A/N: And now we are beginning to reach the nitty-gritty of the story. Hope you like! Thank you to everyone who reviewed because you guys rock!

Disclaimer: Don't own, unfortunately.

Ch. 3-Let's Try this Again

What ever Arthur had expected of the afterlife, it was not that it would be a complete replica of his room. Well, almost, a complete replica.

Early morning sunlight beamed through his window, warming exposed skin, though thankfully not his face. Even as he felt himself slowly ascending from the darkness, it was the quiet "Good morning, sire," that slammed him back into reality with little grace. Without opening his eyes he rolled from his bed, falling easily into a defense crouch, the knife he kept under his pillow pointed directly at the intruder.

Who, when Arthur finally opened his eyes, turned out to be someone familiar.

Thomas.

Thomas had been one of many in a long line of menservants that Arthur had run through, though significant in one way.

He was the last before Merlin.

The one Merlin replaced.

He was part of the reason Arthur met Merlin in the first place.

And looking back on that now, it pulled a snicker from deep within the prince (king) because every word Merlin had spoken had been true. The silly warlock could have taken him apart with less than one blow. But he hadn't known that. No. He just went on poking the sleeping dragon.

And that thought only made Arthur snicker harder.

"Sire?" The tentative whisper sobered the king (prince) and brought him back to what was currently happening.

And that was that he was still threatening Thomas with a knife. He could almost hear Merlin's sarcastic, "Good going, clotpole."

Slowly, so as not to startle the man, Arthur rose from his crouch, twisting to drop the knife on the bed behind him.

"My apologies," and just great, the boy jumped, hadn't he ever apologized? Arthur inwardly cringed as no, of course he hadn't, he was a prince (king). "I was having a nightmare."

Thomas bowed, wariness still lurking at the edge of his expression. "No harm, sire," he finally said. While refusing almost point blank to meet the prince's gaze he moved off to the wardrobe. "Your breakfast is ready, sire. What would you like to wear today?"

And it was ready. His breakfast. Steam still rising from the sausage and the butter visibly melting on the bread.

How can something smell so good when you're dead?

Arthur found his mouth opening without any conscious thought. "Leave."

Thomas tensed again and something in Arthur did as well. "Sire?" The wariness was back ten-fold.

Arthur found he could not tear his gaze away from the table where his breakfast lay so innocently. Mocking him with its steaming freshness.

"You are dismissed for the day. Report back first thing tomorrow morning."

Thomas bobbed his head with a quick, "Yes, sire," and scurried out the door, leaving Arthur alone.

The steam had long since ceased to rise from the traitorous food before the king-prince convinced himself that it was okay to touch, okay to move. But when he caught a fleeting glance of himself in the mirror, he once more froze.

No.

It couldn't be.

Turning fully away from the table, Arthur crossed the room in a few strides, staring in absolute disbelief at what his eyes were telling him.

He was young again.

Not that Arthur had been an old man when he died, but this was…this was the reflection of a boy-man on the cusp of reaching his full potential physically. He could just faintly remember Gauis once mentioning how women matured faster than men and how men reached their physical peak by the age of twenty-five.

He was definitely not twenty-five.

Not far from it if he were to guess, but obviously before it. Twenty perhaps? Struck with an idea, he quickly removed his sleep wear and gained a new surprise.

His scars were gone.

Oh, not all of his scars, just all of the ones he had earned after Merlin had come. Most notably missing was the one from the Questing Beast.

How was this possible?

Abruptly turning from the lying reflection, he plunked down on the bed, narrowly avoiding skewering himself in the arse with his own knife. Putting his head in his hands, Arthur began to attempt to straighten out the chaos that was dominating his brain. Where to start?

With Thomas.

Or, rather, how was he not dead? Or was he dead and this was some sort of bizarre, after-life special heaven (hell)?

Best focus on the first.

After Merlin became his manservant, Thomas had gone on to faithfully serve Leon after the first knight's manservant had become too old to serve. Merlin had mentioned once or twice how the man had seemed very happy with his new placement (even if it didn't pay as well) and how Leon seemed pleased as well. Arthur knew he could trust this judgment because Merlin kept an unconsciously close tab on those within the castle and always brought any problems to Arthur's attention.

So was he going to spend his afterlife (was it the afterlife?) in a strange limbo with Thomas as a servant? When Merlin died, would that change? Could Merlin die? Arthur was beginning to wonder.

Which brought him to the second question. The last thing he remembered before being awoken by Thomas was dying in Merlin's arms and stubbornly refusing to allow it to end. He wanted to fix it for Merlin…

He bolted upright once more.

Fix it! Fix it from the beginning!

Rushing to the window, Arthur scanned the courtyard, straining to see as much as the view would allow. Everything seemed to be the same, but…a king knows every inch of his kingdom.

And this one was so very close.

The courtyard was the same, but missing subtle design changes made after the Great Dragon's attack. The city itself seemed…smaller, less lively though that might be attributed to the time of day. The training grounds had virtually remained unchanged over time except for the slight expansion that was missing into one of the higher hills that Arthur had made his knights run up and down.

It was so close, but this wasn't his kingdom. It was his father's. With Thomas as his manservant…was it real? Had his wish actually been granted?

Was he being given a second chance?

This was crazy! Or was it…magic?

End chapter 3

A/N: Soooo...What's happened to Arthur? I'm not telling yet! Keep an eye out cause as we go on the chapters seem to steadily be getting longer. Let me know what you think, we authors live on reviews!