Comments: Thanks GuardianIzz for all of your help. I hope you like the next instalment.

Arthur continued running into the castle still holding onto Guinevere's hand...seemingly unaware how it would look in the eyes of society. Gwen gently pulled on his hand causing him to stop. Arthur looked left and right unsure of where to go first his father, the knights ... the warning bells chimed in the air.

"Arthur?" he looked back at Guinevere who looked pointedly at their joint palms.

Arthur sighed and reluctantly let go of her hand "Stay close to me!" it was an order and one that she would have to ignore.

"I must go to Gauis"

Arthur gave her a warning look "She saw you Guinevere! I cannot waste time worrying about you, you shall stay with me - that is an order!"

Gwen sighed and nodded once Arthur was with his knights she would slip away to find Gauis.

Following a few steps behind Arthur, Gwen felt her heart pounding in her chest.. Morgana's a witch, it shouldn't have shocked her as much as it did. The signs were all there, her blatant dislike for Uther, the nightmares of seeing things that seemed to emerge from dreams into reality with too much ease!

Sure enough, Merlin had come to join Arthur and it did not escape Gwen's notice that he did not seem surprised about the news of Morgana, nor did she miss the slight look of relief as Arthur ordered his men around.

In the midst of all calamity there suddenly came a piercing scream from outside the castle gates. When Arthur pushed past his knights his eyes widened upon seeing dozens and dozens of dead, risen and free roaming his city and his people. The streets were in panic. People were trying to hide within their houses, climb up on the roofs and citadel walls. The walking lifeless figures were horrific with their bloody eyes, decaying bodies and slimy glossy rotten skin.

"We must find my father" Arthur checked Uther's chambers first - nothing; an uneasy feeling now bubbled inside of him.

As he rushed down the stairs, followed by Merlin and Gwen, Arthur spotted Leon out in the courtyard battling with what looked like a dead male servant, who had water oozing from his every poor as if he has swallowed a river.

"Leon!" Leon managed to ram his blade through the centre of the man's chest and his body reduced to a pile of bones before him.

"The king?" Four dead knights now walked towards them and Leon and Arthur froze, Sir Anthony, Sir Marks, Sir Eladon and Sir Windred, they were covered in the most hideous burns from the dragon attack. Arthur heard Gwen stifle a scream.

"Keep her back Merlin" Merlin pulled on Gwen arm, hiding behind a pillar.

"Sir Anthony?" Sir Leon said as the knights continued towards them.

Sir Anthony sneered at Leon and then his head slowly turned to look at Arthur "You lead us to death...for your own pride"

Arthur felt the guilt grab him around the throat and he felt as if he couldn't breathe

"I am..." The apology stuck on Arthur's tongue and he took a step back.

"A KNIGHT OF CAMELOT DIES WITH HONOUR...YOU ARE NO MORE THAN EMPTY SHELLS OF THESE MEN!" Leon shouted raising his sword, he looked to Arthur who nodded appreciatively and he raised his sword.

The fight was bloody and brutal...but Sir Leon and Arthur survived with a few extra scars.

"We must find the King" Arthur turned to see Gwen and Merlin nearby, Gwen with a candle stick in her hand raised and Merlin with a pot...ready to help however they could.

Arthur picked up Sir Anthony and Sir Marks swords and gave one to Merlin and one to Gwen, touching her hand as he gave it to her. In this battle every man and woman needed to be armed. Gwen smiled weakly at him before the four of them hurried towards the throne room.

Even getting to the throne room had been a challenge in itself, but they finally made it to the wooden doors now with a few more knights in tow. Sobbing could be heard coming from inside and Arthur turned to some of the other knights gesturing them to go around to the servant's entrance.

He then gestured for Guinevere and Merlin to stay put.

Leon, Arthur and three other knights held their swords high... they opened the door, entering hell itself. As soon as they walked in, the battle with the dead took a drastic turn, but nevertheless Arthur managed to spot behind them Morgana and Morgause standing by the throne - smirking. His father seemed to be held by a magical force, sobbing and begging forgiveness for something, but Arthur couldn't see anything. His father was talking to some magically induced depiction of spirit, visible only to himself.

"Come now Arthur, isn't it about time you stop fighting and realise that you will never win?" Morgause said finally getting bored of watching the fight, she clapped her hands and through the side door Guinevere was being dragged by her father, the tears streaming down her face were evident...he had a Knife pressed against her trembling throat.

Arthur blocked a sword that nearly hit him "LEAVE HER ALONE!" he shouted distressed...Merlin also then got brought by another dead who held him tight, his hand covering his mouth.

"Stop fighting...or she dies" Morgause said stroking her hand across Guinevere's face who flinched away from her touch.

Arthur nodded to Leon and the other remaining knights and they lowered their swords...immediately the dead captured Leon and the other knights holding them tight, swords held at their throats. But they left Arthur standing there looking around confused. He felt as if he were in a nightmare, one that he would surely never awake from.

His father now stood a sword held to his throat.

Arthur looked at Guinevere, Merlin, Leon, his loyal men – each an everyone of them at the brink of death. The Crown Prince tried to think of any way out of this – there was none.

"So Arthur...you now have a choice" Morgause had come to stand in front of him...she turned and pointed at Uther "Should we kill your father...the man who murdered your mother...or should we kill the maid?"

"Arthur?" Uther seemed to have found his voice and turned to see Morgana's maid being held. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore and Uther felt as if he was going mad!

"He did not kill mother!" Arthur looked from his father to Guinevere, who wouldn't meet his gaze, instead she was glaring at Morgana. Meanwhile, Uther looked away unable to look his son in the eye.

Morgause appeared in front of Uther and smiled "Tell your son the truth, Uther. 'Tis time." Uther closed his eyes tears now running down his face... Morgause seemed to whisper in his ear "Tell him how she could nor bare you a son! Tell him how you bargained with magic to have an heir!" she ran a blade from his throat slowly down and across his chest and stopped at his heart. "Tell him how you killed her!"

"I'm sorry...I am so sorry" Uther kept repeating.

Arthur felt his heart being ripped from his chest and he looked to Merlin who now looked away. His father had lied to him, he felt anger ripple through him "YOU LIED!" He held his sword up again and pointed it at his father.

"Arthur don't" Guinevere shouted.

"Why...why father?"

Uther looked at his son tears rolling down his cheeks "I needed a son, you must understand I love you more than anything I would have done anything to – "

"You killed my mother! You had me murder thousands of people for using the magic that brought me into this world!" he screamed out in anger and Morgana smiled evilly.

Morgause stepped up "Kill him Arthur...and you may right all of his mistakes yet. It is not too late - start again." Arthur stepped away from Morgause, his head was spinning with all the new information...he couldn't breathe.

"Kill him and you can rule Albion the way it was meant to be!" Morgause seemed to circle Arthur and he held his hands over his ears trying to block out her talking.

"KILL HIM!" Arthur's head snapped up and noticed that Morgause was now standing close so that nobody but him would hear her words. "And you can marry the one you truly love…" Arthur looked to Guinevere and lowered his sword allowing Morgause to step closer.

But she didn't have time to even contemplate the action.

"No" Arthur once more raised his sword and pointed at Morgause "No! Twisting the truth will get you nowhere with me. It may have done it's magic on her" he looked disdainfully at the glaring Morgana, "but it will not work on me! You have robbed me of a sister, poisoning her soul with your toxic words and fading promises – she's all rotten now, into the core. I will not follow the same path."

Morgana laughed causing Arthur to look at her, she approached him "Morgause has shown me only love and acceptance, something that I have never had before. She did not turn me against you Arthur." Turning to face Uther, Morgana gave him a look of pure hatred: "He killed my father, he killed everyone I loved! HE is the reason for all of this, he is the reason your mother died" she turned back to Arthur.

"No, your father died in battle" Arthur said shaking away the thoughts.

Morgana smiled sadly "That is what I thought...that is what I was told"

"You are wrong...father tell her this is not true?"

Uther dropped his head.

The air became thick and the silence was short lived "DECIDE" Morgause walked up to Guinevere again lifting her chin with her hand...the blade to her chest.

"LEAVE HER BE" Arthur went to move forward but was stopped by a sword aimed at his chest - another walking dead.

"It is a simple choice Arthur...do you wish to bury the lies of the past, or do you wish to destroy the future!"

Arthur looked around the situation could not be any worse, did he want to kill the women he loved or did he want to kill his own father he couldn't think straight.

Uther looked between Arthur and this maid, whom he couldn't even remember her name. "Arthur...surely you have nothing to think about?" the silence was killing him. "I know I have made mistakes, but – "

Arthur raised his sword again "BE QUIET..."

"But she is nothing Arthur, she is just a maid!"

Guinevere felt her heart breaking, the shouting had started between Arthur and Uther...the words seem to turn into a gentle buzzing sound in her ears. Arthur would have to choose between his father and her? Who was she to be chosen over a king?

To her there was no choice...he needed to save his father. To let Morgause and Morgana win would be a grave mistake.

Tears ran down her face and she looked to Merlin who's eyes went wide at the realisation of what she was going to do. He tried struggling, to get Arthur's attention, but he couldn't speak a hand held his mouth shut.

"I am sorry Arthur...I love you" Gwen said, almost whispered and before he knew it Arthur turned just in time to witness the love of his life pushing herself forward onto her fathers blade.

Blood...

The walking dead Tom pulled away his sword, confused at what happened, but without his human soul the young woman falling in front of him was nobody – just another living, to his dead…

Arthur froze and felt his legs weaken.

He saw her stumble forward and press her dainty hands to the wound. Guinevere raised her bloody hands and a few shallow breaths later her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she lost her conscience. His signature red colour now covered more and more of her bodice – the corset and the lilac fabric turning crimson.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" Arthur shouted and threw himself onto the ground next to where she was falling as Guinevere hit the cold stone floor.

TBC