Saying Accolon enjoyed the return flight from Gaul would be an overstatement, but he was certainly impressed with dragon-riding as a mode of transportation. The view was incredible as well, being up in the sky looking down on land and sea, as though they were birds. If only there was a way for men to travel in such a way all of the time, to fly above the land through the clouds at high speeds and traverse long distances through difficult terrain in mere hours instead of days. Unfortunately, there were only two dragons left in existence, and one was quite old while the other was merely the size of a hunting dog at the moment. Accolon could not imagine that man would enjoy the gift of flight in the future.
He thought, not for the first time, that Uther's purge of all things magical was a great travesty but he continued to be conflicted about magic. At the time the purge occurred when he was a young child, and throughout most of his life, he had given little thought to the welfare of those with magic. As a king himself now, he would need to decide the rights of magic users within his territory. He was still quite nervous about magic himself, of course. Look what it had done to him; it had turned him into a madman who nearly ruined himself and his friends. But it had also saved him. Magic could be a miracle or a curse, depending on who wields its power.
The closer they got to Camelot, the more anxious he became. He had hurt several people in his madness, people he cared for deeply. Although Lord Balinor had assured him that his son bore him no ill will, he felt tremendously guilty. At least Balinor was certain that the spell must have been broken for both him and Morgana, and that they should be arriving back just in time for Merlin and Morgana to wed. Accolon held tightly to the hope that Balinor was correct.
He would have to face Lord Ector, and Evaine, as well as the rest of the Court of Camelot. He just hoped there was time to make private apologies before the ceremony to avoid any disruption at the wedding.
...
"Are you sure she measured it correctly? Gwen, I can't even breathe in this thing!" Morgana practically whimpered, as Gwen struggled to get it laced.
"This has to be taken back out. Eilidh, go see to it immediately. I want the dress returned no later than midday," Gwen ordered. "I am so sorry, Morgana, I just can't imagine how that happened."
"I've gotten fatter, I think!" Morgana sighed.
"I'm certain that's not true," Gwen reassured her.
"At least your gown fits," Morgana said, admiring the fabric on Gwen's skirt, before unlacing the back of the gown so she could remove it. "It suits you perfectly. Fit for a queen!"
"I still can't believe I'm getting married tomorrow!" Gwen said, looking slightly panicked. "And to the King!"
Morgana rested her hands upon Gwen's shoulders and smiled at her in the looking glass. "You and Arthur are going to be very happy together."
"I hope so. I hope he won't regret it," she said softly.
"Regret it? Oh Gwen, don't be ridiculous. My brother loves you deeply, he will never regret marrying you. You might, however, regret marrying him. Are you aware he has some fairly awful qualities?" Morgana asked with a grave sincerity.
Gwen laughed.
"I'm serious! He's completely arrogant. His table manners are atrocious. He smells rather terrible most of the time. He's often a complete prat. I fantasize about turning him into a frog at least once a week. Eventually, I'll probably get fed up enough to do it. You might even find you prefer him that way," Morgana teased.
Gwen chuckled and shook her head. "I'm glad I've got you to help me through this, I can't imagine doing this alone."
Morgana looked thoughtful. "I suppose in another reality you did it all yourself, and you did just fine. I'm not sure how Camelot turned out in the end, but you would have been the Queen Dowager after Arthur died at Camlann. I'm assuming he died, at least. He was mortally wounded, last I saw him, before Merlin…" she sighed and continued. "With no other heirs, I suppose the land was yours to rule."
"That wouldn't be the case now though. You're Arthur's heir," Gwen pointed out.
"Yes, that is different than my visions. Hopefully a great deal more will be different as well," Morgana said, smiling tightly, as she laced Gwen's gown, and they headed to join Arthur at Court.
...
As the wedding guests began to arrive, they were quite surprised to find they would be attending a double wedding. A few were disappointed that Camelot's most eligible bachelor would no longer be available, but due to the diplomacy that the Lady Gwen, Lady in Waiting to the Princess of Camelot, had been conducting, none were displeased by the prospect. Their allies had been impressed when reading her correspondence, and pledged their swords and their men to the defense of Camelot.
Merlin, of course, knew in advance of Kilgharrah's approach and was eagerly awaiting his arrival. He had spent the better part of the day greeting arriving dignitaries along with Arthur in the courtyard, trying to remember that he no longer needed to assist nobles with their bags, earning stern rebukes from George when he failed. George was far better at all of this than he ever was. George would probably make a far better Duke of Cornwall as well, Merlin thought, twitching nervously as he tried to remember who he was supposed to bow before and who he wasn't. Due to wedding preparations, Morgana and Gwen had gotten out of this tedious task, but he was stuck here, trying to pretend he's nobility.
"Merlin," Arthur murmured, after Princess Vivian and King Olaf had left, with George showing them to their guest chambers. "What is the matter with you? You're even making me nervous with all the twitching."
Merlin sighed. "I just feel stupid."
Arthur smirked. "That's because you are. Anything else you need cleared up?"
Merlin scowled. "I'm good, thanks."
Arthur chuckled at his discomfort and slapped him on the back hard enough to make him lurch forward. "Seriously, Merlin. Don't let George make you nervous. He lives and breathes protocol. He corrects me constantly," Arthur said, rolling his eyes.
"That's because you're an oaf with terrible manners," Merlin laughed.
Just before Arthur could punch him, Merlin pointed to the sky. Merlin was quite relieved he could finally greet his father and the King of Gaul.
"Is this going to be weird?" Arthur asked.
"I don't think so. I mean, I wasn't the one who stabbed him, so…" Merlin trailed off, giving him an uncomfortable grin.
"Yeah, well, he wanted to marry your wife for a moment there… here's hoping he's not trying to marry anyone else's wife this time," Arthur grumbled.
"Accolon's a good man. So long as he's no longer enchanted, he'll do right by Camelot. He was always fond of you."
"And you aren't jealous? Not even of his relationship with Morgana from before?"
"Us commoners don't get as worked up about such things as you prissy nobles," Merlin shrugged.
"Need I remind you, you actually are one of those prissy nobles, Lord Merlin? I personally would be overcome with jealousy in your shoes," Arthur shook his head. "He's certainly far better looking."
"That's because you're a possessive prat," Merlin rolled his eyes. "Morgana is the person she is today, the person I love, because of her experiences. Just as Gwen is. If Gwen had never loved Lancelot, for instance, maybe she would have never loved you. Maybe if she hadn't been nursing a heartache, some other bloke would have snatched her up while your head was in your arse."
Arthur punched him in the arm and Merlin grunted. "I do see what you're saying," Arthur nodded.
"So, no, I hold no feelings of jealousy of Accolon."
"But you did when you thought you'd lost her to him," Arthur said pointedly.
Merlin's eyes flashed briefly with fury. "I became mad with jealousy, and nearly died for it. When I saw them kiss, I wanted nothing more than to kill Morgause in that moment, for what she'd taken from us. But that's how she got the upper hand. I was too far gone. I wouldn't have made it quick. I would have enjoyed it, I would have made her suffer." He took a deep breath to calm himself. "But never Morgana. Not Accolon either. It would have been torture, but I would have protected her happiness at all cost."
Arthur nodded, staring ahead at the dragon landing in the courtyard. "It's what makes you worthy of her, Brother."
Merlin smiled as Arthur moved forward to greet Balinor and Accolon.
…
The crowd kneeled solemnly as King Arthur placed the crown upon the head of his bride, Queen Guinevere. Normally a royal wedding would have been more of an occasion for joy, but the crowd understood why the wedding had taken place so quickly: war was imminent.
The King presented the Queen to the crowd, who rose and cheered. Gwen looked terrified but happy nonetheless. She caught Morgana's eye and smiled as Arthur escorted her out of the hall.
Morgana slipped her hand through Merlin's arm and they followed the King and Queen. Morgana would have to get used to the new protocol; from now on, her former maid would always go first, and she would follow. Strange, she thought, how much that idea would have once infuriated her. In her vision, it had driven her mad with jealousy. Now, she's proud to have Gwen as her Queen.
Morgana was especially proud that their new Queen had come through in bringing together their allies. Princess Vivian and King Olaf. Carleon and Queen Annis. Godwin and Elena. The wedding feast would give them ample time to discuss strategy. It was not the wedding feast she had imagined, but she hoped there would be plenty of time for celebrating once Camelot had defeated its enemies. In the meantime, Arthur was that much closer to unifying Albion.
She glanced at Merlin and smiled. She just hoped she would get to see it.
…
Accolon stood outside the banquet hall to get some fresh air. He had been glad Arthur and Merlin held no ill feelings towards him. Even Lord Ector had simmered down and had stiffly accepted his apology.
But he still felt out of sorts. Being free of his love for Evaine had left him empty. He knew the expectation was for him to wed as quickly as possible, and produce heirs for Gaul. Love was not generally a luxury for nobility, particularly for a king. The Pendragons were fortunate in that regard.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of sniffles around the corridor. At first he thought someone must be unwell, but he realized it was a woman crying as he walked around the corridor.
"Oh!" Princess Vivian said, startled, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.
"I apologize, My Lady, I did not mean to intrude," he said.
"You haven't, My Lord. I shouldn't be out here, but I couldn't take it any longer being inside with all of that merriment," the blonde woman said.
"Ah, I see. I left for similar reasons, I suppose."
She nodded. "I recall hearing something of your troubles, King Accolon. Similar to mine, I believe."
"Oh?" he asked, surprised.
Vivian looked around for any eavesdroppers and lowered her voice anyway. "During my last visit to Camelot, Arthur and I were both enchanted by a love spell. It was intended to cause strife between Arthur and my father. He did not approve of a match with the Pendragons."
"I'm assuming the spell was able to be broken, as Arthur has married Guinevere," Accolon deduced.
"It was for Arthur. For me, though…" her eyes welled up with tears. "I know it's just a spell, it isn't real. But my heart…"
"It feels real," he nodded, sadly. "You're still in love with Arthur."
"The effects have been diminished, but have not receded entirely. I wouldn't have come had I realized Arthur would be wed as well today," she said, fresh tears spilling from her eyes.
Accolon offered her a dry handkerchief, which she accepted gratefully. "My Lady, I am sorry for your pain. Is there nothing Merlin or Morgana can do to break the spell entirely?"
"I know not, My Lord. Our healer says the spell can only be broken by the kiss of true love. But how can I possibly find love when my heart is tainted by this spell?"
"To risk being forward, is this why you've not yet wed?"
"My father was very protective and did not wish for me to ever wed. My mother died in childbirth, and he feared I would suffer the same fate. However, Father died last year in battle, and my brother Sweyn is now king. He wishes to strengthen our alliances through my marriage, but who could possibly want such an unhappy bride, even one who is a princess?"
"Do you wish to wed, My Lady?"
"I did once, but now I wish only to be free of this curse. Whether I am unhappy in my brother's castle or my lord husband's, it hardly matters."
"I am expected to wed quickly. Another king dying without an heir would be disastrous," he said, unhappily.
"Do you still love the Lady Evaine?"
"No," he said. "Her actions have finally brought an end to my love for her. But I can't imagine loving another."
"Then what shall you do, My Lord? Marry for duty?"
"I suppose I must," he said. "I once proposed to the Lady Morgana. At the time, she was in love with Merlin but so long as Uther lived, she could never have been with him. Evaine had just married Ector. I thought we could be one another's consolation. But she wisely waited for happiness instead."
"Do you not think you could have made her happy?" Vivian asked.
"I would have tried with every fiber of my being. But I wouldn't have been enough."
"Would you have been happy?"
"I know not, My Lady. Happier, I suppose, than I'll be marrying a stranger. Some foreign princess or noblewoman with something Gaul needs. It is times like these I wish I could have the counsel of my father."
"Your father was a good man, indeed, My Lord. I remember him well. He was the emissary for Uther for quite some time, until I was about fourteen. He was always very kind to me, and brought me gifts from Camelot."
"He spoke fondly of you as well. He'd always wanted a daughter, but he'd only had sons, and none but me lived past infancy. He had quite a soft spot for you, the precocious little girl with blond curls, spoiled and bossy as could be," he teased.
She laughed. "And I remember you as well, My Lord. All the ladies of the court fawning over the handsome young lord who had just been made a knight of Camelot. Do you remember Lady Alvyna? She was desperate for your attention."
"Was she the one with the horrible breath?" he asked, as Vivian snorted a quite unladylike laugh.
"Yes! Quite dreadful! And not a very nice girl at all. She begged her father to try to make a match with you," she grinned.
"Really? I never heard anything about it. Her father was quite important, I'm surprised Father never mentioned it."
"You have me to thank for that. I told her you already had a lady love in Camelot, whose family had far more wealth than her father. Which turns out wasn't entirely untrue, I suppose. But it was enough to discourage her affections, at least."
"So it would seem that you saved me from being saddled with an unkind Queen with rotting teeth. I believe that leaves me in your debt, My Lady," he said. "How can I repay your kindness?"
She smiled sadly. "Your continued company would be most welcome, My Lord. This is the best I've felt since I've arrived in Camelot."
"I return the sentiment, My Lady. This has been a difficult situation for me to return to as well. Everyone has been very gracious, but I feel entirely humiliated by my actions, even if they were not my own."
"That is understandable, even knowing you are not to blame. I feel the same."
"So, let us not dwell on our misfortunes, but celebrate the happiness of our friends. Happiness is fleeting in these dark times. War looms."
"Indeed. We should seize some measure of happiness of our own this evening. Let us dance and be merry."
"I am all yours, My Lady," he said, offering his arm. Vivian smiled at him, and reentered the banquet hall on the arm of the King of Gaul.
…
It took a great deal of time and effort for Eilidh just to remove all of the pins in Gwen's hair. Gwen sighed with jealousy as it took George under two minutes to undress Arthur. She never minded the process when it was her helping Morgana, because she was using her hands and working. She found sitting still like a doll having her hair pulled for long periods of time to be quite frustrating, one of the many things about being a noblewoman that she didn't particularly enjoy but would have to tolerate for the love of her new groom.
Finally, Eilidh helped Gwen into a soft nightdress and bid her goodnight. "Please let me know if you need anything else, Your Highness," Eilidh bobbed a curtsy and closed the door behind her.
"Your Highness. How does it feel? Queen Guinevere?" Arthur smiled, handing her a goblet of wine.
She shook her head in disbelief. "I still can hardly believe it. All those years ago when my father brought me to the castle to be Morgana's companion and eventually her maid, I couldn't ever imagine belonging here."
"It's the opposite for me," he said. "Ever since you were brought here, I couldn't imagine you not being here. Even before I loved you, even when we were children, it always felt right for you to be here. I shouldn't have been surprised to discover just how right it felt."
Gwen smiled, taking a sip of wine and putting down the goblet.
"It does. Even with my reservations about being Queen, being with you feels like destiny."
Arthur kissed her gently. "You will be the greatest Queen Camelot has ever had. This kingdom could be in no better hands if Morgana and I were to..."
Gwen's smile faded. She shook her head vigorously, picking her goblet back up from the table and taking a long drink. "No. Don't you dare say it. I won't entertain it. We've all worked far too hard to overcome that particular prophecy. I refuse to believe it has been all for nothing."
She finished her wine and set it back on the table. Her eyes flashed with determination. "Here's a new prophecy for you. King Arthur Pendragon, who has restored magic to Camelot, will defeat his final enemies on the battlefield and bring a glorious new peace to Camelot and to Albion. He will give his Queen children and his kingdom heirs, and he will rule with his sister and brother-in-law, the court sorcerers, at his side. Their children will grow up alongside ours, and we will all be happy, our lives full of love and prosperity, and we will bring the same to all of the people of Albion."
Arthur looked at her kindly. "That is quite the prophecy. I never knew you were a sorceress as well."
"I've decided I am now," she said, chin raised high.
"I don't doubt your power, My Queen," he said, kissing her gently.
"You are wise to never doubt me, My King," she said, deepening the kiss.
He lifted her effortlessly into his arms, carrying her to the bed, eager to make love to his wife.
…
The smoke swirled all around Morgause as she hit Arthur with a blast of magic. He landed onto his back, dropping Excalibur just out of reach as he fell.
She stalked toward him with a vicious grin on her face. She sliced the scabbard from his body, as he scrambled to his feet.
"The end has come," she said, thrusting her sword forward in a death blow.
"No!" Morgana shouted, but she was powerless to stop her. The sword pierced Arthur's heart and he died instantly.
Morgana's rage was like a fire consuming her, until it manifested as actual fire. The flames engulfed her, Morgause and the body of her fallen brother.
"Morgana! Stop!" Merlin shouted, dousing her with water.
Morgana gasped, waking up to the sensation of simultaneously burning and drowning.
She looked around. There was smoke, their bedsheets singed. And she was drenched and shivering.
"What…?" she asked, bewildered.
"You were dreaming. You set the bed on fire. And me," he frowned, pointing to his singed night shirt.
She clasped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide.
"Let's get you dried off, shall we? Then I'll change the bedsheets," he said more gently, wrapping her in a large towel.
"The scabbard, she knows about it somehow. It won't protect Arthur," Morgana said in a small voice, defeated.
"Maybe not from Morgause," Merlin said. "But don't lose faith. We will protect Arthur, I promise."
She nodded as Merlin pulled the burnt sheets from the bed and replaced them with new ones. She changed into a dry nightgown and slipped back into the bed with Merlin.
"This is probably not the married life you envisioned," Morgana muttered miserably into his chest.
He laughed. "I'm sure my mother envisioned it, I've been accidentally setting things on fire since I was a toddler. And often even without magic."
Morgana looked up at him and smiled. "I need your mother to tell me more stories about you as a child. I'd like to know what sort of mischief to expect from our own children."
"I've seen glimpses, as have you. She's going to be a lot of trouble. As beautiful as her mother and just as troublesome. I wonder when that prophesy will come true? We should probably be working on it some more," he said, kissing her slowly.
She pulled away. "It's late. We should probably be resting. We have a long day tomorrow."
He kissed her again. "You're right. We absolutely should be sleeping."
She pulled him back to her for another kiss. "That would be the responsible thing to do."
He flipped her onto her back and kissed her thoroughly. "And we are very responsible people with very important jobs."
She reached down to stroke his cock. "I'm glad we agree on our priorities."
He could only moan in response as she guided him inside of her. As they made love, she tried to memorize every sound, every sensation, every express of love on his handsome face.
She wanted to cherish every moment they had together. She didn't want to waste any more time asleep, dreaming about a fate she could not change.