Epilogue- 6 months later.

Tap-tap Arthur clenched his teeth and leant further over his paperwork. Tap-Tap His position was becoming uncomfortable and his quill kept stabbing through the parchment. Tap-Tap He almost snarled at the lord reform in front of him. Tap-Tap. Arthur tried singing in his head, but it was no use. The noise was going through him, he couldn't work, couldn't function with the infuriating noise. His fist tightened around his quill breaking the fine feathers.

It was a present from Gwen; she was going to kill him.

Tap-Tap

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled causing Merlin to jump up with a startled expression. Merlin's court attire was crumbled and blotted with ink stains, he looked tired. Arthur almost apologised for snapping but then he remembered how irritating Merlin had been. Again.

"What?" He sounded exasperated; he had no reason to be so. He was the one being irritating.

"Stop tapping." Arthur growled "Or I swear to god I will throw you out of the window."

"I'll just float back up." Merlin smirked.

"That is not the bloody point. Your destiny is to protect me and I swear I will throw myself out of the window." Arthur was smug, that would shut his irritating court sorcerer up.

Merlin shrugged and resumed his tapping with more vigour. Maybe not.

"Are you trying to send me crazy?" Arthur moaned slamming his head into the desk. Probably harder than he should have done.

"No, are you?"

"How the hell am I sending you crazy?"

"By keeping me in here doing all this stupid paperwork." Merlin gestured to the massive pile of documents that almost obscured him from view.

"It's part of the job."

"But it's the boring part of the job!" Merlin complained "Let's go hunting, or maybe find a dangerous magical beast to fight. We could do some sparring!"

Arthur had to laugh "Paperwork isn't that bad Merlin, you'd think you'd be honoured."

"Honoured that I have to sign thousands of bits a paper a day?"

"Proud that I gave you the job when there were plenty of other applicants." Arthur didn't mention that the other applicants were a crazy old lady that thought she was a frog and a man with about as much magic as Arthur.

Merlin was the only worthwhile candidate.

Merlin didn't either but Arthur could tell he was thinking it.

"Maybe you need to delegate." Arthur said as gently as he dare without sounding like a girl or Merlin.

"I don't want to delegate." Merlin huffed, laying his head upon the hard desk.

"I delegate." Arthur couldn't help but point out to his former manservant.

"But you're stupid." Merlin's voice was muffled from the desk but Arthur still heard him loud and clear. He was a King dammit! And not at all stupid.

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are"

"MERLIN." Merlin lifted his head "There is nothing wrong with getting a bit of help, how about getting a couple of apprentices."

"No." Merlin had wrinkled his nose at the suggestion.

"Why not?"

"I'm not old enough to have one, Gaius has an apprentice!" Merlin gestured frantically "And then I'd have to teach them stuff, I don't know anything!" He whined.

"You're Emrys."

"Yes and?"

"Greatest sorcerer to ever live…?"

"But…"

"What better way to show I accept magic than to allow you to train sorcerers?" Arthur let that hang for a moment, knowing he had put Merlin in a spot where he could no longer refuse.

Although magic had been allowed in Camelot for six months now and Merlin had been Court Sorcerer for four months some of the people didn't really believe his stance had changed but instead believed he was luring the sorcerers here to have them killed.

Not even the latest treaty with the druids could change some minds.

As Merlin kept telling him though, it was going to be a slow process. There was still a lot of discrimination towards the magical community but with time they would become more accepting. As soon as they realised their neighbours where no different to them.

"Fine" Merlin signed "I've got this druid legislation here, do you want to go over it."

Arthur groaned internally, Merlin had been working on the new legislation for weeks. The idea of it was that the druids that didn't want to settle in one place could have access to several safe and protected locations across Camelot that they could camp at whenever they wished and also gave them a 'right to roam.' It was very detailed, long and boring.

Arthur had glanced at it once and that had been enough. He'd almost fallen asleep.

"On second thoughts let's have a break." Arthur saw Merlin's smirk but decided to let it go.

He was hungry now he thought about it. He fancied some chicken. Since Merlin had become court sorcerer he'd had a new manservant, Philip. Philip was nice but kept bringing his fruit and veg.

Arthur couldn't help but think Merlin had something to do with it. Whenever Philip served his 'healthy' dinner Merlin would hide a laugh behind his hand.

Philip was so nice Arthur didn't have the heart to tell him off. He's been surviving by stealing cakes from the kitchen.

"Where is Gwen?" Merlin asked as they stepped into the corridor.

"She's hosting this woman thing." He flapped his hand as he struggled to explain what Gwen was actually up to.

Merlin cocked his eyebrow "You mean her meeting to give women more of a say in the council."

"Yes." Arthur let out a relieved breath. Arthur didn't expand on that but he didn't need to. He thought what Gwen was doing was fantastic and he was extremely proud of her. He just didn't think the council members would agree. As his sister had said many years ago 'they were all sexist pigs.' Thinking of her now he got the twinge. He pushed it away. He had mourned his sister, especially after the last battle.

Morgana was not his sister the person that he had loved was dead.

"She did fantastic with Morgana didn't she?"

"She held out in that fight, I want her to get more training though."

"I didn't mean that. I meant in leading Camelot in your absence." Arthur thought back to all the praise that had been heaped on his wife after Morgana's newest defeat. He had been slightly jealous that she hadn't needed him or his protection in the end. He was also proud of her; she had come so far in so little time. She now knew what he had always known, that she was a worthy Queen of Camelot.

"I have no doubt that she will continue to rule with such braveness and intellect until our children can take over."

"You have to actually have them first." Merlin quipped. Arthur glared at him, effectively wiping the smile of his face.

"All in good time… it's not through lack of trying." Arthur said with a wolf grin, it took Merlin a few seconds to get it but when he did it was worth it. His face screwed up and he looked like he was about to be sick, not to mention how red his cheeks became.

"Arthur, too much information!"

Arthur just laughed and pulled Merlin towards him and giving his a soft noogie.

Their relationship hadn't changed despite all that had happened between them and for that he was grateful.

They stepped into the bright sunny courtyard.

Together they were ready to take of the world.

A/N The last authors note for this story. Thank you for such a good ride, I've enjoyed writing this and I want to just take the time to say thank you for everything especially everyone who's reviewed every single chapter, you know who you are. You've made writing this worthwhile.

I'm not sure about a sequel, I've left the ending open so I could. But in my head from this chapter it leads straight into the next series and I'm not sure I want to write that. Plus I think there is going to be a reveal this series and I don't think it would work.

I'm not sure, perhaps you could convince me?

I am planning another story it's a royal!Merlin story, quite AU and hopefully different to most of the ones already posted. Hopefully I can start posting that in September as I'm trying to do it differently by actually finishing it before posting (weird, eh?)

Thanks for putting up with me and my infrequent updates.

One last review?

Sianikins xx