Arrow

ch 7; the missing body

Merlin stands outside Arthur's door the next day after the awful event of Gwen's death.
Today are they supposed to help her over to the other side. Giving her a proper ending with speech and sending her body away in a boat there they will set it on fire.
Merlin isn't looking forward to meet Arthur today. The king will for certain look devastated. And Merlin isn't sure if his heart would endure seeing him in such a state.
The man-servant clears the throat and shakes a slightly with the body to encourage himself.
Then he raises the fist and starts knocking.
Arthur should be proud of him! For knocking for once...
But it seems he isn't getting any kind of response.
Merlin tilts the head and grabbed the door handle.
Maybe Arthur already have woke up and left?
The dark haired man gulps and opened the door nervously before poking the head inside the room.
"Hello?... Arthur-... Are you here?" He asks curiously and walks into the room there he closes the door after him.

"Arthur?" Merlin calls out again while walking over to the bed.
When he came to the bed he wides his eyes shocked over the sight.
Arthur lays there. But isn't moving at all. But he doesn't seem dead either since his eyes are opened while the body moves a slightly for each breath he takes. He is just... Numb.
Merlin kneels down in hurry next Arthur with a hand on his shoulder while staring at his face.
"Arthur?!...Hey, are you there?!..." he asks in panic and starts shaking him to wake him up from his current state. Afraid magic is involved in this.
"...No-..." Arthur mumbles without caring about what he said no to. He only wished to be left alone.
Merlin stops moving for few seconds while exhaling an air of relief over Arthur could answer him.
The worried man smiles genuinely at him and strokes the hand along Arthur's strong arm.
"Time to get up... We have a lot of things to take care of today..."
Arthur shuts the eyes closed as pain struck him from getting reminded of painful memories.
"No..." he mutters. Not feeling very fancy with seeing Gwen's lifeless body again. He only wish to forget about yesterday and pretend everything is alright. That, Gwen is decorating a room right now with beautiful flowers.
Yes, thinking about her like that, sounds more appealing than seeing her dead body behind the eyelids every time he closes the eyes.
Even though a sorcerer had enchanted her, it was still he, Arthur Pendragon whom killed her with his arrow. If he hadn't let's go of that arrow, she would still be alive today. Planning for their coming wedding...

Merlin sighs and stands upright while taking the hand of him.
"You know-... Everyone are hurted and wished they could turn the time back and get her back...But-... We can't... And Gwen deserves getting her rest now... And you, I, Elyan and everyone else, need take our farwell to her now... So please, get up from the bed so you can get dressed before it gets too dark..." Merlin says begging with his eyes tearing up. He doesn't know what's most painful right now. Gwen being dead, or seeing Arthur like this...

A while later are Merlin and Arthur heading over to Gwen's house with a few knights following them.
It seems Elyan has been out for a few moments since they meet each other by the door to the house.
"Sire-..." Elyan says monotonous as a greeting.
Without answering with words, Arthur nods instead.
Merlin swallows.
"We-... We are ready with bidding her farewell"
Elyan furrows the eyebrows and looks down as he tries keeping himself from getting any panic attack. He inhales and exhales shakily and heavily.
Then he looks up and gulps.
"Alright... You may enter and take my sister to her final..." he inhales sharply.
"...Rest..." he adds exhaling.
Elyan opens the door and walks out of the way to let them enter.
Few of the knights gives him an encouraging pat on the shoulder while passing him.

Arthur and Merlin are the first ones to get to Gwen's bed there she should be.
But it seems the bed is empty without any trace where the woman could be.
While Merlin starts panicking, is Arthur only staring emotionless at the bed there his beloved fiancée should be right now.
Since Elyan understood something was wrong, he pushed himself between the knights and gasps shocked of seeing his sister is gone.
"WHA... Where could she be?! I was only away a short moment..." Elyan asks with his breath increased in speed.

When Merlin kind of had calmed down, he looks worried at Arthur.
"Arthur... Are you alright?"
The numb king turns the face against Merlin with panic and sorrow in the eyes and the lips a slightly parted.
"I-..." he clears the throat.
"...Don't know..."
Merlin furrows the eyebrows and tilts the head confused over Arthur's lack of emotions.
"You don't know?"
"Sire?" Gwaine shouts over the buzz of voices from confused knights.
Arthur stares at the bed again. Wishing he would be at his chamber so he could fall asleep on his own bed.
"Sire?"
Arthur starts feeling how Gwen's bed starts pulling him in. Maybe he should just lay down on hers instead?
"SIRE?!" Gwaine shouts and yanked Arthur's shoulder so he got turned against Gwaine.
Suddenly the buzz of voices turned off and everyone look with concern at their king.
"What should we do? Do you want us to find her?" Gwaine asks.
Arthur starts stuttering while blinking the eyes a few times.
"I-...I... I want to get back to my chamber again... You all are dismissed..." he mumbles before turning around to walk out from the house. Walking back to the castle.

***
Few hours later when Merlin gets inside Arthur's chamber with a tray with food, Arthur is still in the bed.
"So-..." Merlin clears the throat.
"Do my sweet princess want her food on the bed? Or do you want the food by the table today?" Merlin jokes and hopes Arthur would get in a slightly better mood.
Since Merlin isn't getting any respond he raises an eyebrow and places the tray down on the table.
"You know-... It would be such a waste if you aren't eating these delicious chicken sticks... You really should get your ass over here and eat them while they still are warm..."
Arthur sighs through the nose and turns the back against him. Not feeling in the mood to eat or speak.
He doesn't deserve either of those things. A murder as him should be punished.
Walking around with empty stomach and not eating any food should be a good punishment for what he has done. For killing Gwen.
And he doesn't deserve speaking with anyone. Least with Merlin. Why would he deserve speaking with someone else he has developed feelings for?

Merlin looks sadly at Arthur's back. Despite he wasn't around when the incident happened, other have filled him with information.
So, he is sure Arthur right now, is blaming himself for Gwen's death. Arthur has always been a softie. Someone who care about everyone.
So, therefore he gets easier hurted when he gets betrayed or someone dear dies.
"Arthur-... Gwen's death was an accident... It wasn't y-..."
"Leave..." Arthur interrupts him.
Merlin grunts surprised and jolts.
"What?"
"Leave me..."the king repeats and pulled the blanket a slightly over the head.
"I-..." Merlin starts saying before he gets silent. The dark haired man starts eyeing Arthur despite he only can see the blanket and a little of his blonde hair.
"Alright then... Then I will come back later..." Merlin says and starts walking out from the chamber. Leaving Arthur alone as he wants.

***
"How is Arthur taking the news about Gwen's disappearing?" Gaius asks during dinner.
Merlin exhales sighing and lowered the spoon.
"Not very well... He keeps staying in the bed all day... Almost without saying a single word... I'm very concerned about him..."
Gaius nods and intertwines the fingers on the table infront the plate.
"As expected..."
Merlin looks down at the stew and starts circulating the spoon in the food as he was about to raise a spoonful food and eat. But instead of doing that, he looks up at the old man.
"Are there anything you can do?... Or me?" He asks curiously and let's go of the spoon. Leaning a slightly over the table.
Gaius starts humming thoughtfully with furrowed eyebrows.
"There aren't much I can do for him... Since there aren't any cure for broken heart... But-... Maybe I can give him something so he could get a good night sleep..." Gaius starts saying and raises a palm against Merlin the second Merlin wants to question his decision with making Arthur to sleep.
"A good night sleep helps a lot...I'm sure he wouldn't get any decent sleep if he isn't taking any medication for that... However... Except that, I could give him something to get a slightly better mood... Something I give patients whom have depression..." Gaius continues to say before he grabs the glass with water and starts swallowing water.
Merlin tilts the head.
"Depression?"
Gaius lowered the glass and place it on the table again.
"Yes-... From what I could tell from the information you gave me... Arthur obviously has or is about to get, a depression..."
"Oh-..."
"But since I haven't met himself lately... I will investigate his health myself as soon we are finished here"
Merlin nods and looks down at the food with furrowed eyebrows while grabbing the spoon again.
The dark haired man starts moving the spoon a slightly in the plate and was about to eat another bite when he lowered the spoon again. He looks up at Gaius.
"What do you think happened with Gwen? Why would her body suddenly disappear as it did?"
Gaius sighs.
"I don't know Merlin... I honestly don't know... But I'm afraid whoever stole her, are planning something no good..."