Featured Character: Merlin
Rating/Warnings: K+
Word Count: 572
Summary: The throne room in 2x08, because of all the things that Merlin has done for Arthur, I think this was the most selfless.


It was a sight that Merlin, in his deepest, darkest dreams, had often wished for: Uther kneeling at swordpoint, at the mercy of an implacable, unforgiving enemy who would force him to own up to his sins before making him pay for all the lives he'd destroyed.

But not like this.

He'd never dreamt that Arthur would be the one holding the sword, because it was too terrible to imagine, son against father in a fight to the death. And yet it was happening here, now, and he was the only one who could stop him.

"Arthur! Don't! I know you don't want to do this!"

But Merlin did. Because if Uther died now, Arthur would take the throne — this Arthur, who accepted magic and who would finally lift the ban so that Merlin could be free, free like he'd never been in his life; and then he could live in a world where every breath that he drew did not condemn him to death, where he could finally be recognized for his true worth. But was his freedom really worth Arthur's happiness, Arthur's sanity?

"Killing your father won't bring her back. You've lost one parent. Do you really want to lose another?"

Merlin knew Arthur well enough to know that killing his father would destroy him, would eat him alive from the inside — and Camelot had already had one insane king, and look where it brought them. Then Albion would never be and Arthur would be quietly deposed or even murdered, because there would be whispers of sorcery and bewitchment, and nobody liked a kinslayer. But Arthur was saying, "After everything he has done, do you believe he deserves to live?!" and Merlin bit his tongue so hard it bled to keep from bursting out, No, no, of all people he deserves death, but not at your hand, not if the price is you.

He had no hard feelings against Morgause — he would have thanked her for opening Arthur's eyes, except that had forced him to do this, to lie about Arthur's mother, and so he did the only thing he could do, the only thing that could save Arthur, and blamed it all on her. "Morgause is lying. She's an enchantress! She tricked you. That was not your mother you saw. That was an illusion. Everything..." And these words physically hurt him, this lie was tearing him apart in a way that his secret never had, and he had to steel himself and force himself to continue, "Everything your mother said to you... those were Morgause's words."

And when Arthur replied, "You don't know that," agonized, wanting to believe him, Merlin knew that he had time to go back, that this was his last chance to rid himself of Uther once and for all — but with him would go Arthur, his best friend, his destiny, so Merlin choked on the truth and answered instead, "This has been her plan all along — to turn you against your father. And if you kill him, the kingdom will be destroyed. This is what she wants!"

And he watched as Uther took up his lie, as Arthur collapsed weeping over what he'd almost done, and could find little solace in the fact that Arthur was safe and whole, because he'd destroyed any chance he'd had at freedom, because once again Arthur hated magic as much as Uther and he had only himself to blame.