Take 65

Without You

"Congratulations, you two, now get your arse back here, Merlin. I mean, running? I'm glad you found each other but seriously??" Gaius smirks and scolds.

"I'm sorry, Gaius." Merlin wheezes, sitting down.

I look down at the rings we wear, symbols that we will love each other as long as we both live.

"Hey, you okay?" Merlin asks, waving his hand in front of my face.

"Sorry, just thinking." I smile sadly.

"You know how bad that is for you, love." He jokes.

"How can you be so calm about this?" I want to understand how he can be sitting here, dying, and still making time to joke and laugh at me.

"If I'm going to die, I'm not going to suffer going into it. I would rather die being me, not lying somewhere, doing nothing." He simply states, getting up. "I've got to go."

My eyes widen in disbelief as he easily gets up and walks out. "Gaius? How?"

"I've given him something for the pain. It should dull it for a day or two, but his condition will worsen, sire." Gaius explains. "If Merlin rests now, he may be able to overcome the enchantment in his wound. He still may be able to heal himself without resting, but his chances are smaller in that circumstance. I've tried to convince him of this but he doesn't listen to me."

"I will convince your ward. Trust me. He's not King yet." I grimace and march out to find my idiot.

"Arthur!" Gwaine exclaims. "Look What I've got!" He's holding Percival's hand and is the happiest I've seen him in a long time.

"It's about time, Percy." I smile at the two knights, happy that Gwaine and Percy found each other after a year of both them liking the other but being to scared to tell them. "Congratulations, guys. By the way, have you seen my idiot of a fiancé?"

"HE SAID YES???" My half sister screams from the other room. She comes running out of her chambers in her night dress.

Gwen chases after her crying out "My lady! Morgana, your dress, your hair!"

"Gwen, none of that matters! Arthur and Merlin are getting married!!" She squeals as Gwen frets over her.

"Morgana!" I exclaim, irritated that she just told the whole castle. "Where did he go?"

"To summon a dragon." She shrugs like that's normal. "He is the Dragon Lord."

"WHAT?" I scream and chase out to the training field where a giant gold dragon towers over Merlin. "MERLIN!"

"King Arthur." The dragon snorts. "Why the young Emrys chose you is something I'll never know."

"Kilgharrah, be nice. Arthur, love, this is Kilgharrah The Great Dragon. Kilgharrah, this is my fiancé King Arthur."

"Merlin, why did you call on me?" The dragon asks, completely ignoring me.

"I was hoping you could help me, you see, I'm dying." He explains. "An enchantment."

"I cannot heal you, only tell you that your magic is strong." Kilgharrah explains. "You may surprise yourself, young warlock."

With that, he leaps into the air and flies away.

"Merlin, please come back to Gaius and rest. Please. I need you." I'm pleading now, imaging a life where Merlin isn't beside me. At that thought, something in me breaks as my knees hit the ground. "I can't do this without you."

"Okay, let's go." He submits and we walk back into the castle.