He could see it In the distance now, the tower. He hadn't known it would be a tower but he almost recognized it, in a strange way. It was almost like he was connected to Morgana now. He called out to her telepathically but got no answer. It wasn't a surprise. Her magic must he trapped. He still called out to her because she might be able to hear but not reply. He really hoped she could. It had been far too long. The night taunted him now, telling him it was one more day that he hadn't reached Morgana. He had walked the whole way; he hadn't dared transport because Emrys would detect it. It had been almost a week now and the time made him a bit confident. Maybe Emrys wouldn't notice.

But he didn't want to think about Emrys, not now. Emrys had known and he had said nothing to Mordred. He was… well, strange. He was a sorcerer yet he served the son of the man who hated magic the most in the world. Emrys had watched his kinsmen burn to death on the stake and did nothing against it. Of course, Mordred had watched so many die as well but he was only a child. There wasn't much he could do. Emrys had a lot more magic and power than Mordred – yet he seemed to do nothing with it, except trail around after Arthur. This was the worst though. Capturing Morgana, imprisoning her. Emrys was a traitor to his own people; a traitor to his friends.

He was closer to the tower now and could make it out clearly. It was ten or so metres high, the roof peaking to a point and utterly bare of anything. He circled around it. There were no doors and no windows. No way in. But there must be! They put Morgana in, so I must be able to get her out, Mordred thought. He carefully approached the tower.

"Morgana!" he called out softly. She might be able to hear since only magic was blocked.

No answer.

"Morgana!" he shouted this time, wishing, wishing so hard she would reply.

Nothing.

But she was there, Mordred knew. He could feel her.

He reached out his hand to touch the curved stone wall. A static shock of magic fizzed through his fingers, throwing him back. So it was protected magically as well. He walked away from the tower, wondering if Emrys had detected him but nothing happened so he closed his eyes and truly looked it the tower. It was set on rock so he couldn't get inside that way. He didn't know of any flying spells so there was no chance of getting through the roof. And – no, there! He had seen something. He stared at the wall, eyes wide open now but there was nothing. He turned his head to one side and there, in the corner of his eye, he could make out a blurry outline.

He had found the door.

It was a clever trick, one that a non-magical person would never notice. The door was clouded behind many, many illusions but Mordred could still just about see it. It was small, so that a grown man would have to stoop to get in it and made of wood. It also had a metal lock. He examined it and was surprised to find that it was actually a normal lock. It was hidden by magic but it only required a key to unlock it. Obviously, the king hadn't wanted the magic to control everything. Mordred probed at the magic now. It was old magic. It wasn't Emrys's magic. That made him happy. Mordred destroyed the feeling immediately. Then why did he have the plate with Morgana's voice inside it if he wasn't keeping her trapped? It was still good news, though. Emrys would never realise what was happening – he wasn't connected.

So Mordred started to unweave the magic slowly. He did it slowly because while he could remember Morgana's voice saying "Help me!" so urgently, he didn't know whether the magic was actually part of the building and would collapse without it.

Finally, he managed to clear the magic from around the door. He whispered a word in the ancient tongue, and the lock clicked open. He took the lock off and dropped it to the ground then pushed the door open.

Mordred was unable to move.

He saw Morgana lying on the stone wall, draped over her dragon. Her face was gaunt and thin and her hair streaked with dirt. As he looked closer he saw that her usually long nails were bitten to the quick. Her skin was pale, translucent and Mordred could see the veins snaking delicately, so vulnerable, underneath.

"Morgana," he managed to whisper, his throat dry. "I found you."

She didn't move and Mordred was struck by a sudden, horrifying thought.

What if she was already dead? What if I came too late?

He ran up to her and felt the pulse in her wrist. She was still in this world, still alive. But from the look of it, she wouldn't be much longer.

"Morgana, wake up!" he said. He ran a hand through his hair, waited. He shook her arm, so scared of hurting her more. "Come on, we need to go now!"

The dragon was waking up instead, and growled weakly at Mordred. Mordred ignored it.

"You wake her up then!"

The dragon snorted at him but he seemed to understand and started licking Morgana's hand. And her hand moved, flicked back at the dragon.

"Yes, come on! You can wake up!"

Mordred waited. The time inched past but then finally, she opened her eyes.

Mordred wished she hadn't.

There was nothing of Morgana left in those eyes. They were blank and empty and Mordred felt a flood of anger slowly infilterate every part of his body. Morgana cringed back into her dragon, her eyes darting wildly. Mordred breathed deeply.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." he said. "You're safe now. I'll get you out of this place."

She looked at him, opened her mouth.

"Wa-" her voice are cracked and unused. Mordred waited.

"Who-" she managed to slip out. "...are...you?"

Mordred turned his face away.

"A friend. Come on, we need to go now."

Morgana tried to stand up but she fell over again.

"I.. can't.."

Silently, Mordred picked her up in his arms. She was so light, like a bird. Far too light. It scared him. She tried to protest but couldn't. She didn't have the strength left in her. Mordred walked through the door and she flinched as the light hit her. Mordred was about to cover her eyes she stopped him.

"No. I want-"

She was crying. Mordred let her. It was better than seeing no emotion in her eyes. He walked with her until they couldn't see the tower anymore and then he stopped. He would rather get to a safe place on foot but it wasn't a good idea with Morgana so close to death as she was. Besides, he almost hoped that Emrys would notice him transporting, even though Morgana would be in more danger then. He was angry.

Mordred lay Morgana down on the grass and using a stick, drew a circle around them. She was too tired to question what he was doing. He whispered a few words under his breath and the magic started gathering around them, ready to take them far, far away.

And then he was there. He was stopping them.

Of course he had detected it, the portal. Mordred was glad.

"Mordred!"

Emrys.

"What are you doing? You don't understand-" Merlin shouted as he ran towards them.

Leave now, Emrys. As a warning, he shot a beam of magic as Merlin who stopped, seeming to finally understand that Mordred was serious. Merlin raised his hands, like he was calming a wild horse.

"Mordred, Morgana isn't who you think she is anymore. I didn't want to tell you but you have to understand. She-"

"I already know." Mordred said aloud. "Do you take me for a fool?"

"She tried to kill Uther-"

"Which I would gladly do in her place if given the chance,"

Merlin's face grew shuttered.

"You don't understand." he repeated.

Mordred gathered up his magic, wanting to get away. He didn't want to know this Emrys. It was then when he heard a small cry behind him. He spun around and saw Morgana collapsed on the ground. He hadn't even seen Merlin's lips move.

"How dare you-"

"She's only unconscious, don't worry," Merlin replied. "Now step aside, Mordred."

Mordred stared at him.

Do you know that she's given up? Do you know that she doesn't even know who I am anymore?

"Mordred, calm down,"

"Do you know that this is all your fault?!" he shouted and sent all the messages Morgana had sent him to Emrys. He watched him stumble backwards, smiled a little. Waited for him to leave. But Emrys walked towards Mordred instead.

"Morgana is dangerous. She can't be free."

"She's your friend!" Mordred shouted. "It was the three of us together, the ones with magic! Oh, except you never told Morgana, did you? You let her suffer and change until she had to realize, like me, that we aren't safe in Camelot while Uther is King! He hates us, and we hate him back." He stopped and then his voice went quiet. "Except you were too much of a coward to even tell your own kin, you were so scared. The great Emrys – scared!" He laughed lightly. "And because you were – are – such a coward, this is what happened." Mordred picked Morgana up. "Look at her. Look at your friend. Look at what you've done to her!" Mordred watched the look of guilt crossing Emrys face.

"It wasn't my choice, Mordred. The King ordered she was locked away."

"Why not just in the dungeons then?"

"It had to be safe, and the Pendragons have used this tower for centuries to trap witches."

Morgana is not a witch.

"You know what I mean. Anyway, that's had important. What I'm trying to say is that it is nothing to do with me!"

"Then why didn't she succeed in her mission? I know you and everyone in the castle. You're the only that could have stopped her."

"Arthur-"

"Don't be stupid. She has magic and Arthur doesn't."

"I couldn't just let her kill Uther!"

"Oh, and here's another thing. The plate in your wardrobe. You knew she was imprisoned and no never ever tried to help her escape."

"Mordred, I-"

"You could have easily, you know. I managed it and I'm not half as powerful as you. But you didn't do anything. You let your friend waste away in a tower until she died."

"I was going to talk to Arthur!"

"And that would be too late! Don't you get it, Emrys? She was dying!"

"But I sent her food – she would already be dead if I hadn't. Why would she die?"

Mordred almost pitied Emrys.

She didn't want to live anymore.

"Uther wanted her burnt on the stake. I-" Merlin stopped. "I thought this would be better."

So close, so very close, Mordred thought.

"But she is still dangerous, and must be contained."

"A friend."

"Don't you get it? She has changed!"

"No, you have and I never noticed it." Mordred said. "You're a true slave to the Pendragons' wishes now."

Merlin was silent, a grim expression on his face.

"Let us go," Mordred said.

"No, I can't."

Merlin whispered a spell, a binding spell to trap both of them. Mordred's eyes flashed golden and pure magic flowed out of him. He sent it at the spell Merlin had made, tearing it to shreds. Then he set the magic on Merlin himself. Merlin buffed it aside.

"We don't have to fight!" he shouted.

Yes, I do.

Mordred attacked with renewed strength, sending fire, a whirlwind, anything he could think of. Merlin pushed the attacks aside with such ease that it just infuriated Mordred more. How dare he?! Merlin didn't even try to fight back properly, only sending trapping spells, not anything that would actually hurt. It was then that Mordred realised he actually had an advantage over the greatest mage the world had ever known. Merlin was still afraid of hurting them but Mordred wanted to hurt him, make him feel the pain Morgana had felt, all alone in the tower.

Then one of Merlin's spell trapped Morgana's dragon. It whimpered, twisting around in it's newly formed cage. Mordred tried to free it but the locks on the cage were far too intricate to undo in a moment. And Merlin would aim for Morgana next. Mordred took one last look at the dragon, knowing Morgana would hate him for this. But Morgana had to come first.

"Goodbye, Aithusa," he whispered to dragon and threw a wall of magic towards Merlin, distrating him. He held Morgana in his arms and together, they transported away.

Merlin was left with the dragon and Mordred last words echoing in his mind.

I will never forget this, Emrys, and I will never forgive.