Author's Note:
Morgana's dress: http(:)/www(.)taylorpictures(.)net/albums/photoshoots/-%20PHOTOSHOOTS%20-/seventeen-nov2010/003(.)jpg
Gwen's Dress: http(:)/static3(.)modcloth(.)com/productshots/0054/8351/22439-1(.)jpg

Fate and the Night Sky

Morgana groaned staring at the mass of people in their ball room. She couldn't believe she was really stuck there all night

Honestly it was the last place in the world that she wanted to be.

Gwen turned to look at her, "you know you could at least pretend to be enjoying yourself." she teased. She turned to look at her friend whose brain hair was currently curlier than usual and pulled back with a sparkly barrette, while wearing a short deep ocean blue dress and tights.

Morgana sighed. "I really don't see why Uther had to have another party? I'm not even exactly sure what this one is for."

"Well it wouldn't be the holidays without a random Pendragon ball," she turned at the sound of the voice she knew so well, though she already knew exactly who she would see - Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther, her adopted brother, the hottest man in the room, and an arrogant prick.

He was standing so close to her that she could feel the heat of his skin, and it made her shiver. He was wearing slacks, a white collared shirt that had the top three buttons undone, and a black blazer. His blonde hair was hanging loosely in his clear blue eyes and he had that smile he wore that made every girl in the room go weak in the knees.

Except his eyes were fixed on her.

"These parties almost make me wish to be back at college," she groaned, pretending not to notice his gaze. She had worn a long burgundy strapless dress for the evening, which had blocked out bronze decorating at the top, and from the look in Arthur's (and if she was honest most of the men in the room's) eyes, she was glad she had worn it.

"But then you wouldn't get to see me!" he said in fake hurt.

"Exactly."

He glared at her, and she smirked in victory. Whenever she was around him she couldn't stop herself from insulting or teasing him.

"Don't you two ever grow up?" Gwen asked, laughing at them.

"What are you talking about?" Arthur asked indignantly.

Lancelot strode over with Merlin beside him, and looped his arms around Gwen giving her a peck on the cheek. Gwen turned to smile lovingly at him, and Morgana was sure that they were the only people in the entire world who could be sappy and romantic while still not being annoying.

Lance was tall with dark skin and dark hair that hung loosely around his face. He had a smile that made everyone around him smile too, and a personality that made you want to be friends with him. He and Gwen had started dating in their junior year in high-school, and though they had just spent half a year living two hours away from each other while going to college they were still dating, and extremely close.

"Lance that just isn't fair," Merlin said exasperated.

Morgana raised her eyebrows at them and Arthur looked confused. Gwen was the first to say it, "What?"

"Merlin is just upset because he is too shy to go talk to that girl over there," Lance said, lightly motioning towards a tall brunette woman with pale skin and high heels and a sexy suit in the corner.

"Oh man, she is out of your league!" Arthur mocked.

"Actually I know her," Morgana said staring at the woman. "Her name is Nimueh and she's a good friend of Morgause." She hadn't talked to the woman much, but the few times she had met her she had immediately liked her. "She's a top lawyer in the area."

"Really? Can you introduce me?" Merlin asked hopefully sounding like an excited puppy.

"She would bring lighting down from the sky and blow you up if you even tried," Arthur said laughing.

"Yeah right. Besides I would blow her up first," Merlin responded as if it was the most natural thing ever.

She couldn't help herself, the image of Merlin and Nimueh trying to blow each other up caused he to start to giggle and soon Lance, Arthur and Gwen were laughing too. Merlin tried to glare at them, but it only lasted for a minute before he too was laughing.

The laugh froze on her face though as she caught sight of Uther and Morgause in the corner arguing with each other. The happiness she had been feeling crashed down around her as she watched them throw one insult after another at each other. She should have known this would have happened. Morgause was the CEO at Uther's companies main rival. It didn't help that recently Morgause had started to date the owner of the company, a man named Cenred who would give anything to take over Uther's business.

But was it really wrong of Morgana to want them to get along? Morgause was her half sister and Uther had raised her from age ten when her father had died in battle. She bit her lip and looked down. Uther and Morgause would always hate each other; there was nothing that could be done about that.

"Hey, you alright?" She automatically faked a smile towards Arthur, who was leaning towards her in an effort to block her from everyone else who was still goofing off about Merlin and Nimueh.

"I'm fine," she lied.

He looked towards Uther and Morgause, automatically knowing what was bothering her without her having to say anything. He then turned and held her gaze for a moment. "It's okay to hold onto hope Morgana." She looked up at him and her breath got caught in her throat.

A song started to play and Gwen squealed. "Morgana you are dancing with me."

"Wait, what?"

"Come on." Gwen grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the middle of the dance floor before twirling around in a circle.

Morgana sighed and gave up fighting, allowing the music to flow through her body. She lifted her arms above her and moved to the beat of the music laughing at the freedom she felt at dancing.

Gwen grabbed her hands and they spun like five year olds, laughing and smiling not caring that they were both in college and should probably be acting like adults. She didn't want to worry about anything; she just wanted to be happy.

Finally the song stopped and the two girls stopped leaning on each other and smiling widely with their faces flushed.

A slow song started and in seconds Lance was right behind Gwen.

"Mind if I steal her Morgana?"

She laughed. "Go ahead, as long as I get her back later." Gwen turned and looped her arms around Lance's neck and leaned in close to him as they started to dance. Morgana gave a sad smile and turned away from them planning on making her way over to Merlin, only to find that he was in the corner talking to Nimueh and to her surprise they were actually laughing. Well you never knew.

"My lady." Startled she turned around to see Arthur bent over in a mock bow facing her.

"My champion," she said giving a slight curtsey as they had done so often as children. They had called each other that so often when they were little. He would play the knight of whatever game they were playing, and she would play the fair lady. He had always told her that she needed to get in trouble so that he could save her, that was the way the game went! Of course she had been stubborn and refused, saying that this lady would go on adventures with him to fight Dragons instead. Though she had never told him it, she had secretly liked how he had always tried to save her (even if she was so much better with the fake sword) and so he had become her champion.

But this time saying those words seemed different.

Arthur slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close, much closer than they had ever danced before.

She kept her eyes lowered, knowing that if she looked up she would be lost into those never-ending blue eyes.

"Arthur, what are we doing?" she asked quietly, still not keeping raising her eyes.

"We're just dancing," he said lightly, though she could hear the lie in his voice.

She looked up straight at him, and as she had suspected, found herself caught in those piercing eyes that kept her prisoner in a cage she never wanted to leave.

He bent forward until his face was inches from hers and looked at her, waiting to see how she would respond.

What was she thinking? This was Arthur! She was his adopted sister! They had known each other since they were ten! She shouldn't feel the way she was. But the truth was that she had been feeling this way about him her whole life. She didn't remember a time in her life where she hadn't loved Arthur.

She pulled away from him then.

"Morgana?" he asked, confusion (and was that pain she heard) in his voice.

"I'm sorry…" she turned from him and fled out of the party, lifting up the bottom of her dress so that it didn't touch the ground and trying hard not to trip on her heels. She stumbled past a few people entering the party late and stepped outside into the cold night air. The wind ruffled through her hair, and she wrapped her arms around herself in an effort to give herself some warmth.

"Morgana, are you alright?" Gwen called hurrying outside after her.

"I'm fine, really it's nothing. I was just…" she started to make up an excuse but stopped at Gwen's knowing look.

"What's wrong with me?" she asked plopping herself down on the stairs that led to the two double doors.

"Besides the fact that you should have grabbed your coat?" Gwen teased sitting down next to her.

She gave a sad laugh and wrapped her arms around her friend.

"Is it wrong for me to love him?" she asked, finally letting the words out.

Gwen was silent for a moment, "I don't think there is anyway you couldn't love him. He's a part of you Morgana, anyone can see that. And you're a part of him. Just by seeing the way he looks at you anyone could tell that."

"But I'm his sister," she spat out that horrible word.

"If that's so, then why haven't you taken the name Pendragon?"

Morgana thought about it and knew Gwen was right. She had never felt like a Pendragon, which was why she had kept her father's last name LeFay.

"MORGANA!" Arthur called rushing outside to where the two girls were sitting shivering together on the stairs. He smiled at the sight of them, "Are you two idiots? It's freezing out!" he turned to Gwen, "Lance is looking for you."

Gwen laughed. "Alright I'm going inside." She leaned forward and hugged Morgana before whispering in her ear, "Sometimes I think fate decides our stories for us."

Gwen hurried inside leaving Morgana and Arthur standing together alone in the cold night.

She turned her eyes away from him and stared up at the sky, trying to stop the conflicting emotions in her head.

She heard Arthur walk slowly over and sit down next to her. "Here, you're going to freeze to death." He took his jacket off and looped it over her shoulders.

She accepted the jacket and slipped her arms through the it, before wrapping it closely around her, taking in the familiar sent of him.

"Why did you run?" he asked quietly.

She didn't respond, only kept her eyes straight in front of her.

"I'm sorry, we can pretend nothing happened. I just thought you felt the same…" he trailed off and she looked up to see the pain she was feeling reflected on his face.

"I'm scared Arthur." She didn't know what it was about the night, or what the strange feeling was that had overcome her, but she found herself needing to tell Arthur the truth. She didn't want to hide her thoughts from him. Never him. "I'm scared that if I admit how I feel everything will come crashing down. You'll see everything that's wrong with me. You'll listen to what people say, and you'll start thinking its wrong also and you won't be able to look at me again. I'm scared that I'll loose you for good," she whispered.

He looked up at her and caught her gaze. "That could never happen. I promise I won't let any harm ever come to you" Using his right hand he lifted her chin up so that she was inches from him. "Morgana – I love you."

He leaned forward and kissed her, and at the touch of his lips on her she gave in to all the emotions she was feeling. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he moved his arms around her waist, pulling her as close to him as he could. In that moment there was nothing but her and Arthur.

And kissing him there in the cold night under the stars Morgana knew that it was fate – everything was going to be alright.