Chapter Text
Epilogue:
As history will tell it, the great tyrant King Uther Pendragon found the goddess and abdicated his throne to his only son Arthur Pendragon. Normally history will only focus on certain details and this was one such case. Uther hadn’t found a higher power, he’d not sought redemption, he knew he was fighting a losing battle and made a tactical choice in the matter of his own life.
Had he been on a real battleground surrounded by troops and asked to surrender, Uther would most definitely have said no. A man such as Uther Pendragon would have gladly accepted death. Except this wasn’t a battleground, he had waged war with his doting son.
Thinking back on how everything unfolded, Arthur was sure his mother had been looking over them during the whole process. In a way, he understood that his father cared for him, despite how he chose to show it. Arthur was equally as guilty; he’d demanded a heavy price for his love, abdication, and the destruction of another man’s legacy.
However, his guilt didn’t fester for long. Things weren’t always smooth going, but it was obvious the change in behavior toward magic was for the better. Never having known a life with magic being free, Arthur was constantly surprised at how easily it fit into the normal run of things. That didn’t mean there weren’t problems.
Some folks didn’t believe the purge had ended; others took the change in the laws to mean they could run rampant with their magic. Ensuring all aspects of rule and law had been covered, Arthur had filled his council with a near-equal amount of magic and non-magic supporters. Including his father.
Camelot had to be strong, it had to be unbreakable. Thinking about problems from all angles made sure that happened. Granted, the new council didn’t function as more than a hysterical shouting match for the first few sessions, it eventually calmed. Wondering if Merlin casually putting the few members who thought screaming would help to sleep in the middle of a meeting had made a difference, Arthur chose not to worry about it. This was for the better of the kingdom.
Morgause had a seat on the council, as did the dragon, and Sir Leon. The scaled beast never attended meetings, which was fine by Arthur, but it was the least he could do after the wrongs committed against him. Morgause made it a point to be at every gathering they had, she’d even moved into the castle. Merlin had a protection spell going for most of them by now, in case anything was to happen.
Arthur hadn’t told anyone, but he and Merlin had a chart going, listing all the current attempts to harm one another. It was horribly morbid, but it did knock the edge off and allowed them to see who needed a good talking to. First, had been Morgause, she’d been subtle about her attempts on Uther, but she was angry.
Eventually, it was Morgana who’d talked her down. They shared the same fate, deprived of a proper family by Uther. Morgana didn’t want to live with the hate, and her desire to learn more about her half-sister helped heal old wounds. Neither woman was particularly close with Uther, but they didn’t avoid him like before.
Second, had been an old council member, he’d been a staunch supporter of Uthers and wanted to do his part in bringing back the purge. He would not listen to reason and had to be exiled. Arthur had the man followed after he’d left Camelot and quickly learned he’d been colluding with a neighboring kingdom. Merlin and he acted fast and had a new treaty signed with the offending lord within weeks. It was always best to keep your enemies close. Uniting the kingdoms wouldn’t be easy, but they were on their way.
Merlin, for his part, understood far more than he should have about diplomatic matters. Being on the run with his father and a few druids had made him keenly aware of how certain people viewed the world. He was still lost when it came to royals and nobles, but he could talk to any townsfolk with ease. Meaning once Merlin’s role had been made clear, as his royal court sorcerer and advisor, Arthur noticed that all of the servants, laborers, and most knights got along with him well.
Convinced it was his wily ways and an endearing smile that garnered him such attention, Arthur let him bask in the limelight. Truth be told, Arthur would be lost without Merlin. Sometimes he’d stay awake at night fearing he’d become reliant on Merlin’s magic alone, only to be corrected the next day when the idiot would pester him and make him laugh. They’d become fast friends despite it all, and Arthur could honestly say he enjoyed the other’s company.
It helped that they went on adventures together, unplanned mind you, but the kingdom had to be kept in order. Repealing the ban on magic was tricky business and not all those who practiced were willing to forgive and forget. Uther had wronged so many and Arthur had his work cut out for him making things right again, but they were well on their way.
Of course Arthur had experienced some close calls, but Merlin was always there to rescue him, and tease him by calling him a maid. It wasn’t like he had magic to use, sometimes a sword alone would not solve a problem. Honestly, it wasn’t his fault, but he was able to do his part in helping Merlin. The man really had no idea how to handle life with so many people around, and Arthur often found himself being corralled into his chambers so Merlin could vent or demand a hug. Those moments, though serious at first, usually devolved into easy banter and relaxing in front of the fire.
Arthur was also treated to a sweet slice of life when Merlin was able to develop his relationship with his mother. Hunith had chosen to live inside the castle to be near her son. Balinor couldn’t stomach the proximity to so many painful memories, and Arthur had procured him a quaint farmstead on the outskirts of the town. He had lived in seclusion for too long and some things were unchangeable.
Kilgharrah would at least visit him from time to time, bringing news of possible dragon egg sightings. They’d been on two adventures already to try and procure the mythical things. Only one had been successful though, and Balinor was currently in the process of caring for a newly hatched dragon. Hoping they’d find more, Arthur kept the dragonlord well stocked and ready for any eventuality.
Meanwhile, Hunith was busy getting to know her son and learning the ways of court. When she wasn’t with Merlin, he’d often see her chatting with Morgana. They must have bonded that day in the ruins, it was hard not to with all that went on. Arthur had hoped she could rekindle things with Balinor, but it was not meant to be. The scar ran too deep. He knew Hunith went to visit him, but they were not together as a couple anymore.
Saddened by how not everything could be salvaged, Arthur poured his heart into other aspects of his new rule. Nimueh and Morgause had been teaching Morgana and Merlin magic. For Merlin, it had been more of a fine-tuning than anything. The man could stop time and summon lightning at will, he was truly a powerhouse. Thanking his lucky stars Merlin wanted the same thing as he did; Arthur knew they’d succeed in their mission, no matter how delicate it was in the beginning.
This fragile way of existence went on for nearly a year before Arthur felt a shift. The council meetings were no longer frenzied. Uther had adapted enough to preserve some level of power around the castle, and magic was once again noticeable in the lands.
Knowing their next challenge would be unification, Arthur wasn’t sure how to tackle that yet. He had a good group of people behind him to help, but it was all so daunting. Not coming off as the despot invaders was no easy task. However, they all had a small break from the pressing world around them when a surprise announcement came out. Morgana and Sir Leon were courting. They barely had enough time to gossip about it before the marriage invitations were sent out. Seeing his sister, his family, so happy helped dispel the ache from all their hard work so far. Thinking things would wind down after the ceremony; Arthur was only given two month’s reprieve before another announcement graced their ears.
Morgana was pregnant.
Assuming he’d seen it all by this point, Arthur was caught completely off guard by Uther’s reaction to the news. All prior anger and resentment melted away seemingly overnight and Uther was at Morgana’s side working to rekindle what they might have had before. Everyone was very guarded about how much time he spent with her, but eventually, near the end of her term, Morgana looked fully at ease with the fallen king.
The birth was without incident and the kingdom welcomed Lilliana Ygraine Pendragon De Ganis into the world one fine spring day. Uther immediately took to the child and became the caring grandparent no one thought possible. He became so engrossed in the rearing of the infant he frequently skipped council meetings and no longer wished to fight over magic and its place in Camelot.
Who knew, a small drooling baby would take down Uther Pendragon once and for all? Perhaps he saw a future he wasn’t allowed and wanted to move on? Arthur never asked his father, it wasn’t something he wanted to burden him with. Uther had made enough mistakes in his tenure as king.
Besides, the time had come; Arthur and Merlin were ready to unite all the kingdoms of Albion!
Mini Epilogue:
Arthur could hear footsteps approaching, but he didn’t want to stop. He’d finally found a minute alone with Guinevere in his rooms, and he wanted to make the most of it. Being king meant he didn’t have a lot of time for private things like trying to sneak in a kiss with his crush. Barely managing to give her a peck on the cheek before the door to his chambers burst open; Arthur was ready to shout hells bells at whoever had interrupted him.
However, he should have known the sound of the footsteps, it was Merlin, it was always Merlin. “Do you ever knock?!” he exclaimed, rubbing Guinevere’s arms to keep himself from exploding. Making the mistake of glancing at her he could only purse his lips and shake his head, she was giggling.
Merlin looked stunned, but not so much that he’d lost his voice, “Your crush is Arthur!” he announced, “Gwen you sneaky girl, she wouldn’t tell me your name,” Merlin admitted, giving him a coy look.
Curse his luck, Merlin and Guinevere had easily befriended each other the moment they’d met last year. Of course, she would tell him about who she liked. “Since you already know, think we could have some privacy?” Arthur asked, barely holding his sanity together.
“Privacy? For what?” Merlin asked, “You aren’t courting yet and I think you need to wait a little bit before you do some of that other stuff,” he added smugly.
Guinevere’s shoulders were shaking now, with how hard she was laughing. Releasing his grip Arthur tried to salvage the situation. “I know that, Merlin, but I’m allowed a few things.”
“Not right now,” Merlin replied.
“I’m sorry wha--.”
“We need to go rescue a bastet,” Merlin interrupted, “We’re running late, let’s go.”
“Excuse me, I’m the king, I’m the one who gives the orders around here,” Arthur declared.
“Yeah, and we need to go, if we don’t move fast the man holding her will flee into the next town. Let’s goooo,” Merlin whined briefly, before turning and stomping away.
“I’m not following him, this is ridiculous.”
“ARTHURRRRRR,” was the call that came reverberating down the hallway a moment later.
It was laughable how little Merlin respected his title as king, but it was refreshing. Lost staring at the open door, a gentle push from Guinevere combined with a small smile had him on the move. If Merlin felt this was important then it probably was. They were good at having adventures together! He also wanted to know what the hell a bastet was!