I'm happy to be back! I have a new fire to finish this out as Merlin will soon be removed from Netflix and I watch each episode and often writing the dialogue as transcripted from the original as I can. So, without Netflix, this will become a very- very- difficult task. As usual life updates: I teach college writing, public speaking, psychology, and a few other topics. I also work full-time as a student development counselor. I just finished putting in 4 applications for PhD. I asked my partner to marry me. They said yes! I bought a house. And I now have five cats. All that is to say, I'm glad to come back to writing and I will try to finish this without disappearing again.

Gwen rounded the corner, hesitating before bringing her sword up. She was entering what had been Morgana's chambers. Somehow, she knew, she would find her former mistress there. Morgana rounded the corner and walked towards her. Something she couldn't quite place, an unknown expression sat heavily on Morgana's features. Distress. Pain. Uneasiness. Fear. And, if the former maid turned noble-woman turned outcast was truly honest, there was also an iota of regret. Regret of what? Of the pain that she had caused? Pain that these were no longer her chambers and that she had set forth this chain reaction? Or was it regret that she had gotten caught. Morgana stopped in front of her and shook her head. The expression vanished and was replaced by a sneer of disgust and hatred. She swung as Gwen blocked.

"What did I do to make you hate me so much?" Gwen questioned in desperation.

"It's not what you did." Morgana responded quickly. "It's what you're destined to do." They continued their sword dance back and forth. It was clear to both that the two women still cared for one another. This whole thing was far more complex that Gwen would have liked to believe- evil Morgana, and good Gwen. There was still goodness in Morgana. Even if it was very- very far down. It was just as though she was as trapped as they all were in a predicted string of fate. "And I'm sorry, Gwen, but I can never let that happen."

Gwen swung for her and Morgana, the more skilled swords woman brought her blade up and around- disarming her opponent. Gwen watched helplessly as her sword flew away and behind her.

Morgana brought her blade up and held it to Gwen's neck. This was the moment. This would be the moment of choice. Would Morgana truly kill her oldest friend? Yes. She must. She reeled the blade back and brought it forward to kill the other woman. A slam of power engulfed her and the hallway. Morgana was thrown back among the falling debris and dust, slamming her head into the floor harshly.

Merlin came from his hidden place around the corner and placed a concerned hand on Gwen's arm. "Are you alight?" He asked, though his eyes sayed fixed on the prone figure not far from them. He had a hard time seeing through the dust and she was hidden for a moment from his sight. He strode further down the hall, to regain visual of his target.

"What happened?" Gwen asked, following him diligently. As they drew closer, the settling dust and smoke revealed no body. Morgana had vanished.

"I don't know." Merlin asked honestly. They retreated back to the main throne room to find an unlikely scene.

Isolde and Tristan hugging each other furiously, and Arthur being cared for by a figure whose back was towards them. Merlin's magic pulsed. A warm tingly feeling rippled through his skin and he knew at once who it was.

"Hermione." He gasped. She turned and rose her eyes locked to his. It took only a few short loping steps before they were holding each other. He was certain that one of them was crying before realizing that indeed they both were. His love. She had returned to him at long last.

It took months to put the castle and the surrounding villages to right. The time was not spent idle as all hands were asked for their work and fealty. There was a kingdom to rebuild and a wedding to design. The King was to be married- to a commoner no less!

Five-long months passed before it was the day of the wedding. October, Hermione's favorite month. She knew that she could not stand next to Gwen, that was not how weddings were performed in this era- however she was certain that had the custom been around- Hermione would have been the one standing with her dear friend. As it was, Isolde, Hermione, and Hunith did play in attendance to the bride on her day and thought the front row was strictly reserved for the high ranking.. It was lavish, in part because of it being a royal wedding, and in part because the same decor would be used in Gwen's coronation set for two days hence forth. It was place such that all visiting dignitaries would be able to attend such events. Seamstresses had spared no time nor expense on Gwen's gowns.

Her wedding frock, a pale pink overcoat with white under sheath was dimpled with precious stones and pearls taken from the surrounding rivers for this such occasion. At first Gwen had protested the lavishness. The thought of spending money while the realm was in recovery put a poor taste in her mouth. It was only once Hermione and Hunith had taken her aside and spoken to her, had the girl relented. She was to marry the King of this realm, and then she would become queen. There were foreign powers to entertain and further to impress. These clothes weren't just for extravagance, but a show of power against their allies and foes who would otherwise take advantage of a recovering nation. That would not do. No, she had to look pristine and powerful to complete the statement that Camelot was nothing to sneeze at and was not there for easy pickings.

Once Gwen had agreed, she then allowed herself to pick out pearl earrings and matching long pearl and diamond necklace. She then made sure that her attendants also shown for the day in courtly gowns of current fashion. If she was to be a jewel in the crown of the kingdom, then so would her chosen. Isolde was serving as her lady's maid and Hermione had chosen to maintain her position as Assistant Court Physician, but also the main physician to the future queen as was proper. Hunith, Gwen had personally invited to attend her special days as a thanks to sheltering her during her exile in Ealdor.

When Merlin saw Hermione he was at once struck breathless. A frock of soft blue made of such a soft material he never wanted to stop touching it. One because of the texture, and two because it would require that he stop touching Hermione. How he had enjoyed so much these last few months of busy peace. He needed her light. He needed for her to be his in more than just courting.

Gwen had taken take to sit with her brother for an hour after breakfast and before the day truly got underway. Merlin took that time to steal Hermione away for a short walk in the sun in one of the castle's small gardens. Her face was aglow and Merlin was at once humbled by her brilliance. How had he ever become this lucky? Arthur had helped him by selecting and gifting a small band of silver with three small sapphires embedded in it. The ring was more than what Merlin would normally be able to afford, but the King had been insistent. Hermione held a prominent position in court, Merlin was powerful in the King's circles as well. It was only right for the King to bestow such a gift on to them.

He stopped them now as Hermione bent her head to smell the fragrant flowers that bloomed here even so late in the fall season. Soon it would begin to grow cold. Merlin didn't mind, especially if that meant for warm evenings by the fire with her. He cleared his throat.

"Hermione." He began, suddenly all nerves. "How long have I been courting you?"

Hermione paused in her ministering and thought. "A year?"

Had it only been that? And most that from a distance. Of course, it felt longer. Merlin had loved her for years now. She beamed up at him.

"I suppose this is an anniversary for us- happiest of anniversaries my love." She had only recently begun using the word aloud though she had written it to him often. At times he saw her face was clouded in sadness and knew that he felt so much hesitation at their relationship. He couldn't blame her, she had sworn to love and to cherish Will all her days. Merlin shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts.

"Happiest of anniversaries, my love." He murmured back and kissed her soundly. This would be his moment. He slipped the ring out of his pocket and placed it behind her. Upon their release, Hermione turned back to continue her admiration of flowers.

She stopped short noticing the ring as it sat on an open bloom. "Oh, Merlin." She whispered and reached out to touch it. At once she snatched her hand back and gripped it with her other as though it had bitten her.

Merlin's senses were going off. This was not how this was supposed to happen, nor how he had planned it to. She looked almost offended by the object.

"Merlin, I can't." She began and turned away from the flower to face him. "I can't marry you." Merlin's heart shattered and he was unsteady on his feet. Hermione led him to a bench, and went back to snatch the ring before sitting beside him. "It's not that I don't want you."

"Then marry me." He croaked, his throat as dry as it had ever been.

Hermione shook her head. "I can't- there's so much about me that you don't know."

"Then tell me!" Merlin all but shouted. "Tell me why, if you love me, that you won't marry me."

Hermione bowed her head, though Merlin could tell that she was crying by the shake of her shoulders. He wanted to comfort her, but he couldn't, It hurt too much. He was pulled out of his thoughts when she started speaking.

"I was born Hermione Jane Granger in the year nineteen-hundred seventy- nine. To two dentists- physicians who specialize in teeth." She paused and hugged herself tightly. "Though we wouldn't know it for many years, I was born a witch. I attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was up in the north. There I met my friends, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. Together we faced the darkest wizard of our age, Lord Voldemort. We were in one such battle together when we tried to retreat. I had sent Ron and Harry ahead- Ron had been severely injured. I stepped into the fireplace to floo out- it is a magical transportation from one fireplace to another- when a rogue spell caught me in the chest. When I had been 13 I was entrusted with a magical artifact known as a timeturner. When the object was used, one could go back hours, but no more than a few days. I believe that the spell that I got hit with was a rapid aging hex. Only it hit my timeturner. It spun as I flooed away and the next thing that I knew, I had come out your mother's fireplace in Ealdor. I was no longer in my time, I was now in fifth century England, and with no way to return the more than 1200 years to my time."

She still refused to look at him, though Merlin's head swam. "I have been stuck here, getting weaker. Losing my magic. Dying. All the while falling in love with you."

They were silent for a long time before Merlin said. "So?" Hermione jolted.

"I tell you that I'm from the future and you tell me 'so'?"

Merlin shrugged, feeling hot with anger. "I love you. And you're here now. If you're dying, then I will save you. But none of this tells me why you won't marry me."

Hermione stood from the bench and placed hands on her hips staring at him. "I'm dying. I will not marry you and then leave you!"

"Why not?" Merlin shot back.

Hermione looked away. "Because it is what happened with Will. He lives in my very shadow. He is in my every breath. I miss him every day- and I don't want that for you."

Merlin stood grabbing her and crushing her firmly into his body. "I will feel this way whether or not you are my wife. Let me at least have you now. Because no matter what, if you end up going back to the future, if you die, if you stay right here- you will be my shadow- you will be my breath- you have my heart every moment for the rest of my life and you have since the very first moment that I laid eyes on you. Don't you understand that?"

They gripped each other as if this was their final moment. As if this was the very end. As if death was taking them right now. They were silent.

"Yes." It was a tiny, fraction of a whisper and Merlin wasn't even sure that he had heard it or merely had dreamt.

"Yes." Hermione said more loudly this time, though her voice was still muffled by his tunic. "I'll marry you." Merlin sobbed in earnest and crushed her to him as though the previous hug had been a polite embrace. She would marry him.

They separated and Hermione handed him the ring back. "Shall we try this again?" She offered with a watery smile.

Merlin's matched hers as he took the object back. "Hermione Jane Greenstone- nee Granger of nineteen-hundred and seventy-nine, will you please marry me?"

Hermione sobbed out a yes and allowed Merlin to slip the ring on her finger. It magicked itself to the right size and Hermione looked up to Merlin's face and received a wink for her troubles. "I magicked it." He simply stated and Hermione laughed. The bell tolled stated the new hour and the two rushed back to their tasks, both with simultaneously lighter and heavier hearts.

The two chose not to waste the vibrancy and decorations and with the blessing of Gwen and Arthur, the two married the next day at Sunday- on Samhain and on the true anniversary of the kiss that had woken Merlin from a cold slumber.

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