Prologue - Long ago in time
He headed throught the rows of soldiers and inhabitants of the big old castle. He stopped in the middle of the room; looking silently at the man directly in front of him. The man he was staring at, had a long white beart and his eyes were close. He was covered with a black, out-worn robe, that seemed to have seen better times long ago.
"What do you see? Can you tell anything?" The man who just entered, asked that in a very calm voice, not one moment looking away from the barde. The man told him to be silent.
"I can see a time that will be in a future long forward in time. We'll be dead and almost forgotten. Just a few will still believe in us. Our whole world will be nothing more then just a small story." He finally opened his eyes. They looked like a shining and magical grey; old and wise. "Arthur, we will not exist in future, not as we do now." The man he spoke to looked up to him shocked. The moment his eyes met the eyes of the old man, he had the feeling to look into something greater than just this small eyes in the face of an old man. He could see everything. The past, the future and so much faith. Arthur couldn't believe how old his dear friend had become. And so had he. Both had grey hair and their faces were covered of crinkles. He turned around; looking at the woman at the other end of the room. With a short sign some soldiers appeared next to her; grabbing her arms and pulling her forward to Arthur. The woman looked at him; her eyes covered with a begging look.
"You know why you're here?"
The woman said nothing, but her look went angry. Arthur looked back without any emotion.
"You have tried to destroy the kingdom, you have made my best knight turn against me. You made my wife cheat on me and after all you still tried to kill my best friend. You have made youself guilty of a high treason."
The woman looked at the man; laughing.
"I have just done what I had to do. The kingdom will fall tonight. Tomorrow morning nothing will remember of it. Just some old ruins."
"You will die for what you've done to the people of Camelot. You will die today. And you will take Lancelot with you!"
That moment two more knights came in with a knight that looked tired and weak. They brought him up to Arthur. The man couldn't stany on his feet and felt down to the ground; kneeing in front of Arthur.
Lancelot, Lancelot. I can't believe you're choosing this way. You could be free, but you have choosen her. How can you?" Arthur looked at him sad. Lancelot smiled; than in a sudden movement he fizzled down to the feet of Arthur.
"Cause you're a pathetic king. Morgana didn't need any magic to make me see that. Everyone trusts you, cause of your little magician, that might save the world as you say. Why don't he save it know?!" he laughed again.
"We will return, Arthur. No matter what you do. We will be the one to succeed in the end." Morgana looked at him with an evil smile. He couldn't help but slapped her.
"You are cruel and pathetic. Not me. Even if you return, I will vow now and here I will fight you again and again untill you finally get destroyed. If it's not now, it will be soon. You will never rule the world. I'm ashamed of having you here as my sister. That was the biggest mistake someone has ever made!" He turned around; staring at the man behind him.
"What shall we do, Merlin? I need your help!"
The man finally opened his eyes again. He looked passing Arthur down to the two people. He had tears in his eyes.
"We can't do anything, Arthur. They both have betryed us all."
Suddenly the door on the other end of the room was opened, yeah more pushed. A thin woman was walking in, poiting onto Lancelot.
"You! You cruel, little evil cockroach! I trusted you." She walked fast up to the man she had spoken to. Her hand was lifted up and a noise of skin on skin in a punch was able to be heard. She had slapped him directly into his face.
"You used me! You damn only used me to get closer again to Arthur. I hate you!" Her face was grimaced with anger. She turned around; looking at Arthur.
"I know you may never forgive me. I have done lots of worse things. I think we all in this room know that, but everyone in this room makes mistakes as well. I did mine and it almost killed me, you know that. So i ask you now. Will you Arthur, King of Camelot forgive me, now, here and for always? Will you accept my excusion before the world will turn over and over again?" Arthur looked at her.
"You have hurted me more than anyone else has ever dared to. You broke my heart, you brought the kingdom to danger. But...", he stopped; making a pause the moment a big flash crashed down to earth, "But, I will forgive you, cause this might be the last chance we all will have. And because, no matter what you did, I love you. You are my married wife."
Another flash crashed down to earth, then another. The air seemed to be cut by flashes. The rain set in. Morgana looked around and with a short movement no one had expected, she freed herself off the knights. She got back up on her feet. She turned to Lancelot; still smiling. Her eyes found his. He smiled back at her; knowing what would follow. Morgana lifted her hands and with a short word she started to throw flashes around the room. They seemed to came directly out of the tips of her fingers. She hit the guards at the door, who fell down to the floor imidiatly, unconcisious. She hit some more, next to the other doors; locking them with flashes right after. She turned around, hitting one guard after another, till none were left. She turned back to Arthur.
"You won't kill us. You're too weak." She turned to Lancelot. She grabbed his arm, moving forward; running towards the only door that was unlocked. She headed into the rain; still holding the hand of Lancelot. Arthur followed them untill he reached the door. He was pushed back. Morgana hald locked it with flashes right after she passed the line.
"You won't get us, Arthur. Never!" Lancelot was shouting in joy. That moment a heavy flash crashed down onto the two people standing in the rain. They both screamed. Another flash crashed down to the floor. When the area had gone back to normal light, nothing more than a wet bunch of dust was left. Arthur looked at the bunches shocked.
"Merlin! Merlin! Come to me. You have to see that. They have gone to dust; hitten by a flash." He turned around to the place Merlin should be standing. But there was no Merlin. Arthur rushed back to the middle of the room. Merlin was standing next to Arthur's wife; silently talking to her. Arthur moved closer.
"Am I interupting you?"
"No, of course not."
"And why on earth has no one heard me calling?" He looked around and finally noticed that almost all people in the hall had gone. Some were lying on the floor, unconcisious or maybe even dead.
"What has happened? When I went to that door, none of these people where gone or dead!" He looked back at the two people left in all that ocean of dead people. "We just saw a flash, or the light of it. That moment everyone exept us had fallen down to the floor."
"Without any reason?"
"There hasn't been any reason." The woman looked down to the floor.
Arthur shoke his head. This could not be true. His whole kingdom was already almost killed. How could he be the one to survive it? He knew he wouldn't. He lifted the womans chin.
"Gwen, I know we have been through a lot worse, but this is the first time i'm really scared." Gwen looked at him with tears in her eyes. She wiped them away with her hands.
"So you forgive me?"
"Yes, I forgive you!"
The moment he finished his words, Gwen looked into his eyes. He looked back and suddenly had the feeling something was wrong.
"Gwen! Gwen look at me!" his voice went louder. Gwen was looking at him and her face was pale white. She lifted one hand; shivering grabbing his arm. She fell down to the floor, pulling Arthur with her.
"Merlin, what is going on with her? Do something! We need to help her!" Arthur was begging; staring down to Gwen, who now seemed to shiver at the whole body. Arthur touched her forehead.
"She has got a temperature, Merlin. We have to get her to her room!" He looked around. Merlin had kneed down next to him. He was holding Gwen's hand, mumbling words he could not understand. He looked around the hall again. Two knights came towards them from a diffrent room.
"What has happened?"
"I have no idea. We have to carry her to her room!" Arthur got up; looking down to Gwen, who looked so weak in that moment. She wasn't moving; not for one second. One of the knights carried her to her rooms in his arms. Merlin and Arthur stayed back for a moment.
"What has happened?"
"I have no idea, my dear friend." Merlin looked layed one hand onto Arthurs shoulder; leading him through the hall after the two man, that were carrying Gwen.
"She won't survive it. I'm so sorry to say that. I have no idea what might be wrong with her."
"How can you say that now and here? How can you say that you have no idea how to save her. You have to. We can't let her die. I love her, Merlin. I would die for her." He looked at his old friend, eyes covered with a beggin and desperate look.
An hour later a woman stepped out of Gwen's room. Seeing the king she looked down. She passed him by without a word; stopping at Merlin. They started in a silent whisper, that Arthur did not understand.
"It looks bad, Merlin. Master, no matter what I tried it does not work. No charm, no spell, nothing and I don't knwo what to tell the king." She looked down to her feed. Merlin noded.
"Melinda, I think the king knows deep inside already what is going on. Your look was also not really keeping secrets. But that's okay. This is a very black hour for Camelot. We may not fall as a whole kingdom, but a part of us does." He looked at the woman, then turned around and walked away. His steps where hard and tired, like the tons of centuried where placed on his shoulders. Arthur therewhile walked directly up to the door; leading into his wifes room. He opened the door slowly and silent. Gwen was lying in the big old bed, covered with as many blankets as possible. She was looking tiredly at him. A hand was lifted shivering into the air; pointing onto a chair. Arthur sat down.
"How do you feel, Gwen?"
"I'm okay, Arthur. Just a cold." She tried to take his sorrows away, but it did not work.
"Gwen, I know it's not a cold. Something is wrong and we have to find out what it is. We'll have to save you, right? I know we won't die tonight. None of us will!" He took her hand in his hand. Gwen's hand looked small and patheticly weak next to his big one. Their eyes met. A small smile cover the corners of Gwen's mouth. A long time nothing more then silence filled the air. Just the heavy breathing of Gwen was louder. Arthur looked around. A small bowl of water was placed on the small table near the bed. He got up and came back with it. He began to cool Gwen's forhead with the rag in it. He looked down on her. She had closed her eyes. He sat back down again; just looking at her silently hour after hour. Two times Merlin stepped in, but said nothing. He just looked at Gwen and Arthur. A few times the woman came in to bring fresh water for Gwen and to look after Arthur, who did not fall asleep for one moment.
In the early hours of morning Merlin came in again. He stood next to Arthur for a while. Still no light was shining through the windows, that had been forgotten to get shut by the curtains. Slowly the old man stepped closer to the bed. "Arthur!", he whispered not to wake Gwen out of the bit of sleep that she had gotten in that night, "Arthur, I have to talk to you."
Arthur looked up; his eyes tired and still wet of tears, that he tried to hide.
"I know it, Merlin I know it. She will die and there is nothing we can do."
"Oh, I know. But I have found out why." Merline looked at the sleeping Gwen, while Arthur looked at him in surprise.
"What, what is doing this to her? Who is making her feel like that?" He finally got off his chair.
"Morgana told us she would destory Camelot, didn't she? She was right. Maybe not the thunder storm was destorying it, but the death of Gwen. It will destroy you. I've seen it, Arthur. You will suffer in pain of the loss of her."
"What are we going to do then? How much time have I left? Can I change it?"
"We can't do anything. There are only a few hours left. Maybe less, but you can't change it."
"Why?"
"Because this is what shall be like. This is the way of destiny. I know it's no justice for us, but this what it is like. I do so wish I could change it, but I can't."
"You can't or you don't want to?"
"I can't. If I would save Gwen now, which I can't; then I would change the whole future. Maybe everything!"
Arthur looked down. He understood what Merlin was talking about and he so wished he could change. He shoke his head. He really couldn't imagine life without Gwen, but according to Merlin she was just about to die. He took her hand; holding it close to himself, giving small pecks onto it. Gwne showed no reaction. Merline had left the room. Arthur didn't even notice. Hour after hour past by, untill in the earliest hours of morning, Gwen suddenly woke up. Arthur looked at her.
"How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"
Gwen looked back at him weak and tired.
"No, I'm fine. What happened?"
"You fainted, yesterday during the night."
"Oh, that's not good. Is the storm over?"
Arthur just nodded. He looked at her pale-white face, trying to smile to make her feel everything would be okay again soon. They both knew it wouldn't be good soon again, they knew it would never be like this ever in time.
"You should go and visit your people. You have to look after them." Gwen was smiling lightly.
"No, I will stay here with you."
"Arthur, I am tired. I need a rest."
"I won't disturb you. I'll stay here and I'm quiet."
"Fact is that Camelot is waiting for you. Don't let it wait for too long, Arthur." She pointed to the door; smiling again at him. Arthur turned around and a shiver moved through his whole body. He took one step, then another. When he reached the door, he forced himself not to look back. He did anyways. Gwen had closed her eyes; already seemed to be asleep. He walked out of the door, not turning back.
Arthur came back hours later with Merlin. He was holding a piece of paper in his hands. They entered the room.
"Gwen, I have found a solution. We can save you!" He walked fast towards the bed; sitting down on the chair that still stood next to it. Merlin moved closer as well.
"Gwen, wake up. You have been sleeping for long enough now!" he carefully shoke her. Merlin again moved closer.
"Arthur...I think...we can't wake her."
Arthur turned around right away.
"What? What do you mean?"
"She's dead, Arthur. We can't bring her back. Nothing can wake her now!"
All color disappeared from Arthurs face and pale-white was taking over cover. He shoke his head in disbelieving.
"But...I haven't been away for that long! I mean only a few hours. Two, nothing more!"
"I'm sorry, Arthur. I wish I could bring her back..." Merlin was interupted by Arthur himself.
"Stop it. You could have saved her, you could have! You betrayed me and the kingdom, Merlin."
Merlin looked shocked and sad.
"I am not the one to blame for what happned! I am not the one bringing the misfortune to this kingdom."
Arthut did not answer. Silent tears were running down both of his cheeks. Merlin placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I am so sorry. I wish there was something I could do right now. You know, you will have to tell the people of Camelot what happened."
"Can you please think of somethin diffrent than my kingdom now? I have just lost the only person I love and you want me to go out there and tell them? I haven't even realised it myself. Please, Merlin, don't make me do this!" Arthur shivered. Merlin could see how much his dear friend was already suffering. He looked around the room. His eyes got caught by a small piece of paper; lying directly next to Gwen. Arthur had not seen it yet. Merlin walked over, took the paper without letting his friend notice. He put it into his pocket; having a sense of what it might be and what he hoped it might be.
"I'll leave you know to have some time alone with Gwen. I'm sorry." He walked out; leavin Arthur behind. Just closed the door, Merlin had to take a deep breath. Even though Gwen was just a kind of female inhabitant of Camelot, she had become a good friend to him over all the years they had shared here in this castle. He looked out of the window on the opposite side of the corridor; right infront of him. Brights stars were still shining even though it was actually morning. Something had happened this night. Something to change all.
Arthur did not see what happened outside this room; he did not see how much even Merlin was suffering to the loss of his friend. He looked at Gwen one more time; still holding her hand. It just looked like she was asleep. Her face had a calm and peacful look. A wisp of hair had fallen into her face. Arthur removed it carefully. He got up, moved a step away from the bed. A last look at Gwen, then he turned around; being sure he would never look at her again.
The bells of the church went silent. Arthur had not listened to them since the funeral had started. The sun was shining, even though it was just outside. His hard was covered in bad rain. Merlin was talking to the people fo Camelot; all the knights, the maids and the farmers - everyone. He did not listen. He knew that this were the last moment to share with his beloved wife. He finally knew how much he loved her. His heart, so he felt, was lying down to his feet; broken and stamped. Some carries took the coffin out of the hall, down the hill, up to a hill with a large tree. They let it go down into the earth. Arthur and the others followed; the king leading. They stopped at the grave. Some man had already began to fill it up with earth. The people just nodded down to earth, then leaving. Merlin and Arthur were the last to stay at the grave. The sun was shining trough the trees, blending the two man with sun light. The king laid a small bunch of white lilies. This was and end to all his emotions; that he was sure of. Nothing could make hime feel love again. His heart was broken and he felt alone and helpless even though Merlin was by his side, yet and as a friend. The time would heal his wounds; so he was hoping.
"Arthur, I have to tell you something."
"Whats that, Merlin?" his voice had a callous tone.
"I know this may not be the right moment to tell you this, but I found a paper in Gwen's room the day she died."
"She loved writing, so a piece of paper won't be such a great surprise. Why do you tell me? It is not as if I didn't know her."
"I know, but that script was diffrent. Arthur, it was about the future. About a future in more than thousand years."
Arthur turned around; his face covered with shock.
"Are you trying to kid me? A future in thousand years? On a sheet of paper in Gwens room? She must have been able to use magic to find that out. I mean even you can't go that far can you?"
"No, not as far as I know. But fact was that it was telling about us. The whole script was telling about us and Lancelot and Morgana and all of them. They will all be born again. This, if it comes to this, might be the second chance for all of us and at least for you and Gwen."
"Merlin, this can never be possible. We won't live in a thousand years. How do you think this will work?"
"It sounds impossible, I know that. I mean I am the magician here and even to me it sounds like a none possible story. Like something that she might have dreamt of when she had the temperature last night. I can't imagine her telling us about the future on that paper."
"Merlin, again I will not believe this. As good as it sounds,...I mean it sounds too good to be true. I don't want to leave this grave here, maybe never return cause I think I might see her in the future. What if I don't remember anymore? What if we're not supoosed to be together in future?"
"I have no idea about that. She just wrote that there will be someone to recover you, to make you the heroes you're supposed to be and to fight Morgana and Lancelot."
"Then we're going to fight. If this future comes true, I will be prepared and then I will let her pay for what she has done to this kingdom!" He sounded europhic and angry at the same time. Merlin could see he really meant it.
That night he was standing outside; looking at the sky. It was covered again with bright shining stars. The sky itself was black. Someday someone would be watching this, too. Someday someone would watch their stars of the past.