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They sat and drank quietly, the events seemed to have shaken them both up – whereas before they would been at one another’s throats, making comments which would eventually lead to a war of words. The only war Lucan could consider acceptable in his mind. Yet the imprisonment had changed them both. It had made Lucan all the more stronger and determined, and Cait? Well…it had shut her up somewhat, but she was not speaking out and starting an argument at any given moment.

The fire was eventually lit after she said that she was a little cold, before Luc would’ve told her to stop fussing, but now things were different. He hoped that they could be friends, or at least try to be. “I’m…I’m me…” he said rather pathetically in answer to an earlier question about his wellbeing. “Part of me wishes that I was dead and then I remember who I have here…” Lucan didn’t do heart to hearts usually, but seeing as they had both been in this together he could be sure that Cait would understand.

He sat back in his chair a little more, “I want us to start over again…let us at least try to put our differences aside and be friends?” The ball was in her court now, it was best to let the lady decide these things. If she didn’t want anything more to do with him then so be it, but at least he could say that he tried.

Allard turned to Caitrin as his nephew abruptly left the room. He gave a small sigh and as Caitrin asked if Lucan was ok, Allard smiled pitifully and nodded. “I think he would’ve liked a mother around, someone to tell him everything is going to be ok, you know Lucan, he’s a worrier and there is only so much that I can say before it all falls of deaf ears.” He explained, “He usually gets like this if Amice is mentioned, hence why we rarely speak of her unless Lucan chooses to freely – and that is rare…” Allard paused, “Amice would have loved Heidi though, she was always so set upon marriage and children, she loved children and when Lucan came along she just adored him.” Allard explained, obviously Amice had not been mentioned by Lucan to her. “Anyway…Lucan is every inch his mother, so there is no doubt that Little Lady Aubert here will have those qualities too.”

Lucan returned after ten minutes or so. He’d needed a stiff drink to actually get his head together. He couldn’t let Caitrin see him like this, nor Esmae. He didn’t want them to see that side of him ever. That was for him and him alone. “You ok my lad?” Allard had slapped a supportive hand on his back when he walked back in. “When am I not?” Lucan flashed a false smile.

“If you’ll excuse me, I should really ask Thomas to prepare my things, I travel back to Glouchedon tomorrow, so I would like to actually have a smooth journey.” Allard said, bowed his head towards Cait and patted Luc’s back lightly. “I’ll let you know, I was told it would not be long now, best prepare my lad….” He whispered into Lucan’s ear and left Caitrin and Lucan alone again.

The Knight turned back to his sister in law. “I hope Heidi wasn’t fussing too much while I was gone…” he broke the silence that he could sense.

Within the couple of minutes that had gone past, Lucan had somehow forgotten that Cait was making her way to meet them. So caught up in his daughter, he almost jumped at the sound of his sister in law’s words of just how beautiful Heidi was. He turned around and smiled at her, walking over with Heidi so that Caitrin and a newly appeared Esmae could take a look at the baby.

“She is, isn’t she?” he grinned, not taking his eyes from Heidi, “She’s just….perfect.” He crouched down to Esmae’s level so as she could get a good look at Heidi. “Here you go Ezzy, This is Heidi” he introduced his niece to her new cousin. Esmae looked at the baby curiously and then to Lucan, who winked and slowly rose up to standing level again.

“Thanks for coming” he smiled at Cait; “Now…I can see you’re dying to hold her” he grinned and passed Heidi to her.

“We have this for her, well; one bit is for you and Cam.”

"I think you've got Cam's measurements wrong" He smirked as he looked at the little dress that she'd brought. "However im sure that Heidi would certainly sleep well with a little wine..." he gave Cait a kiss on her cheek, "Thankyou."

Lucan had chuckled to himself on spying the bottle, only Cait would be brave enough to steal some of a Rouland’s supply. “Come here Esmae” he held out his arms to the little girl who ran into them. He lifted her up into a cuddle. “Have you been helping your mother look after Alfie?” Esmae gave a small nod. “Now that’s what I like to hear.” He gave her a kiss and put her down again.

“How is everyone anyway?” he turned back to Caitrin, “I feel like the last week or so has gone past in a bubble”.

Little Heidi Aubert was certainly Lucan’s new found love. Perfect eyes, just like her mother’s – tiny little fingernails and a small pout upon her lips as she slept soundly. Lucan found that he just could not stop staring at her. No clues as to just how loved she was by both mother and father, nor of the world that slowly passed around her. A vulnerable child; and she was theirs. Their own daughter. Lucan certainly couldn’t have felt any more love than he did now.

Occasionally she’d make the odd movement, a small gurgle and yet did not wake. Precious moments like this were ones that would be with him forever. Watching over her, he couldn’t take the smile off his face. He wondered whether every father felt like this – a constant longing of wanting to spend every waking moment by their baby’s side.

Lucan pulled the blanket back over the small sleeping form; obviously it had slipped down earlier from where she may have kicked it or moved. A gentle tap at the door signalled that Thomas was behind him. Lucan turned to the servant who now occupied the doorway. “I’m sorry to disturb you – but Lady Caitrin had arrived…” he said, looking over at the crib apologetically as Heidi began to cry. Luc picked her up and hushed her, “It’s alright Thomas – send her in.”

With that, the servant left, leaving Lucan to calm Heidi down, clearly annoyed by the interruption to her sleep. How could she have heard that anyway? It astounded Lucan just as to how much she could sleep through and how much she couldn’t. He kissed her head gently. “Now Heidi, you’ve got to be on your best behaviour for Aunt Caitrin – I doubt she’ll be impressed”.

Eventually Heidi stopped and snuggled herself down again. “That’s better” he whispered to her, kissing her again. He would certainly be able to get used to moments like this.

It was going to be a long process. The mass clean-up of Camelot, the bloodshed of the innocent that would stain the minds and lives of everyone. All at the hand of a woman who Lucan would have bowed down to with no hatred, once upon a time. Morgana had changed, now after a short but brutal reign; he was helping to look for her after she had vanished into thin air once again. They’d split up, some in groups or in pairs. Lucan had taken to going it alone. He had searched various parts of the castle and now only had the vaults below to look. Should she be down there, he wanted to make sure that no one else would die at her hand. If he did, then it didn’t matter so much. That was his duty, not the innocent people of Camelot.

Lucan passed the great hall, where still the rubble was being cleared. The spot on which Morgana had apparently been knelt had shown no trace of her. This had sparked the wide search of both the castle and city. So far, there was nothing. “It’s gonna take a while to clean up this mess.” Sir Yvain sighed, stopping his own search along with a couple of other men. “We’ll find her, even if it takes us years….we’ll find her.” Lucan told him as he watched. He wasn’t the only one who was determined to find Morgana; everyone else was thinking the same.

Turning away from the hall, Lucan continued up the corridor to head outside.

Lucan snorted at Gwaine’s comment, “With the amount of women you’ve charmed, im surprised you don’t have a few of your own.” A small smirk had now crossed his expression, “and you can’t blame me for having a beast of a brother.”

He threw himself down on the grass and sat there, taking a well-deserved swing of water from his pouch. “I haven’t really told anyone about it, so I wouldn’t be offended” he laughed, “You know how much stick I would get from everyone.” And that much was true. He was sure that his brothers in arms would make his life hell with constant jokes and whatnot. That was the spirit of them all; they knew how to laugh even in the direst of times.

“I guess I’m just a little worried that’s all, there’s so much change that will be happening in the next few months that it’s a wonder how I’ll cope as well as Camila.” Leaving Camelot would be a big change for them both, and with Cam’s current state he didn’t want to risk her health, no matter how much Glouchedon needed him.

So his suspicions had been proved. Lucan was angry, how on earth could this have happened? His fists tightened as Caitrin continued explaining her ordeal, and by the time she had finished, he was pretty sure that he would rip the arm off of the chair at any moment. “If I ever find him, I’ll kill him…” his words came out through gritted teeth. How could any man barge into a home and put a woman through all of that? “I swear I’ll kill him…” and he would. Lucan calmed himself down finally and passed Cait something to dry her eyes. “I knew you wouldn’t have done that to Griff, I know you all too well.”

Dying. Yes his father truly was, and it was only so long before he would have to take his place, something that he wasn’t exactly looking forward to. “Yes…” he answered her flatly, he knew there should be more emotion but he couldn’t muster any right now. However fantastic or not, the sheer reality was that it would be a complete nightmare. “My father has prepared me for this day since I was born - I feel I should know what to expect, I do know, but at the same time I can’t help but feel that it’s all going to be a shambles.” He told her, “Being a Knight is all I feel I really know, I’ve been in Camelot for so many years that I’ve almost forgotten what Glouchedon looks like.” He paused, “I’m debating whether to tell Griff, he probably wouldn’t care – he and father have never been close, but he needs to know either way…”

He smiled as he watched Arthur fussing around his mother. Lucan hoped to see his son doing the same to Camila one day. For now, all they could do was wait to see what the future would hold.

Lucan didn’t know how Camila’s parents would react when they would finally tell them that she was with child. Obviously they would be just as concerned as he was, her mother especially. He could see his wife’s face changing in the mirror as he washed up. “Are you ok?” he turned to her after pulling on his tunic, “you look a little peaky?” Bring the back of his hand to her forehead she didn’t see hot, just a little flushed in the cheeks.

He hoped that she didn’t want them to go to her parents that afternoon, all he wanted to do was sleep, and the mention of his father almost made him want to throw himself out of the window. “That wouldn’t be necessary…” he told her, knowing full well that visiting his father would only cause a rift and he would be reminded constantly that Camila would let him down as a wife if she didn’t give him a son. “This is a time that I don’t exactly wish to see him, besides he’s growing weaker, and I know that it would be strenuous on all of us.” If there was one thing that Lucan didn’t want, then it was Camila stressing over nothing. “I’ll send a message to him this evening.”

Planting a small kiss on her forehead, he noted that vial that she was toying with a frowned. “What’s this?” he asked taking it out of her hands and turning it over in his own. Was it for the baby? Was she ill and hadn’t told him? He was worrying now.

He’d invited Caitrin round, even if she did hate his guts he needed to know that she was ok after their imprisonment in the dungeons. He wasn’t just going to get back on track and not ask about her welfare. Lucan had seemed to have taken a leaf out of Rouland’s book and poured some wine for them both.

“I know we’ve had our differences, and that you don’t think very highly of me, but I invited you here just to check that you were ok.” He told her, “The dungeons aren’t exactly the homeliest of places…” Ribs ached vaguely as a reminder of how far Morgana almost went.

“Here…” he passed her the cup for her to take.

Settling himself in a chair, Lucan toyed with his wine for a while, the dark crimson reminding him of their ordeal. Everything seemed to be a reminder now, but he was working on expelling everything from his mind that was conjured up. If he could do that, he could do anything. He hadn’t seen Camila since the events that had happened. He knew she was alive and had written to her father about an important matter that had played on his mind, ever since he’d been down in that darn dungeon. Cam could have been used as bait for him, Morgana had known just how much she meant to him, and now he planned to make Camila herself see that.