Hey guys!
I'm REALLY sorry for not updating sooner, but college apps really suck :/
FINALLY SEASON 3 IS HERE! YAYYY. I'm kinda bummed actually because they stole some of my thunder with this story… haha oh well
Anyways, here's the 3rd chapter! And don't worry, I will continue to update; I am so determined to actually finish a story for once in my life, and so I've made this the story to finish.
Enjoy!
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Approximately ten minutes after the message was given, Merlin was standing in front of the door to Morgana's chambers. He really did not want to go inside. What was her meaning for summoning him alone? Merlin's immediate thoughts were veering towards revenge; she wanted to finish him off and she wasn't going to waste any time about it. He would probably have to defend himself with magic. And then she would rat him out to Uther and then… Merlin's head began to hurt from the spiraling thoughts.
His hand knocked on the wooden door. Why did he do that? Why? Why didn't he just walk away when he still had the chance? But even if he did do that, she would find another way to speak to him; he couldn't avoid her forever…
"Come in."
Merlin took a deep breath and opened the door.
At first he saw Guinevere, who was in the middle of fixing up the bed. She gave him a small smile before pointing to where Morgana was located. Merlin followed the direction of Gwen's point to the far side of the room. Morgana was seated before her mirror, her long dark hair cascading down her back. She saw Merlin's reflection in the mirror and stared at it for a few seconds before speaking.
"Leave us, Gwen. That is all for tonight."
Gwen curtseyed and left through the servant's door. Morgana turned around and locked eyes with Merlin. Merlin started racing through spells in his mind that he could use in defense at a moment's notice.
"It's good to see you again; I missed you so much, Merlin." She broke into a smile. "Come, sit" she gestured to the chair beside the bed.
Needless to say, this was hardly the greeting he was expecting from her.
"No, " Merlin responded without thinking. He hastened to add, "…thank you, milady."
Morgana looked quizzically at the boy, "You know there's no need to address me like that. Are you feeling well? Here, have something to drink." She walked over to the table in the center of the room, where a pitcher of water and some glasses were stationed.
Merlin instantly thought back to that horrible day; the day that the Knights of Medhir attacked Camelot and the day that he had poisoned Morgana. He had offered her water, just like Morgana was now. He still remembered that look of horror and betrayal in Morgana's eyes as she realized that Merlin was killing her.
"No." his voice brought him back to the present. "No, I'm fine."
Morgana gave him a piercing look, as if she were reading his mind by looking into his eyes.
"I see there's no fooling you, Merlin."
Merlin didn't respond.
"I know what you must be thinking of me, but I'm not the same person that you knew six months ago. I mean if Uther knew…"
"Knew what? The truth?" the vindictiveness in his voice surprised him.
"I beg your pardon?" she looked affronted, and somewhat shocked.
"You know what I'm talking about."
"Merlin, why are you acting this way?"
"Why did you really come back? What have you got planned, Morgana? I know you despise Uther because of how he treats people like…" he paused momentarily to refrain from saying 'us', "…how he treats people like you who have magic…"
"I've told you, Merlin, I'm a different person now…"
"You can't expect me to believe that after six months, you've completely changed your mind about what you are!"
He stopped talking; he knew he had gone too far. The silence hung in the air, but neither person made a move to break it. Merlin's thoughts were whirring away at a million miles per hour. Why had she been so happy to see him? It just wasn't adding up; he was sure that she would have been dead set on making Merlin pay for what he did. Unless…
"What do you remember the day that the Knights of Medhir came to Camelot?" Merlin proceeded with caution.
"I remember we were in the hall, tending to Uther." Morgana began, not taking her eyes off Merlin's, "You were persuading me to have some water and then…" a slight glimmer of resentment flashed in her eyes. "the next thing I remember after that is waking up in a dark castle with Morgause sitting at my bedside."
"Wait, go back to the day you last were in Camelot…"
"I don't remember anything else from that day. When I woke up, Morgause told me that I had been asleep for a few days. She told me that I had been hurt, and the magic she employed to heal me could have had an effect on some of my memories. I guess it did…" Morgana was bitter all of a sudden, "She used magic on me."
She turned away from Merlin, swiftly crossing the room to the window that overlooked the courtyard.
"I remember… I saw horrible things, Merlin, truly horrible things that Morgause did with her magic. She taught me things that I never wish to repeat. I am so disgusted by this magic that I have, and I can never accept that it is a part of me."
"But – "
"No, Merlin." She turned to face him held up her hand to silence him, "that's enough. I'm putting it all behind me now. I'm here now, I'm back home in Camelot and my magic will be forgotten. You are the only one who knows that I had magic and I expect it to be kept that way. I trust you, Merlin."
Merlin couldn't believe what he was hearing; it was almost too good to be true. Had Morgana truly forgotten that he had tried to kill her?
"So you don't remember anything else that day..?"
"No," she stared at him inquisitively. "should I?"
There was a slight pause as Merlin inwardly cursed himself for asking too many questions, for now she was suspicious. He hastily shook his head in response.
"No, no, it's nothing…honestly…" he cracked his trademark grin, and quickly turned towards the door.
"Merlin," Morgana called to him, and he stopped in his footsteps. "Is there something you wish to tell me?"
Is there something you wish to tell me? The question reverberated in his mind. She couldn't know about his secret; Morgause didn't know so therefore Morgana couldn't. Nevertheless, his blood still ran cold when he heard her ask. He whipped around and stared at her cautiously, yet her face revealed nothing. Maybe he was overreacting, but something didn't feel right about the way that she had asked that question.
"No." he replied, "I… I'm just glad that you're back in Camelot."
"As am I, Merlin," she grinned. "as am I."
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"That's it?" Gaius sounded more perplexed and surprised than Merlin had about his encounter with Morgana.
They were eating their dinner at the main table of Gaius's chambers; Merlin had just finished recounting the whole of his meeting with Morgana, but had chosen to leave out the final question that she had asked him. Is there anything you wish to tell me? The question still echoed in Merlin's mind every few minutes or so.
Gaius continued to look incredulously at his stew. "She claims to remember nothing, and instead called you in just to say 'hello'?"
"Yes." Merlin knew that what he had told Gaius was exceedingly puzzling, and had he been on the receiving end of this news, he probably would have reacted the same way.
"This hardly seems like the Morgana we knew six months ago."
"But she doesn't remember anything from that day, and that's good enough for me."
"Merlin," Gaius warned, "be careful. Maybe she has forgotten, but don't be so quick to trust her again."
"Gaius, not another lecture please." Merlin stood and started to make his way to his room.
"Before you leave, Merlin, hear me out. I trust your judgment. But just remember, you always tend to focus on the good in people and overlook their capacity for deceit."
Knowing that Gaius was right, Merlin chose not to respond and instead continued on his way to his room.
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"No…don't, NO!"
He was on his back, struggling against the manacles that held his wrists and ankles to a stone tablet.
The dagger was held above him, pointed directly at his heart.
Desperately, he looked around for something, anything that he could use to free himself…but the sword was too far to reach…
The knife plunged; he cried out in pain …
Morgana jolted awake in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. She hadn't had a dream like that in over six months. Her mind was whizzing, but one aspect of the dream kept standing out to her. If she wasn't mistaken, then that dagger was none other than the Dagger of Thorodan. If so, Camelot was in grave danger.
Immediately, she knew exactly to whom she would confide this premonition: Merlin.
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Hope you enjoyed it!
Knowing me, it'll probably be a while before I update again, but I hope it's worth it!
