Epilogue- which to be honest is just some sort of continuation
An hour later
Shit!
"Ah!"
Arthur to his head throbbing like crazy. All he could see was some floor. And a dusty floor at that. Arthur sweared that if Merlin had knocked him out again he was going to make sure he was cleaning this floor for the rest of his years.
"Arthur" A voice whispered, Arthur paused his thoughts.
"Hello?"
"Arthur!" Arthur sat up. He was in the dungeons. But he couldn't for the life of him remember why. Gawain, probably. Always getting Arthur into trouble that one.
"Arthur!" The prince turned around to see Merlin poking his stupid face through a hole in the wall.
"Merlin?" Merlin smiled and suddenly it all come back to him. "What are you doing!? Where did they take you? Are you alright? How did you get out?! How did you find me!?"
"No time!" Merlin laughed. He was bloody enjoying this.
The bastard.
Arthur followed the gold string that attached then together through the hole in the wall which lead to some sort of garden. With green trees and colourful flowers, it was like the whole place had forgotten that it was winter.
"Merlin? Where are we?"
"Royalty! Have you ever walked around your own castle! It's just behind the dungeons. Haven't you been down here before? This is the place all the couples go after an evening the tavern"
"You come here a lot then do you?" Arthur interrupted. Merlin simply replied by sticking his tongue out.
"Just because you don't have any lady friends to come here with-"
"Hey, hey, hey! I've got Lady friends!"
"Name one" Merlin really did have some cheek to ask him to tell him these things but honestly, Arthur was sick of keeping secrets from people, just seeing Merlin beaming and picking herbs from the garden made him realise that there was no one he would rather share them with.
"Thought of someone yet?" Merlin asked from a patch of daffodils.
"Uhh… just because I've been saving myself for my soulmate doesn't mean-"
"Ha! Saving yourself! I've been around, Arthur. I've heard the stories they tell"
"Who? What stories!?"
"How about you and Elyan?" Merlin lifted his eyebrow suspiciously.
"What! Who told you that!?"
Merlin smirked "You did"
I was right.
He's an absolute git.
Typical of me to get the rudest bloke in the whole kingdom as a soulmate.
"You still haven't answered my questions"
"Okay" Merlin began, taking Arthurs hand and leading him to the middle of the garden. He pulled them down so that they were sitting cross legged, face to face in the middle of the emerald grass."They took me to courtyard, I think they were planning on shooting me with a crossbow. Get it done quickly but clearly that didn't work…" Merlin bit his lip and shifted in his seat. "So then I just followed the string until I found you. And I just come here to look after the plants" Merlin laughed uncomfortably.
How an earth could he get away from and army of men with crossbows?
"Merlin" Arthur spoke softly "Is there something you aren't telling me?"
"I-" Merlins words were cut short by the sudden wave of voices "I think they've found us"
Shit.
Why were we even staying here!?
"Why were we even staying there!?" Arthur panted as they ran out of the garden, relying on the golden string to stop them from losing each other.
"I needed to get something!"
"What could possibly be important enough for you to risk us getting caught by guards trying to kill you" They stopped when the reached a wall.
"These" Merlin pulled out a bouquet of flowers from his jacket and gave them to Arthur. He wouldn't have admitted it if asked but his heart melted in that moment even if Merlin was risking his life for something so stupid.
"Flowers?" Arthur whispered "Flowers for me?"
"I probably shouldn't have, as we are kind of on the run-"
Arthur leant towards the young man and kissed him on corner of the mouth. "Now" He smiled "We need to get over this wall"
But it was too late, his men running round the corner, any minute now they would be surrounded and then Merlin would be shot before him. Merlin gave Arthur a look that he knew far too well. This look meant he was going to do something stupid.
"Arthur" Merlin kissed him "I truly love you and I hope that you will forgive me"
"Forgive you for what?"
"For not telling you"
"For not telling me what?"
"I should have told you before but I was scared"
"Of what?"
"And know that I use it for you, Arthur. Only for you." Arthur was sure that if they weren't in mortal danger Merlin would be crying. This was clearly hard for him… whatever this was.
Merlin tore his eyes away from Arthur and towards the knights who were stood with swords and harpoons at the ready.
A bit much for a couple of guys.
What did it matter really if we got away?
Someone's not telling me something.
And that's when Merlin reached out his arm and yelled "Eorðe, lyft, fyr, wæter, hiersumaþ me" He gestured to the vines on the castle wall and they began moving in front of the soldiers. He gestured to the bushes and the trees and they began moving as well, making a wall between them and the soldiers.
"You- you-" He spluttered
You're magic
"No time, Arthur just trust me." Merlin turned to the wall "Eorðe ac stanas hiersumaþ me " Arthur watched as the stones began to move.
Of course he's magic!
That's where the hole in the dungeons came from!
And why the garden was still alive!
And yet he's the worst servant in the kingdom.
Arthur looked back to see the knights making their way through the wooden barrier. He grabbed Merlin by the hand and ran through the hole and out into the woods of Camelot.
A few days later
The two men laid side by side. The night was dark but Arthur was wide awake. He was missing Camelot. He missed going out for training with the knights. He missed the parties. He missed going to the market. He missed laying in bed all day. He missed Gwen and Gaius and Gawain. Leon, Percival and Elyan. He missed the mean librarian who's name begins with G but the rest of which escaped him. He missed the woman who owned the tavern. He missed tournaments and he even missed cancel meetings! He missed his father. He missed his home.
"Arthur?" Merlin whispered "Are you alright?"
Merlin
Wonderful Merlin.
My love, my soulmate, my everything.
At least i'm not completely alone
"What are we going to do?" Arthur said, wiping his cheek with his tunic
"What do you mean?"
"Where are we gonna go?"
"Ealdor" Arthur turned to look in Merlins blue eyes "Remember, that's what you said, we'd run away to Ealdor"
It felt like years ago when that happened but it had been less than a week.
"What would we do there?"
"We could be farmers?"
"Farmers?" Arthur laughed, imagining the both of them doing so much manual labor.
"Yeah we could have cows and pigs and loads of ducks" They both laughed. Arthur could not believe how well Merlin could cheer him up.
"Of course, we need to have lots of ducks"
"So, Ealdor it is, we can stay with my mother until we get our own cottage"
"Our own cottage?"
"Well yeah, if you want to that is, I mean if you don't that's fine-"
"Merlin" Arthur smiled "I'd love to"
Merlin beamed back at him, the whole world seemed to beam as well.
A few months later
And true to their words they got a little cottage. Both of them were working on one of the farms. While Merlin had also become the local physician and Arthur was teaching adults and children almost everything he knew, as he had the best education of anyone they had ever met.
They hadn't told anyone of Arthurs status only that he was a friend of Merlins.
They hadn't yet got their farm but Arthur had a few ducklings. Both men missed Camelot but they knew that one day they would return and until then they were just Arthur and Merlin of Ealdor. And they were happy with that.
A few years later
The men had taken over one of the farms by now while still doing a few other jobs around the town. Both of them still missed Camelot but they grew to love Ealdor just as much. They had tried to keep the nature of their relationship secret but before long the whole village new though they still did not speak of it.
It was December 21st and Merlin had been out collecting herbs all day for the solstice party that would start before long. when he came back to their cottage but… something was different.
"Arthur?" Marlin called out. He followed his golden string through the back door and to the table and chairs where Arthur was sitting, surrounded by candles and flowers.
"Whats this?" Merlin asked incrediously.
"I made dinner" Arthur replied, gesturing to the table where a not so appetising meal lay.
"The prince?" Merlin fake gasped "Made dinner for me?"
"Ha ha, I can be nice you know"
"I know" He kissed Arthur softly "But shouldn't I be cooking? It is your birthday after all."
"I know, but there is something else I would like to celebrate this evening.
"The winter solstice?"
"No, this is the anniversary of when I proposed"
Wait.
Merlin thought, confused.
Arthur has never proposed-
It was then when Arthur took a ring out of his pocket and knelt before Merlin.
"Merlin, we have both been through a lot and I'm sure we will go through a lot more and I have realised that soulmate or not, I never want to part from you for the rest of my days" Merlin smiled at Arthur, tears running down both of their faces "And most of all I love you and for this reason and millions more I was wondering if you will do me the honour of becoming my husband"
"Well I don't know, I'm not sure if I want to spend the rest of my life with such a prat" Merlin smiled, trying to wipe away the tears on his face.
"Merlin"
"I know" Merlin choked "This isn't the time for jokes"
"Is that a yes?"
"Of course you clotpole!" Merlin shouted as he pulled his Fiancé up into a kiss and whispered in is ear "I love you so much and I'm so glad I found you"
Of course, they couldn't be married by law but they had their own private ceremony with Hunith and Will. Though they cried a lot, in happiness for their love of one another and the sadness that their friends from Camelot couldn't be there to share it all with them, they both regarded it as one of the best days of their lives.
A few more years later
"Merlin!" Arthurs shouts could be heard through the whole village of Ealdor "Merlin!"
Merlin came rushing out of the cottage and into the street Arthur was running down.
"Arthur, Arthur! Whats wrong?" Merlin asked as Arthur pulled him into an embrace.
"Merlin" Arthur whispered, pulling him in as close as he and stroking the back of his head "It's my father, Merlin. My father is dead"
Merlin gasped and pulled away to look in his husbands eyes. "Arthur, love, are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah" Arthur choked back sobs and smiled weakly "He was a bastard anyway"
"Are you going to go back?" Merlin wiped the tears from Arthurs cheeks "To Camelot, I presume there's a funeral?"
"Merlin!" Arthur kissed him "Of course we must go back! I am to be king!"
Merlin stared at his husband, wide eyed in shock. Of course, he thought, of course.
"You will be a great king" Merlin told him, kissing Arthur fiercely.
"And you will be my consort" Arthur told him "We will be married and magic will return to Camelot"
Merlin could hardly contain himself.
Camelot.
God I miss Camelot.
They left early the next morning and were at Camelot by sundown. The whole city was obviously forlorn at the sudden death of the king. The lower town was filled with candles in commemoration. At first Arthur was surprised that nobody seemed to recognise them but he quickly realised that it had been too long and they were probably presumed dead. No knights or noble men seemed to be around, Arthur assumed they must be meeting to discuss who will be the next monarch.
Arthur felt ashamed that he was so excited by the grand entrance he would make when he burst into the hall as rightful heir to the throne. Just as he was about to do this Merlin spoke behind him.
"Arthur?"
"Yes Merlin?"
"Just remember that whatever happens I will always be by your side" Merlin took his hand and they both walked into the hall.
A first he was unsure if they knew who he was but after a brief few seconds he heard a shout.
"Arthur!"
It was Gawain. Of course it was. Whispers erupted through the hall but were silenced by Arthur. Arthur and his voice to lead armies with. His voice to lead kingdoms with.
"I, Arthur Pendragon, am the rightful heir to the throne and will be crowned king of Camelot."
Some people cheered (Though it might have just been Gawain) and some seemed less pleased but they all seemed to be aware that they were in need of a leader and Arthur would be just that.
In the next few days Arthur was crowned and as his first act as king of Camelot he welcomed magic to Camelot. Merlin was made court Sorcerer and was given a chamber next to Arthurs (Though he didn't use it).
It took a bit more time to get same sex marriage legal but as the years past the people and the church saw that Arthur was the best king the kingdom if not the world had ever seen and they trusted that he knew what was right.
A decade later
"Arthur" Merlin whispered when he had reached the end of the isle.
"Merlin?"
"I love you so much" Merlin knelt before Arthur.
"I love you too"
"By the sacred laws vested in me" Arthur spoke out to the hall "I crown you, Merlin, king and consort of Camelot"
Arthur smiled as he pulled his husband up and lead him beside him. "Long live the king" He shouted, his strong and steady.
The crowd repeated his words.
Merlin beamed and accidentally caused a few doves to appear seemingly from nowhere.
"Shit" He muttered for only Arthur to hear. But Arthur only smiled wider for he could not wish of anything nor anyone so perfect.
Another decade later.
"Happy birthday!" Arthur awoke to a graying Merlin giving him a kiss. "And a happy solstice"
"And to you" Arthur kissed Merlins cheek. Arthur watched the gold string follow Merlin as he got up to get water from the table"
"Merlin"
"Yes, Arthur?"
"I don't think I've ever loved the colour gold more than when it is attaches me to you"
"Wow, the winter solstice really makes you a sop" Merlin laughed and nearly spilt his water when Arthur threw a pillow at him. "Okay sorry, I love our string too"
Merlin snuggled up to Arthur on their bed. He drew out his hand and sent gold doves and butterflies flying out around them. He made golden flowers wrap around the bed frame. Gold planets and stars filled the ceiling.
It was amazing. Merlin made a little field scene hover in front of them, where a small golden knight and a small gold man stood side by side in front of a dragon, its great gold wings no match for the power the two men shared.
"That's you and thats me" He whispered pointing at the picture he had created.
"Merlin?"
"Yes, love?"
"I love you, with all my heart"
"As my heart loves you, Arthur"
-The end-
Wow that epilogue was longer than I intended. I nearly killed Arthur off at the end so consider yourselves lucky. Please comment because it motivates we to write more but the main thing is that you enjoy reading :)
Bye bye!
