* I'm sorry my chapters are so short. I find I write in little bits way better. Anyways, this chapter has some Arthur and Guinevere and Merlin and Morgana, which makes it double the fun! I was going to make this story have an unhappy ending because the BBC has turned me into a bit of a sadist writer, but I think it would be more fun to continue the Merlin and Morgana antics around Camelot with a side of Arthur and Guinevere antics. I prophesize there will be a happy ending to this fanfiction!
*If Merlin is seeming like a little bit of a stick in the mud about him and Morgana its because he is scared of them being found out by Arthur, or worse, Uther, but Morgana is too infatuated to really care.
*sidhe: means fairy-(pronounced shee)
*Also, if there is a seduction scene in the future chapters, be aware it may suck. Writing those kinds of scenes is not my biggest talent.
Arthur could have sworn on his life that was Morgana. The girl's hair had been covered, and she was wearing the clothes of a commoner, but her face was too similar to Morgana's to leave Arthur without suspicion. She was very recognizable. But the woman had fled, a man that looked suspiciously like Merlin running after her. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen either of them all day...
Guinevere had said Morgana was not feeling well and had taken to her bed...
Gaius said he had no clue where Merlin was, but had figured he went to collect the herbs he hadn't collected yesterday, claiming he was too lazy. Arthur had rolled his eyes then, thinking on how Merlin was always too lazy to do something. He had bought the excuse at first, but now he was beginning to get suspicious. And if his suspicions were right, why on earth were Merlin and Morgana participating in the snowball fight together?
Arthur followed them, intent on either confirming or denying his suspicions.
The man was definitely tall enough to be Merlin. But from the back he couldn't tell for sure.
The pair was running fast, as if their lives depended on it, which heightened his suspicion even more.
Why run unless you had something to run from?
"Morgana!" He called out. "Merlin!"
By saying their names, he hoped to frighten them and make them turn around so he could catch a glimpse of their faces.
Neither figure turned their head.
Arthur watched as the pair continued running out of his vision.
With a shake of his head, he turned back and headed for the castle. He was not going to waste his energy running after the pair. Still, he was determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Passing through the courtyard, he noticed the snowball fight was continuing, though now the visibility was made possible by hundreds of torches lit along the walls rather than the daylight.
Arthur looked up in amazement at the beautiful castle, which left him in awe even though he had grown up in it, walking quickly towards the entrance.
Then suddenly, he was lying on the cold stone of the courtyard, his chest sore from bumping into something.
Guinevere stood above him, a horrified look on her face. "Oh, my lord!"
"Guinevere?" Arthur said absently, realizing the something had been her.
She dropped the wicker basket she was carrying, offering him her hand up. "Oh my goodness, I am so sorry! Please forgive me, sire!"
"Stop calling me 'sire'." Arthur did not accept her hand, but got up myself. He was not one to accept help from the ladies!
"I'm sorry, sire," Gwen babbled, "I mean Arthur. I truly am sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going."
Arthur rubbed his back, sore from the impact, and shook his head. "No, trust me, you were not the only one not watching your step."
Guinevere bent down to pick up her basket.
"Say," Arthur began, "Now that I have run into you, I have a question to ask."
Gwen's eyes darted upwards. "Yes?" she asked, rising to her feet again.
"Where on earth is Morgana? I've not seen her all day." Arthur arched his back, feeling his spine crack into a more comfortable position.
"Ummmmmm, resting," Guinevere focused her eyes on her basket, which was teeming full of various fruits.
"Is she now?" Arthur mused. "She has been resting all day then?"
"Yes," Guinevere said, a little too quickly for Arthur's liking.
"So if I were to go up and see her she would be there?" Arthur eyed Guinevere, who had cast her eyes down, clearly avoiding all eye contact.
"Well, um, maybe she has gone out?" Gwen suggested.
"You just said she was resting!" She was definitely lying.
"Oops. Um, listen. You can't tell the king! If he finds out then she will know I said something and then she will kill me!" Guinevere cried, clutching her basket closer to her.
"Why were her and Merlin running into the woods together?" Arthur questioned.
"What!" Guinevere's face wore an expression of genuine confusion. "They were just supposed to participate in the snowball fight…"
"Aha!" Arthur declared triumphantly. "I knew that was Morgana! Wait…was that your dress she was wearing. You helped them didn't you?"
"Maybe." Gwen didn't give him a definitive answer.
"Uther is going to skin them both alive!" Arthur chuckled.
"No! You can't tell! Arthur, please…" Gwen pleaded.
"But Merlin and Morgana are together…in the woods…alone…" Arthur made vivid facial expressions for emphasis.
Gwen shrugged. "So?"
Arthur's jaw dropped at her comment. "So? SO? Guinevere! It is most unseemly! He is a servant. She is a lady."
"Oh Arthur!" Gwen rolled her eyes in response, picking an apple out of the basket and biting into it. "Morgana ran because she was clearly scared of being found out by you, and Merlin scared because he was helping her. They were just trying to avoid being found out. I highly doubt they were going to the woods for a lover's rendezvous!"
Arthur nodded with a laugh. "You're right. Who would even be interested in Merlin! Certaintly not Morgana, that's for sure!"
Gwen nodded. "See, no need for concern. Morgana just wanted a little escape from daily court life. Merlin just went along with her to make sure she was safe. No harm done."
Arthur, nodded, reassuring himself of this, then offered Gwen his arm. "Why don't we head in? I hear the new cook makes wonderful hot chocolate. It would please me if you would join me for some."
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Guinevere's statement had been incorrect.
A lover's rendezvous was exactly what was happening in the woods, underneath the cover of winter's darkness.
Once they had calmed down and assured themselves Arthur was gone, Merlin and Morgana had begun laughing at the whole situation.
Giddy with joy, Morgana had taken it upon herself to make her wish come true: to kiss in the snow. It was very dark out, and she doubted anyone would be patrolling the area when the festival was ongoing, so it had seemed the perfect place to spend some private time.
Merlin had not resisted her advances either, so that was a promising sign that he was still serious about their relationship.
And now that they had had the pleasure of experiencing each other's lips a few times, Morgana was noticing that Merlin was surprisingly talented in that department. She had questioned him about his prior experience with women, demanding to know how he was so wonderful at kissing. He had replied that it was just natural talent. That had earned him a smack from her.
She pulled away from him again, relieving herself of her already falling off hair scarf.
She sighed as she leaned back against the tree trunk. Merlin immediately began threading his fingers through her hair, mumbling, "Your hair…so soft….so beautiful." She enjoyed the tickling sensation of his fingers on her scalp, but was dismayed that she could not see Merlin's handsome face anymore. It was too dark.
"We should be getting back," Merlin said, tilting Morgana's chin up to kiss her once more.
She went to weave her arms around his back, enticing him to stay. She didn't care whether she could see him or not. She never wanted this night to end. So what if Arthur suspected her? She could make up a believable excuse.
But Merlin started to rise to his feet before she could reach for him.
She stuck out her lower lip, pouting like a child. "I don't want to go back."
Merlin grabbed her arms and lifted her off the ground. "I know. But it's getting dark. If we don't get out of here soon we will be stuck here all night."
Morgana shrugged. "I wouldn't mind that."
"Morgana…" Merlin, ever the sensible one, chided.
"Couldn't we go back to the tavern?" She asked.
That made Merlin laugh. "I don't think that's a great idea…I don't want to have to carry you home!"
"I will have you know I can hold my own!" She rebuked.
"Can you now?" Merlin chuckled. "I don't think I have ever seen you do any heavy drinking."
"Arthur took me to a tavern when I was fifteen and I got horribly drunk and Uther nearly killed him and I had the worst headache after and haven't been inclined to drink much since," she admitted.
Merlin laughed even harder. "I would pay money to see that!"
She slapped him again, then proceeded to put her hair back up in the hair scarf and cloak over her head. "It was not funny, trust me. I was in bed for days."
Merlin offered her his arm as the climbed back up the hill and towards the glittering castle of Camelot.
Seeing the hundreds of torches lighting the walls, Morgana breathed, "It is so beautiful! It looks like a sidhe castle."
"Then you must be the fairy queen," Merlin said.
Morgana turned to him with a smile. "I can be your fairy queen," she offered, wiggling her eyebrows.
Merlin didn't get the hint.
"I mean tomorrow," she added quickly, "Tomorrow in my new gown I think I will look like a winter fairy and I think you will enjoy the sight! That is all I meant. I'm sorry, I am being terribly forward in my actions aren't I?"
"Oh no, trust me, I do not mind." Merlin stopped to check if the path back into Camelot was safe for her to take.
Turning back to her, he nodded to say the coast was clear. "I am afraid our day is over, my lady."
Morgana shook her head defiantly. "No. It's not. Come to my chambers tonight."
Merlin looked bewildered. "Morgana!"
She stared straight into his eyes, her face straight. "I command it."
Merlin's eyes widened, realizing she was being serious.
"See you soon!" She smiled and began to walk across the courtyard with haste, leaving Merlin standing there, gaping at her.
And if he didn't come to her chambers, she would be making a trip to his!
