Chapter 2

Merlin led Morgana down towards the caverns and tunnels that were below the castle so that they could talk privately without being overheard by the wrong people. Merlin's head was reeling with all the possible things that he could tell her. He had to do it just right so she would stay on his side this time and not turn evil as she had been in another reality. If he was not as honest and upfront with her this time then there would be even greater dire consequences. He would not tell her her that he was Emrys, that part had to stay hidden, for now at least. He knew the amount of harm someone having that information could cause, especially in the hands of Morgana if things were to go a wry.

As he walked briskly down the hall he was stopped dead in his tracks by the sound of his master.

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted with his usual annoyance. Merlin stopped and gave a sideways glance to Morgana but she did not meet his gaze and simply stared at Arthur as he approached them.

"Yes sire?" Merlin asked cursing Arthur's horrible timing.

"To whom to you work for?" Arthur asked looking from him to Morgana. "Last I checked you were not a maidservant." Merlin held back a smirk that threatened to cross his face. This would be the typical reaction Arthur would give to seeing the Lady Morgana associating herself with a mere servant. His position rarely irked him but it did at this particular moment when the fate of Camelot rested on this confrontation. He realized then that he was going to have to e more careful with how he treated this situation.

"Well you see we were just talking while I looked for you so I could figure out what I needed to do for you," Merlin said blundering over his words and trying to backtrack.

"I see," Arthur said looking suspiciously from Morgana to Merlin. Morgana stood rigid and still did not speak. Merlin suspected she was still worn out by her ordeal that she was dealing with.

"I should get going," she said softly and nodded to Arthur as she walked briskly back towards the direction of her chambers. Merlin watched her go, almost transfixed by the way she carried herself and juse the sheer beauty of her figure that he had always admired from afar.

"Honestly Merlin," Arthur said as he lightly nudged Merlin in the shoulder. "You should keep to people nearer your station." Merlin had heard this warning from Arthur in a previous point in time and had taken it under advisement, while denying his attraction to Morgana ta the time. This time Merlin was not so sure that there was nothing to be attracted to. On the contrary there were so many things that he had always respected , loved and appreciated about Uther's ward. He was not about to confess this to Arthur however.

"Anything you say sire," Merlin said playfully as he saw Arthur's eyebrows raised in confusion as if he knew Merlin was pulling his leg. Arthur was not always a simpleton after all. He nodded and shrugged it off. "What did you need sire?"

"My chain mail needs cleaning…" Arthur said absentmindedly and Merlin simply nodded and headed in the direction of Arthur's chambers where he knew a pile of chain mail would be stacked in a disarrayed pile for him to clean.

Morgana walked back to her chambers feeling exhausted. This was a normal feeling of course for one who never got any sleep at all but it was even worse than usual. Merlin had been about to tell her something important before Arthur had walked right into their path and deterred the conversation from even happening. Morgana knew that it was important however and wanted to ensure that the information was given. Merlin was her friend, more so then most and he would be honest with her and she was certain of this. He had to tell her. The look that occasionally passed between them when they spoke told all that she needed to know. He cared for her in ways that Gwen and Arthur and Uther would never match up to.

When Morgana reached her chambers and opened the door she saw Gwen hastily cleaning up and making the beat neat and letting light into the room. Despite her maidservant's efforts, Morgana could not help but feel that her chambers looked a little more dejected considering there was still a hint of smoke that tinged the air and while the overhangs on her bed had been changed, she still remembered waking up to the room being aflame and the fear it had struck in her. She stood staring at the bed, dumbfounded until she noticed Gwen had stopped busying herself and was looking up at her with a worried expression.
"I'm fine," Morgana said distractedly. She went over to the window and stared out while Gwen continued to busy herself with the room and making tit look homier then it would ever be. "I need you to do something for me," she said finally.

"Yes my lady?" Gwen said stopping to take instruction.

"Deliver a message to Merlin that I would like a sleeping draft brought to my chambers this evening." Gwen simply nodded and courtsied and went about her chores. Morgana relaxed a little bit then knowing that whatever Merlin had had to say would now be delivered without Arthur or anyone else's interruptions. The longing to know would drive her mad but she would have to wait till evening and somehow pass the time until he came to her.

A/N: So I want to apologize for this being a little late for update but I will have Chapter 3 much quicker and maybe spark the romance between the two of them a little more. Hehehe. Let me know what you think and if the character interpretation is good so far. I'm trying to incorporate all the other characters one at a time as well. Gaius and Uther may be featured in the next chapter.