"We've received word, Sire," said Sir Leon after getting on his feet. "of attacks on Camelot's borders. People request assistance, my Lord. Women and children are badly wounded, their men all but dead, they have no physician."

"They're beyond Camelot's borders," Arthur took the liberty of emphasizing from his seat, already foreshadowing that those people, in need as they might have been, were beyond their help's reach. "We're at war, Sir Leon, I cannot afford to send a group of men beyond our borders and leave the city defenseless."

"I understand, my Lord. But perhaps if we could send Gaius and a decent escort, we would only be a few men short, hardly a significant loss."

The King of Camelot took a few seconds to appreciate the suggestion. He glanced at the court's physician and after having received an approving nod from him, he himself repeated the gesture to Sir Leon as a sign of approval.

"And where is it we would be sending Gaius and his escort to?"

"Engerd, Sire."

He was interrupted by the sound of metal clattering against the floor the second the name of the village left his lips. Everyone seated at the round table turned their heads in silence, only to find the King's servant standing frozen on the spot, paler than he had ever been, with the tray he had up to that moment been carrying in his hands now laying at his feet.

There was no time for Arthur to make a remark on his servant's ineptitude, like he was known to do. As a matter of fact, there was no time for him to offer any sort of reaction, since before he had the chance, Merlin had left the room, more swiftly than anyone would have expected him to be able to given his state.

"Merlin!" Arthur finally had the chance to call out but only after the young man had fled the room.

"Gaius?" Guinevere gently demanded, turning to the one man she was certain knew Merlin better than anyone else in the room.

The old man lowered his eyes, though he could not stay silent for long, not with the stare of everyone in the room set upon him.

"I do believe he will try and leave for Engerd, my Lady," he said at last, his voice faint.

"I'm sure he has got a perfectly good reason for leaving so suddenly, hasn't he?"

"Indeed he does, my Lady." He glanced up at his queen shortly. "But I'm afraid that is not my secret to share."

—

"Going somewhere?"

The sudden sound of his voice in the middle of the dark, silent hallway made the young woman gasp. She swiftly turned on her heel, knife in hand, only to find herself holding the blade up to Merlin's neck.

For a few seconds, they stood still, witnessing how each other's eyes rapidly filled with tears. Eventually, she lowered her knife and audibly swallowed in an attempt to hold herself together. Her neckline tensed, and Merlin felt his heart clench within his chest as he watched how soon she had managed to stand up tall and remain firm while he was on the verge of collapsing himself.

"I'm leaving, Merlin," she confessed out of quivering lips.

"Yeah," was all he could breathe out. After taking a deep breath, he forced himself to proceed. "I figured as much. The true question is 'where and why'."

"I don't know where."

Her strength betrayed her. When she tried to speak again, her voice broke and she was forced to bring a hand up to her mouth in order to repress a sob or two before she could even think of saying anything else.

"I'm not your destiny. Arthur is, Camelot is."

"You're my destiny as well, you could be my destiny too."

"But I'm not," she disagreed, shaking her head with sad slowness. "I see the way you put your life at risk every single day, Merlin, you cannot ask me to stay here and witness that—"

"Then I'll come with you."

The both of them knew that was a lie, but from the way in which Merlin had taken hold of her wrist, it was also evident that there was nothing he would not have done or said if it meant keeping her by his side. She knew better, however, and was perfectly aware that even if they were to leave together, hardly a single day would go by before he sneaked his way back to Camelot, even if it was merely to make sure everything was alright.

"—You can't. Even if you wanted to, which I know you don't."

"This— cannot be the last time I'll see you."

"And it won't be," she promised, bringing a hand up to tenderly cup his cheek, brushing his cheekbone with her thumb in an attempt to comfort him. "but for now, I need to make sure I'm not a burden."

"You're not a—"

"Merlin," she interrupted him, pressing the tip of her fingers to his lips, closing her eyes. "Say nothing else, I beg of you."

Taking advantage of her having her eyes closed, knowing there would be nothing she could do to stop him, Merlin brought both his hands to her face and pulled her in, capturing her lips with his own. The young woman rested her hands on his wrists and returned the kiss gladly, the pair of them allowing tears to stream freely down their faces.

"I love you," whispered one.

"I love you," replied the other.

—

"Going somewhere?"

Merlin turned on his heel, finding himself face to face with Arthur.

"It was rhetorical," he rushed to say before his servant could provide him with a response. "You are obviously going somewhere. I wonder, however, with whose authorization. Certainly not mine."

"Arthur—"

"You're leaving for Engerd."

"I am, but—"

"We are at war with one of the most dangerous priestesses Camelot's ever faced yet, my little sister…"

"If you would just—"

"… and you find it a good idea to venture towards our borders by yourself, expecting I would just allow it."

"I have a wife."

Merlin knew such a statement would finally grant him the time he needed to explain himself. And indeed, he was not wrong. There Arthur stood, his lips opening as though he was about to say something, only for them to close once more, over and over again. The warlock took that as a sign to go on.

"When I first came to Camelot, I ran across an old childhood friend— A very special old childhood friend. Within the year we got married. And not a year after that, she left…"

"She left you?"

"She didn't leave me, she just left. For Engerd."

"I don't… quite understand," said Arthur, still having a hard time enunciating a handful of words at once.

Merlin pursed his lips into a tight line and shrugged his shoulders. The reasons why he wished to leave for Camelot's borders so promptly had already been evidenced and anything else he should say on the matter would only confuse the king even further.

"Well, I'm sure you'll be able to explain yourself during our ride there. After all, it is going to take us a day and a half, two days."

Now the roles had inverted. Merlin was the one that was confused and Arthur the one who needed to do the explaining.

"Prepare the horses, we leave within the hour. Gwaine is coming with us."

"I— You said— Arthur, there's a war. You said so yourself. You're the king, you cannot…"

"You know, Merlin?" the other punctuated him, turning his back as he walked away. "You would think that after all these years you would have learned already…"

Just as he was about to leave the stables, he held onto the frame and looked at him.

"I never listen to you."