Treason (Igraine & Vivienne)
Title: Treason
Fandom: Merlin
Characters & Pairings: Igraine & Vivienne
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 734
Summary: A tiny but life changing moment for the Focus on Igraine challenge for merlin_land. There were very few people who Igraine would commit treason for, Vivienne was one of them.
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, this is purely for entertainment purposes.
“Oh, Vivienne,” I sighed, one hand going to my own stomach in empathy, the other clutching at her arm.
“I know, I know,” she said quickly, leaning her forehead on my shoulder and taking a deep breath. “It - It was just one night. I never imagined this could happen, not after trying for so long with Gorlois and nothing.”
There was nothing I could say to comfort her, no words of wisdom or plan to right everything again. “Who?” I asked eventually when the silence became too much. “Whose is it? Not...”
“No!” she took a step back from me, pleading with me to believe her with desperate eyes. “I could never do that to you, never!”
“Alright, alright,” I soothed, wrapping her in a hug. “It will be okay, I promise.” I was lying and I think she knew it because she held me tighter, sobbing again. A flash of fear went through me when I felt her swollen abdomen against me. How had I missed it? All winter we had been inseparable. Gorlois was stranded across the sea and Uther was busy dealing with the burgeoning grain crisis; it had been like when we were girls again, no responsibilities except to our own whims.
“It was - It was Menhir,” she managed after her weeping had subsided again.
The flash of fear I had felt earlier settled in my stomach and began to grow roots and sprout shoots. “Then the baby will surely be...” Neither of us would say it, even back then when magic was legal, it was frowned upon, seen as unnatural.
She nodded.
“There is no way we can convince Gorlois that the baby is his. He hangs on your every word but even he won’t believe it after you have been separated for so long,” I said, thinking aloud. “And we’ll have to tell Gaius, the physician.” At her frightened look I quickly amended, “Not who the father is, just that you are with child.”
“I will be shamed!” She was wailing again.
“Not if we keep it between the three of us. He will keep your secret if I bid him to.” My mind had started working again and it was spinning quick little plans like nets to save her. If she had the baby before the weather thawed and Gorlois returned... My thoughts halted when I saw her rubbing at her swollen abdomen. It would be hell for her but it was the only thing we could do. “Gaius will help us,” I promised her.
“Help us do what?” she asked, eyes wide.
“Surely you know that you cannot keep it?” Ice cold guilt sliced through my fear. It sounded cold, even to me but I had to say it. It was the only way.
“I -” She dropped her eyes and her cheeks paled. “I know.”
Crossing the space that had opened up between us, I hugged her again. “Oh, V.” It wasn’t articulate but it was the best I could do. “I’d do anything to fix it for you if I could.” I felt her tears damp on my neck, making my own overflow salty from my closed eyes. “The baby-”
“Her,” she said, her words muffled against my skin. “It’s a girl. I dream of her, all the time. I’ve never had a vision clearer than I do of her.”
Pulling back, I wiped her tears with the pads of my thumbs and smiled at her.
“She looks a bit like you,” Vivienne said, smiling slightly.
“Menhir’s my cousin,” I reminded her. Our two families, mine and hers, were the only upper class families in this kingdom and all bordering it with magic in our blood.
There was almost playfulness in her eyes when she said, “You ruin all my fantasies.”
I smiled indulgently.
“We’ve always been good at making excuses to escape and have our own little adventures away from this place,” she said, wistful. “You’ll come with me to see her, won’t you? I - I can’t do this on my own. I can’t give her up if... not if you’re not...” Her eyes were full of tears again. She looked so small, so fragile.
“Anything,” I promised. With her looking at me like that, like I was the only thing in this world that could save her, I would have done anything for her. And I did. If Uther found out, he would never forgive me.