Little Web Of Lies
by Eris
He hadn't realized what he'd done until he'd done it. There hadn't been time to think about what he had to do. As soon as he'd laid eyes on her treacherous face, cruel eyes studying Arthur's sleeping form, his body had moved mindlessly (blue eyes narrowed and pale lips parted and fists clenched at his sides) and the words were released in a flash of gold, his voice-that-was-not-spoken bearing an indignant tone without considering the consequences his actions would bring.
You're ruining everything!
Morgana had looked so shocked, fingers loosening their grip on the hilt of that bloody ornate knife that Arthur had given her for her birthday mere weeks ago. (And how dare she use his gift to end his life?)
You and Morgause and every other revenge-seeking sorcerer and I am so tired of it!
She spoke then, hadn't even bothered replying in the way he was communicating with her, the way he had revealed himself to her.
"You're a sorcerer." Disbelief colored her voice, and Merlin felt both proud and irritated that his deception had fooled her, because even now that he'd shown her, she still seemed as if she refused to believe.
Yes.
He looked upon her with defiant eyes, daring her to contradict him in spite of his continued use of his power to project words into her head. Then he faltered, his still-golden eyes glancing at Arthur's slumbering form (it's surprising he'd not awoken throughout this confrontation. He's usually something of a light sleeper) before returning to her frozen form (and it's almost funny that he's managed to shock her so much that she can't move).
Come. We need to talk.
He could taste the defensive aura that flared up around her.
I wouldn't hurt you, Morgana, he assured her. I'd had many chances to do so already. I wouldn't risk revealing myself to you if I was going to kill you.
The defensive posture remained, but she (thankfully) stepped away from Arthur. Merlin led her to her room (never letting his guard down either, for she was still an enemy), allowing her to lock it behind her. Her eyes landed on him, a million emotions and accusations in her green gaze.
Goodness, where to start? "You weren't here when Kilgharrah—the Great Dragon—escaped." Apparently, his mouth knew what to say, so he simply let it all flow out. "It was he who told me about what I had to do. Protect Arthur."
He started pacing, unable to keep still as his tale continued.
"At first I didn't want to. He was arrogant and prattish and I disliked him immediately. But then a witch cast a spell on all of you and made you fall asleep and tried to kill Arthur. Even then, I couldn't resist saving him. And then I was made his manservant, as if it was a great gift." Merlin shocked himself when he spat it out in disgust. "I have magic, and yet I'm tasked to clean up after His Royal Prat-ness. It was degrading."
Morgana seemed to soften at his despair, as if sympathizing with him. "It's not fair," she murmured loud enough for him to barely hear.
He nodded. "It isn't fair," he agreed. "I could be so much more than a manservant. I could unravel Camelot if I so wished!" Morgana's eyes snapped towards him, wariness in her eyes. It relieved him somehow to know that she cared about something, that she wasn't as heartless as she'd appeared. "But then…" he chuckled, looking away from her, "I met you. You'll not remember it, but I came to deliver you a tonic for your nightmares. You thought I was Gwen and began undressing behind the screen." A wry grin appeared on his lips, and he glanced back at her, seeing her brows furrowed in an attempt to recall the event. "You called for help to undo your laces and I was terrified you'd discover it was me and summon the guards. Luckily, Gwen arrived and I ran.
"But that moment I encountered you, for the first time," he said earnestly, "I felt warm. Like I was sitting by a fire in the middle of a winter night. It was later that I realized that you had magic, and it's what called me to you."
She frowned then. "Then why did you never tell me?" she asked, her voice subdued. "You knew, but—"
"I was instructed not to," he replied with no small amount of regret in his voice. "Gaius told me that it was better not to let you know, so that if Uther ever found out, you could deny it and convince him of your ignorance—with Gaius' help, of course. And Kilgharrah told me that it wasn't yet time for you to know, that if you found out too soon, you might destroy the path set out for you." He gave her a mournful look. "And he was right. I told you too soon. It is all my fault."
Morgana looked confused and angry. "What—? What path?" she demanded, falling for his lies. (And scarily, he realized he'd always known that curiosity had always been Morgana's weakness.)
"I…" He hung his head. "It is my destiny to protect Arthur from evil magic and death. Arthur is the Once and Future King of Albion, the one to unite all the kingdoms and create the Golden Age of magic. You… You were to be Arthur's guide. You were to help him bring magic back to Camelot after Uther's death."
Morgana was silent, her eyes wide and her lips pursed as she considered this new information. Merlin wondered if she'd be able to tell if he was lying (because he was).
"What about Morgause?"
Merlin frowned, glancing away as the answer came to him almost immediately. Honestly, where was all this creativity coming from anyway? "Morgause… She was supposed to be one of the first to come to Camelot. Her influence over other kingdoms would be beneficial in uniting Camelot with other resisting kingdoms." A grin somehow appeared on his lips as another lie leapt off his tongue, "Arthur would've been mad about her until he found out they were siblings."
"What?"
He looked at her then, and upon seeing her shocked expression, he softened his gaze. "You and Arthur are siblings by Uther with your mother and Ygraine, while Arthur and Morgause are siblings by Ygraine with Uther and Gorlois."
"That can't be," she murmured, shaking her head. "Morguase…she's my sister! Not Arthur's!" Her fingers gripped the bracelet around her wrist, and Merlin shook his head, suddenly struggling to keep up the lie (and it's ironic that the one truth he's told her is the one that comes out the most difficult and unbelievable to her).
"I promise that what I tell you is the truth," he said as earnestly as he could. "You already know, somehow, that Uther is your father, and Arthur told me of his meeting with Morgause before, the one that almost had him kill Uther. She used a spell to call her dead mother, Morgana. She called Ygraine."
"Then what is this?" she asked, bitter tears filling her eyes as she tore the bracelet off and flung it at the wall. He could feel her embracing his words, and while part of him ached to lie to her, he was also glad that she still trusted him enough to believe him.
Merlin summoned the bracelet from where it had landed, making Morgana jump in surprise, as if she'd forgotten what had led them here in the first place. Closing his eyes and focusing a little, Merlin could feel an aura of magic imbued into the silver jewelry. "I can feel a spell here," he muttered, pulling his power away from the foreign magic. "Faint and powerful at the same time. It's quite amazing, really."
"What kind of spell is it?" Morgana asked, wiping her tears off her cheeks as her curiosity reared forth once more.
"I can't say for certain," Merlin admitted. "It's a complex one for sure. Morgause gave this to you, I suppose?"
Morgana nodded. "It helps me sleep," she told him (and he remembered that she hadn't asked for her tonic for a long time now).
He hesitated before offering it her once more. "Then let it help you sleep," he advised. "It will do you no good to keep late hours."
She paused for a few moments before taking the trinket back and replacing it on her wrist. "Merlin," she began, seeming to take great care with her words. "Is it…too late for me?"
He almost frowned and gave the game away. "Never," he said firmly. "It was my mistake, and I'm so sorry for the pain I've caused you, but your heart is pure, Morgana." He offered her a smile. "Never doubt that."
Suddenly, she looked taller, more beautiful and surer of herself than before. Her skin looked as if it was glowing under the light of the moon, and he realized that all she needed was support from someone she knew—from someone she could trust. He vowed to be that person for her, to earn that title back.
Oh, but how he wished he could turn back time and start over again, to be there for her when he hadn't been before.
"I…understand," she said softly, "why you didn't tell me." She paused. "I think. You'll have to explain this to me further."
"I shall await your summons then, My Lady," he replied with a pleased smile, which she returned. "Until tomorrow, Morgana."
The moment he left her chambers, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. He's stopped her from killing Arthur, and now he was in a position to keep her from endangering everyone as well. But he was lying to her too, and that was where he had to be careful.
His little web of lies could still fall apart, after all.
Author's Note
I had this on my laptop for a while now, prompted by that scene where Morgana was going to kill Uther with her pretty dagger. :D
And, like my other fics, this will stay a one-shot unless y'all tickle my Muse to come up with more. :))
xoxo,
~E
Disclaimer: Merlin is the property of BBC. I earn no profit from this, so sue me not.