This is the first of the two chapters I'll be uploading today, the other will be up later tonight when I get off work
"There is another prophecy…" Isolade began, a faraway look in her eyes as she sank to the ground beside Gwaine and began mindlessly smoothing the sand in front of them with her hands.
The Keeper growled a warning but it was too low for Gwaine to make out the words and Isolade continued as if he hadn't spoken at all, "Arthur is not the only one who is capable of uniting Albion, there is another."
At the sound of his name, Arthur perked up and, moving into Gwaine's line of sight, took a seat across from them hanging on every word that left the woman's mouth.
"I have heard whispers, secrets passed from father to son and mother to daughter for generations that speak of a far more powerful man, a man who has no need for the sword but can subdue an entire army with a single word. A man cloaked in shadows and shrouded by mystery, a man who does not simply use magic but is the physical embodiment of the very force that holds the universe together. This man would not only be able to unite Albion, but he would be able to ensure the peaceful reign of its king from now until forever. He has many names, to some he is Ambrosius, to others he is Emrys, but to you he is Merlin."
Her voice seemed to linger in the air even after she finished speaking, the memory of its silvery tone filling Gwaine and Arthur's ears as they stared transfixed at the woman before them, considering what she'd revealed. The heavy silence was only broken when the Keeper stood, incredulously shaking his head at his daughter as if he didn't even know her.
"What have you done?" he whispered, "Albion will only achieve lasting peace under the reign of king Arthur, you know that, it's been prophesied for centuries and nothing we can do will reverse the consequences if you decide to disregard that."
"That's where you're wrong, Father." Isolade spat, gold flecks sparking in her violet eyes as her previously serene features turned fiery in a matter of seconds, "I have seen farther and learned more than you could ever hope to and I'm tired of you holding me back. You may once have been the most powerful seer in the world but no longer, you threw that away when you stole me from my home and left my mother to die."
"Isolade…" the Keeper began, reeling from the thinly veiled resentment in his daughter's words, words which had burst so easily and unexpectedly from her mouth.
"Enough!" she yelled, turning her back on her father as she knelt in the sand once again, "If this boy dies, I will never see my mother again and that is not something I am willing to risk."
She put her hands on Arthur's shoulders, drawing his puzzled gaze away from the Keeper until it locked with her own. "We can save him, Arthur" She assured, her voice deep with determination as her fingers dug into the muscles on his arms, "but such a spell does not come without a price and, given the importance of this boy, it will be high."
Arthur hesitated for a second, doubt clouding his expression for a moment so fleeting it almost wasn't there at all. Before it could rise to the surface, he banished it completely, giving a curt nod and bringing his own hands up to rest lightly on Isolade's narrow shoulders. "Tell me what I have to do to save him."
A ghost of a smile passed across her lips but her eyes never lost their solemn intensity as she began to speak. "There is a very old, very powerful spell that I can use to return Merlin to full health but it will require the sacrifice of royal blood, given willingly and without coercion to save the life of a friend; and that is not all, you must understand that if you agree to these terms, the spell cannot be stopped, no matter what happens, and the effects can never be reversed. The process will only be complete when you take your last breath and pass through the veil of shadows, making the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of another."
Arthur swallowed nervously, Adam's apple bobbing as he considered what Isolade had just revealed, it wasn't that he was hesitant to save Merlin's life, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would do whatever it took to bring the boy back, but death was so final and, now that it was upon him, every breath seemed far more precious. How many times had he thought to himself that he would gladly sacrifice his life for Merlin's and here he was with the opportunity right in front of him so why was his heart pounding so furiously in his chest?
It probably had something to do with the loving chocolate brown eyes of his wife that had risen to the forefront of his mind and the lingering echo of her parting words: just make sure you come home, I can't live without you. He felt guilty just thinking about it, he loved Gwen and it broke his heart to even consider leaving her in this way, to abandon her when she so clearly needed him but then he glanced at Merlin and his mind was made up for him.
Gwen was beautiful, smart, charming, cheerful, a breath of fresh air in a life that had all too often been characterized by his father's distance and formality, he loved her but Merlin was special, he was… well Merlin. Arthur had always shared a deeper connection with the boy than he had with anyone else in the world and that bond had only grown stronger over the past several weeks plus, if the roles were reversed, Arthur had no doubt in his mind that Merlin would already have given himself over to Isolade to save his king. The boy was loyal to a fault, which was yet another cause for concern.
It was all well and good to get on with the spell but what would Merlin think when he woke up? It wasn't a question Arthur would have considered months or even weeks ago but this quest had changed him significantly and he was forced to consider the consequences that would result from his decision, all of the consequences. It wasn't just himself and Gwen that he had to think about but Merlin, who would have to live the rest of his life with the guilt and pain of knowing that Arthur was dead because of him.
It would absolutely kill the boy to know that he had failed in his misguided mission to keep the king alive and that was almost enough to get Arthur to decide against using the spell. If there was anything he was familiar with it was survivor's guilt, the gut-wrenching feeling of injustice, the taunting voice in his head that asked what he had done to deserve life when so many better men had perished. The guilt he'd felt after Lancelot had sacrificed himself to the veil to save Camelot had almost ruined him and he would never wish those feelings upon his worst enemy let alone his best friend.
He wrestled with that for a while but in the end he just couldn't do it, couldn't let Merlin die, not when there was something to be done about it. He tried to picture Camelot the way the boy had always imagined it but it was no good, without Merlin all the color and joy would be sucked from his life, leaving him an empty shell, a pale shadow of the man he once was, hardly capable of running his own kingdom let alone uniting Albion in peace. He imagined waking up on time for once and being waited on hand and foot by George or some other drearily reverent bootlicker and he felt his heart begin to break because that wasn't what he wanted at all, he wanted Merlin and if sacrificing his own life was the only way to save the boy, he had to do it.
Steeling himself, he raised his head, ready to give Isolade the go ahead but suddenly the Keeper spoke, his voice far heavier and older sounding than Arthur had ever heard it before. "Consider carefully Pendragon, there is a reason this spell has not been performed for centuries and a reason that the second prophecy is only a whisper in the dark. Isolade knows well how to persuade and beguile but the story she's spun will not end well, I have seen it. It is true that what she plans to do will save your friend's life but at what cost? I fear that by travelling down this path you will not save the boy but rather curse him for all eternity."
"Don't listen to my father, Arthur." Isolade said, placing her hands on his cheeks and gazing deep into his eyes, "I can save Merlin, I can give him new life."
"New life." The Keeper repeated, rolling the words around in his mouth as if they were a fine wine. "Yes, new life again and again for all eternity. The boy will never age, he will remain in his prime while his friends and family grow old and die. He will still feel pain, still bleed, still get sick but he will never know the comfort of death at the end of a long and fulfilling life. He will be doomed to walk the earth forever, alone, tired, broken down and knowing far too much for any one person to handle. I have lived a long time and I know how it can be, trust me when I say that this decision, should you choose to proceed, will haunt you even beyond the veil and you will regret having disrupted the natural order when you are separated from the man who forms your other half, likely until the end of time."
Arthur listened carefully to the Keeper's words, knowing better than to brush off his advice again and by the time he had finished, Arthur had decided to heed his warning and decline Isolade's help. He was still very young but already he felt far older than his years, felt the burden of running his kingdom all too keenly and he could not even imagine living forever. He wanted Merlin back but, if he really looked at himself deep down, that was a selfish desire and not at all what was best for the boy in this situation.
Tears flooded his eyes as he felt the despair begin to eat away at him inside, gnawing a giant hole through his heart at the thought of life without Merlin but he clenched his teeth together and raised his eyes to Isolade's once again, he would do this, he would let Merlin go, sacrifice his happiness and desires in hopes that he would see the boy again one day and that Merlin would be in a better place until then.
"I'm sorry" he began, swiping angrily at the at his cheeks as he tried to hide the tears, "but I just can't—"
And then Merlin started to convulse in Gwaine's arms and Arthur was by his side in less than a second. The boy's eyes were open and, although he was too far gone to register the king kneeling above him, the abject terror in the depths of his blue eyes was not lost on Arthur. Merlin gasped, trying desperately to force air into his failing lungs and, as his lips started to turn blue, Arthur changed his mind once again.
"I'll do it." He said, quietly at first then more loudly as he turned to face the Keeper and his daughter, "I'll do it."
Sorry about the cliffie but at least this time you won't have to wait very long for the next chapter. Please review!