Chapter 15
Two days later, they arrived in the kingdom of Oliver's father. They looked at each other with fairly traumatized expressions. "Let us never speak of this again."
They stopped for lunch and for once, Oliver made no attempts at escaping though she had plenty of opportunities while the others cooked. As they ate, Arthur talked to Oliver about her father. "So, king Eldor must be mad, considering how long you have been away?"
Oliver winced. Percival looked at Arthur. "King Eldor? Her father is king Pelles."
Arthur frowned. "I specifically recall your letter of recommendation saying king Eldor", he told Oliver, who looked guilty. "You framed the whole thing, didn't you?"
"Well, I thought it was obvious by now. If my father thinks I'm still a hostage to some bandits, why would he write a letter of recommendation so that I could become a knight?" Oliver replied.
"He thinks you've been taken hostage?"
"Yes, they ransacked my wedding through the use of magic. Happy coincidence if I ever saw one. I escaped a few weeks later, far from my father or that Blob." She pronounced the last word as if she had eaten something bad.
"Now, there's no need to insult him just because he's a little heavy on the bottom. Or everywhere", Arthur rebuked her.
"No, that's what his name is. Blob."
"Oh."
Gwaine glanced at Oliver. Despite the fact that they were nearing her father's castle, she seemed upbeat and chatted with Merlin to pass the time. He wondered what had caused her mood to so drastically change.
Once in the castle, Oliver was directed to the side to clothe her in a fashion more becoming of a royal princess. She returned to them wearing a green dress. Merlin elbowed Lancelot, who looked uncomfortable seeing Oliver. "Doesn't she look nice?" Lancelot grunted.
They entered the large hall similar to that of Uther's throne room. It was full of courtiers and Oliver started getting a little nervous. She looked up to see all of her sisters and brothers next to her father. Somebody had told them they were coming.
Her father stood up and walked up to her to embrace her. "Daughter, how much I have missed you."
"Father, I sent you word once in two weeks wherever I went. I assure I am perfectly fine."
"The last time I saw you, you were captured by bandits. You can't blame me for worrying for you."
Oliver sighed. "Father, here is Arthur Pendragon, the first and only heir of Uther of Camelot. Next to him is his best knight, sir Lancelot. The strongest knight he has, sir Gwaine, is the man on his right. You are already acquainted with your nephew, sir Percival. I also present to you Merlin, Arthur's draíodóir and my most trusted friend, after sir Gwaine, that is."
Merlin couldn't help but be curious. Draíodóir? He wasn't the only one, as everyone in their group was watching whether one of the others happened to know what Oliver was talking about. The courtiers seemed to know exactly what she had said, as they all looked surprised and began whispering to each other.
The king eyed Merlin and settled for an accepting grunt to the surprise of Arthur. "Merlin, what are they talking about? Did you do something inappropriate to Oliver?" he whispered to Merlin, who looked absolutely stupefied by his question. "No, of course not!"
"Thank you for bringing my daughter back to me. Now that she is here, we can resume the ceremony."
"What?" Oliver asked. They turned to look in the direction the king was pointing at, and saw a very large red-faced man appear to the king's side. Lancelot become worried. Seeing the man now, he regretted not letting Oliver escape when she had the chance. Oliver, however, never stopped smiling.
"Father, nothing would bring me more pleasure than to fulfill your wish. Alas, I must confess that I cannot marry Blob."
"Just because you don't like him now, doesn't mean you can't have a perfectly good life together", her father repeated what he had said to her hundreds of times before she had disappeared a few years ago.
"Oh, no father. If it only were that simple." Oliver chuckled. She had won in the end, by the most unexpected of circumstances. "During our journey here, I was enchanted by a warlock, and lied with a man. As I am now carrying the child of another man, I simply cannot shame Blob's kingdom by marrying him", Oliver explained with a satisfied smile on her face.
Her father gaped. "Tell me you are lying. Please, daughter."
"It is true. Merlin verified it a while ago." Oliver pointed at Merlin, who had suddenly become the target of Arthur's rage. "Merlin, why didn't you tell me?" Arthur hissed at him.
Merlin was tired of being blamed for everything. "She told me not to!"
Gwaine leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Is this my fault?"
"It most certainly is", Merlin grinned. "You'll make a great godfather."
Blob took this as his time to exit. "So long." He turned his back and left, and his servants followed him. Oliver waved at him in goodbye.
"Who is the father of the child?" The king asked. Maybe the situation could be turned around and he'd score Arthur Pendragon as his son-in-law in stead of some sixth son of the seventh son of a king from the west.
Oliver smiled brightly at him. "I know what you are thinking father, and no such luck. The father of my child is none other than sir Lancelot du Lac." She pointed at Lancelot, who looked like he wanted to flee. "I.."
"So it is you who has shamed my daughter so?"
"Father, we were both under a spell. He is hardly to blame for this. Nor am I, for that matter."
"Elaine, be quiet", Percival said.
"Don't order my daughter around, and it's Elaine of Corbenic to you", the king rebuked him.
While the trio argued on, Merlin elbowed Lancelot. "You are going to be a father!"
Lancelot looked like his life was over. "Now everyone knows. This is humiliating."
Gwaine laid his arm on his shoulders. "As an expert on trouble, I'd say the tricky part is just about to begin."
Lancelot raised his head to look at him. "How so?"
"Well, right now you're simply ashamed. When the king tries to put you to death, that's when the trouble starts."
Sure enough, the king demanded the knight be put to death. Arthur took on the king as they fought over the correct diplomatic conduct in this type of situation. Oliver came to shake Lancelot's hand. "How ironic that you should be the key to my salvation", she smiled victoriously.
Lancelot looked embarrassed. "Don't mention it. Really."
Arthur and the king had finished their debate. "The only way we are going to get out of this situation alive is if Lancelot marries Elaine."
"What?" Lancelot was about to protest. Then he looked at Oliver, whom he expected to fight this battle for him. After all, she had experience in the area of rejecting marriage proposals.
"I accept." Oliver nodded to her father and Arthur, who both seemed relieved. She turned to look at Lancelot, who looked at her like she had just grown another head. She flashed him a wicked smile. "What is it Lancy? I thought you were the one who was always so into holding onto one's responsibilities."
The wedding banquet lasted for three days, so it was relatively short considering this was the king's daughter. She was, however, pregnant, and also she was only the youngest daughter of eight other children, so she didn't merit as big a festivity as her other siblings, apparently. She didn't care: she was just glad it was over and done with. She knew she and Lancy would never live as a conventional married couple, but all in all, things had turned out rather nicely in the end.
They had agreed that Oliver and Lancelot would stay in her father's castle until the baby was born, then travel back to Camelot and he would resume his knightly duties. As Merlin had expected, Oliver asked Gwaine to be one of the godfathers of the child, which angered her father as she had plenty of more prestigious siblings to consider before some lowly knight, but she didn't care. Lancelot and Oliver came to the gates of the citadel to see them off. What surprised Merlin was the fact that Gwaine too turned to him, Arthur and Percival to say goodbye: he was staying behind to watch over Oliver under Arthur's orders.
Gwaine gave Arthur and Percival both friendly pats on the back. Then he stepped in front of Merlin. "It's better this way. Really", he said. He grabbed the boy into his arms. "I'll miss you", Merlin whispered.
"Don't feel bad Merlin, Gwaine will train under my best knight. He'll come back more responsible than ever", Arthur cut in, revealing the true purpose of Gwaine's relocation and punched Merlin in the arm because he seemed so sad. The emotional maturity of an ogre, Merlin thought.
As it couldn't be helped, Merlin let Arthur lead him to the horses where Percival was already waiting for them. He shot one last longing look at Gwaine who waved him goodbye.
End of chapter
Elaine's/Oliver's father is actually the Fisher King, and that's what the name Pelles refers to, but you try making it make since, given the fact that we saw Merlin help him torch himself in 3.08.