"Father…"

Uther is pacing the great hall, his hands on his hips. He can sense the fear in his father. He knows what happened two weeks was a shock and game changer for both sides of the battle. They did not realize that Prince Merlin, the Great Sorcerer Emrys, was capable of that kind of power. They had heard rumors, but never had they seen it displayed in such a way. The man became a storm so quickly, and like a storm, his lightning was only the beginning of his destruction. The Magi's king may have fallen, but Camelot quickly came to realize that he was the least of their problems. With Merlin on the throne, there is no telling what ruthless acts he could inflict on those of Camelot.

"Father…"

The king stops, it is as if he just realized Arthur was in the room, the haunted look in his eye causes him to sit.

"Father, please talk to me. I know you are upset about what happened but we must talk. It has been two weeks, and you have barely uttered three syllables to me or anyone else. I know you are frightened by Merlin's power, but we must put our fears aside and think of a way to beat him. We cannot let the Magi win."

Uther's head is in his hand, his voice comes out in a whisper.

"There is only one way, arrangements have already been made."

Arthur gazes at his father, for a moment the young prince notices the amount of gray adorning the old king's crown, the wrinkles around his eyes, the heavy slump in his shoulders. He realizes his king has acted without his council, for some reason he did not trust him here. A befuddled expression expands upon his handsome features. He walks up to his father and removes his hands from his face. He needs The King to face whatever he has done.

"What do you mean arrangements have been made?"

"Prince, King Merlin will be here midday. He sent a raven to negotiate peace talks. I fear he will want half of Camelot, and I don't know any way to undermine his demands. His power Arthur, it is like nothing I have ever seen. It is the reason I started the purge…I am now at his mercy. How did this happen?"

The King slams his fist on the table, an ominous thud echoes in the rafters. Arthur looks at the fury inside of his father, his hand shaking where it made contact with the black wood. He knows the man does not want to give up his kingdom. Despite what many believe Uther Pendragon loves his people and only does what is necessary to protect them. This purge was a means to save those in Camelot, not destroy them. He looks at his father in pity. The king has taken on the responsibility of destroying a whole race of people, and now their pushing back, and winning.

"Father, do not worry about situations we do not have the answers to yet. King Merlin will be here in less than two hours, for your own reasons you did not tell me. I should be cross, but right now you need my support as your son and prince. I will go and make sure the hall is ready to receive him and have the cooks prepare a feast."

Uther looks on at his son. A small smile comes to The King's lips.

"Thank you Arthur, once again you prove to be a strong righteous prince."

Arthur sends his father a look of understanding and quickly exits the room. His steps feel heavy. His spine feels tight, he knows today will not end well.

"Morgana!"

Arthur is banging on the wards door. He feels as if he is there for ages before he hears the click of her locks. The entrance slowly opens and reveals her maidservant Guinevere, a look of slight panic adorns the poor girls face.

"Guinevere, where is Morgana, I need to speak with her urgently."

The maid rings her hands, but does not let him in.

"Sire…my lady is…busy at the moment."

Arthur growls at her, he does not have time for this childishness. He roughly pushes the door open, sending poor Gwen backwards onto the floor and storms over to Morgana's bed. He knew it, he bloody knew it. There was his knight wrapped around the ward, again. He smacks Lancelot on the back. The man yelps but removes himself from the princess.

"Arthur! Don't you know better than to barge into a lady's chambers?" Morgana screams at him.

"Morgana, I do not have time to dictate to you the etiquette of your relationship with my knight. Furthermore, I will not remind you that Lancelot was only allowed to be a knight because of his unparalleled bravery on the field or that he holds no title or noble blood. Finally, I will not say that you know if my father ever found out about this he would banish my knight, or worse behead him."

Morgana opens her mouth to protest, Arthur holds a hand up for her to be quiet.

"I have said nothing in reference to your relationship so let me speak. I will not scold you for we have bigger problems today. The King of Magi is coming in less than two hours. Father did not think it fit to tell anyone, do not ask me why. I do not know why he kept this to himself. I need you to prepare the main hall while I get a feast together. He wishes to talk of peace with the magical realm, I need you today Morgana, please."

A sheepish look overtakes her features and she feels wrenched. She looks over at Lancelot, and he shares her sentiments. Her love is honorable above all else. Arthur needs them right now, they cannot let their passion for one another blind them from helping the prince, he is like a brother to her.

"Alright Arthur, I will prepare the hall. Why don't you have Lancelot prepare the knights? Guinevere, we must go quickly and work fast."

Arthur nods in agreement. As she exits Lancelot goes to open his mouth in apology but Arthur stops him with a hand. The prince advances him slowly.

"Lancelot, I know of your desires to be Earl, but in light of what is happening I do not know if that is even possible. I do not know anything at this point. All I know is that Morgana is of the highest birth, she will be marrying no less than a lord. I advise you to keep that in mind when your hormones take over the both of you."

The prince's knight looks down, dejected. He does not want to disgrace Lady Morgana, he wants to be a noble, he wants to marry her. Arthur puts a reassuring hand on his knight's shoulder.

"I know you love her, my friend, I know. She is quite beautiful, and very passionate. Just remember who and what we all are, we have stations to uphold."

"Yes, sire."

They exit quickly, today will be trying indeed.

"Your majesty, may I present to you, High King Merlin, and his mother, High Queen Hunith, of The House of Alwin and leaders of the Kingdom of Magi!"

Uther, Arthur, and Morgana brace themselves in the great hall. The ward looks on in awe at the sight of the King. He is not what she expected. After the rumors of his power on the battlefield spread to her chambers, she pictured a brute of a man, one made of hard muscle, large and frightening, possibly battle scars on his eyes. The man here we lean, agile, his face was sharp, his hair the color of midnight. His armor was red and black, a magnificent ruby tree adorning his cape. The crown sat securely on his head, made of the finest golds, adorn with sapphires, rubies, diamonds, and emeralds, putting even the jewelry in Camelot to shame. He did look intimidating.

"King Merlin."

Uther steps down first to greet the young king. Their hands connect but there is not a smile at alights the Great Emrys's face. His sapphire eyes only darken, his irises flashing gold for a second. He wants Uther to be on edge, to remember his attack, to be reminded of it every second of this meeting. He will show the king that he is in control of these negotiations, even if they did not take place in his own kingdom. Uther will know his power.

The feast is lavish to say the least. Peace talks, from what Merlin is told, can wait until tomorrow. The war will hold on for one more day. He looks on in disdain. He wishes this to be over quickly. His demands will be simple, but Uther will not like them. He knows the actual talks will be painful on both ends. He sips his wine, and looks to his mother. A small smile adorns the woman's face as she softly enjoys the jesters and music. He sends her a soft look and puts out his hand.

"Mother, may I have the honor of the next dance?"

The woman smiles warmly, what a chivalrous man her son always is.

"I would love to my son."

He nods to the king and prince as he leads his mother out to the floor. Arthur looks on. He eyes Merlin in bewilderment. He is surprised by the actions of The King of Magi. He expected him to be more cross and short after his earlier display in the great hall. Since that moment, however, he has been nothing but pleasant, not overly talkative, but kind whenever addressed. He does not know what to make of this man, he is a complete mystery.

He looks to his left for a moment, and almost groans. He holds back in fear of his father. Lancelot has asked Morgana to dance, and she foolishly accepted. It is inappropriate, but that never stopped her in the past. His eyes look away in scorn, he wants Lancelot to have the title he deserves, the woman he loves, but he does not have that power, and he knows his father will never allow them to marry, not in light of what is going on with Magi. He just wishes they wouldn't torture themselves so.

Merlin returns with his mother after two songs and they sit in soft silence with the nobles. Uther looks at Hunith, for a minute he is reminded of his wife, a nostalgic feeling washing over him. He peers at Merlin. The man clearly is quite fond of his mother. The king stands. He holds his hand out and acts as chivalrous as possible, and hopes, prays, that this might get the sorcerer on his good side.

"High Queen Hunith, would you honor me with a dance?"

The King of the Magi eyes Uther. His mother turns to him. A soft hand coming on his arm, a smile slowly makes it way to her lips. A moment passes before she turns to Uther.

"I would love to."

As she gets up to leave, Merlin has a soft fear in his heart. He does not wish for Uther to be too close to his mother. His gaze pierces them as they walk away. He refocuses, willing bad thoughts away. He sips his wine as he allows his irises to lazily look over the room, his stare falling on the Lady Morgana dancing with a knight. She seems so carefree and happy, her elegant moves and regal air make her very alluring. He understands why she is called the greatest beauty in all of Albion. He shamefully looks away. It is not just his life he will be ruining with these negotiations. She moves to sit after her dance, he takes a breath. He looks at his wine in contemplation. With reservation he gets up and moves to stand next to Morgana, his hand outstretched.

"May I have this dance Milady?"

The poor girl looks over startled. She gapes at him for a moment moderately alarmed at the attention. She looks to Arthur who sends her a worried expression. This was a turn of events he did not foresee. Arthur looks to the dance floor, making eye contact with Uther. The king sees the exchange and nods in approval. Arthur nods towards Morgana. Her brow scrunches in fear. She has heard wicked rumors about this man. When she looks up, however, The King in question looks mysteriously nervous and seems to be looking at her shoulder instead of her eyes. She smiles at him as her fingers softly touch his palm. She is a proper lady.

"I would love to sire."

He leads her out to the dance floor. As he looks at her, she feels very exposed. His eyes are so innocent, so young. The feeling of liaison takes over her. She moves sensually with him, her body gliding about the dance floor. She notices him admiring her, she smiles at the attention. She watches him when it is his turn. He has fine grace for a man who is so feared. A small smile is on his face as he moves around her. They come together in the middle, and her eyes widen when their palms touch. A warm impression runs down her arm at the contact and her eyes light up. This sensation is different than what she has felt in the past, it is new, it is enigmatic. As they move in a circle she could swear she saw small turquoise sparks fly from their palms. The feeling ends when he moves and is not touching her. She stares at him, her emerald eyes searching his sapphire irises. She opens her mouth but there is suddenly clapping she looks around in surprise. When she looks back to him she feels like she is in a meadow surrounded by the softest flowers, and the aroma is consuming her soul. She takes a deep breath, willing the feeling away. He bows to her from his side, she curtsies in response. He holds out his hand and the warm feeling envelops her again. He brings her to her chair.

"Thank you for the dance Milady."

Her jade eyes glow for a moment.

"The pleasure is all mine your majesty."

He moves away from her to the other side of the room, he seems to be talking to one of his knights.

"So how did it go?"

Uther and Arthur are whispering to her from either side. She gapes at them, slightly confused.

"It went well, he is a fine dancer."

The men collectively sigh. She makes a face at their odd behavior.

"Good, you are the only one, besides his mother, he has danced with tonight. I was a bit nervous." Uther states while laughing into his mug of wine.

She rolls her eyes, and looks to her left. Lancelot is standing with the other knights, she secretly swoons at how handsome the man is and how he is all hers. Soon enough, she will be all his. A wary look comes to her face as she turns to her right, Merlin is standing there with his knight, the man is very animated when he speaks, while his king stands there with the grace of nobility. She does not know why or how long she stares at him, but the spell only lasts a moment, and then his sharp azure eyes connect with hers, and once again she is lost in sensation.

They are sitting at the great table, all parties feeling tense. All men are steeled for battle. The only ones permitted in the room during negotiations were King Uther, Prince Arthur, King Merlin, and Merlin's High Advisor, Sir Gwaine. They were at a faceoff, not a single man has spoken for the last thirty minutes, the silence driving all parties mad. Especially Gwaine, the man loves to hear himself talk. The knight looks from his king to the king of Camelot, this is getting ridiculous. He leans over to Merlin.

"Sire, are we going to start the negotiations in this decade?"

Merlin's sharp gaze goes over to Gwaine. Must he always act like this? The King takes a deep breath, his eyes flash gold, Uther and Arthur tense.

"You're right Gwaine, we should start."

Uther takes a breath. A piece of paper is laid out for them to start.

"Alright King Merlin, what is it you desire from Camelot to end this awful war."

Merlin feels as if his spinal cord has locked behind him, an invisible string pulling him up higher, his chin coming into the air. I want my father back…Gwaine speaks for Merlin.

"We want Camelot to pull back from Magi."

"Yes of course."

"We want you the lands under the House of Orrick."

Uther's shoulders square. He is ready for this fight.

"There is five thousand acres under the house of Orrick, a quarry, and good hunting lands, and quality timber. I cannot give it all to you."

"You can and you will. Orrick can keep his title and his lands but he will be serving under The House of Alwin. You will not be permitted to enter or interfere with him."

Uther looks ready to fight but Arthur sends him a look. Unspoken words pass from father to son. Maybe this is all they want…Arthur hopes. Uther sees the faith in his boy's eyes. He relents, but in his heart knows this is not the end.

"I will inform Lord Orrick in the morning. Next?"

"We want one thousand pounds." Gwaine states simply.

"One thousand pounds? That's outlandish! You've already taken Orrick's lands! We will give you two hundred no more."

"Five hundred." Gwaine counters.

"Three hundred."

"Five hundred." Merlin says in a low growl.

The great sorcerer demands to be in control. Uther shakes a little, but his head is still high.

"Fine, five hundred pounds. Anything else?"

Merlin takes a deep breath. This last demand will be met with hostility and anger. It is the only demand, however, that matters.

"Yes, I will wed the Lady Morgana." Merlin says.

Uther and Arthur both stare at Merlin. Gwaine looks on with a resolute expression, he knew this was coming. Uther grips the table. No amount of preparation has prepared him for the words to fall from Merlin's lips. Arthur looks ready to turn over the table.

"Never." The young prince seethes.

"King Merlin, we cannot possibly allow this. What will we gain from sending Morgana off to Magi?"

Uther is surprisingly calm when he speaks. He knows the answer. He just wants to hear this young King say it. He curses inwardly. He did not believe this Merlin was that equipped in politics. I would do the same if I were him…Uther thinks to himself. Arthur looks to his father, surprised at his level of tranquility in this moment. A light goes off in the prince's head.

"Nothing, but I gain everything. You will not attack Magi with The Lady Morgana's life in the balance."

Arthur can't handle the calm in the man's voice. He stands up and screams.

"She is not a piece of linens you buy in the market! She is a woman! She has feelings!"

Merlin looks at ease under Arthur's rage, he expected this. Gwaine's eyes are sharp as he looks at the king, he finally speaks up.

"If you do not agree we will invade Camelot. This is our final term. You do not accept we will continue with the war as planned."

Merlin's eyes go gold again. Arthur holds his head high but does finally sit. He looks at his father with pleading eyes. He does not wish this to happen to Morgana. He knows of her love for Lancelot, she will be crushed. Uther takes a breath, he is much more familiar with nobility than Arthur, and his heart has already steeled itself to this demand a long time ago.

"We accept."

"Father!"

"It is done Arthur. Sit down." The King says through gritted teeth.

The parchment is finished quickly, the wax falls, both kings press their rings into the steam, and the fate of the Lady Morgana is finalized. Merlin looks at the king, his hand coming out to finally shake Uther's.

"We ride out in two days time, have Lady Morgana prepared by then."

"Of course. Shall I send her maid with her?"

Merlin hesitates, the less Camelot citizens he has in Magi the better, but he already feels bad enough for causing the lady heartbreak.

"If her maid wishes to come she is welcomed, but I am not in favor of it."

Uther nods and all four men exiting the room, not a single look of happiness can be seen.

"You knew this would happen!" Arthur yells at Uther once they are alone.

"I suspected yes."

The young prince pulls his hair and paces the room.

"That is why you said nothing. You knew he would come for Morgana. You were just delaying the inevitable."

"I know politics Arthur. If I was in his position I would have made the same claim. Having Morgana in his home is the same as if he took you. I would never allow siege on a castle that I knew my…my children were in."

Morgana was like his daughter, he couldn't see harm come to her. Arthur sat at the table. He is physically worn out from negotiations, what a mess indeed.

He is running his hands through her hair, his shaggy bead is scraping her neck as he plants small kisses on her skin. Oh how she loves this man. Lancelot sends her a devious smile and captures her lips in a kiss. She goes to deepen it when there is a knock on her door. Gwen answers it so her lady can continue with her activities.

"King Uther!"

Morgana jumps from Lancelot, the knight dives behind the curtain. His heart has caught in his throat. Uther never comes to Morgana's chambers.

"Milord, what do I owe the pleasure?" Morgana asks, one can taste the honey on her words.

"Morgana I need you to dress in your finest gown tonight. There is an important announcement to be made and I need you prepped."

The ward looks on in bewilderment, Uther seems shaken up.

"Your majesty what is wrong?"

Uther reaches out for her, and brings her into a tight hug. He closes his eyes and settles his chin on her hair. She can do nothing more than return the gesture. She has a feeling he gave up a lot in Camelot during the negotiations today. She must be supportive. She moves to look him in the eye.

"I will get ready quickly sire. Do not fret, all will be well."

He sends her a sad smile and kisses her crown.

"You are, and always will be a daughter to me Morgana. Remember that."

She smiles as he exits, the second the door clinks shut Lancelot reveals himself from his hiding place.

"That wasn't scary at all."

Morgana goes to him and nestles her nose in his neck.

"I must make you leave early tonight my champion. I have to prepare, I believe our king and prince have suffered a large loss tonight. I am bound and honored to support them."

Lancelot looks down at Morgana, his sweet, passionate, powerful Morgana. He kisses her temple and then softly on the lips.

"I will see you tonight at the feast my lady."

"You will my champion."

She wore her dark emerald dress, the one that is outlined in golden silk thread, crystals on the wrists, the square neckline giving her enough to show but not too much to be considered indecent. Her makeup, as always, sharp around her eyes, soft pinks on her cheeks, bold ruby red adorns her lips. Her hair flows freely down the back, she does look quite lovely.

She sits in her customary spot on Uther's left. King Merlin enters a moment later, his armor as sharp as the first day she saw it. He takes his seat, but will not look at her, the shame in his heart is overpowering. He calms his emotions, he feels a storm picking up outside, he does not wish to add in the destruction. Uther stands to start the feast.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the court, I am honored to have High King Merlin and High Queen Hunith of the House of Alwin here again tonight for our feast. Negotiations have gone smoothly and we have come together in peace." He hesitates, his hand comes down, and Morgana takes it.

The feeling of dread swells in her heart, they have lost a lot in negotiations, her emerald eyes are wide. He cannot mean…certainly he can't…Uther urges her to stand up.

"During our negotiations a wonderful alliance will be born," he gestures for Merlin to stand, the king obliges, "between The House of Pendragon and The House of Alwin. The Lady Morgana, my ward, will marry High King Merlin and solidify our allegiance to each other."

There is a round of applause, but Morgana can feel nothing but sickness. She gulps, but smiles at the crowd that is what a proper woman of nobility does. She will not look to her left. She does not want to see the emotion of heartache on Lancelot's face. She looks over to Merlin a sad smile is sent in her direction, and she suddenly cannot take his pity. As the applause dies down she reaches for her glass, a scowl adorning her features when she is finally not the center of attention.

"You cannot be serious!" Morgana screams at Uther and Arthur once the three are alone.

"Morgana-" Uther starts

"No! I will not, cannot marry him!"

She is shaking, her eyes glaring at the table. How could they allow this? She is in love with another. She wants to promise herself to another, they must be kidding. Arthur knows…

"Your grace please…"

"Morgana, there was nothing we could do. I begged father, but he relented, it was King Merlin's adamant request. He knows with you there we will not attack. I know how hard-"

"You know nothing Arthur! It is not your happiness that is being given up! How can you hope to understand what I am feeling?"

Uther does not move, he fears getting close to his ward in her moment of hysteria.

"I know it is upsetting Morgana, but it is what needs to be done." He comes close and rubs her arms, "You must get over this spell quickly. You are to leave in two days time with King Merlin on his ride back. You will probably be married within the week. I know this is not ideal, but it is what had to be done, for the safety of Camelot. I am sorry my child," his eyes close, "I do not wish you to go."

She pulls away. A ghostly look comes over her irises. She feels the sense of loss, a feeling she has not had since her father and mother died. Papa, please come back! Her heart sings the saddest sparrows song inside of her soul. She looks at her hands, were they always this pale? It is over. She will never be with the man she loves. She is being ripped from him, her home, just like any other noble woman. She looks down in defeat. This conversation was over before she even had a chance to fight.

"Who will accompany me on this journey?"

She is shaking. Both men look at each other.

"Guinevere, if she so wishes to join you, but that is it. King Merlin has expressed his disdain for anyone else coming from Camelot."

"So not only am I to be sent away, I am to go alone."

She sends them a murderous look. Both men go to speak but are cut short. She has exited the room. She will have no more part of this.

Fin.

Ok so second chapter down, woohoo! I really like how this came out, gah I am really getting into this new story. If there are any spelling errors or what not please tell me, I reread it about three or four times, but you know me:-P I hope that was angsty enough for you people! You are going to see a deep struggle between Morgana's feelings, and she might come off a wee bit crazy in her actions, but give the poor girl a break, she is losing the "love of her life" *cough*not*cough* haha!...also I don't know what it is but I keep wanting to change lancelot's name to Merlin and I find myself yelling at my own story and being like "UGH MORGANA WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"...seriously I need help oh geeze!

As always I love to hear from you guys, you know what that button is for;) Thanks again for reading!