Chapter 34 A/N I do not own Merlin. Owaine's family's manor is Markenfield hall, I know, built much later and all, but it's just so pretty. I wanted the downton abbey castle, but then figured it was too grand, so I looked up 'castles in england' in wikipedia and this was one of the ones that i saw first, so I went with it. Also, you can get married there apparently, and now I really want whoever my future husband is to let me have the wedding there! Although, living across the pond would make everyone have to travel, and I don't think we'd do one of those.

What are we waiting for, Owaine?" Pellinore asked impatiently.

"Well, apart from Lady Eleanor, your wife, we are waiting for my betrothed, Cassie. Name ring a bell, moody?" Owaine teased.

"Yeah, yeah." he said, muttering about something.

"Ready!?" Cassie called as she and Ellie descended the steps arm-in-arm.

"Ready, my love." Owaine said, walking forward to meet them.

"You'll love their manor. It's quite breathtaking." Ellie said excitedly.

"I can imagine." Cassie said with an excited smile. "We're going in a carriage?"

"Yes, Ellie's pregnancy." Pell said rather irritatedly from his perch.

"Has he been like this since this morning?" Cassie asked Ellie in an undertone.

"Yes. I think he's upset I didn't tell him about the spotting before going to you." she whispered back.

"Oh." Cassie said, climbing into the carriage. They set off only moments later, exiting the gates as a knight in yellow rode in on horseback.

They made small talk throughout the day, pausing a few times to rest during the long journey. They stopped for the evening near a creek, reminding Cassie of the time she shared with Owaine in the forest the past winter, and set up camp.

"I can go gather some firewood while you guys set up camp." Cassie said as she stepped off the carriage.

"I'll help you. Best to leave Owaine to do all the heavy lifting." Pell said with a teasing smile.

"Yeah, 'cause you're too moody to do any now. Are you at that time of the month." Owaine teased back lightheartedly.

"Come on, Pell." Cassie said, fighting off giggles at the brothers' antics and leading him into the forest.

He gathered firewood silently until they were far enough away that no one would overhear.

"Cassie, did I harm my child at all?" he asked bluntly, needing to know if he did anything bad.

"No, Pell. Your child is safe." Cassie said softly, walking over to him and placing a hand comfortingly on his arm.

"Then why was she bleeding?"

"She's due in a couple months, Pell. It could just be her body preparing for childbirth." she consoled.

"What if it's not? I've never done this before, been a father. What if me andEllie being together hurt him?" he asked in a quavering voice.

"Pellinore, no one is prepared to have their first child. But you and Ellie have been doing a wonderful job. From what I've seen, and what I've researched, it does not hurt the baby when you are together. Just, don't... be together the last few months, to prevent you know." Cassie finished awkwardly, not really used to speaking of such things with men.

"Thank you, Cassie. For being there for Ellie last night. And for talking to me, just now." Pellinore said gratefully. "Can you not mention this to anyone?"

"It's in confidence, Pell. I'll never breathe a word of this." Cassie promised as she turned to go back to camp with the firewood, giving him some time to compose himself

"Where's Pell?" Ellie asked with her brow furrowed as she walked in alone.

"Should be collecting more firewood, said something about it lasting the night without having to get up and look." Cassie lied quickly, something neither of them noticed.

In the morning, they packed up their camp and set out to continue the long journey. Pellinore stopped the carriage on the top of a hill for Cassie to get her first look. She looked down at a beautiful stone fortress in a U shape configuration and moat.

"Your first look at our lands, Cassie. What do you think?"

"I can't wait to see the view of the rest from your battlements! And what's with the moat?" Cassie joked, admiring the view.

"Come on, we're only a half hour away." Owaine said, opening the carriage door for the women to climb up.

The time passed quickly with Ellie and Cassie gossiping idly and Owaine and Pellinore joking around and when they finally arrived at the gate to the manor, Cassie was taken aback by the vastness of the grounds. She was used to the tall gates and all, but her time in Camelot and her youth in the palace of Reccopolis was rather crowded and cobbled. She had gardens growing up, but stayed in the courtyards by herself, avoiding the gardens and her sisters' gossiping at all cost.

Here, there were mazes of low hedges and flowerbeds all around, making different shapes and colors, small and large topiaries interspersed with groves of trees and a pond on the far side with a beautiful fountain behind it. And that was just the entrance. There was a round flower bed just in front of the large oak doors that led into the manor with spiked speedwell, foxglove and Greek valerian making swirling patterns of lavender, blue, white, and pink at the base of a small stone statue of a lion sejant. Pellinore brought the carriage up around the flower bed and stepped down to open the door for the two women. Owaine followed, going to the door where his family were waiting to greet them. The moment she stepped down she could smell all the flowers' scents mixing in a pleasantly intoxicating manner.

"Mother, Father, may I present Casiopea." Owaine said, walking over with a proud smile on his face and his arms outstretched.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Casiopea." Urien said, taking her hand and placing a gentle kiss on it.

"The pleasure's all mine, my Lord." Cassie answered with a shy smile, curtsying.

Morrigan gave her a warm smile and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, "Please, no 'my Lord and my Lady' with us. Morrigan and Urien." she said brokering no argument.

"Very well, Morrigan. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Owaine has told me so much about you all."

"And us, you. Come, I'll see you to your rooms while Urien greets the boys." Morrigan said, extending her arm for the two women to follow her.

"We're not boys anymore, Mother." Owaine called after her, handing the bags to one of the servants.

"Yes you are!" the three women called over their shoulders, making Urien laugh heartily.

"Some things will never change." he said, shaking his head fondly.

"You have a lovely home, Morrigan." Cassie said conversationally.

"Thank you dear. It might not be as you are accustomed, but it's quite nice. Especially in the winter months."

"Oh, no. That garden out in front must look beautiful in the summertime. They are only just beginning to flower, but it's a splendid garden."

"Thank you, Casiopea."

"Oh, please call me Cassie. My mother only ever called me Casiopea when I was in trouble. Or in formal company."

"Well, Cassie. I'm sure we'll be getting to know each other very well this week. But for now, you two look exhausted. I'll leave you to unpack while I walk Ellie to her room?"

"Thank you, Morrigan." Cassie said with a smile, going into her room. She thanked the servant who brought her belongings and put them in the wardrobe while she admired the view from her window before asking for some water to be brought for her to wash up.

"Would you like the tub as well, my Lady?"

"No thank you...uhm, what's your name?"

"Claire."

"Claire, thank you, just a basin and the water is fine."

"Right away, my Lady."

Cassie went about changing behind the screen into her dressing gown to wash thoroughly before changing into her cerulean blue dress with matching shoes.

"May I come in?" came Owaine's voice followed by a quick knock on the door.

"Give me half an hour after Claire gets back with the water, Owaine."

"Okay. I'll be in the drawing room with Father." Owaine told her through the door.

"I'll go down when I'm ready, Owaine." Cassie called.

She didn't have to wait much longer for the servant girl to return with the water for her to wash up. Once she was done, and had dressed and styled her hair up, she walked out with every intention of finding Owaine, but realized she didn't quite know where she was going. She wandered the moated fortress for quite some time, marveling at the view from the windows and the ornate stonework.

"Are you lost?" asked a girl from the end of the corridor. She had beautiful red hair and bright hazel eyes.

"Only a little." Cassie admitted nervously. "I'm Cassie." She said curtsying in greeting.

"Alys. Morvydd's wife. You're Owaine's betrothed, right?"

"Yes, I am. Morvydd is the oldest brother?" Cassie asked, the age difference between him and her obvious.

"Yes, he is. Were you looking for Owaine's rooms?"

"No, he said he would be in the drawing room with his father, I was just gathering the courage to go, but then I got a little lost. The palace in Reccopolis was big, but one story. I figured the drawing room was on the ground floor. And then I got lost finding the stairs."

"It is a bit daunting at first. I remember when Mor and I first married and I moved here how many times I got lost. Just follow me." she said kindly.

"Thank you, Alys."

"You mentioned Reccopolis. Where is that?"

"Hispania, inland."

"Must have been a long journey. I've been to the Western Isles but that's as far as I've traveled."

"I have been to many places. But nothing compares to here. Unless we're counting Rome. Then that wins every time." Cassie joked, trying to not show how nervous she was.

"Nervous, are you?" Alys asked, smiling sympathetically.

"Too obvious?"

"Only a bit. I felt the same when I met Morrigan and Urien the first time since I am so much younger than Mor, but there's nothing to be worried about. Besides, when Owaine wrote her that you saved him from the mercenaries, she decided you were perfect for him."

"Really?" Cassie said, hope shining in her eyes.

"Yes, she's also been going overboard with details on the wedding." Alys smiled.

"I'm glad she's helping. I wouldn't have the faintest idea where to begin." she admitted sheepishly.

"Do you have a dress?"

"Yes, my friend is making it."

"Then you do know where to start!" the girl said, trying to cheer up her soon-to-be sister. "So, you mentioned the palace in Reccopolis. What was it like?"

"Tall, but only one story. Very big though, and my favorite place in it was the battlements. And the great hall, it was rather beautiful whenever we decorated for Navidad. And the bronzework was absolutely stunning. If there's something we Visigoths know, other than fighting, is bronzework.

"Sounds marvelous." she said dreamily.

"It was, but all the memories I have of it are overshadowed by the reason I left. I'm sure Pellinore or Owaine mentioned it."

"No, I haven't heard why." Alys said, passing by a few servants who curtsied and waited until they turned the corner.

"Reccopolis was attacked. As far as I know, only a handful of people lived. The rest were dead, by the hand of a brute and his people." Cassie said, trying to not sound too dark.

"Pardon me, my Ladies. Did you say that everyone in Reccopolis died?" one of the servants who was passing by asked.

"Yes, they entered the city in the dark of night and killed everyone. I was hiding when I fell asleep so they didn't find me, but everyone else I saw was dead." Cassie answered sadly.

"Usted no sabrá si mi sobrina y su familia también murieron?" the woman asked.

"No le sabré decir, no conocía a muchos. Tal vez si me dice el nombre." she offered.

"Sara, era cocinera en el palacio real." 'No this can't be happening, she can't tell anyone who I am!' Cassie thought panicky.

"Lo siento mucho, Sara falleció también. La vi con mis ojos cuando salí del palacio." Cassie told her gently.

"Le tengo que decir a mi padre que Sara no ha escrito porque murió. Con su permiso." the servant excused herself, forgetting to say so in English due to her distress.

"What did she ask?" Alys asked, curious.

"She wanted to know if I knew if her niece had survived. I didn't realize more people had moved to Britain." Cassie answered, hoping she did not show how afraid she was.

"Let's get some air before we go see Urien." Alys suggested, noticing how uncomfortable Cassie seemed.

"I'm sorry for asking, Cassie. If I had known such bad memories were behind the answer I would not have."

"You had no reason to know, Alys. And it's something I have to move past."

"You shouldn't ever have to move past seeing your family dead." Alys said softly, deep in her own thoughts.

"Come now, tell me about how you and Mor met." Cassie said smiling, blatantly changing the subject.

The two girls gossiped some while they walked around the garden and when they finally got their fill of fresh air, went back inside and headed for the drawing room where everyone was.

"Look who I found, wandering about lost." Alys said as they walked inside arm in arm, much to the chagrin of the blonde.

"You did not say she was this beautiful, Owaine!" Morvydd said as he walked over and placed a kiss on her hand before taking his wife's and doing the same.

"A pleasure to meet you, Morvydd." Cassie said curtsying.

"We're just waiting for Ellie to finish with our physician before sitting for lunch. I do hope you're hungry, Casiopea." Mor said amiably.

"Call me Cassie, please. I am rather hungry. Those two barely fed us any on our journey."

"Hey!" Pellinore exclaimed at the same time as Owaine.

"That's so not true!" Owaine said, clearly taking the bait.

"The stories from Camelot really are ture, then?"

"What stories are these?" Cassie asked curiously.

"You have my poor brothers wrapped around your little finger! One word and they both bite!" he finished amused.

"I grew up with six older brothers and four older sisters, I know just what to say to get them to do my bidding."

"I've learned not to argue with that, Cassie. Alys also grew up with many siblings." he told her smiling as they went to the sitting area.

"I've just been to your back gardens, Morrigan. They are even more spectacular than the one at the entrance. What are those tall blue flowers called? They're beautiful!"

"They're delphiniums. They are rather beautiful, they were a wedding present for Urien and I years ago. They came from Greece I believe."

"They are really beautiful. Did they name them after the town near Chios?"

"I really cannot say, Cassie." Morrigan said.

"It's a shame your other sibling couldn't be here to meet you. Katherine would have certainly loved to meet you, you two seem like you would become good friends." Urien said as they waited for Ellie.

They all made small talk for another fifteen or so minutes, getting to know Cassie better, before Ellie walked in.

"I'm starving. If there's one thing I won't miss about my pregnancy it's wanting to eat every hour!"

"Come, dear, take a seat. I'll have lunch served shortly." Morrigan said getting up and walking out the room to see to the meal.

"Oh, Cassie. Adalberto would like to speak with you later. I told him about your potions, and he wants to know if you could give him the recipe." Ellie said.

"Oh, of course, I can give him the recipe later."

"Potions?" Alys asked curiously.

"Cassie was Gaius' physician for a while, now she is the Court Midwife. The potion is supposed to keep the baby nourished or something like that." Ellie explained.

"Yeah, it's a recipe I picked up from one of the healers in Hispania. It's very popular there for expecting mothers." Cassie said.

"Did you always want to be a healer?" Urien asked.

"My brothers were all soldiers, so my mother taught me how to stitch and treat wounds as a young girl. And I had a tutor that would help me with the healing arts as well. But I don't think I wanted to be a healer until I arrived at Camelot and met Gaius." Cassie explained just as Morrigan entered.

"How is Gaius? I haven't seen him in years." she said as she sat next to Alys.

"About the same as always, although his nephew, Merlin, moved to Camelot, so now he has someone to keep him company."

"Really? I didn't know he had a nephew."

"His sister lives in Ealdor, in Cenred's kingdom. I can never remember the name of it." she added, looking to Owaine for help.

"Essetir. Merlin actually is the apprentice now, even though he works as Prince Arthur's manservant."

"From what I remember of Prince Arthur, poor Merlin." Mor said.

"My reaction exactly! Cassie disagrees, she says poor Arthur." Owaine said.

"Merlin is a nonstop chatterer, even if he has nothing to say, he fills the air with idle talk."

"Much like you, Cassie." Pell joked.

"I do not chatter idly," Cassie said, lifting her chin a little in a haughty manner, "I speak constantly, there's a difference, Merlin blabbers on about nothing, and I talk about everything." Cassie finished, her lips lifting in a teasing manner.

"Semantincs, love." Owaine told her, causing everyone in the room to laugh at her muttering in spanish.

"I'm sorry what was that, lambkin?" Owaine asked, fanning the flames.

"I said we should take a stroll through the gardens after lunch." Cassie said, smiling in a sweet manner. She was already planning her next prank on him.

"Lunch is served." was heard from the door.

They sat down for a hearty mutton stew and made pleasant conversation throughout lunch. When lunch was finished, Owaine and Cassie excused themselves and went for a stroll through the garden. They walked past rows of roses of every color and settled under a tree at the edge of the pond in the front.

"Told you they'd love you." Owaine said, placing a kiss on her forehead as he settled himself behind her and wrapped his arms around hers.

"You don't have to answer, but Alys seems like she knows what I went through. Was her family…" Cassie asked softly, trailing off, not wanting to utter the words.

"Not her family. Her lands are on the border, and they were attacked when she was younger, she saw from her window the fight and carnage when she was maybe eight."

"Oh, it's no wonder when I told her what had happened in Reccopolis. There was actually a servant girl who had family who worked in the palace. I knew her niece, she was one of the cooks, I saw her on my way out of the city. It broke my heart to have to tell her." Cassie said sadly.

"Did she recognize you?" Owaine asked worriedly.

"No, she didn't treat me like one would treat royalty in Hispania. She treated me like a noble. But that could have been because of her duelo, unm… Grief."

"I'm sorry you had to tell her like that, it mustn't have been easy." Owaine said, looking closely at her, noticing how her smile was slightly forced.

"Let's get back, I have to speak to this physician and give him the recipe."

"What about the magic?"

"Even without the magic, the potion helps to keep the mother nourished. I'll just not give him that small detail." Cassie said, getting up and turning to face him.

"I suppose. Would you like me to accompany you?"

"No, I'll be right. Could you tell me how to get there?"

"He has his own cottage on the grounds. His family lives with him, but they all work as servants. He's usually alone in the day between patients."

"Okay, I can find it then. Bye Owaine." Cassie said, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. "Don't think I won't be getting back at you for going along with Pell's teasing." she said turning and walking backwards.

"I'm looking forward to it!" Owaine called back light-heartedly.

Cassie found the cottage easily and knocked on the door, waiting patiently in the shade of the quaint cottage.

"Yes?"

"I was told to come see Adalberto about the potions I've been giving Lady Eleanor. Are you he?" Cassie called through the door.

"Him, my dear. You must be Cassie." he said, opening the door. But when he opened the door he found himself in front of the Princess of Hispania.

"Su Majestad." he said, taking a knee. "Es un honor tenerla en mi humilde hogar."

Post chapter A/N I left it off on a small cliffie, hope you liked it! If not, let me know where I can do better.