Destined to Be | Arthur Pendragon

Ever Ever After

Merlin was dead tired.

The manservant had been up for almost twenty-four hours, and all he could think about was crawling into his bed and sleeping for the next three days. He would apologize to Chloe later for not having the energy to take her out for the evening, but she would understand. By the looks of it, Ada's maidservant wasn't fairing too well in the energy department either. From his place along the food table, Merlin could see Chloe smacking herself in the cheek in an attempt to keep herself awake.

Merlin couldn't help but chuckle.

It was late into the night now, and most guests had retired for the evening a long time ago. Mary and Richard had to carry both Anna and Nicolas back to their beds after dancing their hearts out practically the second the ceremony finished.

All that remained at the reception were a few royal guests, Chloe, Merlin, and the newlyweds.

It took months for everything to get back to normal. After Beatrice, Petra, and Andrew's demise, Uther demanded an explanation. Once the apology went out to the guests who were expecting a wedding to occur, the tiny group who managed to piece together what happened told the King of Camelot, along with Richard and Mary.

From overhearing the plot at the beginning of the festival from Beatrice and Petra's own mouth, to the information Ada'd been given during her time in captivity,, and Andrew's confession to Arthur during their final duel; Merlin, Chloe, Arthur, and Ada laid (almost) everything out in the open. With Anna inserting herself into the parts where she played a role in saving her sister. Both kings were red in the face with fury. (Rightfully so) While Mary held onto her daughter in the tightest embrace she could muster, whispering over and over again how sorry she was for not picking up the signs that she was being bamboozled.

Once the conversation came to a close, Adeline made the request to retrieve Aldous' body from the forest so they could give the man a proper burial. It was the least she could do for the man who tried his hardest to help her while their life turned into a living hell.

Jonathan, Arthur, Gwaine, and Leon went out into the forest one morning and returned in the late afternoon, faces firm and dejected. A pure white linen sheet covered the body, and Adeline knew the man had met a terrible fate. Morgana and Chloe squeezed the princess' hands as they watched the four of them trot by to the designated plot Adeline picked out.

Afterward, as the city started to get back to normal, the real wedding planning began.

"I know Eliza and Johnathan are supposed to be next, but Morgana and Michael are looking awfully snuggly over there," a sleep-deprived Chloe joined him.

"I think you may be right," Merlin agreed, spotting the affectionate couple at one of the tables. "I can't believe we're still here. I was sure Arthur and Adeline would have gone to bed by now. Not be the last ones at their own wedding reception."

"Why leave such a beautiful evening?" Chloe sighed, watching the newlyweds dance and sway around the empty dance floor. "I don't blame Ada for staying, really. She planned this day out perfectly."

"I bet we could leave, and they wouldn't even notice," Merlin commented before letting out a loud yawn. "Oh, boy. Here he comes. Why did I say anything?"

"You're still here," Adeline said first. "Johnathan didn't pass on my message before he and Eliza left? I told him to tell the both of you that you could leave for the evening."

"We could have been sleeping this entire time?" Merlin exclaimed.

"Yes, but now that we can talk to you in person, we want to tell the both of you to take the next week off," Arthur told the couple.

"A week?"

"No one deserves a break more than the two of you," Adeline smiled. "Especially after dealing with all those wedding preparations. I know I was downright miserable to be around at times over the last couple of days. Arthur, as I can imagine, was a complete nightmare."

"Hey!"

"I apologize, dear."

"Well, Ada and I are off to bed. We better not see you until next week," Arthur led his wife towards the large double-doors. "Have fun with all your time off."

Speechless, Chloe and Merlin watched Arthur and Adeline Pendragon exit through the doorway then stared at each other. An entire week off work. What were they going to do with all that free time?

"I don't know that last time I had one day off, let alone a week," Chloe commented.

"I've never had a week off," Merlin replied. "What should we do?"

"Sleep for sure," Chloe answered. "Oh, we could finally go on that date we've been wanting to go on!"

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow."

*****

Oh my goodness, we've come to the end!
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