A/N: I'm back! And more importantly, so is Morgana.

The wind howled through a field of dead bodies—the remains of a Camelot patrol, one of the many that Uther had sent to search for Morgana. Though she had been gone for over a year, Uther's determination to find her had not abated in the slightest. Merlin and Arthur had long since lost count of how many search parties they had led to look for their missing foster sister.

The princes led a patrol to the desolate field. When they reached the bodies, Arthur signaled a halt and dismounted. "Check for survivors!" he ordered.

The rest of the patrol dismounted and obeyed. After examining several knights, all dead, Arthur gave up and began searching for tracks. "It seems their attackers headed north!" Arthur called, standing up. "Come on!"

The attackers' trail led into the woods. Hours went by with no sign of life apart from the Camelot patrol. Eventually, Merlin broke the silence. "Are you sure we're following the right tracks?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Yes, Merlin, I have been doing this sort of thing for years you know."

"We've been doing this for a year, and see how far you've gotten us," Merlin retorted.

"Quit being such a wimp, we'll find her," Arthur said condescendingly.

"Quit being such a dollop-head and maybe we will," Merlin shot back. The familiar bickering helped to ease some of the tension.

"There's no such word," Arthur scoffed.

"It's idiomatic," Merlin said casually. "You need to be more in touch with the people."

Arthur turned around to give Merlin an incredulous look. "Describe 'dollop-head'."

"In two words?"

"Yeah."

"My brother."

Before Arthur could think of a witty retort, he spotted an abandoned camp up ahead and signaled a halt. He dismounted, drew his sword, and motioned for the knights to spread out. Then he cautiously walked in and investigated the remains of a cooking fire.

Suddenly, an arrow whizzed out from the trees and landed in a knight's back. Battle cries filled the air, and bandits swarmed out from the trees and attacked. "On me!" Arthur yelled. The knights and Merlin engaged the bandits in combat.

Merlin took down several bandits with his sword, but when an opponent's wild swing lodged his axe in a tree, Merlin couldn't resist. He whispered a spell that brought the tree down on the bandit. Unfortunately, the tree fell with such a resounding crash that Merlin was knocked off his feet. He rolled over, preparing to stand back up…then he noticed a bandit sneaking up behind Arthur. He quickly levitated a fallen spear to kill the man.

Arthur looked around in surprise while the knights finished off the last of the bandits. Arthur soon noticed his brother still on the ground. "We're not playing hide-and-seek, Merlin!"

"Dollop-head," Merlin muttered to himself, rolling his eyes. He scrambled back to his feet.

A twig snapped nearby. Arthur raised his sword and cautiously led the knights to investigate. A shadowy figure approached through the trees; a light mist made it difficult to discern if the figure was friend or foe. At last, the figure became visible—a grimy, tattered, terrified young woman. Merlin caught his breath. Arthur lowered his sword as he recognized her.

Morgana.

Uther stood on the landing below Morgana's chambers, anxiously awaiting news of her condition. Finally, he heard a door close and Gaius walked down the stairs. "How is she?" Uther immediately demanded.

"She'll be fine," Gaius assured.

"There's nothing wrong with her?"

"Nothing physical."

"May I see her?" Uther asked hopefully.

"Best wait till morning," Gaius suggested apologetically.

"Yes. Of course." Uther walked past Gaius toward his own chambers, then stopped and turned around, smiling. "Gaius. Thank you."

Arthur entered Merlin's chambers and found his brother morosely staring out of a window. "I'd have thought you'd be happier, Merlin," Arthur commented. "We found Morgana. She's fine."

"No thanks to me," Merlin muttered.

"Will you quit blaming yourself!" Arthur cried, exasperated. "I refuse to believe that whatever happened was your fault."

"Did…did she say anything?" Merlin asked hesitantly. "While you were riding together?"

"Didn't say a word, actually," Arthur admitted, mildly concerned. "Whatever happened, it took its toll on her."

Merlin snorted bitterly. "I would imagine so." He finally turned away from the window and looked properly at Arthur. "I have no idea how I'm going to face her after…everything."

Arthur sighed and sat down on Merlin's bed. "Did you ever resolve your quarrel?"

Merlin grimaced. "In a manner of speaking."

Arthur stared incredulously. "What the hell could be so horrible that you won't just tell me?"

First thing in the morning, Arthur went to pay Morgana a visit. Gwen opened the door and curtsied. Arthur smiled at her before entering.

Morgana was sitting up in bed, still in her nightgown. She broke into a small smile at the sight of her foster brother. "Hello, Arthur."

Arthur smiled back. "Long time, no see." He sat on the bed next to Morgana and put an arm around her. "You feeling better?"

Morgana nodded. "Yeah." She glanced at Gwen and lowered her voice. "What…what has Merlin told you about…about my kidnapping?"

"Absolutely nothing," Arthur answered, some of his irritation leaking into his tone. "He clearly blames himself for what happened, but won't explain why."

"Does he now," Morgana mused, staring into the distance. Then she raised her voice. "Gwen, please tell Merlin I would like to speak with him."

"Of course, my lady." Gwen curtsied again and exited.

Arthur sighed. "Are you not going to tell me either?"

Morgana shook her head. "That's between Merlin and me."

"You're not telling me you actually do blame him?" Arthur asked worriedly.

Morgana took a deep breath and smiled again. "Of course not."

Arthur sighed again. "So what happened after…after you disappeared?"

Morgana shut her eyes for a moment. "I was kept in a cell for almost a year. I thought I'd go mad."

"How did you escape?"

"They moved me about a week ago. I don't know why. It may have been the patrol from Camelot."

"The patrol found you?"

Morgana nodded, now sounding close to tears. "I thought I was going to be free. But then I saw them killed. Every one of them cut down. But that night, the bandits were distracted by their spoils. I took my chance. When I saw you, I couldn't believe it." She turned and tightly hugged Arthur, sniffling.

Eventually, Morgana pulled away and looked over Arthur's shoulder. He followed her gaze to see Merlin standing in the doorway, staring at his feet. "If I could speak with Merlin in private, please?" Morgana asked.

"Of course." Arthur stood up and started to walk away, then looked back. "Everything's going to be all right. You're safe now." Morgana nodded, and Arthur finally exited.

Morgana met Merlin's eyes, both of them thinking back to the last time they'd seen each other properly. Thinking back to the poison. Morgana took another deep breath, determined to stay in control of her emotions. "I know what you did."

Will was scrubbing Merlin's floor when Merlin walked in, humming cheerfully. "Well this is a nice change," Will noted. "You've gone from a gloomy storm cloud to a ray of sunshine. What brought this on?"

"Never have I been so happy to have Morgana call me an idiot," Merlin replied.

"She's only been back one day, and you've already managed to do something stupid?" Will asked, eyes sparkling with mirth.

Merlin sobered slightly. "No, she was talking about something that happened last year."

"She told you to stop blaming yourself for her kidnapping?" Will guessed. Merlin looked at him in surprise. "Honestly, Merlin, I'm not blind. You've been practically flinching any time anyone says her name all year."

"Yeah, she told me to stop blaming myself," Merlin admitted. He started walking toward his changing screen.

"Uh, could you not walk there?" Will said quickly. "I just washed the floor."

"Don't worry, I won't slip," Merlin said cheerfully.

"That's not what I meant," Will muttered. "You're leaving footprints."

Merlin's eyes flashed and the footprints vanished. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Show-off," Will grumbled. "Don't suppose you'd be kind enough to clean the rest of the floor?"

"What's the matter, have you forgotten how to use the cloth and bucket?" Merlin teased.

"I am perfectly capable of doing things by hand," Will retorted. "Unlike some people."

Merlin smirked. "Oh, I know how to do things by hand. How about I show you?" He walked back over to Will, picked up the cloth, dunked it in the bucket…and started scrubbing Will's face.

"Right, yes, you can use a cloth, I get it," Will said grumpily.

"Yes, and I can use a bucket too!" Merlin added with a grin. He picked up the bucket and dumped it out over Will's head. Then he left the bucket there, completely covering Will's face.

Will pulled off the bucket. "Thanks, now I've got even more of a mess to…" He trailed off as he realized that the floor was now completely spotless, without so much as a puddle from Merlin dumping out the bucket.

"You're welcome!" Merlin said brightly.

Uther sat on his throne while the knights made their reports. He truly tried to listen, but his thoughts kept drifting to Morgana. Then the doors of the throne room opened to reveal an achingly familiar figure in a white dress. Raven-colored hair spilled over her shoulders. Oh, how he had missed that beautiful face.

Uther held up a hand to cut off Leon's monologue about the grain stills. "That's enough. Leave us."

Leon bowed and left, followed by the other knights. Uther rose to his feet as Morgana entered the room. He rushed forward and tightly embraced her. She returned the embrace with equal fervor. Finally, Uther pulled away, tears of joy spilling out of his eyes. Morgana choked out a laugh that was both happy and sad at the same time, then pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away his tears.

"You should sit," Uther suggested, taking Morgana's hand and trying to pull her toward the dais.

"No, no," Morgana objected. "That's all I've done for the past year—sit. And pray that you hadn't given up on me."

"Oh, never," Uther breathed.

"I don't know why, I wouldn't blame you. You've done more for me than any guardian." Morgana shook her head, smiling. "You've always cared for me, loved me like I was your own daughter. And yet I've insulted you…defied you, hurt you…I don't know why you put up with me."

Uther choked out a laugh and stroked her cheek—of course he put up with her, he loved her with all his heart.

Morgana took a deep breath and reined in her emotions. "But I promise, in the future I will show you the love and respect that you deserve." She kissed her guardian on the cheek. "I will leave you to your council." Uther kissed her hands, then finally let go of her.

Morgana turned around and walked away, glancing at the handkerchief. A smirk crept onto her face. Obtaining the tears had been laughably easy.

That night, Morgana donned a cloak and the bracelet with her father's sigil. She tucked the handkerchief with Uther's tears into an inner pocket of the cloak. Then she crept down to the stables and readied a horse. Before long, she was galloping through the moonlit woods. After about an hour, she reached Morgause's cave and dismounted.

Two of the Blood Guard stood on either side of the entrance. They bowed as Morgana passed. A little ways inside, a cauldron stood in a torchlit area. Morgause stepped out from a shadowed niche and smiled at her sister. Over the past year, she had helped Morgana to see who her true family was. Morgana smiled back.

"My sister," Morgause greeted warmly. "How have you fared?"

"Camelot has welcomed back its daughter with open arms," Morgana said smugly.

"Uther does not suspect?"

Morgana took Morgause's hands. "He laps up my lies like the sniveling dog that he is."

"And your poisoner?" Morgause prompted.

Morgana scowled. "Merlin. He believes I've changed. And he's right. Soon, he will see exactly how much." She handed the handkerchief to Morgause, hoping to change the subject.

"You have done well," Morgause praised. "The tears of Uther Pendragon have only begun to fall."

Morgause dropped the handkerchief into the cauldron, which was full of a dark brown, viscous liquid. Then she pulled out a vaguely man-shaped root and added it to the cauldron, causing a scream to pierce the air. Morgana clutched her head, and Morgause grinned wickedly. "The mandrake root is very special. Only those with magic can hear its cries."

"And supposing a less enlightened sorcerer were to hear it in the castle?" Morgana worried, thinking of Merlin.

Morgause shook her head. "Once the enchantment is placed upon it, the mandrake will only cry again if attacked." She stirred the cauldron. "But for those without magic, the mandrake pierces the very recesses of the soul, twisting the unconscious into the very image of fear and dread. Uther Pendragon will find that his great kingdom counts for nothing…when he has lost his mind." Morgause chanted a long and complex spell. Then she pulled out the root and handed it to Morgana, still dripping with the muddy potion.

Morgana smirked. She couldn't imagine a more fitting fate for the tyrant king.

By the next morning, the enchanted root dripped unnoticed underneath Uther's mattress, the potion now pitch black.

That day, both Merlin and Arthur trained with the knights. Arthur wore a blindfold and fought two opponents at once. Impressively, he managed to disarm them both. He pulled off the blindfold. "Let's change weapons." He walked over to Merlin. "What did you think?"

"I've seen better," Merlin said dismissively.

"Of course, well, you are the expert at fighting with your eyes closed," Arthur shot back. "The rest of us fought so valiantly to take down those bandits, and there you were, hiding behind a tree."

Merlin rolled his eyes and snatched the blindfold from his brother. "I'll show you fighting with my eyes closed." He put the blindfold on, walked to the center of the field and drew his sword. "Come on."

"Gladly." Arthur drew his own sword and attacked. Merlin remained entirely on the defensive, but he parried every blow with ease. Then, after about a minute, he suddenly snuck his sword in under Arthur's guard and disarmed him.

Merlin pulled off the blindfold again. "See? Expert."

"Congratulations," Arthur said grumpily. He picked up his sword, then spoke in an undertone. "You cheated."

Merlin smirked. "Prove it."

That night, there was a feast to celebrate Morgana's return. Morgana forced herself to eat, pretending that Uther's presence didn't spoil her appetite. She wondered how he would react if he knew he'd gone to all this expense to honor a witch. She smirked as she imagined the look of horror on his face.

Then she jerked back to reality and forced an adoring smile when Uther stood up and hit a glass to get people's attention. The talking died down as people turned to listen to the king. "Standing here, seeing so many happy faces, seems almost like a dream. I can tell you, I have not felt like this in a long time."

"What, drunk?" Arthur joked.

The crowd laughed as Uther swatted Arthur. "Drunk with happiness." The king turned to Morgana. "I would have searched the entire world—the seas, the skies, the stars—for that smile. To have it stolen from me was like a blade to my heart. Morgana…there are no words. You mean more to me than you will ever know." Uther stood in silence for a few moments, obviously choked up with emotion. Then he picked up his glass. "To Lady Morgana!"

"To Lady Morgana!" the crowd chorused, joining the toast. Musicians began playing. Morgana stood up and forced herself to give Uther a hug. She allowed herself to scowl while her face was buried in his shoulder, then pasted her smile back on and pulled away.

Uther staggered. "I need some air." He pushed his chair back and exited the banquet hall. Morgana smirked again. It seemed the mandrake did its work fast.

Then she noticed Merlin and Arthur having a quiet but heated argument. She couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but she caught the term "dollop-head". Apparently some things never changed. "Have you two still not learned how to get along?" she demanded.

"He started it!" they protested in unison.

Morgana suppressed a snort. Honestly, Camelot's greatest defenders could be children at times. It was a wonder the city hadn't fallen already.

Before long, guards entered the hall and spoke urgently to the royals. The siblings followed the guards out to the courtyard. Uther was curled up on the ground by the well—crying, of all things. Gaius was kneeling at his side.

"Get him to his chambers. Quickly," Gaius commanded.

Merlin and Arthur stepped forward and picked up their father. Together, they carried the king to his chambers. Merlin surreptitiously whispered a spell to knock out Uther—better he was seen unconscious than sobbing.

Gaius and Morgana followed them. Once they reached the king's chambers, Morgana hurried forward to turn down the bed. Arthur and Merlin laid their father on it.

"Careful," Morgana said, feigning concern. She pulled the covers over the king. "Is he going to be all right?"

"He should sleep till morning," Gaius reassured. He left the room, followed by Arthur.

"Good to see you finally being civil to him again," Merlin commented.

Morgana forced a smile. "I'd forgotten what a loving guardian he can be."

"He was about to go mad with worry for you." Merlin briefly looked at his feet. "If we hadn't found you soon, I think I might have gone mad too. Knowing that if I hadn't…"

"Quit apologizing," Morgana interrupted stiffly. "It's in the past."

"Right, sorry. Erm, I mean…" Merlin trailed off awkwardly. He glanced worriedly at his father, then left the room. Now alone, Morgana dropped the act and smirked at Uther.

Arthur caught up to Gaius in the hallway. "What could have made him like this?"

"I've no idea," Gaius replied.

"Gaius, he was lying on the ground, crying!"

"Exhaustion," Gaius suggested blandly.

"Gaius," Arthur said sternly. "What aren't you telling me, what's wrong with him?"

"When I found him, he was mumbling," Gaius admitted. "Most of it was incoherent, but…"

"What?"

Gaius bowed his head. "He kept mentioning your mother's name."

Arthur started in surprise. "He never talks about her."

"He claimed that he saw her…in the well," Gaius continued.

Arthur's eyes widened. "Did the guards see him in this state?"

"I think you're worrying too much," Gaius said quickly.

Arthur grimaced in worry. "If the people get to know about this…"

"We say that he was ill, but now he's recovered," Gaius interrupted.

Arthur sighed and reluctantly nodded. He departed for his own chambers.

Morgana returned to Morgause's cave that night. "Already the rumors are spreading," Morgana announced smugly.

Morgause smiled. "The mandrake's poison does its work well."

"Soon all of Camelot will believe that their king is going mad," Morgana added with a smirk.

"And a kingdom without a king is ripe for the picking." Morgause wound a thread around another mandrake root.

"When do you go to Cenred?"

"Tomorrow."

"And he will do as we wish?" Morgana prompted.

Morgause held the root up to the light. "Cenred wishes only to please me."

"Then your time with him has been well-spent," Morgana concluded. Morgause dropped the root into the cauldron, eliciting another scream.

Morgana returned to the castle, the fresh mandrake root concealed in her cloak. She was so lost in thought that she nearly walked into a sentry.

"Lady Morgana!" the sentry exclaimed in surprise.

"I was just taking a stroll," Morgana improvised quickly.

The mandrake root audibly dripped. Both Morgana and the sentry looked down to see drops of the muddy potion on the ground beneath her cloak. "What's that, my lady?"

"Nothing."

"You're bleeding!"

"I'm fine, really!" Morgana tried to push past him.

"You're wounded!" the sentry insisted. He pulled aside her cloak, revealing the root…and Morgana's hand on the hilt of an ornate dagger. She quickly drew it, and the sentry's world exploded with pain.

In the morning, Will entered Merlin's chambers to find Merlin ransacking the room. "Whoa, what's going on here?" Will demanded.

"My spellbook is missing," Merlin explained worriedly. "I can't find it anywhere."

"Let me guess, the book contains the spell you need to find it?" Will joked.

"This is serious," Merlin snapped, unamused. "If it fell into the wrong hands…"

Will quickly sobered. "I'll help you look."

Gwen entered Morgana's chambers and found Morgana asleep on top of the covers, still wearing the same dress she'd worn the day before. Gwen set down the breakfast tray and gently shook her mistress. Morgana jerked upright, eyes darting wildly, then stiffened when she recognized Gwen.

"Late night?" Gwen wondered.

"Very," Morgana muttered. She adjusted a pillow, making no move to leave the bed. "Where's my breakfast?"

"Right here," Gwen replied, gesturing to the tray.

"Could you fetch a bit more?" Morgana demanded, somewhat impatiently. "I'm starving."

"Of course, my lady." Gwen curtsied and returned to the kitchens, secretly glad to leave the room. Morgana had been rather short-tempered ever since her return.

Later that morning, Uther held court. Morgana sat in her usual seat to Uther's left while Arthur and Merlin stood before their father. The rest of the courtiers stood slightly to either side, leaving a clear pathway from the throne to the door.

"We've had reports that mercenaries are streaming into Cenred's kingdom," Merlin announced.

"Do we know why?" Uther prompted.

"There is rumor that Cenred is amassing an army," Arthur replied. "I think we should send a patrol out to assess the situation."

Uther did not respond, staring at the doorway. He gave no indication that he had heard Arthur.

"…Father?" Arthur said cautiously. When Uther still did not respond, Arthur glanced over his shoulder at the door. Merlin and many of the courtiers also looked. There was nothing there.

Uther took a deep, shuddering breath and his eyes widened. Slowly, he rose to his feet. "Leave me alone," he breathed, sounding unnerved.

Again, people turned to the doorway. It was still empty.

Uther raised a hand, pointing a finger. "Get out of here."

After yet another look at the door, Arthur stepped forward. "Father, we—"

Uther pushed him aside. "I said get out! Get out! I'll have you hanged!" Arthur and Merlin grabbed their father by the shoulders and dragged him toward the back entrance of the room as Uther's ranting became increasingly incoherent. "You—hang—you—you—no!" Gaius followed.

Once Uther had been returned to bed and given a sleeping draught, Arthur pulled Gaius aside. "There must be some explanation!"

Gaius sighed. "During the Great Purge, your father drowned many he suspected of sorcery. And some, God help them, were children—killed for the magic they were born with." Arthur shuddered, imagining Merlin as one of those children. "Maybe his conscience is playing tricks with him. Whatever it is, we can no longer hide this."

"If the people start to lose faith in him…" Arthur worried.

Gaius grimaced. "I fear for Camelot."

Morgana was walking down a hallway when she heard Merlin call her name from behind her. She stiffened, then turned around and smiled. "Yes, Merlin?"

Merlin caught up to her and lowered his voice. "Did you borrow my spellbook by any chance?"

"Ah…yes," Morgana admitted. "I was going to bring it back today."

"You should have asked, Morgana!" Merlin scolded. "I have no issue with you using it, but I would like to know where it is at all times!"

"You were asleep, I didn't want to wake you," Morgana defended.

Merlin looked at her in confusion. "You borrowed it in the middle of the night? Why?"

"I couldn't sleep and I haven't had much opportunity to practice over the past year," Morgana lied. Right at that moment, the warning bell rang out.

Half an hour later, Arthur stood in front of his father's throne in a small audience chamber. Morgana, Merlin and several knights listened in as Gaius reported on the situation. "The sentry must have been attacked at some point in the night."

"Who could have done this?" Arthur asked.

Gaius handed Morgana's dagger to Arthur. "That is the sigil of the Blood Guard."

"The Blood Guard?" Arthur repeated, confused.

"Warrior priests sworn to protect the high priestesses of the Old Religion," Gaius explained.

"Surely they were wiped out during the Great Purge," Arthur protested.

Gaius shook his head. "Not all of them."

"So you believe there's a traitor in Camelot?" Merlin demanded.

"It is possible, Sire," Gaius confirmed. "The sentry will be able to tell us soon enough."

"He's still alive?" Arthur asked, surprised.

Morgana slipped out through the back of the room. She'd heard enough. She needed to silence the sentry, now.

"Gaius?" Morgana called, opening the door to the physician's chambers. "Will?"

There was no response. Morgana cautiously entered the room and looked around. She was alone with the unconscious sentry. Perfect.

It took only moments to ensure his eternal silence.

Merlin went to visit his father that night. Uther shivered without waking. From the looks of things, even sleep was not enough to free him from whatever visions were tormenting his mind. A pang went through Merlin's heart, and he pulled up the covers. He'd never seen his father looking so…vulnerable before. It was all so wrong.

Then Merlin heard an odd dripping noise. He looked down and saw several drops of a black, viscous liquid on the floor underneath the bed. He crouched down for a closer look.

Footsteps approached in the hallway. Merlin quickly ducked under the bed, wary of the unexpected visitor. His head bumped against something slimy. He whirled around and saw the mandrake root hanging from the mattress underneath Uther's pillow, still dripping with Morgause's potion.

The footsteps entered the room and approached the bed. An arm in an embroidered purple sleeve reached under the mattress to remove the root. Then the footsteps retreated toward the door again. Merlin cautiously looked out at the intruder, and his jaw dropped.

What was Morgana doing?

Morgana walked out of the castle and through the lower town. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Merlin following her. She smirked and pulled up her hood. Her so-called sibling was going to be in for a very rude surprise tonight.

Morgana continued her way out through the city gates and into the Darkling Woods. Eventually, she stopped in a clearing and waited. Eventually, several people entered the clearing on horseback, each wearing armor. Morgana started in surprise. She hadn't been expecting Morgause to bring the Blood Guard.

Morgause dismounted and approached Morgana, smiling warmly. "I'm sorry you had to wait. There was much to discuss."

"But your visit was successful?" Morgana prompted.

"Cenred's army ride for Camelot on my command."

Morgana took Morgause's hands. "There is nothing you cannot do," she said happily.

"It is you that gives me strength, sister," Morgause replied. "How goes the battle for Uther's mind?"

"When Cenred marches on Camelot, he will find a kingdom without a leader," Morgana said smugly. She pulled away from Morgause and began pacing, inching her way toward a fallen log. "Finally, we are ready."

Morgause shook her head. "Not quite. It seems you were followed, dear sister." Morgause approached the fallen log, raising her voice. "Did you really think we were that stupid, Merlin?"

Merlin stood up from behind the log. For a moment, he caught Morgana's eye, then he turned around and ran for it.

Morgause signaled to the Blood Guard, and they ran after the prince. Scarcely two minutes later, they returned carrying an unconscious Merlin.

Morgause smiled wickedly. "Would you like to dispose of him, sister, or shall I?"

"No," Morgana objected, smirking. "Chain him. Wait until he wakes up, then leave him to the serkets. A swift death is far too good for him."

"I do like the way you think, sister," Morgause said approvingly. "It shall be done. And here." She pulled out a fresh mandrake root and handed it to Morgana. "Don't forget this."

Morgana took the root and glanced at Merlin, still smirking. "I look forward to hearing how painfully he died." With that, she walked away to return to the castle, finally allowing her false smirk to fade. She pondered everything that had happened over the past year…and the poison that had started it all.

"We've got to do something!" Morgana urged. Already she could hear Arthur fighting the Knights of Medhir outside the throne room.

Merlin shut his eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. "I know." He opened his eyes to meet Morgana's gaze. They shared an identical look of despair.

"The dragon told you what the source of the sickness is, didn't he?" Morgana asked accusingly. Merlin's flinch was an answer in and of itself, but she wanted to hear him say it. "Didn't he?!"

"He told me everything," Merlin confessed. "He told me what the source of the sickness is, and how to destroy it. But…I can't…" He shut his eyes again, tears spilling down his face. "I can't kill you, Morgana," he whispered.

So it was true. Just as she had suspected all along. She had wanted to free her people, the magical people…but the people of Camelot were her people too. She would die for them. And today, that was the only way to save them. She pulled out the bottle of hemlock, keeping it hidden in her hand.

"You don't have to," Morgana said quietly. "Just promise me that you will save Camelot—whatever the cost." She uncorked the bottle and drained it in one swift motion.

"Morgana, what are you…" Merlin lunged forward to rip the bottle out of her hand. He looked at the label, then back up at her, horrified. "What have you done?"

Morgana coughed. Already it was becoming difficult to breathe. Then she staggered. Merlin swiftly caught her and gently lowered her to the ground. The waterskin slipped off his shoulder to lie abandoned on the floor next to them. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "Stay with me, Morgana!" he pleaded.

Morgana did not reply; she no longer had enough air even to cough. Darkness was creeping in at the edge of her vision. Distantly, she heard Merlin whisper in her ear. "I will save Camelot." The world faded to black.

No matter how many times Morgana tried to tell Morgause what really happened, Morgause remained convinced that Morgana had been brainwashed by the Pendragons and that Merlin was responsible for her poisoning. Eventually, Morgana gave up her attempts to make the other witch see reason. She tried several times to attack Morgause and make a bid for freedom, but Morgause overpowered her every time. Finally, she had seen only one option: go along with Morgause's attempts to "cure" her nonexistent brainwashing and pretend to agree to the new plot against Camelot.

Merlin had naturally been furious when he caught Morgana with the mandrake root, but he'd calmed down once Morgana explained her side of the story. He'd suggested that they ambush Morgause together that night. Unfortunately, neither of them had counted on the presence of the Blood Guard. Morgana had hoped to surreptitiously lead Morgause away from her men, but she never got the chance. Now she could only pray that she'd given Merlin enough of a chance to escape.

Arthur bent over his desk, doing paperwork. There was a great deal of it, since Uther was presently unable to do his own. He looked up when Gaius entered.

"How are you, Sire?" Gaius asked.

"It's not me who's sick," Arthur said shortly.

"It can't be easy to see your father this way," Gaius sympathized.

"No." Arthur put down his quill. "He's always been so strong. He lifted this kingdom from its knees, Gaius. To see him now…"

"I'm sure that over time he will recover," Gaius assured. "But until then, we have to make plans, Arthur. We need you to assume control."

Arthur shook his head and picked up his quill again. "That's ridiculous."

"Camelot needs a leader," Gaius pressed. "It falls to you. You must fulfill your role as regent. This is not just me talking—members of the court have spoken."

"So now you've taken to whispering behind my back?" Arthur asked, his displeasure evident. "What kind of treason is this?"

"It's for the good of the kingdom," Gaius insisted. "The palace is awash with rumors, the people are restless."

Arthur threw his quill onto the table and walked over to the window. "I'm not going to usurp my father. I swore allegiance to my king, and so long as there is breath in my body, it is my duty to uphold that."

"Arthur, please…" Gaius began, but Arthur cut him off.

"You are giving up on my father. That is something I will never do." Arthur bowed his head, then looked back at Gaius. "Has the sentry woken?"

"He has, Sire," Gaius revealed. "But I'm afraid he remembers nothing from the attack, nor indeed the entire day leading up to it. Unfortunately, amnesia is not unheard of in cases of head injuries. He may never remember."

Arthur frowned. "It doesn't make sense, though. Why would the traitor hit him on the head instead of simply stabbing him? And why leave the dagger?"

"We may never know, Sire," Gaius replied. "But the sentry will live, so let us be thankful for that."

Merlin woke to find himself lying on the forest floor, wrapped in chains. The sky was now light. Before he had a chance to fully register his predicament, two of the Blood Guard hauled him to a kneeling position.

Morgause stood in front of Merlin, looking at him through narrowed eyes. "You intrigue me, Merlin. Even after everything you've done, Morgana had trouble believing you were her enemy. What could you possibly have done, to inspire such misguided loyalty?" Merlin glared hatefully at her. "You know the answer, but you're not telling me. Why?"

"You're the one who doesn't deserve her loyalty," Merlin said stiffly.

"Why not? Because I'm a witch?" Morgause demanded. She crouched by Merlin and narrowed her eyes again. "No. There's something else. Something you're not telling me, isn't there."

Merlin firmly met her eyes. "It doesn't matter."

Morgause stood up. "Well. You can take your secret to your grave. Weorc untoworpenlic." The chains tightened and briefly glowed. Morgause loomed over Merlin. "You chose to poison one of my own. You may regret that." She walked away, followed by the Blood Guard.

Merlin scowled. He might have given Morgana the idea to poison herself, but it certainly wasn't his choice. He waited a few minutes to be sure that he was truly alone, then he cast a spell. The chains glowed and tightened again. He repeated the spell, with the same result. He tried a different spell, still to no effect. Something hissed in the trees.

Will entered Merlin's chambers with a breakfast tray. "Good morning…" He trailed off when he realized that the room was empty. Worse, the bed had not been slept in. Worried now, Will backed out of the room, still carrying the tray.

Morgana was just outside. "Is he in there?" she asked anxiously.

Will shook his head. "No, my lady. It looks like he didn't even return to his chambers last night."

"That's not like him," Morgana fretted. "Something could have happened to him."

Serkets had surrounded Merlin's clearing. Frantically, he continued trying to break his chains, but everything he did caused them to tighten further. The serkets scuttled toward him. He abandoned his attempt to break the chains and aimed a spell at the serkets. They drew back sharply, then advanced again.

Merlin started to cast another spell, but was interrupted by a sharp pain in his back. He doubled over as his vision blurred, then he threw back his head and roared his last hope to the heavens. "Ω δρακον, έάω μαλερός σοφόνους φθέγγομαι τείδε άναδικέω!"

Merlin toppled over as a burning sensation rapidly spread throughout his body. He vaguely saw the serkets closing in.

Morgana found Arthur at Uther's bedside. He had tears in his eyes. Morgana winced guiltily and put an arm around him.

"I need him to get better," Arthur said, sounding lost.

"Right now, Merlin needs you more," Morgana replied grimly. "No one has seen him since last night. I think something may have happened to him."

"What?" Arthur gasped.

"Send out search parties," Morgana begged. "Please."

Arthur nodded. "I will." He stood up and left the room, though not before casting one last worried look at his father.

Dimly, Merlin saw the clearing erupt into flames. Many of the serkets screeched, caught in the inferno. More flames sprang up all around, killing more serkets. The survivors slowly backed away.

Merlin himself remained untouched by fire. Leaves blew over his face. Then a giant set of claws lifted him off the ground and carried him into the sky.

To be continued...

A/N: Ha! Had you going there, didn't I? And yes, I realize that twist probably raised a lot of questions...I'll try to clear everything up in part II.