Next chapter! I knowww, it's been nearly a month since I last updated, buuuuut you will be pleased (or otherwise) to know I have the next one and a half chapters already written!
This chapter is set somewhere after 2x03 and before 2x08! :)
She was lying on the cold, stone floor of the throne room. Her throat was closing up, stopping her from breathing, suffocating her. A water skin lay by her side, trickling out liquid. Liquid laced with poison. She turned with wide, terrified eyes to the man she thought had loved her. He was kneeling beside her, and tried to hold her in him arms, whispering "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," over and over again. But she struggled to get away from him, the man who had poisoned her, but it was becoming harder. Her struggles became weaker until she finally succumbed to the black, blissful oblivion that was unconsciousness…
Morgana Pendragon woke, drawing air into her burning, oxygen-starved lungs, feeling as if she really had been poisoned. "MERLIN!" she screamed.
Merlin was walking back from the armoury after spending the evening and into the night polishing Arthur's armour and sharpening his sword. He was just passing the corridor beneath the stone staircase up to Morgana's chambers, ready to go straight through Gaius' quarters to his own bedroom and collapse onto his bed, when he heard the scream.
"MERLIN!"
He could recognise that voice anywhere. Immediately he raced up the stairs, his heart pounding and blood drumming in his ears.
Merlin burst into the room where Morgana was sobbing uncontrollably, still shouting his name.
"I'm here Morgana, I'm here," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her and she sobbed into his chest.
To his surprise, she suddenly stiffened and pulled away. "You… you tried to p-poison me…" she stared at him in confusion and fear.
"What?"
"You p-poisoned me!" she repeated through the sobs still wracking through her body.
"It was only a dream Morgana, I won't poison you, I promise." He pulled her close again, running his fingers through her tangled hair, confused and anxious. Why would he have tried to poison her? He knew that Morgana's dreams were not just dreams; they were visions. Visions of the future.
When her sobs subsided, she straightened up, sniffing and wiping away tears. "Merlin, I-I'm sorry, I know you wouldn't–"
"Shh, it's alright Morgana," he soothed her. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips – something which he was still getting over that he could now do – before sliding off the bed. "Lie down," he told her softly.
She lay back on her pillows, exhausted. Her mind was full of confusion, images from the nightmare still flashing through her mind. Merlin moved as if to leave but she stopped him.
"Merlin, please stay with me," she asked in a voice barely audible. She wanted him to be close to her and comfort her, to stay until she was asleep. Merlin hesitated for a moment and then nodded, and pulled up a chair next to the bed. He reached out to take her hand. Within minutes, she drifted into a dreamless sleep.
Merlin stayed, stroking her hand absent-mindedly, still mulling over her dream. Surely that was only one possible future? It didn't mean he would definitely poison her?
Maybe… maybe I poison her because the dragon is right, and she turns against Camelot… Merlin did not want to believe it, believe that Morgana, his Morgana, his love, would turn away from him and Camelot.
When they were together, Morgana rarely spoke of her magic. However, it was always on Merlin's mind. Every time they kissed, he felt his magic trying to reach out and entwine with hers. He would push it back down, but the feeling of guilt still wormed its way up. She had trusted him with everything… why couldn't he trust her with his secret?
When Morgana awoke to sunlight streaming into her room, the first thing she saw was Merlin; hand over hers, asleep in a chair, his head lolling forwards. He looked so peaceful in his sleep. She lay there, watching him with a small smile on her face.
But the smile faded as she remembered her dream. It was so vivid and real; she had felt the poison burning in her throat, the cold stone floor beneath her… the dream had terrified Morgana.
But that is all it was; a dream. That was what Morgana repeated to herself. She trusted Merlin with her life, quite literally; if he ever told Uther of her magic, she would surely be sentenced to death. Uther claimed to love her, but she was not planning on putting that love to the test by declaring she was a sorceress.
Just then she heard footsteps coming up the stone staircase towards her room. Panicking, she sat up, wildly thinking of a way to get Merlin out of sight.
"Good morning my lady, I-" Gwen opened the door and stopped short at the sight of Merlin, still asleep, holding hands with Morgana.
"I… we… it's not what it looks like?" Morgana tried. Gwen's look of confusion vanished after a few seconds and was replaced with a beaming smile.
"I knew it! I knew that you and Merlin would get together eventually!"
Morgana's pale cheeks flushed crimson. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," Gwen smiled.
Morgana smiled back slyly. "And if you and Arthur 'get together' as you put it, the four of us could have romantic dinners together!"
It was Gwen's turn to flush. Morgana turned back to look tenderly at Merlin. "I should probably wake him up now, shouldn't I?"
"Our crowned prince will kill him if he doesn't get his breakfast soon, so that would probably be a good idea," Gwen joked.
Just then, Merlin opened his eyes, blinked a few times and sat up. Then he jumped as he saw Morgana and Gwen staring at him, causing the chair to fall backwards and him to hit his head on the floor.
Both women burst out laughing, and Merlin flushed. Then he took in his surroundings. "Wait, I'm… Gwen!" He looked around in panic as he realised that Gwen had just found him in Morgana's chambers. Even though they had definitely not been doing what would spring to mind when one is found in a lady's chambers, he was, still, in her chambers. "It's… not what it looks like?"
This caused Gwen to laugh again. "I already know, Merlin! I have had my suspicions for a while, and Arthur seemed convinced-"
"Arthur?" Morgana asked incredulously.
"Ah. That would be my fault…" Merlin said sheepishly.
Morgana gave him a questioning look.
"Well… after you returned from the druid camp," Merlin glanced quickly at Gwen, who still did not know Morgana's true purpose there, "He saw me leaving your room afterwards, and told me… what was it? Oh yes, 'She can't be your friend, let alone anything else'."
Morgana gave an unladylike snort of derision. "That hypocrite!"
Merlin turned to the window to see the sun already high in the sky. With a yelp he turned back to the two women. "Arthur is going to kill me; I am so late!" And with that, he practically sprinted to Arthur's chambers, grabbing a plate of food from a passing servant to use as the prince's breakfast.
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