Hi everyone!

This is a story idea that randomly came to me only hours ago and as it developed I thought to myself, why not give it a try? It's AU, got lots of Mergana and hopefully, lots of adventure.

Here's an extended synopsis:

"When Morgana is a child, her father dies and she becomes the ward of King Odin rather than King Uther. Treated as nothing more than property, she is married off to a noble in her teens and lives life as a prisoner. Desperate and unhappy, Morgana's spirit is never broken, and when she reaches her last straw she decides to risk an escape to live a life freedom. Meanwhile Merlin has been living as an outlaw for years after his magic was revealed to Arthur and he narrowly escaped his own execution. Both on the run, these two lives are about to collide, and when they do, sparks will fly."

So, how does it sound? I'm in two minds about continuing it or not, as it was really spontaneous, so I'm looking for your feedback on what you think of the synopsis, the first chapter and if you would like to read more, so please let me know!

This first chapter is short and more of a prologue, but I hope you like it! :)

Warning: contains mention of domestic abuse.


Chapter 1

Run Away

"Get away, run away, fly away

Lead me astray, to dreamer's hideaway."

- Nightwish, Poet and the Pendulum.

She knew she had to act quickly, he could be back at any moment, he said he would be gone all night but he might have grown suspicious of her, he might have forgotten something or turned back because felt ill. She knew this might be her only opportunity to escape.

The first thing Morgana did was grab a small dagger that was sitting on her bedside table, holding it in one hand she seized her hair in the other and with several clean slices her beautiful brown locks tumbled to the ground, lifeless. She quickly scooped them up and threw them into the fireplace. Only now did Morgana hesitate as she watched her hair hiss angrily and blacken within the bright orange flames, the smell of it filling the room as the crackling fire took hold. She loved her hair, she always had, and she felt a pang of sadness as she watched it burn away before her eyes. But for freedom, she would do it a thousand times again.

Before she did anything else, Morgana checked her reflection in a shining gold goblet, which was also on her bedside table. She could see a bruise forming on her cheek, courtesy of her husband, and hoped it wouldn't raise any suspicion. Her hair had been cut just above the shoulders, she had never seen herself with short hair and she hardly recognised herself, but that was a good thing. The ordinary people in this Kingdom did not know what she looked like, she had been locked away for so long, but once it was discovered she had escaped the King and his nobles would be searching everywhere and asking for a young woman with long, dark brown hair. There wouldn't be one. Through her fear and nerves Morgana managed to crack a smile.

She cast aside the goblet and seized a small leather-skinned bag she had had hidden in the bottom of her wardrobe, knowing somehow that one day she would need it, and filled it with all the things she thought she should take. The small dagger, some leftover food from her evening meal, a few gold coins and a water-proof pouch. She would need to find some more food quickly and a stream so she could collect water, but there was woodland nearby, she could hide there at first and gather more supplies.

Morgana had never felt so scared, she had never been out in the wide world on her own, let alone on the run, but she had also never felt so determined. She would do this, she would no longer be anyone's property to push around, she would have her freedom, however briefly it may be, and damn the consequences.

She threw a grey cloak over her shoulders and pulled the hood up over her head. She hoped no one would get suspicious if they saw a mysterious hooded figure fleeing from a noble's castle, but it would be a while before they realised who it was, and by that time Morgana planned to be miles away.

She checked the room to see if there was anything else she needed, but there was nothing left for her to do. She was ready to go.

Morgana picked up her bag and one of the hairpins which lay on her dresser and hurried to the door. It was locked as always, but she had been practicing, yearning to escape the room or perhaps the whole castle all together, she had learned how to pick locks. Her hands were shaking a little with trepidation, but after what felt like hours she managed to unlock the door with the hairpin. She hesitated for a moment before putting the hairpin in her travelling bag too, and then carefully but quietly pulled open the door.

A blast of cold air hit Morgana's face as she gazed into the dark corridor, but there was no one there. She took a deep breath, she couldn't turn back now, the corridor looked strangely menacing with its long shadows and eerie silence, but she would not surrender to her nerves.

Just before Morgana left took one last look at her room, her prison, and dared another smile. Whatever happened next, she would not return to this place, she refused, she had been locked away for too long, she would not come back to this room.

With renewed determination Morgana turned and hurried down the corridor. She was worried about running into any guards or servants, but her husband was confident enough to think he would not need guards, and the servants had already gone to bed. Luck stayed with her all the way as she walked out the back of the castle, strolled out into the black night and headed for the stables.

As quietly as possible, she fetched a saddle and reigns and opened the stable door which contained her horse.

Emre seemed to glow in the night with his white main and tail, as he snorted and turned to face Morgana, a look of polite curiosity on his face. Morgana smiled and patted his grey back, her only friend in the world, she would take him with her.

Minutes later, Morgana found herself charging across the grounds, away from the little castle she had been so unhappy in, and out into the wide world. A cold wind bit her face and turned her hands numb, but she didn't care.

She could hardly believe it, it had worked, it had actually worked, no one had caught her during her escape, not even now was anyone trying to stop her. She would have loved to have seen the look on her husband's face when he realised his wife was no longer there and the embarrassment the King would feel to find his ward had run off. Whatever happened next, whether she was caught or not, she had won. However briefly, she had her freedom back.

For the first time in years, Morgana found herself laughing as she and Emre galloped off into the darkness into a world of freedom.


Thanks for reading! Again if you would like to read more, please let me know! :)