Season 2, Episode 4

Story 17: Does it Make it Better

Chapter 9: A Different Type of Heartbreak

The next few weeks passed quickly. Arthur had never been more euphoric. He and Iryna had officially started courting. Merlin teased him about it often, emphasizing the irony that Arthur had fallen in love with a sorceress. As if Arthur didn't already realize that irony. It had taken Arthur a long time to really accept that.

Today was the day. Arthur was ready to take the next step with Iryna. Arthur was talking to Merlin anxiously. He and Iryna were to go on a picnic. They were going to the same place that they had gone on their first picnic.

It had been Arthur's idea… Well maybe Merlin had helped a little. Okay it was completely Merlin's idea, but Arthur was the one proposing so he was more than willing to take full credit for the plan. The ring that his father and given to his mother when he proposed to her was hanging from a chain around his neck. Arthur had always thought it felt weightless, but right now it seemed to bear the weight of a thousand anxious thoughts.

Arthur was pacing. "What if she says no?" Arthur asked.

"What is the cook actually makes something edible?" Merlin responded. Arthur looked at him confused. "Oh sorry. I thought we were asking things that are outside the realm of possibility."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "I'm serious," he said anxiously.

"So am I," Merlin told him sincerely. "Anyone with eyes can see how much you two love each other."

No matter what Merlin said, Arthur could not calm down. Hours passed as Arthur waited for the time that they would finally be off on their picnic and he would be asking Iryna the most important question he would ever ask someone. Merlin kept dozing off at Gaius's work bench. How he could sleep at a time like this, Arthur would never know.

Too soon, the sun was shining brightly in the sky and it was time to go. Arthur woke up Merlin who blinked a few times before he realized where he was. "Is it time?" Merlin asked sleepily as he rubbed his eyes.

"Yes," Arthur said nervously. He felt like there was something in his stomach doing somersaults.

Arthur followed Merlin like a lost puppy as he got a basket of food from the cook and then as he saddled two horses for Iryna and Arthur. This was one trip that Merlin would not be accompanying them on. Arthur needed to do this alone.

A few moment later Iryna showed up. Arthur had thought ahead and had gotten Merlin to pick flowers this time. Arthur had them tucked into the picnic basket and he whisked them out now and handed them to her. "They're beautiful," she said with a smile.

"So are you," Arthur said to her.

Iryna blushed. Much like their first picnic, Arthur helped her onto her horse. He held her hand slightly longer than necessary, only relinquishing it after he gently kissed it.

Arthur mounted his horse and they began to ride. This trip was filled with talking. They didn't talk about anything in particular. They just talked. It was nice for them.

Back in Camelot, Merlin watched as a shadow crept off into the woods. Normally, Merlin wouldn't have thought anything of it, but something felt off about it. Merlin felt a strange nausea in his stomach and somehow he knew he would regret it if he didn't follow this person.

Merlin crept behind them. They stayed on the outskirts of the forest, ducking into shadows and for all intents and purposes, staying hidden. When they had been walking nearly thirty minutes, the figure came to a stop. Merlin was far enough away to stay hidden, but close enough that he could see and hear everything.

Merlin nearly gasped when a second person joined the shadowed figure. While he didn't know who he had followed all the way out here, he recognized their companion. It was Morgana.

"What news have you for me?" Morgana asked.

"The king is going on a picnic with that girl," the man responded. Merlin frowned. He recognized their voice, but he couldn't place where he had heard it before. "They are going alone."

Morgana nodded. "Do you know where?" She asked.

The man shook his head. "His servant said something about a creek, but that's only what I caught from their conversation earlier. I was going to ask more questions when they came for the horses, but his servant saddled them," the man said.

Merlin's eyes widened. He finally knew who it was. It was the stable boy. Merlin would never have guessed. The stable boy blended in with the background, rarely sticking out. But it was the quiet ones you had to watch out for.

"The creek," Morgana said perplexed. Merlin could see the light bulb click in her eyes. She knew exactly where the creek was. "Of course. You have been most useful."

"It's my pleasure ma'am," the stable boy said sincerely.

"I suppose it's time to pay the king a visit," Morgana said with a cruel note in her voice. She glanced at the stable boy. "You have been most useful, but all useful things run their courses. I no longer have any need of you."

With a flick of her wrist, the stable boy crumpled to the ground. Just like that, he was dead. Merlin looked away and slowly backed up. He had to get to Arthur. His heart was pounding in his chest. Once he was sure he was far enough away that he wouldn't be heard, he ran. He needed to go back to the stable and get a horse. There was no chance he would get there in time if he walked the whole way.

Faster than he ever had before, Merlin saddled a horse. He urged his horse onward, pushing it to its limits. If Merlin weren't so desperate to get to Arthur, he would never have pushed the horse as he did. But Arthur's life was on the line and Merlin couldn't risk him like that.

Merlin feared he wouldn't get there in time. Morgana had a 30 minute head start over him and he didn't know if she had had a horse waiting for her.

Merlin burst into the clearing as Arthur was hugging Iryna. Arthur looked up at the intruder, surprised to see it was Merlin. "Merlin, what are you doing here?" Arthur asked.

If Merlin weren't too busy catching his breath, there were several things he might have noticed. One thing might have been the blush on Arthur's and Iryna's cheeks. Another might have been the ring that fit so perfectly on Iryna's finger. But most importantly, he might have noticed the shadow that was lurking in the background, waiting for the king to be distracted. And what better distraction was there.

The shadow stepped out into the light and threw a dagger. Morgana had learned from her past mistakes. There would be no gloating, no taunting. She wanted to get this over with. She wanted Arthur to be dead.

Merlin reacted on instinct, knocking Arthur out of the way of the dagger.

Arthur was knocked on his side and he felt an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. Just like when Merlin had saved Arthur by pulling him out of the way of the dagger, Arthur turned surprised to see Merlin next to him. Arthur was about to thank Merlin for saving him when he noticed the dagger protruding from Merlin's stomach. The blood drained from Arthur's face. He couldn't move, couldn't talk. His entire world seemed to revolve around the fact that Merlin was hurt.

Arthur didn't even look up to see who had thrown the dagger. In his heart, he knew exactly who it was, but he didn't want proof. Merlin was muttering a string of words under his breath. There was barely any volume to his words. When he finished his spell, his eyes flickered open and closed and Arthur caught a flash of gold in his normally blue eyes.

Arthur heard a gasp and for the first time, he looked away from Merlin. He looked to Iryna, the source of the gasp, and followed her gaze. Morgana was floating and was covered with a bright blue light that seemed to be getting tighter around her. Morgana almost looked like she was shrinking until finally the blue light burned white. The light exploded in what looked like a flurry of snow that fell to the ground.

Somewhere in Arthur's head, he recognized that Morgana must be dead. He recognized it, but he couldn't process it. Not while Merlin was dying.

"Can you heal him?" Arthur asked Iryna frantically. Merlin's breathing was coming in ragged gasps.

"I don't know," Iryna said terrified. She wasn't trying to hide her tears. "I don't know the spell that would do it. I've never practiced healing magic before. But I might be able to find something in Merlin's magic book."

"We must get him back to Gaius," Arthur said, his resolve hardening. Arthur mounted Merlin's horse, being careful not to jostle Merlin too much. He waited for Iryna to mount her own horse and then they took off towards Camelot. Neither of them spoke as they rode. Iryna understood what Arthur was going through. Even if he was the last one to admit it, Arthur cared a great deal for Merlin.

When they got back to Camelot, Arthur dismounted his horse and stood holding Merlin while he waited for Iryna. "Don't wait for me," Iryna ordered him. "Get him to Gaius. I'll be right there."

Arthur felt guilty leaving her behind. She was to be his wife, he was supposed to put her above all else. But he knew he needed to get Merlin to Gaius if he wanted him to survive. Arthur reluctantly left Iryna behind and sprinted to Gaius's chambers. He burst inside to see Gaius poring over some concoction he was making for one of his many patients.

Gaius looked up annoyed at the intrusion until he saw Merlin. His face paled and he cleared off his workshop table. He laid down a sheet and instructed Arthur to put Merlin on top of it. As Gaius dressed the wound, Arthur filled him in on what happened. At some point Iryna came in. She didn't say a word to them, she just went into Merlin's chambers and grabbed his magic book. When she came back out to Gaius's workshop, Merlin looked even worse. He was pale and his breathing had slowed down.

"How bad is he?" Iryna asked.

"There is only so much I can do," Gaius said softly. "Without magic, he will die."

Iryna could feel her tears pooling in her eyes, but she refused to cry. She had to find the spell to help Merlin and it wasn't going to help if she couldn't read the words on the page because of her tears.

It seemed like hours had passed as Iryna looked through the book. The only thing that kept her looking was the sporadic breathing she heard coming from Merlin. Finally, when she was ready to give up, she found it. At the very bottom of a page, in very small writing, under a very large picture of a man with a sword sticking out of him, was the spell.

Gaius stopped what he was doing to Merlin when he saw Iryna stand up. He and Arthur moved out of the way to give her some space.

Iryna brought the book over to Merlin. She rested it on his chest as she put her hands over his wound. Iryna concentrated harder than she ever had before. "Efencume aetgaedre eala gastas: gesticie pis lic forod!" She chanted. Her eyes were closed as she focused.

When Iryna opened her eyes, she hoped to see Merlin's wound healing itself. She had hoped to see color returning to his face, life returnimg to his eyes. But nothing happened.

Again and again, Iryna chanted the spell until she was saying it like a mantra. Over and over again she said it until Merlin took his last shuddering breath.

You could hear a pin drop.

Arthur stared in shock. It didn't seem possible, yet the proof was before him in the still body of his manservant. He remembered how once, long ago, he and Merlin had spoken about the different kinds of heartbreak. Arthur could feel his heart breaking and this was the worst one he had suffered yet. It was one that left him feeling like he was choking on air.

Dead. His manservant was dead. His best friend was dead.

*Hides behind laptop* Please don't hate me!