A/N: This is set just after the end of series 4. A ride in the woods leads to a difficult decision and a revelation for Arthur when he's shown the consequences of his choice. Chapter 2 refers to parts of s4, eps 12 and 13, go with it as best you can :)
Chapter 1
It started out as a harmless ride through the forest. It was the beginning of Spring, flowers blossoming and sun shining, making Camelot look so beautiful, you'd forget the slight chill in the air. It had been a tough Winter but now that it was through, King Arthur was keen to make the most of the luscious green grass and the way the sun rays shone through the boughs of the trees, casting gorgeous light across the floor. The bricks of the buildings in the citadel were glowing and the people were greeting each other joyfully.
Since Morgana's attack on Camelot and the betrayal of his not-so-loyal uncle, Agravaine, Arthur had ruled his kingdom peacefully alongside Guinevere, his wife and queen. Everything was wonderful and Arthur was truly content.
"A picnic," the king declared to his wife while Merlin flitted between serving them breakfast and tidying the royal chambers, "There are no pressing matters of state, I have no duties to attend to until this afternoon. Let us make the most of the day."
Gwen glanced at the window and smiled, eyes sparkling, "It is a beautiful day."
"That settles it. Merlin! Prepare the horses. We ride straight after breakfast."
"Yes, sire."
An hour later, the three of them were tearing through the trees, horses packed with picnic supplies. They paused by the river to give the horses a breather and dismounted, laughing and soaking in the fresh air. They walked the remainder of the way to Gwen's favourite spot, chatting aimlessly. Arthur tossed teases and insults back towards Merlin, who retorted easily, making the queen giggle. If only life was always so easy.
If only the rest of their day remained so easy.
Merlin had packed all of the royals' favourite foods for lunch. The couple sat together on the blanket, snuggled close and laughing flirtatiously. As always, Merlin positioned himself further away, sitting against a nearby tree at a respectful distance. But he has his own plate of food and was regularly included in conversation.
The end of the meal brought with it the end of their good day. Merlin had got up when they had all finished eating to pack up the supplies and tend to the horses, allowing Gwen and Arthur some proper time to themselves. He gave them as much time as he could stall, giving the horses a bit more attention than was needed and unnecessarily repacking the hampers.
When he returned to the clearing, everything seemed normal still. The king and queen lying side by side on the blanket, fingers entwined as they gazed at each other in adoration. Clearly the couple were not quite ready to depart so Merlin made to sit back down at his tree, turned away from them to give them some privacy.
But he was stopped before he could reach the ground by a very strong pair of solid arms that grabbed him from behind. He struggled as his body, which had been ready to sit down, was forced back up, held in place by whoever had grabbed him.
Arthur and Gwen shot to their feet as more people entered the clearing. They were outnumbered fifteen-to-one and with Merlin already caught and Gwen with only a dagger to protect herself, it was doubtful they could fight their way out of the situation. Even with Camelot's best warrior on their side. Arthur stood in front of his queen protectively, sword in hand, eyes darting around each of their attackers, looking for a way out.
"King Arthur," a tall, cloaked man stepped forward. His face was obscured partially by a thick beard and partially by his hood.
"Release my servant," Arthur declared.
"No harm will come to him if that is what you decide," the man said mysteriously, making his way over to Merlin very slowly, who squirmed and wriggled.
"Who are you?" Arthur asked but his question went ignored as the cloaked figure reached Merlin.
The servant's heart was racing as he continued to writhe around, having an awful feeling about what was about to happen. The man stretched out his hand and placed his thumb on Merlin's forehead.
The king and queen watched in horror as Merlin stilled, eyes wide and locked on the strange man.
"Sleep," the man whispered and Merlin began to sway slightly, face becoming completely lax. His eyes were still open but they were glazed and unseeing.
"Sleep," the man said again.
Arthur's stomach clenched uncomfortably as this time, Merlin dropped. As though every bone in his body had vanished and every muscle had lost any tension, he slumped back against his captor, eyes fluttering shut as his head tipped back. The person holding him slowly knelt down, keeping Merlin propped up against him. The cloaked man still had his thumb pressed to Merlin's head as one last time he spoke, "Sleep."
Merlin sighed contentedly and, even though Arthur had previously thought it impossible, became even more relaxed. As the man removed his thumb and stood up, moving away, he revealed Merlin's body flopped over his captor's knee, head tipped back so that the tip of his hair was brushing against the flowers. His limbs were splayed out, mouth slightly open and one arm was extended out towards his king and queen, fingers open and unmoving.
Arthur had seen Merlin asleep before but this was nothing like that. Normally there were slight twitches of movement in his fingers, eyes or lips, face slightly tense as though anticipating an attack. Now, the only movement was the steady rise and fall of his breathing. The king knew that no amount of shouting or tossing water at him would wake him from this. Merlin was as deeply asleep as he could be without being dead. And that made Arthur extremely uncomfortable.
"What are you doing?" he found his voice again. He'd been transfixed in fear and horror as he'd watched their attacker put Merlin under. "What have you done to him?"
"Bring me the queen."
Arthur fought to keep Guinevere in his arms. But even he couldn't ward off fifty people single handedly and soon, the queen was taken from him. Gwen herself had, of course, done her fair share of fighting and continued to struggle was she was dragged over to the man.
To keep him at bay, Arthur now also had guards keeping him in place with a firm hand on each shoulder. "No!" the king tried as the cloaked person raised his thumb to Gwen's head and she froze.
But he had no choice but to watch as Gwen suffered the same enchantment as Merlin had just moments before.
"Sleep."
Just like Merlin, the first time the word was spoken, the queen became unsteady on her feet and while Arthur couldn't see her face, he could picture exactly what it looked like. The second time had her collapsing down as her knees gave out beneath her, held up only by the guards on either side of her as her body folded and she crumpled to the floor. The third time and she left out a small, happy sigh.
Arthur shook his head helplessly as the two people on each side of his wife manoeuvred her so that she was being held by only one. Her legs were tucked in delicately, head resting against her captor's shoulders, arms flopped at her sides, not quite long enough to reach the ground so swinging back and forth. The movement would have been reassuring if Arthur thought even for one second that she was making it herself.
"What do you want?" Arthur asked as calmly as he could, trying to keep a strong posture, "Why have you done this?" He was eyeing his sword which was lying on the floor a few feet away where it had been discarded when one of the soldiers had confiscated it.
"You will not need the sword," the cloaked man approached Arthur slowly, "No harm will come to you."
"What is going on? Release the queen and tell me what you want!"
"Your queen is in no danger. Neither is your servant. Their lives are in your hands now, not ours."
"What do you mean?"
"Make them comfortable," the man said.
While Gwen and Merlin were lifted and carried over to the picnic rug with a gentleness Arthur was surprised by, the king was escorted so that he was standing in front of them. He would have laughed at the way Merlin's long, gangly limbs and neck flopped around, the man carrying him despite trying to be careful clearly struggling a little. Except he couldn't shake the sick feeling from his stomach that made his whole body feel uneasy and uncomfortable.
The pair of them were positioned next to each other, heads on the little cushions, arms folded delicately across their middles.
"You have a decision to make, my lord," the man said, "For only one of your friends will be returning with you."
"What do you mean?"
"The choice lies with you," he said, "One dies, one returns safely. There is no one here to influence or witness your decision. No one but you and I need know exactly what happened here. You can tell your people whatever you wish. But you can only save one."
"Why?" Arthur shook his head, "What will this achieve?"
"Your diplomacy and bargaining will not get you out of this. You must choose. One will die. Your queen or your servant. Who will you save?"
"I-"
Arthur was stumped. He didn't understand.
"Take my life instead," he attempted, "If you wish to attack Camelot the best way is to take out its king. Let them go, I will gladly take their place."
"My aim is not to hurt your kingdom."
"Then it must be to hurt me personally. Is that right? You threatened my loved ones? Attack my queen, enchant my servant? You want me to suffer."
"I am here to help you."
"You can help me by letting them go."
"There are many things you are yet to understand. Your reign as king is still young. You are doing well but you have far to go if you wish to achieve what destiny has planned out for you."
Arthur spluttered, "I- what?"
"Every choice you make affects your people. The support and advice of those you love and trust is vital."
"Yet you wish for me to kill one of those people?"
"You will understand, if you choose correctly."
"I cannot hurt them. I will not choose."
"It is the only way. This fate has been foretold for centuries."
"You're talking gibberish! You cannot make me choose. I won't betray them."
"Even while they are so blissfully unaware? Look at them sire, they know nothing of what is going on. They are peaceful."
"And that makes it better when their life is taken from them?"
"They will suffer no pain."
"That's not the point."
"What is the point?"
"This is inhumane! No two lives can be compared so. What makes one more worthy than another? Neither have wronged you or wronged me. Neither is less worthy of keeping their life. They've never hurt anyone or committed any crime."
"So it comes down to this" the man stepped towards Arthur, "Who do you care for more?"
Arthur's heart shattered, "Why are you doing this? If I have wronged you, this is no way to get revenge."
"You have done me no wrongs," was the infuriating reply.
"Then why?" Arthur yelled, "How will this teach me anything?"
"The choice should be simple. Your wife or your servant. A queen and a nobody."
"He's not a nobody. He's important, he's loved."
"Enough to be saved over the Queen?"
"You said I wouldn't be influenced," Arthur snapped.
"I am merely helping you think everything through."
"You think I don't know everything I need to already? Of course, the choice should be simple! The light of my life, the one I wake up to every morning, the one who is by my side supporting me through everything, the one who has advice for every situation, who knows every part of me, sees me at my best and worst, who never wavers in loyalty. And yet-"
"And yet now you see for all your descriptions, your words point to no singular person. You define your queen beautifully but those facts are not untrue of your servant."
"I cannot return to Camelot knowing I sentenced an innocent man to death."
"No one need know. You may tell the people whatever story you like. A bandit attack, an unfortunate accident, an incident horse riding. It's up to you. No one will have any reason to doubt your story."
"What happens if I don't choose?"
"We will wait here until you decide."
"The patrols will find us. My knights know where I am. When I do not return, they will ride here without delay."
"If you decide before they reach us, no lives will be lost. If you choose to wait then you risk your knights in battle unnecessarily. Does that seem fair?"
Arthur sunk to his knees, glad that the people guarding him allowed him to. "I'll have you arrested for this," he attempted pathetically, "You'll hang. An attack on the crown is an offense punishable by death."
The man didn't react, waiting patiently. This was one situation Arthur could not be prepared for. Battles, kidnappings, torture. He was trained for that. He could fight his way out, escape, survive. That he knew how to do. The thought barely phased him. But this? Seemingly pointless mind games at the expense of the two people he loved most?
Arthur didn't know how to deal with that.
"I can't," he begged, "Please. Let them live."
"A lesson must be learned for Albion to thrive."
"I don't know what you mean!" Arthur could feel the tears now.
"Trust in yourself. And make a decision."
"Guinevere," Arthur blurted out, heart aching with the weight of his choice already, "I choose to save Guinevere. She's my wife. The queen."
"You do not need to justify yourself to me."
Arthur stared at Merlin guilty. Part of him had expected him to jump up furiously, like it was all some stupid joke. Obviously, the man hadn't so much as twitched.
"If that is what you wish."
"What will you do to him?" Arthur cried desperately.
Finally, the man moved from where he'd been standing the whole time. But he didn't advance towards Merlin like Arthur had expected, instead making his way to the king.
"No," Arthur got to his feet and struggled, knowing what was coming, "No!"
His thoughts were confirmed when the man began to raise his hand, thumb extended.
"No, wait! Let me stay with him! He would not let me die alone! Let me be with him, please! No! Merlin!"
Underneath his cloak, the man's eyes flashed gold. Part of Arthur noticed this, finding it odd that when the man had put Gwen and Merlin to sleep, his eyes had remained dark. Why was magic required for Arthur but not the others? But there were more pressing matters than that.
"Merlin, no!" Arthur fought and kicked and writhed and struggled but it did no good, "Do not let him die alone! Please! Please."
The man's thumb made contact with Arthur's head as the king mumbled painfully one last time, "Merlin."
"Sleep."