This is what I hope will be the start of a series based on Marion Zimmer Bradley's depiction of the characters from Arthurian legend. Hope you enjoy it, more will come soon.
Morgan stood on the balcony outside her chambers, high in a tower above Tintagel. Below her the stable hands and servants were rushing to and throw in the vast paved courtyard, eagerly awaiting the birth of the child. A maid knocked softly at the door, Morgan turned with a start, "Come", she called, closing the doors to the balcony behind her as she entered the room. The maid opened the door and curtseyed deeply to the Princess.
"M'lady, your sister wishes you to meet with her in the Audience Chamber, would you like me to assist you with anything?" the nervous voice faltered, the maid, didn't like being around this particular sister at the best of times, so offering her help to Morgan was something that took a great deal of courage.
"No thankyou, I'm quite capable of getting down to see Morgause on my own, tell her I'll be down presently." Morgan said as she planted herself on the bed, with a flick of her hand the maid vanished out the door, closing it softly behind her, the hurried footsteps on the stone ceased a few seconds later. Not many people came up to the uppermost tower, it was usually only frequented by Morgan, her sister and the occasional servant, and even then they only came when totally necessary.
Morgan lay back on the bed amongst a pile of silk covered pillows, she left out a deep sigh, only to hear the screams of her mother from down in a lower chamber. She threw her fists down in disgust, and stood up. Making her way across the chamber she was careful to pick up a broach that sat on the dresser, "I think I had better return this to my darling sister", she thought with a sly smile. Morgan then turned and quietly glided across the floor behind the bed, which was set out from the wall, against the wall hung a deep burgundy and black tapestry, and as with all castles, behind it was a secret passage. Morgan opened the ancient oak door, and quickly slipped down the stairs. She emerged a few moments later, in Morgause's chamber, creeping out from behind a cupboard. Placing the broach on the dresser Morgan stopped to fix her long black hair in her sister's looking glass, after checking herself one more time, she gently lent forward, and kissed the reflection, leaving a dark mulberry stain in the shape of her lips on the cold glass.
In a flash she was gone.
Morgause sat in her Mother's throne in the Main Audience Chamber of the castle, even in there she could hear the blood curdling cries of the Queen Igraine, she had been in labour for hours, but the child she was bearing refused to leave the safety of her womb. The guard suddenly opened the door and in a burst of red and black Morgan came into the room.
"Ahh, my dearest sister, I'm glad you could take time out of your busy life to speak with me", Morgause said with a gentle smile, beckoning Morgan to join her on the dais. "Yes well, I had to get away from my chamber, the screams were echoing terribly though the corridors. Is there nothing we can do for her, the noise is driving me to insanity." Morgan replied with a light-hearted tone, she never much cared for the troubles of others, so the anguish her mother was facing didn't really concern her.
"Well no, not really. But I have asked you here for a different reason. I have found out who the Father of this child is. And before you say anything, it is not the father we thought it was." Morgause smile brightly, she was pleased with her discovery,
Morgan, who was seated in the King's throne, was studying her hands, she simply groaned. Morgause continued.
"A man left a message for me with the gate keepers this morn, it detailed exactly what happened the night our father was murdered, and who sent that Uther in his guise", the princess said in hushed tones, Morgan looked at her eyes, " It was Merlin." Morgan jumped out of the throne.
"What!" She cried. " You mean to tell me, that Uther Pendragon is the child's father? And that old Druid Merlin arranged it all and let our father be slaughtered?" She tore at her hair, never in her life had she been so infuriated. Never, had she felt so betrayed.
"A Druid should know better then to allow murderers king or no into the palace of, and to let him take the wife of his most trusted Vassel by force. I'll kill that child, I'll kill it for what it has done to our family." Morgan paced the chamber tearing at her hair and face with cat like claws.
"Sister, you can't do that, Uther is High King of Briton, and besides, the child has done nothing wrong, you cannot blame human error on a child that as yet has not been born..." The doors to the chamber flew open at that moment, in the doorway stood one of the Queen's maids, her hair was matted and gown covered in blood.
"It's a boy," she cried, "a blond haired blue eyed boy. A Prince, a Prince for Cornwall!!" The maid gathered up her skirts and ran towards the Princesses, "Come m'ladies, come and see your new brother". Morgause and Morgan looked at each other, the rage still flaming in Morgan's eyes.
"Come, come Morgie, let us see him, who knows, all may yet turn out for the best." Morgause stepped down off the dais, and followed behind the maid who was already leading out the door.
Morgan stared at her sister's back, and slowly fell into step behind her. They reached the Queens Chamber's, Morgause knelt down beside the bed. She placed her hand on top of her Mother's, the Queen smiled a weak smile, her face, hair and body were damp with sweat, it had been a long birth.
Morgan was handed the child, at first she didn't know where to drop it, or to kiss it, either way, these were to be the first and for many years, the last time she showed any signs of love towards the tiny infant. "I shall name him Arthur, the bear." Whispered the Queen, Morgause stood up and looked over her sister's shoulder at the baby. She smiled. Morgan's face however stayed pained as it always was. She planted a hard kiss on the baby's forehead, leaving another mulberry stain.
"I swear, this child will mean nothing and everything to me, I will never forget the fate you dealt on us Merlin. This child may be safe from me for now, but just wait, one day, I'll ruin your life too Arthur, just remember, We share a mother, but, you will never be rid of me. I will destroy you and everything you ever hope for, all your dreams will fail. I promise you that."
Morgan thrust the baby into Morgause's arm's and fled from the room. She ran up the stairs, to her chamber, bolted the door, and opened a chest under the window. She pulled out that book's she had been saving up, the potions and manuscripts of ancient pagan incantations. On that day when Arthur was born, Morgan's heart turned black, and she spent the rest of her life, locked away practising her dark magic, waiting for the time when she was powerful enough to use it, and use it she did.....