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It was with no small amount of trepidation that Merlin went to Gaius on one Sunday morning. She'd missed her bleeding last month, and yet another this month, and now her breakfast looked about as appetizing as pigs' slop from the lower town. And yes, she knew they'd wanted children; what royal couple didn't? It was their duty to continue the royal line, and her duty to bear the children. This wasn't a surprise, exactly. That didn't mean she'd been counting down the days, either, and they were both so young...
Her uncle listened to her story, checked her pulse, and nodded.
"Well, it seems we have a celebration in order. Shall I alert the steward?"
"No! No, Gaius, I really don't think that's necessary."
"Are you sure?" Gaius asked, mock-innocent. Merlin glowered.
"Quite sure. I've got to go, now, before Arthur wonders where I'm off to," she said, then gathered up her skirts to take the steps through the castle with a new sense of purpose and just a bit of awe. She was pregnant. With child! Time to eat for two, swear off drink, be careful on horseback, and drink her mother's teas...
Of course, when she got back to their chambers, the great idiot was still asleep. He was sleeping late with the sun risen, and the bed's curtains open to the wide air, without a care in the world. Somehow it seemed to Merlin like he should have known, somehow, that she had news to share. Revenge seemed to be in order.
"Good morning! Rise and shine," she said, as gleefully as possible.
Arthur groaned and rolled over.
"Oh, none of that. It's a beautiful day full of possibility and joy. And sunshine! So much sunshine, to go and run about in wearing ridiculous armor and carrying unnecessarily long lances." She beamed as he pulled the pillow over his head.
"Who knows what could happen today!"
"Go away," came his muffled voice through the mattress.
"Fine, be that way." Merlin started arranging things about the room- putting away their laundry as she'd done so many times before. "I've already seen Ulfric; he seems well, and the rash is all cleared up on his face. Geoffrey was in the halls looking dour, so I think we'll be getting demands for a new space for the library soon. It always seemed strange to put the reading space by the dungeons, anyways."
She glanced over at Arthur's still-motionless form.
"And Gaius said the funniest thing when I came to visit. He said I'm pregnant, Arthur. Now, I think it's twins. Could be triplets, they do run in my family you know."
The shape in the bed became rather tense.
"And yes, before you say anything-" Merlin began, before Arthur managed to stand and got tied up in his sheets.
"Wait. You're what? You're- and-"
Merlin grinned. "So you are listening to me. Sometimes I do wonder, you know. Geoffrey would be most offended if he found out you slept through my report of his-"
"Merlin."
"Yes, my lord?"
"I do not care about Geoffrey. Not at all, even in the slightest."
"You wound me," Merlin said, grin taking over her face.
"Really?" Arthur asked. "You're really- and you checked with Gaius?" She nodded. "And he said-?" She nodded, and watched as the realization spread through him. It was like watching the sun rise, just a bit.
And moments later they were smiling, shouting, laughing like fiends, kissing like new lovers, and laughing again. When they finally calmed down a bit (and after Arthur's manservant came and checked to see if they were alright), they settled back on the bed. Merlin lay back onto Arthur's chest and smiled.
"Children," Arthur said, with one arm wrapped around her waist.
"Children," Merlin answered.
"Do you think we can do it? A king and his sorceress?"
"You asked the same thing about becoming king, Arthur, and uniting Albion."
"And what did you say?"
"You know."
"Remind me?"
"Of course you can, you great prat, because you'll never be alone, and I'll love you until the ends of time."
"And that's enough?"
"And that's enough."