The last thing he'd seen was her. Nimueh had given him his wish, but Arthur didn't even have chance to go to her as he succumbed to darkness. He had finally managed to see the true Alethea for the first time since the tournament but from the glimpse he caught of her, he found her to be nearly dead. All he'd wanted to do was go and free her and hold her in his arms, never letting any harm come to her, but that had been denied him. All he had seen was her before he had blacked out, not knowing whether he would wake again or not. After all, Nimueh had said he could join Alethea, but he had no idea if she was dead or not, so if she was dead did that mean he would also die?

He felt no pain as he drifted in the darkness, but instead his mind decided to take him back a few months to the time he'd first met the girl. At that time Arthur had only been concerned at the fact that she was obviously a sorceress as she had arrived out of thin air and so should be punished. He hadn't actually been able to foresee the events he had put into motion. The fact that Alethea had managed to beat two of his guards and go running off was one thing, the fact that they later found her was another. Arthur had had no idea why he had been so concerned for her welfare at that time, but it was later that he realised. He had been quite taken with her. That's why he hadn't gone chasing after his assassin straight away on the day Alethea had saved him. He'd needed to make sure that she was alright, and to tell her the news. That's why he'd gone to see her himself that evening to explain the trial. He vainly hoped that she would have been found innocent, but it was not to be. It had only taken the trial for him to realise his true feelings for her.

At first he'd been scared to let them surface. After all, she was to die, but then he had found his courage. He couldn't let her die and have her blood on his hands, that's why he'd helped her to escape. He couldn't deny that he'd been worried when he'd had to carry her from the cell, but he had been thankful that she was still alive. He had left her with protection and transportation but she didn't use either. She couldn't. She didn't know how to. It hadn't been enough, and she'd been captured soon after. Arthur didn't see her alive again for quite some time. He'd been punished for her escape, being locked away in his room and he wore down the soles of his boots to be as thin as parchment from pacing the room, worrying about the fate of the girl. When the news had come that she was dead, Arthur had been devastated to say the least. It had been with a heavy heart that he took her body from Camelot for the last time and chosen a final resting place in the forest. His heart had nearly been torn from him that day. He could remember the weight of her body in his arms, her arms hanging limp and her eyes closed. She looked peaceful, but her skin was covered in marks from her stay in the dungeons. How anyone could be so cruel to her, Arthur didn't know. It had taken all of his strength to dig her grave, but it was harder to finally lay her to rest. It had only been the appearance of his friends that gave him the will to let the damp earth cover her, and then to finally leave her. He would probably have stayed there had it not been for them.

He thought that that was the last time he'd see her, but he was wrong. Two months later she came back to him in the heat of battle. He didn't recognise her at first, perhaps because of the change in her appearance or because she was fighting him. She had singled him out and it was only as she was wounded that Arthur realised what he had done. He just wanted to make everything better and have her in one piece, that's why his decision with Nimueh had been hard. It had only been Alethea's words that persuaded him to save his father. The moment that Nimueh was gone and his father was fine, he'd been with Alethea, telling her that she'd pull through. He still hadn't told her he loved her. He'd thought her dead, but she recovered and Arthur was at her beck and call, doing all he cold to keep her comfy. Only now did he realise just how annoying it must have been for Alethea to be held in a gilded cage, unable to do anything without help.

She'd left him then. He should have seen it coming, with her reluctance and something hidden in her eyes. On that last night that he'd seen her when she was saying goodbye, Arthur hadn't believed her. He had been wrong to do so. When he asked her to the feast, he could sense some treachery, but he'd foolishly ignored it. He hadn't said good bye. He hadn't had the strength to do so. Instead he had kissed her, hoping that somehow it would make her stay. All he had wanted was for her to choose him over home. Such a foolish notion, he now realised. You may take a person from their family and friends, but you can't take them from the person. It must have been such a tough decision for Alethea to make, but she had chosen home over him, even though she knew of his feelings for her. Arthur still had the letter she'd sent him on the day she'd left. He carried it with him wherever he went, just as a way to remember her. He could still feel the heartache and suffering he'd felt, and the despair upon the discovery that he had only been a moment too late to stop her. Only now did he realise that she'd been walking straight into a trap and even if he had got there in time, he would not have been able to stop her from leaving him.

The Alethea that returned to him after the tournament was not the Alethea he'd fell in love with. He'd decided that it was some weird effect of travel, but he'd been wrong. All of the talks, feasts and walks since that day had been with the sorceress. All this time he'd been courting a dangerous sorceress, an enemy of his father and the kingdom no less. The enemy had been right under their noses and the moment he'd suspected it, Camelot had been attacked. So many men dead, Arthur realised, and yet his father had been allowed to live. Did this mean that Nimueh would tell the King that his son was dead and let him suffer? Or did it mean she just wanted to torment him and give him a long slow death? Arthur did not know, nor did he care at that moment in time. He still had the image of a trapped Alethea stuck in his mind, so for the moment he was concentrating on waking up. He had to save her like she had saved him, and then they could both save Camelot together. That was the plan at least. If only he could just wake up. That's all he had to do.

He was nice and warm where he lay, and he could feel a bit of pain as something kept randomly hitting him. As soon as it had begun though, it stopped. He could hear someone sobbing and feel soft drops of water come from above. It soon stopped but he could still hear someone sobbing. Could it be…? Now he put up a really good fight against the darkness. It would not and could not have him. Not yet. Someone else needed him more. As he began to win his fight, he heard someone speak. Soft and kind, yet with sadness and heartbreak behind them. Then the warmth enveloped the rest of his body. He now had no idea if he had opened his eyes or not, as all he could see was darkness. Blinking, there was no difference. His body ached and his head buzzed, but he knew that someone had been crying on him. There was a wet patch on his tunic where tears had soaked through and were now in his armour. Arthur allowed himself a small smile. It seemed that someone was missing him. In fact, from what he heard, that someone was still close by. It was then that he realised that he'd been covered with a blanket or cloak of some sort. Someone well and truly believed him dead. Then again, no doubt the whole of Camelot also thought him dead. Well, he'd soon put them out of their misery.

Flexing his fingers to put some feeling back into his arms, Arthur swore that he could hear someone talking. A young woman's voice it was, and there were no prizes for guessing whose it was. Alethea. Letting his fingers flex a little bit more, he carefully and slowly moved his arms up towards his face, trying not to cause himself too much pain as he did so. It seemed he'd taken quite a few knocks in the battle and on landing here. Slowly but carefully, he removed the fabric from his face before squinting in the harsh light of day. Giving himself a moment, he carefully sat up and looked at his surroundings. He was in a forest, but not the one that surrounded Camelot, and sat on a log with her back to him was Alethea. There was no mistaking her. Smiling a little more, Arthur wondered if it would be too cruel to scare her. It was obvious that she had heard nothing anyway. Pulling himself to his feet, he waited for a moment to gain his balance and stop swaying before silently and carefully creeping up behind her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he shook them.

"Boo!" Alethea practically jumped out of her skin.

"What the…." she exclaimed, before turning around and seeing who it was. She was on her feet in seconds, clinging onto Arthur for dear life. She pressed her lips to his, pouring her love into it and a few moments later broke off. If Arthur had had any doubts that she was Nimueh then they were now gone. He was absolutely certain that even Nimueh would not do that, no matter what.

"Hello…"

"Arthur, you're alive!" she said, with so much joy and happiness and a wide grin on her face.

"So I am." He smiled, wrapping his arms around her.

"I thought you were…that you were…" she said sadly, not able to finish her sentence.

"Dead? Me? Never." he smiled. "It's going to take more than Nimueh to get rid of me Alethea."

"And thank God for that." She smiled. "I've missed you. You've been the only thing that's kept me alive these past few days."

"Has it really only been days? It's felt like months." Arthur said. "And I've missed you too. I thought you were dead as well." He paused before adding "And you are never to leave me like that again."

"I'm sorry Arthur. It was the only way for me to go. I couldn't… I couldn't bare to break your heart face to face." She said, looking away.

"Well, now you have time to make up for it."

"I suppose I do." she laughed. "I'm so sorry." she added after a moment.

"What for now?" Arthur asked, intrigued.

"Nimueh. She tricked me."

"She's tricked us both. You have no idea what she's done in your name."

"I know she has tried to cause Camelot's downfall." Alethea said, avoiding his gaze and letting go of him.

"And she has succeeded in that." He trailed off. "But not in your guise. Nimueh attacked Camelot in her own form."

"But it has fallen, and it is my fault."

"No Alethea, it isn't." he assured her.

"It is. If I had never wanted to get home so badly…"

"You were not to know what was going to happen. You can't be sorry for wanting to return to your family. If I was in your position, I'd be wanting to get home too." Arthur told her, making her sit down before sitting beside her. "You weren't to know that you were walking straight into a trap."

"Straight into Nimueh's arms. Out of the frying pan and into the fire." she mused.

"What has she done to you Alethea?" Arthur asked, noticing the blood on her arms a few minutes later.

"Nimueh tied me to that tree over there and I've frozen in the cold, gotten soaked with the rain and been powerless to move. I had my heart broken and my will tested there. I've been waiting for a rescue but seeing you gave me the strength I needed to free myself. These are what I got for loving you." She said, tears forming in her eyes. Arthur just wrapped his arm arms around her, holding her tight.

"Well then, Nimueh will never touch you again. I will not let any harm come to you Alethea. You're too precious to me." he said softly, meaning every single word. "No one will hurt you anymore. I'll make sure of that. You're safe now."

"But who will protect you?" she asked. "Arthur, I cannot live without you. I've just discovered that. I cannot let you die for me."

"It is a price I would be willing to pay."

"One that I would not forgive you for paying. Arthur Pendragon, son and heir of Uther, King of Camelot, you will not die for me. I forbid it."

"Then I will try not to die, for your sake." he smiled. "You were talking to me, weren't you?"

"I'm afraid I was." she told him. "I thought you'd gone. I'd tried everything I could to save you, but you were stubbornly clinging onto death. I needed to talk to keep my sanity."

"Well, thank you. It worked." Arthur said, stroking her hair. "Although, since when am I 'your prince'?"

"Since you died on me."

"Then, if I'm your prince, then what are you?"

"Just simple me." Alethea shrugged. "Not your princess, that's for sure."

"Why not?" Alethea shot him a glare at him.

"It's not meant to be. The legends don't include me."

"Stuff the legends."

"I suppose Merlin hates me." she said a few minutes later after an awkward silence.

"Why?"

"Since I left him after he tried to persuade me to stay."

"He does not hate you Alethea. In fact, he was the first to notice Nimueh. He was worried about you and thinks you dead, which you're obviously not. But if only you had waited a few moments then I would have arrived. I got there too late."

"Perhaps it was meant to be. I was brought to Camelot for a reason it would seem, and that reason is you."

"Me?" Arthur asked, a little perplexed.

"To show me what real love is and to save the kingdom from ruin." Alethea smiled. "I think it's about time we were honest with each other, don't you?"

"I think so."

"Then, Arthur Pendragon, I suppose I'd best tell you that you are a handsome young man who will make a great king one day, and I love you."

"Then, Alethea, you are a fine young woman who is the most brilliantly fantastic person I have ever met and I love you too." Words that had never been said to each other came flooding out of their mouths but they were just altogether too happy to be together. Fate had thrown them a line, but for how long could they stay together?

"How are we going to get back to Camelot?" Now that was a good question.

"I do not know."

"We both got here by magic, so how can we get back?"

"If only…" said Arthur.

"What?"

"Something Nimueh said. You might know… In fact, you do know, what with being from the future and all, is Merlin a magician?" Alethea paused for a minute, before deciding what to tell him.

"He isn't. Nimueh likes lying, you of all people should know that. Besides, even if he was, he probably thinks us both dead and we'd never get a message to him."

"True. So we're stuck here then."

"For the time being, it would seem so." Alethea said softly, snuggling close to Arthur, still unable to believe that he was alive and that any minute she'd open her eyes to find his corpse lying in the corner of the clearing.

"Then that's no bad thing."

"How so?" Alethea asked the Prince.

"I've got you with me." Smiling, Alethea just laughed with Arthur. They may be trapped for the time being, but at least they were both alive, and both together at last.