The sun shone down brightly upon the green grass and the stones that surrounded Merlin. He turned slowly in a circle. He couldn't believe that he was dead when everything around him was so alive. Merlin's gaze finally settled on Arthur. He looked angry. Merlin thought he should say something to try and lighten the mood.
"Why would you do this," Arthur demanded.
So much for that, Merlin thought. "I missed you."
"So suck it up Merlin! The kingdom needed you. I needed you, to be there for Camelot."
"I know. I feel terrible."
Arthur was silent. He was still glaring at Merlin. He seemed like there was something else he was holding back. "Why were you embracing my wife in bed," he said at last. Arthur knew there would surely be a logical explanation and then he would look foolish but he didn't care. He needed answers.
"That's what's on your mind?" Merlin gulped. How Arthur had even seen them was what he wanted to know. Had Arthur been watching everything since he died? Merlin dared not voice his thoughts now. "Well, we were both missing you," he began. "We were just talking… about you. Then we took comfort in one another. It was only for a moment and it will never happen again," Merlin vowed.
Arthur was not satisfied. A deep fear had started to grow in his heart. "That can't have been all. Would you have taken comfort with Cook if she had been there instead?"
Merlin shuddered at the thought. "I guess, for me at least, Gwen feels like a piece of you still left in the world. That makes me feel closer to her than any other woman."
"I love her Merlin."
"I know! I would never intentionally do anything to hurt you. That's why I left Camelot. I didn't want to betray you! I felt like I had already betrayed you. I felt lost."
Arthur didn't want to believe that there was anything more to this than Merlin had said. He knew Merlin would never allow himself to care for Guinevere as more than a friend but he had to hear that from Merlin himself. "You have feelings for Guinevere. Admit it Merlin, I can see that it's true," Arthur accused, even as he hoped more than anything that it weren't true.
"No."
Arthur stared him down. Merlin was saying one thing but his face was saying another.
Merlin felt conflicted. How could he admit to Arthur that he did feel something for Gwen? "I'm sorry! I don't know how it happened. I know it isn't real. And it doesn't matter now anyway, does it?"
Arthur couldn't breathe. He wondered if he was cursed to be forever betrayed by those he loved. He shook his head in disgust at Merlin. "I don't know why we are wasting time on this," he said in a flat tone. "If what you said is true, then Morgana has taken over your body and we should be following her to see what she is up to. We need to find a way to warn Gwen. Perhaps if she blew the horn, it might work the same way as it did on my father and send Morgana back to the land of the dead."
Merlin looked at Arthur with a broken expression. "Arthur…"
"No! I can't hear any more right now. We need to get moving."