A/N: Finally we are at the last chapter. It took forever but we are here. Despite the slow pace in updates, I hope you have enjoyed reading the story. I can now start getting ready to post the third instalment of this series. Only problem is that I have start it over because my phone decided to be a douche and not save it after I saved it. Enough rambling. Enjoy this final chapter.
It wasn't until later that night did Merlin awake in his old bed. He sat up and rubbed the hours of sleep out of his eyes. The warlock looked around his old room until his eyes landed on a dozing princess at the small table under the window.
Merlin wondered why the princess was there. He swung his legs over the bed to get up, but began to feel the room spin all around him
Once he managed to get the room to stop spinning, he looked over at the princess and said, "Princess."
Mithian jolted awake and looked over at Merlin. "You're awake."
"And you are in my room," Merlin replied.
Mithian stood up and evened out the creases of her dress. "I asked Gaius if I could be in here, when you awoke. I wanted to talk with you as soon as you were awake."
"What do you wish to discuss, Princess Mithian?" Merlin asked.
Mithian sat down next to him and looked him in the eyes. "I am truly sorry. I put your life in danger by writing Morgana's name on the stone. She could've killed you."
Merlin shrugged. "Not the first time. She's been trying to kill me for years. You have nothing to be sorry for. You were trying to save your father, Arthur and the knights were the only way you knew how."
Mithian looked into his bright blue eyes and saw that he was telling the truth. Her eyes drifted to his head wound. It was an ugly purple with a small cut in the middle of it. She knew head wounds tended to bleed more than most, but she still wondered how something so small, could cause so much blood to flow free.
She quickly got up and made way for the door. "I must be going now. You need to rest. Gaius said so."
"You don't have to go. I feel fine. Gaius is just being overly cautious." Merlin stood up forgetting his dizzy spell from a few moments ago. He took a step forward and began to sway. He was so discordanted that he couldn't find anything to grasp on to to catch himself. If it hadn't been for Mithian catching him when she did, he wouldn't have front teeth.
She help lower him into the bed and got him under the covers.
Mithian decided to stay and make sure he didn't get out of bed again. The only way, she figured, she could do that was by getting into bed with him. She climbed into the small bed and curled up as best she could against his thin frame of a body. To her surprise, he didn't protest. He simply smiled and closed his eyes as she intertwined her fingers with his.
A few hours later she was awoken by a hand shaking her shoulder.
Mithian opened her eyes and saw Gaius standing over her. She quickly sat up, hoping not to disturb the sleeping man.
"Gaius, I am so sorry. I had not meant to fall asleep. He got up and almost fell onto the floor-" Mithian began to rattle off only to be cut off by Gaius.
"Don't worry about. Just be glad I was the who found you and not your father or Arthur," Gaius said. "You should hurry and get back to your chambers."
Mithian stood. "Thank you, Gaius."
The princess, swiftly left the physicians chambers and made haste to her room. Her cheeks were still red with embarrassment. She had been caught sleeping in the same bed as Merlin. It hadn't been her intention to fall asleep. She was just going to stay long enough for him to fall back to sleep. That clearly didn't go as planned.
To her surprise, she wasn't as embarrassed as she thought she would have been. She had enjoyed being curled up next to the man. She had found the sound of his steady breathing, soothing. She recalled the feel of his heart beating, comforting.
The closer she got to her chambers the less embarrassed she was. Her cheeks were now pink with pure giddy at the mere thought of Merlin.
Merlin awoke to the sun shining on his face. He looked around his room for Mithian, but did not find her. He shrugged and figured she left after he fell asleep.
He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and braced himself for another dizzy spell, but none came. The warlock smiled as he grabbed his cane and made his way into the main chamber.
He spotted Gaius sitting at the table eating breakfast. "What happened?"
"Odin has withdrawn his army from Nemeth and it's lands. Mithian and Rodor will be staying until some of their knights arrive to escort them home. And Morgana has fled," Gaius informed.
Merlin nodded as he sat down.
"It seems things turned out well after all," Gaius continued as he got up to examine Merlin. "To sign a treaty with Odin is an achievement and it brings a united kingdom one step closer."
"Not while Morgana lives and breathes it doesn't, Merlin replued, glumly. "Her power grows Gaius. To have held an aging spell that long. That's frightening."
Gaius stopped what he was doing and looked his nephew in the eyes. "Be that as it may. She is not yet your equal."
"And if that day should come?" Merlin wondered.
Gaius returned to examining the warlock. "Let us hope it does not."
Merlin decided to steer the conversation in a different direction. "What happened to Mithian? She was in my room last night."
Gaius smiled. "I found her sleeping with you on your bed. I woke her up and had her leave before Rodor and Arthur showed up."
Merlin did his best not to blush. It's not every day you find out that a princess had fallen asleep in the same bed as you. Deciding to quickly change the subject he asked, "What was Arthur and Rodor doing here?"
"Checking on you. Arthur was concerned about your condition. Rodor wanted to make sure you would be well enough to recieve a reward for your heroics," Gaius answered.
If Merlin wasn't blushing before he was now.
Later that day, Merlin met with Arthur and Rodor in the throne room.
"Is there anything you need, Sires?" Merlin asked continuing the role of still being a manservant.
"You don't have to pretend. Rodor knows you are Camelot's Court Sorcerer," Arthur stated. "He saw you cause the earthquake in the tomb."
Merlin gave him a confused expression then asked. "Why am I here?"
Rodor stepped forward, he was holding what appeared to be a cane encrusted with a diamond on the top. His own cane perhaps?
"Arthur has told me about the ordeal you have been going through these past few months. He told me how you will be having to use a cane for quite some time. Normally I would not do anything to help someone who already has had all the help they can receive, but given your heroic actions yesterday, I have decided to give this to you," Rodor said as he handed the diamond encrusted cane to Merlin.
Merlin marveled in its beauty. Carved into the wood were phrases from the Old Religion. The diamond, which was about the size of his fist, shined brightly even in the dimmed room, as if it produced it's own natural light. The cane was, well, magical.
He reached put for it, but quickly pulled his hand back. He looked at Rodor with curiosity. "Why would give me something so beautifully crafted?"
Rodor smiled gently. "You not only saved my daughter and I, you helped prevent a bloody war. You were Arthur's voice of reason. I don't think I've ever known anyone more deserving of this cane, than you. You are a brave young man. You are also powerful. I doubt anyone besides yourself would be able to weild the magic this cane holds."
Rodor did not wait for Merlin to respond, he simply took the cane he was leaning on and replaced it with the one he was giving him, before the younger man could even sway due to improper balance.
As Merlin leaned carefully on to the new cane, he could feel the magic coursing through. He could feel how the diamond tip melded perfectly with the palm of his hand.
Rodor continued to display his gentle smile. "Perhaps, you, Merlin, have given me a reason again to believe that there is good magic in this world. Maybe some day Nemeth will be free as well."
With that said the aging king left the throne room and headed back to his daughter
A/N: Yay Merlin has fancy magical cane, that he can use to kick ass. So what did you think? Should I continue with the series? Yes or No? Let me know in the replies.