A/N: So, here it is, the official last chapter in my woman's series. It's an extra long one (give or take 3600 words), to thank you all for sticking with me these past 7+ years. There is still one more chapter coming, which will be an epilogue, so I'll keep my tearful goodbyes for then.

With that said, I wholeheartedly hope that you will like this chapter (it has tooooons of fluff) and that you will leave me a review. Thank you all so much.

Chapter 26: The Reckoning - part 3

"Arthur!" Morgana called out.

I rushed over, followed closely by Arthur. Morgana was cradling Uther's head, looking more distraught than I had ever seen her.

Mordred backed away respectfully. 'There's nothing we can do,' he sent mentally. 'He's dying.'

"Father." Arthur was panting, and, though he was fully healed, still seemed a little off balance. I silently put a hand on his shoulder in moral support.

Uther's breathing came in agonizing rasps, and a small trickle of blood had made its way from the corner of his mouth to his chin. For all his faults, I felt sorry for him. "Ar… thur," he rasped, his hand weakly reaching out.

Arthur gently picked it up and held it in his own. "I'm here father."

"Do… duty…" the King managed to force out. His chest was moving erratically, and I knew it wouldn't be long now. He turned his eyes on Morgana, and something softened in him. "My… daugh… ter…" he whispered. And with one last rattling breath, he went still.

I felt the life drain out of him and knew that the King had died.

For a moment, we all sat there. I knew that Arthur and Morgana would have a hard time processing that their father - and he was, in essence, Morgana's father - had died. Uther had always had such a commanding presence, even I was having a hard time believing he was gone. But my magic left me without a doubt. There was no coming back from this.

After another minute, Arthur finally moved to close his father's eyes and stood up, a little shakily. I quickly followed him, reaching for his hand and giving it a squeeze.

As I turned around, I was mildly surprised by just how many people were in the room. Several of Uther's - Arthur's now - council members had survived, including Geoffrey of Monmouth, and were now stepping out from behind the columns they had cowered behind. Arthur had also brought in several knights, and the commotion of the magical duel had even drawn in some courtiers. There would be no hiding what I'd done.

As the new ruler of Camelot, Arthur would have no choice but to sentence me to death.

Arthur tightened his hold on my hand for a moment, before steeling himself and letting me go. I swallowed. I understood that he'd have to uphold the law, and didn't hold it against him. But I wasn't ready to die. I'd fight my way out if I had to.

"My father told me to do my duty with his last breath, and I intend to honour that request," he said, and Merlynn tensed. "It is my solemn obligation to safeguard this Kingdom and all its citizens… but we would have lost our home today, if it hadn't been for Merlynn. Twenty-one years ago, my father changed the law to outlaw magic in all its forms because our land was mired in chaos. Today, I'm changing that law back again."

The crowd gasped, and I found herself staring at Arthur incredulously.

"Before the Purge this land had no laws to govern those with magic, because we had no way to control it, which is what led to the terrible events that happened after that. To make sure something like that never happens again, I want to appoint a court sorcerer." He glanced over at me and his eyes softened. "Merlynn? It seems you're the most logical choice."

I was frozen, unable to do anything but look into his eyes. I found nothing but sincerity and love there. "Will you accept this responsibility?" he asked.

Tears gathered in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. This was a moment to be strong, to show them that I could do this. "I will," I said, and thanked the Goddess that my voice hadn't shaken.

There was some hesitant applause, but I didn't blame them. This was new and strange to them, but they would get used to it.

The only ones smiling were Mordred - enthusiastically - and Morgana - somewhat sadly. And Arthur, of course. He kept his smile in check, but I could see the pride shining in his eyes.

"Then may I present to the court; the Lady Merlynn, official court sorceress of Camelot!" Arthur announced, and started applauding as well.

Seeing their new King's determination and approval, the applause grew louder. It was still somewhat reserved, but I couldn't have cared less. All I'd ever wanted, ever since learning that magic was something I had to hide, something to be feared, all I'd ever wanted was to be accepted. And here I was, in the rhrone room of Camelot, watching its courtiers and knights applauding my new position of court sorceress.

As the noise died down, I finally managed to school my features somewhat. Geoffrey of Monmouth stepped forward with a dignified look on his face. "The King is dead. Long live the King," he proclaimed.

"Long live the King!" the room echoed.

Arthur looked solemn as he accepted his new role. Things would be very different from now on, but I had no doubt that Arthur would be able to handle it. He quickly ordered the knights and guards to clean up the throne room, and went to oversee how the rest of the battle had turned out. Morgana gave orders to put the late King's body in the catacombs for now, before retreating to her chambers. I quickly whispered a stasis spell as they carried him out, in order to preserve the body. I knew Morgana wouldn't think of it, but Uther's funeral would probably have to wait a day or so. The councilmen would get a ceremonial burying the next day, along with any knights that had died in the battle, but the King would be burned separately, most likely the day after that.

As for me, I waited until most people had exited the room, before telling the guards that I'd take care of the throne room. They hesitated for a moment, before relenting and vacating the room. Only Mordred and I remained. He watched as I magically cleaned and restored the room - there had been some damage from wayward spells.

"Things will be different from now on, won't they?" Mordred asked once I'd finished.

"Yes," I replied as I looked over the now-pristine room. "Things will be different."

/*/

I had no idea how different, though.

Since I was now, for all intents and purposes a Lady of the court, I was assigned quarters and a private study in the royals' wing. Not the nobles' wing, but right down the hall from Arthur's own chambers. He was offered to take his father's quarters, but refused. Privately, I was relieved. I wasn't sure if I could spend all that much time in Uther's old rooms without being uncomfortable.

The funerals went ahead as I'd expected, with a ceremony the next day for the council members and fallen knights, and a separate one for Uther the day after. It was an emotional time for Arthur, but he went through it with grace and poise, as stately as any King.

The crowning ceremony took place the day after the late King's funeral. Arthur was still grieving, but he understood that this needed to happen as soon as possible, or Camelot's enemies would see it as an opportunity to strike.

I, myself, felt a little off-balanced. I wasn't used to servants greeting me with bows and calling me 'my lady', let alone being obeyed when I asked for something. The rumour had spread that Arthur and I were courting, and while I was aware of the animosity directed towards me, I much preferred that to the bootlicking I now had to put up with. So many people seemed to want to be in my good graces to get something.

Arthur seemed to find my discomfort amusing, but for once that didn't annoy me. Not much seemed to put a smile on his face these days, and if he wanted to laugh at my misfortune, who was I to deny him?

Morgana, similarly, was grieving. But her grief was slightly different from Arthur's.

When Uther's pyre was set aflame, she hadn't stayed long. Just long enough to pay her respects, before she went back to her chambres. She hadn't even bothered to come out for the funerals the day before. I stood by Arthur's side until the fire was almost out and everyone else had moved on. I'd held his hand and wiped away his tears when he seemed unable to do so himself. And when I deemed him stable enough to leave on his own, I went in search of his adoptive sister. Much as I loved Arthur and wanted to be there for him, there was nothing I could do but be present. But perhaps I could do something for Morgana.

I found her in her darkened chambers, brushing her hair mindlessly in front of the mirror. She hadn't cried, not since that day in the throne room, but I knew she would need to at some point.

"Morgana?" I called out softly.

When she didn't respond, I carefully took the brush from her hands and took over the task myself. She hadn't taken a new handmaid yet, and I still felt responsible for her.

"Do you miss him?" I asked. I wasn't sure what to say, but this seemed like a safe enough way to start a conversation.

She opened her mouth to reply, but then closed it again. She looked miserable, but still she didn't cry. Taking a deep breath, Morgana lowered her eyes to her hands, which were clasped in her lap. "When I was ten years old, some knights came to my house. I thought my father would be one of them, that he'd finally come home. But he hadn't. The knights were there to tell me he'd died on the front lines, and that they had come to escort me to my new home," she said, keeping her eyes low. Her voice was thick, like she was on the verge of crying, but her eyes remained dry. I wasn't sure why she was telling me this now, but I knew she needed to tell me this now, so I listened as I braided her hair.

"When I arrived, I was scared and lonely, and I… I had already decided that I hated it here. The guards brought me to Uther's private chambers. He knelt down in front of me and told me that he was sorry my father had died, that they'd been friends. He told me that he would take care of me like I was his own child… I think he said some other things, but I don't remember. I just remember thinking that perhaps I wasn't as alone as I'd thought, and that maybe it wouldn't be so terrible here. It was only later that I realized the gesture he'd made in kneeling in front of me. A King doesn't kneel except on his coronation. But he'd done that for me. And he made a point of eating supper with me every night, no matter how busy he was." Morgana sighed and glanced to the side. I could see her eyes shining, but didn't comment.

"He said 'my daughter' to me…" she whispered, and I knew she was talking about the day he'd died. "I didn't think anything of it, but… Both my parents had fair hair, like Arthur's, but mine has always been so dark... " she trailed off, and a single tear ran down her cheek. My heart went out to her, but I didn't think she was ready for me to talk just yet. "I felt relieved," she said, choking on a sob as she finally broke down and cried, burying her head in her hands.

I let go of her hair, knelt in front of her and put my arms around her. "Shh, it'll be alright," I whispered. It was nonsense, but I didn't know what to say. I'd been through a lot in the past two years, but I'd never lost anyone close to me. I wasn't sure how to act.

"Don't you understand?" she managed to say in between hiccoughs. "I felt relieved when he died," she said pulling out of the hug and looking at me imploringly. "I've been scared for so long, and when he found out… Some part of me was happy that he was gone," she uttered, her voice breaking as she lowered her eyes back to her lap in shame.

Tears gathered in my own eyes at her heartbreaking tone, and the confession she'd just made, but I steeled myself. Morgana didn't need this now. I tucked the hair that had gotten loose back behind her ear and forced her to look at me. "You did nothing wrong. Do you hear me? You. Did. Nothing. Wrong," I said, emphasizing every word. "You've been scared nearly your whole life, it's only natural that you felt some relief that the source of that dread is gone now. But the most important thing to remember is that only part of you felt that way. That other part probably felt nothing but grief and loss." I searched for words for a moment, as Morgana kept staring at me as if she were drowning, and I was her safety line. "It's not as black and white as you think, Morgana. You're allowed to feel grief and guilt, pain and relief. Emotions are complicated and messy and impossible. I don't… I can't imagine exactly how you feel, but the important thing is that you feel. Allow yourself to feel all of it, and eventually, it'll become more bearable. Until then… just take it one moment at a time," I suggested.

"It's been a few minutes since I walked in, and you've survived those," I said with a small, encouraging smile. "Just survive for a few minutes more. And then a few minutes more. And then, perhaps, you can survive another day. And another one. Until one day, you'll wake up to find that instead of surviving, you've learned to live again."

Morgana took a shuddering breath, suppressed another hiccough, and straightened a little. "I think I can do that," she whispered, nodding a little. "Just a few minutes?" she asked

I smiled a little broader. "Just a few minutes."

Another deep breath, and we moved to sit on the bed. I put an arm around her shoulders and allowed her a few more minutes to compose herself, and to survive.

A little while later, she finally spoke. "Merlynn?"

"Yes, Morgana?"

"Will you keep teaching me magic?" she asked timidly.

I'd never thought I'd hear Morgana say anything timidly. It was a little endearing. "Of course, Morgana. You're my star pupil, after all," I said with a wink.

"I'm your only pupil," she muttered, but there was a tiny smile on her face, and that was all the reward I needed.

She'd be alright, eventually.

/*/

I couldn't stop fidgeting with the clasp of my cloak. Arthur rolled his eyes and took my hand in his.

Sighing, I turned to face him. "Why are we doing this again? It's your big day."

He shot me a look that I knew meant we've been over this. "It's efficient, and the sooner the Kingdom returns to normal, the better. And besides, you accepted when I asked, so there's no turning back now. Unless you're having second thoughts?" he teased, grinning at me.

I smiled softly at him. I could still see the sadness in his eyes, and the burden on his shoulders, and if there was anything I could do… how could I not? "I promise you, I have no doubts," I said, trying to pour everything I felt into the look I gave him.

His face softened, and he leaned forward to press his lips to mine briefly. "Just remember, after this, you're basically stuck with me forever." His words were teasing, but there was a question in his eyes, too. Are you certain? Do you really want this?

I kissed him again. Yes.

As if on cue, we heard a herald announce us, and faced the doors as they opened. I released Arthur's hand, instead laying it on his now-outstretched arm as he led me into the throne room. It was packed with noblemen and Ladies, so I steeled my nerves, despite the gazes I could feel burning into my skin.

Arthur left me at the foot of the dais, while he continued on ahead. He turned to face the crowd and knelt, and - after a short but boring speech by Monmouth I tuned out - he accepted the crown that was now placed on his head.

My eyes locked with his as the room chanted "Long live the King!". I added my voice to the chorus and allowed my pride and love to shine through my eyes. Arthur smiled at me briefly, before turning his attention back on the crowd at large. He raised his hands and silence fell.

"When I was a boy, I thought that Camelot was the greatest nation in the world," Arthur said. "Now I know that, just like any other Kingdom, it has its faults. I vow to you, on this day, that I will not rest until Camelot is the greatest nation in, if not the world, than at least in all of Albion. We are a proud and strong people, we have survived that which would have led any other country to crumble. If we can survive that, then I have no doubt that we can all work together to make Camelot better." He paused for a moment, making eye contact with several people in the crowd. "Let's show our neighbours how it's done," he said with a slight smirk.

The room broke out in applause, which Arthur dutifully accepted, before silencing it again. "But there can be no improvement without change." His eyes found mine again. "So I'd ask the Lady Merlynn to join me," he said, holding out his hand to me.

I took a deep breath and slowly made my way up the stairs. The last thing I wanted to do was trip over the magnificent gown Morgana had lent me. I kept my eyes on Arthur, hoping it would distract me from the sheer knowledge that the entire court was staring at me, judging me. This worked up until I reached him, took his hand, and had to turn to face the crowd.

His hand tightened around mine, and for a moment, I felt just a little safer.

"Magic is a part of our lives, whether we want it to be or not," Arthur said, and I felt incredibly grateful that most eyes turned to him now. "My father tried to ban it altogether, which proved to be a mistake. My father was a good king, but as our nation, he was flawed. Twenty years ago, magic ran rampant and caused chaos, so he sought to eradicate it from our lands. That was not the right decision. My councilmen and I have already drafted the legalization bill that will bring magic back to Camelot. One of the specifications in that bill was the appointment of a court sorcerer or sorceress," he said, before turning to face me. I knelt in the same spot as he had, but faced my King, where he had faced the crowd.

"Merlynn Emrys of Ealdor, do you swear to uphold the laws of Camelot, to protect this country with all that you are and to never do harm unless absolutely necessary?" he asked.

"Deirim mar sin," I muttered under my breath, before saying the translation, "I so swear," out loud.

I saw Arthur studying my eyes, and knew that they must have been gold. But he didn't look uneasy or disgusted. He simply looked as though he wanted to memorize what I looked like, and I couldn't help blushing under his gaze.

The corner of his mouth quirked, and I could tell that he was amused at my reddened cheeks. Thankfully, he turned away then, to pick a necklace off a ceremonial pillow Geoffrey of Monmouth was holding, before turning back.

"Then I, King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot, name you, Merlynn Emrys of Ealdor, the official court sorceress," he said as he gently draped the necklace over my head. It was silver, with a huge sapphire at the end, surrounded by diamonds. It was one of the lesser known jewels owned by the crown, and Arthur had chosen it "Because it matches your eyes." I had agreed only because the purity of the sapphire and diamonds would allow me to enchant it with several protection and detection spells, not to mention the runes I could carve into the back to ensure that whomever wore it after me, would be bound by their vows. I wouldn't allow any of my successors to use their position to hurt the crown.

Arthur helped me up, and I stood beside him, overlooking the crowd. There was more applause, but I tuned it out, focussing solely on his hand in mine.

"Are you happy?" Arthur asked quietly, his voice masked by the noise.

I looked at him, my eyes shining as I tried in vain to keep my smile in check. But I'd never really been the type to hide how I felt, so I beamed at him proudly. "Couldn't be happier," I whispered back, before throwing all decorum in the wind and pulled him into a hug.

Finally, all was well.

A/N:

*Deirim mar sin = I so swear

So, that was it... All that's left is basically a summary of what all happened to all the characters. I did mention to a few readers that I might write another one-shot series about the characters, but I can't promise anything. I do have another 8 WIPs that I need to work on.

This is officially the first multi-chaptered series that I have managed to finish, which is a huge deal to me. I can't believe that this story is actually over... but for those of you who, like me, just aren't satisfied with just this, go check out my other FemMerlin fic, where Merlynn is a royal. You can probably tell how much my writing has improved since I started this series in 2010, so you can imagine that A Path Unwalked is much better (at least, in my humble opinion).

That said, I am pretty proud of this last story arch. I mean, it was sooo far from what I had imagined when I started the series, but it was definitely better. I'm kind of proud of myself for actually finishing the story, and on such a high note. I've gotten so many lovely compliments from you lovely readers, and it's really kept me going.

So please, please leave me a review. Tell me what you thought of the chapter, and of the series as a whole. Are there characters you miss? Characters you wish I had worked in? Are there things you thought I handled well, or could have handled better? Let me know! Maybe I can work some of those things into one-shots.

I'll see you all, for the final time, when I post the epilogue. Bye.