The Heartbeat
Chapter 29
"Leaves in the Wind"
A few years went by in a blissful peace. During that time Merlin and Arthur had several arguments but they never lasted longer than two days. It just felt so strange for them to be angry with each other and to sleep separately. They wondered how they managed to live in such way for years.
The time went by quickly and the people of Camelot were getting impatient. They wanted to get to know the heir to the throne and their future king. That was why Arthur decided that it was the right moment to invite Mithian and Leon along with their son to Camelot.
It had to be an official affair and everything had to be perfect. Merlin started suspecting that the servants went crazy. They started cleaning up and decorating the whole castle. Merlin had never seen it so spotless, not even during Arthur's coronation or his wedding to Guinevere.
"They're excited," said Arthur when Merlin told him what he noticed.
"I'm also thrilled but it doesn't make me go crazy," Merlin replied.
"This privilege is reserved to me," Arthur whispered teasingly into his ear, making him aroused in mere seconds.
"You can't do this to me," said Merlin. "Not when we don't have time for anything. Leon and Mithian will arrive soon."
Arthur grinned at him smugly. "It's good to know that after all these years I still have this effect on you," he murmured. "I will make it up to you tonight," he promised and pulled Merlin out of his chambers. "We need to go downstairs. As you said, they can arrive any time now."
Merlin followed him obediently. He would follow him anywhere.
oOoOo
Philip was a sweet child. In many ways he resembled Leon when he was his age. The boy was shy at first but once he got used to the new place, it was hard to stop him talking. He was very talkative for a seven-year-old boy.
Mithian was watching him with amusement, hugging her two-year-old daughter Charlotte. The girl didn't want to leave her mother's side even for a single moment. She seemed overwhelmed by a new place and new people. However, it was perfectly natural for a child her age.
Arthur and Merlin had dinner with their guests in private. There was going to be a feast in the evening, during which Arthur would officially name prince Philip his heir, but they wanted to keep things simple for a few hours that they still had. Arthur wanted to get to know his heir a bit better in order to create a bond between them. It could prove useful in the future.
"Uncle Arthur, will you play with me?" the boy asked him, clearly excited.
"Let king Arthur eat in peace, Philip," Leon said to his son. "Also, please remember to address him properly in front of other people."
"That's all right, Leon," Arthur assured him. "I will play with you gladly, Philip, but first you should finish your meal."
Philip sighed lightly but he did as he was asked. Once they ate the dinner, Arthur started playing with him with wooden swords. It was Philip's favourite game. Leon even had to pretend to be a dragon that Philip and Arthur were supposed to defeat.
"They look adorable playing like this, don't they?" Mithian asked Merlin suddenly.
The warlock nodded, smiling. "Arthur would be a wonderful father," he murmured.
"Don't blame yourself, Merlin. He loves you," Mithian told him candidly.
She didn't know that Arthur couldn't have children but it wasn't Merlin's place to tell her. "I know," he said. "I just stated an observation."
Mithian smiled at him. "Perhaps it was meant to be like this," she said.
Merlin knew it wasn't but he didn't correct her. He was aware that he changed his and Arthur's destiny. However, he didn't regret a thing.
"It is what it is," he mumbled.
"We defeated the dragon!" Philip squeaked suddenly. Leon was lying on the floor, laughing.
"You should try to face another dragon," said Merlin. His eyes turned gold as he created a sparkling dragon out of thin air.
Philip's eyes went wide with excitement.
"Uncle Merlin provided us with a new opponent," said Arthur, grinning.
The boy rushed towards the magical dragon that Merlin created. It was pure joy to observe him like this. During the game, the dragon changed its colours and shapes until it finally exploded into tiny sparkling pieces.
"Thank you, uncle Merlin," said Philip and hugged him tightly.
Merlin's heart melted. Leon and Mithian's son was a walking joy.
The time of the feast came quickly. Philip was a bit startled by the sudden attention that everybody was giving him but he handled it well. His parents as well as Arthur and Merlin were proud of him.
Once Arthur gave him an official title, the people of Camelot greeted the heir to the throne with applause. The feast in Philip's name lasted until the late hours of night but the boy was too tired to stay up so long. Mithian along with her children retired to their chambers early, but Leon stayed with Arthur until the very end. The truth was that he missed Camelot and his friends so he didn't want to waste this opportunity to feast and celebrate with them.
Arthur remembered his promise to Merlin but when they returned to their chamber in the middle of the night, they were too tired to do anything about it.
"It was a long day," murmured Merlin, as he embraced Arthur tightly in their bed. "You will make it up to me tomorrow."
"Tomorrow sounds like a plan," Arthur agreed gladly.
They fell asleep a moment later. Merlin's ageing spell had some side effects. It made them getting tired easier than before. It wasn't just their appearance that was getting older. It concerned the general condition of their bodies.
Arthur fell asleep thinking that he couldn't wait for the day when they would be young and vigorous again. It was a very promising perspective.
oOoOo
The kingdoms were united by Philip. The years went by and Camelot and Nemeth prospered. Merlin and Arthur were ageing along with the people of Camelot, watching the kingdom change slowly.
When Philip finally reached his adulthood, he started spending half of his time in Camelot. He knew Nemeth very well and it was time for him to learn more about his future kingdom.
Arthur enjoyed the time he was spending with Philip. It felt good to have someone to teach and train. Merlin wasn't going to admit it out loud but he was proud of Arthur and his methods. He could tell how much Arthur had changed since the time they met for the first time. It still surprised him that after all these years Arthur was able to work on improving himself.
Philip was a good student too. He listened very carefully to everything Arthur was teaching him. The two of them made quite a team. It brought Merlin joy to watch them.
"We're slowly getting there," said Arthur one evening.
Merlin looked at him, frowning. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"Soon Philip should be ready to become king," he explained, smiling.
"Don't you think it's too soon?" Merlin asked him, clearly worried. "Philip is still very young."
"He's 25," said Arthur. "Besides I'm not saying that we're leaving tomorrow. I just think that Philip is almost ready."
"Almost?"
Arthur nodded. "I need to check how he's going to handle some stressful situations on his own. We could take a few days off to travel, leaving Philip in charge," he explained. "I could ask Percival to arrange some problematic cases while we're gone. In this way we could find out how Philip handles them."
Merlin sighed lightly. "You're cruel but that's actually a very good idea."
Arthur grinned at him victoriously. All they had to do was to plan everything in detail.
Merlin and Arthur engaged Percival, Gilli and Galahad in their plan. After Sir Lionel's departure, Sir Galahad found himself a new role model in Sir Percival. Since then he grew into a knight that Arthur always hoped he could be.
When everything was ready, Merlin and Arthur started out their trip, leaving prince Philip in charge of Camelot. They finally had a few days off only for themselves and it was a pleasant change.
Merlin used his magic to disguise their identities, so no one could recognise them. They were spending most of the time outside, arriving at the taverns in the evening, where they were spending the night, and then continuing their journey in the morning. No one was paying them much attention, as they were cautious enough to always take a room with two beds. For others they were just two travellers who minded their own business.
At the end of their planned journey, Merlin and Arthur decided to visit Nemeth. When they reached the capital of the kingdom, Merlin lifted the spell that was giving them their perfect disguise. After that they were recognised and they got easily to the castle.
Mithian and Leon greeted them with open arms. They had a lot of subjects to discuss, especially those that concerned Philip. Arthur explained his plan to them, and although Mithian was a bit worried about it, they all agreed that it was a perfect way to find out how Philip dealt with difficult cases. However, they all were aware that it wasn't the end of their efforts. They still planned to continue preparing him for his future reign and to work on these traits of his character that still required it.
"One kingdom is a great responsibility but two kingdoms just seem impossible, especially for such a young man," said Mithian, sighing. "I know that I shouldn't have doubts right now but I can't help it. Philip is my son after all."
Leon squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "There's no need to worry, my dear. Charlotte will be supporting him when we're gone," he told her.
Mithian smiled lightly and nodded. "You're right," she said.
"Besides, me and Merlin don't leave Camelot yet," Arthur assured her, changing his initial plan instantly. "I will stay longer than I planned, giving Philip time to adjust to the new responsibilities, and supporting him where he still needs it."
"Thank you, Arthur," said Mithian and hugged him tightly.
"I should thank you for agreeing to my insane plan all those years ago," murmured Arthur.
They all laughed at his words and the tension that surrounded them lessened greatly.
oOoOo
Eventually Merlin and Arthur returned to Camelot. It took them longer than they intended to but the castle was still standing and everything around them seemed to be in perfect order.
Philip was clearly relieved when he saw them. His face was paler than before but aside from that he looked fine.
"How are you feeling?" Arthur asked him when they were left in the throne room only with Merlin and Percival at their sides.
"I'm tired," he admitted sheepishly. "Ruling requires so much attention to details. That's unbelievable."
"In time you'll get used to it," Arthur assured him hastily.
Philip paled a bit more. "But you're not leaving yet, uncle?" he asked hopefully.
Arthur smiled at that. "Not so soon," he assured him. "And I told you that you can call me Arthur. You're a grown man now."
"That's sort of a habit," he said.
Arthur nodded. "You can go have some rest," he told him. "You deserve it."
"But you've just returned," Philip protested. "You should take some rest first."
"There's no need for that," Arthur said. "I had plenty of time to rest during last week. You need it more than I do."
Philip nodded, clearly relieved. "Thank you," he said and went straight to his chambers.
Then Arthur glanced expectantly at Percival. "How did it go?" he asked.
The knight smiled lightly. "Not bad. Better than I expected," he admitted.
"Details, Percival. We want to hear some details," Merlin spoke suddenly and Arthur supported him with a short nod.
Percival told them how seriously Philip approached all his tasks and how engaged he was in people's problems. It was an impressing tale.
"Everything would be perfect if he wasn't so worried constantly," Percival added at the end. "He needs to learn to let go sometimes. King can't take care of everything. He's surrounded by people who can be assigned to various tasks. He needs to learn to divide these duties."
"Philip wanted to prove that he's worthy of Camelot," murmured Arthur. "I appreciate his efforts but we'll have to work on balance in it all."
"That's what I thought," said Percival.
"Thank you for your help," Arthur told him, nodding approvingly.
Percival smiled at that and left them alone. When the door closed behind him, Merlin pulled Arthur into a tight embrace. "I'm glad that we stay in Camelot," he murmured. "Philip still needs you and you're not so old yet."
Arthur pulled away and asked him with a raised eyebrow, "Old?"
Merlin laughed a bit. "There is some grey hair on your head," he explained.
"On yours too," replied Arthur defiantly.
"That's your fault," Merlin accused him teasingly. "I'm constantly worried about you."
"You shouldn't."
"I can't help it."
Then they kissed shortly. "You need to talk to Philip when he's rested," said Merlin in a more serious tone. "As far as I know him, he won't stop thinking about things that he could have done better. Percival is right. He needs to learn to let go."
"I know," muttered Arthur. "I was exactly the same."
Merlin nodded. "You wanted to impress Uther all the time," he said. "Even when he was wrong."
"But then I met you and you made me want to follow my own path," said Arthur, smiling.
"You never thanked me for that."
"I'm better with action than with words," he said and grabbed Merlin's hand. "Let's go to our chambers. No one will disturb us there."
"You are impossible, Arthur Pendragon," murmured Merlin but followed him gladly.
oOoOo
Time went by and Philip slowly learnt how to find balance between being the ruler and being himself. It resulted in more grey hair on Arthur's head but he was certain that it was worth it. Besides, one day Merlin was going to reverse that.
Arthur deemed Philip ready to become king of Camelot but he could tell that the young man hoped for more lessons and advice. Since he and Merlin had plenty of time, there was no need to rush.
"One more year," he said to Merlin one evening. "I'll tell Philip that we'll stay in Camelot one more year."
Merlin kissed him shortly and said, "You've made a good decision. In this way he'll have time to get used to it and to adjust."
The year went by quicker than they thought. It was a year full of hard work for all of them and Arthur started looking forward to the day when he and Merlin were going to leave. The truth was that he was tired. At this point he was a king for a longer period of time than he wasn't. The desire to be just Arthur, an ordinary man, had never been so strong.
"You'll never be an ordinary man," Merlin told him when he voiced his reflections.
"Maybe, but I want to be just Arthur with you by my side," he murmured.
"Soon," Merlin promised him and pulled him closer. "We'll have it all sooner than you think."
oOoOo
Finally the day of Arthur's abdication and Philip's coronation came. The people of Camelot were sad to let their beloved king go but they believed that Arthur deserved it. His reign was long and prosperous, and Philip was a worthy successor.
The representation of Nemeth was present during the ceremony. After all, it was an important day for both kingdoms. Although Mithian and Leon were still going to rule Nemeth, Philip was their son and heir, and the union between Camelot and Nemeth was getting stronger on this day.
Arthur and Merlin were leaving Camelot on the next day. The feast after Philip's coronation was both a celebration and a goodbye. It felt good to be surrounded by the people they loved and respected, but they made up their mind already. Nothing could last forever, and watching their friends growing older and older and then dying would be unbelievably painful. Arthur was certain that they had made the right decision.
He hated saying goodbye to Percival, who was an old man now. The knight had become his dear friend and advisor during all these years. Moreover, he devoted a big piece of his life to training young knights of Camelot. Arthur was certain that he was going to continue it as long as he had enough strength in his old limbs to hold a sword.
The hardest thing for Merlin was leaving Gilli behind. His friend had become a great physician and he started his own family in Camelot. He got married along the way and lived with his wife and their two daughters, training them to become physicians in the future. Fortunately for Camelot, they didn't seem to mind it and they were quite gifted in that field.
"It's funny that Arthur was jealous of me all these years ago," said Gilli when they were saying their goodbyes.
"That was insane," murmured Merlin.
"Was it?" asked Gilli and leaned down to peck the corner of his mouth.
"Gilli!" yelled Merlin, both surprised and amused. He glanced worryingly at Arthur, whose face turned red from anger. "You're married."
"You too," he replied. "I just wanted to make Arthur jealous this one more time. At least now he has a valid reason."
"You're unbelievable, just like Arthur," said Merlin. "I'm going to miss you."
"Me too," Gilli admitted and pulled him into a tight embrace.
Merlin shed more than a few tears during that evening.
oOoOo
When they were leaving Camelot early in the morning, Arthur had a feeling that he was leaving his kingdom in good hands. Philip had been ready to become king for a very long time and finally he got an official title. Arthur was free to be whoever he wanted to be. He had Merlin by his side and that was the only thing that was important.
They headed straight to Ealdor where Merlin's mother still lived. Hunith was an aged woman now and she didn't have much time left in this world. Arthur understood that Merlin wanted to spend it with her. That was natural so Arthur was going to indulge him.
In the middle of their journey, Merlin lifted the spell that was making them age in a natural pace. The traces of years they spent in Camelot wore off in mere seconds and after a moment they were looking at their young, 30-year-old faces.
"Finally," murmured Arthur and pulled Merlin into a heated kiss.
"Don't do it in front of my mother," said Merlin when they pulled apart.
"I'm sure Hunith won't mind."
"She won't but I will."
They burst out laughing and once they calmed down, they continued their journey.
When they reached Ealdor, Hunith kissed and hugged both of them. At last she had them by her side.
"My sons," she murmured happily. "You look so young."
"I can make you younger too," Merlin suggested.
"No, Merlin. I don't want people to gossip about it," she told him. "But I would appreciate if you released me from some aches. I want to fully enjoy the time I still have with you."
"As you wish, mother," said Merlin and used his magic to free her from pains that were incidental to an old age.
"That's better," she said, smiling. "I feel so much younger."
"Because you are younger inside," Merlin explained it to her.
"You are a wonderful man," she said proudly.
"Yes, he is," Arthur confirmed it, kissing him affectionately on his cheek.
oOoOo
They lived peacefully for a few years, helping Hunith in housework and helping other villagers in the fields. It was a quiet life, far from great politics and life-changing decisions.
The people of Ealdor got used to them, although at first they frowned upon the slightest display of mutual affection between them. However, no one said anything out loud. Ealdor was just like this. Its people respected hard work and once they realised that Merlin and Arthur were willing to work with them in the fields and in the woods, they accepted them the way they were.
The villagers were aware that Merlin was Hunith's son and that the fact that he was so young meant that there was some magic involved. They didn't mind it either, partially because magic was never banned in their kingdom, but mostly because Merlin was happy to heal people and help them with his magic.
No one was asking them awkward questions and Merlin was grateful for that.
Arthur wasn't sure if all inhabitants of Ealdor were aware of his background, but some of them must have suspected it. The tidings of king Arthur's abdication and king Philip's coronation eventually reached their village. It wasn't a secret before that Hunith's son used to be an important person in Camelot and that he was king's friend and advisor. It wasn't so difficult to come to the conclusion that this Arthur who was working with them in the fields was once a great king of Camelot.
The strangest thing was that the villagers seemed to keep this knowledge quiet. Arthur wasn't sure if it was just the way the people of Ealdor were or if Merlin's magic was involved in some way. When Arthur asked him about it one day, Merlin just smiled mysteriously at him and told him not to worry about it. During all these years he spent with Merlin, Arthur learnt to trust him in such cases.
Hunith had never been happier than these past few years of her life. She had Merlin and Arthur by her side and she could watch their happiness everyday. It was the greatest joy of mother's life to see her child being loved in return. She was glad that once she was gone, Merlin would still have Arthur to care for him. They had come across many obstacles in their lives and it was good to see them finally happy and free.
The day of her death had come eventually. She could sense it in the air but she didn't say Merlin a single word. She knew that her son would try to do something to postpone it in time, but she didn't want that. She had a long and meaningful life and she wanted to be finally reunited with Merlin's father. She couldn't be certain but she refused to believe that it wasn't possible. Merlin had told her once that he met his father when he was still a servant and that Balinor had died in his arms. Hunith was saddened by the news but she was grateful that at least they had a chance to learn about each other.
"I'm proud of you, Merlin," she said in the evening and kissed him on the forehead.
"Where did it come from?" Merlin asked her casually.
"It was a good day and I wanted you to know about it," she said and came up to Arthur to kiss him on the forehead too. "You are they joy of my life, boys, and I love you with my whole heart. Don't ever forget about it."
Then she went to her bed to retire with conviction that she wasn't going to wake up in the morning. She just knew that it was her time.
"She was weird today," murmured Merlin.
Arthur had some suspicions but he didn't share them with Merlin. He respected Hunith's decision to keep it from her son. He was very much aware how stubborn Merlin was when it came to saving those he loved. Apparently, Hunith didn't want to be magically kept alive. That was her decision and she had every right to make it.
"She's just a loving mother," Arthur told him and pulled him into a kiss. "We should go to bed too."
When in the morning Merlin found his mother dead, he was devastated.
"She knew it..." he mumbled. "You knew it!" he accused Arthur.
"I suspected that this day was close," Arthur admitted sadly.
"I could have saved her..." Merlin murmured.
"Hunith didn't want that. She died peacefully in her sleep. It was her time," said Arthur quietly.
"She could have stayed a little bit longer..."
"You would feel the same loss, Merlin. Prolonging her life wouldn't change it," Arthur explained. "Deep down you know it's true."
After a while Merlin nodded his head. "Hug me, please," he whispered and Arthur complied willingly.
They buried Hunith in the evening in the presence of the whole village. It was a sad event but they all agreed that Hunith had a long and good life. It was somehow comforting.
Merlin and Arthur decided that it was their last night in Ealdor. After Hunith's death they had no reason to stay there any longer, so they agreed to start a new life somewhere else, where no one really knew them.
That night Arthur was making love to Merlin very gently, seeing to his every need and desire. Merlin was grateful for that and happy that Arthur was always going to be by his side.
At dawn they packed their things and started their new adventure. They didn't know where they were going but they knew that they would never be separated. It didn't matter where the road would take them as long as they were together.
Their future wasn't clear but Albion was going to need them one day. They would become the king and the sorcerer once again and they would fulfil their destiny. Until that day they were going to be just Merlin and Arthur, two men in love who defeated death and found a way to be together.