The Lady Of The Lake and The Impossible Child

To the rescue

September

Merlin was currently sitting in Arthur's chambers waiting for him, as he was coming back from a hunt. He was now having trouble moving around with how sore his hips were getting, he'd figured he'd go to the place the King will inevitably go. He'd been waiting for quite some time now, almost having given up he was considering coming later when the door opened to finally reveal a pretty satisfied Arthur.

"I take it the hunt went well, Sire?"

"Ah, Merlin, yeah I supposed it did. What are you doing here?" The former Prince took off his gloves.

"We need to talk."

"About what?" Arthur grasped the back of the chair that was facing Merlin.

"About your child." The younger man deadpanned, from where he was sitting.

"What about it?"

"When are you going to tell the council?"

"What?"

"That you're having one, you clotpole." God, he could be thick sometimes...

"Ah, yes, about that. I've got a great plan, I was thinking; once it's born, we'll take the child to the woods, and when I go on Patrol we'll act as if I found an orphan child, presumably left there by their mother, and I will take it in as my ward."

The blond looked pleased with his idea, Merlin stood up, shocked.

"What?! So it can be like Morgana? Arthur, this is your legitimate heir. Why would you do that?"

"You know why I can't. If my people learn this child is born of magic it would be a desecration, with magic outlawed it would be a great risk."

"Then you're no better than your father." The words stung worse than they should have.

"You don't have to mention magic, you certainly don't have to mention me." Merlin was getting increasingly more angry.

"You... can say it was with a servant. Proclaim Gwen can't have children so you used a surrogate, anything but please, acknowledge it as your own, Arthur. What if one day Gwen does have a child and you already had a ward, you can't even begin to imagine how irrelevant that child would feel."

"Why? I would love them both equally."

"That's not the point. If I am still strong enough when the time comes and this child does live, by God Arthur, claim it. Claim this child, for I will be gone and none will be the wiser. It won't matter."

"Will you please stop saying that Merlin, you're not going to die."

Right as the sentence ended the big door to the room opened, a guard stood in its way.

"A message from a messenger, My Lord."

"What does it say?"

"A village has been ambushed, there is evidence of magic at play."

"Morgana..." Merlin breathed under his nose.

"Are there any dead?"

"No, Sire only some men were injured."

"Tell the Knights to get ready, were riding out at first light."

"Yes, Sire." The guard closed the door and left.

"Arthur you can't go, it's probably Morgana, it's a trap."

"I have to, Merlin."

"She's too powerful, you can't fight her."