The Great Purge

11. A Life For A Life

For the first few hours after Arthur's birth, everything was perfect.
Uther was happier than Nimueh had ever seen him before, and Ygraine was over the moon that she had finally succeeded in giving her husband a son after so many years.
They seemed like the perfect little family, and Nimueh was almost jealous of their happiness.
However, when Gaius checked the queen over, to make sure that she was recovering from the birth, he noticed that her pulse was far too slow.
"Nimueh, feel this" he instructed, encouraging Nimueh to place her fingers onto Ygraine's wrist.
"That's not right. Her heartbeat should be higher than average after giving birth, not lower" replied Nimueh quietly.
"Is something wrong?" Asked Uther, who was troubled by Nimueh and Gaius's worried faces.
"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about sire" lied Gaius.

"I don't feel very well" admitted Ygraine weakly.
Uther immediately took baby Arthur from his wife's arms, as Gaius began to take charge of the situation.
But no matter what Gaius did, Ygraine only continued to deterioate, until eventually she lost consciousness.
"Do something! Use your magic!" ordered Uther, glaring at Nimueh.
Nimueh rolled up her sleeves and prepared to cast a healing spell, but then a thought came to her that made her lower her arms.
"Why did you stop? You need to do something, Ygraine is dying" continued Uther.

"I don't think I will be able to do anything?" Admitted Nimueh.
"Why not?" Questioned Uther.
"Because she is not dying of natural causes... The Old Religion has chosen her to be their sacrifice"
"What are you talking about?"
"I warned you that using powerful magic to create a child, had a price. I warned you that someone would have to die to make it happen, a life for a life... It would appear that Ygraine has been chosen. Her life, for her son's chance to live"
"Are you saying that you knew this would happen?"
"Of course not. I had no say in what would happen. I had no idea who would be chosen".

"There's nothing I can do. Her heart will give out any minute now" revealed Gaius, whose fingers were still pressed against Ygraine's wrist.
"Oh god, no. There must be something you can do" begged Uther.
"I'm afraid there isn't, sire".
Uther dropped to his knees beside the bed and took hold of Ygraine's hand, while still holding Arthur tight to his chest.
"Ygraine. Ygraine! Can you hear me? You've got to fight this, my love" pleaded Uther, as he kissed his wife's hand.
Tears streamed down Uther's distraught face, and the next few moments were hard for everyone to watch.

"It's done... She is gone" Gaius said quietly, as he removed his fingers from Ygraine's cold wrist.
"No. No, she's still here" insisted Uther as he placed one arm around Ygraine's shoulders and tried to bring her limp body closer to his own.
"I'm sorry sire. There's nothing anyone can do to help her now" replied Gaius.
Uther looked over to Nimueh who was standing awkwardly in the corner of the room.
"You, bring her back!" He demanded.
"I can't. There is nothing I can do once someone has passed onto the next life" Nimueh admitted.
Uther screamed and shouted as tears continued to stream down his face. Nimueh and Gaius could do nothing but watch, as they knew there were no words they could say that would heal the hole in his heart.

Even though Nimueh hadn't been as close to the queen, as she was the king, she had spent a lot of time with Ygraine. Which is why in that situation, even someone with a heart as hard as hers, she couldn't hold back the silent tears that streaked down her face.
"Gaius, what are we going to do? What are we going to tell the people?" Asked Nimueh quietly, so that Uther couldn't hear.
"We can't tell them the truth. No one can know that magic was involved in Arthur's birth. We both gave our word that we wouldn't tell a soul" reminded Gaius.
"I know. But the queen is dead, she will need an official cause of death"
"As far as anyone is concerned, Ygraine died in childbirth. You said yourself that it's a common cause of death in women. That is what we will say killed the queen".

"I'd better go and spread the word about what has happened. The lords at court will need to know, Uther will be in no fit state to tell them himself, any time soon... Besides, I can't stay in here" admitted Nimueh.
"Go, I will take care of matters here. The lords respect you more than me, they should hear it from you. Tell them that Uther's son Arthur lives, but his mother died to bring him into this world" replied Gaius.
Nimueh nodded and quickly wiped the tears from her face, before flattening down her hair, to make sure that her apprearence was perfect. Anything less than perfect would be innappropriate to address the lords and knights in. As a woman, she was judged by her appearence, while the men could wear whatever they liked.
With one last look at Ygraine's unmoving body, Nimueh headed out of the room, to spread the bad news to the rest of Camelot.