AN: They guys. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter finished. I had hoped to get a lot of writing done this summer, but I was too busy with work, school, and all of my other responsibilities. And with classes starting back on Monday, I have no Idea when I will be updating This or any of my other stories.
I also want to thank those who have stuck with me despite my spotty updates.
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Chapter 21
Leon was the first to wake. He hadn't really thought about it before, but now he was curious. Where was the light coming from? They are deep underground, there are no torches, lanterns, or candles, all the magic users are asleep and too tired to be casting a spell. So how on earth is there light enough to see across the chamber?
He was so caught up in trying to understand the lighting that he didn't even notice that he had been sleeping on a bed roll until he sat up. Looking down at the blanket and sleeping mat, Leon smiled. He had slept without a nightmare waking him every bell and felt fresher than he had in years. 'Bless Merlin' Leon thought as he got up to check on everyone.
Morgana and Branwen were snuggled up together under their blanket with slight smiles on their faces. Leon hadn't seen that smile of Morgana's in so long that it nearly broke him. She had been a prisoner for over seven years and they never knew. And now she was finally completely free.
Needing to focus on other thoughts, Leon turned from the bed to look for Merlin. It took the knight a lot longer to notice the tuff of black hair poking out from under the leathery wing of the white dragon then he really cared to admit. Noting the steady rise and fall of the wing, Leon concluded that Merlin was sleeping peacefully. Smiling and not having the heart to wake the pair, Leon decided to get breakfast going.
During that time, Leon had finally figured out where the light was coming from. There was a slow moving river of molten rock flowing through the bottom of the cave. Leon didn't really understand how the lava hadn't harmed Camelot. He also didn't understand how the side chamber they had been sleeping in was so cool when the cavern was rather warm, but he planned on asking Gaius later.
Half an hour later, Leon gave up on finding a way to cook the salted pork he had found amongst Merlin's stores. He was at a loss. He couldn't start a fire in a cave with no wood and he couldn't get the meat close enough to the melted rock to cook it without baking himself. He has been tempted to use the fishing pole in the corner, but he figured the heat would burn the cord long before the pork was thoroughly cooked.
So the knight just sat there, glaring at the meat that had defeated him. He hadn't been doing that long when he felt eyes fall on him. Turning, Leon saw the dragon looking at him with what he could only describe as amusement.
"You would happen to know how I can cook this in a cave with no wood would you?" He asked her quietly.
He was more than a little surprised when she nodded to him.
"How?" He could hardly believe he was talking to a dragon.
After giving him a humorous snort she gestured him over. Once he was beside her she lifted her wing off of Merlin and pointed her nose at the sleeping man and then the empty bed roll. Understanding her request, Leon gently moved Merlin to the bed roll and covered him.
When he turned back around, Aithusa had pushed a pile of loose rocks together in the middle of the floor. She nodded at her work before breathing on the stones with her flaming breath. Then, just as quickly as she had started, she stopped, leaving a mound of glowing rocks. She then gave him a mock bow by gesturing to the cooking 'fire' with her wing as she lowered her head giving what sounded like a chuckle in the process.
Leon pulled himself out of his stunned daze and nodded his thanks before he set himself to preparing a meal for the entire party. After a few minutes, the room was filled with wonderful smell of roast pork. The rest of the group seemed to wake at once when the smell of roasted meat reached them.
Merlin and Branwen got to their feet shakily, but Morgana didn't seem to have the strength to anything more than prop herself up so she could see what was going on. Noticing this, Leon passed the cooking off to Merlin before gathering Morgana and carrying her over to where Aithusa was lying.
When witch's eyes met those of the dragon, Aithusa let out a happy sounding series of chirps that almost sounded like 'Morgana'. The tired woman busted into a teary laugh.
"It is really me Aithusa. I am free!" She threw her arms around the creature's pale neck.
"She asked me to tell you that she is very happy to meet the real you." Morgana's head shot up. On the other side of the dragon stood a young female version of Merlin that the witch knew had to be his daughter.
"You must be Branwen Alura. You must have some of your father's talent if you can hear Aithusa's thoughts." Morgana replied sending the girl a small smile.
The girl gave her a massive grin. "I am good at the magics Taddy is bad at. Mindspeech, healing, water and ice spells, things like that."
"Thank you Branwen, now she knows even more of my shortcomings…" came Merlin's tired voice from over where the food was cooking.
They looked at the man with worry.
"Maybe you should go back to sleep after you eat. You all look like you barely survived a plague. Besides, you, Merlin, and you, Athus, will need your strength to finally destroy Morgause." Leon said cautiously.
"Her name is Aithusa, and I think you are right. I thought she said I had complete control of my body and magic, but I guess I pushed myself too far too fast."
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Both Merlin and Morgana fell asleep before they finished their food, but that was hardly surprising after what they had been through the last few days.
Leon easily moved Morgana from the floor beside the dragon to the bed, but as he lifted Merlin, Branwen and Aithusa began to laugh.
"Alright, what is so funny that it has a dragon crying with mirth?" Leon asked in a mock exasperated voice.
Through her breathless laughing, Branwen managed to tell him. "Aithusa said you should put him in the bed with Miss Morgana because they love each other but are too stubborn to tell each other unless we force them, by putting them in the same bed."
Leon blinked at the child's odd way of explaining before it clicked in his mind, causing him to laugh as well. But unlike the girls, he managed not to be too loud about it. He then gave them a mischievous grin before settling Merlin back to back with Morgana in the cot.
The trio was slightly worried when both of the bed's occupants began squirming and moving. But when the two settled down again, the three were barely containing themselves. Morgana was now nestled against Merlin's chest while hugging his arms to her own chest.
Grinning madly, Leon led the two youngsters out into the main chamber. Once they were a decent distance away, they all broke down laughing. In fact, Leon was laughing so hard that he missed Branwen leave and come back with an empty vial and fill it with Aithusa's happy tears. But that was her secret, one that she hoped would help in the near future.
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Morgana couldn't remember the last time she had felt this safe. She knew it was before she had come to live in Camelot, but that was a lifetime ago. Right now she was happy, safe, and in love.
She knew whose arms were around her long before she opened her eyes. There was only one person who smelt of herbs, polish, and sweat. She had loved the scent before she had ever fallen for the man. The part she was unclear about was how they ended up asleep in each other's arms.
She had seen Merlin fall asleep eating several minute before she too succumbed to her fatigue. So, how did the two of them end up in this situation? Surely Leo… Oh. That makes sense.
Leon likely knew about their feelings for each other and thought that they hadn't told of how we loved each other. But Merlin had already professed his love for her. She had mentioned that she had loved him back before Morgause had taken her over, but she had never confirmed that she still loved him.
So, she had to admit, Leon had a point and at least he took the girls out of the room to make the 'wake-up' less awkward. Or, at least she hoped so. Merlin calling her his dead wife's name would be heart breaking, him jumping out of the bed and apologizing would be weird, and him refusing to look her in the eye and treating her like the lady Morgana of old would nearly kill her. She just hoped there was a third option that she was overlooking.
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Merlin realized what had happened as soon as he noticed that the woman in his arms was not his daughter.
'Haha, very funny Leon. Hope you had your laughs. Not very noble to force to two people in a bed together. That is Gwaine's area of expertise' Merlin thought to himself as he tried to figure out a way to untangle himself from Morgana while still being a gentlemen about it.
What Merlin didn't realize was that he projected those thoughts to the woman beside him. Or at least he didn't until she started laughing. That laugh both warmed his heart and caused him to blush.
"Sorry about that… I do not usually project my thoughts…" There was a feeling behind those words that made Morgana realize how little she knew about the man she loved.
Then it clicked. "You used to share your thoughts with your wife didn't you?" She asked softly as she turned to face him.
"Yeah… and Freya…"
Morgana felt somewhat jealous for a moment, but the look of pure sadness on Merlin's face pushed that feeling away.
"Who was Freya?" She asked softly.
Merlin took a deep breath and sighed heavily. "Do you remember how I said that I had loved you and that I had moments where I fell for another?"
She nodded slowly.
Merlin spent the next hour telling her everything, about Freya being a cursed druid, his plans of running away with her, her death at Arthur's hand, and her help in retrieving Excalibur from Lake Avalon. He ended by telling Morgana that he felt he needed to take her to meet Freya.
Morgana was overwhelmed by the whole thing. Merlin had loved the girl only to lose her, and now he wanted the two of them to meet?!
Knowing that she would regret not meeting the Lady of the Lake, Morgana opened her mouth to air her agreeance only to be stopped by a sharp pain in her abdomen. The pain dulled all of her senses, keeping her from hearing, seeing, or feeling Merlin right in front of her. When the pain did fade, the first thing she noticed was Merlin cursing at himself profusely as he gently stroked her hair and rubbed her back.
Once the pain dimmed enough that she was no longer curled in on herself, Merlin left her side for a moment only to return moments later with a draught. She wasn't sure what it was for, but she trusted Merlin enough to down it without thought. The pain subsided and she felt a warm feeling in stomach.
"What was that?" She asked in awe.
"It was a pain potion laced with a healing spell to help your body reabsorb the fetus and level out your hormones." Morgana understood very little of what he said, but what she did make sense of she was thankful for.
She barely got her thanks out before she fell back to sleep.
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The rest of the day was spent having fun or sleeping and Leon slept the least of the group. After the fun of forcing Merlin and Morgana together, he got to watch a very young dragon go swimming in the river of lava, Branwen cast a spell that make lava, rocks, and dust act out any story told, and Leon himself got to tell stories that he had kept to himself since the beginning of the Great Purge.
Leon had grown up having an aunt and several second cousins who had small bits of magic. In hindsight, Leon realized that that was likely where his own magic had come from, though the Cup of Life may have strengthened it, but that was unimportant right now. Right now he was sharing stories of people the king had ordered to be forgotten.
Leon told the girls everything he remembered about the seven years before the purge, he talk about his family, the kingdom, and the even the late queen of Camelot. After Aithusa fell asleep, he told Branwen about the Queen's side of the family and how she had been the great granddaughter of a dragonlord. He told all about her ancestors, while keeping their connection to her a secret.
Leon hadn't felt this free in so long. He hadn't thought about how much he had hidden in his heart because of the ban on magic. He hadn't even known he had been so trapped until he had been set free. Because of this, the stony exterior that he had always kept up melted away like the magma below them.
Leon was happier than he had been since the day his little sister had been born. He was so happy if fact, that he asked Branwen to teach him some small and useful spells. By the time Aithusa, Merlin, and Morgana were ready to deal with Morgause, Leon had learned to create a small flame in his hand and how to call an object to him.
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It was nearly midnight when they were finally ready to end Morgause's evil. Morgana needed to see it happen if she was ever going to have closure. That is why they hadn't done this earlier. Merlin had decided to wait until Morgana was strong enough to witness the event before he and Aithusa destroyed the crystalline form of the blonde witch's soul.
Merlin wasn't sure why, but Aithusa had told him that she wanted him to help her destroy the gem, though not with his magic, but with the dragon fire that was deep in his very soul. Merlin had felt the fire form when Balinor had died, but he had put down to grief. He had felt each time he used his dragonlord powers and had believed it to be the thought of his father that had caused it. But Aithusa assured him that it was the brother soul to all dragons, it was what made him their kin. It was that fire that Aithusa wanted him to use to help he kill the one who had imprisoned the one they loved.
And now it was time. Merlin carefully placed the dark orb on a stalagmite out in the main cavern within sight of where Morgana sitting. He and Aithusa then stood on either side of it making sure the sphere was clearly visible. Leon and Branwen stood beside Morgana as witnesses. As Aithusa was taking her place, her tail knocked into a stone pillar, causing a shower of small rock pieces to shower down around her. And one of those shards scratched the palantir, allowing Morgause to speak.
"The Goddess will smite you for this Emrys! I am her High Priestess and you have no right to do this! You have turned against your own kind, and for that you will be punished! I forge the way of the Goddess and none can oppose me and triumph!"
At this Branwen stepped forward, eyes blazing with pale light. "You fell from my grace the day you sacrificed your mother to gain all of her knowledge. It was you who turned on your own kind and your own family. You claim to do my will, but it is naught but your own! Emrys has my support and blessing it this. Good bye my twisted child. May the next world give you peace."
With a wave of her hand, the scratch disappeared cutting of the witches mad screeches. The Goddess in the child's body turned to Merlin.
"Continue Emrys, she no longer has a place in this world." She then turned and walked back to the spot she had been standing earlier.
Once she was back where she had been standing earlier, the warlock nodded to Aithusa. They then opened their mouth and flames poured out. Orange, red, and yellow flames came from the dragon's and purple, blue, and green from her lord's. The flames mixed and swirled into a funnel of flames in every color possible. As they continued, the top of the funnel fold down over top of itself as it narrowed and grew brighter.
The funnel now touched the floor of the cave and began to change its shape. The fire grew so bright that Morgana and Leon were forced to shield their eye. The entire chamber was lit and hummed with magic older than mankind.
As the light dimmed, the pair uncovered their eyes and saw the flames in the shape of a woman with her face raised and arms reaching up like a child begging to be held. Slowly the flames died, but the feminine figure remained. Once the fire gone, the group was what remained.
Where the stalagmite had been was now a life sized marble statue that looked like Morgause crying and reaching out for comfort. Upon looking closer, one could see the statue was clothed in a list of names. Names of all those who had died because of the witch. Cenred, Vivienne, Tyr, Uther, Elyan, Lancelot, Mordred, and thousands of other names were etched onto her form in the shape of that red dress she had been so fond of during her years with the King of Essetir.
The statue was beautiful and heart wrenchingly sad. Like this, Morgause looked like a child who didn't understand what they had done wrong.
"I am sorry my child. I should have guided you better, shown you the correct path. But there is naught I can do now. May this sculpture stand as a remembrance of those who lost their way in life. Let it remind us that evil is created by neglect, and is banished with love."
As these tri-voiced words concluded, the light faded from the child's eyes. Branwen would have fallen, but Leon managed to catch and lower her down. She was carefully settled down beside Morgana with her head resting on the woman's lap.
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AN: I couldn't help myself. I felt Morgana needed a physical reminder that what Morgause had done through her all of those years was not her fault. As since it never says in the show what happened to the lady Vivienne, I thought I would add her to Morgause's sin count.
Do you think I went too far with this? Please let me know! And thank you for reading this!