Hey guys, I am back.

So have taken about a month and a half off and I am in a good place at the moment. Work has finally gone from the nine shifts that I was doing back in the summer and autumn down to five. It leaves me with so much more time to be productive. There is also the small fact that I am also trying to be more productive at work. I am now taking a little notebook to actually plan this story. I warn you now, this is going to be a long story (I think I am aiming for about 50 chapters) and I don't even know how I am going to end it yet (I only have chapter titles up to chapter 34).

Anyway, enough of me. You are here for the story. This story is a prompt (I am calling it a prompt) by Cholo Palai. Hopefully, you like where I am taking this story and how it transpires. Fingers crossed.

On with the first chapter.


Prologue

Gorlois' Death

HE TRIED TO REASSURE HIMSELF that he wasn't angry but it wasn't the first time that his friend had shocked him and he was certain that it wouldn't be the last. Gorlois Le Fay walked down the halls, towards the King's chambers. He had to talk some sense into his friend. He couldn't allow another friend die because of what had happened. He had hoped that once that pesky dragon had been caught, it would bring an end to his desire to destroy the Old Religion but Uther had become obsessed with the idea. It was times like this that he wished he could remind him what the Old Religion had done for him. He wouldn't have Arthur without the Old Religion, but he would still have Ygraine. Gorlois sighed as he entered the chambers.

"Uther, I can't allow this to happen."

"Allow what to happen?" Uther said, his voice filled with boredom.

"I will not allow you to execute Balinor. You asked me to find him to help you. I will not allow one of my friends to kill another."

"He is of the Old Religion."

"He stopped Camelot from burning by bringing that dragon under control that you then captured. Uther, I am trying to work out what is going through your mind. As a friend, I want to help you."

"I don't need friends Gorlois. I need men that will follow me no matter what."

"You know I would be the first person by your side if you wanted to enter the gates of hell but this is madness. You are becoming mad. I am telling you this as one of your close advisers. Fear is not the way to rule. You found that out the hard way the first time around. Please don't make the same mistake twice. People are scared for their lives, the lives of their loved ones. No new trade has come to the city. Actually, no trade at all is coming to the city." Gorlois sighed. "And I don't know how much longer I can follow you. I do have a family to think about as well."

"Then go back to Tintagel. Leave me in my madness."

Gorlois sighed again before leaving Uther. He knew that he wasn't going to move him if his mind had been made up. He would just have to find another way to help Balinor. He knew that he could speak to Gaius in confidence about the situation. He made up his mind and turned towards the physician's chambers. He would speak to Gaius, save his friend and return home, allowing Uther a bit of time to calm down about the whole thing. The next time he was in Camelot, Uther would have forgotten about it all and they would be back as friends.


"You must go, my friend."

Balinor smiled at Gorlois before he brought him into a hug, patting him on the shoulder.

"I thought you would always be the one that I could rely on. You must speak to Uther and you must make him see reason. The Old Religion isn't something that will take this likely. For every person he murders, he will create ten enemies. The magical community is more loyal than any of his knights."

"As Vivienne says. I will try to talk to him but I can't seem to get through to him at the moment. I hope that this madness is over sooner. I fear for her and Morgause. I fear for everyone."

It was the howl of the dogs that reminded them both of the danger that they were in. The guards after them had probably been told to kill Balinor on sight and more than likely the person that had helped him. Both Balinor and Gorlois had no plans on being about when they finally caught up with them.

"Ealdor?" Balinor said as he jumped onto the stolen horse.

"Gaius' niece will be waiting for you. She will hide you while everything settles down. May the Goddess be with you."

"And with you."

Gorlois watched his friend dig his heels into the horse and set off into the night. He let out a sigh before he thought about himself and made his way to his horse, waiting for him in another part of the forest. He couldn't wait to get back to Tintagel. He had been away from home for too long now.


10 years later

Gorlois couldn't believe that he was doing this again. Only this time he was more furious. His wife was currently sitting in a cold, damp cell after being marched to Camelot during two days of rain. It wasn't just that his wife was there, it was the reason as to why she was there. He couldn't just stand by. He would make Uther see that he was making the wrong decision.

"You promised!" Gorlois said as soon as he entered the room.

"Gorlois."

"Don't Gorlois me. I want to know why my wife was walked back to Camelot in two days of rain and then put straight into a cell. I also want to know why I can't see her. You promised that nothing would happen to her."

"I couldn't help that she was on the Isle."

"You stopped attacking the Isle. For Goddess sakes Uther, do you really think that Nimueh will be there? It has been ten years. She is probably long gone now. If you wanted her, you should have never allowed her to leave Camelot during Arthur's birth. She knew what was going to happen."

"There was always the possibility. Your wife was on the Isle. My hands are tied. She confessed to using magic. What else can I do?"

"Allow her to pledge to you. Allow her to repent her magic and to live out her days in Tintagel. Please Uther, don't kill my wife. I will never forgive you."

"What is done is done."

Gorlois could feel the tears fill his eyes. "I am not allowing you to take my wife or Morgana's mother. I will fight you for this. I am taking my family back to Tintagel and you will never hear from us again."

He turned on his heel and went to leave. A guard blocked his path and he became more frustrated the longer he was in the way.

"I can't allow you to do that," Uther said. "You are staying in Camelot and going on the next raid I am going to send you on and Morgana is going to stay with Arthur and I while you go on that. We will have a discrete execution for Vivienne but that is the best I can do."

He had no idea why he felt so determined for Uther not to have a hold over him but he just turned around and took off his gauntlet. It hit the ground with a dull thud. Gorlois knew it wasn't like him but he had to do something. He wasn't going to let Vivienne die.

"Pick it up. I win, I take my family back to Tintagel. You win, I do as you tell me."

Uther smiled and laughed before kicking it back to Gorlois.

"I would say that I wouldn't want Morgana to lose her father, but I know I will win."

Gorlois had known for some time that Morgana wasn't his. There was just something deep inside him that just knew. Yet there had never been a moment where he had sat down to try and work out who his wife had given herself to. He could have probably guessed that Uther may have played a part in it. He went to grab his sword but the guards had his arms behind his back before he had even moved.

"Please take Lord Gorlois and escort him back to his chambers. He seems to be unwell."

He didn't say anything back. If anything, he had been broken by the thought that his friend and his wife had committed adultery. It made him even more determined to get Morgana and Vivienne out of Camelot and back to Tintagel safe. He could defend Tintagel with the troops that he had there. He couldn't protect anyone while they were still in Camelot. Tonight they were going to leave Camelot.


"Father, where is Mother?"

Gorlois gave her the biggest smile he could muster but with his new piece of evidence, the word father shot daggers through his heart. She wasn't his to call his daughter and he wasn't hers to call father. It was just another sick trick that Uther had played on him.

"We are just about to get her, then we are going to go back home."

"But father, it is the middle of the night."

He wanted to tell her to stop calling him father but he knew that she was too young to understand why that would hurt him so. Maybe one day they could be a proper family. It would just be Vivienne, Morgana, Morgause and himself. The perfect little family. He looked at Morgana and wondered whether she had the same gift that her mother and sister had. He said a quick prayer to the Triple Goddess before making his way out of the room, through the servant's exit, with Morgana's hand tightly in his.

It wasn't hard to find the corridors down to the dungeons. It was a big part of his plan. The less they were seen the more chance they had of getting out of there alive. Not that he thought that Morgana would be harmed. He wondered what Uther would do if she did have the gift of magic.

Knocking out the guards and getting the keys to the cells was easier than Gorlois thought it should be. It would be something that he would raise with Uther but tonight it was a blessing. This was his chance to get his family out of there. He had finished unlocked Vivienne's cell when the warning bell sounded. He knew that they had little time for their escape. He knew that the dungeon would be flooded with guards.

As soon as they reached their safety point, Vivienne turned and locked the door with her magic.

"What are you doing?"

"Gorlois, I have caused this."

"I know. I forgive you. We can talk more when we get back to Tintagel."

"Take Morgana and run. I can't have her become Uther's plaything. I will receive the sentence I deserve. Make this my last kindness to you."

"Vivienne. Please."

"Go."

He had no other choice as the guards found them and Vivienne used her magic to push them backwards, knocking them out as they hit the wall. He grabbed Morgana's hand and ran with her. It was as if Uther knew exactly what he was planning. Gorlois knew he had his chance now to challenge his old friend but in getting caught up in the feud with Uther, he didn't notice the guard picking Morgana up until she called out to him.

"Morgana!" Gorlois said before crying out in pain.

"You should have just done as you were told," Uther said as he stood over his injured friend.

Gorlois could feel his breaths becoming more laboured and heavier. All he could think about was Morgana and how he had failed her. Here he was, dying in the catacombs of Camelot. He could only watch as Uther finally turned his back on him.

"Morgana may be your daughter, but I hope she is like Vivienne in every way. It would just be your luck if the daughter that you had unlawfully would turn out to have magic. Actually, I wish that on you. I call out to the Goddess now for Morgana Le Fay to have magic."

He knew that Uther was ignoring him and he didn't dare to waste any more breath on him. As he laid there, he pictured all the times that he had spent with Vivienne and Morgana. They were a family and even if Morgana wasn't biologically his daughter, she was his daughter. He only hoped that she would be like him in temperament. He closed his eyes and waited for the Goddess to take him. He had failed.

"Oh Gorlois, I am not finished with you yet."