As Merlin walked across the grass-field, his footsteps falling softly on the grass beside the lake, he couldn't help control the excitement thrumming through him, breaking out through his signature goofy grin, remembering the main reason for the copious amounts of energy bundled within the warlock.


His excitement had only started to grow when Arthur had been adamant to be the one behind getting Merlin ready - though the King certainly didn't seem to want Merlin to know with how he leaned against the wall that morning, giving that arrogant smirk of his at Merlin's nervousness. And yet, for all his outwardly facade, Merlin had to admire that the King had truly outdone himself despite standing there haughtily, until Arthur himself had taken over, standing straight and marching over to Merlin, setting his hands on the warlock's shoulders till the man had settled.

It was only then did Arthur move towards the spare chamber's wardrobe and grandly opened it, but then reaching for a square yet somewhat deep box at the base of the wardrobe - it's only contents. Gently taking it out, Arthur made a show of dusting it as he walked back to Merlin, but then grinned softly as he opened the lid, neither grandly or slowly as his much exaggerated actions before, his grin only widening as he took in Merlin's confused face.

"What's this?" Merlin asked, voicing his confusion.

Arthur rolled his eyes.

"This, Merlin, is your wedding attire."

Merlin gaped at Arthur.

"This?" he repeated blankly, only receiving skeptically raised eyebrows in return.

"But Arthur," Merlin's voice softened as he took out the tunic with careful fingers.

"This is…"

"Perfect," Arthur interrupted, not unkindly. "And you'll do us all a favor by getting into this without any of your usual complaining and get to your own wedding on time at least!" Arthur exclaimed, a twinkle in the King's eye as he bantered, knowing it would work perfectly on the warlock.

And work it did, as Merlin took it in gladly for what it was, a distraction, though he only closed his mouth to cut off his own protests, instead giving his King a fond smile whilst proceeding to take out the tunic from the box completely.

He couldn't hold back the small gasp when he had the shirt held out in front of him, much to Arthur's delight.

A color of royal blue with even darker shades of blue at the borders, a thin thread of silver outlining it, golden threads were carefully stitched into the shirt as embroidery, creating small yet elegant dragons and phoenixes amongst many of the other designs that braced the front of the tunic.

It was truly magical.

"Arthur, I…" Merlin let the tunic hang from one arm carefully as he then turned to the breeches folded in the box under the shirt. It was of a simple black color, and yet it was the softest fabric that Merlin had ever felt, as soft as the clothes he had folded from Arthur's laundry, many times before.

As he fingered the clothes in his hands, he glanced at the box one more time and found there was one last piece of clothing at the bottom of the box. Taking it out with now shaking fingers, he found a black jacket as soft as the breeches, similar to Arthur's red one with gold stones that the King had required each individual one polished many years before, near Merlin's arrival at Camelot. But instead of those stones, the same golden thread adorning the tunic was now mingled with silver at the borders, faintly glimmering in the sunlight.

Merlin looked up, his eyes ever so lightly watering, though no tears fell, for which he knew Arthur would be glad for. God knew the prat was horrible at dealing with emotions for his own, much less others.

"Thank you, Arthur," he whispered, grinning softly at the man in front of him, who was now setting the box at the table.

Arthur beamed at him, before hastily wiping the grin off his face.

"Now hurry up and start getting dressed, you idiot. You're getting late," Arthur said gruffly, steering Merlin behind the screen at the corner of the room, the warlock grinning as he let himself be pushed, staring fondly at the clothes.

Though he really should have kept his eyes where he was going, because he soon tripped on one thing or the other that the warlock had not noticed on the ground, neither did Arthur being behind the man. He fell, and he took Arthur down with him.

"MERLIN!"


Merlin chuckled, shaking himself from his memory. Just ahead, he could see Arthur talking quietly to Leon at his side, waiting for Merlin to join them. Standing amongst the audience who had gathered for Merlin's wedding, apart from a few curious onlookers wanting to witness their court sorcerer's wedding - most likely hoping for some magical tricks, according to Gwaine, and if that was the case, who was Merlin to disappoint them? - and the knights of the Round Table, he could see his mother standing, laughing happily at whatever it was Gwen had said, the Queen smiling shyly herself.

Inhaling deeply, he strode forwards with long, sure strides, gathering the people's attentions. He didn't pay them any notice, walking instead first to his mother and gathering her in his arms for a warm hug.

"Thank you for coming," he muttered in her ears, and he felt her smile against his neck.

"As if I would miss my own son's marriage!" Hunith exclaimed. Merlin smiled, hugging his mother just a bit tighter for a moment before letting go and standing back. Nodding his head to a smiling Gwen, he made his way up to Arthur, grinning at his King, who gave him a mock annoyed glare.

"I hope you didn't trip anyone else on your way here?" Arthur asked.

Merlin grinned, bouncing on his heels, relishing the feeling of his new black boots, similar to his older ones except for the color, and definitely more comfortable.

"I manage to stay well on my feet when I don't have a blind boar steering me into walls," Merlin retorted.

Arthur opened his mouth to protest, indignation written clear on his face, but then his eyes drifted somewhere behind Merlin and he snapped his mouth closed, walking backwards to take his place.

Merlin froze, dimly registering then the hush that had fallen over the crowd. Arthur glanced at him, and with an annoyed roll of his eyes, he subtly gestured for Merlin to turn around.

And slowly, he did.

His breath was taken away as he registered the woman walking alongside Gaius, their arms linked as she stepped forward.

She was dressed in a dark silver gown, almost matching Merlin's own outfit, the gown hugging her legs before falling away from her ankles, the cut at the side from below her knees letting the skirt fall open ever so slightly, the trail of her dress dragging softly behind her on the fresh grass. A tight bodice, with golden straps coming to encircle her waist and the same color straps around her arms, bunching up the cloth at her upper arms and letting it fall freely from her hands down after hugging her arms, all the way to the ground. Her dress otherwise left her shoulders bare, and instead from the center of the bodice emerged golden straps to wrap delicately around her neck, and he could see it also twined into her elegantly braided bun, long strands of hair falling free at the sides of her face.

Her jewelry was simple, diamond studs piercing her ears and a silver chain holding one diamond at the center, the silver metal bent delicately half way around it to hold another diamond close to the first one, as if the two were together in an embrace.

Merlin brought his eyes back up, smiling at the sight of the single red rose in her hand, before letting his eyes meet her own, not paying attention anymore to the details of the silver and gold powder around her eyes, or her rose red lips. No, she looked healthy, well, and beautiful, and that's all he really cared for.

He took her hands into his own after she gave the bouquet to Gaius, letting Merlin's mentor stand off to the side beside Hunith.

He stared into Freya's eyes as she took her place across him, letting Arthur start the ceremony.

"Do you, Merlin, son of Hunith, Emrys, son of Balinor, take Freya to be your wife?" Arthur's voice, loud and clear rang across the field, but Merlin's voice was even more clear, just as loud as he announced his own reply.

"I do."

"And do you, Freya, Lady of the Lake, take Merlin to be your husband?"

Freya's eyes twinkled mischievously, yet her grin was nothing but happy.

"I do."

Gwen stepped forward, a pillow in her arms holding two rings. One silver, with gold lines running through to form letters on the outside, and the other gold, with silver lines forming another word.

The first ring held the name Merlin, while the second held the name Freya.

Merlin took the silver one, taking Freya's hand gently and slipping the ring, bearing his name onto her finger.

Grinning at her, he let her take his hand into her's next as she slipped the golden ring onto his, both of them now bearing the other's name on their hands.

"I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss."

And they did, leaning forward to catch the other's lips gently, Merlin tilting Freya's chin upwards with his fingers, his other hand still clenching Freya's tightly. Sparks of every color exploded into the air, bright even in the morning sky and the crowd erupted into cheers, the knights already cheering since the moment Merlin and Freya kissed, only yelled louder in joy.

Merlin pulled back, opening his eyes to reveal his still-gold irises, and Freya grinned shyly despite nudging at Merlin's arm.

He smiled nonetheless, wrapping his arm around her anyway as he held her hands, smiling softly despite the happiness very much radiating from him, as people slowly started to come forth to congratulate the newly wedded couple, his mother and Gaius being the first amongst them, followed by Arthur and the rest of the knights.

But for all he spoke and bantered and thanked everyone, his mind was only onto one thought as he clenched Freya's hand tighter in his, never letting her leave his side, and Freya latched onto him all the same.

Freya, his wife.

Above, two dragons roared, fire bursting from their mouths to join the sparks as the dragons weaved cleverly through the sparks and now their fire in the sky.