Chapter Twenty: The Magic Within

The summer was long and hot, with the harvests rich and plenty.

The weeks went by slowly as life in Camelot resumed its usual routine - except for one change. Several weeks after the Solstice, Iris and Merlin had woken up to find Mordred gone. His cot was empty, and Gaius claimed he had not heard the boy leave in the middle of the night.

Iris had told Morgana, and the trio had searched, worried that he had perhaps gotten lost in the castle. They called him, verbally as well as within their minds, and their only response was nothing but echoes.

The only other thing that was missing was a book of magic, a large tome that Iris and Merlin had both studied went first coming into their magicks. It was the same book that Iris had urged Mordred to study.

When their search turned up nothing, Merlin was the one who wondered aloud if he had gone back to the Druids. Arthur had not said that the boy could not leave, leaving him to be cared for by Morgana and Iris.

So into the forests they went, following the lingering presence of magic that came from within its depths that they along could sense. When they happened upon the barrier, they were shocked to discover that the Druids were gone as well.

It was like they had never been there at all.

Morgana was beside herself with worry, insisting that Merlin summon Kilgharrah to see if the dragon had any answers. But even the last dragon bore no answers as to the Druid's whereabouts, calmly telling the distressed, raven-haired sorceress that the Druids were nomads, and it was not uncommon for them to drift throughout the lands.

But Iris saw the dragon's expression, a fleeting look that had flickered within his dark gold eyes, and silently wondered if the dragon knew more than he was willing to share. It was the same look he bore when she had asked him about her vision of the battlefield, of Mordred striking her dead, and if she could survive such a fight.

Burying the sick feeling that crawled up her throat, Iris told herself that perhaps the dragon was merely protecting the Druids. After all, the dragons and the Druids had, not very long ago, been hunted to near extinction - Kilgharrah would have a good reason to keep such things a secret.

So the three of them returned to Camelot, and Iris had comforted Morgana as the other sorceress had quietly cried in the privacy of her chambers. Morgana later confessed she had felt a strong kinship with the Druid boy, as if he was her son, and felt as though a piece of her heart was now missing.

Iris would also wonder about this later, about what drew two souls together so tightly. But who was she to question such a thing as fate?

Ooo0ooO

Weeks after Mordred's and the Druid's disappearances, Morgana found herself lounging in bed, staring at the ceiling while idly toying with a chain around her neck.

It was hammered silver that bore a pendant, with moonstones and opal set into a flat silver disk. The stones moved in an alternating, spiral pattern, and gleamed blue and orange and pink in the dull sunlight.

A gift for her name day, which had passed some time ago, one that she treasured above all else and that had not left its place on her breast since the night she had received it.

"What are you thinking about?"

Morgana nearly sighed. "I worry about him."

Her companion did not have to ask who, for he already knew. He stretched out beside her, reaching up to play with the silken ends of her hair between his fingers.

"I know," Gwaine said.

Morgana turned her head to look at him. He had managed to drag on his trousers again, but his chest was still bare. He now studied the sunlight dancing through the room, at ease with his state of undress.

This was not the first time Gwaine had found his way into her bed, nor was it the second or the third. It all started at the beginning of summer, not too long after the Solstice.

She remembered one day in particular, and felt her previous worry wash away as she smiled…

They met again, under the cover of moonlight.

The shadows of the castle provided enough cover as they slipped away. He had suggested the nearby meadow, but Morgana shook her head, a knowing smirk curling her lips. She very well knew of Iris and Merlin's meeting spot when they wished to escape the confines of Camelot themselves, and she did not wish to happen upon any… nighttime activities, certainly not under a full moon.

So instead she cast a spell that lit their way through the dark, marking the path into the forest with tiny lights that resembled fireflies.

Although Gwaine had already known long ago about her secret, Morgana had only recently confessed it to him. In turn, he told her he had known. He explained that although his mother had had magic, the gift had not been passed onto him, but despite that he described having a sort of awareness when he was around those with magic, like how one's skin prickles when someone is standing behind them.

"Are you certain that you do not have magic?" she had asked, brow furrowed.

Gwaine shook his head. "I don't understand it completely," he confessed. "Iris's magic came to be because of the dragon's blessing… Perhaps for us, there needs to be a catalyst." When he saw the look in her eye, he smiled. "And no, I would not ask him to do the same for me. I am quite content as a knight."

The trees parted, revealing a wide river that ribboned its way through the lands. They sat on its banks, staring up at the moon.

"I never knew my mother," Morgana found herself telling him. "Uther took me in as his ward, and when I was older told me that my father was a lord that died in a battle against Odin."

Morgana's features hardened briefly. "I can only suspect my mother had magic, and perhaps was killed during Uther's reign. Iris helped me a long time ago to look through the records and testimonies of sorcerers and sorceresses that were killed… She even offered to ask Kilgharrah if he knew anything."

Gwaine watched her silently, studying her dark eyes. "And did you?"

Morgana shook her head. "I felt the past was better left alone," she said softly. "I did not wish to mourn two people who I would never know. But there are moments still, when I am using my magic, that I wonder…" She looked down at her hands, which glowed softly at her insistence as her eyes shifted colors.

Gwaine reached out, taking one of her hands in his. It felt warm, even after the glow dimmed and her eyes stopped glowing. "I'm sorry, Morgana."

"It's all right," she told him, smiling. "I have Arthur, who has always been like a brother to me, whether or not I asked for one. And I have Gwen and Iris, even Merlin and…" She trailed off, meeting his gaze.

"You have the family you chose."

Morgana nodded.

For a long while, they sat together in silence as the moon continued to climb in the sky and the stars glittered. They listened to the sounds of the first behind them, the scratching of nighttime creatures in the undergrowth and the screech of an owl.

When she looked at him again, she found herself marveling at his features. She saw something of Iris there, but perhaps it was more in the way he smiled or laughed. His dark eyes were always sparkling with mischief and laughter, but there was something else that lingered in their depths when they turned to her, like they did now…

She nearly started when she saw he was staring right back at her. Then she realized how close he was, so close she could see a small reflection of herself…

Later, Morgana would insist that he had leaned into her first, but in that very moment, she could not find it in herself to care.

When his lips brushed hers, she swore the stars began to sing. Heat washed down her spine, down to her toes as she reached out to cling to him.

He had pulled back briefly, his eyes as dark as the sky, and the look burned through her. It was then that she knew, so she reached for him again.

"Yes," she told him, her lips aching for his. "Yes."

The grass was soft when he lowered her to the ground, and while his touch was gentle, it ignited something inside her. When they laid bare beneath the sky, she felt no shame, no embarrassment as she encouraged his hands to where she needed them most, and felt bold when she allowed her own to explore him in turn.

And when they finally came together, Morgana looked up at the sky and swore the stars were falling as she cried out his name, and it was nothing if not pure magic.

Ooo0ooO

The morning breeze that came through Camelot was cool, bringing the promise of the end of summer. The trees were full, and their leaves were already beginning to turn, their green leaves slowly shifting to gold.

Merlin walked through the square, his satchel draped over his shoulder, humming to himself. He had woken before the sun, ready to hand out the daily deliveries for Gaius. He had kissed Iris on the cheek before he had left, smiling when she murmured and sleepily swatted him away.

He thought back to the previous night, when he had laid awake until the half-moon was high in the sky. Something was making him restless, and when he finally fell asleep, his dreams were strange.

In them, he had watched as summer finally gave way to autumn, then to winter as a thin layer of snow fell over Camelot, turning everything white. He had watched the flowers in his and Iris's meadow wither and die, curling back into the black soil so their seeds would be reborn again come spring.

He had heard the distant roar of a dragon overhead, but it did not sound like Kilgharrah. When he looked up, all he saw was something large and white disappear into the clouds.

When he wandered into the icy woods, he came across a clearing. Perfectly round and untouched by the snow, it had a large stone in its center, and buried deep within the rock was a sword.

Then he was back in Camelot, in the main hall where the two fireplaces were roaring, pumping heat into the otherwise cold castle. He saw Gwen sitting before one, her crown glimmering in the light as she bent her head to look at a bundle in her arms.

And lastly, he had seen Iris, standing alone in their meadow. It was springtime now, all memories of winter gone. Her back was turned to him, but when he called her name, she turned and smiled at him. He went to her, and when he reached out, she lifted her hands to his chest and on one of them, a familiar ring sat on her finger.

Merlin shook his head, pulling himself out of his thoughts. While it was rare, he had had visions before, but these had shaken him.

As he continued on his way, he knew what had kept him up. It was a lingering feeling in the air, which had nothing to do with the seasons.

Change.

Ooo0ooO

Iris walked through the castle, making her way to Arthur and Gwen's chambers, knowing Merlin was still in the village with his deliveries.

She knocked and opened the door at Arthur's call.

"Ah, Iris," Arthur said, who sat at the head of the table, with Gwen to his left. "Don't tell me Merlin has left his duties as my servant to you."

Iris smirked, closing the door. "Am I such a poor substitute, my lord?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Hardly," he said. "But I thought you were… taking care of Morgana."

Gwen was the one who caught onto the gleam in Iris's eye, as Arthur remained oblivious. The two women exchanged a knowing look, since they had caught sight of Gwaine leaving Morgana's chambers early one morning not too long ago.

"I am," Iris said, opening a window to let in the cool air. She began stripping down the bed so she could replace it with clean linens. "Merlin is assisting Gaius with morning deliveries."

"I'll leave him to you if he gets lazy," Arthur told her, shaking his head as his eyes turned back to a pile of reports next to him.

Iris smiled, laughing softly.

There were still moments like these where Iris marveled at how kindly Arthur treated her. She was still a servant, yes, but he never truly made her feel like one. On days where they got away from the castle, she could even dare to say that he treated her as an equal, as a friend.

She knew he was the same way with Merlin, even though he was more inclined to throw things at Merlin still. Arthur was bound in many ways as King, but he had proven himself time and again a loyal servant of Camelot, one who was not above his people regardless of title.

After all, it was he who changed the laws to allow him to marry the love of his life. That had been one of the many changes they had seen once Arthur's reign began.

So Iris continued in her duties, never finding them to be a burden, especially now without the lingering shadow of Uther or Agravaine standing over them.

Her turquoise eyes turned to the royal couple, softening when she saw that Arthur had reached out to take Gwen's hand, knowing that gesture was subconscious as his attention was still on the reports.

Slipping from the rooms, Iris made her way downstairs, humming to herself.

Ooo0ooO

Miles away, near the border of Camelot and Odin's land, a small figure walked through a sparse forest that had once been full of life before it had burned many years ago.

Pale blue eyes fixed on the distant sliver of land that sat in the middle of a lake. He knew he would have to cross it to reach his destination.

In his hands he carried a large tome of magic, the other a carved dagger that had runes burned into the blade.

Fog creeped in, thick and gray and cold, pushing his hood back from his face.

Mordred ignored the fog, how the forest seemed to whisper, and how the shadows moved.

Ghosts had walked here for a long time now, and did not like their place of rest being disturbed. But they did not approach the young Druid cloaked in black.

He knew what he had to do. He would be free again. The books he had found would guide the way, and the isle that seemed to sit and wait for him would provide exactly what he needed to fulfill what he had set out to do.

As if they heard his thoughts, the shadows recoiled from his path.

Ooo0ooO

Author's Note: We are at the end of this story! There will be a two part epilogue before we continue this adventure in the sequel, To Love a Sorceress. Thank you to everyone who followed this story from the beginning, who was patient with me when it was on hiatus, then went through the rewrite. I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.