How Merlin Should Have Ended

The Recovery

Arthur had expected to die where he'd fallen on the battlefield. He remembered the feeling of the blood draining from his body, how it had made him feel cold and sleepy. On some level, he'd known what that meant. So when he'd blacked out, Arthur hadn't expected to wake up again.

The fact that he was now awake again didn't make any sense. Still, the facts were undeniable. He was warm and his body felt solid. He could feel the blood in his veins and the pain in his abdomen was far too sharp for him to be dead.

He could hear muffled voices around him, but he couldn't quite make out any words. He wanted to know who was talking, but his eyelids seemed too heavy to lift. Arthur could at least sense a flickering light through his closed eyelids. He imagined a simple candle flame. Even if his eyes wouldn't open, the rest of his senses were cooperating. Arthur could tell he wasn't lying on the ground anymore. The surface under him felt more uniform than the ground, as if it were man-made. Arthur assumed it was some sort of bed. He concluded that he was very likely in the medical tent.

Arthur was just thinking again how he'd like to hear what the voices were saying when his mind emptied. Arthur only realized he'd fallen asleep when he woke up again.

The sleep must have done him some good, because Arthur felt even better now than he had the first time he'd awoken. The pain had eased somewhat, and his head was clearer. Arthur tried his eyelids again and found them much more willing to move this time.

At first, the light was too bright, and Arthur closed his eyes almost at once. When he tried again however, his eyes adapted to the light, and he was able to take in his surroundings.

The first thing he saw was Guinevere. If his head hadn't been angled to one side, Arthur wouldn't have been able to see her across the room on his left. She was turned away from him, likely tending to a patient Arthur couldn't see, but just knowing she'd been so close made Arthur feel better. Arthur opened his mouth to speak to her, but only managed a sound he hadn't quite planned. His throat was drier than he'd realized. Even so, it was enough. She turned.

The look of joy on her face at the sight of him awake was the most beautiful thing Arthur had ever seen. She came quickly over to this bed and picked up his hand in hers.

"You had us worried there for a while," Guinevere said, smiling at him. "But Gaius said that as long as you woke up, you'd be okay."

"What happened?" Arthur asked, coughing with the effort of talking.

Rather than reply, his wife reached over for some water and helped Arthur drink it. When she was done, she said, "It's over. We won."

"And Morgana?" Arthur inquired next.

"She's dead."

"How?" Arthur asked. After so many years of defeating her but never managing to vanquish her, Arthur almost couldn't believe her words. Did this mean he really didn't have to fight her anymore? Could this really mean peace at last?

"How do you think?" Guinevere replied, then she gestured to the space behind Arthur, towards the right side of his bed.

Tilting his head the other way, Arthur turned to look, and there slumped in a chair with his eyes closed was none other than Merlin.

"He hasn't left your side since he floated you here," Guinevere explained. "I tried to tell him to get some sleep, but he wouldn't leave. He finally fell asleep in that chair just a few hours ago."

"We would never have won the battle without him," Arthur said softly. Not only was speaking quieter easier on his throat, but he also didn't want to wake the sleeping warlock.

"I know," Guinevere replied. "Even so, he seems to act like he should be able to do more."

"Crazy man," Arthur agreed.