But even if there is a reason of the heart for this, Merlin needs to be himself. And that's not possible in Arthur's world. In this new world, his mother will be safe, and Gaius and Gwen and his mother, and that's not a lot, but it's enough.
"Those would be your prices for ensuring Emrys bound to me," Morgana says. "A finder's fee, I suppose. Well. Deliver me proof you can."
"Proof?" Merlin tilts his head, pulls out the ageing potion and tosses it at Morgana. She nearly drops her staff, and her brow furrows.
"One of your healing remedies," Morgana says, "well, your attempt at humour is appreciated if ill-timed. Lourdes, you can kill him now."
The lackey by Morgana's side moves forward, and Merlin can see from the corner of his eye Arthur going for his sword, but Merlin's faster than that. He throws out a hand and his eyes burn with the familiar flash of gold, and Lourdes crumples to the ground, instantly asleep.
Merlin turns in the saddle, his eyes still burning, and stretches his hands out to the Knights. They're too far away to see the specifics of this betrayal, but by Morgana's side, he can keep more of them alive than would have survived the slaughter of this battle.
He speaks a short phrase, and the Knights of Camelot tumble over in their saddles, falling to a gentle sleep and not an inevitable death. It's as much of a gift that Merlin can give at this point.
He turns back to Morgana, and his eyes still shine. He tilts his head and mirrors her regal tilt. "I can't believe you were fooled by an aging potion," he says, nodding at the small glass bottle still in her hand. Her eyes widen in realisation.
"Emrys," she breathes, and he holds out his hand. She takes it and smiles, wide and brilliant.
Merlin looks at her, and then glances across at Arthur. He's already steeled himself to see Arthur as a stranger, but the sadness on Arthur's face is as familiar as any of Merlin's friends.
"Prove to me you're mine," Morgana hisses, "and your conditions are my own."
"How?"
"Kill Arthur, of course."
Merlin pulls his hand away from Morgana and turns back to Arthur. Despite the fear on Arthur's face, there is anger and there is acceptance.
"Tell me," Arthur says, "was there any other different outcome to this day? Anything I could have done?"
Merlin shakes his head, because he will not be cruel. "Nothing but all your men dead, all of Morgana's men dead, and Morgana herself fallen."
Arthur swallows, nods, and everything washes away to bravery. "Keep as many of my men alive as you can. They'll be loyal to you. They love as I do."
Merlin pulls him close. "You wouldn't have made a world where I would have ever felt safe."
Arthur's bravery drops away and for a moment, it's not them on a battlefield, it's just them. "I guess now we'll never know."
The sting curls down deep, and Merlin's magic is instinctive. He looks down to find Arthur's heart in his hands, and Arthur's head against his shoulder. He throws the bloodied mess at Morgana, and looks down, his eyes glowing gold. They'll never stop glowing again, all the way up to the end of the world, when it crumbles into ash and he can still feel Arthur's heart in his hands as the universe falls away.
But that's in the future, and the future is hidden to Merlin, but that doesn't matter. It's Merlin that killed Arthur, but it's Emrys that jumps down from his horse to join Morgana, to follow his new Queen into a new future that they can forge together. He leaves Merlin behind where he belongs, on the battlefield, where Arthur's heart lies in the grass.
Arthur's bravery drops away and for a moment, it's not them on a battlefield, it's just them. "I guess now we'll never know." *WAILS* OMG, noooooo! I honestly wanted to cover my eyes and stop myself from reading at that point (I couldn't, of course). This story was like a punch to the gut, but so very good - I guess sometimes it's worth the pain. As other's have said, very intense and extremely well written.
Let's hope it'll never come to this point in the series, but with these writers - you never know! *wibbles*
But even if there is a reason of the heart for this, Merlin needs to be himself. And that's not possible in Arthur's world. In this new world, his mother will be safe, and Gaius and Gwen and his mother, and that's not a lot, but it's enough.
"Those would be your prices for ensuring Emrys bound to me," Morgana says. "A finder's fee, I suppose. Well. Deliver me proof you can."
"Proof?" Merlin tilts his head, pulls out the ageing potion and tosses it at Morgana. She nearly drops her staff, and her brow furrows.
"One of your healing remedies," Morgana says, "well, your attempt at humour is appreciated if ill-timed. Lourdes, you can kill him now."
The lackey by Morgana's side moves forward, and Merlin can see from the corner of his eye Arthur going for his sword, but Merlin's faster than that. He throws out a hand and his eyes burn with the familiar flash of gold, and Lourdes crumples to the ground, instantly asleep.
Merlin turns in the saddle, his eyes still burning, and stretches his hands out to the Knights. They're too far away to see the specifics of this betrayal, but by Morgana's side, he can keep more of them alive than would have survived the slaughter of this battle.
He speaks a short phrase, and the Knights of Camelot tumble over in their saddles, falling to a gentle sleep and not an inevitable death. It's as much of a gift that Merlin can give at this point.
He turns back to Morgana, and his eyes still shine. He tilts his head and mirrors her regal tilt. "I can't believe you were fooled by an aging potion," he says, nodding at the small glass bottle still in her hand. Her eyes widen in realisation.
"Emrys," she breathes, and he holds out his hand. She takes it and smiles, wide and brilliant.
Merlin looks at her, and then glances across at Arthur. He's already steeled himself to see Arthur as a stranger, but the sadness on Arthur's face is as familiar as any of Merlin's friends.
"Prove to me you're mine," Morgana hisses, "and your conditions are my own."
"How?"
"Kill Arthur, of course."
Merlin pulls his hand away from Morgana and turns back to Arthur. Despite the fear on Arthur's face, there is anger and there is acceptance.
"Tell me," Arthur says, "was there any other different outcome to this day? Anything I could have done?"
Merlin shakes his head, because he will not be cruel. "Nothing but all your men dead, all of Morgana's men dead, and Morgana herself fallen."
Arthur swallows, nods, and everything washes away to bravery. "Keep as many of my men alive as you can. They'll be loyal to you. They love as I do."
Merlin pulls him close. "You wouldn't have made a world where I would have ever felt safe."
Arthur's bravery drops away and for a moment, it's not them on a battlefield, it's just them. "I guess now we'll never know."
The sting curls down deep, and Merlin's magic is instinctive. He looks down to find Arthur's heart in his hands, and Arthur's head against his shoulder. He throws the bloodied mess at Morgana, and looks down, his eyes glowing gold. They'll never stop glowing again, all the way up to the end of the world, when it crumbles into ash and he can still feel Arthur's heart in his hands as the universe falls away.
But that's in the future, and the future is hidden to Merlin, but that doesn't matter. It's Merlin that killed Arthur, but it's Emrys that jumps down from his horse to join Morgana, to follow his new Queen into a new future that they can forge together. He leaves Merlin behind where he belongs, on the battlefield, where Arthur's heart lies in the grass.
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I liked it a lot though!
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*WAILS* OMG, noooooo! I honestly wanted to cover my eyes and stop myself from reading at that point (I couldn't, of course). This story was like a punch to the gut, but so very good - I guess sometimes it's worth the pain. As other's have said, very intense and extremely well written.
Let's hope it'll never come to this point in the series, but with these writers - you never know! *wibbles*
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That was amazing. <3
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