"I demand to know why I have been detained in such a manner," said Morgana as she was pushed roughly to her knees in front of the king.
"Silence, Morgana. I have not given you my leave to speak," shouted Uther.
"Forgive me, my lord, but I have done no wrong." She rose to her feet.
"You DARE to lie to me. I have treated you like a daughter. And THIS is how you repay me!"
"I have no idea what on earth you are saying!"
"My own ward no less. You have lost your soul to the devil. You have lost yourself to darkness!"
Morgana instantly held her tongue. He knew. How could he know? She'd told no-one… Except Merlin. But he wouldn't betray her, he wouldn't.
"This is ridiculous," she said, trying to keep her voice strong and steady.
"Do you deny it?" he probed, his expression cold… colder.
"I refuse to defend myself against such assumptions."
"It is as I expected."
"You have no evidence!"
Uther was standing in front of her in an instant, grabbing her firmly by the shoulders and shaking her harshly. She stared him down, fear and anger mingling in her stomach.
"Relinquish this evil, Morgana."
"I am the same person I have always been!"
"I'm giving you a chance to live. I will not harbour a sorceress any longer."
"Magic is no crime, Uther Pendragon!"
"Silence, witch!"
"What right do you have to determine what is acceptable? What right do you have to burn these people? They've done nothing wrong!"
Uther backhanded her with such force that it knocked her spinning to the ground. She only just managed to catch herself before her head cracked off the floor. From the corner of her eye, she saw Arthur step forward, hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to step in.
"You are truly lost to us, Morgana. I only hope that the flames will cleanse your soul and free you," declared Uther.
If she had not already been on the floor, she would have collapsed for sure. Her worst fears were becoming a reality. Uther was actually doing it.
"You would burn me?" she asked in a small voice.
"It is the only way," he responded, coldly.
"I've done you no harm."
"You practice your disgusting craft within my walls. You lie to me and you lie to yourself. Magic is an evil and it has cursed you."
"You're not fit to be a king, Uther! You are a tyrant and I hate you! You would condemn me for being who I am! It is not I who is evil, but you!"
"Restrain her! She will be burnt at dawn!"
As she was dragged to the doors of the council chambers, her eyes locked with Arthur's. His were filled with such loathing and disgust that she felt her heart shatter. She was wrong all this time. He wasn't a better man than his father at all. He was going to stand and watch her burn and listen to her scream; all for being who she was always born to be.
"May the goddess forgive you, Uther, for we will have our vengeance and nothing will save you then."
With that, she closed her eyes and focused, summoning the elements before she snapped them open. The courtiers screamed as they saw her burning gold eyes while Uther shouted to the guards to strike her down. She shot a hand towards them in turn until they crashed backwards.
"You have made an enemy of me and the Old Religion itself. I am a High Priestess of Avalon. No mortal could ever hope to kill me. You were a fool to believe you ever could."
"You have betrayed us."
Before they could utter another word, she was gone in a blinding flash, leaving the two men she had once loved shocked in her wake.
"Find her! I want her dead!" screamed Uther in a rage "FIND HER!"