"Don't just stand there, tell me!" Uther rounded the desk he was sitting at to stand in front of the two men who had just entered. Gaius coughed uncomfortably until he moved towards the large table in the middle of the room and placed the dusty tome on it and opening it on the page he left a bookmark.

Arthur quietly stood by, while Uther was practically hanging over the elder man's shoulder, looking at the page which Gaius just turned over. Gaius cleared his throat once and looked at Uther, who then took a step back and went to stand on the other side of Gaius.

Gaius gave a small nod and then pointed at a part of the page in the book. Breathing in deeply, Gaius began explaining.

"Sire, it seems that the cause of Merlin's sickness is natural, not someone else's doing."

"Natural!" Uther nearly yelled, clearly interrupting the elder man in his explanation who was trying to continue. "How is this natural?" Uther continued, looking back and pointing to the bed where Merlin was still fast asleep with a high fever as he had been for the past days.

"Sire, please, if you just let me explain."

"Yes, father. Please let Gaius explain." Arthur pressed.

While pressing his thumb and forefinger onto his eyes, Uther breathed deeply in and let is softly out. "Alright." He said, nearly whispering the word.

"Alright." Gaius repeated softly and bent over the book once more. "This book dates back about a thousand years and this particular section is telling us about the Dragonlords." Gaius tapped the part of the text with his index finger. "It states that Dragonlords, no matter their sexuality or whether they're married or unmarried, will go through a transition that –"

"Transition? What kind of transition!" Uther became impatient.

"A physical transition, Sire. Internal to be exact." At Uther's knitted brows, Gaius explained further. "Between the first and seventh months after a Dragonlord's thirtieth birthday, he will go through a transition that will make it able for them to be able to conceive, this to ensure that the Dragonlord's line will be continued."

Uther's brows grew closer and closer with each sentence. "What are you saying, physician."

"What Gaius is trying to say, father." Arthur interrupted, "Is that Merlin's body is preparing itself for the fact that he'll be able to conceive a child."

"It is rare, Sire." Gaius put in. "But not unheard off, as stated in some previous records. This book states several sign and symptoms in different stages, that fit perfectly with what Merlin is experiencing. Such as; fatigue, loss of appetite, fever, retching and nauseousness. And Merlin had his thirtieth birthday not yet three months ago."

Uther breathed in deeply, he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. Merlin had always talked about having a family with him, but neither of them were women who could bear such child. If what Gaius was telling him was true, then perhaps their dream would come true. Although he was still not fully convinced that what Gaius was telling him was the whole truth.

"But what about his magic?" Uther asked, "Merlin had explained me that his Dragonlord powers and his magic were two different things. Shouldn't he be able to use his magic?"

"That is a good statement, Sire, which the book gives an answer too." Gaius turned the page around and tapped on a new line of words.

If the Dragonlord also possesses Magic, it will become dormant for the time it will take for the transition to become complete. The Magic will then gradually return back to its user.

"But when is it complete!" Uther now yelled, which was answered by a soft groan. Uther immediately turned to the bed where Merlin was now moving slowly and Uther walked up to Merlin and saw him fluttering his eyes. He went to sit down on the bed, and pulled Merlin onto his side and slung an arm around him. His hand went up and down Merlin's arm in a comforting manner and his eyes kept moving from Merlin to Arthur and Gaius.

Arthur and Gaius moved closer towards the bed, with Arthur explaining further. "The book tells us that it'll take about a month and that there are three stages. First is the loss of appetite which Merlin experience three weeks ago, the second stage is fatigue which started the week after that, and the third stage is the fever, the nauseous feeling and the retching, which as we all know started about three days ago. We suspect that it might take another two to four days."

"Yes," Gaius continued. "The book tells us that when the transition is complete, all the symptoms disappear within the day."

"And he'll be… what. He's a woman?" Uther felt nearly as bad as what Merlin must've looked and he was confused about this whole transitioning thing.

"Not quite." Gaius answered. "It is true that Merlin will be able to conceive a child, but his anatomy stays practically the same, there will be no such things as a lady's anatomy apart from the womb. Even the birth will be different as we have to cut open the stomach to retrieve the child."

"What!" Uther thundered, earning himself a grunt and whimper once more. That made him calm down almost instantly and he bent down to press a kiss on top of Merlin's sweat clad hair. "I'm sorry love, I'll try not to shout." He whispered softly towards his not nearly conscious consort.

"Sire, it will be the only way. And his magic will be able to close the wound almost instantly." Gaius reasoned. "The rest of the pregnancy will be entirely the same as a woman's."

After a moment's thought, Uther flicked his hand outwards. "Leave us." He instructed and Gaius and Arthur bowed and walked out of the room. They had expected this kind of reaction of Uther beforehand.

Uther put Merlin in a bit more comfortable position and he himself undressed himself quickly before slipping under the covers and pulling Merlin close to him. He still felt burning hot and Uther rewet the cloth on top of Merlin's brow and placed it back. His mind had been doing overtime and if Gaius' explanation for the sickness would be true than Merlin would be better in just a couple of days. He just hopedthat was true.

But even so, how would he ever be able to explain to Merlin what had happened to him once he would be awake and responsive enough to actually have a conversation.

That would be a thought for the next day though, for now he would keep the man he loves in his arms and giving him the comfort he felt Merlin needed.