DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE
Tanya stood opposite Eveline in the base of the large hole she had skidded hours before...
Time seemed immeasurable…
She had bred her father just after dawn, and had slipped in to find Eveline after running away from Merlin and the admittance of her secret only an hour afterwards…
But how long had she been down the hole?
She opened her mouth to ask.
"Five hours, it is well into the afternoon." Eveline stated as she lifted something from the pocket of her white floating dress.
Tanya narrowed her eyes, "How did you know what I was going to ask?"
"I see the future remember?" Eveline stated.
Tanya sighed shortly, "But not your own future…"
"I see yours, I see you standing here without me, yet see all our conversation just your parts…" Eveline said cryptically, "I am intelligent enough to fill in the gaps and work out what my role is."
Tanya looked around, "Wait…"
Eveline sighed and continued looking for something in the folds of her dress.
"How can I have been in here five hours?" Tanya demanded, "We have only been stood here…"
"This place is very special, times flows faster here." Eveline stated, looking around, "This ground is part of a sight on which one of the great temples of my people used to be built, before Uther had it burned in the great purge… my power to see all of time is glowing here, and as such we can harness the energy of this sacred place in order for me to show you an alternate future that your love for Merlin will bring around."
Tanya stared at the Parlevine child.
"But I thought you said Uther destroyed the temple many years ago…"
"Uther was an ignorant tyrant." Eveline stated, "You know that he could not destroy a sacred light as old as the earth and all of tis magic, even if he wanted too."
Tanya straightened but had nothing left to say.
After an immeasurable amount of moments Eveline lifted a silver vial from her pocket and held it up.
The water in it glowed.
Tanya stared at it as its light shimmered across her face.
"What is that?"
Eveline stared at it too, "It is water from the Temple of Parle."
"Where?" Tanya narrowed her eyes.
She hated asking questions of Eveline, it made her feel so inferior…
"The very centre of my people," Eveline explained, "where our powers are strongest and where our spirits rest once we die."
Tanya watched her form carefully, "You do not seem to be resting."
"I was very young when I died."
The serving girl straightened, "yes… indeed… I am sorry."
"I gave up my life so that Merlin could live in safety, it is nothing more than what you would have done… which is the reason why we are here, your love for Merlin will destroy the strongest Union our world will ever see, both emotional and state." Eveline stated in her cryptic tone which forever frustrated Tanya.
"What do you mean?" The serving girl asked.
Eveline simply lifted one eyebrow at her.
"You will see."
Eveline dripped the water onto her palm, before lifting it and pressing it to Tanya's between them.
"Close your eyes." She said.
Tanya stared at her for a moment before she did the same.
Her eyes flittered closed as Eveline began to chant.
"ich Bein froseth resurector de soul de destinay!"
A white flickering light erupted between their palms and consumed them both.
CAMELOT COURTYARD
Six horses were stood at the foot of the large stone stairs, waiting in the morning sun.
People, as always, moved around, murmuring, fetching and carrying.
They all glanced up as the knights, crimson capes swirling, moved to mount their horses.
Leon, Percival and Gwaine stood beside their steeds, checking their saddles and reigns as the serving and stable boys held them obediently.
Arthur appeared with Merlin at the top of the stairs, pulling on his gloves.
The manservant jogged down the stairs beside him.
"I am grateful for this Arthur, really I am…" merlin said.
"It is alright Merlin…" Arthur said as he fixed his gauntlet on properly around his cuff, "You would do the same for me and Guinevere."
The manservant nodded.
It was his destiny…
Arthur walked down the stairs towards his horse.
Merlin glanced to see across towards the right side of the courtyard, where a white mare was being led to join the horses, its feminine and royal saddle glinting in the light.
He winced, knowing Arthur had not noticed, but was not going to like it one bit.
Also from that direction, the queen and her brother appeared.
"You look tired." She commented, not rudely, but observably.
Her brother shifted and glanced at her, blushing through his chainmail, "Gwaine and I were in the tavern last night…"
"Oh rally?" She lifted one eyebrow.
"yes."
She smiled slightly, "Although there is something about your blush that tells me you were not really there to see Gwaine…"
Elyan turned scarlet, "Guinevere…"
She laughed and touched his arm.
"Whoever she is she is lucky to have you." She smiled, "The least you could do is tell me her name…"
Elyan shifted for a moment, "Rose."
Gwen smiled and nodded her head.
Her brother was about to sort himself out and stride forwards to join her husband and the knights when she caught his arm.
"Elyan…" She said quietly as he turned to face her, "Seen as we are trading secrets, and you are my brother, which offers you a special place…"
She realised she was not making sense when he narrowed his eyes slightly.
She sighed and siled stretching up on her toes to whisper in his ear.
"You are going to be an uncle."
There was a pause for a moment as Elyan chuckled, his eyes overjoyed, "Really?"
She nodded, "Just over two months the midwife reckons…"
The tears in his eyes as he hugged her made her sniff.
"Don't start, you will set me off…" She giggled and wiped her eyes, stepping back as he chuckled.
"Sorry."
She shook her head.
Her brother glanced at the knights, "Does Arthur know?"
Gwen nodded and drew in a breath, "And the pair of us were a bigger mess than you and me so don't say anything… he will tell the other knights when he is ready."
Elyan chuckled and nodded, "Alright…"
He stared down at her for a moment, seeing how she glowed in her red riding dress.
He could already imagine her, swollen with the royal child, Arthurs protective eyes following her movements even more than normal….
"I am very happy for you Guinevere." He murmured.
She smiled, "Thank you."
Their scene was broken by Arthur seeing her horse be led to stand beside his.
"Oh no…" He muttered and turned to see his wife and his brother in law walking towards him.
It did not take long for Arthur to realise that his wife was dressed for riding.
She approached him and Arthur shook his head at her firmly.
"You are not coming…"
"Tanya is my maidservant and my friend." Gwen stated, "I want to look for her."
"You are not joining us to ride around in the forest." Arthur said, "It is out of the question…"
"I am not asking your permission Arthur." She stared up at him.
"Good because I am not giving it." He stated, "You are not coming…"
"Don't be over protective," She hissed, "you have known one day…"
"Known one day what?" Merlin asked, narrowing his eyes.
Arthur snapped his head around to see all of his knights staring at him expectantly.
Gwen flushed and looked down.
Arthur sighed and looked down at her, "Did… did Fira say it was fine?"
His voice was low and only she could hear.
"Yes." She whispered, "She was very clear on the matter."
Fira was the name of the newly appointed royal midwife, who had said that the king and queen should keep the news as private as possible.
Gwen and Arthur had consented to tell Tanya, Merlin, Gaius and the main knights, including her brother, in the months before they would announce it at court.
They had waited a long time for the baby she carried; Arthur knew he had a right to be anxious.
He also knew that they were speaking so cryptically that the men stood facing him would not understand.
He stared at his wife intently for a moment.
"You know I would not do anything to harm…" Gwen's soft voice trailed away.
Arthur sighed and nodded, giving out a small smile, offering her his cheek.
She smiled and straightened up onto her toes, kissing his cheek softly.
He chuckled and held her hand as he led her down to stairs to her horse.
He helped her up and she positioned herself carefully, sitting side saddle, an action that made Merlin and the knights narrow their eyes.
Arthur seemed to think nothing of it and then swung himself up into his saddle.
The knights and merlin did the same.
Elyan guarded his small knowing smile.
Once they were all mounted Arthur turned his horse to call to Merlin.
"Lead us to where you last saw Tanya in the woods; we look for tracks and such there…"
Merlin nodded and kicked his horse into a gallop.
The knights followed and Arthur hung back slightly, circling his horse around his wife's.
She swallowed, "Do you think that something could have happened to her?"
Arthur stiffened and kicked his horse into a gallop along with hers.
"I wouldn't like to guess."
DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE – THE CAMELOT OF DESTINY
When Tanya blinked her eyes open she was standing in a large bright room.
Sunlight streamed in through the windows of the royal chamber, yet everything seemed to be grey.
Tanya stared at the scene.
The room was exactly the same as it was in Tanya's time, yet everything seemed duller.
The serving girl gasped when she caught sight of a figure laying on the bed.
Tanya's eyes flew to Eveline who was stood sombre at her left, "Can we be seen?"
"No." Merlin said quietly, "But we can still effect things, so stand still… don't knock anything over."
Tanya narrowed her eyes at her slightly and was about to make a cutting remark when footsteps sounded over the stone.
From where she was stood at Eveline's side just in front of the fire place at one end of the room, Tanya turned her head to see the king appear from the door on the left side of the room.
He looked exactly the same as the Arthur in Tanya's time did, yet somehow he looked paler, tired… but not older.
It was strange.
He was wearing chainmail, not the blue or red shirts and brown leather jacket as his wife adored him in.
She made sure that he wore them when he was needed in his ceremonial chain mail, and in Tanya's time he was only too happy to please his wife.
Tanya, stood in the alternate reality, watched as Arthur walked across the room to the bed, looking down at where his tiny wife was laying on her back, her head turned away from him, hands folded just below her chest.
She was pale and silent; a shell of the woman Tanya served, respected, and knew.
"Another failed pregnancy has weakened the king's power," Eveline whispered to her, "and his relationship with his wife."
Tanya glanced at him, "A failed pregnancy?"
Eveline nodded gravely, "This is three years into your future, the queen has lost several children, all at different stages of pregnancy… she and the king are finding it harder and harder to conceive."
Tanya snapped her eyes around, "Will this happen in my real future…"
"This is your real future." Eveline stated.
"You know what I mean…"Tanya hissed, "As my life is now, will this happen…"
"It all depends on what you chose." Eveline almost snapped, "That is rather the point of me showing you this, it is not for your own pleasure…"
Tanya glared at her sharply and turned her face away from the Parlevine girl at her side to look at the future king she could see.
Arthur swallowed and sunk to sit on the edge of the bed, resting his hand gently against his wife's cheek.
She did not even look at him.
His voice was row and rough, "Guinevere…"
Tanya felt tears fill her eyes as she watched the king gently stroke his wife's cheek.
"It was another boy." The queen whispered, her voice low and rough from tears she did not want to shed before her husband.
Tanya straightened as the king softly caressed her hair.
His answer was simple and guarded, "I know they told me."
"They seem different…" Tanya whispered, "Separate, hollow…"
"Grief damages marriages as much as it strengthens them." Eveline stated, "She knows all too well that he is not looking for comfort in her arms nearly as much as he should… their love as altered to simply attempt to produce more heirs… the queen is not stupid, she knows that he lies with any woman he wants."
"No…" Tanya gasped, "Arthur would never…"
"This is not the Arthur you know." Eveline told her firmly, "only the Arthur that he will become if you continue to love Merlin…"
Tanya straightened, "I fail to see what this has to do with me and Merlin…"
"I told you." The Parlevine ghost stated, "Your love for Merlin will destroy the strongest Union our world will ever see, both emotional and state."
Tanya stared at her, "Arthur and Gwen's marriage?"
Eveline turned her head back on the scene to see the king sigh, touch his wife's cheek once more before standing and striding from the room.
"But he would never lay with another woman… he wouldn't hurt her like that." Tanya whispered.
"She hurts him by failing to provide him with heirs, and it is her feet the blame lies at." Eveline stated, "That is what the whispers of court say… and many of them have become lodged in Arthur's brain as well as his heart."
"So he lies with other women, their marriage has collapsed?" Tanya whispered.
Eveline straightened.
Her voice was clipped and cold.
"And it shall be this Arthur and Guinevere, and their broken marriage, which the legends will remember if you do not give Merlin up."
Tanya straightened.
Eveline glared at her sharply.
"These people are your friends, whether in your time or in this future – any future… you see now that loving Merlin doesn't just impact you, his destiny is too complicated for it to be so…" The Parlevine girl hissed, "so many people will be hurt if you continue to love him, not just Arthur and Guinevere… the entire kingdom, its citizen's, people you have yet to meet."
Tanya swallowed, "All those people will be hurt because I love one man?"
"Because you love Emrys." Eveline stated and turned her back on where the queen still lay silent on her bed.
"Come. I have more to show you."