Chapter Text
Merlin's eyes snap to Arthur and in the split second before he disappears, Arthur sees the betrayal in his eyes. He opens his mouth to tell Merlin that he isn't the one who had called the guards here, that he doesn't want Merlin dead, or heck, even banished. Not anymore. He knows what kind of person Merlin is and Arthur knows he is irrevocably in love with that person, magic and all. But by the time he opens his mouth to tell him this, Merlin is gone, disappearing into the shadows like he was never here in the first place.
The guards are too busy bowing to have noticed that Merlin was ever here at all.
"Sire," says the head guard. "I hope no harm has befallen you?"
Well it has, now. Arthur thinks bitterly. Merlin hates me and thinks I want him dead. "I'm fine," is what he says.
"The King had called for you but you were nowhere to be found so he called for an all kingdom search."
"In the middle of the night?" He asks incredulously.
"It is your royal wedding tomorrow, sire. His Majesty thought we should search the forests thoroughly before we announced that you're missing."
Arthur groans. "I'm not missing anymore," then under his breath, he adds, "God I wish I was."
"I'm sorry?" The guard asks still, ever polite. Arthur wants to hit his own head against the nearest tree and pass out.
"Let's get back to Camelot. And can you please stop bowing now it's really--" he waves his hand vaguely. At least it succeeds in making the guards rise up.
Arthur passes through the motions of his life, giving in to what his father wants of him. In the morning after his meeting with Merlin, Uther announces Arthur's wedding, requesting all the nobles to stay back for the wedding. To everyone's credit, at least some of them have the decency to look surprised and happy, although the wedding is no surprise to anyone. Arthur isn't grateful.
The following morning he knows he will marry Eleanor. Because Merlin isn't coming back now. And even if he did decide to come back, what would Arthur say to him? I'm glad you're back ? That seemed inconsequential considering the enormity of what has happened between them. Or perhaps he would finally be honest with Merlin. I hate the fact that you think I want you dead. I don't. I mean I did, but only because you were annoying in the most beautiful way possible. And you know how I fake married you? Yeah I wanna marry you for real this time. Also I'm in love with you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I hope that's not too weird? Clotpole.
Arthur sinks lower into his bath and splashes water onto his face. The bath was most definitely drawn by George this time. Not Merlin.
The cold air prickles his skin as he gets out of the bath. This time, there's no one to hand him a towel or help him into clothes. He already refused George's services. It was one thing being naked in Merlin's presence, another being naked in George's.
Dripping water all over the floor, Arthur walks to his bed where there is an outfit laid out for him. It has been made specially for the occasion but Arthur doesn't like it at all. The design and the fabric itself is flawless, beautiful. But Arthur hates what it represents. He's going to be tied into a marriage with a person that isn't Merlin and to him, that's what the outfit represents. He loathes it.
Nevertheless, he puts it on. Looking in the mirror is an effort so he passes by the step entirely and heads out.
Gwen who is standing right outside the door startles a bit, her eyes jumping to scan Arthur's face.
"Arthur. I wanted to tell you that M-"
Before she can finish her sentence a guard walks up to them and bows. "Sire," he's the same guard who came to look for them in the forest. "His majesty has summoned you immediately to the throne room. The ceremony is beginning soon."
Arthur glances regretfully at Guinevere. "I hope it's not something important? Can it wait until the ceremony?"
"It's really important…" she trails off, then a calm smile comes over her features. "Nevermind. Go ahead, Arthur. Go get married."
Arthur can't believe that Gwen is happy for him, happy that he's marrying a princess he doesn't even know much. He nods tightly at her and walks away.
Eleanor is already on the dias in all her glory. She looks beautiful but not happy, exactly mirroring Arthur's own feelings.
The trek down to the aisle and the dias from the stairs feels long, exceptionally so because of what Arthur knows is coming. He goes to stand beside Eleanor.
"Arthur," she whispers his name as the priest begins to read out the welcome speech. "I need to speak with you."
He leans toward her slightly, silent invitation for her to go on.
"This is going to sound totally crazy but uh, I'm not, I'm, I don't wanna marry you. I'm in love with someone else."
Arthur balks at her. "And you're telling me this now ?"
"Look I'm sorry, okay? I have to dump you when my love enters this hall so uh, just wanted to give you a heads up."
Arthur doesn't know what to say to that.
Eleanor smiles at him but it's a shallow thing and Arthur finds himself looking forward to witnessing her actual smile when her love enters the hall. Before the priest can drone on more, a serving girl throws the doors open, fighting off the guards who are trying to keep her from entering. The priest, thank the lord, stops speaking and looks up from his pages, glasses sliding up from his pretentious nose.
Eleanor raises a hand, asking the guards to stop and they do. The entire audience turns to look at what the commotion is about. The princess, for her part, smiles so wide the sun would be jealous of her smile's luminosity. Arthur can't help but be happy for her as he looks on.
She runs toward the serving girl like she's the center of her universe, like she can't help but succumb to the magnet that's pulling her towards her love. They meet halfway in the middle as the hall watches, entranced, their disbelief clear on their faces. When the two meet, they kiss passionately and Arthur grins like a loon, ready to combust. He's so glad Eleanor and the girl have the courage to do this. Somewhere in the back of his mind is a what-if looming. Will Merlin come?
As if summoned by Arthur's thoughts, Merlin appears at the door. Arthur's whole world narrows down to him, and he dares not breathe, dares not move. Why is Merlin here?
He strides in, gait confident and dressed in one of his cleaner garbs. Arthur should really figure out what he is going to do next but his brain is somewhere in the dungeons striding leisurely while his brain cells seem to run about, screaming. The result is that he stands rooted to the spot as Merlin climbs up onto the dias and pulls Arthur into a kiss in a single smooth motion.
Arthur is so shocked at first that he forgets how to kiss back but as soon he regains his composure, it's a battle. Arthur slips his tongue into Merlin's mouth and kisses back like his life depends on it, which it might as well. The entire hall fades away to inconsequential stardust compared to Merlin. Arthur has never felt this before. Not for Kent, nor for any of the people he has bedded before. When Merlin pulls away, Arthur chases his mouth with his own, unable to stop the low groan that slips from his throat.
Merlin is grinning at Arthur and this sight makes Arthur's chest ache. Somewhere in the corner of his mind, Arthur knows Uther has stood up from his chair and is giving them both the murder glare but he can't be bothered to look at it because there's nothing more important in the room than Merlin's smile and the fact that he just kissed Arthur within an inch of his life. Arthur laces their fingers together and pulls Merlin closer, physically unable to stay away from him for longer than two seconds.
"Took you long enough," he mutters under his breath.
Merlin presses a kiss to his nose. "I would never have come here if it weren't for Gwen and Rosa." At Arthur's confused glance, he gestures with his chin at the pair still very much snogging each other. "Eleanor's love. That's Rosa. She was nervous about this; we both were but Gwen was a rock. She assured us that neither of us needed to worry. She told me that it wasn't you who had tried to trap me in the woods and-"
"I'm sorry. Oh god, Merlin I'm so sorry. For all of it. I know I didn't summon those guards but I did banish you from Camelot which I never should have done. Will you forgive me?"
"I'll consider it. If you marry me."
Arthur flushes, smiling wider. "I'll think about it. Besides," he looks over at Eleanor who is still cradling Rosa's face in her hands. "I think Eleanor is going to have her hands full for the foreseeable future."
"I'm happy for them," Merlin nods in their direction. "I'm happy for us too. I don't know if there is an us, but I'm happy nevertheless."
Arthur clenches Merlin's hand harder in his own. "There will be an us. I will fight until there is."
In the end, Arthur does have to fight. But fight he does, because now he has Merlin with him. And Gwen and Gaius and Rosa and Eleanor. The princess and the maid won't be staying long in Camelot but they help regardless.
So does Kent. He and Arthur talk at length after Merlin confesses that this once he had lied to Arthur; that he was jealous of Kent and tried to convince him that he was trying to kill Arthur. Arthur is of course, never going to let Merlin hear the end of it. He's going to tease him about it every single day until he regrets being with Arthue in the first place. That thought makes Arthur smile often.
At first, when Uther threatens to publicly disown Arthur for being in love with his own manservant, all of his friends, including Kent, stand up for him. Arthur is glad but he knows what pushes his father's buttons so he mentions the nobles, the disrespect that Uther will face when they find out how he's trying to marry Arthur off solely for political gain. He's pretty sure none of them really care but Uther drops it anyway.
Eleanor and Rosa get married and eventually, after Uther's death, so do Merlin and Arthur.
They face challenges, they face monsters and enemies to the throne but magic is legalised and the golden age of Camelot arrives in all its glory.