Chapter 14: It Is Time
Elaine gasped through the pain. Gwen kept her arm around her as the pain intensified for Elaine. It took a minute for everyone to move. Gaius rushed to fetch blankets. Gwaine moved to stoke the fire. It was Arthur and Lancelot who were frozen. "Lancelot..." Elaine gasped and reached her free hand out to him. "Please..." She gave another strangled cry as Gwen led her towards the fire, where Gaius had laid a blanket. Before they reached the blanket, Elaine's waters broke, staining her trousers and it frightened her even more as she knew that she would have to push her child into the world very soon.
Within a split second Lancelot was on her other side and helping her to kneel on the floor and eventually lie back against him. "I'm here. I'm not leaving you again." Kissing the side of her head and allowed her to grip his hands.
"Promise?" She gasped.
"I promise." He kissed the side of her head again as Gwen helped Elaine to bend her legs and take off her trousers. Gwen then covered Elaine's lower half with another blanket. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have come back and married you."
"I did not know where you are and I was afraid you would be angry." She spoke with a hoarse voice but before Lancelot could speak she gave another pained cry. "It hurts!"
"It's all right. Everything will be all right." Lancelot whispered in her ear and held her hands tightly for comfort. A few hours into the labour and there was still no baby. He looked down at Gwen, who was examining Elaine. He watched Gwen as she helped Elaine to get ready to give birth. Gwen stood up and walked over to Gaius and whispered something to him. It was too inaudible for Lancelot to hear but he could tell that there was something wrong. "Once everything is over, we'll go back to Camelot and we will marry. We can be a proper family." Placing his hand on her stomach. "The three of us."
He was cut off by another scream from Elaine. Gwen was about to step back to her when Gwaine stepped forward. "Right, let us see how far along you are." Elaine gasped in shock as Gwaine examined her. "The baby's shoulder is caught behind the hip bone. My Lady, lay flat on your back." Lancelot gently moved away from behind Elaine and helped her to lie flat on the blanket. Elaine gave another cry as another contraction hit her. Lancelot sat one side of her gripping her hand and Gwen sat on her other side gripping Elaine's other hand.
"How do you know what to do?" Lancelot asked as he tried to comfort Elaine.
"Now is not the time." Gwaine looked up at Lancelot for a moment. "I need to turn the baby but sometimes it is better to turn the mother. My Lady, I need you to turn over." Elaine gave a groan and shook her head. "You need to." He sat back and she groaned again.
"We'll help you." Gwen gripped her hand tightly.
"No!" Gwaine spoke loudly. "She has got to do it by herself." Lancelot and Gwen let go of Elaine's hands and she slowly turned onto her hands and knees. Her cries were deafening and it was frightening to hear. Once she was on her hands and knees, Gwaine immediately began telling her to push. Sweat covered her face and her hair. "Nearly there!" Gwaine reassured her. "Keep pushing!" He helped her to ease her child into the world. "Gwen, get the string and scissors." Gwen immediately left his side and fetched the things for Gwaine, as she returned the baby had been born. "A boy, my Lady." The newborn cried in Gwaine's arms as Gwen cut the cord. Arthur stepped forward and held a blanket to Gwaine, who wrapped the crying baby in the blanket. "Shhh... Sh..." He calmed the newborn as Elaine turned back around and leant against Lancelot's chest, who immediately embraced her. "Your son."
Elaine held out her arms, ready to receive her newborn and crying son. "Oh my darling. Finally." She chuckled as she rocked her son. "My little Galahad." Bending her head and lifting her son a little to be able to kiss him on the forehead. She turned to face Lancelot. "Is that all right? To name him Galahad?"
"Yes." Lancelot smiled and cupped his quiet son's head. "It is a better name for him than it is for me."
"So you are the father?" Arthur glared at the pair of them.
"Yes he is." Elaine spoke softly but did not even look up at Arthur. "Do not start Arthur. You all need to be unite to beat Morgana and free Uther. Now is not the time to question the paternity of my son."
Arthur sighed heavily and knelt on Elaine's right hand. "Always right. I hate that." He laughed quietly and looked down at his cousin's newborn son, who was sleeping soundly in his mother's arms. "Congratulations, cousin." He kissed Elaine's cheek an then stood up. "Get some sleep. All of you."
Lancelot finally had the chance to hold his son as Gwen helped Elaine out of the room to allow her to wash and change. He was in awe of this small being in his arms. This was his son. He chuckled lightly as the baby squirmed in his slumber but immediately settled into a sleep when Lancelot gently rocked him. His heart was filled with love for this child. A child he had only known about today and his baby made his appearance on the very same day. "Hello Galahad." He whispered gently as to not to disturb his sleeping son.
Elaine and Gwen returned with Elaine wearing her previous dress. Slowly, Elaine approached Lancelot and smiled at the ease Lancelot had whilst holding their son. "He will need a feed soon." Elaine whispered as she stepped beside him. "I'm sorry I did not come and find you. I was terrified that you would be angry."
"Why would I be angry?" Staring at her in shock and gently rocked their son, who was beginning to wake and squirm in his arms. "I could never be angry with you." Galahad began to cry.
"Here. Let me take him. Get some sleep." She turned away from Lancelot but she felt his hand on her forearm. "Lancelot." She turned around and speak but her speech was stopped by his soft lips. His hand cupped her cheek as he kept their lips together. Their eyes closed as the kiss continued but was broken off by the small cries of their newborn son. "I need to feed him." She whispered, her breath tickled his lips.
"I will make you up a bed." His thumb swept across her cheek and their smiles matched. Elaine turned away and rocked her son as she moved to the room, where she had previously changed. When she returned with a sleeping Galahad in her arms and swaddled in the blanket. The majority of people were asleep but she found Lancelot and Merlin talking quietly in front of the fire. As she approached them, Lancelot sat up and stood up. "Finished?"
"Yes and he is sleeping. You been keeping Lancelot out of trouble, Merlin?" Elaine smiled as she gently knelt on the makeshift bed, that Lancelot made.
"Of course, my Lady. I try." He chuckled. "I will let you sleep."
Elaine smiled as she sat comfortably on the floor and stared down at her baby. "I cannot believe he is here." She whispered, so she would not disturb any of the sleeping occupants in the room. "I kept denying the fact that he was growing inside me but he was." She gave a small chuckle and lay their son on the blanket. "We best sleep." Turning her gaze away from Galahad and fixed her gaze upon Lancelot. "You look tired."
"So do you. You have a better excuse than I do." He whispered and cupped her cheek. He slowly leant forward to kiss her again but movement from Arthur made him think twice. "Get some sleep." Elaine gave a small smile to him and lay down, her body curled around her slumbering son. "Good night." Lancelot lay next to her, just staring at her back. Soon the exhaustion took over him and he dreamt of the future. A future with Elaine and Galahad.
The morning came too soon for them all. No one seemed tired due to what was to happen today. Everyone stood together, planning a way to break Uther out of the dungeons. "There is a tunnel under the northern ramparts that brings us only a few paces from the entrance to the dungeons. It will be well guarded. So, if we're going to break everyone out, we must remain unobserved. We cannot let them raise the alarm."
"We need to take out the warning bell. That way the warriors have no mean of communication." Lancelot spoke.
"Good idea." Arthur nodded.
Lancelot spoke up. "I'll need someone with me who knows the castle." His gaze seemed to directed towards Merlin.
"I'll go." Merlin nodded.
Arthur nodded. "All right." Everyone moved away and began getting ready to leave.
Lancelot led Elaine away from the others. "Stay here. Do not leave here. I will come back." His hand cupped Elaine's cheek. "I have more reasons to come back." Bending down and kissing his son's forehead. "You and our son." He stood up straight and looked down at her dark brown eyes. "I promise that I will come back." He leant forward and pressed their lips together in a searing kiss.
Elaine pulled away. "You have to prepare." Stepping back from him but he held his hand on her elbow. She chuckled and looked down at his hand. "Lancelot. Stop it." Chuckling softly as he stepped forward and kissed her once again.
"Lancelot." Percival called to him, causing the lovers to pull away from each other. "We need you for a moment."
"I won't be a moment." He gave a small smile and cupped his baby's head before moving towards Percival.
Elaine remained in her place, rocking her sleeping son. A moment before she was terrified of being a mother when Galahad soiled himself and she did not know what to do. Luckily, Gwaine stepped in and helped her. When she asked how he knew, he told her that he lived with his aunt and uncle at one time and they had their children and Gwaine learnt how to look after them. Which is where he heard how to help a mother if the baby was stuck in the birthing canal.
Arthur's voice came into Elaine's consciousness. She looked up to see Arthur and Gwen speaking quietly. Elaine stepped forward slightly so she could eavesdrop on them both. "Stay here with Gaius and Elaine. I want you to gather firewood and make bandages. There'll be casualties."
"All right." Gwen spoke gently and tried to pass by Arthur but he stopped her.
"Guinevere." He said quietly.
"They'll see." She said nervously glancing past Arthur at the knights, who were preparing to leave by having a drink and checking their weapons.
"I don't care. I want you to know... If I never see you again..." Arthur spoke nervously, unaware that they were being watched by two people; Lancelot and Elaine.
"You will. You will see me. I watched you last night. You gave us hope, something to believe in. I saw the king you will become. I'm so proud of you Arthur." She cupped her cheek as she spoke to him and soon the two of them were sharing a romantic kiss. Elaine smiled to herself and was glad that her cousin had found someone, who would love him for the person he is and not the title that he carries. It was his heart that Gwen loved and Elaine saw that.
"Elaine?" Lancelot's soft voice came into her thoughts. "We are leaving. Stay safe. If you have to run, you run." He took Galahad from his mother's arms and held him close to him. "I want you all safe. If this place comes under attack, which is unlikely, I want you to run. As far away as possible."
"I will." She stood stiffly as she watched Lancelot with Galahad. "Just come back this time. I cannot do this alone." A stray tear fell from her eye but she quickly wiped it away before Lancelot saw it.
"You will never be alone." He raised his head and smiled gently at her. "I will come back. I promise." He handed Galahad back to her, kissed her forehead and walked away. He left her standing in the middle of the hall as he, Arthur, Merlin and the rest of the knights left to rescue Uther. In her heart and mind, Elaine had a small feeling that they would not be coming back.
She felt an arm wrap around her shoulder. She turned to see Gwen giving her comfort. "They will return, my Lady. I know they will." Gwen and Elaine began fetching supplies in case of any casualties.
Once they had collected enough supplies, Elaine sat on a blanket with her son and marvelled in his appearance. He was beautiful. From the dark curls on the top of his head to his small feet. The blanket was loose around Galahad, who was lying on the blanket and Elaine lay beside him. Her fingers traced his features, causing him to squirm at the touch. "What will you grow up to be?" She whispered to her son, who drifted back to sleep. "A warrior? A knight? A Prince?" She chuckled softly as she watched him sleep.
"My Lady? Have you seen Gaius?" Gwen spoke as she continue to rip up cloths for bandages.
"No, I have not." Sitting up straight. "I thought he went to collect water." Elaine looked around in fright. "He cannot have gone far."
"I will go look for him." Gwen walked towards the door.
"Do not go too far. I do not want to come looking for you." Elaine chuckled nervously as she lay back down to be with Galahad. Gwen returned after an hour later. "No sign?"
"No. I think we should wait until the others return before we go and look for him again." Gwen sat on Galahad's other side. "I don't understand where he has gone." She sighed heavily. "I hope he is all right."
"Me too." Elaine sat up straight. "I hope everyone is all right. I am worried for them all." Her hand wrapped around Galahad's clenched fist. She gently held it. "I just hope that they return safely. Or even defeat Morgana." She turned her gaze to the sky, which was gradually darkening. "It is getting dark. We should rest as much as we can." Gwen nodded silently and the two women tried to sleep as much as they could. Both were worried for their loved ones.
The sound of horse hooves pounding on the ground outside the castle. Elaine held Galahad tightly to her chest as she and Gwen prepared themselves to run. "I really hope they are some passing travellers."
"Me too." Gwen whispered as they stared at the entrance. Footsteps approached the hall and the two women slowly backed to the nearest door, just in case. "Gwaine!" Gwen gasped as the usually rugged man was looking clean and suave and dressed in his knight's uniform. "Is it over?"
"Yes." He chuckled as he moved further into the room. "Arthur sent us to fetch you two." As he moved even further, the rest of the knights moved into the hall; Elyan, Leon, Lancelot and Percival. They were all wearing the knights clothing and chain-mail. Gwen and Elaine smiled broadly at them. "We have a horse each for you." In his hands he was holding a large piece of material. He held it tightly as he walked towards Elaine. "I have a sling for you. To carry your son while we travel to Camelot."
"Thank you, Sir Gwaine." She smiled broadly as he put the sling over her head and then helped her to place her son in the sling carefully and comfortably. "There. He's comfortable." She smiled up at Gwaine who was quite taller than her. "Thank you. And now to ride." She grimaced.
"I suggest you ride side saddle." He smiled slightly. "It will be more comfortable for you." He held out his arm to her, when she took it, he led her outside. Lancelot watched them silently. Jealously rose in him but Gwaine was only helping her, something he should have been doing and not standing back and watching.
The ride back to Camelot was long and hard on everyone but when they saw the castle come into view, they all felt happy to be nearly home. Gwen and Elaine rode in front of the procession of knights as they rode into the courtyard. Where they were greeted by Arthur. What made Elaine smile was that Arthur greeted Gwen first. Helping her off her horse and then kissing her in front of everyone and not caring at all.
Once Arthur had greeted Gwen, he helped Elaine to dismount. The two of them hugged each other, carefully minding Galahad, who was sleeping obliviously in his shawl. "Welcome to your first home, Galahad." Arthur grinned down at his second cousin. "Let us get you inside and comfortable." Arthur led Elaine and Gwen inside and left the knights to tend to the horses.
A/N: Well that is up to series 3. It's going to be my story from now on.
Responses from Chapter 13
Duchess of Lantern Waste: Well here's the next chapter with a few Lancelot/Elaine bits.
Lara Smith: I hope you liked the Elaine and Lancelot bits in this chapter. I promise there will be more ARWEN scenes too! I promise this story will not be cruel to Elaine, like the legends were. I can't promise that there will not be some bad bits but there will be good bits.
Strawberry shortcake: There maybe a little love triangle but not a MASSIVE one. :D I might not include Elena in this story. ARWEN scenes coming up soon.
ForeverTeamEdward13: Hey you! :D I will update more often but only when I can.
A/N: You've reached this far, how about a review? :D