"Arthur, to what do I owe this pleasure," drawled Morgana, propping herself up with difficulty.
"I thought you may be hungry…" said Arthur, slightly more in touch with reality than he had been before.
Attempting to keep the relief out of her expression, she shrugged nonchalantly. He couldn't know how desperate she actually was.
"Rob informed me that you were very weak. And where's the fun in someone giving up before you've even begun?"
"How very chivalrous of you," she said, sarcasm lacing her tone.
"Where's the Morgana who used to fight back? You've grown so boring… not much of a challenge now." He was trying to provoke a reaction, much as she had tried to do with him. But he would not succeed.
"Maybe she doesn't want to play anymore."
"Pity… Maybe she won't be needing any food then…"
"I'll take it." She said it rather too quickly and he smirked at her, infuriating her. No reaction. Don't give him the satisfaction. The arrogant smirk still on his face, he walked over to her and handed her a plate of relatively fresh bread and a small round of cheese along with a pitcher of water.
"Thank you," she said, grudgingly. Perhaps if she was polite, he would lay off her for a while. She had no desire for more bruises.
"Ah, sister, all you had to do is ask," he taunted her.
Controlling herself, she broke off some bread and ate it slowly before giving up and practically shovelling it down her throat, finishing off with the water. Almost instantly, she felt her strength return to her.
"Do you think you could unchain me?" asked Morgana. Pride be damned. She had to at least try and escape instead of just being resigned to her fate.
"I warn you sister, do not make a fool out of me. Do not question my authority," retorted Arthur, anger peaking again.
"I assure you, your majesty, I only meant could I at least be able to walk for a few minutes." Morgana tried her best to sweet talk him. She wasn't going to stand for the physical torture any more, not again. At least he couldn't mentally torture her. She had no-one left that he could blackmail or taunt her with. In that aspect, she was glad. It was time to manipulate her dear brother.
"And why would I do that?" He was shocked at how polite she was being.
"Please, Arthur," she pleaded "Please, just for a few minutes."
"Are you admitting that I am superior?"
"Yes."
"Sorry, sister, I couldn't quite hear you."
"I am weaker than you, Arthur. You have won." She said it without hesitation, less he suspect trickery. They were only words and she would say anything he desired to get out of here.
"Such a disappointment. You used to be so much more of a challenge."
Bending her head in what he would take as submission, she hid her smirk well. She was close, oh so close.
"Please," she begged, sounding as pitiful as possible.
His resolve seemed to crumble and he slowly approached her, removing the key from his belt. Slowly, he unlocked her ankle shackles and then removed them, shocked by the grazes that were even worse that some of the bruises on her face and arms.
"You better not try anything, Morgana, or so help you," he threatened.
"I won't! I swear!" she responded, quickly.
Seeming to believe her performance, he removed her right wrist followed by her left. Instantly, her hand flew to her right one, massaging it and then cursing loudly as she hissed in pain. Exposed now, the pain pulsed from her wrists, crusted blood peeling away to reveal deep cuts.
The hand he extended to aid her was accepted and she moved to the furthest side, trying to get her strength back before her jail break. In truth, she hadn't expected the condition she'd found herself in but she couldn't postpone it. Arthur's kindness would only last so long, especially with her tongue. She'd been pacing the large cell slowly, checking out the door, trying not to draw any attention from Arthur who was sitting on the bench opposite where she'd been bound. It's now or never.
And so she ran, her body screaming in protest. She was through the door and had no idea which way to go, and hastily took the left turning. The guards… She'd forgotten about them. There was no way back now.
"You stupid bitch," Arthur shouted from not far behind her.
Oh god, what had she done? Now she was really in trouble. So she did the only thing she could and kept running, panting from the sudden effort, her legs burning. A sword! Stretching, she clasped it just as Arthur came thundering in her direction like a raging bull.
"Arthur…" she tried, knowing she stood no chance in a fight. Her only hope was that he would mortally wound her.
No words escaped him, he just came towards her and she tried to stop him with her stolen sword. But he knocked the blade from her grip and slammed her into the wall, one hand over her throat. She cried out in agony.
"Let me go, Arthur, please just let me go. Or kill me. Don't make me go back into the darkness," she pleaded, desperately, struggling under his grip.
"And just when I was starting to pity you."
"I'm sorry!" a tear trickled down her cheek, clearing the grime.
"I warned you what would happen if you tried anything!"
To prove his superiority, he brought her away from the wall and slammed her against it again, this time releasing her. She crumpled to the ground and hugged her knees to her chest, feeling like a small child. The tears were unstoppable now as her body shook. What the hell would he do now?
"Your tears will get you no-where Morgana."
"I'm your sister, Arthur. I never meant to hurt you. I never enjoyed it. Not like you are!"
"Don't think you can manipulate me."
"What, like Merlin manipulated you? A sorcerer right under your nose, lying to you for years," said Morgana.
"Don't you dare…" he ordered.
"Yet you never tortured him. I was always there for you Arthur and he and Gwen come and you abandon me, leaving me alone in the dark. I've been through hell while he just sat and lied to you, even telling you that magic was evil. HE BETRAYED HIS OWN KIND!"
"Enough!"
"Imagine that, the mighty king of Camelot, can't even tell when his friend's got magic. What would our father say?" Her taunting was back, the tears all cried out, stopped by her years of practicing.
"Because you were so good at figuring it out yourself!"
"Merlin poisoned me and threw me down the stairs! I already hated him, whether he was Emrys or not is irrelevant!"
"You were terrified of him!"
"The prophecies lie. He was supposed to be my destiny and my doom. Instead, it was YOU! My own brother!"
"You were your own doom! If you'd stopped burning and murdering then maybe you'd still be loved and maybe my friends would still be alive!"
"Spare me your lecture, Arthur. I really couldn't care less!"
"Yeah, well maybe you should!"
"Why should I? You're going to kill me anyway. I'd rather die in the knowledge that you'll keep living a lonely, miserable life! Just like you deserve!"
"And you wonder why I don't fall for your pleas and tears? You're a liar, Morgana, a cold-hearted bitch. Perhaps if you finally showed some remorse, I might just pity you. All I feel is hate!"
"Yeah, well it's the liars and the cold-hearted bitches that survive. And since when do you have problems with liars?" She laughed. "And maybe if you actually paid me some attention all those years ago, I might just have forgiven you. I hated you long before you ever knew, Arthur."
"You want me to let you go, Morgana? Do you?"
"Yes, Arthur. The time for fighting is over. We've both won and we've both lost. You can have Camelot. I really don't care anymore! I've lost my sister, my kind, Mordred, Aithusa, my magic…You might find it hard to believe but it's true; even High Priestesses get tired. All I want is to return to the Isle of the Blessed and restore it before I die in peace."
"Fine, then. Go! Leave and never return!"
"WHAT?" Morgana looked at him in shock even as she pushed herself to her feet, still blocked by his arm.
"The time for fighting is over, Morgana. I care nothing for you." As he said it, still cold and emotionless, he moved so she could pass.
"After all that…" Now, she was just plain confused.
"If you want to go then go before I change my mind! I'll have the guards escort you straight to the gates."
Morgana didn't say a word as she moved away from him, no love left for her brother either, only a dull sense of emptiness where there once was hate.
"If you ever attack Camelot again, even one citizen, then you will wish you were never born. If you thought that was bad… So help you if you ever return."
"Goodbye, brother."
"You are no sister of mine, Morgana. You are no Pendragon."
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