Ohhhh man….when I started writing this chapter I didn't have this in mind at all. It kind of got away from me for a bit. I honestly wasn't going to have this here but then I wrote it out and it was awesome. I actually started it on Thursday after my other chapter. I was so hyped up about it that I had to write some more. This is not going to be what you expected that's for damn sure and it's going to make you mad.

You know what I wish there was in the series…flashbacks. Like seeing Morgana's mother and Gorlois or Arthur and Morgana when they were kids and getting used to each other. Something! They could have done so much with background and we get nothing. I want to know how Vivienne died and stuff.

Next chapter will be when they get Aithusa out of the city and maybe Ellie's birthday party. We shall see how it goes.

icarusLSU: You are right. :D She can fly out the top.

Ladywarlock: My muse and I had a fight. But I managed to post because I was super excited to.

Meleander: So did I…and you will see that I did indeed tdo it

Moon Fox: Morgana agrees with you. And I sent you a message about the error. Thanks for telling me. I'm only on season 2 of my rewatch and it's been a while since I watched season 4. My details can sometimes be a bit fuzzy.

Lilmiss: I do want to shake him too. I talk to the tv all the time about it. I can't even bring myself to click on The Fires of Ishirdolas….it is just too painful to watch again. And Morgana wants a lot of things. Teehee

Tsukune08: Yay! You're back! Yeah…Kilgarrah only pissed me off after calling Morgana a witch. He set Merlin up for failure so much. So many times and it killed me. I don't think things would have turned out the way they did if he didn't secretly use Merlin to get his revenge on the Pendragon line. Grr.

Midoriko-sama: We shall see.

Renaissancebooklover108: Teehee. I have so many plans.

MonsterJunkie: Yay! I missed you! And this conversation shall make you quite pleased then very upset.

And thank you to EllieMJayx, shell22, funnygirl00, phhsdj, sjritts, fieldsoffebruary, 4 mergana for making me happy. Virtual cookies for everyone!

Iricous…Where have you gone?

XxOxX

Morgana led Merlin down the hall and he followed her while silently wondering if she was going to do something drastic to him. He observed her back and her dress looking for any bulges or obvious signs of a weapon. Maybe she just wants to talk with you. Yeah and maybe she wants to finish what she started back in her chamber. This is what she had done to him…made him paranoid about every action that she took; every step that she made while he kept a close eye on her. Not because she haunted his dreams and made him crave her even when she wasn't so close to him. She was his enemy and his destiny. They were bound by a destiny that neither of them could escape. That was why he was staring at her backside as she walked slowly through the castle, and it was not because she was stunningly beautiful and increasingly more mysterious with each passing moment. And now that she knew he had magic he could use it against her without fear of repercussions.

Morgana felt his eyes burn into her back as she walked and tried to find an empty room. Her own room would be too public, too well watched for her to just walk into with him. It was difficult remembering the rooms to the place she once called her home for many years. Things had changed, rooms had been moved and nothing was unwatched here. It was risky enough bringing him with her so publicly. Although he was watching here with what she could only guess was suspicion having him so close was wreaking havoc with her hormones and emotions. Her nightmares were disappearing and being replaced by happy dreams. Dreams of Merlin and Arthur, Gwen and Ellie and being happy, but the dreams always felt fake and unbelievable, like an illusion. What she dreamed was not a perfect world of happiness; the images that her mind supplied her unconsciousness with were not what she wanted. It was a child's fantasy and nothing more.

She saw the room she was looking for and quickly opened it. Merlin followed her inside and stood next to the door as she closed and locked it. Morgana turned around and faced Merlin alone for the first time in nearly a week. His eyes were intensely blue and locked on her while he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall as if completely at ease with their situation. He couldn't fool her. His eyes darted from her and to the door then back at her as he put on an air of nonchalance and power. This was not Merlin the servant, this was Merlin the warlock, the one who stood up to her in a way that few would dare do even powerless as she was and that impressed and aroused her.

"So you've brought me here. What do you have to tell me here that you couldn't have in the hall?"

Morgana was intending to tell him many things in this room but the words never left her mouth but as she looked at him another thought sprang to life. A thought that was dangerous and dark especially in her current state. He looked so sweet and handsome in front of her with his hair tousled and the hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. He had a light and a happiness around him that called to her and made her want to bask in it. Instead of speaking she closed the distance between them and as he started to step back from her she lifted her hand quickly to the back of his head and pulled him down for a searing kiss. She could tell he was surprised by his sudden stiffness but it rapidly faded as he tried to pull away from her. Morgana would not be gotten rid of so easily and she placed her hand on the back of his head while pushing him against the wall. He could overpower her easily if he wanted to; the fact that she wasn't yet disentangled from him was a small victory for the woman. She felt his body against hers and she reveled in his warmth and the way his chest and abs were pressed against hers. His lips were soft and pliant and she coaxed him to reciprocate her kiss.

For a moment he was unresponsive but she felt the tiniest move of his mouth against hers and she knew that she had him. His arms wound around her back, one against the lower curve of her spine and the other rested between her shoulder blades. They set her even more aflame with their heat branded where they rested. His hands tightened on her and pulled her closer as he started to devour her. She let him take her mouth greedily and rubbed herself against him. He pulled her tighter and their lips parted for the briefest second before meeting again full force. As she moved against him again she felt the stirrings of his manhood against her belly. The feeling both terrified and thrilled her. She made a small noise against his mouth and his hands started to travel to her sides and run up and down making her shiver with heat and cold as goose bumps arose on her body. She could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest and felt his as an echo against her breast. She undulated against the hardening bulge against her belly harder and he groaned against her mouth. His eyes flew open and the narrowed as he set his hands on her hips and pushed her away from him with enough force to make her stumble back a few paces. He was breathing harshly, his pupils were dilated and the hunger in them was enough to make her want to fasten her lips to his again. When she tried to do so he held up his hand to her. "No, Morgana. I thought we discussed this. There wasn't supposed to be any more of that."

She was still riding an adrenaline high and wanted more of him, "We did discuss it. You said not until I have dealt with it. I dealt with it and now I want you," the words came out breathy as she struggled to regain control of her rampant heart. She needed to feel his warmth….but she was in here for a reason her mind supplied. And it wasn't to do this. Morgana brushed her inner logic away in favor of her hormones.

"How can you be ready after one week?" his voice was rough and thick and it made her shiver in anticipation. "It takes months...even years for some people."

"When I want something I am determined to get it no matter what. You should know that better than anyone." With her eyes she dared him to come for her. She knew that this was not what they should be doing. They should be talking, easing into it, but Morgana didn't want easy. She wanted hard and fast from the man in front of her and she would get it, consequences be damned. "And I know you won't hurt me."

"I can't." He murmured more to himself than to her. His nostrils flared and she saw his struggle to keep his hands at his sides because he kept clenching and unclenching them. She saw the effect that her kiss had on him and the corner of her lip curled upwards. She looked away for one moment and when she looked back at Merlin he had crossed those few steps and his lips descended on hers firmly and passionately. His control was fraying little by little and it hadn't taken much for him to lose himself to her. Inside he felt guilty for taking advantage of her but she had made the first move so anything that came of this for her sanity he could not be held responsible for. His dreams were eating him alive. He wouldn't take her now…at least not here, not where there wasn't a decent bed to lie her down on but he would give her what he could here and now in this room and maybe he could think again and they could talk without all of this distraction.

He tossed common sense out of his mind and focused solely on the woman in front of him. She was eager and soft against him, eager to kiss and touch him. Her hands roamed down his chest greedily while one of his rested on the side of her neck and cheek and the other splayed on her back. He used his power in their position to pin her against the wall. His lips left hers to descend on her neck and she gave a sharp gasp and dug her nails into his shirt and sides. The heat between her thighs was only getting hotter and the feelings more delicious. He growled against her neck and pulled his upper body from hers so he could place his hands on the undersides of her breasts. She made another noise as he flicked her nipples with his thumbs. He pulled back from her neck to look at her face. She was flushed and her eyes were dark with pleasure while her lips were plump and reddened from his kiss. Morgana saw a brief flash of indecision in his eyes among the lust that swam within them and pulled him down for a gentler kiss. Gentle? Where had this gentleness come from? She didn't care about him and his feelings. Did she?

Her chest was tight even as her heart beat faster and her body demanded to feel more of him against her. They had to talk as much as it pained her to admit it. If they continued their quest for pleasure then it would only complicate things. She wasn't afraid that he would hurt her. It was that he would feel guilty about it later because he was a romantic. A lover, not a fighter and this setting was far from romantic. He gentled his touch and his lips against hers and she placed both hands on his chest to still his movements. Merlin pulled back from her and looked down at her with dark eyes filled with a mixture of lust and concern, "Did I hurt you?" Came out roughly and she clenched her thighs at the soft rumble of his voice.

Morgana couldn't help but smile slightly, "No." he was so concerned for her well-being that it touched her heart again and she hated it. Things were easier between them when she wanted his demise more than anything else in the world. The fact that she didn't was also concerning to her. Where did her priorities go? Was she becoming weaker here in Camelot? She pulled herself back from the downward spiral that her thoughts had taken her. "You were right. This is not the time or place for this."

His expression darkened and he pulled back from her. "Morgana," he growled, clearly upset, "You can't just get me all worked up over and over again just to see me squirm." He turned away from her and started to walk to the door. "I'm so tired of your games. I try to be nice and you still act the same way you have before." He threaded hands through his hair with his back turned to her.

She understood his upset, because she knew what it felt like to be denied but she had to stop him from leaving, "I wasn't trying to play a game, Merlin. I thought it was what I wanted, but I couldn't do it."

"I told you, Morgana. Didn't I tell you that all of your problems can't possibly be solved in a week? And I fell for it."

"That's not the reason I stopped! We have to talk about things before we throw ourselves into an even more complicated situation then we already have." It was logical and clear headed of her to think of the future and it was a positive step in the right direction.

His back was still to her and she heard him take a deep, cleansing breath, "Like I am in any shape to have a meaningful conversation now. I imagine this over and over in my head, different scenarios all with you in the center. I can't even look at another woman now. You are starting to drive me mad with your red lips, your eyes shadowed with mischief, the face of an angel and the soul of a devil."

Those words were poetic and affected her in more ways than one, "You looked at me with such guilt and I didn't want you feeling that way about what we were doing. I acted on instinct at first and I'm sorry."

The apology more than anything she had said served to calm him, because it surprised him. He turned back around to face her. His heartbeat had started to calm and his blood was beginning to cool. It allowed his logic to come back to the forefront of his mind, "What?"

"I'm sorry for doing what I did. For teasing you like I have been. I'm sorry for hitting you in my room a week ago. I was feeling vulnerable and I struck out. You hadn't told anyone. You didn't hold it above my head, you were a gentleman and I think that if you had not accidentally slipped up I never would have known about it. I was wrong to do it when you have only been trying to help me." The words came out in a rush. It was difficult for her to admit she was wrong but it was important that he knew.

Merlin tilted his head at her and was processing her admission. "Thank you."

"Are you alright?"

"More alright now than I was a few minutes ago. Did you bring me in here to tell me that you were sorry before I kissed you like a savage?" The blush on his cheeks was unmistakable even in the lower light that the room provided.

"Yes."

"Then I have something to tell you as well. I'm taking Aithusa out of the city."

Her first reaction was happiness, then as his statement went through her mind, "You? Not we?" And that troubled her.

"You can't leave the city. I would never be able to explain it."

"Are you going to bring her back?"

"I don't know."

This man had a knack for making her angry, "How can you not know? Won't Arthur be a little upset at the fact that his dragon is missing?"

"I'm going to take her to see Kilgarrah, her mentor."

"She won't stay with him. She will only escape again then where will the two of you be?"

"He says that he can fix her back legs. She wouldn't be in pain anymore and he can teach her to speak."

"I don't care. She is staying with me." It was selfish of her, but that dragon was her only weakness and her greatest strength and she couldn't let him take her away.

"Be reasonable. She isn't happy here all cooped up."

"But she is happy with me." Morgana said morosely.

Instantly Merlin's guilt could have eaten him alive on the spot and he started to give in, "How would I take you with me? Arthur has guards everywhere." Because Aithusa was in fact happier with Morgana then she was with Merlin no matter how strange he thought it was.

"I know that you know secret tunnels leading from Camelot. Take me through one."

"But I don't know how to get Aithusa out of the city either."

"How did the last dragon escape?"

"He flew out from the top of the cave."

"So what is the problem exactly with getting her out?" Her tone was exasperated as if she was talking with a child.

Merlin looked pensive. Why didn't he think of that? "I guess there isn't one."

"And what is that dragon doing ordering you around? Aren't you a Dragonlord? Aren't you supposed to be ordering him around? You have so much power, Merlin and you never even use it. You are too worried about what other people will think of you."

He got defensive," It's better than everyone hating you. I don't have to swing my power around like it's a great big sword. Magic isn't a toy, it's a powerful force and it should be used only when necessary."

"Necessary? We have a gift. It's not a curse and it's not to be feared."

"But it shouldn't be used without knowing the consequences."

"Gods, you sound like Gaius preaching about the dangers of magic. I think you are uncomfortable with your power and that's why you don't use it." Morgana crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against the wall to watch him.

Merlin opened his mouth and shut it again, "I'm not uncomfortable with my magic. I know it can be wonderful and amazing and can be used to help people."

"I think you are. I think that even though you have it and you aren't afraid of it, so many people in Camelot and where you grew up were afraid of it and it has affected you. You have been all alone here for the most part and without anyone to share your experiences with. To be so alone can be a curse."

She sounded so reasonable at that moment and a part of him agreed with her, "It doesn't matter. One day Arthur will bring back magic to the kingdom. It will just take time."

"You have the patience of a saint, Merlin. That is all I can say about you. And it's even more amusing that you believe that above all else. My brother won't change his mind with a snap of your fingers…well he could but you wouldn't do that to him."

"I'm not like you."

"Would being more like me be so bad? I know what I want and I go after it with everything I have and I always get what I want."

"Almost always." Merlin intoned. "After all, Morgana, you are here, captive, powerless and forced to obey those who you seek to destroy."

"But maybe this is exactly where I want to be."

Merlin chuckled, "Always so stubborn…"

"Stubborn is better than letting people walk all over you."

"Better than being selfish and hurting the people who care about you." His reply was full of challenge.

"When did you get so bold?" With every reply they were stepping closer and closer to one another.

"I've grown up. I'm not the naïve little servant boy that I was years ago."

"So you have." She bit her bottom lip and gave him a mischievous look that heated his blood all over again.

"Morgana." He warned, "We are bad for each other. You know that."

"We can be bad together you know, Merlin. You and I away from here with magic at our command. It would be amazing." She leaned closer to him and rose up on her feet so their lips were mere centimeters apart. "You know you want to."

Merlin started to bend down to kiss those sinful lips of hers when he heard a muffled shout of, "MERLIN! WHERE ARE YOU?" He jerked back and looked around hurriedly. Arthur's voice was like ice cold water thrown over his entire body. His best friend would kill him if he found Merlin in a locked room with his half-sister.

Morgana could have killed her brother right then and there. So close. She was so close to getting him to start back from where they left off earlier. She gritted her teeth and glared at the door. "He has impeccable timing, doesn't he?" She ground out and realized that she wasn't going to get him to stay with her.

He looked apologetic but he was hurrying to the door, "We can talk later."

"Talking wasn't what I had in mind." She mumbled to herself before, "He has you trained well. He yells and you run to him. Don't you get tired of it?"

Merlin glowered at her before he unlocked the door and rushed out to see what Arthur wanted.

Morgana shut the door behind him and put her back to it. She could have screamed at that moment in time. She was so close to having him in her clutches. Morgana curled her fingers into a fist and dug her nails into her palm. She hated it here. The collar felt like it was choking her so slowly. Maybe it was paranoia and maybe not but she felt herself getting weaker by the day. The key to Merlin was getting back into his heart and when she was there she could ask him how to get this collar off. Getting free was always going to be at the forefront of her mind but now she wanted more than that. She wanted what she saw in Camelot every day. She missed being close to people, sharing in their joy and sorrow. Morgana took another deep breath before turning back to the door and opening it. She still had a while before she had to be back at the nursery and she wasn't going to waste it sulking because of a plan gone awry.

####

"MERLIN!" He rounded the corner and saw Arthur, who immediately pointed at him. "Have you seen Morgana?"

Merlin panicked for a second…he knows! He knows! "No I haven't seen her. Why?" It was a lie, a terrible lie. He couldn't very well tell Arthur he was snogging his sister like some tavern wench in a locked room intending to do wicked things to her. Oh no. That would be bad. Lying was best here.

"Gwen let her loose on her own. I love my wife but sometimes she irritates me. Morgana is a criminal, a prisoner and she let her loose in the castle." Arthur put a hand on his forehead and rubbed it, "Are you sure you haven't seen her?"

"I think I saw her walking a while ago."

"Good. Good. The guards will stop her if she tries to leave."

"Was that all you needed?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Gwen has me helping her plan Eliana's birthday celebration. It's going to be 3 days long. 3 days in the cold of winter. Women are completely mad. The kitchen staff are already preparing for it. There is going to be jugglers, and performers in the great hall. She wants me to move the round table… and of course I am but she's just driving me mad. Our daughter won't even remember it. Be glad you don't have a wife, Merlin. Women are nothing but trouble. But heaven help me I love that woman." He patted Merlin on the back, "Are you going to go with us to the tavern tonight? You look a little strained."

Merlin could have laughed at that. Strained wasn't even the half of it. But maybe a night at the tavern would be just what he needed. "Yeah, I'll be there."

###

Merlin entered the tavern later that night and he was greeted by a bunch of really happy drunks, "Oy! Merlin! Come have a round wi' us."

"Not tonight, guys."

"I know that look. He's looking for a lady friend." Catcalls and masculine hoots came after that sentence and Merlin smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Well that shouldn't be too hard." A hand clapped him on the back and Gwaine shoved a mug full of ale at him. "We can both look for a wench."

Merlin took a drink of the ale and looked around, "Where is everyone else?"

"Late, as usual. Arthur has to talk the Queen into letting him come. She's getting really moody about his boy's night out lately. Leon's over there and Percival is…..somewhere." he gestured with his mug and the liquid sloshed over the side and hit the floor. Gwaine was already well on his way to drunk. "Come on! We have dice over here. You need to win us some more money! Drinks for everyone!" A huzzah came from the entire tavern and Merlin let Gwaine lead him wherever he wanted.

####

Morgana couldn't help but be pleased by the way Arthur was begging Gwen. "Please, love. I never get to do things like this anymore. Everyone else is probably already there."

Gwen had her back to him, but her face to Morgana and the woman was grinning ear to ear at her husband's whining. "And you aren't likely to get many more after this one gets here."

Arthur wrapped his arms around her middle and started kissing her neck, "Please."

She squirmed in his grasp and tried to push him away. "Fine! Fine! You're so spoiled. Go. Have fun with the boys."

Arthur grinned like a child getting a new toy and kissed Gwen, "I have to beat Merlin at dice. I swear he is cheating." Arthur took off out of the door and shut it behind him.

"Those men are my favorite people in the world besides you and Ellie. He's going to come back stone stinking drunk like he does every night they do this. It's poor Merlin that has to drag him back and often Merlin is stumbling around too."

"Do they go often?" Morgana had Ellie in her arms and was bouncing her as she played with the collar around her neck.

"Once in a while they all go. They all gamble and drink and the knights spend the night with a few tavern wenches."

"Does Merlin?"

"No. I worry about him sometimes. He never does anything like that. He'll drink and gamble but not take up the girls on their offers and the one and only time I went he has a lot of women offer."

That irritated Morgana, "Do you know why?"

"No. I suspect that he's a virgin or something like that. Arthur tells me he's not but Merlin is the kind of man who would want to marry a girl rather than bed her. He's so gentle and kind. Today though Arthur said he looked a little wound up. I wonder why."

Morgana could have grinned from ear to ear, "No idea."

"He's usually so calm. It would have to be something big." Gwen suddenly looked at Morgana intesently as if she suspected what was happening but the look faded as quickly as it came and was replaced by her trademark kind face.

Morgana was just astounded at the fact that not even Gwen had caught onto the fact that Merlin has magic. "What do the people think of their king drinking in the tavern?"

"Arthur is very much a people's king. He is quite unlike Uther in some aspects and so much like him in others. Both he and I think it is important to know your people, so he does."

"The people love you."

"We try." She put her hand on her belly and smiled, "I can feel her move."

"Do you want another girl?"

"I would be happy with either honestly. Arthur wants a boy."

"Of course he does. And I suspect that he would chose a boy over a girl for the throne."

"I wouldn't let him do that. The one who is best suited for the throne will get it whether it is Ellie or another of our children. It will be fair."

"That is an excellent idea, but what if it doesn't happen that way?"

"I don't know. It's a long time from now so I don't want to think of it. My Ellie is far too small right now."

Eliana looked at her mother at the mention of her name, "Gana." Morgana kissed her neice on her head and passed the girl to Gwen.

###### (An hour passes)

Arthur tossed the dice on the table, "Beat that." And took a drink of his ale.

Merlin arched an eyebrow and picked up the dice. He brought them up to his mouth and blew on them the same time he enchanted them, "Seven." And tossed them onto the table. Seven looked Arthur in the face and he growled, "You aren't getting paid…for a long time." Another drink.

Merlin took a drink and looked around. Gwaine was surrounded by 3 women and was loving every second of it. He had already seen Percival go upstairs with a woman of his own and Leon was over at the next table regaling a tale to a bunch of very drunk patrons.

"So I slass'd it wif my sword and it died." Leon slurred out and Arthur sat down next to him, "Yeah. Slashed it. Merlin! Merlin! YOU tell it."

"You are so drunk."

"You aren't drunk enough." Silvia, a waitress told him and handed him another ale and Merlin watched her walk away.

"Pstssst. Merlin. You should go after her." Leon told him rather loudly.

Merlin fought back a blush and took another drink, "Not my type."

"I'm starting to think you are a little meh-eh." Arthur gestured with his hands.

"What?"

"He means that you likes boys." Gwaine slurred on his way to the door with the three women holding onto him.

Merlin choked on his next drink, "NO!" he half shouted. The alcohol was starting to take effect. "I just don't like red heads."

"Or blondes…or too tall or too short, or brown eyes." Arthur named them off on his fingers and took another drink.

"Shove off."

"No you shove off."

A voice was at his ear, "I wouldn't mind if it was you, ya know." She was right next to him and she was very exposed but he wasn't affected. Not one damned bit. He should have been. She was pretty enough and he had drunk enough ale to make her even prettier but his body remained dormant.

"Thanks, Sil." He took another drink and sat down with the boys to enjoy the rest of the night.

####

Morgana awoke to a knock on her door. She looked out the window and saw that it was still dark outside with no evidence of dawn any time soon. She got up and opened the door to find Merlin. He was disheveled and smelled of ale and he looked at her with a hungry look in his eyes. "I want you."

XxOxX

*Grabs shield and prepares for angry mob*

Please tell me if I did terribly lol.

I wasn't going to do a cliffhanger…but then I did. I wonder what is going to happen! Actually I don't but I know you will want to know. I have a feeling you guys are going to come to my house and kill me one of these days. I'm really ramping up the tension and I hope that it makes you as crazy as it does me. I actually wrote out a much longer scene at the beginning for them and was dancing on my happy chair after they reached their climaxes. Then my muse was like, "Does this make sense with the story?"

And I said…I DON'T CARE! I need it! But then I sighed and deleted a good chunk of it in sadness.

Read and review and maybe my muse will let me have some fun. :D