I'm not okay - I promise.
Arthur's world was red. His vision had a numbing scarlet haze over it and he could feel the anger coursing through him like burning poison. He watched in trembling fury as Merlin's remaining sapphire eye widened in shock, as the blade was forced through his chest. All Arthur could do as he saw the blood trickle from around the blade embedded in Merlin's chest, was watch in horror. The boy collapsed to the ground with a loud thump. That thump seemed to echo around the room with a finality that sent Arthur's world crashing down around him.
But then Arthur came back to life, and he came back with a vengeance. The king roared an inhuman yell of pure anger, he didn't feel himself move but all of a sudden, Arthur's sword was in Cenred's chest. He was stabbing him over and over, spilling his guts all over the floor and still Arthur went on. Cenred was still grinning in savage pleasure, but the grin was frozen, dark eyes frozen in his final triumph - Cenred was dead. But still Arthur carried on stabbing him. There wasn't enough steel in the world to make this bastard pay for what he had just done.
He felt a hand on his shoulder, it was Lancelot, he was staring down at Arthur in worry and horror. Arthur stopped, he looked down at his hands which were smothered in blood, as was his chest and his sword was dripping with the stuff as well. Arthur dazedly removed his blade from the king that did not deserve that title. He shivered in disgust. He wanted to scrub the blood from his skin, he wanted to scrub until he too bled. Bleed just like Merlin had - Arthur wanted to feel his pain, he had failed him.
It was then that he heard a moan of pain - a moan that came from Merlin. He wasn't dead - not yet anyway. Arthur fell to his knees by the injured and chained manservant. His eye was fluttering open slightly and he was pale, sweaty and gasping for air. "A`thr... m`sorry." he choked and a bubble of blood popped at the corner of his scarred lips.
"Shhh Merlin, we'll get you help, just hold on, you'll be fine, you idiot." Arthur tried soothingly, Lancelot moved forward and as gently as he could, lifted Merlin from the bloodstained floor. Merlin let out a small choked whisper as the dagger shifted in his chest.
"Prat." Arthur nearly choked on his own laughter at the weak attempt, they hurriedly left the castle out of the front gate - the guards seemed to have abandoned their dead king. Lucky for them, Arthur was in the mood for killing - and lots of it.
They ran to where they had tied their horses and Lancelot carefully tied Merlin's limp body down onto the back of his own mount. Arthur leaned over to check that Merlin was still alive and whispered to him "We'll get you back, Merlin, you'll be okay."
And as they rode fast for Camelot, Arthur thought he heard his manservant reply. "M`not okay - I promise."