Chapter 10

"You know that I know you have been before. Who would ever leave cake with little fay attached to it?"

I smiled as I looked through the crack in the door at Morgana sleeping. She started to stir and I whispered "Gefultume híe þæt heo onslæpe".

"You should really come when she is awake. She misses you. She hopes that she will stay awake long enough to catch you." Gorlois says as Morgana settles.

"I know." I finally said. "But if she sees me then she may believe I will stay. I don't need to give her false hope. I have given her too much of that."

"How?" Gorlois said.

"By stopping her dreams. She does not need them on a night like tonight."

I could tell Gorlois was confused but let him speak first. "Why are you here?"

"Because the moment I told Uther the truth and sealed my fate, I promised myself that I would tell the truth, even if the person involved didn't know any different." I turned to him. "Your study is free?"

Gorlois smiled and extended his arm to me to take me to his study.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[ [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]] ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

"What did you want to tell me? Well I assume it is me that you want to talk to." Gorlois said sitting down in his chair. I waved his hand for me to do the same but I remained standing.

"You love Morgana and will do anything for her." I said straight out as a statement.

Gorlois gave me a quizzical look. "Of course. You know I would do anything for my child."

"What if I told you that Morgana isn't your child? What if I told you that is another man's daughter?"

"That is insane. Vivienne wouldn't do that to me."

I could sense his confusion and that he was getting upset about it but I couldn't help him. "An 8 month old child isn't as healthy or big as she was when she was born. It was because she was conceived a month before."

"She couldn't have been. I was fighting the month before."

"Morgana isn't yours, she is Uther's." I couldn't tiptoe around the subject anymore.

The tension in the room became an all new thickness, even though we were good friends.

"What?!" Gorlois looked at me.

"Vivienne told me about the affair when I returned to Camelot after I had my horrific dream. I confronted her about it after your announcement and Uther heard at the same time. He then threatened me."

"My wife lied with my friend."

"Yes."

Gorlois pulled his hand along his cheek.

"He wants me to go and fight for him tomorrow. I haven't had the heart to tell Morgana. She has your dreams."

"That because she is destined to be a powerful seer which, because of the lack of teaching, can never control her dreams."

Gorlois nodded. "She told me that I wasn't going to come home. She actually has begged me not to go because she has seen my death."

Silence fell between us.

"How am I meant to fight for that man now?" Gorlois said while putting his head in his hands. I knew that his whole world had just collapsed.

"You just do. I have tried to keep so much from you to keep your friendship with Uther. Mine broke down with him when he started the purge. He needs someone to lean on or Camelot will fall before Arthur has even touched the throne."

"You dreamt that this would happen?" Gorlois said, looking at me.

I nodded. "I didn't want it to happen. I tried to stop it. The Druids have told me stories, stories that I live for. Magic will return to the land and we will live on peace once more."

Gorlois got up and stood in front of me. "If what Morgana says is right and I don't return. I want you to look after her, be her guardian. Uther may promise me that he won't hurt her but I don't think I can trust him anymore. Especially as she is showing signs of magic. I don't think that he would spare even his daughter if he found out she was magical."

"I will try Gorlois." I turned back to walk out of the study. "If I don't get to her, I will make sure that I am in her life."

Gorlois walked to stop me from exiting.

"I am sorry that I argued with you. I didn't know the pressure that you had on you."

"Don't worry, you are the only true friend that I have left."

Gorlois pulled me into a hug and placed a kiss on my forehead.

For the first time for 9 years I felt safe.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[ [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]] ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

It was 2 weeks after I had last seen Gorlois that I heard of his death.

The news had spread like wildfire.

It broke me in ways that I cannot describe. The only man that could stop Uther was now dead.

The Druids told me to grieve him but as soon as I had heard I was off like a gunshot, I had to get Morgana. She needed me as much as I needed Gorlois.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[ [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]] ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

I hid in the trees that surrounded the castle of Cornwall. I would have got closer but Camelot's men were everywhere.

"No I am waiting for my father!" I heard Morgana shout.

I peeked around to see what was happening.

Morgana was being dragged by a knight.

I was about to intervene when Uther came up to her.

"Morgana, your father isn't returning." Uther said.

I rolled my eyes. Uther wasn't the most subtle person in the world but you couldn't tell a 10 year old right out that her father wasn't going to return.

"He will, he promised me." Morgana said eyes filled with tears as the realization of what had happen hit her.

Uther put an arm around her shoulders and brought her to him, awkwardly.

I want to rip his arms from her body and run off with her.

"Elsa will look after me. I am not alone." Morgana said more to herself than anyone else.

My heart broke as I heard that she was waiting for me as well.

"Elsa! She is more than likely dead by now." Uther said to her but signaled the guards to patrol the area.

"No she isn't. She comes on my birthday like she promises. I never see her but she leaves me a present." She said like an excited child.

"It could be anyone." Uther said trying to move her towards the carriage.

"It is her. She only calls me little fay." Morgana said trying to pull herself from Uther grip.

I wanted to help her. I would give my life to help her. But I didn't want her losing the two people she loved the most.

I stayed in my spot behind the trees until all Camelot's men had left.

Now I started my grieving.

I walked through the halls till I hit Gorlois and Vivienne's bedchamber.

I picked up the sword that I gave him for his birthday a couple of years back. Gorlois had always had this weird obsession with wolves. Still to this day I don't understand it. I managed to forge the sword so that the top of the hilt was shaped like a wolf's head. I remember his face as he opened it.

He didn't take it because it meant to much to him.

I pulled the belt around my waist. I would take it to him.

I ran my hands through his clothes, taking in his musky smell. I would never forget that smell.

I went to Morgana's room to see the things of hers that had been left. I picked up a few thing that she would have loved to have with her. Just little things to remind her from where she was from.

I could have stayed in the castle. Nobody would have expected that I was there but in my heart I couldn't. A whole family had been removed due to death.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[ [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]] ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

I stood at the line of trees watching the funeral of Gorlois.

Morgana stood there looking for some comfort but the people around her were knights. Not the most sympathetic people in the world. I noticed that Arthur kept looking at her and I hoping he would help her.

She looked up and caught my eye.

"Don't say anything little fay. I am not supposed to be here. I need to say goodbye as well." I spoke to her telepathy.

"How are you doing that?" she said back to me. "How am I doing it?"

"Magic but you are doing it because I have opened the link." I said back to her, trying not to scare her.

"Please save me from him."

"I will try little fay, I will try." I said, breaking the connection and continued to watch from my spot.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[ [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]] ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

I stood at Gorlois grave.

Everyone had long gone back to Camelot and now I was here with my friend, the only friend that I had left.

"I know that I will sound mad but I don't know how I have stayed same with everything that I have been through. Do you?" I shock my head. "It's probably because I had you. My rock. I will try and keep my promise. Uther has her at the moment but I have seen what she turns into under Uther parenting. I will save her."

I pulled out his sword and placed it in the ground. The ground glowed gold before turning back to brown. I just gave it a push to see if the spell had worked.

"I know usually it is placed with you but I couldn't get it to you in time and I don't feel like disturbing your rest. You may need this in the afterlife with you. I don't know about the afterlife with the new religion but if you are still part of the old you will."

I sighed and bowed to him. "Goodbye old friend."

I turned and left.

Now to get Morgana.

################################################## ##################################################

"Wait there has never been no sword there." Arthur said.

"You didn't come with us when we went the first time. I remember seeing it and thinking of Elsa and my father together. Uther was distort that it was there and tried to pull it out. He couldn't so called a blacksmith to melt the sword out of the ground. It worked in the end." Morgana explained.

"Please Elsa carry on." Gwen said with a smile.

"Well …"

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[ [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]] ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

I probably should have waited a bit before bursting into Camelot.

The feast in Gorlois' name was in full swing.

Everyone tensed as I took central position in the hall.

"You having a party without me. Uther you know I love a good party." I said jokingly.

The guards hands went straight for their swords.

"Elsa!" Morgana shouted making her way around the table to meet me.

I knew that she would love to see me. I was the only comfort that she would have in this time. I opened my arms for her but she never reached them.

A hand from a knight on her shoulder stopped her.

The guards had now unsheathed their swords and had them all pointed at me.

I looked around the hall. "Come on if I wanted to kill them they would already be dead." I carried on my carefree attitude.

"What do you want Elsa?" Uther said trying to stand strong.

"I have come for my little fay. Gorlois wanted me to be her guardian and …"

"He never said such thing. He always wanted me to be her guardian. Anyway she ..." Uther stopped what he was going to say but I knew it.

I tutted. "Almost let a secret slip there. Now let me look after Morgana and you will never see either of us again, I promise."

I knew Morgana liked her life of luxury but I needed something to make sure Uther would allow me. But it wasn't total a lie. We would head north and hope to find some people that excepted us, the way we are.

"No."

I knew it was a long shot just asking but I wasn't going to take her.

"Okay, I will go back to my life. Just can I say goodbye to Morgana."

"Say goodbye?" I did know whether he was shocked that I had backed down so easily or the meaning of goodbye.

"You know when two people leave each other, the usual thing that it said is goodbye." Uther glared at me. I liked joking with him but then I remembered that he wasn't the same man that I knew. "Well Uther I got use to seeing her nearly every day or when I wanted to see her. I am committing treason just standing here. Just let me say goodbye because when is the next time I will touch her or see her?"

Uther turned to the knight and nodded. The knight released Morgana and she came running into my arms.

"You will be here for my birthday." Morgana whispered to me.

"I will try and get something to you little fay."

I hugged her tighter and placed a kiss on top of her head.

"I have got to go now." I said pulled her away slightly and looking her in the eye. "I will sort something."

I could have taken Morgana right then but I knew that Uther wouldn't rest until she was back with him.

I looked back at my old friend once last time. I couldn't help but see how old he now looked.

"Milord." I said bowing to him.

Uther made no move to say anything back to me so as quickly as I came in, I left using magic.

################################################## ##################################################

"I am happy that you did make it to my 11th birthday."

"So am I." I said smiling back at her. "I even made it for some of Arthur's birthdays as well."

"That cake was the best." Arthur said, licking his lips remembering it.

"The druids made that. I was never one to cook." I said to them.

"The apple one is still my favorite." Morgana said

"No I preferred the ... um the one you gave Morgana on her 13th birthday." Arthur said.

I opened my mouth to reply but never got round to it.

"Elsa, are you okay?" Merlin said.

I swallowed. "Yes I am fine." I looked down to my hands. There were still little scars from that day.

"That's another tale you don't have to tell." Morgana said, looking at me with sad eyes.

"But it has made me the person that I am and the person that you are. Morgana I know why you have a soft spot for people with magic. It wasn't your own magic, it was mine. What he did to me made you defy his every move against the magic population."

"I was just trying to look out for you. To help you and our kind get some justice for what has been done. You had a home, a family even to look after and Uther drove you away."

I sighed. "Doesn't mean I want you to do my dirty work." I said in a soft voice.

Morgana looked at me. I had used the same tone as Gorlois would use to calm her down.

"How about we get Morgana's 12th birthday over with first?" Gwen said. "Something happened then."

I nodded. "I still think it was stupid of you two to come and find me but it was the day of Morgana's 12th birthday. As Morgana has said I made it for her 11th birthday and I also went to Arthur's. The castle had been put on high alert as there was a threat from Esstir about war. Getting in and out of Camelot was a lot harder. I was going to try but the druids had already said that it would be impossible. Morgana and Gwen decided to show up just after midday..."