Uther was getting better and better and even Morgana had gone to see him. Everything was finally getting back to how it should be. Agravaine's arrival had been delayed by a mudslides and Arthur didn't even care. He'd been too busy wondering about how to propose to Merlyn. It was late spring and the crops and fields were bursting. As Arthur walked through the cloisters he saw Gwen and Morgana gossiping as the entered the courtyard with baskets of flowers.

The flowers made him realize that he had not been to see what Merlyn had done with Ygraine's garden. He turned and headed there, guessing that was where she was spending most of her time these days.

Arthur hadn't been there since he was a child. No one had. The servants whispered that it was cursed. It had been the only life the barren queen could give. And then when she'd brought the life of a prince into the world, the garden had become barren. It was a small dusty courtyard near the very back of the castle, hidden from practically everyone and everything.

Ygraine had loved it all the more for its seclusion. She had been frail and weak, with the blood disease. Even though the blood disease affected mostly males, Ygraine had received the worst of it. One small prick could bleed for hours. Her brother Tristan didn't die in the fight against Uther. Uther had injured him and then sent him to Gaius. Tristan had bled out from a small wound on his abdomen that had refused to clot or heal.

Ygraine had avoided most people and anything that could accidentally hurt her, because of this. When she had worked in the garden she had worn thick, dragon hide gloves and had servants watching her at all times. Really, it had been a mercy that she couldn't have children. She probably would have died in childbirth, whether or not her life had been the price for Arthur's.

Miraculously Arthur had not received the blood disease. If he had he was sure he would have died years ago. Arthur wandered through the unused corridors towards the queen's garden. He paused at one of the doorways that led to the garden. He leaned against the stone frame and watched Merlyn as she shoveled and cursed and covered herself in dirt. She wiped a filthy hand across her face, smearing dirt over her cheek.

Arthur smiled, thinking she looked all the lovelier for it. She looked up, as if she had sensed him, and smiled. "Care to join me?" she smiled.

"Oh, I don't know the first thing about gardening." Arthur laughed, joining her anyways.

"You can learn, young man." Arthur smiled and listened bemusedly as she taught him how to garden. The tended the allotment peacefully for a half hour or so. Talking only occasionally. Arthur felt very at peace. He knew that if his father had disowned him, he wouldn't have minded living on a farm with Merlyn. It felt nice, making something with her, no worries at all.

"Merlyn." He said abruptly. She turned to him curiously, looking away from a blue butterfly sitting on a purple poppy.

"Hmm?" she smiled genuinely. She smiled at the image of her. Face sweaty, dirt covered her pointed cheekbones, her azure eyes sparkled and the whole thing was framed by messy, dirt covered hair.

"I love you." He smiled at her.

"I love you too." She beamed.

"Marry me?" he asked, turning to face her more fully. She blinked at him in shock. "I love you and I want to spend forever with you. Marry me?" she nodded happily and he wiped his hands on his pants before pulling the ring out of his pocket. She laughed delightedly and wiped her own hands.

"My love forever." She read the inscription.

"This was my mother's ring." He whispered, sliding it onto her finger. Merlyn slid forward and kissed him forcefully.

"I'm honored." She whispered into the kiss. He smiled back.

"We're going to live happily ever after, like in the fairy tales." Arthur laughed, hugging her.

"We better!" she snorted. "After everything we've been through!"