Merthur - Love in the Time of War

Chapter 31 - Once Upon a Time...

A/N - This will be the final chapter for 'Love in the Time of War'. All I am going to say is... brace yourselves.

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Merlin's POV

I strap on the vambrace to my forearm, making sure it fitted snugly before turning towards the weapons rack. I grab my sword and examine the blade, making sure it was properly sharpened before sheathing it in my belt.

I turn to face my friends who look on with nervousness and worry. Morgana is chewing on her lower lip, her eyes sweeping over my clothes as if she were searching for chinks in my armour. Gwaine is pacing about, poking and prodding at the wide assortment of weapons on the shelves to keep his mind off the current situation. Mordred is seated on a bench, fingers drumming against the wood as he seems to weigh my chances of winning. Lancelot is the only one that appears calm. He has his arms crossed over his chest and a gentle smile on his face as he gives me a nod of encouragement.

"Well," I say, rubbing at the back of my neck, "wish me luck."

"You don't have to do this. Let me fight," Morgana says, moving forward.

"No, allow me," Lancelot says, breaking his calm demeanour momentarily as the worry appears on his face.

"No, I'll fight," Gwaine declares, stopping his pacing to face the rest of us.

"No, let me-" Mordred begins, rising from his seat before I cut him off with a hand.

I give them each a smile, more than happy to see them all so willingly to risk their lives for me. "It's much too late to change it now. I have already declared the champion and it will be me. This is not up for any further debate," I say.

It isn't that I didn't believe in them enough to win. No, of course not. It's because I can't allow any more of my men to die in this war. Not if I can save them.

I can see the disappointed looks on their faces at my response. I know what they are afraid of. They are afraid that I will lose and that I will die. Arthur is known as the greatest warrior in the whole kingdom. Without magic, I may not be able to win.

"Rest assured. I won't lose," I say, giving them all one of my cheeky grins in hopes of lightening their moods. It works to some extent. Small smiles cross their faces at the sight of my positive attitude. "Let's go. I'm sure the crowd is waiting."

I turn and leave the armoury with my friends trailing behind me, wondering whether or not those would be the last words they ever hear from me.

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I approach the arena, hearing the snow from the previous days blizzard crunching under my boots as I follow the trail towards the sound of the bustling crowd. The sky is clear today, as though not even the forces of nature wished to interfere with this fight. There was still a chill in the air, making my body feel rigid from the gusts of cold.

The cries from the crowd become louder and louder as I approach. I cross under the arch to see a circular arena with the snow cleared from the grounds. Peasants, nobles, sorcerers, and druids all fill the stands. The Camelot citizens sit on one end while the sorcerers sit on the other. I can hear the cheers rise up from the sorcerers as I arrive followed by the cheers of the Camelot citizens as Arthur enters behind me. We both stand on our respective sides, Arthur on the right and I on the left. We have our hands behind our backs as we look up towards the two thrones in front of us. We don't dare look at each other.

Morgana and Arthur's knight, Leon, are moderating the battle, ensuring neither side will break the rules of the fight. No magic, no tricks, and, of course, a fight to the death. I see Leon hold up a hand, gesturing for the crowd to quiet down.