Chapter 3

Morgana ended up not using torturous methods to convince Laila to do what she wanted. Such luck that she came across the tramp in her time of need. All she had to do was dangle an opportunity in front of Laila that she'd be an idiot to resist. Of course Morgana was reluctant to perform any dark magic to control the girl- she connected with her and was able to feel her pain. She thought about the day where Camelot would finally be hers and everyone would pledge their loyalty to her. If Laila were as smart as she had shown herself to be, she would do the same.

The sky darkened and Morgana let the girl sleep in a corner she had set up for herself. She didn't just doze off- she was practically unconscious. The day had been long and the witch did not disturb her. Instead, she sat by the dying fire, deep in thought. Laila had come from a city that was considered an enemy of Camelot. Yet Cervena lay low. Its army didn't stand a chance against the knights and if Lord Kanark even tried, he'd lose his city, his family, and all his precious luxuries.

An infamous man, Morgana said to herself in her mind. And repugnant to allow the mistreatment of women in his own city. If Uther was anything like him, I would've taken Camelot sooner and without any hesitation.

The woman laid eyes on the sleeping girl in the corner. Laila was on her side, her arm tucked under her head, her face calm, and her breathing steady. She wondered what it was like for the girl, sleeping in a roomful of many other women, all most likely older than her, sometimes in another man's house. Lucky for you, you'll be in one house and with one man. Don't you worry. I'm sure Merlin will be extra gentle with you. Morgana completely disregarded the fact that Laila was a witch too. If she had been hiding it all this time, she'd have no problem hiding it in Camelot.

The witch had different problems, starting with how she was going to take the kingdom. Morgana had no army, no alliance with an enemy, none of that. Agravaine was only so much help to her and as useful as Laila could be, she came with no men on her side. Morgana needed more than just distractions. It would take a long time for the knights to pledge their loyalty to her once the throne was hers. She needed her own group of loyal men.

Her door opened and Morgana jerked her head to see Agravaine walking in. A smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Good to see you," she greeted in a steady, cold voice. Agravaine knew that there wasn't much sincerity in her voice but she felt the need to say it anyway.

"My lady," he replied, not taking notice of Laila. He sat down next to Morgana.

"I trust you have news for me?" Morgana addressed, not expecting any but it was worth a shot.

"I fear not as I have not been successful in my task. I've yet to find someone that may come of use to you." Agravaine hung his head but it only made Morgana smile wider.

"Your shame is flattering, Agravaine. But you need not look any further. I have found someone." Morgan turned her head in the sleeping Laila's direction. When Agravaine followed her gaze, he nearly jumped in surprise.

"Who is that? How long has she been there?" Agravaine demanded to know.

"Her name is Laila," Morgana explained, lifting herself out of her chair and walking over to the small girl. She brushed her fingers against her cheek and watched Laila stir slightly. "A call girl from Cervena. Poor thing was being bullied by bandits and I saved her life while out getting firewood."

"Cervena, you say?" Agravaine sounded wary. "You have heard what they say about the girls there?"

"Don't assume so much, Agravaine, there's more to this one's story than you think," Morgana snapped and Agravaine immediately shut his mouth. Morgana left Laila to sleep and she crossed back over to the man. "There's one thing you should know, my lord. She is a girl with magic but unlike me, she has no power over it. Which is why I struck a deal with her- if she is to go to Camelot and do as I ask, then I will help her."

Agravaine looked up at her. "And she agreed."

"Indeed she has."

"But my lady, a girl with her reputation wouldn't be given so much as a job mining beneath Camelot's dungeons."

"Don't be so daft, Agravaine. She's obviously going to have a new story. I'm sure we can think of something. Something that will make the kind and generous King Arthur give her a notable position, something to catch the attention of his beloved manservant." Morgana's voice was venomous when she spoke of Arthur. Calling him king made her sick; he did not deserve the position any more than Uther did.

"A quick question, Morgana. If you wish to strip away her previous identity, how do you intend for her to, how you've said, distract Merlin? Surely the best way was to"-

"Exactly what she thought last night," Morgana cut in. "But there are other ways besides taking off one's dress at the delight of another man. Although I should say, I doubt Merlin wouldn't want to after he sees her. He is, after all, a man deprived of any pleasure ever since he began serving Arthur."

"You make a good point," Agravaine admitted, eyeing the girl. "She looks fairly young. How old is she?"

"She did not say. But she is young." Morgana sat next to her ally, ready to fully discuss the plan with him.

"From Cervena you say," Agravaine mumbled, "Well, well, well. It appears that snake Kanark hasn't put a ban on prostitutes yet."

"I'm sure Laila has plenty of stories to tell us. After all, you won't be the only one around to keep me company."

"Laila," Agravaine repeated the name, glancing at the girl once more. "Uncommon name although I can't say it's not alluring."

"Oh, trust me. You'll find her very alluring," Morgana chuckled. "Now then, Agravaine. We must plan how we're going to do this. And I'll make it quick."


"That was horrible," Arthur Pendragon groaned, stripping off his chainmail and getting ready for bed. Merlin, his servant, laughed quietly to himself as he prepared Arthur's bed. The prince was now a king which meant taking on double the amount of duties. Already, it had taken its toll on Arthur. He had been complaining all day about some of the most pointless things he had to do on top of training and council and squeezing in a round of hunting.

"I had to preside over a trial, and over what? Stolen bread!" he ranted, tossing his shirt over the screen, "Who cares if it was one of the fresh ones? The boy was starving!"

"He could've been in disguise," Merlin suggested even though he was just teasing.

"You must find yourself very funny, Merlin," Arthur shot back, coming out from the screen and walking to his bedside.

"I've been told I have a great sense of humor," Merlin shrugged.

"I'm sure you pick up all the ladies in town with your quick wit," Arthur remarked sarcastically, slipping underneath his sheets.

"Will that be all, sire?" Merlin asked. He'd done everything- fluffed the pillows, straightened out the bed sheets, even put a jug of water nearby in case Arthur was suddenly overcome by thirst.

"Normally, I'd leave you with a lot more to do but I'm too tired to come up with anything," Arthur yawned. "That'll be all, Merlin, thank you."

"You're welcome, sire. Goodnight." Merlin turned to blow out the candles and then leave Arthur's chambers.

"Mhmm," the king muttered, turning on his right side and shutting his eyes. Finally, Merlin thought to himself, I really hope Arthur doesn't think he's the only one who had a lot to do today. When he has a lot, he makes me work like a fucking dog. It wasn't like Merlin to curse, but when he was tired and not in the highest of moods, it just came out. At least, in his mind.

As Merlin walked down the hall back to his chambers, he heard a noise outside and looked out the nearby window. Someone was riding off on horse, leaving Camelot. Merlin's best guess was that it was Agravaine. The uncle may have fooled Arthur but he wasn't so easily swayed. Many times, Agravaine had snuck out of Camelot and when Merlin's curiosity got the best of him, he followed the king's uncle to find that the man was an insider of Morgana's. Of course he couldn't tell Arthur this. But this did mean that Merlin had to be twice as careful when it came to Morgana's next attempt to kill Arthur.

Merlin considered following Agravaine but he found he was too tired. It was one of those moods where he'd deal with it in the morning. As he continued down the corridor, he noticed Sir Gwaine and two maids outside his chambers, giggling away. Something told the warlock that Gwaine had taken a familiar trip down to the tavern today and picked up some women who needed a break from their jobs. Merlin shook his head as he watched Gwaine smoothly charm the women into his chambers and close the door tightly behind him. Always the lady killer, isn't he?

The warlock couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy after what he had just seen. He was sure Gwaine wasn't the only knight who had his "moments" with any woman. Sirs Leon, Percival, and Elyan, who were also Merlin's friends, surely had experiences with women. And Arthur had Guinevere, the ex-maidservant to the Lady Morgana and his true love. They all had busy jobs yet they all had the company of a woman at least once in there time. As for Merlin, he could embarrassingly admit that he hadn't done anything with a person of the other gender in his life.

When Merlin went to bed that night, he lay awake, thinking about this. He remembered his first love- Freya, the cursed Druid girl who was killed by the knights and was now in the lake of Avalon. Merlin had seen her once more when Camelot was taken over by Morgana and he needed a helping hand. But that was the extent of which Merlin had any romantic female company. He couldn't remember feeling anything strong for a girl since Freya.

For a short period of time, Merlin had fancied the Lady Morgana. She was once a beautiful woman, elegantly dressed, very kind at heart. When she realized she had magic, Merlin had done everything he could to help her. But the witch's hatred for Uther combined with her fear of getting caught overtook her and she turned bitter, turning against everyone but her sister Morgause. Many times, he had stopped her and to this day, he still indirectly did. When he thought about it, Merlin couldn't believe that this was the same woman he found himself taking an interest to years ago. Morgana was such a different person now and it still broke his heart to think about the drastic change in her.

Merlin sighed, unable to sleep. He had friends- there was Gwen, one of the first people he met when he first arrived at Camelot. And then there were the knights, although Merlin was closer to Gwaine than to the others. Then of course, his guardian, Gaius, the court physician. And, even though it was never mentioned out loud, Arthur was a friend to Merlin despite the fact that they were master and servant.

But he wanted more. He wanted someone who was more than a friend to him; a significant other. Someone he could love in that special way. He wanted it to be a mix of Morgana and Freya; first he'd take interest. Then, he'd fall in love. Only his love would grow strong, become like Arthur and Gwen's.

And shamefully, Merlin admitted this to himself- he was probably the only grown man who still hadn't, how Arthur would sometimes put it, "gotten any". The last time he got any form of action was when he kissed Freya and that was, two years ago? Three? But that didn't count. Merlin was human. More importantly, he was a male. He'd had enough of taking care of his frustrations by himself. He craved the company of a woman- to feel and taste her skin, delve himself into her, light her body on fire. Love her.

Merlin sighed again and tried to get some sleep. But with the way Arthur's working me, I'll never find someone. Besides… it's not in my destiny.


She was weak, aching all over, fallen on the dirt of the forest… it had to be… she recognized the trees… she heard voices all around her, an unfamiliar man shouting then lowering his voice and whispering to her…

A pair of arms held her and found herself looking into a pair of the bluest eyes she had ever seen…

When Laila woke up, sun was just beginning to rise. She yawned and stretched, lifting herself up from her corner of the hovel. This time, the girl remembered clearly where she was and who she was with. No small details left her- Laila remembered very well what she had just gotten herself into. So when Morgana came upon her the minute she opened her eyes, she knew today was the beginning of a new life for her.

Racing through washing up and breakfast, Morgana surveyed the girl before her. "Your dress is so worn," she commented, "It shows all your bruises… aren't one to give in too easily are you?"

Laila shrugged. "That's why Lord Kanark's sons liked me. I gave them reasons to beat me. His youngest likes to call these 'badges of honor' because I let the son of a lord fuck me."

"Ah, yes. I've heard of him," Morgana spoke, sounding repulsed, "When Arthur was young, he got into a fight with him. What was his name again?"

"Rheon Kanark." Laila tried not to cringe at that name. Of all the men who had abused her, he had been the worst. He was youngest son of Lord Kanark and also the most cocky, brutal, and invasive. And unfortunately, she had become his favorite.

"Ah, yes. Disgusting little brat. If Arthur weren't so kindhearted, he should've killed the bastard right on the spot," Morgana spat, feeling the fabric of Laila's dress between her fingers. "Did he do this to you?"

"Mostly him. It doesn't matter anymore, don't worry about it," Laila replied hastily.

"It will matter once Camelot is mine," Morgana insisted, "That little shit's going to pay for this."

Laila sighed. "What were you saying about my dress?"

"It'll go well with the plan. You'll get more clothes when you get to Camelot." Morgana ran her fingers up Laila's shoulders. She couldn't get her eyes off the black and blue marks on Laila's pale skin. The girl ached all over but she wasn't about to let Morgana notice it. Laila stopped her hand. "Enough already. I told you not to worry about it."

"You definitely need my help. Once all this is done…"

"I know, Morgana, I know. Now are you going to tell me the plan or not?"

"Don't rush me, I'm almost there. We have to wait for Agravaine so you'll get the full plan. Now, tell me what your story is."

Laila took a breath and recited the story Morgana had given her- she kept her name but changed everything else. She was from an unknown village, of a family of four. After her village was attacked by bandits and her family killed, she decided to make her way towards Camelot to make a living for herself. It was a short, simple story but it made Laila wonder how it would cover her backside safely.

They waited until Agravaine showed up. Laila simply nodded in his direction, taking in his appearance. He was tall with a brushed back black hair, dressed in black, a face that looked as if it barely smiled (and if it did, they weren't real).

"Good to meet you, Laila," Agravaine said, sticking out a hand. Laila glanced at it then back up at him. "Likewise, my lord." But she hardly meant it. He retracted his hand and forced a smile. "Right, yes."

The man turned to Morgana. "We best hurry. Arthur is planning a hunt this morning."

Morgana's mouth curled into her famous evil smirk. Laila wasn't used to it and looking at sent a shiver down her back. The witch truly had some effect on everyone, whether good or bad. "Perfect. They're in for a lovely little surprise."

"Hold on a second," Laila cut in, "You're going to throw me out into the woods and wait for them to catch me?"

"She catches on quickly," Morgana informed Agravaine who raised his eyebrows. "You're almost right this time, Laila. We're not just going to let you wander around in the woods. Besides, Agravaine will know exactly where you are and will lead them to you."

"Morgana, Camelot knights aren't the only ones in the forests. If anything, those same bandits from yesterday will come catch me in no time." Laila suddenly regretted jumping into this so fast. She wanted to tell Morgana to give it a few days, to carefully plan this out. But Morgana would start in on how there was no time left and this had to be done now. And Laila didn't want to give a reason to use any dark magic to force her.

"Just trust me," Morgana insisted, taking Laila's hand. "Do you trust me? Say that you do."

"…To a certain, extent," Laila managed.

"It's not good enough. I need you to trust me completely. I promised I would help you and I always keep my promises. Your life will not be in danger Now say it. Say that you trust me."

Laila looked into Morgana's eyes. For the first time since she'd met the lady, she finally saw a true sincerity in her eyes. Alert as she remained, she took a breath. "I trust you… not to send me to my death anyways."

"Excellent," Morgana smiled. It wasn't an evil smirk- it was a genuine smile, "This is going to benefit the both of us. You have my word." Laila smiled back at her, detecting excitement in Morgana's tone. She really does want this.

Agravaine cleared his throat and the two shot glances at him. "Sorry to interrupt this intimate moment," he said, "But the hunt is to begin soon and Arthur has insisted I join him this morning."

"Of course. But wait, one last thing." Morgana turned to get something off her table. It was a small bottle, colored a dark blue. Her eyes flashed gold as she muttered, "Croftes þes eccedrenc eac swefn átor." The liquid inside bubbled before going flat again. Morgana turned to Laila and handed her the bottle. "Drink this."

Laila looked at the woman skeptically. "What is it?" Did Morgana think she was that stupid.

"It's for your bruises. I don't want you to go through the trouble of having to explain them to anyone." Morgana motioned for her to drink it. "Please. It'll stop the aches you feel. Trust me, remember?" Agravaine threw a worried look in Morgana's direction. His expression matched Laila's feelings.

The girl eyed the bottle in her hand. She wasn't skilled with her magic so she hadn't the faintest idea what Morgana had just said. Nevertheless, she did feel some pain and it was unattractive, the marks on her body. If she tricked me, I'm so getting her back. Laila slowly tipped the bottle into her mouth and drank the tasteless, odorless substance. She looked first at Morgana then to Agravaine. "I don't feel anything."

"It'll be a while for it to take effect," the witch explained. Satisfied, Morgana led Laila out the door followed by Agravaine. She turned to him. "And you have made sure that Merlin is with them?"

"Yes. He goes wherever Arthur goes," Agravaine answered confidently.

Morgana snorted. "Isn't he so admirably loyal? And have you figured out how Merlin himself will be the one to find her?"

Agravaine was silent but Laila spoke up, "Wait… am I going to be running into him? Because if I am, I think I'll be able to recognize which one is the knight and which one is the servant."

"Oh no, Laila. You won't be running around. That'll make it far too difficult." Morgana looked to Agravaine. "I'm coming with you. Show me where they will be hunting. I know these woods like the back of my hand."

Agravaine and Morgana mounted on their horses. The witch told Laila to climb onto hers, she was small and fit easily. Laila was grateful; she grew tired of running around all the time. As Agravaine led Morgana to the area the knights would be, Laila started feeling woozy. Was this the potion taking effect? She looked at her skin. The bruises hadn't disappeared at all.

"M-Morgana," she stammered, starting to sway a bit, "I don't think your… potion is working."

"Quiet, Laila," Morgana said. Her voice was starting to sound faint. Laila was barely conscious now. What in the world was going on? The horse felt light as Morgana got off and her and Agravaine both took her off. Laila's body felt like liquid, almost like she had no bones in her.

"I can't move," she mumbled, "What the fuck was in that stupid potion?"

"Easy," Morgana's voice was barely audible. "Sleep draught."

Laila gasped as her body was lowered onto the dirt below her. "You poisoned me?" she screeched, trying to get up but she felt the potion take effect throughout her body. "You lied to me, you… told me I'd go myself… you…" Her eyes began clouding up. She felt Morgana place a hand on her forehead and gently turn her head to the side. Laila stopped fighting and instead, the potion knocked her out within the next few seconds.

"I don't like this," Agravaine mumbled as soon as Laila went unconscious for the second time in two days. "This is a bad idea, Morgana. You don't know the girl, you barely took the time to get to know her."

"I know enough," Morgana snapped, getting up from the ground and walking back to her horse. "She's given me plenty to work with. And she's perfect for the job. Really now, what's more perfect than a lowly whore from Cervena for a lowly manservant from Ealdor?"

"She could still be trouble!" Agravaine snapped. "Who's to say that she won't turn her back you? Who's to say Merlin won't change her mind? Who"-

"Because that girl has no one else," Morgana replied simply, climbing onto her horse, "I am her only chance at survival. I am the reason she's even going to Camelot in the first place. She knows what will happen if she turns her back on me."

Agravaine huffed. "Still, could've picked someone better than a call girl from Cervena."

"You judge too much, Agravaine, give the girl a chance. Besides…" The corners of Morgana's mouth curled upwards, "I've learned a lot about Cervena today. The information could prove useful. Very useful indeed."

A/N: Hey, hey! So I know the bit with Merlin was short but I felt it necessary to show what he's thinking. You'll get a lot more from his point of view as the story progresses. As a special treat, I'm giving you this update earlier than I intended seeing as you all seem to like the story (which I am very happy about)!

Please keep reviewing! Tell me all your thoughts- how you feel about Morgana's plan, about Laila, what you think will happen, what you want to happen. Your feedback is very important to me. Cheers!