Morgana was being forced to get married in a church, that part was unchanging, per her Father's request, but the reception venue were still up for grabs. According to Morgana Uther wanted her to have it the same place he and Hunith had their wedding, Morgana refused for obvious reasons, so now she, Leon, Merlin and his mother were all standing in a field forty-five minutes from London proper. Hunith was umming as she looked around in distaste, and Merlin just really wanted to leave.
"I just don't think this seems like you," Hunith said then. "You work in fashion, why have an event outside? We can do it inside and make it something that really represents you, plus it will be cold by the time of the wedding."
"Leon always wanted an outdoor wedding," said Morgana. "Right?"
Leon nodded, "I think Hunith is right though, it might be too cold, plus I'm happy with whatever you want."
Morgana shrugged. Hunith stepped in then and Merlin wondered why he was even there at all. "I allowed your father too much control with our wedding, it was beautiful and I wouldn't change it now, but everything I wanted he always vetoed. What I want from you both is that you both have the wedding you have always wanted, whatever that means."
Merlin wondered what the hell that meant, and how come this was the first motherly thing he had ever heard her say? It made him feel a little bit jaded that it was not even directed toward her own child. Would she care what kind of wedding Merlin wanted? Probably not, because her husband would throw a fit if she dare even consider attending, and become sick from 'the gay.'
"What if we do a in-door-out-door venue?" offered Leon then and Morgana and Hunith both seemed excited about this idea.
"I know a great place in Wales!" said Morgana then excitedly. "I went to an event there with my company once, it was beautiful!"
"That is a wonderful idea, Leon!" said Hunith then, sounding rather too kind. "I can call them tomorrow if you can find the number, Morgana."
"What do you think, Merlin?" said Morgana then, realizing he hadn't said anything in awhile. Merlin really didn't know what to say, he didn't care all too much.
"I feel like your wedding would have a lot of tea-lights," he offered and Morgana and Hunith both laughed.
"I think he's right, it would," Hunith agreed and she smiled at Merlin. He didn't really know how to react to that. Was she trying to be his mother now all of a sudden? He thought he might be too old for that. Hunith continued talking after that, unalarmed by Merlin's confusion. "Of course if you have a reception in Wales you will have to change churches, you can't have people drive that far, and of course your father won't like that but I will find a way to shut him up if that is what you wanted to do."
"Just send him golfing," requested Leon and Hunith nodded with a grin.
"And give him food, he's easy to shut up, honestly."
Merlin had to argue that, Uther was not at all easy to shut up. He was also a dirty, old bastard.
They all headed back, out of the field now, and Merlin really thought this was it, that they had spent about ten minutes together and then he could just go home now and his job of being a supportive friend...step-brother...or whatever the hell he was to Morgana, he really wasn't sure at this point, either way, his job was done. Or so he thought, because then she was suggesting the four go out to dinner. Why?! Merlin wanted to ask but didn't, he just silently agreed to go and for some insane reason he got stuck driving his mother to the restaurant Morgana wanted to go to, was he being punished for something? At the very least she was at least a quiet passenger, Merlin thought this was because she didn't quite know what to say to him now that they were all alone. Luckily, the restaurant Morgana wanted to go to was only five minutes away from that field. The restaurant was a kitschy little place, full of old ass looking Knick knacks and old lady's ran the front counter, every person who worked there had white hair, if that says anything. They were famous for their wine, Morgana informed as they sat, and Merlin took advantage of this, several times, mostly due to his mother going through her entire wedding story to Uther...apparently forgetting that all three of the people sitting there listening had attended said wedding. Merlin ate a salad and too many of the crouton breadsticks and had six glasses of wine, and no he still wasn't drunk enough for Hunith's honeymoon story and how 'romantic' Uther was and how he 'whisked her away early from the reception to a honeymoon suit blah blah...', Merlin wanted to puke just thinking about it. Actually, they were all pretty drunk by the time they had left the restaurant, except for Leon, who refused to allow anyone else to drive home, probably because he was a cop. They were all shoved into the back of Morgana's car and Leon drove them back to the Pendragon's estate, much to Merlin's dismay. He didn't want to be there. He had to call Gwaine and make him go pick up not only Merlin, but also their car.
"I want you to come inside," said Hunith as they were almost to the Pendragon's house. Merlin looked over at her with alarmed eyes. She too was very drunk, before this she hadn't been saying much to him at all. He didn't like the sound of this very much. "You need to be around more, the more you're around the more my husband will get used to you and how you are."
Merlin scrunched up his face. "How I am?"
"You know exactly what I mean," she said with a bit of a snap in her voice. "He won't accept your sexuality maybe, but he will get over his grudge."
"I think it's more than a grudge," shrugged Merlin. "He's hated me since the beginning because I didn't like his creepy house and I didn't want to eat meat..."
Hunith signed, "That might be right but-"
"But nothing," Merlin cut her off. "It's too late to pretend to be a happy family now."
"Don't you think I know this?" she retorted. "At least I try. You were the one that ran away."
Merlin's stomach dropped at this, due to either too much drink or too much anger at her words, he wasn't sure which really.
"Do not start fighting now, I will pull this car over!" called Morgana, to which Leon scoffed from the drivers seat.
"You're not driving, Babe..."
Morgana hushed him, but Hunith wasn't done trying to upset Merlin, not yet, so she didn't take Morgana's advice, if it was advice at all. "That is not the real reason I wanted you to come inside, I didn't know how to bring it up but I think I better just say it...-"
"I'm adopted?" Merlin asked, over her next fumbled words, the likes of which he didn't hear. She frowned at him. "Can't say I wasn't hoping."
She let out a frustrated sigh. "Your father left you a letter I was meant to give you when you turned eighteen, it was his last wish for me."
Merlin's eyes widened, in all of the things he thought she might say, none of it was that. A letter from his long, extremely dead father? Why was Merlin not excited about this?
"As I had no idea where you were when you turned eighteen," Hunith continued then, with spite in her voice. "I'd like to give it to you now."
(A/N: I decided to update again, every so often I get really into this story, I think the idea is just one of my favorite concepts that I've had, I am sure I said it before but I literally came up with it from watching 90 Day Fiancé, and I pretty much try to match that kind of drama as best as I can, It just entertains me so much, I hope you all enjoy it, too. Another thing I want to say real quick is that, just FYI I do post this story on two differant websites, so a lot of people have been asking questions and are confused by things that haven't been answered yet, I want to just say that ALL (well most) of those answers are coming within the next like 3 to 4 chapters, the main question I get is how did Merlin/Gwaine happen and that WILL be answered. I do want to say tho, that I had always planned on them getting together from the very beginning, just the way I decided to tell the story skipped their story progression, hopefully that isn't too upsetting to people, it would have been nice to see, I guess. Either way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I have another one ready to go as well AND I am writing another tonight...lol, hopefully.)