Disclaimer: The characters in Merlin belong to the BBC and not to me. I make no money from this, just pleasure!
AN: I've been toying with this one since the finale, but I think it's worth posting. Obviously there are spoilers for The Sword in the Stone.
The first time the Arthur goes hunting after the wedding, Gwen tags along. Or rather, Gwen comes with him and Merlin tags along. The young wizard is not above admitting, where the king cannot hear, that Gwen's better at this sort of thing than he is.
Still, it's something like a third wheel, where before it was just a second (equally useless) one. But Gwen is good company, and despite being able to hunt herself, she takes little joy in it. She is more than content to ride near the back while Arthur goes off to chase another helpless animal and talk with Merlin.
Gwen is happy. It's constant and obvious and Merlin can't help but grin every time he looks at her. They waited so long for this; nearly lost it more than once; and now at long last they have everything they've ever wanted. It did not happen the way Merlin thought it would, but that's all right. Arthur is king and married to Gwen. Gwen is happy. The kingdom is, for now, safe. Arthur hasn't really changed his dim-witted views of his manservant – unsurprisingly, despite Merlin's hopes – and they still go at each other like children on the training field. But every time it happens, Merlin realises that he wouldn't have it any other way. There has been only the most subtle shift in Camelot after so many years of fear and discontent, but everyone can feel it.
That alone would be enough to make Merlin smile, even when Arthur turns to him the afternoon of that first hunt and glares daggers, because Merlin has just stepped on a stick in sight of the stag they are after.
Merlin just smiles sheepishly until Arthur sighs in a long suffering way and returns the look.