Merry Christmas & Holidays to all my readers! Hope it's a lovely one for all of you!
Haley Renee I can't tell who the people are! It would spoil the surprise but you will find out soon! Thank you for the review you are EPIC! All reviewers are AWESOME!
I have you go watch the last new Merlin now, I can't believe I have to wait till Oct to see season 5 *dies on the floor*
When Morgana could not longer see Merlin from the window, she wondered why she was still standing there, why she hadn't shouted out to him, stopped him from going. Deep down she knew he wouldn't be harmed, at least not on this particular hunt. Not the way he was in the dream. The old black cloaked man had said the three in the circle were her destiny, desire, and her doom. Inside her she knew there were challenges ahead of her, ones Merlin would be there for as he would become one of the three in her life.
The old black cloaked man hadn't been specific, hadn't said which of the three Merlin was. She couldn't deny that she desired him, she had for a long time. But she couldn't be sure he was the desire the sorcerer indicated in the dream since she didn't know who, or what was hidden under the other cloaks.
He could be my destiny, she thought as the edges of her lips uplifted ever so slightly. Merely seconds later the uplift in her lips descended and worry flowed over her, he could be my doom…
She loathed herself the moment the thought crossed her, it was Merlin she was thinking of, how could he possibly be her doom. The man who held her in his arms at the feast, swayed with her, and held her from behind when they spotted Gwen and Arthur in the castle. He was the man who confessed he loved her, "He can't be my doom," she whispered.
"Who can't be what?" Gwen asked from behind her.
Morgana whirled around instantly and put on her fake smile with ease. "Arthur," she said quickly, "he can't be arrogant all the time, going out to protect his people… I suppose he has a good side, just don't tell him I said so," she lied quickly. She hated lying to Gwen, but she couldn't keep looking like she was puzzled and confused and in a dreamlike state, she had been acting funny for the past few days. Ever since the night of the feast with Merlin.
"He really isn't that bad," Gwen said with a smile that lasted a little to long.
Morgana cleared her throat to remind Gwen she was in the room, for which Gwen quickly recovered herself, "Shall we get you dressed and down to breakfast? The King has asked for your company again this morning."
Morgana nodded and proceeded with Gwen to where she laid out the clothes for the day. She dressed in silence still analyzing every aspect of the dream and going back and forth whether Merlin would return safely or not. Accompanied with worse thoughts about her doom.
She was relived Uther had asked for her at breakfast, it was a welcome distraction from the storm brewing inside her, although she had no idea how she would be able to eat.
Morgana made her way down to where she normally had breakfast everyday. She found Uther already seated with a servant placing a plate in front of him.
Uther and the servant looked up when the bar on the door made it's usual sound, "Morgana, I'm so glad you could join me, please sit."
"Thank you my lord," she said a little taken. He seemed much more jolly and happy then the normal mornings she ate with him, he had even stood up when she entered the room. She was especially curious of his happiness given Arthur and the knights had just ridden out.
It started out normally, small chit chat about the court and Arthur leaving. Morgana had even forgotten he had acted strangely when she first walked in up until he said, "Morgana we have an important matter to discuss."
She looked up from her meal and put down the goblet she was about to drink from to give her complete attention. She leaned back in her chair arms crossed, very anxious of what he could need to talk to her about that was so serious.
"You have spent a good amount of time with Prince Erec thus far during his stay, how do you think he is enjoying his visit?" he asked.
"Oh, well, he seems to be enjoying Camelot, I've shown him the castle and the grounds, I think he takes Camelot to be a welcoming kingdom," she said surprised by the question.
Uther nodded, "And what do you make of the visiting Prince?"
"He seems to be a gentlemen and respected noble."
Uther smiled, "I'm glad you feel so," he said going back to his food.
Morgana's forehead scrunched with more confused then ever, "Why do you ask this sire?"
Uther looked up again, he looked to be wrestling with himself on if he wanted to make his intentions known right then and there. Finally he gave a look that told Morgana he was going to explain.
"I was planning on waiting to announce this at a later time, a feast or official circumstance perhaps, but it's a very exciting matter and I can't keep it from you any longer. King Rience and I have been speaking and we have agreed that yourself and Prince Erec are well beyond the years intended for marriage and we feel the two of you would not only make a lovely pair, but also an ideal allegiance between the two kingdoms."
Morgana lost her breath for a few seconds, bewildered by what he had just told her, she had to have heard him incorrectly, "I'm sorry, what did you say my lord?"
"Prince Erec and yourself are to be joined in marriage, Morgana."
Even though he said it plainly she still thought she heard him wrong and began to feel slightly like she was loosing control. What with the dream this morning and this news now she felt like she was at a loss and other people were controlling every aspect of her being, which made her slightly defensive.
She shook her head, "No, no," she even laughed a little with how absurd it was, "I can't marry him, I don't know him, I don't love him," she said her voice rising with every word.
"You will grow to know him and possibly even love him," Uther said calmly, almost like he was expecting this resistance.
"I don't want to grow to know him, and I won't be marrying him, I don't care what you say," she knew she had gone a little to far with her last words as the vein on Uther's forehead was now slightly showing.
He dropped his spoon and looked seriously at her, "I am your guardian, you are my ward and I have treated you no less then my own child, I have given you everything Morgana and I suggest you think before you speak to your King again in that manner and you will be marrying the Prince whether you object or not, believe it or not I know what is best for you."
Her anger was hot and rising like dragons breath. She scraped the chair legs against the floor hoping it left a mark, "You care what's best for the kingdom, not what's best for me or my life," she shouted and made her way for the door.
She clutched the handles firmly and wrenched the door open. Before she stormed off she turned to him "And I'm not marrying him, no matter what you say," she stormed down the hall fuming back to her chamber, away from the King.
Merlin was crouched by the bank of a skinny stream. He filled a soft cloth canteen with water, not paying attention as his mind wandered to thoughts of Morgana. In the middle of picturing her figure in the window and her worrisome face high above watching him ride off, he felt a blow on the right side of his face, just at his chin. Then saw Arthur's canteen roll along the forest ground.
"Not falling asleep yet are you Merlin? We've only been out for an hour after all," Arthur asked riding into view atop his horse, followed by Lancelot and the other knights.
"I wouldn't be falling asleep if I wasn't busy running all your errands this morning," Merlin mumbled under his breath.
"Wouldn't say that so loudly if I were you," Gwaine said riding over to him, he jumped off his horse and held out a hand to his friend.
Merlin took it allowing Gwaine to help him up, "How could he hear me over the sound of his own voice."
Gwaine chuckled, "Your right, how silly of me."
The other knights dismounted from their horses and took to the stream as well for a refreshing drink. Merlin took back to his horse and replace the canteen he had filled, then closed his eyes and leaned his back against the horse. He couldn't help worrying about her, he knew from her expression something had been wrong and it killed him that he couldn't go to her before they rode off.
He opened his eyes a few minutes later, only because the feeling of the forest changed. Everything went silent and still. Every branch had halted, every animals stopped, and when he looked over to the knights they were in a frozen state as well.
Merlin rustled over to them, meeting Elyan first. He knelt down trying to shake him to make him move, but he wouldn't budge, not even his chain mail would move an inch. It's like they were in a state of shock. All there eyes were wide open and they stared blankly at whatever there eyes had settled on before they lost control.
"There's no use continuing, they will not move…Emrys," Merlin stood slowly and turned around, finding an old sunken faced man draped in a black cloak clutching a staff. He stood quite still all except his cloak, like Merlin he was the only thing in the forest that moved with the wind
"What have you done to them?" Merlin demanded.
The old man glanced at Elyan for less then a second, "They will return to their original state, when we are through," the man turned around and began walking toward two trees who's branches hung low. Merlin took notice that the branches, in almost an artful way, swooped enough to make it look like the old man was walking through an archway.
"Coming Emrys?" the old man asked with a slight glance back to Merlin.
Merlin followed the man taking every step with caution. Just as he neared the archway he stopped feeling the magic surrounding it. It was heavy and thick, the feeling he always got when he was near the old religion.
Merlin stopped just before going through the archway, "Who are you?"
The man faced him and stared intently, "I am the Oneiromancy, I was once associated with the Druids and now have taken a path of my own, I give insight through dreams."
Merlin eyed him suspiciously unsure of whether to believe him or not, he certainly looked the part. Suddenly a thought came to Merlin about what the man just said, "So…am I dreaming now?"
.
The old man smiled slyly, "You were teetering on the edge in a daydream, I simply slipped in."
"That's why the knights appear to be frozen," Merlin said more as a statement then a question.
"Precisely."
"What do you want from me?" Merlin asked.
"I only wish to convey a message, a message pertaining to the hunt you seek."
It confirmed to Merlin that whatever they were hunting had something to do with magic, he was sure of it.
"When you find the beast," he said the word beast with more nonchalance then when Arthur or Uther used it, "you must not let Arthur bring it back to Camelot or Uther will certainly do away with it, once you find it you must find a safe space for it, convince the knights to retreat back to Camelot then come back for it. It would in fact be wise it Arthur does not see the beast."
Merlin looked the man over again, now trusting him less then he had before, he was about to say something when the man cut him off, "It will have more meaning when you look upon the beast."
"What do I do with it when I come back for it."
"It will have an important impact on the future, that is all I will say."
The man lifted his staff twice and hit the forest floor with it, a slightly stronger wind came upon them. Merlin turned his head with the sound of the wind and noticed the knights capes had started swaying again. He looked back at the man to catch him before he left, Merlin knew the knights moving meant the man would soon vanish.
The man was now three feet in the air and floating upward, "Follow exactly as I said Emrys, and take care, for the beast will either be destiny, desire, or doom."
The old man flew upward in a rush, causing a grand gust of wind that knocked Merlin down on his back. When he opened his eyes again he heard the sounds of the forest, the scurry of animals, and laughter from the knights.
"Merlin?" Merlin sat up upon hearing Percival call over to him, "You alright?"
"Why are you on the ground?" Leon chimmed in.
"I…tripped," Merlin said getting up and looking back at where the man had stood and risen upward. He then looked at the branches making the archway, he still felt the thick layer of magic just beyond the branches. He walked slowly away backwards, not daring to take his eyes from the spot where the old man vanished.
"Watch out Merlin," he heard Elyan say as he bumped into him.
"Sorry," Merlin muttered still gazing at the archway.
"Merlin, are you alright?" Lancelot whispered near his ear looking concerned, he knew Merlin well enough to ask, "Was it magic?"
Merlin just nodded, finally talking his eyes off the spot and facing Lancelot, "Yes, yes it was."
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