The Wife 12/15
Title: The Wife 12/15
Author:tudor_rose445
Rating: R
Characters/Pairings:Arthur, Guinevere, Morgana, Uther, Merlin, Gaius, Arthur/Guinevere,
Spoilers: Seasons 1-3
Disclaimer: I own nothing. BBC owns "Merlin".
Summary: AU. As the wife of the prince Gwen knows that she is destined to one day rule beside him. Yet the road to the throne will not be simple. Talks of an heir looming above her, the growing worry over Morgana, Uther's ill health, and her confusion over her spouse will not help in the slightest. Yet her trials are nesecary to grow into her title as 'wife' to one of legend's most famous kings. The second entry in "The Once and Future" series.
Chapter 11:
A potential disaster emerges.
Author's Note: : Hey! I am sorry about the abnormally long wait. School has been keeping me busy, far more than it's ever done before. I'm not sure if I'm going to have a set schedule with the last few chapters due to last minute homework, but expect to have more consistent updates once school ends. Thanks for sticking with me, and I'm sorry that this chapter is pretty brief.
If she strained, Gwen thought that she might just be able to hear the laughter and music from the Hall. Despite the late hour the festivities were still going on, as the court was both drunk on Uther's wine store and the fact that a heir had been born. In comparison to the joyous scene that must be occurring in the Hall, her lying in chambers seemed quite dismal. Despite having given birth already, she was still confined to these chambers until she could be 'churched', or blessed by the bishop. Until then she was required to remain in her old chambers, resting from the hardship of childbirth. Frankly, she was almost glad that she was not able to leave. Of course she missed being able to walk freely about the citadel or take a ride through the surrounding wood. But having a bit of quiet time to rest and recuperate wasn't that bad either.
It was a relief, then, that mothers were not permitted to attend their child's christenings. As she had yet to be churched this was impossible. Instead, she had been bathed and dressed in a new gown of pale blue silk to await the return of her son, husband, and a select few nobles. Countess Isabella, the second highest lady in the kingdom following the future queen, had stood in for Morgana as proxy Godmother, giving her the right to present the newly christened baby to his mother. She had then been presented with a bouquet of late summer roses, in reference to the Mother of Christ by her husband. The king, her father-in-law, had gifted her an emerald necklace that had once graced Igraine's neck shortly after the birth of Morgana. That had been earlier that morning and the festivities had carried over into the next, with no sign of stopping.
She rolled over in bed as Lady Eleanor entered, the gaiety of the goings on in the hall apparent on her cheeks. Batilda had chosen to stay and watch over her, while the rest of her ladies had been sent to join the festivities. Gwen couldn't imagine denying them the joy that the celebration would bring, especially her two youngest ladies. Watching her sleep was far less entertaining than dancing the night away.
Eleanor curtseyed before rising to meet her gaze.
"His Highness Prince Arthur is here to see you, my lady," she said, stepping back to allow her husband in. In his arms was a carefully wrapped bundle, that even in the dim lighting she could discern as her son. Guinevere smiled brightly as she beckoned both males over.
Wordlessly, Eleanor departed the room to allow the small family time alone.
Arthur took up a spot beside her in bed, shifting the bundle so that Gwen may gaze upon her sleeping son's face. She gently traced his cheek with her finger, giggling quietly as the babe puckered his lips and turned toward the digit. The pair watched their son sleep for a few moments before Arthur raised his eyes from Llacheu to her.
"He was the ideal prince today," he commented, handing off the bundle to his wife. Gwen adjusted her hold on him to better support his head as she listened to Arthur. "You should have seen him; not a cry out of him, even with dozens of nobles peering into his face." Her husband gently cupped the boy's head, feeling the warmth of their child as if to reassure himself that Llacheu was actually there.
"That was, until the bishop poured the water over his head. Poor lad." Gwen chuckled lightly, pressing a kiss to the head that had been earlier covered by Holy Water.
"I must tell Hunith that he will be difficult to bathe," she mused, wondering if the boy would prove difficult in other areas of child rearing as well. Perhaps it was too early to tell.
A warm kiss pressed to her temples broke her from her thoughts about her son's potentially destructive childhood.
"How are you feeling?" her husband asked, reaching up a hand to brush aside a curl that had escaped the braid that rested against her back. The fine cloth of his tunic brushed against her cheek at the movement, drawing her attention to his attire. He, along with their son, had been dressed in their best that day for the festivities. She herself had stitched Llacheu's christening gown months before his actual birth. Her needlework was clearly present upon the hem of the gown, where the Pendragon insignia was stitched into the pure white cloth.
Realizing that Arthur was waiting for an answer, she moved her thoughts away from how handsome both of her men had looked that day.
"Better," she admitted, having walked around her chambers for the better part of the day. It felt nice to simply walk after being confined to her bed for two days.
"My thighs do not hurt nearly as much." That particular part of her body had been terribly uncomfortable following the birth. Having to brace herself on the birthing stool in combination with walking about her chambers for the birthing process had left her poor muscles worn out.
His hand shifted from where it had been resting upon her shoulder after brushing back the curl, to the very area of her body that she had just commented on. It hadn't meant to be an erotic touch, despite the area, but one of comfort. His hand felt secure against her blanket covered thighs, yet she was still able to feel the heat of his skin through the layers of cloth. She shivered despite herself, feeling a blush bloom on her cheeks.
Really! A simple touch through fabric and she was reduced to a red-faced mess?
She hadn't the chance to hide the emotion that had passed across her face, as her husband's hand moved higher up her leg.
It felt almost as if a current was running up her body from his touch, bringing her to life. She leaned closer to him as he did to her, resting his hand upon the apex of her thighs as his lips descended over hers. For perhaps the first time in months she felt the familiar stirring of lust.
That was, until the third member of their small family voiced his disapproval.
Gwen broke their kiss, resting her forehead against her husband's for a moment as they both tried to regain their breathing. After a moment she focused her attention on her son, smoothing his bald head in an effort to comfort him.
"Are you jealous, my little love?" she teased, pressing a kiss to the baby's temples. She could see out of the corner of her eyes that Arthur had retreated somewhat, his hand away from her leg and instead running through his hair.
There would be time for their…intimacies later. After she was churched and able to rejoin society again.
She readjusted her son's swaddling cloths and was pleased as he began to quiet. Instead of wailing as he had done moments before, he looked up at her with curiosity. Then, deciding that his mother was rather boring compared with the events of the day, he drifted back off to much needed sleep.
"I'll let you rest," her husband volunteered, reaching out for their son.
Carefully, as to not wake him, Guinevere handed the prince to Arthur.
Llacheu looked rather secure in his father's strong arms. She knew that her husband would fight to his last breath for him, for her, for his father. Her heart swelled in that moment with her love for him, for both of them.
"Good night," she whispered, not wishing to disrupt their sleeping boy. Her husband bent down to press another kiss, a chaste one, upon her lips in parting.
Smiling once he left her alone to sleep, carrying the future king with him sleeping in his arms.
0o0o0
"Was there aid sent to Brooketon?"
Arthur looked up from the papers that were strewn across the desk before him to his wife, currently propped up on her morning-after bench. He leaned back in his chair, trying to remember the particular report.
"A flooding, correct? The river overran from the excess of rain?"
She nodded, still pouring over the documents.
He tapped his quill upon the desk lightly, recalling the event.
"Food and supplies were sent up a day after we received the report," he recalled, setting down the quill.
"Kay left Progress with some of the knights to deliver it himself."
The princess nodded, turning her attention to another parchment.
She knew she had missed much in the weeks she had been confined to her lying-in chamber, but she hadn't realized exactly how much!
The day following her churching so far had consisted of her going through as many State papers as possible. From what she had read there had been an excess of rain toward the northern borders that had proved disastrous for a number of farms. Additional aid would have to be sent to the smattering of towns closer to the change in seasons so that they may survive the winter.
Guinevere looked up, having noticed the feeling of another's eyes on her.
Her brown eyes met Arthur's blue, staring at her intently.
"What?" she asked, her brows furrowing. He stood from his chair, crossing the room to where she was sitting.
He knelt before her, taking the hand that currently did not have a parchment clutched in it and turned it so that the inside of the wrist was facing up. He pressed a soft kiss to her pulse point, grinning as he felt the rate of her pulse increase beneath his lips.
"I've missed you," he whispered against her skin, sending a shiver down her back.
Part of her was terribly nervous as to what he would think of her post-birthing body. She had marks upon her skin where it had stretched from the added weight, plus she had not gotten rid of all of the extra weight that the babe had brought with it. It had only been around two weeks after the birth, and Batilda had assured her that her body would return to normal after a time. She planned on taking as many riding trips as she could within the next few weeks, and she had heard from quite a few court ladies of the advantages such exertion gave.
Would he not be pleased with how she looked? True, her breasts still carried their pregnancy-plumpness, but that was perhaps the only thing that she had taken note of that might please him. Otherwise she was afraid to see his reaction.
His lips descended upon hers and effectively pushed aside her worries. She gasped softly as he stood quickly, laying her back against the bench. His body draped hers a moment later as their lips moved in tandem. Despite her earlier misgivings she found herself arching against him, gaining a rather pleasing sound from his throat at her movements. Fire engulfed her veins as she met his lips hungrily, surprising him for a brief moment before he matched her own energy.
His touch was urgent as his fingertips skimmed the expanse of her chest exposed by the cut of her gown. Her own hands went to his back, gripping him tighter in order to make sure that not one single movement was missed by either of them.
"My lady?"
Gwen jumped, knocking her knee into Arthur in surprise. He bit his lip, sitting up from her and withholding a grunt of pain. Feeling her face turn red she realized that her knee had collided with the now most sensitive part of his body. She shot him a small smile of apology before turning her head toward the chamber door.
"One moment!" she called, hoping that Catherine had heard her and didn't come barging in. How embarrassing that would be! She pulled herself up, a hand going to her hair to smooth her curls. As she cleared her throat she watched as Arthur retreated to the window casing, facing the courtyard as he tried to regulate his breathing.
"Enter," she commanded a few seconds later, hoping that she didn't feel as disheveled as she looked.
Her lady-in-waiting entered the room, dropping to a curtsey at the sight of the royal pair. "Sir Kay is here to speak with Your Highnesses," she announced, stepping back to allow the knight through. She ducked out shortly afterward, leaving the three alone.
As it was not a lady of the court or a servant that had entered, Arthur was forced to turn around and face one of his most competent men. At least, by now, he had managed to rid his cheeks of the flush that had settled there from their near-amorous encounter.
Ector's son bowed before the pair before carefully straightening. He clasped his hands behind his back, turning slightly to face Arthur much as he would on the training grounds. Gwen placed her hands in her lap as her husband gave the knight a small nod of acknowledgment.
"I have come to ask a boon of you both," he began.
As neither royal interrupted him, both a tad surprised that Kay was to ask for something when he normally refrained from doing such, he continued.
"I believe I have reached a point in my life where it would be wise to take to wife a lady of the court. After much consideration I have chosen a woman to become my lady wife, one that I hope my liege that you will approve of: Lady Eleanor Dubois."
Guinevere felt a smile form upon her lips at the name. She had seen both Kay and Eleanor exchange looks over the past year, as well as quiet talks when they thought no one was watching. As Eleanor was one of her ladies-in-waiting, it was Gwen's duty to look out for her well-being. If both Sir Dubois and the king consented, she would be quite pleased.
"My father is to formally request permission from King Uther on the morrow, but I was hoping that perhaps you may breach the matter to him before," the knight continued, his cheeks taking on a hint of red. She might have embraced him for joy, but she feared that might shock the normally reserved knight.
Arthur nodded, a smile light on his lips.
"I believe such a match would be beneficial to you both. The lady has served my wife well since coming to court, and I believe that she has learned adequately from the princess on how to run a household," her husband commented, raising a fear in her that she can't considered until now.
"Do you plan to have Lady Eleanor remain at your estate?" she inquired, having been so caught up in being happy with her lady-in-waiting that she had forgotten the chance of Eleanor leaving court.
The young knight shook his head.
"I would prefer she remain here, at court beside me. Perhaps later, once we've had our children, we may go. But until then..."
It was a wise move. Kay was in Arthur's favor, and would surely be raised to a high position once he became king.
Her husband nodded once more.
"Then you may trust me to broach the subject with my father as soon as I can."
The knight smiled, a bit of his formality melting away in that moment. Gwen wondered if that was the same smile that Eleanor received from him.
"You are both most gracious, Your Majesties," he said, bowing before the royal pair. Taking a step back he took his leave of them.
As soon as the door closed Gwen turned to face Arthur, a grin in place upon her lips.
"Isn't it marvelous?" she inquired, all thoughts of their earlier almost-romp gone from her mind. For now all she could think of was the wonderful celebration she would help plan for within the coming months.
Arthur took up his vacated chair, running a hand through his hair.
A chuckle rose past his lips.
"About time, too. If she walks past our training grounds one more time Kay might be missing a limb."
She laughed, unable to see the normally on-target knight distracted.
"May I go speak to your father, please? Maybe he will be more open to the match if I request it?"
He snorted before picking up the papers that he had neglected.
"If you suggest setting fire to the citadel my father would give you permission," he noted, knowing well that the king had always been over-indulgent when it came to Gwen and Morgana.
She smiled, pressing a kiss to his cheek before leaving him to his papers.
As she passed through her sitting room she caught sight of Eleanor bent over her needlework. Among her blonde tresses was a fresh flower, one that Guinevere did not recall the noblewoman wearing that morning. Biting back a smile she entered the corridor and set off off for the king's chambers.
Afterward, she mused, she would stop by her son's chambers. By now he hopefully was awake from one of his many naps. Hunith assured her that all babies slept quite a bit, but she did enjoy seeing him staring up at her. He couldn't do much yet, but already she was imaging the time they would spend together once he was capable of crawling and talking.
Nodding to the guard stationed at her father-in-law's door she knocked once before entering the receiving room. It was oddly quiet, prompting her to step farther into the array of rooms.
"Your Highness?" she called, yet found no response.
Hesitating before the king's bed chamber she knocked once more, but yet again received no answer.
Tentatively she opened the door before padding into the room before nearly falling upon the comatose king on the floor.