Love, Faith and Family

Chapter 124

A month.

Miriam had lived a month without smiling, not even Gwaine could elicit one from her.

And what a busy month it had been.

Miriam was no longer the queen of Camelot, but rather the queen of Albion. One by one, they were still in the process, the rulers of the four of the other five kingdoms began taking off their crowns and bowing to Camelot, bowing to Miriam and bowing to Arthur's memory and their vision of the future.

Annis and Mithian had been the first two, both of them receiving titles of ladies that oversaw what used to be their kingdoms in accordance with the laws and decrees Miriam upheld.

It was a beautiful thing, but Miriam didn't smile once.

Not even when Gwaine and Leon escorted her mother from Ealdor in hopes that she'd be able to cheer up her daughter.

Though after a month, Aithusa began acting strangely.

The dragon would still take many years before growing to his full size, but for now, he enjoyed spending time with his kin, and with the knights who'd all taken to keeping little treats and pieces of meat on them for when they saw the dragon.

A dragon their queen rode into battle to extinguish the last of the Saxons once their hideout had been discovered.

Albion bowed to the dragon queen, to the commoner queen, and they did so gladly, because even in her grief, she was a kind and fair ruler. She was a fierce ruler. She was the gateway to their future of peace.

Even when Aithusa began to snarl at any knight who drew a blade in the presence of the queen.

Out of pure curiosity, Miriam summoned her physician and asked him to perform a spell for her.

And in over a month, Miriam smiled for the first time.

She smiled because it seemed that Arthur wasn't entirely gone after all.

Because the child that she was carrying inside her was part of him as much as it was a part of her.

The celebration to announce the Pendragon heir had lasted days as the people rejoiced, for they also felt as if their king hadn't left them either. But also, they rejoiced to see their queen smile once more.

And though her heart ached at the loss of her brother and her husband, the thought of having Arthur's child made her happy for the first time in a long time. It was something her people could also see, all of them praying for good health to the Pendragon heir for they feared what would become of their queen if she lost her child.

So, for the next eight months, her people treated her as if she were glass.

Gwaine, Percival and Leon had taken shifts leading the team of four guards that protected the queen night and day, at least one of them always with her, even if it meant standing guard of the entrances of her rooms for all hours of the night.

Aithusa spent much of his day flying freely about the skies, even some nights as well, but majority of the time he'd made a nice bed for himself in Miriam's room, especially during those eight months.

Gaius also made weekly visits to the queen, giving the same diagnosis each time, that her child, whatever its gender may be, was of perfect health.

Miriam already knew what the child was to be, as did she know his name.

She carried the blood of a dragonlord and they only ever had sons, her being the exception. She was, however, worried if her child would possess her brother's powers, her father's powers, she would cross that bridge if she came to it.

The help of her mother and of Guinevere was invaluable, for either one of them sat by her as she threw up her dinner, her breakfast. Her knights were there to catch her when she was overcome by a dizzy spell, or when her swollen ankles prevented her from walking.

And the few times she journeyed into the lower town to see her people, she was showered with nothing but congratulations, well wishes and even a few small gifts.

And when essentially the entire kingdom gathered in the courtyard the night it was announced that the queen went into labour, any outsider would be awed at their love and devotion to their queen.

For hours into the night, Miriam's screams could be heard as she squeezed her mother's hand.

She wished and hoped that her husband, her brother, could've been here for this, but she leant on her mother's shoulder as Gaius urged her to push.

And nine months after the battle of Camlann, nine months after the death of the king of Camelot, Miriam gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

She gave birth to Arthur Pendragon II, son of Arthur Pendragon I.

And her baby had his eyes.

Arthur had his mother's raven hair and her face, but his eyes - Miriam's eyes were a vibrant electric blue but Arthur had the same, softer ocean blue eyes that his father had.

But alas, it was as if their king had returned, for one day, Arthur Pendragon would be king again.