11. The longest day

"Lily, stop moving around! I can't tie your hair up if you're a ball of nerves!"

The Lady Knight snorted, very unlady-like. "Sorry, Gwen. But I told you I didn't want it up."

"Yes, and a bride would really be beautiful with her hair a mess." She rolled her eyes, which her friend saw in her reflection in the mirror.

Herself gritted her teeth, her eyes falling to the ring on her finger for the millionth time since she had awoken that day.

A bride.

She was going to be a bride.

After all these years, after all these...difficulties on her path... She was going to marry.

To marry Gwaine.

"You are really overthinking it, you know..."

Lily's eyes snapped to Gwen's, who had a knowing smile on her lips. "What do you mean?"

"I too was frightened the day I married Arthur. But...after the big event, life went on. And really, nothing is better than waking up in your man's arms every morning."

Lily chuckled. "I already know that feeling."

Gwen grimaced. "I didn't mean to know that!"

"Sorry. But it's the truth!"

"What you do during your nights doesn't concern me. Ew." She chuckled, then released Lily's hair. "There. Done."

Lily got up and stared at her reflection.

Her eyes widened.

A long white dress flowed on her body, highlighting her thinness and muscles hidden under the cloth. A chain ran on her hips, a silver one plunging under her cleavage, on the end of which stood Merlin's present for the day – a pendant in the shape of a dragon.

Gwen had put her hair up in a plait that ran around her whole head, with two flowers on one side of it.

Her eyes seemed wider, she looked...like a proper lady.

"Wow."

Gwen smiled. "I couldn't have said it better. Now, for one big question. Who's going to give your hand to Gwaine?"

Lily's eyes widened. "I hadn't thought about that... Isn't it Arthur's job?"

"Not necessarily. Yes, you are a Knight, but so is Gwaine so...he could be giving his hand."

The bride-to-be thought for a moment, a soft smile forming on her lips as time passed. "Gaius."

Gwen sent her an approving smile. "Good choice. I'll inform the King then him. You, stay here. There is a little surprise for you coming."

"Ouch. I'm scared."

The Queen chuckled. "Don't worry, it's only Merlin."

"Doesn't make me feel any better."

She waited for what seemed like hours, unable to sit down in fear of wrinkling her dress, gazing through the window into the buzzing courtyard below.

The Lady Knight's wedding was going to be the event of the month, barely two after the King's. To Lily's surprise, many among the people had wished to be present.

Hunith had journeyed especially for it.

Tristan, who had lost his beloved Isolde in the reprise of Camelot, had promised to make an appearance.

King Olaf and Princess Vivian, still – unfortunately – in love with Arthur, had been invited as Queen Annis, the new ally of the King.

Seriously, Lily didn't understand what all the fuss was about.

She was getting married, not being crowned Queen of the world!

"I never thought I'd say that, but you do look like a woman!"

She whirled around. She hadn't heard him come in, swallowed in her thoughts as she was. She smirked. "Thank you, Merlie." She looked at him up and down, trying to pry his secret off him. "Gwen said you had a surprise."

"Yup." He smiled widely then walked up to her. He put his right hand from his back and opened his palm.

In the crook of it was a small plaque. And on it, arms. A coat of arms.

"What is that?" The whisper came as a gasp as Lily took the small object from her friend and looked at it closely.

"Your arms. Arthur said it was about time you had your own. He asked me, Gwen, Gwaine and Lancelot to choose its...components. I dare say it fits quite well."

Quite well was an understatement.

The coat was separated in two verticals. The left side was green, with a branch of fir on a glowing ball of power. The right side was as red as Lily's cloak, and on it was a sword. A sword...covering a dragon.

Around it was a single phrase. In druidic language.

"Kaeldin achith keol marmian oleth ain." Merlin smiled down at her. "I brought together the old and new ways."

Lily looked up, tears welling in her eyes. "I love it. Thank you, Merlie."

He chuckled and put a kiss on her forehead. "Don't cry, or Gwen will yell at me for your puffy eyes."

She chuckled back and sniffed back the tears. "Yeah, you're right."

He nodded solemnly, and walked back to the door. "I think your escort will arrive shortly. See you later." He winked and exited the room.

Lily stared at her coat of arms, repeating the words over and again.

I brought together the old and new ways.

Lily's escort to the Great Hall, where the ceremony would be held, consisted in Lancelot and Gaius.

Her fellow knight represented the King and her own duties among the court, while Gaius, a soft smile on his lips, had agreed to give her hand to Gwaine.

It had come as an evident thing to ask her former teacher to be up to the task. He had, by many aspects, been the father figure she needed ever since first stepping into Camelot. More than her 'real' father had ever been.

The thought brought back the numb pain to have left her brother Baelfire and nephew Henry in Storybrooke...something she still had issues accepting.

Gaius shook her off her dull thoughts by taking her hand and putting it in the crook of his arm.

Lancelot sent her a wink and a charming smile she really had doubt could not woo anything female anywhere, and then he stood in the doorway, a hand on the knob.

She took a deep breath, and nodded.

The door opened, and she forgot everything.

There was a crowd inside the halls.

The nobles invited, of course, who stood among the first ranks, but also all the knights and novices, some servants – within whom Merlin stood, the widest grin on his face – and even some representatives of the people – among which Hunith...and Tristan.

Lily's hand squeezed Gaius' arm as she slowly made her way up the aisle, quietly buzzing with muffled comments on her dress or quiet words of congratulations.

At the end of the aisle, Gwaine stood in his knight's armour. He was completely blinded by her sight, and that look of awe brought a new smile to Lily's lips.

When Gaius took her hand and put it in Gwaine's grasp, saying the words, she didn't even hear them. She was drowning in her groom's eyes.

"Lady Lily of Avalon, will you take this man's hand in marriage, bind yourself to him for life and accept any struggle married life would bring upon you?"

Lily appreciated the slight modifications to the 'obey him till death do you part' thing, and nodded her consent. "I will."

Gwaine grinned like a fool, then retaliated the vows.

Both exchanged rings, and then...

"By the powers vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife."

The crowd erupted in cheers, and Lily grinned wider than she could have thought possible, before leaning in and planting a short but loving kiss on her now husband's lips.

As she took place at the table of honour later that day, her eyes fell to the band at her finger.

Thin, golden, it was meant to be discreet as she had wished, but to give no doubt about her marital status.

Inside it, she knew were embedded hers and Gwaine's initials, linked by a druidic symbol of love.

She was still surprised sometimes to see how much her powers were accepted among those she loved the most.

"Can I ask you for a dance, my lady?"

Lily looked up from her glass of wine.

She had sat alone for a short moment. Gwaine had gone drinking his ass off with Percival a little further the table – and was losing by the sight of it – and Arthur and Gwen had gone dancing.

She smiled up at Lancelot. "If you promise not to mock me, you can."

He chuckled. "I thought it would be best to ask you after you were married. You know...making sure no rumours would be born afterwards."

She chuckled back. "Thoughtful of you, Lance. But I'm afraid many rumours are already running the halls about you and I." She stood and gave him her hand.

She had never liked dancing. Her father had taught her some, she had learnt some coming to Camelot, but...her feet didn't like obeying to anyone but herself.

So it surprised her how easy it was to sway in Lancelot's arms. How patient and understanding he was.

So this time, she did speak her mind. "Sometimes I feel like you are not real, Lance."

His brow furrowed in a quizzical way. "Why not?"

"You're far too perfect."

He chuckled. "Thank you. I take it as a compliment."

"You can. Although...it's weird."

He leaned in, whispering his answer in her ear. "You should have said that earlier...before marrying another."

She huffed. "As if you'd have ever asked me."

"No, you're right. Better be dead again than marrying you."

Lily laughed high and true at that, and continued to be lead by him for a couple more minutes, before a hand tapped her shoulder.

The King had come to claim his own dance.

Arthur wasn't half as good as his knight as that game.

Weirder and weirder.

The evening stretched, becoming night, and soon, Gwaine came to scoop his wife in his arms, to the laughs of all the tipsy people in the room.

Percy was the drunkest of all.

To Lily's surprise, even after a drinking contest, Gwaine was relatively steady on his feet as he walked down the corridors and towards their now common room – Lily's, since it was not a secret anymore they had been sharing for some time.

"You have been cheating."

Gwaine looked down at her with a mischievous smile on his lips. "Whatever do you mean, my love?"

She rolled her eyes. "You've asked Gaius for his sobering draught."

He chuckled. "Guilty. Although you can't possibly blame me for wishing to remember this night." He opened the door and kicked it closed with his foot, not putting her down until he had reached the bed.

Lily chuckled, then devilishly crawled away from him. "Uh uh. You have to be far more romantic than that to seduce me, sir knight."

Gwaine rolled his eyes, discarded his cloak then his chainmail, all the while staring at her. "As if."

He made his way up the bed to her, planting a kiss on her neck.

Lily bit on her lower lip, and her hands went to his chest on their own accord. "I hate it when you're right."