Merlin: The Return Of The Once And Future King. (BBC MERLIN)

-7-

Before Merlin opened his eyes, he could smell. He smelt the familiar fern trees, fresh air and unfortunate feces. He sensed beneath him the prickling sensation of grass across his skin as he lay on the ground. Next came his hearing. He heard birds chirping, distant people talking and the sound of hooves clopping.
The sound was getting closer and closer and before he knew it, the sound came to an abrupt halt.

"Enjoying the sun?"

A soft, feminine voice spoke, startling Merlin.
Merlin opened his eyes. It took him a while for his eyes to adjust but once they did, his jaw hit the floor.

"Gwen?" Merlin exclaimed as he sat up with urgency.
She was wearing a purple elegant dress and her brunette curly hair tumbled round her brown, shining skin. She wore her usual crown, alerting people of her authority and royal status. Then came her eyes,those brown eyes which looked so wise yet so youthful and at best, kind.

"What's wrong? Looks like you've seen a ghost."
Queen Gwen looked at him with concern and a raised eyebrow. Merlin struggled to find his words and she smiled.
'Oh, you have no idea.'
Merlin thought to himself as he brushed a strand of hair away from his forehead.
"Come on, we need to chat." She said as she elegantly moved her arm towards the direction of the horses behind, telling him to hop on.
He obeyed.

The journey to wherever they were headed was spent in silence.
He felt that he should say something, but everything was just so overwhelming. He had to wrap his mind around the situation first.
Merlin knew he was dreaming, but it still felt so realistic. How could any dream be able to engage with Merlin's senses so well?
He could actually smell, or feel the wind brush against his skin.
Usually in dreams, those details are left out because you're too focused on the events that are unfolding.
So how was this happening, where was he really?
The last thing Merlin could remember was being shot by a Witch-killing bullet and then Arthur...
Did Arthur really say...
Did he really say he 'loved' Merlin?
I mean, as brothers? Or like, as....

"Merlin?"
Merlin snapped his head around to see Gwen glancing at him in a concerned manner.
"Are you okay?" She said in a gentle tone. She slowed her horses down so she could really focus on him.
"You've gone really pale, is everything alright?"
Merlin gulped, a bit stunned, and knodded to Gwen so as to stop her worrying.
She didn't look convinced, so for the rest of the ride she kept half-glancing back at Merlin to see how he was.
Surely, Arthur just ment what he'd said as brothers.
Arthur had loved Gwen, his wife, one of Merlin's closest friends. Even though back in reality, Gwen was long gone. But still, Arthur's heart belonged to her.

For the rest of the ride, Merlin decided to put his mind at rest for now. Instead, he enjoyed the view and his surroundings. This day in Camelot was like any other, everyone going about, doing their own business.
Some people were at stalls purchasing necessaties and goods, children where running around playing tag, in pure states of euphoria.
It saddened Merlin, knowing that he never had a simple life like this, and he never would.

He closed his eyes, taking in  the smell and allowing himself to think. A blinding light appeared and dulled, causing  Merlin to force his eye lids back  open.
Suddenly, he was in Gauis's chambers, with no recognition of how he ended up there. He looked around, ready to question how he had possibly appeared here when he realised, Gwen was gone and he was on his own. Where she had vanished to, and how, he had no idea but he was quite disappointed now because he missed the opportunity to speak with Gwen, and he'd missed her over the years too.

Merlin walked over to his old desk. It was covered in empty and full medicine bottles, herbs and oils and a mortar and pestle. He lifted a bottle, examined it and put  it back down. He noticed that there was also ripped out and scrumpled up pages which littered the ground. The pages led a trail to a velvet leather book, lying open with spilt ink on the floor. He lifted the book up and observed it.
There was nothing written on the page. He held it up, confused, and flicked to the previous page.
Nothing.
He flicked back even further to reveal also, nothing. Merlin shrugged his shoulders and set the book back down. He turned round and nearly jumped out of his skin, Gauis was there.
"Still a curious lad then?" Gauis joked as he began to walk towards Merlin. Merlin smiled and embraced him into a hug.
"You've no idea how good it feels to hear your voice again." Merlin said as he released Gauis from his grasp.
Gauis smiled warmly at Merlin and sat down on a stool.
Once he sat down his expression changed to an expression of more seriousness and he seemed to ponder on a thought.
Merlin was about to ask what troubled Gauis when Gauis got there first,
"Merlin, we have an important issue to discuss."
Merlin walked toward Gauis, finding himself not able to form an accurate sentence due to all the questions floating around his head, but he gave a knod of encouragement for Gauis to continue.
Gauis suddenly looked sickly, he was pale and he had bags under his eyes.
Gauis had trouble himself forming the sentence so Merlin decided to ask a question while he had the opportunity.