Pendragon's Revival (Merlin series 6x01)
The room is cold, lifeless, dust covers most of the furniture. Sitting by the open window, on a wooden chair, is Queen Guinevere, dressed in mourning robes of black, wearing black netted gloves, giving off a Mrs. Havisham vibe. It would appear that, for some time, she hasn't moved- not since Arthur's death. Weak sunlight illuminates her worn, aged features, and noise filters up from the square: Children laughing, men calling out to potential traders. Sir Leon, who appeared almost unchanged, knocked once upon her chamber door and entered.
"My lady?", he questions, bowing low, although she doesn't acknowledge his presence. "My lady?" he tries again, "The sorcerer Merlin requests your presence in the throne room." The Queen remained as stone, unmoving, unblinking, glazed eyes on a fixed point in the distance, a regular occurrence. Gaius, and even Merlin, had tried to revive her spirit, to make her feel well again, but nothing would work. There was only so much one could do for matters of the heart.
At first she had been well, running court and gracing the people, but then the bouts of sadness came and one day, never left. Sir Leon, with a final bow, left her in peace once more.
He returned to the throne room, where an aged Merlin was seated at the Round Table, wearing a long blue robe that pooled around his feet, glittering and sparkling almost mystically in the light that streamed through the covered windows. He stood when Sir Leon entered, and the Knight bowed low in awe; when Merlin spoke, his voice echoed with authority and demanded respect.
"I am not a nobleman, Leon, you've no need to bow to me." He sounded weary, and his eyes were those of someone who has seen enough for a lifetime. "You are the greatest sorcerer to ever live, Merlin. You saved us all, and we didn't even know it. I feel we owe you a great debt, one that cannot easily be repaid." Merlin smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "And what of the Queen?" he enquired, knowing what the answer would be. "Much the same, I am afraid," Sir Leon replied; the men exchanged a look of sadness before Merlin bade him goodbye and left, silk robe floating in his wake, magnificent and impressive.
As Merlin departed court, women, men and children stopped and curtseyed or bowed, awe splashed across their shocked faces, and he laughed at the irony of it all. As he reached the gate, he turned to face the castle once more and and looked up at the magnificence to see Queen Guinevere still staring sadly, like a statue, lost inside her thoughts and her mind; he raised a hand in farewell and walked on towards the forest from whence he came, robe gliding over the bramble and twigs like air itself.
That night, rain battered the city, forcing everyone inside, even the guards that usually patrolled the entrances and exits so nobody noticed the small boy run, unaccompanied, across the square, bleeding heavily from a head wound. He screamed, fell down in a muddy puddle, and ceased to move; the Queen watched blindly, still lost and waiting for the return of her love, unable to function. It wasn't until first light that a piercing scream shattered the peace and ruined the serenity of the early morning.
Nobody knew him, or had reported seeing him before his demise; Gaius concluded that he'd been hit in the head with an axe, such as the wound presented, and that his home had most likely been ransacked by Saxons when he was hit, so he'd run to Camelot for sanctuary and died before he could get help. He wouldn't have been able to run very far at all so they were probably near to Camelot and could invade at any time. They usually consulted with the Queen upon matters of war, but this time they were on their own.
Reports from the bordering towns suggested that there was a Saxon fleet not 3 days away of huge numbers, who were using magic, and were ransacking and pillaging all in their path, killing anyone that got in the way. Sir Leon, knowing time was of the essence, gathered the Knights at the Round Table and began to discuss what they should do.
"We can't defeat them alone," Sir Percival began, "They have an army of hundreds, and are using magic." The knights murmured in agreement, knowing that their victory was no certainty. Sir Galahad spoke suddenly. "What if we fight fire with fire? What if the sorcerer Merlin were to assist us in battle? With his powers, he alone could vanquish their army, surely?" There was an uproar, and excited talk and cheers broke out amongst them, for they knew Merlin would aid them- he was a proud defender of Camelot, and would not see it fall.
"So it is agreed, then," Sir Leon began, "We-" but his voice was lost as the doors flew open and their Queen came striding in, pale but impressive, her dress a powerful red and her face determined.