The door echoed a loud bang as Merlin closed it. The enchant by Morgana still strong as he managed to barricade the door to prevent anybody entering the room or anybody leaving. Light flooded the room. Merlin began pacing up and down as he awaited Arthur to enter the rest of his chamber. He only had one thing on his mind. It replayed over and over, driving him until he would complete it. The urge to murder Arthur had consumed him, all thanks to his enchantment. Glaring at the window he thought about what it would be like if he succeeded. Little did Merlin know that once his task had been complete he would be free of Morgana's spell and left to the consequences of his actions.
"Merlin," a voice called out. Merlin turned around swiftly to the direction of the voice. Arthur was standing only a few metres away from him, staring at Merlin. Merlin began crossing over to Arthur to close the gap. He was unsure of what to do to get even closer. His recent failures had made him extremely angry and he was itching to complete his mission. Arthur looked slightly puzzled but soon repressed the facial expression. "I'm so glad we found you, Merlin. I wouldn't know what I would have done without you. Apart from getting up on time and actually getting fed for once." Merlin swore he saw a playful smile on Arthur's mouth. He could tell Arthur was genuinely happy to see him home. However it wasn't him at all really. It wasn't the clumsy Merlin who woke up late or was terrible at polishing armour. It wasn't the Merlin who was countlessly saving not only Arthur's life but all those in Camelot. It was the Merlin who had been tied up and enchanted. The Merlin who had already failed twice already to kill Arthur. The Merlin who wouldn't stop until Arthur was dead.
Merlin was unsure about what he was doing. What he did know was that the knife inside his pocket was yearning for the weight of flesh and blood. Placing one hand upon Arthur's chest, Merlin closed in and pressed his lips to Arthur's. At first there was no kissing back, just a state of shock. Soon Merlin felt a tugging at his lips as if someone was eager to gain them for his own. Keeping his eyes closed he cast a spell upon the knife, within his other hand, so that it would penetrate Arthur's skin painlessly. As the knife pushed into Arthur's torso Merlin felt the effects of Morgana's enchantment lifting until all effect had drained from his body. Leaving him standing there, knife in hand, kissing his King.
Glistening tears started to form in his eyes are Merlin reached the realisation of his actions. He refused to lift the enchantment on the knife, as to save Arthur the pain. As he deepened the kiss between Arthur and himself he tried to heal Arthur's wound without him realising. No matter what spell he attempted to try, the wound refused to heal. Leaving Arthur's blood draining into his hands. Merlin knew clearly what was going to happen and he knew that there was nothing he could do to stop it. He had broke free of his curse too late to prevent any damage to his beloved friend. He wasn't going to deny the kisses being planted upon his lips either. Instead he welcomed them, softly and passionately. He longed to keep this going for as long as he could until his love was ripped away from him. It seemed unjust that everything he had wanted was getting ripped away from his as soon as he had obtained it. The fact that it was all spawned from an evil side of him that tried to murder Arthur and was on the way to succession stung.
Merlin's lips tore away as he could take it no longer. The tears still rolling down his cheek. He could tell that the blood was oozing still from Arthur's wound but he didn't have long before he finally lost control of the pain controlling spell and Arthur would be aware of the event. It wouldn't be long before Arthur would lay dead in his arms. His forehead barely touching Arthur's, Merlin stood there breathing hoarsely. "I am sorry..."
Arthur stared at him. Blue eyes sparkling within the sunlight. Merlin could feel the spell finally starting to wear off. He wished it wouldn't. Even if it wasn't to him, it was perfect for Arthur. "Sorry for wha-" The spell finally wore off. Merlin watched the happiness disappear from Arthur's face as the spread began to spread throughout his body. His face looked so betrayed and Merlin could see the foundations of tears forming. The smile was no longer tugging at the blonde's lips. Merlin shook his head in some desperate hope that Arthur would know that none of this was this fault. There wasn't enough time to explain. There would never be enough time.
"I am so sorry, Arthur!" His voice broke as he could hear Arthur's breathing began to become heavy. The slower it got, the more he could feel Arthur falling into his arms. Lowering to the floor he brought Arthur into his arms. Arthur looked up at him, eyes full of tears and pain. A pain that Merlin understood as betrayal. It hurt Merlin. He wanted to explain about Morgana and about his magic. He wanted to explain how it wasn't really him who had injured Arthur. Instead Arthur's last every memory would be how the only person he could trust in the world turned out to be the one to end him life. Arthur gasped as as the world around him began to blur, the light fading from his vision. Merlin tried to shake him awake, to try to get him to hold on but he knew it was pointless. There was nothing he could do and he was going to have to pay for it. Both emotionally and physically for the remainder of his life. No matter how short that shall be. As Arthur's last breath finally left his body, Merlin felt the body within his arms go limp.
Merlin had drowned out the loud banging at the chamber doors. He had drowned out the screams of the knights and the screams of Gaius and Gwen. He missed the doors being torn open and the shouts of the knights. He barely noticed how he was torn away from the screen and thrown into the dungeon floor. The last thing he remembered paying attention to was his final glance at Arthur's lifeless body laying on his chamber floor. That thought stayed with him as he was dragged down into the depths of the castle into the dungeons. It stayed with him as he stayed a cold, restless night in the cell. It stayed as the knights visited him to ask why he had done it. Whilst Gaius and Gwen visited him one last time. It stayed with him as he was dragged out to the podium within the town centre surrounded by the entire kingdom. It was the thought of Arthur's blood on his hands that stayed with him till his lasting moment. Paying for the crime that he had no control over. He hoped that Camelot would be safe without its guardian. Without its King. Merlin may have been one of the two sides of the same coin with Arthur but he was also the servant of two masters. Two masters where there had to be a clear winner and in the end it was obvious that it was Morgana who won.