When Arthur woke up in his own bed, blissfully warm and terribly alone the next day, the cold came upon him immediately, pulling him down and making him curl up beneath his heavy blankets. His fingers were numbed and painful, throbbing, his toes were frigid and all together he thought he'd tremble his way off the bed. He chattered and squirmed his way towards the edge of the bed. The fire was still blazing, but the warmth of the room didn't reach him. The line of blue and red vials were beacons of hope that he wouldn't die of frost bite. He cursed as his hands were too shaky to even get the damn cap off the vial.

Goddamn it! He prayed that someone would be arriving soon, someone he hoped was Merlin, and they could help him out. Until then he curled tighter into the swaddling of blankets, pulling Merlin's wool one the tightest around him as it seemed to carry the most warmth.

Come on, Merlin. Don't choose today to be late...

Merlin woke up, pulled on his clothes and marched down to the kitchens. Everyone greeted him, hugged him, told him how worried they were and he explained that Arthur had just been a trifle upset with him. It was okay now. The cook even gave him a slice of pie for his return and sent him up with a large breakfast for Arthur. He was early this morning. When he arrived, his Prince was huddled in his blankets on the edge of his bed covered from head to toe in blankets. A jolt of worry went through him at the firm line of Arthur's jaw. He closed the door behind him and noticed the vile of blue liquid on the floor, away from the red one on the table.

Upon closer sights, he could see Arthur trembling, curled up and could hear his slow and paced breathing. Merlin set the tray aside and kneeled to pick up the vial before pulling back the blankets. Arthur's blue eyes looked at him and Merlin's eyes softened as he slid on the bed and helped Arthur lean against him. At first contact, Arthur was in his arms, shuddering at the new heat up against him.

"L-Lock t-th-the d-do-or..." Arthur chattered, Merlin hushed him and opened the vial, tipping it into Arthur's mouth, and then the red one, before wrapping Arthur back up in his blankets and pulling him close.

Pretty soon the trembling eased and Arthur sighed, sneaking his hands out from the wool straight jacket to feel Merlin's warmth through his thin tunic.

"Good Morning," Merlin greeted. "Did you sleep well?"

"I would have woken up better..." He grumbled.

Merlin shook his head and bestowed a kiss on pouty, cold, full lips.

"Better?"

Arthur flushed and pushed him away, getting off the bed and dragging Merlin's blanket with didn't bother to remark that at the loss of contact, Arthur's shivering started up again.

"Still cold?" Merlin asked.

"I wasn't until I woke up."

Merlin shook his head and followed him across the room to enfold Arthur into his arms for squeeze. Arthur moaned and sunk into the warmth. Merlin didn't comment but held him there.

Why get up if you were cold, silly? He'd have to break Arthur out of that habit. While he appreciated Arthur's pride sometimes, he was a bit overzealous in his need to show that he was strong.

"Could I make you the royal bed heater?" Except for moments like that...

"Not unless you'd like to explain to people why I'm so warm...or why you're so cold..."

Arthur sighed as Merlin let him go and announced the fact that he was leaving. Arthur didn't get a chance to say much else as he was gone and Arthur huffed. With every step away, Arthur felt the cold creeping back, but thanks to the potions it was bearable. A romp in the sunlight, some training and he would probably be fine.

The chill wasn't really his concern, he was used to that and dealt with it accordingly. It was Merlin's actions that morning. It wasn't that he was early, on time, or as cheeky as ever. It was the fact that he was left alone, they didn't share breakfast and that aside from the kiss there was no change in their interactions. Shouldn't this have changed things? Even if just a little bit?

Arthur found that it did change things. Merlin was in the habit of running up his potions from Gaius' chambers before leaving to carry on some other duties. There wasn't another kiss or a hug really since that morning and while Arthur hadn't woken up completely frigid, he was still cold. Cold enough that some of it didn't go away while training with his knights. He would swoon with heat exhaustion and be flushed but shiver all the same. He thought their admittance for their feelings (or at least the understanding of feelings since Arthur still hadn't said those words) would have changed something. If anything, it made Merlin more distant, staying just out of reach from him unless he initiated the hug. It only took a few days for him to be fed up with it.

It was training and Gwaine was chilling out with a fully recovered Merlin and Lancelot on the edge of the field. Mordred had gone to join them before Arthur announced that Merlin could return to being the practice dummy. Lancelot and Gwaine winced, apparently the two of them hadn't gotten it completely together yet. Thing had been going so well, what the fuck happened now?

Maybe it's worse than we thought... Gwaine thought as Merlin took up the shield and headed towards Arthur warming up his arm on the pitch.

This isn't going to end well...everyone on the pitch thought except for Arthur as Merlin pulled on his helmet and got ready for the barrage.

Of course, he was right as Arthur charged at him with mace in hand, throwing all of his strength into it. At some point the metal shield caved in and sent Merlin sprawling on the ground with Arthur looking down at him. Their eyes met as the Knights came to make sure he was alright. But neither of them heard any of that. Arthur set his jaw tightly to keep his teeth from chattering, and gripped his sword to keep from sprawling over Merlin seeking warmth and an explanation.

Merlin only looked up, searching for anger and only finding confusion and slight horror.

"You could have killed him!" Gwaine said.

But they weren't listening trapped in that space where their eyes met. There was some question in Arthur's eyes and Merlin couldn't answer it, so he was the first to break free. Arthur's jaw tensed a little more.

"Merlin, are you alright?" Leon asked.

Still nothing, Arthur's eyes watched him rise off the ground.

"I'll get another shield..."

Arthur looked taken by surprise by those words as Merlin went to go retrieve another shield. Rather than waiting, Arthur growled, handing off his sword and marching forward to grab Merlin by the arm and drag him off.

"Carry on, I'll be back."

They watched Arthur drag Merlin quickly off the pitch, stumbling after him in an effort to keep in time with Arthur's brisk walking. Gwaine hoped that meant they were about to have really angry, passionate sex and come back to practice like they had some semblance of sense.

They reached to just beyond hearing range before Merlin started asking questions.

"What's going on? What's-"

They made it to the Armory, Arthur closed the door locked it and pinned him against the door with a glare.

"What... What is it?"

"Why are you avoiding me?"

Merlin frowned, he was fairly sure that he hadn't been avoiding his King, but before he could answer, Arthur was leaning forward into a needy and desperate kiss, his hands grasping at Merlin's clothing tightly. There was a sense of distress hanging over him as Merlin freed himself and carded his hands through Arthur's hair to soothe him. It worked, lessening the intensity of Arthur's oral attack.

"Arthur," Merlin whispered, stroking his hair gently and pushing him back towards the benches nearby so they could sit. Arthur leaned against him, seeming to loose any sense of strength, zapped by his shivering. "What's wrong?"

"You're avoiding me, why? I already said that I... I didn't care. Sure it's not the easiest thing to get used to, but I don't care... Why are you..."

"I'm not avoiding you Arthur..."

Arthur's eyes narrowed, quickly becoming defensive, authoritative and Merlin could see. The poor thing wasn't childish so much as terrified, he didn't really know any better. To avoid it, Merlin pulled him against him, and slid a hand through his hair so the warmth sunk into his scalp and across his neck, down his shirt and underneath his chainmail. Arthur sighed at the feeling not really caring if it was magic of just Merlin.

"I'm not avoiding you Arthur... Trust me, if I was avoiding you, I wouldn't have been on the field, and some other servant would be attending to you."

The blonde took no comfort in that answer, but Merlin wasn't sure what else to say about it. He wasn't avoiding Arthur. If he was, he'd do a much better job at it than holding him until the shivering eased.

"What makes you think that I'm avoiding you?"

"We... you haven't..."

Arthur couldn't explain it. It just felt different. It felt ridiculously different and there was something off about it. Maybe avoiding wasn't the term he really wanted, maybe it was more about the fact that he expected things to change... He expected... Well, he didn't really know what exaclty, but he expected something to be different at the very least and it wasn't. It was as if the conversation never happened at all except for that kiss that morning.

"What's wrong ARthur?" Merlin asked again as his blonde sighed and bit his lip.

"Why... why did you leave me alone?"

The question was so soft, he felt like it would break as it was being said. Arthur looked so vulnerable that all Merlin wanted to do was comfort and care for him, but he had a feeling that that wouldn't be enough, it wouldn't be enough even if he tricked himself into thinking so. There was something else in that question, something a lot deeper than being left alone.

"We couldn't stay in the forest together Arthur, you have a kingdom to run."

"But... you left me..." He said shaking his head. "I went to sleep with you and I woke up alone. I almost thought it was all a dream, that everything that we'd talked about was just a figment of my imagination..."

"Why did I not stay the night with you?"Merlin asked and Arthur nodded, unable to say it himself. Merlin was always better with words than he was. "Because I can't."

Arthur's eyes narrowed, "Why not? You have somewhere else you'd like to be?"

Merlin rolled his eyes and kissed Arthur on the nose, "You're so cute when you're angry. "Arthur growled but was quickly soothed by Merlin's hand running through his hair gently, "Calm down..."

"Then explain it to me in a way that I will understand..."

"Arthur," Merlin started with a sigh. "Just because you know now, doesn't change anything..."

"What do you mean it doesn't-"

"Calm yourself and listen," Merlin said. "You're the King of Camelot... Camelot law says that I should be dead by now... While you've shown leniency and left me alive, that doesn't mean that anyone else in Camelot would do the same. Not to mention, you and I..."

Arthur's eyes grew wet at the drifting tone and Merlin shook his head, trudging on, "You're the King without a Queen Arthur... It would only make things suspicious if I suddenly was seen leaving your room every morning, or spending more time than usual with you... Suspicions about our relationship could lead to a lot of other things...Questions about me, about us, about everything and there is a lot that the people of Camelot will not and cannot tolerate after your father's rule... after everything...that's happened and the way they've been taught to think about magic..."

Arthur fell silent. He'd never realized exactly how calm and collected Merlin was... how intelligent. Arthur hadn't even thought about the laws of Camelot, the social climate, their relationship going public... what that could do to Merlin... He hadn't thought of it, for once allowing himself to just do as he pleased, exactly how he pleased... He'd forgotten the possibility of consequences and the problems that would come along with the rest. He'd forgotten that he was the King and not a random man of Camelot able to marry whoever, whenever, and for whatever reason. He didn't even think he could really marry Merlin and the thought of marrying a woman and having to give Merlin up was out of the question. All this work to be honest to have to give it up? He'd rather die first.

"While I am glad that you know, that you're okay with it...That doesn't make me free, Arthur."

He was beginning to understand the term "freedom" , the idea of being "free" was more complicated for most people, including himself.

"I'm... sorry..." Arthur heard himself say, sitting up and moving away from Merlin thinking one all the things that could go wrong.

Merlin could be hanged or banished. Killed in his sleep, accused of enchanting him... He could lose the fealty of his people, the allegiance leaving a huge hole in the kingdom. What was he thinking? He knew there was a reason that he didn't let his emotions surface ever! It would get him into trouble and possibly get Merlin was right... He hadn't thought about what the laws had done to most of his people that couldn't help the way they were, just as he hadn't thought about his own freedom in a long time.

Merlin kissed his forehead, apologetically and Arthur got up without a sound. Rather than head back to the training field, Arthur stalked up to his room, locking the door and sitting behind his desk.

There was so much whirling around in his head, too many Arthurs vying for him to not do anything. To leave it as is, to go back to the way things were...Yet there was too much riding on his singular act of bravery or cowardice... Too much riding on this moment. There was his relationship with Merlin, his heart, his honesty and integrity. He could never justify keeping their relationship hidden and making Merlin continue to suffer under a death threat always looming over his head. He couldn't do that to Merlin, nor anyone else in the kingdom. He knew there were other magic users in the kingdom and they deserved the same rights that citizens had. They deserved to be full citizens. Merlin deserved to be free after all he's suffered for Arthur and for Camelot, for his father.

Arthur shook his head, astounded at Merlin. He'd been the one to try and stop him, spouting calming lies and making him think when the logic of being an orphan didn't work... He could have let him kill Uther, it would've made his life so much easier... but he hadn't. Maybe Merlin knew that Arthur would have been destroyed even though magic was free to be in Camelot once more...

He is much braver than I...much stronger too...

He huffed and sat down at his desk, thinking. Such strength and loyalty to him deserved to be rewarded and beyond that, it was about time that people of Camelot, magical and non-magical alike, became comfortable citizens in harmony not with secrets stuffed in ugly corners and terror in every step.

"I hate writing," he groaned, usually he would make Merlin do it for him, but he figured that this had to be something he would have to do on his own. He picked up a pen, bit his lip and tried to start writing. Two hours later and he'd barely formulated a sentence, the page was still mostly blank and he huffed. Why was this so difficult?! To be fair he'd always hated writing, and while the ideas would find eloquent carriage in speech, they all seemed to jumble and crash when he tried to get them out through his hands.

Apparently, his hands were for sword fighting, seal pressing, and signing only while his mouth was much more adaptable in function. He flushed for a moment and shook his head, memories of that month were back now and a sense of warmth settled over him. He got up and went to the wardrobe, sticking his hand back behind the gaudy gifts, and other trickets to the small box of memories that he'd tried to avoid.

Blowing across the top, created a cloud of dust that Arthur didn't mind, opening the box with the smallest key on the ring of his belt and gazing into it. That last letter from A.N. Dale sat with its contents exposed "Be strong." He shook his head. He didn't know how to be strong before, yet somehow he felt less ashamed about the way his life was going now. That hadn't bee true for the years immediately following the letter. He stood there for a few more moments shifting through the other trinkets and letter, reading and laughing at bits of them where Nicholas and Alexander had obviously been going in behind the other's back and writing parts of the letters sent. He always wondered why, since they were always together and both had obviously read what the other wrote if the annotations of the sides were anything to go by.

He chuckled, they had a love to be envied. At the bottom of the box was the soft blue velvet pillow holding two iron colored bands to the light. Non-descript, simple circles of metal that he hadn't laid eyes on since he'd taken them off.

Be strong, they'd said. So he'd have faith, they said, giving him the rings. He closed the box , locked it and placed it back in the wardrobe. There would be no hope, no faith, and no strength if he didn't buckle down and get the decree done. Somehow the words, came a little easier with them in mind, jumbled up with Nicholas and Alexander and his mother...

In honor of the late Queen Igraine...

the fealty- the dedication of Merlin Ambrosius of Ealdor...

...with the same laws and persecution-

Merlin walked in on his King scribbling through another line of words later that night and found the oddest response to his questioning. He'd only asked if he wanted any help since Merlin knew that Arthur absolutely abhorred writing and was much better at dictating what he wanted to say. Arthur only looked defensive, covered the words, and told him to begone and not to come back. His eyes were steady, there was no flush but a protectiveness of the contents of the parchment.

"Take the day off," he said. "I'll call you if I need you."

Affronted by the obvious dismissal, accompanied by shooing, Merlin wanted to asked if there was something wrong, but the blonde only shooed him away and waited until Merlin had left the room to continue on with his work. He had the distinct feeling that he was being shut out of something monumentally important, but didn't bother to push Arthur on it. If he was given the day off, he would take it to diffuse in the forest and practice a bit more. He'd been slacking off and his magic was getting a little more than unruly again. He wondered if it was because of his budding relationship with Arthur or if he was going through another one of those changes that he was supposed to expect as he got older. His father had said while he looked up at his ghost in the Crystal Cave that Merlin had no idea the power that he possessed... he could only say that he would understand with time and that nothing could ever take away all that he was: magic.

He'd blushed at the compliment and the emphasis on Merlin's importance, but it took much more than that conversation for Merlin to get the full depth of it. He'd been suppressing it for so long that the idea that when it stopped (if it ever stopped) would usher in something else. He could always feel it, but never the complete depth of it all. It frightened him to think that it was a depthless pool inside him. But he didn't worry about that now.

When he found a good spot, he took a seat and breathed in the scent of the forest, his palms open, listening, his soul expanding out to the surroundings and he rested his control. There was a newly budding life budding around him and he could feel it creeping into existence. There was a fire burning not too far from him. A rabbit's breath, a bird soaring over the castle... He spent hours at peace with the world and at peace with himself. Something that he hadn't felt in a very long time.

I told you young Warlock, this is only the beginning...Merlin laughed at the voice of Kilgarrah in his head and searched for Aithusa across the distance as well.

Arthur was none too surprised to find Merlin not in Gaius's chambers when he'd come down to seek the man's aid later that day.

"Yes, sire?"

"Gaius, I require your aid..."

He rose an eyebrow but stayed attentive as the young King sat down. He wasn't as cold looking, meant he took his potions or what ever trauma that caused the return of it had passed. What could Arthur want his help with now?

"I wish to reinstate magic in the kingdom..."

Gaius blinked, his head whirled and he sat down for a moment, "What... what exactly, sire...Uhm..."

"I've said that I want the citizens of Camelot to be equal, to have equal protection and persecution under the laws of Camelot, yet I haven't lived up to that vision... It has taken... a long time for me to see beyond my father's teachings, his hatred for magic, and his guilt, to really see it for what it is... I wish to implement it... yet I have no idea where to begin, or how the court was before the Great Purge."

Gaius nodded pocketing away the tiny giveaway of his knowledge before carrying on.

"You came... seeking information..."

"Yes... and help drafting... I am much better at speaking."

Gaius chuckled, yes he supposed that was true. Even as a young lad, he'd been better at delivering speeches than attempting to write. Arthur's eloquence was on the spot most of the time and vocal, in action, not scribbled down on parchment. He supposed that was because of Arthur's personality. He guessed that made Merlin perfect as he usually knew the man's mind and was quite eloquent in writing.

"Why don't you ask..."

A glint of light in Arthur's eyes answered Gaius's question: Arthur didn't want Merlin to know... and obviously had something planned.

"What is it that you want to know?"

"I need to know of any positions in the court held for warlocks."

Gaius snickered, of course Merlin would be adamant about the difference, "There are none sire, the distinction between warlock and sorcerer has never been made in the way you're speaking as there has never been anyone like Merlin in the history of magic... The closest this would be the dragonlords;however, they would have never taken that title."

Arthur huffed, "How about magical positions?"

"You would have to go into the court archives, Arthur."

He nodded and decided that what he really needed help with were the provisions for magic, the means of protection and the such, the wording. That Gaius could help him with, the rest was on him. He spent the rest of the night in the court archives scouring for some position that may have never existed when he found it in the time before his grandfather's grandfather, before the split from the Old Religion.

It's... perfect...

Merlin woke up to the sound of the Knights' armor clanging around in Gaius's chambers. Gaius was speaking in volumes as he climbed down the small set of stairs to look at Gwaine, Elyan, and Percival. They're faces were utterly cold, calm, too calm to be real and Merlin had half a mind to run and run fast, call Kilgarrah and live out his days as a spiteful old hermit at the edge of Albion. Along with that need to run was a sliver of terror and anger. Was Arthur trying him for sorcery? He should have known that Arthur was-

Merlin shook his head, those thoughts were unfounded. Arthur had never shown himself to be a man who's word could not be trusted. There would be no reason to second guess that now.

"What... what's going on?"

"King Arthur requests your presence..."

Gwaine was never formal unless it was serious... apparently it was serious. Maybe they were actually going to hang him again, or at least chop his head of... banish him maybe? He decided he'd prefer the head chop off to the other two options. So he followed the small trio of Knight with Gaius in tow towards the main hall. The hall in which all the Knights had been Knighted in, but they weren't stopping there, they walked past it towards the main doors of the palace and out into the courtyard which was strangely empty and kept walking into the lower town.

What was he to have a public execution? Merlin rolled his eyes, the blonde did have a flair for drama. The humor seemed to be the only thing keeping him focused on the fact that his magic did not seem worried. Did it know something that he didn't? The Knights headed to the cobble stone path leading up to the platform on which Arthur stood. People of the lower town gathered around, apparently there was an announcement to be made.

"Merlin," Arthur greeted. "About time you got here... Come."

He didn't know why something told him to run, but he stepped forward ignoring the common sense response to a crowd of people known to be prejudice against magic... or at the very least ignorant to it. There were a few eyes in the crowd that he could meet. They looked on in sadness and wariness, they were magic users too. Some of them druids, some just sorcerers that had built a new life in Camelot since they had nowhere else to go. Upon his arrival to Camelot, it had always amazed him the network of magic users in the kingdom from blacksmiths to seamstresses...Of course, they'd all been sorcerers so it was a little different, but it was comforting nonetheless.

"We don't have all day Merlin," Arthur said, holding out a hand to the servant standing beside him as Merlin reached the edge of the platform. "Kneel, you idiot."The crowd laughed and Merlin couldn't find out what the hell was so funny, but he obeyed anyway swearing to make Arthur's bath water scalding hot, or leave his meal ice cold the next time he served him.

Bloody prat...

"For your dedication to the well-being of your King, and your dedication to the safety of Camelot, I name you..."

Merlin could have sworn that he was about to beheaded and now... he was being knighted? What the hell happened in the last day that he missed?

"Archmage of Camelot."

Wait... what?

Merlin looked up at him in utter confusion, what the hell was he talking about? Was he insane? All the sun and metal, the countless days of getting bashed in the head during tournaments had finally caught up... His sweet and luscious blonde had finally lost his mind...

"An honorary Knight of the round table..."

What the hell...

"And Court warlock..."

Now, he's just being funny...

Arthur only grinned charmingly at him, tapping his shoulders with the blade he'd shined only a few days ago before beckoning him up onto the platform.

"As your first duty in your new positions, you'll be announcing the new decree..."

When he placed the scroll in his hand and stepped back, Merlin wasn't sure what the hell was supposed to happen. No one in the crowd seemed to understand anything of what was going on, not that he minded since most of the terminology was archaic or not very well known. At least he was safe in that regard, he'd never been more happy for the ignorance of Camelot than in that moment...He'd also have to remember to skin Arthur alive when he got the chance for making him so fucking nervous...

"Merlin, you can read can't you?"

He earned himself a glare as Merlin pulled the parchment open, "Better than you as we both know."

Gwaine snickered as Merlin turned back to the decree, his eyes scanning over Arthur's oddly neat handwriting and he felt his stomach fall out of his him and his heart stop.

WHAT?

No matter how many times he reread it, the words didn't rearrange, they didn't change... Just there in legible black ink laid out in very specific terms... with Arthur's signature and the royal seal at the bottom. He turned to look back at Arthur who looked at him expectantly. Did he have to make such a big deal out of it and hold up the rest of the day? It was just reading a decree! He'd made Merlin do more embarrassing and frightful things than this.

"Get on with it Merlin, we have other things to do today..."

The prat...

"By order of King Arthur Bestuvius Pendragon," Arthur flushed that definitely hadn't been on the decree and how did he know that? A ripple of snickering went through the crowd and Gwaine hid his laughter in Percival's shoulder as the taller coughed away a grin.

He glared at Gwaine who did the exact opposite of keep quite, but burst out laughing, trying to smother it in his palm.

"In honor of the late Queen Igraine's passing and the dedication of Merlin Ambrosius of Ealdor, the ban on magic has hereby been lifted such that magic users and followers of the old religion may freely practice as they wish and be subject to the same laws, under the same protection, of the non-magical citizens of Camelot."

A hush went through Camelot as Merlin rolled the scroll back up and looked out into the crowd. He waited for the uproar, a rushing of the platform, hell an arrow to strike him down, but all he heard was "WHOOOOO HOOOOO!" He turned to look at Gwaine and Mordred cheering from behind him and shook his head. They were just... so foolish. But their cheering was contagious, spreading through the crowd. It didn't take long for the entire city to be cheering as well. It hadn't been what Merlin expected. Maybe there was more to Camelot's sentiments than Uther's. There were of course a few people that looked far from happy about the decision, but for the most part there were only smiles and cheers of joy. Thus, when Arthur announced that it was time for the celebration, no one argued. Music started up and the procession back to the castle where the feast was prepared was a daze of joy.

The Druid blacksmith came up to Merlin and hugged him almost too tightly to breath, speaking words that Merlin could hear only in his mind and his magic understood. Words of thanks and thankfulness, dear Emrys, a praise to the Tripple goddess or two. General joy. Merlin ended up dancing with the blacksmith's daughter for most of the night in between the majority of the other magic users, the chef's assistant, and a few others from the lower town. Gwaine marched over to Arthur sitting at the head of the table watching Merlin frolic around the room and slid in to the seat beside the one reserved for Merlin.

Arthur watched on, amused following Merlin with his eyes around the dance floor. Despite his gangly, lean build, Merlin was very agile and adept at dancing... At least better than Arthur was who was all muscle and stiffness.

"So... how does it feel?" Gwaine asked. "...Bestuvius?"

Arthur glared setting his cup down, "Say it again, I dare you."

"What are you going to do,... Bestuvius?"

"Gwaine, I'll hurt you."

"You aren't going to dance with your warlock, Bestuvius?"

"Gwaine-"

"Princess Bestuvius..."

Arthur raised his empty goblet to smack him over the head with but Percival appeared, whisking Gwaine out of the way with a shake of his head. He swore that Gwaine would get himself killed one day with all the teasing. He just hoped that Gwaine told the truth at the last minute and avoided that horrible fate of death by Arthur.

"You're just getting yourself into trouble..."

"But his majesty, Princess Bestuvius won't go dance with his newly freed warlock..."

"Percival, get your husband out of my face or I'll kill him."

"Hey, hey," Gwaine started. "I am the wife in this relationship... Princess Bestuvius."

Percival shook his head, swiping Gwaine out of the way of the well-aimed goblet, catching it and bopping him on the head.

"Ouch!" Gwaine pouted, rubbing at the spot. It hadn't been hard at all, louder than it actually hurt. Percival hadn't wanted to hurt him as he set the goblet down.

"Go do something that isn't teasing Arthur and getting yourself in trouble..."

"Mmm... Percy is that an invitation?" Gwaine's eyebrow rouse and a wicked hand slid across Percival's thigh. The man shook his head and pried Gwaine's fingers off making the smaller man huff. Percival was always ruining the public sexual fun. If people were getting free, they might as well all be free in love!

"No," Percival said cutting off his insane and lascivious protest.

"Fine, I'll go dance with the tall, sexy warlock then,... I take my leave of you Princess Bestuvius... I would kiss your hand, but I feel like you'll hit me."

Percival, swatted him and pushed him towards the prancing crowd before taking a seat where Gwaine had once been and pulling up to the table near Arthur.

"How long have you known?" Percival asked as he drank from Gwaine's half full goblet.

"For as long as you two have been together, it wasn't hard to figure out... there were only a few things that could have kept Gwaine out of the tavern and out of trouble... you happened to be one of them. Merlin was the other option."

Percival snickered as Gwaine snatched Merlin off the wall and started spinning him around the floor in utter foolishness. Gwaine , while sexual and exploratory, was insightful in ways that Percival hadn't realized. Gwaine had expressed some interest in Merlin, but they were better off friends and Gwaine was more interested in the Gentle Giant than the Silent Savior. He'd also realized that Arthur was in love with Merlin long before Arthur realized it. Percival chocked his insight up to his experience in the tavern. Seeing and reading people in gambling, in fights had to come out somewhere else too.

"You don't seem to be able to calm him down though..."

"Eh, that's a little over rated. He wouldn't be Gwaine if he calmed down."

Arthur conceded that point taking another drink from his goblet.

"Does Merlin know?" Percival asked, gesturing to the empty seat beside Arthur.

Arthur shrugged. Probably not, hell he'd only found the position earlier that morning buried in the tomes that predated the Purge. Merlin probably knew what a mage was, he was magical after all, but he probably didn't understand why there waa chair beside Arthur's in which no one was allowed to sit in. But he wouldn't burden him with all of that just yet, instead allowing him to bask in his freedom and find his mother in the crowd. It wouldn't be official until they held the official crowning, and he hadn't worked up to that quite yet. Arthur smirked, after all this time of Merlin hiding things, it was his turn to be secretive about it.

"You going to tell him?"

"Eventually," Arthur said. "I'll have to, still have to get him coronated."

Percival snickered, he'd love to see Merlin's reaction to that, but at the moment some other sound caught his attention.

Merlin looked down into eyes that were familiar and so happy to see him. Hunith squealed as he hugged her tightly, lifting her off the ground in a surge of strength and joy, spinning her around. By the feel of him, he'd been eating more and finally filling out his frame. She hugged him tightly, happy to feel him alive in her arms and so damned happy, so damn free.

"Alright, alright, put me down!"

He grinned down at her, grinning wider than she ever remembered. When she saw him, she saw Balinor's smile there too and kissed his cheek in pride and joy. Her boy was free and now in death, those with magic could at last rest in peace knowing that their descendents would not suffer the same fate. She knew that somewhere Balinor and his father, and the entire race of Dragonlords were smiling at the turn of events. How they felt about Merlin's relationship with Arthur, she wouldn't able to say, but what he'd done for the whole of magical people would probably outweigh any sense of continuing the line.

"Your father would be so proud..."

Merlin smiled and nodded before leading her into a dance. The wine didn't run out and lights shot across the sky well until dawn. The party continued so long as someone had breath enough to scream "Freedom!" Arthur retired fairly early, leaving his people and Merlin to celebrate their freedom. There was a chill going through him, but it wasn't painful. He didn't go find Merlin, laying across his own bed and staring up through the dancing shadows of the candelight. Yuletide was in a few weeks, he'd have to get moving if things were going to be set up before the new year.

Why is all of this so complicated? Damn politics. He snorted at the thought, he was beginning to sound like Merlin who had no regard for the finer points of court etiquette. Court would definitely be different now that he was a part of it. His father would have his head if he could, but he didn't really care about that as another bolt of light shot through the sky and he could hear and feel the peace settling over Camelot.

He got up and went to the window as the final lights died down and saw Merlin running out of the castle. He watched in interest, barely catching a glimpse of the blue orb of light floating in front of him as the only marker that it was Merlin. The orb was familiar and he shook his head, yet another thing that Merlin had done for him from afar. Seems like even though Arthur was trying to save him, he'd been saving him.

How many more of my feats has he been a part of?

He guessed he would never know.

Merlin prepared his own room for his mother to sleep in. She told him to sleep, but knew he wouldn't. His eyes were glowing with energy and excitement, too happy to sit still. He promised her that he would get some rest eventually, tucked her in, kissed her cheek, and left the room. He didn't make it out of Gaius' chambers before he was running up the stairs towards the main gates and conjuring the orb of light to guide him through the city. Guards turned to look at him, but he paid no heed, running/chasing the orb out of the palace yard and down through the lower town. It all looked so new as the sun rose on the horizon and light crept through the city. There was a sense of lightness in him that he couldn't explain but only look up towards the sky in joy, reaching the edge of the city of Camelot and screaming into the forest.

"FREEEDOMMM!"

The Golden Age of Albion was here.

It's not over I promise, that would be cruel.