19. The kindness of strangers

The first thing Guinevere did when she set foot in Camelot's courtyard after being cleansed by Merlin – unknowingly, of course – was to run to Lily, who was waiting at the top of the steps, and wrap her arms around her as far as she could manage with her pregnant belly.

"I'm so sorry. So sorry..."

Lily hugged her tight, glad to have her friend back, and mouthed 'thank you' to a passing Merlin. "You have nothing to be sorry for. It is Morgana who will be sorry when I finally have my sword at her neck."

Gwen chuckled, then took her husband's outstretched hand, entering the castle with him.

Gwaine, at Lily's side, furrowed his brow. "Have I missed something?"

Lily smirked. "As usual, husband, but don't count on me to tell you what it is. Sisterhood." And she took his arm so he helped her climb the steps back to the Great Hall.

Time passed again, and Lily found herself growing fatter every week, along with even less pleasant things that came with pregnancy, as the trouble to sleep, the tiredness, the inability to remain standing for too long, etcetera etcetera.

Truly, as much as she already loved the child inside her – his or her movements made sure of that – she couldn't wait until she finally delivered.

Mordred, Gwaine and Gwen were the most helpful, Percival having decided that taking care of a moody woman was not in his attributions, and Lancelot being...well...more and more sent on missions as time passed.

Lily secretly suspected that he too didn't want to be yelled at if he didn't find strawberries fast enough.

All in all, Camelot was quiet for a time, but Morgana's and Aithusa's wandering the land was not to leave the kingdom at peace for long at all...

Rumours had it that Morgana had been gathering an army again, this time made with Saxons, who had started invading the land by the North.

Lily, who knew far too much about Camelot's legends from her childhood, decided not to tell Merlin about what such invasion meant.

The battle of Camlann. The end of Arthur. The fall of Camelot. The doom of Albion.

No, she decided not to tell him. He had enough on his plate with his dragon roaming wild.

It was one day Lily was at her desk doing paperwork – the only thing she could do lately – that things started to quicken again.

Merlin burst in, something he had started to do again after Gwen had returned and Lily seemingly decided to overlook his repeated attempts to kill her brother.

"Merlie?"

He moved towards her, panting as if he had been running. "I just found out something."

She urged him to continue. "Do tell."

"Earlier this morning, as you know, Arthur and Gwen went on a picnic trip. I found this near a tree that had clearly been touched with magic." He handed her a broach, beautiful at that, that was unmistakeably worn by a druid. "I went back later to find out more, and I did. Morgana has taken Alator."

Lily's eyes shot up at that.

Three years prior, Alator, a very powerful priest, had kidnapped Gaius and tortured him in exchange for Emrys' identity. But upon knowing it was Merlin, he switched sides and refused to tell Morgana who he was.

If she had him, things were bad.

"She wants to find you."

"She knows that whatever plans she is making won't work if I am in her way. Which means-"

"That she is definitely up to no good at all..." Lily put the broach down and thought quickly. "We should talk to Kilgharrah about this. Maybe he'd know something, he travels so much."

Merlin nodded. "I'll go. You cannot ride, obviously."

She smirked. "And anyway I'll know everything about your conversation second-hand." She winked. "I'll ask him. Go, before our dearest King decides to make you his new target of choice for practise."

Merlin chuckled before leaving her side. "As if it'd be the first time..."

The following day, Lily received a puzzling visit from her brother. Not that Mordred didn't come to her every other hour as if she was going to give birth and he wouldn't hear of it.

(She doubted that when the moment came the castle itself wouldn't hear her screams.)

It was puzzling because Mordred was clearly troubled, and she didn't like her brother troubled.

"What is it, Mordred?"

He sighed before sitting next to her. "I don't know what to do, Llyn. Arthur has asked me to go to some sort of temple ruins tonight. There is a woman practising magic over there and he wants me to apprehend her."

Lily's brow furrowed. "How did he learn of her existence?"

"Gaius."

Even more troubling. "If Gaius says that someone's dangerous, I say we have to believe him."

"Yes but... When you told me of what happened to Alator... Maybe this woman is his friend or follower or whatever, and that she seeks help to free him."

Lily shook her head. "I do not think so. Alator was alone when he was taken, Kilgharrah said so after he...let's say...inquired on where it took place."

Mordred seemed to think for a moment, then nodded. "So you truly believe that this woman could be dangerous to Camelot?"

"I think we can trust Gaius' judgement. It never failed me until now."

Her brother nodded again, then remained silent.

Lily put a hand to his hair, ruffling it. "You seem so old when you look like that."

"Like what?"

"Like Camelot's whole fate rests on your shoulders."

He smiled faintly. "I'll leave you to rest." He stood, then planted a soft kiss on his sister's forehead. "And just so you know, I need to be wary for both since you can't move."

Mordred came back from a patrol supposed to track down the sorceress two days later.

His first words were for Lily.

Although they were not spoken out loud.

"Merlin was in the woods with us. But he wasn't there for the reason he gave, I am sure of it."

Lily pretended she was looking at Percival playfully throwing Gwaine's helmet at anyone but its owner, and nodded her understanding. "I believe he was meeting her. He's too trusty."

"No he's not. Otherwise he'd trust me."

And that, she had nothing to answer to.

That evening, when the sun barely started to set, Lily felt the familiar tug at the back of her mind.

But it wasn't Mordred, and it wasn't Merlin.

It was a voice she had never heard yet.

"My lady Vivian, my name is Finna."

Lily's eyes widened as she sat on her bed. "You are that woman everyone's looking for."

"I am, but I mean you or Emrys no harm."

"Where is he?"

"He is with me, my lady, but wounded. He needs assistance, an assistance I can't gave him myself."

"What are you talking about?"

"He was struck by an arrow. Morgana Pendragon is after us, which can only mean my master Alator has died by her hand. I am willing to sacrifice myself to save Emrys, but he will need you."

Lily felt her heart start to race. "But...I can't! I am too far away and unable to move!"

"I know that, and would congratulate you if the time wasn't so wrong. I rather meant that he will need your dragon."

A surge of relief flew over Lily, who nodded to herself in the coming darkness of her chambers. "I will call upon him. Where are you?"

"In an abandoned tower in the Forest of Essetir." She paused. "It was an honour talking to you, Lady Vivian. May your child be blessed with the same kindness his mother was adorned with."

And Finna was silenced.

Lily remained still for a while, wondering how the druid woman could have reached so far for her and find her amidst others in the castle – especially since, with Mordred not far, she wasn't the only sorcerer about.

And then she shook off her thoughts and reached for Kilgharrah, sleeping at the back of her mind.

That she could do.

It took him more time than usual to open up and answer, which set Lily's alarms to bright red.

"Kilghie? Are you alright?"

She felt him yawn in her mind. "I am tired, Vivian, that is all. I am old, and it will soon be my time."

Tears began to prick in Lily's eyes, and she knew they'd be there even without the hormonal ups and downs. "No. You cannot die, Kilgharrah." It had been a long time since she had called him by his full name, and it meant she was being extremely serious. "You cannot, for I cannot live without you."

"And I without you. The two only ways a dragon can pass is either from old age or when his Dragonlord passes too. And I am far older than anyone you know, Vivian."

He was being soft and kind, trying not to worry her, but she was worried. And sad. And angry. "Hold on to life a little longer, Kilghie. For me, and for the life that is still growing inside me. Let me have the honour of presenting you my child."

"The honour would be mine. And I will not miss it."

"Good." She paused, and he decided to change the subject.

"Why did you call upon me tonight?"

"The usual. Merlin is in trouble and needs your help. He's injured on the rooftop of an abandoned tower in the Forest of Essetir."

Kilgharrah seemed to reach for Merlin's aura. "Yes, I can feel him. He is weakening. I will rescue him. It was nice talking to you, Vivian."

"And to you, my Kilghie. Until next time."

"Until next time." And he took flight, in real life and in her mind.