Disclaimer: I own nothing

Me: I know, I know! I'm starting another story when I haven't finished the others I have but after reading some of the spoilers for next season this thing just grew wings and flew in here….

I just got from a trip from California and I am so super exited! I got three assignments and projects that got me super exited! I'm thinking on moving over there next year so there is that to look forward to!

Now… before people bite my head off from having spoilers here there is this

SPOILERS FOR SEASON 5! DO NOT CONTINUE READING IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW STUFF!

(p.s.)

EVEN THOUGH THERE IS ONLY LIKE ONE REAL SPOILER HERE AND THE REST IS SPECULATION!

THAT IS ALLLL

ENJOY!

Destiny must have a sick sense of humor.

At least that's what Merlin thought. It was the only reason that he found himself now, in front of all the Round Table members, the queen and his most annoying prat trying to make said prat listen to him and being ignored like always. After the second battle for Camelot and the subsequent revelation of a particular enchanted sword to said king prat to get his spirits up, Merlin began to feel that his purpose for his king was coming to an end. The thread of gold a red which represented his destiny and which tide the two of them together felt cold and hollow, he felt even more out of place than usual.

The knights were either in training or running around all of Camelot, helping out whomever they could. Their queen was always seen around the lower town, talking to everyone and arranging for problems to be fixed. Gwen was always happy to bring food and water to those who couldn't provide for themselves and was quickly becoming even more loved throughout the city than she was before. And their glorious king would hardly be seen outside the council chambers. Having to sign off on many papers for the reconstruction of Camelot and the impending threat of the Saxon's kept his king away in meetings that he was not allowed in. And when he was not, then he spent the rest of his time with his wife and Merlin would never interfere in their time together.

Two years passed and the distance between himself and his king only grew more and more. Merlin saw how happy and prosperous the kingdom and all his friends had become during that time, and with a weary and solemn smile he began to think that his destiny had been fulfilled. It was years since Morgana had made an appearance, and if indeed she was still alive he imagined he would've heard from her, but not one scheme was seen, so he had assumed her dead. The knights were happy, his friend and queen was finally where she belonged and his king was well on his way to his destiny. He was startingto face the fact that they didn't need him anymore. But on the third year,

Mordred arrived

The same druid boy who had once been saved by his king when he was but a boy, now walked into the main hall of the castle grown into young adulthood dressed in armor and sword, His pale blue eyes and inky black locks framed his face as he faced the audience with a look full of confidence and nervousness. As he stood in front of the king, he knelt and asked to have the chance to join the ranks of knights. Having recognized the boy from their youth, Arthur immediately stood from his throne and embraced him completely, not even once commenting on his druid heritage. The fact that his precious king had grown to such a level usually brought a jolt of pride and fondness to Merlin's heart;

But right now, all he could feel was fear.

Fear for his friends. Fear for his queen. Fear for his dearest king. His family. He could have never believed in a thousand years that he would be as foolish as to let this event happen. He knew that the boy had sworn vengeance for his decimated camp. He could remember in crystal vision the day when he say the boy throw his energy in anger against the Camelot's knights that had him surrounded as he heard the sound of his camp being slaughter by his king. How he faced to see him once the knights were downed, never to rise again and told me of his plans for revenge. His affection for Morgana and his tremendous power and intelligence. That boy was never going to abandon his vendetta against the king, and now he had allowed his destinies doom the perfect position to gain the trust of his king. It took a few minutes, but Merlin felt the cold thread of his and Arthur's destiny become warm and strong once more. He could not leave; never leave, as long as his friends had need of him he would always remain at their side, in the darkness, their guardian of shadows.

"You're not listening to me Arthur!" Merlin exclaimed as he gestured wildly at the amused king. He had tried to make them understand. To warn them of the threat that Mordred was after the many months of him being a part of the knights but none of them listen. Right now, this was his desperate attempt at warning them, at making them believe him, at making them listen to his words.

"Because what you are saying is complete and utter nonsense!" Arthur stated dismissively he gestured around the room. "Why would Mordred be working against us? It's completely ridiculous!" Seeing his still worried and nervous face, Arthur simply sighed and stood to face Merlin directly.

"I save his life when he was but a boy! What reason could he have to plot my demise?" He stated cheerfully as he turned around and began to walk around the room. "And frankly, this petty jealousy you have against him is very unbecoming of you."

"ME? JEALOUS?"

"I mean, reeeeally Merlin! Did you honestly think we didn't notice all the glares you keep giving him or how whenever he tries to talk to anyone you immediately need that person to follow you and help you in some inane task?" At this, Merlin kept watching all of their face to see what they thought and he was shocked to see the pity and their awkward glances at him.

They believed Arthur. They actually believed him to be that petty, that selfish to actually be jealous of someone else's good fortune. Seeing their faces and hearing Arthur's words cut deeper than ever before. To actually be witness of how little faith they had in his judgment when in the past he had always been right in the end cut deep in his soul.

It left him breathless. The coldness that came from the thin thread connecting him to the others; connecting him to Arthur, was coming back in full force. It felt fragile, frail and weak; as if all the abuse and pain it had suffer all these years amongst them was slowly piling up on top of it, putting more and more pressure that was slowly driving it to the breaking point. He was so very tired of being known only as a simpleton, as the fool, as the nobody who ranted on and on about nothing. The boy who cried wolf.

It would be so easy to just stay quiet and leave them to their own mistakes, to let them realized on their own. To let them be caught unaware.

He just had to turn around and walk away.

But he could never do that. They were his family, even if they didn't know him completely he would always protect them from the shadows that lurked in the dark. The monsters that hid in every corner of the kingdom, ready to strike. The snakes that slider amongst their mist. He was their friend, their last defense. Their protector. And he would do whatever it took to keep them safe.

But it would be so easy to let go…

"Enough is enough. Just accept the fact that he is here to stay." With this, Arthur simply turned and began to walk towards the room, thinking the discussion over. But Merlin wouldn't have any of that.

"Arthur, just listen!" Merlin shouted as he took a few long strides forward, the others took on a look of surprised when they heard such clear defeat and anger laced with desperation in his voice. "I am trying to save you all! Mordred is a danger to Camelot!" However, he knew that Arthur had long since stopped listening to him. He turned around and gave Merlin a glare as he slowly began to approach.

"Meeerlin…" His voice held no joking tone; it was cold and emotionless showing how close Merlin was pushing it. They all knew that once Arthur believed himself to be right there was no force on earth that could change his mind other than Merlin. However in the matter of Sir Mordred, it was the first time he had allowed himself to believe in someone outside their close circle and allowed him close. Having been betrayed by Morgana and Agravaine left deep scars in his heart and it took three years before he would allow himself to trust someone like that again. But now that Merlin was fighting him, downright telling him to his face that he had made another mistake, was too much for him.

Merlin had always been there for him, he had taught him to be the man he was today. Without him they knew Arthur would never have had enough conviction to attempt to reclaim Camelot any of those times. There was simply no Arthur without Merlin and at the same time there was no Merlin without Arthur. For they all have been witness to his change; long gone was the naïve young boy that came to Camelot all those years ago, now in front of them stood a man with wisdom far beyond his years. All to better serve his best friend and king.

But they were neither fools nor blind. They have seen the rift that had begun to grow between the two of them after the second reclaiming of Camelot. It was eerie to watch and a sense of coldness festered in their hearts as the two best friends began to drift apart. They often saw the look of desperation and sadness that Arthur sometimes wore during his many meetings and duties and they in turn saw the sad and empty eyes of Merlin as he walked around the castle. Neither man thought they noticed but they have all seen and they were frightened.

"NO!" They heard Merlin shout as a look of anger and sadness sprung from his eyes. "You need to listen! Mordred is planning something! He is working for Morgana! He is playing with the image that you remember of him! The innocent little child you saved from execution all those years ago!" After they heard Merlin say this, the room became horribly silent. Nothing could be heard other than the ragged breathing of the raven haired man, desperate for someone to believe him. But what was worse was the look on their king. For there was no trace of their friend within them, this was the look that demanded obedience, that blocked out all others that dared defied him. And right now that look, that horrible cold and frightening look was aimed at the man who held the title of their king's best friend. And now that coldness in their hearts began to weigh heavily within them.

Merlin couldn't stand it. He saw that look. That frightening look upon his best friends face and it was directed at him. He was always the one to diffuse that look so that others would not suffer Arthur's wrath too severely, but now that same look was staring right at him and for a moment he could not breathe. The pain was putting too much of its weight upon the thread connecting him and Arthur together. It felt so cold, it would only take one last thing to push him over the edge but he could not stop now. Not when his family was in danger.

He took a small breath as Arthur oh so slowly stepped in front of him. His eyes blazing with the anger of a true Pendragon, Arthur spoke and oh what a frightening sound it was.

"I would advise you to be very careful with what you say right now Merlin." It hurt. It hurt more than all the time he was punished or shouted at unjustly. The weigh was unbearable, his mind in disarray.

So this was what it was like to lose one's destiny?

But he couldn't stop. He had to make his king, his friend, his brother see reason. He would try to the very end to get through his cold shell. He would save his king.

"And I would advise you to listen to me for once in your life!" They heard Merlin shout and they could only watch in silent horror at what they were witnessing. After all they have faced together, after all the horrors they have seen, they sight of the two most important men in their lives losing their friendship to their cold words was almost too much to bear. Something was shifting; the sense of security and happiness they have felt was vanishing before their very eyes. Outside they could scarcely hear the storm clouds approaching and the sky darkened with every second that passed. It was as if the very heavens were against what was happening in the room. "Arthur, Mordred is planning something! You need to stop him right now. He is your doom, your death! You cannot allow him to remain in Camelot!"

"Merlin!" He was no longer in control. They could see Arthur's fists clenching and his muscles wounding up as if preparing for battle. After all the pressures he's got from the kingdom they didn't think he could handle anything more. And right now it looked as if he was going to take it out of his best friend.

Hearing his name spoken with such anger from his brother almost broke him, made him want to break down in tears and beg his king to listen to his words but still, he carried on. His blind loyalty was absolute to his king. He would let himself be screamed at a thousand times more if it meant he could get through to his friend.

Was he still considered a friend to this stranger? To this furious king of legend that stood now before him?

Was he ever a friend to begin with?

"I won't let the kingdom fall into Morgana's hands for a third time because of your stubborn PRIDE!"

The thread broke.

Everything seemed to mute itself as the only sound was the roar of thunder that flooded the room with a blinding light. But that was not what had stunned everyone, including their king, into horrified silence.

"Arthur!"

"Sire!"

"Merlin, are you all right? Let me see…"

"Percival, let me go! I'm going to tear him apart!"

Merlin could only stare at the ground beneath him as he felt his queen fussing around him. He could hear the knights around him. They were talking, shouting, grunting, screaming… His queen laid herself on the floor and tried to gingerly pick him up as he felt a certain wetness dripping down his cheek. Once he was upright, he raised his hand slowly towards his cheek and without wincing brought his fingers towards his unblinking eyes. He saw a crimson trail of red dripping down his fingers and pooling in his palm.

The other's fell into silence as they saw recognition and horror appear in their king's face. Arthur raised a trembling hand; the same one he had used to struck the man who had been with him through everything. The one who knew him the most. The one whom he could always count on and that now lay on the ground, staring at his blood tinted hand with a look that now held nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

He saw his knuckles drip with the blood of his best friend. The ring that had broken the skin on the pale face of Merlin was drenched in his blood and it took all of him to stop himself from losing his lunch. His now horrified eyes that were suspiciously wet now concentrated on the frame of the man that was slowly standing up with the help of his queen. Merlin would not take his eyes off his red fingers, his eyes emotionless as his head shifted as if pondering something of great importance. He could not stand this. What he had done was unforgivable. How could he have been so foolish?

The minute Arthur felt his fist strike he felt as if something had snapped, something that was so important to him but that he did not know what that he felt himself empty and aching for said thing to come back. He had broken something precious, something important; Oooh, so very important! He had to fix this, he had to! He could only hope that Merlin's infinite kind nature could ever forgive him in his foolishness.

"Merlin, I-" But before he could continue talking he felt his heart freeze at the words he heard his friend utter with such a hollowed out voice that he had to, he prayed that they did not come out of the most important man in his existence.

"I quit"

Me: I hope you like where this is going! Please review! :D