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The cool metal of the crown touching his head felt different. He had worn many crowns, but the weight of a king’s felt different.
He rose and turned to the crowd of people, his people chanting. The words buzzed in his ears as his eyes roamed the crowd for one black-haired man. Merlin. His husband. Though no one knew that fact, not yet at least.
The tiniest of smiles crossed his face when he found him at the edge of the crowd a few rows back. Merlin was smiling so wide it had to hurt. And wearing Arthur’s doublet. He forced himself not to smirk smugly at how handsome his husband looked in his clothing.
As if reading his mind, Merlin rolled his eyes, yet his smile only brightened. And as the people continued to chant Arthur felt his heart warm for his people, for the man he loved, and for all the good they would do for the kingdom together .
Arthur had been king for three months now, and already his council was hinting at prospective marriage candidates.
They had wanted to delay telling the truth a little longer, both rueing the chaos that would unfold when all in the castle found out that Arthur was already married, and to his manservant of all people!
But before they announced it to the court, they have to tell two far scarier people. His mother and Arthur’s sister. Merlin shivered at the thought. Still, he wrote his mother to come to Camelot for a visit, for he had something very important to tell her.
He had to rewrite it thrice because he knew his mother was going to kill him. Arthur standing behind him as he wrote, rubbing circles into his shoulder blades helped with the guilt, even if only a little.
If Merlin hadn’t known already, he knew for sure now. They were dead men.
They went down together to greet Hunith only to find Morgana already there waiting for their guest. She had been eager to see Hunith again after all these years.
When Hunith arrived, she bowed properly to Arthur before turning to her son and throwing herself around him. Merlin laughed airily, the wind in his lungs almost being knocked out of him at how strongly his mouth embraced him. He then whined when she began prodding his face and asking a thousand questions about his health before finally letting him take her to her room for her stay. Hunith and Morgana walked arm and arm the whole way up.
They had decided it would be best to tell them both over dinner, after feeding them lots and lots of wine. In hindsight that was probably not their best idea.
They had spent most of dinner chatting about Camelot, about Arthur’s coronation as king, the new laws to help deal with magical issues now that the ban on magic was lifted, Ealdor, and on and on when dessert arrived.
Merlin felt Arthur squeeze his hand under the table. An eyebrow raised silently asking if Merlin was ready. He nodded.
Arthur cleared his throat, “Right there’s something Merlin and I would like to tell you.”
Both women looked at them curiously, almost excitedly even.
“Well,” Morgana drawled. “Don’t leave us in suspense, dear brother.”
Arthur smiled tightly, doing his best to hide his nerves as he said. “I’ll just get right to the point then. Merlin and I are married.”
“About time-,” started Morgana as Hunith said, “Congratu-.” And then nearly at the same time, they spurted out “Wait, what-!”
And well, things went predictably downhill from there.
“ Married ?”
“Since when!”
“Why wasn’t I invited-”
“I didn’t even think you two were together! Why didn’t you tell us you were together!”
“How long has this been going on?”
“How could you keep this from us? From your own mother?”
“Not to mention your sister Arthur! My chambers are just one hallway away!”
The questions came so quickly that Merlin was barely keeping track of who was saying what. “Alright, we will answer your questions one at a time! Just- calm down.”
He winced at the grisly glare they were sending him, right he shouldn’t have said that last bit. Gods, he swore Arthur's bonehead-ness was rubbing off on him. He sighed, “What would you like to know first?”
Hunith and Morgana glanced at one another before nodding.
“How long have you been married?” Hunith asked.
Arthur squeezed Merlin’s hand once more. “Two years.”
Hunith’s mouth dropped open as she stared at them whispering to herself, “Two years…”
Merlin was sure his mother didn’t even realised she had spoken out loud. His heart squirmed painfully in his chest.
Morgana looked ready to smash her goblet. Whether out of fury or shock he wasn’t sure. “No, this isn’t possible. I see you both every damn day! I would know .”
“Morgana-,” Arthur started but her glare shut him up.
“No, it’s not possible because Merlin has only just told you about his magic. He wouldn’t have married you without telling-,” Morgana whipped her eyes away from Arthur to Merlin. He could see the puzzle pieces coming together in her head.
“Arthur’s known about my magic for years…. He knew before we even realised we were in love,” Merlin said. An amused smile spread onto his lips as he remembered the day Arthur found out.
It was a boiling summer day so of course, rather than staying in the castle and sleeping off the heat, Merlin was on horseback, the sun beating down on him on a patrol with Arthur. “Couldn’t we wait till after lunch to patrol? I’m starving.”
Merlin would normally be amused by the way Arthur glared at him, but it was too bloody hot out.
“Let me remind you that you were the one who insisted on joining me on patrol.”
He grimaced. It was true, with the last week having been the hottest of days he lived since moving to Camelot, several knights were unable to patrol due to heatstroke. Because of this, Arthur had split up the knights in pairs giving each a small area to patrol quickly in hopes no one would be out too long.
The problem was with so many knights down that left one person alone and of course, Arthur insisted that person be him. Which was why Merlin had insisted on coming with him, claiming he could run for help if needed.
“Well couldn’t leave you to fend for yourself. You’d be dead without me,” Merlin said, giving Arthur a lopsided grin.
Arthur snorted just as Merlin knew he would. “I see the heat hasn’t affected your sense of humor.”
Merlin opened his mouth, not even sure what he was going to say next when a fury of branches started snapping to their left. Along with a fury of hooves stamping on the ground.
They glanced quickly at one another and pulled the horses to a stop. They had barely stopped when a smarm of animals rushed out of the trees only a few feet in front of them. Deers, foxes, rabbits, and birds alike rush past them.
“What the-”
“That can’t-”
Neither one was able to finish their thought when a strange roar like nothing Merlin had ever heard before came from the woods.
The horses flinched and panicked at the sound. Merlin put a hand to his horse, Clover, intending to calm her with magic but Clover jumped up and he was tumbling off.
Merlin groaned as he sat up. Clover and Arthur’s horse Llamari already galloping back the way they came.
His eyes snapped to Arthur as the man groaned. Arthur quickly rose up, a deep scowl on his lips.
Well at least he looks alright , Merlin thought. Another strange roar, this time closer.
Arthur pulled out of his sword and looked at him from the corner of his eye. “Merlin, hide .”
He huffed. “We have no idea what or where this bloody thing is, where should I hide?”
He would not leave Arthur alone. Not when for all he knew the second he turned his back the creature could pop out and kill Arthur.
No, better to stay behind Arthur where he could keep an eye on him and use his magic while Arthur was focused on the task before him. It was risky, but it wasn’t the first time he had done it.
“ Mer lin-,” and whatever insult he was going to use was cut off by a large beast breaking through the forest clearing.
It looked much like a lion, except for the fact that it was twice as big as a lion and had two heads. The second head looked like a goat.
Something about it was familiar, he was sure he had seen the creature in one of Gaius’ books but he could not remember.
It roared again, a strange mix of the two animals’ calls ending with a hissing sound.
Well, that’s a weird one, Merlin thought quietly. And then the creature turned his heads away from where the swarm of animals had run off to, to them. Shit.
The beast pounced towards them, whipping its claws at Arthur with only one leap.
Arthur miraculously held it back with his sword, only stepping back a few steps in the process.
The beast opened his mouth wide when Merlin saw its tail and realised in horror what the beast was; a chimera, and it was about to burn Arthur to a crisp.
“Arthur DUCK!” He screamed.
Arthur jumped to the side just as the chimera breathed out a wave of flame which was now coming directly at Merlin.
It was instinct. Instinct moving his hand forward and shielding himself as Arthur shouted his name.
He heard Arthur’s gasp. Could feel his eyes on him.
Merlin’s body grew stiff, but he kept the shield up.
When the flames finally died the chimera raced toward him. Merlin dropped his shield and threw out both hands as he shouted, "Lyfte ic þe in balwen ac forhienan se wideor!"
A gust of wind so strong, every tree and brush swayed heavily as the chimera was pushed back far up the path. It was lying still, it made Merlin frown. If what he remembered from Gaius’ books was right, it wouldn’t be down for long. Chimeras were a particularly hard magical beast to kill.
He licked his lips nervously as he turned towards Arthur. He felt the air punch out of him. He had always expected Arthur to be angry if he found out, but his friend looked hurt and confused.
Merlin took a step towards him. “Arthur.”
Arthur moved his sword in front of him, but his stance was off. To anyone else, his face would seem impartial lacking all emotions but even with only a year as Arthur’s manservant to him, Arthur’s eyes were painfully conflicted. He could see it, the confusion of what he should do. Of what his father expected, and the memory of what Arthur had done the last time he had come across someone with magic.
Mordred.
So, Merlin gave him an out of sorts, an easy option to delay his decision. “It’s not dead yet. I stunned it for the moment, but that’s a chimera. It’s a magical creature so it’ll wake back up any second now.”
Merlin watched him with bated breath and breathed in relief as Arthur lowered his sword.
“And you’re telling me this why?” Arthur asked, his voice firm and quiet.
“Because I know how to stop it, but I’ll need your help.”
“Right,” He sighed, and nodded. “Alright, what do we have to do?”
He had feared for a moment that Arthur might have said something harsher, a flare of anger would pop out but Arthur with his strategic mind was choosing to focus on the task at hand. Merlin bit his lip, knowing that his next words would make the prince uneasy. “Give me your sword.”
He was right, Arthur’s eyes looked ready to pop out of his head. “Absolutely not!”
Merlin pinched his nose and sighed. Right, this was going to be fun. “The only way to defeat a chimera is to stab it in the heart.”
Arthur scoffed, “Right you distract it while I go in from the side. Sounds easy enough.”
Merlin couldn’t help but smirk, “It has three hearts and its tail is actually a venomous snake.”
He groaned, “Of course it does.”
Any other time Merlin would have made a joke, but Arthur was still processing his magic and frankly, he didn’t want to push it. “Magic can wound it but only a weapon made of lead can kill it.”
“Hence why you need to enchant my sword,” Arthur said, resigned.
“Yes.”
Arthur looked at him carefully once more. He then glanced at the beast starting to stir. He pulled his sword out thrusted it into the ground. “You better not be lying.”
Merlin tried to smile, “I’m not.”
He pulled the sword out of the ground and waved his right hand over the sword as he chanted a spell to change the steel blade to lead. He made another charm to strengthen the metal. He then held the sword up to Arthur. “Here, the chimera is getting up.”
Arthur nodded, his fingers brushing lightly against Merlin’s as he took his sword back.
Merlin tried to not let his hopes up, that the fact that Arthur didn’t mind touching him was a good sign. He shook his head and looked back towards the chimera. It was up and starting towards them. It would reach them in a minute easily. He sighed, “Right, I’ll distract the heads while you cut off the snake then I’ll hold it down while you stab the hearts.”
The idea of leaving Arthur to deal with a poisonous snake made his stomach rot but it was the best option.
Sword ready Arthur scoffed. “You? Hold it down? With those tree branches, you call arms?”
If they hadn’t been in a life-or-death situation Merlin would hit him. “With my magic you moron.”
“You can’t-,” The rest of Arthur’s words were swallowed up by the beast’s strange roar before another burst of flame came out of his lion’s mouth again.
Merlin quickly threw up a barrier spell. “Arthur, GO!”
He could feel Arthur’s eyes linger on him before he ran into the woods beside them.
Right, all he needed to do was get all three heads to focus on him long enough that Arthur could do his thing. Merlin took a deep breath. The flames stopped, the lion ramming itself against the barrier. Merlin waited until the lion opened his large mouth again and dropped his shield.
Another burst of flame poured out, so hot Merlin felt a bead of sweat already forming on his forehead. He waited until it was a hand's width away from his face before using his magic to take hold of it. He clenched his fist and dipped to his side the flame following him, circling his movements as if the two were dancing.
Merlin turned in a circle, his feet swirling across the ground but never leaving the circle. His hands clenched tight until he was back in his original position. Fists opened, his arms flung out and the flame shot forward and hit the goat head.
The chimera cried out in anguish. All three heads screeched as if the fire had hit them all in the face.
Arthur rushed out of the woods, using the chaos to swoop in and cut off the snake’s head.
A sound like nothing Merlin’s ever heard before came out of the goat’s mouth. Somehow both deep and high, a call so piercing that Merlin was on the ground, eyes shut, covering his ears without realising it. He squinted at Arthur and saw the prince in a similar state. He then noticed the chimera turned towards Arthur. Once again, he was moving before he knew it.
Heart nearly bursting out of his chest, he ran straight at it. He poured his magic out as he sunk his fingers into the coat of the chimera as he shoved the beast away from Arthur.
The chimera was so surprised, its goat head finally stopped making that horrible cry as they tumbled over. He wasn’t sure if it was his magic or the tight grip he had on the beast that kept him with the beast as they tumbled over the harsh dirt. He decided it was stubbornness that kept him holding on until they finally stopped.
His arms around as much of the chimera’s back as he could reach, Merlin poured his magic into thick invisible ropes to keep the creature restrained. The beast slammed him into the ground trying and failing to get back up Merlin choked out, “Arthur! Now!”
Somehow despite the chimera slamming Merlin’s head against the ground, he heard Arthur shout, “Where do I stab him?”
“Anywhere! Just keep stabbing!”
He felt the pressure, the thrust behind the movement as Arthur stabbed his sword until the chimera. Felt so acutely that for a second, he feared the sword had gone through him as well.
It hadn’t.
Arthur stabbed at it until the chimera whimpered and its body slumped over fully on Merlin.
He was trying to figure out how to move it off of him when he felt it being pushed off. Arthur looked at him carefully, his eyes checking him over for injuries. “Are you hurt?”
“Head hurts a little but otherwise I think I’m alright.”
Arthur frowned and Merlin watched as Arthur swallowed before he said, “Better get you home to Gaius then so he can check you out.” He tried to say it off-handedly as if it was no big deal but of course, they both knew it was.
A swoop of relief filled his stomach. Relief and overwhelming joy. He somewhat choked out, “Yeah let’s go home.”
Arthur reached out his hand to help him up and when Merlin took it Arthur smiled. It was soft and fond and did something terribly unfair to his heart.
Arthur of course had to ruin it. “Right, and after Gaius is done checking you over you can strip my sheets like you should have done this morning, sweep my chambers, and polish my armor and every bloody thing that can be polished in my chambers while you explain why the hell a sorcerer would be stupid enough to come to Camelot of all places and work for the prince!”
Merlin groaned.
Arthur chuckled as he remembered forcing Merlin to polish even the handles on his furniture as punishment for his stupidity. A sorcerer working for a prince! If anyone else had figured it out he could have died!
He was brought out of his memories by Morgana’s fierce glare as she said, “So, you’ve known since the chimera.”
Arthur nodded, rubbing his thumb up and down the side of Merlin’s thumb. He knew she’d be pissed about that.
Morgana turned her glare to Merlin and now Arthur was worried he’d be the widow.
“I can’t believe you told him first. Can’t believe you didn’t tell me he knew.”
“In fairness, he hadn’t told me about you either, and we had been courting for a year by then,” Arthur said sulkily because yes, he was still a little bitter about that! For gods’ sake, Merlin hadn’t even told him after they had married!
Merlin reached out with his other hand and turned Arthur’s head towards him. Brushing back the fringe of his hair like he did when Arthur was having a stressful day. “I told you Morgana wasn’t ready to tell you, I didn’t want to betray her trust.”
Arthur sighed and nodded. They had a proper row about it after he had lifted the ban on magic and Morgana immediately came out about her magic.
Somehow this information only made Morgana angrier. “I told Merlin about my magic three years ago, so you’ve been together four years?” Except it was not a question.
Arthur nodded tensely.
Hunith asked calmly, “How did it start?”
Arthur was grateful for the topic change even if he was sure Morgana was still going to kill him.
He smiled a tiny smug look on his face as he said, “How you’d expect really, with us acting like fools.”
For what felt like the millionth time Arthur stared up at the high branches of the half-bare trees flat on his back, fuming.
Arthur had not fallen on his ass in a training bout since he was a squire. Alright, that wasn’t entirely sure, but it had been years since he fell before even getting a blow in. Now he had hit the ground more times than he could count and still wasn’t even close to hitting Merlin.
Grudgingly he sat up and became even more furious at the sight of Merlin looking smugly from across the clearing. Arthur’s glare only made the insufferable fool smile wider!
He stood up, lightly slapping the dirt off his trousers before bending down for his sword.
Arthur closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Working to forget everything but the challenge before him. He moved his legs apart, bent his knee slightly, and gripped his sword with both hands.
He opened his eyes and coolly said, “Ready.”
With muffled words that Arthur couldn’t make out Merlin’s eyes turned from the calming deep blue of the ocean to a bright sparkling gold.
Merlin’s right arm flung out in front of him, Arthur watched as another blue fireball appeared and shot out right towards him.
Reflexes kicking in, Arthur moved to dodge the attack.
He ran forward doing his best to either avoid the fireballs coming towards him or bat them away with his sword.
He was a short distance away from Merlin, close enough to throw his sword at him when he felt it. A sweeping chill brushing against the tip of his shoulder. He froze for only a second but that was all the time Merlin needed.
Another cold fireball whipped out and hit him in the gut, the icy ball knocking him onto his back.
“DAMN IT ALL!” Arthur roared, throwing his fists against the ground, his sword lying somewhere near his foot. He squeezed his eyes shut as pain shot through his fists.
It had been his idea, to have Merlin teach him the best way to level an attack against a magic user in battle. He had been warned that it would not be easy, that the best course for Arthur would be to stay on the defensive and wait for backup which really meant Merlin wanted him to hide until he got there.
Arthur was a warrior though, he did not hide. He strategized and attacked. So, Arthur asked what to do when Merlin couldn’t help him. After all, what if there were multiple attackers? What if he wasn’t with him? He knew he couldn’t defeat a powerful sorcerer, certainly not anyone on Merlin’s level but selfishly, he wanted to know he could win against at least one sorcerer, even if it was a weak one, without Merlin’s help.
“That wasn’t bad.”
Arthur slowly opened his eyes to find Merlin crouched down above him. “It wasn’t good though.”
Merlin shrugged.
Something about the action had his blood rage. He reached over and pulled Merlin’s foot from under him.
Merlin choked back a hassled cry as he fell back, and Arthur rolled onto his feet and pounced on him. Unsurprisingly Merlin was quick to counter, grabbing at his shoulders and rolling Arthur onto his back.
Arthur wasn’t sure how long they went on like this rolling around, roughhousing on the dying leaves and grass of fall only that the longer it went on the more playful it got. Instead of hands pulling at each other harshly their touches became light, almost tender. His arms cradled Merlin’s back with Merlin’s wrapped around his waist.
When they finally stopped, he was on top of Merlin. His chin pressed against his shoulder smiling to himself as he felt Merlin’s booming laugh shake in his chest. His body felt loose. At ease.
A feeling of warmth curled up in his heart. Like sitting around a campfire with the knights with Merlin by his side. He felt… safe.
Happy.
A hand wove into his hair and started gently stroking the back of his head.
He turned his head. Their faces were close, closer than he could ever remember them being. Merlin smiled at him softly, his eyes gentle and his hand still brushing through his hand. “Hi,” said Merlin quietly. His words quiet and tender in the way that made that ridiculous fluttery feeling in his stomach. It also gave him the courage to do something risky.
He kissed him.
It was a light brush of the lips, it only lasted a second, but it spoke volumes.
“Hi,” Arthur said back. His breath came out ragged for such a short kiss.
Merlin simply grinned. The sight was the most beautiful thing he ever beheld.
“Gross,” Morgana fake gagged and really, it was her fault Arthur quietly thought when the custard on her fork suddenly sprang up and hit her in the face.
“Merlin!” Hunith scolded.
“She was being rude,” Merlin said with a shrug, and gods Arthur couldn’t love his husband more.
Hunith shot Merlin with a glare so harsh that Arthur felt a chill go up his spine. Her eyes piercing as she looked at them both. “Well can you blame her? She’s your friend and your sister and she didn’t know. She missed the beginning of your relationship. Never got to tease you both for getting your shit together, didn’t get to enjoy watching the two of you make fools of yourself at the beginning as new couples do. Children always hide things from their parents, it’s frustrating but normal but they don’t normally hide from their friends, especially ones they trust so deeply.”
Hunith sighed as she played with her empty goblet. She quietly said, “She didn’t even get to see her brother get married.”
Merlin reached across the table and placed his hand on top of his mother’s. “We had a druid wedding, a few days after Uther nearly married Arthur off to Princess Elena.”
Arthur tilted his head slightly to the side. He could still see Morgana and Hunith but his eyes now looking softly at his husband. “I told father I was going to the town two over to find an expensive birthday gift for Morgana seeing as she hated my last and her birthday was the next month…”
Fat drops of water started to plop down from the darkening sky. The trees shuffling from the light wind. Arthur pulled his cloak up higher and glanced at Merlin. “Are you sure we’re going the right way?”
His betrothed, and gods that thought warmed his chest, grinned, and tapped his temple. “I told you, Iseldir showed me the path. We are nearly there.”
Arthur frowned, “Explain to me how that works again? You get in range and then poof, he put it in your head?”
“Something like that,” Merlin said, his lips twisted into a grin that was equal parts teasing and fond. Arthur rolled his eyes, trying not to smile.
It’s not that Merlin hadn’t explained it to him, he had several times. He simply couldn’t wrap his head around the concept. Someone plopping a thought into someone’s head like it was nothing. It was baffling and hard to believe.
Merlin found his weariness over the whole concept hilarious.
The forest was thick with greenery, making it hard to make out much ahead with the rain. Arthur was contemplating finding a large tree for them to hide under before the rain came down harder when Merlin announced they were there.
Arthur frowned and was about to ask if there was some sort of spell hiding the camp when he saw smoke. Squinting Arthur followed the faint smoke lines and began to make out the distant landmarks of tents.
He huffed a laugh, anticipation striking up his body. He looked to Merlin to find him already looking back, pure excitement in his eyes.
Arthur reached forward, tugging the reins of Merin’s horse to pull them closer together. He leaned towards him and pressed a sloppy kiss on his lips. Smiling too wide to kiss him properly. He pulled away his face hurting from how hard he was smiling. His words poured out of him in shock and amusement, “We’re getting married.”
Merlin laughed, so happy and carefree that it made Arthur's heart thump erratically. “Yes, we’re getting married, now let go of my horse so we can make it to the camp.”
Arthur rolled his eyes fondly but did as told. The second he did, however, Merlin tapped his horse and galloped ahead. “Last one there is a clotpole!”
He chased after him, making it to the village only a mere minute later. He glared. “Cheater.”
Merlin merely shrugged before climbing off his horse.
Sliding off Arthur thanked the druid woman who offered to move their horses to a safe spot from the rain. He then followed Merlin and their host out of the rain into a large tent, big enough to hold a war council during a campaign. Instead, he found several small groups chatting about, decorating the inside of the tent with florals and branches of leaves. Both by magic and by hand.
It was simple but lovely. Perfect for a wedding.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Prince Arthur. I am Iseldir.”
While the man necessarily wasn’t young, he was younger than Arthur had expected. He had imagined the chieftain to be as old as Gaius, possibly older.
“And you, thank you for doing this.”
Merlin slipped his hand into his and Iseldir gave them an amused look. “It is an honor to bind Emrys and the Once and Future King together.”
As if Merlin felt his urge to roll his eyes Merlin squeezed his hand hard enough it hurt.
Arthur had been told the prophecies, the future they would create, and scoffed. Prophecies were like dreams and ambitions. A pretty picture of the future but held no real weight in the real world. Only they could decide what their future would hold. If in the end what they accomplished was like the prophecies, then that was their doing, not fate.
Iseldir turned towards the decorations with a smile, “I wasn’t sure if you wanted to wait until the rain stopped or not, so we set up a bit in here. I hope that’s not a problem.”
“It’s brilliant,” Merlin said, he looked over at him, a question in his eyes, and Arthur nodded. “In fact, if it’s alright with you lot, we’d rather not wait.”
The next few minutes felt like a blur to Arthur. Iseldir tied them together with words and a long white ribbon wrapped around their clasped hands. He wouldn’t remember his own words after, only the blue of Merlin’s eyes and the wide smile as Iseldir declared them wed, white blooms and ivy behind his head.
Arthur was surprised to see a hint of a smile on his sister’s face after telling them of their wedding. Her eyes narrowed as if crossed but there was a softness to them. “I haven’t forgiven you yet but… that does sound lovely.”
“Yes, that does sound like a beautiful ceremony,” Hunith said with a nod. Her eyes watery and her mouth forming a bittersweet smile. “It’s a shame I couldn’t see it.”
“Mother,” Merlin started, she reached over and squeezed Merlin’s hand.
“No, it’s alright, I realise it would have been hard to send word. It’s just, I would have liked to see my son’s wedding.”
Arthur looked over at Merlin, a quiet question in the air. Merlin nodded.
“For the sake of appearances in court we were planning to have another ceremony. You both are, of course, invited.”
“I look forward to it,” Hunith said as she bit her lip. “Only, do you have a day picked out yet? With the harvest coming up it would need to be a day-”
Morgana snapped her head towards Hunith glaring her down. “You wouldn’t.”
Hunith, looking the picture of innocence, ignored her. “Would it be possible to have the ceremony two months from now?”
Arthur opened his mouth to agree when Morgana hissed out, “That’s cheating!”
Hunith finally turned back to her and gave Morgana a look that resembled Gaius’s eyebrow waggle.
“Okay, what’s going on?” Arthur asked.
“Nothing, I think Morgana was just set-”
“We had a bet.”
“Morgana!” Hunith groaned.
Arthur frowned.
A bet.
Merlin glared, “What?”
Morgana shrugged. Examining her nails as she said, “A bet. To see what season you’d marry in. We made it years ago when we all went to Ealdor. I said spring because all the best flowers bloom then and Arthur would want the best. Hunith said winter because Merlin wouldn’t want anything too extravagant and it would be easier to make the ceremony smaller in winter.”
“You wanted to push back our wedding for a bet?” Arthur said, trying to wrap his head around the idea.
“Oh god you would,” Merlin groaned and turned to Arthur. “She loves a good bet, but no one in the village will bet against her anymore since she’s ruthless when it comes to winning.”
“Well, not this time. Looks like we have a draw,” said Morgana.
Hunith huffed but laughed. “Can’t believe you told them!”
Morgana grinned, “Well if I wasn’t going to win, I couldn’t let you win either.”
Arthur and Merlin rolled their eyes and laughed as the two made a bet over how many council members would faint when Arthur announced his marriage at the meeting tomorrow.
Their last wedding was like a whirlwind: quick and passionate. Adrenaline pounding in their veins, both so eager they could barely focus on anything else. Their second wedding, by comparison, was like the tide coming in. Slow and steady, giving them ample time to drink everything. The smiles of their friends and family in the crowd, the heaps of flowers everywhere, each word spoken at their union, and, of course, each other.
Merlin smiled to himself as he looked at the man he had now married twice.
Ceremony over, they were all sat in the banquet hall. Arthur was chatting with his mother and kept getting scolded for accidentally calling her Hunith instead of mother.
He leaned over and rested his hand over Arthur’s as he said, “It’ll take some time for him to get used to it, mother.”
“Well, it’s good then that he’s had two years to get his head around it.” She said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
Arthur rolled his eyes, his hand flipping over to interlock with Merlin’s. “You’re worse than Morgana, mother. ”
“That’s better dear,” Hunith said before patting his cheek and turning to Lancelot.
Arthur huffed. “You were right all these years, your mother is a menace.”
A fond smile spread across his face as he turned to Merlin.
Merlin laughed, “Yeah well she’s your mother too now so, tough.”
He then laughed again as Arthur leaned closer and pecked him on the lips. And then again. Arthur’s eyes were so fond that Merlin knew he would remember this happiness for the rest of his life.