Arthur woke early the next day to find the sun still waiting to rise above the horizon and brighten the skies with its bright rays of light. A few stars were still twinkling in the dark sky and the moon was steadily going down. Watching as people began to move about and get ready for the day, the Prince knew that today would be the day he'd ask Alethea that one question which had been weighing on his mind. He had barely been able to sleep last night because his mind was racing with thoughts but now he was awake and knew just exactly what the day would hold. He knew where he was going to show her and exactly when and where he would ask her the question. He already had the ring ready, it was simply a case of asking Alethea. Hearing the knock on the door, Arthur smiled at Merlin as he walked in to the room. At last he could now get dressed and get everything together for his day with Alethea.
"Good morning sire." Merlin wished the Prince.
"And a very good day it will be today Merlin. You'll be glad to hear that I won't be here for most of the day."
"Sire?"
"In fact, you can help me get dressed and then take the day off." Arthur told him casually.
"Alright, what's gotten into you Arthur?" Merlin asked, unused to seeing his friend like this.
"I'm in love." The Prince smiled. "Now, my best riding clothes if you will." The servant found them for the Prince, still puzzled by Arthur's unusual behaviour. Helping the Prince get dressed, Merlin remained silent whilst Arthur thought of something from a good few days back.
"Tell me something Merlin, and no lies, was Nimueh right when she claimed that you could do magic?"
"Sire, magic is punishable by death. I would not dare to practise it under your nose." Merlin said, praying that Arthur wouldn't ask more. But of course, Arthur being Arthur…
"You won't be punished if you can." Arthur mentioned casually. "I just need to know if you can or can't."
"I'm telling you, I wouldn't dare."
"Merlin, I just need to know and if you can then I won't tell anyone else."
"You promise?"
"You have my word. I won't tell anyone else. Not even my father." The Prince promised. Merlin took a deep breath.
"Then sire, I must admit that I can indeed do magic." the servant answered, staring at his feet.
"I thought so…" Arthur said, with a more serious look on his face.
"And with it sire I have saved your life so many times. Without my magic we would never have defeated the Avanc in the reservoir beneath Camelot, nor would you be standing here today. Without my magic, Nimueh would still be here and we would all be dead. I have even brought Alethea back from the brink of death with magic. It isn't all evil." Merlin explained.
"Then will you promise me something Merlin?" the young Pendragon asked, grabbing the young warlock's hand and forcing him to meet his gaze.
"Sire?"
"If and when the time comes, promise me you will send Alethea home."
"But Arthur, I cannot…" Merlin tried to protest
"Promise me Merlin. Promise me that you will send her home when the time comes" When Merlin still said nothing, Arthur added "Otherwise I'll be forced to tell the King your little secret."
"I don't want to have to send her home." Merlin told him.
"Then pray that you won't have to." The Prince knew that he was already praying that it never would happen.
"But I promise that should the time ever come then I will." Merlin agreed, albeit reluctantly.
"Thank you Merlin." The Prince said truthfully before changing the subject. "Now tell me, what do you think of Alethea?"
"She's a nice young lady, intelligent, wise, quite pretty, knowledge that will help Camelot…"
"Make a good wife and Queen." The Prince added.
"She certainly loves you." Merlin paused. "You intend to marry her?" he asked, quite confused.
"I intend to propose to her."
"Today?" Arthur nodded. "And what if she should refuse?"
"I will understand."
"When will you ask her?"
"Sunset at the same place my father proposed to my mother." Arthur told him. "Now, will I do?"
"Certainly."
"Then you've got the day off. Go on Merlin." Letting the young warlock leave, Arthur let a smile play on his lips. With Merlin as a sorcerer, it finally explained a lot of things that had happened. He was right though, magic was not all bad and used for evil. Some of it was used for good and to save other people's lives. And it was obvious why Merlin hadn't admitted to it earlier as it would have meant certain death. It was just as well that the Prince wasn't his father. Merlin would be dead by now otherwise.
Heading down to the stables and getting a horse saddled up, Arthur remembered that Alethea couldn't ride…yet at least. Mounting up once outside, he pulled Alethea up to sit behind him and let her hold on tight to him as they rode out of Camelot. He knew that she was probably very nervous and did all that he could to reassure her that she was safe. With the sun just about up in the sky, they followed the forest paths and rode along the valley, near enough the same route that Arthur had followed the day before.
"You can open your eyes now." The Prince said, knowing that Alethea hadn't moved or said much since they'd left Camelot and that she would probably have closed her eyes.
"I don't want to."
"You're perfectly safe with me Alethea. I won't let anything bad happen to you."
"You promise?" she asked nervously, like a small child.
"I swear it."
"Wow." Alethea said as they came to a stop and opened her eyes, looking out across the valley of Camelot and the villages dotted here, there and everywhere. "I suppose all this will be yours one day?"
"It certainly will."
"King Arthur and his knights of Camelot." she mused " I don't suppose you have a round table yet?" she asked, making Arthur smile before dismounting and helping her down.
"No, but I do have a sorcerer." and a queen perhaps, Arthur thought to himself.
"What?" she asked, surprised and a bit panicked.
"Don't worry. Merlin's secret is safe. I take it you've known all along?"
"I'm afraid so." Alethea answered, avoiding his gaze.
"I understand why you didn't tell me. You were protecting your friend." Arthur told her, taking her hand in his and leading the horse with the other.
"You know something?" she said after a few moments silence.
"What?"
"The last time it was just you, me and a horse in the woods near Camelot, you'd just helped me to escape from the dungeons." Alethea pointed out.
"That long? I know the last time it was just me and you neither of us were in that much of a fit state."
"Both Nimueh's captives, I know. I don't envy her though."
"How come?" Arthur asked, quite interested as to what she meant.
"Well, she did bring me to you in the first place, and in the end she sent you to me to rescue me, even if you were half dead, and by some shape or form, she has brought us together."
"Then remind me to thank her one day then will you?" Arthur smiled. "So what do you think of the valley?"
"It's beautiful. I've never seen something like this for real."
"You have seen something like this before?"
"Paintings." she explained. "But nothing like this."
An hour or so later, the two of them were sat down on a fallen log near a lake with the remains of a picnic next to them. The morning so far had gone well, Arthur noted, with the two of them enjoying their time together. Both were genuinely happy for once with no worries or problems to think about. They were glad to be together. Arthur sat next to Alethea, his arm around her waist and both smiled as they watched the dragonflies dance over the water in the midday Winter sun. It was a perfect place and the two just sat there for hours on end simply chatting and enjoying each others company. Arthur couldn't help but wonder just what Alethea's world was like. Sure she'd mentioned things about it, but it was the look in her eyes as she took in the sights. It was almost as if she had never seen anything like this before. He knew that she had spent many nights looking at the stars but now, she was just looking at the homes of the people of Camelot like they were prized possessions. What Arthur took for granted, Alethea didn't seem to be able to stop looking at it.
"So I take it you don't have this much woodland in your time?" Arthur said a little while later.
"Huh?" Alethea asked, her concentration broke. "We have this much wood, just not everywhere. We certainly don't have anything along Camelot's line though."
"Really?" Arthur asked, a bit put out that Camelot didn't stand a good fifteen centuries in the future.
"A lot can change in a thousand years Arthur, but I tell you now, you wouldn't like my time."
"How do you know?"
"Too noisy, too many people, and there's no hunting, no swords, no feasts or courts or anything like that. There are no Knights like today, and there are very few horses."
"Nothing like Camelot? Yet you like it here…" Arthur pointed out.
"Because I love the tales of King Arthur and Camelot." Alethea smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. "And because I have you."
"So what's to stop me liking it at your home? Because I'll have you…"
"Arthur, no. You cannot come with me."
"But why?" The Prince asked.
"Camelot would not survive without you. Arthur, you and I were never supposed to meet. If you came to my time then we'd create a paradox or something."
"But…"
"Don't object Arthur. Just don't." Alethea said. "I wish you could come with me. I don't deny that i haven't thought of it, but you can't."
They were silent after that, until the silence was broken and the sky began to turn into shades of oranges and pinks and purples. The sun was getting very close to setting and the Prince smiled. Both of them had forgotten their little argument from before and now Alethea was sat on the horse whilst Arthur was on foot, leading them both through the forest. The Prince's nerves were beginning to become unsettled and he knew that he had to take this chance now rather than never. Making sure that he still had the ring, he led Alethea towards a forest clearing, with a stream trickling at one side. Coming to a stop, he took a deep breath as he helped Alethea down from her mount and let the horse drink.
"Why have we stopped Arthur?" Alethea asked, shivering slightly in the cool air of the evening.
"To water the horse. It's a lovely sunset, isn't it?"
"It is. It's the perfect sunset."
"In the perfect place." Arthur agreed, knowing just how he was going to end the perfect day. Taking a deep breath, he summoned up the courage to ask her the question. Finding the ring in his pocket, Arthur got down onto one knee and looked at the girl he loved. Taking her hand in his, he didn't register the look of confusion in Alethea's eyes. He was too busy on concentrating on not getting his words muddled.
"Alethea, my Lady Alethea, I love you so much with all my heart, body and soul. We have been through so much together and I know that we are meant to be. Alethea, Lady protector of Camelot, will you do me the greatest honour of becoming my wife? You are already Queen of my heart, but will you be my Princess?" He asked her, waiting with baited breath for an answer...
