Chapter 10

So close. He had been so damn close. And the opportunity was lost in a matter of seconds.

After Gwaine had delivered the message, Morgana had apologized but she had to go see Uther, having angered him enough with her so-called attitude. Merlin wanted to argue against it, tell her to go after he shared his news with her. But it wasn't right. Morgana should not have to go to the king, knowing some deep, dark secrets. With the day she had been having, it was only possible she would say something to Uther that could land the both of them in some serious trouble. And Merlin was trying his best to stay out of that. So he let her go without any attempt to change the ward's mind. He waited about a minute or so after she left and peeked out her chamber doors, looking left and right for any signs of guards, Gwaine, or worst of them all- Prince Clotpole. Oh wait, he meant Arthur. Merlin was creative with insults masked as nicknames and Arthur was one hell of a target for them.

He didn't know where exactly he was going but he walked down the hall anyway. Merlin could go back to Gaius's chambers, but then he would be required to do some chores, or be made to share why he looked so frustrated. He could head over to Arthur's, but that would mean double the chores and no care whatsoever that he was in a bad mood. Well, it was a bit of an exaggeration. The two had gotten used to being around each other rather constantly. One would think they were practically joined at the hip. Merlin wouldn't admit it out loud for everyone to know, but Arthur had moments where he expressed a sort of fondness for him. And (again, no announcing it to the world), Merlin expressed the same for Arthur. It wasn't just the "destiny" the dragon told him about- even if it did play a big part.

"There you are!" Speaking of the prince! Merlin stopped short, hearing Arthur call behind him. He turned around slowly to face his master. Arthur was striding towards him, looking like it was urgent he find his servant at this very time.

"Yes, here I am," Merlin replied, holding his hands out as if to present himself. "And here you are, sire."

Arthur stopped in front of him and shot that same look that was exclusively for whenever he interacted with Merlin. "Where have you been? My armor needs polishing and my chambers are a mess." The prince crossed his arms.

Merlin didn't stutter this time as he spoke the lie once more. "I told you, I was running an errand for Gaius."

"Ah yes." Arthur wasn't quite convinced. "I remember that. In fact, I was just speaking with Gaius and he happened to tell me that you were running that errand for me. When in fact, I never gave you such a task." A smirk was playing on Arthur's mouth and Merlin knew he was caught. His face burned up and ended up stumbling on his words. "I'm not often this easygoing with people who laze off, Merlin. What have you got to say for yourself?"

"Well… you see, sire… I…" Come on, idiot! You're good at coming up with lies! Merlin crossed his hands behind his back, his mind blanking out on him. Figures. At the time he needed to most, he couldn't lie. Then suddenly… "I was looking for Guinevere!"

Arthur looked a little confused. "Guinevere. You were looking for Guinevere."

"Yes, yes I was! No harm in that! No big deal, just serving boy to serving girl…" Not one of your best excuses…

"Merlin, I get the feeling you're still lying to me. What's so important that you had to find Guinevere?"

Damn it, Arthur. "Just, uh, needed to give her something, is all," Merlin shrugged, playing it cool. The prince stayed confused until his expression changed again, to one of amusement. "Ahhhh… I see what's going on here."

It was Merlin's turn to be puzzled. "You do?" Because he sure as hell didn't…

Arthur pointed a finger at him, holding back a chuckle. "You thought you could keep it from me this long! Enough with the act, Merlin, I know exactly what you've been up to these days, when you're late or when you're sneaking off!"

Merlin worked his hardest not to let his expression give anything away. Arthur couldn't possibly be talking about his attempts to speak to Morgana… could he? He sounded so calm, so playful, like he was teasing him. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, sire."

"You like Gwen!" Arthur answered triumphantly. At his answer, Merlin's eyes widened and his face flushed a deep scarlet. Of all conclusions to come to, this was thankfully the farthest the prince could reach. It was so surprising, that Merlin's reaction made it seem like Arthur had hit the nail on the head. "What? No, no, sire, it's not what you think!"

"Don't worry, Merlin, your secret is safe with me," Arthur promised, grinning at his servant like he figured it all out.

"My lord, you've got it all wrong," Merlin tried to change his mind. He didn't want Arthur to know the truth- but he didn't trust the prince enough to keep this lie to himself. What if he told his friends? Or Gaius? Or worst of all, Morgana?

"I'll take it to my grave, unless you decide to declare it to everyone in the city and beyond." Arthur tapped a finger to his lips, as if to say his lips were sealed. Still grinning, he turned to walk the other way, reminding Merlin that his love for Gwen was not about to excuse him from doing his duties. Merlin threw his hands up in frustration. Today was not going the way he wanted to, like most days. It was as if the universe was making it hard for him on purpose, waiting for him to lose it and tell everyone his secrets. His real secrets, not the ones Arthur thought was hiding. Merlin followed Arthur to his chambers to get started on his new chores. Polishing armor and cleaning chambers would be able to take his mind off the more complex problems he dealt with. To his relief, Arthur didn't bring up Merlin's "crush" on Gwen while he worked. In fact, he was silent compared to a few minutes earlier. Merlin almost preferred him talking than staying quiet.

"You seem distracted," he spoke up, glancing up at the prince before turning back to polishing. Arthur sat in his chair, playing with the quill in his hand. The sound of Merlin's voice snapped him out of his private thoughts and he dropped the quill. Hastily, he bent down to pick it up. "I'm fine," he replied, "Just thinking, is all."

Now would have been a good time to crack a joke, but judging from the look on Arthur's face, it wouldn't be taken lightly. Merlin looked up at him, debating on whether or not he should take a guess as to what was bothering him. "Is it Morgana?" He had to say it. Morgana was a common worry between the two of them, though Arthur did not have to know that.

Arthur cast a sharp look at Merlin. "I don't think it's any of your concern, Merlin. I am the prince of Camelot, I have many important matters to think about, and I do not have to discuss them with you."

"I was just asking," the warlock muttered, returning to the rag and armor. "But yes," Arthur sighed, "It is Morgana." He placed his elbows on the table and leaned forward. "I can't remember the last time it wasn't about her."

"You're worried," Merlin noted.

"I'm angry with myself. We were having a nice day and I had to ruin it. I should know well by now that there are certain topics to be brought up carefully with Morgana. She's sensitive, and rightfully so. The least I could do is think of her feelings first." Merlin could practically see the rest of that sentence tumble out of his mouth; because I don't do much else. He himself was worried for Morgana. Uther calling her in to talk to her wasn't exactly the most reassuring thing ever. Merlin could clearly notice the negative effect the king had on Morgana and some days, he wished so badly he could speak up. Take action, if he so dared. And what upset him the most was how nobody did anything. Not even Arthur, who claimed he cared more for Morgana than anyone else. Still, he was obligated to say, "It's not your fault, sire. There are some things that are out of your hands."

The prince shook his head. "Only because I don't grasp them tightly enough…" They stopped after that. Merlin looked down at the armor in his hands. Arthur wasn't even close to understanding what could happen in the future if this went on. If the bloody Great Dragon said it, it was very likely to happen. Even Morgana didn't know of it. So in reality, Merlin was right. There were some things that were out of Arthur's hands.

They were in his instead.

There was nothing else on her mind but what would become of her future after visiting the king. Not Arthur, not Merlin, nothing and no one but herself. Morgana told herself to be strong as she went down to Uther's chambers. Hard as it was, she had to try. I am not weak. I am the daughter of Gorlois Le Fay. I am strong… and if anything, I can scream if he tries to kill me.

She shakily knocked twice on his large doors. Upon hearing the gruff, muffled "Enter" from the king, she opened the doors and walked inside, properly yet cautiously. "You wanted to see me, my lord?"

Uther was sitting at his desk, looking over a mess of parchment. He lifted his eyes to meet those of Morgana. "Ah yes, Morgana. I wanted to speak to you about today." He rose from his chair but before he could do anything else, Morgana immediately started in on the apologies.

"Please forgive me, my lord. I was out of line, I should not have spoken to you that way. It was wrong of me, I did not wish to embarrass you in front of your council," she rambled, not letting him even open his mouth.

"Morgana, please." Uther held up a hand to stop her. "I did not call you hear to scold you for your behavior, neither am I angry at you."

The ward paused and raised an eyebrow questionably. If that was not why she was called in, then why had Uther requested her presence in his chambers?

"I'm afraid Arthur was careless when he told you of Bayard coming to make an alliance with our kingdom," Uther explained, beginning to pace a little. Morgana watched him with careful eyes, staying glued to her spot. "That was something that I wished to bring up with you so that I could fully explain the reasoning behind it."

"And what would that be?" she asked.

"An alliance between my kingdom and Bayard's means the chance to achieve peace between me and your father," Uther continued. He stopped pacing and looked at her expectantly. Morgana knew him well enough and gave nothing away. He wanted her to be excited but he could as well be pulling her leg.

"Bayard knows that we have you, Gorlois's daughter, as our ward, while he is in exile. When we become allies, we can work towards bringing Gorlois back home and creating peace between our two kingdoms," the king went on, "So you see, Morgana, my aim was not to punish your father any further, nor to anger you. I am working towards getting Gorlois back home. A treaty between our three kingdoms will work towards a better future for all of us. Bayard is just the first king. Gorlois is the next."

"You are saying," Morgana started slowly, "That after Bayard comes to visit Camelot… you would bring my father back?" Was he telling the truth? Was he really going to bring her father back from exile? She could see him again?

Uther was smiling at her growing excitement. "I keep my promises, Morgana. I intend to keep this one."

"Oh, my lord, I… I don't know what to say!" Morgana yelped in happiness, a smile stretching across her face, the first time she ever smiled for real for Uther. "When will you do it? When can I see my father again?"

"As soon as our peace is made with Bayard." Uther went to sit back down at his table. He motioned towards the door. "Go on, then. You are dismissed!"

Morgana thanked him again and left the room quickly, feeling her spirits lift. It had to be true- Uther was going to free her father and her. They could go home, they could be a family again. She'd start eating again and go back to being happy and healthy. And Bayard was coming rather soon! And though a small part of the ward nagged at her, telling her it was all a lie, Morgana's optimism was positively overflowing. Now all she had to do was make sure that things would go smoothly with the kings. It wasn't her job, but she would take it upon herself if it meant Gorlois's freedom.

When the day of Bayard's expected arrival came, every single person in the castle was put to work. Servants made preparations for guests, the women down in the kitchens cooked up a feast fit to feed the entire city, and Arthur and Morgana spent extra time than usual on their looks. It had been insisted upon by Uther to make a good impression, even to men he had once considered his enemies.

Gwen drew her a bath as Morgana picked out her favorite blue and purple gown. After the bath, she brushed her hair and let it fall in waves down her back, then applied a generous amount of makeup. Gwen watched her as she put her jewelry on.

"You look very lovely, my lady," the serving girl commented, smiling at her. "And you seem to be in a better mood these days."

Morgana smiled back, looking at Gwen's reflection from her mirror. "Things are finally starting to look up, Gwen. That is why." All that had been on the woman's mind was her father. In fact, she had almost forgotten that Merlin still had to tell her something very important. But Morgana figured it could wait until after Bayard and Uther signed the treaty and Gorlois was guaranteed to be freed.

That evening, Morgana sat at her usual spot in the dining hall, surrounded by the men and servants of both royal houses. She watched as Bayard picked up the quill and leaned down to scribble his signature. Her eyes scanned the room till they spotted Merlin standing next to Gwen, wearing what Arthur called the "official ceremonial robes of Camelot." It was really just a ridiculous red cape and a large, feathery hat that made Merlin look about as official as a court jester. She bit her lip to keep from giggling when she saw Merlin shoot Arthur a look and the prince send him a knowing smile in return. It made Morgana a little happy that the two were getting along so well. A few weeks ago, they had been at each other's throats and everything seemed fine now.

Bayard put the quill down and then it was Uther's turn. Morgana looked back to Merlin to see his eyes were on someone else. She subtly followed his gaze to a serving girl of Bayard's, her hair wrapped in a cloth with a few pieces fall into her face. Her eyes were a striking blue as they met Merlin's. He took his hat off and ruffled his hair a bit. Morgana felt her muscles tense when a smile rose to Merlin's lips. Since when did he taking a liking to girls he didn't know? She wasn't even that pretty…

Morgana tuned in to the clapping in the room and joined, watching the two kings grip arms. Uther took his seat next to the ward as Bayard began a speech. "People of Camelot," he started, "For a great many years, we have been mortal enemies. The blood of our men stains from the walls of Camelot to the gates of Mercier. And though we remember those who have died, we must not let anymore to join them." Another serving girl came to Bayard's side with a large box in her arms. Morgana distractedly looked towards the blue-eyed girl and noticed her watching the box carefully with a strange expression on her face. Like she was expecting something to come out of there.

"As a symbol of our good will," Bayard continued, opening the box, "And our newfound friendship, I present these ceremonial goblets to you, Uther…" he showed the king the first silver goblet. "And to your son, Arthur, and your ward, the Lady Morgana. In the hope that our friendship may last." Arthur and Uther looked to Morgana, surprised that Bayard had acknowledged her presence. A man who had betrayed her own father and played a small role in his exile had nerve to buy her respect with a silver goblet. Nevertheless, Morgana accepted it, as it would be improper to show any signs of anger.

Bayard came forward to hand them their new gifts and Morgana smiled appreciatively. The king took one look at her and said, "And I shall add, it is my hope that your father shall be freed soon and no more tensions shall arise between our kingdoms." Uther stiffened next to her and cleared his throat. Morgana merely uttered a quiet "thank you" and took the goblet. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the serving girl go frantically to Merlin and the two leave the dining hall together. The corners of her mouth tugged into a small frown. Just where were they going and when did they have time to get acquainted? It shocked Morgana when she realized that her tense muscles were a result of a little jealousy. Yet, why was she jealous?

Servants came to pour wine into their brand new goblets, and everyone in the hall rose to their feet, drinks in hand. Bayard finished his speech by toasting the king, prince, and ward and to all the men and people of their two kingdoms. As soon as he finished speaking, Morgana slowly lifted the cup to her lips and was about to take a sip…

"Stop!" Before Morgana could taste the wine, she heard a voice all too familiar to her ears now. "Don't drink it!" Merlin clambered into the room and snatched the goblet from Morgana's hand so fast, she almost didn't feel it. She widened her eyes at the servant, unable to form words with her mouth.

"What?" Uther snapped, glaring at Merlin.

"Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed, looking about ready to strangle Merlin with the strings on his robes, "What are you doing?"

Merlin was breathing heavily, the drinking still in his hand. The room had gone dead quiet, all eyes on him. He slowly turned to glance at the other king. "Bayard laced the Lady Morgana's goblet with poison," he announced. Morgana stared at him, mouth dropping slightly open. What did he just say?

"This is an outrage!" Bayard shouted, reaching for his sword. Promptly, every Camelot and Mercier knight pulled theirs out and pointed them at each other on opposing sides of the dining hall.

"Order your men to put down their swords," Uther commanded, "You're outnumbered."

Bayard turned his head to look around, seeing that what Uther had said was true. A look of fear crossed his face but he kept still, his breathing coming out unevenly. Eyes shooting daggers at Merlin, he shouted, "I will not allow this insult to go unchallenged!"

Uther turned back to the boy. "On what grounds do you base this accusation?" Morgana watched him, waiting for an answer. What on Earth gave Merlin the idea that Bayard would poison her cup?

"I'll handle this," Arthur interrupted through clenched teeth, stepping away from the table and stomping towards Merlin. "Merlin, you idiot. You've been at the gin again…" Arthur grabbed the cup from the servant and handed it back to Morgana who just looked at it. She debated on whether or not she should take it, trying to avoid the way Merlin was eyeing her now.

"It was seen being laced," Merlin insisted, looking intently at the king.

"By who?" Uther questioned.

Merlin paused. "I can't say…" Morgana's eyes flickered towards the girl who Merlin left the dining hall with for a quick second before turning back. Oh yes… something very odd was going on here…

"I will not listen to this," Bayard growling, shaking at the sight of swords pointed at him.

Uther said nothing. He took the goblet from Arthur's hand and walked towards the other king. "If you're telling the truth, then you have nothing to fear." Bayard tucked the sword back to his hip and stuck a hand out, motioning for him to pass the cup.

"No," Uther decided, "If this does prove to be poison, I want the pleasure of killing you myself." Turning his back to Bayard, he gave the cup to Merlin. "Here, drink it."

Morgana couldn't stop herself. "But if it is poison, he'll die!" she exclaimed, stepping away from the table and walking towards them. All gazes were on her now, but she ignored everyone else and pleaded with Uther silently. Merlin may have been clumsy in how he brought up his accusation, but… what if he was right? And if he was, he would die. Morgana could not let that happen.

"Then we will know he was telling the truth," Uther responded simply. Merlin reluctantly took the goblet from the king.

"And what if he lives?" Bayard jumped in.

"Then you have my apologies and you can do with him as you wish."

"My lord, please," Morgana begged, stepping in front of Arthur, "Don't make him do it."

"Stay out of this, Morgana," Arthur said quietly, pulling her back.

"Merlin," the ward snapped, shoving Arthur back. "Apologize, this is mistake!" She shot a glare at him. But he didn't budge whatsoever. Without thinking, Morgana reached for the cup. "I'll drink it."

"No, no, no!" Merlin refused, holding his arms up to block her grip. Morgana was about to reach for him again when she felt Arthur's arms grab her and hold her back once more. He's out of his mind. He's going to die. Oh my God, he's going to die… just to save me. Merlin looked back at her the way did whenever they were together. An expression that she couldn't quite decipher. Lords above forbid it would be the last time he would look at her this way.

Merlin looked to Bayard and held the cup as if to toast him. He turned to Arthur and then to Morgana and shakily lifted the cup to his lips and took a sip. The pounding in Morgana's chest was so fierce, she was sure that everyone in the room could hear it. Silently, she thanked Arthur for holding her back. If he hadn't, she might as well have collapsed right then and there.

The serving boy paused for a moment, glanced at Bayard, then back at Arthur. "It's fine," he finally said. A sigh of relief escaped Morgana's mouth and she released herself from the prince's grip. Everyone else did the same and took their seats. "He's all yours," Uther permitted to Bayard. Morgana was happy that Merlin was fine, but she was going to have serious, serious talk with him once the Mercier king was finished.

Then suddenly, Merlin started clutching his throat, coughing. His face wrinkled and he coughed a few more times before crippling to the ground, unconscious.

A/N: It's been too long, readers. Updates will be regular from now on. Hope your holidays had been wonderful and looking forward to a new year with you all. Feels good to be back!

Reviews are greatly appreciated. Cheers!