Disclaimer: I own nothing of Merlin BBC or Arthurian legends

"We need a plan."

Arthur spoke firmly. Kaia and Gwen had cooked a massive meal out of what they could find, bringing townspeople filing through the ruined castle all day. Currently, Kaia sat next to Arthur at the round table as he and his knights discussed moving forward.

Merlin sat down across from them. "Morgause has the Cup of Life. If you can find it and empty it of the blood within, then the army will be destroyed, and Morgause will be powerless."

Arthur nodded. "There is a tunnel under the northern ramparts that brings us only a few paces from the entrance to the dungeons. It will be well guarded. We cannot let them raise the alarm."

"We need to take out the warning bell," Lancelot suggested. "That way the warriors have no mean of communication."

"Good idea," Arthur nodded.

"You'll need someone with you who knows the castle," Morgana pointed out. "I can accompany you."

Morgana, Kaia pleaded internally. What of the safety of your child?

Damn it all, you're right.

"Morgana and I will need to remain together," Kaia added hastily. Gwen caught her gaze and nodded understandingly.

"I'll go," Gwen offered. "I know every inch of this castle better than any noble besides Morgana. We've spent hours in it's secret halls."

"Alright." Arthur looked around. "Gwaine, Elyan, Leon—can you be with me on the way to the cup, and then to Morgause?"

Gwaine winked. "Why would I want to go anywhere with you?"

Leon whacked him in the back of the head, causing Gwaine to laugh. Elyan bowed his head. "We are with you, Your Majesty."

"Percival," Arthur stated, clearly almost grinning. "You're charged with keeping watch on Malakaia."

He bowed. "An honor, sire."

Kaia almost giggled. It looked like her magic had been just a little too strong when influencing him to be their friend.

"My love," Arthur spoke to her. "Will you task yourself with finding those who are injured and caring for them the moment Morgause is…dealt with?"

"Of course I will." Kaia bowed her head. She looked to her brother, recalling a whispered conversation they'd had the night before. "Has your plan developed?"

"It has," Merlin answered. "Mordred is the one who helped me, though."

Mordred shifted under the attention. "We can do the spell that puts a hold on her magic, but we must get our hands on her to make the spell permanent."

"And the way to get your hands on her?" Morgana asked hesitantly.

"A charmed dagger," Mordred explained slowly. "To get her frozen in place at first, I'm going to put the magic into a dagger. We only need to get close enough to cut her with it. A single nick is all it will take."

"I best be the one to do that," Morgana told her. "I'm the only one who will be able to get close enough without her harming me. She still loves Arthur and I, in some twisted way."

"Then I agree," Arthur nodded.

Kaia's instincts screamed that this was a terrible idea, that Morgana should be taking her pregnancy and running in the opposite direction, but nothing could be said. If they had any hope of Morgause getting stopped, Morgana was the key to it happening—as much as Kaia despised it.

Let this not be a terrible mistake.

)-(

Kaia followed Arthur and their company, nerves wracking through her. Some part of her desperately wished they would turn around. She selfishly craved the isolation of her Isle, something that struck her as ironic. She had been wanting so badly to leave it for so long, and now she longed for the lack of conflict being alone had brought her.

If only I could lock those I love on the Isle and make sure no harm came to them…Morgana would love that, I'm sure.

As they approached the lower walls of the city, a strange rush spread through Kaia's bones. She looked at the three other magic users. They all wore similar expressions of surprise.

"I can sense the Cup's power," Merlin whispered. "This way."

They followed along the dungeon entrance. As they approached the corner, some of Morgause's guards could be seen. Gwaine prepped his sword and whistled lightly. He strolled out, pointing his weapon almost casually at them. "Stay there and don't move, eh?"

The fight ensued while Gwen and Lancelot slipped away. Kaia used her magic to continuously send protective spells at the people around her while magic and sword were aimed at the guards. Arthur used Excalibur with the kind of perfection that Kaia had always admired in his swordsmanship. He quickly cut down the immortal guards and snagged the cell keys. He tossed them to Gwaine. "Can you get everyone to safety?"

"Only if you tell me you love me." Gwaine caught them with his smirk.

"I love you, my scoundrel," Arthur said with a swoon. The other man turned away while Arthur turned to Kaia. "I still love you more."

The company moved on to follow Merlin around corners and corridors that Kaia knew before any turn was made. She could feel the draw to such power, the tingling in her fingertips as her magic connected with the power of the cup. She wondered briefly if Morgause would be there, or if it was simply left to her guards.

The question was answered when they stepped into the council chamber. On a pedestal sat a large cup. Kaia barely noticed the jewels ornately decorating the golden cup, which could be seen holding blood even from a distance. In front of it stood Morgause and guards surrounding her. Of course it would have been too easy for the cup to be alone.

"Hello," Morgause sneered. "Come to surrender the servant scum and recognize my rightful rule?"

"Not even close," Arthur hissed. "Your rule, however brief, ends now."

"You cannot take what is mine!"

"I've had enough of this!" Morgana suddenly exclaimed, stepping forward. "You will learn your lesson, Morgause. If only you could have understood what it meant to be family! You would have looked past Uther's sins and see the love Arthur and I have shared and belonged to it."

"I won't have you belittling my decisions!" Morgause screamed. "You don't know what it like to be the daughter that was outcast simply because of the color of my hair. I loved you, and you have chosen these simpering fools to side with. No more, Morgana. I will defeat Arthur and his little bitch, and you will bow to your queen."

"Think twice about that," Morgana said. She approached Morgause slowly, reaching within arm's length. Kaia's nerves ran high. "The four of us combined will be able to take you down. You can stop this, and we can all settle this calmly, but you must surrender."

"I'm a pendragon," Morgause spat. "I do not surrender."

And she brought her sword through Morgana's womb.

"NOOOO!" Kaia shrieked. Merlin and Mordred cried out, while Arthur ran forward.

The next bit was a haze for Kaia. She watched as Morgause withdrew the sword from her sister's body and stopped Arthur's blow. Mordred and Merlin were there in seconds, doing their best to subdue her without the help of their enchanted dagger. Morgana, looking to Kaia, tried to use her legs to push herself up and drag towards her. Kaia rushed to her to prevent more damage.

"The baby," Morgana whimpered. "Kaia, my baby..."

"Hush, my sister," Kaia whispered. "Where is the dagger?"

"My b-belt...oh Kaia, I was foolish..."

"Shhh, Morgana," she answered tearfully. "I will heal this, have no fear."

Taking the dagger in her hands, she swallowed her nerves and looked up, seeing Morgause. She didn't want to just take her magic away—Kaia wanted to wound the woman who had caused her so much grief, who had hurt her family for a bitter revenge. Raising it, she used the spell she and Mordred had practiced for years, focusing on a single spot between Morgause's chain mail that had already broken. Murmuring the spell, she picked the knife up without laying a hand on it and flicked her wrist.

The dagger weaved through Kaia's loved ones and embedded deep into the mad witch's side.

Morgause wailed, turning furiously to Kaia. "YOU!"

Morgause had no more time. Merlin silenced her with a wave of his hand, taking the dagger out and stabbing the witch again directly where she'd stabbed Morgana. Taking it out again, he stabbed her.

"I don't just want you injured and dying," Merlin seethed. There was a dark look in his eyes.

Mordred raised a hand. "Merlin—

"Stand down, Mordred!"

Mordred retreated, using a flash of his eyes to discard to cup and spill the blood. Arthur was able to turn and use his sword to strike down the men flooding in to the hall. The knights followed suit, defending their king and the throne room.

"I banish you, Morgause." Merlin's voice rang with power as she stumbled back, his hand held over her with a dark sort of illumination coming from it. "To the forests of Essetir, where you will lay on the cold ground, crying for help and remaining alone. No love will find you, no sympathy will find you. You will remain alone with nothing but evil to accompany you as you bleed out like a peasant. You will not harm us anymore."

"This war is unfinished." Morgause removed the crown from her head with bloody hands, while the dark red liquid also flooded from her sides. Just like the vision, there was a wild look in her eyes. "And I will be queen. Consider yourself my enemy forevermore, Brother and Sister."

"Be gone," Merlin hissed, flashing his eyes so that she disappeared.

Kaia, who had been murmuring over Morgana this entire time, now placed her hands directly over the wound. It was resisting her spells and Kaia wasn't exactly sure why. "Mordred! Darling, what is Morgause's blade made of?"

"What is it?" Morgana asked, touching her own wound.

"No need to worry," Kaia soothed. "Breathe through the pain just a little longer."

"Enchanted steel," Mordred replied, eyes closed as he held a blade. "I can tell by its hum. I believe your magic can counter it, but it's going to take a lot."

"What spell?"

"No spell," Merlin answered for him. He knelt beside Morgana, taking her hands. "We've been talking with Gaius. Your magic should be enough. Your energy, your essence."

"Of course." Kaia closed her eyes. "Breathe, Morgana. This will hurt, unbearably. Magic will fight magic in your flesh, do you understand?"

"I can't lose him, Kaia," Morgana said firmly. "Do it. Husband, give me your hand."

Kaia focused on the feeling of her magic in her body, how it flowed naturally and how it pulsed. She pushed into Morgana's wound. Opening her eyes, she saw with the power of a dragon and chanted in the language of the Old Religion, light flooding from her hands and winding around Morgana's body. It grew, touching the air around her and causing a certain breeze to pick up as she called on the earth for more power. Her magic was quite literally fighting against Morgause' spell. Flesh tore and healed, tore again and healed again inside of Morgana. As the woman screamed, while Arthur called out and Merlin cheered her on, Kaia chanted even louder.

With one last pulse, Kaia put all of her weight into the wound. Light exploded around them. There was no doubt she was successful. Kaia could feel the triumph of her magic, the soothing way it dissipated into the air and walls as Morgana passed out and Kaia saw without the veil of gold.

"Morgana," Arthur croaked. "Is she—

"Healed," Kaia sighed, sitting back on her haunches. "And the baby too."

"Baby?" Arthur gaped. "You're serious?"

"A baby," Merlin whispered. He touched the spot of Morgana's body that was knitting flesh back together. "She's with child?"

"A boy, if I'm sensing it right," Kaia nodded. "A baby boy. He's a fighter too. His magic helped. Now, Morgana is simply sleeping. I need to get her to her chambers."

"The army is dying and fleeing," Arthur reported.

"So...now?" Leon asked, looking around his friends as Merlin scooped his wife into his arms. "What are we doing now?"

"The next week will be spent putting the castle back together," Arthur decided. "In a fortnight, however, we will have a wedding and a coronation. Malakaia will be crowned my queen, and I wish for my coronation to wait for hers."

"But the laws, Arthur," Mordred reminded him. "You would have to make Camelot a magical kingdom again."

"Because of the sword and the stone, nobles already support it," Arthur declared. "And I don't care how many old men I've got to fight. A new age of Camelot is beginning. As there is work to fix the castle, my council and I will spend much of our time changing the laws. My father changed them, and so will I."

"Your council is so new," Kaia touched his shoulder gently. "How will the people react to so many changes? Your father has passed, magic will be new, and there will be a witch queen. That's too much."

Arthur's jaw twitched as he turned to her fully. Resting a hand on her waist, he drew a heavy breath. "I love you, Malakaia, but I am the king. I am supposed to usher in a new age, and I have spent plenty of time waiting to do so. While you have been gone, I've been preparing the people and my men for this transition. Unless you will not have me, in a fortnight, Camelot will begin a new era."

Malakaia dipped her head in respect. "Of course, my king."

"You will support this?" he asked, bringing her chin up.

"No." she met his gaze firmly. "I will support you."

Their sweet moment was disrupted by Elyan's worried voice.

"Where's Gwaine?" he asked, turning his head back and forth.

Arthur turned his attention to the missing knight as well. Worry flickered across his features as a low groan came from behind a pillar not too far from them. "Gwaine? You still alive?"

"What do you think?" Gwaine's voice was thin, but he limped around the corner to flash his usual roguish smile. "And that's Sir Gwaine to you."

Unsurprisingly, they all laughed.