Merlin One Shots

Queen of Bleeding Hearts

A/N: Just a random oneshot.
IM SCREAMING YOU GUYS! I logged into this, and I find that I have ONE THOUSAND VOTES!!!! That's AMAZING! Thank you all for all the votes and encouragement! I honestly never thought I'd get this far. Just, thank you so much.

Setting: After 5x08, but before 5x09

Description: Merlin finds another way to break the enchantment on Gwen. What he doesn't expect, is for the queen to have a weapon.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. He's definitely not stashed away in my basement. Nothing to see here.

"Finally!" Merlin muttered to himself. His eyes were focused on the book in his hands, or, more specifically, the spell that it contained. Gaius raised an eyebrow at his ward when he stood up abruptly.

"What did you find, Merlin?" Gaius asked, walking over to him. Merlin simply showed Gaius the page, a satisfied grin on his face. The physician read over it, his expression blank. After a few moments of silence, Merlin became impatient.

"It's a spell to free Gwen!" Merlin blurted out. He watched Gaius expectantly, while the old man simply sighed. "Well? Do you think it could work?" Slowly, Gaius nodded, placing the spell book on the table.

"It could free her from the enchantment, but..." The hesitant tone of his voice made Merlin raise an eyebrow. "There is a small chance that she will remember that you used magic." Merlin winced, sitting back down on the bench. After a moment of silence, he warlock steeled himself.

"That's just a chance I'll have to take." Before Gaius could say anything, Merlin rushed out the door, no doubt heading towards the Queen's chambers.

➿➿➿➿➿

Merlin knocked on the door softly, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach. Arthur was in a council meeting, so he had a chance to perform the spell before the king got back. Impatient now, Merlin rapped harder on the door.

"Come in." Gwen's voice was muffled through the doors. Merlin took a deep breath, before walking in. Gwen was sitting at the mirror, running a brush through her hair. A smile crossed her face when she noticed the manservant in the reflection. "Merlin!" The queen stood up, walking over to him. Merlin did his best not to flinch when she came closer to him. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Gwen," Merlin swallowed, before trying to get the words out again. "Gwen, listen to me. I know Morgana has enchanted you." Gwen's face became hard, but she quickly recovered.

"Merlin, don't be ridiculous. I think I would know if I was under an enchantment." She gave him a reassuring smile, but it turned into a glare when Merlin shook his head.

"You do know, Gwen. I need you to fight it. I can break the spell, but I need you to fight it!" Merlin's voice became urgent, and Gwen became cold.

"Don't be a fool." She spat. "I can have you thrown in the dungeons!" She moved to call for the guards, but Merlin grabbed her forearm.

"The guards won't be coming. I made sure they've been stalled. Please, Gwen. Let me help you." Gwen paused, her expression becoming conflicted. Merlin took his chance, and he began to chant. His eyes flashed gold, and his grip on Gwen tightened. The queen's eyes widened in shock, before hardening. "Sorcerer!" She growled. Merlin ignored her, intent on finishing the spell.

Gwen reached around her back, grasping at something. With an angry cry, she pulled out a dagger that she kept hidden, and in one swift motion, it was buried hilt deep in Merlin's chest. The warlock choked out the last word to the spell, his eyes fading back to blue. Just as he collapsed, the hate and fury in Gwen's eyes were replaced by shock and guilt.

"Merlin!" She screamed, falling to her knees beside him. He let out a sigh of relief, but winced when it turned into a rasping cough. Gwen felt tears fall when she saw all the blood. "Merlin, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Gwen couldn't stop saying it as she desperately pressed her hands against his wound. Bright red was spreading across the shirt he was wearing, staining both his clothes and Gwen's.

"It's alright, Gwen." Merlin rasped. He opened his mouth to say more, but another cough racked his body, and his eyes rolled back into his head.

"Merlin!" Gwen frantically searched for a pulse, a small sigh of relief escaping her lips when she found one. It was faint, but it was there. "Guards!" She yelled, expecting them to come rushing in. When they didn't, something Merlin had said resurfaced in her mind.

"The guards won't be coming. I've made sure they've been stalled." Gwen shot to her feet, ignoring the blood that stained her hands. She had to get to Arthur. He was closest, he could help. Gwen bolted out of her chambers, making a beeline for the throne room where Arthur was having his meeting. She had to save Merlin.

➿➿➿➿➿

"Negotiations with the-" the councilman was cut off by a desperate Queen bursting into the room. Arthur felt his heart stop when he noticed the blood staining her hands and dress, along with the tears streaming down her face. Before he even registered that he was moving, he was already at her side, carefully checking her for injuries. Arthur felt himself able to breath again when he noticed that there was no apparent wounds on his wife.

"Arthur, I-" Gwen's words were choked, and she couldn't finish. Arthur placed his hands on her arms comfortingly, but she shrugged them off.

"Guinevere, I need you to tell me what's wrong." Arthur said gently. Gwen looked up at him, tears still falling.

"Our chambers." Gwen managed to spit out the words. "Merlin." Arthur felt his heart stop once more. The king took off at a run, with Guinevere just behind him. On the way to their chambers, they passed Gwaine and Leon.

"What's going on?" Gwaine demanded. Arthur didn't even acknowledge him, the thought of Merlin consuming his mind.

"It's Merlin!" Gwen didn't stop either, she simply called it out over her shoulder. The frantic tone of her voice was enough to make the knights run after them. Arthur was the first to burst into his chambers, with Gwen and the two knights just behind him. The king felt his breath hitch when he saw the limp form of his manservant on the floor, a bloody dagger lying off to the side.

"Merlin." Arthur knelt down next to the body, his shaking hands searching for a pulse. "Merlin, come on you idiot, you have to still be alive." Gwen was sobbing as Arthur still searched for signs of life. Any hope they had was quickly crashing.

              Suddenly, Merlin gasped, his eyes fluttering open. Arthur's shoulder slumped in relief, and Gwaine let out a hoarse laugh. Merlin smiled up at them, his eyes closing again.

             "We need to get him to Gaius." Gwaine said, kneeling next to Merlin and the king. Arthur nodded wordlessly, carefully scooping up his manservant's limp form into his arms.

              Merlin would be alright.

              He had to be.