A/N: insert disclaimer here and enjoy some *cough cough* "action." (NO! NOT like THAT, dirty minds, people!) Hopefully, Arthur will realize what Merlin's up to and save him.....

A Price Paid

Arthur tossed and turned for most of the night, but once it was nearing dawn, he felt a terrifying jolt in him. This sudden shock was something in his heart, a feeling so deep of gloom, foreboding, and pain that Arthur was sure that part of him had died. He gasped, trying to catch his breath; it was almost like he knew that something, or someone had died, but that someone was a piece of him, too. He sat up stiffly, ignoring the searing pain in his shoulder. He then quickly did his best to dress himself using only one arm.

He had an instinct that told him he knew who was in danger and he wasn't going to let that happen.

Arthur set off in a run towards Gaius' chambers in the rising sunlight to seek out Merlin. Still, the feeling of dread lingered, telling him that it was too late.

Arthur quickly rapped on the wooden door of the Court Physician's home, and waited for a response. After what felt to Arthur as a long while, the door opened slightly forward as Gaius squinted at Arthur, eyes bleary in the early morning.

Once realizing who was disturbing him at such an early hour, Gaius opened the door wider, asking "Prince Arthur, is someone ill; am I needed at th-?"

Arthur firmly interrupted him. "I need to talk to Merlin. Where is he?" Then, seeing his rudeness, added curtly, "Sorry."

Gaius seemed taken aback slightly, but replied, "I'll get him for you; he had a late night so he must be still sleeping. Why don't you come in?"

Arthur obeyed, Gaius closing the door behind him. Gaius started an oil lamp and went off to fetch Merlin. Meanwhile, Arthur was rehearsing the things he would ask Merlin. He just needed to make sure that Merlin was fine.

But when Gaius remerged holding a parchment, Arthur's heart fell, seeing as Merlin was not following Gaius.

"Well, where is Merlin?" Arthur hissed, letting his fear manifest as anger.

Gaius looked crestfallen and shocked, handing the parchment over to Arthur, speaking in a tiny voice, "He left this." The peace that Merlin tried to leave for Gaius had been broken. Gaius knew what Merlin had done.

Arthur read Merlin's message, heart pounding, and eyes seared to the paper.

Gaius,

Sorry, I had to do this for Arthur. My life for his. Don't try to stop me; it's probably too late, anyway. Please, take care of my mother. Tell her it was part of my destiny. Make sure to keep an eye out for Arthur. Arthur has a destiny, too, and a better one at that, but it seems to attract a lot of trouble. He will be a great king someday. Just see to it that he's less of a prat. Take care.

Merlin

Arthur stared at the page for a moment longer then slightly moaned, "Merlin, you stupid idiot, why did you do that?"

Gaius was frantically scouring his collection of papers, books, and maps, looking for some hint of Merlin's destination, "You know Merlin; that boy takes better care of you than he does himself. Now the question is, how do we stop him?"

Arthur reread Merlin's letter, "'My life for his.' Isn't that some kind of Old Magic?"

Gaius turned to face Arthur, pausing, then phrasing his words cautiously, "Merlin would not hesitate to save you through magic; he's a good lad who only does what he believes to be the right thing."

Arthur was taken aback by this revelation. Merlin always seemed to put him neck out for Arthur, but putting it like that... he seemed to really owe Merlin a lot.

Gaius continued, "If Merlin has traded his life for yours, I know of the one place he may have gone. It is where he got the cure for your wound. The Isle of the Blessed was rumored to be a place where life can be bought with a price. Merlin must have returned to-"

"Well, what are we waiting for," Arthur burst, "Merlin could be dying already. I can't let him do that. Not for me."

Arthur spun back to the door, opening it in a flurry. Behind him, Gaius called out, "I know I have the location of the Isle of the Blessed somewhere. I will find it. Meanwhile, tell your father what has happened. You're still hurt, but perhaps he will let you come."

Arthur turned back around to face Gaius. With a dangerous look in his eyes and a steely voice, Arthur muttered darkly, "I don't need my father's permission for this. I'm going." With that, he left for the stables.

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Arthur reached the stables and was surprised to see Morgana and Gwen there waiting.

Morgana called out to Arthur, "Have you seen Merlin? Do you know if he's alright?"

Arthur was not amazed that Morgana already seemed to know what was going on. She was perceptive in that way.

"Merlin's gone. He left for the Isle of the Blessed," Arthur stated dully as he went for a horse.

"Oh gods, we might be too late. Lady Morgana had a dream that Merlin was de..." Gwen trailed off, seeing the pain in Arthur's eyes.

Morgana spoke up, "Are you going after him?" She knew that Arthur would never admit how much he cared for Merlin until it was too late.

Arthur saddled a horse, turning back briefly to the two women, "Yes, I owe him that and much more."

Morgana and Gwen turned to each other, exchanging identical knowing looks, then stepped closer to Arthur. "Arthur," Morgana began gently, "we want to come too. Our horses are ready; we even have one ready for Gaius. We want to help."

"No," Arthur stated firmly as he reached over, grabbing a stray sword that Merlin had probably forgotten to return to the armory, "It's going to be dangerous." Arthur then realized he would need to use both arms to mount, and he removed his injured arm from its sling and already the throbbing pain increased, and when he swiftly mounted his horse, he painfully jolted his injured shoulder. Apparently his face registered the pain.

Morgana's voice of reason drifted to him, "So, somehow, Prince Arthur, the One-Armed Prat, is going to rescue his manservant from certain death. Come on Arthur, you need our help."

Seeing there was no way out of this without wasting more time that Merlin didn't have, Arthur quickly resigned, "Fine, just hurry, and get Gaius. We need to leave now."

Morgana and Gwen mounted their horses just as Gaius appeared clutching a large burlap bag and panting for air.

Arthur called down to him from his horse, "Do you have the location?" Gaius nodded, mounting the horse that Gwen and Morgana had prepared for him. "Good," Arthur continued, "you can lead us, just make sure that we get there in time."

So, they raced out into the brisk morning air, but Arthur could only feel guilt and gloom, as he was unable to banish from his mind the image of his dearest and only true friend, Merlin, already dead or dying.

Merlin had saved his life more than once, and Arthur knew that; if he couldn't save Merlin this time, Arthur knew he would never forgive himself.

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Merlin never truly appreciated the subtle beauty of the island. The way that the magic seemed to give it life, infusing the substance of the fallen structures so as to make them glorious again. Yesterday, on his first visit, he didn't notice it, but today, it was all he could really notice.

Nimueh looked at Merlin curiously one last time, "Are you ready to die, Merlin?"

Merlin slowly tore his eyes away from the scene around him and steadily stated, "For Arthur, I will give my life."

However, as Nimueh's voice twisted words and cast their potency, he wasn't paying attention. Merlin had spotted a single white flower in the corner of his eye. He focused on the flower's purity and its perfect glory, so as the world faded to black for him and his knees gave way, his last coherent thoughts were how the flower was a lot like Arthur and how he wished Arthur could be with him here, at the end of all things.

A/N: Oh nooes! A cliffie! Kinda..... Comment/review to find out what happens to Merlin. MUHAHAHA!

Also, this is where I really need feedback. I know how it's going to end and everything, but I need you guys to help me for chapter 5. Is there anything you guys want to see in the story? I think I can either rush to action-y stuff, or I can squeeze in a really sad, romantic chapter. What do you guys want?