Excuse any spelling mistakes...in fact inform me! R&R


Morgana caught herself skipping towards a grass verge, she felt like a small child moving ahead of their parent, Merlin was walking at a moderate pace behind her watching her with bemusement. She felt she was playing the role quite nicely, Gwen was a very chirpy girl with so much grace, she came to a halt in order to spin around to see Merlin stalking towards her. Her breath hitched when she caught his scent in the breeze, she supposed it was a sudden hunger for revenge which came over her. "So we're just going to sit out in the open?" She said at once when she noticed the manservant unravel a blanket and lay it on the earth.

"We're not out in the open, we have this single tree here." He smiled and coyly patted what appeared to be his bed quilt.

"Wow, Instant privacy." She sheepishly sunk down beside him, and after many disgruntled attempts at positioning herself in a Gwen-like fashion - she just settled on sitting on her calves and smiling weakly under the scrutiny he was giving her. "What I meant was...we could be attacked."

"Ah you see that's why I haven't strayed too far, we're in the open so we can dodge out from behind the tree and flag down some guards." He reached across in her direction and Morgana momentarily stilled, but relaxed when he flipped open the basket still in her hands. "Plus you do have me protecting you."

This brought on an unsettling smile. "Well of course, what would poor old me do without you." She said thickly, allowing the words to stick in the air. Merlin returned a reproachful look which had her backtrack. "Because I am such a meek little thing am I not?"

Merlin forged a grin with some regret and sighed. "No...you're still mad at me." He pushed back so he was lying flat, he almost appeared submissive. This could be an advantage – all in a matter of time. "I know you're not stupid, I know you have a lot to deal with, and having Morgana as your mistress... well, she's capable of anything."

"That's right." She retorted assertively.

"...She's willing to destroy the lives of innocent people for personal gain, including her own family."

She didn't like that at all, how dare he moan to her – well Gwen, about taking lives. She narrowed her eyes biting back a snide remark that could give the game away. She lay on her side nonchalantly observing him, he was focused on the night sky, appearing to be thinking of everything and nothing. What light they had came from the moon, and everything had an incandescent glow, all the more romantic she supposed, the thought had tinted her cheeks. Is this how their trysts went, bitching, flirting, then...And was she supposed to snuggle? She didn't know how, well would she even attempt? – Well it was hardly the point! She chose to delay her mission to – what precisely? Fraternise with the enemy...milk him for information. She grimaced at the vulgarity of that term.

"She's a woman with a cause, we could hardly meddle with that..." Merlin glanced over at her, seconds away from agreeing with her, but that fleeting look of pity suggested he still wanted to argue over her own morals.

"Ask me anything." She heard him say while he toyed with some bread.

"What?"

He wet his lips. "You don't have any questions? I can see you're burning up inside...we talk about her ladyship but we don't talk about my...thing. You don't want to know anything?" She blinked. Had she any sort of improvisational skills – now would be the time to use them, if she asked 'what?' one more time, surely he would catch on? She quickly seized a hand resting on his chest.

"If it bothers you so much then let's..." Hopefully he would add to that and elaborate. "Let's talk about you...and me." She pushed down her grimace, her hand still gripped on his, it felt glued there – why did she have to go to the trouble? – She felt compelled to play her part well.

"You... and me?..I hope you mean... in general." He hesitated starting to pick himself up. The hand she was holding now felt incredibly limp.

"Well that's where it's going isn't it?..Though we probably should hold it off a little since we're not-"

Merlin jumped to his knees."Gwen, I had no idea this was what was going through your head. I, I assumed we were just bonding and..." He choked on some bread. "W...what about Arthur?"

Morgana screwed Gwen's face up. "What about him?"

The bread still looked lodged in his throat. "Are you sure you're alright, I know you're a little mad...but what's with the change?"

She smiled quickly. "Yeah, well I do love Arthur, that... handsome brute that he is." She struggled, tucking a strand of curly hair behind her ear. "A little inappropriate don't you think...us spending time together, I mean right now this is very intimate?" She came to her feet dusting herself down.

"I never thought it was."

Oh how naive of you Merlin. "Really, maybe we shouldn't spend so much time together, what are you trying to do anyway, make me forget about Arthur and Uther? And the whole Morgana business is rather tiresome, are we so sure she is the enemy, in fact... we could just not do anymore plotting. We were plotting weren't we, or we just having trysts?" She added tersely, though maintained her pretence. She watched him defiantly as he ambled to his feet.

"What? We're friends. How was this inappropriate, did you honestly think this was a ploy to get my leg over?" He blasted, noticing Gwen's eyes flicker over him. "I'm not forcing you into the Morgana business, I just need you're support." A deathly silence rolled in and there was 'thunk' as Merlin loudly swallowed. "You're my best friend's girl, I would never."

Merlin wasn't quite sure what the current silence was for, worse- he couldn't identify the look in Gwen's oddly satisfied eyes. One moment she had him convinced she wanted to be more than friends, the next – she was discussing how inappropriate it would be. She needed to sort out her priorities; they had a sorceress on the rampage!

Morgana had a surge of unquenched emotions that nearly knocked her for six."Yeah of course we're friends and I'm in love with Prince Arthur...apparently, and so we will have to behave, and since you can't handle a woman I suppose you do need my support." Her hand shakily checked her bodice, to make sure she wasn't spilling out.

"Sorceress! And I wouldn't say I'm completely useless." He chided absently watching her fiddle with her fastenings, it was very distracting. Dainty fingers toying with cords which controlled a woman's decency. Very alluring. When Morgana spied him watching from the corner of her eye she stalled momentarily. Boys. This is what they did on a daily basis she supposed, even Merlin – gawp, she could flash him quickly, it wouldn't matter, it wasn't her body.

"Why don't you paint a picture, it'll last longer."

Merlin straightened abruptly, and Morgana laughed heartily- the first in a long time, though it wasn't her voice.

"Don't get too excited, I was bound to take notice." He stated defensively before adding. "Well if you were available and more my type...I would."

She quirked her brow suggestively. He promised to behave. She cut off any strange trial of thought and began to build up a new plan and resistance to his charms. "Right your type would not be me." The boy would need someone as thick as him to even consider... "Understandable, am I too good for you, and maybe a little plain for your tastes." Hell, she needed to stop, she was falling right into a trap. "-Too busy for any attachments, I have to keep my head in the game..." She added sadly, realising it was her own thoughts. "Anyway, everything I love, or think I loved get's taken away, or becomes something repulsive, I have nothing left to give."The cold that followed whipped throught the trees and swirled around them while they remained oblivious and silent.

"You are beautiful." Gwen's head looked up at this, giving him a pleading look to coax more out of him, he elaborated. "You have a heart of gold, don't change that."

She huffed, losing the belief instantly."Right."

Merlin was puzzled by her approach to the compliment, and stroked her arm to soothe her, and reaffirm what he was describing. "What I mean is, in the face of tragedy...losing your father." She sucked in a breath, the words catching her and ripping open old wounds, father. "You seeked no vengeance." Then it clicked, she remembered she was Gwen, he was talking to Gwen. A part of her saddened, yearning for her own comfort from someone, and at the same time realising Gwen and her were the same, but so different on how they coped, was it really that foolish not to seek revenge? She could still hear Merlin mumbling on. "I asked you if you wanted Uther dead and-"

"-Wait...What?" The maid's body jumped, astonished. Merlin was worried he had been caught out, wishing he hadn't brought it up, it was a very scary topic. She spotted his unease and immediately slipped back into character. Though it played on her mind, Merlin – wanting Uther dead? She was almost euphoric, but it didn't make sense, the boy was too damn faithful to the prince, and would save his father on a whim to save his friend from heartache. Could Merlin have seriously offered to Kill the King for her?..I mean Gwen.

"It doesn't matter, it was just a very bad day..." Merlin soldiered on, clearly uncomfortable.

Oh he wasn't getting away that easily."What did sh-I say?"

He looked at her apprehensively, before sighing. "You said what you and I needed to hear, if only Morgana had heard it." He breathed, Gwen shifted uncomfortably, this was the kind of thing she wanted to hear, secrets, things when she weren't around, but now – she was well and truly lost in half a conversation she should have been a part of. If she were to hear more, would it really change anything between them, and would she want to?

Her nostrils flared, luckily Merlin had his head cast downward in thought.

"Refresh my memory."

Their eyes met darkly, she wondered if he had any doubts over her identity because he was analysing her. She wasn't sure if it was the effect of the spell, or Gwen's body when she felt herself blush.

"You said if you killed Uther, you'd be as bad as him...a murderer." He rasped looking at her earnestly. "And you were right, you're always right. Unfortunately that makes Morgana..."

She snapped up at the sound of her own name said so gloomily, she swallowed back her anger. "...A murderer?"

"It hurts, I know you'll say nothing can be done, but something could have been done...I could have helped her."

Gwen snorted while turning away to face Camelot, and it took Merlin by surprised. "Huh, and how exactly did you plan on doing that?"

He stooped to begin picking up their picnic, realising they were about to leave it all behind. "By telling her the truth, it's odd how everything comes back to bite you in the arse!" He started to chortle but was silenced by his friend's severe expression. "Sorry."

Morgana looked reproachful through Gwen's brown eyes. "Why not try now? She might...somehow appreciate it." She coaxed, desperate to find out what he was on about.

"I can't, it's too late, she'll hate more than she already does, she will use it against me."

She huffed, finally deciding it wasn't worth the trouble. "Maybe you're right, I-she could never forgive you, not after what you did." She bit her lip when Merlin did a double take on her, she realised Gwen wouldn't know about the poisoning...that's unless he told her, highly doubt that.

Merlin's heart bulged in his throat, he felt the residing sadness threatening to bring up tears. He shook his head in denial. "What could you know? What did I do?"

Morgana realised she still had time to recover. "Erm...lie to her, trip her up on the training field- cause that was kind of embarrassing." She mentally kicked herself. "Well it looked embarrassing for her. " She corrected immediately biting her tongue. "-But very dignified. And she did win." She gazed at his injured arm, she could just make out a bulge of bandage dressings under the sleeve. Her hand came to it in a heartbeat, tempted to squeeze, when she looked up to meet his gaze she was surprised to find his eyes closed. "Merlin?"

He blinked, she swore she could see tears. "There is so much anger in you, it's like I'm with somebody else."

The blood whistled in Gwen's ears, and Morgana felt her current face grow hot but a nervous chill overcame that. She was giving too much away, but it was worth it – wasn't it? His pain, her gain. Though she would rather have his anger than his tears. But come to think of it she had shed many for him, when he had killed her.

"How many people have you killed Merlin?" She took a plunge, and what she got back was a hard stare.

"What?"

Morgana rolled the maid's eyes. "Be honest...have you killed anyone, or tried?" Don't deny it.

"I don't understand, are you talking about the battle for Ealdor...Camelot?"

"No. Life. Or what you would consider a justification of a killing or attempted killing." Morgana tried again.

Merlin shifted when Morgana clamped her hand down on his dodgy arm. "Oh I see, you assume because all those who harbour magic kill."

"Oh like how you assume, anyway I'm talking about you Merlin." She snapped, for a moment thinking of what was implied if she hadn't have misheard him...or had she? Then her world came crashing down when he said.

"I was."