Part II: The Confidant

"What if magic isn't something you choose? What if it chooses you?"

Morgana's question hung heavy in the air between them, sending a shiver down Merlin's spine. He searched her face intently, both fearing to believe and desperately hoping she'd meant the words she'd just spoken.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked him curiously, and then there was no choice but to brush it off as if it had been some casual comment... not words that had the potential to bring about a change so momentous he could hardly imagine the possibilities.

If she really believed Uther was wrong, what could it mean for him... and for everyone who possessed magic? Standing right in front of him could be a powerful ally, the king's ward herself, willing to champion their cause.

Suddenly, he realized that he'd known all along there was something different about Morgana. The nightmare that had predicted Sophia's enchantment over Arthur would have been enough to make it clear she was no ordinary person, but beyond that, it was just a feeling he had. And it had been there from the first time he'd ever laid eyes upon her.

Gaius suspected it, too, but his response was quite different. He looked upon Morgana with fear and dread, as if the possibility of her having special abilities were a mortal illness that could only end in tragedy. Why?

His reasoning was that she was the king's ward, far too close to Uther to ensure her safety. But if that were it, surely Merlin himself was in no less danger, considering his close proximity to the king's son? Gaius seemed to feel that he needed to be taught to control his gifts, that knowledge itself was the key to keeping them concealed.

Why should it be any different for Morgana?

Merlin sighed as he helped her tend to the wounded Druid boy that lay secluded in her chambers. There was so much he still couldn't comprehend about all this sorcery business, and having a friend, a confidant, someone who didn't seem to believe magic was shameful at all... knowing he had someone so understanding to talk to would've been immensely comforting.

But he had no choice but to heed Gaius's stern warnings, and so he remained silent.