Author Notes: Sequel to 'The Innocence of Our Youth'. 16 years on, now adults.
The Innocence of Our Past
Arthur was bored. After nearly two hours of watching Merlin, Morgana, and Gwen help to tidy up Gaius' workroom; the Prince was verging on falling asleep.
Having nothing else to do, for the simple matter of not feeling like training with his knights today, Arthur had tagged along. Watching Merlin in particular as it was most likely the idiot would do something foolish like dropping all of Gaius' potions.
As of yet there had been no such luck and with only one more dust ridden chest to rummage through, the chances of something amusing happening was wearing thin.
Gwen was kneeling down, wearing her yellow maidservants dress as she always did, and passing parchments of paper from the wooden trunk to Gaius who was sitting beside her on a rather uncomfortable old looking stool.
"Gaius, what's this?" the serving girl asked as she passed an old envelope. As Gaius took it, a small laugh came from him along with a cheerful smile that brought back some happy memory from seeing this scrape of parchment that had been placed and abandoned in an ageing oak box.
Morgana and Merlin stopped their conversation from where they sat; Arthur still leaning against the wall on the other side of the room; arms folded across his broad chest looked expectantly at Gaius as well.
"What is it Gaius?" Morgana questioned, her curiosity always getting the better of her.
"This is a wedding invitation" Gaius replied, a smile still adorning his face, still holding onto the invitation.
"It's poorly written" Gwen spoke, indicating the misspelling of 'invited' on the envelope.
"Well a child did make it for me."
All faces turned to Gaius, intent on hearing a story they knew was coming.
"You made it for me Gwen."
"I did?" Gwen looked confused. So did everyone else.
"Whose wedding was it?" Morgana asked.
Gaius opened the envelope, taking out a scrap piece of paper and read aloud "To Gaius, you are invited to Arthur and Merlin's wedding."
"WHAT!" Both boys in question spoke simultaneously, disbelief in their voices.
Morgana was holding back her laughter. Arthur glared at her.
"When you were all very young, Morgana and Gwen arranged a wedding for the two of you as Arthur was intent on marrying Merlin." Gaius explained.
"I would never, ever want to marry Merlin." Arthur claimed with revulsion.
"Hay! Who's to say I'd want to marry you either you great prat!" Merlin shot back.
"Merlin, everyone wants to marry me." Arthur proclaimed with a cheesy grin.
"You are so full of yourself" Morgana interrupted "now both of you shut up so Gaius can tell us about your wedding." She emphasised.
"Please Gaius" Gwen said, interested just as much as her mistress.
"As none of you seem to remember, I shall relay the event to you." Gaius answered. The girls squealed, Morgana giving a smug smile towards Arthur as he rolled his eyes at his sisters annoying evil ways.
…Flashback…..
"GAIUS, GAIUS" the sound of two young feminine voices filled the physician's quarters, as Morgana and Gwen skipped in. Gwen was holding an envelope in her little hands.
Gaius gladly took the envelope when she offered it to him s Morgana jumped up and down shouting with excitement "You have to be in the rose garden in two hours. Me and Gwen will get Arthur and Merlin ready."
Though before the physician could reply to Camelot's ward she and her friend had run along out of the room with joy. The physician laughed quietly to himself.
During the two hours Morgana had attended to Arthur, choosing his finest clothing that was strictly reserved for special occasions such as feasts with visiting nobles. Morgana deemed that today was definitely a big occasion.
Gwen had been getting Merlin ready once she had found him and brought him to Gaius' chambers to get him changed. Merlin had no grand clothes like Arthur had so Gwen had just played about with his hair instead. In the end she left it as it was, as Merlin's hair would simply not do what she wanted it to do. So for the rest of the time before they were needed in the rose garden, Gwen had been reading with Merlin, trying to teach the young country boy. Having been brought up in Camelot Gwen had, had the opportunity to learn how to read and write compared the in the inopportunity that Merlin had when still living in the middle of nowhere in the village of Ealdor.
Within the rose garden Gaius stood proud, with Gwen at his side, watching. Morgana was standing before them with Merlin and Arthur in front of her, facing each other.
Morgana cleared her throat, the boys glancing at her, before she started the proceedings. "We are here today to watch Arthur and Merlin get married. Gwen the rings please." Morgana called her friend forth.
Gwen skipped forward pulling tow little iron rings from her dress pocket and handed them over to Morgana who in turn handed one each to the boys.
Arthur looked down to see the ring in his hand, carved into it was the initial 'A'.
"Gwen, where did you get those rings from?" Gaius whispered down to her when she had returned to stand at his side.
"My daddy made them for me" she proudly answered, gleaming.
"Arthur please give Merlin his ring." Morgana now spoke again.
Arthur handed Merlin the ring.
"Not like that, do it right" Morgana declared, staring at the Prince.
Arthur took the ring back and this time placed in on Merlin's finger. It didn't fit very well, but it would do.
"Now you Merlin" Morgana said.
Merlin copied Arthur's actions and placed his ring on the young Prince's finger. It fit perfectly compared to Merlin's ring on his small little digits. Arthur studied his hand. The ring he wore had the initial 'M' on it.
"Now Arthur repeat after me: I Arthur, promise to love and protect Merlin forever."
"I Arthur, promise to love and protect Merlin forever" the Prince repeated, smiling at his ebony haired friend, taking his hands in his as he said what Morgana had told him to say.
"Merlin, now you say: I Merlin, promise to love and protect Arthur forever" she smiled at the cheerful looking boy.
"Ok. I Merlin promise to love and protect Arthur forever" said the little warlock.
"I now pronounce you husband and husband. Now kiss" Morgana finished.
The two young boys leant forward and shared a sweet little chaste kiss, causing applaud form the three people around them.
…End Flashback…..
"Awwwww" present day Morgana and Gwen sighed as Gaius finished.
"I remember that" Morgana laughed, as recollection dawned on her of her job as minister.
"Well I don't remember any of it" the Prince declared, causing the girls to role their eyes at him.
"Neither do I" Merlin joined the conversation.
"Well you were only six at the time Merlin" Gaius pointed out.
"Well this has been fascinating Gaius, but I must be of, come Merlin" the Prince walked out of the physicians chambers, with Merlin slowly following behind, nodding to his friends farewell before exiting.
Later that night within Arthur's chambers, Merlin was pottering about doing some last minute tidying up, having just finished dressing the Prince for bed.
"That will be all for tonight Merlin" Arthur spoke up, sitting by the fireplace.
"You sure?"
"Yes Merlin, Im sure" the blonde rolled his eyes.
"Well night then" the warlock smiled brightly, receiving a 'goodnight Merlin' in return.
Once Merlin was gone Arthur stood up and walked over to his small cabinet that sat to the right of his giant extravagant bed.
Opening the top right draw, Arthur withdrew a small key. Shutting the draw, he then opened the one on the left.
A small elegant box sat within, highly decorated in a traditional Camelot style of golds and reds.
Fitting the key to the locked box, Arthur turned the key and lifted the lid, picking up the boxes contents.
Sitting in his now adult hands were two tiny rings. His and Merlin's wedding rings. He looked at them with a loving smile.
"I Arthur promise to love and protect Merlin forever" the Prince spoke clearly, repeating his childhood vows holding on tightly to those two little rings; his finger tracing over the two engraved initials. Lingering on the innocence of his past.