They both turned to Merlin, who was curled up in a ball against the wall. "No," Lancelot whispered. Both he and Arthur ran over to Merlin. She was as cold as ice, not unlike when she fainted at the Samhain feast. The carried her over to the fire and wrapped her in as many blankets as they could find. Luckily, she was still alive.
As the sun rose, Arthur, Leon and Lancelot came up with a plan. They had to continue with the quest, but Lancelot would ride through the Valley of the Fallen Kings in order to get Merlin to Gaius. Arthur had wanted to put the whole quest on hold to take Merlin back to Camelot, but Lancelot and Leon insisted that they continue. All of Camelot was counting on them.
Percival, being the strongest, was the one to carry her to the horses. He draped her onto her horse, since she had no strength to sit up, and Arthur fastened her to it. "This is my fault," Arthur told her, "and I am sorry."
"Take me with you, please," Merlin said weakly.
"You would die, Merlin."
"But you don't understand. Please, Arthur." A single tear ran down her left cheek.
"Do you ever do as you're told?"
"I have to come with you."
"Merlin-"
"We need to leave," Lancelot interrupted.
"Go," Arthur ordered. He watched worriedly as they left. Tears shone in his eyes.
Merlin and Lancelot rode as fast as Merlin could handle, nonstop until they reached a stream a few hours later. Lancelot lifted a semi-conscious Merlin off of her horse and laid her down by the stream. Then he wrapped her in his cloak. He reached down to take some water, but paused when he saw Merlin move her hand into the water. When the water touched her fingertips, it began to glimmer slightly. Lancelot lifted Merlin's hand out of the water and studied it.
"Lancelot," a voice whispered. Droplets of water began to rise from the stream, each with a little face in them. "Lancelot. We bear you no harm. We wish only to help."
"What are you?"
"We are Vilia, spirits of brooks and streams. The tear in the veil has upset the balance of the world. Good spirits as well as bad roam freely. But this perilous state cannot continue for long."
"Prince Arthur rides for the Isle of the Blessed. He intends to heal the veil."
"He will need help. From both of you."
"My... friend is sick. I need to get her to Camelot."
"Emrys is stronger than you give her credit for. The young witch has great power and a future that has been written since the dawn of time. Do not worry. Even now, my sisters begin to heal her."
Lancelot glanced at Merlin. The Vilia's magic caused her skin to shimmer as it healed her.
"You are tired. You must rest."
"I need to find shelter."
"You are safe here."
"The Dorocha-"
"We will stay with you, and protect you through the night," the Vilia insisted.
Lancelot smiled in awe as the droplets around him became a protective barrier of light.
-
When Lancleot woke up, Merlin was gone. "Merlin. Merlin!"
"Shh!"
Lancelot turned around to see Merlin balancing between two rocks, holding two fish on a string in one hand and a staff in the other. She watched the water for a fish to swim by, stabbed at it... and missed. She shrugged. Two would be enough. Merlin held up the fish. "Breakfast!" She hopped off of the rock and walked towards Lancelot.
"Merlin, what....? Why are you....?"
"What?"
"You're meant to be.... dying."
"Sorry. Here." She handed Lancelot the staff.
"What's that for?"
"You look like you're about to fall over."
"I-"
"Come on. We need to catch up with the others." Merlin made her way towards the horses.
"No. You'e going back to Camelot."
"You might be."
"Merlin."
"Say hello to Gaius for me!"
"Merlin!" Lancelot all but shouted.
Merlin stopped and turned around. "Hmm?"
Lancelot walked over to her and put a hand against her cheek. He peered into her sapphire eyes. Lancelot had never noticed the golden flecks in them before. Slowly, so that Merlin would have time to pull away, he moved forward. He brushed his lips against Merlin's and then pulled away slightly. "I thought you were going to die," he breathed.
Merlin wrapped her arms around his shoulder and stood on the tips of her toes. "I didn't."
"May I kiss you?"
Merlin nodded, already leaning in. They pressed their lips together in a tender, passionate kiss. Their hearts beat in sync with each other. Neither of them knew how long they stood there, in the other's embrace. It was as if the world had faded away, leaving only Merlin and Lancelot.
Eventually, they did separate, though still in each other's arms. Both of them were slightly flushed, but neither of them cared. Merlin gave him a quick peck on the lips and then pulled away completely. "We need to go," she said, breaking the moment.
"R-right."
Fingers intertwined, they made their way to the horses. They had a mission, after all.
They rode nonstop for two days, only stopping to nourish the horses and keep safe from the Dorocha. Eventually, they reached a hill overlooking an abandoned fortress. Or rather, what once was and abandoned fortress, seeing the smoke rising from it. "Looks like someone beat us to it," Lancelot noted.
"Bandits?"
"Maybe."
"Think we'll make it before nightfall?"
"There's only one way to find out."
The answer to the question was no. No, they could not make it before nightfall. Luckily, the source of the smoke was the fire that was lit by the Knights of the Round Table. Leon, Gwaine and Elyan sat on one side of the fire, while Arthur and Percival sat across from them. Merlin and Lancelot watched from behind a pillar as Gwaine pulled off his left boot and sock.
"Has something died?" Elyan groaned.
"Why am I always the butt?" Gwaine asked as he pulled off his other shoe.
"Can't think," Leon said.
Leon and Elyan both stood up, walked to the other side of the fire, and sat next to Percival and Arthur, respectively. "Pick on Percival," Gwaine told them, pointing a stick with his sock at the end of it at them.
"Why me?" Percival said, offended.
"He washes," Elyan informed Gwaine.
"And he doesn't set fire to his socks," Leon added.
Gwaine pulled his sock out of the fire and attempted to put them out. The rest of the knights laughed, including Lancelot. Merlin shook her head fondly. "Should we let them know we're here?" Merlin whispered.
"Probably."
"Alright." Merlin pushed Lancelot towards the others and moved back into her hiding spot.
From the fireplace, Arthur tensed. "Quiet," he ordered. They stood up and drew their swords, including Gwaine, who was barefooted. Lancelot walked into the light and they lowered their weapons. "Lancelot? How's Merlin."
Lancelot frowned and dipped his head slightly. "Bad news," he told them.
"No..."
Lancelot grinned. "Only joking. She's still alive."
Arthur let out a breath of relief.
"Merlin!" Gwaine exclaimed.
Each knight gave Merlin a hug or a pat on her shoulder, letting themselves know that she was indeed alright.
Later that night, as Merlin laid next to Lancelot by the fire, she found that she could not sleep. She sat up and looked to see that it was still Arthur's watch. She walked over to where he sat and joined him on the log. "You know everything's going to be alright, right? Everything's going to be fine."
"I know, Merlin. I'm just tired."
"You don't have to sacrifice yourself."
"To save my people."
"I'll take your place."
Arthur shook his head. "Merlin-"
"What is the life of a servant compared to that of a prince?"
"Well, a good servant is hard to come by."
"I'm not that good."
"True." Merlin frowned, but she had walked right into that one. "One thing. Look after my father and sister for me. Please?"
"Don't worry. I'll make sure." You can look after them yourself.
-
Please take this moment to gather tissues, chocolate, and anything else you may need. Take a breath. In. Out. Good. Ready? No? Oh well. Carry on, and don't say I didn't warn you.
-
They reached the Isle of the Blessed by late afternoon the next day. They were greeted by a screeching overhead.
"No," Gwaine said. "Please don't be-"
"Wyverns!"
The knights drew their swords and began fending them off.
"S'enthend' apakhorein nun epello," Merlin growled beneath her breath. The wyverns retreated.
"We need to keep moving," Arthur yelled.
Just then another group of wyverns flew overhead. "Sire, you go, we'll fend them off!" Elyan said.
Arthur nodded. He, Lancelot, Gwaine and Merlin ran towards the altar while Leon, Percival and Elyan stayed back.
Arthur led the others to the altar. The Cailleach from Merlin's vision stood in front of the tear in the veil, behind the altar. "It is not often we have visitors," she said.
"Put an end to this." Arthur took a step towards her. "I demand you heal the tear between the worlds."
"It is not I who created this horror. Why should it be I who stops it?"
"Innocent people are dying," Merlin pleaded.
"Indeed," the Cailleach agreed with a cold, cruel laugh.
With a cry of rage and his sword raised, Gwaine charged at the gatekeeper of the spirit world. With a lazy movement of her staff, the Cailleach threw Gwaine back, knocking him unconscious and likely breaking a rib or two.
"Is that the best you can do?" she taunted.
"I know what you want," Arthur said.
"Do you? Are you willing to let me have it?"
"I am prepared to pay any price necessary."
The Cailleach motioned for Arthur to come towards her. With determination, he did so.
"Forb fleoghe," Merlin whispered, causing Arthur to be thrown backwards and knocked unconscious, much like Gwaine, but gentler. Both Merlin and the Cailleach approached the stone.
Merlin walked past Lancelot. He grabbed her hand and shook his head, begging her to stop. She put her other hand against his cheek and kissed him. He kissed her back. When they drew away, she told him, "I love you."
"I love you too. More than life itself."
Merlin squeezed Lancelot's hand and let go. She walked towards the Cailleach.
"So, Emrys. You choose to challenge me after all. Will you give yourself to the spirits to save your prince?"
"It is my destiny."
"Perhaps." Now they stood across from each other, on different sides of the alter. "But your time among men is not yet over, Emrys. Even if you want it to be."
Merlin looked at the woman confused. With a sad expression, the Cailleach looked towards the tear in the veil. Lancelot stood in front of it. "No! Lancelot!" Merlin's scream echoed through the courtyard. She felt frozen in her place.
Lancelot looked back at Merlin, a sad smile on his face. Merlin's tear filled eyes met Lancelot's rich brown ones. Don't leave me, Merlin's eyes said. I need you.
I love you, Lancelot's eyes told her in response. Without a word, he turned back to the veil. Back straight and head high, Lancelot walked through. No one saw the tears running down his cheeks as he accepted his death.
"NO!" came the blood curdling cry. Merlin ripped herself out of whatever frozen stupor she had been trapped in and ran towards the closing veil. By the time she reached it, it was gone. Lancelot was gone.
Merlin fell to her knees when she realized that there was no saving him. "It was supposed to be me," she said in a broken whisper. The image of Lancelot flashed through her mind. It was brief, but enough to turn her into a sobbing mess. She buried her face in her hands.
That is where the three knights who had stayed back to fight off the wyverns found her. Leon jogged over to Merlin. He knelt down in front of her and touched her shoulder. She glanced up to see who it was and then fell into his open arms. Leon held her as she sobbed, running a hand through her long, tangled hair and whispering comforting words, much like he did after the death of her father.
-
When they arrived at Camelot, Morgana, Gwen and Gaius were waiting outside. Immediately, they saw who was missing and realized what had happened. They were saved, but at an expensive price. Morgana and Gwen were quick to gather Merlin into a tight hug.
They held the funeral for Lancelot the next day. There was no body to burn, so instead they burned a folded up cape and one of his swords.
"I want to pay tribute to Sir Lancelot," Arthur had said. "We owe him a great debt. It is not just his deed that we'll never forget. It's his courage. His compassion. His unselfish heart. He was the most noble knight I'll ever know. He gave his life for all of us."
I am actually crying right now. Usually I find ways to keep characters alive, but... I am so sorry.