He felt weird. He wasn't sure why he felt weird, but everything, from his bedsheets to the window frame to the bandages around his middle just looked weird.

Wait, bandages?

Arthur was shirtless, but he couldn't see his own stomach because it'd been hidden behind layers of linen. With some trepidation, he saw a dark blotch on one side which, when he tried to get a better look, became self explanatory; the pain shooting up from his side to his chest was real enough on its own. He groaned and fell back on his bed, blinking his eyes with a little extra effort that he hoped would clear away the sleep and confusion. He must have made a louder fuss about it than he'd thought, because when he opened his eyes again, a blurry purple blob made its way into the room, and eventually, once his eyes decided to focus, he recognized it.

"Gwen?" He said, not sure why he felt so surprised and relieved, but unable to stop himself.

"Arthur," she breathed, and that huge, wonderful smile lit up her face as she darted to his side. "You're awake." She spoke softly, but it was obvious she was excited.

He looked around himself. "Well," He said, clearing the sleep out of his voice, "I think so, yes."

And all at once, his wife was crying and had her arms wrapped around him. He couldn't exactly move, so he lay limp against his pillows and held her gently while she cried into his neck. Arthur hadn't ever before fantasized about having beautiful women cry over him whilst in bed, but at that moment, injury and all, he couldn't find reason to complain.

He only wished he remembered why she should be crying, and why he had a massive hole in his side. Gwen came to his rescue, even though her tears.

"Oh, Arthur, we were worried, I was so worried, we- Gaius said that you wouldn't make it, when he last saw you, he said that… When he gave me your seal, I wasn't sure what to think, Geoffrey was even beginning to pull together a… a ceremony,"

Where she couldn't see him, Arthur had begun to frown. The tangents of a memory flitted at the edge of his mind. Screaming. Bad, somehow. Horrible. War? A battle. Death. Running. Morgana. They came back to him slowly, in pieces. Mordred, a fight… Hadn't he been…. Dying? And there was something else, too, something rather important…

Gwen's sudden laugh broke through his thoughts. "And then Merlin came back, he brought you back, draped over his shoulder. Oh, Arthur, you have no idea just how much-"

"Wait. Merlin," Arthur suddenly found his voice as the memories washed over him like cold water. "Merlin. Mer-Merlin. Merlin!" He grabbed his wife's hands and looked at her with alarm and urgency. "Gwen, there's something important, I- I found out, after the- Camlann, it's Merlin, the whole time, he won it, beat them, Gwen, he's a-"

"Sorcerer," She finished for him.

He blinked at her.

"You knew."

"No," She said speaking quietly, "But it didn't take long to figure out, after the sorcerer at Camlann… How Gaius reacted, how he let Merlin go off alone with you, take care of you…" She paused, trying to gauge his reaction. She ended up smiling. "And here you are, safe and sound. Because of him – his magic."

"Yes," Arthur said, and suddenly laughed. "Yes, I suppose I am. Irony of ironies."

"Not from what I hear," Gwen had composed herself, and wiped away the last of her tears as she settled into a seat on his bedside. "Something about destiny, a Once and Future King. Not sure I quite understood it."

"You're not the only one." He admitted. "Where is he, Merlin?"

"Asleep, at the moment."

Arthur frowned. But it's midday, he thought, glancing at the sunny window. "He's hurt?" Arthur concluded, trying to sit up.

"No, no," She pushed him back down. "you sustained enough injuries for the both of you. No, Merlin's just been very tired ever since he came back. Understandable, after all he's been through. The battle over, his secret it out, Morgana, dead…" She trailed off.

Arthur was shaking his head. "I didn't know he'd have it him," He said softly, "to kill her."

"I didn't think he wanted to, Arthur,"

"That's just it, he didn't want to. Neither did I. But he did it anyway. To protect me." Arthur frowned, remembering. "He looked sad afterward." They both paused for a moment, but eventually Gwen said,

"Not as sad as he did last night, I'd bet,"

"What?" Arthur looked up at her, puzzled. She sighed.

"I say he was… tired, Arthur. I think 'exhausted' might be a better way to put it, and I don't mean just physically. Emotionally, mentally, even magically, according to Gaius… Merlin practically collapsed after he'd gotten you home. When he woke up, he didn't remember what had happened. He barged in here last night, sure for all the world that you were dead." She couldn't meet her husband's eyes. "By his own word, he'd come up here to tell me that you were dead, and that it was somehow his fault."

Arthur looked hurt, and just slightly angry. "His fault? Of all the… Surely you corrected him?"

"Of course," Gwen said, "You were asleep, but he saw you, and…" She sighed. "I'm not sure what was going through his mind, Arthur, but… He just broke down crying. I've never seen him so relieved, or shaken."

Arthur wasn't sure what he should say to that. There was a time when he'd have a scoff and a handful of overused insults ready to quell Merlin's emotional outbreaks, but this was different. The truth was out. The battle was won. Merlin had saved him. Arthur had thanked him. They'd finally seen each other without any pretenses, without the shields of insults, without the masks of prince and fool. And Arthur already felt that he was different for it. His mouth must have been different, too, because it wasn't working the way it used to. Gwen sensed the change in his demeanor, and her smile was small and somewhat sad.

"You need rest, Arthur," She told him, brushing the hair on his forehead. The sensation began lulling him to sleep straightaway, just as she knew it would. He closed his eyes and let her continue to brush his hair.

"You'll tell me when Merlin wakes up?" He slurred. She chuckled.

"Of course. Or the other way 'round."

"Good. Idiot thinks he's killed me… obviously needs a talking to."

"And a listening to, I'd wager." Gwen added for him, voice altogether serious. Arthur grunted his agreement. Listening to, indeed. Merlin still had a hell of a lot to explain about this 'magic' fiasco. Accepted or not, idiot or not, destiny and Saxons, best friends and 'thank you's aside, Merlin still had a lot to explain. Arthur sighed contentedly. But they had time to deal with that later, when they were both awake.

The couple sat together in silence for a while as Arthur drifted further into sleep, and Gwen continued to brush her fingers through his hair. Just before he was well and truly out, a memory of a conversation came to Arthur's mind, and he felt the need to inform his wife:

"He cheated, you know."

Gwen frowned down at her husband, confused. "What?" She asked quietly, aware that he was probably only a hairsbreadth away from the land of dreams.

"Cheated. Magic…" His mouth drooped more each time he spoke. "…clotpole," He tacked on at last.

Guinevere laughed, and was surprised to feel tears in her eyes.

Safe and sound, insulting like always, ready to listen to each other and cry for each other. The king and the sorcerer.

Her boys.

She rose quietly, darkened the room, and left her husband to his rest.

A/N: This chapter was meant to be longer, but then I got here and thought I could wrap it up for now. For those who are interested, I'm in the beginning stages of developing a more serious plotline for this story. Oh, also: look out for Gwaine next chapter!