Professor Merlin Emrys

The Ice Has barely Frozen. The ice is Far Too Thin.

Arthur thought he had moved past his feelings of betrayal over Merlin's silence about his magical abilities. He had seen Merlin live, and love, and lose everything. Time and time again. Every decade bringing its own hardships and joyous memories in equal measure. Sometimes he would watch Merlin go through times that would make lesser men crumble, unable to even kneel under the strain. Things that if Arthur was honest with himself, he would not weather with the grace Merlin had managed.

He was not fool enough to think that grace meant he was untouched by his own history, that most nights he did not wake in a cold sweat or have to scream himself awake. That strength came from Merlin knowing he had to stand even when he would rather kneel and never get up again.

Arthur had worked through his feelings of resentment. Had raged at the stupidity of his former manservant as at the beginning of his immortal life he stopped caring about himself. He would not eat, or drink. He would hardly sleep and worked himself to the bone. Arthur had raged at his friend. Angry at Merlin and angry for him.

He found himself with such a mix of emotions after his death. Had cried the first time Merlin had died after all his friends had finally joined Arthur in Avalon. Merlin had been careless and had healed a villager who was vital to the harvest season with magic. Instead of being grateful, he tricked Merlin into accepting an invitation to dine with the man. Entirely unaware that it had been laced with deadly nightshade.

Arthur had screamed at Merlin to not eat it, shaking with his sobs as he watched Merlin choke on his own breath. He had tried to kill the wretched man who dropped Merlin's dead body in a shallow grave. Had watched as Merlin had to climb out himself. He had seen Merlin's eyes harden and shutter behind defenses so strong he had retreated from humanity for more than a hundred years. Merlin had tried every way he could think of to join his friends in the afterlife.

To say Arthur had learned, and he thought he had, why Merlin had kept his silence all those years of their friendship. Arthur had lost the anger and bitterness, had forgiven, and struggled to accept who Merlin was and would always be.

Now, Arthur had to reevaluate his feelings now that he was alive again. The blond-haired boy, Draco, reminded Arthur of himself so much he wanted to flinch away when Draco yelled at him about Merlin. He just wished Merlin was here now. Merlin would know what to do. He always did even if Arthur would never admit it aloud.

For now, he was stuck with his wife, five of his best knights, and Morgana. Morgana. He did not understand why she had been resurrected alongside them. He had not seen her in his afterlife and a quick whispered word to his friends revealed that she had not been with them as well. Where had she come from? He thought about asking her but imagined himself roasted alive and thought better of it. Gwaine though, Gwaine had no such reservations, Arthur realized.

"So, Morgana, why are you here?" the idiot asked. Fighting hard not to roll his eyes at the knight Arthur turned his attention toward Morgana. He at least had the sense to keep his voice down so the elderly lady would have a harder time hearing their conversation.

"I don't know, perhaps you should ask your precious Merlin," she snarled quietly. Her eyes were vicious as she stared at Gwaine. Percival ended up having to gently restrain Gwaine as he attempted to lunge at her, hate burning in his eyes. It was then that he realized his knights, Guinevere and Morgana had no knowledge of the world that had advanced. They had never seen skyscrapers or airplanes, train engines, or electricity. For them, their deaths were mere moments ago. Gwaine dead from the snake that had tortured him at Morgana's hand. Elyan from the enchanted sword. Lancelot from the veil. Percival and Guinevere from old age. Leon from tuberculosis. His knights had stories, most of them stories he himself did not know. He had learned they happened through Merlin, and had grieved alongside him even if Merlin was unaware.