A/N: This story is set about twenty or so years before the show Merlin begins. I was reading some interesting fan fictions, and had an idea about how it was all started. This revolves around Uther and Ygraine's relationship, and Arthur's birth.

Title: La Naissance d'Arthur / The Birth of Arthur
Writer: soulful dreamer
Verse: Merlin
Major Characters: Uther Pendragon, Ygraine Pendragon, Gaius, Nimueh, Arthur Pendragon

The door to the queen's chambers opened with a loud creak, alerting all present in the room of newcomers to the scene. Uther led the way, followed closely by Nimueh. "Gaius?" Uther questioned of the physician as the sorceress stepped past him and to the queen.

"She's got a slight fever, sire," Gaius reported in a low voice. "Nothing to worry too much about, as long as it is monitored and kept under control. She's been resting most of the day, but she has hardly eaten a thing." Uther's eyes were across the room on his wife's figure in the bed. He gave a sigh, attempting his best so shield his inner worries from that of everyone in the room.

"And your healer friend-"

"-Is on standby in my chambers upstairs as needed," Gaius finished the sentence for the king. "Is there anything else that I can do for you, sire?"

"No, you may go for a while, Gaius. I will send for you if you are needed," Uther replied. The man bowed and then exited the room. The king stepped forward, towards the bed where he heard the women chatting.

"Everything will be alright, Ygraine, don't you worry," Nimueh said, holding a cool, damp cloth to the queen's forehead.

"I'm not," the queen replied, her speech rather weak. "I have every faith that things will be alright. Perhaps I contracted a bug or something from someone. It is nothing serious, I am certain." Nimueh glanced up as she saw the king approach. "Just don't leave again, please."

"Fear not, good queen, I will remain in Camelot as long as you need," the sorceress stood from her seat, offering it to Uther. "For now, I shall leave you with your husband." She looked at the king once more. "Let me know if I can be of any service, my lord." She gave a proper bow, and then exited the room, leaving the king and queen in silence for a long moment. Ygraine laid in bed, her eyes closed as Uther removed the cloth and dipped it in more cool water, then replaced it on her forehead.

"The child is very active," Ygraine said, finally opening her eyes and looking over at her husband. "Here." Meekly, she grabbed Uther's hand and placed it on her swollen abdomen. She pressed it down with a little force, only for Uther to find a strong jolt come from beneath the surface. "He's a strong boy, already." The king smiled at his wife as he felt the life within her move once again beneath his touch. "Just like his father." The room fell silent as their eyes met again.

"No, just like his mother."

/.\

"Lady Ygraine?" Gaius said as he knocked on the door to the woman's chamber. He heard her invite him in, and he did so carefully, to ensure that he was not trespassing on a private moment.

"Ah, Gaius, what good tidings bring you to me?" Ygraine asked, a smile on her face at the servant to the king. She was, as always, put together properly, from her clothes, to her hair, not a single strand was out of place. Gaius could see why Uther was so taken with her.

"The king bids for your attendance in a walk of the grounds, my lady," he said. "This morning, if you will have him." The lady seemed slightly taken aback, but not completely surprised. His stares at meal times were beginning to make sense to her.

"Of course," Ygraine said, unsure of what to think or feel. Most everyone knew of Uther's reputation with the women of the kingdom. Her only hope was that he did not think her such a weak woman as to become a mistress. That would not be tolerated in her eyes.

Ygraine and Tristan took their breakfast in the dining hall, while Uther took his in his room. He was nervous for his outing with the lady, and, therefore, felt it best not to see her until then. So, Gaius attempted to help calm his nerves, while the de Bois siblings spoke over breakfast.

"Brother," Ygraine said. "I am enjoying our time in Camelot, but I fear I do miss our father. Are you certain we are staying until the celebration?"

Tristan looked at his sister, a small smile resting on his lips. "I know you are eager to see him again, Ygraine, but all in good time. I think it best that we remain in Camelot. King Uther has been an honorable host, and I fear he would feel offended if we should leave before since I have told him we plan to stay until then." Ygraine turned to silence. While Camelot was a beautiful kingdom, and the palace was amazing in all of its secrets, Ygraine felt that something was missing. They should have been back in Cornwall almost a week ago. She was, after all, a daddy's girl, as one would call her. She was extremely dependent upon her father. "What have you planned for today, Ygraine?"

"The king has invited me on a walk about the grounds," she said, absentmindedly, pretending as though it were no big deal, as though the king asked people of lower statures to walk with him every day. Tristan looked at his sister, his eyes slightly wide. He knew that Uther had his eyes on Ygraine, but what were the king's true intentions?

"That shall be interesting," Tristan replied, turning his gaze back to his food. While he was not allowed to question the king's intentions, the protective brother in him would surely appear should anything happen to harm his sister, in any way, shape, or form. He and Ygraine had been close since they were small children, and he could not allow ill intentions to harm her.

/.\

Queen Ygraine had fallen asleep in her bed after a while of Uther's comfort. He continued to refresh the cool rag upon her forehead, as well as a hand upon her belly. It was amazing, he found. All of this time, he was expecting to become a parent, but never before had it seemed so real that he and his wife actually produced a life until the moment he felt that strong kick. Gaius came in to check her temperature, and reported it had gone down, so that was a good sign. Perhaps Ygraine was right, and this was nothing to worry too seriously about. He'd been alone for a while, in the darkness, his thoughts taking him in so many different directions.

"Ygraine, I fear that something is wrong," Uther whispered, placing his hands carefully in his lap before looking over at his wife's peaceful, sleeping face. "I don't quite understand the feeling that I have in my stomach, but something is coming." He ran a hand wearily over his face and leaned heavily back into the chair. "I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I have and will always love you." He leaned forward once more, taking one of her small hands into both of his larger ones. "You are the one person in this world that I know I can trust, that I love more than my own life." He kissed the palm her of hand gently, before glancing up to his wife.

/.\

"I promise you, the sky was clear this morning whenever I looked outside, I don't know where all of these clouds came from," Uther said, out of breath after he and the Lady Ygraine dashed to the cover of an old building near the edge of town. The both of them were drenched in water after the sky decided to open up on their leisurely walk.

"Certainly, your majesty, you cannot predict the rain," Ygraine replied, stepping towards a window and peering out. The sky was dark, and the rain sounded loudly on the roof. Uther's eyes watched her the entire time. Although it was probably extremely inappropriate, he couldn't help but trace her figure while the dress she wore clung to her skin.

"No, I suppose not," Uther said, his eyes still watching her. She turned to face him; the king snapped his glance away and then turned about the building they'd found shelter in. "Well, I suppose we are stuck until the rain lets up, might as well see about making ourselves more comfortable." He managed to light a candle and he used that to light up the place. He spotted a table and a couple of chairs up against a wall, as well as a fireplace nearby. "Ah, some warmth would be nice," he muttered to himself, nothing the lady's shivers, even though she tried to hide them.

Within a half hour, a fire was lit and the small room was warm again. Uther went digging about and found a blanket or two, just in case they were stuck there long enough to need them. He noted the way Ygraine leaned towards the fire; he could tell that she really was cold. All of the wet layers did not help. "Perhaps, my lady, it would be best to get out of the wet layers and allow them to dry so you do not catch a sickness," he said. Ygraine looked at him, horror written on her face.

"I do think that most inappropriate, sire," she scolded, shocked that he would even think she would strip her clothing off for him on a whim. While their walk had been nice, and she enjoyed their conversation, she still wasn't going to jump in bed with him just because of his title. She had her virtue to protect.

"That's not.. exactly.." he trailed off, holding up the blankets. "I was suggesting that you use these to protect your modesty.." He was stumbling over his words a bit. Never before had a woman had such power over him. "I apologize, my lady." The king gave a small bow and then turned away, this time finding sanctuary at the window. The rain was still not letting up. Ygraine's eyes watched him; he was mortified, that much she could tell. Could it be that his intentions were not to seduce her? He seemed more embarrassed than he would if she were an object of sex to him. Ygraine slowly walked towards the king, placing a gentle hand on his elbow.

"I am sorry for my outburst, sire," she said. "I merely thought that your intentions were not honorable." Uther did not reply, and so Ygraine turned away from him and stepped back toward the fire. After a while of silence, the king joined her near the fire and they began to talk of things. Books, art, battle strategies. Ygraine seemed eager to listen to the things that Uther had to say.

"Tell me, you could have any princess in the world, why have you not married yet?" Ygraine asked. Certainly, it was none of her business, but she felt as though they were on equal footing in this room. That their ranks meant nothing.

"Haven't found the right one, I think," Uther said, his eyes looking directly into her blue ones. The firelight seemed to make them pop out an even brighter, more brilliant blue. "Besides, I fear that being king, I should not have time to treat a woman as much of a queen as she would deserve."

"But do you not fear risking no heir for your kingdom?" the lady questioned, concern flashing for a moment on her face before fading away. "Who will take your legacy and continue on with the traditions you have placed?"

"I don't know," Uther said, giving a shrug. "I haven't really-" He stopped. It was true. He hadn't thought of that much. All his mind had been preoccupied with was having fun playing king, but he really did have to put some serious thought into this. Who could he trust to take over after his death? His knights? No, that would be someone else's ideals of the kingdom. What he needed was someone who he could raise into being a king that would continue his life's work. A son. Why he had never thought of that before was beyond him. His eyes looked back up at hers again.

A son with her blue eyes.

/.\

Uther awoke to the voice of his beloved the next morning. "Uther, my love, wake up." Her voice was soft and welcoming; he thought he was dreaming for a moment as he looked up at her. "I can't believe you fell asleep in such a manner." The king had been leaning forward against the bed, his head rested near his wife's chest. He felt an ache in his back as he straightened up. A stretch would cause an ache in his right shoulder, and he placed a hand to the old battle wound. Ygraine gave a small smile as she sat up in bed. She looked immensely better. Perhaps the fever from the night before really had been nothing to worry about. "That wound still giving you trouble?"

"Yes. I have tried every remedy that Gaius can come up with, but none seem to work permanently." The king pushed himself out of the chair and perched himself on the edge of the bed, taking his wife's hands in his own. He leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Much better," Ygraine confirmed. "I think I am just excited and worried about the birth. Perhaps my worry is what caused my fever." She sighed. "I have heard horror stories of how painful childbirth can be, so maybe I am just causing myself more concern where there need not be any."

"Perhaps you are right," Uther replied, brushing a strand of blond hair from his wife's face and then placing another kiss on her forehead. "Will you take breakfast in the dining hall with me this morning?" Ygraine smiled as her husband's hand found its way to her cheek.

"I don't think so, my love," she said, her voice soft. "It is better for me to stay nearer to my chamber, given that the birth could occur at any moment."

"Very well, then, we shall take breakfast here together," Uther said as a knock on the door was heard. "Enter." The queen's regular maidservant entered the room to begin her duties for the day. "You there, please fetch the queen's breakfast, as well as mine. We will dine in here this morning." The servant bowed and left the room to fulfill the order as Uther turned back to his wife.

"Uther, you really mustn't stay here all day, you have your courtly matters to deal with," Ygraine replied. The king shook his head.

"I don't..." he stopped for a moment, his eyes low. "I don't want to leave you." The queen tilted his face upward to look her in the eye.

"I don't want you to leave my side, but, you have a kingdom to run," she replied, attempting to give a small smile. "I will call Nimueh to my side. Everything will be okay, as long as she's here." Uther nodded gently.

"Of course," he said, stepping away from the bed. "I shall call for her, and I will be back to check on you later today." After a long moment, he finally turned back towards his wife, and gave her another very gentle kiss on the lips. "I love you," he whispered. The queen smiled as he turned away and left the room. She placed a hand on her belly.

"I can't wait to meet you, my dear Arthur," she said. "And I believe your father can't either."

A/N: Thanks for reading, once again. This chapter came relatively easy compared to the other two. Uther/Ygraine's walk was going to be completely different, but I had an idea. Quite often, my ideas spur into their own plots, and I rarely have control. Reviews are love, and they help me to know that people care to know what happens next.