Chapter 54 A/N I don't own Merlin. Morefavorites! Yay! MAkes me happy to get them, and it also makes me write quicker *wink, wink. Nudge, nudge*
"Morning, Gaius. I'm going to collect some herbs, do you need any?"
"No, Merlin's only just left to do the same. You might be able to catch him and tell him what you need." Gaius told her, turning around to see her head peeking around the doorway.
"Are you kidding? I'm going with him! I finally have that stupid cast off! No offense, it was very well made." Cassie said, quickly backtracking when his eyebrow began to rise.
"Go on, you won't catch him if you stay and talk." he said, rolling his eyes and turning back to whatever potion he was making.
"Bye Gaius!" Cassie said, taking off down the corridor and down to the courtyard.
"Where are you running off to?" Merlin asked as she ran into him, holding her steady with a hand on each arm.
"Well, I was going to find you, actually. Herbs." Cassie said, looking pointedly at his hands so he'd let go of her, "Why aren't you by the city gates?"
"Forgot the basket." he said grinning sheepishly and bringing a hand to rub at the back of his neck.
"That is so you." Cassie said, giggling and holding up her basket. "Come on, I've got a long list. Figure I should have my own stock of potions for pain."
"Gaius taught you already?"
"I've been here a lot longer than you have, Merlin. No need to be jealous. But it did take him a while before he trusted my abilities enough to teach me. I am a bit…volatile sometimes." Cassie said, remembering that one potion she'd made explode all those months ago.
"Yeah, I can see that." Merlin replied thoughtfully.
"Oh, ha ha." Cassie said, rolling her eyes and hooking her arm through Merlin's, walking out the city gates towards the forest.
"Do you have enough yarrow?" Cassie called out from a tree a few meters away after they'd collected most of what was needed.
"Yeah, we just need the mushrooms then we'll be done." Merlin called back, standing up and walking towards her.
"I like the ones over that way." Cassie said, pointing to the east.
"They're the same as the ones that grow here." Merlin told her, looking at her as if she were mental.
"Yeah, but they're bigger over there." Cassie said.
"Ok fine." he relented, walking side by side to pick the fungi.
"Did you hear that?" Cassie asked from where she was standing watching him pick the fungi.
"Hear wha-" Merlin started to ask but was interrupted by the loud screeching behind them. "Run!" he yelled, getting to his feet and leaving the basket forgotten, grabbing Cassie's hand to stop her from reaching down.
"Merlin!" Cassie yelled a few paces away when he tripped, hesitating a little.
"Go!" he yelled back, staring up in fear at the winged creature who had reared on its hind legs, closing his eyes when he saw its talons come nearer.
"Aahh!" Cassie heard a man yell out in pain, looking up from behind the fallen tree where she was hiding. She watched him swing his sword at the beast as Merlin sat up slowly, both of them running away when the man's sword broke and jumping over the same tree she was hidden behind.
"It's gone." Merlin panted, looking up at the sky as the creature flew away. "You saved my life. I'm Merlin." he said gratefully, holding his hand out to shake.
"Lancelot." the man replied, taking his hand and shaking it briefly before he passed out.
"We should get him back." Cassie said in a shaking voice. "I'll go for the herbs. Be right back." she said, letting out a huff when Merlin pulled her down roughly.
"No way in hell you're going back for them with that thing out here."
"Fine. I'll come back later with Owaine." Cassie said, getting to her feet and helping him haul Lancelot up to his feet, supporting him on one side as Merlin took the other one. "Really wish I was taller right now."
"Yeah, so do I." Merlin agreed, slowly making his way back to Camelot with Lancelot and Cassie.
"He's hurt, Gaius." Merlin said when they walked through the door half-carrying, half-dragging Lancelot in.
"Set him down on the cot, I'll check him over." Gaius said, motioning towards the cot. "Lady Hannah was looking for you, Cassie. I think she's in her chambers."
"Yeah, she's due any day now, I should go. Oh, can I have a vial of the pain potion, just in case?" Cassie said.
"Feel free." he said, moving around his chambers getting a few things.
"My Lady?" Cassie called through the door after knocking.
"Enter." she said breathlessly.
"I was out gathering herbs, how are you?" Cassie asked, closing the door behind her and placing the medical bag on the nearby table.
"Well, I think I'm starting to go into labor." she said, breathing hard from the window. "Thought maybe the air would help."
"How far along are the labor pains?"
"I'm not sure, they're fairly quick at times, and other times not really. But they have been getting stronger. It's been going on all day."
"Well, I should probably go tell your husband he's about to be a father." Cassie told the pretty blonde with a smile, squeezing her hand reassuringly.
"Really? Oh, I'm so nervous." she said, pacing in front of the window.
"Well, stop worrying and take deep breaths, I'll just find someone to tell him. I'll be right back." Cassie said with a wide smile, finding the first servant and asking him to bring a bucket of water and some towels to Lady Hannah's rooms and to tell Sir Alan he was needed.
"Really?" Sir Alan asked, practically flying into the room and going over to his wife's side.
"Really. It might be a while, though. Drink some water, my Lady." Cassie answered, serving some water in a cup and handing it to Lady Hannah.
"Thanks." she said as she took a sip.
"Here, you look like you need it too, my Lord." Cassie said, holding back her giggle at his expression.
"Thanks."
"I'll be back in a bit." Cassie said with a knowing glint in her eyes, giving them some privacy for this moment.
Cassie walked through the castle quickly, finding Owiane in the armory with a few others.
"Hello, my Queen." he said, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.
"My Knight." Cassie said, standing on tiptoes to kiss him. "I won't be having lunch with you today, Lady Hannah's going to have her baby. Not sure how long I'll be."
"I'll be sure to stop by later. Give Sir Alan my congratulations." Owaine said, walking out of the armory with her. "You will be having lunch, though?"
"Yes, my worrisome husband." Cassie replied, hugging him quickly. "I should get back now. She's been having the pains all day, shouldn't be too long I'd expect."
"See you tonight, then. I'll wait up."
"Okay, my love." Cassie told him, kissing him chastely on the lips before going back to Lady Hannah's chambers for the day.
"This is exhausting!" Hannah said breathlessly after the fifth contraction in a half hour later that evening.
"I know, just breathe through it." Cassie said, helping her sit up and rubbing circles on her back.
"It's coming again!" she cried, breathing hard and leaning back against the headboard. "Can I start to push now?"
"You have to wait just a little bit longer, I promise. An hour at most." Cassie said, moving down and inspecting how dilated she was.
"More water." Alan said, leaving the bucket by Cassie and going back to his wife's side and rubbing circles along her back. "How long does it take? To give birth?"
"It depends, sometimes it's really fast and others it's days worth of labor." Cassie answered.
"I really hope it doesn't take days!" Hannah gasped out, feeling the next contraction.
"Well, it seems to me that you are just about ready to start pushing. You're open enough for the head to pass through. Just wait until I tell you to, and then push down hard until I tell you to stop." Cassie explained, nodding to one of the servants she'd taken to training to get the water warmed and the towels ready as she proceeded to deliver the baby.
"WAHHH!" the baby boy screamed once she finished checking him over and gently held upl.
"Your beautiful son." Cassie said softly, showing the boy to his parents and placing the baby on his mothers bare chest to breastfeed.
"He is beautiful." Hannah said in an exhausted voice, letting Cassie guide her hand to his rump and hesitatingly caressing his back with her thumb.
"He'll latch on when he gets hungry, just give him time to explore and all. Works best on skin to skin, I'll just cover his back with this so he doesn't get too cold." Cassie told them softly, gently placing a light blanket over both the mother and the baby taking care not to cover his head.
"Thank you, my Lady." Alan said, paying her for her services with a few gold thrymsas.
"Oh I-"
"Take it, it's your job." he said, turning back to his family and smiling warmly.
"Thank you. I'll see myself out, your family's waiting." Cassie told him with a smile, quietly closing the door behind her and walking towards her chambers to bathe.
"Why didn't you wake me when you got back?" Owaine asked sleepily from the table an hour later.
"You looked so cute sleeping with your head on the table." Cassie answered as she opened an eye and looked at him. "I couldn't bring myself to wake you."
"Difficult birth?" he asked her, getting up and walking over.
"No, long, but not difficult." Cassie told him, following him with her eyes as he got closer.
"How long have you been in there?"
"The water's lukewarm." Cassie told him.
"Come on, lambkin. You look exhausted." he said, taking the towel and holding it out for her.
"I'm not that tired." Cassie murmured as she stepped out of the tub, smiling slightly as an idea crossed her mind.
"Why do I not believe that?" Owaine asked her with a raised eyebrow.
"I dunno." she mumbled, ignoring the towel and wrapping her arms around him.
"You know, the towel was for you to dry, there was no need to get my clothes wet." he told her, wrapping the towel around her frame and hugging her tightly.
"I know, I just wanted to." Cassie said with a smile against his chest.
"You just wanted to?" he repeated, his chest vibrating with his chuckles.
"Yes. It's not the only thing I want."
"Oh?"
"I want a baby." she whispered into his chest with a wide smile.
"Good. I want one too." he told her, scooping her up into his arms and kissing her passionately, taking her to the bed and making love to her for the night.
"Where are you going?" Cassie asked groggily in the morning when she felt Owaine get up out of bed.
"The King and Arthur are going to survey a village, I'm part of the retinue."
"Oh, bye then." Cassie said sadly.
"I'm not off to war, I'll be back in a few hours, love." he told her, leaning over to kiss her.
"I know, I had just hoped we'd have the morning to ourselves." Cassie said, sighing wistfully.
"I do have fifteen minutes before I'm due in the courtyard." Owaine said with a grin.
"Well, babies don't just make themselves." Cassie said, licking her lips seductively and pulling him back on top of her.
"Hello, Gaius!" Cassie called out later that day.
"Cassie. Lady Hannah all right?" he greeted.
"Beautiful baby boy, not sure his name though, it was rather late and Lady Hannah was pretty tired. I left them their privacy."
"You mean you gave them privacy. I'll stop by later to meet him." he corrected, chuckling fondly.
"You were there with Merlin yesterday, weren't you?"
"Yeah, I'm Cassie. It's Lancelot right?"
"Yes."
"I'm leaving before you start talking." Gaius said, giving Lancelot a semi-apologetic look and leaving quickly.
"Apparently, he thinks I talk too much. But I don't see it. I think I talk just enough." Cassie said with a shake of her head as she put the potions she'd taken back and sat in front of him.
"Where are you from? You don't speak like you're from here."
"Hispania. It's a long story. You good to walk? The view from Merlin's window is beautiful, but you should see the view from the battlements." Cassie said, a wide smile on her face.
"Sure. Merlin said he would speak with Prince Arthur about becoming a knight and he just left." he answered, following her out the door as she chattered about the view.
"Where are you from?" Cassie asked when they walked onto the battlements.
"Small village near the northern plains. But I left when I was a boy, I've never been back." he told her softly in a tone of voice Cassie easily recognized.
"I know what you mean. I left Hispania for that reason too." Cassie told him softly, looking out at the returning retinue.
"What do you mean?" he asked, looking at her curiously from the side.
"There was a group of people who stole into the city at night and massacred everyone. I only saw a few people alive in the morning when I left, everyone else was dead. All my family, every last servant and guard. Every citizen." she answered, staring out over the city hollowly.
"My village was attacked as well, when I was a boy. Raiders. We fought, but there were too many and none of the villagers were trained at fighting. They were slaughtered where they stood, my mother, my father. Everyone. I was the only one to escape and I've made it my life's mission to never be unprepared again. Studied the art of combat, and here I am, hoping to become a knight."
"You know, in Hispania there were many soldiers like you. Well trained, loyal. You would have wound up being one of the leaders of my- of the army."
"The way you speak of it...there is someone you can talk to, right?" he asked, clearly hearing what she wasn't saying.
"I have my husband, and best friend to talk to." Cassie answered quietly.
"I don't know what it is you're not saying, but if you ever need to talk…"
"I like you, Lancelot. I can tell we'll be quick friends." Cassie said, giving him a smile and looping her arm through his as she changed topics. "Merlin's bound to be speaking to Arthur by now. Might even catch him. Besides, if you're staying in Camelot, this will be your favorite place." she told him, as she dragged him down the stairs and out to the training fields.
"Who's this, Cassie?" Owaine asked, a spark of jealousy behind his light blue eyes.
"Lance, this is my husband, Owaine. Owaine, this is Lancelot, he saved me and Merlin yesterday from that thing I told you about." Cassie said by way of introduction, smiling at the so plainly jealous knight.
"Good to meet you." Lancelot said amiably, offering his hand.
"And you. Lunch later?" he asked her, shaking his forearm quickly before turning back to his wife.
"Definitely, but Bruin's boring holes in your skull, might want to get back." Cassie said with a giggle.
"He's worse than me when Caelia's here." Owaine muttered, rolling his eyes and giving her a quick kiss, before he returned to his training.
"Jealous man, he is." Lancelot said teasingly.
"Yes he is, but I'm an even more jealous woman. Which is why no one dares look at him." Cassie said with a victorious smile.
"But you're so small!" he said as she walked over to Merlin and greeted him with a bright smile.
"All the better to fool you." Cassie replied with an evil smile.
"That smile scares me." he said with a nod of his head, looking back out to the man who was swinging his swords dramatically as he neared Arthur.
"It's meant to." she said with a wink, watching the short fight. "We should get back, Gaius will kill me if he finds out I roped you into my newest prank."
"What prank exactly is this?" he said, following after her when Arthur told the others to take the lord away.
"You'll have to wait and see, dear Lancelot." Cassie replied glibly, a smirk on her face as she winked at Merlin and walked back to the physician's tower with him in tow.
"See you later, patients to visit." Cassie said by way of explanation as she left him in Gaius' chambers and went over to hers next door.
"Those are your patients?" he asked, following her and looking at the bowls of barley.
"Yeah, they need a bit longer. I'll know tomorrow. I stay here during the day unless I'm needed elsewhere. I'm the Court Midwife. And I tend to the women in the Lower Town, as well." Cassie explained with a smile. "If you're feeling a little nauseous and weak I might be able to tell you what it is." Cassie offered with a teasing smile.
"I'm good, thanks." he said, laughing quietly as he went back to Gaius' chambers to wait for Merlin.
"Owaine?" Cassie asked curiously when she walked into their chambers to find all the lit candles and some dinner on the table.
"I'm to go to sentry duty in one of the outlying villages." he said by way of explanation, closing the door and pulling her into his embrace, "I leave in the morning."
"If I say that I'll spend the day with the tall, dark and handsome stranger will you stay?" Cassie asked hopefully, looking up at him.
"Don't threaten me with that." he growled amusedly. "Else I'd run into the arms of my fiery sunset."
"Fine, guess you'll be eating alone." she sighed wistfully, stepping out of his embrace and walking behind the changing screen.
"Or not at all." he answered, smiling wickedly as he followed her behind the screen and wrapped his arms around her from behind, revelling in the delighted squeal she let out as he picked her up and twirled her.
"You, my fool of a husband, will regret that. I will make sure of it." Cassie said as she let the dress pool around her ankles, jumping up and kissing him passionately as he took her to the bed, making sure she had him pinned under her while they're lips never parted.
"If this is what you'll do, I won't regret it. And I'll be sure to do it every night." Owaine said against her lips, breathing hard as she met his thrusts.
"Hmm, please do." Cassie mumbled, a smile tugging at her lips as she moved to nibble on his earlobe. "Let's make it interesting, you have to come up with a way to seduce me every night before you leave on patrol or for sentry duty. And it cannot be a repeat." she whispered huskily against his ear, sending excited shivers down his spine.
"Then you'll have to do the same when I get back." he replied, trailing kisses along her shoulder and collarbone.
"So be it." she said breathlessly, flipping him over on the bed to let him take over, her nails digging into his back as he sent waves of pleasure through her.
"And what if there's a repeat?" he asked, kissing her neck.
"You have to do what I say for the rest of the day. Exactly as I say." Cassie replied with a smirk. "And vice versa."
"You are so beautiful, Casiopea." he whispered after a few minutes of gazing into her eyes wordlessly as his pace increased. "I love every part of you."
"I love you, too. So much." Cassie replied, arching her back and kissing him passionately, moaning into the kiss as she felt the pleasure building in her center.
"I'll never get tired of hearing that." Owaine whispered against her shoulder as she groaned in ecstasy.
"I will never tire of this either, my Knight." Cassie panted, smiling as he slowed his pace to let her catch her breath before quickening his pace once more, whispering sweet nothings in her ear as they both reached their climax at the same time.
"I love you, my Queen." Owaine whispered against her neck as they collapsed next to each other on the bed, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to him.
"And I love that you have dinner, I haven't eaten all day." Cassie said with a playful smile, turning around and kissing him on the nose.
"Oh, ha ha." he mock laughed, sitting up and handing her his discarded tunic while he put his trousers on, his eyes staring at her hardened nipples through his tunic as she walked backwards to the table. "Budge over, I'm hungry too."
"I thought you said not at all?" Cassie asked with a teasing smile, putting her feet on the chair next to her.
"Okay, we'll play it that way." Owaine said with an amused twinkle in his eye, picking her up and sitting down where she was.
"Whatever." Cassie said with a shrug, sitting on his lap and taking food off his plate.
"That's my food!" he said, outraged.
"Yes, but I'm hungry. And you need to stay fighting fit." she replied teasingly, laughing gaily when he ate the food right out of her hand.
"I like this. We'll make it a habit." he said smugly through a mouthful of food, nodding to himself and smiling at the roll of her eyes.
"Whatever you say, my love." Cassie replied drily, popping a piece of meat into her mouth and chewing.
"We should get some sleep." Owaine told her, pushing her hair to the side and kissing her neck lovingly when they finished their meal.
"I know. But just because we should, doesn't mean we have to." Cassie answered, twisting gracefully on his lap and kissing him passionately, smiling to herself when she felt his member begin to harden through the fabric of his trousers.
"You will be the death of me, woman." he groaned out, picking her up and taking her back to the bed to make love to until they fell asleep in each other's embrace.
"What if I ask Arthur to assign someone else? Why are you even going, I figured the guards would, but you're a knight!" Cassie said when they woke up just before dawn.
"Guards are going. Two as a matter of fact." Owaine answered, kissing her nose and going over to get dressed.
"If there's two, why do you have to go?" she whined petulanty, getting out of bed and helping him dress.
"I'm overseeing them. Every village has two guards and one Knight posted for sentry." he explained, letting her help him with the haubergeon when his hair got stuck in one of the links.
"Be safe, my Knight." Cassie said as she finished freeing his hair with gentle hands, standing up on tiptoes and kissing him goodbye.
"I like that kiss." Owaine muttered with a smile keeping his forehead on hers.
"Come back and you'll get one you like even more." Cassie told him, looking up at him through her lashes with a shy smile.
"Definitely coming back." he said, kissing her once more. "Yep, definitely."
"Go, you'll get in trouble." Cassie said, pushing him to the door with a lovestruck giggle, dressing and going to her chambers in the physician's tower.
"Hello, Cassie." Merlin greeted on his way out.
"Where are you off to in such a hurry? Certainly not to get Arthur his breakfast?" Cassie asked teasingly, a bright smile on her face.
"I do work, you know." he said, slightly offended. "More than I get credit for, actually. I don't just sit around all day and talk!"
"Maybe not sit around." Cassie said suggestively with a giggle.
"Bye, Cassie." he said with a roll of his eyes, going down the stairs at the end of the hall.
"Bye, gabby!" Cassie called after him, laughing at the obscene gesture he sent her way after he ran back up the stairs to do just that.
Cassie went about her chambers, checking on the barley to see if they had sprouted and washing the cauldron and instruments she would be using to brew the potions she was low on after retrieving the basket of herbs.
"My Lady, I was wondering if you could, uhm, uh, ch-check me over?" a young village girl said from the door.
"Of course, come in." Cassie told her kindly, setting down the last of the instruments she had been washing while she spoke with the girl. "You can call me Cassie. I don't much like titles."
"O-of course. Um, I'm Etheldra, but everyone calls me Dreda." she answered shyly.
"So, how can I help?"
"I, uhm, I-I was, I think I might be with child." she said nervously.
"I won't know for sure for a week." Cassie said, going into what used to be her bedroom and pouring some of the barley seeds into a bowl. "I'm not entirely sure how it works, but if you're pregnant and you pour the urine over the seeds, they sprout within a week usually."
"Oh, d-do I have to take this home?" she asked nervously.
"Etheldra, are afraid your family will find out?" Cassie asked gently, putting the bowl on the table and crouching in front of her.
"I...my family is Jewish. We don't…"
"My family was Catholic, I know what you mean. But eventually they'll find out, as the baby grows in your womb." Cassie said gently, wiping away the tears.
"I know."
"Does the father know? That you might be pregnant?"
"I haven't told him. It was just one night, and he's not Jewish, my family will never agree to him. And I'll be cast out, he won't want me after that, no one will and-"
"Etheldra, stop. You may not even be pregnant at all." Cassie said gently, walking away and opening the window, pouring some water for her to drink, quickly checking with her magic. "Do you love him?" she asked when she saw that she wasn't.
"No, we just sort of went too far." she admitted regretfully, tears springing back into her eyes.
"I won't say anything, I was raised in the faith of Abraham's God just like you, I know what the Commandments say. But if you don't love him, don't lay with him. It's denigrating and morally wrong to be with a man just for the physical pleasure of it. I won't lie, the pleasure is... incomparable and undescribable, and I have no personal experience before my husband but I have been told that it's tenfold if it's a physical, spiritual and emotional pleasure. A baby is a miracle from Him, a life from conception and not something to take lightly. But it is a big responsibility and if you aren't ready I'd think twice before repeating this." Cassie said softly, looking into her eyes with sincerity and squeezing her hand reassuringly. "I am in no way judging, there was never the opportunity for me before I met Owaine, but I do want you to know how much responsibility there is every time you lay with a man. There is always a possibility of a child forming, and that child is both your responsibilities. To keep him safe, warm, happy. To be a family."
"Is that what you believe? That life begins at conception?" she asked curiously.
"I do. With all my heart. Is that not what you believe?" Cassie asked, suddenly nervous that she'd said something wrong.
"No, we believe that we enter life in stages and leave it in stages."
"I didn't know that." Cassie said. "Can I ask you something else? How do you still believe, after seeing so much magic? And it being called the Old Religion and all." Cassie said, not entirely sure how to ask it, and not entirely sure she wouldn't get in trouble.
"He's the one true God, all powerful, maybe he created magic to keep a balance." Etheldra said in barely a whisper with large fearful eyes. "To keep the balance there's always good and bad, right now, it's out of balance. More bad than good."
"My Lady, I-oh, excuse me, I'll wait just out here." one of the Ladies of the Court said, closing the door once more with a dignified look.
"I'll let you know in a week, and this conversation can stay between just us?" Cassie asked hopefully, straightening up quickly and offering her the bowl of barley.
"I wouldn't tell anyone." she said, looking at the door fearfully. "We don't have any, but I don't really believe what the King says about it. Magic, that is." she whispered, taking the bowl and going to the door.
"I'll check you over tomorrow." Cassie said with a sweet smile, opening the door and letting her out. "Come on in, my Lady."