Epilogue
Lacin was twenty-one and Cade was nineteen. Arthur had announce Lacin as our heir and Crown Prince of Camelot. I felt the tear prick my eyes as my son beamed at his new subjects. I knew that my parents and Gaius would have been proud of him. Father had passed when Lacin was five and then Mother passed shortly after that. Gaius tutored Lacin until he fell ill when Lacin was nine. He died shortly after Lacin turned ten. Mordred patted my shoulder and I hugged my adopted son. He was around thirty and he had married Freya almost twelve years ago.
I watched my son walk toward Arthur and he hugged him. Cade beside me hugged me lightly. I kissed my daughters forehead. Beside Cade was our youngest (and last for sure) children. The twins, James Lucas Pendragon and Lila Daniella Pendragon, who were twelve. James looked exactly like his father and Lila looked like me. Cade was a mix of both of us like her brother. We walked to Lacin and congratulated him. James stood far away from his brother with his arms crossed very Arthur-like.
"What is it James?" I asked messinf up his bolde hair.
"I feel angry," he said.
"Why?" I asked.
"I don't know, I'm happy for big brother but I'm still angry," he said. I huggged my youngest son. He puted. "Mother I'm not a baby any more!"
"I know."
"Momma!" Lila said throwing herself at me. I knelt down and saw she was crying.
"What is it Lila? Why are you crying?" I asked stroking her black curls.
"Mordred said that big brother was leaving and not coming back!" she wailed lightly. I picked her up and walked toward Mordred who was looking sheepish.
"Why are you frightening Lila?" I said.
"That's what I heard from Arthur," he said shrugging. Although he called me "Mother" he never called Arthur "Father". Arthur walked up and joined us smiling at all his children.
"What's this about Lacin leaving?" I asked.
"I need an ambassador to Mercia and I figured that Lacin could go. I already talked to him. He said he'd go," Arthur said picking up James and setting him on his shoulder. Lila started giggling so I turned around to see Gwaine making faces at his "niece".
"Uncle Gwaine!" she said squirming to get free so I set her down and he picked her up. Lance and Gwen aproached with there two boys, Matther, who was a little younger that Lacin, and Sam, who was about Caden's age. Our two families started mingling and I smiled at all of them. Gwen touched my shoulder and we started talking. She was thinking about having another child and so we talked about that.
The years flew by and then we were blessed with our first grandchild, Freya had given birth to a heathy baby girl named Marie. Lacin got married to a young lady named Rowen who was not of noble birth but we encouraged our children to marry for love. Cade married Sam the year after that and James and Lila started their training. James to be a knight like his older brother and Lila to be the next Court Sorceress after Cade. The time flew and by the time Arthur fell ill by infection to an old battlewound reopened we had five grandchildren. Two by Mordred, one by Lacin and two by Cade.
Mordred and the children all sat with me as I tried to heal Arthur. I stayed with him at night and the children stayed with us all day. Cade took over as Court Sorceress and Lacin helped me with Arthur's duties as king. Not long after Arthur died with all of us there by his side.
The next day we set him on a bed of flowers in the middle of a boat. I stood in the water with the wind wipping my cloak and hair holding onto the love of my life. Mordred, Lacin and Cade stood on my left while the twins stood on my right. I unpinned my cloak although it was raining and laid it over Arthur body. He looked peaceful and I settled the red cloak, for red was his favorite color, and kissed his forehead letting the tears drop. I let go of the boat and it started to drift.
"He was born of magic and he will be buried with magic," I said and lifted my hand, composed myself, and said the incantation to set it aflame. The flames licked at his being and I felt like a piece of me was burining with him.
"Come on Mother, let's go home now," Mordred said taking my arm. We got out of the wasit-deep water but I sat on the shore watching the boat until it burned completely and the ashes sank into the depths of the lake that we had both loved so much. I sat numb and soaked to the skin. All my children waited with me and I felt the sobs wrack my body. I shook like a leaf when I was done and was rocking my self with my knees to my chest.
Lila timidly approached and hugged me followed by James and all the others. Lila and Cade hummed a song from the Old Religion. Their voices blended together as they sang the melody. It soothed me into not crying anymore. They finished and I stood brushing the sand off my black dress. Surprisingly Lila was the one to speak. "Mummy, Daddy's not gone you know. He'll always be right here." She said poking herself in the chest. I heard the tremor in her voice and saw the tears in her eyes. Of all the children she and James were the closest to their father and Lila was so sensitive anyway.
I picked up my darling Lila and said, "He'll always be alive to me. He lives in all of you and the ones we love never die because Lila's right, we carry them in our hearts." We walked to the castle and later that night I drifted into the Otherworld in my sleep. I saw Arthur waiting for me in a forest, he was sitting dazzlingly in his favorite red tunic and black pants. I ran to him and we walked together to Avalon.
A/N: This is the end everyone, the end of Princess? Merlin. I'm actually really sad that it's over. I really felt a connection with this story as I wrote it and cried at the way it ended. I'm sorry I had to end it the way I did but everything has to come to an end, even Arthur and Merlin but they're together in Avalon forever more, the land where all is peaceful and calm. AGH I feel like I'm tearing up right now! So I now bid a sad ado to Princess? Merlin. If anyone wants a sequel tell me and I'll write a one-shot of them in Avalon! The song Lila and Cade were singing was called the Moon and The Night Spirit. There will be a link to it on my profile.
Lots of Love XOXO :*(
deathpuppet13