Epilogue: Happily Ever After

- Thirty-five years later –

The flames danced happily in the fireplace in the Great Hall warming Merlin's back. His bones ached from the long day out with Arthur and the knights. Though they were all not getting any younger, Arthur insisted on keeping up their hunting and training routine. He guessed he shouldn't complain because the Triple Goddess had kept her word and granted Albion the peace Merlin and Arthur and all the other had been fighting for so long. Arthur, the Once and Future King, ruled over a united Albion where magic was no longer outlawed and peace and justices reigned aided by his loyal Court Warlock and his famous Knights and Ladies of the Round Table. The past thirty-five years had really been Camelot's Golden Age and he knew it would continue. If only he wouldn't have to accompany Arthur and the Round Table on the hunting trips! He had never seen much sense in them anyway and since he had got older, he did so even less. He'd much prefer to stay back at the Castle near a warm fire place and have his peace and quiet. Not that staying at the Castle was in anyway a peaceful or quiet affair. After so many years of fighting, children's laughter finally filled the halls of Camelot again. Arthur and Gwen had one son, Tom, and two more daughters, Igraine, and Celia; Merlin and Freya had their son Balinor and their daughters Evienne and Amelia; Percival had married a noblewoman named Blanche and they had a son named Lohengrin after Percival's father; Gwaine was Gwaine and had never settled down, yet joyfully accepted his three illegitimate sons – at least the three that he knew of; Arthur's eldest daughter Anna had married Lancelot's son; and all of them had started families of their own. Camelot's next generations were thriving and Merlin enjoyed watching them grow up. The thought of them brought a smile to his face. Yes, Camelot was ready for the future!

So only a very short epilogue, but I felt this story needed to end on a happier note than the last chapters provided so here it is. I hope you enjoyed reading this and thank you for doing so! This is actually my first longer piece of fiction that I actually brought to an end. Thanks to you all for sticking with me through this long process!