A very short take on some of what Arthur might have been feeling during Merlin's execution.

Disclamer: only the order that i have placed the following words in is mine. Seriously, if I owned anything do you really think that Arthur would be allowed to keep his shirt on?

The sky was a mocking shade of blue, Arthur cursed it silently, perhaps if rain had threatened, this whole exce- this whole thing would be postponed, for surely they could not light the fire if the kindling was soaking.

But no rain came, he was forced to watch as his manservant- no- his friend was marched to the platform, begging the useless idiot to run, to escape. If he was so powerful why could he not escape? As the torch was lit, he felt the hands of the guards tighten on his arm. It had taken six men to restrain him and drag him to the balcony, but they were not needed any more. Arthur knew now that it was hopeless, he would watch, his protector, his friend, his saviour, die today. And he knew that there was nothing in this world that could stop it.

If anyone was watching closely they might have noticed that the shimmering gold that danced in Merlin's eyes was not just a reflection of the flames, they might have notice that the air around him rippled with more than just heat. But Arthur's eyes had filled with tears, perhaps there was indeed one man who was worth them. He saw the flames soar into life through a haze of sorrow. He stayed until the last of them had died. His head bowed. The guards had left long before, his father had gone the moment the pyre had been lit.

Only Arthur stayed till the bitter end, only Arthur waited until the ashes blew away into the wind. Only Arthur heard the coughing behind him. Only Arthur turned round to witness the blackened figure trying to clear his lungs of the black smoke that had nearly filled them.

And only Merlin would look around bemused and say, "I'm still in Camelot aren't i?" before collapsing in a heap in front of the thunderstruck Once and Future King.

PLEASE reveiw even if it's to say that my writing is terrible and i should be ashamed to be inflicting it on you, i NEED to know. (I'd offer you money but i don't actually have any. I could do hot chocolate in a pinch, will that do?)