Title: The Art of Falling
Summary: Morgana must journey afar to save her future King, but she will need the help of a very powerful sorcerer, her nemesis, Merlin Emrys. They must set their differences aside if they are to accomplish anything. But what happens when she gets too close to her enemy? Completely AU! MERGANA!
A/N: If anyone ever wonders what inspires me with random ideas when I'm writing, it's music. Not just any kind of music though. The genre is almost always New Age, and one of my favorite tracks is Teardrop by Massive Attack. There's just something about the subtle background strings and the beating bass that takes me to a whole different world. If you haven't heard it before, you should definitely check it out, unless New Age music is not your style. Ok, that's it! Hope you guys enjoy this fic!
-McDiggin'It
…
Princess Morgana Pendragon, soon to be Queen of Camelot, seethes silently as she watches a white blur race across the sky. For weeks she has seen that same white blur, for weeks she has ordered that the creature be captured, and for weeks, her attempts at capturing it has failed. And there is only one person and one person alone to be blamed… Merlin Emrys.
He is known to other Kingdoms as a mysterious vigilante, to her Kingdom as a criminal, to the druids as the greatest sorcerer to ever walk the face of this earth and the savior of all things magical, and to her, as nothing more than a nuisance. A thorn in her side. An idiotic old man with way too much energy for his age.
She had only seen him once when he had turned up when her father had been pronounced dead after a horrible illness. She had known that he was only there to confirm Uther's death, and she hated him for it. Since then, he'd been running around with that blasted giant pet of his, stealing from her castle. He has taken gems and gold.
Despite her father's opposition of magic, she had always been fascinated and drawn to it. She first heard of the Great Merlin Emrys when she was 17. She remembers how she had been one of the many foolish girls who yearned to meet the infamous warlock who dared to defy the Great King Uther. But when she caught her first glimpse of Merlin during her fathers burial, he was not what she expected. The stories she had heard of him made him out to be some sort of dashing young warlock with mesmerizing eyes, a flawless face, and the body of a god. But the Merlin Emrys she saw was a thin, frail, elderly man with long silver hair and a matching long beard. His eyes were sunken in and his skin pale. She still remembers the disappointment she felt when she realized that all those stories she heard of the Great Merlin Emrys, were false.
Knowing that he'd been there to confirm her fathers death made her hate him. And from that day on, he unknowingly became her nemesis.
...
The week before her coronation, Morgana receives the greatest of news. The white creature, has finally been captured. It takes all of her strongest men 4 hours to secure the creature in the dungeons, and Morgana is almost excited to get her first glimpse up close at the thing.
When she emerges through the shadows of the dungeons, the creature had roared and sent a string of flame from its mouth and towards her. She would've been barbecue if she hadn't leapt to the side. She raises her hands up to show that she is unarmed and means no harm. The creatures seems to understand and closes its mouth before sitting back on its hind legs. Morgana almost coos at its beauty. She had seen it from afar, heard the stories of its magnificence, but she had never beheld its true beauty until now.
It's body is covered in silvery white scales, it's head adorned in stones that looked like diamonds, and its wingspan is almost as large as the entire dungeon. It was absolutely beautiful.
Morgana left the dungeons with a large grin on her face, knowing that this was her key to capturing the great Merlin Emrys. He will more than likely come for his pet, and when he does, she will be ready.
At nightfall, two days before her coronation, Princess Morgana is jerked awake by the sound of her door slamming open. She sits up and looks at her door to find her brother, Arthur, panting as he throws her a slightly confusing look. "What's going on?" She asks.
Arthur opens and closes his mouth, then opens it again and says, "Someone came for the dragon." Morgana throws back her sheets and hurries out of bed to her dresser. Pulling out her cloak, she throws it over her sleeping gown and nods to her brother.
"Let's go." She follows him down the corridors leading to the dungeons as she asks, "Is it him?"
Arthur shakes his head. "I- I don't know."
"You don't know?" She mimics incredulously. "What does that even mean? It's either him, or it's not."
Arthur sighs as he stops and turns to look at her. "I saw him... the old man who showed up at fathers burial, but..."
"But what?" Morgana asks impatiently.
The blonde Prince shrugs, "I'm not entirely sure what happened. One moment we had him captured in the magic dampening cell, and the next, he was... gone."
"Gone?" Morgana asks angrily.
"Not gone." Arthur says quickly. "He's still there, but..." he trails off and shrugs, "he's not Merlin."
Morgana stares confusedly at her brother, not having a clue as to what the bloody hell he's talking about. "Arthur, you're not making any sense."
"Just... come with me." He continues down the corridor and down the stairs towards the dungeons.
Morgana follows quietly, her heart racing at the thought of finally meeting the Great Merlin Emrys. As they come near the magic dampening cell, she catches sight of a dark silhouette, leaning against the wall. Her eyebrows furrow as they come to a stop in front of the cell and she gets a good look at the man inside it. She blinks rapidly when instead of a thin and frail old man, she's met with a still thin, but far from frail man with dark hair, pale skin, and... mesmerizing blue eyes. He stares right back at her as she looks him up and down.
"You do have painters in your commission, don't you?" The man asks, startling her. She doesn't know why, but she hadn't expected him to say anything.
"What?" She asks, confused by his inquiry.
"Painters." The man says nonchalantly as he pushes himself off the wall and walks to the front of the cell where there is the most firelight. He grins. "If they're good, they could capture the very way my eyes glimmer in the light of fire... perhaps hang their work up in your chambers where you can have access to it whenever you wish it." He smirks and leans his arms against the bars of the cell.
Morgana was confused for a single moment, before realizing what he was insinuating. He thinks she's ogling him! "Don't flatter yourself." She grits out. "I'd rather stare at the wall behind you forever than to look upon our face for more than an hour."
He laughs, "Ahhh... so the stories are true."
"What stories?" She asks angrily. She doesn't like the way he seems to be leading the conversation.
"That the woman in charge, is not a simpleton in the slightest."
Arthur glares, "You dare to speak to your future Queen in such a way?"
The man quirks an eyebrow at the Prince. "Future Queen indeed." He replies. "But not mine. I do not fall under your rule, nor anyone else's." His jaw is set and his tone is full of confidence.
Morgana raises her hand to stop Arthur from throttling the man inside the cell. "Where is your master?" She asks.
The man looks at her and blinks blankly. "My master?"
"Merlin. Is he a coward to send a fool to free his pet?"
The man laughs and presses himself against the cell bars. Arthur rests his hand on his sword and glares at him. "Coward." The man says with a smirk. "Is that what you think I am, Princess?" His tone, mocking.
Morgana blinks at the man. "I suppose you're not a coward, but still a fool. But I was referring to your master. Where is he?"
The man rolls his eyes and raises his hands in exasperation. "I suppose you thought I was really an old man." He shrugs at her. "It's a great disguise, but your..." he trails off and looks around the cell. "clever little contraption has rendered my magic useless for the time being. Which is why I'm no longer disguised."
Morgana and Arthur stare at the man in disbelief. Arthur speaks first, "You're lying."
"I can prove it." The man grins.
Morgana stares, "How?"
"Well," he smirks, "that's quite obvious, isn't it?"
Morgana glares angrily. "If you're suggesting we let you out of the cell, then you're as stupid as you look."
The man chuckles and shrugs at her. "Believe what you will, Princess." He takes a step back and winks at her. "When you believe me, I'll be right here. Waiting." With that, he turns and walks back into the shadows.
Morgana's blood boils as she glares at the general direction the man is in. In all her life, no one had ever spoken to her in such a way. No one had ever dared to speak to her as if she were a mere commoner. She doesn't need to see him to know that he's looking right at her from the shadows. With much malice, she says, "You'll be waiting for a while then." As she turns to leave, the man in the cell speaks again, and she hates him for having the last word.
"I highly doubt that, Princess."
She doesn't look back as she leaves the dungeons.
...
"Do you believe him?" Arthur asks his sister.
Morgana stares below at the training grounds from her window. She shakes her head. "I don't know... he seems confident, but that could very well be what he wants us to think."
Arthur nods, "So what now?"
Morgana shrugs and turns to look at the Prince, "We keep him in the cell. He's either lying and the real Merlin will come for him and the dragon, or he's not, and we've really captured him. Either way, we win."
The Prince sighs and sits down at one of the chairs by the table. He looks at her and smiles softly. "Your coronation is in two days... let's not dwell on things that bother you."
Morgana quirks an eyebrow at her brother and scoffs. "He doesn't bother me in the slightest."
"Really?" The Prince cocks his head to the side and smiles teasingly. "You've been damned near obsessed with capturing his dragon for weeks. And I know for a fact that that has more to do with capturing him than his pet... what I don't know, is why."
The Princess averts her gaze back to the window and out onto the training grounds again. "He wished our father dead. Dared to show up to fathers burial, and disrupted the ceremony when his dragon scared half of Camelot to death... more than anything, I just want justice."
Arthur nods slowly and gets up to gather his sword and armor. "I have training with the Knights, so if you'll excuse me while I go and get ready."
Morgana nods and turns her head only to smile at her brother.
When he leaves, she's almost instantly plagued with thoughts of the man in the cell in her dungeons. He infuriates her with his knowing looks and cocky demeanor, but most of all, she's infuriated that she actually believes that he's Merlin. She doesn't know why or how, but the way he spoke and looked at her seemed so confident and powerful that she almost instantly believed him.
But still, she will have to investigate further before making a decision on what to do with him. That's a task for later though, because right now, her main focus is her coronation. After that, she will have her justice.
...
Coronation day comes around, and many royals from distant kingdoms begin flowing into Camelot, taking up more than half of the castle. The coronation itself is quick and easy, leaving Morgana lightheaded and giddy with the thought of officially being the Queen of her beloved people. She vows to keep her Kingdom safe and as happy as possible. She vows her loyalty and compassion to the people, and then she is finally crowned Queen Morgana Pendragon of Camelot.
A celebration ensues afterwards in the form of a grand feast, opening the doors of the castle to the people of Camelot.
By the second hour of the feast, Morgana finds herself in the company of several people she did not know nor like. Luckily for her, a handsome stranger manages to interrupt and whisk her away for a dance.
"Prince Gregory of The Southern Isles." The handsome man introduces himself with a low bow of respect.
Morgana smiles widely at him and curtsies. "A pleasure to meet you, Prince Gregory. I am-"
"Queen Morgana of Camelot." The man cuts in enthusiastically. "I know. But the pleasure is all mine, Your Grace." He takes her hand in one of his gloved ones, and kisses the back of it, making her stomach flutter.
Morgana decides quickly that she really likes this man. He's handsome, charming, and respectful. Qualities that she often looks for in a man. Her luck with men has been utter garbage for a while, but she hopes that tonight, things will be different with him.
In the end, she hits it off with Prince Gregory, and the dark brown haired and chocolate brown eyed man manages to talk her into taking a walk with him.
They end up in the East wing of the castle, talking about everything and anything. She tells him of her childhood, and he does the same. She laughs at his jokes, despite the fact that she didn't get most of it, and she shows him where she keeps her most prized possessions. By the end of the night, Queen Morgana was more than convinced that this man was her other half.
At half past midnight, Prince Gregory has to leave, apparently having important matters to discuss with his men about one thing or another. Morgana swallows her disappointment as she nods to him and tells him to do what he must.
However, Prince Gregory does the unthinkable and asks her a question that she would've thought she'd disagree to before tonight.
"Would you be willing to marry me?"
Morgana stares at the Prince with wide eyes and a slackened jaw. "What?"
The Prince grins at her with his pearly whites. "I've never met anyone quite like you... I know it's crazy, but... I feel like I've known you all my life!"
She thinks about it and realizes that she feels the exact same way. She smiles widely at him. "We've just met like three hours ago."
"I know." Prince Gregory nods enthusiastically. "And yet I feel like I'm already falling for you."
She's a woman of logic, but she can't deny the fact that she's actually drawn to this man. He and his men will leave in a week, and she may never see him again after that. This, she realizes quickly, is her one and only chance to either accept his sudden proposal and be on her way to planning her royal wedding, or deny him and continue on with her lonely life as Queen. She bites her lip as she thinks about her answer and all the factors surrounding it. She already likes him, so it shouldn't be hard to fall in love with him. An alliance with the Southern Isles would also benefit Camelot greatly with their numbers and economical wealth. She tries to think of something negative should she agree to marry Prince Gregory, but so far, the only worry she has is that she still barely knows him. They'd literally just met!
She glances up at the Prince and notices the hesitant look on his face. With a deep breath, she nods and smiles at him. "I accept your proposal."
The Prince's jaw drops as he stares at her. "Really?"
"Yes… and that means I'll be seeing more of you later when you've had your discussion with your men?"
He bows lowly and takes her hand in his gloved ones, kissing the back of it. "I want nothing more than to spend as much time with you as I can, my future Queen."
Morgana blushes and smiles widely as she watches him go. An odd sense of dread spreads across her chest at having realized that she'd just accepted a marriage proposal without consulting her council and her brother. Her council will more than likely understand, but Arthur will be a different story.
…
As expected, Arthur nearly has a heart attack when she breaks the news to him the next day. She hadn't seen Prince Gregory yet, and she decided that it was a good time as any to tell her brother of her decision to marry the Prince of the Southern Isles.
"Morgana, have you lost your bloody marbles?!" Arthur asks incredulously as he stares at her from across his chambers.
Morgana rolls her eyes at him and huffs. "I knew you wouldn't understand."
"Understand?" Arthur asks in disbelief. "Understand?! What the bloody hell is there to understand? You literally just met this man last night!"
"We connected!" she tries to reason, but it's utterly useless.
Arthur throws his hands in the air as he shouts, "I connected with half my Knights! That doesn't mean I'm going to go around marrying them!"
"That's different!" The Queen yells back. "You're not attracted to them!"
"Well I'm attracted to Gwen, I've known her for nearly all my life, and yet I'm not about to go and marry her anytime soon."
Morgana glares at her brother. "That's not fair." she frowns. "You can't marry Gwen because of status. Prince Gregory on the other hand, is of royal descent. I can marry him if I so choose, and that's exactly what I intend to do."
The Prince of Camelot shakes his head and sighs heavily as he drops into the nearest chair he could find. "I'm not going to stop you from marrying whoever you want… but this," he gestures to her, "this is just utterly absurd, and not to mention, completely illogical and odd, considering you're the most logical person on the face of this earth."
"I know." Morgana agrees. "I'm still not sure how it happened, but… I'm not exactly growing younger. I need someone by my side who will guide me and keep me from making mistakes, and I really feel like Prince Gregory could help me with that. I'm the Queen now, and I cannot risk anything anymore because the lives of our people are at stake." she looks pleadingly at the only living family member she has left. She really needs his approval. "My marital status is all I have left to risk, and that's what I'm doing right now."
The Prince doesn't like this plan in the slightest, but he does not wish to disappoint his sister. So he nods despite of the nagging feeling inside him that's telling him that this is wrong and bloody dangerous. "Fine." he finally says. Before he could say anything else, the warning horn blares from outside the castle walls, drawing both siblings attentions to the window.
Three consecutive sounds of the horn.
Arthur's eyebrows furrow as he looks at his sister. Three sounds of the horn can only mean one thing.
Someone of Royal status has been kidnapped.
…
A/N: I'm nervous about the reactions to this fic. I know that it seems a bit rushed, especially with the marriage proposal and acceptance, but that's kind of what I had in mind for the plot. It's like a quasi-Frozen (Anna/Hans) ordeal. Can't very well have too much Morgana/OC though, so I decided to cut it super short and jump to the good stuff. Also, I don't want you all to worry about the fact that I'm supposed to be writing "He is Mine". I'm about halfway done with Chapter 12 for that one, so it should be up sometime soon. Anyway, please let me know what you think of this plot! More MERGANA interactions coming up next!
-McDiggin'It
