Author's note- Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone! I'm sorry this took so long. I will try to get the next chapter up a little quicker. Hope you like this!

Queen of the Wild Magic—Chapter 10

Looking at herself in the mirror, Addy could barely believe what she was seeing. There was almost no trace of her old self. Not only did she look like royalty in her fairy gown, she could tell that she was beginning to act like it, too. How long had it been since she thanked her two fairy handmaidens? She was beginning to understand just how easy it was to forget that she was not above anyone else, especially when they followed her every command. There was a distance in her eyes, a cold sort of entitlement that she had never seen there before. Maybe she had been wrong in her judgements of Morgana. Maybe it was just the way she was raised to be a queen that had made her seem so harsh. Would she really be so different before long?

How long had she been here anyway? With the crystal sun, there were no nights, just endless day. She had lost track of the time long ago. Maybe she had been trapped here for weeks or months. And no one had come for her. It was hard to take, and she had to fight off feelings of bitterness and resentment towards Merlin. He would come, she reminded herself. He loves you. But it felt like a lie.

There was a soft knock upon the door. "Lady Addy?" Came Rowaine's voice. "Are you rested?"

"Yes," she responded. "I'm coming." She took one last look into her sad hazel eyes and thought, Who am I now?

When she arrived at the palace hall, Morgana was already waiting. There was an odd smirk on her beautiful face. "I have a surprise for you!" She chuckled.

Theosfain was there, also, looking slightly pleased.

What was going on? She looked back and forth between their smiling faces. "A surprise?" Addy asked.

"Yes. Actually, it was Theo who gave me the idea." Morgana nodded in his direction.

She looked to the black haired fairy, confused. Suddenly, Morgana lifted her hands, and with her magic, threw Addy violently into the air.

Addy cried out as she landed on the soft grassy carpet. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"I'm trying to teach you to learn to use your magic!" Morgana said indignantly.

"How is throwing me around teaching?"

Theosfain stepped in. "Your magic comes from instinct, from will power. You will learn what you are capable of best if you are forced to use it defensively."

"Oh, well that's just great." Addy grumbled, pulling herself off the ground. No sooner was she standing than she was hit again. "Give me a chance to catch my breath at least," she cried.

"Why should I?" Morgana laughed. Clearly, she was enjoying this way too much.

Anger rose in Addy. How dare she! After I had even started to feel sorry for her and everything! Her heart was thumping loudly in her ears. And then, she felt it. The magic within her, the life of the earth itself. It was powerful now, and easy to access. Never had it felt so good to her, so right.

This time, as she stood, she was ready for Morgana's attack. As she felt the force of the magic hit her, she willed it into nothingness, just as she had created things from nothing but her imagination. Raising her head, she smiled triumphantly at Morgana.

But Morgana was not a High Priestess for nothing. She screamed a curse and wind began whipping bitingly around Addy. It spiraled around her into a growing tornado. Dust and debris ate at her skin, ripping into her. Addy's smile grew. So, that's how she wants to play.

Addy closed her eyes against the wind and concentrated all her powers toward Morgana. Immediately, vines and branches sprung up from the ground, trapping her in a cage. Addy grew the vines tighter and tighter, until Morgana was at last forced to withdraw her windstorm.

Morgana held out her hands and the living cage burst into flame. "Good! You learn very quickly." She said.

"Yes I do," Addy agreed merrily. "What else have you got?"

Morgana smiled as she summoned a fireball. Addy's heart was galloping at a thrilling pace. Her instincts kicked in and she dodged just as the blazing bolt shot at her. She summoned her powers again and felt the duel heart of her and the earth beating in tandem. She was master now, she controlled the magic. It would do whatever she wanted.

But Morgana was quick, far quicker than Addy had realized. She sent fireball after fireball spiraling towards her. Vaguely, she was aware of Theosfain screaming for her to move.

A strange tugging sensation surged up inside her at the sight of imminent danger. She went with it, going where ever it wanted to lead her. She blinked and the blazing fires before her were gone. Morgana and Theosfain were gone as well. She was standing alone in the hall. What had she done?

"Hello?" She called out timidly.

A rush of feet and motion was behind her, "My Lady!" Theosfain exclaimed, a worried look on his face. "Where have you been? What happened to you?"

"What do you mean what happened?" She looked around the empty hall, as if trying to find the source of the joke. "One second I was here, facing down the fires, and the next, they were gone. I don't know what happened!" She countered.

Morgana was possibly the happiest Addy had ever seen her. Her face and eyes were literally brighter than the sun.

"What?" Addy snapped at her, crossing her arms.

Pleasantly, she replied, "You were there and then you disappeared, only to reappear when the danger had passed. Addy, I think you may have just jumped through time."

She clenched her fist at her side. "Jumped through time? Is that even possible? How could I do that and not even know?"

Theosfain face went bright with comprehension. "Of course! You've done it before, remember? It was how you went back to Camelot in the first place."

She shook her head. "I didn't do that. Those crystals sent me back. I had no control over it."

"Yes, you did. Your magic must have activated the crystals."

"That's absurd!" She said angrily, "I don't believe you."

"Yes you do," Morgana said. "I see it in your eyes. You know exactly what it feels like now to use your magic. You know that feeling, you remember it."

Stamping her foot, she screamed, "Stop it! I...I don't want to play this game anymore... It's too much..." She felt slightly dizzy, and collapsed on the step to the dias in the middle of the hall.

Theosfain approached with concern and said calmly. "Wild magic is unpredictable, My Lady. You have such power locked away inside you. But it is dangerous. You must be cautious." He moved closer, placing a long, thin hand upon her shoulder. It was warm, but made her shiver.

"I need time to think, Theo," she said, shrugging him away. "Please, give me a moment."

He looked sad, and said, "As you-"

The door to the back of the hall burst open and two fairies sprinted elegantly into the room. Theosfain left Addy's side and rushed down to meet them. They talked frantically together in hushed tones. There were frequent emphatic gestures between them. Addy got the sense that something important had just happened.

He raced back up to the dias, looking uncharacteristically flustered, and bowed. "My ladies, I must leave you. There is something that I must attend to. Please, continued your practicing and I will be back with you before long."

He scurried away so quickly, Addy didn't even have time to question him about it.

"Well, thank goodness for that!" Morgana sighed, leaning back against a nearby column. "He was getting on my nerves. And I think he was starting to cross a line with you, Lady Addy." She winked.

Addy shivered again, remembering the way he had touched her arm. "Yeah, maybe you're right. He's been a little too friendly."

Morgana sat forward eagerly, like a school girl about to get some juicy gossip. "See! I knew it. The Sidhe want you to stay here. They want to keep your power for themselves. I think they want you to marry one of them, it's the only way you can really be Queen. I'm sure they're up to something."

"Marry him? You think that's what he's after?"

She shrugged. "Don't worry, though. I won't let anything like that happen to you."

Addy gaped, not trusting her ears. "Why?"

Morgana smiled sweetly. "Well, because we're friends."

"We are?" When had that happened? How come she didn't get that notice?

Her eyes softened into the color of dew, "Well, I mean, I hope we are friends. You know, all my life I've been alone. I thought people were my friends, but they all turned against me. I know that it was mostly my fault later on, but in the beginning, it wasn't so." She slid over nearer to Addy. "When I first discovered that I had magic, I was so alone, so scared. The dreams were the worst. Horrible dreams about the future, about the past. And a simple kindness, a simple understanding would have meant everything to me!" She sighed and hugged her knees, glancing apprehensively at Addy. "Merlin could have confided in me, you know. He could have told me that what I was feeling wasn't to be scared of. But he didn't. He just lied." She tossed back her lush black locks and tilted her head. "I know what your feeling, Addy, I really do. I was scared too when I first discovered my magic. But not because of how much I didn't want the power. It was because of how much I did." There were tears in Morgana's eyes.

Addy felt so ashamed of everything she had felt towards the sorceress. Morgana had read her like a book. "I'm sorry I haven't been nicer to you. I'm sorry I haven't trusted you."

Swiping away a tear, Morgana looked up. "Really? You believe me now?"

She nodded thoughtfully. "You wanted a second chance. I respect that. So, I'll start by saying that, yes, I will be your friend."

Morgana beamed and leaned in for a hug. When she pulled back, she had a small object wrapped in cloth in her hand. "Here. I was going to present this to you later, when our training was over. I had the fairies make it for you." She handed it to Addy.

Addy took it and pulled back the wrapping. Inside, was an exquisitely carved silver bracelet depicting two entwined birds. "It's beautiful," she said breathlessly.

She giggled nervously, "I know it's silly, but what girl doesn't appreciate jewelry, right? I hope it will be a token to you of my good faith and our lasting friendship." Her face was flushed and sincere. "Go ahead, try it on," she urged.

Addy slipped the bracelet onto her wrist, twisting it in the light to get a better look. It must have been some sort of trick of fairy craftsmanship, because the metal was hot against her skin. The heat radiated up through her arm quickly, and she tried to remove the cuff. But her other hand wouldn't budge. In fact, her whole body felt immobile, frozen to the ground upon which she sat. She tried to speak, to ask what was happening, but nothing came.

Morgana leaned closer, and for the first time, all her disguises had fallen away. Her eyes were the piercing black-green of witch she had fought long ago in the cave. They were the eyes of hate, of jealousy, of cruelty. This was true Morgana, the rest had only been an act. "Yes," she said. "You and I will be great friends, Lady Addy. With your powers under my control, I will reshape the world in my image. All I have dreamt of for centuries and more will be mine!"

Addy could feel her mind slipping from her, she was losing consciousness. Before the black took hold she pleaded in her eyes with all her strength. Please don't do this! Her vision darkened, but she could hear the voice of Morgana echoing in the void.

"How perfect it will be when I force you to kill Emrys. How beautiful the moment I get my revenge! And, when it's done, you will take me back through time to Camelot, and I will watch you do it again!"

A/N-

Of course Morgana was evil all along. She's a very good actress. :)

So, next up...Merlin gets arrested and still has to save the world...