Morgana and her entourage arrived at the castle gates just before sundown. She caught sight of Merlin almost immediately, dismounting and kissing him passionately. Her brother made gagging sounds as he helped Gwen from her horse, and discretely kissed Gwen's hand before letting go.
"I see you have a new companion, Guinevere. May I help you, Miss?" Arthur asked, offering Kara a hand to assist her dismount from her horse. She nodded and took it shyly.
"This is Kara. Kara, this is King Arthur," Gwen said. "Kara's parents were Druids, they were killed for having magic. We're going to help her find her people, in the meantime, she'll be Morgana's ward."
Kara awkwardly curtsied to him.
Arthur frowned. "Kara, I am sorry for what happened to your parents. You will be an honored guest in our home until you find yours."
"Thank you, Sire," she said, looking wide-eyed at the castle.
"Come, let's get you settled in," Gwen smiled. "I'll show you your chambers and have food brought in so you can rest this evening."
"I will join you, Guinevere. I would like to hear about the journey, and I don't expect my sister has much interest in telling me at the moment," he said, gesturing at the couple still kissing. Gwen laughed, and the three of them walked into the castle.
After a few moments, Merlin pulled away.
"I have news," Merlin said, grinning. "My father is here."
"Your father!" Morgana said. "That's wonderful! When will I get to meet him?"
"At supper. Come, I'm sure you want to clean up before then," he said. I'll pour your bath myself, he said.
She smiled. "I've missed you, my love." Only if you'll stay to join me.
I already sent Sefa away, he replied with a smile.
. . .
Merlin escorted Morgana into the banquet hall for supper, where Balinor was speaking with Gwen and Arthur. He stood up when he saw them enter.
"Father, this is Morgana," Merlin said, his voice thick with emotion.
Balinor took Morgana's hand and kissed it. "It is a pleasure to meet my future daughter."
"The pleasure is mine, My Lord," she curtsied.
Merlin was practically trembling with excitement. "Father has incredible news. He knows where the egg is!"
"Aithusa? That's splendid! Where is she?" Morgana said, mirroring his excitement.
"That's a very long story, and we still need to get to her," Merlin answered.
"When do we leave?" she asked, excitedly.
"Oh no, not this time, Morgana," Arthur said. "Turns out Merlin's as useless in Court as he was as a servant, and I've been stuck with triple duties while you and Guinevere went on your little adventure, healing sick kids, picking up new ones. It's my turn for a quest. Also, you have a new ward to care for, and Gaius has been working round the clock because there's been an outbreak of some illness affecting cattle, he needs your assistance. So, this, my darling sister, is going to be boys only."
"Arthur, you are such a prat," she huffed.
Arthur grinned and put an arm around her. "Oh, you have no idea. The pregnant cow guy is back before the Court this week. He has a lengthy petition against his neighbor, and I saved him just for you."
She gasped. "You are the worst," she glared at him. "I should have listened to my sister and just overthrown you."
"Then you'd have to do all the work, all the time, and you'd have no room for any adventuring anyway," he laughed, kissing her head. "Come, let's eat, I'm sure you're famished, and Merlin, Balinor and I won't eat like this for a few weeks at least."
"A few weeks?!" she exclaimed, livid.
He's kidding, we won't be gone that long, I promise, Merlin said, trying not to laugh.
"Yeah, I'm glad you two are getting along so much better these days," she grumbled, taking a long drink of wine, before taking a cleansing breath and turning to Balinor. "Lord Balinor, I want to hear everything there is to know about being a dragonlord. What a wonderful gift. I can't wait to meet Aithusa, I'm certain the egg is hers. I'm sure Merlin's told you of my visions."
He regaled her with stories of dragons, and magic she'd never heard of. He was a fascinating man, and she saw so much of Merlin in him. It put her in a much better mood, despite her disappointment at not being invited to find the egg.
After supper and after making certain Kara had everything she needed, Merlin escorted Morgana to her chambers. He stopped awkwardly at her door. "You aren't still cross with me, are you?"
She glared at him.
"I'll take that as a yes," he cringed. "I suppose I should return to my quarters now."
"Absolutely not," she pouted. "I've been gone for days, and now you're leaving in the morning. This is our only time together."
"Then how can I make it up to you, my love?" he said, ghosting his lips across her bare neck, smiling as she shivered.
"I have a few ideas," she said haughtily, opening her door and pulling him inside.
She grinned and used her magic to pin his wrists against the back of the door.
His eyes widened in surprise. "Morgana, what are you…?"
"Shhh," she silenced him with her lips, her hands traveling across his body.
She felt him grow hard under her hands. "Hmm, it seems the mighty Emrys is under my control now. Whatever shall I do with you?" she mused.
"I suppose I am at your mercy," he said, watching as she slowly undressed in front of him, her dark blue gown pooled on the floor, shedding her undergarments as well.
"Well. Perhaps, I'll just pleasure myself tonight," she said, laying on the bed where he would have a full view.
He groaned, his cock throbbing at the sight of her stroking herself.
"Are you enjoying the show, Merlin?" Morgana asked innocently.
He groaned again in response. "Very much enjoying it. I want you so much."
"Do you now?" she pulled her hand away.
"Yes, you know I do," he said.
She pouted. "Well, that's so unfortunate, because you're all tied up."
"Morgana, I need you," he whined.
"Hmm… not a good enough reason to release you."
"Please, Morgana," Merlin said pitifully.
"There it is, you asked nicely," she laughed, releasing his wrists.
He pulled off his tunic and she yelped as he scooped her up from the bed.
"I'm going to have you against that door," he practically growled, carrying her to it, while she laughed in delight. She untied his trousers and pushed them down hurriedly. She gasped with pleasure at the forcefulness of his entry, scraping her fingernails down his back as he continued to thrust into her.
They finished quickly and collapsed into a heap by the door.
"Must you torment me so?" he gasped for breath.
She laughed. "The next time you displease me, I won't let you off so easy."
He grinned and kissed her. "As though I couldn't have broken through your spell."
"And risk displeasing me again? You wouldn't have dared," she said with a stern look.
He kissed her again, then pulled away.
"I do hate that we're leaving without you. I know what finding Aithusa means to you," he said. "But Arthur insisted he come along."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course he did. Wants to be king, never wants to do the real work."
"He's always been a lazy prat. But it'll be good for us, to continue to mend our friendship, and for us to bond with my father," he said.
"I know. Which is why I'll allow it, and why I'm not locking Arthur in his chambers while I go in his place," she said, lips pursed in displeasure.
"We won't be gone long. And we'll return with the egg. I promise we won't hatch her without you."
"I can't wait to see her," she smiled, getting up from the floor and going to wash.
"Tell me about what happened on your trip. Something troubles you, I can tell. Gwen too," Merlin said, picking her discarded gown up from the floor and hanging it up. He waited for her in the bed, leaving his own clothes on the floor.
She sighed as she slipped under the covers. "I didn't really want to talk about it this evening, but I don't suppose I'll have another chance for a while."
Merlin listened intently as she told him the events that had transpired.
"So, the bracelet dampens your powers of sight? Morgana, you're still wearing it!" he said, incredulously.
She sighed. "Do you have any idea how exhausting it is to never get a peaceful night's rest?"
"But if you had been wearing it before you used magic on Lord Ackerly…" Merlin frowned.
"I know. You're right. I shouldn't be wearing it. But regardless of Morgause's intent, it was nice not being burdened with these visions, even if I didn't realize that's what was happening," she said, twisting the bracelet around her wrist.
"If not for your visions, we wouldn't be together," he said. "These visions have saved your life, and Arthur's, numerous times. I know you bear the weight of them, and I would take them from you gladly and bear the burden myself instead if I could, but this bracelet was not a gift given with good intentions. She gave this to you not long before Uther died. Tell me that's a coincidence."
She frowned. "I don't suppose it is."
"I just want you to be safe, Morgana. I don't trust her. Please be careful," Merlin said.
She nodded. He pulled her close, as she snuggled against his chest.
. . .
Arthur and Gwen took a walk in the courtyard after supper, her armed linked in his. Gwaine was on duty, following behind them at a respectful distance.
"Something troubles you, Guinevere," Arthur commented. "Was the trip really so unpleasant? It seemed you had more to say earlier, but refrained from doing so with Kara present."
"Parts of it were quite unpleasant, my love," Gwen frowned, and told him the story of their travels that involved Morgana's prophesies.
Arthur seethed. "So, Morgause was involved in my father's death after all?"
"We don't know that for certain, but she at least, whether coincidentally or intentionally, prevented Morgana from seeing visions of it," Gwen agreed.
"I invited her here, in our home. Welcomed her into my Court," his hands trembled. "We allied with her to save the Druids."
"If you're thinking that this is somehow your fault, that you betrayed your father, you need to stop. That's not what happened. If Morgause knew about the assassination, if she is working with Odin, it isn't your fault," Gwen said.
"Has Morgana finally seen her for what she is, at least?" Arthur asked. "Does she now know Morgause is the enemy?"
Gwen shook her head. "Arthur, tread carefully with her, Morgause is still her sister."
"And I am her brother!" he said, his voice booming across the courtyard.
She shushed him. "Put yourself in her place. What if it was Morgana who was acting against you? Could you consider her your enemy? Could you run her through with your blade?"
He shuddered at the thought. He knew of Morgana's original visions, knew how close it came to being their reality. "Apparently I could, because in another life, she was my enemy. She killed my father. She killed your brother, and Gwaine, and Lancelot. And finally I died on a battlefield in a war she waged."
Gwen shook her head. "I still couldn't do it. Not if it was Elyan. I couldn't take up arms against him."
"You think me cruel?" he asked.
"No," she frowned, thinking back to her exchange with Morgana about her execution of the man who tried to kill Kara. "I think I just haven't the stomach for violence."
"Well, Morgana certainly does," he said. "She could wage war against me, the brother she grew up with for half of her life, but she couldn't take up arms against the sister she scarcely knows? What should that tell me?"
"The life from her visions was different, she was driven to madness. That's not who she is, and that's not who we want her to be, is it? Don't doubt her loyalty to you, Arthur, she loves you. You know that," she frowned.
"At some point she will need to make a choice between Morgause and me, and choose who she loves more," he said. Gwen shivered at the prospect. "Come, let's get you back inside, the evening has gotten quite cool."
She nodded, entrenched in thought.
They walked down the hallway past Morgana's door, which was being pounded on from inside her chambers for some reason. Gwen looked at the door confused, and Arthur pressed fingers to his forehead as though fighting back a headache and groaned. She heard Gwaine snickering behind them as he also passed the door.
"Gwaine, you may go, I can escort Guinevere to her chambers myself," Arthur said lightly.
"As you wish, Sire. Good night, My Lady," he said with a bow.
"Good night, Sir Gwaine," she said.
Once he was out of sight, Arthur kissed her deeply. "I'm leaving in the morning, won't you let me stay with you tonight?"
She flushed and nodded. They looked around the halls and entered her chambers.