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Pendragon's Folly, Chapter 11 - epilogue
Title: Pendragon's Folly - epilogue
Pairing: M/A, eventually.
Characters: in this chapter – Merlin, Arthur, Gaius, Mithian, Gwen, Lance, Gwaine, Miss Kay.
Rating: PG maybe even U
Chapter Word Count: 4,000
Warnings: No sex
Summary: There's an out of work wizard, a museum, a sizeable donation that turns it into a building site, suspicious happenings and magic. A sort of 'take your fandom to work' story.
Author's note 1: Comments are always greatly appreciated, loved and cherished.
Author's note 2: More thanks than I can say to my beta, plot wrangler and best friend,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sparrow2000. And many, many thanks to DJ for (hopefully) catching the typos we missed. If you spot any more, please do let me know.
Disclaimer: I write fan fic. All the characters from the Merlin series are the property of the BBC and Shine, etc. No infringement is intended and no profit is being made from this writing.
Chapter 11 - Epilogue
Merlin watched Gaius as he accompanied Princess Mithian along the reception line towards the door into the Ladies Waiting Room and the ceremonial ribbon strung across it. Seeing the pride on the faces of Gwen, Lance, Gwaine and Leon as they shook her hand, he shared in their delight that, somehow, Arthur had managed to arrange for a royal princess to come and open a small museum in an insignificant provincial town.
Gaius had been in a tizz all morning, but as he introduced Princess Mithian to the mayor there was no sign of nerves, only polite deference. The mayor had tried to angle his way into the role of chief host, but a letter from the palace, delivered by hand during a planning visit by an officer from the Lord Lieutenant’s Office, had itemised the entire ceremony, including the fact that the Princess wished to be shown around by the curator of the museum and introduced to his staff. Merlin suspected Arthur's hand in that, too.
The Princess moved along the line and Gwen gave the curtsy she had been practising for the past four months, since Arthur had hinted in confidence that he expected the opening of the new Pendragon Memorial Museum to be a right royal affair.
Arthur was last in the line and he bowed with grace when Princess Mithian shook his hand. Merlin had a great view because, as the lowly office manager of the designing architects, he was not included in the line-up himself but his position won him a front row place among the spectators.
Arthur looked across the foyer and caught his eye as Gaius and Princess Mithian moved on and Merlin beamed at him. Arthur's answering smile was properly restrained, but after two years Merlin knew how to read it and he recognised Arthur's sense of satisfaction.
A small boy was nudged forward, carrying a velvet cushion upon which a large pair of scissors rested. Princess Mithian smiled at him, thanked him and took them. She turned and paused for a moment with the blades open around the ribbon, so the photographers could all get the shot. Then she cut it through and the loose ends fluttered to the floor.
Gaius ushered her forwards and half of her security followed at a respectful distance. The rest closed in behind, to block anyone from following.
With Gaius and the princess gone, the crowd seemed to exhale a collective breath. Shoulders slumped, spines relaxed and people turned to exchange banalities. "Isn't she beautiful?" whispered the elderly lady standing next to Merlin.
Merlin spared her a smile of agreement, before crossing the room to where Arthur stood with Lance, Gwen and Gwaine. Lance already had Gwen's hand in his and as soon as he reached them, Arthur threw his arm around Merlin shoulder. "I think that went very well," he said.
"She complimented me on the design of the Great Hall," Gwaine said. "When we showed her around. She noticed that we've managed to build the original architectural features into the shop frontages. And she said that the flats above the shops are very discreet and sympathetic to the overall ambience of the space."
"She's an intelligent woman with a fine distinction of mind," Arthur agreed. "And right now she will be asking Gaius all sorts of questions about security for the Lilebrook Horde, light levels and humidity control. You didn't think they walked into these situations without a thorough briefing did you?"
Lance laughed. "Congratulations," he said. "And you two; are you moving into your flat today, or at the weekend?"
"As soon as she's gone," Arthur promised, with a smile for Merlin.
"About time," Gwen agreed.
The crowd was being ushered out of the building by the police, to wait near the road where they would be able to wave and cheer when Princess Mithian was driven away. Lance, Gwen and Gwaine followed them, leaving Arthur and Merlin alone. They loitered in the empty foyer, watched only by the two royal protection officers near the door to the museum.
"We could get a coffee?" Merlin suggested, nodding towards the new coffee and bookshop that occupied the Ticket Office.
"We could go to the pub," Arthur agreed. "The Engine Shed opened last night. But we won't. The only thing worse than being absent when royalty wishes you not to be, is being present and un-presentable. Have you ever tried to look dignified, holding a cardboard cup of coffee while bowing?"
"Umm… No."
"Nor have I."
Merlin elbowed him in the ribs and turned away to look around the room again. From where they stood, the left archway into the Grand Central Arcade perfectly framed the Hotel Chocolate shop, while the right caught the divide between Harvey Nichols and L’Occitane. The Engine Shed pub occupied three end units facing Market Street while the latest Jamie Oliver Italian mirrored it at the opposite end of Gwaine's beautiful new arcade. In between were a multitude of narrow fronted but deep, boutique jewellery, fashion, food and classy gifts shops.
In the foyer, the staircase still led up to the balcony above the front doors, but the door at the top of the stairs was gone, now that all the museum's store rooms were above the galleries and the original back stairs had been repaired. At the far end of the balcony was the entrance to the flats built above the shops and the door to Gaius's old office was now just for show, the wall behind it being the wall of his and Arthur's new bedroom.
Gaius and Princess Mithian reappeared and, with the public eye removed, Princess Mithian strode across to them. "It's very nice, Arthur," she said. "If you hadn't told me, I would never have guessed that the doorway through into the kitchen and ballroom galleries was not original."
Arthur took her hand and bowed over it. "Thank you, your Highness."
"And you're moving in upstairs, I hear."
"Yes, ma'am. There are three flats that belong to the museum trust. Their rent will provide it with an income in perpetuity. Merlin and I," he reached out, took Merlin's hand and pulled him forward, "are moving into one of them."
Merlin bowed but didn't feel able to open his mouth. He had no idea what to say to a royal princess when she was being so very royal. He had met her before at various parties Arthur had taken him to, but she had been off-duty on those occasions and he had been able to forget that she was not just Arthur's friend, Mithy.
"And I hear you're moving your head office to Camelot? Does that mean we're losing you from London?"
"Not completely, I hope. The new train line is so fast; it doesn't take much longer to get to the city from Camelot, than it did from my father's house in Richmond."
"Ah yes, I was sorry to hear about Uther."
Arthur bowed again. "Thank you, ma'am. I think he knew me, just before the end."
Behind the Princess's back, Merlin caught the eye of one of the police officers. He gave Arthur a nudge. Arthur looked past the Princess and nodded. She laughed. "Very subtle," she said. "Am I late?"
"Royalty can never be late, ma'am."
"Ah, platitudes, so I am late." She turned, looked at her Protection and one of the officers came forward. "Time to go, is it, Percival?"
"Yes, ma'am, if you wish to reach Camlann in time to see the children in class."
"Very well." She turned back to Arthur and Merlin. "I'm going to visit a primary school and then a hospital and after that it's supper with the Spanish ambassador." She looked around and leaned forward slightly, to whisper, "Such a glamorous life I lead."
"We are more than grateful that you could spare the time to visit us today," Arthur said.
The Princess cast another glance around the room, relaxed her stance and smacked him on the shoulder. "Okay, okay, I'm going. We'll see you at Andy's next month?"
"Of course you will. And really, Mithy, thank you for coming. I think your visit has been the biggest excitement this town has seen, since Camelot FC won the FA Cup in 1912.
*****
On a rare Sunday afternoon of relaxation, with the window half open so they could enjoy the weekend calm of Front Street, Merlin said, "Gwen popped into the office with Galahad on Friday."
They were lying side by side on their bed and Arthur rolled his head to look at him. He smiled. "And how is your young godson?" he asked.
Merlin grinned. "Huge. I think he's grown another inch. And he's full of excitement about starting at 'big school' after the summer."
Rolling over onto his front, Arthur rested on his elbows. "To a boy his age, that's a lifetime away. I hope it lasts."
"I think it will. He has more than a little of Lance's serious nature, for all that he's so, so lively."
"That's one word for it." Arthur flopped onto his stomach and threw his right arm over Merlin's chest.
Merlin picked up his hand and threaded their fingers together. "She's going to apply for the job Gaius has advertised."
"Back at the museum?"
"Yes. Since she's running the Museum Club in her spare time, anyway, she said she might as well get paid for it. And Gaius needs the help."
"She'll not miss teaching?"
"I don't think so. She said the Museum Club is just a different kind of teaching and she'll enjoy not being so bound by the National Curriculum. I think she's looking forward to it."
"Well, good for her. I can't imagine there'll be a stronger candidate."
Merlin played with Arthur's fingers as he weighed his next words. "She also said she'd had a letter from Morgana."
"Ah," Arthur said. "And how is Morgana?"
"Gwen said she's living in a place called Byron Bay, on the Pacific Coast. She said she's turning into a hippy, or something. Making cosmetics from natural ingredients. She sent Gwen some samples and asked her to see if any of the shops here would be interested in an exclusive supply deal."
Pulling his fingers free, Arthur propped himself up on one elbow. He took Merlin's hand in a calm, firm clasp. "Is that something we should worry about?"
"No. There's no magic involved. I checked them out. And anyway..."
"Anyway?"
"I used some hand cream to focus a scrying spell. She's doing really well for herself." He rolled over, so Arthur could see his face and smiled to show he was teasing when he added, "I think she's put your guilt money to good use."
"Not guilt," Arthur said, but he was smiling too.
"I know."
"Miss Kay's shield is holding, then?" Arthur said. "She still can't reach the magic in the earth?"
"Yes, it is. And no, she can't. But even if she could, Australia would be no use to her. She'd have to come back here. And I'd know immediately if she started to plan that."
"Why?" Arthur asked. "Why would Australia be no good?"
Merlin paused while he tried to find the words to explain something that was so much a part of himself that he had never attempted to vocalise it. "Magic has an ecology," he said eventually. "Or is an ecology. And people are part of the ecosystem, as much as the trees, and the animals, and the insects."
"So?"
"So the magic of the land is shaped by the native people. It shapes them too. But what I'm saying is that, because of its history, the magic of Australia is as different from the magic of Britain as the ecology is different."
Arthur flopped over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling for a time, and then he nodded. "Okay, he said.
"But I'll check with Miss Kay, next time I see her," Merlin added. "Just to be sure."
*****
It was inevitable, Miss Kay said, that the growing prosperity of Camelot would attract undesirables. Just as it was inevitable that the rebirth of magic in the vicinity would ensure some of those undesirables were of a magical nature.
As usual, they were sitting in her big, comfortable kitchen while he drank coffee and Miss Kay pretended to. "You dealt with the imp," she said.
"Yes."
"What would you do differently, if another appeared?"
Merlin thought. He been feeling pretty pleased with himself over the way he dispatched the troublesome creature back to its native realm, but Miss Kay's question brought him up hard against the moment he had almost failed. As a mentor, she was always bracing.
They spent an hour exploring strategies other than the hit-and-miss, trust-to-luck-and-spur-of-the-moment-inspiration one that Merlin had relied upon. Exploring meant that Merlin explained what he'd done and why, defended his decisions, admitted his doubts and speculated on alternatives, while Miss Kay asked the pointed questions that helped him to clarify his thoughts. When he had to face down a troll wearing a human glamour four months later, the lessons he had learned from her gave him his success.
In Merlin's opinion, it was equally inevitable that Arthur would eventually get involved in some of his confrontations. Alvarr he managed to vanquish alone, but the Questing Beast almost killed Arthur. After a mad dash across the moor, Merlin reached them just as it reared above Arthur with its teeth bared. He struck it down with the spell Gaius had found, before it pounced. The incident led to one of their more serious arguments, with Merlin swearing Arthur was reckless, while Arthur insisted that Merlin needed all the help he could get. His smug 'told you so', once Merlin was fully cured from the Serket's poison didn't, in Merlin's opinion, progress his argument one jot.
*****
It seemed like half the town attended Gaius's funeral. The mayor and three of her predecessors were there, as well as any number of other town dignitaries and worthies. Hunith came up from Ealdor. They sat in a row in the family pew: Hunith, Merlin, Arthur, Gwaine, Lance, Gwen, Isolde, who had just finished her GCSEs and Galahad, home from his first year at university where he was studying ancient history. The celebrant told the stories Merlin and Hunith had given her and the music was from Gaius's favourite cycle of Bach's 48 Preludes and Fugues.
But, following Gaius's own specific instructions, the interment was private. He was laid to rest in just a shroud, in the woodland burial ground near Oswald Green.
When Hunith died peacefully in her sleep, ten months later, they brought her home and laid her next to him.
*****
Miss Kay disappeared without anybody noticing. Merlin visited Heythorpe House one summer Sunday afternoon and, for the first time ever, the door did not open at his approach.
It was unlocked and he cautiously stepped inside.
"Miss Kay?" he called. "Hello? Are you there? Are you all right?"
There was no answer and the house felt hollow, with a dusty flavour. He crossed the room and for the first time ventured beyond the kitchen.
The hallway was wide. It had a parquet floor of dark wood, with a central strip of Turkish carpet running its length and a staircase with a turned banister rail on the left. A carved oak sideboard, almost black with age stood against the right-hand wall and held an empty vase. A mirror hung on the wall above it and elsewhere were framed oil paintings. All of them landscapes. Not a single one had a human figure in it.
"Hello?" he called again, more loudly.
There was no answer and he opened doors, scanning the rooms beyond. They were all furnished in a similar style – comfortable, established, old money and quality. Miss Kay was not in any of them. With some trepidation, he edged up the stairs.
When he reached the top, he stopped. The upstairs hallway was empty - totally unfurnished and undecorated. After a moment, he pulled himself together and searched the floor. Every room was the same – no carpet, no furniture, no Miss Kay.
Slowly, he walked back down the stairs and out through the front door. He stood on the step and gazed across the gravel drive to the lawn with its white cast iron table and chairs. After half an hour of contemplation, he turned, re-entered the house, locked the front door behind him and walked out through the kitchen, the back garden and the woods, to where he had left his car in the pub car park.
*****
"I've already ordered Chinese from the place round the corner," Merlin called, as Arthur walked through to their shared office to drop his briefcase on his desk.
"The first one, or the second?"
"I'm not stupid."
"Just checking." He reappeared. "I'll go and get changed, then," he said.
Merlin watched him walk down the short hall to their bedroom. He was still slim and fit. He still went to the gym at least twice a week and he still ran most mornings without seeming to damage his knees. Merlin was also still slim. Still weedy, Arthur said, but he was beginning to notice a stiffness in his joints when he stood up after sitting for too long.
The doorbell rang and he went out into the entrance foyer to take the delivery and pay. As he had expected, it was Bran Braithwaite, so he gave him an extra tip for his good timing.
Taking the food back into the flat, he served it out onto plates and dug their chopsticks out of the cutlery drawer. "Dinner's served," he yelled as he carried it through to the dining table.
Arthur appeared a few moments later, in his comfortable lounging-around-the-house clothes and they sat down to eat.
"What's the occasion?" Arthur asked.
Merlin grinned. "We're celebrating how I couldn't be arsed to cook," he said.
"That's a good enough reason as any. How was your day?"
"Not bad. I shouted at a few suppliers, until they promised to deliver."
"You mean you spoke to them nicely and charmed them into doing what you want."
"I bullied Gwaine into agreeing that the conceptual design for the Market Square project was done."
"Is it good?"
"It's brilliant. How about you?"
"I had a meeting with Owen."
"Oh yeah? How's he shaping up?"
"Merlin, he's been my Chief Operations Officer for six years. He's fine. But I do want to talk to you about that."
Alerted by Arthur's tone, Merlin looked up. Arthur put down his chopsticks. "I'm thinking of converting the company into a co-operative," he said.
"What?"
"I'm the last of the Pendragons and if Galahad or Isolde had been interested, I might have thought about handing the company on to them, but they're not."
"Not sure Lance would have wanted that for them, anyway."
"Exactly. So, I think the best thing to do is to share it with the people who work for it."
"And you?"
"I'll stay on for a while, to see it through, but... well... I'm thinking it's about time we retired. What do you think?"
Merlin smiled. "I think that's a bloody brilliant idea. After all, you couldn't leave it to Morgana."
"No, she'll get my share of our estate from the Will, but this is different. You really think it's a good idea?"
Merlin got up and walked around the table to Arthur's side. He leaned down, cupped Arthur's cheek and kissed him. "I really, really do," he said. "Now eat your supper before it goes cold. And let me eat mine."
*****
The diagnosis, when it came, shocked Merlin into immobility. The idea that the doctors couldn't do anything, after all the advances they had made in the decades since the human genome had been mapped and had revolutionised medicine, seemed impossible.
Arthur, himself, took the news courageously and when Merlin promised to use magic to find a cure, he took Merlin's hand. "No, love," he said. "No one lives forever. I wouldn't want to. And we've had a brilliant life."
His determination was such that Merlin was silenced.
They went to bed and held each other, while Merlin came to terms with Arthur's decision. He gently traced the lines of Arthur's face, Arthur kissing his fingers each time they touched his lips. And Merlin thought.
The next day, he went into their office and started pulling books down off the shelves.
It was two weeks before he felt confident enough to share his conclusions.
Arthur was behaving as if there was nothing wrong with his body, other than age. He still went to the gym, although the most he did there now was use the treadmill and the rowing machines. He still dragged Merlin out for long walks in the evening twilight. He still ate well and enjoyed his music and his television. But there was an air about him. He was already saying goodbye.
Once he was confident, Merlin sat him down and talked. It took a long time. There was a lot to explain. There were things to tell that Merlin had never thought to share before.
When he finally ran out of words and arguments, he just stopped and looked at Arthur. Arthur looked back. And then he smiled. "Yes," he said.
They made sure that they saw everybody they needed to see. They went to the now mature woodland where Gaius and Hunith were both buried and explained it all to them. "I think they would approve," Arthur said, as they walked back to their car. They had a party to which Gwaine and all of Lance and Gwen's family were invited. They all came, parents, children and grandchildren.
That night they went to bed and Merlin gathered Arthur into his arms.
"So how do we do this?" Arthur asked.
"You leave it to me," Merlin said and kissed his brow. "Relax."
He lay back with Arthur's head on his shoulder, sank into himself and let his consciousness expand.
Arthur still blazed, just as he had years before, when Merlin first sensed him amid the mass of human sparks that was London. The beacon of his brightness had not diminished with time and Merlin felt the pull. He allowed himself to flow into the fire. He swirled around the essence of Arthur, letting the winds of life pull him towards the light and slowly he drew Arthur into the cobweb of the dance.
Once the pattern had found harmony, once he and Arthur were no longer 'he and Arthur', once the dance had found its measure, they spread outwards. The Tor still stood as a guiding light on the horizon, but it was dim compared to the brightness of their existence. They soared across the fields. They dipped into the woods by Oswald Green. They touched the clouds and tasted the wild creatures in their burrows. They felt the badger emerging from its den and their minds sang with the song of the hunting cat and with the fleeing mouse. They danced the wonder of all the people of the town, the county and slowly, slowly, of the land. All gloriously laughing, and crying, and living. There were so many different flavours of magic in the world and they absorbed and were absorbed by all of them. The warm brown earth welcomed them, the worms and beetles and ants and moths whispered through them. The fox cried out in harmony with their song. The grass blew warm and green and gold around them and the trees opened up to let them in.
The landscape of Albionshire spread below them like a map. And across it all, was them, spread thin as a sheet of tissue paper, but also deep as the earth itself.
This time, no heavy voice of bells and stone dragged them back into their bodies. This time the echo of those bells rang approval and encouragement for their song. And they spread further, to the very edges of the land, where the salt sea crashed against the cliffs. And there they stopped, smooth edged and true to the land that owned them. They lay across the land, and through it, and in it, and around it. And it was bliss. Magic came alive in the world wherever they touched. And it was good.
The end
Note: Apologies to supporters of Barnsley FC, who really won the FA cup final 1-0 in 1912, in a two match contest against West Bromwich Albion.
If you have enjoyed this story, I would love it if you would pause for long enough to tell me so. I won't write any more or less if you don't; it's just really nice for me.
ETA: Sudden thought - should I put a major character death warning on this chapter? Or does the gentle nature of the the characters' endings not require it?
ETA2: On reflection, I have decided a warning is not needed. As goddessriss says in her comment - they are not really dead.
Pairing: M/A, eventually.
Characters: in this chapter – Merlin, Arthur, Gaius, Mithian, Gwen, Lance, Gwaine, Miss Kay.
Rating: PG maybe even U
Chapter Word Count: 4,000
Warnings: No sex
Summary: There's an out of work wizard, a museum, a sizeable donation that turns it into a building site, suspicious happenings and magic. A sort of 'take your fandom to work' story.
Author's note 1: Comments are always greatly appreciated, loved and cherished.
Author's note 2: More thanks than I can say to my beta, plot wrangler and best friend,
sparrow2000. And many, many thanks to DJ for (hopefully) catching the typos we missed. If you spot any more, please do let me know.Disclaimer: I write fan fic. All the characters from the Merlin series are the property of the BBC and Shine, etc. No infringement is intended and no profit is being made from this writing.
Chapter 11 - Epilogue
Merlin watched Gaius as he accompanied Princess Mithian along the reception line towards the door into the Ladies Waiting Room and the ceremonial ribbon strung across it. Seeing the pride on the faces of Gwen, Lance, Gwaine and Leon as they shook her hand, he shared in their delight that, somehow, Arthur had managed to arrange for a royal princess to come and open a small museum in an insignificant provincial town.
Gaius had been in a tizz all morning, but as he introduced Princess Mithian to the mayor there was no sign of nerves, only polite deference. The mayor had tried to angle his way into the role of chief host, but a letter from the palace, delivered by hand during a planning visit by an officer from the Lord Lieutenant’s Office, had itemised the entire ceremony, including the fact that the Princess wished to be shown around by the curator of the museum and introduced to his staff. Merlin suspected Arthur's hand in that, too.
The Princess moved along the line and Gwen gave the curtsy she had been practising for the past four months, since Arthur had hinted in confidence that he expected the opening of the new Pendragon Memorial Museum to be a right royal affair.
Arthur was last in the line and he bowed with grace when Princess Mithian shook his hand. Merlin had a great view because, as the lowly office manager of the designing architects, he was not included in the line-up himself but his position won him a front row place among the spectators.
Arthur looked across the foyer and caught his eye as Gaius and Princess Mithian moved on and Merlin beamed at him. Arthur's answering smile was properly restrained, but after two years Merlin knew how to read it and he recognised Arthur's sense of satisfaction.
A small boy was nudged forward, carrying a velvet cushion upon which a large pair of scissors rested. Princess Mithian smiled at him, thanked him and took them. She turned and paused for a moment with the blades open around the ribbon, so the photographers could all get the shot. Then she cut it through and the loose ends fluttered to the floor.
Gaius ushered her forwards and half of her security followed at a respectful distance. The rest closed in behind, to block anyone from following.
With Gaius and the princess gone, the crowd seemed to exhale a collective breath. Shoulders slumped, spines relaxed and people turned to exchange banalities. "Isn't she beautiful?" whispered the elderly lady standing next to Merlin.
Merlin spared her a smile of agreement, before crossing the room to where Arthur stood with Lance, Gwen and Gwaine. Lance already had Gwen's hand in his and as soon as he reached them, Arthur threw his arm around Merlin shoulder. "I think that went very well," he said.
"She complimented me on the design of the Great Hall," Gwaine said. "When we showed her around. She noticed that we've managed to build the original architectural features into the shop frontages. And she said that the flats above the shops are very discreet and sympathetic to the overall ambience of the space."
"She's an intelligent woman with a fine distinction of mind," Arthur agreed. "And right now she will be asking Gaius all sorts of questions about security for the Lilebrook Horde, light levels and humidity control. You didn't think they walked into these situations without a thorough briefing did you?"
Lance laughed. "Congratulations," he said. "And you two; are you moving into your flat today, or at the weekend?"
"As soon as she's gone," Arthur promised, with a smile for Merlin.
"About time," Gwen agreed.
The crowd was being ushered out of the building by the police, to wait near the road where they would be able to wave and cheer when Princess Mithian was driven away. Lance, Gwen and Gwaine followed them, leaving Arthur and Merlin alone. They loitered in the empty foyer, watched only by the two royal protection officers near the door to the museum.
"We could get a coffee?" Merlin suggested, nodding towards the new coffee and bookshop that occupied the Ticket Office.
"We could go to the pub," Arthur agreed. "The Engine Shed opened last night. But we won't. The only thing worse than being absent when royalty wishes you not to be, is being present and un-presentable. Have you ever tried to look dignified, holding a cardboard cup of coffee while bowing?"
"Umm… No."
"Nor have I."
Merlin elbowed him in the ribs and turned away to look around the room again. From where they stood, the left archway into the Grand Central Arcade perfectly framed the Hotel Chocolate shop, while the right caught the divide between Harvey Nichols and L’Occitane. The Engine Shed pub occupied three end units facing Market Street while the latest Jamie Oliver Italian mirrored it at the opposite end of Gwaine's beautiful new arcade. In between were a multitude of narrow fronted but deep, boutique jewellery, fashion, food and classy gifts shops.
In the foyer, the staircase still led up to the balcony above the front doors, but the door at the top of the stairs was gone, now that all the museum's store rooms were above the galleries and the original back stairs had been repaired. At the far end of the balcony was the entrance to the flats built above the shops and the door to Gaius's old office was now just for show, the wall behind it being the wall of his and Arthur's new bedroom.
Gaius and Princess Mithian reappeared and, with the public eye removed, Princess Mithian strode across to them. "It's very nice, Arthur," she said. "If you hadn't told me, I would never have guessed that the doorway through into the kitchen and ballroom galleries was not original."
Arthur took her hand and bowed over it. "Thank you, your Highness."
"And you're moving in upstairs, I hear."
"Yes, ma'am. There are three flats that belong to the museum trust. Their rent will provide it with an income in perpetuity. Merlin and I," he reached out, took Merlin's hand and pulled him forward, "are moving into one of them."
Merlin bowed but didn't feel able to open his mouth. He had no idea what to say to a royal princess when she was being so very royal. He had met her before at various parties Arthur had taken him to, but she had been off-duty on those occasions and he had been able to forget that she was not just Arthur's friend, Mithy.
"And I hear you're moving your head office to Camelot? Does that mean we're losing you from London?"
"Not completely, I hope. The new train line is so fast; it doesn't take much longer to get to the city from Camelot, than it did from my father's house in Richmond."
"Ah yes, I was sorry to hear about Uther."
Arthur bowed again. "Thank you, ma'am. I think he knew me, just before the end."
Behind the Princess's back, Merlin caught the eye of one of the police officers. He gave Arthur a nudge. Arthur looked past the Princess and nodded. She laughed. "Very subtle," she said. "Am I late?"
"Royalty can never be late, ma'am."
"Ah, platitudes, so I am late." She turned, looked at her Protection and one of the officers came forward. "Time to go, is it, Percival?"
"Yes, ma'am, if you wish to reach Camlann in time to see the children in class."
"Very well." She turned back to Arthur and Merlin. "I'm going to visit a primary school and then a hospital and after that it's supper with the Spanish ambassador." She looked around and leaned forward slightly, to whisper, "Such a glamorous life I lead."
"We are more than grateful that you could spare the time to visit us today," Arthur said.
The Princess cast another glance around the room, relaxed her stance and smacked him on the shoulder. "Okay, okay, I'm going. We'll see you at Andy's next month?"
"Of course you will. And really, Mithy, thank you for coming. I think your visit has been the biggest excitement this town has seen, since Camelot FC won the FA Cup in 1912.
*****
On a rare Sunday afternoon of relaxation, with the window half open so they could enjoy the weekend calm of Front Street, Merlin said, "Gwen popped into the office with Galahad on Friday."
They were lying side by side on their bed and Arthur rolled his head to look at him. He smiled. "And how is your young godson?" he asked.
Merlin grinned. "Huge. I think he's grown another inch. And he's full of excitement about starting at 'big school' after the summer."
Rolling over onto his front, Arthur rested on his elbows. "To a boy his age, that's a lifetime away. I hope it lasts."
"I think it will. He has more than a little of Lance's serious nature, for all that he's so, so lively."
"That's one word for it." Arthur flopped onto his stomach and threw his right arm over Merlin's chest.
Merlin picked up his hand and threaded their fingers together. "She's going to apply for the job Gaius has advertised."
"Back at the museum?"
"Yes. Since she's running the Museum Club in her spare time, anyway, she said she might as well get paid for it. And Gaius needs the help."
"She'll not miss teaching?"
"I don't think so. She said the Museum Club is just a different kind of teaching and she'll enjoy not being so bound by the National Curriculum. I think she's looking forward to it."
"Well, good for her. I can't imagine there'll be a stronger candidate."
Merlin played with Arthur's fingers as he weighed his next words. "She also said she'd had a letter from Morgana."
"Ah," Arthur said. "And how is Morgana?"
"Gwen said she's living in a place called Byron Bay, on the Pacific Coast. She said she's turning into a hippy, or something. Making cosmetics from natural ingredients. She sent Gwen some samples and asked her to see if any of the shops here would be interested in an exclusive supply deal."
Pulling his fingers free, Arthur propped himself up on one elbow. He took Merlin's hand in a calm, firm clasp. "Is that something we should worry about?"
"No. There's no magic involved. I checked them out. And anyway..."
"Anyway?"
"I used some hand cream to focus a scrying spell. She's doing really well for herself." He rolled over, so Arthur could see his face and smiled to show he was teasing when he added, "I think she's put your guilt money to good use."
"Not guilt," Arthur said, but he was smiling too.
"I know."
"Miss Kay's shield is holding, then?" Arthur said. "She still can't reach the magic in the earth?"
"Yes, it is. And no, she can't. But even if she could, Australia would be no use to her. She'd have to come back here. And I'd know immediately if she started to plan that."
"Why?" Arthur asked. "Why would Australia be no good?"
Merlin paused while he tried to find the words to explain something that was so much a part of himself that he had never attempted to vocalise it. "Magic has an ecology," he said eventually. "Or is an ecology. And people are part of the ecosystem, as much as the trees, and the animals, and the insects."
"So?"
"So the magic of the land is shaped by the native people. It shapes them too. But what I'm saying is that, because of its history, the magic of Australia is as different from the magic of Britain as the ecology is different."
Arthur flopped over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling for a time, and then he nodded. "Okay, he said.
"But I'll check with Miss Kay, next time I see her," Merlin added. "Just to be sure."
*****
It was inevitable, Miss Kay said, that the growing prosperity of Camelot would attract undesirables. Just as it was inevitable that the rebirth of magic in the vicinity would ensure some of those undesirables were of a magical nature.
As usual, they were sitting in her big, comfortable kitchen while he drank coffee and Miss Kay pretended to. "You dealt with the imp," she said.
"Yes."
"What would you do differently, if another appeared?"
Merlin thought. He been feeling pretty pleased with himself over the way he dispatched the troublesome creature back to its native realm, but Miss Kay's question brought him up hard against the moment he had almost failed. As a mentor, she was always bracing.
They spent an hour exploring strategies other than the hit-and-miss, trust-to-luck-and-spur-of-the-moment-inspiration one that Merlin had relied upon. Exploring meant that Merlin explained what he'd done and why, defended his decisions, admitted his doubts and speculated on alternatives, while Miss Kay asked the pointed questions that helped him to clarify his thoughts. When he had to face down a troll wearing a human glamour four months later, the lessons he had learned from her gave him his success.
In Merlin's opinion, it was equally inevitable that Arthur would eventually get involved in some of his confrontations. Alvarr he managed to vanquish alone, but the Questing Beast almost killed Arthur. After a mad dash across the moor, Merlin reached them just as it reared above Arthur with its teeth bared. He struck it down with the spell Gaius had found, before it pounced. The incident led to one of their more serious arguments, with Merlin swearing Arthur was reckless, while Arthur insisted that Merlin needed all the help he could get. His smug 'told you so', once Merlin was fully cured from the Serket's poison didn't, in Merlin's opinion, progress his argument one jot.
*****
It seemed like half the town attended Gaius's funeral. The mayor and three of her predecessors were there, as well as any number of other town dignitaries and worthies. Hunith came up from Ealdor. They sat in a row in the family pew: Hunith, Merlin, Arthur, Gwaine, Lance, Gwen, Isolde, who had just finished her GCSEs and Galahad, home from his first year at university where he was studying ancient history. The celebrant told the stories Merlin and Hunith had given her and the music was from Gaius's favourite cycle of Bach's 48 Preludes and Fugues.
But, following Gaius's own specific instructions, the interment was private. He was laid to rest in just a shroud, in the woodland burial ground near Oswald Green.
When Hunith died peacefully in her sleep, ten months later, they brought her home and laid her next to him.
*****
Miss Kay disappeared without anybody noticing. Merlin visited Heythorpe House one summer Sunday afternoon and, for the first time ever, the door did not open at his approach.
It was unlocked and he cautiously stepped inside.
"Miss Kay?" he called. "Hello? Are you there? Are you all right?"
There was no answer and the house felt hollow, with a dusty flavour. He crossed the room and for the first time ventured beyond the kitchen.
The hallway was wide. It had a parquet floor of dark wood, with a central strip of Turkish carpet running its length and a staircase with a turned banister rail on the left. A carved oak sideboard, almost black with age stood against the right-hand wall and held an empty vase. A mirror hung on the wall above it and elsewhere were framed oil paintings. All of them landscapes. Not a single one had a human figure in it.
"Hello?" he called again, more loudly.
There was no answer and he opened doors, scanning the rooms beyond. They were all furnished in a similar style – comfortable, established, old money and quality. Miss Kay was not in any of them. With some trepidation, he edged up the stairs.
When he reached the top, he stopped. The upstairs hallway was empty - totally unfurnished and undecorated. After a moment, he pulled himself together and searched the floor. Every room was the same – no carpet, no furniture, no Miss Kay.
Slowly, he walked back down the stairs and out through the front door. He stood on the step and gazed across the gravel drive to the lawn with its white cast iron table and chairs. After half an hour of contemplation, he turned, re-entered the house, locked the front door behind him and walked out through the kitchen, the back garden and the woods, to where he had left his car in the pub car park.
*****
"I've already ordered Chinese from the place round the corner," Merlin called, as Arthur walked through to their shared office to drop his briefcase on his desk.
"The first one, or the second?"
"I'm not stupid."
"Just checking." He reappeared. "I'll go and get changed, then," he said.
Merlin watched him walk down the short hall to their bedroom. He was still slim and fit. He still went to the gym at least twice a week and he still ran most mornings without seeming to damage his knees. Merlin was also still slim. Still weedy, Arthur said, but he was beginning to notice a stiffness in his joints when he stood up after sitting for too long.
The doorbell rang and he went out into the entrance foyer to take the delivery and pay. As he had expected, it was Bran Braithwaite, so he gave him an extra tip for his good timing.
Taking the food back into the flat, he served it out onto plates and dug their chopsticks out of the cutlery drawer. "Dinner's served," he yelled as he carried it through to the dining table.
Arthur appeared a few moments later, in his comfortable lounging-around-the-house clothes and they sat down to eat.
"What's the occasion?" Arthur asked.
Merlin grinned. "We're celebrating how I couldn't be arsed to cook," he said.
"That's a good enough reason as any. How was your day?"
"Not bad. I shouted at a few suppliers, until they promised to deliver."
"You mean you spoke to them nicely and charmed them into doing what you want."
"I bullied Gwaine into agreeing that the conceptual design for the Market Square project was done."
"Is it good?"
"It's brilliant. How about you?"
"I had a meeting with Owen."
"Oh yeah? How's he shaping up?"
"Merlin, he's been my Chief Operations Officer for six years. He's fine. But I do want to talk to you about that."
Alerted by Arthur's tone, Merlin looked up. Arthur put down his chopsticks. "I'm thinking of converting the company into a co-operative," he said.
"What?"
"I'm the last of the Pendragons and if Galahad or Isolde had been interested, I might have thought about handing the company on to them, but they're not."
"Not sure Lance would have wanted that for them, anyway."
"Exactly. So, I think the best thing to do is to share it with the people who work for it."
"And you?"
"I'll stay on for a while, to see it through, but... well... I'm thinking it's about time we retired. What do you think?"
Merlin smiled. "I think that's a bloody brilliant idea. After all, you couldn't leave it to Morgana."
"No, she'll get my share of our estate from the Will, but this is different. You really think it's a good idea?"
Merlin got up and walked around the table to Arthur's side. He leaned down, cupped Arthur's cheek and kissed him. "I really, really do," he said. "Now eat your supper before it goes cold. And let me eat mine."
*****
The diagnosis, when it came, shocked Merlin into immobility. The idea that the doctors couldn't do anything, after all the advances they had made in the decades since the human genome had been mapped and had revolutionised medicine, seemed impossible.
Arthur, himself, took the news courageously and when Merlin promised to use magic to find a cure, he took Merlin's hand. "No, love," he said. "No one lives forever. I wouldn't want to. And we've had a brilliant life."
His determination was such that Merlin was silenced.
They went to bed and held each other, while Merlin came to terms with Arthur's decision. He gently traced the lines of Arthur's face, Arthur kissing his fingers each time they touched his lips. And Merlin thought.
The next day, he went into their office and started pulling books down off the shelves.
It was two weeks before he felt confident enough to share his conclusions.
Arthur was behaving as if there was nothing wrong with his body, other than age. He still went to the gym, although the most he did there now was use the treadmill and the rowing machines. He still dragged Merlin out for long walks in the evening twilight. He still ate well and enjoyed his music and his television. But there was an air about him. He was already saying goodbye.
Once he was confident, Merlin sat him down and talked. It took a long time. There was a lot to explain. There were things to tell that Merlin had never thought to share before.
When he finally ran out of words and arguments, he just stopped and looked at Arthur. Arthur looked back. And then he smiled. "Yes," he said.
They made sure that they saw everybody they needed to see. They went to the now mature woodland where Gaius and Hunith were both buried and explained it all to them. "I think they would approve," Arthur said, as they walked back to their car. They had a party to which Gwaine and all of Lance and Gwen's family were invited. They all came, parents, children and grandchildren.
That night they went to bed and Merlin gathered Arthur into his arms.
"So how do we do this?" Arthur asked.
"You leave it to me," Merlin said and kissed his brow. "Relax."
He lay back with Arthur's head on his shoulder, sank into himself and let his consciousness expand.
Arthur still blazed, just as he had years before, when Merlin first sensed him amid the mass of human sparks that was London. The beacon of his brightness had not diminished with time and Merlin felt the pull. He allowed himself to flow into the fire. He swirled around the essence of Arthur, letting the winds of life pull him towards the light and slowly he drew Arthur into the cobweb of the dance.
Once the pattern had found harmony, once he and Arthur were no longer 'he and Arthur', once the dance had found its measure, they spread outwards. The Tor still stood as a guiding light on the horizon, but it was dim compared to the brightness of their existence. They soared across the fields. They dipped into the woods by Oswald Green. They touched the clouds and tasted the wild creatures in their burrows. They felt the badger emerging from its den and their minds sang with the song of the hunting cat and with the fleeing mouse. They danced the wonder of all the people of the town, the county and slowly, slowly, of the land. All gloriously laughing, and crying, and living. There were so many different flavours of magic in the world and they absorbed and were absorbed by all of them. The warm brown earth welcomed them, the worms and beetles and ants and moths whispered through them. The fox cried out in harmony with their song. The grass blew warm and green and gold around them and the trees opened up to let them in.
The landscape of Albionshire spread below them like a map. And across it all, was them, spread thin as a sheet of tissue paper, but also deep as the earth itself.
This time, no heavy voice of bells and stone dragged them back into their bodies. This time the echo of those bells rang approval and encouragement for their song. And they spread further, to the very edges of the land, where the salt sea crashed against the cliffs. And there they stopped, smooth edged and true to the land that owned them. They lay across the land, and through it, and in it, and around it. And it was bliss. Magic came alive in the world wherever they touched. And it was good.
The end
Note: Apologies to supporters of Barnsley FC, who really won the FA cup final 1-0 in 1912, in a two match contest against West Bromwich Albion.
If you have enjoyed this story, I would love it if you would pause for long enough to tell me so. I won't write any more or less if you don't; it's just really nice for me.
ETA: Sudden thought - should I put a major character death warning on this chapter? Or does the gentle nature of the the characters' endings not require it?
ETA2: On reflection, I have decided a warning is not needed. As goddessriss says in her comment - they are not really dead.