It was the day of Gwen's coronation. The flags were sailing and the sun was shining, and everything was not all right. The absence of the king weighed down heavily on them all.

Merlin stood beside Gaius, his eyes narrowed as the watched the ceremony. It was formal, and it seemed to be ignoring Arthur completely. It had been two months now, and Merlin was starting to wonder if he would ever be the same again.

"Do you promise..."

Merlin's focus waned, and he found himself looking around the great hall aimlessly. Gwen, looking stately and royal in her red dress. Merlin could see her biting her lip as it wobbled slightly, in a brave attempt not to cry. The people, presented in their best and smiling, for the sake of their queen. He gazed longingly out at the sun drenched courtyard, and wished himself away from this musty place.

He went to face forward again, shuffling his feet, and froze. Not him. It couldn't possibly be him. His blood ran cold. That wasn't him outside. There was no way it could be. Was he seeing things? The man had golden hair, startling blue eyes, and wore red. Without fully realising it, Merlin was quietly weaving his way through the crowd, desperate to prove to himself that he wasn't going mad, that no way could he be going mad. He opened the great wooden doors slightly and slipped outside. "Toilet," He muttered to the guards, who averted their eyes.

He tried not to, but he ended up running through the corridors; they were practically empty; everyone was either in the kitchens preparing for the feast or at the coronation. At last, he skidded to a halt. Magic was being used, he could sense it. But it somehow seemed familiar, as from a dream of old.

"Arthur," He said simply, his breath taken away. That was him, or at least somebody that looked like his best friend. Arthur turned towards him and smiled slightly.

"Hello Merlin."

Merlin stumbled closer, in a complete daze. "How did...?"

"The water..." He indicated to the large puddle in which he was standing in. His boots appeared to be completely dry. "You can see me because you have magic."

"Is it... okay there?"

Arthur tried not to roll his eyes. Trust Merlin to be worried about HIM. "I get by."

Something struck Merlin. "Why are you in the open, anybody could see you!"

"Only you can; you have magic."

Merlin's shoulders slumped. There was so much that he wanted to say, and now that the moment had arrived he had forgotten everything.

"Tell Guinevere that I love her."

Merlin nodded feebly. "I will."

"Merlin, I don't have much time left."

Merlin opened his mouth but Arthur spoke first.

"I know that you're blaming yourself, and you shouldn't. I was the one who got myself stabbed. You couldn't do anything."

He started to fade, Merlin could see the courtyard behind him. "Arthur!" He cried warningly.

"I will see you again. In the future." The king surveyed the skies thoughtfully. "And Merlin, look after her. Become who you were meant to be. You are making your father proud."

The king faded completely, until all that remained was the strands of lingering magic. Shouts of 'Long live the Queen!" Echoed around the castle, resounding through the streets. A new era had started, but it wouldn't be with him. With Arthur.

"To the future," Merlin whispered.