Chapter 6: Welcome Home to Camelot

Disclaimer: See Chapter One.

Everyone crowded around the television in Merlin's living room, waiting for the announcement about the appearance of Excalibur in the stone to be made.

I was sitting on Merlin's lap, eyes fixed on the screen.

The others were chatting when the story came on.

Merlin and I shushed them.

"The British government has announced the strange appearance of a sword in a stone in the English countryside. British experts have been studying the sword and stone since it first appeared before Thanksgiving," the news anchor stated. "More experts are being flown in from all over the world to further study the sword. So far experts are calling the sword by the name engraved in runes on the blade just under the hilt guard, Excalibur. People are saying that this is a sign that King Arthur existed and is about to return."

"A day late and a dollar short!" Leon called at the television. "Arthur is already back. She's sitting on Merlin's lap."

I rolled my eyes. "We already know this, Leon. And they'll know it soon enough, so chill."

He grinned cheekily at me. "Yes Sire."

I stuck my tongue out at me.

Merlin chuckled and drew me into a kiss. "Everything is going to be just fine, Alys. You are Arthur, and I'm going to be with you every step of the way. Everything will work out the way it's supposed to. Don't worry," he whispered in my ear.

I smiled at him and ran my fingers over his face. "I know. I love you, Merlin."

"Oh get a room you two! Bad enough we have to see the three 'Mor's making out most days; don't need our image of our king and her greatest advisor and pet warlock to be shattered." Greg told us. "Unless you two are wanting others to join in," he tacked on with a leer.

"Shut up Gwaine." Merlin and I told him in unison before Merlin's eyes flashed gold.

I laughed when I found myself in a relaxing hot bath with Merlin.

-SPACE-

I paced nervously outside the room that contained the Dean of Liberal Arts, the Dean of the whole college, and four other people, five if you counted Merlin.

Because we were seeing each other, he was going to have to leave when it was my turn before the panel.

I tugged a nonexistent wrinkle from my dress shirt as the door opened to allow Merlin and David Smith, a classmate of mine, to exit.

David looked a little depressed. He gave me a nod and walked off.

"Your turn. Just think of it as a council meeting from right after you were crowned. You'll do great." Merlin told me quietly as he gently pushed me towards the door.

I nodded, took a deep breath to gather my confidence, and stepped through the door to part of my future.

It shut with an ominous 'click,' reminding me of the first meeting so long ago with the advisors of Camelot. Just as I did then, before I changed the world by making magic legal, I realized that this was my domain and no one, especially the six older people sitting before me, was going to stop me from getting what I wanted.

I held my head high as I walked over to the chair that I was to sit in.

It was uncomfortable, but I'd sat in worse as King Arthur. Mostly when Merlin was first conjuring furniture from thin air.

The other door to the room opened and Professor Gary Davenport hurried over to sit in what had to be Merlin's vacated seat.

He smiled at me. "I'm not surprised to see you in that seat Miss Penn. I always knew you'd go far."

I smiled back. "Thank you, Professor Davenport. I only got here because of good teachers like you. And it's good to see you again sir."

The Dean of Camelot University cleared her throat. "Welcome Miss Penn. You have a rather interesting thesis."

"Thank you, ma'am." I replied.

"Why don't you sum it up for us?" the man to her left requested.

So began the dissection and close examination of my thesis…and my relationship with Merlin, though that was done extremely subtly.

An hour and twenty minutes later, I shook their hands and then left through the door I'd entered.

Merlin had been leaning against the wall and staring at the floor while he was waiting, but he looked up and straightened as I shut the door after me. "Alys?"

I threw myself into his waiting arms. "I did it!" I breathed.

He laughed and spun us around. "I knew you would."

I pulled away, letting my happiness show. "But that's not all. They loved my thesis and actually moved it up to the dissertation group because of how well-written and proven it was. And because of my grades and the amount of credits I have, they aren't just giving me a Master's Degree, but a Ph.D. as well. I'll be the first person to get one from the program they'd just been allowed to do last fall."

Merlin threw his head back and laughed. "This is wonderful Alys. And very much cause for celebration."

I kissed him deeply, then drew back. "You handle texting everyone so they can adjust the 'surprise' party you'd already planned. And let them know I'm still recovering from the wild party they threw for my birthday."

"Yes Alys." He pulled out his cell phone and began to send off texts.

Gary Davenport met us outside the building and drew me into a hug. "Congratulations Alys."

"Thank you." I hugged him in return and then stepped back into Merlin's embrace.

"Your paper blew me away. I've never read one like it. And with the appearance of the sword in the stone in the U.K., well it was positively amazing." He turned to Merlin. "You take good care of her, Emrys. She's a real gem."

Merlin gave me a quick squeeze and shook Davenport's hand. "I know. And I have no plans to let her get away."

Davenport laughed and bid us goodbye.

My parents were at Merlin's house with the Knights and the others when we got there.

The party went long into the night and Merlin carried me up to bed when I started falling asleep on his shoulder.

-SPACE-

The Graduation Ceremony took place a couple weeks after finals were done, and I swore I had the largest group of people there.

My parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents were there along with all my Court as Merlin and I had come to call all the Knights, Morgana, Morgause, Mordred, Gwen, the Knights' significant others, Gavin, and Olivia.

When it was my turn to get my diploma (and I was last of all because of my circumstances), Merlin kissed me so deeply instead of shaking my hand that a couple of the Knights ran up to help me make my shaking way down the stairs. This caused a few laughs, but was totally worth it.

We all went out for dinner afterwards and had a good time.

Isolde had quickly become the darling of my Court and chatted to everyone over dinner.

Summer happened after that and was spent training, spending time with my family, and doing some relaxing. It seemed to pass rather quickly and the anniversary of Alys Penn's first meeting of Dr. Merlin Emrys came up.

Merlin made me dinner and we danced under the stars in the backyard, ignoring the teasing and laughter of those in the house at the time.

I had been employed as Merlin's assistant and helped out teaching his classes, so I was kept busy since Merlin was a rather tough taskmaster (something I really hadn't noticed as his student since I enjoyed the subject).

The day before Thanksgiving, the day Merlin and I considered our actual anniversary, Olivia, Morgana, Morgause, Gwen, and a couple of the other girls dragged me out of the house after breakfast and made me spend the day shopping in Machias and then going to the local spa in Esterton.

I had a great time and was convincing the others that all of us women needed a Girls' Day Out before we ended up in England when I walked into the house to find Merlin standing in the hallway.

He was dressed in the outfit he'd worn when he first met me when I was Arthur and looked a little nervous.

I put the two bags I had on the floor, stopping midsentence to walk over to him. "Merlin? What's wrong? Do we need to leave for home early?"

He took my hands and kissed the backs of them. "No, we don't have to leave early. We're still set for the first week of break."

"Then what's wrong?" I searched his face for an answer.

He grinned his wide and idiotic smile and stepped back.

Tiny little dragons made of fire began to fly around me.

I laughed, knowing that even if I were to touch the fire, it would not burn me. I loved the feel of Merlin's magic, trying to get him to use it on me every chance I could.

Among the red and orange was a flash of pale silvery gold.

The gold dragon separated from the rest and wrapped itself around my left ring finger.

I brought my hand up to look at it.

It was a highly detailed dragon made of white gold and held a nice sized deep blue diamond in its jaws.

The other dragons turned into red roses and fell about my feet.

I looked up at Merlin. "Merlin?"

He took my left hand and ran his thumb over the ring. "I love you, Alys. I want to call you mine and help you as more than just an advisor. Marry me, please."

I smiled smugly as I wrapped my arms around his neck. "You had better make yourself a crown Merlin, because my Royal Consort, my husband, is not going to go without one. And just so you know, this is me saying yes."

He chuckled, eyes flashing gold as my crown appeared on my head and a matching one in silver appeared on Merlin's head. "Prat."

"Idiot." I returned fondly.

The house exploded into cheers and generally noisy chaos as Merlin and I kissed.

I pulled away and stood up on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "What say you to you and I escaping this ruckus and celebrating our engagement privately?'

His blue eyes darkened.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked just as softly.

I turned to the others. "We will celebrate this event tomorrow. At the moment I am going to play the 'Royalty' card and not share Merlin with the lot of you. And whoever disturbs us before dawn, depending on if they are a knight or not, will either be the Royal Stock Inspector or some other horrid fate I can think of. Night all." I grabbed my two bags, took Merlin's hand, and dragged him up the stairs with the hoots and catcalls of the others following us.

-SPACE-

Three hours later, Merlin woke from his doze and looked at me.

"You know, for a virgin, you know quite a bit about drawing out pleasure." Merlin commented hoarsely.

I let my smugness show and leaned over to kiss him. "Thank my wild days as Prince of Camelot. I was rather wild as a teen and before you came to Camelot."

He chuckled as I moved back to just laying beside him with my head on my fist and drawing random patterns on his chest with my fingers. "I can believe that."

I smiled, enjoying the sight of Merlin just in his crown with a sheet just barely covering his hips. I wore just my crown, the black satin and lace underwear set Morgana and Morgause had made me wear when we dressed when we were finished getting pampered at the spa (something Merlin really liked), and a pair of socks.

Merlin hummed in contentment as I began lightly peppering his jaw and neck with kisses and soft nips. "As much as I'm enjoying this, I don't think it's fair that I'm getting all the pleasure."

I straddled his stomach. "But you aren't. I'm getting my share of it too. Besides, it's past time I've done something for you. Since magic is legal, I can't do much. Allow me to show my gratitude in one of the only ways I can." I gave his collarbone a sharp nip as I felt the tingle of his magic begin to wash over me. "No magic Merlin. You can have control on our wedding night."

His breathing started to shallow.

"And I'm keeping count of how many orgasms you're ahead by and you owe me that many when you get control." I warned before starting to kiss my way down his chest.

"You are a wonderful, gorgeous, but evil woman," he panted.

"Shut up Merlin. And just feel." I shot him a heated look before pulling the sheet over my head.

"Alys!"

-SPACE-

I skipped down the stairs the next morning, dressed in a pair of worn jeans and one of Merlin's T-shirts.

Those that were up stared at me in shock.

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Mordred pushed a glass of orange juice across the counter of the island at me. "We weren't expecting either of you until dinner."

I rolled my eyes as I took a drink of it. "I was the one giving the pleasure. We didn't have the type of sex you lot are thinking of. That's for after the wedding." I glanced at the ceiling. "Though I think I might have turned Merlin into a boneless mass of goo."

Brittany, Galahad's girlfriend, laughed. "Way to go Alys!"

Morgause and Olivia (who had just started on her first cup of coffee of the day and wasn't very awake) leaned towards me.

"Was he loud?" Morgause asked.

"Yeah Lys, whazz he like?" Olivia added.

I grinned, rather pleased with myself as I thought about the night before. "All I'm going to say on the subject is that I found out that if you torture him long enough, he starts talking, begging, and pleading in the language of the Old Religion."

This caused bouts of laughter.

Leon shuffled into the kitchen yawning, hair sticking up in all directions and blue boxers slung low on his hips. He saw me and blinked a few times. "Nice to see you up. You might want to call your mother. She called last night, but you were busy. And knowing you as I do, I wasn't about to disturb you."

"Thanks Leon." I grabbed the cordless and dialed Mom's cell phone, knowing that she and Dad would already be at Aunt Laudine and Uncle Mark's house.

Mom answered after the second ring. "Hello?"

"Hi Mom. Leon said you'd called last night." I stated.

"Alys, sweetheart! Here, let me put you on speaker and you can tell me, your aunts, and your grandmothers all about it," she gushed, doing just that.

I looked at my ring. "I take it you know that Merlin proposed then."

"Of course we do! Merlin drove all the way here yesterday and spent two hours holed up in the garage with your father, uncles, and grandfathers. And we all saw the ring he'd made just for you." Mom replied.

There was a sound of pots and pans being placed on the counter after someone said it was me on the phone.

"How'd he propose?" Aunt Laudine asked.

"Did he whisk you off to Italy and a magic gondola ride?" Aunt Anna questioned.

"No. He did something better. He was dressed in the outfit he wore when we first met way-back-when in Camelot and was standing in the front hall when I came in from my Girls' Day Out shopping and visiting the spa. He looked so nervous that I thought something was wrong or we were going to have to leave for England early." I began grabbing pots and pans of my own. "And the next thing I know, I'm surrounded by flying dragons made of flame with a flash of gold among them. He'd animated the ring and it wrapped itself around my finger. The other dragons turned into roses and then he takes my hand and says 'marry me, please.' So of course I said yes."

"You did remember to use protection didn't you? I know how some are just caught up in the excitement and forget." Mom stated blandly.

"Mom!" I was honestly shocked. I dropped the pan I was holding.

"What? I just want my little girl to be careful, even if she is King Arthur returned. I think it's a bit much to add a pregnancy to your already full plate," she returned.

"This from the woman who was two and a half months gone on her own wedding day." I replied.

"I'll have you know that I wasn't aware until four months that I was pregnant with you. And your father and I had been dating for five years by then, trying for a child for three of those years. You didn't give me morning sickness until the last trimester, nor did you really make your presence known until five months."

I rolled my eyes. "So I've been told countless times. But I didn't sleep with Merlin last night."

"Then what were you doing last night that made even your bravest knights and members of your Court afraid to disturb you?" Mom asked.

"Probably not playing Gin Rummy!" Mawmaw Mary called out.

"Or chess!" Grandma Ruth cackled.

"For your information, I was busy reducing him to a quivering, pleading, magical mass of Old Religion goo. And why is everyone suddenly so interested in my love-life? And should I be worried about Daddy showing up on the doorstep, trying to kill Merlin for 'defiling his little girl'?"

"No, don't worry about that. We've successfully cowed the men into behaving. And we're so interested because you finally have one worth talking about." Aunt Laudine explained.

"Seriously, the five of you are gossiping biddies. I'd like to talk to Viviane or Issy now. At least then I can have an actual conversation instead of being teased."

"Viviane is busy mooning over the boy she likes, but Isolde's been wanting to speak with you." Aunt Anna told me.

Isolde's sweet voice was on the line a minute later.

"You're gonna marry Merlin, right Alys?" she asked.

I smiled. "Yes Issy, I'm going to marry Merlin."

"I can be in your wedding, right?"

"And you will be the prettiest flower girl ever. You can help me pick out your dress."

She cheered. "I can't wait. Aunt Igraine is making your dessert, but it won't be the same."

"I know sweetheart. And I'd love to be there with you all, but I want to get in a couple more practice sessions before we leave in two weeks." I started gathering ingredients, smiling as Mordred and a few of the girls moved to do the same.

"You're not going to forget us when you're a king again are you?"

"Of course not! I'd never do something like that. And all of you will be welcome in Camelot whenever and for as long as you wish." I assured her.

"Okay Alys. I'll let you go so you can cook. Tell Merlin I said hi."

"I will." I hung up after she did. I put the phone on the charger. "Well let's get this feast started."

-SPACE-

Merlin finally dragged himself out of bed and downstairs just as I put the finishing touches on my signature dessert and a couple other dishes. He wrapped himself around me and dropped a kiss at the juncture of my neck.

"Well look who the cat dragged in." Morgana teased.

Merlin shot her a glare.

I squeezed his hand where it lay around my waist. "Issy says hi."

He chuckled lightly. "Leon said you'd called your mother back. And that they seemed to tease you."

"It's just one of the many services my female relatives offer. And don't worry about my dad or other male relatives showing up to try and kill you. Mom and them have scared them out of trying anything." I told him.

"Remind me to thank them later. I don't think I can handle another night like last night. It took me ages to get enough energy to open my eyes." He gave me a slight squeeze.

"Get used to it, because there are many more nights like it in your future. And I fully expect you to join me for any meetings the next day." I warned.

He groaned. "Evil woman. But I still love you for some reason."

"And I love you. Now go sit down at the table. Dinner's almost finished."

He turned me around and kissed me deeply.

I had to hold the counter for a moment to get my balance back once he left for the dining room.

The other in the kitchen snickered at me.

I ignored them and started carrying out dishes.

Dinner was a big hit and I wasn't surprised that there were very little to no leftovers considering most of the men eating were knights.

-SPACE-

I mentally went over everything I'd packed, trying to make sure I'd gotten everything. I squeaked and threw my arms around Merlin's neck when he snatched me up so he could settle in my seat with me on his lap.

Because we had a large number of people, we couldn't take Merlin's jet so we were all sitting in the airport in Augusta and waiting for our flight.

"Stop stressing Alys. We have everything. And if we don't, I can conjure it up real quick." Merlin told me.

I sighed and laid my head on his shoulder. "I can't help it. You know how I am. You could distract me you know."

"And how should I do that my liege?" he teased.

"Sing me one of your songs." I'd fallen in love with the music he'd created as part of Dragon's band after Dragon had sent me a CD shortly after we'd returned to the States.

Merlin chuckled. "You're not going to stop asking me to sing to you until I do, are you?"

"Not even then. You weave a spell when you sing and I love it."

Our flight was announced before he could start, and Merlin thanked the gods under his breath.

"I'll get you to sing at some point." I warned him as we all grabbed our carry-on stuff.

He just smiled and ushered me towards the boarding gate before him.

At some point during our long flight, Merlin leaned over and began to softly sing in my ear that wasn't pressed into his shoulder.

I fell asleep to his voice creating a world just for him and me, dreaming of what he sang of.

-SPACE-

Two days later found all of us huddled together on a cold and windy stretch of land, standing off to the side as our main opponent and his group stood before the press.

Their leader called himself Arthur Pendragon. His real name was Thomas Goodhurst and he was a real ass.

We'd stumbled across each other the day we arrived in the small town near the stone and he'd automatically began laughing at me and basically degrading everything Camelot ever stood for when he heard that I was going to pull Excalibur free.

I rolled my eyes when he once more went on about how he was Arthur returned.

That group was dressed up gaudily, none more so than 'King Arthur' with jewels and furs dripping from his figure.

I turned my attention to Camelot behind the stone. "You did good fixing and protecting Camelot, Merlin. Thank you for taking care of it for me."

Merlin hugged me closer to his side. "It's our home. I had to do it."

"Our home is wherever the other is." I sighed, looking over the well known towers, balconies, and the rest.

Only Merlin and I could actually see Camelot.

I frowned as Goodhurst's 'Merlin' finished doing a 'purification ceremony' on the sword and stone. "Merlin, did you make the stone unbreakable?"

"No."

"Do it and quick. I think he's going to try and cheat with his 'Merlin the Magician's' help."

Merlin's eyes flashed gold.

"Done. Nothing can break the rock. And the sword is one with the stone, so only you can pull it free."

Goodhurst finished his speech and walked over to the sword. He began tugging at it.

It refused to budge and the press began to snicker as his face turned red, and they laughed when he fell over from turning to forcefully pull it free.

My group was silent. We knew the truth.

Goodhurst and his group was ushered away by the officials, who also undid whatever it was that his 'Merlin' had done.

I sighed as I tugged my jeans up a little more and separated myself from Merlin.

My group was all dressed casually and watched as I made my way towards the stone and Excalibur.

I said nothing to the press, just took hold of the hilt.

Who are you? a voice that was both genders and all ages questioned in my mind.

I am Arthur Pendragon, but I am also Alys Penn.

What is your certainty?

I looked at Merlin and smiled. I love and am loved by my soul-mate, Merlin Emrys.

The sword slid free and Camelot appeared behind me.

A/N: Two more chapters after this and it's done.