A/N: Some really important things happen in this chapter. Writers block has made its appearance so I'm updating before I've finished the latest chapter, but this one was written so, here you all are!

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Gwen blew out the last of the candles in Morgana's room and placed an extra blanket at the foot of her bed in case she got cold in the night. The fall was getting cooler and sometimes at night it was a little chilly. She was already keeping the fire running all night in her own home, which was much less insulated than the castle.

The Lady was unusually quiet and still, and the serving girl tiptoed through the room so as not to wake her. Morgana had been increasingly tired of late. Gwen suspected she hadn't been sleeping much, her nightmares getting the better of her. She wished she knew how to help.

With one last glance around the room to make sure it was clean and nothing was out of place, Gwen ducked out, closing the door quietly behind her. She let out a tired sigh of relief at the chance to go home and bundle herself in her own blankets to sleep. Her work had been exhausting lately, and she valued the nights she got a full nights sleep as they were few and far between.

She was halfway home when she remembered she'd left one of Morgana's dresses in the washing room. Half of her was tempted to leave it and worry about it in the morning. But she knew the kitchen staff did their laundry early in the mornings and didn't want to take the chance of the dress being accidentally – or purposely – taken or ruined in a much harsher washing. The thing was silk, and very expensive.

So she turned around, and trudged back into the palace. The dress obtained from the wash room, no worse for its brief time drying there, the servant made her way back up the stairs towards Morgana's chambers. She was surprised to see light emanating from under the door.

"My lady?" she knocked, leaning her ear close to the wood to hear a response. None came. "Morgana? Are you alright? I'm coming in," she pushed open the door to see the lady yank her covers up to her chin in bed. Two candles were lit, one by her wardrobe and the other on her vanity. It was strange, but her eyes focused on Morgana.

The brunette lay in bed, the covers pulled all the way up, staring at Gwen with wide eyes.

"Are you alright my lady?" she repeated her question.

"Yes, of course, I'm fine," the lady smiled, snuggling deeper into her covers.

Her servant gave her one last suspicious look, then turned to the wardrobe to put the dress on its hanger inside. "Goodnight my lady," she blew out the candles and hesitated briefly by the door.

"Night Gwen," Morgana's voice was firm and the servant took it as her cue to leave. She went back out into the night, to go home and sleep.

Morgana, however wasn't going to sleep.

XXX

While Gwen might have been able to dismiss Morgana's strange behavior, Cassie was not. She watched from the shadows of an alcove in the castle walls as Gwen left Morgana's room, then as, a few minutes later, Morgana herself left. She was clad in her darkest purple cloak, and trying her hardest to walk soundlessly through the halls.

The smaller woman shadowed her through the castle, her own shadow, one much less used to the winding hallways, creeping along behind her.

He bumped into a candelabra that stood tall on the floor, and Cassie yanked him around a corner as Morgana looked back. Seeing nothing, the woman quickened her step.

"Sorry," Ryan muttered as his friend glared at him.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes, but ducked back into the hallway to follow the king's ward. After a moment, she felt him following her again.

They tailed Morgana out of the castle, watching as the woman easily evaded the guards, and hurried through the lower town. For Ryan and Cassie it took a bit more maneuvering. The fake princess was used to sneaking out, but her companion was not. He bumped into several barrels in the courtyard, and tripped under the gate and she was half tempted to leave him behind. Once they were in the woods, the darkness of Morgana's cloak making it hard to follow her, Ryan was less awkward.

She hurried through the woods, her tail keeping a safe distance. Cassie had long suspected that Morgana had been sneaking out, meeting someone in the woods. She assumed it was one of the reasons the lady had been so distant lately.

Finally, the princess had decided to follow her. She recruited Ryan, because she didn't want to spill Morgana's secret to anyone in Camelot just yet. She wouldn't betray her friend's trust that way.

That was how she and Ryan found themselves crouched behind a tree on high ground while Morgana hurried along the path towards a small, hooded figure who stood in the middle of the dip in the land.

They embraced, and both pulled back their hoods. The black cloak Morgana's companion wore concealed a tumble of blonde hair, and a pretty face, from what Cassie could see.

"Sister," the woman greeted and she felt her brow furrow. Morgana didn't have a sister. At least she didn't think so.

"I have been practicing," the dark haired woman informed the blonde.

She nodded, "Good, good, let me see how you've improved," she stepped back from Morgana, and watched, along with Cassie and Ryan, as the lady incanted a spell and a fire started just in front of her on the ground, no kindling needed.

Her eyes had glowed gold, she had magic. Ryan gasped and Cassie elbowed him hard in the ribs. He glared at her.

"I thought magic was outlawed in Camelot?" he whispered.

"It is," she hissed back through gritted teeth. She turned her attention back to Morgana and her companion. Possibly her sister.

They continued, working on magic, the blonde teaching Morgana spells, making her memorize the words to practice. The longer Cassie watched, the more sick to her stomach she felt. This was dangerous. This was so dangerous, Morgana may have been Uther's ward, but the man was blinded to everything by his hatred of magic. He would never forgive her if he found out, he might even kill her. And she had to figure out who the woman was. This woman who called Morgana sister.

"We have to go," she said to Ryan, slowly rising from her crouch behind the tree. He joined her and as quietly as they could, the two made their way out of the woods and back to Camelot. They went to Cassie's rooms, and she wished right then she had tequila more than anything.

"What's going on with her?" Ryan asked. He had liked Morgana, she could tell.

The brunette shook her head and began to pace, "I don't know. I don't know who that other woman is, or how long she's been learning magic. I didn't even know she had magic."

He raised his eyebrows, "Cass, you know this has nothing to do with you," he told her, "Haven't you ever heard of Morgan Le Fay?"

She whirled around to look at him, "And haven't you realized that all the legends we knew were wrong?" she snapped, "I mean according to those, Merlin is supposed to be an old man and Arthur was supposed to be a squire."

"But there are different stories. Different versions. In some versions Morgan Le Fay is good, and in others she's King Arthur's evil half-sister who tries to kill him at every turn. Besides, all of the legends of Cassandra of Camelot are true," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but that only happened after I came here. Which is all the proof in the world that these legends don't define anything here," she snapped.

Ryan looked confused, "Cass, you were named after Cassandra of Camelot. Which is really weird to think about now…" he trailed off and then it was her turn to look confused.

"No I wasn't. My dad always told me I was named after Cassandra of Troy, the seer out of Greek Mythology. And Alex was named after Alexander the Great," she was positive. It was what she had been told her entire life. In fact she'd done a project for school on Cassandra of Troy because she was her namesake.

The dark haired man shook his head, "I had a talk with your dad like three months ago and he told me you were named for Cassandra of Camelot. It's why I know so much about Arthurian legends."

Cassie sat down on the bed and stared at her feet. "Somehow I've changed not just history, but my own life in the future," she looked up at him, "What if I can somehow stop Alex's death?" she asked.

He sighed, "No, Cass, you can't. This is already wrong, us being here. We've changed too much. You've changed too much."

She stood again, "Not this again, Ryan. I don't have the energy right now and we have bigger issues to deal with. This could get Morgana killed, but I can't help her if she won't tell me anything," she ran a hand through her hair, frustrated.

Ryan considered for a moment, "Probably because you're too close to everything. Why don't I talk to her?" he offered and her eyes snapped to his face, "Don't look so surprised. Just because I don't think we should be here, doesn't mean I'm going to let your friend get herself executed by her father figure."

With a sigh, she joined him where he stood by her table and wrapped her arms around him. This was the man who had constantly been there to support her through the years of pain after Alex's death and the drama and insecurity that came along with trying to launch a successful music career. He hesitated a moment before hugging her back. They stood like that for a few minutes, until he stepped back.

"Get some rest Cass. We can worry about Morgana in the morning," he turned to leave and she stood by the table, as if her feet were rooted to the ground. It would be easy to just fall into the bed that was a few feet from her, but she knew she should go to her prince. So after waiting long enough that Ryan would be almost on the other side of the castle, she left her room quietly, and snuck downstairs, to his room.

She opened the door and slid inside, closing it behind her. Arthur was sprawled across the bed on his stomach, the covers pushed down to reveal the planes of his back. Sometimes she wondered how he stayed so pale with all the time he spent outside, but then again, he always had all that heavy chainmail to cover himself up. She stripped out of her riding dress and pulled one of his shirts out of his drawer. Merlin probably wouldn't be pleased at the extra laundry he had to do, but she figured she could manage him a day off sometime to make up for it.

Arthur stirred when she climbed into bed with him, "Cassie?" he asked, sleepily, shifting so he could pull her into his chest. He was warm and solid and she pressed her face into his chest, placing a kiss on his collar bone by way of answer. But he was more awake now, and his lips sought hers in the dark. She kissed him with all her frustration and anxiety, her fingers splaying across his ribs so she could push him down and roll on top of him, her knees falling on either side of his hips.

He groaned, one hand tangling in her hair and the other on her lower back, pressing her to him. But after a moment he used his grip on the back of her head to pull her away from him just far enough to look her in the eyes. Even in the darkness she could tell how blue his were. "What's wrong?" he asked.

This time it was her turn to groan, and it was not the good kind. She rolled off him and flopped on her back on the mattress, staring up at the red of the canopy above his bed. He propped himself up on an elbow next to her, his free hand toying with the v on the neck of his shirt that dipped dangerously low on her, his fingers dancing over the bare skin over her breastbone. She felt a shiver go through her at his touch and a smile tugged at a corner of his mouth.

"You know we aren't going to have a serious talk if you keep that up," she informed him. His fingers stilled and he waited patiently. She sighed, "Trying to make Ryan understand my life here and why I have to stay is exhausting," she told him. It was true, but not the thing that had her mind spinning in circles.

But it was enough to catch Arthur's attention. "He wants you to leave?" he looked nervous.

Cassie smiled slightly at his concern and leaned up to kiss him, "Don't worry," she said when she pulled away, "I'm not going to. Camelot is my home, and you are all my family," she reached up and brushed his hair out of his eyes, "I'll always be here," she swore, and in that moment she knew she had to help Morgana.

"Good," he kissed her forehead and pulled her too him, "I love you, Cassandra," he whispered into her hair.

She grinned, he had taken to calling her Cassandra in serious moments, and though the use of her full name usually bothered her, she never minded with him. "And I love you, Arthur," she tilted her head back and kissed him, rolling back on top of him to let him help her forget about everything that was worrying her.

XXX

The next morning, she put her plan in action. She asked Gwen to bring enough breakfast for two to Morgana's chambers, and once there, she begged Morgana to take Ryan out on a ride for the day, that she needed time with him out of the castle, to think.

"Of course, Cassie, of course," the woman looked tired but she seemed enthusiastic enough about the ride. Cassie was mostly excited about it because Ryan liked horses even less than she did. And he had been an ass lately so he deserved it.

Once they left, Ryan looking incredibly uncomfortable, Cassie marched back into the castle to go interrogate Merlin.

She pushed open the door to Gaius' chambers and found the two packing up Gaius' medicine bag. They looked up when she entered.

"Merlin, you're friends with Morgana right?" she asked, attempting to come across as nonchalant.

He made a confused face, "As are you," he pointed out.

She shrugged, "Yeah, but I have a question for you. Does Morgana have a sister?" she asked.

The warlock shook his head, but neither missed how Gaius fumbled the vials he was holding, dropping them on the table and one to the floor where it broke with a crash.

"I didn't think so," Merlin stared at Gaius expectantly. Cassie closed the door behind her and crossed to them.

"Gaius," she pushed.

The old man sighed, "Morgana's mother had another child. Morgana's half-sister," he paused and she knew there was something else. Both she and Merlin glared at him until he continued, "I suspect that the sorceress Morgause is that child."

Merlin's eyes went wide. Cassie knew that name, she had heard it before, when Merlin told her of the way the sorceress had shown Arthur his mother in an attempt to ruin his relationship with his father.

"Shit," Cassie swore and turned to run out of the room, Merlin running after her.

"Wait, Cassie!" he shouted after her. She stopped. "Why do you need to know about Morgana's sister?" he asked.

She hesitated, "I think Morgana knows already," she looked around, seeing no one, "And I think Morgause is teaching her magic," she whispered.

"What?" Merlin was incredulous. He knew Morgana had magic. She had come to Gaius and then him when she set her bedroom on fire by accident with her uncontrolled powers. But apparently now they were more controlled. "How do you know?" he followed up.

"We followed her, Ryan and I," she admitted, "She sneaks out of the castle at night to meet with Morgause in the Northern woods. They practice Morgana's magic."

He ran a hand through his hair, shocked and upset, "She's dangerous. And it is dangerous for Morgana to sneak out to practice magic."

Cassie shook her head, "Yeah, no shit, but what are we supposed to do about it?" she asked.

Both were at a loss, thinking for a moment before Merlin had an idea, "We tell Uther that Morgause has been spotted in the Northern woods," he suggested.

She frowned, "It might work, but it will really upset Morgana," she pointed out.

"Better Morgana alive and upset, than dead," he reminded her.

With a sigh, she agreed, "You want to tell Arthur, or shall I?" she asked.

He looked her up and down, skepticism clear in his gaze, "I'll tell him, mention reports from a patient of Gaius'. He won't suspect," he nodded.

Cassie's eyebrows went up, "Alright, but be prepared to get dragged on that particular man hunt," she shrugged.

Merlin rolled his eyes but looked as if it was the last thing he had wanted to do with his day. He turned to go but she called after him.

"Merlin," he looked back, "You don't need me to tell you not to tell anyone about this?" she asked, her face genuinely concerned for Morgana.

He smiled, "Of course not," he promised, earning a smile from the princess. He briefly wondered if this was the right thing to do, but they had to act fast and they had no other options. So he would go to Arthur.

XXX

Ryan absolutely hated horses. He had since he was eight and his dad had stuck him on a pony at a renaissance fair while he was working to keep Ryan occupied. The horse had evidently not enjoyed having a small child clutch its mane hard enough to pull hair out, and bucked him. Five year old Cassie and Alex had laughed, but when it was Cassie's turn to go on a new pony, she refused.

He found himself smiling at the thought of the twins who had been the definition of double trouble. They looked almost exactly alike, both with light brown hair and matching hazel eyes. They both had the high cheekbones that made Cassie pretty and a slim build. Alex had been taller than her, by almost a foot, though since his sister was so short, it still didn't put him above six feet.

Morgana pulled her horse up ahead of him and he did his best to mimic her movements. His horse slowed to a trot and stopped a few feet ahead of hers with a gorgeous view of a lake. She laughed at his ineptitude but it was good natured.

"I suppose you don't ride horses very much in Puerto Rico?" she asked and he had to control his reaction to the mention of the island territory that he most certainly wasn't from.

"No. Not at all," he told her, dismounting and only just managing not to fall over. She suppressed a giggle and dismounted in a much more graceful fashion despite the fact that she was wearing a dress.

They were silent for a few moments, staring out at the calm water. "Do you miss it?" she asked.

It took him a moment to realize she was talking to him. But of course she was, "Miss what?" he asked, looking at her. She was staring out at the lake. She was really very beautiful, with her tiny nose, green eyes, perfect curls and regal posture.

She turned to him, "Cassie tells me your home is on the water, right on the ocean. Do you miss it?" she asked again.

He considered a moment. He did miss the beach. His family and Cassie's had spent summer after summer taking turns taking the kids to the beach. The girls still went with his mother and hers, but he never went anymore. "I do miss it," he said, then realizing he could turn this conversation to his advantage. "I miss a lot of things from home. My parents, my sisters," he sighed.

"You have sisters?" she asked, her green eyes genuine and curious.

Ryan nodded, "Yes, three of them. Esperanza is twelve, Yasmin is nine and Ximena is seven," he beamed at the thought of the three girls who were the light of his life.

Morgana smiled, "You sound proud of them, I'm sure they're wonderful," she pet her horse's nose, smiling absently.

"They are," he studied her face carefully, "Do you have any siblings?" he asked.

Her expression turned sad before she schooled it back to a smile, "No, none," she shook her head, keeping her eyes focused on the grass. He raised his eyebrows, giving her a probing look that she only noticed once she looked up. She pursed her lips, and took a deep breath, "Well I have a half-sister. But she would be in great danger if anyone knew of her existence. You will keep my secret, won't you Ryan?" she pleaded, her eyes wide.

He felt a pang of guilt at her expression. He planned on telling Cassie. But maybe he didn't really have to. Maybe he could just tell her he got nothing out of Morgana. While she was certainly his oldest friend, she had changed in the time she had been gone. She was no longer the person he had known. So he could justify lying to her.

"Of course, I swear I won't tell anyone," he promised the dark haired woman in front of him.

She beamed, "Thank you Ryan. Sometimes I feel like such an outsider in Camelot. I imagine you feel the same. It's nice to have someone who understands," she looked down and pink colored her cheeks.

"It is nice," he agreed, and watched as her cheeks got darker, thinking she was really pretty when she blushed.

XXX

Merlin was crouched in the brush next to Arthur, sitting so close that the man's armor was jabbing him in the arm. The foliage around him buzzed with life, and the dead leaves beneath his feet crunched every time he shifted. They watched Morgause tend to a fire that cooked what looked like a rabbit she caught. Knights slowly crept around in the woods to surround her. When Arthur saw the signal, he would give the go ahead and they would attack the sorceress.

He didn't know what the signal was supposed to be, but he hoped the prince did and had it figured out. Apparently it was a low call that sounded like it might be a bird. The sorceress tensed, but then relaxed when nothing happened. A few moments later, Arthur rose and called out. The rest of the knights followed his lead and rushed the clearing where the sorceress sat.

She stood, her eyes flaring, and then centered herself, her eyes flashing gold as she disappeared in mid air, just as Arthur reached her with his sword drawn. He swore and kicked at the fire.

"Search the tent and the surrounding woods!" he instructed, "I want her found!"

Merlin ducked into her tent and began sorting through things. He came across a strip of green silk wrapped around a pair of earrings, diamonds by the look of them. It was clear they belonged to Morgana. He quickly slipped them into a pocket in his jacket, just as Arthur poked his head into the tent.

"Find anything?" the prince asked.

"No," he shook his head.

The blonde man sighed, "Well keep looking."

They ended up bringing most of Morgause's things back to the castle and Merlin hoped that she would be scared away from meeting with Morgana in the future.

Uther, however, was not pleased. "You took thirty knights, and a single sorceress evaded you?" he demanded.

Cassie's nervous eyes met Merlin's. Morgana looked even more alarmed. She had returned from her ride with Ryan –who was nowhere to be found- a few minutes earlier and had come to the council chamber to say hello.

Arthur sighed, "She disappeared into thin air. There was nothing we could do," he defended, looking still a little embarrassed.

The king did not look appeased, "Send out search parties," he commanded, "I want her found and brought to justice."

"Yes father," came Arthur's dutiful response, he nodded and turned to leave.

Merlin watched as Morgana's face looked terrified, and she quickly excused herself.

XXX

When Ryan and Morgana returned, they parted ways with smiles, her to the council chambers, and him back to his rooms. They had spent the day wandering around the lake, discussing life in their individual kingdoms. He had tried not to lie as much as possible, but had to make up a few facts. Mostly the lady had wanted to hear about his family, his childhood and what Cassie was like before they'd met.

After he changed and spent some time trying to make his hair cooperate after the long day of riding with wind through it, he went to find Cassie, to convince her that Morgana was just fine.

"You didn't get anything out of her?" the brunette asked, incredulous, "You guys were gone for hours!" she exclaimed.

He shrugged, "I asked and she said she didn't have any siblings. We moved on after that," his tone was a bit defensive but he hoped she wouldn't notice.

She did, but didn't say anything, "Alright Ryan, thank you," she forced a smile, but her mind was racing. She would have to follow Morgana again that night to make sure her plan had worked.

Ryan left to go to bed, catch up on the sleep he'd missed the night before. So Cassie dressed to go out and waited in the hallway outside Morgana's rooms. She recruited Merlin this time and the two tailed the woman for the second night in a row back out to the woods. But this time Morgana waited alone. No one showed and the princess almost dared hope that Morgause had backed off.

Little did she know that from about a hundred paces back, in the shadow of her own tree, the sorceress in question was watching Cassie and Merlin with a predatory look as she considered what to do with the nosy princess who her sister was so fond of. Whatever it was, it wasn't going to be good for the princess.

XXX

A/N: I'm really liking writing Morgana and Ryan's dynamic as outsiders together. This chapter was a bit cobbled together, but I think I like how it turned out. Thank you to those who have followed and favorited the story. I would love for some reviews to keep me motivated to write. I know I publish frequently, but they really do help on the enthusiasm side.