Author's Note: Well, here is another chapter for this, dare I say it, amazing story. I have been working on this nearly nonstop, mainly because the idea wants out that badly. I think that it is a good thing though. I haven't been writing much lately, so this is a nice change of pace.
My beta is fulofhyperness, and she is an amazing person, something that I will take every opportunity to say. She is an author as well, so for all of you who read these, you should check out some of her fics. She even dedicated one to me!
Chapter 4: The Return Trip
When my mum let us go, I looked at Arthur. He was blushing slightly, but I saw the way that his eyes flicked towards me. I smiled at him and he smiled back. I shooed my mum away with my hand, making sure she actually left, before I pressed in close to him.
I decided to wait to kiss him, and just snuggled up on his chest, bringing him down to lay on the bed. He wrapped his arms around me and just held me close to him. I reveled in the closeness, and before I knew it, I was asleep.
Apparently, my emotions took a greater toll on me than I had originally thought. I was exhausted.
(Arthur's Point of View)
When I looked down at Merlin, snuggled up on my chest, I saw that he was asleep. I smiled at him, and carefully maneuvered so that I could sleep with him. I had barely slept in the past four days because I had been so worried about him. I was so worried that I wasn't going to be able to see him, that he might have already left.
Because of my visit last time, I knew where his mother lived, and I imagined that it would be where Merlin was. Every step I took that brought me closer to the door filled me with more and more dread. What if he wasn't there? What if he was already gone? What if he was there, but he refused to see me? What if he hated me?
My mind was in a jumble, and I steeled myself for anything that might happen. However, I wasn't expecting him to rush out of the doorway in a panic and come crashing into me. I grabbed him before he could fall on the ground and pulled him close to me. I grabbed his chin and kissed him on the mouth, making sure that I would remember it in case I never got to kiss him again.
And it seemed that I wouldn't get to again when he forced our faces apart. I wouldn't let go of him, no matter how hard he struggled. I needed to get everything out. However, before I could speak, he started speaking.
"What's going on? I thought you didn't want to see me again? Why are you here Arthur?" He said. He sounded hurt, hopeful, and so, so very scared that it nearly broke my heart. I had never wanted to hurt him, and I didn't want him to leave without knowing that I didn't mean what I had said, and that I wanted him back.
"You left before I could sort through any of the information Merlin... I had Gaius bind us together with magic, so that I could find you and ask you to come back. I know that I have no right to ask you this, but I am doing so regardless. I have always been selfish, and with you, I am no different. I don't want to have a life without you Merlin... I love you too much to let you go without telling you how I feel. If you still want to leave, then you are free to do so, but know that you will always have a home in Camelot. In my arms." I said. I kissed his forehead, and then let him go.
I saw many different emotions play across his face. I saw how much he wanted to go back with me, the longing in his eyes, but I also saw the fear. I was beginning to think that I had truly destroyed any and all chances of seeing him after Ealdor. Finally, he looked up into my eyes, and I saw a determination in his aquamarine depths. He looked like he was bracing himself for a blow that would rock his entire being.
"Et revelabitur veritas et mendacium desinere." Merlin said, and I saw his eyes flash golden. I was in awe of his power, and I knew that it had to be considerable. He took a deep breath and looked me straight in the eyes again.
"Tell me what is really on your mind Arthur. Tell me if you truly do want me back. With the spell I cast, there can be no lies, only the truth. Lies have ceased to exist for the time being." Merlin said, and he once again looked like he was ready to be ripped to shreds. I started speaking, and I felt as if my entire soul was being laid out in front of us. The strangest thing is that I wanted it. I wanted to be able to talk to him without him doubting anything that was coming out of my mouth.
"I need you in my life Merlin. I love you, and I should have told you sooner. I understand why you didn't tell me, and I would have done the same thing, if I were in your shoes. I can't ask for forgiveness for what I said. I know that I hurt you. I am a selfish creature, so that is why I am asking for you back. I don't want to live another moment without you being by my side. You are my entire world Merlin. You always have been, even if I was too blind to see it." I said, and I was completely scared to think that this may be the last time that I got to speak with him. I lost some of my hopefulness, and I started to feel despair creeping in my soul. I started talking again, and it was considerably less cheerful than before.
"You probably don't even want to see me after how badly I hurt you. I would understand if you didn't want to come back with me to Camelot. I would let you go, if that is what you want. I don't want you to be unhappy, and if I make you unhappy, then tell me so, so that I may leave." I said, trying my hardest not to break down. He was my everything and, for that reason, if he didn't want to be with me, then I would let him go. I would never forget him, nor would I ever move on, but I would let him move on. I would let him be as happy as he possibly could be, because I truly loved him that much.
I was surprised when I felt him hit me and wrap his arms around me. My body acted instinctively and I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his shoulder. I let my emotions loose, and I was crying with both sadness and happiness. I was sad because I had hurt the one person that meant the most to me, and happy because I had him in my arms for the time being.
"I thought that I would never see you again. I thought that you might truly hate me for what I said. I love you, I love you, I love." I kept repeating, shivering in his hold from the surge of emotions. After a few minutes, I reigned in my rampant emotions and pulled back. I saw that Merlin had gotten a little teary-eyed as well, and I gave him a watery smile. He smiled back, and then he frowned some.
"Come on, let's get you back to Camelot. We can't have the whole kingdom in an uproar because you can't be found." He said, grabbing my hand and entwining our fingers. He didn't give me a chance to speak, he just started walking in the direction of Camelot. He didn't get very far, and I pulled him back to me, kissing him. He sighed into the kiss and let loose. I let out a sharp gasp when I felt the heat between him and me. It was as if we were in the heart of a volcano, but that we were the ones creating the heat instead of the heat devouring us.
This, I knew without a doubt, was what it felt like to truly love someone.
"Wh... What was that?" I asked, breathless from the emotions that were swirling through me. I was content, I was peaceful, and I was so completely, head over heels, in love with this sorcerer that I had no idea how I had lived life before without him.
"The bond that you had Gaius make was completed. In all instances that this spell had been cast, both were there for it. It was designed as a safety measure, so they would know when one another was in danger. Ours was incomplete because I wasn't there." Merlin said, and I smiled at him. He looked content, and then sighed once more.
"As much as I would love to stay here and flaunt our relationship to everyone in Ealdor, you have a kingdom to run. We really need to be going before anything bad happens." He said, and I laughed because I could plainly hear how dissatisfied that thought made him.
"You don't need to worry about that. Gaius said that he would take care of things. He took a lock of my hair and said he would transform into me, so that I could come and find you. I would much like to spend a few days away from Camelot, and spend time with you here." Merlin looked at me like I had spoken in a foreign language, but I could see that he was happy with the prospect of being away from Camelot and just being together as much as I was.
Before either of us could speak again, Merlin's mother came towards us. I saw the way she smiled at us, and you could clearly see that she knew we were a couple, but I also saw how her eyes hardened when they saw me. It would seem that she knew who was to blame for hurting her son.
"Well, as cute as this is, I would like to have a word with the both of you. In private, if at all possible." She said, and I could tell that she would not take no for an answer, not that I would have said no because, to be honest, she was rather scary.
Merlin and I walked in to her house, and Merlin led me to his bedroom, sitting down on the bed in the process. I was still hesitant to let him go, so I just kept my arm around his waist, making sure that he was actually there, and that I wasn't just dreaming.
"Now, as happy as I am for you both, if you ever hurt my boy again Arthur, I will personally hunt you down and skin you alive." She said with a smile, but I could clearly tell that she was far from joking. I felt the blood drain from my face, and I gulped. The old proverb 'Hell hath no fury like a woman' briefly flashed through my mind. I looked over at Merlin, and his jaw was nearly on the floor.
"You don't need to worry about that Hunith. It was my own stupidity that hurt him, and while I can't say that I won't be stupid in the future, I promise to always listen to Merlin before getting angry." I said, and I meant it. I knew that it would be impossible to promise to never hurt Merlin, and I always try to keep my promises. I would have just been setting myself up for failure had I promised to never hurt him.
"Very well. Now Merlin, have you told him your secret?" Hunith asked, and I looked at Merlin expectantly. I thought that she might have been talking about his magic, but I have been wrong before.
"You mean about my magic? How do you think this whole thing happened?" He replied, but I could hear the love that he had for his mother in his tone. It made me smile again. His mother got up and stood over us, looking at us as if she were trying to solve a complicated puzzle. Finally, she broke into a huge grin.
"Aww, I can't help it. You two look so cute together!" She exclaimed and hugged us both. I wrapped my free arm around her, still keeping my other arm around Merlin. It meant a lot to me that Hunith had accepted that Merlin and I would be together. I didn't know what I would do if she had said she didn't want it. I couldn't imagine making Merlin choose between his mother or me.
When Merlin's mum let us go, I looked at Merlin, and he looked at me. I watched as he shooed his mum away without breaking eye contact. When she had left, Merlin snuggled up close to me, forcing us to lay down in the process. I watched as he rested his head against my chest, and then fell asleep. He was beautiful, even then. He looked so serene, and I knew that I wouldn't want anything more than to wake up in his embrace.
I started nodding off as well, and I eventually fell asleep with Merlin in my arms. Come what may, I didn't ever want to let him leave my side again.
Merlin and I spent another week in Ealdor. I had Merlin contact Gaius through magic, telling him that we were back together and to ask him if he wouldn't mind being the King for another week. He said that he didn't mind, and that we should just enjoy ourselves.
Eventually though, we both knew that we needed to go. I had a kingdom to run. However, there were still two things that I wanted to talk to Merlin about, both of which I had given a great deal of thought to. With that in mind, I cornered him at his mum's house and looked him straight in the eye, trying to tell him without speaking that I was being completely serious.
"Merlin, there are a couple of things that I want to discuss with you." I said, and I could tell that I had his undivided attention. He looked just as serious as I was, if a little afraid. I smiled to show that he had nothing to worry about.
"When we get back to Camelot, I am going to lift the ban on magic. If you accept, you are going to be my new Court Sorcerer, and any and all magical problems will be handled by you. You will have equal standing with me, and you will no longer be my manservant." I said. Merlin looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking.
"What if I don't want to give up seeing you every day? What if I want to continue being your manservant because I can still love you and see you all of the time?" He asked. I smiled even bigger, because that was part of my next thing I wanted to say.
"That's part of it. I don't want to hide my feelings for you anymore Merlin. When we get back to Camelot, I don't care who sees us when I kiss you. You will be able to live in my quarters with me, if you choose to do so. I'm tired of having to hide who I am." I said. Merlin looked astonished, but I could see the pure joy in his eyes. He wrapped his arms around my neck and kissed me.
"Thank you Arthur! This is the best thing that has ever happened to me." He exclaimed, laughing with tears running down his cheeks. I laughed with him, and then we both broke apart. Merlin skillfully dried his eyes while I pretended not to notice.
"I'll go and get the horses ready sire." He said, and I grabbed his arm before he could walk away. He looked questioningly back at me.
"It isn't sire anymore. It's just Arthur. We are equals." I said. Merlin smiled and pecked me on the lips again, pulling back only enough to whisper against my lips.
"As you wish Arthur." He said, sending shivers down my spine. He chuckled and sauntered away, going towards the stables.
In no time at all, we were on our way back towards Camelot.
When we finally got there, it was rather comical. I forgot how bad it would look if I, King Arthur, was seen riding towards the front gate when Gaius, disguised as me, was in the palace. The thought had never once crossed my mind. It was no wonder the gate guards immediately rushed Merlin and I towards the palace. I saw that many people were stopping to look, and I grinned. I pulled Merlin close to me and kissed him square on the lips. It cause a riot, though I wasn't expecting the riot to be of cheering.
It would be a few hours before I was told that everyone had already suspected Merlin and I of being together.
When we arrived at the throne room, it was a bit of a weird feeling to see myself sitting at the throne. Gaius/Me looked up at the intrusion and grinned when he saw Merlin and me. He walked towards us, and Merlin laughed.
"Improbi novis, nudo oculo non videtur quod sit visibile." Merlin said, taking both Gaius and me by surprise, though I plainly saw the fear in Gaius's eyes. However, I knew what he was doing. He was testing me.
So when the guards rushed forward, holding their weapons out towards Merlin and the newly revealed Gaius, I stepped in their way. They looked at me in confusion, and I drew myself up to my full height.
"As of today, the ban on magic has ceased to exist. I am naming Merlin as my Court Sorcerer, and any magic matters will go through him, to be dealt with fairly. Let the citizens of Camelot know of this. Gaius was disguised as me with my permission, and he is not to be blamed for this. I am the King of Camelot! Let this be my word!" I said, and the guards looked stunned, but followed my orders regardless.
"Well, that was an interesting turn of events. I am so glad you are back sire. I am too old to be doing something like running a kingdom." Gaius said, and I smiled kindly at him.
"Thank you Gaius. This wouldn't have been possible without you. Go home and spend a few days to yourself. You deserve the rest." I said, and his eyes crinkled in a smile that lit up his face.
"Thank you sire. I think I'll take you up on that." He said, and walked out of the door, leaving Merlin and me alone. I looked at him, and he looked at me. We stared at each other for a moment before we both bust out laughing.
"That was amazing Arthur! You should have seen the looks on everyone's faces when you kissed me! Priceless!" Merlin said, hugging his sides and trying to stop laughing, though he was failing miserably.
"Haha! You should have seen the look on Gaius's face when you broke his enchantment! He looked at you like you had grown two heads!" I said, grabbing on to the arm of the throne so that I wouldn't fall over.
Eventually, Merlin and I got ourselves under control, and then we just looked at each other.
"Thank you for all of this Arthur. I never expected that you would do something like this. Court Sorcerer. I am definitely going to have to get used to that. And don't even get me started on the whole subject of our relationship being public now." He said, and I smiled in happiness. I no longer had to hide who I was.
I could finally be myself.
Author's Note: I know that I spent a lot of this chapter just going through a lot of things that had already happened in the previous chapter, but I thought that it would be a good idea if I took the time to go back and revisit the scene so that you could understand the feeling that Arthur was going through. I'm sorry if you guys felt that this is a bit of a dry chapter, but I felt it had to be done. As always, leave me a review and let me know what you think of it.
