Merlin had laughed when he first saw Morgana with the Donkey. She had argued with him and simply placed more flowers on the creature's head. He had asked her for Mordred, to which she readily agreed. She said she needed nothing now but her love, Gwaine the ass. Now he was watching Morgana with her love from behind a hedge. She was sat in a bed of flowers, with the creature's head in her lap. She was looking at him with adoration, weaving roses into a headdress she had made for him. Morgause was scratching his head, and looked mortified at having to do so. His laughter had run out.

"Freya." Gwaine said. "Could you find me some honey?"

"Yes, my lord." She said before scurrying away, looking glad to leave.

"Nimueh." He called. "Can you join Morgause in scratching my head?"

"Of course, my lord." She said though gritted teeth. She knelt down to join Morgause in her discomfort.

Morgana smiled blissfully, unaware of her servant's frustration. "Would you like some music, dear Gwaine? Or some food?"

"Some oats would be nice," He said, "I've never been a big fan of oats before, but I could really go for some now."

"I could have one of my servants find some on a mortal farm for you, if that's what you want."

"No, it's alright, I wouldn't want to be a pest. I've never been treated so well." He yawned, accentuating his large teeth. "I haven't had any sleep tonight, though. I think I'll sleep now."

"I will sleep beside you." Morgana said, placing a kiss on his snout. "You may leave us." She said, addressing Morgause and Nimueh. The servants left them. Morgana ran her hand over his long neck. "I love you." She whispered. She lay down and fell asleep beside him.

"Did you get the child, my king?"

Merlin started and turned to see Trickler kneeling beside him. "You made me jump." He said, "Yes, I got the child. He's with his family." He went back to watching Morgana.

"Does it amuse you, my lord?" Trickler asked.

"Not really… I pity them." He sighed, "I remember when she used to hold me like that. Do you still have the antidote, Trickler?"

"Yes." He handed the plant to Merlin.

"Thank you." He said, before getting up and walking to Morgana. He dropped some of the nectar on each of her eyelids. "I don't want this to carry on any longer. Trickler, can you-"

"Merlin?"

He looked down at his queen. "Did I speak too loudly? I didn't mean to wake you."

She looked back at him groggily, sitting up. "Thank God it's you. I had such a strange dream. That I loved a creature with the head of…" She paused, trying to recall the dream she'd had, "An ass."

"Yes." Merlin said, sitting beside her, "A very strange dream. There lies your love." He nodded his head to the figure sleeping beside her.

She gagged and covered her mouth at the sight of Gwaine. "What was I thinking? What on Earth?" She ran a hand down her face.

"Trickler, can you change him back to human?" Merlin asked.

"Yes my lord." He started to mutter and his eyes turned gold. The donkey's face started to shrink and morph until he was simply Gwaine.

"Are we still angry with each other?" Merlin asked.

"I would choose you a thousand times over a mortal donkey." She said, leaning against him. "I know you're somehow responsible for this, but I don't think I'll take my revenge for at least a few hundred years."

"I'm grateful for that." Merlin said. He kissed her forehead, "I'm glad I married you."

"My lord, dawn is breaking." Trickler said, looking up to the glowing orange sky.

"The mortal king is getting married today, I believe." Merlin said, standing up. "Shall we watch?"

"Please. As long as I don't have to look at him anymore." Morgana said, pointing at the sleeping Gwaine.

0000

Uther had hoped he wouldn't have much law keeping to do on his wedding day. These hopes were shattered when Lord Thomas had appeared in the castle that morning. He was ranting about his daughter eloping with Arthur. Cenred was nowhere to be found. That was why he was in a riding party with Catrina and Thomas on the day he was supposed to be getting married. The dogs were following the scent and making too much noise. He hated this.

"Your dogs bark very well." Catrina said. He could tell by her tone of voice that she was thinking the same thing. "I don't think I've ever heard such impressive barking."

"Yes." He replied, gruffly, "They're the Spartan kind…" He trailed off. He had seen something in the distance, "Look! Over there! There are some people asleep on the ground. Can you see?"

"It's Gwen!" Thomas cried, "And Arthur, and Cenred, and is that... old Olaf's Vivian? What's she doing there? Why are they all together?"

"Does it matter?" Uther asked, blowing on his hunting horn to wake them.

The four lovers woke up slowly. Arthur was the first to sit up. He looked around, dazed. He was sure they had slept in a different part of the forest. He had had a dream the night before… something about Vivian. He saw the king and snapped to attention. He got to his knees and bowed his head. "Forgive me, my lord."

The group dismounted and Uther moved to the front of the crowd. "On your feet; all four of you." Arthur, Gwen, Vivian and Cenred all got to their feet. "Now," Uther said, "When I last saw Cenred and Arthur they were enemies. Now they trust each other enough to sleep in the same glade. Can you explain this to me?"

"Yes…" Arthur said. He looked around, "I'm not very sure myself."

"You can start with what you're doing in the woods." Thomas said.

Arthur sighed heavily, "I had planned to run away and marry Guinevere. Don't punish her, it was my idea."

"My lord, this is enough evidence for you to punish him." Thomas said, "Cenred, he was running away with your wife."

"That was why I came here, to find them." Cenred said, looking at Vivian, "Fair Vivian told me of their plan and followed me out of love." He took Vivian's hands, "And by some power, my love for Guinevere melted. I no longer wish to marry her. I love Vivian and only Vivian."

Vivian turned pink and covered half of her face with her hand, laughing like a schoolgirl. She looked at Gwen with her uncovered eye. She had dreamed about this the night before, she had hoped it would be true. It was very odd.

"If you no longer wish to marry Guinevere then you won't." Uther said, "Arthur will marry Guinevere and Cenred will marry Vivian with me and Catrina this afternoon. Follow us back to Camelot."

Arthur and Guinevere embraced each other. "Arthur, we're getting married." She said, "I can't believe it." She couldn't describe the joy she felt.

"Guinevere, my wife." He said, kissing her.

"I'm still confused." Cenred said, "Everything that happened last night seems cloudy… Far away. I remember looking for Guinevere and then… nothing"

"I know what you mean." Gwen murmured.

"Me too." Vivian said. "I'm just happy that Cenred's mine. My Cenred."

Cenred leaned against a tree and ran a hand through his hair, "Are we awake? It feels like I'm still dreaming. King Uther was here, wasn't he?"

"And my father." Gwen said.

"And Lady Catrina." Vivian said.

Arthur frowned, trying to recall, "He told us to follow him. We are marrying with him in Camelot."

"Then we should follow." Cenred said, offering his arm to Vivian to escort her. "Before we lose ourselves in the woods again."

The four walked together, laughing and smiling. Everything that had happened that night was forgotten. Deeper into the woods Gwaine was just waking. He sat up, mumbling. "What's my cue again? 'Fair Pyramus' was it? Leon, where are you? Percival, Lancelot, Elyan?"

He got to his feet shakily. "They've all left me asleep in the forest. I had such a strange dream." He looked around, this wasn't where they had been rehearsing. "I dreamt I was a… I don't know what I was. And there was a woman… I could sell this dream to Leon, he'd be able to make a ballad out of it."

He chose a direction and started to walk.