Chapter Eight.
I strolled back into my chambers before quickly scrambling back up to hide behind the door. A conversation was unfolding inside. I listened attentively whilst trying to catch each word. Morgana and my good friend 'Merlin' were talking as subtly as they could.
"Just poison him. It isn't hard!" Morgana growled at the lowly man in front of her.
"If only it were that easy. He suspects me for sure. I cannot simply give him the poison and expect him to trust me and drink it." My imposter defended himself.
Morgana thought for a second, licking her blood coloured lips, "Fine, I will kill him while he sleeps tonight. A practice for when I kill Arthur, shall we say?"
"Yes, mistress." He bowed quickly as her footsteps got louder and closer to me. I made a run for it down the hall. Hoping I wasn't seen I caught my breath and looked round the corner for my face to meet with hers, my eyes panicked as they saw an orange glow in hers, my body tightened as I flew back. My full force hit the rock hard wall. My spine felt shattered. My eyes twitched and in self-defence glowed a powerful orange blowing the young sorceress off her feet.
"You...You have magic? How can that be? Even if you did have magic, Merlin, you'd have to be the greatest sorcerer to have ever lived to break through the enchantment. You'd have to be...Emrys." Morgana easily put the pieces together and figured it out. I was too weak to argue with her. I used my left hand to pull myself up. My jaw slipped, leaving my mouth open as we had another witness who had seen us both use magic: Arthur.
"Why did you call him, Merlin? How are you... me? What have you done with my body? How are there two of us?" Arthur questioned angrily, strangling me. His face was dirty as were his boots. His usual fluffy blonde hair had turned a light brown and more messy than usual. His eyes instead of a loyal blue were the eyes of a deadly predator looking into the eyes of its prey, before the kill.
"Arthur, stop." Morgana wanted me alive; she had many questions for me. I assumed. Or maybe she wanted to finish me off herself.
"No! Wait, Morgana?" Arthur screeched, keeping one hand firmly around my neck and wrapping his other hand around Morgana's. "You both shall pay the death penalty tomorrow, after a trial."
"Ar-" I squeaked out the small tube of air I had left.
"What?" Arthur stared at me with pure disgust.
"It's me, Me-Merlin. Help...me." I tried. I failed.
"Guards! Take them both to the dungeons!" The young King ordered, following his father's law of anyone caught using magic or enchantments to be sent to death. Anyone. He needed someone to talk to. He needed me to be there for him and I failed.
I threw my body against the dark wall of the dungeon cell, trying to get as far as possible from Morgana. She looked defeated though. And for some reason, I thought I saw a flicker of the good, wise, young woman she used to be. She still was really. Just fighting on the wrong side but for the same cause: for magic.
