... No comment on how late this is. It's been a very hard month for both me and my family, but now I've finally started University and have a routine again, I can fit writing into my life again. I'm sorry this is so late, but it's done now.
So, I think most of you have worked out what this chapter's going to be about. I may be a female, but I have no experience with this sort of thing, medieval or modern, so I'm afraid I've based this on what I've read in other stories and what I believe would happen in this period. And plus, Merlin can be a complete pain when he's worried, so naturally he'd be made to wait outside.
Enough rambling...
On with the chapter!
XxX
Epilogue -9 Months Later
Merlin paced relentlessly outside the door, scuffing the wall with his feet. Arthur watched him calmly from his seat on a bench.
"You're going to wear a hole in my floor."
"Why hasn't Gaius come out yet? What's taking him so long?" Merlin muttered, completely ignoring his King.
The blonde rolled his eyes. "It's not exactly a short process, Merlin; you helped deliver Amhar, after all. Please try and relax, Gaius knows what he's doing."
The Warlock snorted. "You wouldn't relax when it was your wife."
"Which is why," Arthur stood, placing his hands on Merlin's shoulders. "I'm out here with you. I've been where you are, old friend, and I know that you're very stressed and scared. But Iyla's going to be fine; Gwen and Gaius will see to that."
"I just... I feel so useless."
In response to this, the King simply pulled his friend close. He knew that he'd been worrying since before Iyla went into labour; since Gaius delivered the news.
"It's not like Gwen and Amhar, Arthur... It's..."
"I know, Merlin," Arthur hushed him gently, rubbing his back. "I know."
XxX
Three hours later, Merlin had finally fallen asleep, his head resting on Arthur shoulder. The King dared not move for fear of waking his friend. If the younger man so much as stirred, Arthur would gently stroke his hair, sending him back into a deep sleep.
The door creaked open and Guinevere slipped out. "How is he?"
"Worn himself out worrying. How's Iyla?" Arthur smiled.
"The Ward's worked then," she grinned at him. Arthur's eyes widened before he gently shook his friend awake.
Merlin jerked upright, his eyes instantly alert. "What happened? Is Iyla alright? Why didn't you wake me?"
"We just did, idiot," Arthur smiled, nodding his head towards the door. Merlin looked between the two of them, trying to discern any hint of a lie, before he bolted for the door, yanking it open and disappearing inside the room. Arthur couldn't help but chuckle. "He's going to make an amazing father."
Gwen sat down next to him on the bench, resting her head on his shoulder. "They'll both make amazing parents."
XxX
Once inside the room, Merlin wasn't sure what to do.
The room was lit by a dozen candle's and the fire roared in the grate. By the bed were Gaius medical supplies with the used equipment in a bucket on the floor. The Physician himself had his back to the door and was shielding the bed's occupant from his side. But at the sound of the door closing, Gaius turned his head, smiling at his ward and nodding for him to come closer. Taking a deep breath, Merlin stepped closer, Iyla finally coming into his view.
She looked exhausted but happy as she cradled the bundle in her arms. A half laugh, half sob escaped his lips as he saw his child for the first time. Iyla beamed up at him, looking more beautiful than he had ever seen her in his life.
"Merlin..." The Warlock looked at his mentor. "Would you like to hold your son?"
"My son?" he whispered. Gaius smiled, and held out the bundle in his own arms, allowing Merlin to take the baby, his eyes welling up with tears¸.
After making sure he was holding the child correctly, Gaius backed away, allowing Merlin to perch on the edge of the bed, next to Iyla and the little one she was holding.
"Twins..." Iyla murmured. "And I thought Amhar was hard to look after." Merlin laughed.
"A little boy..."
"And a little girl."
"A girl?" Merlin finally managed to tear his eyes away from his son to look at his daughter. "I have a daughter?" Carefully manoeuvring her arm, Iyla managed to reach over and stroke her husbands' face. In response, he leant down and kissed her lightly, wary of the babies in between them. "We need to think of names."
She nodded, leaning back, looking at their son. "I have the perfect name for our daughter." He looked at her, his heart full of love and adoration. Whatever name she chose for their daughter would be perfect. Everything about their children was perfect. "Freya. I want to call her Freya."
Merlin's heart stopped. His breath caught in his throat as he stared at her, his eyes filling with fresh tears. "Freya?" Merlin repeated, his voice breaking.
Iyla tilted her head, her expression worried. "I'm sorry, I thought you'd like it..."
He bent his head, capturing her lips in another passionate kiss. "I love it," he smiled. "But only if we call our son Daniel."
His wife stared at him, her own eyes wet. Daniel had been her father's name. "It's perfect."
She shifted, allowing him to settle further onto the bed, bringing the four of them closer together. They snuggled up close, Iyla leaning in to her husband.
The door creaked open and Arthur entered, followed by Gaius and Gwen. They made their way silently to the bed, joining the little family. Without a word, Merlin passed Daniel to Arthur, and Iyla gave Freya to Gwen, welcoming them into their family.
Eventually Iyla fell asleep, with her husbands' arm wrapped around her. The children stirred, and there was a moment of hilarity when Daniel started crying and Arthur looked incredibly alarmed despite his experiences with his own son.
It had been a long night, and a long battle, but it was one that they had won. And as the sun rose over Albion, the Knights received the news and came to give their own congratulations and to meet Merlin and Iyla's children.
With the coming dawn came a new beginning.
One that Merlin and Iyla would face together.
XxX
Twins! Who was expecting that? *evil laugh* A friend of mine gave me this idea when I first started this story, and I had to do it. I hope you approve of the names! Very cheesy but it screamed Merlin and Iyla to do something like that.
And now I'm going to say something that will make a lot of you very angry... I've really struggled to write this story and I'm so grateful for the support I've received. It's been a hard story to write. So thank you so much!
So, that's it! I won't be doing a third story in this series, at least not yet. I still have three one-shots to finish, which I'm hoping to get done very soon! Especially my long awaited prompt! I'm so sorry about that.
It's my birthday on Saturday so please leave a review! It would really make my week!
See you all soon!
TTFN
Valkyriexx