Yule Surprise - For Gilli_Ann
Title: Yule Surprise
Recipient:Gilli-Ann
Author: Salamandair
Rating: G
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon
Summary: Arthur’s been acting odd lately, and Merlin’s determined to find out why.
Warnings: N/A
Word Count: 3298
Author's Notes: I hope you like this! It was very last minute, but I did my best!
Disclaimer:Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons.
Arthur was acting odd.
While Merlin would readily admit that Arthur was always odd-something Arthur would always counter by saying that Merlin was the strange one, not him-he was acting more oddly than usual, and Merlin was positive it wasn’t just due to the Druids attending the upcoming Yule feast.
Arthur had first come to Merlin with the idea of inviting the Druids to their Yule feast nearly five months ago, explaining that now that he was king and magic was finally allowed in Camelot after a few months of fighting with his council to legalize it, he felt that it was time to make amends with the Druids. Not only to restore friendly relations between the two communities, but also to show everyone, not just the people of Camelot, that Arthur was nothing like his father and that magic would be allowed and accepted in Camelot again.
Plus, Arthur admitted to Merlin that he felt inviting the Druids would start to ease the crushing guilt he felt for everything that they went through during The Great Purge and the years after it ended, thanks to Uther and himself. Even when Merlin tried to assure him that he was acting on his father’s orders and that he was only believing what he’d been told by someone he trusted, Arthur still insisted that he was responsible for their suffering, even in ignorance.
Merlin had easily agreed with Arthur’s idea after his lover’s explanation and a bit of discussion as to how they would best intertwine their traditions with the Druids’ traditions and how to invite them. He was always going to, truthfully. He just wanted to make sure Arthur was bringing them to Camelot for the right reasons.
Thus began the planning of every. single. aspect of the Yule feast. And it was tedious and frustrating, especially combined with Arthur’s mood throughout the last two months of arranging the feast.
Arthur had been snappier and more detail-oriented than normal while they had been planning and organizing everything, especially as the day of the feast drew closer. He was meticulous about details like decorations or seating arrangements and when something wasn’t immediately right, he was quick to snap at whoever gave him the bad news. While Merlin had dealt with Arthur acting like this a time or two before, he wasn’t used to Arthur’s prat-like behavior lasting for two months.
To make matters worse, a fortnight before the feast, Arthur had become very nervous around Merlin, always looking around warily or fiddling with something in his pockets. When Merlin would enter their chambers or even round a corner and see Arthur, his lover would always jump and start rambling on about some boring topic as if he was trying to distract Merlin.
Merlin was very suspicious. Something was going on, but he couldn’t tell what it was. Arthur wasn’t enchanted or under any kind of spell or potion. His magic assured him of that. Arthur couldn’t be seeing another lover, especially since the King didn’t have time to spend alone with Merlin, never mind sneaking around with someone else. Plus, if Merlin was sure of one thing, it was that Arthur’s chivalry and honor would never allow him to do that.
Knowing all this information, Merlin truly had no idea what was going on to make Arthur act so strange.
Honestly, were it not for Gwen and Gaius constantly reassuring him that nothing was wrong with Arthur and that he was safe, Merlin would’ve confronted him a while ago and forced him to tell the truth.
“Merlin!” A shout jerked Merlin out of his wandering thoughts and back to reality. He turned his head to see Arthur looking annoyed at him. “Welcome back to Camelot. Have fun daydreaming while you’re slacking off on getting dressed for the Yule feast?”
Merlin shook his head a little and scowled at his lover. “Yes, I was enjoying my dream of attending a feast where I didn’t have to wear ridiculous clothes,” he complained, looking down at the outfit laid out for him. “Do I seriously have to wear this?”
“Yes, you do,” Arthur replied, sighing. “We’re not only courting, but you are very important to the Druids. Ergo, you have to look your best for them. Which means wearing the clothes I had specially made for you.”
“But they already know who I am and what I look like. This seems rather…unnecessary,” Merlin argued, turning back to the stubborn king, who just shot him a withering look in response.
“Merlin, we agreed- “
“I know we agreed on this. I’m just making a point.” Merlin raised a brow as Arthur’s fingers started to fiddle with something in his pocket. His jaw tightened until Merlin was sure he was biting the inside of his cheek. “Arthur, are you alright?”
At the question, the fingers stopped moving and Arthur immediately turned his head away, scoffing. “Of course I’m alright. Why wouldn’t I be?” he asked, a bit too quickly.
“You just seem…more nervous than usual. I’m just worried, that’s all,” Merlin admitted, shrugging as he turned to fully face Arthur now. “You’ve been like this for weeks.”
After a moment, Arthur sighed. He walked over to Merlin, his face softening; “Merlin, I promise you. Everything is okay. There’s not a thing to be worried about. I’m just…nervous about having the Druids in Camelot for the first time in decades. If it goes wrong…” he trailed off, looking away. While his face was guarded, Merlin could see the insecurity in his eyes and his heart broke a little bit.
Merlin cupped Arthur’s cheek, frowning. He applied gentle pressure until the king yelided and they were eye to eye. “Nothing will go wrong. We’ve been preparing for this for months, everything will befine. Plus, you’ll have me there to save your royal backside should anything actually happen.” He grinned at the eye roll Arthur gave in response.
“Or something will happen because of you,” Arthur shot back, smirking when Merlin frowned, pretending to be offended. He chuckled and stole a kiss from Merlin before pulling away. “Come on, get dressed. The Druids will be here soon and I don’t want to miss their arrival.”
As Arthur walked away to finish getting dressed, something nagged at the Court Sorcerer- Arthur had given him a placating answer and they both knew it. He really didn’t have the heart -or the time, for that matter- to try and pull the truth out. Arthur’s flimsy excuse would have to do for now.
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The Yule celebration feast was going better than Merlin had ever hoped for.
The large dining hall was decorated for Yule, complete witha large tree in the front of the hall, greenery hanging from the walls thanks to magic,dotted with berries . Some mischievous Druid had even hung mistletoe over a doorway. Merlin had been having fun watching who got caught under it and followed the traditional ‘kiss on the lips’ instead of kissing the other person on the cheek. Surprisingly, a lot of people, Camelot and Druids alike, were more fond of the traditional way of kissing. That, Merlin hadn’t expected.
The food, catering to both Camelot peoples’ and Druids’ taste, was plentiful, spread across the large tables in the dining hall where both Druids and Camelot Knights, Lords and even servants sat, conversing and enjoying the atmosphere, which was bright and full of chatter, laughs and even a few cheers when an unfortunate couple ended up under the mistletoe. Merlin was even delighted to see magic spells being performed, seeing not only various animals made from shimmering magic running or flying through the air, but also seeing flowers appear on the greenery or even in the center of tables!
Truly, it was a feast that would be remembered for ages to come. Merlin was thrilled it worked out so well! He wanted to tell Arthur how proud he was of him, how even though he was a prat, it was worth it in the end. He wanted to share in the happiness of the day with his lover!
He would, if he could actually get a moment alone to find out where Arthur went.
The couple had been together when the Druids arrived, when they were all escorted to the dining hall and even when Arthur was reciting the speech that he-and Merlin-wrote. By the time Merlin went to speak to Arthur, after talking at length with a Druid leader, the king was nowhere to be found.. He couldn’t be seen from where Merlin had been sitting at the head table with the other leaders of both Camelot and the Druids.
Which was why he was now standing among those who were talking and conversing, trying to figure out where the bloody hell that donkey of a king was?!
It didn’t help the matter that every few steps Merlin took, he was being stopped by a Druid to talk to him and sing him praise, or a knight to tease him and talk to him as well. He was happy that everyone else was happy, but at the rate he was moving, he would never find Arthur.
As Merlin was listening to Gwaine go on about something or other-he lost track of what the other man was saying almost immediately-he felt his magic nudge him, trying to direct his attention. Carefully, Merlin turned his head to the left and finally, finally spotted Arthur!
The elusive king was standing just to the side of the head table, talking with the two Druid leaders Iseldir and Aglain. The three of them seemed to be very focused on their conversation, but Merlin couldn’t tell what they were speaking about. Merlin was certainly not okay with being left in the dark, especially on purpose.
“Gwaine, I’m sorry, I really have to get going.” Merlin interrupted Gwaine mid-sentence, giving him a sheepish smile. “I have to talk to Arthur. But I’ll want to hear your story later, I promise!”
The brown-haired knight watched Merlin for a second before laughing. “Alright, alright. I’ll hold you to that. Go on!” Gwaine called, shoving Merlin lightly. “Go find your lover.”
Merlin rolled his eyes, but smiled at Gwaine and left when Percival pulled Gwaine close to him with a big, strong arm around the other man’s shoulders.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Merlin started to make his way over to where the trio were. He was halfway across the room, so it wasn’t an easy task to get there without being stopped for a conversation or to answer silly questions. Sure, he could use his magic to stop everyone from bothering him - and he wanted to do that, he did! - But this was supposed to be a feast not only to celebrate Yule, but to also reconcile with the Druids, and it wouldn’t be a great image if he, known as Emrys to them, used magic to keep them away from him, even for any amount of time and no matter the reason.
So Merlin held back his magic, doing his best to just look straight ahead and focus on Arthur and the two Druid leaders, determined to reach them. Thankfully, his last second strategy of ‘look busy and they won’t bother you’ seemed to work and he was almost past the tables of people and so close to his goal when-
“Emrys!” a voice called from his left as he felt a hand catch his wrist. Merlin immediately looked over to see Mordred, dressed in his finest to show that he was a knight of Camelot, sitting at the table with a dark, curly-haired girl next to him dressed in her best as a Druid as well. Merlin hadn’t seen her before, but he knew Mordred well.
“Mordred. Hi,” Merlin greeted with a friendly smile, trying to push down the frustration bubbling in his chest. He was so close! Why did Mordred have to stop him from getting to Arthur?! “How are you? Are you enjoying the feast?”
“Very much so,” Mordred replied, smiling bright and blissfully unaware of Merlin’s frustration. “I’m very glad the King decided to throw this feast and invite the Druids.”
“Well, as you know, magic is legal again here and Ar-the King wanted to show the Druids that they had nothing to fear from Camelot and also wanted to make amends for the past,” Merlin explained, reciting the well-versed explanation he’d been repeating for what felt like forever.
Mordred nodded at that, then glanced next to him at the curly-haired girl and looked at Merlin. “Merlin, I wanted you to meet someone special,” he explained, then took the girl’s hand and held it in his. “This is Kara. She’s...well, she’s my sweetheart, and she lives with the Druids. I’m hoping to bring her to Camelot now that the King and the Druids are reconciling.” At the explanation, Kara blushed, but bowed her head at Merlin.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Emrys,” she greeted, squeezing Mordred’s hand. “Mordred told me a bit about you, how you saved his life when he was but a boy. Thank you so much for that.”
Merlin gave a gentle smile and shook his head. “No thanks are needed, really,” he brushed away, then stole a glance towards the trio of men. They were still there, good! “Do you like Camelot and what you’ve seen of it?” he asked Kara, hoping to just give the couple a tiny bit more conversation before he found Arthur.
“Well, from what I’ve seen so far, It’s just as Mordred described. Lovely and vast, full of different markets and people. I wish to explore it more before I officially move here, though, but I am excited to make this place my home someday.” Kara smiled shyly, looking at Mordred. In return, the other man looked at her and gave her a bright smile before looking at Merlin.
“Emrys, thank you. For everything you and the King have done. For the Druids, for Kara, and for myself. Truly, you both are going to bring about a new age not only in Camelot, but Albion itself,” Mordred gushed. While it wasn’t anything Merlin hadn’t heard before, it somehow meant more meaning coming from Mordred.
It had to be the mulled wine making him emotional, surely. Or maybe just from being anxious about wanting to get to Arthur.
Blinking back the misty tears, Merlin nodded at the two, giving them both a warm and caring smile. “Enjoy the feast, both of you. If you need anything, we will help the best we can,” he promised and only after once he got bowed heads and quiet ‘thanks’ from the couple did Merlin turn and walk a few steps away from them.
Merlin took a moment to wipe his eyes of the tears building in them, but by the time he looked up, ready to go over to Arthur, Algain and Iseldir, they weren’t there anymore. In fact, he couldn’t see any of them around anymore.
Merlin felt ready to scream. Where the hell was Arthur?! He was right there!
As Merlin quickly walked up to where the other three had been, he looked around and tried to use his magic to find Arthur. He had to be around here somewhere! He was just here! The prat couldn’t have gone that far!
While Merlin was trying to figure out where the bloody hell his cabbage-headed lover could’ve gone, his magic nudged him, causing him to turn around and look straight into the face of the blond king he was looking for. “Merlin! There you are,” Arthur greeted with a smile.
Merlin, however, didn’t share the smile with him, instead scowling at him and giving him a glare. “Arthur, what the bloody hell is going on?” Merlin demanded. “You’ve been acting like an ass for two months and you’ve been acting…secretive and jumpy and-and now you’re talking to the Druid leaders without me!” he ranted quietly, keeping his arms crossed so his hands wouldn’t show how angry he was at Arthur. He had to hide how he felt in front of the Druids.
Arthur, at least, had the decency to show some guilt in his eyes, but it was mostly eclipsed by the grin and happy expression on his face. Merlin felt more anger rush through him, even as Arthur stepped closer to Merlin and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry I’ve been acting so…strangely as of late. I wanted everything with this feast to go perfectly, especially the special…event I was planning to happen during the feast.”
Merlin’s anger slowly melted into confusion and he furrowed his brow. “What?” he asked, lowering his crossed arms. Arthur, still grinning, went into his pocket and took out a small box, a special velvet-lined one. Merlin had never seen it before. And when Arthur opened the box to show him what was inside, the sorcerer was shocked.
Inside the box were two rings, both silver. Both had an orange and red gem next to each other on them, one next to the other and faintly, Merlin could see some writing inside of the band, though he couldn’t read what it said at first. They were gorgeous and even just by looking at them, he could tell that they were sized perfectly for each of their ring fingers.
“I know we talked about marriage and the type of wedding we both wanted to have before, yet haven’t talked about it in several months. I…I was trying to plan the perfect wedding that was what we both wanted and it didn’t occur to me until we were preparing the Yule feast with the Druids that…well, the feast would be the perfect time to be betrothed to each other,” Arthur explained, looking at Merlin the entire time and still holding the rings.
Arthur then licked his lips, clearly nervous now. “I talked to the Druid leaders ahead of time and even just a bit ago to make sure that we could still hold the handfasting here and now and they said we can, so… Will you still grant me the honor of marrying you, Merlin?”
By the time Arthur asked, the silence in the dining hall was deafening, everyone just watching the couple to see what would happen. Not that Merlin truly paid attention, in all honesty. He was just focused on Arthur and the rings and the idea that they were going to be wed right here in front of everyone. The thought made his head spin.
“You mean…we’d be wed now? Right here, Right now?” Merlin asked, wanting to be sure Arthur was telling him the right thing. In response, the other nodded quickly, his demeanor very nervous now.
“Here and now. That is, if you’re agreeable to it. I know we really didn’t discuss it beforehand and I’m not sure if you wanted this large of an audience at our wedding, but…I just…Well…” Arthur looked more nervous than Merlin had ever remembered seeing him before, so with a soft smile on his face and tears in his eyes again, he stepped forward and nodded.
“Arthur Pendragon, of course I’ll still marry you. I’d love nothing more than to do that here and now,” Merlin gently said and, taking the box in his hand, he leaned in and captured Arthur’s lips in a loving and gentle kiss.
As the sound of cheers and applause erupted from the crowd they were in front of, their kiss broke and Arthur leaned his forehead against Merlin’s, cupping his cheek. “I love you, Merlin.”
“I love you, Arthur,” Merlin replied, smiling wide at his lover, his almost-husband, his king, and closed his eyes for a moment.
This would definitely be a Yule to remember, that was for certain.
Recipient:Gilli-Ann
Author: Salamandair
Rating: G
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon
Summary: Arthur’s been acting odd lately, and Merlin’s determined to find out why.
Warnings: N/A
Word Count: 3298
Author's Notes: I hope you like this! It was very last minute, but I did my best!
Disclaimer:Merlin is owned by the BBC and Shine. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Don't send us to the dungeons.
Arthur was acting odd.
While Merlin would readily admit that Arthur was always odd-something Arthur would always counter by saying that Merlin was the strange one, not him-he was acting more oddly than usual, and Merlin was positive it wasn’t just due to the Druids attending the upcoming Yule feast.
Arthur had first come to Merlin with the idea of inviting the Druids to their Yule feast nearly five months ago, explaining that now that he was king and magic was finally allowed in Camelot after a few months of fighting with his council to legalize it, he felt that it was time to make amends with the Druids. Not only to restore friendly relations between the two communities, but also to show everyone, not just the people of Camelot, that Arthur was nothing like his father and that magic would be allowed and accepted in Camelot again.
Plus, Arthur admitted to Merlin that he felt inviting the Druids would start to ease the crushing guilt he felt for everything that they went through during The Great Purge and the years after it ended, thanks to Uther and himself. Even when Merlin tried to assure him that he was acting on his father’s orders and that he was only believing what he’d been told by someone he trusted, Arthur still insisted that he was responsible for their suffering, even in ignorance.
Merlin had easily agreed with Arthur’s idea after his lover’s explanation and a bit of discussion as to how they would best intertwine their traditions with the Druids’ traditions and how to invite them. He was always going to, truthfully. He just wanted to make sure Arthur was bringing them to Camelot for the right reasons.
Thus began the planning of every. single. aspect of the Yule feast. And it was tedious and frustrating, especially combined with Arthur’s mood throughout the last two months of arranging the feast.
Arthur had been snappier and more detail-oriented than normal while they had been planning and organizing everything, especially as the day of the feast drew closer. He was meticulous about details like decorations or seating arrangements and when something wasn’t immediately right, he was quick to snap at whoever gave him the bad news. While Merlin had dealt with Arthur acting like this a time or two before, he wasn’t used to Arthur’s prat-like behavior lasting for two months.
To make matters worse, a fortnight before the feast, Arthur had become very nervous around Merlin, always looking around warily or fiddling with something in his pockets. When Merlin would enter their chambers or even round a corner and see Arthur, his lover would always jump and start rambling on about some boring topic as if he was trying to distract Merlin.
Merlin was very suspicious. Something was going on, but he couldn’t tell what it was. Arthur wasn’t enchanted or under any kind of spell or potion. His magic assured him of that. Arthur couldn’t be seeing another lover, especially since the King didn’t have time to spend alone with Merlin, never mind sneaking around with someone else. Plus, if Merlin was sure of one thing, it was that Arthur’s chivalry and honor would never allow him to do that.
Knowing all this information, Merlin truly had no idea what was going on to make Arthur act so strange.
Honestly, were it not for Gwen and Gaius constantly reassuring him that nothing was wrong with Arthur and that he was safe, Merlin would’ve confronted him a while ago and forced him to tell the truth.
“Merlin!” A shout jerked Merlin out of his wandering thoughts and back to reality. He turned his head to see Arthur looking annoyed at him. “Welcome back to Camelot. Have fun daydreaming while you’re slacking off on getting dressed for the Yule feast?”
Merlin shook his head a little and scowled at his lover. “Yes, I was enjoying my dream of attending a feast where I didn’t have to wear ridiculous clothes,” he complained, looking down at the outfit laid out for him. “Do I seriously have to wear this?”
“Yes, you do,” Arthur replied, sighing. “We’re not only courting, but you are very important to the Druids. Ergo, you have to look your best for them. Which means wearing the clothes I had specially made for you.”
“But they already know who I am and what I look like. This seems rather…unnecessary,” Merlin argued, turning back to the stubborn king, who just shot him a withering look in response.
“Merlin, we agreed- “
“I know we agreed on this. I’m just making a point.” Merlin raised a brow as Arthur’s fingers started to fiddle with something in his pocket. His jaw tightened until Merlin was sure he was biting the inside of his cheek. “Arthur, are you alright?”
At the question, the fingers stopped moving and Arthur immediately turned his head away, scoffing. “Of course I’m alright. Why wouldn’t I be?” he asked, a bit too quickly.
“You just seem…more nervous than usual. I’m just worried, that’s all,” Merlin admitted, shrugging as he turned to fully face Arthur now. “You’ve been like this for weeks.”
After a moment, Arthur sighed. He walked over to Merlin, his face softening; “Merlin, I promise you. Everything is okay. There’s not a thing to be worried about. I’m just…nervous about having the Druids in Camelot for the first time in decades. If it goes wrong…” he trailed off, looking away. While his face was guarded, Merlin could see the insecurity in his eyes and his heart broke a little bit.
Merlin cupped Arthur’s cheek, frowning. He applied gentle pressure until the king yelided and they were eye to eye. “Nothing will go wrong. We’ve been preparing for this for months, everything will befine. Plus, you’ll have me there to save your royal backside should anything actually happen.” He grinned at the eye roll Arthur gave in response.
“Or something will happen because of you,” Arthur shot back, smirking when Merlin frowned, pretending to be offended. He chuckled and stole a kiss from Merlin before pulling away. “Come on, get dressed. The Druids will be here soon and I don’t want to miss their arrival.”
As Arthur walked away to finish getting dressed, something nagged at the Court Sorcerer- Arthur had given him a placating answer and they both knew it. He really didn’t have the heart -or the time, for that matter- to try and pull the truth out. Arthur’s flimsy excuse would have to do for now.
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The Yule celebration feast was going better than Merlin had ever hoped for.
The large dining hall was decorated for Yule, complete witha large tree in the front of the hall, greenery hanging from the walls thanks to magic,dotted with berries . Some mischievous Druid had even hung mistletoe over a doorway. Merlin had been having fun watching who got caught under it and followed the traditional ‘kiss on the lips’ instead of kissing the other person on the cheek. Surprisingly, a lot of people, Camelot and Druids alike, were more fond of the traditional way of kissing. That, Merlin hadn’t expected.
The food, catering to both Camelot peoples’ and Druids’ taste, was plentiful, spread across the large tables in the dining hall where both Druids and Camelot Knights, Lords and even servants sat, conversing and enjoying the atmosphere, which was bright and full of chatter, laughs and even a few cheers when an unfortunate couple ended up under the mistletoe. Merlin was even delighted to see magic spells being performed, seeing not only various animals made from shimmering magic running or flying through the air, but also seeing flowers appear on the greenery or even in the center of tables!
Truly, it was a feast that would be remembered for ages to come. Merlin was thrilled it worked out so well! He wanted to tell Arthur how proud he was of him, how even though he was a prat, it was worth it in the end. He wanted to share in the happiness of the day with his lover!
He would, if he could actually get a moment alone to find out where Arthur went.
The couple had been together when the Druids arrived, when they were all escorted to the dining hall and even when Arthur was reciting the speech that he-and Merlin-wrote. By the time Merlin went to speak to Arthur, after talking at length with a Druid leader, the king was nowhere to be found.. He couldn’t be seen from where Merlin had been sitting at the head table with the other leaders of both Camelot and the Druids.
Which was why he was now standing among those who were talking and conversing, trying to figure out where the bloody hell that donkey of a king was?!
It didn’t help the matter that every few steps Merlin took, he was being stopped by a Druid to talk to him and sing him praise, or a knight to tease him and talk to him as well. He was happy that everyone else was happy, but at the rate he was moving, he would never find Arthur.
As Merlin was listening to Gwaine go on about something or other-he lost track of what the other man was saying almost immediately-he felt his magic nudge him, trying to direct his attention. Carefully, Merlin turned his head to the left and finally, finally spotted Arthur!
The elusive king was standing just to the side of the head table, talking with the two Druid leaders Iseldir and Aglain. The three of them seemed to be very focused on their conversation, but Merlin couldn’t tell what they were speaking about. Merlin was certainly not okay with being left in the dark, especially on purpose.
“Gwaine, I’m sorry, I really have to get going.” Merlin interrupted Gwaine mid-sentence, giving him a sheepish smile. “I have to talk to Arthur. But I’ll want to hear your story later, I promise!”
The brown-haired knight watched Merlin for a second before laughing. “Alright, alright. I’ll hold you to that. Go on!” Gwaine called, shoving Merlin lightly. “Go find your lover.”
Merlin rolled his eyes, but smiled at Gwaine and left when Percival pulled Gwaine close to him with a big, strong arm around the other man’s shoulders.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Merlin started to make his way over to where the trio were. He was halfway across the room, so it wasn’t an easy task to get there without being stopped for a conversation or to answer silly questions. Sure, he could use his magic to stop everyone from bothering him - and he wanted to do that, he did! - But this was supposed to be a feast not only to celebrate Yule, but to also reconcile with the Druids, and it wouldn’t be a great image if he, known as Emrys to them, used magic to keep them away from him, even for any amount of time and no matter the reason.
So Merlin held back his magic, doing his best to just look straight ahead and focus on Arthur and the two Druid leaders, determined to reach them. Thankfully, his last second strategy of ‘look busy and they won’t bother you’ seemed to work and he was almost past the tables of people and so close to his goal when-
“Emrys!” a voice called from his left as he felt a hand catch his wrist. Merlin immediately looked over to see Mordred, dressed in his finest to show that he was a knight of Camelot, sitting at the table with a dark, curly-haired girl next to him dressed in her best as a Druid as well. Merlin hadn’t seen her before, but he knew Mordred well.
“Mordred. Hi,” Merlin greeted with a friendly smile, trying to push down the frustration bubbling in his chest. He was so close! Why did Mordred have to stop him from getting to Arthur?! “How are you? Are you enjoying the feast?”
“Very much so,” Mordred replied, smiling bright and blissfully unaware of Merlin’s frustration. “I’m very glad the King decided to throw this feast and invite the Druids.”
“Well, as you know, magic is legal again here and Ar-the King wanted to show the Druids that they had nothing to fear from Camelot and also wanted to make amends for the past,” Merlin explained, reciting the well-versed explanation he’d been repeating for what felt like forever.
Mordred nodded at that, then glanced next to him at the curly-haired girl and looked at Merlin. “Merlin, I wanted you to meet someone special,” he explained, then took the girl’s hand and held it in his. “This is Kara. She’s...well, she’s my sweetheart, and she lives with the Druids. I’m hoping to bring her to Camelot now that the King and the Druids are reconciling.” At the explanation, Kara blushed, but bowed her head at Merlin.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Emrys,” she greeted, squeezing Mordred’s hand. “Mordred told me a bit about you, how you saved his life when he was but a boy. Thank you so much for that.”
Merlin gave a gentle smile and shook his head. “No thanks are needed, really,” he brushed away, then stole a glance towards the trio of men. They were still there, good! “Do you like Camelot and what you’ve seen of it?” he asked Kara, hoping to just give the couple a tiny bit more conversation before he found Arthur.
“Well, from what I’ve seen so far, It’s just as Mordred described. Lovely and vast, full of different markets and people. I wish to explore it more before I officially move here, though, but I am excited to make this place my home someday.” Kara smiled shyly, looking at Mordred. In return, the other man looked at her and gave her a bright smile before looking at Merlin.
“Emrys, thank you. For everything you and the King have done. For the Druids, for Kara, and for myself. Truly, you both are going to bring about a new age not only in Camelot, but Albion itself,” Mordred gushed. While it wasn’t anything Merlin hadn’t heard before, it somehow meant more meaning coming from Mordred.
It had to be the mulled wine making him emotional, surely. Or maybe just from being anxious about wanting to get to Arthur.
Blinking back the misty tears, Merlin nodded at the two, giving them both a warm and caring smile. “Enjoy the feast, both of you. If you need anything, we will help the best we can,” he promised and only after once he got bowed heads and quiet ‘thanks’ from the couple did Merlin turn and walk a few steps away from them.
Merlin took a moment to wipe his eyes of the tears building in them, but by the time he looked up, ready to go over to Arthur, Algain and Iseldir, they weren’t there anymore. In fact, he couldn’t see any of them around anymore.
Merlin felt ready to scream. Where the hell was Arthur?! He was right there!
As Merlin quickly walked up to where the other three had been, he looked around and tried to use his magic to find Arthur. He had to be around here somewhere! He was just here! The prat couldn’t have gone that far!
While Merlin was trying to figure out where the bloody hell his cabbage-headed lover could’ve gone, his magic nudged him, causing him to turn around and look straight into the face of the blond king he was looking for. “Merlin! There you are,” Arthur greeted with a smile.
Merlin, however, didn’t share the smile with him, instead scowling at him and giving him a glare. “Arthur, what the bloody hell is going on?” Merlin demanded. “You’ve been acting like an ass for two months and you’ve been acting…secretive and jumpy and-and now you’re talking to the Druid leaders without me!” he ranted quietly, keeping his arms crossed so his hands wouldn’t show how angry he was at Arthur. He had to hide how he felt in front of the Druids.
Arthur, at least, had the decency to show some guilt in his eyes, but it was mostly eclipsed by the grin and happy expression on his face. Merlin felt more anger rush through him, even as Arthur stepped closer to Merlin and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry I’ve been acting so…strangely as of late. I wanted everything with this feast to go perfectly, especially the special…event I was planning to happen during the feast.”
Merlin’s anger slowly melted into confusion and he furrowed his brow. “What?” he asked, lowering his crossed arms. Arthur, still grinning, went into his pocket and took out a small box, a special velvet-lined one. Merlin had never seen it before. And when Arthur opened the box to show him what was inside, the sorcerer was shocked.
Inside the box were two rings, both silver. Both had an orange and red gem next to each other on them, one next to the other and faintly, Merlin could see some writing inside of the band, though he couldn’t read what it said at first. They were gorgeous and even just by looking at them, he could tell that they were sized perfectly for each of their ring fingers.
“I know we talked about marriage and the type of wedding we both wanted to have before, yet haven’t talked about it in several months. I…I was trying to plan the perfect wedding that was what we both wanted and it didn’t occur to me until we were preparing the Yule feast with the Druids that…well, the feast would be the perfect time to be betrothed to each other,” Arthur explained, looking at Merlin the entire time and still holding the rings.
Arthur then licked his lips, clearly nervous now. “I talked to the Druid leaders ahead of time and even just a bit ago to make sure that we could still hold the handfasting here and now and they said we can, so… Will you still grant me the honor of marrying you, Merlin?”
By the time Arthur asked, the silence in the dining hall was deafening, everyone just watching the couple to see what would happen. Not that Merlin truly paid attention, in all honesty. He was just focused on Arthur and the rings and the idea that they were going to be wed right here in front of everyone. The thought made his head spin.
“You mean…we’d be wed now? Right here, Right now?” Merlin asked, wanting to be sure Arthur was telling him the right thing. In response, the other nodded quickly, his demeanor very nervous now.
“Here and now. That is, if you’re agreeable to it. I know we really didn’t discuss it beforehand and I’m not sure if you wanted this large of an audience at our wedding, but…I just…Well…” Arthur looked more nervous than Merlin had ever remembered seeing him before, so with a soft smile on his face and tears in his eyes again, he stepped forward and nodded.
“Arthur Pendragon, of course I’ll still marry you. I’d love nothing more than to do that here and now,” Merlin gently said and, taking the box in his hand, he leaned in and captured Arthur’s lips in a loving and gentle kiss.
As the sound of cheers and applause erupted from the crowd they were in front of, their kiss broke and Arthur leaned his forehead against Merlin’s, cupping his cheek. “I love you, Merlin.”
“I love you, Arthur,” Merlin replied, smiling wide at his lover, his almost-husband, his king, and closed his eyes for a moment.
This would definitely be a Yule to remember, that was for certain.