Morgause lurked in a dark room, circling knights of stone like a shark. She spoke various words of magic, ending with, Uther Pendragon. The knights were awakened as a fire burst from her hands, and she smiled.
"I'm a herder from the Northern Plains Sire, three nights back we were camped beneath the walls of Idirsholas." A man called Joseph stood shakingly in front of Uther Pendragon, as the king lazily sat in his throne.
"Not sure I would have chosen such a place."
"Good pasture is scarce at this time of year, Sire."
"And what is it you have to tell me." He said bored, barely giving the man time to finish.
"While we were there we...we saw smoke rising from the citadel." Uther exchanged a look with Gaius, though he kept his careless stature.
"And did you see anything else?" Gaius inquired.
"No." Responded Joseph, turning back to look at him.
"Did you go inside?" Uther was now beginning to sit up straight, sensing this may be a matter of importance.
"No, nobody has stepped over that threshold for three hundred years." Merlin knew little about Idirsholas, but he knew it must be a place of dark magic if no one ventured inside for so long.
"You must know the legend sire."
"When The Fires of Idirsholas burn The Knights of Medhir will ride again." Gaius recited. Uther sighed, it was a mixture of concern and exasperation.
"See to it this man is fed and has a bed for the night." A night guided him away.
"Take a ride out there," Uther ordered Arthur.
"Why?" He responded incredulously.
"So we can put people's minds at rest."
"Surely this is superstitious nonsense."
"Gather the guard and do as I say." Nothing else was said and the council was dismissed.
"Why is Uther so worried?" Merlin asked Gaius when they returned to their chambers.
"Because The Knights of Medhir are a force to be reckoned with."
"Do you believe the story as well?"
"It's more than a story, Merlin. Some three hundred years ago seven of Camelots's nights were seduced by a sorceress's call. One by one they succumbed to her power. At her command they became a terrifying and brutal force that rode through the lands, leaving death and destruction in their wake."
"What happened?" Merlin asked in a fearful whisper.
"It was only after the sorceress herself was killed, that The Knights of Medhir finally grew still," Merlin said nothing.
"Merlin, if what Joseph says is true, then something has awoken them, and I fear for each and every one of us."
Arthur led his knights out of Camelot with something near amusement.
"What is it, Merlin? Don't tell me you've been listening to Gaius's bedtime stories again."
"I just hope that's all they are." Merlin shot back darkly. Arthur rolled his eyes.
Meanwhile, Morgan entered her chambers to find her window standing ajar, and a box with a message inside it. It was an anonymous message, sending her outside the gate after sundown. She instantly felt conflict. Part of her brain told her she would be safe, but another part of her brain told her not to trust this person. Whoever they were. Gwen interrupted her thoughts.
"Are you alright?" Morgana jumped a bit and put the note away.
"Yes, just a little cold." She closed the window. Lying to Gwen was hard. Gwen was perhaps the one person she called a friend. At least when they were younger. Now she felt that Gwen never could understand her, and any kindness she showed was simply fulfilling her duties as a servant. But despite this, a knot formed in Morgana's stomach.
"Do you need something warmer?"
"No thank you," Morgana said, clearly dismissing the matter.
That night Morgana sneaked out of the Camelot in a dark cloak. The moon is shown in an ominous fashion and unknown animals could be heard howling. Morgana, once where she was meant to be, spun around to meet Morgause, who smiled at her. Morgana sighed in relief.
"You look well." Morgause said, taking Morgana's hands."
"As do you, I wear it all the time. I can't remember when I last had a bad dream." She held the bracelet into the moonlight and looked at it fondly.
"But you do not seem happy, why is that?"
"I would be if I didn't have to pretend…"
"Pretend?'
"That I'm Uther's loving ward when I hate him," Morgana spoke with venom.
"Have you ever imagined a new world, Morgana, one where Uther was no more?" A light lit up in Morgana's head. This heavily reminded her of the encounter with Alvarr, a man she loved for a moment until her instincts told her he was using her. A man who, if had been his way, would've killed everyone in Camelot, not just Uther. Maybe Morgana wouldn't mind so much if Arthur died, but Gwen? Merlin? Gaius? These people deserved no harm. At that moment, Morgana resulted to play along with Morgause, but not fully trust her.
"Sometimes."
"And is that what you'd like?" Morgause pushed. She was pushing too much, trying to make her own idea sound like Morgana's idea, and Morgana saw right through this.
"I once had the chance to be his assassin."
"And what stopped you?"
"I don't know… I believed he cared for me. But not anymore. He cares for no one."
"So you want Uther destroyed and his reign to end?" Morgause said like it wasn't obvious like it wasn't exactly what every magical human, and beast wanted throughout the five kingdoms.
"But it doesn't matter what I want. The future is not of my making." It's of yours. she thought bitterly.
"You are wrong Morgana. You underestimate your importance. The decisions you make now will change the shape of everything that is to come."
"What do you mean?"
"Whose side are you on, Morgana? Are you with Uther, or are you with me." This did beg an important question. If she did not trust Uther, and she did not trust Morgause, whose side was she on? I am on my own side. She resolved.
"Are you prepared to help me bring about his downfall?"
"I am."
"I can't tell you how much it means to hear you say that." As if I had a choice. Was her last thought, before she saw Morgause's eyes flash gold. Morgause stood over Morgana's peaceful body, and used her as a vessel, for a curse on the entirety of Camelot.
Morgana woke in her bed.
"Good Morning my lady," Morgana said nothing, her thoughts were clouded.
"Morgana? Morgana?!"
"Yes?"
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yes. better than you by the looks of it." Gwen mumbled an apology and Morgana suddenly felt guilty. She hadn't been treating Gwen well the last couple of weeks. But once she overthrew Uther, all would be well. She just needed to figure out how she was going to that.
Interestingly enough, Uther was unwell without Morgana's interventions. He and countless others throughout Camelot were facing a sickness of sorts.
Arthur and his knights soon arrived at Idrosholas. The air felt dead.
"What's that noise?" asked Merlin as he disorientedly looked about
"What noise?"
"That sort of trembling sound."
"It's your knees knocking together." Arthur retorted callously. Merlin glared at him. They entered the tower to find empty rooms and a recently lit pile of ash. Arthur suggested that it was merely travelers passing through. Merlin turned to see a line of large, heavily armored men in dark cloaks.
"Or maybe not." Arthur and the knights unsheathed their swords. Bewildered, Arthur launched into defense against the knights. He stabbed one clean in the gut, and was about to pull out his sword when the dark knight lifted its head and continued to fight him. Arthur was so shocked, he barely had time to bring up his sword to block the upcoming blow. All of Camelot's knights perished. Arthur only escaped because Merlin mumbled a few magic words under his breath, and forced Arthur out of the room before the ceiling collapsed. Arthur notices a large cut in Merlin's arm.
"You're first battle wound!" He patted Merlin on the back as the sorcerer eyed him resentfully. Arthur ripped his cape and wrapped a makeshift bandage around Merlin's arm.
"You'll ruin it!"
"Don't worry, you can mend it." Merlin sighed but said nothing. He was just glad Arthur was alive.
The two returned to Camelot to find guards asleep where they stood. Perfectly passed out. Only the horses seemed conscious. They ran to find Gaius, but he was passed out in his chambers, fast asleep.
"This must be a work of magic." Melin started observing Gaius.
"We have to find my father." Arthur and Merlin rushed around the castle, only to stop in Morgana's chambers, so Arthur could carefully lay Guinivere on the four-poster bed. They heard a noise from the corner of the room. Arthur quickly pulled back a curtain to reveal Morgana, who screamed.
"It's me, it's me, Morgana! What's happened?" After a few moments, Morgana relaxed and tried to fill them in, but she didn't know much of anything.
"People were complaining, saying they weren't feeling well. They started falling asleep, everyone, everywhere I went."
"Where's my father?"
"I don't know."
"Arthur, she's distressed," Merlin interjected.
"If she's awake then she must have seen something."
"I didn't see anything."
"You saw people getting sick, what did you do?"
"What could i do?"
"Morgana! I don't understand, why is it that you're the only person awake?" Merlin knew it must have something to do with her magic, but he didn't know how the two related. Morgana didn't either.
"Don't worry, I won't say anything," Merlin whispered when he was sure Arthur couldn't hear.
"About what?"
"The illness."
"That has nothing to do with me."
"No, of course not, but you have magic." Merlin slowed his pace to look at her.
"You haven't told anyone that?"
"No, and I won't tell Arthur but, there must be something keeping you safe, and I think that must be it." Morgana nodded.
"Right." From across the corridor, Arthur called for them.
"Found him!" Merlin and Morgana exchanged a quick glance, then followed Arthur down the hall. Arthur was trying to rouse Uther when the wizard and witch walked in.
"See? He's alright." Merlin said
"He is not alright!" Arthur exclaimed.
"He's just asleep, all we have to do is find a cure or a way to wake them."
"Who could have done this?" Arthur asked. He then looked at Morgana, who was in the corner of the room.
"You're the only one who's not been affected, Morgana, there must be a reason." Morgana looked at Merlin desperately. Arthur continued to push her, while Morgana repeatedly told him she didn't know why or how she was awake. Merlin came up with something.
"It's obvious When she started feeling sick Gaius gave her a potion. She must have been one of the first to be infected, so she had time to be cured before Gaius fell to it."
"Is that what happened?" Arthur turned to Morgana.
"Yes." Arthur nodded.
"Go see if you can find this potion. I'll search for signs of life in the lower town. Morgana, you stay here and look after my father. Keep him safe. Here." Arthur held up a sword for Morgana.
"Protect him with your life, you understand?" Morgana nodded in reply. Arthur then rushed out of the room. Somewhere not too far away, The Knights of Medhir bowed to Morgause.
Meanwhile, Merlin was throwing spells at Gaius, all ineffective. This included a spell that opened Gaius' eyes but did not bring him to consciousness. He sat up, smiling still as a statue. Another that broke the chair Gaius was sitting on and made him crumple to the floor, unblinkingly. And concluding with a spell, that causes a column of water to crash upon Gaius' face. Arthur by the room, summoning him. Merlin quickly closed the book and ran after Arthur. They stood on a tower and watched seven black-cloaked figures, along with an eighth guiding them arrive at Camelot's walls.
"there were only seven riders," Merlin said
"Then who's the extra rider?"
"I don't know, but Camelot is defenseless." They ran back to where Morgana was watching Uther.
"What's going on?!" Morgana cried as Arthur began to lift Uther out of his chair.
"We're under attack, no time to explain." Not that they knew enough to properly explain.
"Grab his legs, carry him." Merlin ran to obey. The king brushed against the ground.
"You're not supposed to be sweeping the floor with him! Pick his feet up."
"His feet aren't the problem."
"Morgana, give him a hand." Morgana set the sword down awkwardly then helped Merlin carry Uther's legs. As they pulled Uther down the hall, his head knocked against spilled fruits. Merlin suppressed a laugh.
"It is not. Funny. Merlin." Merlin mouthed sorry and continued smiling.
"Did you find the potion Morgana took?" Arthur asked. The two sorcerers looked up with worry.
"Uh, no." In the courtyard, the riders disembarked the horses. Morgause took off her helmet and let her platinum blonde hair fall onto her shoulders. Merlin and Arthur dropped Uther onto the floor of Arthur's chambers.
"We can't just leave him here!"
"Why? He's asleep he's not gonna know."
"MERlin!"
"Well, I'll get him a pillow."
"He's the King!"
"All right, two pillows!" Arthur rolled his eyes but conceded. And then the sickness began to fall over them. They were sweet, and tired. They couldn't let themselves fall asleep. They needed to hide Uther.
"Why don't we disguise him?" Merlin suggested.
"That might just work!"
"We could dress him as a woman!" Merlin continued. Arthur gave Merlin a look like he was concerned for his mental health.
"We could dress him as a servant?"
"That's better," Arthur said relieved. Merlin went off to get Other servant's clothes. Unfortunately, he ran straight into the nights. He hid in a cupboard and waited for them to pass. Merlin then ran to the dungeons to speak with the dragon. He arrived to find Kilgharrah snoring.
"Don't pretend. I know you're listening to me."
"I don't need to listen to you Merlin, you always say the same thing; Help me. And yet you refuse to give anything in return. Now you will face the consequence of that decision. Camelot's end is nigh, and there's nothing you can do about it."
"I know I promised to free you, and I will!" The dragon laughed and told him his promise meant nothing.
"I swear on my mother's life!" Merlin burst.
"Careful what you say." The dragon responded darkly.
"Her life matters more to you than your own. This is an oath, I believe you will honour. It is one thing to cast a spell that puts everyone to sleep, the power to maintain it is a very different matter. You will need more than words to break this enchantment. You must eradicate the source."
"Great, what is that?"
"Not what, who. Such spells need a vessel. A constant living presence to give them strength. The source of this pestilence is the witch, the Lady Morgana." Merlin stood shocked. She was his friend.
"Can't be."
"I have warned you about her in the past and you have refused to heed, she is dangerous."
"No."
"And now she has chosen to turn her back on her own," Merlin said nothing for a moment.
"You're wrong."
"There's another way. There's another path, where Morgana is on our side, I can feel it. She doesn't even know who I am."
"And she must never know!"
"But if she did, she may see things as we do. She may trust me. We will together find a way to break the curse." Merlin turned on his heel.
"No!" The dragon called after him, furious.
"I will free you, I promise!" Merlin knew what he had to do. He must tell Morgana who he truly is. Before he had a moment alone, Arther grabbed him, to see Morgause and the knights walking towards them. They ran to Morgana.
"I was worried about you." She said.
"They're here, they're in the castle."
"Where's Arthur?"
"Gone to find somewhere safe to move to."
"Thank you for not saying anything." Merlin suddenly realized they were alone, except for the unconscious king. Without much thought, he blurted out,
"Well, I know a thing or two about hiding magic." Morgana's eyes widened. She mouthed what? But no sound came out.
"We're on the same team, Morgana. I have magic too. Whatever deal you made with Morgause, she's just using you. I want Uther gone as much as you do, but we will never be free if we allow him to be murdered. Then, he would become a Martyr. And magic will always be hated." He took her hand.
"I know." She whispered. Arthur blasted through the door and they quickly let go of each other's hands.
"We have to move my father before Morgause gets here!" Morgana and Merlin quickly lifted Uther's feet and began dragging him once again. They set him down in another room.
"We need to get him out of Camelot," Arthur mutters.
"When we arrived, there was a cart, in the main square, remember?"
"You are full of good ideas today Merlin!" Morgana smiled. Merlin went to a window to see if the cart was there, it was. But he was attacked by a knight. He used his magic to blast it back.
"They're closing in on us! We're never gonna make it to the cart, not carrying Uther!"
"That's why we made this. We're gonna pull him!" Merlin looked down to see his King, unconscious on a sheet. Arthur suddenly told them to hide and be quiet. Another knight entered. Arthur jumped out at him, but it did nothing.
"Protect the King, get him out of here!" The two dragged Uther down the hall as fast as they could, but Morgana fell.
"Merlin!" merling used his magic to blast the night back, he helped her up, then the two continued down the hall. Arthur caught up to them, and they hid in the throne room. They locked themselves in. The plan was to use the sheet as a rope and lower Uther down to the cart, which Arthur was going to have positioned there. Merlin tried to stop him from going, or at least go with him but Arthur was stubborn. Merlin noticed Arthur begin to fall asleep, so he slapped right across the cheek. Arthur threatened him but quickly forgot what had happened. The two were having trouble standing up at this point.
"If I need a servant in the next life,"
"Don't ask me!" Merlin and Arthur laughed. Arthur drew his sword and disappeared behind the door.
As soon as Arthur was out the door, the two dived into conversation.
"You're the source." merlin explained.
"So are you going to kill me?"
"No, of course not. But I don't know what I'm going to do. The dragon wants me to kill you, but you can't blame him. He has a very narrow mind, that often doesn't involve risk or the concept of friendship." Morgana smiled a bit.
"Arthur is our hope. We need others to die of natural causes, and Arthur to take the throne." Morgana gave him a look.
"You know in his heart, he's a good man." She nodded. Morgana then sighed. I know what we need to do. Before Merlin could say anything, she drew the sword Arthur gave her and thrust it into her side. Shocked, Merlin dived to her.
"What did you do?"
"You'll see." She said through tears of pain, with a small smile. She put her hand on his cheek. Morgause felt the curse weaken. She located where they were with her magic and ran to Morgana's side.
"What did he do to you?" She asked as Morgana's consciousness began to slip away. Morgause began desperately trying to heal Morgana, but the wound was too deep for her magic.
"I know how to heal her, stop the attack," Merlin said, rising to his feet.
"You are nothing but a servant, this is a flesh wound nothing you could do would save her."
"Are you prepared to let her die?" Morgause stared blankly at him.
"You will undo the magic that drives the knights."
"I will kill you!"
"Then she will die with me!" Merlin had tears in his eyes, but he tried desperately to hold them back. He could not let on that he cared for her anymore than what he should.
"I don't want this either. Stop the knights, and I'll help you save her." Morgause began enchanting. Merlin, behind his back, appeared a small vial of green liquid.
"Gaius told me it can be of great assistance in healing flesh wounds along with magic. I've never seen it in use because magic is forbidden, but it supposedly works miracles." This was a lie, but he could not let Morgause know he had powers. So she took the liquid and desperately dropped it into Morgana's mouth. She (and Merin without her knowledge) healed Morgana with Magic, just as Uther awoke, and Arthur stormed in. She then disappeared, taking Morgana with her.
Arthur walked into Uther's room.
"I couldn't find you. Are you alright?"
"Is there still no sign of her?"
"We've looked, father."
"Morgause must not be allowed to get away with this."
"Yes, father." Arthur nodded and walked away.
"Arthur, I haven't thanked you," Uther called after him.
"I failed. I should've protected Morgana."
"No, it was my duty."
"And her loss will forever be on my conscience."
Merlin felt horrible.
"You did the right thing," Gaius assured him.
"What if we never find her?"
"You gave her a chance. She's smart, she may lie her way back to Camelot. Have faith." Merlin sudden;y remembered Kilgharrah. He left his food midmeal and snuck down to the dungeon. He took a blade he stole from one of the knights. It was the only blade strong enough to break the chain.
"The time has come, young warlock."
"Where will you go?"
"I am the last of my kind, there is but one road I can take."
"What does that mean?"
"You will see." Merlin felt a pang of sadness. This was the last thing Morgana said to him. He was getting tired of the surprises. He carried the sword down the many steps of the dragon's dungeon.
"Before I do this, do you promise me you will not harm Camelot."
"I think there have been enough bargains. Don't you?" The dragon answered shortly. Merlin sighed and lifted the sword. With an incantation, he struck the chain. The dragon soared towards the sky with a deafening roar.