So. Here is a one-shot that has the promise of becoming a full length story. But not a very long one. I hope. I've already started writing the epilogue, but not the bits in between. xD

Anywho, the idea for this came from llLethell's drabble series 'Fractions'. One of the drabbles inspired me to do this. Even though I promised myself I would never do a deathfic because I just couldn't see myself writing one. But there you go.

Anywho, read Fractions. It is awesome. It's got angst, romance, comedy and everything. So awesome :D Her other work is just too good as well.

And another thing. I am now Royal Advisor for WhiteKingdomAngel's Kingdom. Which is cool xD Cos her work is so awesome that it is read by ALAIA SKYHAWK and Emachinescat. ALAIA SKYHAWK FOR JASHINS SAKE! I love both author's to bits. Really I do. They have some of the best work on this site and I can only aspire to be half as good as them someday.

Damn all these Merlin authors that make me depressed with their awesome writing skills.

Anyway, without further ado….. Enjoy

He was once told there was always hope, but that was a lie.

Arthur stared at the broken body he cradled, scarcely able to believe it. This boy - no that wasn't right - this man always made it through everything with nary a scratch. Looking back, Arthur wondered about it now, but now was too late.

Far too late.

Arthur choked on a sob, trying to stop the tears building up, but he couldn't. And so he let them flow freely. He hugged the body that was in his arms. He hugged it so tightly, wishing that it was more than just a corpse, that his friend was alive.
'Please be alive. Please let this only be a dream. Please be alive. Please let this only be a dream.' The words repeated themselves in his head. Over and over and over.

His chest hurt. He couldn't get enough breathe. Arthur could vaguely hear someone calling his name. Looking for him. Looking for the one in his arms. The one whose eyes were staring, unseeing to the sky.

The body was cold now. There was no warmth to it. How could there be? He was d-dead. There. He said it. The king's best friend in the whole world was dead.

Because, of course they were friends. How come it had taken the death of said friend for Arthur to see that? Had he really been so blind in his arrogance and pride?

And suddenly the young king was angry. He was angry at himself for not realising sooner. He was angry at Morgana for causing this war. He was angry at Uther for his blind fear and hatred of magic that had been the root of most attacks on Camelot, including this one. Heck, he was even angry at the whole world in all its unfairness! Because this death was not warranted. It wasn't called for. It wasn't fair, dammit!

Arthur wanted to scream at the world. He wanted to curse every living thing, but instead he pulled the body into an even tighter embrace, not caring for the blood that some poor sod would have to try to wash out before giving up.

He had to pull himself together, before somebody saw because, for godssake, kings did not cry. They had to stand strong for the sake of their people. But he couldn't stop crying. He screamed with frustration, still silently begging all that was good in the world to wake him up so he could see that goofy grin that he hated (loved) so much. And then he would throw a jug, or something equally as hard in that direction. And they would laugh and the king would then recite the long list of chores. Just to punish him for making Arthur feel so - so - so helpless. So vulnerable. So distraught.

There was no silver lining to this cloud. Arthur would miss the banter they threw at each other. He would miss the terrible lies and the way he could always cheer Arthur up after a particularly stressful council meeting. Thanks to the man in his arms, Arthur wouldn't be able to stand a bootlicker because he liked the arguments too much.

Arthur scrunched his eyes closed in one last attempt to staunch the flow of tears. When it failed he laid the body to the ground and took one last look at his servant, his advisor and his friend.
"You once told me that there was always hope," He said brokenly to him, staring into his unseeing eyes.

"You lied Merlin." Arthur whispered to the wind.

Hmm. I have taken some of the words straight from the particular drabble that inspired me to do this, but it was just too good an opportunity to pass up on. So tell me your thoughts about whether I should make this a full length fiction. But I warn you. Any other chapters will be a long time in coming as I have plenty of other fics I need to work on. It doesn't help that the Merlin fandom has sucked me in and I have started another fic that will be full length for it. Only problem is it has an OC as a main-ish character, which is the last thing I need really. But meh. I've found a way to incorporate a hippogriff into it, so it should be all good.

But seriously. I shouldn't even be writing this, I should be doing artwork or English work or psychology work or media work, or failing that, finishing my other stories.

I CAN'T HELP IT IF IM INSPIRED BY ONE FANDOM AND NOT THE ONES I'VE ALREADY STARTED! Anyway.

Full-length, or leave it as it is? You decide. The full length will basically be Arthur coming to terms with the death of Merlin. With something special planned for the epilogue. Really, really special.