Title: Bitter Hearts
Author: OCDegrassi (Holly)
Pairings: Merlin/Morgana
Rating: T
Warnings: Angst, Violent Themes, Tragedy
Note: I'm normally a slash fan of Merlin, but I've always loved the idea of Morgana and Merlin, and I felt like I had to write a story that gave more depth to the character of Morgana. This is very angsty and depressing, so you have been warned!

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Merlin awoke to the feel of cold water being splashed on his face. He felt his hands bound above his head and he quickly took in his surroundings. His face froze as he saw Morgana standing before him. She was still as beautiful as ever on the outside, but on the inside, she was ugly and cold. She was so different from the Morgana that he had once known and loved. That Morgana seemed to die when Merlin had been forced to poison her to save Camelot. She may have been slowly breaking for a time before that, but it was in that moment that she changed forever.

The guilt of that day had haunted Merlin every day and every night since. He wondered if it was his fault that she had turned into this bitter shell of the woman that she once was. He could never forget the look on her face when she realized what he'd done. As she started to gasp for air, her eyes were filled with pain and betrayal. Merlin could only hope that she would understand. After all, the Morgana that he once knew would rather give her life than let the people that she loved perish. She would have done the same thing if the situations were reversed.

But the Morgana that came back a year later was not the same girl. She did not understand. She was filled with hatred and resentment towards everyone. "Good morning," she coolly spoke, as she moved closer to the manservant. "Is it?" he bitterly replied. She pursued her lips in feign hurt.

"Oh, don't be like that. We have a lot of catching up to do. After all, I haven't seen you since you condemned my sister to a slow and painful death, thwarted my plans to take over Camelot and forced me to live in a hovel." Merlin defiantly replied, "Could you do me a favor? Could you let Arthur know? He still thinks of me as an under-achiever, but I'm quite proud of those accomplishments. I can die happy." She smirked cruelly. "Oh you're not going to die. Oh no no. I'm not going to make it that easy." Merlin was temporarily thrown off guard. He wasn't sure what to say at first. What could she possibly want with him?

After a moment of silence, he couldn't stop his own tongue from speaking the words that he had thought a hundred times before, "What happened to you? How did you become so bitter and angry?" Morgana's eyes flashed for a second with malice and Merlin could see her seething. "What happened to me? What happened to me?" She screamed angrily and threw a pot at Merlin, shattering it on the wall behind him. Her demeanor returned to its normal calm, but the anger and hate was still boiling beneath the surface.

"I'll tell you what happened, Merlin," she smiled bitterly. "The day that you poisoned me to save your precious Camelot, you took the most important thing in the world from me." By now, Merlin was beyond confused. What had he taken from her that day? Her life, yes, but she got that back. He stared at her quietly, simply waiting for her to continue. "My child," she spat out. His eyes widened as she turned away from him. "Yes, Merlin, I was pregnant. And your poison killed the baby." She had no more tears left to cry over her loss, and the only thing that she had left was hatred; pure, unadulterated hatred for the man tied up behind her.

Merlin's throat constricted and he found it impossible to swallow. His stomach started to churn and he suddenly felt incredibly dizzy. He felt like he was going to puke and pass out at the same time. He didn't want to open his mouth, but he had to. "We were going to have a baby?" His voice was soft and pained. She whipped around viciously and walked towards him until she was less than an inch from his face.

"Yes, Merlin. I was going to tell you once everything settled down, but I never had the chance. In your desperation to save Camelot, you killed your own child." Merlin closed his eyes as the tears started to well up, and he felt his heart completely break in his chest. He couldn't stop the sobs from escaping his lips, and he felt like he would crumble to the ground if his hands were not bound above him. Morgana silently walked away from him, and Merlin felt his entire world shatter.

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A/N: So what did you think? I'm not sure if I'm going to keep this as a one-shot or continue it. Thoughts? Please Review.