It says something about Camelot, about its people and about Guinevere, that most people didn't look twice as the Queen made her way slowly through the corridors supporting a painfully thin, fragile-looking girl covered in scars.
Morgana's dark hair, long enough to fall past her hips from her time in imprisonment, hung in front of her, mostly concealing her face from passers-by. Though Gwen doubted anyone would recognise this girl, with no shoes and only a plain white dress, unable to walk without support, as the confident, strong Morgana they had seen years ago.
Gwen held Morgana upright as she walked shakily alongside the Queen.
They'd decided to take her only to the courtyard today, to allow her some time in the sunlight without trying to go too far. She was still very weak. It had come as a shock to Gwen, even if she should have known this would happen, that the woman who had never showed any struggle, never faltered, always been so strong and so unfailing, -whether that had been good or bad - was now unable to even stand without help. She was even more shocked by how light she was. Even leaning almost her full weight upon the Queen, Gwen was easily able to support her as they walked. It was disturbing. Looking at her had been a jolt, but holding her up, seeing that vulnerability, all the evidence of how shed been treated these last years, it was hard for Gwen to believe. The Lady and the Sorceress, now brought so low. You can't blame someone that broken, no matter what they've done.
And Gwen was always more inclined to forgiveness anyway.

...

Morgana blinked as they stepped out of the huge doors that lay open wide.
Everything was the same. The stone steps leading down into the courtyard, flanking the statue of the horse. The low walls on either side of the steps, a statue of a dog guarding one side - there had been another opposite it, but it had vanished mysteriously back around the time of that tournament with Knight Valiant, and nobody knew where it had gone.
Guards in gleaming armour and bright red surcoats stood stiffly at their stations. People and servants and knights and children rushed around, and laughter and voices filled the air. Everyone was doing something. All busy, weaving between other bustling workers.
Nobody spared them a glance.
Just as she remembered it.
A sight that had once held so much happiness and comfort.
But now it was too bright.
The sun was glaring in her eyes, blinding her from anything else.
The early-morning cold suddenly felt like icy stone and numbing chains, and she choked on it.
The memory of rattling grates and echoing footsteps and the soft shriing of an unsheathed blade drowned out all other sounds.
She felt trapped. Again.
She stumbled backwards, but any strength she had was not enough to keep her on her feet, and she sunk to the ground, back against the low wall at the side of the steps.
It was too much.
She could never escape it.

...

Gwen hadn't expected the sudden disappearance of the weight on her arm the moment they stepped out into the sunlight.
When she looked back, she somehow hadn't expected the sight of Morgana backing away, eyes wide with fear but strangely vacant as she sunk to the ground beside the wall, too weak to stay upright on her own.
She slowly moved closer, hesitating at the flinch as she neared, but unable to do anything else.
People had begun to look now. Sneaking glances to see what was going on. A few passing knights paused and looked questioningly at the Queen, but she sent them on their way with a small, firm shake of her head.
She doubted that the presence of strangers - and ones with weapons, no less - was what Morgana needed right now. Anyone trying to help might cause more damage.
Gwen looked back towards Morgana. She had curled into herself now, with her hands over her ears. Her eyes were unseeing and terrified.
"No, no, no, no." She whispered, over and over again. Gwen moved tentatively to reassure her, but froze in surprise as her hand hit a solid wall of air. It was invisible, and nobody else had noticed it, so she quickly dropped her hand before they could.
She didn't want them to look any closer. If they did, they might notice the golden flames that flickered in Morgana's fearful eyes.
Magic was outlawed, after all.
And despite the shock at realising that this was magic, Gwen didn't want Morgana to be executed. Didn't want Arthur to have to execute her, either.
Besides, the magic wasn't harming her. It kept her away only because its user was so afraid. And Gwen could understand that. She could sympathise with that. It was a natural, instinctive reaction, to try to escape the things you fear. To use anything you can to do so. And if you can use magic... well, it stood to reason you would use that too.
So Gwen was not afraid of the magic. Not really. But she was afraid of the harm it might do to Morgana, mentally, to be left like this with nobody able to reach her.
Because Gwen was no expert, but even she knew that whatever was happening in that girl's mind, it was not good.

...

Nobody noticed the figure in the worn brown coat who stood in the shadows beside one of the pale stone pillars of the courtyard.
Nobody saw him watching the Queen and the unknown girl.
Nobody saw those watchful eyes flash gold.
Nobody had known that there was an invisible wall around the girl, so nobody noticed when it dissolved.
All they saw when it vanished was the Queen rushing forwards to hold the shaking girl until she returned to reality.
But Merlin was used to staying unnoticed in the shadows. Used to averting danger while nobody looked once, never mind twice, at him.
Danger that most people didn't even know had existed.
It was his destiny after all. That was the reason he'd been watching in the first place.
Because even if he wanted to take the chance to get Morgana back, even if he hoped so much that they could be on the same side again, and one day he might not be so alone - even then, that did not mean that he trusted her. Not after everything that had happened. Not even when she didn't have the strength to fight them.
And even if he had trusted her, he didn't trust her magic. It was balanced on a knife's edge, ready to spill over. And he wasn't convinced she was going to be able to control it when it began to flow. Especially when she could barely understand what was reality anymore.
Especially when that magic was so much a part of her, when it reacted to her fears without her even realising. Like it had only moments ago.
He looked back at her tearstained face as he melted away back into the shadows he knew so well, and he couldn't help but be glad he'd followed them. There was no telling what might have happened if he hadn't been there.
But at the same time he sighed inwardly.
Keeping an eye on her might very well turn out to be a full-time job - and he already had two of those.
Because no matter how much he wanted to trust her again, he couldn't.
The betrayals ran too deep in both of them.

...

A/N - Thank you for all your reviews, they mean so much to me! Please remember to let me know what you think and if theres anything youd like to see included in the story.

Maricate - Thank you so much! Its so nice to know that people are enjoying this! :D

PadrePedro - Thank you! I also think that it would be hard to recover from something like this, and I'm hoping that by doing this I can make it realistic as my plan progresses. Im so happy you like it! :D