Star Wars & Merlin Fanfic

Chapter 9: "Tragedy"

Three years have passed, Anakin is now eleven years old, Arthur is nine years old and their friend Morgana is 10 years old, since the attack on Camelot and the kidnapping of Anakin and Arthur. They had all grown within the last three years and proving to be strong fighters, even Morgana! She was handling herself against Anakin and Arthur, their friendship growing stronger every day.

Anakin and Arthur regarded her as the sister they never had whilst she looked to them as the brothers she always wanted, they enjoyed teasing and playing games with each other. They had formed a close knit friendship together.

As for Uther, there had been no sighting of Odin or any of his men near the border of Camelot since the ambush three years ago and no threat made from Palpatine although Uther did not believe him to be dead and remain vigilant

There had been small groups of rogue bandits coming within reach of the citadel, Uther had sent his men out there to stop them but each time, the knights reported they were growing in numbers and strength but Uther was determined to ensure they could not reach the citadel.

The most recent report from a scout that there was a group of close to 60 bandits, Uther was confident Gorlois and his knights could handle them and ordered them to prepare to head out for their location.

The servants had brought out the horses for the knights as they said goodbye to their families, while Uther, Anakin and Arthur watched from their place on the steps, all dressed in their royal attire. Anakin and Arthur were mainly watching Morgana standing beside her mother, and saying goodbye to her father Gorlois, they saw the look of sadness on her face as he knelt down before her;

"I'm sorry to leave once more my little princess" he begins, touching her chin softly "I shouldn't be gone for long, I shall return after we stop these bandits" he told her, grinning "I trust you'll stay out of trouble" he warned her seeing Morgana nod before she threw her arms around her father

"I'll miss you father" she whispers as he holds closer "As will I but I promise I'll return like always" he assured her giving her a kiss on her cheek before he places her back down getting to his feet, where he embraces his wife once more then turns towards his horse;

Morgana, still staring up at her father, doesn't see Anakin or Arthur approach her until they each placed a hand on her shoulders, she rested her head on Anakin's shoulder as Arthur rubbed her back gently,

"It will be alright Morgana, your father has gone away many times and always returned" Anakin reminded her hearing her reply

"But what something goes wrong, I don't want him to die" she confesses gripping Anakin's arm more as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder as Arthur spoke

Your father is a strong knight for our kingdom, he'll return" he promised her looking back at Gorlois and the knights, now sitting on their horses, they all looked over at the King giving a small bow as Uther gave them a silent nod before they turned and headed out of the courtyard and out of the citadel.

Once the knights were gone, the servants moved away and the guards returned to their posts, Morgana looked back up at her two friends, "Thank you for caring for me" she spoke, her voice soft as Anakin smiled,

"You're welcome, you're our dear friend and we love you Morgana" he pointed out seeing a small smile cross her face before Arthur then spoke up

"Even if you do enjoy winning our fights" he pointed out seeing her smile grow as she got an idea

"Well how about another match?" she asks them curiously before she smirks "Unless you're both scared, I'll beat you both again" she teased seeing Anakin and Arthur gasp,

"Scared? Since when have we ever been scared from a fight?" Anakin asks her, wrapping an arm around Arthur's shoulder, who nodded in agreement

"He's right so let's head over to the training grounds now and show that we're not scared" he grinned running off in the direction of the training grounds leaving Morgana to quietly follow them, with a mischievous smirk across her face.

Sometimes it was just too much fun playing around with Anakin and Arthur, however Morgana didn't mind it one bit.

Almost three hours had passed since Gorlois and his men had left Camelot, remaining on alert since they had entered the forest. Recent reports about these bandits had their numbers increase to 70, leading to the conclusion that they were recruiting every day which could lead to a battle; Gorlois promised they would stop them before they could reach Camelot.

Gorlois then began thinking about Vivien and Morgana again; he hated leaving them but knew his duty and how loyal he was to the King. At first, he thought these bandits posed no threat until their numbers doubled and he knew he couldn't take the risk and would protect the citizens of the city along with his men.

The sunlight was peeking through the trees as they proceeded through the forest, the animals scurried around them, climbing or running through the trees, they all listened for the slightest disturbance before another knight rode up alongside Gorlois

"The bandit's most recent sighting is just ahead; we will stop there and mark out a perimeter" he instructed before another knight rode up alongside of him,

"Perhaps we should have two guards on look out to ensure an ambush doesn't happen like last time" he suggested as a third guard scoffed,

"But this time, they're just bandits, they're not that skilled to plan an ambush" he pointed out however Gorlois shook his head

"They may be just bandits but they're increasing their numbers day by day and they could even be waiting for us. Two guards will keep a look out each hour" he explained reaching the clearing, a soft gust of wind blew through them as they got off their horses,

Gorlois moved to the front to scout out the surroundings "Ensure these horses are fed and given water, then get a fire starting" he instructed looking out across the plains and through the trees, listening to his men preparing the site behind him, Gorlois only hoped that these bandits would be dealt with soon.

Having spent the entire morning with Anakin and Arthur out on the training grounds, Morgana was a little upset when her mother came to bring her back home right as Uther also had called Anakin and Arthur inside to help oversee royal duties.

Morgana had enjoyed showing both her friends how far she had come in her training so far, even winning a few fights;

Flashback-20 minutes ago

Morgana's sword touched Anakin's once more as she swiftly knocked it out from his hand before she moved her sword so that it was now in front of his face

"Do you surrender now?" she simply asks as Anakin cheekily grins

"Do I have much of a choice?" he teases hearing Arthur laugh, adding "You've surprised me today" he confesses as Morgana smirks

"You boys just know how to cheer me up" she admits, she then lowers her sword and holds out her hand for him to shake before Anakin simply pulls her towards him giving her a friendly hug just as Arthur came over to join them.

End of flashback

Vivien cleared their small table looking back at her daughter, who appeared quiet, quieter than usual,

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" she asks startling Morgana from her thoughts,

"I'm just a little tired" she lied, she didn't want to confess to her mother that her thoughts were still on her father as Vivien then gave a small chuckle

"Well, how about you go take a rest sweetie, it's probably from all your fun with the princes" she pointed out continuing to wash the plates before Morgana gave a low sigh and exited from the kitchen to her own room.

Meanwhile back inside the castle, Anakin and Arthur stood on either side of their father's throne, dressed in their royal formal attire, watching their father in the middle of knighting four new men into knighthood. They silently watched as their father moved down towards the four men, heads bowed, kneeling before the King,

Uther sword in hand, stood before the first man, he tapped his right shoulder then his left before pulling the sword away, "Arise Sir David" he spoke in a firm clear voice seeing David got to his feet as Uther then adds "Knight of Camelot" He gives a small nod back to him continuing down the line,

"Arise Sir Nathan" he continued, tapping the man's right shoulder then his left before Nathan rose to his feet "Knight of Camelot" Uther finishes moving down the line to the third guard

His sword tapped the man's right shoulder "Arise Sir Samuel" he spoke, his sword tapping his left shoulder before the man rose to his feet, "Knight of Camelot" he tells him as Samuel gives him a small smile.

Uther then moves in front of the last man, his sword tapping his right shoulder, "Arise Sir Ethan" he speaks tapping his left shoulder before Ethan rises to his feet "Knight of Camelot" he concludes before members of the court begin to clap, Uther then turns back to look at his sons who give him a proud smile back as he moved back closer to them

"Will you be sending the new knights to meet up with Gorlois and his men, father?" Anakin asked as Uther slipped his sword back into its cover,

"No, they have only been recently knighted, they will remain here to watch over the city and increase their training" he explained beginning to walk out of the throne room with Anakin and Arthur alongside him

"Isn't that risky father?" Arthur asked, "Gorlois needs all the men he can get" he informed him as Uther then spoke

"Gorlois is one of my best knights and has many of the finest and strongest knights Camelot has to offer, and the knights who have remained behind will protect the city" he explained placing one hand on Anakin's back and the other on Arthur's

"Don't worry about the knights, they will return" he promised smiling "Now, why don't you two go off and play" he suggested, seeing them nod, giving him a hug

"Yes father" Anakin replied rushing off down the hallway with Arthur as Uther continued towards his own chambers.

3 days later…

Still no word from Gorlois or the knights, Uther was attempting to distract himself by handling his other duties and spending time with his sons, he only hoped that the bandits had been stopped, and his men will return home soon.

Morgana, on the other hand, was still worried for her father, her mother was concerned, not even Gaius's sleeping draft was strong enough to stop the nightmares, the only thing that gave her a small smile was Anakin and Arthur, however one afternoon, Morgana decided to take a small nap only to be haunted by another horrific dream

Morgana's nightmare

The cries erupted around the battlefield, soldiers from Camelot fell, as well as 'some' of the bandits, it seemed these bandits had been well prepared and taken the soldiers off guard

Gorlois watched his men fall, as he fought alongside the ones still standing, before he saw one of the bandits, the leader, he presumed, moving towards him, he stepped away from his men and moved towards him, gripping his sword tightly

He successfully blocked each attack, parrying his sword with his own, until he felt a sudden pain, he dropped his sword looking down to see another sword coming through from his back, piercing his heart, his eyes widen as he falls to the ground, the screams growing louder around him as his world goes black…

Morgana's eyes quickly spring open "Father!" she breathes in a panic bolting upright in her bed, the sun was nearly setting as the afternoon drew to a close, Morgana placed one hand on her head, what was that dream about? It felt so real but who could she run to?

Morgana quickly jumped down off the bed and raced out of her room and her house straight towards the palace-she wasn't going to the King….for now, but the next best thing, her two friends Anakin and Arthur, perhaps they could talk to their father.

Dressed in simple pants and a over shirt, Anakin and Arthur were casually strolling through the palace, until Anakin had suggested they head out to the lower town, assuring his brother nothing bad would happen and guards were stationed all around the city, of course they hadn't planned for an unexpected run in.

Turning the corner towards the front doors, Anakin and Arthur walked right into an almost out of breath Morgana, in a fluster of panic, Anakin placed his arms around her, holding her still,

"Morgana, what's wrong?" he asked, feeling her grip his sleeves as Arthur looked back between Anakin and Morgana silently hearing her start to cry,

"It's…my father" she cries as Arthur and Anakin's eyes widen "Did something happen to him, have the guards-?" Anakin was quickly cut off by Morgana once more,

Morgana pauses before she starts to stutter "I…..I…. had a dream, a dream where he died" she sobbed as Arthur placed one hand on her back as Anakin held her close, hearing Arthur speak

"But dreams rarely come true Morgana" he pointed out something that their father had assured them over the years as Morgana shook her head, her teary eyes looking between her two friends

"Could you…" she started to say trying to find the words "Could you talk to your father, ask to send out more soldiers?" she asked,

Anakin looked down at Arthur; Morgana had been their friends for as long as they could remember, they had often heard her mother talking with Gaius about Morgana suffering from bad dreams, unsettling dreams and even though the adults dismissed them as 'dreams'. Anakin and Arthur were noticing that Morgana was deeply affected by these dreams,

Anakin sighed, before he spoke "Well, we could try, he's knighted seven new knights since Gorlois and his men left, perhaps he can send them" he assured her as Arthur glanced back at him, keeping quiet as he remembered their father's words,

Morgana gave them a small smile "Thank you" she whispered before they lead her back down to the hallway to find their father, hoping they could help their friend.

Uther was in his quarters with his friend Obi Wan, when he heard a knock at his door, seeing it open to reveal Anakin, Arthur and to his surprise, Morgana, who appeared to be quite upset,

"Anakin, Arthur" he speaks "What brings you here?" he asks them moving over towards them as Obi Wan watches silently, he senses fear and sadness around them, especially Morgana. Arthur keeps one arm around his friend as Anakin steps forward,

"Father, Morgana is worried about her father, she is fearing that he could die and was wondering if perhaps, you could send a few more knights to back up Gorlois?" he asked. Uther sighed, before he beckoned Arthur to step forward with Morgana, taking one of her hands in his own,

"Morgana, I have known your father for many years, sent him on many missions and into battles, where he has always returned home, even with some minor injuries" he explained "Your father is strong, he will stop these mere bandits and return home" he assured her as Anakin tried to cut in once more

"But father, what about-"he was then cut off by Uther,

"Those knights, who have been knighted recently, still require more training before they can be sent out, just like every other knight. We cannot send every knight out leaving the city unprotected" he stated, he gave Morgana a small hug then Anakin and Arthur,

"Now, off you go, and your father will be home before you know it Morgana" he re assured her however Morgana was still unsure but said nothing and left with Anakin and Arthur leaving the two adults alone once more.

Obi Wan watched the door close behind the three children as Uther moved over towards the window, where an orange glow was coming in from the sunset, he sensed the sadness all three children were feeling as well as the feeling of dread, like Uther should be sending back up soldiers to help Gorlois.

His fingers traced the edge of the table before him as he watched Uther remain silent and in thought, as Obi Wan decided to voice his thoughts on this matter,

"Perhaps you should be sending more soldiers to assist Gorlois and the knights" he spoke seeing Uther slowly turn his head towards him

"Why?" he asked him straight out as Obi Wan moved towards him,

"I just have a bad feeling about these bandits, the scout reported their numbers grew day by day, they may overpower the knights" he cautioned him adding "I feel like Gorlois will need all the help you can give him" he pointed out

Uther glared back at his friend, he had long accepted his old friend's abilities despite creating laws banning his kind, and he thought he'd never have to hear his friend speak like this again despite the situation at hand

"I thought I asked you to never bring up these feelings again!" he snapped at his friend startling him as Uther moved away from the window, the orange sunset replaced by darkness, he attempted to keep his voice stern "Gorlois is a strong, powerful leader and knight, I've trusted him with my life for years, he's fought in many battles and while these battles are dangerous, they are necessary to protect my people" he explained as Obi Wan tried to cut in

"But these bandits, they are increasing in numbers and I feel they may outnumber the knights despite Gorlois being a strong leader. He is a fine leader but it wouldn't hurt to send more soldiers" Obi Wan insisted as Uther who had been attempting to hold his anger in, snapped

"YOUR feelings are useless to me, magic is hopeless to me! Strength and determination are important and bandits are nothing against the knights of Camelot" he assured him stepping closer towards him, "I don't want to hear any more of your feelings" he warned him "Or I'll have you thrown in the dungeons" he cautioned stunning his friend

Obi Wan stood there, unable to reply, he felt his friend's anger but also a sense of nerves, though he decided to leave it be and without another word, he left Uther's quarters, trusting that his friend knew what he was doing.

Later that evening, as nightfall had settled in over Camelot, the King, the princes, Morgana and its citizens had all gone to bed, except for two-Obi Wan had sought the wisdom and guidance of his own friend Gaius, who seemed surprised to find him in his chambers so late in the evening.

Gaius leaned against his desk as he watched Obi Wan pace up and down in front of him,

"I've fought alongside Gorlois in many battles as well, he accompanied me to rescue Anakin and Arthur, he is a strong knight but I just sense that this battle will be a difficult only because of the growing numbers of these bandits, they could overpower them" he explained going on "But Uther is stubborn and set in his ways now, he won't listen to me, especially when I mentioned my feelings" seeing Gaius sigh

"For 9 years now, he has gone without the aid of magic, he feels that he can rely only on his battle experience and telling him that Palpatine is still out there, only hardens his thoughts on magic. I fear he is putting people's lives at risk and only hope the knights return home with a few bruises and no deaths" Gaius pointed out as Obi Wan shook his head

"Maybe he needs to see more death to know, magic isn't to blame. You didn't see or feel how scared Morgana was or how Anakin and Arthur attempted to stand up to their father on the matter" he informed him as Gaius shook his head

"Uther is a-"Gaius was then abruptly shut off by the rushing sound of footsteps before the door to Gaius chambers burst open, revealing a lone guard, attempting to catch his breath,

"Gaius!" he breathed "You must come immediately!" he exclaimed as Gaius and Obi Wan looked concerned

"What is it, is it the King or his sons?" Gaius asked gathering his medicine bag as the guard shook his head,

"It's the knights, they've returned but it's not good" he informed them, Gaius exchanged a look with Obi Wan before without another word, they rushed from his chambers hoping the situation wasn't too severe.