AN:
At Jolokas: No, but she's got other (possibly surprising) thoughts in this chapter.
At hanipman: Next time Merlin and Arthur meet, Merlin will be incredibly badass.

Thank you for the overwhelming amount of reviews. That's why I'm ashamed to say that this is a boring chapter without dialogue. To make up for it, the next chapter will be uploaded either tomorrow or the day after.

A Place to Call Home

It was a relatively short ride from the Valley of the Fallen Kings but Merlin was exhausted when he finally arrived at the ominous little boat. He pushed off with his magic and gazed upon the Isle of the Blessed with different eyes. Before the Great Purge it was the absolute pinnacle of magic. Half a century ago this little island was brimming with magic of all sorts and a beacon of hope not only towards sorcerers. People came from everywhere were welcome to find healing and guidance. Then the Purge brought ruin and despair. Ever since then it had been abused by black magic; first by Nimueh and then again to tear the veil. Now it was to be his sanctuary from Camelot and Morgana. Their war did not concern him. He just wanted to be left alone.

Merlin wasn't at ease as he walked through the debris left by the war. He crossed the courtyard where Nimueh handed him the Cup of Life and observed the spot where Morgana had broken the veil. He could still feel the charge of magic in the air.

"A reminder of what I mustn't become." He thought.

This would be his home and it was time he became acquainted with it. Thankfully it wasn't hide-and-seek. Letting magic slip through his hands he could feel it pull in several directions. Merlin decided to follow them. One led to an old library where most bookcases had been burned to the ground. Books were scattered everywhere and only a rare few were still readable. The second path led to a great hall of which the ceiling showed the stars even though it was bright as day outside. Merlin had heard of magic chambers but thought they did not, or at least no longer, existed. This was a magical observatory showing stars and planets.

The third path was the greatest surprise of all. It first led to a room that seemed to have been spared by the purge. It had several chairs made of a dark wood upholstered with blue leather, there were several bookcases of which half was filled with books, a desk which had been seen as expensive long ago and finally a fireplace which still burned with a self-sustaining fire. The path didn't end there but led Merlin through another door into a narrow corridor. There were doors on either side of him but magic pulled him to one door in particular. Opening it he saw a double bed with red covers, a wardrobe and an oak desk, littered with books, with matching chair. The floor was covered with runes Merlin did not know the meaning of.

The warlock opened another door in the corridor. The room had the same layout but lay in ruins, completely scorched black by fire. It was clear that whoever had been living there had tried to fix the place up a bit. Was it Nimueh? Not unlikely.

He went back to Nimueh's room and took a look at the books on the desk. They were complete. No burn marks and, quickly flipping through them, there didn't seem to be any pages missing. But besides all the literature with their titles on the front, there was a notebook. It was a journal of sorts but it spoke of events happening years ago. He sat down on the bed and began reading.

It was indeed Nimueh's chamber he was in. Her name did not appear but the words 'ragged red dress' said enough. The person writing the journal did 'talk' like Nimueh but that's where the comparison ended. This woman was in mourning, nothing vengeful about it. She blamed herself for everything, her mistake. The journal entailed how she tried to restore the Isle to its former glory but it would take ages to do so. Sometimes she would reminisce about the order of things when the Isle was seemingly untouchable. Within the Isle the ranks were novice, apprentice, sorcerer, priest and high priest. It was the same for women although the priestesses and high priestesses stood higher than their male counterparts due to their greater connection to the Triple Goddess. Besides the natural order of things there were seers, enchanters, healers, alchemists, apothecaries and, usually away from the Isle, advisors. All in all, the Isle was a city in its own right.

Nimueh hadn't always been as evil as she was when he met her. She was an accomplished sorceress with her own chambers albeit a small one. High Priestess was a title that came with skill and knowledge which could mean she either became High Priestess after the Purge or that her room or study had been destroyed. Merlin's view on Nimueh changed but not much. He always pitied her for being consumed by hatred. Now he pitied her for trying so hard to fix things only to fall in the end.

"Remind you of someone?" Spoke a voice in the back of his head.
Merlin physically shook his head. He knew the danger and saw what would become of him if he truly lost his senses. It would never come to that. Dismissing all thoughts he continued reading.

The journal was completely filled but ended without abruptly. It was possible she stopped writing in her journal after that. Merlin took this time to take a peek in the other rooms connected to the corridor. Most of them were in ashes but one of them contained something of an altar with a bowl of water upon it and another was an alchemy chamber. Nimueh didn't just have her own room, she had her own wing.

Gaius lacked the equipment to properly educate a sorcerer. Here, where the heart of magic once lay, Merlin had everything he needed to become just that.

Morgana sat in her hovel thinking over what she had done. Merlin was a sorcerer and a powerful one at that. Although he had declined her offer, attacking him was a mistake. Their duel had no victor but it was quite clear he was an equal and not one to be trifled with. She thought he would be either friend or foe when all he wanted to do was withdraw from their war. Throughout his stay in Camelot he never said a word to her about it. She was angry with him and yet, at the same time, pitied him. He considered Arthur a friend and protected him while the young King would let him die so easily after all they had been through. Of course the idiot didn't know about his manservant's magic. He could be so very thick at times. It had always been him, Merlin the manservant, which kept Camelot safe.

"What if Merlin was Emrys' apprentice?" It was an alarming thought that sent a shiver down her spine.
"He was his pawn as I was Morgause's. So when he couldn't do it, Emrys would step in. The Serkets, the Eye of the Phoenix, the Fommorroh. It all makes sense."
Morgana smiled slightly as she realised something.
"He betrayed me for Emrys and now he will follow him no more. My magic challenged him and with Merlin's help I can defeat him. Emrys doesn't have to be my doom. But can I do it? Can I change his mind before Arthur does?"

AN:
The world of Merlin had so much potential. We've never really explored the Isle of the Blessed and the backstories of many heroes and villains has remained unexplored.
There is so much more to a villain if you know their backstory. That's why Morgana is such a wonderful character.