A/N: This is the last book! I hope you guys like it. I'm working on a new story too so watch out for thafter His Love finishes!
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Summer had come to Camalot with bright days and green foliages on all of the trees in the town and in the woods surrounding the town. Lambs grazed in the peasant feilds. Baby birds were fledgeling in the woods with the plethora of other infant animals that werealso growinging away from being young and beginning to frolick by themselves.The citadel and its surrounding fields buzzed with excitement and bee: respectively.
Inside the walls of the castle, plans were well underway for the christening of their new prince: Balither. He had been born to the Crown Prince Arthur and his husband. Merlin, and he was having his naming ceremony on midsummer, a powerful and holy day. Servants were decorating the thrown room with bunches and bunches of flowers, covering every surface and filling the air with their sweet perfume and ribbons hanging from the pillars and rafters.
Merlin and arthur were in their chambers, and the brilliant summer sun was beaming through the window and filling the room with a glow and warmth. It played with Arthur's golden hair and dappled his skin bronze in its luxuous glow. Merlin sat taking in the sight of his husband in the morning light with Balither on his lap as Arthur preened over his outfit. Raised a peasant, Merlin was still unacostumed to clothes for anything but necessity's sake, but his husband could be wonderfully vain about them at times and loved dressing up; something he seemed intent to pass on to their son.
"Stop fussing Arthiur, your beautiful" Merlin said and his husband looked away from the looking glass to smile at him.
"I just wanted to look my best for our son's special day. You should get drassed too!" Arthur said and Merlin pouted and look down his chest at himself. He was dressed! Before he could protest the blonde man interrupted him:
"Speaking of which, I have a present for Bally!" his face was beaming in an excited smile but Merlin was slightly hesitiant as Artuhr's gifts never seems to be quite right for a baby. Last week he'd brought him a bolt of fine silk to make clothes from and doesn't seem to realise most of his clothes become stained within hours.
"Close your eyes, Sweetheart, I want this to be a surprise." Arthur said walked over to his closet and routed around. Merlin closed his eyes and sighed at his husband's ridiculousness.
"You can open them!" Merlin could hear the smile in Arthur's voice. He opened his eyes. And paused.
Arthur was grinning broadly and holding up a baby sized full suit of armour, completed with a Pendragon red cloak. Merlin was stunned. This is not what he was expecting. He didn't know what do say. He blinked several times. He opened his mouth to speak, and then thought better of it. Merlin took a moment and then tried again.
"Arthur, I am not that sure that a suit of armour is appopriate for a three months old baby." He said slowly and not wanting to hurt the Prince's puppy-dog like grin.
"You haven't seen the best bit yet!" Arhtu exclaimed bravely and from behind his back he whipped out a miniature replicer of Excalibur. He smiled widly. Merlin raised his eyebrows and decided to change his line of attack, remembering that tact was often lost on the price.
"No we are not giving him a sword. He cut his face on his own fingernails the other day" Merlin said firmly to Arthue.
"It's a dulled blade!" portested Arthur.
"No." replied Merlin. He stood up with the baby sage in his arms.
"I just wanted something special for him" said Arthur, forlawn.
"It's a very sweet idea. But it's a very bad idea love." He said gently. Then he had a idea.
"I know what he can wear" Merlin said and layed his hand upon their baby sons chest and let his magic out around him to modify his baby clothes. The fabric darkened and became pathy and extra fabric appeared where there had not been any before. When he was done he held his son up before Arthur.
"Look babe!" Merlin said grining. Arthur looked up from his pout and saw his son before him, dressed like a dragon.
"Look babe!" Merlin said grining. Arthur looked up from his pout and saw his son before him, dressed like a dragon. Arthur's face screwed up as he tried to not smile and continue his sulk but his son Balither looked to happy he gurgled.
"It's cute I guess" he said fake-sulking. Merlin was not happy with that, he wanted to see Arthur smile at there little dragon son.
"Look he can fly!" he said and held Baliter under his arms and pretended to make him fly through the air making 'nyoooooowm' noises as he swooped around his blonde father's head. Arthur struggled to surpress a smile and tried to turn away from his husbands ridiculouseness. He almost kept it up until Merlin held the boy up to his face and touched their faces together with a gentle 'boop.' At that point Atrhur lost, he smiled widely and dropping the baby armour to the floor with a soft clatter, he pulled the sorcerer into his arms and, mindful of the baby, pulled him in to a fierce kiss.
"Shut up, Merlin." He grinned as he pulled away, Merlin still safely ensconced in his hold. Outside the courtyard the bell began to toll, and Merlin gasped.
"Arthuer! We'll be late!" Together the men rushed down to the great hall where all their guests were waiting and Geofery was there in his official robes of state to officiate over the naming ceremony.
They walked stately towards Uther and Geofferey at the head of the room with their son. Uther saw his outfit – he was still dressed like a small dragon – and raised an eyebrow at his son and son-in law. Merlin had crated the outfit without thinking and had accidentally made it the same colours as Kilgarrah, the Great Dragon who still waited in the caves deep under Camelots surface world. Merlin felt his face heat up – he hoped Uther wouldn't see through this to discover that Merlin had magic and would se the dragon for advice. Geofferey cleared his throat and began the ceremony.
"We are gathered here today to name this child, the son of Arthur Pendragon, Crown Prince of Camelot, and his husband, Merlin Emrys Pendragon, husband of the crown price of camelot, the grandson of Uther Pendragon, king of Camleot, in the sight of all those here present, and with the blessing of the Gods who are always with us, I, Geofferey of Monmouth, Royal Genieologist and cleric, name thee Balither, Sone of the Crown Prince of Camlot and of his husband, Grandson of the king, and heir apparent to the kingdom of Calmeot and it's lands there included." Geoffery intoned solmenly gesturing with his hands over the child as he lay in his raven haired father arms an gurgled happily, waving his chubby hand trying to catch Geoffreys droopy sleeves as the waved over him, a small tuft of bright yellow hair sticking out from under his hood.
Suddely a great wind blew through the hall and the doors crashed open, everyone cowered at the great strength of the wind. Arthur drew his sord to defend his family and all the knight came forward with their swords to protect him. Merlin sheilded his son with his body - he needed to keep him safe no matter what the risk was. If he needed to use magic in front of the king, he would.
In front of everyone The wind whipped into a fierce maelstrom and darkenerd into a whirl of fabric as black as pitch. Out of this darkness emerged a figure clothed in dark cloth, and slowly it took the form of a tall hooded figure. The wind died down and the figure stood there before them all perfectly still.
"Reveal yourself!" commanded Arthur regally, his voice booming across the hall. The figure reached up with a pale slender hand and lowered their black hood exposing long, curled blonde hair and a pale face whith darkly kohled eyes that shone a cold shade of blue out of her face. Morgause was wearing a long black hooded dress with lace sleaves that trailed over her hands and a tight corseted bodice, emroidered with runes and hung with many small charmed trinkets of the old religion to protect her from the malicient curses of her enemies.
"Morgaues!" Cried Arthur, reaching raising his sword in a line parallel to the floor, arms drawn back and elbow high. The knigths spread out in encircle around the High Priestess of the Old Religion.
"On me!" Cried Atrhur again. With a flick of her finger and a muttered word, the swords went flying, landing on the stone floor of the throne room with a metallic clatter as the steel blades hit the walls, and ground. With another muttered word the knights around the sorceress dropped to the ground in a deep sleep. Only Arthur remained.
"Og, Arthur Pendragon- is this how you welcome so old an friend?" smiled Morgouse. Behind him, Merlin, determined to protect his husband, passed the baby to Geofrey, and stepped forward, towards Arthur.
"You're not friend of Camelot, witch," spat Arthur. Merlin was shocked at his poisonous words, but could read the fear he was feeling for their young family in the taught lines of his husband's back.
"Your mother would be ashamed of the way you've treated me," Morguase replied, with a wicked grin.
"You've told enough lies about my mother!" snapped Arthur
"I am an old family friend. If Ygraine lived I would be an honoured guest and you will pay for not treating me as such." Morgouse explained, chin held high in vaulty pride.
"You have no power here! Guards sieze her!" Uther cried pointing an accusing finger at her smirking face, but the knights were all asleep from her spell. Morgouse smirked and raised her hand, Her eyes glowed evilly orange as she chanted a spell at Arthur, As the green light of her magic gathered in the palm of her hand Merlin realised with a crashing feeling of dread and fear in his stomach that she was crusing Arthur!
"No!" He cried and stepped in front of his husband as the bright green magic shot from her hand, and saw Arthur's shocked face as he felt the magic surround him and stab him in pain like needles, penetrating his epidermal layer and soaking into his blood. He screamed in pain and crumbled to the floor, only thankful that his son was safe. As the light dimmed around him, he heard Arthur passionately screaming his name desperately in the far distance...