Here it is, the very last chapter ever...but I'll save the sappy farewells for the end. For now, all I'll say is that this chapter contains the long-awaited Arwen wedding (because that was another area where I felt the show cheated us - seriously, Uther's wedding to the troll and Arthur's aborted nuptials to Elena got more screen time than the official couple finally saying 'I do'. What's up with that?) and if anyone wants to see my inspiration for Gwen's dress and hairdo, links are on my profile. Enjoy!
The day of Arthur and Gwen's wedding dawned clear and sunny, though with a nip in the air that indicated it was probably one of the last truly pleasant days they would get to enjoy that year before winter set in for good. Morgana dressed herself in her finest gown of gold-embroidered purple velvet and periwinkle blue silk, with matching accessories of gold and amethyst, then went to help Gwen get ready...only to find her friend in an unwonted state of near-panic, while Freya, Elena, and Mithian tried in vain to calm her.
"Morgana, thank goodness you're here! I overslept by five whole minutes - I can't believe I did that today, of all days-"
"Gwen-"
"-And I wanted to wear the diamond earrings Arthur gave me for my last birthday, but I can't find one of them-"
"Gwen-"
"-And my hair is absolutely hopeless!"
"Gwen!"
Gwen blinked as her rant was abruptly cut off.
"Everything will be fine," Morgana said firmly. "We still have plenty of time before the ceremony begins, so sit down and eat your breakfast." She pointed to the bowl of porridge flavored with honey and berries that Gwen hadn't even touched. "I know you don't feel hungry now, but you will later." The worried bride started to protest, but Morgana forestalled her with a stern look and an imperious gesture at the table. "Sit. Eat."
Abashed, Gwen took her seat and obediently dipped her spoon into her porridge. "You're right; I don't know why I'm so flustered today."
"It's your wedding day, Gwen - you're allowed to be nervous."
"I hope I won't be tying myself in knots like this when it's my turn," Elena remarked with a slight frown. "Weddings are a lot more complicated than I thought."
"I wasn't nervous at all when I married Gwaine," Freya said brightly. "Of course, our wedding was much smaller - we didn't have the rulers or heirs apparent of almost every kingdom watching..."
Gwen put down her spoon, looking faintly ill, and Morgana shot a pointed glare at Freya that shut her up at once.
Relieved that Morgana had everything under control, Mithian took advantage of the temporary respite and sat down on Gwen's bed, only to get up again when something hard jabbed her in the rear. "Is this the earring you were searching for?"
She held up a star-shaped diamond on a silver hook, and Gwen's face broke into a relieved smile, prompting Morgana to nudge her and say, "See, I told you everything would be fine."
###
Forty-five minutes later, she was forced to rethink her rosy outlook. The four of them had gotten Gwen into her dress with minimal hassle (apart from struggling to fasten the row of minuscule pearl buttons that ran up the back) and all her jewelry and beaded white satin shoes were in place; despite their best efforts, however, one side of her hair persisted in sticking up just as it had when she first got out of bed that morning.
"What are we going to do?" she cried when Mithian's latest attempt to comb it out succeeded only in pulling out a clump of snarled black strands. "I can't go out there looking like this!"
"No, you cannot," Morgana agreed, glaring at the rat's nest atop Gwen's head as if it had personally offended her. "Step aside, Mithian; I fear this situation warrants more extreme measures."
She ran her hands down the length of Gwen's hair, and in the wake of her touch, the mass of unruly curls smoothed into loose, flowing waves, which gave the appearance of adding several inches. The sleek tresses then divided themselves into three sections, forming an intricate braided bun surrounded by twists of hair in a style resembling rose petals. For the finishing touch, Morgana added a dozen tiny diamonds on silver pins, sticking them into the folds of Gwen's elaborately coiffed locks so that their sparkle stood out against her dark hair like stars shining in the midnight sky. "There, you look-"
"Gorgeous," Freya sighed admiringly.
"Regal," Mithian chimed in.
"Perfect," Elena concluded. "Arthur will be stunned."
"Do you really think so?" Gwen peered self-consciously up at them through her lashes, a hint of the shy, awkward maid she had been before she gained confidence from her promotion to knighthood and Arthur's affections, and began preparing herself to take on the mantle of Camelot's queen, showing through.
"Of course we do," Morgana assured her, pulling Gwen to her feet and hugging her as best she could while taking care not to mess up her hair or wrinkle her dress. "Arthur's a lucky man - and if he ever forgets that, I'll be sure to remind him."
"Thank you, Morgana. You really are the truest friend I could ever ask for." Releasing her, Gwen turned to the other three women and said, "I appreciate all of your help, but I mustn't keep you any longer. Go - I'll see you in the throne room soon."
So, with a final round of well-wishing and encouragement, the bride's four attendants left her bedchamber and stepped out into the main corridor outside the ladies' wing. One by one, Leon, Gwaine, and Lancelot arrived to escort their respective partners down to where the wedding guests were assembling, until only Morgana was left waiting. She could sense that Merlin was still in the castle, and had not taken ill or suffered some mishap, yet for some reason, even when the tolling of bells announced that the ceremony was scheduled to begin in a mere quarter of an hour, he didn't come.
At last, with only ten minutes to spare, he strode into view, accompanied by Arthur and looking harried. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but I just escaped... I mean, I just finished getting ready." Silently, he added, Arthur turned up right after you left, and he's been a bundle of nerves all morning. You're lucky you only had to deal with Gwen - she's always so organized and unflappable.
You'd be surprised, Morgana replied with a mental laugh. Even Gwen has her moments. Because it was such an important day for Arthur, she refrained from teasing him about his nervousness or complaining that he had delayed Merlin, instead continuing their verbal discourse by saying, "Well, the extra time you took dressing was certainly worth it."
Without her there to keep an eye on him, he had once again donned his customary black, but for once Morgana found herself agreeing with his choice since he also wore a jacket made of large golden dragon scales that appeared to have come from Kilgharrah himself - a rare prize indeed, as dragons of his age only shed their scales once every five hundred years. Merlin's understated wardrobe served as the perfect backdrop for such an eye-catching accessory, while the jacket itself, along with his crown and rings of office, complemented the gold accents in her own clothing.
Her musings on how well-matched they were came to an abrupt end when Arthur butted in. "What about me? I'm the one getting married today."
"I suppose you'll do," she sniffed after giving him a quick once-over. In truth, Arthur looked very handsome - he wore his armor, as befit a king who also prided himself on his prowess as a warrior, and cut a dashing figure with the sunlight glinting off its brightly polished metal links and the gleaming gold of his crown, while his scarlet cape added a more formal touch - but she wasn't about to tell him so.
Ignoring his indignant sputtering, she took Merlin's arm and headed downstairs. As they passed an open balcony overlooking the main courtyard, she saw that the servants' celebration was already in full swing. Daegal was among them, drawing a fair amount of attention thanks to his newfound wealth and her public acknowledgement of his brave deeds, though for once he didn't seem to mind - possibly because the majority of his admirers happened to be attractive scullery maids.
Sefa was there too, but unlike Daegal she stood alone, largely ignored except for the occasional suspicious glance. The garden staff were regularly provided with a potion which they added to their bathwater to eliminate the odor of dragon dung, but the stench of treachery was much harder to wash away. Then Will came over to say hello - though still confused and conflicted about his feelings for her, he couldn't deny that he was glad Morgana hadn't banished her. Merlin's manservant was quite popular among the palace staff, so when he invited Sefa to sit and eat with him, everyone else followed his example, becoming more tolerant of her presence.
When the fiddlers struck up a lively tune and Will asked her to dance, she happily obliged; as she spun and twirled along with him, she found herself laughing for the first time since Mordred ordered her to drug Morgana, since learning of her father's death - and in that moment, she was startled to realize that the pain of his loss had lessened a little. She felt more at home among the people he had sent her to spy on than she ever had with his druid band, and while she would always miss him, she was also discovering that her heart was lighter without the weight of his expectations pressing down on her. She still had a great deal of work to do to rebuild her life free of his influence, but at last, when she looked to the future, she could see a ray of light ahead.
###
Arriving in the throne room mere minutes before the scheduled start of the wedding, Merlin and Morgana quickly took their places at the front of the room, among the most important guests. Geoffrey of Monmouth shuffled in through a door behind the dais where the thrones sat as the bells tolled the hour, followed shortly by Arthur making his entrance amid a fanfare of trumpets. There were audible sighs of admiration from the female members of the audience as he strode up the center aisle between the two groups of lords, ladies, knights, princesses, and kings with his crimson cape flowing majestically behind him.
Once he was in position, the trumpets blared once more, and then the musicians began playing a softer melody as the doors opened again and Gwen appeared, resplendent in her gown of white lace and tulle, her diamonds glinting in the sunlight that streamed in through the rows of tall windows. Everyone was transfixed by the sight of her, but she had eyes only for Arthur as she slowly paced up the aisle in time with the music. Arthur, meanwhile, stared at her with a look of dazed astonishment, as if she was a vision come to life; only when she joined him and took hold of his hands did he finally close his mouth, which had fallen slightly open when she walked in.
Clearing his throat, Geoffrey began the ceremony. "My lords and ladies, rulers of Albion, we are gathered here today to celebrate, by the ancient rite of handfasting, the union of King Arthur Pendragon and Guinevere, lady knight of Dagon. Do any say nay?" He paused, giving the audience a chance to speak, but of course no one breathed a word. Satisfied that there were no objections, he continued. "Arthur, is it your wish to become one with this woman?"
"It is," Arthur replied with the utmost conviction, his voice ringing through the hall.
"Guinevere, is it your wish to become one with this man?"
"It is." Her eyes never left Arthur's face as she spoke, though they did flicker toward Geoffrey when he produced a strand of flowered greenery and began wrapping it around their clasped hands.
"With this garland, I do tie a knot, and in so doing, bind your hands and your hearts for all eternity." His handiwork finished, he stepped back with a proud smile. "I now pronounce you husband and wife."
Arthur and Gwen celebrated his pronouncement with a rather heated kiss, which was greeted with applause from the nobles and visiting royals, whistles from the knights, and a roll of the eyes from Morgana. We didn't carry on so at our wedding, did we? she asked Merlin, conveniently forgetting that their kiss had in fact lasted much longer than the one Arthur and Gwen were currently engaged in, until Balinor was forced to separate them.
Of course not.
At last, Gwen reluctantly pulled away, reminding Arthur that they still had one more ceremony to complete.
"Guinevere is right," Arthur agreed amidst the crowd's snickers. "Now that she has at long last become my wife, it's time for her to also be acknowledged as my queen - and I believe there's another queen here today who is also in need of a crown. Merlin, Morgana, if you'll join us?"
They came forward, Morgana and Gwen kneeling side by side as their husbands administered their oaths of office, in response to which they solemnly vowed to govern their people wisely and fairly, in accordance with the laws and customs of their respective lands. Then Arthur took the crown Geoffrey held out to him on a tasseled velvet pillow and placed it on Gwen's head, taking care not to disturb her intricate hairstyle.
"By the power vested in me, I crown you, Guinevere, queen of Camelot, and High Queen of Albion."
Gwen's crown was a masterpiece of finely worked gold encrusted with a number of gems, though rubies were chief among them in tribute to the gold and scarlet banners of Camelot; in contrast, the crown Merlin gave Morgana was made of white gold instead of yellow, and was predominantly adorned with diamonds, which put her in mind of the Crystal Cave. In fact, just before Merlin raised it over her head, she saw that the central jewel was a small, perfect crystal - a fitting crown for a queen who was also High Priestess of the Old Religion.
"I crown you, Morgana, queen of Dagon, and High Queen of Albion," he announced as he gently settled it on her. It was heavier than the tiara she had worn as a princess, but that was only right; her responsibilities were now weightier as well. Then he took her hands and helped her to her feet while Arthur did the same for Gwen, and together they ascended the short steps to the platform where four thrones sat waiting for them, two draped in crimson and gold and the others in black and silver, but all the same height, symbolizing the equality of their reign.
Once they were seated, Gwen cleared her throat and spoke. "Before the festivities commence, King Arthur and I have an announcement regarding the future of Camelot." She glanced at Arthur to see if he wanted to take over, but he nodded for her to continue. She swallowed hard - unlike Arthur, Merlin, or even Morgana, she had never received any instruction in public speaking - before pressing on. "As you all know, our friends' magical gifts played an integral part in our recent victories against the Saxon invaders and the dark sorcerer Sarrum; though he chose to use his power for evil, it is clear that magic can also be used for great good, in the hands of the right people. For too long, those people have been persecuted, forced to use their gifts in secrecy or even to strike out simply because they struggle to survive. Therefore, we hereby lift the ban on magic in Camelot. All sorcerers are once more free to live and practice magic in our land, and will be as long as we and our descendants rule there."
Her words caused quite a stir in the hall, and many of the nobles looked questioningly at Arthur as if expecting him to contradict her. Arthur, of course, did no such thing. "My queen speaks truly. My father was a great king in many ways, but his hatred of magic was misguided, rooted in fear and ignorance. Magic is a part of this world - a part we fight to suppress at our peril. As High King, I strongly encourage those of you who were swayed by my father's views to follow our example and offer acceptance to all your citizens, including those born with gifts the rest of us may find difficult to understand. Let us learn from one another and live in peace, thus finishing the work we have already begun by bringing all of Albion together at last."
Elena, Mithian, Odin, and Alinette, whose kingdoms already had a fairly lenient policy on magic or could easily adopt one, responded with nods and clapping, while Caerleon and Annis, Bayard, and Olaf, who had shared Uther's skepticism of sorcery if not his extremism, looked wary (Eldred had gone back to Northumbria as soon as the battle of Camlann was over, so no one knew what his thoughts on the matter might be, though they were certain he would have disagreed with Arthur merely for the sake of being contrary).
"Of course, we are not advocating for a return to the old ways," Merlin clarified. "Magic will not reign supreme as it did in the days of old, before the new religion arose; just as the four of us rule with equal authority, so must those with magic and those without it learn to live as equals. There will be new laws governing the practice of sorcery, similar to those my forefathers instituted long ago in Dagon, to ensure that everyone with an aptitude for magic is found and trained to harness their powers, and that none use them to harm or take advantage of their neighbors. King Arthur and I will appoint a select group of knights, the best Camelot and Dagon have to offer, to oversee the implementation and enforcement of these laws, and we invite you all to put forward the names of any of your men who you feel would be well-suited to join them."
"As High Priestess of the Old Religion, I fully support these measures," Morgana added, "which is why I have enlisted volunteers from among the Blood Guard to work alongside them." She peered out into the audience, where Gregory and sixteen of his fellow priests stood near the back, the plain brown garb they wore beneath their chain mail standing out amidst all the nobles in their finery. "This is the task for which I chose you, to be the voice of our people as we usher in the new age."
Gregory bowed deeply. "My brothers and I are honored to undertake this task in your name, my lady."
A fresh round of applause broke out then, reverberating through the hall this time as everyone joined in; their High Kings and Queens had outlined a plan in which the interests of sorcerers would be balanced fairly against those of people without magic, and all the kingdoms would have a hand in establishing the new order, with representatives of the Old Religion involved as well, so no one could complain of disenfranchisement or discrimination.
Under cover of all the noise, Gwaine, whose eyes had lit up with excitement when his new mission was revealed, nudged Lancelot and said, "Bet you and Leon are regretting trading your swords for crowns now, aren't you? I'll be thinking of you, stuck in a stuffy council chamber while I'm off having adventures."
"Actually, Leon and I will only be king consorts," Lancelot corrected him. "I don't know about him, but I intend to leave the affairs of state in my wife's capable hands, so I expect I'll still have plenty of time for adventure."
"That's fine," Elena hissed from his other side, "as long as you don't try to sacrifice yourself to the underworld again."
She had been most displeased when she heard how he had nobly tried to give his own life to stop the Dorocha, even refusing to speak to him for a few days, but he had worked hard to earn his way back into her good graces, and it looked as though his efforts might finally be paying off. Only yesterday, she had intimated that she was reconsidering her initial threat to make him spend their wedding night on the floor.
As they surveyed the scene from their thrones, Morgana leaned over and said softly to Merlin, "You see, my love, fulfilling destiny isn't always so bad, is it?"
"No, I suppose not," he admitted. "And is everything just as you foresaw it?"
"No," she replied with a small, happy laugh. "It's not often I can say this, but what we've achieved here today has surpassed even my wildest dreams!"
Looking back at everyone gathered before them, enthusiastically supporting the reforms they had just introduced, Merlin could only agree. At long last, the realm was truly united, all its kingdoms at peace with one another and all its peoples, magical and non-magical alike, finally ready to set aside their old differences and treat each other as friends and neighbors rather than enemies. Of course, he knew such sweeping changes couldn't be made without a few struggles along the way - there would be pockets of resistance, malcontents on both sides like Uther and Mordred who couldn't let go of their prejudices, but he was confident that the combined forces of the Blood Guard and the knights of the realm would soon stamp them out. Nothing could stem the tide of progress forever, and with him and Morgana there to lead the way into the future, with their friends' children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren by their sides until the day when Arthur and Gwen themselves returned, everything they were building now would last for generations to come.
The Golden Age of Albion had begun.
...And that's it. I hope this ending leaves you satisfied in ways the show didn't, at least not for me. Writing this story has been a very enjoyable and enriching (and at times frustrating) experience, especially as it morphed into a much more complicated, darker tale than the fun little Mergana love story I envisioned when I first started work on The Sorcerer's Bride all those years ago...maybe more years than I want to think about...but I think it's made me a better writer, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my crazy reimagining of Merlin with you. Thank you all for your patience in sticking with me to the very end, and especially for the encouragement and inspiration all your reviews gave me; you guys really did help me get here, and I hope you've enjoyed the journey as much as I have.
