How Merlin Should Have Ended

The Disir

"What will you do?" Merlin asked. He was sitting on the ground across from Arthur, a fire in between them.

"I don't know," Arthur replied. Merlin could hardly blame him. Even he wasn't sure of the answer. "My heart says do anything I can to save Mordred, but I've seen what misery unfettered sorcery brings. Before my father outlawed magic, Camelot was almost destroyed by sorcery. In my own time Morgana has used it for nothing but evil. What would you do in my place?"

"Me?" Merlin asked. He'd hoped Arthur wouldn't want his opinion on such a matter. His own mind was so conflicted, he hardly felt able to give an answer. "I'm just a lackey, maker of beds."

"Lackeys can be wise," Arthur replied, but Merlin didn't speak.

On the one hand he had to protect Arthur from the prophecy and Mordred no matter what, but on the other wasn't it part of their destiny to bring magic back to the land?

"It's not like you to be silent," Arthur commented.

"The Kingdom's future is at stake," Merlin said softly. In some ways he was used to having everything at stake, having the fate of everyone around him on his shoulders, but even so this felt different. It was bigger somehow. If he made the wrong choice here it could mean the end of everything he'd worked towards.

"And a man's life," Arthur added, meaning Mordred, but Merlin couldn't bring himself to care much about Mordred. If only the man would die then he could stop constantly worrying about Arthur, because despite how many times he'd saved Arthur's life up until now this time was different. This time it felt almost inevitable. More than anything else Merlin wanted Arthur to live. The idea of watching his best friend die was too painful to think about.

"You must protect Camelot," Merlin answered, generically trying to avoid giving a real answer. "You must protect the world you've spent your life building. A just and fair kingdom for all."

"You'd have me sacrifice a friend," Arthur replied.

And it was then that Merlin realized how selfish his answer was. Here he was suggesting Arthur sacrifice someone when he himself was unable to do so. For what felt like forever saving Arthur and following his destiny had been one and the same so he hadn't really noticed before, but now Merlin realized that he cared more about keeping his friend alive then he did about his destiny: uniting the lands of Albion and returning magic to the relim.

No matter what the prophecy said, the future wasn't set in stone. Would he even be considering advising Arthur to condemn a Knight of the round table and continue to ban magic if he wasn't so scared of Mordred's part to play in Arthur's death? No, he didn't think he would. If it was Gwaine's life or any of the others Merlin would be trying to sway Arthur the exact opposite way he'd just intended to.

No matter how scared he was and no matter what lay ahead, Merlin had to do what he felt was right now rather than based on some unknown time in the future. The Disir themselves had said if he wanted to save everything he held dear he had to embrace the Old Religion. Maybe this was the key to avoiding the prophecy? Or was Merlin just being unreasonably hopeful? Either way it didn't matter. The path was clear.

"If I do save Mordred, all my father's work will be for nothing," Arthur continued. "Sorcery will reign once more in Camelot. Is that what you'd want?"

Despite his new realization Merlin still didn't speak. Even if he knew how he had to answer for the sake of the future of his land, the idea that his next words might mean sacrificing his friend's life held him back.

"Perhaps my father was wrong," Arthur said. "Perhaps the old ways aren't as evil as we thought. So what should we do? Accept magic or let Mordred die?"