Love Merlin as much as any other Merlin fan! So I just had to make a story out of it. I mean, come on, I was DYING for Merlin to tell Arthur the truth at some point, but the last episode? Really?! No, I WON'T put up with it! So, love it, hate it, just tell me about it: Review!
Bright, blinding light. That could only mean one thing, and it wasn't good...
"Rise and shine, Sire!" Merlin's chirpy voice filled the chambers.
Arthur grumbled. He didn't want to get up. He was feeling too down to have to face the court, and the Round Table, AND everybody else.
"Give me two...two min-min-" Arthur fell back on his pillow.
"Listen, Clotpole-" He heard a 'shh' sound interrupt his servant.
"I've got this." Guinevere assured Merlin, leaning down to whisper in the King's ear.
"If you don't get up," whatever the queen said, it worked like- OK, maybe 'magic' isn't the appropriate word considering the circumstances, but Arthur shot up like a bullet.
"Raring to go!" he exclaimed, and pulled back the covers to get up.
"Gwen, how did you do it?!" Merlin asked, jaw on the ground, astounded. Guinevere giggled.
"Don't tell him, Gwen." Arthur warned her. "He's not ready for 'the talk'." Merlin frowned, then the realisation hit him. Hard.
"Wait, you don't mean-" he pulled a disgusted face. "For the love of Camelot, I don't need to hear this!"
The royal couple laughed as Merlin left the room.
"You are fine, aren't you?" Gwen asked her husband. Arthur sighed.
"It's ever since Mordred left, I made a terrible mistake and now it looks like I'm going to pay the price." he said. Gwen laid a hand on his arm.
"You made the decision you believed to be right. If it was anyone's mistake it was the girl's, Kara." she told him. Arthur smiled at her.
"What?" Guinevere laughed nervously. He shook his head slowly.
"This is why I love you." he said softly. Gwen beamed up at him, as he kissed her on the lips.
"We have reason to believe that Morgana," Leon took a deep breath of anxiety before the Round Table. "Has formed an army, with a fair amount of Saxon's involved, and is heading down to Camelot as we speak."
The members of the Round Table all spoke out at once. The emotions of anger, nervousness and vengeance all echoed throughout the room. But one emotion more than any other stood out most profoundly.
Fear.
Merlin could feel the alarm and trepidation from every noble at the table. He could definitely feel it from Arthur.
It was just one more unnecessary burden on the young King's shoulders.
"Order!" Arthur called out. "How many on her side?"
"They outnumber us 3 to 1, Sire." Leon said.
"How close is she to Camelot?"
"Not enough time to move the army out of the city, if that's what you mean."
"If we hold them off just outside the citadel, we might have a chance." Gwaine added.
"It's our only chance." Percival said. "We don't have many choices in the matter."
"How many are sorcerers?" Arthur inquired. The room fell into deafening silence. Sir Leon paused.
"...if our sources are correct: at least half the army."
The knights drew in a sharp breath as one. Arthur put his hand on his forehead in near hopelessness.
Merlin's eyes briefly betrayed the hint of gold, a sign of him almost unleashing his magic in pure shock.
Half her army. Half her army.
It was too many. Not for him, for Camelot.
Arthur refuses the aid of magic, even in circumstances as this. He doesn't care if it's a lost cause, because his pride will take over and he'll blurt out something like-
"We need to ready the entire army, gather supplies and make sure the citizens will be safe when my sister arrives. I don't care if the odd's are more in Morgana's favour than ours (A.N: Just realised, that sounds like a line from The Hunger Games!), we still have the best knights the world has ever known and more faith in our hearts. We can still win."
-like that.
But the Round Table seemed to have their own faith restored. The mood lightened with the new found determination.
"Anything else to add before we leave, Sir Leon?" Arthur asked. Leon glanced at the report sheet.
"I don't think so - Ah, there is something. She's not entirely after you and Camelot. There's another person she's after, someone named Emrys."
Merlin's heart almost stopped. How could she possibly know who and where he was-
Mordred.
Oh, dear God, Mordred told her.
He looked sharply at Gaius, sitting across from the table. He only saw the famed raised eyebrow of surprise and utter bewilderment.
A thousand thought's bared down on Merlin at once.
Morgana knows who he is. Morgana knows where he is. She knows he's loyal to Arthur. She knows he has to protect him at all costs. What happens if he can't stop her? What does he do if she succeeds in killing Arthur? What if he's forced to use his magic? What if Arthur found out the truth? What if-
...What if Arthur will hate him?
The King and his closest knights realised too late that their friend lost consciousness and crumpled to the floor.
Merlin woke with a sore head and a dry throat. He sat up on his bed.
What had happened?
Oh. Right, that.
"Don't ever scare me like that again, Merlin." Gaius said, passing a cup of water.
"Thanks" Merlin took the cup, and drank to the last drop. "Is Arthur here?"
"He and Gwaine dropped you off. They left an hour ago. You were out for a while." Before Gaius could carry on, Merlin grabbed his arm.
"She knows. Morgana's out to kill me. And Mordred's on her side."