One Warning

It wasn't easy for Merlin to keep his magic under wraps in the heart of Camelot, especially when so many things tended to happen that required a magical answer. He has faced old witches, young witches, dragons, and a variety of other beings that would see a peaceful future ruined out of their own hate. Yet, if there was one person Merlin wouldn't allow to stand in his way, one person he couldn't allow to stand it his way, it was Morgana Pendragon. It was no secret to Merlin that she had spent the last year training with her sister, or that she was out for Arthur, but after the most recent attack, Merlin finally decided to deliver a proper warning. He would warn her of what would happen if she took even a single step out of time, but he would have to wait.

So Merlin waited, watching Morgana every time she was even in the same room as him, and finally she got the hint that he had found her out. It had only been a glance, a blink to most people, but Merlin got her message to follow her after she left the room. So that's what the young wizard did, he followed her through the castle and into an abandoned wing that hadn't been used in at least several months. Opening the door, Merlin saw Morgana standing on the other side of the large room, looking as beautiful as the day he first met her, but her once pure hearts had been filled with darkness. She was a monster now, given a monster of his own accidental creation but a monster nonetheless.

"How long did it take you to figure me out Merlin?" asked Morgana as her opposite closed the large wooden doors behind him and locked it with magic, which he made sure Morgana couldn't see or hear him do.

"From the moment you got back, no, from the moment you left with your sister," Merlin answered honestly, possibly one of the few honest answers he had given her in the last year or so, and that was something he deeply regretted.

"Oh, so you know about that? Do you also know that Uther is my blood father?" Merlin was slowly walking towards her now, his eyes never breaking contact with Morgana's, as if doing so would cause her to attack out of spite.

"Yes, but that's not the reason I'm here. I'm here to give you a warning Morgana, and it's best you take it to heart. Leave Arthur alone, leave the people of Camelot alone, and never threaten another human with your magic again, because there will be consequences if you don't," Morgana was rather taken aback by Merlin's tone, the fire in his eyes that almost made them glow and how he seemed to grow another few inches in height, but she wouldn't be frightened by a servant boy.

"When we last had a conversation, almost a year ago now, you seemed so nice and peaceful, even to the point of inlanence. I wonder, would you declare war on me Merlin, with your magicless body and narrow mind?" Morgana teased, expecting to get an angry reaction out of the servant, but he just remained as stone faced as ever.

"I'm so tired Morgana, so tired of all the fighting and killing, and I use to have so much mercy. You have one warning, don't lose it," it didn't seem right for such a normally cheery person to be so direct, for Merlin to all but threaten Morgana if she took even a single step out of line.

Then he left, no other words were said between them in that moment, but what Morgan wouldn't admit, couldn't admit, was that Merlin's words had actually frightened her. Against all she knew, against her mind telling her that he couldn't possible be a threat to her, she was rooted to the ground in complete and utter fear. Yet, just like with all things, Merlin's warning was forgotten and Morgana did indeed try again, this time she sat upon the throne to Camelot and the young wizard decided enough was enough. Merlin left in the middle of the night, not wanting to drag Arthur into the middle of this situation, and arrived just as Morgana was about to address the people of the castle.

This was it, the Knights of Camelot were to be executed for not bending their knee to Queen Morgana. No matter what she did, short of killing them herself, none of them would kneel, so they would experience something beyond the pain of death. They would watch as those around them were killed instead, the people they were sworn to protect would lie dead all around them, given no quarter whatsoever.

"Long live the king!" one of the Knights shouted, his head held high and completely unaware that it wouldn't be his death but the innocents around him.

"LONG LIVE THE KING!" the other Knights shouted as one and, just as Morgana was about to give the order to fire into the crowd, a dragon's roar echoed through the sky, being so loud that many had to cover their ears to ease the pain.

"Dragon!" one of the commoners shouted, pointing up at the sky as a massive dragon swooped down from the clouds and headed right for the courtyard, causing even Morgana's and her sister's eyes to widen in complete and utter shock!

As the crowd parted, fleeing for their very lives in the face of the most dangerous animal to have ever been given life, they all expected a torrent of flame to shoot from its mouth and fry them all alive, but it simply slowed down enough to land in the now almost empty courtyard, although it did crack the very ground under its immense weight. However, that wasn't the thing that caught Morgana's attention, no it was the person sitting on the mighty beast that drew her piercing gaze. There sat Merlin, the servant, the clumsy boy, and a major pain in her side for the last year! Then she remembered the warning, had this been what he meant, no it's not possible!

"I warned you Morgana, I told you that you only had one warning before I would strike you down, and now you have forced my hand," Merlin declared, his voice full of steel.

Then all Morgana knew was fire.