AN: This song is from 'Anastasia' and is sung by Anya whenever she visits the derelict palace of the former Russian royal family and subconsciously remembers part of her past. I decided to do it for Morgana.
Morgana looked away from her crystal and turned to look out the hovel window at the snow. She had always hated the snow; the coldness that invaded her body despite how many layers she wore. The unsteady movements caused by the ice underfoot. The way Arthur ensured that he stuffed the biggest snowball he could down her dress. It was December and winter had truly arrived. Yet winter in Camelot wasn't always that bad; there had been some fun but Morgana struggled to remember it. It was like trying to remember a dream wherein the details slip away before you can grasp them. Morgana had vague memories of her and Gwen having snowball fights; giggling late into the night and singing. Yet these memories were hazy and recalling them was like an attempt to hold smoke. It slipped through her grasp and Morgana began singing to herself.
"Snowball fights
Laughing all night
Things I almost remember,
And a song someone sings
Once upon a December." Morgana sang as she looked around the hovel. It wasn't much but it was all she had. The wind blew through the walls and the roof leaked when it rained but Morgana could hardly go back to Camelot could she? There was still some fondess in her heart for the kingdom she left behind; why else would she try and take what was rightfully hers if she hated Camelot. Morgana didn't hate Camelot. She hated the people who ruled and defended it. There was a difference.
"My chambers that were safe and warm,
As the snow clouds would begin to form,
Figures dancing gracefully,
Across my memory." Morgana sang to herself as the snow crunched under her feet and she scraped the snow aside as she attempted to find the plants needed for a potion she was working on. The bitter snow melted under her hands and the icy water dripped down her palm and onto her wrist. Morgana rubbed her hand on her skirt as she finished gathering and returned to the hovel. She muttered a quick spell to reignite the dying fire and she fetched her blanket. Wrapping it around herself, Morgana sat by the fire and two different memories came back. The times when she did this in Camelot and a distant memory of her and Arthur racing their horses in the snow. If she recalled correctly, Arthur fell off his horse and landed in a snow covered mud puddle. Morgana recalled considering the possibility that the snow wasn't as awful as she thought.
"Sitting by the fire wrapped up warm,
Our horses prancing through a silver storm,
Fades images now taunting me,
Across my memory." Morgana sang as she shivered. Different memories of different winters flashed across her mind. They were all hazy but some memories were slightly stronger than others. One recurring memory was the self-written song that she and Gwen used to sing about the winter.
"Far away, long ago
Things I yearn to remember
And a song we used to always sing
Once upon a December," Morgana sang to herself. As much as she hated to admit it and reminded herself that she had turned her back on the person she was before, part of her longed to remember the old days. Before everything changed. Morgana's memory provided her with recurring words from the song she and Gwen had made up about winter. As life-long opposites Gwen had adored the winter snows as much as Morgana loathed them. That was what their song had been about. In it Morgana was a princess who hated the winter and Gwen was her sister who countered Morgana's hatred with reasons to enjoy it. What was it they had called it? As Morgana sang to herself, it came back to her. They had called it 'Once Upon A December.'
Morgana looked away from the fire and out the window to the white cold world outside. "I remember the song we would always sing…
Once upon a December." Morgana sang somewhat sadly as she shifted around under the blanket in an attempt to warm herself. No doubt the ones in Camelot were comfortable in their snug and warm castle while she froze in the wilderness. Anger replaced sadness as Morgana drew herself closer to the fire.
She hated winter.
AN: Next up; Arthur and Gwen's tale is one that's as old as time
