I DO NOT OWN MERLIN; IT BELONGS TO THE BBC AND SUBSEQUENT CREATORS OF THE SHOW. NOTHING TO DO WITH ME AT ALL.

AN: So this has been bouncing around in my head for some time now and so I decided I might as well put pen to paper. This is an AU 5x13 fic for you all. Hope you guys enjoy.

Warnings: There is description of battle scenes in this chapter and both minor and major death. You have been forewarned.

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Gwen stood in the medical tent with Gaius helping to patch up wounded knights. The battle was dying down now and she was getting antsy. She had no idea where Arthur was and even though that sorcerer on the mountain had been a huge help in turning the tide of the battle in Camelot's favor Gwen still hadn't heard anything about Arthur's whereabouts from the knights pouring into the sick bay.

I've got to find him, I've got to. Gwen thought to herself.

She quickly applied a bandage to one of the knights and grabbed his sword before walking out from the tent.

"Gwen!" She heard Gaius calling behind her. She turned to see Gaius walking out of the tent with a look of disapproval on his face.

"Gwen, you can't go out there. It's too dangerous! There may still be some Saxons down there." Gaius exclaimed concernedly but Gwen held up her hand halting his speech.

"I'm going Gaius and there's nothing you can say to stop me. Arthur's my husband and he's down there somewhere. He could be hurt, I must find him." Gwen explained leaving no room for argument.

"But Morgana-"

"Will not stop me from searching for Arthur." Gaius sighed at Gwen's determination.

"If you going go out there I wish to do something for you first." Gaius said almost hesitantly.

"What is it?"

"I cannot protect you from the Saxons but I can protect you from Morgana and any other magic users." Gaius continued in the same cautious tone.

"How?"

"I wish to place a protective ward on you if you would grant it, my lady." Gaius finally said, gaining some confidence in his voice.

"…using magic." Gwen stated rather than question. Gaius nodded and Gwen sighed. She was weary of course but then she thought of the man on the hill, he had helped Arthur and the others win the battle. He had magic yet he still helped them, so maybe magic wasn't all bad. Truth be told, Gwen had been thinking this for some time now but there was never really any time to speak at length with Arthur about it between Morgana's schemes and Gwen being enchanted by her. Gwen nodded to Gaius and he held his hands to her temples and chanted words Gwen couldn't begin to understand. She didn't feel any different but she then she looked down at herself once he had finished and saw a ripple of blue flash three times just beneath the surface of her skin.

"Her magic will not effect you now, it levels the playing field between you two." Gaius said to her. Gwen nodded before turning to run off again but Gaius called to again, Gwen turned to him exasperatedly.

"If you are to see Morgana... you must kill her using Arthur's sword." Gaius advised.

"What's so special about Arthur's sword?" Gwen asked.

"You know the story Merlin told Arthur of the sword?"

"Yes. Back when Morgana took Camelot with Helios Merlin told Arthur that Bruta used the last of his strength to thrust the sword in the stone so only his true heir could remove it and Arthur pulled it out of the stone, proving he is Bruta's heir and the true king of Camelot." Gwen recounted, remembering the awe and pride which filled her as she watched Arthur pull the sword he named Excalibur from the stone.

"That sword is special. As a present to Bruta for him establishing the five kingdoms and restoring peace to the land the dragons gifted him with this sword forged in their breath." Gaius told her, the lie coming from him as if second nature.

"Dragons? Dragons have blessed Arthur's sword?" Gwen breathed out.

"Indeed. That sword is beyond any mortal sword. It will never rust, can never be destroyed, it has the power to kill that which is already dead and kill other things which are immortal." Gaius informed, not lying about this part.

"Morgana… is immortal now?" Gwen asked hesitantly.

"I suspect so. When a magical being has enough power they can very well become immortal and cheat death itself. I believe Morgana has reached such power Guinevere. This does not make her invincible, the triple goddess would never allow someone to be immortal without any way to end their life. You must use Arthur's sword if she is to die permanently." Gwen nodded, briefly wondering how Gaius knew this but she had to go find Arthur. Gaius watched her go wearily knowing he had done all he could do.

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Gwen has been perusing the battle field for thirty minutes now and still hasn't found Arthur. She had already been attacked three times: twice by Saxons which she killed soon enough, though not without some cuts and bruises, and by a male sorcerer who couldn't use their power on Gwen just like Gaius said. The spell repelled off her onto them and in the end they ended up killing their own self. Gwen walked silently through the rubble and bodies, she knew that shouting out for Arthur would attract unwanted attention so she quietly examined each chain-mail covered body, hoping the ones who weren't breathing weren't Arthur and the ones that were breathing she helped them as best she could, pointed out the direction of the sick bay and kept moving despite their protests for her to come back with them.

"My…lady." She heard a straggled voice say to her right, she quickly ran over when she saw it was one of the knights.

"Kay!" Gwen looked over him and knew he wouldn't have long. She ran her hand through his red hair sadness washing through her, she knew Kay ever since she was a child.

"I'm glad… that I could see… a friendly face… before I go." He struggled out.

"Oh, Kay. You have been a loyal, trusted friend. You will be sorely missed." She lamented.

"I will… be with… my brothers. You musn't… mourn long. Not for… a failure like me."

"What are you talking about?" Gwen asked confused.

"The king… Arthur… I tried to… save him... but… I was… too weak." Gwen's eyes widened at that.

"Where is he, Kay?" Kay pointed to a raised part of the hill adjacent to him.

"Mordred… ran him…through. I'm… sorry." He choked out before his eyes shut and his chest went still. Gwen ran her hand through his hair once more before standing up and walking hesitantly closer to where he had pointed. She was afraid of what she'd find. She peered through the fog and walked closer and her bloody sword fell from her hand when she saw Arthur laying on the rocky hillside with eyes closed and his sword on the ground at his side. Gwen snapped out of her haze and immediately ran to his side stepping over Mordred's body as she passed him. Part of her was happy that he at least was gone but the other ached that someone as young as him had let hatred consume him and he had died with bitterness filling his heart.

"Arthur, Arthur." Gwen said tearfully placing her hands on his face. She moved her hand to his neck and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt his pulse, however thready it was.

"Okay we've got to move you, love." She said mostly to herself. She pulled him up so he was leaning against her side, she slung his heavy arm over her shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist getting ready to brace herself to stand when she her a noise off to her left. She paused and strained to listen and she heard the noise even louder this time. Gwen narrowed her eyes and gently placed Arthur back against the cliff face, she looked around before realizing her sword laid twenty feet away next to Kay. She reached down and grabbed Arthur's sword in her hand, remembering Gaius' words, before she got up and walked cautiously towards the noise which seemed to come from a cave in the cliff face. It almost looked random and out of place but Gwen could see an orange flickering light coming from inside. Gwen cautiously entered the cave. She noticed a fire was burning in cave and that made her wary. She felt as it someone was watching her.

"Who's there?" She called with more conviction in her voice than she felt.

"Hello, my lady, we meet again." She heard a very familiar voice say in a tone clouded with disgust and hatred. Gwen nearly dropped Arthur's sword when she saw Sefa dressed in all black step out from the shadows before her with a sword in her hand.

"Sefa. You joined Morgana's army?" Gwen said disbelievingly.

"Is it any wonder? You had my father killed." Sefa replied with the same hatred in her voice, the hatred that reminded Gwen so much of Morgana and it saddened her even deeper than Mordred's death.

"Your father committed treason." Gwen protested.

"You and your father's work led to the death of many good men and it nearly got Arthur and Merlin killed." She continued

"And yet here we stand with even more men slaughtered, is it any better than before really?" Sefa questioned. Gwen felt every single death of her good knights out there and each face she saw chiseled away at her heart.

"You can look at me as the enemy all you want Sefa, I was doing my job as Queen. I spared you when you betrayed Camelot, I let you go after you betrayed all of us. I was your friend and so was Merlin." Gwen told her not wanting her to have the upper hand here.

"You wouldn't know a traitor if they kicked you in the teeth. Right now you host someone at court ready to tell all your little secrets to Morgana." Sefa taunted. Gwen narrowed her eyes at that before they widened.

"Eira." Gaius had suspected Eira and had relayed the information to Gwen but she had had no proof. From Sefa's face she got all the proof she needed right there. Gwen felt sad for Gwaine but she wouldn't let Sefa get the satisfaction of seeing Gwen weakened, she needed to get back to Arthur and to Camelot now more than ever and if she had to get through Sefa to do it she would.

"I don't want to waste any more time on this. If we are to fight then let's get on with it." Gwen said firmly.

"Fight? Oh no, you will die!" Sefa exclaimed, lunging at Gwen with her sword out to which Gwen quickly blocked. Sefa swung her sword two more times, each of which Gwen blocked easily before she swung Arthur's sword towards Sefa's neck. Sefa reared back just in time to avoid getting beheaded and both women quickly regained form, crouching low before each other with the swords in front of them. Both women resembled wild animals, their reflexes were as deadly as their intent, they both knew only one of them would walk out of this cave alive.

Gwen lunged at Sefa first this time thrusting her sword overhead with crushing force but Sefa steadfastly held the queen off even as Gwen forced her sword closer and closer to Sefa's face. Sefa kicked her knee out catching Gwen in the stomach causing her to double over. Sefa grabbed Gwen's arm and swung her around before throwing her against the rocky wall of the cave back first causing her head to hit the wall, disorienting her and before Gwen could regain her equilibrium Sefa took her sword and ran it through Gwen's the lower right side of Gwen's stomach, unbeknowest to both women it was the same place Mordred had ran Arthur through. Gwen gasped at the feel of cold metal entering her and then being wrenched out roughfully. Sefa raising her sword above her head to bring it down on Gwen's head but before the queen really knew what she was doing she crouched low, ignoring the horrible burning pain that took over her stomach, and used her leg to trip Sefa up causing her to fall flat on her back and her sword to end up five feet away and out of reach. Gwen quickly stood up and pressed her booted foot against Sefa's throat.

"I wish I didn't have to do this to you Sefa, you were a good girl." Gwen told her before she raised Arthur's sword and plunged it into Sefa's chest. Gwen pulled the bloody sword out and seconds later Sefa breathed no more. Gwen looked down at her stomach but she didn't pay it much mind.

Right now I need to focus on Arthur, she thought before taking off the belt around her waist and moving it down to the wound. She tightened it, groaning at the ripples of pain the flooded her but not thinking of the wound again once it simmered to a dull, constant ache. Her thoughts were with Arthur.

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Morgana walked through the fog and rubble and bodies, sword in hand, with little care for most of them. Seeing the knights dead brought her satisfaction but she was looking for two people specifically. She needed to find Mordred and she needed to find Arthur and kill him.

Bloody Merlin or Emrys or whatever the hell he goes by, always ruining everything. She thought. She looked a little ahead and saw a sight that made her cold heart skip a beat and a smirk curl onto her lips.

But maybe not today. She thought as she walked closer to Arthur prone body. She walked faster and faster towards him and the smirk only dropped from her lips as she saw a body close to Arthur's, one she knew well.

"Mordred?" She said to herself running to him. Her finger immediately searched for a pulse but found none. She felt tears welling in her eyes as she looked down at the boy she thought of as a son, the one she saved from Uther all those years ago with the help of Merlin and Arthur: the two who caused his death now. She felt anger and hatred giving way to grief as she stroked Mordred's face and glowered at an unconscious Arthur.

"You did good Mordred, you can go in peace with that knowledge." She told his body, kissing his cheek before moving closer to Arthur.

"You may have won the battle but you've lost the war." She said, whilst caressing his face with her sword briefly leaving traces of his knights' blood on his golden tanned skin. She sincerely hoping he could hear her despite his lack of consciousness.

"You're going to die by Mordred's hand." She said with a gleeful smile before it dropped as soon as it came putting on a mock reassuring look on her face.

"Oh but don't worry I won't leave you alone, little brother." She said, a sneer now gracing her still beautiful face and marring it with wrongness.

"Oh no, I won't leave you alone. Not until the crows are feasting on your eyes, your skin is black and rotting off. Not until Emrys has seen Mordred's good work and when he screams, I'll skin him alive and split his skull. Leave him to roast in the sun until the vultures feast on him. I won't leave until there is no trace that either of you ever existed." Morgana spat out, her twisted mind running through one gruesome scenario after another. She was so lost in her crazed, unhinged thoughts that she didn't notice Gwen walking up behind her until she spoke.

"Get away from my husband." Gwen spat out lowly with a dangerous edge to her voice. Morgana felt an even larger vindictive smirk fall to her lips as she stood and turned to see Gwen glaring murderously at her.

"Oh how fortunate of me. Not only am I in the presence of the King but the Queen as well." Morgana taunted before a glare just as fierce as Gwen's came upon her face.

"Does it please you? Parading about in my crown, bearing my title as if it could ever be yours." Morgana hissed.

"You don't know the first thing about what it truly means to be Queen, Morgana. You think you can impose change within a kingdom through fear and intimidation, you think people will hold lasting loyalty to you after you burn their food source and houses, starve their children, fire into crowds of innocent people and kill their loved ones. You know nothing of how a sovereign should treat their people and that is why a throne would suit you ill." Gwen told her in a scathing tone. Morgana glared harder at Gwen.

"I don't want a throne, I want my throne!" Morgana exclaimed throwing out her hand to send Gwen flying but when the spell hit Gwen a blue light rippled beneath her skin before the spell was sent back towards Morgana who quickly dodged it and it hit some Saxons who were creeping up behind Morgana to help her kill Gwen. The spell sent them crashing against some jagged rocks killing and mortally wounding them on impact.

"Emrys!" Morgana spat out like it was a curse instead of a name as she saw her magic had no effect on Gwen. Gwen figured that that must be the name of the sorcerer on the ridge.

"No, Gaius actually." Gwen said with a smirk. Morgana sneered at that.

Of course the old crone wouldn't let Gwen out without protection even if it meant breaking the law. Morgana thought scornfully before she smirked.

"No matter, that just means I get to kill you all the more intimately."

"Do you really think I haven't spent the last four years training for this moment?" Gwen said in the form of a question but really it was just to let Morgana know that she would be in for a fight.

"We shall see, your majesty." The two former friends lunged towards each at the same time their swords clashing together loudly. Morgana and Gwen both lunged at the same time another two times before Morgana moved to slash at Gwen's stomach. Gwen quickly jumped back out of the sword's path hitting it with her own trying to disarm Morgana. She managed to but before she could do anything Morgana used the palm of her hand to hit Gwen's nose hard but not enough to break it just enough to cause it to begin to bleed. Gwen instinctively held her nose while it bled giving Morgana time to retrieve her sword.

Gwen got her head back in the game in time to block a blow that would've struck at her side, she pushed Morgana back roughly and then used her sword to cut Morgana's cheek. She noticed Morgana touch her cheek shocked when she saw blood on her hands as if that shouldn't have happened, she noticed Morgana look at Arthur's sword in disbelief and Gwen knew Gaius' words rung true. She took advantage of Morgana's distraction to disarm the high priestess making sure to send the sword flying far away. Morgana watched the sword go before turning back to Gwen menacingly.

"I am a high priestess of the triple goddess, no mortal blade can kill me!" Morgana exclaimed but she looked at the sword warily.

"This isn't a mortal blade and I think you know that." Gwen told her calmly before lunging forward, grabbing Morgana's shoulder and holding her steady while she pierced the sword through Morgana's stomach in one fluid movement that caused the pale skinned woman to gasp in shock and pain.

"Arthur's sword was forged in a dragon's breath." Gwen continued calmly as Morgana looked up at her with the same shock and pain in her usually dead eyes. Gwen shook her head at Morgana mournfully.

"I so wish things could've gone differently between us Morgana. We were once as sisters, best friends until you betrayed me."

"You… betrayed… me. All of you!" Morgana choked out.

"That may hold true for Uther and maybe even Arthur and Merlin but you betrayed me first when you tried to have Uther burn me alive when you exposed Arthur and I to him and you know it. You betrayed me over a bejeweled chair. A throne you know as the illigetimate child of Uther you never had any claim to."

"I had right to the throne. I was Uther's daughter." Morgana protested through pained gasps.

"You were his bastard child and that afforded you no more right to the throne than Morgause had." Neither woman realized they were already speaking about Morgana in past tense.

"It is sad that you hate Uther so much yet you're more like him than Arthur ever was. You let hatred and fear drive you to commit atrocities against your fellow man just like your father did. It saddens me more than I can say that hatred and bitterness consumed and devoured all that was good in you. It saddens me that that hatred consumes all those who get close to you and turns them into beings just as bitter as you. Mordred, Aithusa and Sefa were innocent and lost souls and they needed help and proper guidance but you poisoned their minds and made them just like you. I can only hope they know on the other side that your way was wrong. I pray the gods are merciful on you Morgana, but I doubt it." Gwen said to her with finality in her voice before she ripped the sword from Morgana's stomach and plunged it into her heart. She felt the life leaving Morgana and when her breaths came no more Gwen removed the sword from her chest and pushed her body to the side watching it fall to the floor. Gwen felt tears welling up in her eyes at the sight of Morgana's lifeless, bloody body but she chose not to dwell on the woman, she couldn't, not right now.

Gwen turned around to face Arthur again and as she did she noticed that during the fight her belt had somehow gotten cut off somehow and it was no longer stemming the blood flow from the wound Sefa gave her. She opened her fur vest and looked at the growing blood stain showing clearly on her white patterned shirt. She pressed her hand to the wound but she felt a sense of vertigo hitting her and her world was suddenly turning on it axis. Gwen blinked against spots in her vision and stumbled more than walked towards Arthur. She fell to her knees before him and placed Excalibur firmly in his left hand. The sword was his and should remain by his side. Gwen's bloody hand went to his neck where she could still feel his pulse but it felt a little weaker to her. Then again she wasn't sure if it was just her fatigued mind playing tricks on her. Gwen felt darkness looming over her and she couldn't fight it even if she wanted to. She scooted closer to Arthur, removed the glove from his right hand and placed the hand not pressed against her wound in his firmly. She kissed it before she rested her head heavily on his stomach feeling the darkness looming over her descend. What she didn't know was that a pair of brown eyes watched her the whole time before running off.

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I probably shouldn't be posting this now what with my schedule but I couldn't let it go. Reviews plz?