Hey, I'm back... I know I'm not exactly fast to update, but I have a very busy life... I hope you all can find it in your hearts to forgive me... and again I have to say I am still amazed that I still get reviews and other alerts, and that you all haven't given up on me yet...

Some notes about this chapter, Gaius is a little bit OOC, I just think that the Gaius in the show, although always worried for Merlin, is little bit cooler in showing it than what I think he should be, so I sort of made him worry for Merlin even more...

On another note, how amazing was the new Merlin episode? I loved it so much, it was literally the best yet, everything was very well balanced... :)

Chapter 10... There is a Party?

Very soon everything was ready for the party. The hall was set up, the food was made, the guests had arrived (which seemed to include the whole of Camelot! How many people was there that wanted to celebrate with Merlin? Even Uther was here!). Morgana bit her lip to stop herself from saying something to blow her cover, but she was...envious toward Merlin. Arthur had really outdone himself. No party ever thrown in Morgana's honour had such a turn out, no one from the lower towns ever wanted to celebrate with her. Morgana shook her head; she knew this was because Merlin had manipulated these people to think he was their friend. He wasn't, the moment he would get the chance he would stab them in the back, like he had done her. Morgana considered herself lucky that she had survived his attack, these people might not be as lucky as her.

Once everyone had arrived, Arthur informed them that he would go and get Merlin. He seemed excited like a child. Morgana shook her head again; a small smile on her lip, Arthur will always be the same boy she grew up with no matter how big he got. Then realising what she was thinking, she shook her head yet again the smile falling of her lips, and she hurried on after Arthur. When she got to him she called his name, and he stopped turning to look at her, looking irritated.

"What is it you want Morgana?" he said impatiently. Morgana smiled at him, a fake smile of innocence.

"I was wondering if I could get Merlin for you, and you could wait in with the guests?" she said sweetly. Arthur raised an eyebrow at her, not impressed it seemed.

"No thanks" he said before turning back to go on his way to get Merlin.

"Oh come on Arthur, please..." Morgana insisted.

"Why do you want to do that?" Arthur said turning back to her.

"I haven't really done anything to help with this party; I want to do something for Merlin!" Morgana lied.

"That's because every time I came to look for you for help, you seemed to disappear." Arthur said sounding annoyed.

"Oh come on Arthur, I'll get him for you" Morgana said hopefully.

"I'm sure your presence is enough to show Merlin you care Morgana." Arthur said turning back again.

"Arthur..." Morgana started again, but was cut off buy the prince.

"No Morgana! I have spent a lot of effort for this party and I have personal reasons for it, I am going to go through with it, all of it!" It was clear to the secret witch that Arthur would not give so she changed her tactics.

"Do you even know where to look for him?" She asked.

"Yes, the stables of course" Arthur responded.

"The stables? Why the stables?" Morgana asked.

"Because I gave him a job to do there to keep him out of the castle and out of our way" Arthur explained.

"Arthur! He would be stinking now, and you want to take him to a party!" Morgana exclaimed.

"No he wouldn't, I didn't tell him to muck out the stables just to feed the horses and generally look after them?" he didn't sound sure himself. "I had someone else muck out the stables, so that Merlin wouldn't have to" Arthur finished explaining.

"That's very sweet of you, but Merlin isn't in the stables" Morgana lied.

"What do you mean?" Arthur said sounding unsure.

"I saw him about an hour ago, when I was making my way over to the hall, he said he had finished his tasks and was looking for you to report but couldn't find you, so I told him you were busy and wouldn't need him for some time, so he said that he would be in his rooms." Morgana finished her fake tale, amazed at herself for coming up with such a story so quickly. Arthur regarded her for some time, and then gave her a smile.

"Thanks for telling me" then changing his direction he walked off. Morgana smiled to herself, Arthur was so naive. She had no personal resentment towards the prince, but what he was in the middle of. It was mainly Uther and Merlin she wanted to destroy. Although she knew, (and didn't know how she felt about) that Morgause wouldn't really care, and would in fact destroy Arthur too.

Morgana went in the opposite direction Arthur had gone in. She made her way out of the castle and over to the stables. She slowly and quietly walked over to the open door and gazed inside. She found Merlin brushing a horse and singing to it. Surprisingly he had a very pleasant voice. I could stand here and listen to him all day. Then she scolded herself for thinking such thoughts towards Merlin. Before giving herself time to think such thoughts any more, she cleared her throat to let Merlin know that she was there. Merlin jumped dropping the brush and spooking the horses, it took him a few minutes to calm them down again. Once he managed it, he turned to look at her with irritation.

"What do you want?" He asked her with a frown.

"Oh don't look at me like that!" Morgana said irritably. "I don't want to be here just as much as, if not more, you don't want me here. I was sent by Arthur to get you."

"Why would Arthur send you to get me? And why would you listen?" Merlin said clearly not believing her.

"Look Merlin, I don't like you" Morgana said simply. "And I don't care that it would ruin the surprise" she could see her words were confusing him, she smiled cruelly. "So I'm going to tell you that Arthur feels bad, and has planned a picnic party for you, they are all waiting for you. Arthur asked me to get you while he set everything up, he seemed to think that it is a great honour to do this, and that how could I possibly not want to do this for my friend." She glared at him angrily. But her story seemed believable to Merlin, as he nodded his head and waited for her to lead the way.

She quickly led him out of Camelot and into the Forest. During this journey neither said a word, it was very intense. When they reached the place that Morgana had confirmed with Morgause before to meet, she stopped turning to face Merlin.

"Well? Where are they?" Merlin asked. Just then Morgana saw Morgause come out from behind the trees. She smiled cruelly again.

"Behind you" she said simply. Just as Merlin turned a beam of light escaped Morgause's hand and hit him in the chest knocking him unconscious.

MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA

Arthur made his way to the physician's courters, a sort of a spring in his step. He felt really excited; he couldn't wait till he saw Merlin's face when he saw what Arthur had done for him. He found himself knocking on the door with a rhythm. When there was no response, Arthur opened the door, and walked in. The main room was empty, so thinking that Merlin would be in his room, he walked over to the door and knocked. Again no answer, so Arthur opened the door again. Merlin's room was empty also, Arthur scowled; he never could find Merlin when he needed him. With an exasperated sigh Arthur left the rooms, in search of his elusive manservant. He was walking down the corridors, when he came across one of the stable boys; he stopped the boy and asked if he knew where Merlin was.

"Of course sire" the boy said. "He was down in the stables a few minutes ago" Arthur frowned, dismissing the boy. If Merlin was in the stables, then why had Morgana told him that story about meeting him in the corridors and the rest? Arthur turned to walk to the stables and once he got there he found it empty of human life. Then Arthur remembered that Morgana was the one that wanted to get Merlin, she must have made that story up, so she could be the one to come and get Merlin. Arthur was upset now, and he had no one but Morgana to blame. She and Merlin must have reached the hall by now, and Arthur had really wanted to see Merlin's face when he walked in that hall. Changing direction again, Arthur made his way over to the hall. The doors where closed. Arthur slowly opened them, and walked in. as soon as he did, everyone screamed "SURPRISE!" Arthur jumped, rally not expecting this.

"What the…!" he said, looking around, temporally speechless.

"Well, where is Merlin?" his father asked.

"Isn't he here already?" Arthur asked.

"No, you were the one that was supposed to get him, remember." Arthur frowned at this. Merlin and Morgana weren't here yet, but he couldn't have possibly got here before them. Maybe Morgana had been waiting for him to get back, in a sudden flash of kindness it seemed, she did want Arthur to be there. He turned to look at the door, to see if they would walk in. but they didn't. "Arthur, would you care to tell us what is going on."

"I think Morgana is bringing Merlin." At his news, there was a sharp intake of breath. Arthur turned to see that it had come from Gaius, the old man looked worried. Arthur didn't think much off, it as the doors opened slowly and again every one shouted out "SURPRISE". But then again everyone quietened to see that it was not Merlin and Morgana, but one of the kitchen servants. The poor boy flushed with imbursement.

"Sorry I'm late my lord" he told Arthur with a bow. "But I didn't think you would be ready yet, as the Lady Morgana took Merlin away."

"What do you mean, she took him away?" Gaius asked, before Arthur had a chance too. It seemed the frown was becoming a part of Arthur's facial features.

"Well, I saw them, Merlin and the Lady Morgana, sire." The boy explained. "The Lady was leading Merlin in to the forest." Why would Morgana do that? Arthur asked himself. But a look in Gaius's direction, said that he might get his answer there.

"Gaius, would you know, why Morgana would do that?" Gaius was going whiter and whiter by the minute, until Arthur began to worry for him and indicated a servant to bring him a chair. Gaius sank in to the chair, looking like the world had come to an end. "Gaius, tell me"

"I-I-I" the poor man was on the verge of passing out.

"Gaius, look at me!" Uther ordered, and he did. "Gaius what are you not telling me?"

"You wouldn't believe me sire, oh I would have told you sooner, but there is no way you would believe me. Oh Merlin, my boy, my poor boy" Gaius was babbling now, which was alarming, for Arthur never knew the man to lose his cool, and the things he was saying, it could mean that Merlin was in trouble, but from Morgana? "Oh please you have to believe me!" Gaius was begging now, which Arthur could tell from the look on his father and the other people gathered here's faces, that he wasn't the only one feeling bewildered.

"Gaius, tell us!" Uther ordered. Gaius looked up at the king with such panicked eyes, that Uther softened at.

"The Lady Morgana is no friend of Camelot" he said, there was a pregnant pause at this.

"What are you talking about?" demanded Uther.

"She knows who Morgause is, as in league with her" Gaius explained. "She wasn't kidnapped this past year, she was with her, and she has been teaching her magic. And they have a grudge against Merlin, because Merlin found out about her, and it was Merlin who stopped the skeletal army." You could hear a pin drop! Arthur thought numbly. Gaius loved Morgana just as much as he loved Arthur, and for him to accuse her as such... but Arthur couldn't deny that the fear in Gaius's eyes was real. He looked over at his father, only to see an unreadable expression on his face. Deciding to take matters in to his own hands, Arthur mulled over what Gaius had said and then looked at the man for some answers to his questions.

"You said that Morgana knows who Morgause is, what do you mean by that?" Arthur asked her. In answer Gaius looked to the king. Arthur turned to his father. "Father? Do you know what it means?" the answer his father gave was ground breaking.

"Morgause is Morgana's half sister" was the simple answer. There was a collective intake of breath around the hall. Arthur didn't know what to say or how to feel. He was frozen on the spot, the only thing running through his mind, was his father's words, Morgause is Morgana's half sister. In the haze of his mind he heard Gaius speaking to the king again.

"She felt lonely here, she had no family of her own, and Morgause offered her that. Anyone in her place would have been the same." Arthur looked at his father, to find him look so sad, and angry. Arthur recognised the anger, it was in two parts, one undoubtedly directed at Morgause, but also some of the king's anger was directed at himself.

"Father..." Arthur didn't know how to continue that sentence.

"Gather your men Arthur, and ride after them immediately."

End of Chapter

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