Uther, Arthur, and Gaius stood in Gaius' chambers, discussing a recent virus that had struck the lower town when in burst Merlin, tears streaming down his face, blood on his clothes and carrying a heavily pregnant young woman who was struggling to breathe.
"Gaius help her, please. Help them both!" Merlin begged.
Gaius approached him and looked at the woman in his arms. He recognised her as Alina, Merlin's younger sister.
"Oh Alina my dear," Gaius sighed, brushing her dark hair from her sweating forehead.
"Get her on the table, sires. I will need your help with pinning her down if this goes wrong." He ordered.
Merlin placed his sister on the table and prepared for the worst.
"Who is this woman?" Uther demanded.
"Alina, my sister." Merlin replied.
"Where is the father?" Arthur questioned, recognising her slightly.
"He was a man from Ealdor. Died two months ago." Merlin said quickly.
But Arthur knew he was lying. Gaius and Merlin snuck a quick glance at Arthur. They knew full well that the father of Alina's child was Arthur and they had had a drunken encounter at one of the taverns in the lower town.
Just then, Alina cried out.
"Shh shh I'm here. I'm here." Merlin reassured her.
"I want mother." Alina sobbed.
"Mother will come Lina, just hold on, keep going."
"I can't." She whispered, before screaming in pain.
"Come on Alina! Push!" Gaius shouted, tears streaming down his face. He knew she wouldn't survive, the symptoms of preeclampsia were setting in fast; the delirium was only the beginning.
She screamed again, putting her hand to her head.
"What's happening to her?" Uther asked.
"It's called preeclampsia my lord." Gaius answered.
"Will she survive!?" Merlin panicked.
Just then, Alina stopped breathing as the first seizure took hold.
"Alina!" Merlin screamed.
"Leave her! There is nothing to be done apart from ensure the survival of the child." Gaius shouted, placing a hand on Merlin's shoulder.
Merlin fell to his knees and prayed.
"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.
"IT MEANS THAT BECAUSE OF YOUR FOOLISHNESS A WOMAN WILL DIE!" Gaius roared.
Uther stepped back.
"What is the meaning of this?" Uther questioned.
"The night of Elyan's birthday, there was a girl. Strapless red dress, crown of gold leaves on her head. The one everyone wanted." Merlin began.
Arthur's eyes widened.
"You mean? That's your sister. But the child surely couldn't be mine, she could be lying for all I know." He said.
Just then, Uther took notice of her ears, how they were subtly pointed at the top.
"She's part fae, she can't lie Arthur. Even if she wanted to." Uther told his son.
Merlin began panicking. " Oh god, even if she does make it you're going to kill them both. Please sure don't. I can't lose either of them. I'll do whatever you ask. I'll return them to Ealdor just let them live."
Uther raised his hand. "She will live but under the condition she marries Arthur now and makes the child legitimate."
"Where is my say in this?" Arthur demanded.
"You don't get one, it was your mistake now deal with the consequence. It seems to me that Camelot will never have an heir for as long as I live, I am simply continuing the family name." Uther snapped.
"Yes father. But the ceremony." Arthur stuttered.
"I am the king, I have all power in this kingdom. You will need rings." Uther replied.
"There is one in my drawer for Alina once she becomes a mother and another for you when you wed, Merlin." Gaius sighed, comforting Alina and keeping her alive.
Merlin walked over to the correct drawer and pulled out the two rings, handing them to Uther.
"Do you Arthur Pendragon take thee Alina of Ealdor to be your wife?" Uther asked Arthur.
"I do." Arthur said, looking down at the woman.
"Do you Alina of Ealdor take thee Arthur Pendragon to be your husband?" Uther asked the young woman who began breathing again.
Alina nodded. Before letting out an agonising cry.
"Then let it be so, guards! Announce the wedding of My son and this woman. And announce that they married in secret exactly ten months ago!" Uther yelled.
Arthur slid the ring onto Alina's slim finger and she attempted to do the same before clutching Merlin's hand and letting out another scream. This time followed by the cry of a newborn baby. Gaius picked up the child.
"It's a girl." He smiled, showing her to Merlin and Arthur and cutting the cord.
He took her over to a basin of warm water and bathed her gently. She didn't cry but instead opened her eyes. The bright blue of her father's.
"She has your eyes Arthur." Merlin breathed, wrapping her in a blanket and taking her to Alina.
"Oh she's perfect." Alina breathed. Attempting to sit up.
"May I?" Uther asked, walking over and looking at the babe swaddled in her mother's arms, smiling away.
"She's beautiful. Congratulations to you both." He smiled as Arthur took her in his arms gently and smiled at her.
"Hello, I'm your father." He whispered .
"She needs a name." Merlin stated.
"Isabella. Isabella Guinevere Rose." Alina smiled, before closing her eyes slightly.
"Alina?" Merlin asked.
"Tell her I love her. That I'm sorry I'm not there." Were the last words said before Alina fell into a slumber, never to be woken from.
"Alina? Alina!" Merlin screamed as Isabella started crying.
"Merlin, she's gone." Gaius said as Merlin sobbed into his sister's grubby chemise.
"Alina Please!" He screamed.
Arthur took the opportunity to kneel beside the mother of his child, vowing to be the father he needed to be and that he would love her until his last breath.
"I'm sorry." Arthur said aloud. Not sure who he was apologising to, Merlin or Alina.
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
Alina, despite her poor social standing before her short marriage to Arthur, was buried in the royal crypt, to the left of Ygraine, wife of Uther. Later, Arthur would order those burials to be moved and a massive cathedral build around it.
Uther was besotted with his granddaughter, accepting her as a royal and making sure she received the best, but Arthur was quick to halt his father's plans for her.
Merlin was heartbroken after his sister's death and quickly moved up the ranks to be one of Arthur's most trusted advisors.
Gaius passed away three years later from a broken heart.
Arthur was true to his word and spent every second of his spare time with his daughter, making sure she knew she was loved. When he did become king and and married Gwen, both were sure to shower the toddler with love and adoration. Isabella was indeed the apple of her father's eye and the only one who could make him truly smile. His passing when she was three saddened her deeply.
Isabella took after her mother in every way possible apart from the eyes.
They had the same dark curling hair, porcelain skin and red lips and the same personality.
Isabella was kind and fair, priding herself on ruling the kingdom of england as it was now known with a sharp mind and the ability to make difficult decisions but with Gwen as a "mother" what would you expect?
Isabella married Prince Phillip of Spain, uniting the two countries and establishing the first major alliance of European countries. This would later become the European union. She established universities, schools, the world's first healthcare system and made sure that history and culture was preserved. Going down in history as; "Isabella Pendragon: the Queen who Shaped the Future."
