Under Love's Spell
"I really think she's up to something Gaius," Merlin said while pushing the soup in his bowl around with a spoon. "I caught her smirking at me in the corridors again. I honestly don't see how Uther can be so blind to her hatred of him."
Gaius looked up from the book of herbal remedies he was reading and replied, "You and I both know that Uther only sees what he wants to see."
"I suppose. I still can't believe that Uther is her father." Merlin leaned back in his chair. "If you had told me when I first came to Camelot that Arthur and Morgana would end up being related by blood, I would have accused you of getting into the hard cider. I know Arthur regards Morgana as a sister now, but imagine what could have happened when they were growing up together…" Merlin trailed off.
"It's actually not that uncommon for someone in a position of royalty to marry a person in their family. It's said to help maintain the strength of the bloodline," Gaius pointed out.
"And now I've lost my appetite," Merlin said pushing away his still full bowl.
"This is the third night this week that you haven't finished your supper," Gaius admonished. "I'm worried about you. I know it must have been difficult for you to see those images in the crystals, but you did manage to stop Morgana from harming the king."
"Temporarily," Merlin sighed. "Morgana killing Uther wasn't the only scene that was shown to me. I also saw Morgana sitting on the throne with a crown perched atop her head, and an old man with hauntingly familiar blue eyes."
"As I've told you before and as you've learned firsthand, those images might not mean what you think they do. You can't go around worrying all hours of the night and day. You need to take a break and eat something before you drive yourself crazy."
"I would love to be able to just take a break and enjoy some supper, but it's too late for that." Merlin said in a louder voice, "My brain's already feeling scrambled. Not only do I constantly have to be on alert because of Morgana, I also have to deal with the fact that I need to keep another secret from Arthur. Sometimes I feel like my whole life is devoted to secrets! Secrets about magic. Secrets about Morgana's treachery. Secrets about Arthur, and Guinevere, my childhood, my father, and the dragon."
"I can see why you're not hungry. That is a lot to deal with," Gaius acknowledged.
Merlin stood up from the table. "From now on I'm going to walk around the castle with little bits of cloth stuffed in my ears. Maybe that way I won't hear any gossip that I'm not supposed to know about."
"I doubt that would work," Gaius said while moving over to stand in front of Merlin. "You attract trouble like a buxom woman attracts unwanted attention."
"Um..." Merlin paused, "that conjures up an interesting visual."
Gaius grabbed Merlin's supper bowl and put it off to the side. He arched an eyebrow and said, "I suppose it's a good thing you don't go around digesting food like you do gossip. If you did, then you probably wouldn't be able to fit through the door."
Merlin gave his friend and mentor a small smile. "I have to get to the castle."
"At this time of night?" Gaius asked.
"Yes. Due to all the distractions of latel, I have yet to complete my chores. I still have to polish Arthur's armor, sharpen his sword, and mend some of his clothing. Do you know that he ripped a nine inch gash in one of his shirts during training today? The clotpole…" Merlin muttered.
"Well, hurry back so you can get a good night's sleep."
"I'll try," Merlin promised. "If I can't sneak away then maybe I'll intentionally anger Arthur so that he'll throw something my way." Merlin absently rubbed a fading lump on the back of his neck. "Last time, he threw a pitcher at me and, when it connected, for a second I could have sworn I saw stars. I wouldn't mind a quick lapse into unconsciousness for the time being."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Gaius said even though he knew that Arthur would never severely injure Merlin on purpose. "If you see Morgana…"
"I'll go the other way," Merlin finished the sentence.
"That's my boy. We don't want to anger her unless absolutely necessary."
"I know. Good night Gaius," Merlin said as he opened the door to leave.
"Good night. Please be careful. I can't afford to lose you."
Merlin felt a lump form in his throat, "Nor I you," he responded simply.
In an attempt to lighten the mood, Gaius added, "I mean, who would clean the leech tank if you weren't around? I'm certainly not going to do it."
Merlin grinned. "Save my soup, I'm going to eat it later," he called over his shoulder as he shut the door behind him.
As he headed toward the castle, Merlin grew a bit weary just thinking about the long hours of work ahead of him and the potential danger of running into Morgana.
At this particular moment, Merlin decided that if he had a choice between dealing with a cranky Arthur and his murderous half-sister or cleaning out the leech tank in Gaius' quarters, he would pick the leeches every single time.
Morgana felt the leaves under her feet crunch against the forest floor. Another day of pretending to be Uther's angelic ward was taking its toll.
"I'm not sure how much more of this I can take," Morgana spat forcefully. "Every time I see the fake concern etched onto his worn face I just want to scream and tell Camelot that their precious king has been hiding his bastard daughter right under their noses this whole time."
Morgause put a reassuring hand on Morgana's shoulder, "Patience sister. We are going to make Uther rue the day he was ever seated on the throne. We are going to dismantle Camelot brick by brick until there is nothing left of the Pendragon legacy except ash and rubble."
Morgana shook her hand off, "Those are just words. I'm tired of talking about Uther's destruction…I want to see it done. What we need is a plan of action."
"These things take time," Morgause chastised.
"That's what you keep saying, but nothing ever changes. The longer we wait, the closer Uther is to a natural death and the more prepared Arthur will be to take his father's place."
"What would you have me do?" Morgause glared at Morgana. "Perhaps I should sneak into the king's bedchamber and attempt to stab him to death with a bejeweled dagger that was given to me as a birthday present. Oh wait, you already tried that and failed miserably."
Morgana felt a flush of embarrassment creep up her neck. "I would have been successful if that window hadn't shattered and if Merlin hadn't gotten in my way."
"If you had succeeded in killing Uther, what would have been your next step? Did you have an escape route planned? Would you have eliminated any potential witnesses? How would you have dealt with Arthur?"
"I didn't think…" Morgana trailed off.
"That's right, you didn't think!"
Morgana winced at the harshness of her sister's words.
Morgause continued but in a gentler tone, "Your status as the king's ward affords you the unique opportunity to be in the castle without raising suspicion. You are the perfect spy; Uther adores you and Arthur cares for you as a proper brother should. Best of all, you are allowed to be present during some negotiations and can obtain information about treaties and the movement of troops. You can get inside Uther's head and influence Arthur's decisions."
Morgana's shame grew greater as she realized how close she had come to ruining the goal she had worked so hard to attain for the past year.
"Besides," Morgause went on, "A quick death would be too good for the likes of Uther Pendragon. We want him to suffer as we have suffered. To be reviled by his subjects as our people and other magical beings have been reviled. Lastly, we want him to bear witness to the glorious reintroduction of magic into his beloved Camelot. Only when that comes to pass can we allow Uther to breathe his last."
Morgana bowed her head and stared at the ground. "I am truly sorry for my actions. I will take more care in the future to heed your warnings."
Morgause reached out and briefly touched Morgana's cheek, "It is already forgotten."
Morgana took a few deep breaths and let the crisp night air relieve her feelings of anger and impatience. On nights like these, Morgana felt like the forest had its' own brand of magic.
"Aren't you the least bit curious as to why I summoned you here?" Morgause asked her newly calm sibling.
"Yes of course," Morgana replied.
"As it happens, I've come up with a new plan that will help destroy Uther," Morgause informed her.
"What is it?" Morgana asked eagerly.
Morgause's eyes lit up with mischief, "The plan concerns a certain big-eared, blue-eyed, and nosy servant that always seems to show up just in time to save the day."
"Are you talking about Merlin?"
"Yes, there's something different about that boy that I just can't put my finger on."
"He's nothing but a nuisance," Morgana scoffed. "He's the size of a flea. If you wanted, I could crush him under my riding boot without a second thought."
"Such bravado for a girl who was poisoned by said nuisance. If he hadn't told me the name of the poison he used, you would have perished that day."
Morgana had mostly blocked that period of time out of her mind. It was too painful to think about.
"Not only did he single-handedly defeat the wraiths by poisoning you, but he also escaped the deadly clutches of the scorpions I sent to finish him off. He is constantly by Arthur's side providing wisdom and advice that a boy his age should have no knowledge of. From what I understand, he also helped to foil your most recent attack against Uther. He is either one of the bravest or the stupidest people alive to continually stick his neck out for others."
Morgana thought back to all the times that Merlin stood by Arthur in ways that no other servant would.
"My vote is for stupid," Morgana quipped. "Merlin knows that I have magic. Perhaps it would be best if we got rid of him once and for all."
"I've thought of that, but as history has shown, he is extremely hard to exterminate. Also, killing the boy might arouse the suspicion of Arthur and Uther. That is something we definitely don't need."
Morgana still wasn't quite sure where Morgause was going with her plan. "If we can't kill him, then how is Merlin going to be useful to us?"
Morgause reached into her pocket and pulled out a tiny glass vial containing a vivid red liquid. Even to Morgana's somewhat novice eyes, the mixture seemed to radiate magic. She immediately felt shivers travel up and down her spine.
Morgause moved closer and held the vial up to meet Morgana's eye-line. "This elixir is composed of several of the most potent and rare ingredients found in nature. You don't need to know the precise combinations of flowers and root extracts. What does matter is that this vial contains one of the most powerful love potions ever made."
"A love potion?" Morgana whispered.
"Precisely. If Merlin were to consume this whole vial, he would throw himself off a cliff if his heart's desire wished it so."
Even though Morgana already knew the answer in her gut, she asked the following question anyway, "Who do we want Merlin to fall in love with?"
Morgause pushed the vial closer, "You."
"I…I don't want Merlin to fall in love with me," Morgana said a little too quickly.
"Why not? It's perfect. Giving Merlin the potion would keep him from exposing the secret of your magic to the rest of the world and it would provide you with an ally in the castle."
Morgana struggled to find a rebuttal. "But, if Merlin falls in love with me suddenly, people will know something is amiss."
"That is why the potion must be administered gradually. At first, you will put only one drop in his drink. He will feel only the slightest attraction to you. He will notice the way your hair catches the light, or the way your dress rises ever so slightly above your ankles when you sit. Like any other man, he will think he is merely experiencing a physical attraction. After a few days time, you will give him two drops of potion. When that dose takes effect, his heart will start to pound when you enter a room, and his palms will sweat. You will continue to administer the potion in this way. By the time Merlin has consumed the whole bottle, he will be like your slave and will do anything in his power to try and please you."
"What if I am unable to administer a dose on time?" Morgana asked after listening to Morgause's instructions.
"His feelings for you will not grow weaker, but they will not grow any stronger either. They will remain the same unless Merlin receives a cure. The only known cure for this potion is a tincture of Henbane stirred clockwise three times with a dragon scale."
"What happens if someone else accidentally ingests the potion; will they fall in love with me too?" Morgana couldn't be too careful. Strange things had a tendency to happen in Camelot.
"In order to ensure that doesn't happen, you must intertwine a strand of your hair with a strand of Merlin's and then place them together in the vial. When you have done that, then the potion will only work for you and him."
"I understand." Morgana wasn't quite sure how she would obtain a strand of Merlin's hair, but she decided that she would figure that out later.
Morgause held the vial out even further, "So, sister, are you ready to accept this challenge?"
Morgana's hand opened to take the vial, but she hesitated.
"I will do whatever is necessary to further our cause, but love is an emotion I no longer feel or believe in. I'm not sure I can stomach Merlin's…advances…when he is under the potion's spell."
"Morgana, if there is anything I have learned from my years on earth then it is this: Love and Hate are the same thing."
Morgana shot Morgause a confused look.
"Think about it. Love and hate are two sides of the same coin. One couldn't possibly know what hate is without recognizing that it is the absence of love. Love and hate are both emotions that inspire men to cheat, steal, lie, become violent, brag about their successes, and commiserate about their failures. They both inspire poetry and art and influence the outcome of wars."
Morgana slowly began to nod her head.
"When Merlin comes to you looking for affection, you meet his impassioned love with impassioned fury. You use your hate for Uther and the injustices that have been done to our people to fuel your desire to succeed. Merlin will be so besotted that he will have no idea where your true motives lie. When the time is right, we will dispose of Merlin and you can forget he ever even existed. We will certainly have more important things to worry about by then."
Morgana felt revived by Morgause's words.
"I will do it," she said resolutely. "For us, and for those like us."
Morgana squashed any of the nervousness still lingering in the pit of her stomach, reached out, and clasped the vial in her hand.
Morgana's return trip to Camelot had taken a lot longer than anticipated. Her horse had stumbled over a fallen log and had injured its' leg. As a result, Morgana had spent more than an hour walking back on foot. As she reached the castle, the sun was just beginning to peak out over the tops of the trees.
After a quick trip to the stables, Morgana was eager to get back to her room before being seen.
Morgana went up the stairs as quietly as possible. At the top, she paused to listen for any movement. She was dismayed to see a door opening at the end of the hall. She started to turn back until she realized that it was Merlin who was tiptoeing out. It was clear from the state of his clothes and the dark circles under his eyes that Merlin hadn't gotten any sleep.
Morgana smiled. She couldn't have planned this any better if she had tried.
Morgana waited until Merlin was more than halfway down the hall before she strode forward with confidence.
With a swift motion, Morgana pulled him into a tiny alcove that was hidden from view.
"Good morning Merlin," she whispered cheerfully. "Are you just going to bed now?"
Merlin's bleary eyes snapped into focus. He took in Morgana's riding cloak and boots.
"Are you just getting in?" he shot back.
"Well I can't very well prance around a bubbling cauldron in the middle of the day now can I?"
Merlin appeared a bit shocked at Morgana's bold statement, but he stayed silent.
"Cat got your tongue?" Morgana teased.
"I don't think it's a good idea for you and me to be seen with each other at the crack of dawn. Somebody might get the wrong idea," Merlin finally said.
Morgana laughed quietly. "As if anyone in this castle would ever believe that I would have an assignation with a lowly servant boy."
Merlin didn't respond directly, but he muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "Leeches, I'd definitely pick the leeches."
From a nearby corridor, Morgana could hear the voices of at least a few guards changing shifts. Merlin looked like he was about to bolt at any second.
Realizing she was running out of time. Morgana acted quickly. She reached up and yanked a few hairs right out of Merlin's head.
Merlin's hand immediately shot up to the spot where she had tugged. "What the heck was that for?" he asked rubbing his scalp.
"You had a large clump of dust stuck in your hair," she sneered. "When your appearance is poor, it reflects badly upon the whole castle."
Merlin clearly didn't believe her explanation, but there was no time for further questioning.
Morgana heard a guard ascending the stairs so she pushed Merlin out of the alcove and followed him into the middle of the hallway.
She raised her voice and said, "When Gaius tells you to deliver some medicine, I would appreciate it if you did so in a timely manner. I do not like having to get up in the middle of the night in order to visit the physician for something that should have been delivered hours ago!"
"Is there some kind of trouble here?" a guard with a deep voice asked from the top of the stairs.
Morgana pulled out the most charming smile she could muster. "No, I think I have it under control. I am just reminding Merlin of the importance of following instructions."
Merlin looked from the guard, to Morgana, and then back to the guard. He decided that his best bet would be just to play along. He bowed his head so as to appear appropriately chastised and said, "I am truly sorry Milady, and I can assure you that something like this will never happen again."
"I'm sure it won't. You may go now," Morgana told him.
Merlin practically flew down the corridor and out of sight.
Morgana looked at the invisible vapor trail Merlin left behind, rolled her eyes, and muttered, "Servants."
The guard chuckled at her comment and then advised, "You best be getting back to your room."
"Of course. I must prepare for my day."
"Is something the matter with your hand?" the guard asked suddenly. "You are clutching it quite tightly."
Morgana looked down at her fist. She had several strands of Merlin's hair clutched within, and she was not about to lose them.
"I'm cold, that's all. These halls are a tad drafty in the early morning hours. If you'll excuse me..."
Morgana left before the guard got another chance to ask anymore questions. Besides, she would hate to have to stain her pretty green cloak with his blood.
Upon reaching her chambers, Morgana took the strands of hair out of her palm and carefully placed them on her bedside table. She removed the glove from her right hand and reached toward her own head. With a quick tug, she pulled away with one long, ebony strand. She grabbed a single filament from the table and began twisting the two strands she held together. When she was finished, Morgana held up the weird looking talisman. She noted the contrast between the lighter brown of Merlin's hair to her almost black locks.
"Light versus dark, how appropriate," she muttered.
Morgana reached into her pocket. With caution, she grabbed the tiny glass vial, released the stopper, and placed the strands of hair inside. She resealed the bottle and felt a quick stab of satisfaction. She was pleased that she had accomplished the first step in Morgause's plan.
Now, the hard part was to begin.
Morgana stared at the crimson color of the potion and began to feel entranced. Although it was unlikely that Morgause was nearby, Morgana often felt as if her sister was watching out for her.
"I will not fail you again," Morgana whispered aloud her promise. " By this time tomorrow, Merlin will be under love's spell."