Alethea stayed where she was, crying into the Prince's armour. She had been there for quite some time and yet her tears still fell. She couldn't believe that she had lost him at the same moment that he had come to rescue her. Now she would never be able to apologise for leaving him too early. She would never have the chance to taste his lips on hers again or feel his warm embrace. She would not see those sparkling blue eyes that could penetrate her very soul nor would she hear his voice with its soothing tones and kind words. Never again would she be able to admire his skill with a sword nor his talents in the arena. She would not be able to forgive herself either for allowing this to happen. It had been her fault that Nimueh had been sent away, and her fault again that Camelot was currently being attacked by the self same sorceress. Because of Alethea's wish to return home, Nimueh had been allowed to escape and Arthur was now dead. Nimueh had managed to destroy the one thing that Alethea loved most of all at Camelot. She had managed to destroy the one thing that could have kept Alethea from going home, and it broke Alethea's heart.

"No…Arthur, please….You can't leave me…Not now!" Alethea sobbed. "You can't leave me now after everything that's happened. You've just found me again. You can't abandon me now." she pleaded, looking to the sky to find clouds gathering over head. She just shrugged. She didn't care any more if it rained or not. She didn't care about anything anymore.

"Arthur, please, wake up… If not for me then for your kingdom, but please, just wake up." She said, shaking his shoulders but he did nothing. He just lay there, not breathing and not moving.

"Please, my Prince, just open your eyes." she pleaded, but he did no such thing. Then she realised that she had lost him good and proper. There would be no bringing him back from the brink of death, as Death already held him in his grasp.

Her eyes now dry, Alethea sat beside the dead Prince, tenderly brushing a few stray hairs from his forehead. He didn't look dead, but like he was sleeping. It was going to take a lot of time for Alethea to realise that he was gone for good. She didn't even care that he was long dead by the time she was born. She had been brought back for a reason, and she had met Arthur. To have his death on her conscience would haunt her for the rest of her life.

"Come on…It's not meant to end this way. You're supposed to build a mighty kingdom with Merlin's help and set an example for all future kings. You can't do that if you're dead." She smiled slightly as she stated the obvious. "And it isn't Nimueh who kills you, nor magic, but a boy called Mordred. Things aren't meant to happen this way." She paused, as if waiting for a reply but she knew that one would never come. She was still expecting him to sit up with a smile on his face and laugh at his own joke. Alas, it was not to happen.

"I suppose it's too late now to tell you Arthur, but I love you. The moment I stepped through the portal was the moment I regretted doing so. Even before Nimueh escaped, I hated myself for leaving you. I know you were long dead before I was even born, but that hasn't stopped me loving you nor you loving me. I kind of wish that I was a sorceress now. Perhaps then I could save you… Or then again I would be dead already. Whichever, you would certainly not be lying here now." The first few drops of rain began to fall and more followed. It seemed that even the sky was mourning Arthur's death.

"It's raining now my Prince. I can't remember if there was ever a rainy day whilst I was at Camelot. I'm sure it wouldn't hide it's magnificence though. I don't think anything would be able to destroy the memory of it either. The castle will become the stuff of legends. So many books will be written about it and the people who are in it. You, Merlin, Uther, Nimueh, Morgana, Guinevere… All of you will become famous, as will your knights of the round table. And not only books will be written, but plays and moving pictures as well. Nearly every single person in the country, if not the world, will have heard of King Arthur and his legendary exploits. You'll become one of the most famous Kings to ever have lived. You will…or you should have done."

"I suppose Nimueh will have attacked Camelot by now. She'll have sent you here to me as a final blow for me. She'll have done this deliberately, and you wouldn't have done any harm by ignoring me. I could manage a bit longer on my own. I suppose that when you found out that it was Nimueh had returned you would have done anything to get me back. I reckon you just asked her to give me to you, but she is never one for deals. She must think I'm dead, so she sent you to join me. I suppose you got what you asked for, but I just wanted you alive. I just wanted you to find me and hold me close, telling me you'd never let me go. You'd have to some day of course. I'm not supposed to be in the legends, but it wouldn't matter, because for that one moment we would believe each other. We would make the most of what time we had left and enjoy it, but we'd soon break our hearts. We'd hurt each other because we had to, but it would have been worth it. It would have been a fair price for what we would have had."

"Funny thing is, at first I hated you. It was you're fault that I nearly got executed for being a witch. If only you hadn't jumped to conclusions then things would have worked out differently. Then perhaps Nimueh would never have got the upper hand. Perhaps she would not have gotten her revenge and you would still be alive. I can still remember that day when you appeared after I'd first woken. The look of disappointment when you found that I couldn't speak and I'd lost my memory is still vivid in my mind. Then I would have just had to have saved your life the next day, gaining my voice back at the same time. You told me of the trial and explained it to me, claiming that things would be fine even though we both knew that they wouldn't be. I think we wished that they would have been fine. I didn't know whether your soothing words were out of sympathy or kindness, but they calmed me slightly." Alethea smiled, letting the rain soak through her clothes and wet her hair.

"And I know what you did at the trial. Merlin and I listened at the door and heard you arguing for my innocence, but no one would listen to you. You let me escape soon after, even giving me your horse and your sword to help me. You followed me as well. That didn't half cheer me up. Something sparked in me then as we sat in the trees just talking of things in general. I just wish that I hadn't obeyed you, then I wouldn't have got caught again by your father. I don't know if he ever found out that you helped me, but I spent my time in the dungeons hoping that you'd help me. I don't have a clue why you did help me either. Merlin told me that your father was punishing you, and then I didn't see you for quite some time. Two months in fact, and Nimueh persuaded me that you were bad. It was only when I was about to kill you that I realised that all I'd been told was lies. I deserved that wound. Because of me people were hurt, so it was only fair that I paid a price too, even though it was a heavy one. I don't know what your choice would have been between me and your father had I not said anything. I don't even know if your father is alive or not just now. Yet he was fine and you looked after me. You smothered me slightly too much though, and I was beginning to feel homesick. No wonder I went behind your back and got Merlin to send me home, except neither of us knew that I was being sent into a trap. I don't have even the slightest clue what Nimueh did to you or to anyone else since then. I don't even know if you won the tournament or not, though I'm sure you would have done. A strong Prince like you could beat any man alive now. I don't even know if you left Camelot purposely or not, just that the one moment we get each other, you collapse. There's nothing else I can do Arthur. I've tried to save you but nothing has worked. If only we were a good few centuries ahead then you might have stood a better chance. If only…" she trailed off.

"I suppose it doesn't matter now though. It's too late. You've gone and left me like I've gone and left you. It's a shame we didn't make a promise to each other never to leave, but I suppose we've both broken that one anyway. I nearly left you after Nimueh's first attack, and did of my own accord sometime later, and now you've gone and left me. What am I supposed to do now Arthur, when you were my only hope? You are the only thing that has kept me going these past few days, or is it weeks? I've been through hell being trapped here in this clearing, knowing that Nimueh was going to kill you disguised as me. I didn't know how or when she was going to, but I knew she was going to break your heart. I'm just sorry that I gave her the chance to do so. It feels like I've killed you myself knowing that." Alethea sighed as the rain died off and the sun cast its rays through the trees, light reflecting from Arthur's armour.

"I haven't a clue why I'm talking to you Arthur. I know you probably won't reply and you know something? I don't even have an idea of how I'm going to get to Camelot. All I want is to go back there now. It's all I've wanted to do since leaving in fact. I'm sure home can do without me for a little while more. After all, I don't want to lose out on this one chance in a lifetime. However, I know that even if I do find a way back to the kingdom, I'm going to be despised. Everyone will think that it's me who has caused all of this chaos. They won't be wrong either. Ever since I first arrived things haven't been right so I suppose it is my fault for these things happening. Oh Arthur, why the heck did you have to go and do this?" she asked but the only reply she got was a slight breeze.

"Even if I can get back to Camelot now, what will I tell your father? That you're dead and it's because of me? That I tried everything to save you but it wasn't enough? He will never believe me. It isn't right for a father to bury his child. It isn't fair. And I doubt Nimueh will allow us to bury you properly, because I've no doubt that she's succeeded. I don't think we'd even be allowed to mourn you. I would though, no matter what the cost would be."

"So you see my Prince, I haven't a clue how to get back to Camelot or get home. Even if I did I wouldn't want to leave you. I just love you too much. I know I haven't told you this, and now it's too late, but I do. I love you with all my heart, and I didn't tell you. I had so many chances, but it never felt right. Now I'll never know if you loved me as much as I did. I'll never feel your touch or kiss those soft lips of yours. I'll never… I'll…" She couldn't go any further. A lump in her throat had formed and once more tears welled in her eyes as it finally dawned on her that their kiss on the morning of the tournament had been the last time she had seen him. Their last meeting had been one of deception and yet love. They had said their goodbyes through a kiss, but now they could never say goodbye properly.

Grief stricken and heartbroken, Alethea felt herself begin to get angry. She was angry at herself, at Arthur and at the world. How could he have done this to her? How could he have just gone and died on her? He'd abandoned her, like she had abandoned him. How could she have just left him without a single thought as to how he would cope? How could she live with herself knowing that it was her fault that the Prince was dead? Her hands fell to hitting the ground, before her tears fell in frustration and she took it out on the dead Prince. Her fists pounded into the Prince's body, before she had no more strength. Her tears continued to fall even then.

"Nooo!" she screamed at the heavens. " Arthur…Please no. You can't have left me, you just can't have… I just need you to open your eyes. Please Arthur. Just do this one thing for me." She pleaded. "Just wake up. I need you to tell me everything is going to be fine. I need you to hold me close and tell me that nothing will happen to me. That you'll protect me and nothing will ever part us. I just need you. I don't care if you won't remember me or even if you hate me, just wake up." She shook his shoulders but he still didn't respond. Gently she brushed his wet fringe from his eyes before smiling slightly. Leaning down, she kissed him for the last time and tasted his lips, a tear falling from her eyes and onto his face.

"Good night my Prince. I hope you're in a better place." she said softly before finding a cloak in amongst her things and placing it over his lifeless body. Taking one last look at his face, she kissed his forehead before covering him completely. Arthur was dead, and there was nothing that anyone could do to bring him back.