Live With What You Have

Valiant: Part 1

Valiant: Part 1

Adrielle's eyes burned behind her drooping eyelids. The dying candlelight forced her to strain her eyes. She hadn't bothered to get up and light a new one. Her brain hurt too much to try and make her body get up and work. Her head was resting on her propped up hand, but her head was slowly becoming too heavy for even her hand to support.

She thought she had gotten off easy compared to Merlin. He was 'rewarded' with becoming Arthur's manservant. Prince Arthur, that is. He had to serve him breakfast nearly every morning, dress him, follow him around all day, and do all his chores. Whenever the prince was awake, Merlin was at his heels like a dog.

Adrielle had smirked at the thought that Merlin would be dragged around like a dummy. Heck, he even stood in as a live dummy for more realistic training sessions. Adrielle just hoped, for the sake of the other kingdoms, that their warriors who challenged either the prince or the kingdom were better fighters than Merlin. He practically just stood there and tried to block every blow Prince Arthur had thrown at him. He never made any attempt to fight back. He had no skill whatsoever as a warrior.

Adrille winced slightly. Ow. Too much thinking. Her brain probably hurt twice as much as Merlin's body did. She had been wrong in thinking that being a physician's apprentice was easier than being someone's manservant. There had been no slow easing into her position. Right away she began learning about the human body.

The next morning after the feast Gaius had come up early to wake both Merlin and Adrielle for the first day of their newly appointed positions. Merlin had to get up and fetch the prince his breakfast before he woke up and starved. Of course Gaius had already been busy planning his lessons for Adrielle.

The world around her did not stop for her to study and master the theoretical aspect before continuing onto the real world application. No. The best way to learn and study, in Gaius's opinion, was to dive head first into the art of healing. Sure she was required to learn and study all the different herbs used and remedies she could prepare, things she could only learn by reading a book. But the rest of the time she was getting hands on experience that came with the job. Following Gaius on his rounds and staying with him during examinations. Those were the best times to teach Adrielle, Gaius thought. In the moment.

Her first day on the job and she already had encountered a man who had been bitten by spider and a woman who was thirty weeks pregnant. Gaius would check her over once a week just to make sure her pregnancy was coming along well. She was the size of a house and nearly ready to pop. She still had a little bit of time before she would give birth. Adrielle had asked politely if she could feel the woman's stomach. She had seen a few women in Ealdor who were with child and they always would bubble with excitement about feeling the baby kick from inside them. The feeling of new life hiding behind their stomach.

The woman obliged happily. Adrielle cautiously placed her hand on the rounded stomach and waited. At first, she felt nothing; only the firmness of the woman's bulging belly. It's because I'm a monster, isn't it. I told Merlin we weren't and Gaius confirmed it, but this baby's not kicking. It's because of me it's all because of me.

And then she felt it, a subtle yet obvious kick. Like something tiny was pushing out against her hand. No, more like something was reaching out to her. She smiled up brightly at the expectant mother. It was amazing to think that this is where she and Merlin started. She could only imagine having to carry a growing child, let alone two of them. Especially a handful like Merlin, even as a baby. That eighteen some odd years ago they were tiny little things stuffed into their mother's body. Gaius had henceforth told her exactly where babies came from. She had known how they were made, obviously, but not exactly what a woman's body went through during pregnancy. She secretly hoped she'd never have to personally experience that.