Chapter 7

"Something is wrong."

Cenred lifted his eyebrow at her.

"You told me that taking Camelot would be easy. You said that you had inside help."

Morgause turned to him.

"And were you not close to success. Your men had almost scaled the walls. It is not my fault they were too slow. We did have inside help. I felt the staff that I gave them. It is not my fault if they were spotted and it was destroyed. "

He turned away from her slightly, not enjoying her rage being aimed at him.

"But that is what is wrong. The staff was made from the wood from the Rowan tree. Someone with magic is helping Camelot."

Cenred's brow creased.

"Why would they do that? They need reminding about who started the purge against their kind."

"The spell I have over my little puppet keeps failing."

He turned back to her.

"Is there anything you could do about it?"

"No but I will have to keep an eye on them."

"Merlin has been acting a bit odd recently." Arthur commented.

Morgana sighed with relief.

"He was actually helping with the fighting."

It was rare that she could have alone time with Arthur. They use to be inseparable when she first arrived. But duty and age caused them to drift apart.

Until Merlin came along.

Morgana had enjoyed being closer to Arthur again. It reminded her that she would always have someone that would look out for her.

"Fighting?"

Arthur turned to her.

"It was a bar fight. This guy came in and asked for more money than the woman had."

"And so you became her knight in shining armour."

"I must say, I do like playing the hero." He said with a smile.

Morgana gave him a short laugh.

"But you are the heir to the throne. Can you afford to play hero?"

"Are you feeling okay? You just sounded like my father."

The both laughed for a while.

"We need to do this more often." Arthur said, still smiling widely at her. "I have missed you. I have missed this. We used to be so close."

"I have missed this too."

Arthur had then gone on to mention about the man that saved him and Morgana was intrigued by his version of events.

Arthur had said that he didn't know who had shot the arrow and she hoped that he had.

She prayed to every god and goddess out there that it wasn't Merlin.

Morgana pushed open the door of Merlin's room and stepped inside. She hadn't been in here since Gwen's father had died. She was still suffering from the consequence of her actions.

"You're a noble."

"Excuse me." Morgana bit back.

"You can tell with you noble woman. It is all this head up shoulders back show that you have going on. Even when relaxed you still do it."

She stood there, dumbfounded by his bluntness.

The man had long hair and was unshaven and was walking around the room with a limp.

"Did you do that saving Arthur?"

"I wouldn't have if I knew he was a noble. He is even worse. He is a prince."

"You obviously have something against nobles so please enlighten me to why you hate us so much?"

"Look at you. All high and mighty as if nothing could touch you." He said waving towards Morgana. "You don't know the hardships of this world because you are too caught up in your games to notice what the people actually want."

She nodded.

"I can understand where you come from. I do see the suffering Uther has brought to Camelot."

The man opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to form the right words.

"You agree?"

"Of course. I don't like seeing the common folk suffering. But I believe there is more to it than that."

He looked down at the floor for a while before answering.

"My father was a knight for Caerleon. He died in battle." He said thoughtfully. "My mother went to the King for help but he turned her away. We were penniless."

"My father died in battle as well. Unfortunately my legal guardian is the one that sent him on his mission. So we are not so different. As I know your story, please give me the honour of your name?"

"Gwaine."

"Morgana."

"Your beauty is just how everyone has described it." He said, taking Merlin's only seat.

"Now isn't the time to charm me. Did you see the person who shot the arrow?"

Gwaine thought about it.

"It was either the thug that Arthur started on or it was Merlin. They were the only two it could have been."

Morgana sighed.

"Do you think you could keep an eye on Merlin for me? Just he … he hasn't been the same recently."

Gwaine gave her a knowing smile.

"Hasn't been the same? Are you sure it is that?"

"What else could it be?" Morgana questioned.

"I just thought that maybe the posh boys were a bit too much for you."

She was stunned to silence.

"Are they then?"

"Are who?" She said, shaking herself out of her daze.

"The posh boys are. Are just simple peasants easier to get in between the covers?"

"I have no idea what you are insinuating."

"You like Merlin. I wouldn't go as strong as love because you are still working it out but there is something there."

How the hell does this guy know? Morgana thought. Is it really that obvious?

"Don't worry sweetheart .Your secret is safe with me." Gwaine said with a wink.

"His saddle doesn't look secure." Uther commented.

It was easy to see which one Arthur was in the mêlée. He was one of the strongest out there but Morgana could see Uther's fears.

Arthur was wobbling about a lot and almost fell off a number of different times.

She had to help him but knew the risks of using her magic, especially so close to Uther. But she couldn't leave his side now. Not that she knew how to use her magic or any spells.

Morgana was glad that the clouds moved out of the way of the sun as she raised her hand to cover her eyes.

Here goes nothing.

She thought about what she wanted to happen … at it just seemed to work. Arthur stopped wobbling about and for the first time since the mêlée started, sat up straight.

Morgana turned to Uther and saw his brow creased in confusion.

"Anything the matter sire."

"Someone must have just used magic." He mumbled. "That saddle is now secure."

"Then someone is watching over him. They must have thought over the risks but decided to do it anyway. They could have saved his life. Arthur could have fallen off and been trampled. After what you did to their kind, they deserve to have mercy."

She could see Uther mulling it over.

"Maybe just this once."

Morgana slowly let out the breath she didn't realise she was holding.

It seemed too easy to persuade him not to send guards into the crowds. But she was glad of it.