Hell Hath No Fury
Morgana sat at her vanity, absently brushing her hair, and glancing at a metal basin that sat beside where she normally placed her brush. She wasn't sure why she insisted on the basin being there, it was…odd, out of place, but…she couldn't let it go. Her new servant, as Gwen had been elevated to Lady to marry Arthur, had tried to remove it and she'd nearly given the girl a heart attack with how quickly she'd ripped it out of the poor girl's hand and forbid her to so much as touch it. She really DIDN'T know why she was so attached to it.
She knew Gwen or Arthur would probably leave it up to a lack of sleep. She didn't sleep much anymore and when she did…she had the oddest dreams. She dreamt of a man and woman, both with black hair and blue eyes, she didn't know their names but she called them Emrys and Reesa, though she felt more like they were titles or something, the names didn't seem too familiar to her. She'd wake up screaming or crying and just…not fall back asleep. It was starting to get to her.
She glanced out her window, looking at the forest beyond and got up, placing her brush down and walking over to it, watching the trees. She wouldn't tell anyone, she couldn't, but…she felt this…tug, this…call, to go to the forest. It was like someone was calling her name in her head, an ancient, kind voice and…it was familiar to her. It was like she knew it, she recognized it, and she…trusted it. It was calling to her, growing more urgent as the days went on and she just…she was getting restless. Not just because the calling wouldn't stop but because she was growing…concerned. Something in her heart and her soul told her that something was wrong, SO wrong in the castle.
She looked at Arthur and Gwen and felt like it wasn't right, that Arthur shouldn't be looking at Gwen that way. She sat there as they spoke of marriage and felt like she was committing treason to speak and offer opinions on what she thought of it. She saw Gwen looking out the window and her first thought was that she was watching for someone else instead of Arthur on the practice grounds. She watched as Arthur's room got more messy and dirty for lack of servants and couldn't help but feel like there should be servants, two, but that, in the same breath there shouldn't be. She looked at Arthur's hand when he would greet her and feel like there should be a ring there on his finger already. Even the way the engagement was brought up was shocking and startling and made no sense to her. She and Arthur and Gwen had been standing before Uther as he sat on his throne and just…looked at each other, confused as to what they were doing there, when Uther remarked Arthur and Gwen were about to tell HER about their engagement.
And the first thing she thought was that…Uther was allowing Arthur to marry the wrong servant…and then realized what she'd thought and shaken her head, the fact that he was allowing Arthur to marry any servant was something different. And that wasn't just it.
She stared at the Pendragon crest longer than she should and felt like there was something about the Dragon on it that was important. SO important. She looked at her red gowns and blue gowns and couldn't bring herself to wear them, she saw red and blue everywhere and her heart clenched painfully. The Knights were polite to her, Leon flirted a bit and she felt physically ill and tried to smile as politely as she could before leaving him. She couldn't sleep at night and when she managed a moment or two she woke up with a pillow in her arms and tears dry on her cheeks. She couldn't go to the physician's chambers to ask for another batch of her draught as it just…she couldn't get herself to physically go there unless there was some sort of true and dire need, like trying to stop Gilli.
And the voice…it was soothing, like it had answers and she wanted them desperately.
So, with that in mind, she nodded to herself, turning and grabbing an old green cloak she wasn't sure why she had when Camelot's colors were red, and threw it over her shoulders. She would have to be quick if she wanted to get in and out of the forest unnoticed and within a few hours. Uther would be busy with the upcoming wedding, as would all the servants. She had sent her own maid to tend to Gwen so no one would come looking for her if she was fast.
Luckily, she grew up in that castle, she knew the ins and outs and passages like the back of her hand.
~8~
Gwen smiled to herself, humming a little song under her breath as she looked at the little trinkets set up at a stall in the market. She was wearing her favorite lavender gown, a few bits of flowers tucked away in her hair as she smiled down at the odds and ends. She was happy, she was getting married, and she wanted to get her husband to be a little gift as a sign of her affection. She just…didn't know what to get him. There was so much and…it was odd though, it wasn't that there was so much there he'd want that she couldn't decide it was more like she just didn't know what he'd want. It was like she didn't know what he'd favor, like she didn't know HIM…and that was weird, wasn't it? To feel like you didn't know the man you were about to marry?
But she shook her head, it was probably just her nerves.
"Gwen!" she heard someone call.
She blinked and turned around with a small frown on her face as she saw a man in travelling garb, more like a tunic and trousers, a sword at his hip and a rucksack over his back, beaming at her and she…
Had no idea who he was.
He was tall, handsome if she had to admit it, with tanned skin and dark black wavy hair. His dark eyes were warm and sparkling as they looked at her and she…she felt her breath leave her, her heart give a painful jolt as she saw him. Like she should be so pleased he was there but something was holding her back.
"Hello?" she tried to greet, though it came out as more of a question than anything, she really had no idea who this man was.
The man's smile seemed to slip just a hint at her less than happy greeting, but he didn't let that deter him, "I am so pleased to see you again Gwen," he breathed, coming up to her and taking her hand, kissing her hand as was only proper, making her blush for it though, "I had hoped this day would one day come and it has come early."
"That's…nice?" she really had no idea what he was talking about.
He blinked, "Are you not happy to see me?" he wondered.
"No, no I am," Gwen said quickly, not sure why she'd said it though or…or why it felt like she was being truthful in that. Perhaps it was just the…the wounded expression on his face? He clearly knew her from somewhere, perhaps it was a passing meeting and she just…she was so bad at remembering faces recently, "I am," she smiled.
But then he reached up to touch her face, "I have dreamed of this moment for so long," he whispered, leaning in, as though about to kiss her.
And for one brief moment…Gwen felt herself about to let him…before she caught sight of the Pendragon crest fluttering on a flag in the breeze and pulled away, stepping back, blushing and glancing around, relieved to see no one, not even the stall owner who was preoccupied with another customer, had seen the almost-kiss.
"Gwen?" the man looked at her, confused.
"You ought not do that," she warned him, "I am betrothed to the prince and he would by no means take kindly to someone trying to kiss me," she hissed out the last two words at a whisper.
"You…are engaged to Arthur?" the man shook his head.
"Yes," she nodded, smiling.
"But I thought he was…" the man trailed off, looking around as though for someone else, a sort of sinking feeling dropping into his stomach at the odd look in Gwen's eye, "Are Merlin and Marayna here?"
"Who?" the girl shook her head, not quite sure who he was talking about.
The man's head snapped back to look at her, searching her eyes for something before he blinked, "I…am sorry," he apologized slowly, "I was too forward. I…have been travelling a long while, I am weary, my head is not yet settled," he gave her a small bow, "My Lady."
She gave him a nod in return before she stepped around him and headed back for the castle, him watching her go with the most confused and alarmed of expressions on his face. He watched her go till she disappeared through the crowd…when something just to the side of the castle's entrance caught his eye. There was a man in the forest standing beside a tree, nearly obscured by it…but looking right at him. He could tell by the man's green cloak that he was a Druid and glanced around, making sure no one was paying attention to him before he headed off towards the man.
The Druids had magic…if anyone could tell him what had happened to Merlin and Marayna…and everyone else in the kingdom, it would be them.
"My Lord Knight…" the Druid bowed his head as Lancelot stepped past the forest's edge, the two of them disappearing behind a tree.
"I am not a knight," the man cut in, "But please…do you know of Merlin and Marayna?"
"Yes," the Druid looked up, "We have been scrying with the kingdom in mind, keeping watch. When we saw you approaching, they requested you be fetched."
"They are alive then?" he let out a breath, so relieved at that.
"Yes," the Druid smiled, "If you will follow me?" he nodded at the forest and they started off, "They are very eager to see you Sir Lancelot."
~8~
Morgana trekked through the woods far more efficiently than she thought she would given she knew not where she was going. But the second she'd stepped past the borders of the trees and into the wooded area, outside the hold of the castle she…felt like she could breathe. She felt that tug inside her growing stronger and followed it as fast as she could, not knowing how long it would last or if it would suddenly disappear and she was not about to risk that, not at all. She had come too far, felt too much confusion to miss this opportunity for answers.
So consumed was she in her quest through the forest that she almost didn't realize she'd entered a small clear area, like a small meadow. That is…until she felt breath on her face and noticed that the meadow was quite occupied, almost entirely, by the body of a Dragon.
She nearly screamed as she jumped back but, for some reason she wasn't quite sure of, all that came out was a squeak and a gasp. It was like she wasn't as startled by the Dragon as she should be. She…she winced, he rind was jumbled about that. It was like she shouldn't recognize the Dragon, because they were all gone, Uther had seen to that. But at the same time she had flashes going through her mind of it in a cavern, of it talking to her and she could vaguely see the boy and girl she'd dreamt of on either side of her when it happened.
"…I know you," she breathed, her one hand pressed against the tree beside her for stability and also slightly for safety, she got the feeling that the Dragon was hesitant about her or had been at one point.
"I am glad to see that Uther's manipulations have not affected you as deeply as everyone else in his kingdom," the Dragon smiled at her.
Morgana frowned and blinked, "I don't understand. What manipulations?"
The Dragon sighed, "You have been dreaming, have you not? Of a young man and woman of a similar description? Dark hair, light eyes…"
"Yes," she whispered, "You know them? They're real? HE'S real?"
The Dragon chuckled at the small hint of desperation that had entered her voice at the last question, "Yes. They are. He is waiting for you as we speak."
Morgana shook her head, "I don't even know who he is…"
"You did, once," the Dragon told her, "But Uther saw to it that you would not any longer."
Morgana stared at him a long while, "You do that a lot don't you?" she had to ask, "Never give straight answers?"
The Dragon chuckled heartily at that rather familiar irritation, "I am afraid now is not the time for me to do so is it?" he wondered vaguely, "Your King has, once again, turned to magic to solve his problems."
"Magic?" Morgana stared at him, "Uther? Use magic? UTHER?" she started to laugh a little at that though it faded near the end, something about that thought striking her as a little too…plausible.
"It would not be the first time," the Dragon warned her, "Nor will it likely be the last."
"What did he do?" Morgana looked up at him, "I…I feel different. Like I'm not…whole. But I feel as though I am the only one who feels it," she knew Gwen and Arthur felt something but it seemed like SHE felt it more profoundly.
"What I am about to tell you, Lady Morgana," the Dragon began, "May upset you, no…" he smirked, "Will most certainly upset you. All I can ask, as it has been requested of me by the ones, I believe, you know of as Emrys and Reesa?" he waited, seeing Morgana gasp at the names and nod, "Is that you do not kill the king."
"Why would I try to kill Uther?" she frowned at that, she'd just stopped a young sorcerer from killing the king, why would she try it now?
"He has taken much more from you than you know," the Dragon replied, "He has stolen your memories with an enchantment meant to hide them from your mind."
Morgana was silent at that, "Uther used magic to make me forget Emrys…didn't he?"
"And his sister Reesa, yes," the Dragon nodded, "And with it…so much more."
Morgana looked up at him, pleading, "Is there any way to…to reverse the enchantment? Or…or end it or…"
"Often enchantments are broken by the death of the caster or if they choose to reverse it. However, there are some enchantments that are so powerful that it results in the death of the caster, in which case, it does not seem likely that the enchantment can ever be broken," the Dragon eyed her intently as she bowed her head, devastated at the news, "It is these enchantments that must be broken by others more powerful than the caster himself."
Morgana's head snapped up, "YOU can break it?" she asked him, hope shining in her eyes.
"Not on everyone," the Dragon sighed, "Even if I were able to reverse it on the whole of the kingdom, I would need to be very close to Camelot, just above it to affect everyone and I…cannot risk that," he looked at her sadly, "I would incite fear and retaliation and I am the last of my kind. There are…others who depend on me and I cannot risk my life for your kingdom."
Morgana nodded, "You said not on everyone though…can you break it on ME?"
He smiled at that, she was clever, "On you, yes, but…only on you."
She blinked, "Why is that?"
"Magic reacts to magic," he said simply, making her stiffen, "I believe you have had a sense that you are…different than the others in the kingdom? That you felt a kinship to the sorcerer Gilli?"
Morgana swallowed, "I have, yes," she admitted, though she was shaking at the thought that the Dragon was implying she had magic. It was…frightening but not all together unfamiliar to her.
"I can end the enchantment on you easier than most, because your magic is already fighting against it."
"What of Gaius?" she looked at him, "He has practiced magic once."
"Many years ago," the Dragon reminded her, "His tie to the magical realm has faded with time. His magic is too weak."
"And mine is strong?"
"Stronger than you know," he smiled.
Morgana shook her head at that, "But what of Arthur and Gwen? The kingdom? How do I end the enchantment on them?"
The Dragon smiled, "Arthur was once under an enchantment, I believe the kiss of the one he truly loves shall break the enchantment on him, the same with the serving girl Gwen. You must bring Arthur to Reesa and Gwen to Lancelot."
"But the kingdom?" Morgana reminded him, feeling something familiar about that pairing already.
"When Emrys and Reesa return to Camelot, they will be able to end the enchantment at its source. Uther. For he acts as vessel to the enchantment's purpose."
"They'd have to kill the king?" she breathed, not liking that.
"I believe they are clever enough, after all this time, to work out a way to prevent his death while ending the enchantment. Magic can sometimes redirect a spell, alter it or end it," he remarked.
Morgana frowned at that, seeing the Dragon had gone back to his cryptic replies, and took a breath, "Do it. End the enchantment."
"As you wish," he nodded his head.
Morgana closed her eyes as the Dragon inhaled deeply and breathed out his magic onto her…
~8~
Uther was enjoying a peaceful lunch with Arthur and Gwen…or what would have been peaceful had the doors to the Dining Hall not flown open and a rather…irate (more like murderous) Morgana stormed in.
"How dare you!?" she screamed at Uther, glaring at him as she pointed accusingly. Her dress was slightly soiled, brown at the bottom, her cloak torn, as though she'd run through the woods, which indeed she had, "How dare you do that to me!? To Arthur! Have you any idea what you have done?!"
"Morgana cease this shouting!" Uther hissed as he pushed himself up to face her down.
"I will NOT!" she continued, drawing closer to him.
"Morgana what's this all about?" Arthur slowly stood, Gwen sitting there, staring at her Lady in shock that she would be this angry over something.
"This is about what UTHER did!" Morgana spat, "How could you!?" she shook her head at Uther, tears welling in her eyes, "I loved him! I was betrothed to him! How could you do that to Merlin!?"
Uther's expression hardened as he realized two things, the first frightened him slightly in that Morgana clearly remembered the boy and likely his sister, somehow, somehow the enchantment hadn't held on her…which alarmed him that it might start breaking down for others. How long could an enchantment of such magnitude last for? He probably should have ensured that before forcing that sorcerer to cast the spell he had. And the second was that…Morgana, his ward, his DAUGHTER was betrothed to a servant! AND a sorcerer! AND she was still defending him, claiming her love for him even now?!
"You were not married yet then," his lips pursed, "You can find another suitor."
The glare Morgana shot him would have likely killed him on the spot if she were able, "And what about Arthur and Marayna?"
Arthur blinked at that, stiffening, "Marayna?" he breathed, the word echoing in his head, feeling familiar to him, far too familiar.
But Morgana wasn't finished, "Or have you forgotten they are MARRIED!?"
"What?" Gwen whispered, looking between Morgana and Arthur and Uther, feeling like…like her heart should be breaking but it just…wasn't. She shook her head, "Morgana…what happened?"
Morgana was panting in her rage as she glared at Uther, "Uther used magic to make us forget Merlin and Marayna."
She remembered now, she remembered Merlin and Marayna. Oh she was fuming! She understood now, what Uther had done, the Dragon had helped her remember. She'd been enchanted, her memories of the two pushed so far to the back of her mind and locked away it was as though they'd been erased, and all because of a spell. She had to thank her magic for protecting her more than it had Arthur and Gwen. She supposed she also had to thank Uther and his cruelty to magic-users. The spell itself was complicated and required a great deal of strength to cast, the sorcerer in question had clearly died casting it. He didn't have the skill or the strength (from being in Uther's dungeon) to cast it effectively or properly. Things slipped through. For her, with her magic helping her, she could remember events that she shouldn't have. She remembered helping Mordred even though she couldn't remember how he'd come to her, because she hadn't remembered Merlin or Marayna. But in other ways, she couldn't remember her magic because Merlin alone had told her and it had been a brief moment.
Gwen, she knew, wouldn't recognize Lancelot if she saw him, because he'd been introduced to her through Merlin and Marayna. She didn't remember anything about them and the spell affected her and Arthur more deeply. They could hardly remember anything that was even associated with the two, but SHE did. She remembered Merlin, she remembered feeling happy and safe and loved and...and UTHER had taken that away from her! He was the vessel of the enchantment, there had to be one person in Camelot that still had memories of Merlin and Marayna, to direct the enchantment to the ones that needed to be forgotten. And that was Uther.
"I will not have you spewing false accusations at me!" Uther snarled at her, "I will not have this slander from my own ward. Guards!" he shouted, "Take her to the dungeons!"
"Father!" Arthur jolted forwards, "Father, clearly she is…she is enchanted," he tried to offer, tried to excuse her behavior, knowing his father wouldn't ever resort to magic, not him, not the king of an anti-magic kingdom, it was his own laws that prevented magic from being practiced there, but then…he saw his father flinch.
"Oh I was!" Morgana shouted as she was dragged out of the room, not about to use her magic, knowing that Uther would have her executed for it now, daughter or not, and she was not about to let that happen, not when she had to find Merlin, "By Uther himself! HE did this! This is HIS fault!"
The doors slammed shut behind her.
Uther cast a warning look at Arthur before he turned and strode out of the room himself, leaving Gwen and Arthur alone.
"Arthur?" Gwen asked as she slowly started to stand, seeing a look on his face that was a cross between anger, betrayal, and hurt.
"That name," he whispered, "Marayna," he looked at her, "I KNOW that name, Guinevere."
She nodded, "As do I. Merlin and Marayna…they're familiar."
They glanced at each other and then to the doors, knowing what it meant, they had to speak to Morgana.
~8~
Morgana was pacing in her dungeon cell, the favored one that Uther seemed to love throwing her into. At least this time she wasn't chained to the wall, but that did little to ease her mind. She knew Merlin would never forgive her if she used her magic and got caught, if she was executed. She wanted to live to see him and she knew she'd already made Uther angry by letting it slip that she loved Merlin and was going to marry him. It had been a foolish thing to say out loud to the king, but…she had been so angry and hurt.
She looked up, in the middle of trying to work out some way to escape without using magic, when she heard footsteps coming and saw Arthur and Gwen appear before her cell.
"Morgana," Arthur called.
"What is it?" she shook her head, in no mood to hear him go on and on about how she should apologize to his father and had she lost her mind to accuse him of using sorcery and what was she thinking. She needed to work out what to do, if…if she could get word to Merlin and Marayna, they could come get her, or transport her to them? Surely the Druids would be skilled enough to cast such a spell or teach them how?
One thing she knew Uther hadn't counted on was that, in everyone forgetting Merlin and Marayna…the guards would forget they were magic-users. They could enter Camelot and wander about and, as long as they didn't see Uther, they'd be safe. She knew that there was a chance they didn't know what Uther had done, that they still thought themselves in danger and that was why they hadn't come. She was worried though because the last two weeks Uther had (for some reason she was only realizing now that she remembered) been doubling the patrols and the scouts into the woods, something about the Druids and wanting them all taken care of now before they attacked…which was something that hit her even more after what she'd said to Gilli.
Uther still remembered, and Uther was determined to see them dealt with before they could do anything.
She'd heard reports, terrible reports from the guards and the scouts of how they'd attack a site and injure quite a few before they'd be scooped up in winds and disappear from right before them. She hoped it meant that Merlin and Marayna were at work, and that they were just distracted by the need to help their kin, she WANTED them to help the other magic-users first. But equally, she wanted Merlin back, she wanted to be able to help him.
"Did father truly…" Arthur began, taking a breath, it was still quite hard for him to speak of it, "Did he truly use magic on us?"
"On the whole of the kingdom," Morgana nodded.
"But why?" Gwen shook her head, "The laws…"
"Uther has always thought himself above the laws," Morgana cut in, a bite to her words, "You must be aware of that Arthur. The laws would have executed anyone who harbored a sorcerer, who gave them even a piece of bread to help them, even if they knew not it was a magic-user before them. Yet Uther, who has housed sorcerers disguised and broke bread with them remains untouched. He has always resorted to sorcery when he was desperate."
Arthur looked down at that, something about desperation and his father striking him in the gut and… he couldn't help but feel like it had something to do with him.
"This…Marayna," Arthur began cautiously, "You…you said she was married to me?"
"Yes," Morgana strode over to the bars, wrapping her hands around them, "She had black hair, and blue eyes, and spirit," she chuckled a bit, tears in her eyes as she remembered the girl's brother as well, "She never let you get away with anything, she always put you in your place. She…she called you Artie at times, to irritate you. But you called her…"
"Mara," he breathed, blinking though his expression was confused, "I…I don't…"
Morgana moved her hand to touch his as his own rested on the horizontal bars that ran across the cell, "I have been told that the kiss of the one you truly love can break the enchantment."
Arthur's eyes snapped up to hers, "Did you…"
She swallowed hard, knowing that with him like this, not knowing about magic, she couldn't tell him of her own or the Dragon, "No," she offered, if he did as she'd tell him to, he'd see Merlin and she couldn't risk her lie coming undone, "I don't know why," she offered, "Perhaps the spell Uther had cast struck me last? Or perhaps not enough as Uther did not know of Merlin and I, but…I remember. I…remembered another time you were enchanted and how that was broken. I hope it shall be the same, for you and Rayna," she looked at Arthur, "And you, Gwen," before she turned to her, "And Lancelot."
"Lancelot…" Gwen murmured, testing the name, feeling her heartbeat pick up at it.
"How can we find them?" Arthur looked at Morgana intently.
She smiled, so relieved to hear that he wanted to know, that he was willing to find this woman and to break the enchantment, that he believed her, "Go to the woods," she told him, "That was where they escaped to."
"Escaped?" Gwen frowned, wondering why they needed it.
"There isn't much time," Morgana shook her head, "They can explain it to you when you see them, if you don't remember before then. But…take Bartok," she told Arthur, "You gifted him to Rayna once, they formed a bond. He…he may be able to lead you to her."
Arthur nodded, before he looked down the hall, and back to Morgana, "You have my word, I will find them."
"Me too," Gwen nodded, "I…I saw a man earlier, I…it may have been Lancelot," she told them, "I thought I saw him heading for the woods when I looked back before entering the castle, he may be with them too."
Morgana nodded, "Good luck," she watched them go before calling out, "Arthur!" he stopped and turned to her, "Please…tell Merlin I'm sorry I forgot him…and that I love him."
Arthur gave her a nod of promise before he and Gwen ran off down the halls, knowing they needed to escape Camelot before Uther's anger quelled and he realized that they were likely to do something similar. Morgana let out a breath and rested her head to the cold metal bars, a small smile on her lips as she watched them go.
Soon, she knew, soon everything would be alright again.
A/N: Oh boy, Morgana is...very ticked off lol :) I really can't wait till Arthur is confronted with Marayna, I can say there'll be a tiny surprise waiting for him at that point, but it may not be a good one }:)
Some notes on reviews...
OMG you completely read my mind for the title of this chapter lol :) I love it when that happens :) Angry Morgana is very fun to write :)
I hope you liked Kilgharrah's appearance here :)
I'm sorry about your grandmoter :( I hope she gets better and that your grandfather is doing ok :( It's definitely not fun :( But thank you, if you ever need to talk, I'm here for you too :)