To the Guest who left a review on Chapter 7 today (Jan 15), I thought I would clear up the timeline a little. It isn't perfect by any means, but I don't think it should be as confusing as you've made it sound. I did certainly play with time more than I probably should have, but when I originally started writing this piece, it wasn't meant to be long an in depth, and I had to go with what I had by that point, mistakes included.
Either way, the time line in my mind is as follows.
Camelot falls around 300 BC, which is ridiculously out of the generally accepted time slot for the Legends of King Arthur (Most often late 5th to early 6th century), but that's how this story goes. After Camelot, Morgana has her vision of Morgause condemning those with magic by exposing magic to the world. She seeks out Merlin's help to stop it from coming true, but Merlin is heart broken over what happened in Camelot and their affair etc, so he avoids her for about two hundred years. Caesar's first marriage takes place in 89 BC, and Morgana had attempted to be his first wife to satisfy her own ambition/boredom/what have you. Merlin hears of it, doesn't like it, intervenes, and they end up together for the eighty-ninety year span that Merlin spoke of with Arthur. The two thousand time period I often refer to starts at this moment because it marks the end of their extended physical relationship. I think that's probably the confusing part, so I am sorry about that. Then for the next 1500 years, Morgana comes and goes as she pleases every three to four hundred years, until the time of about King Henry VIII, when Morgause makes her first appearance fresh from banishment. Merlin doesn't want interrupt Arthur's quiet life, so he convinces Morgana to banish Morgause with just him, and they do so successfully. She doesn't handle it very well and disappears for the next five hundred or so years before she breaks into his apartment in the first chapter of where my story picks up.
I set out to make this explanation as not convoluted as possible, but I think that failed. Sorry, lol.
And finally, you mentioned millenniums and thousands and Caesar's reign and Arthur's reign, which I couldn't really figure out. Millenniums are periods of one thousand years, and Caesar died in 44 BC, making the end of his reign a total of 2057 years ago, about two thousand years or two millenniums for the purposes of my story. This puts Camelot's golden age at about 305 BC, about 2318 years ago, 2.3 millenniums. You said 2 thousand years would be the 1800's, and I assumed you meant two thousand years ago, however, the 1800's is about 200 years ago.
I hope this helped, and I didn't mean to sound defensive though I realize I might have come off that way, though I have no other way to speak with readers who are guests, and I would like everyone to enjoy this story if possible. So thank you for reading this far, and I do hope you continue reading! :)
Morgana made it to the large urban area where she was convinced she'd find Morgause. Despite the big city atmosphere, Morgana was able to sense Morgause's growing magic. Whenever the connection grew too weak, she turned back around to take a different road. After some trial and error, Morgana wound up pulling into the valet line of the biggest hotel in the city. A bellhop hurried over to load her two bags into a pushcart, and then escorted her into the hotel lobby. Morgana lingered for a moment, eyes scanning over the space. Her eyes stopped when she noticed a head of flawless blonde locks, eyes brown but lit up.
"The front desk is right over there," the bellhop said as he motioned over in the other direction with a wave of his arm. Morgana shook her head at him before she started forward. It took Morgause another minute to realize Morgana was there, and within minutes, the sisters were standing before one another in the hotel lobby.
"Room 702," Morgause told the bellhop without even shifting her eyes to meet the man's gaze. As the bellhop hurried off towards the elevator, Morgana's large tip in hand, Morgause linked her arm through Morgana's and led the brunette out of the hotel lobby.
"I felt your magic," Morgana explained as she kept in time with Morgause's steps. "How long have you been back?"
"A few weeks," Morgause answered, her head tilting to meet Morgana's gaze. "I've been bidding my time. How'd you find me?" Morgana shrugged at the answer, opting not to brag to Morgause about her rather impeccable tracking skills. She'd really honed those spells in the last few thousand years.
"How are you finding this world?" Morgana asked curiously, though she knew that as talented as she was in tracking spells, Morgause was equally talented at adapting to her situation. One glance over Morgause's person told Morgana she'd already gone shopping—and probably at high end stores at that—for clothing that let her blend into the high society of the area.
"Fast," Morgause answered as she glanced around the hotel lobby just before the sisters stepped into a hallway. In quiet, they boarded the elevator and Morgause hit the button for the seventh floor, and then held the button to close the doors until the elevator complied. Alone in the elevator, the sisters were allowed to speak more freely. "I think this time will be the time, Sister," Morgause said, her lips pulling up in a half smile that would've made Morgana uneasy if she'd not already hardened herself as much as possible.
"How can you tell?" Morgana asked, just as the elevator beeped and opened the doors on the correct floor. They stepped out in time and walked down the hallway together, pausing when they reached the room Morgause had rented. She opened the door with the key card easily, and then led the way into the large suite. Morgana's eyes scanned the room immediately, taking note of the different items used often in magic. It seemed Morgause was not wasting time in getting her magic up to par.
"I can just feel it," Morgause said as she turned, then lounged back across an armchair. "This time will be different."
Morgana lifted her eyes from the small pot on the counter to meet Morgause's gaze. For a long moment, they only stared back and forth.
"You don't approve still," Morgause declared rather than asked. She blinked then rose an eyebrow, all while keeping her keen brown eyes locked on her sister. "I thought we went over this."
"My vision-"
"Will not come to pass," Morgause said before Morgana could even give her case. Morgana raised an eyebrow at Morgause in pure shock. She wasn't used to being treated in such a manner, except by Merlin, and even then there was an underlying difference in the way he interrupted her compared to the way Morgause did. "I told you, that is only one possibility of the future, and perhaps that threat of a future has already come and gone."
"It isn't your vision, Morgause," Morgana replied sharply, voice hard and carrying quite a bit of an edge. "That isn't your call to make, nor has it ever been your place to disregard the power of my magic so blatantly."
"We cannot waste time on this again, Morgana." Morgause stirred to sit upright in the armchair, obviously taking the argument quite seriously in the way she regarded Morgana's concerns. "We must move quickly if we're to follow through my newest plans."
"Newest plans?" Morgana repeated, opting to pursue that conversation that try to convince Morgause to relent on her quest. She'd not yet entirely given up on that argument, but she knew she had at least another week to bring it up once more. She also knew she needed to call Merlin, though she had to wait until she knew for certain she was alone and unwatched.
"Yes, I've been drawing up some plans for us," Morgause answered, her lips shifting from a thin line to a genuine smile. It would've made Morgana's stomach twist, but her guard was up far too high for something like a smile to crack it. "I've met an old friend of ours as well. I may have only broken through the barrier a few weeks ago, but I've not been idle, dear sister."
"Old friend," Morgana repeated, her words no longer sounding like a question. She had a vague idea of who Morgause was referring to, but she didn't want to jump to any conclusions. As Morgana stepped further into the room and sat on the couch across from Morgause's arm chair, the blonde's eyes followed her closely. "An old romantic friend of yours?"
Morgause's eyebrow cocked up suddenly, her lips twisting slightly before she laughed. "I don't remember him in that way, and I was unaware that you did."
"Does it matter how one remembers others?"
"But of course it matters," Morgause replied, eyes narrowing as any hint of amusement in her voice faded as quickly as it has surfaced. "It matters a great deal. And yes, I have sought out Cenred, though he goes by… something else these days."
"You sought him out?" Morgana asked, a bit of her resolve starting to waver as she became ever more alarmed. "And did what, Morgause?"
"Returned his memory to him, of course," Morgause answered, as though it were all commonplace. Morgana stood and walked across the room to inspect the mini bar, but really, she only used the excuse to turn away from Morgause as she grappled with the shock. After selecting a bottle of scotch, Morgana poured the entire little bottle into a glass then turned back to her sister.
"It's dangerous, Morgause, using magic to tamper with a mortal's memory," Morgana told her, sounding almost as though she were scolding Morgause. It was ironic, really, Morgana scolding the woman who taught her how to properly use magic and respect the Old Religion. The idea that Morgause could do something so reckless really did make her stomach spin, but Morgana downed the shot of scotch in a vain attempt to end that feeling as quickly as possible.
"He's fine," Morgause promised with a shrug of her shoulders. "Maybe he's a little disoriented, but he'll be fine. He's even agreed to help gather up support."
"What exactly is your plan?" Morgana asked, feeling completely out of touch with her own sister. It was something that genuinely frightened her, because that meant Morgana had no idea to what extent Morgause could go to achieve her own ends. That made Morgana's urgency to call Merlin even stronger than before.
"To unite the people of magic," Morgause answered, sounding too satisfied with her plan. She had a glint in her eyes and a twisted smirk on her lips that Morgana actually recognized as the usual look Morgause had about her whenever she spoke of the downfall of Camelot. Except this time, Morgana knew first hand that the damage Morgause was set out to cause would spread much, much further than Camelot. The world was bigger than it used to be, and Morgana knew that sickeningly well.
"Under what cause?"
"Our cause," Morgause answered, eyes narrowed, voice hard. Morgana recognized that Morgause was starting to doubt her. Morgana pulled her lips up in a sly smile to appease her sister. The effort was successful, and Morgana was conscious to keep the smile in place for the majority of their night together.
Mostly, Morgause asked about the life Morgana had been living since the last time Morgause had been present. That was nearly over five hundred years ago, but Morgana was able to call to mind her memory rather easily. "I left England after that," Morgana admitted, the truth coming passed her lips rather easily. "I've been working on a way to bring you back, but to no avail, obviously." The lies intertwined with the truths seamlessly, every word—truth or otherwise—was delivered with that sly smile.
"Magic is different in the in-between," Morgause explained, though Morgana knew that much. "I've gotten better at penetrating the barrier."
"I noticed," Morgana replied. "Only five hundred years this time. Last time took what? Over a thousand?"
"Less than half the time," Morgause bragged, pride laced in her words. Morgana's sly smile didn't falter for a second. Before she could say anything however, a phone rang loudly through the air, pulling both sisters' eyes to where the noise was emitting from. Morgause stood to retrieve her bag from the chair she'd left it on, then dug through it to pull out her phone. She answered it and pushed it up to her ear like she'd been around modern day technology for years not weeks. "Yes?" she asked into the phone, then awaited the reply. Morgana watched as an amused smile pulled on the corners of the blonde's lips. "Cenred," Morgause explained in a soft whisper as she put her hand over the bottom of the phone and met Morgana's gaze.
"I'll get use some food from a restaurant I know. Better than room service," Morgana replied as she stood and slung her bag over her shoulder. Morgause nodded to Morgana then quickly returned her full attention to the phone and the man on the other end of the line. Morgana waited until she'd made it out of the room, down the hallway, into the elevator, and into the lobby before she reached for her phone. With the device clutched tightly in her fist, she approached the front desk, bypassing the long line rather carelessly. "I need a five star restaurant," she declared, eyes focused on the man behind the desk, spar hand up to silence the woman standing at the counter beside her.
"Just down the street," the man answered without a second's hesitation. He'd started to say something further, but Morgana turned and walked away. She was three steps out of the hotel when she opened her phone and started to push the buttons to dial the phone she'd left Merlin. It rang a total of two and half times before he picked up.
"That was fast. Did you get pulled over-"
"Morgause returned Cenred's memory," she said. There was no playful banter in her words, no hint of amusement, just plain concern laced with a bit of fear that Merlin could detect some seven hundred miles away via the sound of her voice. There was moving around on the other side of the line as Merlin shifted the phone to his other ear, then said something in the background to Gwaine. She assumed it was Gwaine because Merlin's voice sounded half condescending and half scolding, and Gwaine was the most immature of them all.
"What?" Merlin finally asked about forty seconds later, shock in his voice. The background noise was gone entirely, though she knew there was a lot of it on her end as she walked down the sidewalk of the busy city, cars speeding past her on one side, people brushing past her on the other.
"She admitted it," Morgana replied. "Said she wants to unite everyone of magic to support our cause."
"Who's cause?"
"Mine and hers," Morgana answered, eyes rolling as she turned her head to check the oncoming traffic. When the road was clear, she hurried across to the other side, where she'd eyed a restaurant with slightly blackened windows and formally dressed patrons walking in and out.
"Cenred doesn't have magic," Merlin told her. His voice was hushed that time. He was probably whispering, but Morgana didn't have the patience to deal with the utter lack of privacy one had in Penn Hall.
"Obviously, I'm aware of that," Morgana snapped back, her anger misplaced but unleashed anyway. She walked into the resultant and picked up a menu before she stepped off to the side and into the sitting area where parties were awaiting being seated. She earned more than a few stares for speaking on the phone in such an upscale place, but she ignored it as she propped the menu up on the window seal, then proceeded to scan the menu to form her order, all while holding the phone to her ear.
"So what's in it for him?"
"Sex, I assume," Morgana answered, her comment getting her more stares than her phone usage had. Again, she didn't care. "I think he's been lonely for a long time, Merlin."
"About five hundred years, you think?" he asked, his humor making her smile despite the entire situation. "What am I supposed to do about that here?" he continued on. Morgana shifted the phone from one ear to the other, and then flipped the page of the menu.
"I don't know. Do you have any… friends?" Morgana asked, emphasizing the word to get across her point without saying the words aloud.
"Yeah, cause I hold magical conventions every year," Merlin replied sarcastically. "No, I don't have any friends."
"Well, I haven't had enough time to think it all over, yet," she told him, ignoring the sarcasm. She carried the menu over to the carryout desk, then lodged the phone between her ear and shoulder. "Hold on," she ordered Merlin before she started rattling off her and Morgause's dinner order. The man read it back to her, then gave the total, and Morgana handed over the card.
"ID?" the man asked as he looked back up at Morgana and raised an eyebrow.
"It's my husband's card," Morgana replied in the most convincing tone she had in her arsenal.
"Who's your husband?" Merlin asked, the amusement carrying through the phone line loud and clear.
"Yes, I got that salad you love, daring," she replied.
"Don't call me that," he told her, voice flat and even. Morgana smiled as the man accepted that as plausible then swiped the card."How much is your dinner anyway? Morgause eating like a queen with my bank account?"
"If you don't have any friends, I don't know what to do," Morgana said, getting back to their actual conversation.
"I'll… I don't know," Merlin replied, sounding stressed by the prospect already. "I wasn't expecting having anybody else to confront besides Morgause. It'll be a lot."
"I know," Morgana answered as she took Merlin's card back from the man then stepped to the side. "I wasn't expecting it either, you know. But we have to do something. We can't just let her continue with what she's planning."
"Have you had anymore visions?"
"No. If I do, I'll call."
"Morgana, I-" Merlin stopped, then groaned when the line clicked and went silent.
