Chapter 2: The Second Purge
Uther woke the next morning, and it was really the next morning at last. Ethan was so quiet that Uther didn't realize he was there for a moment.
Merlin was banished back whence he came, but there was still the matter of Morgause, Nimueh, and God knew how many others. For whatever reason, Uther had been given a second chance with Morgana. This time, he swore to himself, he would keep better control of her. His complacency had allowed magic to corrupt Camelot, but that was all over now.
Uther immediately ordered a constant rotation of search parties to find Morgause and Nimueh. The first place he sent them was the waterfall cavern where he'd found Morgause before, but she wasn't there. He drew maps showing all the old hiding places where he'd found sorcerers during the Great Purge. His knights flushed out dozens of magic-users, living right under his nose. The Second Purge had begun.
# Valiant #
After some weeks, it was time for the annual tournament. Uther remembered Knight Valiant quite well. Privately, he offered the young man a chance to leave Camelot quietly - without his shield. Valiant, living up to his name, refused. Uther had Sir Leon arrest him.
The shield did not come to life without its master, unfortunately, and Morgana was incensed. She accused Uther of all manner of absurdities, including trying to throw the tournament in Arthur's favor. That brought Arthur around to her side, which Uther hadn't seen coming.
Finally, Uther had no choice but to overrule Morgana by fiat. He knew Valiant was guilty, and that was that. Honor was important, but he wasn't about to risk Arthur's life over it.
# Lancelot #
The half-lion, half-eagle creature made its appearance north of Camelot town. Uther recalled that some peasant called "Lancelot" (surely a nom de guerre) had slain it last time, and waited patiently for said peasant to arrive with his falsified seal. When he did not arrive by the time the creature had nearly reached Camelot, Uther ordered him found.
Lancelot explained that all he wanted in the entire world was to be a knight of Camelot.
"And from what noble house do you come?" Uther asked.
"I'm not a nobleman," said Lancelot, entirely without guile. That was interesting. Uther wondered if it had been Merlin who had given him the seal last time. Probably; it would be just like a sorcerer to corrupt an otherwise good man.
"Slay this beast," said Uther, "and you will have your knighthood."
He saw Arthur's eyes go wide, but his son had enough sense not to speak until they were alone.
"Father, the Code. The First Code of Camelot!" Arthur sputtered, when everyone else had cleared the chamber. "It's…the first code! The prime directive!"
Uther kept his gaze steady. "Arthur, there is a mystical beast tearing towns apart. Can we not use every man we can get?"
Confusion wrestled with disbelief behind Arthur's eyes. Finally, he said, "Yes. Yes we can. That is a sensible and reasonable policy, Father." And he left to gather his knights.
"Don't look so surprised!" Uther called after him, annoyed. Arthur's challenges to his authority were also annoying, but in a bittersweet way; they heralded the prince's growth into a king, and pride mingled with irritation in those cases. But this…it was as if Arthur expected his father to be unreasonable, and there wasn't a silver lining in that.
The gryphon did end up slain, although Lancelot refused all credit. That could only mean there was yet another plot going on right under Uther's nose. In a fit of pique, he sent Lancelot away. To Arthur's objections, Uther declared that the peasant was lucky to leave with his head on his shoulders.
That settled the matter, but Arthur and Morgana's continued disappointment was quite clear enough.
# Edwin Muir #
When a physician called Edwin arrived in Camelot with lofty claims of his healing prowess, Uther had him searched. As he suspected, the search uncovered a number of magical artifacts. Although no one else remembered it happening, Uther resented Edwin for tricking him into doubting Gaius. For that he would suffer; Uther had him burned at the stake.
Following Edwin's execution, Morgana briefly stopped eating.
"Camelot is safer than it has ever been," Uther assured her. "No one who uses magic will escape my grasp, I promise."
He expected her to be pleased, or even angry. But the way she shivered and avoided his touch perplexed and wounded him. Uther had never felt safer, himself. Forewarned was forearmed, was it not?
He recalled that Nimueh had attacked Camelot twice between Valiant's arrival and Edwin's, but this time all was well. She must have been frightened off, which was only sensible when your opponent knew the future.
# Avalon #
Sophia and Aulfric of Tír-Mòr arrived, and Uther remembered well how the pretty girl had entranced Arthur into eloping with her. In deference to Morgana's delicate sensibilities, Uther decided not to banish them right away. Instead, he had Ethan keep an eye on them. One midnight when Ethan reported that Aulfric had left the castle, Uther followed.
Deep in the forest was a lake, of no special importance that Uther was aware. He observed as Aulfric cast some sort of spell with his walking stick - really, now, that enormous otherworldly gem should have been a clue, he chided himself - and Uther was astonished to see a number of tiny glowing orbs appear above the surface of the lake and flit about. His blood ran cold. He had entirely misjudged these two. How had Arthur avoided death the first time? He recalled that Merlin had acted particularly idiotic, even for him, during this time. Was he in league with these sorcerers? Their plan seemed to be running perfectly well without him.
Uther's gut fought with his brain. Merlin had to have been a conspirator. But Merlin as conspirator made no sense. Merlin as rescuer, on the other hand….
He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Sophia coming up behind him. She ensnared him with her obviously magical staff and levitated him over to the lake.
Aulfric addressed the tiny lights, asking whether a king might be a good enough trade for his daughter's immortality. The girl pleaded with her father to come with her. He said that he couldn't. There were tears. Uther started to think he would give his life to be free of this maudlin family melodrama.
"If you leave Camelot and never return, you may have your lives. The next time I see you, it will be both your heads on the chopping block," Uther informed them, still hovering helplessly over the water.
They drowned him in some sort of arcane ceremony. It was no more than he expected.
The next morning (or rather, the morning of Thomas Collins' execution), Uther strutted around the castle feeling as invincible as Achilles on the battlefields of Troy.
He proceeded the same way he had before, although he hesitated just a little before banishing Merlin. He had expected his life to be much simpler without Merlin around, but things were turning out quite the opposite.
None of that, he told himself. Magic is evil, therefore Merlin is evil. Even if he doesn't know it yet.
Although he had learned much about Sophia and Aulfric, there wasn't a good way to explain what they were or how he knew. As soon as they arrived again, Uther had them executed as he'd promised. Morgana threw a fit, as she would, but there was nothing for it.
# Mordred #
About that time, people began to talk of the king's inexplicable sense for sorcery. Some even said it was in itself a kind of sorcery. Uther ordered anyone caught spreading such rumors executed for treason. Arthur tried to speak with him delicately, then indelicately, but Uther would have none of it. Paranoia was defending yourself against threats that aren't real.
"Edwin, yes, but Valiant? Aulfric and Sophia? Lancelot? What were their crimes?"
"Valiant's shield was magical," said Uther, annoyed at having to repeat himself, "and our hospitality is offered at my discretion. This discussion is over."
As the Purge went on, Morgana grew more distant. They were hardly speaking when a Druid child and his guardian were found in the marketplace. Nonetheless, she saw fit to argue with Uther over the boy, as if she had any grounds to ask him for favors. Hurt that this, of all things, was the reason she chose to speak with him again, Uther responded somewhat more harshly than he really meant.
Later that night, he reminded himself that this was already his second chance, and he was doing no better with her than he had the first time. His sleep was troubled.
#
While Uther slept restlessly, Morgana snuck out to Gorlois's grave to meet her sister.
Morgause had introduced herself to Morgana around the time of the tournament. Of course there was ample reason to suspect her, especially as she insisted on total secrecy, but she had quickly proven herself. First was the gift of a healing bracelet wrought with the symbol of their shared heritage. Morgana had never slept better than when she was wearing that bracelet, and she was pleased to have a memento of their father. Second was a demonstration of Morgause's magical power. Knowing that Morgana could have her executed with just a word to the king, Morgause chose to trust her. That meant more to Morgana than her sister could know.
Unknown to anyone in Camelot except the two of them, it had been Morgause who killed the gryphon at Morgana's behest. Morgana was softhearted, and still saw Uther's subjects as innocents. Morgause had tried to explain to her with a chessboard that pawns could still topple the king if placed correctly, but Morgana was stubborn and for now it was best just to appease her. She would come around in time.
In fact, Morgana had suggested their meeting spot; Uther was concentrating on desecrating places special to the Old Religion and had apparently not even considered places special to himself.
"How fitting that we should meet here at the memorial to Uther's betrayal of my father," said Morgana, running a hand over the stone marker.
Morgause smiled. Truly, she could not have done better at separating Morgana from Uther than the man himself had. His crusade against sorcery terrified Morgana, who was constitutionally incapable of being helpless and probably would have acted against him sooner or later. He had sent her more than halfway to Morgause's side; all Morgause had to do was gently lead Morgana where she wanted her.
"Do you trust me, sister?"
"Of course," said Morgana, taking her hands.
"Then allow Uther to continue his plans. I will rescue Mordred. And then…."
"We take Camelot." Morgana's green eyes were alight. "And our people shall finally have the peace Uther has denied us."
#
The revolution was simple. Morgause, an unstoppable force unto herself, swept into Camelot and freed Mordred just as the boy was about to be tied to a pyre. Arthur and the other knights who had been attending Uther left to help with the chaos.
Morgana's part was primarily to wait for her sister's arrival, but when she found herself alone with Uther, she couldn't resist drawing a sword on him.
Slowly, he drew his own sword and cast it aside. "Will you attack an unarmed man?"
The answer was yes. Apparently he had raised not one but two children who were willing to attack an unarmed man, as long as that man was their father. He blocked with his gauntlets and rearmed himself within seconds, but he was wearing no other armor and she drew first blood. The sight made her smile.
"One of us is going to die today," she informed him, attacking again.
His face hardened - more than usual - and he pressed back.
Morgana had not been practicing swordplay very long, and perhaps Morgause's effusive praise had inflated her sense of skill. Even trying to avoid hurting her, it did not take long for Uther to knock the sword out of her hand.
"Why?" he said, holding the tip of his sword to her throat.
Morgause burst into the room, Mordred at her heels.
Morgana's voice trembled with rage. "Because you are a madman. A murderer. And a tyrant!"
"No, sister!" Morgause cried, but it was too late.
Morgana's eyes burned gold, and every candle in the room exploded into pillars of flame. It was really no more than a light show by a novice, but it was enough. The implications of what she had done landed on Uther as if she had caved the roof in on him, and he was quite as incapacitated. Morgana picked up her own sword and kicked Uther's away for good measure.
"You'd best finish the job," said Morgause, not sounding entirely pleased.
"Already?"
Uther could not tell from Morgana's tone whether she was hoping to prolong his suffering, or whether she didn't feel ready to kill him yet. He looked at Morgause. From her expression, she couldn't tell either. Then this battle was winnable.
He smirked as his daughter drove a sword through his chest.
