Lover of the Light (Arthur)

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin Aubert pulled her cloak around her, and narrowly missed colliding into the rush of soldiers, and people who were swarming around the streets of Camelot. There was an air of organised chaos, but she wasn’t getting too irritated at the fact she had been walked into at least five times from her way up from the entrance to the city. She had walked here with a guard, given the fact she wasn’t allowing herself to ride at the moment; her condition prevented it. She knew she was only four months pregnant, but still; she wasn’t risking anything and would not forgive herself if anything happened to the baby. Her children were more than toddlers now, Esmae and Arthur were nearly four years old, and Alfie was only just coming up to being three. It felt strange to think she was going to be starting the cycle again with a new baby; she desperately wanted another daughter. She and Griff had made her condition public a few weeks ago, so it was common news now, though nothing too hyped as they already had three children. Of course they were thrilled, but it was hardly going to be met with the same enthusiasm as with their first child.

Her arm wrapped around her stomach, and she continued upon her way. Another solider collided with her side, but she managed to keep her balance. Jesu, she had not seen the place so busy in years. No one really made much accommodation for a noblewoman passing through on their own; everyone had their own agenda today, and Caitrin appreciated that. She would never know what it was like to ride off to war, and neither would she ever want to. Sighing softly, she carried on walking, trying to keep her spirits high. Now she was quite glad she had decided against bringing any of her children with her, she knew that Arthur liked them well enough, but she didn’t want to upset any of them with the talk of war, and in Camelot it would be inevitable for them, even at their young age, to ask questions. Of course she would tell them what was happening, but she didn’t want them to be overwhelmed by it, especially seeing as their Uncle would be playing a part in the battle.

As a mother of three, she had so much to think about, and worry about, but for now, she was taking a bit of time out for a duty of friendship. Arthur Pendragon had been a close friend of hers since she had arrived in Camelot, and she had even named her eldest son in his honour. It was not something which Caitrin had done without thought, and she was sure Arthur had appreciated the gesture, even if her husband had been a little apprehensive about it at first. Eventually, Caitrin found herself within the castle, and it felt like a complete change from the chaos of the outside world. It felt slightly surreal, but her feet took her to the door of Arthur’s chambers, and she knocked on softly, not finding a guard nearby to allow her entrance. Of course she did not enter right away, as she had no idea whether he would be with the Queen or not. Instead, she just slipped her cloak from around the shoulders of her ruby red dress, which held tight around her rounding belly, and waited patiently for an answer.

Tag: King Arthur Pendragon
Timeline: Before the battle of Camlann
Location: Arthur's chambers
Time of Day: Mid-afternoon[/size]

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur was gathering his belongings for the journey that lay ahead. They would soon be riding out to war, and what was hopefully for the last time against Morgana. This was it. It needed to end here, so Arthur expected it would be one of the largest and most violent battles. Arthur wished it had not come to this, for he knew many would fall. Yet there was no way to change it now. His mind was consumed with such thoughts, and without Merlin here to distract him -- as he had gone off to do whatever errands needed to be done -- Arthur was left with nothing but his thoughts. Guinevère was ensuring everything was in order and helping make preparations. The thought that she would be safe gave him comfort, and made him more determined to make Camelot a safe place once more. Hearing a knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. He knew it was not Guinevère, Merlin, Gaius, or even one of the knights he was closest to. For they either would not knock, or just knock and then come in anyway.

He walked toward and opened it, surprised -- but pleasantly so -- to see Caitrin on the other side. "Caitrin," he greeted, his voice hinting at his surprise over her unexpected presence. It was quickly replaced with a smile as he stepped aside so that she could enter. "Please, come in," he urged, leaving the door open behind her as she stepped into his chambers. "Is all well?" He asked, meaning this in many aspects. Her health, as she was expecting another child, her children, and her husband. Caitrin had been his friend for many years now and to see her happily married and with children, gave him great joy. How he wished he could have given Guinevère a child, for should something happen to him . . . he did not want her to be alone. And while she had the knights, it was not the same compared to a son or daughter. "Have a seat," he added, pulling out a chair for her to sit as he did not want her to strain or tire herself.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin was not waiting long outside the door before Arthur opened it. She was quite glad it was him, rather than a servant, who admitted her into the chambers, given she wanted a little bit of privacy with him before she left. Caitrin had not seen Arthur as much as she would have liked in the past years, given she was now a mother, and he was a king. It was a stark comparison to the two carefree teenager they once had been, where the biggest problem of the day had been to decide where they would ride out to. How times had changed! She smiled up at Arthur, “Good afternoon Arthur.” It was a simple greeting, but one she felt like she had to supply. Perhaps in company she would have used his formal title, to mark her respect of his status, but here, where there was just the two of them, they were just friends without any of the pomp and circumstance. Caitrin took the seat offered to her before answering Arthur’s first question.

She sat upright, and placed one hand on her belly almost sub-consciously, and nodded softly, “Everything’s fine, thank you, though this little one has brought on a case of morning sickness.” That in itself was nothing to worry about, she had always had morning sickness, and though it was unpleasant, at least it felt like everything would run smoothly with this pregnancy. Her life was perfect at the moment, she and Griff were celebrating bringing their next child into the world, and she was so proud of the children they already had. They were all growing up well, and happy, which was all she could ask for. “The children, and Griff are all fine as well; he’s looking after them all today, so Jesu knows what I’m going to go back to.” She smiled a little, and rolled her hand over her swollen belly, and looked across at her old friend. She knew he was the King, and that it was his duty to protect Camelot, but some small part of her wished he didn’t have to take this risk.

Of course Caitrin had watched Arthur ride off to war many times, though that didn’t make the reality of it any easier to grasp, “And yourself?” she asked, with a soft and unwavering voice, knowing he would lie, and tell her everything was fine even if it was not. They had been friends long enough for her to know how this works, “The whole town seems to have come alive with the preparations for the battle.” Caitrin paused, “I was nearly stood on, on the way up here.” She then figured she should probably introduce what she was doing here, as Arthur had not raised the question yet, "I wanted to come and see you, before, well-" she broke off, as she hated this part, "Before you go to war."

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur smiled as she spoke of morning sickness. While of course he sympathized with her being unwell, it was the joy of expecting a child that seemed to cloud the pain and making the sickness worth it. Not something that Arthur knew a great deal about, not being a father himself, but he could imagine. Only imagine. "I'm sorry to hear that he or she is giving you trouble," he said genuinely, his eyes darting to her stomach before meeting her gaze once more. "I hope Gaius has prepared enough medicine for you for the duration of his absence." Since Gaius was accompanying them to the camp. They would of course need a physician on the scene. His smile remained, slightly growing as she spoke of Griff looking after the children.

"Hopefully by the time you return they would have been worn out so you can get some rest," he said in slight teasing toward her husband and children.She then asked him how he was and well, truthfully, he was not exactly at ease. It was so different before, years ago. When he was a prince. He would ride out to battle without a second thought, and not fear what would happen should he die. Well, perhaps there was some fear. But not as much as there was now. For riding out, potentially facing death, he would be leaving behind a kingdom. A wife. Friends. Family of heart. And it made death so much more terrifying knowing what he had to walk away from. "I'm well," he told her ensuring his smile did not falter. He had been raised to suppress his emotions. A skill that came in handy at a time such as this.

Though he was also grateful for the shift in topic as she spoke about how busy the castle was. And Arthur felt relieved that no harm had actually come to her amidst all this busyness. "I apologize for the chaos," he said sincere in his words. "With everyone readying for the journey ahead, and families coming to bid farewell to their loved ones, the castle is busier than usual." Her next words caused him to pause, the smile slightly slipping though no less genuine than it had been before. "I'm glad you did," he told her in regards to her wanting to see him before he left. The sentiment meant more to him than he could express. He remained silent for many long moments before continuing to speak.

"Do you recall the first time we met?" He asked, his voice holding a hint of amusement at the circumstances that brought them together. "It was at a feast, I had the opportunity to speak with you." Before he had invited her for a horse ride the following morning. Arthur wasn't sure what it was about this particular war that made him feel so uneasy. What he did know was that this could be his last conversation with Caitrin, and he did not want it to be filled with all sadness. So instead, he called from memory a previous time when things had been more carefree, for both of them. But not necessarily happier, for they had both found love, her in Griff and he in Guinevère. "How far we've come since then," he added, bringing his thoughts to voice.

[[ AHHH this is my 7000th POST!! and omg it made me sad realizing that this WOULD BE the actual last conversation Arthur and Caitrin have ]]

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin placed a hand on her swollen belly, as if to convince the child within her to calm, as she could feel it moving within her. The sensation, though reassuring, was quite uncomfortable, and she found herself lost for words for a moment before the sensation passed, and she was able to smile back up at her friend. Gaius, as with all of her other children, had prepared medicines for her, and had given her his impartial advice. Caitrin was not sure how she would have got through sometimes without his guidance. He truly was a great man, and Caitrin held a great deal of respect for him. “He has.” Caitrin said, “Gaius is always such a help to me, he always knows what to say.” She smiled softly, and then looked down at her belly, a mischievous smile crossing her fingers, “Though he does not want me to think too much on it, in case he is mistaken, he felt my belly, and believes me to be carrying twins once more.” She grinned, and rolled her hand over her belly; she was bigger than she had been with Alfie, but she could not remember how big she had been with the twins. That was a long time ago now, and so much had happened inbetween. “But don’t tell anyone, this is between us.” She grinned at him, and with this little secret she hoped he would see how much she still valued him as a friend, and how she would always value his friendship and advice.

She laughed as Arthur spoke, “I’m not sure who will be more worn out, Griff or the children.” A grin passed her lips; though Griff had always been positive he would not be the father their children deserved, he always did such a good job with all of them. They all adored him, even though he was a little soft on them at times. Caitrin didn’t mind though, they were bringing up their children the way that they should be brought up; with love and encouragement. It was a stark comparison to her own upbringing. Caitrin just supplied a soft nod, and smile as Arthur replied, telling her that he was well. She knew he was lying in some sense of it, because Arthur would not be well in times such as these. She knew he felt for his people while they were under the threat of Morgana, and Caitrin prayed that Arthur would soon defeat the witch in the field, and they could go back to the peace that they all craved, “I’m glad.” He probably knew that she was aware he was fabricating the truth, but she knew him well enough not to push him on matters like this.

Caitrin could not disagree with him there, though again she was glad she had not brought the children with her. She would not have been able to cope in these crowds with such a young family at her feet. Though she had been pushed around a little in the streets as she had made her way here, it was nothing she could not handle. “It’s not your fault, you didn’t ask for this.” She said firmly, “And besides, I am unharmed.” She pointed out, and smiled, “I’m Mercian, remember? We can handle more than a little shoving in the streets.” Playfully she winked at him, but her expression softened as he expressed his pleasure at her arrival here, “I wouldn’t have let you go without saying goodbye.” Caitrin pointed out; she knew that having a friendship with the king meant that she could not always see him as often as she would have liked, but she treasured the time which they did spend together.

The silence which ensued felt quite eerie, and Caitrin just rested her hands on her belly, waiting for Arthur to break it. Her few moments of reflection were broken as he spoke, and her smile widened, and she nodded her head, “I remember it like it was yesterday.” She sat back in her chair and grinned, “If I remember correctly, you could not wait for the first opportunity to see me without my Uncle by my side.” Gosh, those were young days indeed, long before she had met Griff, or even thought of children. She nodded at his reflective comment, it was strange to think how different they both were now. “My wedding feast aside, the feast you threw me that night Is the only one anyone had ever prepared for me.” She smiled a little at him, running her hands through her smooth, red hair, “Before that, I had thought everyone in Camelot disliked me.” She paused, “Our kingdoms were not always great friends.”

OOC: Omg congrats! Also, that's just really depressed me as well I can't believe this would be their last conversation! They've been through so much!