I do not own Merlin.
Chapter 9 - The Fires of Idirsholas
Merlin's tried avoiding Morgana as much as possible since he's confessed his love for her. It was early morning that day, and Guinevere had interrupted them as she arrived for work on time. He was glad for the intrusion as he forgot that getting together with her would possibly end in his death.
It was considerably difficult now that he had to be in the same room with her again for a council meeting. He stood with Gaius as a man named Joseph delivered news to the king.
"I'm a herder from the northern plains, sire." He introduced himself. "Three nights back, we were camped beneath the walls of Idirsholas."
Uther raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I would've chosen such a place," he decided to say. "And what is it you have to tell me?"
"While we were there, we saw smoke rising from the citadel."
Gaius intervened with his own questions. "And did you see anything else?"
Joseph bowed his head. "No."
"Did you go inside?" Uther asked.
"No," the witness looked rather frightened. "Nobody has stepped over that threshold for three hundred years!" He calmed down quickly after his slight panic when he realized his audience. "You must know the legend, sire."
Gaius decided to input again for those that don't know. Merlin narrowed his eyes to give him his full attention, curious as to what this all means. "When the fires of Idirsholas burn, the knights of Medhir will ride again."
The king looked slightly conflicted as to what he should do. "See to it this man is fed and has a bed for the night." He turned to Arthur. "Take a ride out there."
The prince looked a little taken aback. "Why?" He clearly didn't believe this nonsense. After all, who were the knights of Medhir?
"So we can put people's minds at rest."
Arthur couldn't believe that the people actually bought that. "Surely this is superstitious nonsense?"
Uther exhaled, losing his patience. "Gather the guard and do as I say."
Morgana sat on the bed in her chambers, over thinking the council meeting. She had tried her hardest to catch Merlin's eye, but the man didn't even stop to look at her. Not once, and she hated it. What kind of person tells another they love them, and then completely ignore them for the next few days? She didn't even get the chance to say it back to him.
Her heart raced when she thought of all possible reasons for why he was doing this. Her mind thought of a million different scenarios of what their next encounter could be, and she dreaded the idea of it ending up the way she imagined it. Either it ended up with him saying it was because he didn't love her anymore, or he didn't really mean what he said that morning.
She scooted over to the top of her bed and plopped the rest of her back down, closing her eyes. He stopped dropping by her room to practice magic and she didn't know what to do anymore. Were they supposed to never speak again? Perhaps, she was being a little overdramatic, but she couldn't help it. She spent a week without him, and she didn't realize she'd miss him that much.
Eliminating Merlin out of her mind for the time being, she tried to recall the bits and pieces of the assembly she heard. When she finally gave up on trying to grab his attention, she started to fully pay attention to the meeting. She didn't really know what to make of it. Surely it was superstitious rubbish, but both Gaius and Uther seemed quite alarmed at this.
And then that small little panicky feeling came back to her when she remembered that Arthur was to go out and investigate the citadel. She felt as if her chest would explode when the warlock reappeared in her mind. She sat up quickly, thinking about what could happen to Merlin should he go with him. And she knew he would be there because Arthur never leaves without him, and Merlin always goes with him. Because of the destiny they share.
A light breeze interrupted her slight panic, and she finally noticed that her window was open. She slid off her bed and moved to close it when she found a box with a note inside of it. The note read:
My dearest Morgana,
Meet me tonight after sundown in the forest outside the castle gates. I will wait for you by the marked and distinctive tree trunk there.
Until then, keep well.
Morgause
She didn't know what to make of the note. As she contemplated what she was going to do, she didn't catch Gwen coming in the room. "Are you all right?" Morgana jumped and crumpled up the parchment in her hand.
"Yes," she answered. "Just a little cold." She closed the window.
"Do you need something warmer?" Morgana shook her head, smiling politely at her. "Are you sure you're alright? You've barely spoken in days." She tried not talking to Gwen for a little while after she caught her and Merlin together that morning. She knew it wasn't fair of her to do so, but she couldn't help it. She didn't really want to talk about him then. "Is it Merlin?"
Morgana's head snapped up. "How did-"
"I've noticed he's stopped coming around," she explained. "I run into him often when I leave to go home. He's almost always at your door by the time I leave."
The lady thought about whether or not she could keep her secrets, but she couldn't keep it bottled up inside. "He told me he loved me," she whispered. "I didn't get a chance to say it back."
"Love?" The servant blinked, clearly not expecting that. "You love Merlin?"
Morgana frowned. "Does that really sound so crazy?" Gwen got the wrong idea with this information.
"I understand," she said. "To be in a relationship that is deemed forbidden in the eyes of the people." Morgana furrowed her eyebrows at this.
How could she understand? "What?"
But Gwen didn't really hear her. "It'd be crazy for a servant to fall in love with a prince because they know it can never be." She was mumbling to herself now, but Morgana heard it.
Now, the witch was really confused. She's pretty sure Gwen only knows one prince, and that was Arthur. Morgana widened her eyes. "What!" She clearly didn't hear her correctly.
"What?" Her servant was lost for a millisecond when she realized what she admitted out loud. She always hated herself for saying too much and always mumbling off. Although, Gwen was meaning to tell Morgana about Arthur some time or another. It was only fair now that she's told her about Merlin.
"You." She pointed at Gwen. "And Arthur." She raised one eyebrow, truly flabbergasted. "Arthur," she repeated. "Prince Arthur?" Morgana almost completely forgot about her knight. "I don't think we're talking about the same Arthur. Because Arthur is a prat."
"Okay, clearly you've been spending a lot of time with Merlin." Gwen tried to joke, but Morgana only frowned. Not anymore they weren't. "You know, they haven't left yet. You could say goodbye to him."
She thought about doing that. "I don't think he wants me to." She didn't want to go all the way over to him only for him to ignore her all over again. It'd hurt too much, but this may be her last chance to say goodbye. She mentally rolled her eyes, the knights of Medhir were something out of a children's storybook.
"Does this have anything to do with the time I walked in on you both that one morning?" Gwen asked quietly.
Morgana nodded. "He told me he loved me that morning, and he's been ignoring me ever since."
"You should go talk to him," she smiled. "He's still there."
The lady sighed. "Fine," she agreed. "But Arthur?"
Morgana hurried through the corridors in order to reach Merlin on time, but by the time she's reached the gates that lead outside he was gone. She only caught a glimpse of their horse's backsides exiting the castle walls. She sighed, going back into the castle to talk to Gwen until she has to leave to see Morgause in the forest.
She didn't understand why Morgause wanted to see her that night, but she decided it would be harmless. Besides, she needed to thank her for giving her the bracelet. It really did help her sleep at nights.
By the time nightfall arrived, she dismissed Gwen early so she didn't change out of her day clothes. She wore her purple silk dress, with patches of blue on her shoulders. Morgana threw on her green cloak, and snuck out of the castle.
When she arrived in the woods, Morgause was already waiting for her. "You look well," she recognized that Morgana's eyes didn't have bags underneath them anymore. At least, they weren't very noticeable.
Morgana subconsciously reached down to touch the bracelet, a new habit of hers. "Thanks to you," she smiled. "I wear it all the time," she informed her. "I can't remember when I last had a bad dream."
"But you do not seem happy," she observed. "Why is that?" Morgana didn't want to tell her it was because of a boy. With Gwen, it was a different story because they've been close friends since childhood. Saying it out loud to Morgause would have felt silly, odd.
She decided to tell her something else that bothered her. "I would be if I didn't have to pretend." The blonde haired sorceress raised an eyebrow. "That I'm Uther's loving ward," she confirmed. "when I hate him." Just because she told Merlin wasn't going to do anything to Uther, it didn't mean her feelings toward the king changed.
"Have you ever imagined a new world, Morgana?" Morgause was both surprised and pleased with her answer. "One where Uther was no more?"
Morgana didn't know what to say. "Sometimes," she decided to say.
"And is that what you'd like?"
The raven haired witch thought for a moment. Sometimes, she does wish for her guardian to depart from the Camelot throne. Although, not if it meant that Arthur would never free their people. "I once had the chance to be his assassin," she admitted.
"And what stopped you?" She remembered the day clearly. How he had confessed to her and apologized for restraining her. How he told her he cared for her.
"I don't know," she looked down. "I believe he cared for me." She didn't know if he would still feel that way if he knew about her powers. "But not anymore."
Morgause seemed satisfied with her answer. "So, you want Uther destroyed and his reign to end?"
Morgana thought long and hard. "More than anything," she decided to answer. It was the truth, but it didn't mean she actually would have done it. "But it doesn't matter what I want. The future's not of my making."
"You are wrong, Morgana." Morgause disagreed. "You underestimate your importance. The decisions you make now will change the shape of everything that is to come."
"What do you mean?"
The sorceress answered with another question. "Whose side are you on, Morgana?" The lady in question furrowed her eyebrows. "Are you with Uther? Or are you with me? Are you prepared to help me bring about his downfall?"
Morgana shook her head. "No," she declined. Morgause looked confused so she decided to elaborate. "I don't think Arthur would forgive me if I were to bring about his father's death," she explained. "I don't think I would forgive myself."
Morgause frowned at her answer, but understood where she came from so she decided to do it without her sister, and hope she does not get in her way. Her eyes glowed gold, and Morgana falls into her arms. She places her gently on the ground and grabs a stick to trace a circle around her.
She also does this for Morgana's good, so the knights will not harm her in case she is still awake when they attack. "Acene slæp swilce ... Acene slæp swilce ... Acene slæp swilce." As she continued to chant, Morgana began to glow as the spell took effect.
"You know you didn't have to come," Merlin reminded Daegal who complained to him about his bottom being sore.
But the servant only grunted. "You never take me anywhere." Merlin didn't really want to overwork him, even though Arthur believes he's not making him work at all.
Arthur mumbled, "I wonder why." He rolled his eyes, and Daegal made a sound indicating he heard him.
"Hey, I'm the one lugging around your stuff!" The other knights didn't really pay attention to their banter.
They enter a field of green, easily finding the dark gray citadel at the far end of it. "Hey, we're almost there," Merlin pulled the reins of his horse lightly and got in between the kicking match between Daegal and Arthur.
There was a loud roar as they neared the castle. "What's that noise?" Daegal asked.
"What noise?" Merlin asked, suddenly alarmed.
"That," the servant said when he heard the sound again. "That trembling sound."
Arthur rolled his eyes. "That's your knees knocking together."
They all dismount their horses, and the knights all unsheathe their sword upon entering the castle. Arthur finds ashes right down the center of the room. He inspects the black powder, and concludes that there were definitely people camped out here a little while ago.
"It seems part of Joseph's story was true," he confirmed. "Probably just travelers passing through." Merlin turns his head at a low creaking sound he heard and finds seven knights perfectly posed.
"Or maybe not." The guards and Daegal turn around as the Knights of Medhir draw their swords. Arthur and Merlin do the same while Daegal hangs back, having no weapon to fight with. They lunge at each other and a fight begins.
There was only the sound of loud clanging together. Arthur stabs one of the masked knights in the gut and it let out a loud growl. The prince widened his eyes. He was pretty sure he ran the knight through. Why isn't it dying?
The same happened to Merlin, and he frowned. Realizing they were immortal, they fought their way across to the exit. Arthur continued to fight them when Merlin cast a spell. "Ahríes þæc!" Before the building went down in ruins, the warlock grabbed hold of both Arthur and Daegal's shoulders and pulled them back.
The trio ran out of the citadel and into the woods until they were all sure they were away from the immortal knights. "What happened to your arm?" Merlin asked Daegal who had a cut on his arm.
"Oh, I must have caught it on something." He took off his blue cloak to examine the cut.
"Let me see," Arthur smiled at the blood. "Your first battle wound."
Merlin started to rip at his tunic. Daegal started to protest. "No, don't." He sighed when Arthur took the cloth from Merlin and started wrapping it on the servant. "You'll ruin it."
"Don't worry," Arthur grinned. "You can mend it."
The warlock shook his head. "You don't have to." Daegal sighed in relief. "I can do it."
The prince wanted to argue this, but he looked around and got distracted. "Did anyone else escape?"
"We need to get back to Camelot," he decided. "Gather reinforcements."
When the three arrived in the kingdom, all they saw were the sleeping figures of Camelot's citizens. It seemed as if there wasn't a single body awake. Merlin wanted to run into the palace and check if everyone inside was safe. Perhaps, Morgana was still awake, but he didn't want to leave Daegal and Arthur. They'd be suspicious, no doubt.
"It must be the work of magic," Merlin decided as they pass through the corridors of the castle.
Arthur took in his words. "We have to find my father." They continue their walk through the palace, and pass Morgana's chamber to find it wide open. The prince looks to find Guinevere on the floor, sleeping. He gets down, picks her up and places her on the bed. His eyes become sad as he pulls a stray curl of hair from her face.
The curtain behind them rustles and Arthur and Merlin draw their sword. He treks slowly towards it, and quickly pulls the drape only to have Morgana attack him. He holds her arm to steady her as she screams.
"It's me!" Arthur shouts. "It's me, Morgana! What's happened?" She didn't answer for a while. Her eyes find Merlin's blue ones and she lunges herself at him with a hug as he was putting his sword away. He was caught off guard, but ultimately hugged her back. He ignored the looks he got from Arthur.
"Hi there," he mumbled. He closed his eyes to make the moment last longer. He completely forgot about how he ignored her, and simply held her in arms. He missed her. "Are you alright?" He asked her. "What happened?" The prince didn't know what to make of the affection they shared.
Her heart started to beat faster, and she started to panic. "People were complaining, saying they weren't feeling well."
"And what then?" Arthur asked, deciding to ask Merlin later about what he just witnessed if they make it out alive.
"They started falling asleep," her breathing came out in a sort of pant. "Everyone, everywhere I went."
"Was someone here?" Morgana shook her head. "Then why were you hiding?"
"I told you," she answered. "I didn't know who you were."
Arthur continued his interrogation. "Where's my father?"
"I don't know." Merlin couldn't seem to figure out how she was alive and everyone else was asleep. Maybe it was her magic.
Merlin stopped Arthur's questioning. "Arthur, she's distressed." He rubbed her back to calm her down with his right hand while his left thumb stroked circles on the back of her hand.
Again, the prince ignored the affection. Surely it was friendly. Merlin was his mate. He wouldn't begin a relationship with his adoptive sister, especially not around his father. "If she was awake, then she must have seen something."
"I didn't see anything," she protested. And she didn't, only that they were all falling asleep, one by one.
"You saw people getting sick," he stated. "What did you do?"
"What could I do?"
"Morgana, I don't understand," he sighed. "Why are you the only person awake?"
Merlin still couldn't seem to understand why Morgana was still wide awake, and unaffected. Surely she couldn't have been behind all of this, she wouldn't do this. It wasn't her magic because he felt the spell take a hold of him.
He ran down the steps to the dragon's cave. He brandished the torch he was carrying. "What's going on?" He asked. "Why is everyone asleep?" The Great Dragon began to snore, and Merlin groaned. "Please not you as well! I need your help!" He shouted. "What am I going to do?!" Kilgharrah continued to snore. "Don't pretend. I know you're listening to me."
The dragon picked his head up with a yawn. "I don't need to listen to you, Merlin. You always say the same thing. And yet you refuse to give anything in return. Now you will face the consequence of that decision. Camelot's end is nigh, and there's nothing you can do about it."
"I know I promised to free you, and I will!" The dragon began to laugh. "I swear on my mother's life!"
"Careful what you say," he warned. "Her life matters more to you than your own." Kilgharrah sighed, giving in. "This is an oath I believe you will honor."
"I will."
The Great Dragon gave him another confusing riddle. "It is one thing to cast a spell that puts everyone to sleep. The power to maintain it is a different manner. It will need more than just words to break this enchantment."
"What do you mean?"
"You must eradicate the source, Merlin." The boy looked confused. "Such spells need a vessel, a constant living presence to give them strength." What the dragon said next made his heart stop. "The source of this pestilence is the witch, the Lady Morgana."
Merlin started to shake his head furiously from side to side. "No," he mumbled. "It can't be!"
"I know of your feelings for her, young warlock," he exhaled. "I have warned you about her in the past, but you have failed to take heed. She is dangerous! And now she has chosen to turn her back on her own."
"No!" The reason she was awake began to make sense to him, but he didn't want to believe it. He tried to calm his breathing for a few minutes, and Kilgharrah watched sadly. "How do I stop her?" He croaked.
The dragon didn't want to say, seeing how hurt his kin looked at the news. "You must kill her, young warlock."
Merlin walks into Arthur's chamber and finds Morgana. "I was worried about you," she admitted.
"They're here," he informed her. "They're in the castle." Merlin noticed Daegal in the corner of the room, asleep with everyone else. He grabbed a pillow from the bed and put it under his head.
"I tried to wake him, but he was already passed out." The knight believed her, but he couldn't face her. "Where's Arthur?"
"Gone to find somewhere safe to move to."
Morgana fiddled with her fingers, deciding it was now or never. She needed to tell him how she felt. "Merlin-" Before she got a chance to finish her sentence, Arthur barged into the room.
"We have to move my father before Morgause gets here."
The lady raised both her eyebrows, surprised. "Morgause!" Merlin decided not to question it.
"Come on! Let's go!"
Merlin bars the door to the council room after Arthur leaves. "He's not going to survive out there," Morgana said, truly worried about the prince. She moves to Merlin and wraps her arms around him. He tries to swallow when he hugs her back, but it felt as if needles pierced through his throat.
He really didn't want to believe that she would betray him like this, betray Arthur. The Morgana he knew would use her powers for good. He felt a stinging in his pocket as felt the poison sitting inside. "Merlin," she whispered. "I know it's not the right time, or maybe it is, but there's something I need to tell you."
She moved her head to face him, their foreheads touching lightly. Her breathing slowed down, and for a second she let go of her fears and captured his lips in a searing kiss. It took Merlin a second to adjust to the feeling of her soft lips moving against his before he reached his right hand up to cup her face.
He let himself get lost in the kiss, instantly forgetting about what he had to do. Only putting everything in his first and seemingly last kiss with the woman he loves. His left hand traveled up her back and pushed her closer to him so there was no space in between them. They both let out a breath for a good second, reconnecting their lips a second time.
His tongue licked the bottom of her lip, and waited for her to grant him entrance before he darted it in between her lips. Now both hands gripped her hips as their heads turned to get better access to each other's lips. Her hand tangled in his dark locks of hair, tugging at it slightly as a soft moan escaped her.
By the time their lips parted they were panting, their foreheads resting against the other. Merlin gave her a chaste kiss that lasted less than three seconds, both of his hands cupping her face. The pads of his thumbs wiped away at the tears streaming down her face. "I love you," she whispered. "I wanted to tell you, but you ran out of the room and," she stopped speaking. When she finally admitted it to him, it felt as if a weight was lifted from her shoulders. She didn't have to keep it bubbled up inside anymore.
Merlin's lips trembled. He couldn't kill her, not after this. There was no way she did all of this. He looked into her beautiful green eyes, and saw how truly frightened she was. She didn't do this, not of her own free will. "I can't do it." He let go of her. "I can't kill you."
"What are you talking about?" She furrowed her watery eyes. "Kill me?"
"Tell me the truth," he said. "Tell me you had nothing to do with this sleeping spell, and I'll believe you."
Morgana felt something in her throat. "You think I did this?" She wiped at her eyes. Merlin felt a pain in his chest at the sight of her backing away from him slowly. Now, he really knew it wasn't her. "What makes you think I had anything to do with all of this?"
"I didn't," he admitted. "But there's a reason you're awake, Morgana." She started to shake her head. "Morgause made you the vessel for the spell that awoke the knights. It's why that knight didn't kill you." Merlin walked closer to her to calm her down, tell her not to be afraid when the poison fell out of his pocket.
She bent down to pick it up. "Hemlock?"
"No," he tried to reach for the bottle. "I'm sorry." They both heard Arthur screaming from outside, in the corridor.
Morgana was backing away again. "And the only way for the knights to stop is if I die?" Merlin started to shake his head, but it was too late. She uncapped the bottle and took a sip of the poison. He ran and caught her in his arms.
"No," he whispered. She grabbed at her throat, feeling the poison quickly take her. "Morgana?" She only smiled tightly before the hemlock was in full effect. Her eyes closed, and Merlin wiped at his eyes furiously. He clenched his teeth to silence the sobs begging to escape him.
A loud crash at the door caused him to snap his head up. Morgause ran over to Morgana, taking her away from Merlin's arms and he let her. "What has he done to you?" He doesn't say a word. "You poisoned her."
"You gave me no choice."
"Tell me what you used and I can save her."
"First, stop the attack!" He demanded, making sure her sacrifice wasn't in vain. "If you want to know poison it is, you will undo the magic that drives the knights!"
Morgause was losing her patience. "Tell me the poison or you'll die."
"Then she'll die with me," he snapped. "I don't want this any more than you, but you give me no choice. Stop the knights and you can save her." He really wished she'd give up, hoping she'd be able to save Morgana.
Morgause closed her eyes, giving in. "Astýre ús þanonweard! Cnihtas Medhires, éower sáwla. Rid eft ond forsliehð eft." Uther wakes up from the sleeping spell and Arthur runs in the council room through the broken door in time to find Morgana leaving in a puff of smoke with Morgause.
Author's Note: The End! The ending wasn't too dramatic was it? If it is, well you know what they say. Go big or go home... Anyways I wanted to thank you guys all so much for reading this from beginning to end. And I really hope I didn't disappoint.
Again, thank you guys so very much for reading this and liking this! It really means a lot! I'll be writing a sequel to this later, though. If you guys are interested... But again, a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, favorited! I really enjoyed reading your reviews, and I really liked writing this. :)
