There's a certain amount of darkness that lives in the natural world, it can be found in all things. Both beautiful and wretched. Sometimes there are things in this world that seem to follow in the shadows, but have never truly strayed from the warmth of the light. This girl was one of them, there were often times she found herself locked away in a cold stone chamber, nothing but a small spear window to bath herself in the sun.

Morgana had been brought up as a child of royalty. Her father disguising her as his ward to appease her mother, he wouldn't claim her as his daughter; never should he bare the shame of that. Most days she would receive her tutor, her brother would come in to study with her and she would be marched down to the dining hall to eat with the King and Prince. Arthur's mother died when he was young, and for that he envied Morgana.

Her mother of course was alive, but so often was thousands of miles away. She yearned to see her mother, her sister, and the people who truly loved her. That was something she loved most. Not her wretched father and her dumb witted brother.

She had sat along the seal of the window, her fingers digging away at the bouquet of flowers the king had given her for her birthday. His gift to his darling ward. She wondered when he had the servant present them if he even truly even remembered who she was to him.

Arthur certainly had no clue, he taunted her and teased her, constantly reminding her that he was the crowned prince and she was nothing more than a little girl. Even though Arthur was nearly a quarter of a foot shorter and four years younger, she thought him so annoying.

She wondered how she would spent the eve of her 17th birthday, shackled up in this dark little room, waited on hand and foot by dirty little servant boys who were majority blackened and bruised by Arthur, no. She didn't want to feel like a prisoner on this night. It was inevitable to get out of the room via her doorway, two arm guards always stood at its hinges.

Meaning she would have to go through the window, the very tiny window. She smiled before running over to the door way and locking it, her eyes flickering to a dim gold as she made sure no one could get in very easily. Her flowers were chucked on the bed, and her hands flew to her hair, pulling it up and tying it with a tassel of cloth.

Every time she had snuck out before she had better success if she disguised herself, pulling her long chocolate hair under a cap and removing her luxury gowns to a pair of trousers. She could sneak into the town stead and enjoy a night out.

As she redressed herself, smiling as she climbed up into the window, her chocolate eyes warm with golden light, she held her breathe as she noticed no one below her, putting her foot into the open air

She jumped. Her form falling the three stories down until she landed into a giant bustle of hay. She laughed for a moment at the shear shock of landing it in. Looking up from the bustle she could see the stars gleaming in the night sky, the warmth of the night clinging to her skin. She removed herself from the hay, plucking off the clinging strands before she set off to the town stead.

It took her about a twenty minute walk, passing closed down street carts and little houses with a single light dulling them into a peaceful nights rest. She wondered how lovely it must be to fall asleep every night in the shadow of a candle.

Sooner or later she happened upon a closing inn, popping in only to ask for a tiny cake. The inn keeper nearly shooed her away until he saw the tiny golden coin she had presented him. He sighed before nodding and passing her along a sweet. She smiled brightly at the man, and he sort of smiled back to her.

She had left the shop in a merry mood, grateful to had taken some time for her, even if she was going to get a scolding when she returned.

As she began her journey back towards the castle, she had heard a chiming laughter of a few teenaged boys, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she ducked behind an empty street cart. The feet echoed behind the cart, she sighed in relief when they had apparently not seen her.

She waited a moment before she stood up, brushing off the end of her trousers she turned around to leave, only seen two pairs of beety little eyes smirking at her from the other side of the cart.

"Hiding from someone little thing?"

One teased, her eyes widening as she stepped back, searching for a possible escape route to get away from this mess. She knew what savage little boys did to girls. Even as they were progressing into men, twelve year old boys could kill girls her age. "No I'm just returning to my father..."

"Well isn't he a selfish bloke, keeping little runt like you all to himself. You know black market sells boys your age for a good chunk of money..."

"Come on George, what would the Prince say?"

The other boy asked, her eyes flickering up at that statement, they were Arthur's friends, and yet that information did not settle her. If anything, it terrified her more.

"What's Princy going to do 'bout it? He's down the way with Markus, let him do his, let's do ours..."

She shook her head before back away further, the two boys approaching her from either side of the cart. In that moment she pushed past one, trying to get away. He managed to snatch her cap right off her head, as her long locks tumbled down to her shoulders both of them stared at her in awe.

"It isn't even a runt! It's a girl!"

The older one bellowed, her eyes changing from sympathetic to greedy, his hands rubbing together as he eyed her other.

"A pretty one at that, what are you doing out here all alone, looking for some company?"

She stumbled back before she shook her head, "I must get back to my father…" She tried but was only met with two burly hands clapping down on her shoulders, she cried out. Her arms swinging back as she tried to hit the boy. She managed to elbow him straight in the jaw, wiggling out of his grasp she bolted down the street.

The second she came running down, two boys came running from around the corner. One she recognized without a second glance.

"What on earth is going on here?!" He yelled the two boys that had been chasing her, she did the smart thing; she ran right behind her brother and stayed there. He didn't really notice, all he could see were his two friends acting like monstrous creatures.

"We were just going to have a bit of fun Arthur…" One attempted to explain, the elder one just stared at the Prince sternly, and he clearly didn't like to deal with him.

"You call fun chasing a girl across the street in the middle of the night?!" He yelled back, the smaller ones eyes widened as he looked to the elder one. "We just wanted to scare her a bit Arthur, I swear it." He babbled along, Arthur shook his head before waving them away.

"Go home, if I ever see you doing that again I'll have you thrown in the stocks..." He murmured, the eldest laughed before they stalked by him, "Such a little boy to make such a big threat."

Arthur's face reddened as he nearly went for his sword, Morgana's hand shot out and grabbed his; he snarled and looked down at her face. His expression softened as he looked over to his companion. "Will you make sure they go home unaccompanied...?" He asked, his friend nodded before jogging off after the two boys.

Morgana stood in silence, her brother's hand slipping around his as he began to walk them back home. She wouldn't of said anything, but she knew how much trouble she be in if Arthur so much as breathed this to anyone.

"Arthur you can't…"

"I know..." He commented before she could finish, her eyes flickered up to him in questioning. Normally Arthur would tear her to shreds with the chance to get her in trouble, why was this any different now? She stopped as they had made it as far as the gates, he stopped and sighed looking down to her.

"Things are different now Morgana, We're older. And I have to become a we've practically grown up together…"

As he carried on her stomach clenched, her thumb brushing over the back of her hand as she shook her head. "Arthur you're only thirteen…and it's just. It's wrong…" She tried to argue, her eyes looking anywhere but at his face. "I'm able to decide what I think and feel Morgana…" He attempted, his fingers brushing down her cheek to her jaw, tilting it over to make her look at him.

What did she do? Did she tell him the truth? Did she allow him to believe these sinful emotions and spare him the tragic understanding of what his father really was?

Would she risk her immortal soul on it?

"Arthur you can't okay?" She whispered, tearing her gaze from his eyes. "And why not?" He asked stubbornly. She bit her lip before shaking her head, "Because I love another," She decided to bluff, it was an easy scape goat and no one really got hurt…

His expression changed as he pulled away from her, his eyes angry at her rejection. Shaking his head she took the usual steps away, his cockiness now flying its full colors.

"Yes, let's see how much Uther loves you after he finds out you snuck out of the castle!" He bellowed before storming off, she frowned before slowly following after him.

"Wait till you realize Uther will never love me like he loves you. And that's not because I'm not your sister..." She whispered to herself, her eyes flickering up to the night sky once more before the darkness of her chambers would return to her.