But Now, I Know

Death Without Dying

"It's simple really. You are going to pretend to be yourself."

"What?!" Merlin and Arthur said in unison, but Morgana had less confusion. 

She took a sharp breath. "I think I know what you mean to do."

"Well, I certainly don't," Arthur scoffed. 

Freya drifted closer to the shore. "The only person who could possibly bring Kyulds back together, bring the missing pieces back into his heart, is Arthur."

"But not the Arthur of now..." Morgana continued for her. 

"The Arthur of the future. An Arthur who has experienced everything with him. An Arthur who needs him to be there for his return."

Merlin shook his head. "How could he pull it off? How are we going to manufacture years of memories and experience?"

"I can help. It only has to be believable for a moment, enough to shock him. Then..."

"Then what?" Morgana asked apprehensively. 

Merlin ignored her question in favor of his own. "What if you just talked to him, Freya? The memory of you effected him before."

"No, Merlin. He already knows I'm here. He might expect me. In order for this to work, he has to be caught off guard." She turned to the prince. "You have to be convincing and you have to be confident."

Arthur nodded, although a slight twitch in his eyes gave away his uncertainty. 

"It's alright, Arthur." Morgana squeezed his arm. "You can do it." Merlin glared at her, but said nothing. 

"So... what do I need to know?"

Morgana's heartbeat quickened. "Well, lot's of things actually..." She met Freya's eyes. How much time did they have before Kyulds would be after them again? 

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "How far into the future are you from?"

"Well... not as far as Kyulds... but," she swallowed, "many... many years."

Arthur raised his eyebrows.

"It's fine, you don't need to know everything, just the larger points." Freya continued her explanation, touching on Morgana's disappearance after the knights of Medhir attacked, her return and eventual betrayal, the death of King Uther, the crowning of queen Guinevere, Mordred's alliance and betrayal, and finally the battle of Camlann. "You were wounded beyond hope. Merlin had no choice but to reveal his magic to you. At first you felt betrayed, but eventually you developed an understanding and a new found respect. However, this further bond wasn't enough to save you from Mordred's blade. You died in Merlin's arms. That would be the last thing you remember."

Arthur was silent, occasionally glancing at Merlin who refused to return his gaze. "What..." he tried, "what did I say to him? What did we say to each other?"

"Before you died?"

"No," Merlin said, turning his back to them. "This is too much." He hurried away from the lake and crouched beside a tree. He discarded Excalibur, hiding his face in his hands. They watched him go, no one making any attempt to stop him.

Arthur looked expectantly at Freya. 

"You said 'thank you.'"

"For what?"

"For what Merlin had done for you, ever since the day you met," Morgana answered. She hoped now, that Arthur truly believed Merlin was on his side. "He did more than just keep you alive, he made you into a better person, he transformed you from a prince to a king. Even a blind man could see that much."