Living on, Merlin.

Merlin had waited faithfully by the lake for hundreds of years. Not literally, of course. First, he had returned to Camelot. Gwen needed him to tell her the story of how her husband.. Well. And Gaius, Gaius needed him to do something… Like picking herbs or something not life-changing. And the knights… They had been like brothers, more than that, for Arthur. Arthur.

Well, he had returned to Camelot and served queen Guinevere for a few years. He had become her most trusted advisor and her best friend. She often asked him to tell her the story of how Arthur battled and then suffered the consequences of having a good heart and acting on what he thought was right. Sometimes they laughed together, sometimes they cried together. Camelot wasn't the same without Arthur.

Gwen was a kind, righteous queen. She was just brilliant. Together with him, she picked out the sorcerers and made sure they kept their secret, and if they made a mistake, Merlin would fix it. Magic seemed to disappear overnight, for the ones who couldn't spot it.

As time passed, the aches in everyone's heart seemed to lessen, but not for Merlin. At night, he was haunted by nightmares about Mordred piercing Arthur's armour. He'd wake up screaming, soaked in sweat, crying, and Gaius would be there already, placing a soothing hand on his chest.

They lived in peace and prosper, until one morning, when Merlin woke, he felt depressed, sad, and down. He hadn't had nightmares that night, for the first time since Arthur… passed. He had swung his legs off his bed and dressed to start the day. He pushed his door open and felt the weight of the world pressing down on him. Something was wrong, very, very wrong. He practically ran to Gaius until he realized what it was. Gaius wasn't breathing.

Merlin had screamed for help and chanted all the spells he knew, but it didn't work. Gaius was gone and there was nothing he could do about it. The guards had heard him and came to his aid, none of them mentioning a thing about Merlin's chanting. Leon and Gwaine came soon after, and Gwen came just as Merlin ran out of spells. Calm and collected as she was, she had put a hand on his shoulder and he let the tears stream down his face. Gwaine sat by his side and Merlin let all his defences down and cried into Gwaine's shoulder. Leon had collected a few guards and they carried Gaius' body down to the hospital wing. A nurse quietly tended to the body and the very same afternoon, they gave him a proper grave, down with the deceased kings and queens. Like royalty. It seemed only right.

Merlin had retired to his chambers for rest of the night. They didn't see him for four days, although they left food for him in front of the door, not bothering him. Merlin had taken his time to sort through Gaius' things. Books, potions, personal items, and lastly, Merlin found a letter, dedicated to him.

'My dear boy,

Now that you are going through my things, I suspect I am gone. I do hope I died peacefully, as battle is not my cup of tea. I have been waiting for this time to come for a long time. Now that I am gone, that probably means that you are all alone, or at least feel like you are. It is time that you go out there and do the things you are destined to do. Live your life, and I hope that it'll do for you what it has done for me.

You don't have to worry about my personal belongings, my family and friends are all long gone, so I trust you to take care of it for me.

I don't want to waste any more words or time, so this is it. Just know that I loved you with all my heart. You were like a son to me and you have never disappointed me in any way. Thank you for lighting up the last years of my life.

Gaius.'

After Merlin had read it twenty times and had stained it with tears, he had tucked it in his pocket and went on through Gaius' things. He stacked the books in neat piles, sorting it on subject. It had taken him days, but at last, he was done. He had found a little chest on the top shelf of a closet, and he opened it cautiously. He hadn't seen it before in his life. It was mahogany with gold decorations and a silver lock, but the key was still stuck in it, so he clicked it open. The lid revealed a small amount of gold, which could support him for years. He closed it again and placed it on the bottom of his backpack.

He rounded up a few guards and asked them to take the books to the library. The books on magic, however, he gave to Gwen. She promised him to take them somewhere safe, somewhere no one could find them but the people who looked for them. Merlin took the potions to the nurses and gave whatever wasn't of much emotional value to a few friends who could do with the extra stuff like clothes. When he was done, he returned to the nearly empty chamber. He felt tears prickling in his eyes, but wiped them away furiously. He grabbed his bag, stuffed everything he owned, which wasn't much, in his bag along with the small chest which still sat on the bottom. He swung the bag on his back and made his way to Gwen's chambers.

Merlin knocked on Gwen's door, soft at first, then a little more urgent. Gwen invited him in quickly. She eyed the backpack suspiciously.

"Er, as you might have guessed, I'm leaving." He started awkwardly. For a moment, Gwen let her guard down. Merlin saw flashes of hurt and confusion. Then it was followed by understanding. She sighed, squared her shoulder, and nodded curtly. Her hands folded neatly in front of her, like a queen.

"I know. Of course. I knew this time would come, just.. not now. But I understand. Just know that you will always be welcome here. Do you want me to send Gwaine and Leon with you to lake Avalon?"

Merlin hadn't said a word to her about going to the lake, but of course, it was obvious that that was where he was going. He doubted for a moment. He wanted to be alone, but the journey wasn't one without risks and, although it wasn't an extremely long one, it was lonely and full of memories.

"Yeah, yeah I would. Thank you, Gwen. For everything." He pulled her in a hug, then he left.

After that, he went straight to his horse. He brushed his faithful mare quickly and saddled her. He strapped his bag to the saddle and led her out of the stables. When he reached the square in the citadel, he was greeted by all the knights in their armour, Gwaine and Leon both on horses. Gwen was there, too. A few fellow servants had gathered as well.

Gwen stood statuesquely on the steps with the servants as equals. The knights stood in a row next to Gwaine and Leon in front of the steps. As if on cue, they all bowed down deeply to Merlin, as a last salute. Merlin nodded to them, then he turned to Gwaine and Leon. They mounted their horses and rode on either side of Merlin. When they rode through the gate, he turned around and waved one last time. Then they started their journey to Avalon.