Spoilers: For 3x13

Genre: Angst, slight kink, very light smut.

Rating: T – language, slight violence, slight sexual situation.

Warnings: Little bit of unwanted snogging and some bitchslapping – Morgana, not Leon.

Disclaimer: I do not own BBC's Merlin or any of the characters.

Notes: I'm still working on 'The Golden Lion'. The second chapter's nearly done, just got distracted by the last episode of Merlin. Title from the HIM song 'Beyond Redemption' which I think fits Morgana quite well in series three.

The dungeons were cold in the late Autumn chill, and and the stale air clogged his nostrils. It obviously hadn't been clear ed out properly since the last person was thrown in here, and by the stain s on the flagstones, what he or she had been doing was anyone's guess.

Sir Leon sat with his back against the stone wall, knees pulled up with his arms resting over them. He was kept relatively warm by his chain mail, hauberk and cloak. The reassuring weight of a sword at his hip was void however – they had had to wrestle him to the ground to take it and even then the guards had come out with bloody noses and bruises decorating their faces. Queen Morgana...he smirked. He hadn't seen Uther since she had taken them all, and he hadn't said anything to him. There had been a look in his that Leon recognised though. Most Kings and Princes had an illegitimate child somewhere. It had always been assumed that Morgana would be raised as the Kings daughter and as a great beauty with wits about her, Uther would have been mad to bundle her off into a country castle. She would make the perfect bride for a King, and a way to keep allegiances strong for Camelot.

He would not bow to her and he would not serve her. He had made that very clear. She would execute him, Leon knew that – but he would rather die than betray his King and his Prince.

A guard shuffled up to the gate and he raised his head slightly "The Queen is here to see you" he walked in looked down at him with a stony expression "On your knees, Knight"

Sir Leon stayed where has was, and stared at the guard with ice in his eyes.

"Kneel"

The was a small growl beneath the guards voice. Leon smiled, blinking.

There were small footsteps, and Morgana sauntered in smirking widely "Leave us" she flung her insidious gaze towards the armed man, and he bowed and left with a sober face that betrayed nothing.

"A visit from the Queen herself – I am honoured" he looked up at her from beneath his pale lashes, his eyes slightly tinted with reproach and disgust. She was more beautiful than ever, and that made her even more dangerous.

Morgana's face became a pale glare, her lips in a scowling pucker. She moved forward and crouched down very near to him – so near that he could have struck out and caught his hands around her neck, squeezed...squeezed tightly until the breath left her. But she knew very well that he wouldn't attack a woman – no matter what she had done. He stared at her throat. If he fantasized about killing her hard enough, maybe she would simply drop dead. Stranger things had happened.

"You will serve me Sir Leon, one way or another..." her fierce blue glare moved down, and then softened when it fell to the bulge in his hose, the chain mail slinking and trailing over his knees and legs.

As her eyes lifted again, she spoke "You will honour me" her hand lifted and stroked over the edge of his jaw and cheek.

Leon automatically moved his face away, but she gripped and pulled. He glared at her in disgust and as he did so, she moved in and caught his lips in a deep kiss, fast and heated. Her lips were soft however and tasted of fruit and wine, and his nearly instant arousal made him feel vile. He snatched him mouth away and his lips curled "I will never bow to you, Morgana. Whatever you try to goad me with persuade me with" he eyed her as if she were something foul in a gutter, and struggled against the grip of her hand.

Morgana pulled her hand back, and just as quickly as she had given the kiss, she forced a hard and jarring slap across his jaw, face distorted and made ugly by her rage. Leon felt blood taint his mouth, and despite himself could feel a bubble of laughter clogging his chest. He let it free, but didn't meet her gaze. She wasn't worth it.

She walked away quickly, and he caught the hem of her dress flinging out behind her. The guard crashed the gate closed and locked it, and he heard her whisper furiously to the man.

"See that he goes without water and food and take his cloak away"

His warm, blood red cloak. His blood stained lips formed into a straight line. He hoped for the sake of the townspeople that Arthur took action soon – if he was going to be their King, he needed to show his people and his men that a bitch like Morgana was a small obstacle and an easy target. That even the bonds of blood couldn't keep him from saving the Kingdom.