Well, it's over guys. 'Merlin' has finished. I'm really going to miss it and its brilliant cast! They were absolutely perfect :)
I had to write something as an homage to both Christmas and the end of Merlin (though it turned out to be less Christmassy than I had orginially intended it to be...oh well).
I hope you enjoy it :)
Gaius frowned as he studied a specific paragraph in his tome, glancing at the potions laid out in front of him before looking back at the book. Squinting, he readjusted his glasses and leant closer in an effort to read the words properly. Muttering equations beneath his breath, he quickly scrawled notes into his book, words that were barely legible to anyone but himself. He scrutinised the glass vial in front of him, narrowing his eyes in an effort to spot any reactions occurring within the tube. When it was obvious that none were forthcoming, he sighed tiredly and scribbled a few more words onto his page.
"Well, that was informative," He muttered to himself, slamming the tome shut. He slowly got up and stretched his stiff neck, wincing slightly at the strain before picking up the book and walking over to a nearby table to stack it on top of the steadily growing pile. He was about to clear away the rest of his disappointing experiment when he noticed a shock of bright red underneath the table. Frowning, he bent down and grabbed it, turning the soft fabric around in his hands as recognition sparked in his eyes.
"Really, Merlin," He muttered, "he's got magic practically flooding out of him and yet he can't pick up his neckerchiefs off of the floor himself."
"Gaius!"
He yelped as his head shot up at the sound of his name only to barrel straight up into the table. Wincing and muttering a few choice obscenities beneath his breath, he wearily crawled out from underneath the table and stood up, rubbing the back of his head. Turning around, he gave a curt nod to Uther who had an eyebrow raised in wry amusement.
"What can I do for you, Sire?" Gaius asked once the throbbing in his head had subsided.
"Have you seen my son?"
"Not lately."
"How about Morgana?"
"I haven't seen her either."
Uther growled in frustration, his foot tapping the floor impatiently, the noise resounding throughout the otherwise silent room.
"Well, do you know where they are? Especially at this time! It's nearly midnight!"
"I can't say I do, Sire," Gaius answered, a slight frown tugging at his eyebrows. "Let me get Merlin. He might know."
Uther nodded absentmindedly suddenly distracted and highly disturbed by the rather strange rabbit mask that adorned his physician's room. He opened his mouth to comment but thought better of it, choosing to just watch Gaius as he trudged over to his charge's room, foregoing the notion of knocking as he barged in. He waited for what seemed like forever before the older man's head popped back out from the room.
"Well?"
"Merlin seems to have disappeared too, my Lord."
Uther muttered beneath his breath, displeased by this recent revelation.
"Well, where is he?"
"At a guess, I would say the same place where Arthur and Morgana are."
The King let out a frustrated growl before moving to leave the room.
"I'm off to find Morgana's maid. Maybe she-"
"That will be a search that will also prove to be fruitless, Sire," Gaius interrupted, mentally chastising his charge's actions. Uther paused, eyebrows knitted together as he faced Gaius once more.
"What do you mean?"
"If my suspicions are correct, then Gwen will more than likely be at the same place as our other missing persons," Gaius sighed, resuming his earlier activity of packing his apparatus away. "The only question left is where is this 'same place'?"
"Gaius is going to kill me when we get back," Merlin mumbled uncomfortably causing Gwen to giggle softly beside him. The sound of her laughter tugged the ends of his lips into a slight smile.
"I'm sure he'll be forgiving," Gwen soothed, nudging her friend gently with her shoulder.
"This is the only time we've had to ourselves all week," Morgana commented as she lay on her back on the grass and stared peacefully up at the sky. "We deserve this."
"If you're so worried, you needn't have come along in the first place," Arthur stated, raising an eyebrow at his manservant who immediately scoffed.
"Please! You always manage to land yourself headfirst into trouble. Without me, you'd probably be dead and buried in the forest somewhere by now."
"Boys," Gwen reprimanded teasingly, "can we please just get through tonight without any arguing?"
"I'm not sure. I rather enjoy hearing them argue," Morgana laughed.
"Well, I'm glad I entertain you," Arthur scowled.
"My regular court jester."
"No, see, that place is reserved solely for my buffoon of a manservant."
"I heard that!" Merlin called.
"And you were meant to."
"Right!" Gwen interrupted. "Who wants to eat?" She got up from her place on the grassy floor and headed over to where their horses had been tied to a tree, reaching into their packs and bringing out containers of food.
"God, I'm starving," Arthur stated, patting his belly.
"When are you not?" Merlin responded dryly, quickly dodging a punch as he slipped away to help Gwen. He reached over and took the wine bottle out of the pack as well as some of the containers from her arms.
"I hope Cook doesn't realise these are missing," She giggled, securing her hold on the containers. "Otherwise, I'd be in for a whole heap of trouble."
"Oh, I'm not too worried about her," Merlin chuckled, leaning down to catch a whiff of one of the containers. It smelled of freshly baked pie; he absolutely adored pie so he clutched that container closer to his body in an effort to protect it from slipping out of his grasp.
"You know, I'm glad we came along tonight," Guinevere said softly. "I think it'll be fun."
"We never really hang out-just us four..." He mused, tightening the clasp on his pack before moving back towards the others.
"That's because we're not supposed to."
"And when, exactly, have we ever done as told?" Merlin asked, flashing her a cheeky smile which she wholeheartedly returned. She watched him, her lips forming a small smile as she watched her friend nearly stumble as his foot hit a small dip in the ground before righting himself once more. She was glad she had met Merlin-he was so different from all the others...it was a refreshing change of pace to have him around. A change that was gladly welcomed.
Morgana watched their two servants and friends from afar, smiling at the sound of their laughter.
"You shouldn't be too hard on him, Arthur," She commented lightly, averting her eyes to stare at the prince. He smirked, silently revelling at the sound of his name on her lips. "He's really such a sweetheart."
"Who, Merlin?" He asked, his chest vibrating from his chuckles. "I don't see it."
"No matter how you act, I can tell you appreciate your friendship with him; it means a lot to you," She smiled softly, looking up at him as she lay by the river. "I would hope that after all these years of knowing you, I would have at least gained the ability to read you."
Arthur raised an eyebrow at her last comment, scrutinising her facial expression before, as always, his gaze landed unwillingly on her lips. He cleared his throat.
"Yes, well...same goes for you."
"Does it?"
He blinked, mentally wondering whether the same did apply to her. He remembered a time when they could read each other like an open book with ridiculously large font. But, lately, she had been distancing herself from him and from the whole world. That was one of the reasons why he had organised this little midnight excursion in the first place- for them to reunite and reconcile whatever chasm had split between them. Then, Morgana had insisted on bringing along Gwen and Merlin. Not that he minded but privacy would be harder to get with the four of them present.
"Right, we've got food and we've got wine," Merlin announced as he trudged back, motioning to each item in his hands.
"Thank God," Morgana stated at the sight of the liquid, scrambling up to take it off of Merlin's hands.
"We forgot to bring cups," Gwen said, her teeth nibbling at her bottom lip anxiously as she laid the packages in her hand down on the blanket.
"No matter," Her mistress smiled, smoothly popping off the lid to the wine bottle and drinking some of the liquid straight from the container, relishing in the slight burn it provided. She coughed as Arthur grabbed the bottle away from her lips for himself, causing a few droplets of red liquid to fall and run down her neck, the trail of red starkly contrasting against her pale white skin. His eyes surreptitiously tracked down the rivulet until it reached her chest at which point he sharply turned away from her to face the river, desperately gulping down a few mouthfuls of the liquid before shoving it into Merlin's arms.
"Isn't this a beautiful night?" Gwen asked, oblivious to the flushed nobles as she stared dreamily up at the starry sky.
"It seems too good to be true," Merlin agreed, sneaking a few grapes into his mouth followed by a quick swig from the wine bottle which he then passed over to her.
"You know," Morgana began, having gotten down onto her back as she stared up at the stars and wispy clouds, her voice barely above a mere whisper but loud and clear to the others in the quiet, grassy enclosure, "I could stay here forever."
"No duties," Arthur muttered in agreement, lying down on the grassy embankment next to her. "No titles. No 'destiny' looming over us. Just...us."
"That was very poetic, Sire," Gwen laughed, smoothing down her skirts as Morgana placed her head on her lap, swinging her legs over to land on Arthur's chest. He rolled his eyes before shoving them off of him, the resulting sound of her laughter ringing in his ears.
"Arthur. Just call me Arthur, Gwen" He stated, shooting a lingering smile at her. "Remember, no titles here."
Gwen smiled back, shifting to accommodate Merlin within their little huddle as he lay down and rested his head on top of Morgana's stomach, feeling her fingers immediately thread themselves into his hair.
"You know, I used to dream about running off and joining a band of travelling minstrels," Morgana mumbled, absentmindedly stroking Merlin's hair.
"Really? I can't imagine you doing that," Merlin commented as he traced the stars with his eyes.
"I didn't dream about doing it because I like music," She continued, a hint of wistfulness and longing laced in her voice, "but mostly for the freedom it would bring. You could travel and see different lands and never be forced to stay in one place for the rest of your life..."
"But there would be no stability in it," Gwen murmured, grasping the wine bottle and taking a long sip.
"Stability is overrated anyway."
"When I was younger," Guinevere grinned, laughing silently at her own thoughts, "I used to look up at these stars in my garden and dream of travelling amongst them."
"What, up in the sky?" Merlin asked, a smile blossoming onto his lips. She nodded in reply, her mind distant as she gazed up to the twinkling
"Travel amongst the stars?" Arthur scoffed. "In what? A flying blue box?" He grunted in sudden pain as Morgana's foot prodded him sharply in the ribs.
"I know, I know. Completely ridiculous," Gwen smiled sadly, almost ironically, at her past self. Arthur, upon catching the glare Morgana was shooting him and feeling her foot threateningly tense up again, hurriedly cleared his throat.
"I used to dream about being a pirate."
"A pirate?" Merlin snorted. "Your father must've been so proud."
"Shut up, Merlin," Arthur snapped automatically, gesturing for the bottle of wine. Taking a long drink, he set the almost empty bottle on the ground besides them. "But, in all honesty, the idea of being a pirate thrilled me. Treasure, adventure, no rules to obey."
"Avast, ye scurvy dogs!" Merlin grinned, putting on an accent and covering one of his eyes as he held an imaginary sword in his hands, waving it in front of Arthur's face who promptly batted it away.
"Well then, we've all said something about us. What about you?"
Merlin paused, hesitating before taking a deep breath.
"What if I told you I had magic?"
He surveyed his friends, their reactions ranging from wry amusement to complete and utter disbelief to-
"Look, Merlin, if you can't hold your drink, then don't have any," Arthur chastised mockingly, taking the bottle of wine out of his manservant's reach.
"And don't joke about that kind of thing," Gwen frowned, reaching over to smack him gently on the back of his head. Only Morgana was studying him intently, her face betraying no definable emotion.
"You are joking, aren't you?" She prodded, mentally filing away his every reaction. Arthur and Gwen stared at him too, one with concern and one with something akin to wariness in their eyes.
"Of course I was joking! Jeez, you three really can't take a joke!" Merlin snorted, forced laughter spilling out of his mouth as he tried to squash the mixed feelings of hurt and anger back into the crevices of his mind.
"My God, Merlin, just for that joke I should make you muck out the stables for a month!"
"I swear that's the stable boy's job..." Morgana wondered aloud. "If you've been mucking the stables, then what has he been doing all this time?"
"Lounging around on his lazy ass while I do his job for him," Merlin drawled, making a grab for the wine bottle but failing after Arthur grabbed it and drank the last dredges. He scowled in response.
"You don't think Uther is looking for us, do you?" Gwen asked suddenly, worry creasing her brow.
"Probably," Merlin responded.
"What if he sends out a search party?"
"Gaius will most likely talk him out of it."
Morgana tiredly signalled for them to be quiet and the four of them lay there on the grass, listening vaguely to the noises of the forest as the breeze lightly played through their hair and the river rippled gently by their feet, slowly lulling them to sleep.
"If only this could last forever," Gwen mumbled, her eyelids drooping heavily, "like...a story passed down through time...like legends."
Arthur snorted at the thought.
"If we were legends, our story sure would be a hell of a lot interesting."
"Not interesting, no," Morgana muttered, her eyes trained solely on the heavens above, "but tragic. Our story would be one of tragedy."
Merlin shook his head vehemently, lifting his head slightly to look at the others.
"Really? Because, to me, this," He gestured to the four of them, their limbs intertwined with one another's, alcohol running through their systems and a sense of tranquil joy in their hearts, "this isn't tragic; this seems pretty damn perfect to me."
With a chorus of agreeing hums, they lay there silently, relishing each other's company. And, in that single moment, their destinies didn't matter nor did the unspoken idea that, one day, they would all eventually drift apart.
Because, in that single moment, they had each other.
And that was enough.
"I swear, when I get my hands on Arthur, I will not rest until I find a punishment suitable enough for a prince," Uther threatened, pacing the width of Gaius' room as the physician looked on in amusement.
"They're young- let them enjoy their time together," Gaius stated calmly, displaying no signs of anxiousness unlike the King, "after all, you and I both know all too well how fast time can fly."
"I hate it when you get philosophical," Uther grumbled. "Are you sure no harm will come to them?"
"Positive," Gaius reassured, a smile on his lips and a knowing glint in his eye. "After all, they have each other."
"...Was that supposed to comfort me?" Uther scoffed, heading for the exit. "In that little group, they've got two women, one of whom is a maid, another servant and my son, the only one capable of actually wielding a sword."
"If I recall correctly, Morgana is also rather handy with a sword."
"She stopped her training years ago," The King dismissed. "If a bunch of bandits attacked them, they would be next to useless! I'm sending out a search party."
Uther nodded to himself, glad that a plan was forming in his mind as he left Gaius' quarters and headed up to his chambers. 'They have each other', Uther snorted, his heavy footsteps echoing around the empty corridor, what utter nonsense.
It was time.
She was dying.
She could feel her life draining out of her wound; could feel her final breaths leaving her tired and rundown body. She glanced up at Emrys-at Merlin- and at Arthur's sword glinting in the moonlight, the gold covered in a deep, dark red which, she realised, was her blood. She wondered if she should thank him briefly for finally ending her bitter misery and loneliness.
She thought of them now, the friends she had once loved: the King, the Queen, the Sorcerer and the Witch-all broken, all dying.
And, with dry, dark humour, she realised she had been right, all those years ago.
Their story was one of tragedy, after all.
See what I meant when I said it diverged from the Christmassy route? ;)
But, anyway, I'll just leave with one final message to a show that was part of my Saturdays for five whole years-
Thank you for everything, 'Merlin'.