Arthur's hand trembles as he tries his best not to tear the letter in half completely. Time has never felt as still as this…His heart screams at him to shred it to pieces…To not look. His hands quake even stronger as the letter unfolds in his clammy hands. His blood almost freezes in his veins as he recognizes the handwriting: Morgana.

"Arthur, what is it?" Guinevere asks sensing his inner turmoil. Fear floods her heart as she begins to realize who it had to be from; the queen brings her left hand to her mouth, trying to stifle the horror that threatened to bubble up. Arthur's face remains stationary though his heart claws desperately at his throat as he reads the words that come right from his darkest of nightmares:

"Dearest brother,

By the time you read this fate-filled letter your pet of a servant will be gone. The earth will mourn and will bask in his blood.-"

"T-this cannot be happening... This cannot be happening..." He mumbles incoherently to himself; begging to God the words were not true…Merlin could never die. He just can't. It's unthinkable…It's laughable…No…It is torturous. The king stumbles slightly over his own feet; he just barely catches himself of the corner of his desk; his knees almost collapsing beneath him. His world is shattering…Everything is darkness. Pure madness…

MERLIN

After hours of searching Merlin finally finds the last herb on the list: Rue.

Merlin can't stand the stuff…Its sour smell always makes him nauseous; now being no exception.

"Ugh," Merlin complains as he brings his blue neckerchief up to his nose; his face in a deep scowl.

"Yep…Definitely Rue," the young warlock mumbles sourly, eying the green plant with hate; not needing Gaius' old beaten book. Merlin reluctantly releases his nose and begins to mutter a spell that would lessen the stench when a twig snaps behind him. He immediately tenses as the presence behind him is without doubt human and undeniablyfull of murderous intent…Merlin's back almost burns from the hate-filled gaze…His skin covering with goose bumps.

A Saxon...? No, they never come this close to Lake Avalon...The warlock takes in a deep, shaky, breath before shifting cautiously trying to stand up to face the foe.

His magic swells screaming at him to run but before he can move a muscle a blade pokes his back teasingly.

"You dare venture this far into the woods alone, Merlin? You are braver than you look." A familiar voice laughs darkly behind the warlock making his blood run cold:

Morgause…

…

Arthur's breath halts in his chest, everything is just so wrong.

"You have taken everything from me, Arthur Pendragon. So I will take everything from you; starting with Merlin."

"Arthur!? What's wrong?!" Gwen pleas loudly, gripping onto his wrists trying to pry his horror filled eyes away from the damned letter to no avail. His vise grip on the paper and dead blue eyes send her heart into complete despair.

Damn you…Damn you, Morgana! Tears spill down her face with each word piercing her raw heart…Her friend…Her dearest of friends…Gone. Replaced by a murderess…A woman now torturing her beloved… She cups a sweaty hand over her husband's unnaturally chilled cheek begging him to look at her; begging him to stop repeating Merlin's name in the most heart wrenching voice she had heard since Arthur's father died all those years ago…Her pleas grow louder as she sobs into his chest, unable to stop the deep cobalt eyes turning almost grey with loss and disgust. Gwen screams out with everything she has, begging Arthur to stop.

"My lady?!" Deeply concerned voices yell from down the corridor, within moments the door is kicked open and Leon, Percival, and Lancelot all stare at the scene before them:

The queen pressed tightly up against a rather blue Arthur whose eyes were filled with all the horrors of the world…The knights' gawk at Arthur's distorted face; their hearts tearing out of their chest with each cry the queen let out.

"Guinevere...!" Lancelot cries out as he tries to pry the sobbing woman off the frozen man. The queen shakes off the knight's hands that try to console her; sending a lashing to Lancelot's already broken heart.

The blonde king ignores the chaos around him as his eyes are unable to pry away from the torturous words that taint and murder their light:

"You should have kept him on a tighter leash, Pendragon. Morgause will not show the whelp any mercy. You have seen what power she holds with a blade… Her blade will bathe in his blood from tip to hilt. She will enjoy every moment of it as his face twists in agony…My only regret is not being there to witness his facial expression when the blade pierces his heart… I wonder if he cried for out for you? Is he crying out for you right now? Do you wonder the same?"

"Oh my God," Arthur croaks out barely able to keep himself upright. He brings a shaking hand up to his mouth in pure terror as visions of Merlin lying bleeding, alone and possibly dying flash into his muddled and dread-filled mind.

Arthur releases the letter as if it were on fire, stumbling further back, almost desperate to put distance between him and the paper.

The letter flutters to the ground in silence. Arthur stares at it still unable to piece together how one paper could send his world crumbling…How one letter…One letter could send Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot's mind crumbling to pieces. Guinevere screams desperately at him (as well as the knights) but Arthur hears nothing…Only the sound of his heart beating…Only his own ragged breathing.

"Sire?!" Leon half yells as the King backs further away, shaking his head violently. His eyes still gawking at the letter as his back hits the stone wall. Arthur's hands grip onto the wall trying to hold his unstable state upward with all their might.

The knights all watch in horror as Arthur's legs collapse beneath him and he plummets to the floor, landing heavily on his knees with a loud thud. The knights all rush to their king's side begging him to explain what was happening whilst Lancelot grabs Guinevere who had fallen with Arthur and was desperately clasping onto his pallid face begging him to look at her.

Lancelot allows Gwen to sob into his chest as he lays his chin over her head, rocking slightly trying to console the queen to the best of his abilities. He squeezes his eyes shut in pain as she lets out another round of wails clenching frenziedly to his tunic.

With the cursed letter still in plain sight Arthur is forced to finish Morgana's last words in his mind as he had read them at least a hundred times over… Memories of his youth flood back as a young and innocent Morgana would leave riddles and poems on his bed or near his door; her childish way of inviting him to play with her. Instead of a fond and innocent feeling the memories make him sick to his stomach as he re-reads her last sentiments in his head:

"On the ground his blood will run,
soaking the earth until the deed is done,
all alone in the forest deep,
off to Avalon in a deep deep sleep."

Whoa, this was seriously depressing to write…Just seeing and trying to describe Arthur's face made my heart ache. :[

I had to add in the Lancelot/Gwen moment. My brain wouldn't allow me to continue if I didn't.

Gwen really depressed me in this chapter. Why do I always depress myself? ; ~ ;

I need to write something cheerful…

Only one more part guys…Next part will definitely be longer (I think). I have so many ideas my head hurts. Lol

Please tell me what you think, even just one word will do. :]

I find it amazing that I almost have 90 followers… I didn't think my story would get that many lol

Best wishes always,

Lthien~