"We need to get out of here," Arthur said, kicking the cell door. He could do nothing with his hands; the rope was still wound tightly around his upper body, as was Merlin's.

"Kicking the door will do you no good," Merlin replied, "It's magically sealed."

"Well, can't you do something about it?" he whispered.

"I know Merlin has magic, Arthur," Uther said from the other cell.

"Father, you're awake!"

"Yes," Uther replied, "Arthur...I'm so sorry for what happened. I sent knights to the forest. I was going to go mad when they said they had found no trace of you!"

"It's alright, father," the young prince replied, "I left of my own accord. You didn't force me to. We'd better do our best to get out of here."

"Magic won't work," Merlin said, "Morgana made sure this time that her own magic can't be undone by another's magic. I am powerless here."

"So am I," Uther said, "Arthur, there's something-"

"I know, father. It's alright. I don't hate sorcerers. I have no reason to."

Merlin smiled at the young prince, even though all he wanted to do was cry. This was the end and he had foreseen it, but he had let it happen nonetheless. He hated himself for all that he had brought upon their heads. The last thing he had wanted was for Arthur to be harmed, and here they were awaiting their execution come morning. Gaius was dead, and he hadn't even been given time to grieve or to be with him during the last moments. After all the old physician had done for Merlin, the young sorcerer hadn't even been allowed to say goodbye.

"Merlin," Arthur said softly, "Gaius knows you loved him. And I'm sorry about what happened."

Merlin nodded, tears clouding up his blue eyes. The young prince moved closer to him and sat down on the cold stone floor right next to him. He couldn't put his arms around him; they were bound. But he rested his head on the sorcerer's shoulder. Merlin felt comforted when he felt the weight of that beautiful blonde head on him. He wanted nothing more than to be with Arthur now during these last few hours. There wasn't much time left. He longed to be in his lover's arms, and to hold him in his arms, but there was nothing he could do about the ropes.

"I want to have you inside of me one last time," Merlin whispered, "And it kills me to know I can't."

Arthur blushed at the thought of the possibility that his father could have heard, but knew that they had no time to worry about such trivialities.

"Me too," Arthur replied.

Uther had heard nothing, however. He had drifted back into a peaceful slumber brought about by Morgana's previous spell.

"Merlin, Arthur," someone whispered. The two lovers looked out of their cell to see Gwen standing at the bars. The expression on her face was one of concern. Her brown eyes were calling out to the two boys, asking for forgiveness or mercy or whatever it was that they could give her. Guinevere was afraid, and it was obvious to anyone who saw the wringing movement her hands were making, or the flustered stares.

"Gwen," Arthur said. He moved to the bars and Merlin soon followed.

"I'm so sorry; I couldn't stop her. I- I..." she started to cry.

"The guards will hear you," Merlin said, "Stop crying. We know you fear her; we know it's not your fault, Gwen. You were never a cruel girl."

"Well, neither was she!"

"Uther's hatred of magic turned her into this. But there is no turning back now."

"Merlin's right," Arthur said, "Gwen, you must do your best to convince her that you are completely loyal to her and that you support her every decision. That is the only way you can possibly make it in this court. Otherwise, she'll have you killed. Do your best to convince her that you are truly her friend, and when you find that it is safe, seek refuge elsewhere. There are good kings all around the land. Someone will surely take you in. Or go to one of the villages."

"Go to my mother," Merlin added, "She will give you refuge until you can find a place where nobody will ever find you."

"Thank you," she said, "I'm so sorry for what has happened to you. I can't bear to watch tomorrow. I think I'm going to feign sickness and stay in my chambers all day."

"What does it mean to have a party without friends?" Arthur asked sadly. The last time he had said this, it had been the day of his supposed coronation. And now he was speaking of the moment of his death. "It's better if you're there. It will make it all a bit easier, knowing that not everybody who's watching hates us."

"Your father will be there too," Merlin said, "And the people of the lower town...they all hate and fear Morgana. Arthur, everybody loves you. I'm the only one alone now. With Gaius gone..."

"I love you, Merlin. I mean...I don't love you like...like..."

"Like Lancelot?"

"Like Lancelot," Gwen replied sadly, "But you are my friend. Both of you are my friends, sire." She bowed to Arthur.

"Sire? I'm a prisoner, Guinevere."

"You're still the prince to me and to all the people in the lower town. And Merlin...the people all think you're great. They all think you helped Arthur grow."

"Helped me grow?" Arthur asked cockily, a smirk on his face for the first time since he had been in the stables with Merlin.

"I mean, sire, I didn't mean..."

"Yes, sire," Merlin said, "I helped you grow with my wisdom." He smiled at his lover and master, and the young prince shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"I miss your rants, you know," Arthur said, "Ever since we left, we've been nothing but serious – both of us."

"I...I should be going," Gwen said, "I'm sorry, Arthur...Merlin..."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Gwen," Merlin said, "Thank you for coming to see us."

"Yes, thank you," Arthur added.

Gwen left them with tears in her eyes, and the two lovers sat back down on the floor.

"We had to be serious," Merlin said after a while, "We were facing death. And I had been banished. You had given up your title as a prince. Arthur, we went through a lot of things."

"And I don't regret a single one of them," Arthur replied, looking at Merlin.

"Neither do I," Merlin said. Arthur got onto his knees and leaned forward, pressing his parched lips to Merlin's. Merlin's entire form shuddered at the contact. It was all that he needed – it was raw enough for him to harden. He longed for Arthur, and it was so much more frustrating; not being able to touch him with his hands, or to feel him rubbing close to him. But his lips; they were a safe haven for the night. Arthur parted Merlin's lips with his tongue, and the young sorcerer gained him entrance, with his own tongue pouncing upon the prince's and claiming dominance. But Arthur had always been overbearing, and his tongue took over. They duelled for a long time, breathless, spit flowing between their mouths. It was exactly what they wanted; sharing each other and themselves. They broke apart, breathless and flushed. Arthur smiled at Merlin before bursting into frightened tears.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked. It was very rare that Arthur should be frightened.

"I can fight dragons," Arthur said, "And I can fight powerful warriors and champions and questing beasts. I can fight a griffin. But I can't bear to think that I have to watch you..."

"Die," Merlin said, "Say it. You have to watch me die. It's easier if you say it out loud."

"Nothing can make it easier," Arthur replied.

"I know," Merlin said, "I'm sorry. But it's happened. I saw it in the crystals; I should have stopped it, but here we are."

"I couldn't let Camelot be ruined."

"Neither could I. It's always been our destiny, Arthur – saving Camelot. So we had to do it or die trying, right?" Merlin smiled sadly at his prince, and the blonde boy smiled back, pressing a kiss to Merlin's pale cheek. They sat next to each other and watched as the first rays of dawn entered their cell.

"Arthur? Are you still here?" Uther asked as he awoke to the sound of the cock's crowing.

"Yes father, I'm still here. Before I die, there is something I want to say. I am sorry if I have disappointed you. But I don't regret what I did for Merlin. Kindness and feeling are a virtue, not a sin."

"I am proud of you, Arthur. I could never be disappointed. You are a better man than I, and would have made a better king too. I can't watch you die, my son..."

"Close your eyes then, father. But at least be there for me."

"I'll be there..."

"Thank you," the young prince replied. Merlin looked at his lover, who now had a few silent tears slithering slowly down his cheeks. The sound of heels on the stone stairs, followed by the sound of marching boots started to echo in the dungeons.

"The time has come," Merlin whispered, pressing his lips urgently to Arthur's for one last time as the footsteps grew closer and closer, "I shall be thinking of you while the flames consume me."

"And I shall think only of you when my head comes off," Arthur replied in a hushed voice, "I love you, Merlin. I will always love you."

"I love you too, Arthur, and I hope we meet again in heaven."

Morgana's voice echoed from behind them, whispering words in a mixture of Latin and Anglo-Saxon, and the cell doors flew open. Two of the guards captured Uther before he could escape, and cuffed him in metal. Another four guards pulled the bound Merlin and Arthur to their feet and led them out of their cell. Uther turned his head to look at his bound son, his heart breaking in twain.

Morgana stood before Merlin and Arthur in her brightest white dress, her black curls cascading down her back, a crown on her head, and a cruel and annoying smirk on her previously gentle face.

"Good morning, Arthur, Merlin. Are you ready to die?"

"What happened to you, Morgana?" Arthur asked, "You were kind."

"Our father happened," she replied, whipping her head to glare at Uther. The usurped king hung his head low at the accusation of his daughter. His lies and his hatred of magic had led to this imminent death of his son.

"Bring them outside," Morgana said. She turned her heel and went up the stairs. The guards followed, pushing Arthur and Merlin up until they had reached the main landing of the castle. The walk outside was eternal, but at the same time it lasted only a millisecond for Arthur and Merlin. They knew this would be the last time they ever stood next to each other. They turned their heads and made eye contact for one last time before they were pushed out of the doors. In the middle of the square, there were two platforms. On one, there was a pyre, on the other there was everything needed to perform an execution.

The guards led the two young men to the platforms; each to his own. They forced them up the stairs and to the centre. Morgana whispered something in the language of the old religion, her eyes flashed gold, and their ropes were untied. But the guards were fast. They quickly tied Merlin to the stake and tied Arthur's hands behind his back. The two lovers faced each other on the separate platforms. They were surrounded by Cenred's army and by the survivors from the lower town. The knights of Camelot were all bound, their hands behind their backs, and forced to watch as their prince and their friend were publicly sentenced to death. Soon after, they would be forced to either bow down to Morgana or else be executed. Uther had been forced to kneel beneath his son's platform and his hands were still shackled.

"Here before you, people of Camelot," Morgana said, standing between the two platforms, "Is your former prince, Arthur, and his servant boy – Merlin. And you shall watch them die, and with them the legacy of Uther Pendragon. They committed treason against their new king, King Cenred who is now dead. I am a different ruler. Now, magic shall be permitted within the kingdom, and things shall be as I say. Guards, can you please light a torch for me? And spread tar on the pyre." The guards nodded and spread tar on the pyre while one of them lit a torch for Morgana, handing it to his queen. She lifted the torch up in the sky, looked at Merlin and set the pyre on fire.

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted, "No! No!" He struggled to get free, but it was impossible. The binding was tight and unyielding. The flames started rising higher and higher. Merlin felt the scorching heat of the flames as they rose up to meet his skin. He held himself closely to the log behind him, as backward from the surrounding flames as possible. He watched as his prince cried helplessly for him. Merlin's heart broke into pieces. Morgana climbed onto Arthur's platform and pushed him to his knees. She stroked his blonde hair.

"Now, now, dear brother," she said, "He was just a servant."

"Please, Morgana. Let him go."

"No. You will suffer as I suffered while I watched you killing Cenred. I loved him, Arthur."

"You love nobody but yourself, Morgana," Arthur said. He lifted his eyes to look at Merlin, his heart shattering to bits as he saw his young black-haired lover struggling to keep away from the flames.

"With your sword, your head will be cut off, but first you must watch as he starts to burn." Morgana smirked. One of her guards handed her Excalibur. Merlin opened his eyes and a gleam caught his eye. It was the reflection of his own fire from the sword Morgana held in her hand. He knew that sword it was Excalibur. And Kilgharra's words echoed in his mind. In the wrong hands, that sword could do great evil. And that was it. He felt his own power surging within him, at the thought of Morgana executing Arthur in just a few more minutes. He felt his eyes flashing a golden hue brighter than that of the flames that attempted to consume him.

"Dragone enthe Camelothe ye comethe, thuon lordthe commantheth yhe!" he said, his deep dark voice filling the air. And for the first time since he had met Kilgharrah, since he had ever seen the great dragon, his call was heeded long before nightfall. It took only a few seconds for the great flapping of the dragon's wings to be heard from within the square of Camelot. Morgana was dumbstruck. She froze to the spot, unable to decipher what was happening. Kilgharrah appeared in all his glory, hovering above the pyre and glaring at the witch.

Merlin spoke loudly, "Unboundethe eyhe!" His ropes broke free and Kilgharrah rode into the flames. Merlin jumped onto the dragon's back.

"Ey coursethe yhe, Morgana Pendragon!" Merlin said. He lifted his hand at her, his eyes shifted to a bright and burning gold, and she was thrown off the platform, dropping Excalibur onto the stage. None of the guards even dared stand up to the powerful sorcerer who sat on the great dragon before all to see. He commanded Arthur's hands to be unbound, took one of them and invited the prince to climb onto the dragon's back. Arthur grabbed Excalibur in his hands and they rode up into the sky.

"Now we can truly fight what's left of Cenred's army," Merlin said.

The dragon flew back down into the city where a clump of soldiers dressed in black and yellow stood awaiting the attack. Kilgharrah blew his flames onto their shields. The heat was just too much and they let go, the metal scalding their fingers. Most of them were charred. Those who weren't ran out of Camelot, never to return.

"There are more, Merlin," Arthur said. He jumped off the dragon and onto the ground, ready to fight the soldiers that were coming at him. Merlin commanded the ropes that bound the hands of the Knights of Camelot to be unbound as well. He jumped of Kilgharrah's back and rushed to the armoury. The knights followed him and each got his own sword. They all charged outside and joined Arthur. Cenred's army had always been massive, but more than half of it had been overcome the previous night, and now many of what had been left, had been either charred or scared away. Uther stood up and joined his son and his knights at the front. The soldiers who wore yellow and black charged towards the knights of Camelot, but they failed to acknowledge or remember that these knights were well-renowned for a reason; their prowess and their military skill. The battle took only a quarter of an hour before what remained of Cenred's army was vanquished. Everyone jumped for joy. The people of the lower town rejoiced at the victory of their previous king and prince. Morgana was being held back by the dragon, who threatened to blow fire at her unless she stayed where she was, cowering in her own corner.

"Where's Percival?" Gwaine asked suddenly.

"I'm right here," Percival said. Everyone looked down to the sound. Percival lay wounded on the ground.

"No...Percy..." Elyan said. They knelt down around him.

"We need to find a physician!" Arthur said.

"I'm fine," Percival replied, "We won."

"We can't let you die!" Gwaine said.

"He doesn't have to," Merlin replied, "It's not a fatal wound." He put his hand over the flesh wound that Percival had been given and mumbled a spell. Percival's whole expression changed as he felt the magic taking over. When Merlin removed his hand, the wound was gone.

"Now, we have to deal with the traitor," Uther said.

Gwaine, Elyan and two other knights walked to where the dragon was but halted behind him.

"He will not harm you," Merlin said, "Kilgharrah, eyh thankethe yhe fyrrhe thyh hilfhe unth sarfishe."

Kilgharrah nodded at Merlin and took off, flying away from Camelot to the people's cheers and claps. Merlin felt overjoyed for his dragon; the last time he had been in Camelot, that dragon had been hunted, hated and attacked. Now people were cheering for him; clapping. People were grateful to him. Merlin smiled. The knights held Morgana back and Merlin cast a spell so she was magically bound and unable to escape. Fear filled her face when she looked upon Merlin. Something had changed in her perception of him after the events that had taken place. Uther stood at the front of the line, with Arthur right next to him and Merlin close behind, and they all walked into the great hall.

"You are charged with treason," Uther said, as he sat down on the throne. Geoffrey, the court scribe took Morgana's crown and placed it back on Uther's head where it belonged.

"If you do penance for what you have committed, I am willing to give you another chance," Uther said.

"I will never bow down to you, Uther Pendragon," she said spitefully.

"Then let the wrath of God decide your fate. You are banished not only from this kingdom, but from this land. I sentence you to a life spent wandering the desert. You will never be free from this sin against your king and your father."

"I don't care where you send me. I will always be back for more."

"Not if I send you to a place from which you can never return," Merlin said, "I will curse you to a world of your own, where your guilt shall torment you forever, for the sin you have committed against Arthur and Gaius."

"Who are you, Merlin?" she asked, her face refilled with fear, her skin pale, her eyes lost.

"I am Emrys, the bane of your existence."

A.N.: There is more to come. We're nearing the end of this story, but hang on for just a while longer – only a few chapters left. I hope you are enjoying the story and I hope this chapter is to your liking =] Please review; I need the feedback =] I would like to thank Christina reid , Babyglover and Wolf of the Dawn especially for their continued support =] As well as all the others.