Camelot was in a time of celebration. After the death of King Uther a year and a half before, his son, Crown Prince Arthur, had taken the throne. There had been much to sort out- the mourning period, the coronation, the meetings with other kings to get more acquainted and such- but that was over. Finally, King Arthur was able to do what he had wanted to do since before his father's death: marry his beloved Guinevere.
All of the preparations had been accomplished; flowers had been arranged, gowns had been sewn, food had been prepared- now, they only had to wait for dawn on the morrow, and they would be truly together forever. They could hardly stand the wait.
Merlin found Gwen in her chambers. She was sitting on her bed, gazing at the lovely white dress that hung on a stand nearby. He bowed, saying, "Queen Guinevere."
Gwen smiled. "Merlin! Good to see you! We've been so busy lately with the wedding, I haven't seen you in a while. It's nice to be able to talk again." She cocked her head. "And don't call me queen, I haven't been crowned."
"But you will be tomorrow, my lady, and I need the practice."
She laughed. "Anyway, you won't need to call me that in private. We're friends here. It's not like you need to treat me any differently."
Merlin smiled too. He walked over to her and sat on a chair near the bed. He looked at the dress. "You're going to look absolutely stunning in that," he predicted. "Arthur won't be able to take his eyes off of you." He chuckled. "Not like he does in the first place."
Gwen blushed. Merlin could see why Arthur had fallen in love with her. Flawless caramel skin, flowing dark brown hair… she looked beautiful even in her regular clothes.
"Kind of funny, huh?"
Merlin was startled. "Huh?"
"Isn't it funny? How the plain servant girl ended up with the prince? You can't exactly say that isn't unnatural."
Merlin shrugged. "I suppose. But hey, love is a weird thing. I don't think rank matters to it." Even as he said the words, he wished with all his heart that they were false. He looked down at his lap. They sat in silence until he added, "How did you do it?"
"What do you mean?"
"How did you stay together through everything, even when Uther tried to kill you? I mean, he almost married Lady Elena, and there wasn't anything you could do about it!"
Gwen sighed. "I don't know. I guess I was just hoping that he'd remember his feelings for me and I for him, and it all just… worked out. I told him that if he married Lady Elena, I'd watch him become king. It's not as if I could tell him I loved him. We thought it could never be, and yet- here we are!" She grinned her perfect smile.
Merlin stood up. "I should let you get some rest. You'll need it if you're getting married." He slipped out, closing the door softly behind him.
And so Merlin followed Gwen's advice. At the ceremony, he stood in the front row as, through blurred eyes, he watched the girl he loved the most be married to his best friend. He watched as they grew together, as their love only multiplied as the kingdom flourished, as they had heirs and as those children aged into strapping young boys and girls. He only watched as the king and queen matured into gray hairs and wrinkles, but their love for each other never wavered. Neither did Merlin's love for his queen. Even as they died together, all he could do was stand back and watch.