Archive of Our Own ^beta

Arthur wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle this for much longer.

It started with the fact that magic was finally legalized.

In the grand scheme of things, the legalization had been quick, but the entire process had been entirely too slow for Arthur’s liking. It started with Uther admitting to him and Morgana that they were half-siblings on his deathbed.

Of course, that led to them conflicting because Arthur was meant to be king, but Morgana was the eldest sibling, which meant she was the true heir to the throne. In the time that his council was preparing for Arthur’s coronation, he and Morgana argued over the right to the throne. Arthur had been more than willing to compromise with her and ensure that she was crowned princess, but Morgana opposed and accused Arthur of becoming a tyrant like Uther.

It was then that Arthur discovered his sister had magic and had been secretly meeting with Morgause, who’d been using Morgana as a tool to get to the throne. That made things even more complicated because of his stance on magic, and also because of how he felt about Morgause, who’d played tricks with him and showed the spirit of his mother only the year before.

Although the council encouraged Arthur to execute or exile Morgana, he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Her heart was tainted, but he still saw glimpses of the kind and compassionate girl he grew up with. It was shown in the way she spoke about magic users being free and treated as equals, so Arthur still held out hope for her. He’d still been reluctant when it came to legalizing magic, seeing how much history he and his father had with it.

That was when Merlin stepped in, oddly quiet the entire time the siblings were arguing, and admitted to Arthur that he had magic.

Arthur had been very… confused when Merlin told him that.

He was upset and angry because how could Merlin keep such a big secret from him? After three years of friendship, risks, and sacrifices, it felt like everything was a lie. It hurt when he found out the truth about Morgana, but it was beyond that with Merlin. It went straight to Arthur’s heart, knowing that his manservant—no, his best friend —didn’t trust him enough to tell him the truth.

But then he took one look at Merlin, who’d been staring at him with teary eyes and was shaking slightly, and found that he couldn’t stay upset for long. Not when he knew that Merlin had every reason to be scared, just like Morgana. And, even then, Merlin was good . His heart was pure and, for some reason, he dedicated it to Arthur and spent years protecting and caring for him.

So, naturally, Arthur took the steps to legalize magic.

It started with reconciling with Morgana. Arthur had faith that the girl he once knew was still in there and apologized to her, admitting how he should’ve been there for her more and how he intended to allow magic in Camelot once more. She’d been shocked, but still kept her walls up until Merlin had apologized for the day he poisoned her, explaining the position he was in and how he should’ve done better.

That was when Morgana’s resolve started crumbling and she and Arthur finally began to compromise.

In that time, they’d decided that Arthur would be the King and Morgana would be the Crown Princess and High Priestess of the court. Morgana had also come to the realization that she was just a pawn in Morgause’s game, which led to her telling Arthur all of her sister’s plans before arresting her.

Arthur was then crowned King of Camelot and Morgana the Crown Princess. The day of his coronation, the first law he placed was the legalization of magic.

A part of Arthur feared how his people would react because of the trauma of the past twenty-four years, but then he saw them cheer and weep tears of joy and decided he did the right thing.

Following that, he appointed Merlin as his Court Sorcerer because it turned out that he was this powerful sorcerer (or warlock—Arthur was still trying to figure out the difference) named Emrys , and was significant when it came to all things magic-related. He’d also removed most of his council that supported Uther and replaced them with like-minded people, which led to him appointing Gwen as one of his advisors.

And, of course, there were the knights. Lancelot and Gwaine had been the first people Arthur contacted and they’d been knighted almost instantly upon their return. With Lancelot had been a large (like, large ) man named Percival, who proved his worth as a knight in the first few weeks of being in Camelot. And then there was Elyan, Gwen’s brother whom Arthur hadn’t seen in years, who heard of the changes in Camelot and wanted to see everything for himself. He’d also shown that he was quite capable of handling a sword.

So, things were good. More than good, really. The kingdom had never thrived like this before and his people were happy. That was all that mattered to Arthur.

But there was this one thing—something Arthur was sure was bound to make him explode.

Marriage.

Although Arthur did remove plenty of the former council, there were some members who never agreed with Uther’s policies that still had a lot to offer. Unfortunately, with that came the incessant badgering of Arthur needing a wife.

“My lord, it is significant for you to wed in order to have an heir to the throne.”

“Think of how beneficial an alliance would be!”

“How would you feel about seeing Vivian again, now that Olaf has deemed it acceptable for her to marry?”

Arthur groaned as he recounted the meeting that took place just minutes before, his head buried in his hands. He’d been quick to leave the council chambers after the meeting ended, not wanting to be trapped into more conversations about marriage. For God’s sake, he was only twenty-four! He had no reason to rush, but it seemed that some of his council members disagreed. They’d originally given him some time to grieve his father after the coronation, but once it was past that period, they were quick to jump on the prospect of marriage.

When he was younger, he’d sworn to himself that he’d marry for love. That was what ended up happening to his mother and father, so why couldn’t it happen to him? The council didn’t seem to care too much about the ‘love’ aspect, but that was most likely because Uther and Ygraine had married young and were able to wait for a few years before being concerned about an heir. To them, Arthur must’ve seemed celibate.

Usually, it was easy to handle some of the council members’ comments because Merlin was always there at his side, either holding back a smirk or coming in Arthur’s defense. Unfortunately, that hadn’t been the case during this meeting since Merlin had to meet with the druids that lived right outside of Camelot, which left Arthur to be alone. Well, his knights and Morgana and Gwen were there, but it wasn’t the same.

There was a knock on the door, followed by Morgana entering his chambers without giving him any time to react. Arthur rolled his eyes. Aside from Merlin, she was the only one who barged into his room. But even then, at least she knocked. “What is it?” he questioned, leaning back in his chair as his sister approached his desk.

Morgana smirked, placing herself gracefully in the seat across from him. “It seems like today’s meeting has made you more grumpy than usual,” she said amusedly, an eyebrow raised as she plucked a grape from the bowl in between them.

Arthur scowled. “I’m not grumpy,” he grumbled, slapping her hand. She managed to snag another grape, shooting a pointed stare at him. He merely glared back because he was not letting Morgana be in the right.

She rolled her eyes, plopping the grape in her mouth. “Sure,” she said as she chewed, which was rather unladylike of her and Arthur was about to tease her for it, but her eyes moved to him sharply and he suddenly didn’t feel like being skinned alive. “You’re just denying it because you know I’m right. And because if I’m right, that means that you’re grumpy because Merlin wasn’t at the meeting.”

Arthur groaned. He didn’t understand how the harpy was so good at figuring him out. It was annoying. “You can’t blame me! At least Merlin makes the meetings tolerable. And he sticks up for me!” he exclaimed.

Morgana snorted. “You’re the king, Arthur,” she reminded, almost condescendingly. Arthur was going to fill her perfume with leech juice. “You can just tell them to stop instead of complaining about it like you’re ten.”

That made Arthur frown. “They’ve known me since I was ten. That’s why they can’t let me be! And they know that father would’ve wanted me to marry by now.”

Now, it was Morgana’s turn to frown. “Yes, well, Uther’s not here now, is he?” she questioned bitterly. Uther was a bit of a sore spot for the both of them. While Morgana wholly resented their father, Arthur still felt some love for him. He felt guilty about it now, knowing that Uther killed so many innocent people because of his own faults, but he was still his father. Merlin had been the one to assure him that it was okay for Arthur to miss him, as long as he was willing to be better. “So you don’t have to do anything he says.”

Arthur sighed, fiddling with the corner of the parchment laid out in front of him. “I know. I just wish there was some way for me to get out of this. At least without having to make things complicated,” he said. He knew it wasn’t really his fault since it was the older council members pressuring him, but things would be easier if he did marry.

Morgana’s eyes softened, and she sighed as she leaned back in her seat. “If only you could just marry someone you were at least comfortable with and not some complete stranger. You know, someone who makes you happy,” she said thoughtfully.

Arthur merely shrugged. Honestly, that was something he was willing to do, but he wasn’t close to any of his allies like that. None of them made him relax instantly in their presence, or whisper gossip to him about the castle staff, or tell him things to his face. Although he liked his allies, such as Elena or Mithian, he wouldn’t be able to lean on their shoulders when things got to be too much. Nor would he be able to truly open his heart up. If only there was someone…

He froze, hit with a sudden realization.

“I got it,” Arthur said as he jumped up, ignoring Morgana’s confused expression. “I got it!”

“Arthur, what—? Where are you going?” Morgana questioned as Arthur ran out of his chambers.

After running through the castle (if anybody asked, he was briskly walking like the dignified king he was), Arthur arrived at Merlin’s chambers, which was in one of the towers because he did one too many experiments that resulted in an explosion.

He didn’t even bother to knock on the door, instead barging into the room and making Merlin jump five feet into the air. “Arthur!” he exclaimed, knocking a potion over.

Arthur ignored the other. “Marry me.”

Merlin choked. “What?”

If this was any other conversation they were having, Arthur would be laughing in Merlin’s face because of how the tips of his ears were reddening and how his eyes were comically wide. Instead, he went up to the other, grabbing his shoulders. “I know it sounds insane, but hear me out—”

“Have you lost your mind ?” Merlin interrupted, pulling out of Arthur’s grip and placing his hand on his forehead. “Are you sick? It doesn’t feel like you have a temp—”

“ Mer lin, shut up,” Arthur muttered through gritted teeth, taking Merlin’s hand off of his forehead. “Listen to me. You know how some of the council members have been pushing for me to get married, yes?”

The warlock slowly nodded, hesitation evident on his features. Arthur continued, “Well, I realized that the best way to keep them from doing that is for us to get married. That is, if you don’t have anyone you’re already seeing.” Suddenly, he felt very stupid. Arthur was sure Merlin would tell him if he was seeing someone, but maybe it was a hushed affair.

Merlin snorted. “I definitely don’t. But that doesn’t matter. Arthur, I thought you wanted to marry for love,” he said, eyebrows furrowing in concern. “Us getting married to get the council off your back would ruin the purpose of that.”

Yes, Arthur wanted to marry for love. He certainly did. He thought that was a possibility when he and Gwen had been courting, but soon realized that while whatever they had was sweet, it simply wasn’t love. When he met Mithian for the first time months ago, he liked her. He really did, but it didn’t feel right. They clicked, but that wasn’t enough for Arthur. He knew that he didn’t want his marriage to be with someone he didn’t really know, and there was no one else Arthur genuinely knew that he would fall in love with and marry. But Merlin was different.

Even if Arthur couldn’t marry for love, at least he would marry Merlin.

“I don’t need that. I—” he swallowed, feeling oddly vulnerable. “Honestly, even if the council wasn’t pressuring me, I would still be happy to marry you.” Arthur could feel a warmth creeping up his neck, hoping it wasn’t obvious.

Merlin stared at Arthur for a long moment, silent. The king shifted uncomfortably under the other’s gaze, but he could see the sincerity in his eyes.

“Okay,” Merlin stated simply.

Arthur’s eyes widened. “Okay? Like, yes? You’ll marry me?”

Merlin cracked a smile, shrugging. “Since you asked so nicely,” he teased. He then mockingly put his finger to his chin, humming thoughtfully. “Actually, you demanded it. So how about you ask properly this time?”

There was a mischievous glint in Merlin’s eyes, his lips twisted into a smirk. Arthur rolled his eyes, although he could feel his heart suddenly starting to beat quickly. “You’re a dollophead,” he grumbled as he got down on one knee.

The sorcerer feigned a gasp, bringing a hand to his chest. “How dare you say that to someone you wish to marry?” he questioned.

Arthur snorted, grabbing Merlin’s hand forcefully with both of his own. He smiled pleasantly as the other stumbled, but managed to regain his balance. “Merlin, will you do me the honor of becoming my husband?” he asked, his voice gentle. They may have been teasing each other before, but this was a special moment for them.

The smirk on Merlin’s face softened into a smile; one that was private and sincere. “Of course, I will,” he said, and Arthur grinned as he squeezed the other’s hand.

“Even though you’re a demanding prat and a complete arse.”

“Merlin!”

Arthur and Merlin decided that they would announce their engagement during the next council session. Merlin was nervous, but mainly because he feared that the council members would see right through them, but Arthur was confident that they would be too shocked to question it. Well, except Morgana, who was still unaware of the engagement, but certainly intelligent enough to realize that Arthur was… inspired by her idea.

The council session had been going as it usually does. Morgana sat on the left side of Arthur while Merlin sat on the right, his knee bouncing anxiously. Arthur placed his hand on his knee gently to stop him, never once taking his eyes off of Leon as he spoke about grain reports. He felt the press of the other’s knee against his own as a quiet thank you , and squeezed his knee in return.

Once Leon was done, one of the older council members, Lord Alaric, cleared his throat. Arthur groaned internally, seeing that this lord was usually the one to start the conversation surrounding marriage. Arthur was more than grateful to have him and some of the other lords be in his council, considering that they were originally a part of Uther’s but were accepting of magic, but he just wanted them to shut up .

At least it would serve as a good opportunity to announce his and Merlin’s engagement.

Arthur nodded, giving Lord Alaric the opportunity to speak. “My lord,” he begun, his eyes kind (because he really was a rather nice man, but clearly very persistent), “I know that this is something we’ve discussed before—”

Gwaine snorted, covering it up with a cough.

Lord Alaric ignored him. “But I believe I have found someone who is perfect for you. Her name is Lady Matilda and she is a part of Lord Eldred’s court from Northumbria. I’m aware that we have been allies with them for a long time and that our relationship with them is strong, but perhaps, it would be a good way to secure the alliance,” he advised, earning a few nods from some of the older lords.

In retrospect, it was a smart suggestion. Rational, even.

But if Arthur Pendragon was anything, he was not rational.

“Thank you, Lord Alaric,” he said with a nod, making sure the man felt heard. “I appreciate your advice. It certainly would not hurt to secure our alliance with Northumbria through marriage, but I’m afraid that will not be possible.” Arthur could see the frown starting to form on Lord Alaric’s face.

“You see, I am betrothed,” Arthur said, making everyone look at him with wide eyes.

Lord Alaric blinked once. Then twice. He didn’t stop blinking until after a few seconds. “My lord?” he questioned politely, glancing at the others.

There was a part of Arthur that wanted to laugh at their gobsmacked faces, but that wouldn’t be very kingly of him, so he cleared his throat with an assertive nod. He grabbed Merlin’s hand from his lap, feeling him stiffen slightly. Arthur squeezed it gently, stroking with his thumb. He then placed their interlocked hands on the table, so everyone could see. “I am to marry Lord Merlin.”

It was safe to say that there was a… range of reactions, if you will.

Morgana ended up staring at him and Merlin quietly, her eyes flicking back and forth between them to the point that it was even making Arthur’s eyes hurt. Gwen had let out a high-pitched sound through tight lips, doe eyes wide. Lancelot had promptly spat out his wine. Leon had done the opposite, chugging his wine from his goblet. Elyan solemnly slid over some gold coins to Gwaine, who had been smirking—and, okay, Arthur was going to have to have a word with them about betting on their king —and pocketing his earnings. Percival had been teary-eyed, using a handkerchief to dab at his tears. Gaius stared at the couple with an intensely raised eyebrow, while Geoffrey had a hand to his heart in a way that Arthur couldn’t tell was heartfelt or scandalized. And Merlin was gripping onto Arthur’s hand, gaze boring onto the table and ears turning bright red.

After a few more seconds of silence, Leon cleared his throat and grinned. “Congratulations, my lord. This is wonderful news!” he exclaimed, and it did sound like he meant it, but he was still clearly in shock.

Gwaine leaned back in his seat, arms crossed over his chest as he continued to smirk. “Didn’t know you had it in you, princess,” he teased, making Merlin snicker. Arthur kicked him under the table.

Ignoring Merlin’s yelp, Arthur smiled as the rest of the council members offered their congratulations. The initial shock had worn off and now everyone was getting up, either hugging the both of them or clapping them on the back.

Gwen held onto Merlin’s elbows, her eyes twinkling. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about you and Arthur sooner!” she exclaimed, squeezing his arms.

Merlin smiled sheepishly, glancing at Arthur with eyes that said help . Arthur merely snickered, leaving the other to fend for himself. But then Morgana came up to him, so he supposed he was the real loser.

“Arthur,” Morgana started pleasantly, fingers wrapping around Arthur’s forearm. She squeezed. Hard. He winced. “I’m so happy for you. Really, we must discuss the wedding preparations…” She drifted off, moving just out of earshot.

She then pinched him because she was a harpy.

“Ow!” Arthur yelped, wondering how she managed to pinch so hardly through his chainmail.

“You idiot ,” Morgana hissed, proceeding to tug Arthur’s ear. “When I told you it would be nice for you to marry someone you were comfortable with, I meant that hypothetically . As in, a mere scenario rather than something you actually do. Clearly, you didn’t get that because only a dimwit like you would go and propose to your best friend like that.”

Arthur rubbed his ear, pouting slightly (which no one else needed to know). “Ow,” he repeated with emphasis. He then huffed through his nose, glancing over his shoulder just in case. He looked back at his sister—more like a demon—and crossed his arms over his chest. “Listen, Morgana, I know you weren’t saying that with the intention of me proposing to Merlin. And I know it’s mad. We both do.”

He let out a breath, closing his eyes briefly. “But I know that finding love may not be in the cards for me and, no matter what the council says about an heir, it’ll be my decision on how I select one,” he stated. He looked over at Merlin, who was squirming as he was being picked up excitedly by Percival. He smiled slightly. “And I’m okay with that because that means I get to marry Merlin.”

Arthur looked back at Morgana, who was staring at him with an indecipherable expression. She then sighed, patting him on the arm as she shook her head. “You really are an idiot,” she said solemnly before going over to Merlin to congratulate him.

It turned out that wedding preparations were a big deal, which Arthur knew based on his almost-wedding with Elena and because Uther married a troll, but to actually be the king and marry his court sorcerer was a whole other level of big deal . This was the first time to happen in Camelot’s history—at least, the first time in centuries—and not only was the council and his staff taking it seriously, but also his people. They were already offering gifts whenever Arthur would hold an audience for his people’s concerns and decorating the kingdom with flowers and magic.

The past few weeks had been spent sending out invitations to Camelot’s allies and planning wedding decorations. Both Merlin and Arthur were dragged into deciding the color scheme, what flowers they wanted, which food would taste best—which was to be expected, but it was draining when they both held significant roles in the court. They had to learn how to balance their duties and their wedding preparations.

Arthur sighed, walking towards his chambers. He’d been training with the knights and was completely exhausted, rolling his shoulders. He was glad that he had a few hours until his next meeting, so he could at least sit down and look over his reports.

He nodded at the guards, entering his chambers. Arthur paused when he saw Merlin poking his head out of the window, watching as the staff either used ladders to hang up flowers or used their magic. A soft smile rested on Arthur’s lips, shutting the door behind him and leaning against it. “Having fun?”

Merlin jumped, knocking his head on the window and groaning. He leaned back, rubbing his head and glaring at Arthur, who was snickering. “You’re a prat,” he grumbled, glancing back out..

“You just make it so easy to mess with you, Me rlin,” Arthur teased, going up to the warlock. Merlin turned towards him, taking off his vambraces with ease. Even though he was no longer Arthur’s servant, he still had the habit of helping him get dressed or undressed whenever they were both free.

Merlin hummed, tossing the vambraces on the bed. He reached up, grasping onto one of the straps. “And you make it so easy to remember how much of a prat you are,” he mocked, tightening the strap. Arthur grunted, shooting a glare. Merlin smiled innocently as he began to undo it

After helping Arthur out of his armor, Merlin turned back towards the window. He smiled, leaning on the windowsill and watching the hustle and bustle of the staff. “You know, growing up, I never imagined that my wedding would be such a grand affair,” he admitted, sounding slightly awed.

Arthur peered over Merlin’s shoulder, humming softly. “What are weddings like in Ealdor?” he questioned.

There was a twinkle in Merlin’s eyes as he smiled fondly. “Whenever there was a wedding, the whole village would come together and we would prepare for it. The kids would always go and pick flowers whenever they were in season, but if they weren’t, then they’d help the craftsmen and artists make fake ones. The fathers would go to the neighboring towns and get some of the finest garments for the couple and the mothers would make their clothes. The morning of the wedding, all of the families would make meals for a feast.” He sighed happily. “We do handfasting ceremonies in Ealdor. They’re sacred to us because it represents the souls of the couple becoming one. After that, we’d spend the whole night dancing and eating around a bonfire. It’s beautiful.”

Merlin chuckled. “It’s funny because the Druids also do handfasting ceremonies, but they often use magic to bind the couple’s souls together. I think a part of me always thought that I would do it that way because of my magic, so I could connect my soul to whoever I’d marry,” he said thoughtfully.

Arthur stared at Merlin, watching the way his eyes glinted in the light. It reminded him of rays of sunlight scattering over the ocean, making it shimmer and sparkle. He smiled softly, bumping his shoulder with his own. “That does sound beautiful,” he muttered, his heart warming at the grin Merlin shot him. “I see why you’d want your wedding to be like that.”

A part of Arthur felt guilty that their wedding was going to be so grand. Merlin was used to simpler and more intimate weddings, not the eyes of the court and Camelot’s people on them as he was crowned as Prince Consort. Arthur was used to this—ever since he was born, his life was meant to be seen by everyone. He was born the Golden Prince and now he was the Golden King.

He winced when Merlin poked his forehead. Hard. “I can practically hear you thinking, idiot. I’m happy to marry you and to have such a beautiful wedding. And I’m grateful for it,” Merlin said softly, lips twisting into a sweet smile.

Arthur’s heart skipped a beat and he returned the smile, playfully shoving Merlin on the shoulder. “Don’t get all sappy on me now, Mer lin,” he said teasingly, although he couldn’t help but wonder if Hunith would know a little bit about Druidic handfasting ceremonies.

The day Hunith was arriving at Camelot was much anticipated. Merlin had sent her a letter days before, letting her know of his and Arthur’s engagement. With a little bit of help from his magic, he was able to send the letter immediately so that his mother would be prepared for the knights to take her to Camelot. Arthur had assigned Gwaine and Lancelot to lead the small party of knights, seeing that they both visited Ealdor during their exiles and had become familiar with Hunith.

That had been a few days back, and now Arthur and Merlin were waiting inside of the citadel. A guard from one of the posts had let them know that Hunith and the knights entered Camelot, so they made sure to get ready in time to greet her.

Arthur couldn’t help but smile at Merlin, who was beaming as he waited for his mother to arrive. He knew that the younger had been missing his mother, seeing that his duties as Court Sorcerer kept him from being able to visit Ealdor often. Even before that, when he was still Arthur’s manservant, he didn’t visit his mother often because he wanted to keep an eye on his prince since he was so prone to being targeted.

(” Mer lin, you’re being dramatic. I am not prone to being targeted.”

“Oh, really? How about the time someone tried to kill you during a tournament?”

“…Which one?”

“Exactly.”)

Despite the reasons Merlin had to give, Arthur was aware that he missed his mother. That was why he didn’t hesitate to offer Merlin a room for Hunith, so she could stay in Camelot permanently. He knew that once the warlock was Prince Consort, there would rarely be opportunities for him to go visit Ealdor, especially because the village was right along the borders of Essetir and Camelot.

Merlin had happily accepted the offer and made sure to include that in the letter before using his magic to send it to Hunith. Since then, Merlin was practically a ball of sunshine—always bouncing on his heels or smiling to himself during a meeting.

Arthur found himself not minding it at all.

“Mum!” Merlin exclaimed, making Arthur flinch because Gods, was the idiot loud. He rolled his eyes, but smiled as he watched Merlin run over to Hunith, who’d just gotten off her horse, and hug her tightly.

“My boy,” Hunith said sweetly, hugging Merlin back tightly. She threaded her fingers through his hair, her smile bright. “I’ve missed you so much.”

If anyone saw Arthur inconspicuously wipe a tear, they said nothing about it. He walked over to the pair, chuckling at the grip Merlin had on his mother. “Alright, Merlin, I know you missed your mother, but let her breathe,” he teased, snickering when Merlin pulled back from the hug and smacked him on the arm.

Hunith turned towards Arthur with bright eyes, making his breath hitch. It was astonishing how Merlin had his mother’s exact eyes, blue and calm yet filled with the chaos of love. Not to mention that they were unbelievably kind, despite everything they both went through.

“Arthur,” she breathed out, her voice warm. She reached out, and Arthur took that as the opportunity to hug her. He held her tightly in his arms, his eyes squeezing shut as he felt her stroke his hair.

Hunith had been the closest thing to a mother for Arthur, despite them not seeing each other often. She always addressed him with kindness, her smile warm. At first, it had made Arthur uncomfortable simply because he hadn’t been used to being cared for in such a way, but, at some point, he leaned into the warmth she provided.

Arthur leaned back, smiling gently down at the woman. “Hello, Hunith,” he said, grasping her elbows.

Tears brimmed Hunith’s eyes as she reached up, cupping Arthur’s face in her hands. She stroked his cheeks, her smile widening. “I always thought of you as one of my own, but now you really will be my son,” she whispered, leaning up and pressing a kiss to his forehead.

Arthur's eyes fluttered shut as he placed his hands over Hunith’s, not wanting his tears to spill. He should feel guilty, knowing that he and Merlin were lying to her, but he couldn’t bring himself to. Maybe it was because it didn’t really feel like lying—Arthur always had love for Merlin, as did Merlin with him, even if neither of them admitted it. All of this was real, except for the whole ‘in love’ part. So, when he heard those words, he didn’t realize how much they would mean to him. Now, he was not only his father’s son, but also the son of Hunith and Ygraine. Never once did he think that was possible.

He let go of her, blinking away his tears and smiling. “It’s incredible, isn’t it?” he asked as he glanced at Merlin, who’d been staring at them with teary eyes. “After all these years, I’m marrying this idiot.” He sighed dramatically, shaking his head.

Merlin spluttered, stomping on Arthur’s foot—“ Ow!” —and ignoring his mother’s chides. “ You were the one who proposed to me , you arse,” he stated, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Merlin,” Hunith chastised, as if Merlin was a child. “Please, refrain from immobilizing your betrothed.”

Arthur smirked before wincing at another sting of pain coming from his foot. “Yeah, Mer lin,” he drawled, earning a glare from the other.

“He provoked me!” Merlin exclaimed.

Hunith merely sighed. “How you two are grown adults is beyond me, truly.”

Merlin smiled sheepishly, only for his eyes to widen suddenly. “Oh, I completely forgot—I have a meeting to attend! We’ll have dinner tonight, though, okay? It’ll just be you, me, Arthur, and Gaius,” he said.

“That’s alright, dear. Go on before you make any sorcerers upset,” Hunith said, shooing off her son.

Merlin grinned, leaning down and kissing Hunith on the cheek before giving Arthur’s arm a squeeze. “I’ll see you both later,” he said, running off.

Arthur chuckled, shaking his head to himself. He looked down at Hunith, holding out an arm for her to take. “How about I take you to your chambers, my lady?” he asked playfully.

Hunith laughed, taking ahold of Arthur’s arm and letting him guide her into the castle. “You are very kind, young sir,” she replied, making his grin widen.

Arthur hummed, glancing around the corridors and making sure Merlin wasn’t around. “Say, Hunith,” he said, lowering his voice as he looked down at her. “What do you know about handfasting ceremonies?”

Hunith merely beamed in response.

It was the morning of the wedding and Arthur was, admittedly, nervous. Actually, he was so nervous to the point that he wasn’t able to get any sleep. He’d only managed to drift off for about half an hour before first light, but then got out of bed and threw on a red tunic and breeches.

Normally, he would still have a few hours left before he actually had to get ready for the wedding, but that wasn’t the case today. Arthur struggled to slip on his boots, grumbling at the fact that Merlin maybe did have a point when he said that the king was incapable of getting dressed by himself. Not that Arthur would ever admit that to him.

Arthur quietly slipped out of his chambers, not noticing the slight smiles his guards were withholding as he padded his way over to where Merlin slept. He could hear the thumpthumpthump of his heart as he got closer to the chambers, fearing that the entire castle would wake up because of how loud it was.

Once he arrived at Merlin’s chambers, he quietly opened the door. Arthur carefully entered the room, rolling his eyes when seeing potion bottles and books scattered around. Really, how useless could Merlin be? Even Arthur didn’t make that much of a mess—well, now , seeing that he used to make a mess of his chambers just to rile Merlin up when he was still his manservant. There was something about watching those ears of his turn bright red as he glared daggers into Arthur’s skull.

He made sure to quietly shut the door, looking over at Merlin and raising an eyebrow. The other was twisted in his sheets, laying on his stomach with his arm dangling over the edge of the bed. Arthur couldn’t help but roll his eyes again, creeping up to the bed. He paused, watching as Merlin slept while pouting slightly, nuzzling his nose into the pillow. It wasn’t often that Arthur got to see him so at peace, considering how he spent several years keeping secrets and fearing for his life. He hoped that, one day, he would be the reason to see Merlin at peace once more.

A small smile crept on Arthur’s lips as he kneeled in front of the bed, lightly brushing a strand of hair out of Merlin’s face. The younger wrinkled his nose slightly, but continued to sleep like the deep sleeper he was. Arthur hesitated before gently shaking Merlin’s shoulder, whispering, “Merlin.”

Merlin merely grumbled in response, burying his face further into his pillow. Arthur tried not to roll his eyes again , but failed because there really was no hope for the Greatest Sorcerer In The World, or whatever. “Merlin,” he whispered again, leaning over the bed so he could shake him harder.

When Merlin failed to wake up, Arthur contemplated slapping him, but decided against it because that wasn’t a very auspicious way to start their wedding day. He sighed, climbing onto the bed and practically lying on top of the idiot. Merlin didn’t even react to that. God, help me , Arthur thought as he grabbed Merlin’s shoulders. “Merlin!” he exclaimed, shaking him roughly.

Suddenly, Merlin shot up, resulting in them butting heads and groaning. Arthur held onto his forehead, scowling down at the other. “ Mer lin,” he grumbled. “You really love to make my life harder than it already is, don’t you?”

Merlin gaped up at Arthur, not a glimpse of sleepiness in his eyes. “It’s not my fault you decided to shake me and have me wake up thinking that there was an earthquake!” he exclaimed. He struggled under the blonde. “Get off of me, you pillock. You’re heavy.” He shoved Arthur off of him, sitting up and rubbing his forehead. He then looked out the window, frowning when he realized the sun was rising.

“What are you doing here? It’s barely even first light!” Merlin’s eyes narrowed at the blonde, his frown deepening.

Arthur sighed as he crawled out of Merlin’s bed. “I thought I would do something special for you since, well, I know that this wedding isn’t what you’re used to. I just—” He inhaled sharply, suddenly feeling nervous for no good reason. “What do you think about us doing a handfasting ceremony?”

Merlin swung his legs over the edge of the bed, only to pause at Arthur’s words. He stared at him for a long second, considering him. The corner of his lips twisted upwards slightly, his gaze soft as he slid off the bed and approached Arthur. He hummed, feigning thoughtfulness. “I think that you’re very sweet under all that armor and prattiness,” he said lightly, although his eyes were glistening with sincerity. “And that you’re going to be an amazing husband.”

Arthur couldn’t help but beam at Merlin, his cheeks warming up. He lightly shoved his shoulder, unable to hold back his smile. “Go get changed,” he said softly.

After Merlin had gotten dressed into his own breeches and a blue tunic (Arthur tried not to think about how they were still matching, even when they weren’t dressed up), they managed to quietly leave the castle and head to the forest nearby.

Merlin looked curiously at Arthur, bumping his shoulder with his own. “Where exactly are you planning on taking us?” he asked.

The blonde smiled, bumping the other’s shoulder in return. “You’ll see,” he said, snickering when Merlin huffed and stomped ahead of him.

Arthur watched as Merlin had begun to walk more slowly, looking around the forest. They’d walked through the forest a hundred times, but this was different. This was their path to the binding of their souls, which should’ve been a little scary, but it wasn’t. It felt… right. Arthur couldn’t explain it. He knew of the prophecy and how his birth inevitably led to Merlin’s—how their souls were already tied in their own way. The handfasting ceremony only made the knot tighter.

The warlock paused, bending down and picking a flower. He turned towards Arthur, twirling the stem in between his fingers before holding it out. “For you,” he said, the tips of his ears turning red.

A crooked grin grew on Arthur’s lips as he took the flower from Merlin. “Who knew you were such a romantic?” he asked jokingly as he tucked the flower behind his ear, although he was melting a little at the action. He looked around, finding the same flower before picking it. He stepped close to the other, grabbing his wrist and carefully tying the stem around it.

“There,” Arthur said after adjusting the bracelet so the flower was on top. “Now, we’re matching.” He glanced up at Merlin, who ducked his head with a shy smile.

Arthur’s gaze lingered on the other, watching as the breeze ruffled his bangs and how the blush had made its way to his pale cheeks. He glanced down at Merlin’s smile, his breath hitching at the way his teeth sunk into his lower lip. It had become even redder, marked with small indents. He blushed, wondering if Merlin would pull away if he leaned in.

It was something Arthur thought about ever since he and Merlin got engaged. It wasn’t necessary to kiss during a handfasting ceremony, but he knew they had to kiss in front of the court during their wedding. It was tradition.

But it felt wrong for their first kiss to be seen by others. Even though their marriage was coming from friendship rather than love, that didn’t mean anyone else needed to see something so private—maybe even sacred—between two people. Perhaps he was taking it more seriously than necessary, but he felt that their first kiss should be for themselves—not for the court.

“Merlin,” Arthur muttered, ducking his head slightly to meet the other’s gaze. He smiled softly when Merlin met his eyes, placing a hand on his arm gently. “I—I know that we will have to kiss later during our wedding.”

God, he felt so dumb, especially with the way Merlin was staring at him with wide eyes. “And I thought… Well, I thought that maybe our first kiss shouldn’t be in front of everyone, you know? It could just be something for ourselves,” Arthur explained, shrugging nonchalantly even though he was screaming inside.

The flush on Merlin’s cheeks had only deepened, but he nodded his head with a small smile. “Okay,” he said softly.

Arthur’s eyes widened. He should’ve known that Merlin would accept this so easily, considering the fact that he agreed to marry him . “Are you sure? We certainly don’t have to—”

Merlin chuckled, rolling his eyes playfully. “I’m sure. Stop worrying,” he said, flashing a reassuring smile at him. Arthur could see the slight nervousness in his eyes, though. Somehow, that made him feel a little better.

“Okay,” Arthur breathed out. He trailed his hand from Merlin’s arm to his shoulder, his fingertips tingling with want, aching to burn through his sleeve and feel at his skin. His hand went up the other’s neck, sliding his thumb along his jaw before resting lightly on his ear. He could feel Merlin’s breath on his lips, quivering just a little bit.

For a second, Arthur hesitated as he stroked the outer shell of Merlin’s ear with his thumb. He searched his deep blue eyes and found himself wanting to bathe in the gold flecks of his irises; to be dragged into the waves and stay lost in them forever. He swallowed thickly, leaning his forehead against Merlin’s as their noses brushed against each other.

It shouldn’t have been so nerve wracking. Arthur had certainly kissed before. But this was Merlin , his Merlin. The one who followed him down every path, no matter how dangerous it was. He didn’t want this path to stop at a dead end.

After a few small breaths, Arthur’s eyes fluttered shut as he leaned in and connected their lips gently. He’d learned a long time ago that kisses were not the way they were in stories, where hearts would burst out of love or a fire would ignite within the soul. Kissing Merlin was nothing like that, but it was soft. Safe, in a way. Their lips locked like they were meant to be. Two halves of a whole, which sounded achingly familiar, but Arthur couldn’t bring himself to think properly at the moment.

He felt Merlin grasp onto his shirt, their noses bumping against each other as Arthur pressed closer. He inhaled, letting his entire being be taken over by Merlin. His touch, his scent, his magic, engulfing him into a warm embrace. Arthur found that he didn’t want to let go; that he could keep kissing Merlin without worrying about losing his breath.

Arthur pulled back slowly, though, leaving one kiss, then two, then three, allowing each to linger and ache for more. He opened his eyes, watching the way Merlin kept his own shut and breathed in and out, in and out. His lips had become redder and Arthur was tempted to press his thumb into the plushness of them, but kept himself from doing so.

Merlin then opened his eyes, laughing breathlessly. Arthur joined him, allowing his shoulders to relax. He nudged the other with his elbow, only to hold out his arm. “Ready?” he asked.

With a smile, Merlin took Arthur’s arm. “Ready.”

Eventually, they arrived at a clearing, where flowers were glittering in the sun (courtesy of Morgana’s magic) and where their close friends and family were waiting for them. Among them was Iseldir, who’d been more than happy to officiate the handfasting ceremony for Merlin and Arthur.

“Ah, there you are!” Gwaine exclaimed once he caught sight of the couple, going over to them and giving them a hug. He pulled back, clapping Arthur on the shoulder. “I thought the princess might’ve taken you the wrong way.”

A scowl settled on Arthur’s features, only to soften when he saw the expression of Merlin’s face. He was smiling, so so happily, his eyes crinkled as his dimples appeared. His hold on Arthur’s arm had only tightened, but not enough to hurt him. “No, he didn’t,” he said softly, keeping his gaze on his king. “And even if he did, I would still follow him wherever he goes.”

Arthur couldn’t help the way his breath was taken away. He wasn’t sure if he would ever get used to this side of Merlin— the side that unabashedly showed his adoration. Out of the both of them, Merlin had always been more open about his feelings, but this was different. This was more than that.

Gwaine smirked, looking knowingly between the two before he clapped Arthur on the shoulder once more. “Alright, lovebirds—save it for the honeymoon,” he joked, making the both of them blush.

Morgana snorted under her breath, only to cover her mouth when Arthur and Merlin simultaneously glared at her.

Iseldir cleared his throat, although it was evident that he was holding back a smile. “Shall we begin the ceremony?” he asked.

Arthur’s glare lingered on Morgana before he looked at Iseldir. “Yes,” he said as he began to pull away from Merlin, who reluctantly let go of his arm.

They moved to their positions in front of Iseldir, standing across from each other. “Hold out your right arms and I will tie them together,” he instructed.

Arthur lifted his arm, his hand clasping onto Merlin’s. He brushed his thumb along his pulse, feeling the other shiver in response. He held back a smile, sliding his hand along Merlin’s forearm before clasping onto it. Merlin’s own fingers slid along Arthur’s veins, leaving tingles. He couldn’t help but relish in the way he wrapped his hand around his arm, gentle yet intent.

A vine suddenly appeared, wrapping itself around Merlin and Arthur’s interlocked arms and tightening. Arthur stared at it in wonder, feeling its traces of magic seeping into their skin. “Now, the both of you will promise your lives to the other,” Iseldir explained. “Your souls will then be bound.”

Was it really that simple? Arthur thought. For something that was so sacred, it only took a few steps to actually enact. Arthur swallowed thickly. Perhaps, it was that simple because the people who handfasted didn’t need to do more than say a few words to prove their love and commitment to each other. But whatever Merlin and Arthur had, no matter how they felt, was beyond just love and commitment. It was their destiny. Arthur was one side of a coin and Merlin was the other, the sun to his moon, two halves of a whole.

Arthur hadn’t been scared before and he certainly wasn’t going to be now. He reminded himself that the knot had always been there— it just needed to be tightened.

“Merlin,” he started, clutching onto the courage he managed to find. “Honestly, I don’t think words are enough for me to promise my life to you. Not when our lives have been connected from the beginning. Even when we first met, I always knew there was something about you.” He chuckled softly, remembering how he’d manhandled Merlin because he challenged him, but even back then, he loved it. Merlin had been the first one to see Arthur as something more than a prince.

Arthur squeezed Merlin’s arm. “And even when I did everything—and I mean everything —to try to get you to quit,” he started, making the others laugh as Merlin pinched his arm. Arthur grinned at the latter, who had been holding back a smile. “I knew that you weren’t going to let go of me so easily. Eventually, I realized that I had no intention of letting you go.”

“Destiny and fate have made it clear that we’re connected, but I promise you that it’s always going to be you and me,” he swallowed thickly, blinking away his tears. “It always has been. I can feel it in my heart. And I promise that you’ll be able to feel it too.” He brought their tied arms to his chest, pressing Merlin’s knuckles into his ribcage. Thump, thump, thump, his heart whispered like it was something sacred.

Merlin let out a choked sob, ducking his head to hide his tears. Arthur couldn’t help but coo softly (which he would certainly deny later), using his free hand to cup Merlin’s cheek. He brushed his thumb over his skin, wiping away his tears. “Merlin, I always knew you were a girl,” he said adoringly, smiling to himself.

The warlock scoffed, shoving at Arthur’s shoulder lightly before he was pulled into a tight embrace, even though their arms were caught in between them. He buried his face into the crook of his neck. “Pillock,” he muttered. Arthur’s smile only widened, carding his fingers through his dark, messy tufts of hair. He glanced at their family and friends, who were either beaming, tearing up, or, in Percival’s case, downright sobbing.

Iseldir cleared his throat, attempting to discreetly dab his eyes with his sleeve. “Merlin, it’s your turn,” he said softly, clearly hesitant to interrupt the moment between the two.

Merlin slowly, hesitantly pulled away, his gaze locked on his king’s as he took a small step back. He held onto Arthur’s arm tightly. “Arthur,” he inhaled deeply. “The first time I learned we shared a destiny, it was from Kilgharrah. I didn’t believe him at the time, seeing that you were an absolute pain in the ass.”

Arthur laughed with the others, throwing his head back. He looked back at Merlin, who was staring at him tenderly. “But then I realized how good of a man you truly are and I had complete and utter faith in you, and the kingdom you were destined to build,” he continued softly. He smiled to himself, squeezing Arthur’s arm. “At some point, none of that really mattered to me. All that mattered to me was you . You and me— us. I never told you that, but that’s how I’ve felt for years.”

“And you’re right, I had no intention of letting you go back then. Not when I realized just how much you mean to me,” Merlin admitted, smiling sheepishly. “I promise—no, I swear to you that I’m never going to let you go. I’ll stay by your side no matter what. Like you said, it’s always been and always will be you and me.”

Arthur couldn’t help the watery laugh that escaped his lips, staring at the sky in hopes that Merlin wouldn’t see his tears. There was no point, though. Not when Merlin tugged their interlocked arms, so they were standing closer than before. The younger smiled softly, searching his teary eyes. He leaned forward slightly, their noses brushing against each other lightly. “Who’s the girl now?” he whispered, making Arthur laugh and playfully shove at him.

Iseldir sighed, shaking his head to himself. “Go back to your spots,” he ordered, although there was a hint of a smile on his features.

Arthur moved back to where he was standing before, watching Merlin do the same. His eyes widened when the vine suddenly began to glow. It wasn’t blinding though, like Arthur expected. No, it was gentle, traces of gold wrapping around the vine before it tightened. For a moment, he thought he could hear the magic speak to them. Maybe it was, sealing their promises and destinies with words of the unknown.

The vine slowly disappeared and Arthur hesitated to let go of Merlin’s arm. Nothing felt different. It didn’t feel like his soul was tied to Merlin’s now. It seemed like the warlock was having the same thought, making them both look at Iseldir.

Iseldir smiled warmly. “Remember, your souls have always been bound. Now, you’ve bound them yourselves.”

Although the wedding was meant to be a more formal affair, Arthur still found it to be beautiful.

Well, more like he found Merlin to look beautiful, with his dark blue robes tied around his waist and the bracelet Arthur gave him still on his wrist. He’d nearly tripped his way down the aisle because of the length of the robes, but managed to kneel down in front of Arthur and smile sheepishly up at him.

Arthur couldn’t help but snort and shake his head, leaving Geoffrey to gasp as he placed a hand over his heart. He’d wondered if the old man needed to be checked on as he gently took the crown and placed it on top of Merlin’s head. He’d proceeded to hold out his hand, helping his husband (his husband!) up before they shared a sweet kiss.

He was sure he’d never heard his people cheer as loudly as they did in that moment.

Soon enough, the reception began, which included a grand feast both inside and outside of the castle. He and Merlin already agreed that this was something everyone should celebrate, which was why the food was being served magically and instruments were floating around the kingdom and playing by themselves.

Arthur sat at the head of the table with Merlin, thanking their guests for their congratulations. His hand was placed on top of the other’s hand, which he found himself enjoying. Merlin’s hands were entirely too cold and absolutely needed to be warmed up at all times. It seemed that the sentiment was shared, considering how Merlin turned his hand over and entwined their fingers without any hesitation.

“Arthur.” He turned his head, only to see Mithian standing by his side.

“Mithian!” Arthur beamed at the princess. A part of him had been concerned that Mithian wouldn’t attend the wedding, despite them maintaining their alliance. They ended their courtship civilly, but he was able to see the sadness in her eyes.

Now, all he could see was how bright they were. Mithian smiled warmly, placing a hand on top of Arthur’s shoulder. “Congratulations on your wedding, sire. You too, my lord,” she said, nodding slightly at Merlin.

Merlin blushed, shaking his head. “You can just call me by my name,” he said— well, more like pleaded . Arthur couldn’t help but be amused. Even when he became Court Sorcerer, he refused to be referred to as anything but his name, despite his council and Iseldir telling him that it was important for him to be called ‘Emrys.” Merlin simply didn’t care and made sure they knew that.

Mithian’s smile widened, sharing a look with Arthur before looking back at Merlin. “Of course, Merlin,” she said softly, making the warlock beam in response. She looked back at the King, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I’m happy for you both. I always knew you would end up together.”

Before Arthur could reply, she was ushered away by Elena, who giggled and congratulated the newlyweds. He frowned, brows furrowed in confusion as he looked over at Merlin. He seemed to be equally confused. “What do you think she meant by that?” he asked.

Merlin shrugged. “Dunno.”

Morgana, who had been sitting on Arthur’s other side and listening to the entire conversation, merely sighed and dropped her head in her hands.

“Alright, alright— if everyone could quiet down, please,” said Gwaine, who’d been tapping his spoon on a goblet as he stood on top of one of the tables. He grinned roguishly, which Arthur could’ve sworn made some of the ladies—and Percival?—sigh and giggle. “It’s now time for the newlyweds to share their first dance.”

Everyone had begun to clap and cheer and Arthur couldn’t help but smile, despite the way Merlin was grumbling. He already knew that the other was absolutely hopeless when it came to dancing, but that was expected. “You’ll be fine,” he said, leading Merlin towards the center of the hall. They stood in front of each other, Arthur guiding Merlin’s hand to his shoulder before placing his own on his waist.

“You’re just saying that because you don’t have to deal with embarrassing yourself,” Merlin muttered, his cheeks flushed as his free hand found Arthur’s. “I’m going to be stepping all over your feet.”

Arthur smiled cheekily, pulling Merlin close. “You can step on my feet any day,” he said and squeezed his hand. The instruments began to play once more, upbeat with its fiddles and flutes.

Merlin certainly did manage to step all over his feet, but Arthur couldn’t bring himself to care as they danced around the hall, hopping and spinning around. Soon enough, the others began to join, laughing and switching partners. Arthur made sure to keep Merlin close to him, though and, based on the way the other was smiling brightly at him, it seemed like he didn’t mind.

Arthur wasn’t sure how long they’d danced for, but, eventually, he and Merlin decided to call it a night since no one else seemed ready to sleep. He was sure that the kingdom would be up until sunrise, allowing the world to hear their celebrations.

They’d excused themselves, which resulted in a wink from Gwaine and a “Don’t be afraid to stay in bed for a little while tomorrow.”

Arthur promptly tripped the knight as he went off to find a lady to flirt with.

Merlin snorted, grabbing his arm and dragging him out of the Great Hall. “That was kingly of you,” he joked, looking at Arthur over his shoulder.

The King cleared his throat, straightening up and making sure his shoulders were broad. “He wasn’t being very chivalrous,” he stated. “It’s only fair.”

“If you say so,” Merlin said with a grin, approaching their chambers for the night.

Ever since he proposed to Merlin, he did his best to not think about The Implications of their anticipated wedding night. Arthur knew that there wasn’t really anything to worry about, considering that they couldn’t produce an heir, but still . The Implications.

Arthur let out a breath as he pushed open the doors, entering the chambers. He paused at the sight of dimly lit candles scattered around the room, which wasn’t too bad. No, what got him were the path of rose petals leading to the large bed and the literal twinkling flowers that twisted their way up each of the posts and grew along the sheer top of the canopy. He wished that was it.

He turned towards the other path of rose petals leading towards the recently-lit fireplace, which was accompanied by various furs to sleep in, along with wine, fruits, and their favorite desserts. Which would be perfectly fine and all if it weren’t for The Implications.

A squeak managed to slip through Arthur’s lips, keeping them squeezed tight so that it was muffled. He really should’ve told the servants to leave the chambers as they were. “Um,” he said because he was eloquent. He made sure to keep his eyes on the fire. “Well.” He hoped that the fire would suddenly spread and incinerate him.

He heard a snort come from behind him, making Arthur frown and turn around. Merlin was red in the face, but not for the same reasons Arthur was. No, he was red because he was using his hand to keep himself from laughing loudly. Oh, the pillock , he thought. “What, Mer lin?” he questioned irritably, crossing his arms over his chest.

Merlin snorted once more before taking a breath, only to let out a breathy giggle. “Sorry,” he said with a sheepish smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so embarrassed. Well, I suppose that’s not true since I’ve humbled you plenty of times—”

“Excuse me—”

“—But I’ve never seen you be embarrassed about, I don’t know— romantic things,” Merlin continued, his lips tugging into a smile. “You always boasted about all the ladies and princesses you charmed when we first met. Ah, what was it you said all those years ago? You know about women?”

Arthur groaned, snatching a pillow off the bed and throwing it at Merlin, who ducked instinctively. “I was young and a pillock, clearly,” he replied.

“You still are.”

“ Mer lin!” Arthur exclaimed, wrapping an arm around the younger’s neck and rubbing his knuckles into his curls.

“Ah— let go! Let go of me!” Merlin yelled through his laughs, trying to peel Arthur’s arm off of him. He managed to wrap his arms around Arthur’s waist, shoving into him roughly before—dear god, when did Merlin get so strong ?—they fell onto the furs. They wrestled and rolled around, laughing and playfully tugging on each other’s hair and ears.

Eventually, Merlin managed to drop all of his weight onto Arthur and pin him to the ground. Arthur couldn’t help but blush, but smiled as he felt Merlin wrapped his arms around his waist and laid his head on his chest, right over his heart. He hoped it wasn’t beating as loudly as he thought it was.

“Let’s just stay like this,” Merlin murmured.

Arthur bit down on his lip to keep himself from smiling even more. He let out a put-upon sigh. “If you say so,” he drawled, earning a smack on the chest. He snickered, grabbing one of the furs and pulling it over their bodies. He wrapped his arms around Merlin’s shoulders, keeping him close.

It was silent for a few minutes, the only noise being the fire crackling in the background. Arthur ran his fingers through Merlin’s hair, unsure whether or not he fell asleep yet. “Merlin?” he questioned softly.

“Hmmm?” Merlin replied, clearly on the verge of falling asleep. His hold tightened on Arthur.

Arthur stared up at the ceiling, twirling one of Merlin’s curls. “Can you believe we’re married?”

It was silent again, making Arthur think that Merlin did actually fall asleep, but then—

“Not really.” Arthur frowned.

“But it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

He smiled to himself as Merlin fell asleep shortly after that.

Things didn’t change. Not really.

They were still Merlin and Arthur— the same Merlin and Arthur who liked to poke fun at each other yet do everything in their power to keep the other safe. They still went on adventures, but now the knights were tasked to make sure Merlin didn’t do anything self-sacrificing (or, in Arthur’s words, something absolutely idiotic ). Whenever they visited a neighboring kingdom or invited an ally to Camelot, they were both looked at in the highest regard and not ‘King Arthur and his bumbling Court Sorcerer/manservant.’

They still spent their nights looking over reports and laws that desperately needed to be written, but now, instead of sending Merlin off when they were too tired to continue, they would just sleep in the same bed.

(The first time it happened, Merlin had been dozing off, his head lulling off to the side. Arthur had merely sighed, grabbing his arm and dragging him towards the bed. He ignored Merlin’s protests, pushing him onto the soft sheets before crawling under them and throwing an arm around the other’s waist.

“Shut up,” Arthur murmured as Merlin tried to protest again, pressing his chest to his back.

Merlin squawked. “You didn’t even let me speak!” he exclaimed, squirming in Arthur’s arms.

The King sighed, interlocking their hands and pressing them to Merlin’s chest in order to keep him still. “You didn’t have to. I can practically hear you thinking,” he said softly, snuggling closer to the younger. “Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“Oh, you prick—” Merlin elbowed Arthur in the stomach, only to be manhandled into going to bed.)

So, things didn’t really change, but any little differences made weren’t so bad.

Arthur smiled to himself as he sat at his desk, twirling his quill between his thumb and pointer finger. He looked at one of his rings, which had the flower Merlin picked for him pressed into the material. Gwen had gifted them the rings as a late wedding gift, which resulted in Merlin growing teary-eyed and hugging her tightly while Arthur stared at his ring with a soft smile.

Now, it was settled on his ring finger, and Arthur found himself looking at it with his mother’s ring. He brushed his thumb over the gold and silver, bringing it to his lips and closing his eyes. Arthur wished that Ygraine was actually here, so she could see how far he’d come. How he hadn’t ended up like his father. Plus, he had a feeling that she would’ve taken a liking to Merlin.

The chamber doors opened, revealing Merlin—speak of the devil—dressed in one of his druidic robes. This one was a forest green, the neckline diving deep down his chest and leaving little to the imagination. Arthur found that he quite liked when Merlin wore his druidic robes. It was better than his stupid-neckerchief-and-ugly-brown-jacket-combo he refused to give up when he first became Court Sorcerer. Now, he was dressed simply but didn’t look like a potato sack (Merlin did not appreciate being called that), and was often ornamented by threaded jewelry and his flower ring, which was always found on his ring finger.

Arthur smiled, leaning back in his seat. “Had a good meeting?” he asked.

Merlin groaned, going over to the chair across from Arthur’s and flopping onto it. “I don’t know why the druids feel the need to meet so early and make sure it lasts for hours,” he grumbled, taking a strawberry from Arthur’s assortment of fruits and biting into it.

A chuckle drew out of Arthur’s lips, stretching out his legs before locking his ankles with Merlin’s. The younger reciprocated easily, relaxing into his seat. “What was the meeting about? It seemed important,” he said, brows furrowing when Merlin paused in the midst of biting into another strawberry. “What? What is it?”

Merlin bit down on his lip, twirling the strawberry as his gaze went astray. “They want me to spend a month in the eastern lands,” he explained. “You know, since they practice their own magic and have their own creatures. It would be good for trade.”

Despite the wariness in Merlin’s tone, Arthur could tell easily that he wanted to travel and meet magic users outside of Albion. He couldn’t blame him. He really couldn’t.

“A month? What do you mean a month ?” Arthur questioned incredulously because he was selfish and wasn’t afraid to show it.

Merlin sighed, shooting a look at Arthur. “A month isn’t that long. Actually, this meeting should be longer so we can ensure our alliance.”

Okay, Merlin had a point there. But there was no way in hell he was going to let Merlin be so far away from him for longer than a month.

He frowned slightly. “Can I come?”

The other merely raised an eyebrow in response, which was uncannily similar to Gaius’. “And who would run the kingdom while we’re both away?” he questioned.

Arthur waved him off. “We both know that Morgana is more than capable of doing it.”

Merlin sighed, shaking his head to himself. He reached across the table, taking Arthur’s hands in his own and rubbing his thumb over the ring on his ring finger. “I know that,” he assured. “But you love Camelot and would do anything to keep her safe. You’re the King. Your people need you.”

Arthur couldn’t help the frown that grew on his lips. “But I need you ,” he stated, suddenly feeling heat creeping up his neck when he realized how childish he sounded.

Merlin stared at him, disregarding the way Arthur was shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He then smiled, lightly squeezing Arthur’s hands. “I’ll only be gone for a month,” he said softly. “You’ll survive.”

Arthur wasn’t so sure about that, but he didn’t think that was something he was ready to admit.

It was safe to say that Arthur had gotten a little too used to Merlin being around him all the time.

Right after Merlin left (with Elyan and Lancelot there to guard him because there was no way in hell Arthur was going to let him travel alone , even if he’s the most powerful sorcerer ever), he had to deal with the misfortune of attending a council meeting. He didn’t think he’d been obvious about how upset he was, but at some point Morgana kicked his shin under the table and shot him a nasty glare.

But he couldn’t help it! It was hard enough to sit through the council meeting that continued to drone on and on, but to actually feel the lack of Merlin’s presence made it even worse. He wasn’t able to feel the other’s knee pressed against his own or trace imaginary stars on his palm. He didn’t have to stifle a laugh because Merlin would say something during the council meeting that wasn’t deemed appropriate.

Normally, if Merlin wasn’t able to attend a meeting, Arthur would be bored and irritated, but would remind himself that at least he would see the warlock later. But that wasn’t the case now. Now, he would return to his chambers and wouldn’t see Merlin going over some reports for Arthur or looking out the window and observing the citadel. The thought in itself made his mood sour immensely.

So, for the following week, Arthur continued his duties with a frown glued to his face. He made sure to at least be polite when his people would come to express their concerns, but other than that, he didn’t hide that he was in a downright awful mood.

He’d been even harder than usual on the knights during training, promptly beating each of them to the ground. Gwaine had taken the brunt of the beatings, seeing that he couldn’t keep his big mouth shut and said something along the lines of “the princess has lost his lover.” Arthur evidently did not appreciate that and took Gwaine out in one blow.

Usually, by the time he was done with his duties, he would hole up in his chambers and go over reports just so he could do something that wasn’t missing Merlin or being around other people. He would be so focused on getting his work done that he wouldn’t even realize that he’s missed dinner. Not until Morgana comes in with a large tray of food and threatens to force feed him.

Morgana’s the only one who will say something when Arthur snaps. Well, more like she snaps back in a much more sharp and humbling way. If Arthur was being too hard on the knights, she would intervene and throw water in his face so he could ‘cool down.’ Then, she would let Leon take the lead with training and keep an eye on Arthur, who would be sitting on the side with his arms crossed and a frown.

If Arthur just happened to have an edge to his tone when he spoke to a servant, Morgana would twist his ear and make him apologize. Really, it was like he wasn’t the King of Camelot with the way she would humble him constantly. He could’ve sworn he saw some guards or servants snickering when he passed by them, but they would immediately shut their mouths when feeling his brooding atmosphere.

Despite Morgana being the most annoying sister in the world, Arthur knew she cared in her own way. He could tell she was worried from the way she would glance at him during council meetings or when he stepped out of his chambers with bags under his eyes.

But she didn’t say anything. She knew that Arthur didn’t want to talk. It was already embarrassing that he was acting this way, but to actually talk about it and think about why that was the case was not something Arthur wanted.

He knew that Gwen and Hunith were also concerned, as well as the knights and Gaius, but none of them said anything. Despite his grouchiness, he appreciated being given some space.

Well, at least for the first week.

The knights decided it would be best for them to go on a hunt. It had been some time since they’d done so and clearly wanted to distract Arthur, so they packed their things in the morning and rode their horses into the woods.

Here was the thing, though. Even hunting wouldn’t be enough to lift Arthur’s spirits because, usually, Merlin accompanied them. Not only did he accompany them, but he did everything in his power to keep them from actually getting game. He would step on a stick a little too loudly or trip over nothing . And Arthur knew it was on purpose because of Merlin’s stupid smile, which made it hard to stay annoyed with him.

So, really, Arthur should be happy that Merlin wasn’t there to be a nuisance, but he just wasn’t. Merlin should be there, riding alongside Arthur and prattling on about god-knows-what. God, he really missed the idiot.

Apparently, the knights were getting fed up with Arthur’s broodiness, so, when they paused to refill their water, Gwaine decided it would be a good idea to open his big mouth.

“Alright, I’ve had it with you, princess,” Gwaine started, turning towards Arthur after filling up his waterskin.

Leon, ever the peacemaker, glared at the other knight. “Gwaine,” he warned, but was resolutely ignored.

“I know you miss Merlin, but acting like there’s a stick up your arse isn’t going to make him come back any sooner,” Gwaine stated, crossing his arms over his chest.

Arthur, who’d been kneeling in front of the creek and washing his face, merely scoffed. He rolled his eyes, standing up straight. “I am not acting like there’s a stick up my arse, Gwaine. You’d better take care to not insult your king,” he reminded because, although Arthur didn’t actually care for how Gwaine spoke to him, it was different when it came to Merlin.

Gwaine snorted. “Yeah, and I don’t go to the tavern every night,” he replied sarcastically.

“That really is rather concerning,” Percival said thoughtfully.

They both ignored him.

“Just because you’re sad that Merlin isn’t here doesn’t mean you get to take it out on us,” Gwaine said.

“Well, maybe I wouldn’t be taking it out on you if you shut your trap for once ,” Arthur retorted, his face growing hot.

That made Gwaine chuckle. “Oh, but it isn’t just me, is it? It’s everyone! Morgana’s started to become your caretaker.”

“Gwaine, that’s enough,” Leon said sternly, sharing a nervous look with Percival.

Gwaine turned towards the First Knight, a frown growing on his lips. “The princess isn’t a child, Leon!” he exclaimed.

“No, but he is your king!” Leon responded, brows furrowing.

“What, so he can’t hear the truth from us?”

At this point, Arthur really just wanted this conversation to be over with. “Gwaine, what’s the point in all of this? Why can’t you just leave me be?”

The knight looked back over at the king, staring at him for a long moment. He then sighed, going up to Arthur and grabbing him by the shoulders. “Because, princess, we know that you’re desperately, stupidly, and hopelessly in love with Merlin and you can’t live without him, but he’s only gone for a few weeks. Moping around and snapping at us isn’t helping anyone. Also, this isn’t going to be the only time you two are separated,” he said.

Arthur opened his mouth to protest, but Gwaine was quick to interrupt him. “It’s true. Sometimes, you’ll be the one going to another kingdom and making alliances. You’ve been doing that, so it’s not anything you’re unfamiliar with. There’ll just be times when Merlin isn’t there with you, and that’s okay. So you’re just going to have to toughen up and be the almighty king Merlin claims you are,” he said, a small smile settling on his features. He squeezed the other’s shoulders before pulling back.

A sigh slipped out of Arthur’s lips. He knew Gwaine was right, no matter how much he didn’t want him to be. This was the reality of him and Merlin getting married. They had their own responsibilities as King and Court Sorcerer. And, really, why was he getting so upset over Merlin being gone? It’s not like he’s actually in love with Merlin.

Of course, not.

“You’re right,” Arthur admitted, which made Gwaine smile smugly. He rolled his eyes. “Alright, don’t let that get to your head.”

“Already have, sire,” Gwaine responded immediately.

With another eye roll, Arthur shoved the other on the shoulder. “I’ll try to be better,” he promised because, really, there was no way in hell he was going to admit when Gwaine was right and apologize.

And he knew Gwaine was aware of that, seeing how he still looked so smug. His eyes were sincere, though. “I know,” he said, shooting a grin at the three. He looked back at Arthur, a smirk playing on his lips. “Also, just think about how good it will be to take Merlin to bed after he gets back—”

Arthur promptly shoved him into the creek.

It’d been about two and a half weeks since Merlin left and Arthur was getting antsy and, of course, somehow the other knew and sent a letter. He’d been getting ready for bed when there was a sudden tapping on the window. He instinctively reached for his sword, but stopped when he saw that a bird was staring expectantly at him with a small scroll lodged in his beak.

Arthur was quick to throw the windows open, accepting the scroll and giving the bird a small piece of bread as thanks. He smiled slightly when he realized what kind of bird it was. A merlin , he thought, letting the bird nip lightly on his finger. Of course .

Once the bird flew away, he unrolled the scroll, his smile only growing at Merlin’s scrawl. He could imagine the warlock in a tent, or in his guest chambers, writing away messily until his hand ached. He found himself wishing to massage his hands the way he did when on those late nights they worked on reports. Even though Merlin would protest, Arthur knew he secretly loved it. He could’ve sworn he heard him mutter one night that he had ‘magic hands.’

He brushed his thumb over his ring, feeling the polish that kept the flower petals ingrained into the metal. Arthur bit down on his lower lip, returning his attention to the letter. Dear Prat was the first thing he saw, making him snort.

Dear Prat,

Mum sent me a letter that you’ve been in a foul mood since I left —Arthur cursed internally since he couldn’t actually do that to Hunith— and it’s been putting the whole kingdom on edge. She said you’ve been doing better in the past week, but is still able to tell that you’re upset. Mother’s intuition, I suppose.

I didn’t think you would miss me so much. Okay, well, maybe I did because you really are that predictable, but you should know that I miss you, too. A lot. I’m in these new lands meeting all these different people and learning their culture, but I still find myself wishing you were here with me. Maybe next time, you could come with me. Like you said, Morgana does know how to handle the kingdom.

There’s only a little over a week left until I return. Do you think you can handle that? Because, honestly, I can certainly try, but I’m going to be counting the days until I get back. I’m sure you will, too.

I want to tell you more about my travels, but I’d rather do that when I see you again. I know you’d prefer to hear them from me rather than reading them from a letter. I’ll see you soon, okay? Just hold fast and I’ll be back before you know it.

Yours,

Merlin

By the time Arthur was done reading, his smile had grown so wide to the point that his cheeks were hurting. He sat down on his bed, feeling the material of the letter. “Idiot,” he muttered fondly, shaking his head to himself.

He inhaled and breathed in Merlin’s scent, which lingered on the paper. He still smelled like pine and hazelnut. Hold fast , he thought as he laid in bed, pressing the letter to his chest. Hold fast .

“Sire, you really must be careful whenever you’re training. You’re not meant to actually hurt yourself,” Gaius tutted, gently dabbing the cut on Arthur’s arm. He hissed, earning a quick apology from the physician and waving him off. The injury wasn’t even that bad. He and Gwaine had gotten overly zealous (as usual) in the midst of training, which led to the cut on his arm. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t dealt with before. “Who was responsible for this?”

“Gwaine,” Arthur grunted.

Gaius sighed, grabbing the nearest bandage and carefully wrapping it around Arthur’s forearm. “Yes, well, I suppose I’m not too surprised. You’d been working him to the ground recently, haven’t you?” he questioned, although his eyebrow indicated that he was well-aware of Arthur’s attitude in the first week that Merlin was gone.

Arthur flinched. “I haven’t been that hard on him since the first week!” he exclaimed, which merely made Gaius raise his eyebrow even higher (how was that even possible?). He sighed, a sheepish smile settling on his features. “We tend to get… competitive.”

The elderly man merely shook his head in response, although saw a flash of a fond smile on his face as he turned away. Gaius carefully set aside the ointment before facing Arthur once more. “Try not to let yourself be maimed any longer. I’d hate to see how Merlin would react to you looking like a brute,” he chastised.

Arthur could already imagine Merlin saying things along the lines of ‘I’ve only been gone for a few weeks and you’ve already nearly gotten yourself impaled!’ or ‘And you call me clumsy,’ but he always had a knack for being dramatic, so Arthur was sure it’d be fine.

He stood up, rolling his shoulders. “I doubt that’ll stop him from threatening to skewer me,” he muttered, eliciting a chuckle from Gaius.

A comfortable silence settled between the two of them, and Arthur was about to announce his departure, but Gaius beat him to it. “Sire, if I may,” he started, hesitation evident in his eyes.

Arthur’s eyebrows furrowed in concern. “What is it, Gaius? Is everything alright?” he asked.

“Of course, sire,” Gaius reassured. He stood up straight, hands folded in front of him like they normally are. “Please, do not take this as an offense, it’s just…”

“Yes?” Arthur pressed because he wasn’t known for being patient.

Gaius cleared his throat. “I know that you and Merlin got married because you didn’t want to be pressured by the council members any longer,” he stated.

Arthur froze. Well, that wasn’t good. “I— Gaius, what are you talking about?” he questioned, chuckling incredulously. “Where could you possibly have gotten that idea from?”

Gaius was unimpressed. “Sire, I have known you since the day you were born, and I have spent many years taking care of Merlin,” he said softly. “How could I not know?”

It made sense. Of course, it made sense. Gaius was the one who knew the both of them best. He would’ve been quick to catch onto their scheming, much like he did when he was a child and even when he and Merlin went off on secret missions.

Arthur opened his mouth, only to close it again. He couldn’t help the guilt suddenly weighing down on his shoulders. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” he said, frowning deeply.

Gaius was quick to place a hand on Arthur’s shoulder, sitting him back down on the bed. He sat down beside him, shaking his head. “I’m not upset with you, my boy,” he said. Arthur’s heart clenched in his chest. “Do I think it was foolish of the both of you to do? Certainly. But I understand why. I would try to have the council members leave you alone, but they were so keen on an heir…”

A chuckle slipped out of Arthur’s lips. “And I didn’t even give them that,” he said truthfully. He knew that, at the end of the day, the council wanted an heir of the Pendragon bloodline, but that wouldn’t be possible if he was married to Merlin. He had his own ideas regarding that, though. There was Morgana, or he could name Lancelot and Gwen’s child as heir if they did actually have children, or do the same to Leon’s future children.

Gaius chuckled. “Yes, well, they were certainly unsettled by that,” he admitted. He fell silent, staring at Arthur with an unreadable expression. “Arthur, why did you decide to marry Merlin?”

“Because he’s my best friend,” Arthur replied in an instant. “I thought about marrying Mithian or Elena. I mean, they both are kind and intelligent, and they will certainly make wonderful queens, but I know that I would never truly be comfortable around them. I didn’t have to feel that way around Merlin, though.”

The physician hesitated once more. “Why do you think you made the right choice marrying Merlin?”

Arthur couldn’t help but smile softly. “Because he makes me happy,” he said, like it was that simple. The thing was, it was that simple. Arthur wasn’t sure he truly knew what happiness was until he met Merlin. “Nothing’s changed between us. We may have to act like a couple in front of everyone, but it doesn’t feel different. We’re still the same as we used to be and getting married hasn’t felt wrong at any point.”

“I wanted to marry for love,” he continued. “But marrying Merlin is even better than that.”

Gaius stared at Arthur for a long, silent moment. He then broke out into a smile, squeezing Arthur’s shoulder. “I’m glad you think so, sire,” he said, getting up with a grunt and grabbing his medicine bag.

“I must go make my rounds now,” Gaius said, making his way over to the door. He then paused, turning towards Arthur. “You make Merlin happy, too. I hope you know that.”

Arthur beamed, watching as Gaius left the chambers.

Finally— finally —it was the day Merlin was meant to return.

Arthur had barely been able to sleep the night before, spending hours rereading the letter Merlin sent him until he could recite it. Despite the lack of sleep, he was as chipper as ever in the morning, much to everyone else’s amusement. Gwen hid a smile behind her hand when he entered the council chambers, whistling a tune he heard from a bird, while Percival merely beamed at the sight of the king being happy.

For once, the council meeting felt like it went by quickly, despite the anticipation. Arthur had a feeling it was because the members were indulging him a little bit, trying not to drag things out like they usually did.

By the time the meeting was wrapping up, one of the guards came in and announced Merlin’s arrival. He was quick to step to the side when Arthur bolted out of the room, leaving behind his snickering council members.

Arthur thought he’d been breathless when he made it to the citadel, but then he saw Merlin on one of horses the guards provided at one of the outposts, seeing that Kilgharrah had been the one to take him and the knights to the eastern lands.

He grinned, making his way over to the three. “Merlin,” he breathed out as he approached Merlin’s horse. The warlock’s eyes were bright as they landed on Arthur, smiling widely.

“Arthur,” Merlin said softly. Arthur could feel his cheeks warming up—Lancelot and Elyan’s snickers certainly didn’t help—as he held out a hand for Merlin to take. He helped him off the horse, keeping their fingers intertwined even when they were directly in front of each other.

He glanced around, noticing how some of the townsfolk were going on with their day while discreetly observing him and Merlin. He couldn’t bring himself to care all that much. Arthur looked back at the other, squeezing his hand. “I missed you,” he whispered, making sure his words were only heard by them.

Merlin’s eyes flickered all around Arthur’s face, his smile soft. He then brought his hand to the blonde’s chin, leaning up and planting a soft kiss to his forehead.

Arthur let out a sigh, letting go of Merlin’s hand before sliding them around his waist. He splayed his hands against his back, feeling the soft material of his robes. God, he’d missed this.

He smiled as Merlin wrapped his arms around his neck, pressing his lips to the shell of his ear. “I missed you, too,” he whispered, his nose brushing against Arthur’s cheek.

All Arthur could do was pull Merlin closer, relishing in his touch and warmth and God , the way he was running his fingers through his blonde locks. He inhaled deeply, taking in Merlin’s scent.

“I know you’ve missed each other, but I’m going to put a stop to this before you guys decide to ravish each other in the middle of the citadel,” said Gwaine, who was smirking with his arms over his chest as he stood with the others. He winced when Morgana slapped his arm.

They were quick to pull apart, faces bright red. Arthur simply glared at Gwaine as Merlin managed to recover, beaming at the sight of his friends and family. “Mum!” he exclaimed, pulling the smaller woman into a tight hug before hugging Gaius.

Arthur was even more mortified by the fact that Hunith and Gaius had heard Gwaine’s comment. The both of them seemed more amused than anything, but he was still going to kill Gwaine.

It seemed like the knight realized this because he slowly began to back away, only to run off when Arthur started to chase him.

That night, there were furs spread out in front of the fireplace. Arthur was already tipsy from sharing a bottle of wine with Merlin, whose cheeks were flushed a pretty pink as he talked about his adventures in the eastern land.

At some point, Arthur stopped listening to Merlin and merely watched him. He noticed the way his lips moved, all plush and bitten and red from the strawberries they’d just eaten. His eyes were sparkling, wide and filled with excitement. An eyelash fell onto his cheek, so Arthur used his thumb to wipe it off. The other’s skin was warm, he noticed.

Merlin continued to ramble since Arthur didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. Arthur didn’t mind. Even if he didn’t know what Merlin was talking about, he liked to hear the soothing, deep waves of his voice, even when his words jumbled or slurred together.

He thought back to the conversation he’d had with Gaius. They’d talked only three days ago and, for some reason, Arthur couldn’t stop thinking about it. There was something about the knowing glint in the older man’s eye when he told Arthur that he made Merlin happy, too. Perhaps it was just his elderly wisdom, but it felt like more.

Arthur smiled warmly, wrapping his hands around Merlin’s ankles and pulling him closer to him. He’d been too far away (as in about less than three feet away), with his knees tucked under his chin. Now, he was sitting directly across from Arthur with his legs crossed. He pouted slightly. “Why do you always manhandle me?” he questioned.

Arthur merely shrugged. “Because it’s fun,” he said with a boyish grin, letting their knees press against each other.

Merlin rolled his eyes before he went back to his tirade. Arthur chuckled, keeping the other’s hands from swatting him when he got a little too excited in his storytelling. His fingers were wrapped around Merlin’s wrists, rubbing his thumb over his pulse. It was a reminder of the fact that he was here— actually here .

It would be awhile until one of them would have to leave the kingdom for a bit, but Arthur already found himself dreading that day. He knew that it was more likely than not that Merlin would join him for their travels within Albion, but that wouldn’t necessarily be the case when Merlin would have to travel to foreign lands once more. Ultimately, it was for the best because they were able to learn from different cultures and their respective magics, but that didn’t mean Arthur didn’t want to keep Merlin all too himself.

Ever since they were kids, Morgana always called him clingy. He used to cling onto Leon when they both became friends with him, only to throw a tantrum when it seemed like she was getting more attention than him. Even when he was a squire, he didn’t like to share his training sword with anyone else.

He’d like to think he’d gotten better with that, but that didn’t seem to be the case when it came to Merlin. Arthur wanted to hold onto him and never let him go, listening to their synchronized heartbeats.

Arthur couldn’t really understand why that was the case. This wasn’t as simple as him being jealous over Leon and Morgana’s friendship or not wanting anyone else to touch his training sword. He assumed some of it had to do with the handfasting ceremony and them being connected since they were born, but it was even more than that.

It was this one little thing that ties it all together, but Arthur couldn’t place a name on it. All he could really do was feel it in his heart, not lodged in but pouring over it and seeping into the chambers like running water. It was endless, yet he found himself wanting more and more of it.

The first time Arthur noticed that feeling was a few years back, when he was still a prince that was a little too haughty for his own good. It was around the time he met Merlin, who was keen on taking him down a notch. Since then, that feeling stayed and Arthur got used to it. It was just another part of him.

It was only in times like these, when Arthur was lost in his own thoughts, that he’d remember that the feeling was still there. He smiled softly at Merlin, more of that feeling seeping into his heart. He wanted to touch it; to see if it was something malleable. He imagined opening his ribcage and seeing his heart pump with gold. But it wasn’t gold like the jewelry. It was liquid, something that swirled with tendrils of light blue and—

Oh.

Oh .

So that’s what the feeling was.

It was love.

Suddenly, Arthur felt giddy. Of course , it was love. How could it possibly be anything else? He thought marrying Merlin was even better than marrying for love because he loved him. He pressed his knee against Merlin’s under the round table not just because it was comfortable, but because he yearned for his touch. Every little word spoken or action made always meant more than Arthur thought.

God, he was such an idiot.

But could what he felt for Merlin really be described as love? It felt stronger than that. Perhaps that’s where their inherent connection came in. They existed for one another, they were destined to be together, they were two sides of the same coin.

So love wasn’t really the right term for what Arthur felt, but it was close enough.

“Merlin,” Arthur said, cutting the other off. His hands were still wrapped around Merlin’s wrists, even as he rambled because he didn’t care that Arthur touched or manhandled him. He liked it.

“Hmmm?” Merlin leaned towards the blonde with a boyish grin, smelling like strawberries and wine.

Arthur smiled, sliding his hands so they could entwine with Merlin’s. He looked down at his ring, lifting his hand and pressing a kiss to it. He pressed another kiss to it, meeting the other’s eyes before slowly pulling away. “You know I love you, right?” he questioned softly.

Merlin froze, but Arthur wasn’t scared. He knew that the other was trying to process what was happening at this very moment. It made him chuckle.

A slow, wide grin broke out onto Merlin’s lips. He slowly nodded his head, gripping onto Arthur’s hands. “Yeah,” he breathed out, searching his eyes. “I love you, too.”

Arthur’s smile widened, letting go of one of Merlin’s hands and bringing his own to the nape of his neck. “Good,” he muttered, twirling one of his dark curls as he pulled him into a kiss.

While their first kiss felt safe and warm, this one was burning and aching with heat. Arthur could almost feel Merlin’s skin molding into his, letting their hearts finally become one. He parted the other’s lips with his own, breathing him in as he moved his hand from the nape of his neck to the collar of his shirt. It was bundled up in his hand as he pulled Merlin closer to him, guiding him in between his legs.

He shivered at the feeling of Merlin’s hands moving down his chest, his fingers brushing over the hem of his tunic before sliding under it. His touch burned , but not in a way that hurt. No, this was the type of burning Arthur could easily become addicted to. As Merlin slid his hands over Arthur’s skin, he could feel the burning still there, just lingering.

Arthur never thought he would become so vulnerable from Merlin’s touch, but he already came to terms with the fact that he was, in fact, an idiot and should never think again.

Merlin snorted, breaking the kiss and looking down at Arthur with raised eyebrows.

Oh . “Oh,” Arthur said sheepishly. “Did I say that out loud?”

“Yes,” Merlin stated.

“Well,” Arthur started. “It wasn’t just me who didn’t realize that we’re in love with each other.”

Merlin stared at Arthur for a long, long time. He then sighed. “You really are an idiot,” he said fondly, gently pushing Arthur to the floor. He brought his hand to the blonde’s cheek, wrapping his leg around his hip and pressing light kisses to his jaw.

“Wait, hang on—” Arthur propped himself on his elbows, although he nearly fell back at the feeling of Merlin’s teeth sinking into his skin. He reminded himself to stay strong, turning his head to look at the other. “ You knew ?”

“Yes, obviously. Who the hell asks their best friend to marry them and then do literally everything you did?” Merlin questioned with an eye roll. “I was waiting for you to realize on your own, but, clearly, your head really is as thick as I say it is because that took you way too long.”

Arthur guffawed. “Oi! Now, hold on—” he started, only to be interrupted by Merlin cupping his cheeks and kissing him deeply.

Merlin pulled away just slightly, their breaths intermingling. “Will you shut up and finally ravish me?”

Well, Arthur was only a simple man with simple needs.

And he was an idiot that was stupidly in love with his idiot, no matter what his idiot said.