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Chapter XXIV

"My…our what?" the younger witch stumbled backwards into Merlin's waiting arms. He held her elbows and steadied her as the couple stared wide-eyed at the blonde.

"Your child." Morgause repeated. "The child conceived by Emrys Ambrosia and Morgana Le Fay is destined for greatness."

"What are you talking about?" Merlin shot at the woman with a venomous glare.

"If you were in touch with your people, you would know exactly what prophecy states, Emrys." Morgause flung a strand of golden hair out of her face before taking a seat at the table. She swung her legs on it and crossed them as she leaned backwards, making herself comfortable.

"But why…I thought you…" Morgana seemed dazed as she tried to question her sister's motives.

"You thought I what?" Morgause popped a grape into her mouth. "That I wanted to bear his child?" She laughed at the notion. "An idle threat dear sister."

"You can't possibly expect us to-"

"I expect you want to keep your precious prince and the people of this forsaken city alive." Morgause rounded on Merlin. "I don't think I have to tell you exactly what would happen if you do not abide my wishes."

"What…what will happen to the child?" Morgana's small voice asked, earning herself a surprised look from the man at her side.

"Morgana, you can't really be-"

"They will be treated like the prince or princess they are." Her sister explained. Morgana latched her gaze onto Morgause's and saw something new in her azure eyes; honesty. She did not intend to hurt the child.

"And us?" she asked in the same tone and Morgause lowered her head slightly.

"You have to understand Morgana." She crossed her arms at her chest. "I cannot allow both of you to live. One of you will have to die."

"This is a trick." Merlin spun Morgana around to face him and shook her slightly. "Morgana, listen to me. She just wants us out of the way because she knows that together we're too powerful. She wants a child of our blood- our magic- to mold to do her bidding. We cannot let her do this!"

"What are we supposed to do?!" Morgana cried, stepping out of Merlin's reach. "Let her kill Arthur and the knights and everyone else?! You cannot ask me to do that to my own people!"

"Think of all the destruction she will wrought with our child! Morgana," Merlin lowered his voice and gently caressed her cheek, wiping away a tear that had fallen. "I love you and nothing would make me happier than to have a baby with you…but not like this-not for her." Silent for a moment, Merlin could see the inner battle raging behind Morgana's eyes. Tears brimmed on the edges of her lashes and threatened to fall at the slightest breeze until she turned away from him once more to face her sister.

"What will happen to Arthur and the others?" The conviction in her voice shook Merlin to the core and part of him wanted to scream at her to snap out of it.

"I will release Arthur under the condition that he does not attempt to retake Camelot." Morgause smiled wickedly as she saw her plan take flight. "Any citizen who is not born of magic will be required to vacate and the city will be opened to anyone who can prove that they possess the gift." Morgana shut her eyes.

"Don't." she heard Merlin whisper to her from behind. "She's lying and you know it."

"You know in your heart that I am not." Morgause raised an eyebrow. "Sister, I swear to you on the Old Religion that I will do as I stated and never harm your child. I will teach them our way of life and they will live in luxury for as long as they like. They will rule after me and become great legends in our people's history. I swear it."

"One condition." Morgana's voice was low and weak. She could hear Merlin's voice in the background, yelling at her not to agree, but it was drowned out by the sound of the blood rushing in her ears.

"Anything." Morgause raised her chin and stood face-to-face with her.

"Let him live." Morgana raised her glazed over eyes and met her sister's. She saw a happiness in the blonde that she didn't even know existed until now as a smile spread on her blood red lips.

"Done." Merlin's shouts were ignored by both women as they shared a dagger and cut their palms before shaking hands- an ancient, binding way of sealing an agreement. It was only until after Morgause had left did Morgana finally turn to see her soon-to-be-mate livid with an anger she had never seen before.

"How dare you?!" He shouted. "You just bargained away our child's life for the chance that she'll keep her word. Have you lost your mind?! Not to mention the fact that she told you she plans to kill you!"

"I saw a chance at ending this pointless war and took it." She explained calmly, her expression blank and her eyes staring blankly into nothing.

"Do you have any idea what kind of person she'll turn our child into?!" Merlin continued to yell, his face changing into a deep shade of red. If Morgana hadn't known better, she would've been afraid of him lashing out at her physically but she knew that her Merlin could never hurt her. "You just gave our baby away to a madwoman! Morgana, she beat and tortured you for fun and you want to trust her with our child?"

"She won't hurt him." Morgana stated plainly.

"What, you think because you cut your hand and said some words that she'll actually keep her promises?" Merlin scoffed. "There are ways of bypassing ancient tricks Morgana. You would know that if you weren't so naïve in the ways of magic."

"And I wouldn't be so naïve if you hadn't handed me to her on silver platter so I guess we're both to blame here." She spat out before she could stop herself. The second the words left her lips, Morgana wished she could take them back. She quickly placed a hand over her mouth and waited for Merlin's outburst. It never came.

"You're right." He said, his voice dangerously calm, before turning on his heels and walking to the door. Placing a hand on the knob, he turned and looked at her once more. "I won't go through with it. I won't let you do this to us." The door slammed behind him, leaving Morgana standing alone, tears rushing down her face as she dropped to her knees and cried. What more can you take away from me?

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