubbing my back. I spit and Arthur wiped my mouth with a rag that he kept on the bedside table. Ii had been like this all the eight months that I had been pregnant. Most mornings I would wake up and get sick or feel sick all day. "Are you okay now?" Arthur asked. I nodded and wiped the sweat off my face.
"I'm, sorry for scaring you Arthur, again," I said sheepishly. We heard the door creak open and Mordred came in.
"Mother? Father?" he asked. He had started calling us that when we adopted him. "I heard you getting sick again Mother, are you alright?" His eyes were wide and I forced a smile. He hated it when I got sick or when I was in pain.
"Yes Mordred mummy's fine," Arthur said. "I don't think the baby liked what mummy ate," he lied. Mordred turned those eyes toward me.
"I'm fine Mordred, go back to bed sweetie," I said. He nodded and went to the room adjacent to ours, he had insisted that he be close until his sister was born. Well what he insisted was his sister but I knew was a brother.
"Are you sure you're alright Merlin? I can go get Gaius if you need me to," he said pointing in the general direction of the physician.
"No need to trouble Gaius this early in the morning. I'll see him at a reasonable hour," I said.
"Merlin, you're the queen and you are carrying the next heir to the throne, if you need Gaius it's no trouble and it's his duty-"
"Arthur, please shut up," I said laying a hand on my stomach. "It's just a little morning sickness, Gaius said it's normal. I'd know if something was wrong," I said. He laid his hand over mine and kissed my cheek.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes Arthur, I'm sure." I lay back down on my side and he placed his hand on the growing bulge of my stomach.
"Soon we're going to have a beautiful baby girl," he said.
"I've told you and Mordred, it's not a girl, it's a boy," I said frustrated. He just nodded and fell asleep. I stayed up and when Freya came in untangled myself from Arthur and got dressed to go see Gaius. He looked up from his book and smiled.
"Hello Merlin, why do I have the honor of seeing you this morning?" he asked more chipper than usual.
"Well, I keep getting sick almost every morning. Do you have anything to settle my stomach?" I asked. He looked through the multitudes of bottles and picked out a particularly disgusting looking one. It looked like mud mixed with pond scum. I felt sick just looking at it. "Please tell I don't have to drink that," I said.
"No, this is for my other patient," he said sarcastically. I gulped, this was going to be dreadful. He handed me the bottle and I unstoppered it and groaned, the smell was putrid! I took it in one gulp and shook my head. It was awful as I had thought but my stomach stopped churning.
"Thank you Gaius," I said. He nodded and I walked out and went back to where Arthur was sleeping. I leaned against the doorway and gazed at his sleeping form. I smiled, the way he looked just made my heart melt. He stirred and sat up groggily. "Good morning Sleeping Beauty."
"Morning," he said yawning. He stretched showing off his muscles and I laughed airily. "What?"
"You don't have to show off your muscles to me Arthur Pendragon," I said. He gave me a 'even though I'm doing what you're saying I have no idea what you're talking about' look. I just gave him the 'don't give me that look' look.
"Come here," he said patting the space next to him. I sat down and he nuzzled my neck. "I love you."
"I should hope so," I said, "I'm carrying your baby and we're married."
"Very funny Merlin," he said. "How are you feeling? Any better?"
"I just came back from seeing Gaius and getting something for my stomach," I said kissing his jaw. He nipped my ear and I yelped. He laughed and I pouted. He gave me a little kiss.
"I love it when you pout," he said, "it's so adorable!" I glared at him and he tried to stifle his grin. Lancelot walked in and had the same grin as Arthur.
"Ah, young love," he said smiling. I glared at him but he just smiled. "Sire, my lady you're going to be late for your council meeting." Arthur got up and started dressing while Lancelot gave him a briefing over last night's patrol.
"Thank you Lance, I know you hate the night patrol," Arthur said clapping Lancelot's shoulder. "I know you'd rather be at home with Guinevere." Lance and Gwen had gotten married a few months after Arthur and I.
"You're not wrong there my friend but my duty as I knight is to do as you say so I do."
"Well then, I say you should go home and spend the day with your wife, that's an order," Arthur said and gave his friend a push. Lance smiled and started out and I knew that once Arthur turned around he would start running.
"Come one let's get going," Arthur said talking my arm. While we sat in the meeting my chair felt uncomfortable and pains shot through my back and stomach. Arthur watched me through the corner of his eye and I tried not to fidget so much.
When the meeting was finally over I walked out quickly and leaned against a wall in a small alcove. The pain was shooting up my back and I felt terrible. "Merlin?" I heard Arthur asked and soon saw his head poke around the corner. "Are you alright?" I shook my head, "What's wrong.
"It's my back and stomach," I said.
"Let me take you to Gaius." I nodded not feeling like arguing. He led me down the hall and right into Gaius's chambers.
"Hello Sire what's wrong?" Gaius asked calmly.
"She said her back and stomach are bothering her," Arthur informed him. Gaius stepped forward and set a gentle and fatherly hand to my stomach. It got deathly silent.
"Sire it seems she's going into labor, I'll send word to the midwife," Gaius said.
"Wait1" I said desperately, "the baby's not due until next month!"
"Babies can come early my lady," Gaius said. He left me and Arthur alone and that's when panic set in. I wasn't ready, the baby was early, what was going to happen! Arthur must have sensed my distress because he kneeled in front of me and took my shoulders.
"Merlin look at me, everything's going to be fine, the baby will and so will you," he said as if he were trying to convince himself. I nodded and that's when the midwife and her assistants came for me. I walked with them to a room on a corridor Arthur had never taken me down and I'd never stumbled across. I didn't like the feel in the air.
Hours passed with horrid pain and then they told me that the baby was almost here and instructed me on what I was supposed to do.
I felt a surge of magic and knew my eyes were gold. I saw Arthur and Mordred sitting in the same slouched, elbows on knees position with the same tired, sleep deprived, worried looks on their faces. They both stood and turned to the door when they heard a cry.
I snapped out of my vision as I heard the same cry. I blinked and saw a baby, my baby. After a while they handed him to me, and it was a him. I cradled him with his head in the crook of my elbow. I felt the tears pricking my eyes.
Arthur peeked in and stared. I waved him in and he hesitantly walked guiding Mordred by the shoulder. "I told you it was a boy," I said. Mordred smiled and watched his brother.
"What are we going name him?" Arthur asked.
"Lacin Daniel Pendragon," I said stroking the little tuft of dark brown hair. Lacin yawned and wrapped his tiny hand around my finger. Mordred slowly reached a hand out and lightly ran the back of his index finger across his baby brother's cheek. Arthur and I smiled and Mordred blushed and left the room.
Arthur pressed a kiss to both our foreheads and sat down on the edge of the bed. "He's got your nose," he whispered.
"He's got your jaw," I said tracing our son's jawline, "He's the best combination of both of us."
"He'll have your patience and brains," Arthur said stroking our son's hair.
"He'll have your compassion, leadership, and muscles," I said.
"Well, I guess we'll just have to see what he's gonna be like," Arthur said looking at our boy.
"Do you want to hold him?" I asked. He nodded hesitantly. I carefully transferred the baby into Arthur's arms. "Make sure to support his head. Like that," I said rising up his elbow a bit. He looked at Lacin with a look of sheer adoration. The little bundle yawned and opened his eyes to show a blue that was a combination of my dark blue and Arthur's cerulean. We looked at each other and smiled at the little life that Arthur held in his arms.