A/N Wrote this watching the new series of Merlin (ETA: At the time the new series was in fact series 2), This chapter is long overdue..
Right, at the end of this chapter I will be handing out cookies to the new reviewers and giving special thanks to those who have stuck with the story, through bad writing and not quite as bad writing, you won't be left out. Thank you.
Still please review. Feel free to give constructive criticism/Point out one of my many terrible mistakes. (I don't have a beta-reader yet.) ETA: I still don't.
The final chapter.
Merlin opened his eyes, only to feel a rush of wind as the axe fell just millimetres in front of his face. He let out a small yelp and threw himself backwards.
"Or...Maybe you should have kept your eyes closed for a few more seconds." Arthur's voice reached Merlin's ears. Merlin turned to look at the prince who had a slight smirk on his face. The Executioner lie a metre or so away, unconscious.
That actually explained quite a lot, including the strange squeal the executioner had made seconds before Arthur had spoken (Merlin had just presumed it was some sort of bizarre battle cry). He stared for a few moments at the prince with a dazed look on his face and then the momentum of what had just happened hit him. Hard.
"Arthur! What are you doing!?" He stared up at the prince; blue eyes wide with shock, Arthur would be in more trouble than he could possibly understand for this. He was defying the king, aiding a sorcerer, and all of it in front of the people. It was insane.
"Rescuing you, idiot, what does it look like? You didn't think I'd actually given up did you?" Arthur smirked, but it slipped away at the look of pure rage on the kings face, he'd been planning on...making some sort of speech, using his words, making his father understand but right now that didn't look likely. Right, plan B then. Get Merlin out of Camelot.
"Can you undo the binds, with your magic I mean?" The sentence tasted odd on Arthurs tongue, he was helping a sorcerer. Arthur Gestured to the material wrapped tight round Merlin's wrists, his wrists had been bound for so long now that the binds were starting to feel like a second skin to him.
"Yes but-" Merlin tried to think of a reason not to, but he knew that right now was his last chance and Arthur was risking too much - he couldn't let that be for nothing- so instead the magic slipped from his mouth, words wrapping like liquid gold around the binds which slithered to the floor.
Arthur watched with an expression of detached amazement at the golden glow of his friend's eyes and the easiness at which he could speak the words which sounded so foreign to the prince. He snapped into action the minute Merlin was free.
He grabbed Merlin's hand, avoiding his wrist which looked like it would be painful to the touch with the skin rubbed away and the wound oozing blood.
The guards and few remaining knights were making their way through the bustling crowd, pushing people carelessly out of the way, one or two hung back with the shock of the event gluing them in place. A crossbow bolt whizzed past Merlin's ear.
Arthur dragged Merlin through the crowd, dodging knights and citizens caught in the middle of it all, desperation setting in as the guards drew closer. Merlin narrowly missed the blade of a sword that swung only inches away from his neck.
"Merlin, when I tell you to, run. I'll hold them off. There's a horse ready for you at the stables, you need to ride, and don't stop till you're well out of Camelot." More crossbows fired scattering the bolts at their feet, narrowly missing the pair. Uther was gesturing wildly for the crossbows to be stopped, they were flying too close to his son and to the people of Camelot, but the crowd was turning into a riot.
"Arthur, Camelot is my home, Ealdor is to close, there's nowhere for me to go!" Merlin's protest just made Arthur growl as swords were swung and the world closed in around them.
"You'll find somewhere, now ru-" The pause was followed by a deathly sort of silence and Arthur's fingers slipped gently from Merlin's. The young sorcerer stopped, swinging round to see the prince fall to his knees, pain filling his eyes. Time stopped, in that second, because the prince had just been shot.
Blood seeped through Arthur's fingers, the prince's hands clutched to his own chest, wet fingers tugging clumsily at the piece of wood protruding from his chest. Merlin was by his side in an instant. The deadly projectiles stopped almost as suddenly as they'd begun. Someone in the crowd screamed, the guards froze where they were, and Uther disappeared from the balcony.
Merlin moved Arthur's hands gently away with a sort of desperate panic. Merlin knew nothing about medicine, but he knew a lot about magic, and he'd already seen one friend die in such a similar way...Merlin had, for the longest time, blamed himself for Will's death, and perhaps that was illogical, but he had. He'd flipped through magic books researching ways he could have saved his childhood friend, for things he could have done differently, and it at least meant that now – now he might be able to help.
He might know how to save Arthur, and he was willing to pay any price to save the prince. The words left his mouth and he didn't stop to think of the consequences, this might kill him, but right now he didn't care, Arthur couldn't die. He couldn't.
With the press of Merlin's fingers the arrow seemed to disintegrate from Arthur's chest. Merlin's very atoms shook with the power of the magic, his eyes burning, he could do this.
Footsteps rang out across the courtyard signalling Uther's arrival. Merlin didn't stop. The kings enraged shouts didn't even reach his ears.
"Merlin what- what are you doing." Arthur gasped struggling to speak through the pain and confusion.
Merlin didn't reply. Instead he closed his eyes, pulling Arthur closer and placing his hand tighter on the wound, his brow was creased with concentration.
"It's alright Arthur. You're not going to die. I'd gladly give your life for mine." The skin of Arthur's chest knitted almost completely together and Merlin held back a yelp as a searing pain spilled from the same place in his own, it felt like the wound had torn itself into Merlin's own skin– life given life taken – but he didn't stop. When he took one last look at Arthur's eyes he could see the stars. "
Merlin wondered what happened when you died. He didn't have much time to think about it as the darkness swallowed him.
xxXxx
By the time Uther was close, both boys lay on the floor, eyes closed. Neither seemed to be breathing. There was a lot of blood.
Uther ran to his son, dropping to his knees, holding back a tidal wave of terrible anguish.
Arthur's eyes opened, but for the moment they saw only Merlin. There was a lot of blood. Merlin didn't open his eyes.
xxXxx
When they bought Merlin to Gauis the physician took one look at the boy and his face grew pale.
Arthur's heart sank.
xxXxx
Arthur held Merlin's hand while Gaius tended to the injury, he received a few looks but no one had the cruelty to question it out loud, Morgana and Gwen visited for the briefest of moments but for the most part they left them alone.
Merlin drifted in his dreams for the longest of times, but this time when he saw Arthur the prince pushed the sword into his chest instead. Merlin stopped breathing some time on the first night. Arthur stopped breathing too.
It was only when Merlin's breath returned that his did also
xxXxx
On the second day Merlin's eyes opened.
He groaned, hand moving to his head, before he dropped it back down as if burnt, pain searing from his chest as his arm moved upwards too quickly.
Arthurs gaze flickered upwards as the sorcerer stirred.
"Merlin?" Arthur was much paler than usual, his voice was strained with the effort of saying Merlin's name but most of all with the hope of it.
Merlin's eyes opened again, slower this time and smiled weakly.
"Welcome back." Arthur smiled tentatively back. "You had me worried for a while there."
"Wha- I thought I'd wake up with no head...or not at all." Merlin shuddered slightly, scrunching his eyes shut and letting his head fall back into the pillow. "What happened?"
"You almost didn't wake up." Arthur shrugged with strained casualness leaning back in the chair that now took residence besides Merlin's bed, book in his hands. He had bags under his eyes from a sleepless night and worry he couldn't quite conceal. "Honestly Merlin, performing magic in front of my father, twice, only you could do something quite so idiotic."
"The spell worked then?" Merlin's question was tentative. It was odd speaking to Arthur about magic, after keeping the secret for so long it was hard to shed the weight of it.
"I Wouldn't be here if it hadn't. You saved my life, again." Arthurs smiled warmly. "I Can't say my father was too happy about it, but when you have a crowd of angry guards, a half dead prince, and a riot of people who want the sorcerer released..."
"Your father...you mean he- I'm not banished?" Which would have been the smallest, but one of the most painful, punishments he supposed he could hope to have received.
"The people of Camelot like you Merlin, and so do I, don't get me wrong he'll make your life a living hell – and mine too no doubt - but you're welcome to stay in Camelot for as long as you like." And that said it all really.
"I don't suppose this means I don't have to muck out your stables anymore...I mean I did save your life..."
"You're not thatlucky." Arthur laughed and Merlin's grin lit up the room.
A/N So that's it. Thank you everyone who have reviewed and stuck by me.
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Many thanks again for reading, constructive criticism is always welcome!