Sorry, this is a little late. Had a bit of a day yesterday. Although technically it is still Wednesday in a few places.

I think I have an adequate amount of time to say that this is another chapter that I don't think you are ready for.

Also, thank you for the reviews on the last chapter.

PART THREE

THE WAR

Chapter Twenty Five

I

Gorlois' Victory

THE ONE THING THAT GORLOIS was happy about was the fact that Camelot hadn't really changed in the twelve years that he had been away. Everything still felt the same way and, to Gorlois, it was nice to be able to walk the halls again. At Morgana's request, he had said his goodbyes, properly this time. He didn't know what everyone knew about his task but she was right. They deserved to say goodbye properly this time.

Gorlois smiled at himself as he remembered happy memories of being in Camelot. He could remember the way that Arthur ran up the corridor that he was walked down now, calling out to him before grabbing his hand. Arthur must have only been six at the time but was incredibly excited to show Gorlois his 'big boy' chambers, the same chambers that he was in now. Gorlois knew that that small boy would now be a man and the Crowned Prince of Camelot.

He knocked on the door and waited to be told to come in. He could see the surprise in Arthur's eyes when he closed the door to his chambers.

"Arthur."

"Gorlois but..."

"I am here to explain everything Arthur. You are going to hear everything that you need to know." He walked over and sat down at the table. He picked up the jug of wine and pour himself a goblet after Arthur shook his head at him. "Arthur, please sit with me. I will explain."

He knew that the question was there and it was going to be asked but he was grateful that Arthur sat down without saying anything. Gorlois took a mouthful of the wine and smiled as he remembered that it was the same sweet wine that Uther always had. Nothing had changed.

"Does this mean that Morgana is alive?" Arthur asked.

"Morgana, until four months ago, had spent the last twelve years locked in a tower in Camelot with only Uther, Gaius and Gwen knowing of her existence. It was cruel to allow you to think otherwise. He would have had to have told before he died or maybe Gaius would have let you into the secret after he died. But that is what I need to talk to you about. Morgana needs you. We… We have spent the last four months training Morgana for the role of taking the throne. I know that is the role that you have been groomed for since birth but there is a plan, a plan that is bigger than us. This is part of the plan. The only thing that we haven't worked out is your part in that plan.

"Originally we believed that you would be the main part in it but we decided that Morgana was our better option after seeing that your path didn't bring around the changes that we wanted. Maybe we could have made it that way but we think that everything is pointing towards this path. You get to choose what you think is best. I have said that Morgana needs you but Camelot needs you as well. For these changes to happen, it needs to be seen that you agree with this. We need you to… I know I am asking a lot. I know that you aren't going to understand until it happens but I need you by Morgana's side. I need you to help guide her through the council and the ways that it works. You probably don't know how it works yet but they will be kinder to you than they would be to her. Please, Arthur. When the time comes, please support her and guide her. Play your part. Pick your path."

Maybe the silence shouldn't have worried Gorlois as much as it did but the longer it went on, the more he thought that he wouldn't hear the answer that he wanted to hear.

"So in short, what are you trying to tell me?"

"In an hour, Morgana will return to Camelot to take her rightful place. Unfortunately, that place should technically be yours. She will take the throne of Camelot and start her reign as the Once and Future Queen and begin the important work of trying to bring magic back to the land."

"But for that to happen..."

"Don't worry. We aren't overthrowing your father."

"Is that why you are alive?"

"Uther should have been careful about what he said. The Triple Goddess hears everything. She makes decisions on what has been said. That is why I am still alive. Arthur… What I am about to do, don't hold Morgana accountable. If you must take it out on anyone, take it out on me. Curse my name. Say how much of a bad person I am. But don't blacken her name."

"What is this big plan then?" Arthur spat at him.

"Returning magic back to the lands."

"Magic is evil."

"Once upon a time, Uther didn't think it was evil. You wouldn't be alive if he thought it was evil. He wouldn't have got begging to Nimueh to find something that will make Ygraine conceive and Nimueh wouldn't have been stupid enough to give him what he wanted, even if she did say that she explained the consequences to him. She should have known him better."

"What?"

"Arthur you were born of magic. Ygraine was barren. Uther told me that it was to make her happy but the only thing that he wanted was a son and heir to his throne and Nimueh stupidly gave him what he wanted and was the first to complain when it blew up in her face." Gorlois knew that he was letting his anger out but he had now started and he found it hard to stop. "Your mother didn't deserve that. She deserved much better than Uther. I still don't know how she didn't see it. She couldn't see his greed or how she cared for him more than he would ever care for her. I am not saying that he didn't love her. Because he did love her. He just loved other as well."

He knew that he had said too much. Arthur would never help Morgana now. Gorlois knew that Uther didn't know what he had until he lost Ygraine. He wouldn't have slept with Vivienne if he knew what he had with Ygraine.

"Morgana..."

"Morgana is my daughter. Uther tried to boast that in a duel, he would win but the Triple Goddess has decided differently. Because Uther will never be her father. Any man can father a child but not every man is meant to be a father."

Gorlois downed the wine before standing up.

"Morgana is my sister."

He stopped by the door and looked back at Arthur. "Half-sister. She will need you, Arthur. Don't let my anger and spite take over. You are a good man Arthur. Don't be like your father. Help her please."

Gorlois wanted to walk over to him and place a hand on his cheek. He wished that he could have taken Arthur away from Uther as Uther had taken Morgana away from him. He wished that the last twelve years, he had been raising Arthur properly. He wished that he could have had Merlin and Arthur, training alongside each other, both becoming Morgana's protectors.

But that was not how the story went and Gorlois wondered how much better things had turned out if it went that way.

II

Uther's Defeat

THAT KNOCK. THAT BLASTED KNOCK that Uther hadn't heard for twelve years. He wondered whether he was going to come to his chambers or wait until the chaos of trying to take Camelot had started. He wondered whether this way there would be no chaos or violence. He wouldn't have liked it if Arthur got caught up in his mess. He walked over to the door when Gorlois didn't enter and ended up following him down the corridor when his old friend didn't say anything to him. He wondered where Gorlois was taking him and, at one point, he wondered whether they were going to go down to the catacombs that Uther killed Gorlois the first time.

It was the council chamber where he stopped and finally turned to him. Uther had only seen Gorlois angry only a handful of times but this was the only time it didn't surprise him. He knew that he was trying to find the right words to say.

"I have spent the last twelve years working out what I would say to you when I saw you again and now that I am here, I have no idea what to say. I can't believe the things that I did for you. I can't believe the things that I allowed to slide because you were my friend and I thought that you were a better man. I can't believe that I only saw the selfish tyrant when it was too late." Gorlois drew his sword. "Just so you know. Any man can father a child but I know now that not every man is cut out to be a father. I was more of a father to Morgana in the first ten years of her life than you have been for the last twelve. You had the perfect opportunity to be her father. You could have had her as your ward and spun the best story ever as the reasons for my death. You could have treated her like your daughter without ever letting on that she was.

"But yet you just locked her away. You locked up a scared ten-year-old in a tower and allowed only two others to know of her existence. You kept her like your dirty little secret. Just so you know, she won't be any more." He turned and pointed at the throne. "She will sit upon that throne and rule. Her reign will be the opposite of yours. She will show everyone that you can rule with love and acceptance rather than fear. She will be fair and just and that will have nothing to do with you. It will all be because of me. The Triple Goddess chose me to be her father. Not you. Maybe you should be more careful about what you say. Now draw your sword."

Uther just smiled before drawing his sword. The problem was that Gorlois looked like he hadn't aged a day since he last saw him. Uther had twelve years on him, with every little practice since their last duel. It wasn't a long and gruelling fight but one that showed off their own special techniques and their own fight strategy. It was the way they used to fight. There were some competitors in tournaments that would just crash into each other and it would be just a test of strength and endurance. Fighting was meant to be like a dance.

It was only when Gorlois spun and then lunged that Uther knew that he should have probably put his armour on. He looked down at the hilt of the sword in his stomach. He placed a hand on Gorlois' shoulder as he pulled the sword out. They both sank to the floor together and rested against one of the pillars in the room.

"Ygraine should have married you," Uther said.

"I had no interest in Ygraine."

"She had interest in you."

Gorlois chuckled. "I have heard many had an interest. I only wanted Vivienne."

"I only wanted Ygraine. I wanted to give her the world."

"I know."

Uther found himself leaning his head on Gorlois' shoulder. "You were always more of a brother to me than my brothers were."

"You always have known what I feel about you and Ygraine. I made a family of friends. I helped Balinor escape."

"I know."

"He went to Ealdor to Gaius' niece."

"I did follow him."

"Merlin is his son."

Uther took a moment to think. "I suppose he is."

"You never caught him, did you?"

"No."

"So he might still be alive somewhere?"

"I hope so."

"For Merlin's sake, so do I."

Uther could feel his breath get shorter and He could hear that Gorlois sounded the same.

"You were always Morgana's father," Uther said.

"I know."

"This was how we were meant to die. Maybe not in a duel against ourselves but dying from a wound in battle, together. I thought I would always die young."

"That was a different time Uther. A totally different time. Let's allow this new time to start. Let Morgana's reign start."

"What about Arthur?"

"We will have to see the influence that you have had on him. There is a hope that he will help her but it is down to him as to whether he makes that decision or not. Morgana doesn't hold my death against him so I hope that he doesn't hold your death against her."

"He shouldn't do. This was my own doing." Uther said with his last breath.