When they had all gone to mass, and they had made sure the triplet's giant snowman was holding a "Santa stop here!" sign, and Arthur had tackled the last of the kids into their pyjamas, they started to drift off. The few below six were sound asleep when the soft jingle of bells. The second they heard the bells the triplet's slammed into the window one after the other. Then the other kids weren't slow to follow. They sprung to the windows just as a sleigh came around the bend.
The sleigh was wooden and smooth with plump red cushiony seats. The leather reigns were dotted with gleaming silver bells that jingled with each step of the six trotting reindeer that pulled the sleigh across the glistening snow. Their velvet antlers were held proud and high and they left beautiful hoof prints in the smooth snow as they went. Sitting with a sack of presents, was Santa. In his red and white coat with brass buttons, red trousers with white fur on the leg, black boots, and red hat with the white ball at the tip, and his rosy cheeks, round belly, pink nose and long beard a white as snow, Arthur hardly recognised merlin. His eyes gave him away.
Merlin hadn't even climbed out of the sleigh when the children ran out to him, yelling excitedly. The six, seven and nine year olds attached themselves to Merlin while the triplets fell over the back of the sleigh to grab at the sack of presents. "Ah ah ah! Not yet!" Merlin said wagging a finger at the boys. He waddled to the house, unable to dislodge the children. Inside, he fell into a chair. "Ok, what do we want for Christmas?!" he asked chirpily.
The children yelled out toys and brands of computer games. There came a yell from upstairs, "A new laptop and free Wi-Fi everywhere!"
"Who's that?" Merlin asked Arthur.
"Ella. She's never off the computer! Can I get bop it? Mum broke ours!" Jake said.
"How did that happen?" merlin asked.
"Morgana decided that they were tall enough to reach the batteries so she couldn't keep removing them. She decided just to put up with it. Then they had to go to John O'Groats from lands' end and the bop it went flying out of the window!" Arthur explained.
"Understandable!" merlin said.
Merlin sat there for about an hour, discussing presents with the children and between conversations, he looked away to hide the colour changing in his eye. The Ella came downstairs. Ella took one look at "Santa" and knew who it was. But in the spirit of Christmas, she played along.
"Father Christmas? Would you like some cake?" she offered sweetly.
"Why thank you my dear!" Merlin said as in character as he could. He was really eager to get some cake and wanted to just run in the kitchen and steal it. Ella shot Arthur a grin as she walked into the kitchen. She emerged with the cake she had made earlier.
"NO! Santa's eating the cake I made!" Joe yelled. Their glob had gone untouched and they were rather upset about it.
"I think Santa would rather eat this one sweetie because-"Ella began.
"No the one WE made!" the nine year old yelled.
"but-"
"OUR CAKE!"
"Santa?"
Merlin looked at Arthur, and then at the kids uncertainly. "Try not to break character as you deny their cake!" Arthur whispered.
"Santa wouldn't deny their cake!" merlin whispered.
"Merlin you don't want-" Arthur began
"Santa would!"
"merlin-"
"Santa!"
"Merlin you-"
"Santa does!"
"Merlin!"
"Arthur!"
"Mer-lin!"
"Go and get your cake sweetie. Ella did you make anything else? Or do you want to be the first to feed carrots to my reindeer?" Merlin said. Arthur shook his head. He knew merlin would regret this. Somehow the children hadn't heard the increasingly loud hissing calling each other's real names. They beamed with joy and scrambled off to get their mess.
"That's…fine Mer- Santa. I'll show Arthur's boy-" Ella caught Arthur giving her a sign to shut up. She stumbled slightly as she corrected herself, "Arthur's friend."
The children ran in with the mess on a plate. They pulled it between each other to try and be the one to have the privilege of presenting it to Santa. They pulled it a little too hard and it went flying into the crackling flames in the fireplace. They were distort.
"Aww never mind! Cake isn't important! Cake lasts a few minutes! The memory of making it together will last forever!" Merlin said. He was, himself, upset by the loss. He really wanted that cake. "How about we go for a sleigh ride?!" he said. The children yelled in delight.
Not all of the children could fit in the sleigh. The sleeping toddlers were laid across the back. The nine year old and seven year olds sat on the back seat. The six year old was kneeling on the seat beside them. Arthur and Merlin sat together in the front driving the sleigh. The triplets each rode a separate reindeer to save on space and because they were only too happy to.
"Now Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! On Donner and Blitzen!" Merlin yelled overly excitedly. Then he tugged on the reigns making the bells jingle like magic and the reindeer pulled to trot on.