AN: So things themselves have been a bit too peaceful in Camelot. Time to add a bit of drama but I have an ace or two up my sleeve in regards to a secret about to be revealed.
King Bayard of Mercia studied the woman standing before him. Could it really be that only a few short years ago she was the smiling, beautiful young woman who showed such adoration for King Uther and Prince Arthur? The woman standing before him seemed to be fuelled solely on a lust for power and a hatred for her family. Instinct told him that he should have the guards imprison her at once. However he was a good man and he could still remember the child from years ago. The girl with a sharp mind and wit as impressive as her looks and therefore he decided not to summon the guards and instead do what few others had done; listen to what she had to say.
"Lady Morgana, what is it you seek of me?" King Bayard asked.
Morgana bowed to the king and looked up. "I need your help to take Camelot. A commoner sits on the throne. A commoner with no claim, no right and no knowledge of the power she wields. A kingdom like Camelot deserves to be run by one who knows what they are doing."
"The commoner you speak of, that would be Lady Guinevere, correct?" Bayard asked and Morgana scoffed at his question.
"She is no lady, prior to his death she was Arthur's whore and intends to put her bastard on the throne once she dies." Morgana spat. "Commoners do not belong on a throne, much less the bastard child of a servant whore. I am the true ruler of Camelot but I can only achieve that through your help."
"How would you expect me to help you Morgana?" Bayard asked and Morgana stepped forward.
"Uther once tried to kill you; he has almost declared war on your kingdom several times. This is my proposition. Camelot is now ripe for the taking. The girl cannot lead an army to battle and without Arthur, the knights would be helpless on a battlefield. Once they are defeated, Camelot will fall to you and then you can give it to me." Morgana explained.
Bayard was silent as he considered what Morgana said. There had always been tension between Camelot and Mercia. Had Arthur lived and he, Bayard, had had a daughter, they might have resolved such tension with a marriage between the kingdoms. Obviously such a thing was now impossible. Bayard had heard rumours about Lady Guinevere. Some claimed she was the sister of a knight, others that she was common-born. All the rumours claimed that Arthur had named her heir to the throne and Bayard thought about what Morgana had said. 'Her bastard.' That meant the girl either was with or already had a child yet there had been no word of Arthur marrying. Indeed, the last he had heard, the prince had been engaged to Princess Elena of Gwant.
"You claimed Lady Guinevere had a child. Is it Arthur's?" Bayard asked, if it was Arthur's then the child would be the same as Morgana. A bastard staking a claim to a throne.
"She claims it is. Rather convenient if you ask me. Arthur's not exactly here to confirm or deny if it is his." Morgana dismissed as she held out her hand to Bayard. "Do we have a deal?"
Bayard thought for a moment and then made his decision.
"Curse this dress," Gwen muttered as she attempted to lace up her corset before frowning at her stomach. "This is your doing."
"Gwen, is everything all right?" Rowan asked as the maid entered the room and crossed over to the screen.
"Fine, could you just finish lacing that up." Gwen asked and Rowan tied the corset as much as she could and Gwen stepped out from the screen and approached the mirror. It was the middle of February and it seemed to Gwen as though her bump had just appeared from nowhere; having gone from being slightly noticeable to completely obvious that she was pregnant. The growth of the bump had meant that the castle seamstresses had provided her with some new dresses, loose enough to accompany her growing stomach but the problem was that some of them, such as the one she was currently wearing were slightly complicated to lace up.
Gwen studied her reflection. The dress hid the bump to some extent but it was still obvious to anyone who didn't know that she was pregnant. The baby was growing quite quickly and was almost cheerfully playing on her craving for apples. Indeed Gwen had to have a constant supply of the fruit and there had been a memorable moment only two days ago when Gwaine had unwittingly taken one of her apples without asking and had paid for his moment of light-fingeredness with a painful slap to the back of the head.
As Gwen ate her breakfast, grateful that her morning sickness had finally abetted, Rowan pottered around the room before she turned to Gwen and seemed to be plucking up some sort of courage from somewhere.
"Gwen, I have to ask, how do you do it?" Rowan asked and Gwen looked up at her.
"How do I do what?" Gwen asked and Rowan looked nervous before she took Gwen's silence as a cue to continue speaking.
"How do you get through all of this? Losing the man you love, having his child, ruling a kingdom and having Morgana after you like this; it all just seems so, so difficult. How can you remain so strong?" Rowan claimed and Gwen was quiet before she looked at Rowan.
"I never said or gave any indication that any of this has been easy. Indeed alongside the loss of my parents, this has been the hardest time of my life. I suppose the reason I get through this is because I have to. Someone has to take control, someone had to rule the kingdom and if that person had to be me then so be it. As for my baby, well he or she was unexpected but they are still my child and I love them. I suppose the reason I have been able to get through everything is because I'm not alone. I have my brother, Merlin, Gaius, the knights and you of course. I know that I can get through whatever Morgana throws at us next because I know that together we can do anything." Gwen explained; of course it was hard but if they got through it, it was because she wasn't alone and she had reasons to keep going.
"You're so strong." Rowan commented and Gwen shook her head.
"Not all the time. When I was told what happened, I was completely hysterical. Gaius had to sedate me and that night I cut and bruised all my fingers by beating one of the training dummies with my bare hands. When I was named regent, I almost passed out from sheer terror at the idea and when I learnt I was pregnant, I just cried." Gwen confessed as she looked at Rowan. "I'm not strong all the time. I do cry at times and I get scared for the future but that's natural. I'm not ashamed or have any regrets."
"I understand." Rowan replied as she took Gwen's empty dishes away. Gwen got up and crossed to her window, looking down on the courtyard. It was the middle of February and the sky seemed to be offering teasing hints of Spring. Gwen thought about what she could do, there was a council meeting scheduled for the afternoon which meant she had the morning free. Gwen knew what she was to do. She crossed the room and stopped only to grab an apple on the way out as she left her chambers and headed for Uther's quarters. Gwen knocked once on the door and entered the room. Merlin was giving Uther a tonic from Gaius and offered Gwen a smile as she entered the room and sat down beside the king.
"How are you feeling today sire?" Gwen asked Uther who had to take a moment before he focused on her.
"I am well. How is your child?" Uther replied and Gwen smiled. Whatever Morgana had done to Uther had completely broken him, most days he was in a comatose and depressive state but then there were times when it seemed as though there was nothing wrong with him. Indeed when Gwen had informed him that she was pregnant when he was in a more responsive mood, his reaction had been more like the Uther they had once known. Especially after she had told him that Arthur was the father. It seemed as though the knowledge that Arthur had left an heir had done something to rekindle the fire in Uther's mind which Morgana had extinguished.
"He or she is quite well." Gwen replied and Uther studied her for a moment.
"How long until the child is born?" Uther asked.
"Towards the end of July, after Midsummer." Gwen explained, it was just under five months to go and Uther nodded at this news.
"What of the issue?" Uther asked and Gwen frowned for a moment.
"The Issue hasn't presented itself so far but I doubt it shall be long now." Gwen replied as there was a knock at the door and Agravaine entered the room.
"You're needed in the council room." Agravaine said briefly and Gwen turned back to Uther.
"Sire, I must go now," Gwen said and Uther nodded before he tentatively placed a hand over her stomach before Gwen stood up and squeezed his hand. Gwen crossed the room to where Agravaine was waiting at the door, his ever-present frown on her face. Gwen was no fool and knew that Agravaine had hated her ever since she had stood up to him during the Dorrocha attack; being named as his future sovereign had done nothing to improve this despite the fact she was carrying the grandchild of his sister Ygraine. Gwen supposed it must also be hard for a man, so set in his traditional ways to see the two gold rings which had belonged to his sister rest around Gwen's fingers as a reminder of what they had lost. Whilst Gwen had no time to be concerned about Agravaine's dislike and distrust of her, she did pity the man. Like Uther, Arthur had been his last blood-relation aside from the baby.
As they walked towards the council room, Gwen turned to Agravaine. "What is this about? The council is due to meet this afternoon."
"There has been some information which has come to light. Important information which could not wait." Agravaine replied and Gwen increased her pace. Something told her that whatever information it was did not bode well.
When they reached the council room, the rest of the council along with some of the knights were waiting on Gwen' arrival. Amongst the knights was Elyan who looked up at the sight of his sister. Gwen sat down in her chair and looked at Elyan.
"What is it?" Gwen asked Elyan and the knights who looked at Elyan who cleared his throat.
"There have been sights of Mercian forces approaching our borders. It would seem that Bayard is preparing for some kind of invasion." Elyan explained and Gwen felt a slight panic build in her mind and her stomach clenched momentarily in fear. However mixed in with this fear was also confusion.
"There has been no tension or trouble between Camelot and Mercia for a good few years now. Why would Bayard be moving his forces now?" Gwen asked aloud and one of the council men, Lord Humphreys cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Do not take this the wrong way my lady but perhaps Bayard believes that now Camelot would be better fared to be ruled over his control rather than yours given the, circumstances." Lord Humphreys stated. Besides Gwen, Elyan made a movement as though he was stopping himself from reacting rashly and Gwen looked at her brother and shook her head.
"That is plausible however I am sure there is more happening than we are seeing. Mercia has had no quarrel with Camelot for some time. Bayard cannot declare war without good clause. I refuse to let him invade without finding out exactly what his justification for such an invasion is." Gwen insisted.
"What are we to do? Increase the knight's patrol? Let them know we are prepared for their arrival?" Elyan suggested and Gwen shook her head.
"I would rather meet with Bayard, speak to him face to face to find out his reasons for invading and coming to a compromise. I feel that he is being influenced by others, Bayard has always struck me as a man who would not declare war without just cause." Gwen replied as she turned to the councilmen. "What is the procedure for this declaration of war. Surely he cannot do so simply for the sake of it."
"No he cannot. If he believes that he would be a better ruler then he would either attempt to lure you to the battlefield or have an assassin kill you and assume power. As you said, there have been no recent quarrels which would fuel a need for war and there is no death that has befallen him or his kingdom by Camelot's hands therefore this is not a vengeance war." Lord Edwards explained and Gwen nodded. The last thing she wanted was for any unnecessary bloodshed and a war with Mercia would undoubtedly leave hundreds dead.
Bayard never struck her as a man who would start a vengeance war. King Odin had on occasion attempted to avenge his son's death by killing Arthur but since Arthur's death, this lust for vengeance had ended. Indeed the last time she had recalled seeing King Bayard had been when Merlin had drank the poisoned goblet. Uther had blamed Bayard and imprisoned him. however after the truth had come to light and it had been revealed that Nimueh had been the one who made the attempt on Arthur's life; Bayard had been released and forgave Uther for his misjudgement. Therefore Gwen was all but certain that someone, and she had a shrewd idea who, was trying to twist Bayard for their own gain.
"I believe our best option would be to arrange a meeting with Bayard. He at least owes us an explanation why his forces have been coming closer to our borders and if he does mean to declare war then we must seek to find an alternative." Gwen decided and she looked down the table to where Geoffrey was sitting. "If there are no other items of business?"
"None, my lady." Lord Richards replied and Gwen nodded.
"You may leave, however I would need to speak with Geoffrey in private." Gwen said and the other lords rose to their feet and left, the knights followed but Gwen looked at Elyan who understood he would have to stay. "Elyan, we need to have a private meeting in my chambers about The Issue. Round table."
Elyan nodded and left the room to gather up Merlin, Gaius and the other knights and as he left, Gwen looked at Geoffrey and sighed as the old librarian regarded her. Geoffrey was in charge of all the legal procedures, formalities and practices in Camelot. He was the one who she needed to speak to and the only other person besides Uther, Gaius, Merlin and the knights who knew what Gwen meant by The Issue. Gwen stood up and walked across the room with the old Monmouth man and as they left the room, Gwen checked the corridors but they were alone.
"You knew this would happen eventually." Geoffrey commented and Gwen nodded.
"To be honest, I'm surprised it took this long." Gwen said as she led the way to her chambers. Within a few minutes after their arrival, Elyan appeared with Merlin, Gaius and the knights. as soon as the men were gathered in the room, Gwen locked the door and checked every part of the room to ensure they weren't being spied upon.
"What's going on?" Leon asked.
"Bayard's men have been seen approaching our borders and increasing in number. We think Bayard's preparing for some kind of war between Camelot and Mercia." Gwen explained.
"Why would Bayard do that? There's been no trouble between Camelot and Mercia for a long time." Leon stated.
"It's either one of two options. Either Bayard believes that Camelot would be better under his control and made that decision of his own accord. Or that someone is twisting his arm for their own gain." Gwen replied.
"Morgana." Merlin stated and Gwen nodded.
"It makes sense, Camelot and Mercia are two of the most powerful kingdoms. Control both of them and very few would try and seek war." Lancelot commented.
"Which sounds perfect to someone like Morgana." Gwaine added and Gwen nodded.
"I feel our best option would be to meet with Bayard and try to negotiate some compromise or at least find out his reasons why he suddenly decided now was the time to invade." Gwen explained.
"It might be that he knows about your condition." Percival said and Merlin nodded.
"If Morgana knows then it would make sense that it would be her way to get Bayard to go along with her trail of thought. No offense Gwen but an unmarried pregnant commoner doesn't exactly sound like the ideal choice for a future queen. Especially since so many royals and nobles would be so set in their ways." Merlin explained and to his surprise, a small smile unfolded on Gwen's face.
"Exactly. This means that I know for definite that all of you can be trusted. Morgana still doesn't know. therefore her spy doesn't know. I won't make accusations but I have had an idea as to how we can determine who exactly is Morgana's informant." Gwen explained. Their plan was risky however Gwen had her suspicions and if she was correct then their plan would be able to determine once and for all whether they were right in their suspicions of the identity of Morgana's spy.
King Bayard of Mercia.
I would wish to extend an invitation for us to meet to discuss a rather urgent matter. I feel that this matter would affect many lives within both our kingdoms and I would appreciate your coming to Camelot sometime within the next week. You will be welcome to stay in Camelot as long as you wish until this matter has been resolved.
Yours sincerely,
Lady Guinevere of Camelot.
Bayard studied the letter before he summoned a scribe to him to report a response to the letter stating he would be honoured to meet with Lady Guinevere within the next few days. Once the scribe had been sent to find a messenger, Bayard had some of his council meet with him to explain the invitation to Camelot before ordering his servant to begin preparing for their trip to Camelot. it was only when he had a moment to himself, did Morgana make her appearance.
"What is happening?" Morgana asked and Bayard offered her the letter which Morgana snatched and studied intently. "You're meeting with her?"
"It is only basic manners to meet your enemy before battle." Bayard replied and Morgana sneered.
"Be careful Bayard. Gwen seems all innocence and light but there is a sly underhanded mind under that pretty face of hers. She will do all she can to avoid losing the throne she is desperately clutching onto." Morgana warned as she left the room. Bayard watched her go and once again questioned where the woman that Morgana Pendragon had once been disappeared to.
"Nervous?" Merlin asked as he stuck his head around Gwen's chamber door on his way to deliver Uther's daily dosage of medicines only to find Gwen pacing anxiously around the room.
"What if this doesn't work Merlin? What if we end up going to war and losing one of the other knights? What if Camelot falls to Bayard and Morgana? What- oh!" Gwen's panicked questions were cut off by the most unusual sensation in her stomach.
"Gwen? What's wrong?" Merlin asked as he hurried across the room to where Gwen was holding her stomach. Gwen took Merlin's hand and placed it on her stomach.
"Do you feel that?" Gwen asked, her panic overtaken by a form of excitement. Merlin looked at Gwen confused but as he was about to speak, he felt something move against his hand. merlin's eyes widened as he grinned at Gwen.
"Was that?" Merlin asked and Gwen nodded.
"Apparently that's supposed to start around this time. It's amazing." Gwen said as she ran her hand over her stomach again but the baby had stopped kicking. Gwen glanced at Merlin and then looked away but not before Merlin saw the tears in her eyes and he tightly hugged her.
"It's all right," Merlin said as Gwen pressed her face into his shoulder.
"Arthur should have been here." Gwen whispered and Merlin hugged her tighter.
"I know, come on you need to get going. Bayard and his men will be arriving soon." Merlin reminded as he and Gwen stepped apart and Gwen quickly dabbed her eyes with her sleeve and took a deep breath.
"Let's go." Gwen replied as she and Merlin left the room. merlin headed in the direction of Uther's chambers and Gwen walked through the castle until she reached the front steps where the majority of the knights and councilmen were waiting. Gwen stood at the front, Elyan and Gwaine directly behind her and the other knights behind them standing like bodyguards for Gwen and the child. As they waited on Bayard's arrival, Gwen turned to the knights and gave them a small smile.
"The baby kicked." Gwen said and the knights offered smiles and reassuring pats on the shoulder as they turned forwards and waited on Bayard's arrival. It wasn't long before the king, flanked by a dozen guards rode up into the castle grounds and dismounted his horse. Bayard looked up at the men before spotting Gwen who stepped towards him, hoping her expression didn't betray her nerves. Gwen stopped in front of Bayard and dropped into a careful curtsey.
"King Bayard," Gwen said as she stood and offered Bayard her hand which he kissed.
"Lady Guinevere, a pleasure to meet you at last. You are glowing." Bayard complimented, it seemed the rumours about her pregnancy were true and she did seem to have that glow that all expectant mothers, including his queen Azalea had had when she had been pregnant with their two sons, William and Marcus.
"Thank you, Your Highness. George will be tending to you over the course of your stay and he can show you to your rooms before we meet in the council room." Gwen said and George stepped forward and bowed to the king.
"A pleasure Your Majesty, may I take your belongings?" George requested professionally. Some of the guards handed him the belongings that Bayard had taken and Gwen led the way into the castle and allowed George to lead Bayard to the chambers assigned for him. as she made her way to the council room, the knights grouped around Gwen.
"When did the baby kick?" Elyan asked.
"This morning, it felt so strange but they haven't done it since." Gwen replied as she ran a hand across her stomach, trying to coax her baby into moving or kicking again.
"How did it feel?" Gwaine asked curiously and Gwen frowned.
"I can't describe it, it was sort of like a muscle twitching or the smallest flick against my stomach." Gwen replied as she glanced down at the red dress she was wearing that covered her swollen bump. Gwen smiled sadly as she rubbed her stomach again and they entered the council room where she took her seat and waited on Bayard's arrival. The room slowly filled with the councilmen taking their seats, Geoffrey offered Gwen a reassuring nod as he took his seat. Gaius and Merlin managed to slip into the room and joined the knights who were standing around the walls before finally Bayard entered the room.
As Bayard took his seat, Gwen decided there was no point mincing her words for him. "Your majesty, I'm afraid that I don't understand what I or the people of Camelot have done in order to move your forces towards our borders like this. Surely you don't wish to start a war between our lands."
"I assure you my lady, a war was the last thing I wanted. However I must admit that I find myself concerned about the legacy of the ruling people." Bayard replied and Gwen frowned at his words.
"You mean you were unsure whether a woman would be unable to rule as queen?" Gwen replied and Bayard shook his head.
"You misunderstand me my lady, I was merely concerned for the welfare of the people. They need a proper leader to protect and guide them. These circumstances, are admittedly unusual and I was merely suggesting that someone with the right support could rule the people of Camelot to ensure this safety and guidance continues." Bayard explained, careful not to use words that would offend Gwen. He was a king but above that, he was a gentleman and knew that women ought to be treated with manners and respect.
"You mean a king or someone who has such a title to their name." Gwen stated and before Bayard could answer, she continued. "If that is the case and your concern is so strong, then forgive me for asking but why now? Arthur died four months ago, surely if you were so worried about the people of Camelot you would strike whilst the iron was hot."
"I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean my lady." Bayard replied.
"It was a saying of my father's. It means to act straight way when the opportunity presents itself rather than wait. Of course he was speaking as a blacksmith and for him that meant crafting the metal when it was at precisely the right heat to do so, yet I believe the point stands. Therefore you must understand my confusion. Why would you wait?" Gwen asked as she willed herself to keep calm and both her nerves and temper under control. Bayard looked at Gwen and appeared to be doing some quick thinking.
"You are the daughter of a blacksmith?" Bayard asked.
"And the sister of a knight." Gwen answered causing Bayard to clear his throat before he continued.
"I was waiting to see how the kingdom fared under your control and I must admit that I have heard some rumours about your child. As your heir, the child does have a claim but I must admit I'm curious as to who the father is." Bayard explained. Morgana had informed him that Gwen was claiming the child to be Arthur's yet Arthur was dead for four months and Lady Guinevere had to be no more than four months pregnant. That was either a great coincidence or a great tragedy.
To his surprise, Gwen smiled. "So that is the root of the problem. You are worried about the legitimacy of my child and what that would mean for Camelot. I understand your concerns your majesty but I can assure you, you have no reason to worry."
Around the room, the councilmen looked at each other and Agravaine's brow burrowed in a mixture of frustration and confusion. The knights, Merlin and Gaius looked at each other, aware of what was about to happen. Bayard looked at Gwen in confusion and Gwen steeled herself. This was it, time to reveal a secret she had kept so close to her chest that only a few knew.
"What do you mean, my lady?" Bayard asked and Gwen's smile fell as she glanced at her bump before she looked at Bayard with a controlled expression.
"I am afraid that I have not been fully honest with you. Or the majority of people in this room. Only my brother and a few others were aware of this and they were only informed after Arthur had died. In all the time you have been here and indeed the council over the past four months have been addressing me incorrectly. For you see, when Arthur died, I was not his lover or his intended or even his girlfriend." Gwen confessed and she looked around the room, every last man was listening intently, hanging on her every word. Some were confused, others slightly frustrated, the knights, Merlin and Gaius were bracing themselves for the explosion.
"Then who were you when he died and who are you now?" Bayard asked, breaking the silence. Gwen took a deep breath, time to admit the truth at last.
"Just before Arthur died, there was one thing he needed to do before he sacrificed himself to save Camelot. The results of this action were two-fold. The first being my child of course and the second was me. For you see, I am not Lady Guinevere, sister of Sir Elyan and heir to the throne of Camelot." Gwen explained and again she paused and took a breath before she dropped her final bombshell.
"I am Princess Guinevere Pendragon, the widow of Prince Arthur Pendragon."