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It was hard to look at Morgana sat upon the throne in a way. The throne was meant for Arthur, but the fact she was upon it at all showed the deception, and the betrayal she had brought to Camelot. She was already a tarnished woman. There was nothing that anyone in Camelot wouldn’t have done for her that long ago, but now her name drilled fear into the people for all the wrong reasons. Caitrin wasn’t scared of Morgana, and neither would she ever be. The young noblewoman looked up at Morgana with hatred in her eyes; it burned within her as bright as her hair. She stood up, once the guard relaxed his grip a little, as she refused to stay kneeling to the false queen for longer than she had to. Her wrists were a raw colour of red, and she snatched a glance at them, before returning her gaze to the woman who had caused all of this.

Caitrin wasn’t naive enough to think this was just some kind of social call, but she had no intention of swearing her allegiance to anyone but Arthur. Of course she didn’t feel as strongly about Uther, given he wanted her kind dead, but Arthur was her friend and she owed him that loyalty. No doubt he would scold her over her stubbornness if any of them escaped this with their lives. Caitrin held her head high, but shook it all the same. Caitrin did not want to spend any longer in the dungeon, but if the alternative was this, then she would take her cell any day of the week. “I will not swear allegiance to you my Lady.” Her voice was calm, and cool, her Mercian streak finally being brought into the conversation. She would not back down unless she was forced to back down, of course everyone had their breaking point, and Caitrin knew that. She had no idea how she would cope of course, if Morgana tried to force her hand, but there was no one to threaten other than herself. Griff was no longer in Camelot, and her Uncle had already pledged his loyalty to the false Queen. She knew he had only done it to protect his own interests, but still, she would never forgive him.

Perhaps Morgana hadn’t reckoned with a noblewoman making a stand against her, but Caitrin was not some feeble minded woman. She had been raised to be so much more than that. Magic ran through her veins, and she knew with that she was always defended, and she would never be alone. It didn’t make this meeting any easier of course, and though she wasn’t afraid of Morgana, she was certainly concerned about how much the woman was capable of. “Nothing you can do will make me betray Arthur’s trust.” It was a solid statement, and Caitrin’s defiance flashed across her features; she would not break easily.

In the aftermath of everything that had happened, Caitrin felt quite different. She wasn’t sure whether that was a good or a bad thing. She had always come out on top in a way, or she had always healed and everything had been fine. Right now though, the total opposite was happening. She had been imprisoned by a woman who was crazed enough to ruthlessly trying to bring magic back to Camelot. Caitrin was shook up in another way as well, she had been so naive, were people with magic really capable of all that? As a sorceress, she wasn’t sure what to think. She hadn’t ever thought that magic could be so cruel. Her magic wasn’t powerful enough to cause any of that, but it was worrying to think that she might be capable of something like that. Caitrin shuddered a little at the thought.

She smiled as the fire was lit again, and she rubbed her arms with her hands, trying to warm herself up. She hadn’t really been comfortable since before her episode in the dungeon. Caitrin had never thought that spending time down there would affect her so much. How wrong she had been. Caitrin looked up as Lucan as he began to speak, and bit her lip, shifting slightly in her seat. “You have so many people around you who love you Lucan.” He had no reason to dwell on such thoughts, she however felt completely different. She didn’t have Griff, or even a supportive family around her.

Caitrin was quite surprised that Lucan was offering such a truce, but she realised that she shouldn’t be in a way. After all, he had invited her here, and she had wondered about the motives behind it. In truth, she had just been glad of the gesture. Camelot had returned to normal, and yet she felt somewhat forgotten in amongst it all. “Yes, we’ll start over.” She gave a soft, genuine smile, trying to look like it wasn’t forced. “It’s the least we can do I suppose, given everything that has happened.” Caitrin drained her goblet and looked down into it, tucking some hair behind her ear, “Thank you for inviting me here Lucan, I really appreciate it.”

Caitrin handed Heidi back to Lucan reluctantly, but her arms were starting to tire. She hadn’t actually noticed how tired it had made her until Lucan took her back. She smiled down at Esmae, who had pressed herself up against her mother’s. Caitrin placed an arm around her, and pulled her closer towards her. No matter how cute Heidi was, Esmae would always be the most perfect little lady in her eyes. Everyone told her that Esmae was the spit of her, so maybe that was a little vein as well. “She’ll need the rest.” Caitrin confirmed. She wished she had taken longer to rest after giving birth to the twins, but as she had been in the castle, so many people had come to see her that she had been swept off her feet a little. “Do you have a wetnurse?” She asked curiously, as she had not seen one, but she wondered how Lucan and Camila were going to raise their daughter as well.

She shrugged, Griff had been kept on by Rouland to help manage the estate, even though now they wouldn’t be inheriting anything. Griff did it more to keep her happy than to keep Rouland happy. She liked him to be busy though, or else he just ended up complaining about everything. He had the boys to keep him company as well inbetween his admin. “He’s hoping to come today, he might bring Alfie or Arthur with him as well.” Esmae would probably be too tired to come back again later, “My Uncle’s been keeping him to keep care of the estate.” It all felt a little pointless, “I mean we’re not going to inherit the estate anymore, but Rouland still makes him pull his weight.” It was rightly done she supposed; they would be living there rent free otherwise.

Esmae nudged her mother a little, wanting some attention more than anything. Caitrin ruffled the girls hair and wrapped her arms around her, “Do you mind if we take a seat?” She looked down at Esmae who was yawning a little, she needed regular naps, and she was already nodding off on her little legs.

Esmae looked up at the mention of her name, and smiled gently as she went back to her mother’s skirts. Her hands pulled on her mother’s skirts, but Caitrin knew that Esmae didn’t actually want anything, she just wanted her to know that she was there. Most of Caitrin’s attentions were on the new arrival. She was just so delicate, and still Caitrin was just reminded of Esmae when she had been a new arrival. Perhaps that meant that there was more Aubert in her than had previously been credited; the cousins would probably look quite alike, apart from the hair colour of course. Esmae, as she had promised, was being quite quiet, even to her mother’s surprise. Caitrin grinned as Allard entered the room; she inclined her head towards him as a mark of some respect.

She shook her head, “My Uncle will just be a little moody for a while. But it’s not that much of a change to his usual persona.” Since Dristan had turned up out of nowhere again his mood had been unbearable on some days. He had been training Griff up to inherit the estate, and now it seemed that Dristan would take the estate after all. It was something that Caitrin didn’t really want to dwell on, “My cousins reappearance has been worse for his health than a missing bottle of wine would ever be.” She gave a small smile and continued to rock the small babe in her arms. She found herself grinning quickly though, “Griff is kept busy by my Uncle and our sons, then again, Esmae is turning into a little daddy’s girl as well.” She shrugged, she really didn’t mind in the slightest.

Heidi had begun to fuss, and Caitrin began to soothe her softly, “Come on now, none of that for your Aunt.” She smiled and nodded up at Allard, “She is, she’s beautiful.” Caitrin couldn’t imagine any little one in Camelot being any cuter than the one she was holding in her arms right now. Excepting Esmae of course. Caitrin looked up at Allard and Lucan as Amice was mentioned. Lucan had never really mentioned much about his mother, and she had never thought to ask. He excused himself, and Caitrin and Allard were left alone with the two young Aubert’s. “Is he alright?” Caitrin asked Allard with a concerned look across her features.

Caitrin had been more than ecstatic when she had heard the news. She dismounted her horse with ease, and lifted Esmae off the saddle as well. As it was only the two of them, Caitrin had decided to ride to Allard’s estate. Esmae had enjoyed herself, and she was grinning down at her mother, and handed her the basket which Esmae had been keeping safe on the journey. The basket itself held a small blanket that Caitrin had been working on, though it was rather unisex, as though she had felt like they were expecting a girl, she had really had no idea. There was a little dress in there as well, and a soft toy, as well as a bottle of wine she had smuggled from her Uncle’s stash for the father, and mother. Esmae tried to carry the basket, but it was too heavy for her, and so Caitrin held the larger weight, and Esmae still clung onto it, trying to look like she was helping.

A servant rushed forwards to take her horse, and she smiled at him, “Can you please let Sir Lucan know that the Lady Caitrin is here?” She smiled to herself, and then down at Esmae. She fell back on her formalities too easily, but she wasn’t a noble for nothing. Caitrin was so looking forwards to meeting her little niece; they had heard word of the birth yesterday, but Caitrin had decided against calling so soon. Instead she had waited for the morning, to bring a little array of presents. Caitrin couldn’t wait to meet her, and she was sure that Lucan and Camila were already so proud of their little bundle. It made Caitrin slightly broody, but she had her children now, and Alfie was a few months old now and it had been so much easier than she had been expecting it to be.

Caitrin let Esmae carry on holding onto the basket as well, though she was still mostly holding it. As they were about to enter the room, she lowered herself to Esmae’s level, the girl was only two, and so she had to be reminded to be quiet around babies. “Now Esmae, you have to be quiet when we go in to see your baby cousin, we don’t want to scare her do we?” Esmae shook her head, and Caitrin kissed her forehead with a smile; ruffling her hair a little. “Now shhh.” She put her finger to her lip, and Esmae followed suit silently. How long that would last remained to be seen. Caitrin pushed the door open as the servant waved her in. Her eyes set upon Lucan and the little bundle in his arms almost straight away. Her heart swelled a little; she was an Aunt, and now she would get the chance to bestow the same affection that Lucan gave her children. “Oh Lucan.” She breathed, as she and Esmae moved closer towards the pair, “She’s beautiful.” Esmae was standing on her tip toes, but could not see the baby just yet. “We have this for her, well, one bit is for you and Cam.” She winked, and couldn’t help but smile madly at this new life; this new Aubert.

Caitrin enjoyed taking her children to see Nora, as she knew that they enjoyed her company as much as she enjoyed theirs. The children loved visiting her as well, so it was always a welcomed scenario. She hated the thought of herself and the children being cooped up at the estate all day, and so breaks from their usual routine, like this, were needed. It gave the children new places to discover, and new people to meet. Caitrin’s childhood had been incredibly controlled and had been based at her family home. She had hated the claustrophobic feeling of growing up in an environment like that, and so she provided her family with the complete opposite. She smiled as they got past their usual formalities, and nodded. Caitrin was never quite sure how time slipped in-between these sorts of meetings, but when you had three very young children, the weeks all merged into one.

She was a little concerned to hear that Nora had been feeling unwell. If she had known then she would have made her friend a potion, or some sort of remedy to help her feel a little better. However, after the events of two or so years ago, she could understand if she was the last person that Nora wanted to go to for a medical opinion. She was probably better off with a real physician anyway. “It wasn’t too serious, I hope?” Caitrin asked slowly, as she knew that Nora would downplay her illness even if she had been bedbound for a week. Her perception of what a small cold was, and what Caitrin’s was were probably two very different matters. “I’m very well actually. Alfie has finally started sleeping fully through the night, so I’ve been getting a full night’s sleep for the first time in a very, very long time.” She smiled and shrugged, the children sometimes found it hard to settle, or woke in the night, and it was always Caitrin that ran to their sides as Griff had things to tend to with the estate and so forth. Alfie had always been a difficult sleeper, though Caitrin could never understand why.

She didn’t answer for her children, though they looked at her before thinking to give Nora an answer. Esmae smiled at Nora and nodded with an enthusiastic, “I am good!” Arthur said the same, and Alfie just shyly blushed and turned into his mother to avoid having to look at anyone else for much longer. Alfie was too young to speak yet, and so Caitrin ran her hand through his hair and smiled at Nora, “He hasn’t found his voice yet, but I think when he does he’ll be more talkative than both of these two.” Alfie was shy at first, but only until he was completely familiar with a person. All the children looked completely thrilled at the prospect of a picnic, and Caitrin was as well. She nodded enthusiastically, “That sounds perfect, Nora.” It meant the children could run around, and she and Nora could have the catch up they were both craving, “Do you want to go out there now? It seems a shame to waste the good weather.”

Caitrin decided that it was no use in arguing with the young knight, as he had clearly decided that he needed to prove himself before accepting such compliments. She could relate to that in a way, as her brother in law had been quite similar in his attitude to the knighthood. Some only took up the vocation on the account of show-boating, or so that they were automatically seen as a respectable member of society. The fact Mordred was so modest made Caitrin quite glad that he was one of the people who would be protecting the kingdom. “I’m sure you will have a chance to prove yourself.” She said with a soft smile as she ruffled her daughter’s hair fondly. Caitrin was quite a young mother, or so she felt, but still, she wouldn’t be able to live without her children now. They were her world. His view on children was quite refreshing, as most just saw them as an irritant. Caitrin was quite open about her parenting, and was not afraid of bringing them into the hub of society. She had spent her life cooped up at home, so there was no chance her children were going to go through the same thing. “I hadn’t really thought of it in that way, but it’s true, they certainly se, and remember, quite a lot.” She chuckled, as she was incredibly glad that the children hadn’t ever walked in on their parent’s bedroom in the later hours of the evening. The door was always locked, as they would never hear the end of it if it wasn’t.

The nomadic lifestyle suited some, though it would never have suited Caitrin. She was a social being, and so she craved company. From his expression, Caitrin got the feeling he did not want to elaborate on his previous life, and so did not pursue the topic. Perhaps that was one of the reasons that Caitrin had kept her gifts a complete secret, because if she was ever discovered she would have to go on the run. That would mostly entail a nomadic lifestyle. There was no way she was going to allow herself to be caught now, not while she had a family to look after. Her husband was the only one who knew she was a sorceress, and she knew he would rather die than give her away.

“Sorry, Mordred.” She corrected herself with a slight chuckle, “Then you may call me Caitrin, if we are being completely informal.” She didn’t mind, sometimes the titles were just a hindrance to a good conversation. As Caitrin settled herself, all three of her children got up and moved away from the mat. Caitrin looked confused, and was about to ask what they were doing, but Esmae got there first, “We playing tag.” She explained, with all the grace a three year old could manage. Caitrin nodded, as she knew they would not stray too far, and so she invited Mordred to sit with her, as she was now gladder of his company if the children were going to be off running about. “Arthur, my eldest son, was named after the King.” Caitrin pointed out to Mordred with a soft smile, “He’s a close friend, and made my arrival here a lot more comfortable than other’s at court did.”

Caitrin regarded Nora as one of her closest friends here in Camelot, and she was so good with her children that it just made their friendship stronger. There had been times when Caitrin had regretted not getting to know Nora sooner, but she knew her now, and that was all that mattered. She held Alfie’s hand as they all waited to be announced; Esmae and Arthur were so used to being here now that it was almost like a second home to them so she didn’t need to tell them how to act. The servant came back to them with a usual efficiency, and they were led into the parlour. Caitrin let Esmae and Arthur walk along in front of her and Alfie. She smiled as they all approached Nora.

Releasing Alfie’s hand for a short moment, Caitrin swept into a low curtsey as well, showing the respect for her friend. Esmae gave a clumsy sort of curtsey as well, and Arthur attempted a bow, though he almost fell over in the process, but regained his balance at the last second. Alfie was the only one who did not make some sort of greeting; instead he just stared at Nora. “It’s nice to see you again too Nora.” Caitrin took up the seat, and lifted Alfie onto her knee; Esmae and Arthur sat down as well. “Thank you for having us all round.” Caitrin couldn’t understand how Nora had the patience for all three of her children on such a regular basis. She did appreciate it though.

Alfie sat quite comfortably on her knee, and Caitrin brushed her hand through his dark, thick hair. She put her arms around him and looked across at Nora with a smile, “How have you been since I last saw you?” She asked brightly. Esmae and Arthur were sitting quite quietly for children of their age, though Caitrin could see Esmae was fiddling with her dress out of boredom. Her children could barely sit still for more than a few minutes at a time.

Caitrin smiled at Camila before looking back to the small bundle in her arms. Esmae was giving a small yawn before snuggling into her blankets. Caitrin couldn’t imagine life without Esmae, or Arthur, and it was hard to believe they would ever be anything other than these bundles in hers and Camila’s arms. She wondered what it would be like when Camila and Lucan started their own family. Caitrin rocked Esmae slightly, and smiled at the thought. She wanted the twins to be close to their cousins, and she was sure that they would be. There was no reason why they wouldn’t really. The new baby included as well. Caitrin wasn’t as big as she had been with the twins, which perhaps told her that she was only expecting one baby rather than twins this time. That would probably be easier to cope with rather than four very young children. Caitrin wouldn’t care though, she would love her children equally regardless of how many she had.

She nodded at Camila, she really didn’t mind making her a sleeping draught. She had needed them herself when she had been pregnant with the twins, especially when her sickness had been at its most severe, she had combined it with the potions that Merlin had made her as well and she had made it through. So she was quite the expert at making sleeping draughts now. This pregnancy wasn’t half as difficult as her last one, not that she was complaining in the slightest, “I’ll make you one once we get back from the walk.” She promised her faithfully, with a soft smile, “After my last pregnancy I can knock one up as quickly as any physician.” She felt oddly guilty as Camila began to explain how much she was missing Lucan, and how that was affecting her sleep. Caitrin never had to go through that with Griff; the longest he ever went was with her Uncle to survey the land. He never strayed far from her side. “He’ll be fine Cam, you know Luc, he can get through everything.” She frowned a little, “What else is it Cam?” She asked in a soft voice, wanting Cam to confide whatever it was that was eating away at her so it would ease her burden a little.

Caitrin picked a little at the food, though she didn’t set Esmae down while she chewed on a bit of bread, she had already eaten than morning and so only needed a top up to get her through the walk. She wasn’t letting fatigue bother her, she had been a mother too long to let it stop her living her life from day to day. She was glad that Camila seemed a little brighter at the suggestion of a walk. Caitrin stood up; still with Esmae in her arms. “Come on, there’s no point in hanging around here any longer than we have to.” She led the way outside via the solar; it was a warm day so they didn’t really need cloaks; Esmae was still wrapped in her blankets, and was dozing in and out of sleep. Her daughter seemed happy enough though, and that was all Caitrin could ask for. The pace of the two women was quite slow, accommodating both Caitrin’s condition and the fact that Camila wasn’t feeling that well. “It’s more peaceful out here isn’t it?” She asked her sister in law, and then, remembering that Camila had been hinting at there being something else wrong, she gave a small smile, “If you want to talk about anything, I’m here. I understand if you’d rather talk to someone else, but we’re family. So I’ll be here if you need anything.”