Word Count: 514
Rating: PG
Pairings: Arthur/Gwen
Warnings: Character death
Summary: Arthur wakes up in an unfamiliar place.
His New Reality
Arthur awoke with a jolt to find himself on the shore of a strange land. He struggled to his feet and looked around. Behind him was open water as far as he could see. In front of him was a road that led away from the pebbled shore.
Arthur reached for his sword on instinct and found it missing. He looked at the hole in his chain mail and the wound there. He closed his eyes and realized he was not going home to Guinevere and Camelot.
Was this the afterlife? If it was, where was it?
Arthur had more questions but those were the ones he wanted answers to the most.
He decided to take the road and see where it went. There really wasn't any other option. He stepped onto the road and was amazed at the golden haze that seemed to engulf everything. At first he thought it was sunlight then he looked at the sky and saw no sun. Whatever it was it nearly blinded him.
He stumbled up the road until he saw what looked like a castle. He quickened his step to reach it.
"Merlin must have sent me here." Arthur muttered under his breath. "This isn't what I expected death to be. I definitely didn't expect it to be this bright."
Nearer to the castle he found himself in an apple grove. He realized where he was. He was on the Isle of Avalon and he was dead.
He walked closer to the castle and saw the women draped in loose flowing robes. He knew they were the priestesses of this sacred place.
Arthur wondered if he should call out to them and let them know that he was here. He decided to wait instead for someone to notice him. He didn't want to disturb the silence that seemed to permeate everything. He found a bench and sat down.
Arthur realized he wasn't in pain and he wasn't bleeding. He assumed that the magick he knew was here was keeping those things from happening. It was either that or the fact that he was dead.
Dead. Was that not the end of everything?
Arthur looked around and realized death was not what he thought it to be. He put his face in his hands and let himself cry for all the people that he was now separated from. He knew they would cry for him as well.
When Arthur finally looked up, a woman was waiting to take him inside. He followed her without question. He knew the answers to his other questions would be answered soon.
He wondered if he would be here forever or just for a short time. He supposed he would have to wait and see. Another question he was going to have to ask. All he seemed to have was questions.
Arthur took one more look around before he entered the castle. This was his new reality and he had better get used to it. It wasn't like he had a choice in the matter anyway so he accepted his new reality.