Title: Surprise, Surprise
Author: Blackatt
Summery: "when Arthur discovers Merlin's secret it brings them closer. Closer than they ever could have imagined"
Warnings: SLASH and mentions of MPreg with a little bit of Gwen-bashing (only minor) and it went a little crack!y
A/N: First off thank you to everyone who favrited/reviewed "In His Arms" and "Ink" i was overwhelmed and bouncing off the celings at them (ask my friend lyndzeyy i was like :O :D at her when i found one) anyway, enjoy! and review please
There had been an attack on Arthur, again, and it was left to Merlin to save his sorry ass, again, except something went wrong. Arthur hadn't been as unconscious as Merlin thought, he had seen Merlin's eyes glow gold and seen the man fly into the wall. But he hadn't shouted, he hadn't demanded that Merlin leave Camelot or had him thrown in jail awaiting death.
Arthur had simply dragged him to his chambers and said one word; why? And Merlin had explained, everything, and Arthur had sat there and listened and waited until he had finished. Then he stood up walked over to Merlin and hugged him, "Merlin" he said "why didn't you come to me sooner? I could have helped you! You idiot! I would – no I will protect you, even from my father, Merlin I would die for you don't you know that? I will do anything to make sure that you're fine and happy. Your my best friend, my only friend and nothing will happen to you not while I'm alive"
Merlin was shocked all he could do was hug Arthur back and be thankful that he was nothing like his father. A few minutes later when Merlin regained the power of speech he replied "I-Arthur, oh thank you I'm so sorry I didn't tell you soon but I was so nervous. Camelot isn't a place for people like me, and I promise that I will protect you and make sure that nothing happens to you not while I'm alive".
After their declarations to each other everything had went back to normal between them, well as normal as you can when you're a Crowned Prince and your best friend is a sorcerer who should be feared and killed according to the laws your father made, they had been closer than ever. Arthur decided that Merlin need more reassurance that he was not going to let anything happen to him gave him a gift, his signet ring on a gold chain for Merlin to wear around his neck. Merlin, ecstatic at his gift, had insisted that he give Arthur one too, he had grabbed a spoon lying on the table and made it twist into a gold necklace with a dragon on it that seemed to have flames in it. Merlin didn't tell Arthur that there actually were flames in it.
That was two years ago, two very long years filled with many attempts on both their lives. Uther had died four months ago and Arthur had been crowned the new King of Camelot and the first thing he done as King was to lift the ban on magic and declare that Merlin was to become Camelot's official court sorcerer. The only thing that Arthur hadn't done was take a bride and that was going to be sorted in the morning.
Arthur was going to marry Gwen in the morning but right now he was sitting in Gaius' study arguing with Merlin who was refusing to stay in bed for the next day even though he had been having trouble with his heart for the last month or so. Arthur sighed, took a deep breath and said "look you idiot, I am getting married tomorrow and I will have enough to be nervous about let alone worrying that you will collapse half way through the ceremony!".
Merlin was touched but he still wasn't going to back down "Arthur I appreciate your thoughtfulness but I will not miss your wedding day because of a little problem that will go away!" he said it in a tone that let Arthur know that while he might be King now Merlin was still not going to listen to him.
Sure enough when the wedding came Merlin was standing at his side, grinning like he always. The flutes started up and Gwen walked down the aisle in her white wedding gown, smiling all the way. She recited her vows first, then Arthur went to recite his but was stopped mid-way through when a wind started up in the middle of the hall and a woman stepped out of it.
"Arthur Pendragon! How dare you! We all knew that you could be selfish and hurtful but to try and marry one person while married to another!" she screamed at him. Arthur turned to Merlin who shrugged his shoulders as if to say I don't know what the crazy lady's on about, so he asked her "what do you mean? I am not married to anyone! It is why I am getting married now!" The woman laughed and said "could you really be that stupid? You have been married for two years! You and Merlin got married after he revealed his magic to you! Why do you think Merlin has been having problems with his heart? It is literally breaking in two because you are trying to get married to someone else!" Thoroughly confused Merlin asked "how are we married? We have never had a wedding, no rings were exchanged nor any vows! And my heart is not breaking in two because of this!"
"But my dear Emrys you have, both of you pledged to protect the other laying down your life if need be didn't you? And you both of you exchanged gifts didn't you? By the laws of the old religion when a sorcerer, especially one as powerful as you, pledges that to one person it is to their mate and it legally weds them in our laws when they pledge it back! And as for the no rings part what is that around your neck Emrys?". Fiddling with the ring at his neck he summoned a book from Gaius' room, flicking through it quickly Merlin's eyes went wide.
There it was in black and white, he and Arthur had been married without them knowing about it. Leaning over to Arthur he told him it was true but that he hadn't known it, "well can't we get unmarried? Surely we can do that! I mean it's not like we knew or consummated it!" Arthur said angry that his wedding had been interrupted to tell him he was already married to his male best friend. Again the woman laughed long and hard "my dear boy how could you not know when you consummated it?" smiling at Merlin she saw his eyes widen once more as he realised. Tugging on Arthur's sleeve he said "do you remember what we said? The exact words that we said Arthur?" To which he got an eye roll and "we said we would die for each other" looking him straight in the eyes he asked "and how many times over the last two years have we proven that? How many times have we almost died to protect the other?" only able to watch as Arthur came to the same realisation as him.
The woman looked at them, "you really didn't know? We always assume that you were being discrete and were going at it when we weren't looking, we thought because of your father you had to say Merlin was your friend and not your husband not that you were completely oblivious!" Arthur who was still getting over the shock went red and stared at Merlin.
Merlin, his best friend, his court sorcerer and adviser and now it seemed husband? How was that possible? They couldn't have been married without realising it, no it wasn't possible they didn't act like they were married, some of the fights they had did seem like it though, and they did tend to know what the other one was thinking and how they would react. "HOLY SHIT MERLIN AND I ARE MARRIED".
Though all of this having been patient and understanding Gwen turned and went "Arthur? Who is this woman and why is she claiming such ridiculous things? You and Merlin are not married; we are supposed to be getting married". This was ignored as the woman, who had still not introduced herself other than being from the old religion, chose this point to say "You cannot marry another Arthur, it will kill all three of you!".
"Three?" Arthur, Merlin and Gwen asked all looking as if she had just proclaimed Uther was a lovely, just King. Her eyes lingering on Merlin's stomach and repeated "All three of you". Gwen interrupted and said "even if they were married, which they can't be, Merlin is a man and can't provide an heir for Arthur". This just made the woman smirk and Merlin mumble "No, no, no you can't have! No! It's impossible!".
"Now, now Emrys you should know that nothing is truly impossible" adding at Arthur's confused look "You really are stupid! Why do you think Merlin has been sick every morning for the last two months? We thought it might be a little late but that you would like a wedding present". Arthur, in a rare moment of genius, looked at Merlin's stomach and realised that Merlin had been throwing up a lot, had been more emotional than ever and been requesting odd things from the kitchen. "How in the name of gods' had he and Merlin managed to conceive a child when they hadn't done anything more than hug?" he thought, getting the answer of "remember last week when I saved you? Remember that spark?".
Arthur thought he was going to faint, not only was he not able to marry Gwen (for some reason this didn't affect him as much as it should)but he and Merlin were married, oh , and they were going to have a child because Merlin had saved him and their hands had sparked as he was helped up. While Arthur only thought he was going to faint Gwen did faint, as did Merlin a minute later. Turning around quickly he knelt down and checked that Merlin was ok, he hadn't hit his head or cut himself as he fell.
Giggling the woman said farewell to Arthur and left in the same manner she had arrived in. Except when she arrived Arthur had been going to marry Gwen, now it seemed that he was married to Merlin and when she arrived he was without an heir, now he was going to have a child with Merlin. But most of all when she arrived Arthur had thought he loved Gwen, now he realised that he was fooling himself and he had always loved Merlin. Arthur stood up with Merlin in his arms and announced "I am taking my husband to my chambers, this wedding is over I apologise for having wasted your time"
It seemed the idea of being married to each other was surprisingly normal to Merlin and Arthur, they had twins one boy and one girl both of which adored Merlin and they adored him. They had properly consummated their marriage and when the twins were two worked on giving them a brother or sister. Gwen was not happy that she had been dumped at the altar but realised that annoying the King and his husband, who happened to be the most powerful sorcerer ever was not a good idea. So when Lancelot came back she married him and had a daughter with him.