Title: Tolerance and Love
Author: Froxyn
Rating: FRT
Pairing: Uther/Morgana
Timeline: A month or so after A Second Chance, AU.
Synopsis: Uther has a talk with Arthur…and more than
one thing is revealed.
Author’s
Note: A special thank you goes out to fairygothmum, who took the time
to beta this for me.
Morgana walked through the halls
of the castle, pausing at a specific room and smiling as she heard Uther’s
voice. Her smile broadened when she
heard the tell-tale sound of her husband pacing in the room...the hard leather
soles of his boots clicking against the highly polished stone floor.
She gently caressed her
abdomen. There was a slight swell now,
but her gown hid it remarkably well. In
fact, it was barely noticeable even when she was unclothed.
But, that wouldn’t remain the
case for very long. Just that morning,
Uther had stated that he could see a difference...and that they’d need to make
an announcement soon. Morgana had
agreed, but insisted that Uther tell his son first.
Arthur deserved to be the first
to know.
And that was why Uther was now
pacing in his son’s room. Morgana could
only imagine the look of confusion in Arthur’s eyes, but she was sure it shone
brightly.
She considered staying to
listen, but Uther would not be happy should he find out. And so, with a soft sigh, she continued
on...grinning when she saw Gwen turn into the hallway.
Gwen could keep a secret,
Morgana was sure of it.
* * *
Arthur leaned against the heavy wooden
table, ankles crossed as he followed his pacing father with confused eyes. “Sire...”
“There’s something I need to
tell you, Arthur. Something that I
hadn’t expected I’d ever have to tell you.
However, I find that I was wrong once more.”
Arthur tilted his head
slightly. “Father?”
Uther glanced at his son and
then walked over to the window. Lifting
his hand to the stone wall, he sighed heavily.
“Sometimes, love surprises us all.
It seems to come from nowhere, cloaking its existence until it has
invaded your heart and there’s nothing that can be done about it.”
Arthur’s eyes widened as he
uncrossed his ankles and stood straight.
Uther continued to stare out the window, enjoying the image of the sun
shining brightly across his kingdom.
“And then it culminates into
something larger than you ever dreamt possible...and you wonder if your
happiness would cause harm to those you have loved for as long as you can
remember.”
There was something about his
father’s tone that caused a panic to well within Arthur. He opened his mouth and the words tumbled
from his lips before he could stop them.
“Is this about Merlin?”
Uther turned slowly and fixed
his gaze on his son. “Merlin? What of this conversation would make you
think I’m contemplating Merlin?”
“I...well, I already know that
you love Morgana and this seems to be more of a conversation of
revelation...” Arthur responded
nervously.
“It is.” Uther confirmed, his gloves held loosely in
his right hand. “But I have nothing to
reveal that concerns your servant.”
Arthur thought that he saw a
flash of amusement in his father’s eyes, but it was just that...a flash. Instead of commenting on it, Arthur shook his
head as if to clear it.
“But, you have a revelation that
you wish to share? With me?”
“That I do.” Uther stated, taking a deep breath and
allowing the turn in the discussion to shift from Merlin to its true
purpose. “There was a suspicion
regarding Morgana’s health...and that suspicion has recently been confirmed.”
“Morgana’s health?” Arthur asked,
suddenly concerned. “Has she been
stricken ill once more?”
Uther smiled warmly as he tucked
his gloves into his belt before answering.
“Not as such, but it is something that threatens to alter our lives a
great deal. Yours included.”
Arthur stared at him in silence,
waiting for him to continue. After a
long moment, Arthur gave a huff of impatience.
“Well? What is it?”
Uther cleared his throat and
stared into his son’s eyes. “You are to
have a brother or sister in a few months time.”
Arthur’s mouth dropped open in
shock and for a moment he forgot that he had basically admitted a relationship
that he had wanted to keep quiet.
* * *
“Your Majesty...” Gwen stated as she bowed gracefully in front
of Morgana.
Morgana rolled her eyes and
laughed. “Guinevere, we’ve discussed
this.”
Gwen smiled and set to the task
of replacing the flowers in the vase with a freshly cut bouquet. “You are the Queen, you should be addressed
as such. So says the King.”
“And it was difficult enough being
referred to as ‘my lady’. Do you truly
think that I’ll stand for ‘your majesty’?”
Gwen chuckled and turned to face
the Queen. “Very well, Morgana.
What are your plans for the day?”
Morgana laughed gently. “I’m the Queen Consort, Gwen. My plans are merely to make my husband
happy.”
“And that, you do.” Gwen offered softly, sitting down in the
chair at the table when Morgana gestured for her to do so. “I’ve never seen the King so...relaxed. In fact, it’s been wondered if this is the
same Uther Pendragon. And if it is, what
you’ve done to turn his way of thinking.”
Morgana sat down and sighed,
stopping herself from touching her abdomen.
“He is definitely the same Uther Pendragon. He’s still hot-tempered and he’s still
stubborn...”
Gwen arched an eyebrow at
her. “And yet, a few days ago he merely
ordered that young sorcerer to leave Camelot instead of sentencing him to a
swift execution.”
“Tolerance is a new concept to
him.” Morgana said, her affection for
him clear in her tone. “But, he’s doing
his best.”
“I can see that. So can the people of Camelot. The changes that we’re seeing in him are for
the good. Especially in the past month
or so...” Gwen said, smiling as she
stood up and walked over to the wardrobe.
“So, what exactly does the Queen Consort do? We haven’t really had a chance to talk about
it...”
“The Queen Consort...” Morgana started, watching Gwen as she
carefully placed the freshly laundered clothing into the wardrobe. “I have no true power, Gwen. It’s merely a title that I hold because I
married the King.”
Gwen snorted softly. “You have so much power, my lady. More than you realize.”
Morgana furrowed her brow in
confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Do you think any other person
could have convinced Uther Pendragon that not all sorcerers are evil?” Gwen looked over her shoulder at Morgana and
smiled. “Not even his own son could
accomplish that feat. You have
power...true power deep within you.”
Morgana took a deep breath and
spoke softly, but hurriedly. “In the
past, the Queen Consort has had one role...and that is to give her husband an
heir. Traditionally, it is hoped that
the heir is a son...”
Gwen turned to face Morgana, her
eyes widening as Morgana gently placed her hand over her abdomen.
“However, Uther has expressed
hope that his next heir is a daughter.”
Gwen rushed over to Morgana, her
dark eyes glistening brightly. “Oh, my
lady!”
Morgana accepted the hug that
Gwen gave her without thought. She
returned the embrace and swallowed thickly.
“Uther’s tolerance is more
important now than ever before.”
Gwen pulled back slightly and
looked into Morgana’s eyes. “What do you
mean?”
Morgana glanced at the still
open door and bit her bottom lip nervously.
“Could you close the door?”
Gwen nodded, concern showing in
her eyes. “Of course, my lady.”
When the heavy door was shut and
Gwen was again standing in front of her, Morgana ran her fingers through her
long, dark hair and exhaled deeply.
“There’s something I need to
tell you, Guinevere. I trust that you’ll
hold my words in your strictest confidence.”
“Without question.” Gwen agreed, her own nervousness surfacing as
she watched Morgana make her way to the window.
“You have my word, my lady.”
Morgana gazed out the window,
her hands covering her abdomen in a protective manner. The sun warmed the kingdom and a small smile
played at Morgana’s lips as she watched the children play happily in the
fields.
“As much as Uther would disagree
with the description, Camelot is a
magical kingdom. And it will remain so
for many years to come.” She turned
slowly and met Gwen’s eyes. “I think
that my dreams are much more than dreams.”
Gwen’s eyes widened as she
realized what Morgana was insinuating.
* * *
“A baby?” Arthur spluttered. “You’re having a baby?”
Uther chuckled. “Ana is having a baby.”
“Your baby?”
Uther’s chuckle died as suddenly
as it had started and he straightened as he stared at his son. “You have cause to think I have not fathered
this child?”
“What?” Arthur asked before quickly shaking his
head. “No, Father…I’m just…well, this is
more than a bit of a shock.”
Uther nodded slowly, carefully
regarding Arthur. “You’ve nothing to
worry about. Camelot will still fall to
you after my death.”
Arthur narrowed his eyes. “You think I’m worried about that?”
“You’re not?” Uther asked.
“Apparently, my brother was rather worried when I was born.”
Arthur snorted softly. “I’m not your brother. My concerns have
nothing to do with the realm, Father.”
“But, you have concerns.” Uther stated.
Arthur shook his head and
sighed. “ ‘Concerns’ was the wrong word
to use. I simply mean that becoming King
of Camelot is one of the last things on my mind right now. Since your wedding, Camelot has thrived as it
never had before. You’ve changed,
Sire…for the better. And I can only
imagine that the new Prince or Princess will be a most welcome addition to the
Pendragon family.”
Uther smiled warmly. “You are so much like your mother. So caring, so…accepting. She’d be very proud of you, Arthur.”
Arthur gave his father a crooked
smile, his blue eyes shining brightly.
Before he could say anything else, Uther reached out and placed his hand
on Arthur’s shoulder.
“I’m very proud of you as well,
son. And when the time arises, I believe
that Camelot will be grateful for a King such as you.”
Uther lowered his hand and
walked towards the door. He paused with
his hand on the doorknob and turned his head to meet his son’s eyes.
“Love surprises us all,
Arthur. Don’t worry about what others
will think…what I will think. Allow yourself to love and to be loved. Love can be your salvation, if you allow it.”
Arthur swallowed hard,
understanding that his father now knew the truth. “How long have you known?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Arthur stared at his father in
disbelief. “You have no issues with
this? With me being with a servant? A…male servant?”
“At one time, yes…I would have
had issues.” Uther admitted, releasing the doorknob and
turning his body to face Arthur. “The
relationship would have been forbidden and more than likely I would have
condemned Merlin to death.”
When he saw the flash in
Arthur’s eyes, Uther continued.
“But, who am I to impose such
punishment?”
“You are the King.” Arthur stated.
Uther gave his son a
half-smile. “I am the King who fell in
love with his ward, who gave his heart to the one person who has fought me at
every step since walking into this palace.
I shouldn’t have allowed it, but she fought me at that, as well.”
“Love surprises us all.” Arthur whispered softly.
“That it does, my son. You have accepted my love for Morgana. You have accepted our unborn child. What kind of father would I be if I did not
do the same for my son?”
With that, he smiled and pulled
the door open. “I shall expect a formal
introduction, of course.”
Arthur gave a smile of relief as
his father left the room. He shook his
head slowly, still not believing what had just occurred, and sat down at the
heavy wooden table.
“A formal introduction. Merlin will just love that.” He muttered to
himself.
* * *
“I’ll have to tell him before
the child is born.” Morgana whispered,
wiping the tears from her eyes.
“It could be coincidence.” Gwen argued, taking Morgana’s free hand into
hers.
“It could be passed onto our
child.”
“You should make sure before you
tell him anything.”
Morgana’s eyes widened. “You think he would hurt me? Or the baby?”
Gwen shook her head
quickly. “No, I don’t think he’d be
able. Even before…he’s never been able to
punish you. I just think that there’s no
need to worry him. Be sure.”
“How am I supposed to be sure?”
Gwen gently bit her lip. “I think I know someone who can help, but
I’ll need to talk to him first.”
“There you are.”
They both turned towards the
door at the sound of the King’s deep voice, neither of them having heard the
door open. Uther immediately noticed the
redness in Morgana’s eyes, the drying tears on her cheeks. He rushed over to her and knelt at her side.
“Ana…what is it?” He asked, concern dripping from his words as
he reached up and tenderly cupped her cheek.
Morgana glanced at Guinevere
and, seeing that her secret was indeed safe, spoke softly. “I told Gwen about the baby…and – ”
Uther smiled and pressed a kiss
to her cheek. “Arthur knows…there’s no
need to keep it secret any longer. It
won’t be long before it’s obvious to all that you’re with child.”
Gwen smiled and stood up. “I should go see to the rest of my chores.”
“Thank you, Gwen.” Morgana stated sincerely, thanking her for
more than what her husband was aware of.
Uther turned and gave the
servant a gentle nod. “Yes, thank you,
Guinevere.”
Gwen nodded in return and
quickly backed out of the room.
“Uther?”
“Yes?” He returned his attention to his wife,
shifting his weight as his knee started to ache.
“I love you. I love our child and I love you…so very
much.”
He gazed into her eyes for a
moment and then moved forward, covering her mouth with his. As his tongue slipped between her lips, Morgana
draped her arms over his shoulders and forgot all about the concerns she had
expressed to Gwen.
He groaned softly, half from
desire and half from the pain of kneeling on a stone floor, and gently pulled
from the kiss. Running his fingers
through her hair, he sighed and cleared his throat.
“I’m to meet with King
Paldriot…else I would insist you accompany me to our chambers.”
Morgana smiled and lightly ran
her nails over the side of his neck.
“How did Arthur receive the news that he’s to become a brother?”
“He was very welcoming.” Uther replied, carefully rising and grimacing
as his knee popped loudly. “My pride in
Arthur increases daily. He’ll make a
wonderful King one day.”
“One day, many years from now, I
hope.” Morgana added, standing up and
wrapping her arms around his waist as she rested her cheek against his chest.
“Mm…” Uther murmured, lovingly rubbing her back.
He would’ve been content to
stand there and hold her for the rest of the day. But, the neighbouring King would be waiting. And so, he sighed heavily and took a
reluctant step away from her.
“I’ll come to collect you after
the meeting.” He smiled as Morgana
nodded. “Arthur will be bringing a guest
to dinner this evening.”
“Oh?” She asked, her grin showing in her eyes. “Are we to have an announcement tonight?”
He gave her a wink and
straightened his tunic. “Might I suggest
the emerald gown?”
She chuckled as he walked to the
door. She tilted her head curiously as
he paused and looked back at her.
“I love you, Ana. Apparently, I’m changing…and I’ve been told
that it’s for the better. I only have
you to blame…and I find that I only love you more.”
As was his custom, he didn’t
wait for a reply. He simply turned and
left the room, but left knowing that he had warmed her heart with his words.
Morgana smiled brightly, gently
caressing her abdomen as she spoke softly.
“I’ve always known that your father is a good man. But, it’s beautiful to watch him realize how good he truly is.”
Her eyes sparkled as she saw Merlin
run past the door. She didn’t have to
ask where he was going. Her smile faded
as she thought over the conversation she’d had with Gwen earlier. She wondered who Gwen was going to talk
to…and wondered whether that person would be able to help her…and her child.
She shook her head to clear the
thoughts, not willing to think negatively.
Gwen would come through…Morgana had no doubt.
* * *
Merlin slipped into Arthur’s
room, a grin on his lips as he watched Arthur rummage through his
wardrobe. “What are you doing?”
Arthur pulled out a simple blue
tunic and gave a nod. “That should do
nicely.”
He turned and tossed the garment
to Merlin. “Try that on, I’ll see what I
can do about pants and boots…”
Merlin gave a half-chuckle. “What?”
“We’re having dinner with my
father and Morgana tonight.” He gestured
at Merlin’s common clothing. “What
you’re wearing is unacceptable for dining with the King.”
Merlin dropped the tunic as his
eyes widened. “Dinner? With the King? What’s going on, Arthur?”
Arthur paused and looked into
Merlin’s eyes. “Love surprises us all…as
does my father.”
“Uther knows?”
Arthur nodded, moving quickly
when he saw the panic in Merlin’s eyes.
He lifted his hand to Merlin’s cheek and smiled warmly.
“It’s alright, Merlin. Though I do believe that we owe Morgana for
the change in the King.”
Merlin licked his lips and
exhaled a nervous breath. “There’s
something I need to tell you, Arthur.”
“Later.” Arthur whispered, leaning forward and brushing
Merlin’s lips with his own.
“Arthur…”
Arthur shook his head and kissed
him again, quickly deepening the union.
It only took a few seconds for Merlin to respond, sliding his hand into
Arthur’s hair as he allowed Arthur to maneuver him towards the bed.
Arthur obviously had other
things on his mind and Merlin decided he could talk to the Prince later.
* * *
Morgana made a detour on her way
to her chambers, pausing in the doorway of the room where two Kings were having
an animated discussion. She had no idea
what they were discussing and it didn’t really matter.
Uther would win whatever debate
they were having. He always did…and
Camelot was always the better for it.
Though, she had to admit that
she enjoyed listening to his arguments.
She smiled as Uther suddenly
looked in her direction, meeting her eyes for just a moment. With a subtle nod and a peek of his tongue
wetting his lips, she knew that he’d cut his meeting short if it were at all
possible.
She felt her arousal build as
Uther turned his attention back to Paldriot.
A few moments later, Uther
glanced at the now empty doorway and smiled to himself. The good news was that Paldriot was
acquiescing to Uther’s demands…the even better news was that Uther was
convinced that the meeting was nearing its end.
He knew that Morgana would be
waiting for him in their bedroom.
His smile grew as Paldriot
sighed heavily and reached for the quill to sign his name to the bottom of the
treaty.
Uther’s plans for the afternoon
suddenly seemed a lot brighter.
~ End