"Arthur," merlin urged, "you should get some rest."

He had been too scared to even blink unless she was gone in that instant, or perhaps he would miss an opportunity to see her wake just a little and hear her speak. Gwen had nestled herself at Elaina's feet, cushioning her head with her enfolded arms, unable to hold on much longer. It just made him more determined to stay vigilant, so he could wake her if Elaina stirred so she could share in the moment as well.

What was strange was that morgana was still not with them. His father had excused her with the reasoning that it would be too distressing for her, but it was for all of them, yet they were present no matter how hard it was to see Elaina in this state. It wasn't so long ago that Elaina had been watching over an ailing morgana. Where was the same devotion from morgana? Because Elaina in that time had to practically be torn away from her body and did everything that she could in order to see morgana walk again.

A flicker of disappointment gripped him and he knew he wouldn't forgive morgana if she was not there for Elaina at the end, where her sister would want her.

"I'm fine."

Merlin was growing impatient at Arthur's stubbornness, having been waiting for the prince to follow in Gwen's lead, but he was used to keeping himself awake past the point of exhaustion as a knight. So he gave Merlin no other option.

Muttering a spell, Arthur wobbled on his chair with his body swaying as he still battled against sleep, then finally his eyes closed and he crashed down onto the floor with a heavy thud.

grinning, merlin wasn't going to move the prince from where he landed on the floor, "what an idiot, isn't that right Elaina?"

he laughed because he knew Elaina would have been joining in with him and may yet, if he got his cards right and managed a spell. Truthfully it would have been easier if she was just conscious enough to use her senses to come up with the correct one that he needed, or maybe she could have told them of the poison used to counteract it. Without her, he realised how much of an asset she was which he had always had to remind her of because she never did believe it.

However, her knowledge was endless even more so than Gaius's, but she never gave herself the credit she deserved. When she did wake, he promised himself that he would tell her every day just how wonderful she was and how much he appreciated all that she has done not only for him but for Arthur, Gwen, Gaius…for Camelot.

She has had it hard these past couple of years and he didn't forget that fact or take it for granted. It can't be good for someone to carry the weight that she does on her shoulders. In that aspect he could relate to her, but his burdens didn't pain him as hers must. She has had to cut off family, to feel alone and constantly on edge at any hint of danger. Looking at her on the bed, he would have given anything to be there in her stead. He should have seen it coming himself, but she always thought of others and would repeat the action over and over given another chance.

"don't worry Elaina, you're going to pull through this."

In preparation, he clicked his neck to help get into the zone. The words of incantations were easy to access in his mind, it was finding the right ones to pair together or string along in a sentence that was the difficult part. For instance, there were so many ways to light a candle but it had to be pieced just so to get the wick to ignite and he wouldn't use the same spell for lighting fires as he would in illumination. Sometimes it didn't take words at all, just determination, so he was willing to try all his tricks as Gaius had.

The old man had roused when he heard Arthur falling and had shuffled over to merlin for moral support. He hated watching on as a patient faded before him and even more when that person was someone he loved, so he put all his belief behind merlin to urge him towards success.

"off you go my boy."

In a guttural tone, feral like a dragon at times, merlin began. Some sentences were longer than others, some spells were done with a flash of gold in his irises, yet nothing was working thus far. The more he continued the more panicked he got as he was running out of ideas. He even grabbed tightly onto Elaina's arms, or the side of her head, willing her with every fibre of his being for Elaina to heal but still nothing happened. She was still motionless and the poison was making her veins darker and darker by the minute.

So consumed, he was forgetting to breath as he put all his strength and energy into his power remembering Gaius's remark on a powerful sorcerer being the antidote to a high priestess's magic. Well, that is all he had ever been told to be, as was foretold in his destiny as Emerys yet here is where it mattered and nothing was coming from that reputation.

"Gaius! Why is nothing working!" merlin cried.

shaking from top to bottom, the old man had to try and settle him with a firm hand, "I'm sorry my boy. I should not have pressured you."

Just at that the door creaked open once more and the two men debated if morgana had finally decided to show her face and see what it is she had done to her sister. A woman who has loved and cared for her and despite what Elaina herself might even say, she would welcome morgana back with open arms if she showed willingness to change, however she has only returned that favour in death.

However, it was not a voice either one of them expected.

"…even so, I will not give up hope on Elaina; Like she did not give up on me those years ago."