Thanks to DarkAngel2112, who lets me spoil almost all my stuff by asking for help with plots, I finally know how to get everything going!
I got a lot of guesses as to what is going on—including "Arthur found out about Merlin's magic", "Merlin scared away a really cool deer", "did he destroy Arthur's shirt again?", etc. I'll get around to telling you… eventually. To answer some other questions: This is set during Season 3. There will be no slash. This will not be a death!fic (I'm infamous for doing that, so I thought I should tell you). This will not be a torture/whump/nastiness fic. It will not be a fluffy bunny/rainbow/unicorn/biting satire fic either, but just for you, PPitP, I will see how many of those I can throw in there. This will probably have chapters that vary greatly in length. Thanks for the great response, and now onto the story!
Oh, um… This isn't meant to be femslash. It's just…Morgause is a creeper. What can I say?
Chapter One
Another plot. Morgana had known Morgause for more than a year now, and she knew that the only time the blonde was really happy was when she was plotting. Since most of those plots worked towards the demise of Morgana's enemies and the taking over of Camelot, the brunette sister didn't mind at all.
This time, they were going to kill Arthur. Well, recently, all they'd been doing was trying to kill Arthur, so naturally that was this plan too… But this time it was going to work!
"Sister," whispered Morgause, beaming with the joy of planning another's downfall, "has Arthur been sent on his quest yet?"
"No, he leaves in the morning," responded Morgana, feeling the inevitable smirk twist her ruby red lips. "Uther ordered him to take some knights and go the minute he heard about the 'bandits' hiding in the forest."
Morgause held her sister's hands in her own as she asked excitedly, "Who all does he take with him?"
Casting her mind back, Morgana glanced around the darkened back hallway and thought. "Merlin, of course. Sir Andrew, Sir Christopher, Sir Daniel, several guards… I think that's it."
Morgause was faintly surprised. "The number of so-called bandits was greatly miscalculated then."
"Apparently," responded Morgana, chuckling darkly.
"Have you asked Uther about our own quest, my sister?" Morgana liked the way Morgause pronounced 'Uther'; as though it was some poison that she was trying to spit out of her mouth. Uther's ward wished she had the freedom to say it that way.
"Not yet," she told her sister. "In the morning I will ask, and leave tomorrow."
"Wise, sister." Morgause touched her sister's face, and Morgana resisted the urge to push it away. She knew her sister was just worried about her, but that was ridiculous—besides, she was making Morgana nervous. "You should get some sleep if you will be traveling tomorrow."
"Yes, Morgause, I will." Morgana wrapped her bright red cloak around herself and smiled at her sister, who really acted like a mother hen sometimes. "The mercenaries await my orders?"
"And your money," added Morgause.
"I won't forget."
"There is nothing to worry about."
Morgause was more worried than Morgana, but the ward decided not to point that out. "Of course not," she said instead. "Once Arthur is away from Camelot, killing him will be too easy!"
Morgause smiled. Morgana smirked. And so another plan was set into motion.
Morgana turned with one last confiding smile and walked down the hall, her heels clicking sharply against the stone floor, like the sound of cracking ice.
\-_-BREAK-_-/
"Merlin, why are you still hanging around?"
Merlin sighed at his master, Prince Arthur Pendragon of Camelot… the biggest prat ever to don chainmail. He wasn't too great at listening, either.
"Because, Sire, I've been trying to tell you something for about ten minutes now."
Arthur turned around. "Did you finish my packing?"
"Yes, I did."
"Then what's the problem?"
"If you'd listen for a second, then I'd tell you!" snapped Merlin, causing Arthur to raise his eyebrows until they nearly touched his feathery golden hair.
The prince stopped and leaned against his bed post, the condescending expression that Merlin had grown to know and love (more or less) taking over his face. "I'm waiting, Merlin."
"Arthur, I know the reports said that there weren't many bandits…"
"Yes, that's what they said. Should I applaud?"
Merlin's withering glare was a little too amused to be effective. "But did you ever stop to consider you might take a few more men than you plan to?"
"Why? Merlin, Camelot can't spare that many… Besides, we are the best fighters Camelot has –"
"Then I fear for Camelot," Merlin grumbled, and if he'd had any idea who he was echoing, he'd have shut his mouth quickly.
"So we are more than capable of taking a few bandits." Arthur turned around again.
"But Arthur," protested Merlin, coming around to the other side of the bed so he was still facing the prince. "If there are so few of them, how are they causing such a big problem? Maybe the reports were mistaken…"
Arthur let out an explosive, exasperated breath. "Why do you care?"
Merlin was a little offended by the way he said that. "I… I just don't want you to get killed, Arthur."
"Your concern is touching, Merlin, I assure you," scoffed the prince, shaking his head.
"And I don't really want to die either," added Merlin as an afterthought, cocking his head to the side in that way that only Merlin can.
Arthur smiled patronizingly. "I promise you I won't die, Merlin, and if you don't do something stupid, I promise you won't die either."
Merlin sagged. That was comforting.
"This is going to turn into one of those conversations where I keep trying to convince you that I'm right, but you ignore every intelligent word I say, isn't it?"
Arthur looked surprised. "Your words are intelligent sometimes?"
Merlin groaned and left, muttering about the worst job in the history of bad jobs, deciding that as the next few days were probably going to be full of action that could've been avoided if Arthur took good advice, he might as well be well rested for the trip. Sometimes he wondered why he couldn't just quit.
Behind him, Arthur smiled fondly to himself. That Merlin. There was no one quite like him.
A/N: I know the number of reviews usually drops after the first chapter, but please, please review!