My contribution to our "Lyrics and Melodies" drabble challenge.
Song: "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles
Category: Gen (Canon)
Characters/Pairings: Lancelot, Merlin
Rating/Warnings: K
Word Count: 300
Author's Note: Set immediately after episode 3x13.
The fresh morning breeze was strangely at odds with the atmosphere in Camelot. It was less than a week after Morgana and her immortal army had been defeated, and the cruel reminders of the destruction they'd wrought were everywhere.
Everyone was working day and night to restore the city to its former glory, but the acrid smell of smoke was still heavy in the air. Countless faces, though relieved, would carry traces of fear and sorrow for months to come. And even with the workmen's tireless efforts, it would be quite some time before the Citadel itself was fully repaired.
Lancelot sighed as he surveyed the damaged city, frustrated at how little he was able to do to assist with its restoration. The wound he'd taken in battle would take weeks to heal, Gaius had sternly informed him, and he'd been ordered to avoid strenuous activity until he'd made a full recovery.
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted as Merlin rushed past with a strained, weary expression on his face. Lancelot hadn't had a chance to speak with him since their victory, not with Arthur keeping him busy from dawn until midnight each day.
"Wait!" he called abruptly.
Merlin protested at first, but after some quiet persuasion, he reluctantly followed Lancelot beyond the city gates.
They crested a rise, then turned to gaze appreciatively down at Camelot as it was bathed in gentle, golden hues of morning sunlight. From above, there was no trace of the damage within, only a vision of hope, promise, and beauty. Just like the people who cherished it so dearly, the city had suffered, yet survived with its spirit intact.
Both men smiled, forgetting all about their worries as they remembered just how lucky they were to be alive.