The next day, when everybody ate their breakfast, the servants started to pack up the camp. Merlin helped where he could, and that gave Arthur time to slip away towards his most trusted knight that he could even call a friend.
"Leon." Arthur said, acknowledging his knight with a nod of his head before leaning in.
"Arthur," Leon replied, repaying the same gesture. "Will you still go on with your plan?" He asked, a small smile playing in the corner of his mouth. Slowly but surely, Arthur's secret-not so secret-plan spread across the traveling party. All but Merlin seemed to know what was about to happen.
Arthur nodded, "We'll be traveling to the lake of Naveen, and there I take Merlin aside and ask him to marry me." Arthur bit his lip in worry.
Leon placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "Arthur, it'll be alright. Merlin will say yes. I've seen how you two are together, it almost makes me nauseous." The knight joked, seemingly so out of character for the usual so serious knight, but it made Arthur's nerves more at ease.
"Thank you, Leon. I know I can always count on you."
~oOoOo~
The whole party rode until well in the afternoon before they finally reached the clearing close to the lake. Leon had noticed that Arthur had become more antsy the closer they came, but didn't say anything about it, just gave Arthur some glances to calm the King down.
Merlin didn't seem to notice Arthur's inner turmoil, too busy taking in the surrounding beauty of the trees and flowers.
"We'll stop here and rest for a while, and water the horses." Arthur's voice rang out.
Everyone settled down and Merlin was just about to take a sip from the waterskin when Arthur arrived at his side, bending down and whispered, "Merlin, will you come with me, please?" Arthur held his hand out, so Merlin could get up more easily.
Merlin stared at the hand and then at Arthur's face and quirked an eyebrow. "Where're we going?"
"I'd like to show you something." Arthur replied, his heart hammering hard against his ribcage. If Merlin didn't want to come with him, his whole plan would fail.
It were some long-long-seconds, but Merlin ultimately grabbed Arthur's hand and stood up. Arthur breathed a soft sigh of relief, and then smiled brightly. His moment was there, he couldn't-wouldn't!- go back now.
Arthur lead Merlin through some trees, until a big lake emerged from behind it. Merlin's jaw dropped. "Whenever we were near here when I was a child, I made sure to come here. I loved it. I played in the water, watched the birds. I've never really forgotten this place." Arthur mused.
"I didn't know it was here." Merlin breathed out. "It's beautiful."
Merlin turned around to kiss his lover, but when he did his eyes widened when he saw Arthur down on one knee. "A-Arthur, wh-what are you doing?"
"Merlin," Arthur reached one hand forward to grab Merlin's left hand. He needed to say what he wanted to say now, or he would be lost for words forever. "We've been together for a little over five years now and every year, every day, every second I've loved you more and more. I can't imagine a life without you and I don't even want to. So, Merlin, that's why I want to ask you one thing. Will you do me the honour of becoming my consort?" Arthur raised his other hand, showing the ring he had shown Merlin a few times already. It was the ring of his mother.
Merlin just stood baffled. He hadn't expected this, at all. But he didn't had to think long about his answer. He sank down onto his knees, threw his arms around Arthur's neck and kissed him deeply. "Yes. Yes, yes, yes." Merlin answered between kisses.
Arthur breathed a laugh, pushing the ring on Merlin's finger. It was a perfect fit, thanks to Elyan's father who had adjusted the ring after Arthur had taken the measurement of Merlin's finger with a piece of ribbon when the slimmer man was asleep.
Merlin could hardly believe it, he couldn't stop staring between the ring and Arthur. Arthur thought he'd never seen Merlin so beautiful, so happy in his life.
And now it was time to tell the rest of the people with them.
~oOoOo~
Everyone sort of knew already, but all of them were still really happy and supportive when a beaming Arthur and a kind of blushing Merlin told the news to everyone. Arthur then let the servants serve some wine he had made sure to bring and then let the servants drink a glass of two too.
Arthur decided that they better stay at the clearing and take some late lunch before they got going again. If they were lucky they would reach the Kingdom of Ambrosia in the evening and otherwise they would set camp again if it would become too dark to continue and arrive early in the morning.
They had been riding for several hours and Arthur looked sideways to where Merlin was riding next to him and he frowned. Merlin didn't seem happy, in fact his eyebrows were creased and he was slightly hunched over. Not what you would want someone to look after he agreed to marry you.
"Merlin, are you okay?"
"Hmm?" Merlin looked up when he heard his name.
"I asked if you were okay." Arthur said, concern and worry starting to wash over him when Merlin seemed to be even paler than he already normally did.
Merlin tried to give a comforting smile, but didn't quite succeed at that. "I'm not feeling that well, perhaps it's the long riding. Don't worry, I'll manage"
Arthur raised his hand so the travel party would stop. He turned to shout so everybody could hear, "We'll make camp here. It will be too late and dangerous for us to continue on. We'll start our journey first thing tomorrow again."
Arthur dismounted and moved over to Merlin. Around him his knights and servants moved around to put up camp. "Merlin, love, you're really not looking good." Arthur extended his hands up to support Merlin when he dismounted his steed. He almost fell into Arthur's arms like a ragdoll.
Arthur moved his hand to Merlin's brow. "Merlin, you're burning up."
Arthur looked around and saw a servant putting out a bedroll and Arthur immediately moved Merlin to it, he nearly had to drag Merlin forward. "Here, just lay down for a bit." Arthur whispered, then he looked up at the servant and asked for some fresh cool water. The servant immediately complied to the task.
Arthur became a bit worried. It had been a warm sunny day, and they had ridden quite a while, but no one else seemed to have the effects that Merlin suffered from. And normally Merlin was the medical one, he had been a pupil of Gaius for over ten years. He was practically a physician himself, but that didn't help Arthur much when Merlin was the one being sick.
"Here, my lord." The servant passed a waterskin over with fresh water.
"Thank you." Arthur said, and pushed the nozzle of the skin against Merlin's lip. His other hand went around Merlin's neck to push his head a little more forward. "Drink this, love."
Merlin did, taking little sips, but it seemed to take a lot of effort. "Thank you," He rasped, his eyes halfway closed. "I'm just going to rest a little, okay?"
Arthur moved around, so he was lying behind Merlin. His chest pressed against Merlin's back. "Yes, take some rest. I'm sure you'll feel better in a few hours." Arthur pressed a kiss against the nape of Merlin's neck and felt the breathing of the other man slowly even out.
Arthur didn't dare to fall asleep as well. He kept an eye out for Merlin. Leon and Elyan came by every once in a while to check up on them and offer some food and water, but Merlin only took the bare minimal, claiming he wasn't that hungry. He pretty much only ate because Arthur had been so persistent.
Arthur went through an uneasy night. Merlin seemed to only slip away further instead of getting better. He was no physician himself, but he knew damn right that this wasn't just a typical heat stroke. He had them before and usually some rest and water would make him feel a hell of a lot better in a few hours. Now the sun already started to rise and Merlin didn't seem an ounce better than when he first started to notice his lover wasn't feeling well. He only seemed to be getting worse.
Arthur got up and called Leon, Elyan and his other knights to him.
"I don't know what is happening to Merlin, but he needs a physician and he needs one now!" Arthur hissed. "We are about an hour away from Ambrosia, I want one of you to ride out and ask the King and Queen for the help of their physician. I and some knights will begin to ride too, while the rest of you will pack everything up."
Leon stepped forward. "I'm the fastest, I will ride out immediately."
Arthur looked grateful at his best knight. "Thank you. We will hurry as well," He said as he picked a handful of knights to travel with him. Then Arthur walked to the bedroll where Merlin was still lying and bent down, his hand going softly through Merlin's hair.
"Love, come on. Wake up. It's time to go."
Merlin cracked his eyes open, and tried to sit up, but he only came halfway before he collapsed back, breathing hard. Arthur grimaced at the sight and then went to pick Merlin up bridal style.
Arthur handed Merlin over to Elyan and mounted his steed before he took Merlin from Elyan again. "We'll go now."
~oOoOo~
Arthur watched with sadness how his soon to be consort was carried away by the Ambrosian knights. He was torn, he wanted to stay at Merlin's side at all time, but he needed to think of the Ambrosian royals too.
He turned to the King and Queen and their two sons. "I'm sorry for arriving like this your Majesties." Arthur apologized.
"You shouldn't be." The Queen answered, giving Arthur a sad smile. "We will do everything in our power to find out the cause of his illness. Alice is the best healer in our Kingdom. You can trust her, she's been with us when even he was a little baby." The queen placed a hand on the King's chest, sending a warm smile to her husband.
"Thank you again, your Majesties." Arthur said, bowing his head.
The king extended his hand to place it on the King's shoulder. "Please, don't be formal with us. Just call us Balinor and Hunith. I don't know if we may reciprocate that toward you King Arthur?"
Arthur raised his head. It had been a long time since he had visited the Kingdom of Ambrosia, but the memory of the King and Queen being warm and friendly was still vivid. Arthur managed to crack a small smile. "You may."
Hunith moved to the side, "Let's go inside, Arthur. Our sons Gwaine and Lancelot will take you to the infirmary. My husband and I will get by on a later time, we will first see if your chambers are ready."
Arthur nodded, thanking the royals again, before following the two men. Lancelot was the Crown Prince, Arthur recalled. Gwaine was the second son. The last time he'd seen them was nearly fifteen years ago. And they certainly take after their father with their tanned skin and dark longer hair.
When they rounded the corner, a squire came running towards them. Eyes wide and breathing hard. "My Lords!" The squire puffed. It seemed like he'd run across half the castle.
"Richard, what's the matter?" Lancelot asked, supporting the young squire so he wouldn't fall down.
"T-the King and Queen. I-I need to speak to the King and Queen!"
Gwaine looked over to Arthur and shrugged, before looking back at the squire.
"T-the, the mark." The squire wheezed out.
Both Gwaine and Lancelot looked up at each other and froze.