This chapter, on the other hand, I actually had a lot of fun writing (even though it's super cheesy... I'm suffering from cheese overdose, here, haha). A nice, short little finisher.

Here we go!

EPILOGUE

It was a beautiful day outside the castle, the most pleasant Camelot had seen in quite some time. The sun was shining, a light breeze was shifting the air, and not a cloud was in sight. It was the perfect day for walking in the gardens, or training in the field, or paying a visit to the lower city. So naturally, Arthur found himself trapped inside, buried under a veritable mountain of work.

Setting aside a letter from King Bayard, Arthur turned his head and chanced a glance at the window. It had been drawn open so as to let in the breeze, and the heavy curtains which hung on either side of it were swaying lazily at the disturbance. He needed an excuse to get out of the castle, and soon lest he go mad with fever.

As if on cue, the door to his chambers opened and in walked a welcome disturbance.

"Guinevere," Arthur greeted his wife, rising to his feet and stepping away from the table.

"Afternoon, Arthur," Gwen said to him with a smile and an inclination of her head. "I've come to tell you the man who'd been injured at the forge yesterday has made a full recovery. Gaius's spells worked as well as they always do." Her eyes gleamed as she added, "I told you that you had no cause to worry."

"I wasn't worried," he lied. "But that's good news." Deciding on a change of subject, he asked, "How goes Gaius's training?"

"Ah," Gwen said with a small sigh. "It seems many of his students are still having difficulty with pronunciation of the language. I've asked Gaius not to allow them to practice on living things until they've mastered the words. We don't want another two-headed goat on our hands."

Brief flashbacks of just such a creature running rampant through the castle and chewing up twice as much as any goat should crossed Arthur's mind. "No, that's an experience I would prefer to avoid repeating."

Gwen laughed at the look on her husband's face. "A few of the children are practicing in the grounds right now, I was actually about to go and check in with them. Would you like to come along?"

"Are you sure you should be running around so much?" Arthur teased her, raising an eyebrow. "And besides, I've got so much work to do…" he pointed out half-heartedly, though it was obvious he didn't care to do it.

"I'm tougher than I look, you know," she answered, raising her chin indignantly. "And I'm sure keeping the peace can wait for just an hour."

Arthur grinned. It's like she read my mind, he thought fondly. "I'd love to." He took her arm and they set off through the castle.

As soon as they stepped outside, Arthur took a deep breath, reveling in the freshness of the air. He had never learned to appreciate good weather until he found himself unable to enjoy it. He and Gwen walked side by side, greeting anyone they passed, and in no time arrived at the courtyard in which Gaius's younger students often practice their magic.

They observed the kids for a few moments in silence. It still often struck Arthur as odd, the way magic had become such a common thing in Camelot in the past two years. If my father could see this place now… he sometimes found himself wondering. But then he would remember that it didn't matter what Uther thought. Camelot was his now, and he would lead it the way he wanted to, the way he thought the people needed him to. And if that meant returning magic to the kingdom, then so be it.

"Your Highnesses!" a small voice called, finally noticing that Arthur and Gwen were watching them. Gwen giggled at the term 'Highnesses' as the four children came to greet them.

"How goes the training?" Gwen asked, smiling at them in a motherly way. Arthur watched her absently place a hand on her swollen stomach, grinning at her expression.

The four children, all of whom appeared to be between the ages of six and twelve years, fought each other to answer the queen, each attempting to report the newest spell they'd learned.

"Look what Gaius gave me!" the oldest of the children said, brandishing a heavy book that seemed to weight nearly as much as he did. It looked impossibly old, the leather binding worn and the pages falling out. Additional notes had been stuck between some of the pages. "He said it belonged to Merlin, back when magic was against the law."

Arthur's gut twisted uncomfortably at the sudden mention of his former servant and friend. Two years had passed since his death, and still the subject was difficult for the king to think on. What's more, Gaius had taken to telling Merlin and Morgana's story to the children, and all of them found some joy and excitement from the tale. The two sorcerers had become something of a heroic legend in Camelot, and as proud as Arthur was to have known Merlin like he did, he still missed him terribly.

It had taken time, but after a while Arthur had come to terms with the fact that Merlin had hidden his magic from him all those years. He even came to be glad of it, when he was able to consider how things may have been different. By keeping his magic secret, Merlin had allowed Arthur to come to know him as a person, rather than a warlock. Arthur realized that it had been easier for him to accept that a good person could be a sorcerer than that a sorcerer could be a good person, which paved the way to his acceptance of magic and the peaceful future he had made for Camelot. Arthur knew he owed Merlin and Morgana both a great deal.

"Well, you'd better take care of it, then," Arthur told the boy kindly. "Merlin was a great friend of mine, and I'd hate to see his things being ill-used."

"Don't worry, Your Highness," the child replied with a grin. "I'm gonna be just as great a sorcerer as him some day! I'll keep it safe, I promise!"

As the kids returned to their studies, Gwen turned to Arthur with tender eyes. "Are you alright?" she asked, seemingly reading his mind once again.

"I'm fine," he answered honestly. "I just wish he could see how much they look up to him."

Gwen smiled, gazing off into the distance. "He'd say he doesn't deserve it," she pointed out.

"You're probably right," Arthur admitted. "He never could own up to his mistakes."

Gwen laughed. "If helping you create a future for Camelot is what you call a mistake, I'd love to see what qualifies as a success," she joked.

He put an arm around her waist and gently touched her belly, feeling the faint movement of the tiny life growing within it beneath his palm. A smile spread across his face. "I think we've had a few," he told her.

But we couldn't have done any of this without you, Merlin, Arthur thought to himself as he and Gwen headed back to the castle, his eyes taking in the peace around him.

Wherever you and Morgana are… thank you.

~0~

THE END

~0~

So cheesy... Can't even take it, hahaha.

Hooray! All finished! So a big 'thank you' to everybody that read/reviewed/followed this, it's been a fun ride! See you all again someday!

-oMM