A Happy Occasion
Part One Preparations
In the week leading up to the wedding of Camelot's Court Sorcerer Merlin Emrys, and Princess Mithian of Nemeth, the castle had burst into life. People were coming and going, as Camelot was slowly transformed into a place worthy of such an occasion. The happy couple each took it in their stride, as both had been through telling times, leading up to the happy day.
Only months before Arthur and Merlin had been caught by a group of bandits with only Merlin's magic saving them from certain death. As she waited for news about her betrothed Mithian had begun to appreciate just what her future life would be like. At least though she had the company of Gwen now, throughout the crisis the two women, helped each other through the drama, and became closer as a result. Mithian had learnt some important lessons in that time, and it also made her realize that some things were just not worth worrying about.
During the two weeks of being held a prisoner Merlin too, had started to rationalize what he needed in his life. Whenever he was being held captive, he would invariably think about such things, and how he would change everything for the better. But then once being back in Camelot he would return to the old Merlin of always putting himself last, and seeing to his friends first. But this time he realized it was different. He had Mithian waiting for him back in Camelot, and for too long the engagement had been pushed into the background while his destiny and workload took over.
Night after night all he could think about was Mithian in her wedding dress walking down the aisle beside him. It was this image that had kept him going, while he waited for Arthur to come up with a good escape plan. He had sworn to himself that this time he would put Mithian first for a change, and had even said it to Arthur, who had glowed with happiness alongside him. Arthur had said he would make sure Merlin kept his word over this, and for once Merlin was quite happy for his friend to pressure him about it.
So it was when Merlin and Arthur had arrived back in Camelot the date had been set for the wedding. Those three months had disappeared so quickly that no one could quite believe that the week of the wedding had arrived. As people fussed around it appeared the calmest people were actually Merlin and Mithian themselves.
But by the time that Merlin's mother Hunith had arrived in Camelot, the atmosphere was so charged that even the happy couple were finally beginning to succumb to the pressure and nerves. Merlin had spent the afternoon before the big day finishing off one of Arthur's important speeches. When Merlin and Mithian were due on their honeymoon Arthur was attending a meeting with the five Leaders of Albion. For the sixth time Merlin had found himself going back on his word and offering to postpone the honeymoon by a couple of days.
"Merlin you still have not understood have you?" Arthur said, looking sternly at his friend. "You cannot just postpone your honeymoon by even a couple of hours, if you still want to live!"
Merlin had laughed away Arthur's words. "This is Mithian we're talking about, I know she will understand."
"Do you remember the words you said to me when we were held captive but two months ago?" Arthur asked, picking up the parchment Merlin had left on the table.
Merlin looked at him for a second, "Yes but –" Merlin started.
"No Merlin, no but's" Arthur interrupted. "If you want to live and have a meaningful relationship with your wife to be, there are some things you do not go back on. This being one of them."
"I'm just worried in case anything happens." Merlin grumbled. "You know what some of these leaders are like."
"This is why I have Knights Merlin, to take care of me in situations such as these. You are only going away for a week, not a lot can happen in that time" Arthur pointed out looking down on the speech. "That is unless you get some idiot to write your speech for you!"
Merlin turned around, "What do you mean idiot have you any idea how long I've been working on that?" Merlin complained, completely gobsmacked.
"Are you purposely trying to start a war while you're gone, just to prove that I still need you?" Arthur asked, his face stunned beyond belief.
"What's the matter?" Merlin asked, totally at a loss for words. "Could you actually get around to telling me what I've done?"
"You've only gone and given Mercier to King Lot!" Arthur pointed out.
Merlin grabbed hold of the parchment reading down it quickly. "God!" Merlin cursed, holding his hand onto his head. "It's this wedding the last two days it's starting to get to me as well. Let me do it again."
"No Merlin", Arthur replied, retrieving the parchment from his friend. "I think I will finish it. Why don't you go and see your mother and calm down."
"Yes that maybe a good idea." Merlin agreed, "Sorry about that."
Arthur put his hand on his friend's shoulder and laughed. "It's fine old friend. I think you just need to take stock over the next couple of days. You will soon be married to a pretty special lady, Merlin it is time to make the most of it from now on."
Merlin smiled. "Yes you know I still expect to wake up one day and realize it's all been a dream somehow."
"It's no dream. I couldn't be happier for you. You will make a lovely couple." Arthur handed him a goblet, and poured some wine into it. "A toast to you my friend, and to MIthian."
"Thank you." Merlin smiled. "I will always be here to serve you though I want you to know that."
"I know Merlin and I appreciate it, but it's time to put yourself first for a while." Arthur said, "God knows you deserve it after all these years."
Merlin savoured the wine as if went down. "Well I think Albion is in a good place now, once I've gone from here, I bet I don't even think about Camelot."
"Make sure that is so." Arthur smiled, as he watched Merlin go to the door. "Or else I will give you some of your old chores back."
"Fine that's it, can I leave now?" Merlin asked, he opened the door avoiding a boot that Arthur had thrown at him. "I see being married to Gwen has still not cured you off your untidiness!"
"Shut up Merlin!" Arthur called, half in laughter.
"Prat." Merlin muttered back, returning the laugh.
Gwen was braiding Mithian's hair, both of them sitting on the Princesses' bed. Mithian's nerves were starting to show, so Gwen had suggested they had a quiet couple of hours to themselves. Mithian could barely believe that she was almost Merlin's wife now. The two months had gone by so quickly, she'd hardly had time to breathe. She was waiting for her father King Rodor and her brother Olwyn to join her.
"Where have those two months gone Gwen?" Mithian asked, quietly enjoying being pampered.
"It was the same for me too, although it was three months. It was so strange waking up that first day as Queen." Gwen replied, lost in nostalgia for a second.
"It must have been a big adjustment for you to make." Mithian mused.
"Yes but Arthur and Merlin helped me get use to it all." Gwen smiled, "It would have been a lot more difficult without them."
"Even though I was born a Princess, I don't think marriage is that different, to what it is for anyone else. Not that I was expecting it to be here." Mithian smiled.
"I hope you are not too disappointed being married in Camelot rather than Nemeth." Gwen said, pouring them another drink.
"No not at all." Mithian smiled. "I almost feel like Camelot is my home already. Where Merlin is, I will be too. Do you think he'll take to marriage Gwen?"
"He will certainly take to being with you. Marriage is a strange thing though Mithian. There is a lot of give and take to it. In my case I give and Arthur takes!" Gwen laughed.
Mithian laughed, "Still?"
"No I am doing him a disservice there." Gwen admitted. "He is getting better all of the time. But it's funny when you've been with someone for so long you think you know them already. It's only when you are actually married to them you begin to truly understand them."
"Yes I think I can understand that." Mithian smiled. "God knows I don't think any of us truly know Merlin."
"No that is certainly right." Gwen agreed. "In fact I cannot wait to hear what you find out all about him, in our girly chats."
"You are asking me to give his secrets away, now I'm not sure about that." Mithian grinned.
"Come on only a few, I'll tell you all about Arthur." Gwen said, tying a band around Mithian's hair.
Mithian laughed, "I love hearing about both of them, so I think it's a deal. That feel's so much better, thank you Gwen."
"It's so hot today." Gwen said, stretching. "Now can I have a look at that dress please?"
"I think one good turn deserves another."Mithian said, climbing over her bed and heading for the wardrobe. "I think Sian said she put it in here. Ah yes here we go."
Gwen stayed sitting as Mithian brought the dress over. It was stunning leaving Gwen just about speechless. She knew without doubt it would show Mithian off beautifully. She felt the wonderful quality of the long white dress, before delicately feeling the beautifully made bodice.
"This will suit you down to the ground. Merlin will be speechless when he sees you." Gwen smiled.
"I do hope not I want him to be able to say his vows." Mithian said. "Poor dear he's so nervous, for some reason he thinks he going to end up marrying my mother!
"Oh." Gwen sighed. "That's Arthur's influence."
"Arthur's?" Mithian questioned, suddenly curious to hear. She never tired about hearing about the King and her fiancé and their relationship.
"When Arthur married me, he got my name wrong, infact he said my mother's instead. " Gwen giggled. "It was probably my fault I was telling him everything I could remember about her, and I suppose he just got nervous. You can imagine how Merlin reacted after that! So ever since he has been teasing Merlin about it. I just hope he doesn't slip up otherwise you will end up going away for longer on your honeymoon."
"In that case I hope he does slip up." Mithian laughed. "I would love another week away with him."
"We are still working on it, but you know Merlin's devotion to duty." Gwen said raising her eyebrow.
"Yes I had noticed." Mithian admitted. "Well a week or two weeks I intend to make the most of it."
Gwen put her hand on Mithian's shoulder, before going over to the window. "Oh it looks like your father and Olwyn have arrived." She smiled.
"Have they?" Mithian smiled. "I best go and greet them. I hope we have time for another talk."
"Of course I'm helping you get ready remember." Gwen said.
"I'd forgotten. You sure you don't mind I don't want people gossiping about it." Mithian said.
"Mithian you have to do things your own way, even if does mean some tongues wag. I'll be there now go and meet your father and brother. I'll see you later."
Mithian whispered thanks and rushed out of the door. Gwen could hear her bound downstairs and she smiled. The room made her nostalgic for her own happy day, as she had used it for her own wedding preparations. Even now she could recall the nerves she'd had the night before as she slept on her own in the huge bed. She fingered it as she recalled tossing and turning and hardly getting a wink of sleep. She felt it was a miracle that she didn't have huge marks under her eyes on her wedding day.
Everything about the day had gone like a dream though. The castle had been beautifully decorated with pink and white roses her favourite flowers and she almost glided down the corridors on the scent of them. That was before she even mentioned how handsome and attentive Arthur had been that day. She could sense his nerves as well as her own but somehow they had got by. Arthur had obviously been helped by Merlin who was decked out in a red jacket that Gwen had made herself.
She could hardly wait for the wedding of Merlin and Mithian it was something that they could all rejoice in before the leader's important meeting had started the day after. As she thought about that she made her way down to say hello to King Rodor. He would be the first leaders of many to arrive in Camelot over the next few days. As ever duty had called and Gwen put on her official face.
Merlin knocked on the door of his mother's apartments, having hastily greeted Mithian's father and brother, minutes before. The meeting had made his nerves even more on edge if that was possible. Not that it had anything to do with King Rodor who was as friendly as ever to him. It just reminded him all over again that he was actually marrying a Princess. He shook his head as if he still couldn't take it all in. The door suddenly opened.
"Merlin what a nice surprise." Hunith gasped, hugging her son and pulling him inside. "You look so pale." She said touching his face gently. "I hope you're not coming down with anything."
"I think it's a chronic case of nerves." Merlin assured her. He sat down, but within seconds was pacing around somewhat.
After watching him worriedly for a few seconds Hunith took charge. "My boy calm down. You are getting married it's not anything horrible I can assure you." Hunith smiled. She pulled him over to a chair and pushed him down on it, love radiating out of her eyes for him.
"Sorry I have been like this for the last few hours and having met King Rodor it suddenly dawned on me. I'm marrying a Princess mother." Merlin said, looking in shock. "Me, an ordinary boy from Ealdor!"
"She's a very nice Princess too." Hunith smiled, holding his hand. "Yes you are marrying a Princess Merlin. But she chose you and that should tell you everything you need to know. Also you were
never just an ordinary boy, I knew that the moment you were born."
Merlin looked at his mother for a second. He could still feel his heart beating away madly, he closed his eyes for a second willing calmness to descend upon him. What would Mithian think he wondered if she could see him now.
"What are you thinking?" his mother asked.
"I'm wondering what Mithian would say if she could see me like this." Merlin smiled, weakly.
"She would say just what I've said my dear. You never know who you are going to marry Merlin, I know only too well. It was like when I met your father for the first time. Never in a million years did I think he would become so important to me."
"You never had the chance to marry." Merlin said, "I wish you'd been given the chance."
"Just because we never married it didn't make our love any less substantial. I'd have married him at the drop of a hat if the opportunity had been there. He was so distinguished in my eyes, and I was just a normal country girl. But you know in the end it doesn't matter, where you come from, from what background. You can be old, young, poor or rich when you fall in love. But nothing else matters except how you feel with the person you love. I've seen you two together, and I would say you belong to each other. Don't let anyone say any differently my boy." Hunith kissed his head.
Merlin accepted her hug letting his mother's love wash over him, calming him in the process. He knew she was right. Mithian had made it clear so many times to him already, he knew he needed to stop questioning why, accept her love and make sure he returned it. It was from that moment on that he vowed to stop worrying and actually enjoy the experience, something that was denied his own mother and father.
"I wish you could have married father." Merlin said, squeezing her hand.
"It just wasn't meant to be for us, but you are different. You are different in every way like I've always told you." Hunith smiled.
Merlin smiled back, before frowning. "Tell that to Arthur, he's just sacked me as his speech writer."
"Why do I get the impression I've not received the whole story?" his mother asked, laughing.
"Oh okay I did give Mercier to King Lot." Merlin admitted, fiddling with his jacket.
"That was generous of you, though I'm not sure King Bayard would agree." Hunith laughed.
Merlin laughed with her. "Probably not. Arthur and Gwen have invited you down for dinner. King Rodor and Olwyn Mithian's brother will be in attendance as well."
"He is a really nice man." Hunith smiled. "I've never met Olwyn."
"Yes he is the chance for both our families to get acquainted." Merlin winked. "Olwyn is very nice too, distinguished so I must keep him well away from Gwaine!"
"I'm not sure what I have to wear though." Hunith thought, suddenly looking at Merlin in shock.
"Now then mother what have you just told me?" Merlin said grinning. "Why don't you wear that nice red dress hanging up? I've always liked you in that."
"It's as old as the hills." Hunith said, looking at it.
"I'm sure Gwen could lend you something if you'd prefer." Merlin suggested, making for the door.
Hunith looked up in alarm. "This will do very nicely!"
Merlin laughed from the door, "See you downstairs in a couple of hours."
The dinner was coming to an end, but the talking showed no sign of abating. A lot of it was about both Merlin and Mithian, with endless anecdotes from their proud parents being told to the happy ensemble. As well as the two families the Knights were in attendance too, along with a proud looking Gaius. Olwyn looked well overawed, and Merlin laughed as Gwaine attempted to lead Mithian's brother astray.
Merlin swore he'd never seen his mother more alive, she certainly got on very well with King Rodor who had a certain style of putting people at ease.
Once or twice he caught Mithian's eyes across the table, both of them feeling embarrassed as every misdemeanour was told to their friends. Merlin was suddenly choking in alarm as his mother began telling another story that had people in stitches.
"Mother I'm sure they don't want to know about how I let the chickens out!" Merlin cried out, desperately.
"On the contrary Hunith, I insist you tell us." Arthur laughed, in his element at this friend's expense.
Merlin rolled his eyes at him, he would be hearing about this for months to come he thought dejectedly to himself. It was pretty late before they all began to break up, but before they did Arthur coughed, and asked for quiet.
"It has been a really delightful and indeed interesting evening. I am quite happy that I have enough ammunition to keep me going on Merlin for the next few months to come, thank you Hunith for that!"
Everybody laughed as Merlin rolled his eyes knowing just how much that would be true.
"But seriously before we go our separate ways I would like to say a few words. On Saturday my dear friend Merlin will be marrying Mithian and I cannot be happier for either of them. I think you would all agree that they will make a delightful couple, indeed I wish to officially welcome Mithian to Camelot. I can assure King Rodor she has already made herself a most valued member of the court, and everyone thinks very highly of her. I also invite you King Rodor to visit any time you wish."
Everyone clapped, while Merlin smiled warmly at Mithian only agreeing with his friend's words. As silence descended he gave an inward shudder as he realised now Arthur would want to talk about him.
"Now we come to Merlin, what indeed can I say about him? Well I could call him a number of things actually! But we will try and stay on the positive things for just one night." Arthur began, causing yet more merriment especially from the Knights.
"Just to be serious for a minute though. These last few years have been momentous for him, especially as his magic became known to everyone. I know it was not an easy thing for him to deal with, but I hope we have all helped in our little ways."
Merlin nodded his appreciation to Arthur, their eyes meeting and locking for a second.
"Even before I knew about this magic he had served both me and Camelot with great distinction.
As a man he has never failed to put his friend's first, while he has stepped into the background. For that I am eternally grateful as is everyone." He paused as a murmur of agreement swirled around the table. "But on Saturday this is Merlin and indeed Mithian's day and they will be the ones waited on hand and foot for a nice change. I could well tell him not to get use to it, but just for once I think he has earned his day in the sun. Doubtless he will still be the same cheeky individual as he usually is, but I wouldn't want it any differently.
I would also like to point out now that once he has a wife, he may give Guinevere and I a little bit of privacy once in a while, and not coming bursting through doors without knocking."
Merlin laughed as Gwen raised her glass at that comment.
"Can I ask everyone t raise their glasses and toast Merlin and Mithian and wish them every happiness in their new life together." Arthur finished off.
The table rose in honour as Merlin and Mithian delightedly took the applause, within a few moments people began to go their separate ways. In the end just Merlin and Mithian remained behind, taking in the sudden silence.
"Come on a walk with me outside?" Merlin asked, outstretching his hand to her.
"Who am I to turn down my husband to be?" Mithian laughed.
They sat down their eyes getting used to the darkness and the odd noise from outside the citadel. It was a very still night, with hardly a breeze to be felt. The sky was littered with shining stars, making Merlin remember nights back in Ealdor when he had laid there counting them and giving each a name.
"Just think one more day of being single people." Mithian said, breaking the silence.
"I hope you're not regretting saying yes to me?" Merlin asked, staring at her intently.
"How could I ever think that, my Court Sorcerer?" Mithian asked, touching his face. "I was wondering about the honeymoon?"
"Yes I thought maybe we might have the second week after all." Merlin grinned.
"You mean that. Two weeks?" Mithian asked, her eyes shining.
"I don't see why not." Merlin admitted, suddenly feeling relaxed the decision made.
He suddenly realized that Arthur was right they did indeed have a right to a real break. Life was stable in the Five Kingdoms, and Merlin knew that would not always be the case. So he owed it to Mithian to make the most it when things were peaceful. Also the thought of being alone with his beautiful wife was suddenly making him happy beyond reason.
"I'm starting to enjoy this marriage already." Mithian said.
"When you get your own way you mean?" Merlin teased, "I can't promise you will always get it."
"Marriage is a matter of give and take." Mithian smiled, remembering Gwen's earlier words.
Merlin smiled back, but sighed before saying. "It won't always be easy for you MIthian, but I will do my best at all times. There is still so much to do, both in Camelot and the Five Kingdoms. But I will be totally committed to this and you reserve the right to tell me, if I forget that."
Mithian smiled, grabbing his hand. "You don't have to worry about that. We have our whole lives ahead of us Merlin, there will be time for everything. I will make sure you will never regret this."
"I don't, not for one second." Merlin replied.
His answer was interrupted by his fiances' lips on his. He didn't even remember how long they'd stayed outside the only thing he cared about, was finding a quiet moment where just the two of them could be together, before the occasion took them both over. He knew now his mother was right, nothing else mattered only the love they had for each other. He knew he and Mithian would make it count, and suddenly his life seemed complete.
To be Continued.
9
