A/N … I would quickly like to say that, regarding my last AN, when I said the rating may go up: just some slight messing around on my part, it will not go up. However, I do find it pretty inconceivable that two adults would enter into a relationship and settle for just kissing. But I promise there will be no smut.

'Morgana?' Arthur was outside Morgana's chambers, clearly wanting something. 'Can I come in?' Urgh, what did he want now?

'Yes,' she replied, despite wanting to be alone. She had a lot to think about, Merlin being just one of her worries at the moment; granted he was probably the main one, but Morgause was an issue too. He came into her room, looking a little awkward. 'What's the matter?' she asked, it wasn't like him to look so, well, timid around her.

'My father wants to see you,' he muttered, making quite a point of looking out of the window rather than at her.

'Okay,' she started, frowning. He often wanted to see her, what was the problem? 'Arthur?' she prompted, knowing something wasn't right.

'Don't get angry, Morgana,' he warned, quietly, looking like he wanted to back away. he began fiddling with his belt so he wouldn't have to make eye contact with her.

'Why would I get angry?' she asked, suspicious. Just what was going on?

'Maybe it's best if you just come with me,' he suggested, offering her his arm to escort her to the king.

'What's this about, Arthur?' Morgana asked, slipping from the seat at her dresser to stand up. Had Morgause told the king about Merlin? Or her magic? She tried her best not to let her face convey the panic that was rising inside of her. Wait, if Morgause had told Uther about Morgana's magic, he'd have just marched straight into her chambers and asked her outright. This thought appeased her a little bit, but not much.

'Morgana,' he said, facing her and taking her hand. 'Just tell the truth. I won't think any less of you and I know my father will still love you all the same.'

'Arthur! Tell the truth about what? I haven't done anything!' Morgana protested, stopping in her tracks. Morgause had told Uther everything, she just knew it. There was no way she was going in that hall to be handed a death sentence.

'Please, Morgana, come one!' he urged, tugging at her arm. She huffed indignantly but allowed him to drag her into the hall, dreading what she felt was about to happen. This was it, she was about to lose everything.

'Morgana,' Uther smiled at her, as Arthur opened the heavy wooden doors, arms wide open like was expecting an embrace. Instead of reaching out to him, Morgana stood rooted to the spot defiantly. 'How've you been?' he asked, looking a bit put out, her snub had clearly stung him. 'I've barely seen you these past few days.'

'I'm quite well,' she informed him, more formally than she usually would have done. Her nerves were getting to her quite a bit, she just couldn't help it.

'Good, that's good,' he mumbled, looking at the floor. Whatever was bothering him, he didn't seem in any sort of hurry to bring it up. Either that he was dreading the sort of reaction he could get.

'Have I done something wrong?' she asked eventually, unable to handle the suspense anymore. She thought her head was about to explode with anxiety.

'Not quite. Well I'm not sure. It's just – Morgana, don't get mad – I know how defensive you can be sometimes – it's just a question and I'm not accusing you of anything.'

'Spit it out,' she ordered, sounding slightly irate.

'Are you… in contact with a druid man?' he queried, not skirting around the subject any longer. Did he mean Merlin? No, Merlin had magic but he wasn't a druid. He couldn't possibly mean Merlin.

'No,' she answered carefully, not saying anything else to ensure she didn't land herself in any difficult situations.

'Well, that's a relief!' he exclaimed, visibly sighing.

'May I ask why you thought I was?' Her heart race began to decrease back to something like normal.

'I had some information-'

'Information?' she interrupted. At that moment, Uther stepped to the side and looked behind him, to reveal none other than Morgause appearing into view from behind the throne. It was all Morgana could do not to throw herself at the woman and throttle her. What was she thinking? Did she genuinely believe Merlin to be a druid or had she just lied to get Morgana into trouble? Morgana thought her latter suspicion was probably the correct one. She settled for frowning, not wanting to arouse Uther's suspicions any further.

'Morgause, do you still stand by your accusations against my ward?' Uther asked her seriously. So Morgause had accused her of consorting with druids.

'Yes, sire,' she replied, insolently staring straight at Morgana. Oh the little…!

'Morgana,' Uther said, turning to face her once more, 'do you stand by your denial of this allegation?'

'Of course I do,' she answered crossly, like she was amazed he had to ask her twice.

'Right,' Uther nodded.

'For what it's worth,' Arthur suddenly muttered in her ear, making her jump – she had not noticed him approaching her – 'I believe you.' She looked at him gratefully, a slight twinge of guilt in her stomach. While she really had not been consorting with any druids, men or otherwise, she doubted Arthur would approve of her relationship with his manservant who just happened to have magic.

Uther looked to Arthur who gave a slight nod, like they were silently agreeing on something.

'Morgause, you have wrongly accused a citizen under my care – my own ward, no less – of a terrible crime. I have no choice but to banish you from the kingdom of Camelot. Should you return, it will be under pain of death. You have until the morning to collect your belongings and be on your way,' he told her.

Morgana could have laughed with relief – Morgause was to be banished from Camelot; this was one of her greatest problems solved, Morgause couldn't touch her now! She watched quite happily as Morgause bowed slowly to the King, Arthur and, lastly, Morgana before leaving the room with her head low and without any protest against her punishment. Morgana watched her leave, hoping this would be the last time she ever saw her.

'My child,' Uther came over to her and touched her arm, 'have you any idea why she may have accused you of such a crime?' He stared straight into her eyes, unnerving her slightly.

Morgana shook her head. 'None at all, Sire.' In truth, she wasn't a hundred per cent certain why Morgause had alleged she had been meeting with a druid man. Did she simply want Morgana punished for the way she'd rejected her? Morgana wasn't sure and this unsettled her more than the allegation itself. If punishment was what she was after, she was sure to be riled that her plan had failed. Riled enough to try something else, perhaps?

'I'll escort you back to your chambers,' Arthur decided, offering her his arm for the second time today. But she didn't want to go back to her chambers; she didn't want to be left alone until she knew Morgause was out of the kingdom.

'Actually, I'd like to go for a walk,' she told him.

'Would you like me to accompany you?' he asked, not sounding very hopeful. She had been hoping to go and see Merlin to tell him about what had just happened but then, looking at his face, Morgana felt an unexpected pang of guilt; she'd barely spent any time with Arthur in weeks. They'd always been close and his faith in her – as demonstrated a moment ago – never wavered, the least she could do was take a walk with him.

'Yes, I'd like that,' she smiled, taking his arm, smiling wider when his face lit up. At least she'd be safe while Arthur was around her and maybe now she could probe him a bit more about Gwen…

A/N … I'm really sorry; I know I've been slowing down with uploading these recent chapters. Truth is, things are just so busy right now, I don't seem to have the time to update every day. So, what is Morgause playing at, eh? I'm sure we'll find out soon… I won't promise cake again, but pleased review? Your reviews make me smile and, after my biology practical exam (which, unfortunately, did not involve reproduction with Mr Jenson Button *sad face*) I could really do with something to make me smile.

Oh and also, I promised I'd mention my very good, if slightly crazy, friend Caitlin, who pretty much came up with the idea for this whole chapter, so big hugs for her!