Throw out the script

Arthur woke up with the memory of the dream still fresh in his mind. He knew it was more than a dream. It was a warning. It was time to face the Saxons.

Yet Merlin's words still echoed in his mind.

I don't want your last memory you have of me to be that of a coward. I didn't mean to let you alone. I didn't mean to disappoint you. I hope you'll forgive me. I want you to know I will die for you, Arthur. Yet my death wouldn't have saved Albion. I needed to find another way.

The king couldn't believe Merlin really thought he'd meant what he'd said. The king had been furious. He'd said things he shouldn't have said, especially to Merlin. But that? He never meant that.

Yet he couldn't explain himself how Merlin had got into his mind.

Merlin had given him every single detail about the Saxons, their weakness and their strengths, their plans and the way to thwart their plans, their strategies, everything they needed to win that war. Yet, Camelot army was outnumbered. Merlin had told him that, too. But he'd had a plan.

Turn the weather and the landscape in your friends. He said. Attack them from the top of the ravine while they are marching across the valley. Take them by surprise. Use anything you can: arrows, rocks, spears… anything at all. I know this means to disobey the knight's code, but this is war, Arthur, and you have to win this war. You have to bring back home as many of your people as possible.

And be careful, Arthur. As the great horn sounds a cold down at Camlann you will have to face him. When you think it's over, you'll see him coming. Fire and blood will surround you. There's vengeance in his eyes and there is sorrow. One of your loyal knights has turned into your enemy. But not because of his magic, he has it for longer than you knew him and yet he stood by your side. He's hurt. He trusted you and you betrayed his trust when you sentenced Kara to death.

Yet I'm more to blame than you. It's either I watch my best friend die or I sentence a poor boy to death. But you can't die, Arthur. You have to live to undo this evil. You can't save him, but there are thousand that can be saved. End this stupid war. The problem is not magic, but the way people use it. You have to be a strong king without me now.

But Merlin didn't leave him. He gave him words of advice, he encouraged him and his suggestions proved really useful.

At first, the king thought he was mad, but a part of him told him to listen and he really listened. Whether he was imagining things or not, Camelot was winning the war.

And then he came, exactly as Merlin had warned him. He heard Merlin's voice in his head- Mordred- and he hardly got time to counter his blow. Their swords touched and for a moment they looked in each other eyes. They were both furious. They both felt betrayed. Mordred was skilled with a sword, Arthur had taught him well, after all. This thought made the king even more furious. However, the former knight couldn't win this battle. Soon, he found himself down on the ground and Arthur's sword was directed toward his chest. He waited for the last blow.


Merlin had watched Arthur's moves. He kept spying on the Saxons. He watched the future over and over again hoping to find a loophole, a way to save Arthur. The warlock couldn't hold back a cry of joy as he saw Arthur's sword pointed towards Mordred. A single blow and it was over. All his fears, all his nightmares were going to end and yet it didn't seem right. It wouldn't be over. Why hadn't he understood that before?


Arthur was surprised to hear Merlin's voice in his head and even more surprised was he to hear what he heard.

''It's time you put an end to this bloodshed. Let him live. Prove him you are the man he used to think you were. But you're human and humans make mistakes. Ask for his forgiveness. You have both lost enough, there's no need to lose more.''

"But he had magic.'' It was the first thing that came in his mind. He didn't expect for Merlin to read his mind.

"And you are a king and a knight. Look around. All those people will do everything you order them to do. This is power and it's more dangerous than the power Mordred wields. You can either use this power to save people or you can use it for your own ends. It's your choice. The same choice Morgana had. Yet magic is not a choice. It's something you are or you're not."

"What you mean?''

''There's no time to explain. Maybe one day you'll understand. One day you'll see the good in magic. It's time you learnt to treat people according to their actions and not according to what they look like. You accepted commoners as your friends. Why wouldn't you accept sorcerers too?''

Merlin was right. There was no need to lose more. Yet he wasn't sure what to do. Maybe his father had been wrong. Merlin again saw through him.

"You want to see good in magic, but are you able to forgive the sorcerer that killed your father? It could have been a mistake, yet you wanted him dead. You didn't give him a chance to explain. All those sorcerers you met had lost someone: a father, a mother, a sibling, a friend. By killing a magic being, you cause the hatred of another magic being. If you want to see mercy, you have to show mercy."

Arthur planted the sword in the ground. He felt strange. He sensed Mordred eyes piercing him. What was he going to say? He needed to know more, but Merlin was right it wasn't time for questions.

''I'm sorry, Mordred. I let myself driven by my pride and I've lost a friend. I cannot bring her back, but neither my death can give you what you lost. I should have listened to Merlin. I was willing to give her a second chance, but I guess it was too late. We have both lost enough.''

The knight was shocked. He was at loss for words. He had expected to die and yet the king had showed him mercy. But he'd killed Kara and he wasn't able to forget that. As he watched the king shocked, Merlin's voice rang in his head.

"I know I'm the last person you want to speak with, but I want to tell you I'm sorry. Hatred won't bring your friends back, it will only cause other people's death, people you may love. Things won't be any better when Arthur dies. It will be worse. Your pain will still be there and you will have to face it. You know how much it hurts to lose someone. Do you want to make others suffer the way you do?''

''Why did you betray me, Merlin? You should have let me go. I didn't mean any harm.''

"I feared you would go to Morgana. I tried to save Kara, but I want to be Arthur who set her free. I'm sorry.'' He didn't answer to the warlock, instead he faced the king, who was waiting for his answer.

"I'm not going to forgive you, Arthur, but I do want to end this war. Maybe it's still hope for you, but I can't trust you anymore. You're right. You have lost a friend.''

Upon saying that, the knight left without throwing a last glance to him. Only two people enjoyed the outcome, relived to see their friends alive, even if each of them cared for a different person.


Ok, this is a little gloomy, but it's about war and regrets and I couldn't help being a little too dramatic. Thanks for your feedback.

(Don't worry about the cats. They are both fine. They just wanted me to have nightmares. It's a good thing that I close the window before I go to sleep.)