Hiya! Another lengthy chapter... This one has my rendition of the Capulet party/balcony scene though, hehe.
Enjoy!
ACT II
When Merlin woke, he realized he was in his own bed in Gaius's chambers with no memory whatsoever of how he'd come to be there.
Wracking his brain, he raised his head and started to sit up, but quickly gave up and dropped back to the pillow when the room began to spin violently around him. He was vaguely aware of a dull ache originating from the back of his head, and was thinking about trying to move again when the door creaked open.
"Oh, you're awake," Gaius's voice spoke, sounding relieved.
Merlin glanced up at the old man when he came into view beside him. "What happened?" he asked as his vision cleared. He tried lifting his head again, and with the physician's help was able to pull himself into a sitting position.
Gaius frowned, handing Merlin a glass of water. "I was hoping you could tell me. Arthur and the knights brought you back yesterday saying you'd disappeared from the fight. They found you unconscious in the forest; you took a bad hit to the head." He waved a hand toward Merlin as if to indicate this. Raising a hand to the back of his head, Merlin could feel a small cut that had been stitched together.
"I remember running from some of the Priestesses' men," he recalled, leaving out the part about Morgana. "I dunno… I must've been attacked when I wasn't looking." And speaking of Morgana, he'd been with her, last he could remember. If he'd been attacked, what had happened to her? Did she get away? He attempted to reassure himself that she was a sorcerer, which probably meant that she could handle whatever had come their way. Then again, he couldn't help but think, so am I…
"Well, you're lucky Arthur found you before they did," Gaius observed gravely.
"Did Arthur find what he was looking for?" Merlin asked, remembering the purpose they'd had when they'd first left Camelot that morning.
"I don't know," Gaius confessed. "But he didn't seem happy last I saw him. I suggest you ask him yourself."
Merlin found Arthur, his uncle Agravaine, and a few of the knights in the audience chamber, gathered around a table over which a map was spread. They all looked up at the sound of the door.
"Merlin!" Gwaine greeted him with a smile. "Glad to see you up and about."
"How are you feeling?" Arthur asked, briskly but not unkindly.
"I'm fine," his servant answered. He was about to ask how the search had gone when Arthur went on.
"Good. I'll need you tonight if we're to make this work."
Puzzled, Merlin asked, "Make what work?"
Arthur's expression was grave when he replied, "Elyan was taken captive by the Priestesses' men yesterday." Merlin felt his eyes widen. When had that happened? "The good news is we were able to find out where they've been hiding. The bad news is that their castle is in Essetir, as we feared." Cenred's kingdom, Merlin thought with a pang. That certainly didn't make things easier. "If we take an army to storm their stronghold," Arthur explained, "Cenred will see it as an invasion and use our actions as pretext to start a war. The only way to rescue Elyan and avoid endangering Camelot is to take as few men as possible and sneak into their castle. If luck favors our side, we'll be in and out without confrontation."
Too bad luck rarely favors our side, Merlin thought bitterly. He had to admit, however, that it was a good plan despite that.
"How many men were you thinking of taking, sire?" Agravaine spoke up.
"Just two…" Arthur replied. He caught Merlin's eye and added, "…And one servant." Merlin didn't argue. Some part of him knew Arthur would need him on this trip, whether the prince himself knew why or not. "Ready our three fastest horses," Arthur said to Merlin as he rolled up the map, signaling that the meeting was adjourned. "We ride at nightfall."
-0-0-0-0-0-
Morgana was feeding the ravens when the letter came. As she pulled it carefully from the leg of the messenger bird, she noticed Agravaine's handwriting immediately. She rushed inside, knowing her sister would want to read it at once.
"Looks like we'll be entertaining royalty tonight," Morgause said with a wicked smile as she read through the letter. "Arthur Pendragon intends to infiltrate the castle to rescue his friend."
"He's coming here?" Morgana repeated, unable to keep the worry from her voice. Her sister was blinded by her hatred for Arthur and thus was dangerously unafraid of him, but Morgana knew better than to underestimate the young prince. He had bested them on numerous occasions, and after her own defeat the previous day the younger witch was not about to take light of him any time soon.
"Do not fear, sister," Morgause reassured her, noticing the waver in her voice. "He is no match for me. I will take care of him myself."
"As you wish," Morgana answered. "And me?"
"You will stay in your chambers," her sister ordered.
Morgana hesitated. "Are you sure that's wise? I could help you—"
"No one must be allowed to see you," Morgause insisted. "You will stay hidden tonight. I will not lose the greatest weapon we have." She put a hand on Morgana's shoulder and offered her a kind, protective smile – but there was a hardness in her eyes that Morgana knew she could not argue with.
"Yes, sister," she answered obediently. "I will do as you ask."
-0-0-0-0-0-
When Arthur, Gwaine and Merlin departed from Camelot that evening, it was a strangely quiet affair. No one saw them off, and nothing was said between them. It had been agreed that the fewer people knew about their journey, the better their chances of success. The Priestesses and their army always seemed to know more about Arthur's movements than they ought, and though it was rarely discussed aloud, many court members had begun to fear that there was an informant among them. Merlin only hoped that this time, they had managed to keep their plans secret.
They reached their destination with no interruption, which brought both relief and suspicion simultaneously. The Priestesses' stronghold, Merlin now discovered, was a great castle, though smaller than the one in Camelot and long-abandoned by the look of it. The grounds were in disarray, gardens overgrown, and chunks of stone wall had fallen and piled on the ground in various places. Still, there were candles in a few of the windows, meaning there had to be life inside.
As silently as they could, they crept around the outside of the castle. The entrance to the dungeons would be in the back, as on all buildings of its like. They expected it to be guarded, and were surprised when they found the way clear. They crept into the castle warily, but for all the care they took there were no sentries to avoid. In no time they'd found the castle cells, and only one was occupied.
Elyan looked up at the disturbance in the underground quiet. He opened his mouth to speak, but Arthur put a finger to his lips, silencing him. The knight rose from the stone floor, using the wall to steady himself. Merlin noticed the sword wound in his leg, cringing at the sight. It needed treatment – and soon. As Gwaine and Arthur searched for a way to break open the cell, Merlin stepped up and pretended to fiddle with the lock, using his body to block their view of his hands. Without a word, he allowed his magic to slide the lock open, and the door swung inward with a low creaking sound.
Arthur stared at Merlin and mouthed, 'How did you do that?'
Merlin shrugged and grinned, mouthing in reply, 'It was rusted.' He then entered the cell and hung Elyan's arm around his shoulders, allowing the knight to lean some of his weight on him rather than his injured leg. Arthur pointed two fingers over his shoulder and turned, leading the way back down the passage.
Could it really be this easy? Merlin dared to hope as they made their way through the dim hall. Of course, luck was a fickle thing, and no sooner did they round the last bend than an invisible force slammed into all four of them, knocking them backward off their feet. Arthur and Gwaine hit the wall behind them while Merlin and Elyan landed in a heap on the stone floor.
"If I'd known I was having guests, I might have sent you a welcoming party."
Merlin climbed to his feet and searched wildly for their attacker. Striding slowly down the corridor was a woman a bit older than he was, with long, blonde hair than hung in curls down her back. She was dressed simply, but he could sense a strong, dangerous power from her. A High Priestess… he realized with a feeling of dread.
Arthur had gotten to his feet as well and was glaring at the woman, sword already drawn. "I've never known you to be the most gracious of hosts, Morgause," he said in the same mockingly sweet tone she had adopted.
She smiled, showing off teeth as white as snow. "I suppose some things never change."
"Merlin," Arthur whispered from directly behind him. "When you see a chance, I want you to take Elyan and go. Ride for Camelot. We'll be behind you."
Merlin shot a glance over his shoulder. "No, I'm not leaving—"
"Just do as I say," the prince commanded. "We don't have to defeat her, we only have to escape her. With the right strategy we'll all walk away from this." Merlin wasn't convinced, but he had his orders. He knelt to support Elyan once more as Morgause came to a halt before them.
"I hope you're not planning to leave just yet," she said, watching them all in turn. "You've only just arrived. Why don't you stay a while? We've so much to talk about."
Arthur and Gwaine stepped slowly in front of Merlin and Elyan, as Arthur answered, "You know I prefer to let my sword to the talking." With that, both knights swung at Morgause in unison. She spun to the side and flung a spell at Arthur, while Gwaine edged around her. He caught Merlin's eye and jerked his head toward the door. Taking his chance, Merlin hefted Elyan to his feet and dashed as quickly past the fighting as the knight's injury would allow, not permitting himself to look back. I have to get Elyan to safety, he knew. Then I'll come back.
Before long, they emerged into open air, and Merlin guided the knight to the edge of the forest where they'd hidden their horses. He helped Elyan onto the saddle, then stepped back.
"Aren't you coming?" Elyan asked, looking alarmed.
Merlin shook his head. "I have to help Arthur," he answered. He smacked the horse on the side and it immediately began galloping away, taking the surprised and protesting knight with it. Resolve hardening, Merlin turned and headed back toward the entrance to the dungeons. When he almost reached the door, he chanced a glance up toward the moon and noticed a window about fifteen feet or so up the castle wall that was lit from within. It hadn't been the light that had caught his eye, however – it was the girl he saw through the glass. A face he'd only seen twice but was unlikely to forget.
Morgana.
What's she doing here? he thought frantically. Could she have been taken by the Priestesses' men after they'd been attacked in the forest? If so, why wasn't she in the dungeon with Elyan? Was it because she wasn't from Camelot? Or was there something else she was doing there?
Regardless of the reason, he couldn't leave her. It was dangerous here, even for someone like her. She had left the window, but the light remained, so she couldn't have gotten far. He picked up a small, rounded stone from the ground and used his magic to guide it carefully to the window. He tapped it against the glass three times, hard enough to make a sound but soft enough that it wouldn't break, then waited. In seconds she was there, pushing open the window and carefully poking her head outside.
"Morgana!" he called in a voice just above a whisper.
Her eyes finally found him, and they grew in surprise. "Merlin? What are you doing here?" Her voice was urgent, almost afraid.
"Rescue mission," he answered. "What about you?"
She stepped out onto the tiny balcony outside the window and leaned over the edge. "I… I can't explain right now, but I promise you don't have to worry. I'm perfectly safe."
"Do you know what this place is?" Merlin demanded. "I'm not leaving you here." Glancing around, he noticed the ground was littered with broken timber from long-fallen trees. Reaching for his magic, he muttered a spell that caused some of the sturdier pieces to climb to the air and attach themselves to the castle wall, forming a sort of crude ladder between Morgana's balcony and the ground where he stood. "Come on, let's go!"
Morgana was eyeing the makeshift ladder nervously. "No, Merlin, I told you, I don't need rescued—"
"If you don't come down here, I'm coming up there," he warned her seriously. He wasn't sure why she was arguing with him. He supposed she was probably just afraid of being caught.
She let out an exasperated sigh before swinging herself over the balcony and onto the ladder. In no time at all she was standing safe on the ground, glaring at Merlin with her hands on her hips.
"Why is it that every time I see you, you're in some kind of trouble?" he asked her wearily. "Why are you even here? Did they take you prisoner after yesterday?"
"No!" she responded, looking as though there was something she wanted to say but couldn't get out. "No, it's not that…"
"What, then?" he prodded her. "You can tell me what's going on. You know I'm good at keeping secrets."
Morgana bit her lip, searching his eyes. He stared back at her, trying to read the expression on her face. Finally she sighed. "I can't. But I swear, it's not what you think. Now please, just go before someone sees you."
"I already told you, I'm not leaving you."
"Why are you so worried for me?"
Merlin hesitated, thinking through his answer before he gave it. "I don't know," he admitted truthfully. "Ever since I met you, for some reason I just can't stop thinking about you – worrying about you." He looked her in the eyes and said, "I can't just leave knowing there was something I could do to help."
She seemed hesitant as well, before whispering, "If they find you, they'll kill you. I don't want that to happen."
"Then come with me and it won't," he replied. "Let's go, we haven't got much time." He took her arm and turned away from her, prepared to lead her forcibly toward the horses.
"No, Merlin—" After only two steps, she dug her heels into the ground and yanked on his arm. Surprised, Merlin stumbled back and spun around, allowing Morgana to pull his body against hers and cover his mouth with her own.
He hadn't even time to respond before she pulled away, though her face remained only a breath away from his. He realized that his heart was beating at an alarming speed as he studied the emotion in her pale green eyes and the light flush on her skin. "Please," she whispered. "I promise you I'm in no danger here. I'll be safe. I need you to trust me."
"I do trust you," he answered without needing to think on it. She smiled, slowly tilting her chin upward until their lips joined again. This time the kiss was longer, less tentative. Merlin felt as though the world had stopped around him, and that for just a short time he could forget about everything but the girl in his arms.
He was shaken back to reality, however, when the sound of a sword striking stone reached his ears. Reluctantly, he turned away from Morgana and shot a worried glance over his shoulder toward the door to the dungeons just in time to see Arthur and Gwaine emerge at a run. They sprinted for the horses. Guess they didn't need me after all, Merlin couldn't help but think.
"Go," Morgana urged him, gently pushing him away from her. "Please."
He stared into her eyes and promised, "I'm coming back for you." He wasn't sure how or when that would happen, but he knew it had to. She offered him a small smile before stepping back toward the makeshift ladder that still clung to the castle wall. And with that, Merlin turned on his heels and raced after his friends.
Arthur and Gwaine were mounted up and about to speed off when Gwaine caught sight of Merlin. He called for Arthur to stop.
"What are you still doing here?" Arthur demanded incredulously. "Where's Elyan?"
"I sent him back," Merlin answered, out of breath. "I was gonna come back and find you, but… I got lost." It was a lie he used time and time again, and a lie that Arthur always continued to believe.
"Honestly, Merlin, I don't know how you find your way to your bed every night with your sense of direction." Arthur shook his head. "Well, we're in a bit of a hurry, if you hadn't noticed. You can ride back with Gwaine." Without another word, Arthur sped off into the woods, and as soon as Gwaine had pulled Merlin up onto his horse behind him, they followed.
-0-0-0-0-0-
Morgana was sure she had never had so many thoughts racing through her brain at one time. One was of her sister. She had seen Arthur and the other knight escape moments ago – did that mean they'd gotten past Morgause? Was her sister alright? She wouldn't have simply let them pass, something must have happened. And that was precisely why Morgana was hurrying down the corridor away from her chambers – she had to find her sister and discover what had happened.
Many of her thoughts, however, had nothing to do with her sister's possible peril at all, and rather were focused on the servant boy she'd just left. Why did I do that? she wondered in awe, her mind's eye replaying the scene of herself kissing Merlin and still surprising even her. What was I thinking? He works for Arthur! And I don't even know him! But the truth of the matter was, though they'd only met three times, she felt as though she did know him. In those few short meetings, he had shown her so much about himself – and she had never met anyone like him before. The more she pondered it, the more she realized that the kiss hadn't been a simple ploy to convince him to leave her. She had wanted it. She still did. But what did that mean for him and her, when this war stood like an impenetrable wall between them? She knew one thing for certain – her sister could never find out.
When Morgana reached the throne room, she stopped. Her sister was seated on the high seat, a look of smoldering fury on her face. An old woman (Morgana recognized her as one of her sister's servants, though she did not know her name) stood at Morgause's left side, tending a wound on her back. "Sister, what happened?" Morgana asked urgently. "Are you alright?"
"That worm of a prince is as slippery as ever," her sister hissed. "There were only two of them. I made the mistake of lowering my guard. I don't know how they escaped, but they did." Morgana could see that it angered her sister to have failed like this. Morgause resented all weakness, but especially her own. "Perhaps I should have let you assist me after all."
Morgana didn't respond, only watched her sister with sad eyes.
Morgause continued, "Well, at least they didn't see you." When Morgana still didn't answer, Morgause eyed her sharply. "They didn't see you, did they?"
"No, of course not," she answered at once. If by 'they' she means Arthur, then it isn't in fact a lie…
"Good. Then we still hold that advantage." She was silent for a moment, until the woman finished her work and stepped away from the Priestesses. "Soon, Uther will fall, sister," Morgause spoke in a low, dangerous voice. "And when that day comes, Camelot will kneel to us." She offered what she thought must have been a reassuring smile, but for some reason it filled Morgana with a strange sense of foreboding. What if we can't win? she wanted to ask. What if Arthur is too strong? What if the day we march, we march to our deaths? And a thought that scared her more than the others, What if I don't want this war anymore?
Instead, she put on her most convincing smile, and answered, "I look forward to it."
-0-0-0-0-0-
Merlin typically tried his best not to allow his mind to wander during court sessions, but the next day while Arthur questioned the man who had attempted to follow them back to Camelot after their infiltration of the High Priestesses' castle (as it turned out, the man hadn't been the most skilled of trackers; they had caught him before they'd covered half the distance, though they'd learned nothing other than the fact that he worked for the Priestesses), the servant was having an especially difficult time of maintaining his focus. Instead, he was silently busy devising a plan to return to the castle and free Morgana. He would have to go alone, and no one could know. He wished he could get a message to her somehow, but he suspected that the woman they'd met – Morgause, Arthur had called her – would have undoubtedly increased her defenses thanks to their escape, rendering that possibility likely out of the question. But after what had happened there was no chance he was going to leave Morgana there in danger.
"I'll ask you once more," Arthur was saying in a stern voice when Merlin returned his attention to the present. "Did they send you after us or were you simply stupid enough to try and follow us on your own?"
"And I'll tell you once more," the man who'd been addressed replied almost scathingly, "I owe you no explanation, Arthur Pendragon." He stepped toward Arthur with a hard glare in his eyes, and the guards on either side of him grabbed his arms and held him in place. He didn't seem to care. "I answer only to the Lady Morgause and the Lady Morgana. You'll get nothing from me."
Suddenly, Merlin felt as though he'd been punched in the stomach. He… answers to… Morgana? What did that mean? How could that be possible? There's no way…
His alarm must have shown briefly on his face, because Gaius discreetly nudged his arm and whispered, "Is something wrong?" Merlin shook his head a little too quickly and offered a forced half-smile in reply.
"I suppose not," Arthur answered the man in the center of the room, having clearly thought nothing of the names he'd spoken. "Take him to the cells," he ordered the guards. "We'll check in on him again in a few days, see if he's feeling up to sharing." With that, the court was dismissed.
When they returned to Gaius's chambers, the old physician wasted no time in turning on his apprentice. "Are you going to tell me what's going on in that head of yours?" he asked seriously. "You still look as though you've seen a ghost."
Merlin hesitated, wondering if he could use this opportunity to get some more information. "He said… 'Morgause and Morgana'. Who are they?"
Gaius frowned, striding carefully over toward the table and sitting down. "Morgause and Morgana are the last two High Priestesses," he answered, and Merlin felt his heart plummet as he tried not to react too obviously. She's a High Priestess… "They are sisters of noble birth, their father Gorlois having once been a close friend of Uther's. But after his death they were taken in by the High Priestesses and trained in the black arts. They swore vengeance on Uther and his family at a very young age, and it would seem things have only gotten worse."
"We met Morgause last night," Merlin said conversationally, though his voice was slightly faint.
"Yes," Gaius mused. "She has made contact with Uther and his men many times in the past. It's believed that she acts as their authority. I must admit, not much is known about her sister Morgana. Morgause must be keeping her identity a secret, for some purpose unknown to us."
She hasn't done as well as she planned with that, Merlin thought almost bitterly.
"This doesn't seem to be what's troubling you," Gaius said knowingly, giving his apprentice a concerned look.
Merlin sat down heavily across from the physician, rubbing his forehead. "I don't know if I can say…" he replied. He had promised Morgana his secrecy, but did finding out who she was change that?
"You're not sure you can trust me," Gaius guessed after a moment of silence.
"No, Gaius, you know I trust you more than anyone," Merlin argued. He bit his lip in hesitation, and Gaius looked at him expectantly. If there was anyone Merlin could talk to, he knew, it was his guardian. Resigning himself, he took a deep breath and said, "It's Morgana. I… I met her."
"Last night at their castle?" Gaius asked with a frown.
"Yes, but that wasn't the first time," Merlin admitted.
The old physician narrowed his eyes in wonder. "What do you mean?" Slowly and carefully, Merlin told Gaius as much as he could remember about his meetings with Morgana, stressing that she never seemed to mean him any harm and that he had felt he could trust her, and all the while the old man's frown continued to deepen. When he told of their discussion the previous night – and what had happened between them – Gaius closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. His story finished, Merlin fell silent, waiting to hear what his guardian would say.
When Gaius opened his eyes, his expression was grave. "You do realize the dangerous game you're playing, Merlin," he warned carefully. "Morgana is a High Priestess, a sworn enemy of Camelot."
"But that doesn't make her evil," Merlin countered before thinking. "She was brought up to hate Camelot, she wasn't given a choice."
"The Priestesses have powerful magic, and they use it for evil purposes. You could be playing right into her hands."
"You don't know that," Merlin replied. "You didn't see her last night, she… She made me go so I wouldn't get caught." He could see her expression clearly in his mind, and he couldn't believe that she'd been hiding an evil intent behind her pleading eyes. But as true as that was, he could not deny the validity of Gaius's words. Morgana had lied to him about her identity – what else might she have lied about?
Gaius sighed, rubbing his temples in a tired manner. "There's just no arguing with you, is there? I suppose all I can do is advise you to stay away from her from now on. And to make sure Arthur never finds out about this."
"You won't say anything, right Gaius?"
"You don't have to worry, Merlin," the old man said with a sigh. "I may not always agree with your choices, but you can always trust me with your secrets."
-0-0-0-0-0-
Morgana was mildly surprised when her sister had decided to send her to retrieve some supplies the day following Arthur's infiltration, given the increased importance that had been placed in her anonymity. But Morgause needed certain materials to ensure that the wound on her back healed as quickly as possible, and as she had made clear, she trusted no one as much as Morgana to acquire the correct wares.
She was grateful for the opportunity to get out of the castle for a while, regardless. She needed some time to think, and though she loved her sister more than anything she found it difficult to think freely while under her watch. It wasn't as though she was afraid of her sister – she knew Morgause would never do anything to harm her. But Morgause's hatred for the Kings of Camelot was so great that she refused to entertain any thought or discussion to the contrary, which was why Morgana had been forced to start keeping secrets from her.
All her life, Morgana had been told that the Kings of Camelot and those who served them were the enemy – heartless and evil, blinded by their hatred for magic and all who practiced it. She had never questioned this, what with the history she knew of the oppression of sorcerers. She had come to believe that everyone from Camelot – magic user or no – meant nothing but harm for her and her kind. But now because of Merlin, she had begun to question this belief. He was a sorcerer, yes, but also a follower of Uther's and a friend of Arthur's. He had truly wanted to help her, though he hadn't known who she was. She found herself wondering if he would have treated her differently had he known she was a High Priestess, but found she couldn't begin to guess. As it turned out, she didn't know the people of Camelot as well as her sister had led her to believe.
As she walked down the village road having just left the shop, lost in thought, suddenly she felt a grip on her arm as someone pulled her into the shadowed space between two buildings. She spun around, ready to release her magic, but stopped short when she saw who had grabbed her.
"Merlin?" she said in a hushed voice. She almost laughed, feeling as though she really should have stopped being surprised to see him by now. "How did you find me here?"
"You don't remember?" he asked flatly. "This is where we first met." It was then that she noticed he wasn't smiling.
"I told you last night," she whispered, his stony expression making her strangely uneasy. "I don't need—"
"I know who you are."
Morgana froze, her mind going completely blank. She supposed he had to find out sooner or later, and she can't say she was surprised that he didn't seem to take it well. It would have been selfish to think otherwise, she told herself. Still, she could not deny that part of her was disappointed in the way he looked at her.
"So you've told Arthur, have you?" she said, more coldly than she'd meant to. She glanced over her shoulder toward the road. "Is this some kind of a trap?"
Merlin shook his head and leaned his back against the wall of the alleyway, turning away from her. "Of course I haven't told Arthur," he argued off-handedly, stating it as though it were obvious fact.
He... didn't say anything? she thought in wonder. "Why not?" Morgana asked carefully, trying not to allow herself undue hope. He's probably just here to tell me we're even for my allowing him to escape last night. "I'm your enemy," she pointed out, now that the war was on the table. "You had no reason to lie for me."
"The High Priestesses are the enemies of Camelot…" he said, sounding as though he was struggling with what he was saying. "…But you're not my enemy." He looked her in the eyes and she felt her heart leap at his words, "I don't think I want you to be."
Morgana was silent, her mind racing. If he was saying what she thought he was saying, then her tiny stretch of hope that who she was wouldn't matter to him may have actually proven true. Maybe he was angry with her, maybe he felt resentment toward her lies, but maybe he could forgive her and maybe – just maybe – he was willing to see her again. It struck her as odd when she realized how much she wanted that to be true. But then again, she had been raised into a sheltered existence – maybe she hadn't realized how much she craved to make her own decisions.
"Can you answer me one question?" Merlin's voice interrupted her thoughts. There was a sort of uncertain intensity in his eyes, and she tried to brace herself for whatever he meant to ask. She inclined her head and willed him to go on. He shifted so his shoulder was against the wall and asked slowly, "Did you mean it… when you kissed me last night?"
"Yes." The word was on her lips before she could even consider her answer. "I did." Morgana knew she should explain, but instead she locked her eyes with his and tried to let them convey her thoughts and emotions for her. She studied his expression, waiting for some sign of what he was thinking.
After a long moment, he let his gaze fall and lowered his head, stepping away from the wall. "So what do we do?"
When his eyes met hers again, she finally saw it. There was a faint tenderness behind the uncertainty, a desire behind the restraint. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him. But like her, he was struggling with the weight of the war that hovered over them like a dark cloud threatening to storm. Just as she would be risking her relationship with her sister, he would be risking his with Arthur. She knew that her answer to his question would tell him if she understood the full consequences of whatever their actions may be.
Morgana offered a small smile and stepped slowly, carefully toward Merlin. "I can think of one thing," she answered cryptically. She placed her hands on his neck and when he didn't pull away, she drew herself up and gently pressed her lips to his, glad when this time he responded immediately. He hung his arms around her waist and moved his mouth against hers as she relaxed her muscles and leaned into him, allowing all her worries and fears to crowd into a dark corner in the back of her mind. She focused all of her senses on him – his touch, his taste, his smell, the warmth of his body against hers and the electricity that seemed to spark between them. For one small, simple moment in time, it was all that mattered.
When they separated, he whispered in a voice short of breath, "Anything else you haven't told me that I should know about?"
She considered this, noticing the warm flush that had crept up her neck and cheeks. She settled for answering, "I was the one who knocked you out in the forest the other day."
Finally, he smiled, a light laugh escaping his lips. It made her smile to hear it. He stepped around her and gently pushed her back against the alley wall, leaning over her with a heated mirth in his eyes. "I knew it," he said, before once more closing the small distance of breath between them.
I know Romeo and Juliet get married in Act 2, but I'm obviously not going to be doing the same. I don't want this to be super rushed like the play, I want it to be a tad more realistic, yanno?
See ya soon!
-oMM
