Authour's Note: Sorry for such a long time since the last chapter. School kind of got in the way (lol) and then I had to look for a job, and then other stuff just kept coming up. Plus, I'm still having major writer's block on Mordred. I'm trying not to make him too OOC. Of course, he will be a little OOC because in this story he is going to be a mixture of the character from the BBC TV show and the character in the traditional Arthurian legends. Still, I want to make him seem believable and be as true to his original character as possible. So, here is a short, mostly subplot of a chapter to tide you over until I figure out what to do with Mordred. :)
I was beginning to get hopeful that Morgause and Mordred might have given up. After all the minor magical adventures, we had actually had almost a few months of peace. But then, Mordred showed up in Camelot again.
This time, however, he did not come as a meek Druid boy. Now a young man of nearly 16, he arrived in usual nobles' attire. The Druid symbol was hidden by his long sleeves. He appealed to Uther to become a knight. Uther replied that he was still too young, but he might become a squire. Mordred grinned and thanked him profusely. Great! He's going to live in the castle now. Well, at least I'll be able to keep a closer watch on him.
A few weeks after Mordred showed up, Uther made a shocking announcement. He announced that King Stephan and his son, Prince Merek, would be visiting from their kingdom. Dathicia was a small kingdom to the west of Camelot. It appeared that they were tired of the attacks from Caerleon, and they wished to make an alliance with a larger kingdom. Uther had agreed to make an alliance, but this alliance would have an unexpected guarantee.
I stood behind Arthur as King Stephan and Prince Merek rode into the courtyard. Uther smiled and greeted them warmly. Arthur also extended his hand. Morgana smiled and curtseyed. She was as elegant and as graceful as ever.
That night we had a feast in honor of our guests. Well, the royals feasted. I made sure that everyone's cups stayed filled with wine, and I made sure that Arthur did not drink too much. He was getting better about it, but I still had to drag a drunk prince to his room late at night more often than I would have liked.
It was at this feast that Uther made his announcement. "King Stephan and I have come to an agreement. Our kingdoms will be allies, and our seal will be of the strongest kind. My ward, Lady Morgana, will marry Prince Merek." I gasped as applause broke out.
I looked at Morgana. Our eyes met. There was a look of fear and hurt, but also anger. Oh, Uther, what have you done? Of all the people to treat this way, Morgana is not the one. Please, Morgana, stay kind. Don't betray Uther just because he has slighted you.
After I made sure that Arthur was sleeping soundly, I stopped by Morgana's chambers. I knocked on the door, and Gwen answered. "She is refusing to see anyone," Gwen said, shaking her head. "Who is it, Gwen?" Morgana's voice was strained with sadness and anger. "It's Merlin, my lady," Gwen replied.
"Let him in," Morgana ordered. Gwen smiled at me and opened the door further. I stepped past her and went to Morgana.
She was sitting in a chair by her window. I knelt before her and looked up. "Oh, Merlin, what do I do?" she asked. "I don't want to leave Camelot! Uther said that I would be allowed to take a servant with me, and of course, I'd want to take Gwen. But I can't do that to Arthur. And then…" She looked up at Gwen. I turned my head. She was tidying up on the opposite side of the room. "…and then, there's you," Morgana whispered.
I looked back at her and tried to smile. I sat up on my knees and reached up to stroke her cheek. "Don't worry about me, my lady. I will miss you, but with the way Arthur orders me around, I will keep busy enough," I tried to encourage.
She smiled weakly down at me. Then, a look of determination came into her eyes. I smiled and got to my feet. I knew that she was going to face this like she would any other challenge—head on. I placed my hands on her head and kissed her forehead.
Smiling, she stood and snuggled against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close for as long as I dared. Then, I pulled back and told her that I would always be here if she needed me. She smiled and thanked me. Then, she dismissed me. I smiled, bowed, and then exited to my own room.
Over the next few days, she greatly impressed Prince Merek and his father. I think he might have even fallen in love with her, for he looked at her with such admiration. Although, it was not the way Arthur looked at Gwen, and I knew that was—not to sound too fairytale-ish—true love. Still, I believed he would take good care of her.
The next day, she asked Uther if she might go riding with me, Gwen, and Arthur. Uther looked to Arthur who shrugged. He looked extremely calm for someone who had the potential to spend the day alone in the forest with the woman he loved. Uther agreed, and so it was up to me to saddle four horses.
When we were out of sight of the castle, Morgana asked if I had ever gone swimming. I truthfully answered that I had, and in Ealdor I was considered one of the best swimmers. Morgana grinned and wondered aloud if I could actually prove that. I told her I could. She then challenged me to a swim race.
Arthur and Gwen followed for a while, but then said that they would rather keep riding. We agreed. Morgana took off her dress. I gasped at how short her slip was. Seeing my reaction, she explained that she had planned to go swimming from the start and a long slip just got in the way. She then ran toward the water as I took off my boots and shirt.
After our race, which I won, we played in the water for a while. Then, she tackled me in the shallow water. I smiled.
She slapped her lips against mine and kissed firmly. I grabbed her head with one hand, and wrapped my other arm around her waist. I kissed her deeply. This would probably be the last time we were able to kiss, I made sure it was a good one.
Soon, I was flat on my back, and she was laying on top of me. The cool water felt good on my back and head. We finally parted and sat up. I reached up to stroke her cheek. I then kissed her again. She eagerly returned my kiss.
I pulled back after several minutes, and got to my feet. I offered her my hands, and she took them. When she was on her feet, she wrapped her arms around my waist. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, and held her close. I loved the way she snuggled against me, and her head rested on my shoulder. I could have spent the rest of the day like that.
However, hoofbeats could be heard coming toward us, and so we had to part. I helped her lace up her dress, and then I put on my boots and shirt. Arthur and Gwen smiled at us and asked how our swim went. With a smiled, Arthur asked how badly Morgana beat me. "I actually won, thank you," I quipped, also smiling.
"Well done, Merlin. You've found the one thing Morgana is not superior at," he laughed. She flashed him an annoyed, sarcastic smile. He grinned like a triumphant younger brother.
Once all of us were mounted, we headed back toward Camelot. Arthur and Gwen were talking a little bit ahead of us. "Merlin," Morgana whispered. I turned to look at her, and then back toward where my horse was going. She continued. "I wanted to come out here today because I wanted to have a last day with you." I smiled and nodded. "And, I wanted Gwen to have a last day with Arthur," she went on. I nodded again.
"So, you are taking Gwen, then?" I asked. She nodded.
"I may be willing to take on a new challenge, but I cannot face it completely alone. I want Gwen by my side like she always is. She is my best friend, just like you're Arthur's."
I laughed. "All Arthur sees me as, is an idiot servant," I replied.
"That's not true, and you know it. He tells you things he doesn't tell anyone else, and he trusts you with his life. He may not come right out and say it, but he values your opinion above almost any other." I smiled and felt my cheeks grow warm. Did Arthur really think of me as a friend? She smiled, too.
A few days later, Uther announced that the date for the wedding had been decided, and it would take place here in Camelot. The wedding was to be the day after tomorrow.
That evening, after supper, Morgana stopped me in the halls. "I just wanted to say thank you, Merlin," she said. "Thank you for all that you've done for me, and all that you've taught me. I love you."
"I love you, too," I whispered. Then, we kissed for a few seconds. We embraced, and then parted ways.
Arthur saw me shortly after that, and could obviously tell something was on my mind, because he smiled teasingly at me. "So, who's the girl, Merlin?" he asked, slinging his arm around my shoulder. "What? I have no idea what you're talking about," I responded, trying not to sound as panicky as I felt. "I saw you kissing someone in the woods, and you've been very thoughtful of late. There must be someone on your mind, so who is she?"
I swallowed hard. Should I tell him the truth? I thought it best that I didn't just yet. "Oh, nothing will ever come of it. She's way out of my league."
"Well, when I'm king, maybe I can change that," Arthur smiled. I smiled in return, trying not to be too hopeful that he might actually be willing to let me marry Morgana.
When we reached his chambers, he pulled his arm away and asked if I had finished my chores, and laid out his night clothes. I said I had, so he dismissed me. I briefly bowed my head, and then headed toward my room.
Gaius was not yet asleep, so he inquired after Morgana and Gwen. He asked how they were feeling about having to leave Camelot. I told him that both were taking it rather well. He smiled and nodded. Then, he wished me goodnight, and I went to my room. I fell onto the bed without even taking my shoes off. I sighed heavily, and soon drifted off to sleep.
Morgana stopped me in the halls. She asked me what I had done when Arthur was going to marry Princess Elena to stop the wedding. I told her that I hadn't really done much to prevent the wedding, I had been focused on making sure that Arthur didn't end of marrying a Shide. "Although," I added, "I did tell him that I thought he was mad; that I thought all royals were mad; that he should marry for love." Morgana smiled and nodded. She briefly hugged me and thanked me. Then, she turned and quickly glided down the hall.
I sighed. My heart broke at the thought that she would never be mine. I knew that, like Arthur, she had a duty to the kingdom, and a servant had no chance with her anyway, but my heart still ached. She was so full of grace and beauty, and she had such a kind heart, that one couldn't help fall in love with her. I was still often shocked that she had chosen to return my love.
I approached Arthur's door and heard a female voice within. I soon recognized it as Gwen's. I smiled. Then, I noticed the tone. It was one of excitement. Then, Arthur's tone was slightly jealous. He said something about his father favoring Morgana, and Gwen replied with some comforting words. Then, there was silence between them.
I tried not to eavesdrop, for I knew Arthur would suspect I had if I came in anytime in the near future, and I wanted to truthfully say that I had no idea what he had said—I lied enough to the prat.
After a minute or so, Gwen said something about needing to return to work, and Arthur consented. I then decided it would be a good time to knock and enter.
Arthur's reply came, as Gwen opened the door and beamed at me. She skipped down the hall toward Morgana's chambers. "She seems to be extra cheerful about leaving Camelot," I commented, as I began gathering the clotpole's dirty clothes. "She's not leaving Camelot, Merlin," Arthur retorted.
"What? But the wedding is tomorrow, and Morgana said that she was going to take Gwen with her," I countered.
"Morgana isn't leaving Camelot, either," Arthur persisted.
At this, I stopped and turned to face him. My face was full of question, and my voice conveyed it even more. "What do you mean?" Merek isn't going to live here, is he? I don't think I could bear to see her everyday knowing that she is married to someone else!
"Morgana isn't going to marry Prince Merek," Arthur explained. He then continued when I remained in a stunned silence. "My father called off the wedding, and the engagement."
"Did he give a reason?" I questioned, trying my best to hide my excitement.
Arthur shook his head. "He has always favored Morgana, though. And he practically bows to her every whim. However, he did mention something about Morgana loving someone else. She apparently refused to say who, for he could be in grave danger if she revealed his identity." I nodded and allowed a small smile to cross my face.
"I'm sure you're glad that Gwen is going to stay," I said, in order to shift the focus from any suspicions of my feelings on the subject. Arthur blushed slightly and cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I'll be glad Morgana remains, as well. She is like a sister to me," he replied. I just smiled and went about the rest of my chores.
Later that day, I saw Morgana in the halls. She embraced me tightly. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her for as long as she allowed. "I took your advice, Merlin, and told Uther that I could not marry Prince Merek because I loved another. Don't worry, I didn't tell him it is you. He'd kill you, and maybe me—he'd at least punish me severely—if he knew it is you." I smiled and kissed her on the forehead.
"I'm glad you're staying," I whispered. "But how ever did you get Uther to actually let you out of it?"
"Uther doesn't like to admit it, but he would do almost anything to see me happy. And so, when I made it clear to him that I would be miserable for the rest of my life, if I married Merek, he called the whole thing off. But, Camelot will still have an alliance with Dathicia, it just won't be secured by marriage," she explained. I nodded and smiled. I hugged her briefly again, and then we parted ways.
The next few months were rather peaceful. There were no weddings to attend, and no attacks from magical creatures. However, not all were granted the peace they wished for…
