Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
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Arthur half stumbled out of bed the next morning, intent on talking to Gwen. He didn't bother with a servant to dress him, he went out as if. Arthur ne he must look mad, running about in bare feet, night clothes and mussed hair. As he stormed to his destination, he found himself side tracked to the room that was Merlin's. After her death he refused to allow anyone else it use it for anything. There were nights he'd nestle in the sheets and pretend her scent was still on it. He stood at the door, listening to the current inhabitants, much to his surprise, there was crying, and soothing words. Saoirse, the mini ice queen and psycho was crying.
"Awww, Seya, bad dream again?" Again?
"Uh-huh." She sounded her age for once.
"Who was it?" He heard bed creak as Raelyn's voice joined the conversations.
"A servant boy in the lower town, he as killed for a few pieces of gold." She mumbled. Freya sighed and Raelyn joined.
"I'll look into it, kay? Make sure whoever responsible is punished." Raelyn cooed.
"Thank you Rae." Saoirse mumbled, the bed creaking as she shifted.
"Seya, stop crying please, it breaks my heart." Freya whispered.
"Sister, why isn't Mother here, she's supposed to be here, taking care of us." Saoirse whispered, whimpered even, the rustling of clothes suggested that Freya was holding her baby sister.
"Mother's dead and gone, you know that well."
"But why? Mother never did anything wrong!" Saoirse screeched, on the verge of hysterics.
"She carried on with a married man, which might I add, led to four of us."
"But Arthur forced her!" Saoirse yelped.
"He didn't darling, not completely." Freya attempted.
"He was still wrong!" There was a silence after that, and Arthur heard stirring in the room.
"Girls, what's the matter?" Mordred's voice seeped through the door.
"Forgive us Master, were you sleeping?" Freya tried.
"It matters not, what I wish to know is why my dear child is crying."
"Another nightmare." Freya answered.
"It's not just that Freya! I want Mother! Mother would help me! I want her, Father!" Tiny footsteps patter across the room to where Mordred's voice originated.
"Oh, my sweet cuckoo bird, I know, I want her too. I loved your mother dearly, and she loved me, if only for a night. You were born from that brief, ephemeral love; I know how hard it is to lose." Arthur could hear the girl's tears muffled. Mordred was probably holding her, his daughter.
"Hunith said Mother always used make nightmares go away, I want her, Father."
"I know, I know."
"How much longer must we reside here? I don't want to stay in the place where my mother had murderer is given the highest respect."
Arthur didn't want to hear anymore. He pulled away from the door and continued down the hall, the child's words ringing in his head. It was strange to see the way he viewed Saoirse shift completely when learning she was Mordred's. Now that any ties of blood were gone, he had to admit that the child was right about him. He disliked her for the unpleasant truth she brought about. Saoirse had been a reminder of his utter betrayal of Merlin's trust, now that she wasn't his; she was a reminder of how hurt Merlin had been, enough to go to another man's arms. But Saoirse was wrong about one thing; Arthur didn't hate her, or resent her, but just disliked the child's presence. She was necromancer and during Merlin's day, even she didn't like being in their proximity. She explained that necromancers have an aura about them that attracts the dead and repels the living. Saoirse's sisters seemed to be accustomed to the unnerving aura by now. He remembered another phrase that Merlin used to describe their talents.
"Necromancers only see death, when you kill, directly or not, the stain stays with you for life, they can see it."
"It was her, Sister, it was her!"
Arthur was praying that her sight was wrong.
X
Then what he did the next was to go to Gwen's room. Initially she had been happy to see him, knowing his fury with the girls had yet to subside. Her smile vanished upon his visage. Arthur was mess and he knew it well. The King had not slept at all, haunted by images of a bloody Merlin, reaching for him, crying for him. His hair was a mess; deep circles were imprinted under his eyes. His clothes were mussed and not fitting properly due to Arthur attempting to dress himself. His feet were bare and dirty, but most of all, he looked angry. Gwen took a few steps back, before meeting his eyes again.
"Arthur?"
"We need to talk, Guinevere." Gwen flinched, Arthur only ever used her full name then he was cross or anxious.
"Alright, please, come in." She was shaking, just a bit. Arthur strode past her, but didn't sit in his usual chair. The silence was heavy and uncomfortable. Finally Arthur broke it with a stern stare.
"I'm afraid this isn't a social call, some disturbing things have come to my attention as of late." Arthur snarled.
"What sort of things?"
"There have been accusations that Merlin did not die a natural death." His eyes gauged her reaction. Gwen put on a good mask, but her eyes expressed alarm for the barest of moments. In a way, her calmness was a danger in itself.
"Murdered? She died during childbirth." Gwen said, her eyes beginning to dart.
"The girls have suggested that someone put in her in a state that could kill her during childbirth." Arthur corrected.
"Impossible."
"The youngest girl is necromancer, all they see is death and she of all people can tell the difference between murder and natural death."
"You believe her, the daughter of Mordred over your own family." Gwen asked, her voice transverse into a bitter laugh.
"She is family." Arthur said firmly.
"She's not your daughter." Gwen argued.
"She's Merlin's, that's all I need to know."
"Have you learned nothing!"Gwen roared at him, Arthur stumbled backwards from the shock of it.
"First Morgana, the Aggravaine, why must you trust those around you thoughtlessly. Why did you never trust me and trust a lying sorceress!"
"I don't trust Saoirse implicitly, but I trust her sisters. Saoirse wouldn't lie to Freya, or any of them. If Merlin was murdered, Saoirse would know, and she would tell the others." He insisted.
"So, who would kill you damned, beloved Merlin."
"Someone whom she inconvenienced with her existence. Someone who had the means and the motive to kill her. Someone who knew when a witch is at her weakest." Arthur didn't implicate her directly and go the reaction he wanted.
"Are you suggesting that I killed her?"
"Guilty conscious?" He retorted.
"You're being insane. You're taking the word of an eight-year-old necromancer over your own wife for gods' sake!"
"You've proved before that you might not be trust worthy."
"Because I kissed Lancelot! Merlin already told you it was a spell! I'm only human, Arthur, just like you." Arthur didn't respond, he looked away.
"Not necessarily."
"What?"
"I don't I'm entirely human, Gwen, not like you at least."
"What on earth are you blathering about?"
"Magic runs in my family Gwen. I was conceived using magic, I am magic."
"That's ridiculous."
"Then explain to me why I'm having visions at night!"
"Well obviously your four magical bastards and their bastard half-sister are doing it to you!" Arthur couldn't help himself, he slapped his wife. Gwen stumbled backward from the shock.
"Don't you dare talk about my daughters like that! Even if Saoirse isn't my daughter, she's Merlin's. She's the sister of my daughters! She may hate me, gods above she does, but she wouldn't lie about her mother."
"How the hell do you know? From what you've seen from the girl, she would say anything to make you miserable, she hates you!"
"I know! I know, but this is the least I can do for them, for all of them. That includes Merlin. If there is even a chance that she might have been murdered, I have to see; for her as well as myself."
"Was there ever a time when you valued me very her?"
"Consciously, yes, unknowingly, no."
"She always came first, do you know how that made me feel Arthur!"
"Awful."
"That doesn't even begin to describe it. You always loved her, once the initial rush of hate he had faded into comfort, I could see it. I could see it clear as day. You argued, but you mooned over her. The one time I pulled her hair out of that ridiculous braid you never stopped staring. You only very had eyes for her!"
"Because Merlin isn't a spiteful shrew who would murder another in goddamned childbirth to hang on to a failing marriage!"
"You already believe the cries of an orphaned bastard necromancer. In her time, Merlin didn't even trst them, they practice dark magic."
"Some, not all."
"Defending a child that hates you, this is new, Arthur." Gwen laughed.
"Not everyone lets hate rule their lives and dictate their every motion!"
"What like your father and sister? Like you?" Arthur tensed.
"You let your jealousy turn to hatred; you banished a man because he wanted to marry your mistress!"
"That's different…."
"Is it?"
"I've had enough." Arthur spat. Then he left, storming away.
X
"Father?" Arthur started at the sound of Aggie's voice. The girl was downright terrified of him. There was no question about that. Arthur stared at the child, shifting on her feet in the doorway.
"Agatha, come in, please."
"Aggie, please." She insisted.
"Aggie, welcome."
"You fought with Queen Guinevere." Arthur blinked at her. Her expression is fairly even, a little unnerved though.
"I did."
"We should go."
"What?"
"Freya and Hunith are very attached to you and I respect that, but we're causing trouble. If we stay, everything will fall apart."
"What are you suggesting?"
"Had I not made it clear? We need to go. It was Mother's deepest wish for Albion to prosper. If it were to fall, I know she would come back from the dead just to scold us vehemently."
"Aggie…."
"Freya loves you dearly, Hunith too. Then there's Lohot and I get along with Uther. Rae won't admit it but she loves it here. We all do, Saoirse and Master don't so much, but it holds bad memories for them. We have to go before the whole truth is uncovered."
"Whole truth?"
"Please, Father, I wanted to say goodbye."
"Aggie, I don't want you to go."
"It's a reality none of us were meant to face. We are not meant to be a part Albion's destiny."
"Agatha…."
"You know it and so do we. Mordred and Gwaine will take good care of us. We won't forget you."
"Agatha, I won't let you go, I swear. Nothing will take you from me forcibly."
"Destiny does not take kindly to those who fight it."
"Agatha, destiny will not stop me from claiming what is mine."
"I won't warn you again."
"I'm the Once-and-Future-King; I will not fear something as superstitious as destiny."
"Even if it was Destiny that brought Mother to you to begin with?"
"Destiny led us to each other but it as us who fell in love."
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Princess: Sorry the editing is not as good. I got hit by a car yesterday so I'm having trouble typing. I would flesh it out more if there wasn't a cast on my right hand. So more stuff happens and Arthur's desired dream world is slowly falling apart. So Saoirse is made more human to the reader and you see she's not just needlessly bitter.
Reviews:
cheekysorcerer: Thanks, and we'll see.
Aelorian: Well, that's the intention.
