The Redemption Arc (A BBC's Merlin Fanfiction)

Chapter 27

Morgana was more than proud, jubilant. She had always known Arthur to be the sort of king his father should have tried more to be, the kind that did not care to leave his name behind through grand gestures but made his way into history, anyway. And yet, throughout the celebrations she could only wonder why Merlin could not share in the happiness. He must have a reason, but she could not imagine what. 

However, they could not simply sneak out as they once could have. Merlin and Morgana both held important positions. She waited patiently, and was unsurprised that these celebrations ceased to hold any importance or happiness for her. She was amidst a celebration, with a possible catastrophe looming over her, and yet her thoughts were entirely consumed by Merlin alone. All of the others were only fleeting thoughts. His presence enveloped her entirely, and his absence haunted her mind. 

 After the banquet, Morgana paid her respects to Arthur and Gwen. As she was leaving, she watched as Merlin raise a hand, then drop it to bow more properly. She left, smirking. She walked out to the edge of the forest, unfettered. 

She could not have wandered far into the woods before she heard Merlin call her name. She sighed, but it was a sigh of endearment. She could not understand why she felt the need to be so quiet and removed from the rest of the world when they were together, or why he did not feel the same way and found it necessary to yell and make their presence known to the world. She all but ran back to him. 

She did not know what her face looked like to him, but it made him pause, then reach a hand out to her. She took it, confused. He then smirked and tugged her close. She breathed in sharply, trying not to trip over herself and colliding into him. Merlin didn't move an inch, but as she looked up at him accusingly, he smiled at her, and his gaze moved down to her lips. 

"I'm so glad you're here," he said quietly. "The world may be going to hell, but I have you."

Morgana felt her heart drop. He always said the most beautiful things, in the most unexpected ways, and she was always freefalling in his gaze. She swallowed, then leaned towards him and captured him in a kiss. She felt his smile grow and his hands moved to her waist until he was holding her firmly. 

She remembered his beautiful smile, and that reminded her of his sad smile back at the hall. She put a hand against his chest, breaking away from the kiss. 

"Merlin." 

He did not so much as hum a question. He knew, somehow, exactly what she was going to ask. And to Morgana's relief, he was going to answer her. She was relieved that they were equals, and that they were partners. He would always tell her, no matter what, and they would work through anything together. 

He sighed. "The messengers each came individually to Arthur alone. They mean to collaborate with him before any of the other kingdoms. And therefore, it will be Arthur who will unite the five kingdoms of Albion." 

Morgana waited. "That is excellent news, Merlin," she frowned. 

"I know," he groaned. "But Gana, it's--it's the fulfilling of the prophecy. It is what Arthur's birth was meant to do, and it is all I was supposed to aide him in." 

"And now you fear that because his birth is fulfilled, his death is inevitable," she voiced what he did not have the courage to. 

Merlin nodded, and he felt his eyes burn. Morgana stepped forward and hugged him tightly. He let his head fall onto her shoulder, and he cried inconsolably--the only tears to fall in Camelot that night. 

***

Arthur raised an eyebrow as Merlin forced himself into the war planning commission the first day that week. Perhaps he's learned the seriousness of it all? Perhaps he finally respects what Arthur has to do as the king of a nation?

He watched Merlin nod off in between, and sighed. That wasn't it. Maybe he just missed Morgana. 

Later that day, they had to hold an emergency meeting to re-route one of their paths since there were sightings of Cenred's scouts in the same area. Cenred had long forsaken Mordred and Morgana since the death of Morgause, but several sightings could not be ignored, and the commission had to reconvene. 

Percival effortlessly dumped a crateful of maps into the corner of the hall and brought to the table a single one. 

The councilors were silent as the knight spread out the large map and traced a single route. "I had to ask around for this one," he looked right at Arthur. "It is nearly obscure, but it works." 

"Then how come not enough of us know about it?" Arthur asked. 

"The route is long and windy, and it passes through some of the most deserted, remote areas of Albion. It can be dangerous. This route has not been undertaken in war for a long time for fear of being ambushed. But right now it is just obscure enough to be safe. But I suggest that if we do undertake this route, successfully, we leave it be for another long period." 

Arthur was seriously considering it, Merlin could tell. He was proud of Percival, and Arthur, and every person who was working towards an Albion of his dreams. 

Arthur hummed, then pointed to a single location on the map along the route. "What is this place?" 

Percival tilted his neck to look at it right. "Camlann." 

Merlin felt the air being punched right out of his lungs and looked over at Morgana in horror. She had gone pale, but she appeared to be paralyzed, only able to watch her vision come true and unable to stop it. 

Arthur smiled a small smile. "Then it is settled. At Camlann we make our stand," he announced. 

*** 

Sitting at the table in Arthur's chambers, Merlin looked back at the day's events and could see how he might have handled things differently. 

Seeing Morgana stand there, and Arthur hurtling to his doom, Merlin had simply bellowed out a "NO!" and refused to explain, and then demanded that Arthur talk to him privately. It was not an image fitting his newly founded position, but his true role at Camelot had always been only one thing--to protect Arthur. 

Now Morgana and Merlin had to explain why Camlann was a place of bad omens to an obstinate Arthur. He believed in the power of Morgana's visions to an extent, but Merlin knew he realized they were withholding information. Perhaps their own fear of voicing a possibility of death resounded within Arthur, and the echo of a question died in his throat. 

Before they knew it, there was a third meeting within the same day, and the map that marked Camlann was rejected and moved back to the corner of the hall, to the puzzlement and anger of most councilors. To Merlin's utter disbelief, the resistance quickly died down once Arthur announced that Morgana had a vision of Camlann. 

Here was a Camelot of his dreams, a Camelot of acceptance and wonder, and he could only watch with a melancholy that did not belong. Perhaps after this war, the world would seem bright again, and perhaps he could feel fully happy again. 

***

I'm sorry it takes me forever! However, I really do want to thank all of you who are leaving kind comments. It gives me the inspiration to write. But please, feel free to give me feedback as well. 

Edit: I changed the video to Photograph by Ed Sheeran. I don't know what the old one was doing in there lol. 

Happy reading! 

Monarch.