The New and Improved Isle

"Morgana?" Merlin said as he entered their chambers. He had not seen her all day, and nor had anyone else. He knew that she was probably upset about Mordred and so gave her some space to think over it.

"Morgana?" He repeated with more concern in his voice.

He went to leave the room when he noticed her ring on the table. He picked it up along with the note and sat down at the table. He unfolded the paper and stared at the contents of it.

And that was how Arthur and Gwen found him. Reading over the note for the thousandth time, twisting the ring round the top of his index finger.

"Merlin?" Gwen said placing a hand on his shoulder.

"She's gone." He whimpered.

Gwen turned to Arthur. Arthur held his hand up and mouthed "You're better at this stuff."

She glared at him and mouthed. "He is your friend."

"He is yours too." He mouthed back.

"I should have noticed." Merlin said. "I should have noticed that something was up. I have been so focused on Essetir and what Lot is doing that I have neglected her ... again. And now she has left me."

"She cannot be far. We can send patrols out to find her." Arthur offered.

He shook his head and got up. "I need to go and find her."

"You don't have to do it by yourself."

"I need to go and see Morgause." He pulled off his jacket and replaced it for his hunting one. He grabbed his belt and pulled it around his hips.

"Let us help." Gwen said.

Merlin walked over and pulled his sword out of the scabbard. "Just make sure none of our children get into trouble." He gave a short chuckle. "You know how they are like."

"Merlin are you sure that you should?" Gwen asked.

He put the sword in his belt and walked over to Morgana's vanity. He got a piece of string out and placed the ring on it before tying it around his neck.

"Everything will be fine. We will be back before you know it."

Merlin walked out the room and Gwen turned to her husband.

"What?" He asked.

"Don't ask me what." Gwen scolded. "Go after him and stop him."

"He will be fine." Arthur tried to reassure her.

Merlin hadn't stopped since he jumped onto his horse. He patted her and apologised when they had reached their destination.

"Sorry girl. I need to find out something and quickly."

She butted him affectionately and Merlin left her to graze as he went to find his answers.

He was devastated by Morgana's note and he wished that he had seen the signs. The fact that she left her wedding ring was enough to show that she had changed as much as she had wrote. She didn't believe that she was good enough to be his wife. Or she didn't believe that he was good enough to be her husband. He went over the night again. The night nobody spoke about.

Merlin stepped into the boat and tried to enjoy the rocking motion. Every time he had been on the Isle of the Blessed, nothing turned out how it should have done. He was the one to order for the castle on it to be restored to its original state but he hadn't seen it until now. He was scared that he wouldn't like what they had done.

When the boat stopped, Merlin stepped through one of the new arches that greeted the visitors. He stood amazed at how much detail they had put into it and was glad that he chose the right stonemasons. They were obviously skilled in their craft. He walked about in awe for a while, forgetting his task.

"So the great Emrys returns." Nimueh said.

"Don't flatter him." Moraguse spat. "After what he done and let happen, he doesn't deserve that name."

"Emrys is more than just a name. Didn't you learn Welsh or been to Powys? It means immortal."

Merlin was pretty sure he went pale.

"Immortal?" He asked.

Nimeuh turned to him. "Did you not know the meaning of your own name?"

"No, I was never told." Merlin didn't really know how to take it. He shook his head. It would be something he could dwell on later. He held his arms out. "Do you approve?"

"Whoever you hired did a very good job. It isn't exactly like how it was but I like the new little touches." Nimueh replied.

"Why are you here?" Morgause asked.

"To see you." Merlin said, turning to her. "Morgana … What did you do to her all those years ago?"

"What makes you think that I did something to her?"

"She left a note. She said that you had told her to follow her heart."

Morgause sighed. "Thanks to you poisoning her." She took some pleasure in seeing him wince at her words. "She was very weak. I saved her yes, but she was never going to be the same person that left. I tried to help her out but she was too far gone. I had to save her from the inside. I knew that she would ask what happened as soon as she woke up and I didn't want to tell her, so I moulded her memories. I wanted her to become the ultimate weapon against Camelot. I made it so she would avenge anyone that had wronged or hurt her."

Merlin dragged his hand down his face. "That's why she was only after me and Uther."

"After you?" Morgause threw her head back in laughter. "She wanted me to spare you. Now I know the reason she wanted to."

He turned to the exit and started to walk away.

"Oh come back Emrys." Morgause jested. "Don't leave us now. We have only just getting started."

"And I need to find my wife before she gets herself killed." He threw over his shoulder.

He should have allowed her to get to him but it was difficult. Merlin knew that Morgause was never happy about the union between him and her sister, but he would have thought that she would have got over it by now. Gorlois was 21. They had been married for 20 years.

Merlin tried to think of his next move but he knew that it wouldn't be easy. May he should have listened to Gwen when she asked if he should go. But he needed to find her. He needed to make sure that she was okay. He needed her to know that she wasn't alone in all this, that she didn't have to do it all by herself this time.

He stopped and dismounted before entering the clearing. He knew that she didn't like the dragons.

He waited for Kilgharrah to land and get himself comfortable before he spoke. "We are going to find Morgana, Aithusa and Custos."