I don't own any characters other than Elle Knight. That credit goes to the BBC

14

Morgana did not understand everything she was seeing. Her eyes darted quickly under her delicate lids, watchful and aware, despite the fact she was unconscious.

The courtyard was full, people whispered behind their hands in shock and fear. Uther swept down the palace steps in command even as Arthur shouted angrily at him from behind a wall of knights that refused to let him pass. Merlin was being escorted along behind Uther by two burly guards that looked like they would rather be anywhere else. Merlin went silently, his mouth pressed into a taunt line as they led him to the scaffold erected in the middle of the yard.

Uther was forced to halt. Someone was in the way.

Elle stood between Merlin and the chopping block. Her face was dark, her eyes burning. The sky was quickly darkening. Rain began to spatter the cobble stones. Merlin was glaring at her, trying to tell her something with the panicked expression on his face. He jerked his head toward the castle. It was like he was trying to direct her indoors.

Elle lifted her hands to the sky and the rain suddenly poured down in earnest. Through the sheets of rain, everyone could see the spiral of water that twisted around Elle at impossible angles. Magic.

Uther let out a shout of rage. Merlin hung his head, defeated. Arthur stared at Elle in disbelief. Morgana cheered, and she was not alone. Half the people in the courtyard suddenly sent up a victory yell. Here was one that they trusted, one that they loved, and one brave enough to show Uther the truth. Magic was alive and well in Camelot. He could no more suppress that than he could suppress his need for oxygen. Hold your breath if you will, old man, Morgana thought with satisfaction, Eventually you will have to breathe, and so will your kingdom.

Morgana woke up with a start, expecting to hear the tapping of rain on the window. Her mind tried to wrap around the vision. It had been menacing, frightening, but it ended with triumph and a sense of change. Morgana had been cheering Elle on even as the look on Uther's face promised death.

As quietly as she could, Morgana slipped out of bed. She wanted to talk to Elle. She suddenly felt like it was imperative, a gentle urging to get up and find the younger woman. She had a theory about her dreams, but there was no one in Camelot besides Gwen she could tell. And Gwen didn't exactly have the magical knowledge to be helpful. Elle could tell her what these dreams meant, if they were really the future.

"Morgana, what are you lurking about for?"

Morgana grimaced at the sound of Arthur's voice. "Not that it's any of your business," she said loftily, "but I'm looking for Elle."

"Well, she's not in her room." Arthur scowled and fell into step beside Morgana. "I've been trying to find her, but she's cross with me."

Morgana chuckled. "But she's only just woken up! How can you have gotten her angry so fast?" She looked Arthur up and down. "Then again you do have a talent for being irritating."

Arthur felt his cheeks burn. What was it with the women in Camelot tonight that they all felt the need to make him feel like an incompetent oaf? Arthur grumbled something noncommittal. "I've run out of places to look."

"If she's not with you, with me, or in her room, there's only one place left." Morgana said this as if Arthur were an idiot for not thinking of it himself. "She's with Merlin." She had no evidence to support her assumption other than her vision. She could still see Elle standing between Merlin and his death, hands on hips, fury on her face. She could see Merlin, begging her with his eyes to shut up and get out of the way. Begging her to survive.

"Merlin?"

Morgana did not miss the hint of jealousy in his voice. More than a hint, actually. Amused she glanced at Arthur. "What exactly did you do to make her angry?"

"Never you mind," Arthur snapped. He had unconsciously been following Morgana to the physician's quarters. They were just around the corner when they heard muffled laughter. Arthur and Morgana peered around the corner and saw Merlin and Elle soaking wet, sitting against the door with a lantern between them.

"I can't believe Gaius threw us out!" Merlin mumbled with irritation. "And what kind of experiment is he doing so late?"

Elle laughed again, her hand clapped over her mouth. "Apparently one that is ruined by two swamped out kids that make too much noise."

"It was just a little water," Merlin smiled brightly. Gaius had been less than pleased with the condition Elle and Merlin had returned in. He had been annoyed by the ponds that gathered under their feet. Unfortunately, Neither could change since Elle was wearing his extra tunic and trousers. Poor Gaius had been downright angry when the pair assaulted him with Elemental questions in the middle of his experiment. He'd thrown them out and told them to work out their energy before they returned.

Kids.

"What's so funny then?" Arthur burst around the corner even though Morgana had tried to hold him back. She shook her head, but followed. The damage was done, now. Merlin smiled lazily at the approaching royals. Elle ran a hand through her damp curls and waved.

"Merlin," Elle answered.

Arthur snorted. "Yes, he's hilarious. So this is why you are always late in the mornings, is it?"

"Did you need something?" The smile never left Merlin's face, but his tone lacked even more respect than usual. The warlock stood up and left behind a puddle. "Gaius won't let us in for a while yet, so if you want something done, now's the time to ask.

Arthur took one look at Merlin, dripping onto the floor, and Elle shivering with the cold before he sighed. "Come on, then. You both need dry clothes, and since Elle is wearing yours, and her dress was ruined, it looks like my closet's the only option." He tried not to let the identical frowns on Morgana's and Elle's faces bother him.

"What about my lending Elle a dress?" Morgana asked.

"You're a head taller than she is," Arthur argued. "She'd trip and break her neck."

Elle snorted. "I never trip." She caught hold of Merlin's sleeve and hauled herself to her feet before she danced off with Morgana.

Arthur gestured for his manservant to follow him and Merlin went along dutifully. "Merlin?" Arthur asked as they walked. He had noticed the thin welt on Merlin's cheek. It was almost gone, just the barest shadow of discolored red against his pale skin. "What happened to your face?"

Merlin smirked. "What happened to yours?"

Of course, Elle's hand didn't leave so much as a mark on Arthur's cheek, but the prince didn't know that and the warlock wasn't going to tell him.

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