A King with No Title

The End Of An Era

Cw//: death

"Arthur, what is wrong? You haven't been like this in a very long while." Merlin says, his sentence seemingly disjointed through his confusion and fear as the situation developed.

"Merlin, Mordred has come back to haunt me." Arthur states, refusing to look at Merlin and instead staring at the lake.

"Like your father did? That's easy to deal with, we can just do..."

"I used to come here with Guinevere. But you would know that wouldn't you?" Arthur says looking at Merlin again, his eyes narrowed but not in anger or confusion, it was sadness, "You did so much for me and never once questioned my authority... Well not to a point where I'd want rid of you all together anyway." A small smile graces his lips, "Even when I rejected a part of you, magic was in you and I was disgusted by it. Why did you stay?"

"Arthur, I've told you all this before, some of us are destined, born, to be great Kings, like you, but I was born to serve you and I've never been disappointed in that." Merlin says looking at him in confusion. "Arthur what do you mean by 'Mordred has come back to haunt you'?" Merlin's voice was laced with worry and uncertainty.

"That person today was a follower of Mordred's he saw him slaughtered in the battle, and he ran. He gathered a small band of those who still support Morgana and Mordred. Even after I made magic here accepted, they will not forgive me for my father's actions." Arthur looked at his feet and sat down leant against a tree motioning Merlin to do the same. Which he complied with, little hesitation within him.

"Is that what your worried about that you will always be in the shadow of your father's failures?" Merlin asks, only to receive silence as response. "Arthur, you are not your father, you have been nothing but a just King and have not failed..."

"But I have failed Merlin, it shouldn't have taken me until I was close to death to finally accept magic and you." Arthur says, Merlin didn't understand why Arthur kept referring to him instead of those with magic in general, considering he was not the only one who had been put though trials through the ban of magic. Merlin had never felt betrayed by Arthur's actions, he had watched him grow and become better. Surely, he didn't believe that he had failed him? Surely not, he thought to himself, he must be referring to Guinevere, he justified this in his head.

"If you're talking about Gwen, she loved you Arthur and she never would have wished for you to feel you had failed her. You will have made her proud, the way you have fathered the children, done good by them..."

"I know, Merlin. She was too kind to hate me like I did myself. But she was not the one I was referring to." Arthur retaliates quickly, with a snap in his tone.

"Arthur, why are you saying all of this now?" Merlin felt like his heart was in his throat, he didn't know what justification Arthur could have to warrant this sort of breakdown, for lack of a better word in Merlin's mind. "What was said to you during that confrontation today?"

"The guards didn't realise but something they said let me know I was supposed to be here. Merlin I won't be returning to Camelot."

"Whoever is here to take you, hurt you, I won't let them, I'm not letting you leave Arthur." Merlin yells jumping to his feet.

"Merlin sit down." Arthur says, "I was never meant to be here now, you made that happen, so it was only right that I made sure you knew that I didn't disappear for no reason." Arthur gulped, "As you once made a sacrifice for me, I am making one for you. They are going to kill me, with the sword shard that was left in me before. I don't know how they have obtained it, but they have." Arthur looks up at Merlin with tears brimming his eyes.

"Arthur, I will not let them take you away." Merlin sighs heavily, trying to control his breathing, "I fought for you, I did everything, you do not get to leave me now. What about Raine? Elyan? Who will take the throne? You're not thinking Arthur." Merlin screams at him. Tears breaking down his cheeks.

"Leon will take the throne, until Elyan is of age. Being the firstborn, he will take place as King, another Pendragon King and I know he will be better than me as I was better than my father." Arthur didn't bother to stand, "Raine, she's strong and she'll ensure that the kingdom remains at peace. Merlin you don't have a choice in this." Arthur says, standing up and hugging Merlin as he fought against him.

"They will not get near you." Merlin sobbed into the fabric of his shirt.

"Look after them Merlin, like you always have. Like you will continue to do so." Arthur says holding him, "And you don't have a choice, why did you think I came to collect you so late? That piece is already in me, and there's not reversing it this time." Arthur fell to his knees after saying that.

Merlin had been so caught up in his own fear he hadn't realised the pain and tiredness that was all over Arthur's face. Why would he bring him here to tell him it was too late?
Merlin fell to his knees alongside Arthur and held him as he started to wither away. "You dollophead." Arthur says as Merlin cries, a small smile breaking it.

"Stop stealing my words." Merlin says, "I can't lose you Arthur. I can't." his words catch in his throat as he tried to speak.

"It's going to be fine without me, and I know you'll be good to them." Arthur says, flinching in pain as he speaks, "Thank you, Merlin, truly." Arthur says putting his hand up onto Merlin cheek. "I'm making up for my father's mistakes so my son will never have to."

Arthur's hands clung to Merlin before he faded, and the light in his eyes drained. "No." Merlin yelled, "You can't be gone, they can't take my friend from me, come back, please. Come back." He screamed at the top of his lungs as he sat there with Arthur in his arms.

Hours and hours passed before Merlin moved again, returning to Camelot, Arthur in his arms. As he arrived at the front gates, the knights of the round table were informed of what had happened. Merlin's eyes were still puffy and red when he returned, his cheeks stained with tears. Camelot would soon have to grieve an amazing King, one no one believed would be one so soon in a time of peace…

As ceremonies were held and Arthur was laid to rest at the lake of Avalon, just as Freya had been, two great loves of Merlin’s life had now been taken away by the waters of this lake to the supposedly peaceful beyond, Merlin only thought of his requests. Merlin watched as Leon took the throne, as Elyan and Raine grew, teaching them of new things and reminding them of their parents at every possible opportunity. Merlin watched as Camelot grew.

Years of peace and prosperity blessed Camelot, but as things around him aged, Merlin found he wasn't, not in the same ways at least. Merlin watched as Elyan grew further and eventually took the throne, how he ruled with honour and strength, he trained the knights like his father had, he held banquets, and he often travelled into the city as it changed to adapt to more to the pressures that time brought with it.

He watched as Raine grew and how she kept every spirit alive and well, how she brought joy into every heart in Camelot. She ensured her mother's legacy would live on, an annual flower display throughout the city. She would not have known this at the time but this tradition of hers, in honour of her mother, became something more and Merlin saw it grow and become more modernly known as the Chelsea Flower Show. A Royal event, and it was always as stunning as those displays as seen in Camelot. Merlin did always make this an event he would visit.

Merlin watched as Elyan and Raine found their own loves, and how their legacies continued. How their families grew into that of the modern-day Royals of England. A source for great economic wealth as people came to admire this part of Britain, the palaces, the gardens, the events. As Merlin had been requested, he oversaw everything, and he protected the remaining pieces of Camelot.
He watched as he lost Gaius, and the Knights, and everyone around him, and he became enclosed in one thought, when Avalon's need was greatest Arthur would return…
The remains of the castle sat further North than London, Merlin had decided not to move with the Royal family as in the South, but as part of an agreement he kept watch over the land, and his family would through the "generations". This was never disputed; this was just how it was, and it remained for the hundreds of years that passed, and Avalon ceased to exist.

Merlin believed that this would mean that all his fighting, all his work to become better, would amount to nothing. As Avalon dissolved and Arthurian story became a legend, nothing more than a story to read to children. It was a lie as well, so many adaptations to make it palatable for a modernised audience. They did not know of Arthur as anything more than a King who drew a sword from a stone. Merlin felt this meant that Arthur would never return and he was truly alone.

Merlin had very little to do with the Royals after a few generations and was glad he didn't in some ways as he saw as their prejudices grew. The persecution of people like him again, the growth of evil as prejudices not held in Camelot arose. In some ways, he felt he had failed. But no matter how hard he tried he would never be able to turn back the clock. Some days, he wished he wasn’t immortal and that he could just join Arthur; but he knew this could not happen… He made a promise and if Arthur’s heirs ever needed him, he would be at their side. He would preserve Arthur’s legacy through keeping the land, the memories of his promises kept him here, and meant he would never abandon it.