Chapter 7: Reprieve

Time itself held it's breath as all eyes fell to Uther Pendragon, waiting for his confirmation that the punishment was concluded. Waiting for his word to release them from this spectacle.

Waiting for an absolution that would not come.

Unable to hold back any longer, Arthur stepped out from beside his Father and hurried forward to support Morgana and help her to the bed, guilt and remorse stamped into his features.

"Wait!" commanded the King, stopping Arthur abruptly in his tracks.

Uther slowly walked passed his son and lowered himself onto his right knee in front of his erstwhile daughter. Reaching out he took hold of her chin and slowly raised her head until Morgana looked him in the eye. Her dark hair fell in tangled strands over her face, her eyes red and bloodshot from the effort of keeping the raging newfound force hidden inside and her whole body was trembling from exhaustion.

"Are you now ready to tell me where you have hidden the Sorcerer?" the King asked calmly.

Gwen, Merlin and Arthur exchanged worried looks, unsure at this new turn of events. Surely the King would not press her yet further?

Shaking visibly, Morgana looked at Uther in abject horror and disbelief, "You still think that I am lying to you?"

Releasing her, Uther rose once more to his feet looking down at her in disgust, "So – you would still defy me?"

Morgana raised her head painfully to stare fully at her guardian, her lips trembling with anger, "I tell you I don't know anything!" she cried vehemently.

With a cry of rage, Uther turned to Morgana's dresser and impetuously swept everything onto the floor. A large gilded mirror toppled from its stand and exploded noisily onto the flag-stones sending shards of glass spinning in all directions. For Merlin, that moment lasted what felt like an eternity. As the mirror plummeted down to the floor, revolving on its own axis, Merlin was sure that he saw the likeness of a face deep in the shadows of the room reflected back at him. Merlin bent his head forward and concentrated on the shiny surface, even as the mirror impacted and the surface buckled and shattered into a thousand pieces. His eyes fell on one particular shard and without pausing for thought Merlin's bright blue eyes flashed gold as he commanded it to remain in place. There, half hidden by the heavy velvet drapes at the window and staring intently at the crumpled figure of Morgana were the unmistakeable features of a red haired woman. Releasing the small sliver of glass, Merlin swung his head round to the area that the woman had been but he could see nothing but dust and shadows. Surely he could not have been mistaken… he had seen a face he was sure of it.

Uther stood with his back to the room, hands flexing angrily at his sides as Morgana sat swaying slightly on the cold stone floor, her body near the edge of breakdown.

"You WILL answer me," ordered Uther coldly.

"I have answered you…" said Morgana weakly, her voice breaking as she spoke, "What do you want me to say?"

Uther turned to regard his Ward once more, seeming to weigh different options in his mind before finally nodding slowly.

"Very well," he said at last, clasping his hands tightly behind his back.

Gwen let out a sigh of relief at these words, surely then the King was satisfied? Arthur gave Merlin a troubled look… he knew his Father better.

"You obviously have not learned your lesson child, so we shall begin again. Guards, bind her hands to the post."

"No!" cried Gwen in horror, moving forward to throw herself in front of her mistress, only to be held back by Merlin looking nervously at the King.

"Father you can't!" exclaimed Arthur at the same time, finding his voice at last and moving quickly to confront his Father, even as the two guards stepped forward to carry out the King's command.

Morgana let out a plaintive cry as she was seized roughly by the guards and pulled back up against the bedpost. Her arms were stretched high above her head and her hands bound tightly to the post, securing her in place. Without an ounce of strength left, Morgana simply hung there helplessly, her trembling hands quickly losing feeling as the ropes dug mercilessly into her wrists. Her vision swam as she struggled to maintain consciousness and fight the rising wave of darkness that threatened to envelope her.

"I warn you, do not fight me on this Arthur," growled Uther menacingly, "I will find the answers I'm looking for."

"And none want those answers more than I," agreed Arthur, seeking desperately to placate the King, "But I do not believe this to be an effective method, Morgana cannot take much more of this and then the answers that we seek will be lost anyway… if she does indeed have them."

Uther pursed his lips, looking slowly at his Son, "You believe that she does not?"

"Morgana has betrayed you in the past it is true but when she was discovered she openly owned up to her crimes," replied Arthur, desperately grasping at straws, "She is not one to cower from the consequences of her actions. I believe that if she were guilty she would have confessed it to us by now, even if she still refused to give up the woman."

The vein in Uther's temple pulsed feverishly as he struggled to fit this new theory into the confines of his judgement, "That still does not explain the cold hard evidence that has been stacked up against her."

"No it does not and you had no choice but to take the action you have, however I believe there is a possibility… that magic may be involved," answered Arthur carefully, consciously not contradicting his Father, especially before an audience.

"Do not allow sentimentality to blind you my Son;" said Uther scornfully, "Magic is an easy scapegoat."

"No Father," said Arthur tentatively, "It is merely that others before now have used magic to twist events to their advantage. What if that is the case now?"

"What possible advantage would that woman have to gain in making us believe Morgana released her from the dungeon?"

"It would buy her time Sire; if we are interrogating Morgana then we are not searching for her directly. Who better to frame than the King's own Ward?"

Sir Llewellyn shifted expectantly before them; whip in hand at the ready awaiting his final command. Uther's eyes flicked from his Son to his Ward hanging pitifully before him and Arthur saw the first signs of doubt take root and sprout in the King's expression.

"You truly believe that magic may be involved?" asked Uther.

There! Merlin, was sure he heard a low hiss coming from somewhere amongst the shadows of the room but, try as he might, he could see no sign of any creature. Gwen gave him a puzzled look as he continued to peer, openly perplexed, at the curtains.

"I do Sire," confirmed Arthur, eager to take advantage of his Father's wavering resolve, "My Knights are following a number of leads as we speak."

"And you felt no need to mention this until now?" demanded Uther, his annoyance mounting.

"I had nothing definite Sire and like you, I believed the seemingly irrefutable evidence that pointed to Morgana having a part in this. Now however I must ask for time to conduct my investigations."

Again a flash of uncertainty passed across Uther's face and Arthur leaned forward, speaking in a low voice to his Father to drive his point home with one final push, "You have always been a just ruler Father. If there is just one small shred of possibility that Morgana is not to blame then I trust that you will grant her clemency."

Uther looked at his Son searchingly as he weighed up his options. On the one hand, he had evidence that Morgana had betrayed him and not only that, she may have the information he needed to re-capture the sorcerer woman. The thought of one of their kind roaming free in his beloved Camelot even now made his blood boil. On the other hand however… if Morgana was innocent in this and enchanted trickery was at the root of this whole unpleasant business, then he would never forgive himself for punishing her further. What she had received so far was done and none could say it was unjustified… but he would allow Arthur's men to carry out their investigations before he pressed her further for answers. The gates of Camelot were locked after all, no one was going anywhere.

"I want you to report to me as soon as your men bring news," said the King at last, sweeping past Arthur toward the door and signalling to the other members of the court to depart.

"Yes Father," agreed Arthur, his voice strong with confidence as he watched Uther leave the chambers without as much as a second glance at his Ward.

Gwen rushed to Morgana's side, gently taking her head in her hands and crying out for help to release her mistress from her binds.

"Sir Llewellyn you are dismissed," said Arthur curtly as he covered the distance to Morgana in two strides, removing a small blade from his doublet as he went and throwing it deftly to Merlin.

"She's barely conscious," Gwen whispered anxiously as Merlin began cutting through the tight cords that bound Morgana's wrists.

Arthur dropped quickly to his knees; carefully put his arm underneath Morgana and gripped her gently around her waist, mindful of her bloodied back. With a loud snap Merlin broke through the bindings with the blade and her arms fell limply to her sides, her head lolling onto Arthur's shoulder as she sank lifelessly into his arms. Rising awkwardly he motioned for Merlin to take her feet and together they lifted the inert form of the Lady Morgana onto the bed, laying her face down on the coverlet.

Gwen clasped Morgana's limp hand in her own and carefully moved her hair out of her eyes, gently shaking her hand in an attempt to rouse her. Morgana's brow creased as she once more became aware of her surroundings and the pain of her back crept into the recesses of her mind, dragging her pitilessly into wakefulness once more.

"She's stirring!" Gwen cried as Morgana groaned hoarsely beside her, "Can you hear me? …Morgana?"

"Is it over?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Gwen squeezed her hand reassuringly, "Yes my Lady. It's over."

Morgana's entire body seemed to sag visibly in relief at this as she let out a strangled sob, "He did not believe me! Why did he not believe me Gwen?"

"I don't know," said Gwen helplessly, shaking her head in bewilderment.

"You believe me… don't you?"

"Hush now, of course I believe you," answered Gwen soothingly, "you must not trouble yourself with these things now, Arthur's men will find out the truth don't worry."

Morgana sank back onto the bed with a sigh, her hollow eyes closing briefly at the exertion of her outburst.

Arthur turned away at these words with a troubled look on his face. His lie to his Father may have bought them a few hours reprieve, a day at best. But would it be enough?

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