Author's Note: Well, this is it, folks, the last chapter. Sniff. They grow up so fast! I for my part hope that you enjoyed this little story and that you'll be happy with the ending. And maybe we'll cross paths again sometime :)...

14. And Peace In All the Lands

Merlin pushed free of the overly warm blankets, pushed away from Aithusa's unnaturally high body temperature and ended up smushed against Arthur's toasty warm chest. He wondered if it would be worth the hazzle to demand how Arthur had come to sleep in his own bed, the chair and his shirt abandoned at the bedside, and his body bracketing Merlin between him and the white dragon.

Arthur grunted, raising one hand to rub at his eyes, then stared up at Merlin. "What are you doing?"

"You told me to sleep here," Merlin said defensively. "In your bed, I mean, not here, specifically."

"I'm aware," Arthur grumbled, closing his eyes again as if he had lost interest in the conversation. "You're not sleeping. Go back to sleep."

Merlin gaped at him for a moment, then tried to roll off of him, but only managed to wedge himself more firmly between his two bedmates. Aithusa snuffled sleepily closer, burrowing Merlin under her right wing, and doing nothing to improve Merlin's temperature balance.

"Would you stop wriggling?" Arthur demanded, resting a heavy hand between Merlin's shoulderblades, but then removed it again. Merlin felt the loss of that warmth not as a relief but as a disappointment, a reminder of how damaged he was and how damaged Arthur knew him to be.

"Aithusa is like a furnace," Merlin pointed out, trying to push away her wing.

Arthur grunted. "Fine. I guess it's close enough to morning for breakfast, anyway." He pushed off the blanket and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Are you... You look better."

He assessed Merlin with a critical gaze, then stood up with a decisive nod, striding over to the door and demanding breakfast be brought up from someone unseen.

"I feel better, thank you," Merlin said softly, even as the previous day's events crashed down over him once more. "Do you think… I know it is against the law to give druids a proper burial, but… it would mean a lot to us, to me."

Arthur spun around, then quickly strode back to the bed, jostling Merlin and Aithusa both as he sat down on the edge. Aithusa huffed then stretched luxuriously, her wings and body unfolding in the confined space. Her golden eyes slipped open and fixed on Merlin with unerring precision.

"Good morning, beautiful girl," Merlin murmured, scratching her nose in greeting. "I hope you enjoyed a goodnight's sleep in the royal bed."

Aithusa relished in his affection for a moment, but then hopped off the bed with a happy crow and continued her inspection of Arthur's chambers that had been cut short the night before due to her fascination with the king's bed.

"Merlin," Arthur demanded his attention. "I know that repelling these laws is taking longer than you had hoped, longer than we all had hoped, but they are no longer enforceable. I promise you, Mordred will be buried with all honours and you will not have to fear reprisals."

A knight's word was his bond and a king's word was doubly so, Merlin knew that, but the day before had taught him that even without open enmity between magic-users and the throne, they weren't safe.

Arthur sighed deeply. "There used to be a time when you weren't as mistrustful of my promises. I wish I could bring that time back."

"It's not you I mistrust," Merlin said softly, resting his hand on Arthur's arm to still his nervous plugging of the comforter. "Not specifically."

"I know, but – " Arthur was interrupted by a knock on the door and before Merlin could do something about their compromising closeness, the king had already bid enter to a scurrying servant who regarded them with wide eyes and left as soon as she had deposited the breakfast on the table.

Merlin slumped as soon as the maid had left, sighing heavily. "You know there'll be rumours all around the castle within the hour."

"Good," Arthur said, ignoring Merlin's gobsmacked expression. "I want everyone to know how much I value your friendship."

"They won't be talking about our friendship!" Merlin protested. "They'll… I'm in your bed, Arthur! You're not wearing a shirt! Surely you realise what this looks like."

The muscles in Arthur's jaw worked. "If anyone gives you trouble about this, you come to me."

"That's not… Arthur, what about Gwen?"

"What about her?" Arthur demanded curtly, but not with the quelling rage that had choked off any inquiries about his fiancée in the past. "She made her choice."

"She still loves you and I know you still love her," Merlin said softly, knowing that he was threading on thin ice. "I told you how Morgana brought Lancelot back as a shade – you don't know how else she may have influenced their behaviour."

"You're right. But I do know how she looked at Lancelot, before and after our engagement," Arthur answered. "Whatever hand Morgana played in all of this, Gwen's feelings and actions did not come from nowhere. She betrayed me; I could never have a relationship with her again."

"I betrayed you too," Merlin whispered, twisting his fingers so that he wouldn't have to look at Arthur.

"Your reasons I can understand." Arthur tipped up Merlin's chin. "If it bothers you, I will make sure to quench any rumours, but I don't really see the point in denying how much I care about you. I made that mistake before and… you're not my servant, Merlin. You're my friend, my advisor, my protector as I've now learned, and I will make sure that you have my protection as well."

"That's… thank you," Merlin answered, not quite sure how to respond to Arthur's declaration. "But you don't have to - "

"Yes, I do," Arthur interrupted him. "We are two sides of the same coin, are we not? And I don't yet know what that means exactly, but I'm pretty sure we're in this together."

"So you're saying I'm stuck with you?" Merlin asked teasingly, squaking indignantly when Arthur put him into a headlock and rubbed his knuckles over his skull.

"Exactly. Plus, I need a Court Sorcerer and I just know you'll look fetching in the new official garb."

Merlin sputtered, but his protests were lost under Arthur's laughter. "At least tell me it doesn't come with a hat! Arthur!"

Arthur only laughed louder.

The parchment snapped back into a roll with a soft whir, concealing the twelve signatures of the druids, Arthur and his councilmen, sealing the peace between Camelot and all magic-users. Merlin felt a grin spread over his face, broad and infectious, as cheers went up around the hall. He could hear his own name, interspersed with "Long live the king" and "Camelot" and "peace" and "freedom".

He stumbled slightly in surprise when magic joined the mix, no longer contained and carefully kept under wraps but swirling and dancing through the air in colourful sparks and rainbows, creating an invisible mist of energy. Arthur wrapped a hand around his arm to steady him and Merlin knew from his sudden intake of breath that his own eyes were flashing gold, magic twining around his torso and limbs, spreading to Arthur, wreathing him in gold.

"You did this," Arthur said in a whisper, leaning close to Merlin. "This is all for you."

"For us," Merlin corrected softly. "For all of us."

He could feel the joy of magic all around him, the happiness and ease of the druids that grew with every second that went past without retaliation, Kilgharrah's laughter in his mind, the warmth of Arthur's presence. And even though this was only just the beginning, the cornerstone of what they were going to build, even though Morgana would likely not accept Arthur's offer of forgiveness, he felt truly safe for the first time in months, maybe years.

The hat was only a small annoyance.

- THE END -

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