WARNING: This fiction contains spoilers for Season 5.
Tag: 5x08 - The Hollow Queen.
An: Yes, I'm back for more - I did warn you. I couldn't decide at first whether to write this in the present tense or the past tense, but in the end I went for latter because I kept slipping into it by accident. This chapter's 'glimpse' is focused on Merlin's moments as the poison spreads through his body and death seems certain. It might have a second part. We'll see. Also, once again, this is unbetaed and mostly unedited. Pleas forgive me for my mistakes.
Anyway, as always, please read and review - but, important of all, please enjoy.
The pain was some of the worst that Merlin had ever felt. It consumed his whole body, flaring with every heartbeat as the same organ that kept him alive continued to kill him.* The foreign liquid was like ice in his veins but he was powerless to stop it as it spread throughout his body.
He had been poisoned once before. It was eight years ago now, and to be honest, he couldn't really remember much about it apart from Nimueh's trickery and Gwen kissing him. Just another injury in his life of protecting Arthur, the king prat. And now he was here again, apart from this time, he was very much awake for his ordeal and there was certainly no Arthur coming to rescue him.
Tha-thump. Tha-thump.
Merlin's heart had long since quieted from the frantic beat it had set after he'd discovered Daegal's bretayal, even going so far as to now be slower than perhaps it should be.
It was ironic really, that he'd set up his own murder so perfectly. Daegal had come to see him late at night, unseen by anybody. Merlin, like the blind fool he'd been, had accepted his story without questioning it. Oh, yes, he'd refused at first, but he'd caved soon enough. Even Gaius, the man who was now covering for him, didn't know the boy's name or what he looked like.
Now Arthur probably thought he was picking herbs - wait, no, at the tavern - and even Gaius wouldn't worry for a few more hours.
Tha-thump … tha-thump.
Death was drawing closer. Its icy clutches already had a hold on him. It wouldn't be long now.
Merlin's thoughts turned to Gwen, the traitorous queen who was yet another name on his list of failures, right below Morgana. He hoped that Gaius would tell Arthur, someone, anyone about her betrayal so that they could be on the look out for more murder attempts that Merlin would never get to stop. Maybe they would even manage to convince her to come back to her friends, to the people that loved her - to fix the things that he would never get a chance to.
Tha…thump … tha…thump.
His body was no longer obeying his commands. At some point, his eyes had closed and Merlin found himself wishing for one last glimpse of the world he was soon to depart.
So much for his destiny.
Maybe he could add that to his list of failures.
Tha…thump.
So long Arthur. I'm sorry.
Tha…
*In case this wasn't clear, I was referring to how his heart was pumping blood around his veins and spreading the poison.
