Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. If I did, this is how it would have ended...
Merlin shouted in fury as the horses belted off in fear of a dark presence.
"Hello, Emrys," said a female voice. Merlin turned quickly and gasped as he saw Morgana, only to be thrown back with the force of her magic.
Morgana spotted Arthur, smiling whilst walking towards him.
"What a joy it is to see you, Arthur," she sniggered, and stood over him. "Look at you, not so tall and mighty now." She knelt down beside him to look right into his eyes, and show him the evil that dwelled in her crystal green orbs. "You may have won the battle but you've lost the war. You're going to die by Mordred's hand." She smiled evilly. "Don't worry, dear brother, I won't let you die alone. I'll stay and watch over you, 'till the walls gorge on your carcass and bathe in your blood."
"Morgana…" Arthur breathed, feebly lifting a hand up to her face. She looked at it if it were a foreign object, leaning back slightly as he continued trying to make contact with her face. He touched her pale cheek with the back of his fingers, stroking down along her cheekbones to her jaw. Morgana remained silent.
"You are your own enemy, Morgana. I never wished you any harm," he said, looking straight into her eyes that were slowly softening.
"And now you're silent," he paused. "If I had been there for you, looked after you and loved you, this wouldn't have happened." It was more than just a declaration to Morgana, it was also a realisation and admittance to himself.
"Yet it did," she whispered, tears threatening to spill, just glistening in her eyes. "Your kingly duties and Gwen got to the better of you. You abandoned me."
"I know," he accepted, placing his hand on hers. She didn't move herself away from his touch this time, she didn't know why. "Words cannot describe the regret and pain that causes me still. How can I have you forgive me, my lady, for my unjustifiable acts? You could have been my viceroy. You still could. Camelot would be indestructible having magical forces." Morgana was bewildered, she never knew he cared for her that much. They had grown up together, and their bickering and flirtatious teasing covered up the love that was buried beneath it all.
"I love you, Morgana," he declared. "I thought we would be married, forced to be wed by my father one day. I imagined I would protest but secretly love that I had to be bound to you for eternity. That was before, of course, the truth of our relation was told."
A single tear fell from one of her eyes and hit Arthur's armour with a faint noise, and for the first time in years she smiled sincerely.
"You were the only one that made me happy," she breathed through tears. "And I wish now that we could go back to the beginning and start over. There were opportunities I'd missed; I blame myself for what I've become…"
"A beautiful, powerful lady?" He smiled, which made her laugh lightly.
"You've always been quite the charmer," she said, now stroking his face with her free hand.
Arthur glanced down at her full lips and then back up to her eyes. She did the same to him, as he tried to sit up, moving his face closer to hers. She leant her face down to his, not wanting him to strain himself in his delicate state. Their lips lingered, only millimetres apart, both reminiscing about the years they have wanted this to happen. They waited no longer. Their lips met with the simplest yet most meaningful and passionate kiss. It said it all, words were no longer needed as they parted and gazed into each other's eyes.
Morgana gasped in pain as a sharp blade penetrated her body, lacerating it as it was plunged further into her flesh. Arthur was unable to breath, helplessly watching Merlin repeatedly stab Morgana with the sword.
"Merlin," Arthur wheezed, "No." But it was too late as he withdrew the sword, and Morgana's fading body fell partially on top of Arthur's.
Her breathing was struggled as she lay on his chest, now being held in his arms. Arthur watched her in shock, tears pouring uncontrollably down his face. He had known this woman as a girl, a friend, a love, a sister, an enemy and now his joy that was too brief to do justice.
"In the mists of Avalon we shall meet again, my dear, dear Arthur, where we can love with no limitations," she breathed, fighting to hold her breath as blood trickled out of her mouth. Her beautiful eyes fluttered shut, as Merlin watched on with sorrow and Arthur with endless grief.
"I loved her, Merlin," Arthur sobbed, forgetting his own painful wounds. "I loved her!" He shouted, pouring over her lifeless body. He looked up to Merlin with big, wet eyes. "And you killed her."
Merlin stood with the mighty sword still clenched in his hand, his own eyes becoming moist with tears. Kilgharrah's superior voiced echoed inside of his head: 'the witch must die'. And she had. Merlin had killed her. He had been unaware of Arthur and Morgana's confessions. He had mistaken Morgana's closeness to Arthur as a snide whisper in his ear about how he would die. How wrong he was. Who would have known that just talking to Arthur could change her whole behaviour? Merlin should have seen it in Morgana's eyes before when Arthur confronted her in the hall of Camelot's castle. And now Arthur's feelings became clear to Merlin as well.
His patience with Morgana during the confrontation, the sincerity in his eyes burning hers, wanting her to truly change back to the girl he fell in love with. She had changed in those moments before her death, all because of Arthur.
"What would you have me do, sire?" Merlin whispered, his head bowed in guilt and anguish.
"Let me die," he said. "So I can join Morgana in Avalon where we can be reunited." Merlin collapsed onto his knees beside Arthur and the lifeless Morgana.
"Arthur-" he began.
"Merlin," he cut him off, "I just wanted you to know that I don't blame you. I'm dying, Merlin, and there's nothing you can do, and nothing I want you to do except know how ineffably grateful I am for your loyalty, trust and patience over the years you have known me. Your courage of killing Morgana," he swallowed, "has just proven that to me even more, despite my current pain. However, I can now die in peace, knowing that I will join her again, and start over with her like both herself and I wish." Arthur let out an unsteady breath, as his wounds burned him. His time was nearly over.
"Thank you, Merlin Emrys," he muttered with effort, trying to bring a free hand to Merlin's arm. Be at peace, knowing I am happy and safe with those whom I love. Thank you…" His voice faded, as his eyes closed.
Merlin stood up from the murky ground, the dragon's breath forged sword dropped into the damp leaves of the darkening forest, the crunching sound seeming thousands of times maximised in the silence.
His mind raced as he roared, "O drakon, e mala soi ftengometh tesd'hup anakes!" And he ran into an open space near theirs bodies, as the wind and sound of huge, flapping wings made the trees whisper.
Kilgharrah landed elegantly in front of Merlin, acknowledging the young Warlock's distress. His beady golden eyes noticed the two still bodies holding each other further within the trees.
"I see the witch is dead," the great dragon observed.
"Because of me," Merlin choked.
"You should rejoice, young Warlock!"
"But she changed! She changed back to the good person she once was, and now Arthur's dead." He cried. The dragon looked at him wisely.
"Arthur's time is over, your purpose has been fulfilled – you created Camelot together. He shall reunite the realms of Albion when his time is needed, for now he is gone. Did it cross your mind that because Arthur was supposed to die today, and your failed attempts of killing Morgana previously collided coincidentally, my friend?" Merlin looked up at Kilgharrah with curiosity.
"The witch Morgana was also supposed to die this very day, and now that Arthur's life was coming to an end, as was hers, it seems the future is not always clear. The prophesies were fulfilled, and either way, the actions before that will always result in them being complete. The love of Arthur Pendragon and Morgan Le Fay was always destined to happen but never predicted by man to happen at their deaths," The dragon explained. Merlin stood, bewildered, comprehending all this.
"So despite them being enemies for years, this was always supposed to happen?" Merlin asked, shouting upwards for the dragon to hear.
"Yes, young Warlock. Arthur was killed by Mordred, you killed Morgana, that was what happened."
"But them loving each other, was that on their own accord?" Merlin asked, confused.
"Both yes and no. Many parts of the future are unknown. But as I say, they love each other yet the prophesises have still been fulfilled, it was meant to happen. Peace has been brought at last, why not enjoy it," Kilgharrah said the last sentence more as a statement than a question.
"But what do I do now?" Merlin asked, still not wanting to accept everything could be over. "I didn't just lose my King, I lost a friend."
"You do what is right, your destiny is complete. It has been an honour guiding you, young Warlock but now we must depart for the last time." The huge dragon lifted itself up into the misty sky, blowing fallen leaves around the clearing. Merlin shielded his eyes from the great gust, watching the dragon disappear into the darkness.
Merlin turned around, walking back to Arthur and Morgana's bodies. He would have to carry them both to the lake. Thankfully for him, it wasn't too far away now.
His struggle with transporting them to the waterside was worth the effort, he had decided. They were both deeply important to him in different ways but now they must depart to Avalon and reunite.
Merlin built a large enough boat using magic to hold both of them across the lake. Arthur lay on his back, Morgana beside him, with his scarlet red cloak clasped around his neck. His kingly traits were painted on his expression, as Morgana's held a peaceful look, not only with Camelot and its people, but herself as well.
How could he let them go? Let Arthur go? Merlin stood with his knees beneath the water level, standing next to the boat, watching his friends lie silently.
"Morgana," he said, stroking the side of her face. "What did I do to you? What have I created? You shouldn't blame yourself for who you are and what you became. It's my fault, and I betrayed you. I'm sorry. I should have put you first, taught you about magic, instead of worrying about my own safety." He let a few tears fall as he leant down to kiss her pale forehead. "Please forgive me, my lady…my friend." Merlin shut his eyes for a few moments before wading his way through the still water, walking to Arthur's side of the wooden boat.
Merlin just looked down at Arthur's face, and cried. Enough had been said between them whilst Arthur died. Everything had been justified; now Merlin had to let him go.
He clutched either side of Arthur's face, bending down to put a shaky kiss to his forehead, like he had done with Morgana. Lots more tears fell down, shimmering in the dawning light of a new day. Merlin stood straight, looking out across the lake beyond to Avalon. The peeping sun making the still water glisten like tears. Merlin knew what he had to do. He picked up the sword, so majestically lying between the couple. He ran the flat surface of the sword through his hand, analysing its beauty, before releasing it from his hand with a firm throw.
The sword span through the air, catching the light from the sun and its reflections on the water. A hand vertically came blooming out of the water, and clutched the sword's handle, slowly lowering it into the depths with majestic beauty.
Merlin smiled lightly to himself. It was Freya, the Lady of the Lake. Peace.
"Goodbye, Arthur," Merlin whispered, gazing back down at him, his blue eyes becoming wet with more tears.
Merlin raised his hand, enchanting the boat to glide silently across the lake, making no sound or ripple. He stood and watched as the beautiful couple floated to their newfound happiness. Merlin felt empty but somewhat peaceful. It was time for a new life but those dearest to him had died, and so tears of fire fell from his eyes, burning them.
His reluctance to turn away was raging through him. Camelot was his home. Gaius was there and Gwen needed his guidance, as well as the knights needing a friend. There was still happiness, and that would be his new life for now.
"The King is dead. Long live the Queen." Sir Leon's latter sentence was echoed by the people through the grand hall, as Gwen purposefully sat mighty on the throne.
Merlin heard the people but was only hearing one thing inside his head:
A greater adventure was yet to come.