"Ah, Merlin! I thought you weren't coming."
Merlin smiled. "I am tired, but I can't refuse my king now can I?"
Arthur smiled and nodded as he pulled a chair out beside him. "I'd have put you in the stocks if you didn't come today."
Merlin just raised an eyebrow as he took his seat beside Arthur. "Remember Arthur, magic is now legal all thanks to you."
"Did you just threaten your king?" Arthur narrowed his eyes. "You've just convinced me."
"Convinced you what?"
"To put you in the stocks."
Merlin shrugged before bursting into laughter.
Arthur just cracked a grin as he raised his cup to Merlin who too raised his own.
"To Albion."
"To Albion."
They both downed their wine before they started on their dinner.
Most of the dinner was spent discussing the next steps for Camelot and Albion but the atmosphere was light and casual. There was a comfortable vibe around both Merlin and Arthur from years of bonding.
"The harvest is going to be plentiful this year so I believe that it would be appropriate… appropriate…"
Merlin's fork slipped through his pale nervous fingers as Arthur's face started to blur slightly.
"Merlin? What's the matter?"
Merlin shook his head trying to clear the dizziness from it.
"I… It's nothing Arthur…"
"Well, you shouldn't be feeling dizzy. What, with the amount of time you spend in the tavern you'd think that you drank wine instead of water."
Merlin just smiled. "You know that every time I "go to the tavern" I'm probably on a secret mission to save all of Camelot."
"Yes, and I'll never know how many times you had to save my "royal backside"." Arthur paused as Merlin's green eyes lined up with his. "Thank you, Merlin, I don't know where I'd be without you. You're the only one I have left and the only one I can truly trust."
Merlin wanted to say something but the nauseous feeling took hold of him again. He had to hold on to the table edge to keep himself from just collapsing.
He didn't use much magic today, so it shouldn't be from that.
A searing pain like a thousand needles pierced through his heart which took the last of his strength. He fell shuddering onto the table with a bang.
"Arthur… Arthur… the food's poisoned!"
He pushed himself up desperately and stared up at Arthur with widened eyes.
His king was smiling.
"A...Arthur why-
A mouthful of blood came out without warning.
"I cannot truly become king with you by my side. I know you're already plotting against me. Such a shame Merlin, I trusted you once." Arthur took Merlin's chin, his cold blue eyes fixed on Merlin's.
"I've been nothing but a loyal and faithful friend all these years. You know I've craved nothing other than to serve you." Merlin closed his eyes letting the tears fall. "How can you betray me like this?"
"SILENCE!" Arthur roared letting Merlin's head fall to the table. "Then why couldn't you save Guinevere? Why couldn't you save Amhar? Magic can not save, it can only take away. Therefor, magic will be outlawed once again in this kingdom. It is for the best."
"My mother and father are dead. Gaius, Gwen and Morgana are all dead. I only have you left, Arthur." Merlin rasped trembling from a sorrow that seemed to Arthur almost too much for his slim figure to bear. More and more blood was being coughed up but soon a sad smile crawled up his now deathly pale face. "If you want me dead, who am I to argue?"
"What do you mean? You're already a dead man." Arthur scowled narrowing his eyes at his old friend.
"You keep forgetting that I have magic, Arthur."
The life left Merlin's eyes as he exhaled his last breath.
Arthur fell silent staring at Merlin's cold body.
A smile came on his lips which slowly grew to a low chuckle. Now he alone has the power to rule Albion.
He took out his sword taking a stab at Merlin's chest.
"Guards!"
The chain-mailed guards rushed in orderly.
"Take him away."
"What happened, sire?"
"He tried to assassinate me with magic. It's a good thing I have Excalibur."
"You should've called us, sire."
"I don't want any unnecessary deaths." Arthur have the guards a kind smile which the guards returned with a bow.
They took Merlin away under Arthur's cold gaze. Tomorrow, magic will be outlawed once more.
Arthur watched coldly at the hundreds of people who knelt in the square. The people were in an uproar outside but that didn't matter. He was their king and he will do as he saw fit. They must understand that he was not to be crossed.
But amongst the unrest was a raven haired young man. He raised his head from the wooden stump and stared at Arthur.
Merlin
Arthur froze under the boy's piercing green eyes, blinking hard, he looked again at the boy. To his relief, he had just become another face in the crowd once more. Yet he quickly raised his hand and let it come down with much alarm.
The axes came up and the heads came tumbling off. A silence which seemed to embody death itself ensued.
Arthur smiled.
The once white ground of the palace square was now dyed a deep shade of crimson as the pungent odour of blood wafted up into the air and spread out like a sickly disease all-around Camelot.
"You are not worthy to be the king of Camelot…"
Arthur turned around with fear in his eyes. It was Merlin, he'd know that voice anywhere. It had to be Merlin.
But there was no one there.
He stormed off the balcony and into the palace. His mind was playing tricks with him, Merlin couldn't have come back. Arthur watched him die with his very own eyes.
He looked to the mirror and saw himself staring back with heavy eyebags and blood shot eyes. He thought he would finally be able to sleep with Merlin gone. But it seems it had only worsened his insomnia.
"Did you sleep well last night, Arthur?"
"Oh shut up Merlin you know I didn't."
Merlin smiled his adorable little smile which Arthur will grudgingly admit brightens any day, no matter how horrible.
"But I didn't say anything." Merlin tapped his own head. "It's all in there."
Arthur snapped his head around making a thorough scan of the room. No one… no one… no one! He must be hiding… He must be!
Arthur flung open his wardrobe, he tore away his blankets, he looked under his bed but there was no sign of Merlin.
"What are you doing Arthur? I'm here."
Arthur raised his head from where he knelt beside the bed. There Merlin was, as cheerful as he always was.
"I'm afraid you've finally lost your mind, Arthur."
"STOP THIS! Merlin, please I'm sorry, I truly am… I" Arthur bowed his shaking head before looking up once more. But Merlin had disappeared, gone as mysteriously as he came.
Arthur groaned and grasped at his own hair. He had to do something, he can't just let Merlin get away. If he did, Merlin will stir up a rebellion against him.
"Guards!"
The door opened as two guards came in. "Yes, my lord?
"Find Merlin, dead or alive."
"But my lord—
"I said, find him." Arthur raised his head from his hands and glared at the guards through his blood shot eyes.
The atmosphere in the room became suffocating and unbearable. The temperature seemed to have dropped by a few degrees and the scent of danger wafted through the air.
"Yes sire."
This was how Merlin's body ended up on the floor of Arthur's room that night. Gwaine couldn't watch this go one anymore.
"Sire, you killed Merlin with your own two hands, what more do you want from him?"
"He is a sorcerer Gwaine, they are not to be trusted." Arthur surveyed the knights with narrowed eyes.
"All I know is that he has served you wholeheartedly all these years. He's retained something that you've lost long ago and that's a heart." Gwaine shook his head at all this. "You are not the Arthur Pendragon I chose the follow."
A smile danced at Arthur's lips. "Anything else you would like to add? And I extend this invitation to all of you."
"Don't think for one moment that we believed that Merlin tried to assassinate you. You know full well that his destiny was to protect you. You have sunk low Arthur, even lower than your father!" Leon stepped up raising himself to his full height.
"How unfortunate of him, you could say that he was killed by his destiny." Arthur chuckled kicking the cloth back over Merlin. "I must not trust anyone, even if they were once my closest friend. I and I alone must have the power to rule over Albion."
"I see what's happened, power has corrupted your soul. You will never wash Merlin's blood off of your hands!" Percival laughed incredulously shaking his head. "If you do not repent then I choose to follow you no longer."
"Then leave! I require your services no longer." Arthur snarled turning his back on them.
"Then you're have to release me too."
"And me."
Gwaine and Leon stood beside Percival with their heads held high.
"Then you three shall be banished from this kingdom from this day forward. You return on the pain of death." Arthur turned around his eyes shining with cold fury. "NOW LEAVE."
The knights sighed before turning around to leave. Their once noble king had fallen to the lure of absolute power.
Arthur stared at the cloth covered body beneath his feet. He thought that he would at least feel a tinge of remorse for the death of his once trusted advisor but the truth was he could feel nothing, absolutely nothing as his gaze came in and out of focus on the bundle on the floor.
"Arthur? What are you staring at? I'm here."
Arthur raised his gaze slowly to see Merlin sitting on the window ledge.
"Come here and look at the stars with me. I'm sure I'm among them watching over you."
"No… no, you aren't real. YOU CAN'T REAL." Arthur dropped to the ground. "I killed the real Merlin, he's right here beside me. He would never watch over me."
Arthur snatched the cloth off only to discover it covering absolutely nothing as Merlin jumped off the ledge and came towards Arthur with an air of playfulness around him.
"I'll teach you poetry on the constellations." Merlin smiled as he extended a hand towards the now cowering Arthur.
"Is it… really you Merlin…?" Arthur felt the lump in his throat. "Then why are my hands still red with your blood? If you're back… if you're back… please, please, help me."
But Merlin had disappeared once again leaving only the cold, unfeeling stars to look on upon the broken king of Albion.
Arthur scrubbed even harder at his already raw and wounded hands. He didn't know how much time had passed, he didn't know what treaties still lie unsigned at his table, he only knew that his hands should be clean by now.
But they were still red, they still reeked of blood… of Merlin's blood, of hundreds of innocent people's blood.
Arthur looked about him nervously looking for something, anything to get the blood off. His eyes fell on Excalibur.
"You know what you have to do…"
Arthur felt Merlin's breath fall lightly on his ear. Yes, that was it. He knew exactly what he had to do.
He raised Excalibur over his left hand and let it come down.
"Ahhh!" Arthur screamed in pain as his left hand came clean off his wrist. But as he watched his blood trickled down from his wrist over his severed hand, the horrible, scarlet stain started to be washed away.
"Yes, thank you Merlin. Thank you…" Arthur began laughing through his tears of pain as he started letting the blood fall on his right hand. But the stain on his right hand only became redder and redder.
Slowly Arthur began to lose consciousness, the blood still came freely out of his left arm. Before he lost consciousness, his door seemed to open with three figures hurrying in. Then, the world went black.
"Arthur? Arthur, I know you're awake."
"Come on Merlin, just a few minutes more."
"Sire, I'm Leon, not Merlin."
Arthur woke up to an excruciating pain in his left arm. He stared blankly at his arms and then all around himself.
The court physician and the three knights which he had banished surrounded his bed which was illuminated by the afternoon sun.
*Slap*
Arthur fell back into his bed as the searing pain spread across his right cheek.
"What the hell were you doing?! Have you gone insane?" Gwaine exclaimed with his chest heaving up and down, trying to suppress the urge to just beat him up on the spot.
Arthur merely laughed. "Can't you see the blood on my hands? They stink so horribly…" Arthur glanced around him seeing the horrified expression of everyone around him. "Well, Merlin can see… only he can help me… He already helped me with my left hand…"
"But sire, Merlin's dead. He's already dead!" Percival shook Arthur by the shoulders trying to make him see sense. But it's already too late.
"I might have lost my mind Percival, but I haven't lost my memories yet." Arthur growled as he threw Percival's hands off his shoulders.
"You three are to be executed tomorrow morning for the whole of Camelot to see. This, is what happens to ones who dare defy the king's orders!"
The three knights looked to each other in disbelief.
"So, you're going to murder us in cold blood like you did to Merlin? I should've guessed that's what we would receive after saving your life." Gwaine snickered but a deep sense of sorrow can be seen within his hazel eyes.
"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST LET ME DIE?" Arthur laughed looking around him. "Then… then I can finally get the sleep I wanted so bad. Why can't you see…?"
Arthur raised his right hand. "How can you not see? Look! Really l…"
But he stopped as Merlin appeared once more, standing by his door with a bony finger to his pink lips. A smile can be seen at the corner of his mouth but this was more of a smirk. Smirking at Arthur's powerlessness of it all.
Arthur threw the cup beside him at Merlin's figure almost out of reflex. But Merlin dodged it with ease and started coming closer, his smirk growing wider with each step he took.
"Sire, let's keep this a secret, shall we?" Merlin's face was centimetres from Arthur's as he pressed his finger onto Arthur's lips.
Arthur tried to push Merlin away but he disappeared at his touch. Arthur couldn't help but look around with fear and confusion. All the knights and the court physician seemed to be smirking and pressing him down onto the bed. He screamed, he kicked but he was clearly overpowered.
Something hit the back of his head and the world went black once more.
He woke with the morning sun which poured into his chambers.
Truth be told, Arthur didn't want to wake up. He just wanted to sleep forever and forget this mess. He felt an indent at the side of his bed.
"Sire, the executions are happening in half an hour. You should be dressed."
Arthur turned in his bed as Merlin's figure came into view.
"Why do I keep seeing you? You're dead." Arthur said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"But I'm still alive here." Merlin smiled as he gave Arthur's forehead a few light taps.
Arthur fell silent.
"I don't know what's going on anymore… Why did I want you dead in the first place?" Arthur sat up his knuckles growing white from how hard he was gripping onto his blanket. "Merlin, I think, I think I made a horrible mistake…"
"Just smile, your majesty…"
But when he looked to Merlin, there was nothing but the swirling dust dancing under the glorious sun.
People gathered in the courtyard swarming around the three scaffolds on which the knights were to be executed. To Arthur, they looked like swarms of ants scurrying beneath him. He can't imagine why he had loved them so much.
The knights were marched solemnly towards the scaffold with their heads held high, defiant even in their last steps.
"Citizens of Camelot! For all these years you have known me to be a wise and good king to you and for that, I ask of you but a small favour, a favour that is your duty." Arthur paused surveying the crowds below him. "I ask for obedience."
"The three men here were once honourable knights. But because of their disobedience of my orders they shall be executed. Let this serve as a warning to all the people of Camelot that my orders are absolute and never to be questioned or challenged in any form."
His hand raised and the air was still. It felt like the crowd below were all holding their breaths, each of their faces pale and anxious.
"Forgive me sire, but I must ask which order they disobeyed and why they would disobey it." A young woman's voice was heard from within the crowd.
"The knights are being executed for saving the king! If they hadn't come back from their banishment, the king wouldn't be standing there right now!"
"Where is Lord Emrys?"
"The king had poisoned him!"
It was funny how the inquiry of a young lady was going to bring his doom. Not Nimueh, not Morgana, not Agravaine, not Mordred. But a young lady whom he had never seen before his entire life.
Arthur had driven Excalibur into the seat of his throne. If he can't wield Excalibur and sit upon this throne then no one else can.
Arthur hummed a little tune sitting upon the queen's throne as he listened to the angry crowd storming his castle right now. Since he lived a life devoid of folksongs, Merlin had taught him the tune. Apparently, in Ealdor, it was a little love song that boys would sing to the girls that they liked.
He couldn't notice the song becoming more and more strained, more choked as his life as a prince started flooding his mind.
He was just the prince and Merlin was just a bumbling servant. Before he found out that Merlin had magic, before his feelings didn't matter anymore, before he learned the lure of power.
A smile was frozen on his face. Smiling had almost lost all its meaning to Arthur, because no matter what the kingdom faced, no matter what he faced, he must smile. But he could feel something wet trickling down his strained cheeks.
He threw his head back as a roaring laugh erupted from his throat. The warm tears came down like a stream of broken pearls.
Merlin was standing in front of him when he opened his eyes again.
"Merlin…" Arthur held out his hand but withdrew quickly, if he tried to touch Merlin, he'll disappear again…
Merlin said nothing as he took a seat at the window ledge and basked under the golden sun.
"Come, I'm here to take you away." Merlin stood on the ledge and stretched out his arms.
Arthur didn't hesitate, he walked towards the light, towards Merlin.
"Will you disappear again?" Arthur asked tentatively as he came on the window ledge.
"No, my lord, I will never disappear again." Merlin smiled as he enveloped Arthur into an embrace.
And together they fell.
The young king's blood mixed with the red stains on the once white tiles which lined the grounds of the palace.
"Oh Arthur…" Merlin's golden eyes shone brilliantly as he cupped Arthur's now bloodied face into his hands. "You were my sun, my reason for being… But my sun didn't seem content with me. No, he had to have more. You know Arthur, a sun can only give… that's the rule."
"It seems that even with my powers, I can't keep you to myself and what I can't have I destroy."
Merlin pressed Arthur's forehead against his own. "Goodbye, my king."
Merlin stood up now with Arthur's bloody crown now on his own head.
The knights knelt with all the people of Albion.
"All hail King Merlin!"