Morgana learns the plan. Is it worth it? And Arthur learns Liberty is even worse than they thought.

I am not a doctor or a chemist.

"So, she's coming soon?"

"That's what she said. She wanted to take a shower first. I gave her the address since we teleported last time. She'll know the route, now, and can teleport home. Her cab should be here shortly.

"Mmm. We're going to have to give her another dose, you know. We can't risk it, more than ever. If we don't start within the next couple of days, the process won't be finished in time. We'll have to cut corners, double up on doses, or shorten the time frame. If the behavior changes too quickly people might get suspicious, not to mention I haven't tested that strength of dose before. I have no data on the effects of the outcome. We'd be working blind and guessing half the time.

"I know Nimueh, I know. I just... she's so close on her own. If we just had more time, I know she would choose to help us without all the subterfuge."

The brunette lays her hand over Morgause forearm in sympathy. "I know. I don't like it any better than you do. But this is going to be difficult. Even if we didn't give her more tonight, you know we'll have to later on. Particularly with her 'new lease on life.' The suffering she will have to watch of two people she's close to... it's going to be harsh, and we have to be unyielding. Think about it like this, without our intervention she will have to deal with this through her natural emotions and psyche. But with our help, both her mind and heart will be able to endure the harsh reality. By the time her body reverts back to its normal settings everything will be set to rights."

"I know, but we're going to do only one extra dose, right?"

"Let's see how she reacts first and go from there."

"Okay."

When Morgana reaches the temple, her first thought is 'you've got to be kidding me.' You couldn't have picked a more prototypical witch's location if you tried. She half way thinks she should have arrived on a broom wearing a pointy hat. When she enters the ancient site her impression doesn't get any better... until she starts to descend the stairs and feels it. Magic is strong there. Nimueh's choice of refuge is beginning to make sense. The further down she goes the magical vibrations are practically humming. Now that she's here, she wonders how, when she was here before, she didn't recognize it. "Hello, hello. Good evening ladies," she says as she crosses the entryway. Both witches are idling next to a round stone, savoring steaming cuppas.

"Welcome again, Morgana. Would you like some tea or anything to eat?" Nimueh makes her way to a stove in the corner the princess hadn't noticed before. In fact, there appears to be a whole kitchen.

"After the day I've had, I don't feel much like injesting anything. Was that here before?" She gestures to the makeshift scullery. As she scans the room she sees several new additions. It's almost as if the elder priestess is taking up residence.

"Nimueh's been working a lot, so she decided to move in temporarily."

"Oh, what's the project?"

"We'll get to that. Tell us why you called us. You were pretty adamant before. Why the change?" Nimueh needs to know if Morgana's in the right headspace to hear the plan. If she isn't ready, they will have to use alternative methods to prime her.

"Today was quite upsetting obviously. We weren't able to convince one person to not take the drug. And it was the same argument for everyone. Yes, Arthur is going to help them, but how long would they have to wait? Without that answer we had already lost. But what got to me the most was Arthur, himself. He was devastated. On the way home, he bawled in my arms like a baby." She recalls the despair in her brother's eyes. It was heartbreaking. "He was so discouraged. I've never seen him this upset. He said he couldn't save people who won't save themselves, that when people turn on themselves, that is a war he cannot win." Morgause's expression was sympathetic. She genuinely does respect their brother. Nimueh's was blank. "But, I guess the final nail in the coffin was when he said..." While she had been speaking not directed at anyone, she now has turned to face them eye to eye. "...that he would give up the throne, that he would give up Merlynn to save his people." She observes the both of them glancing at each other. She figured earlier that her brother was going to have to lose both in this plan, and her fellow witches' reactions confirm she was right. "I don't know. I took it as a sign, maybe. So, I'm here. I'm ready. I'm willing to hear you out."

"I think she is ready, Nimueh."

The brunette examines the princess a moment, reading any signs that she is falsely representing herself. She remembers her past lives, and Morgana had always been manipulative, but she seems genuine now. "Yes, I believe she is. Okay, bottom line is Emrys has to go."

"Wait a minute, I said no killing. Plus, she's immortal. So what do you know that I don't?"

"Emrys cannot die, that is correct. But she can leave. And the only way for you to take the throne is for her to do just that. But the only way it can happen is if she chooses to go on her own. So the plan is basically to make her want to leave."

"Merlynn will never leave my brother, Nimueh. She lives for him. Literally."

"Exactly. We have to make her want to leave Arthur. She cannot be fought, she cannot be subdued, she cannot be reasoned with. Our only option to take her out of the picture is for her to take herself out. She cannot leave the country or go anywhere on the planet. She was made for Arthur. Her magic is Arthur's, therefore her magic won't let her leave Arthur, even if she wanted to."

"Hold on. You said we need to convince her to leave, but then you said that even if we did, her magic wouldn't let her, so which is it?"

"Both. This is why Morgause and I said she can't be reasoned with. It's not because she's not reasonable. It's because even if we could convince her, we could never convince her magic. Emrys was created to protect the Once and Future King and help him unite the lands in peace and prosperity. There is nothing that will stray it from that mission, not even her. Therefore, the only way to get her to leave is to give it a new mission, a new charge."

"You want to give her magic someone new to protect?" Morgana's getting more confused by the minute.

"Yes and no. We cannot change the mission from Arthur Pendragon. That's who her magic is responsible for and it will always be so, but what we can do is give it a different Arthur Pendragon. I have a spell that allows her to travel through time. It's pretty much worthless for anyone but Emrys. It requires a tremendous amount of power that not even I am capable."

"If that's so, how do you know it works?"

Nimueh doesn't know if she should admit she's in possession of the Crystal of Neahtid. However, revealing such a precious item could build trust. Considering the entire plan revolves around her complicity... well, they're going to need all the help they can get.

"Because I've seen it. I have the Crystal Morgana. I may not be a seer, but I can wield it. Trust me. Emrys is able to successfully execute the spell." Nothing. Nimueh sighs a little annoyed with the dubiousness, but has to concede it's warranted with their history. "Because it's hers, Morgana."

The princess' eyes squint and lips curl in confusion.

"Listen, you know how the Crystal reveals possible futures. Well, in one of them, she creates this. I have no way of knowing if it is this future or another, but the Goddess, Emrys, was the creator. I believe it's safe to say it works. She can go back to any other lifetime and her magic will immediately pick up on that life's Arthur, leaving this lifetime without an Emrys. Before you ask, we three women are in the top five most powerful on Earth. We are more than capable of protecting your brother."

"So you want Emrys to choose to go back in time, specifically to escape from the Once and Future King."

"She will only ever leave your brother if it's because of your brother," the brunette reiterates.

"What could Arthur possibly do to Merlynn that is so bad she escapes to another lifetime? She's an actual Goddess. I think she can take care of herself."

"Again, Emrys was created for Arthur. Her magic is for Arthur. It would never hurt him. It will always defend him, even against Merlynn." Nimueh hopes she's been clear enough.

Mithian was right? "So you're saying my brother can hurt Merlynn, that he's the only one who can?"

Close. "I'm saying Emrys has no defense, nor offense against the Once and Future King."

"So what, you expect him to torture her or something?"

"Well no. Emrys has come a long way in fifteen hundred years, Morgana. She can't really be physically hurt. I don't even think she can bleed anymore." The high priestess glances at her partner to verify if she can remember if that's true. Morgause nods in response.

"If she can't be hurt physically, then what do you expect? What are we talking here?"

"Emotionally. Psychologically," Nimueh answers coldly.

"Okaay? You expect Arthur to hurt Merlynn emotionally and psychologically?" She has a horrific thought. "You are not killing her family or Mordred!"

"No! Of course not! Besides, we already told you no killing." When is this woman going to understand?!

"Okay. Good, but what else is there?"

"Think Morgana. Merlynn is a beautiful woman, one that, according to Morgause, Arthur is completely enamored with. And she's engaged to someone who is not Arthur. What do you think he could do that would be completely devastating?" Goddess, she still isn't getting it! The brunette sighs exasperated. One last try before she goes blunt. "Completely... traumatic?" She can tell the moment the witch at last comprehends what the priestess is trying to say by the widened eyes and gaping mouth.

"No. No, you can't mean... you can't be serious!"

"I'm sorry Morgana. It is the only way." Morgause has finally joined the conversation, but the princess does not like at all the words she's saying.

"He would never! He'd slit his own wrists first!"

"You're right, he never would..."

Thank you, Nimueh.

"...willingly."

"And how, pray tell, are you going to force my brother to rape the love of his life?" This is ridiculous. Curiosity is the only reason she is still here. "What do you have some undetectable spell or something?"

"No. That's the beauty of it. It isn't magic. It's science."

"Nimueh was a brilliant chemist for years until she was fired for her creation. In essence, it's a form of mind control."

"Years? You don't even look out of your thirty's."

"It's a youth spell. In this lifetime, I'm seventy-two already. I've been working on this for over forty years, and it's, dare I say, perfect now. I've worked out all the kinks, fine-tuned everything. It's already been tried and tested. It works. You'll appreciate this. I call it 4-mora, Mind Order Related Alterations. It was meant to help those with mood disorders, but I found... other applications."

"How does it work?"

"In layman's terms? Fundamentally there are chemicals in your brain assigned to different emotions. I have discovered how to synthesize those chemicals. With the right combination I can control someone's mood. With enough information I can potentially control their actions as well."

"So my brother just takes these chemicals and rapes her? No one would ever believe he'd do that. They'll know immediately he's not himself."

"Well, for one I can't make anyone do anything that doesn't already have a natural foundation I can build on. You said Arthur was already besotted with her, even mildly obsessed. I can make it not mildly. I can make him literally mad for her. But you're right. It cannot be done quickly. It has to be over time. But at the same time we are in a hurry. Emrys has to be gone before their birthday."

"That's the other thing. What is the deal with their birthday?"

"Once Emrys has her memories back she won't leave, no matter what he does to her beforehand. Love is the most powerful magic of all, and they have been lovers for fifteen hundred years. It's not because of the prophecy, however. The Ambrosians were right. The prophecy had nothing to do with romance. Arthur and Merlynn fell in love like any other couple. They've chosen each other, and they do every lifetime. A few months won't stand a chance against centuries."

"So my brother has been gay?"

"He is always with Merlynn, no matter what form they come in," Morgause clarifies.

"You said after Merlynn is gone everyone will be happy. Arthur will have just destroyed any chances he had with his soulmate and lost her forever. How is he going to be happy?" Or did Nimueh forget that little part?

"Once Emrys has left we will wipe his memory of her for the past few months. He won't even know she existed. He also will have no memory of him dishonoring her."

"But what about when he gets his centuries of memories back, Nimueh?"

"The key to unlocking the memories is Emrys and the Once and Future King both coming of age. If Emrys isn't here then so isn't half the key. No memories will be returned."

"Okay, what about Emrys? She's going to another lifetime, no family, no friends, and just suffering a horrible traumatic experience." Morgana questions her sister. She knows there is no love lost between Emrys and Nimueh, who probably wishes the Goddess would suffer.

"Whichever lifetime she picks, she will only have memories up to that lifetime. This one will be completely forgotten, including her traumatic experience. Her magic is instinctual, however, and is not connected to memory. Therefore, if she let's say chooses the first lifetime, then all of the power she has now goes back to him. The uneducated man we knew will then be an all powerful warlock. Because he won't have the memories to go with his skills, he will probably just assume he had come into his powers like a late bloomer."

"That raises another issue. If Emrys goes to the past won't she alter our time now?"

"When Emrys goes to the past she essentially will be creating a new timeline. She cannot change what we already have received. She will in effect be creating an alternate universe. She will be happy, because she'll still be with Arthur, just not this Arthur. Does that make sense, sister? I know space-time continuum confuses me, even after fifteen hundred years."

"I think so. If she travels back in time won't that make two Emrys'?"

"It will be a soul transfer, not body."

That might actually work. There's still another concern. "Merlynn explained how she was the heart of magic. She even showed us how it flows through her. If she's gone what happens to magic?"

"Exactly what it was before Emrys. We drew our magic from nature and the earth. We will do the same until the next incarnation and the heart is born again."

That she never considered. Why would she? She came into her magic post Emrys' creation. Makes sense. "All right. You said this is a slow process. Explain."

"For sake of easier understanding, I'm going to explain using the emotion attached to the chemical, rather than the technical names. For the first dose I'll make him a mix of desire and happy. That combination will put whatever he desires most on his mind a significant part of the time, which is Merlynn. The second dose will be more of the same. At that point he should be thinking of her day and night. The third dose will be the same, but we'll start mixing some lust in, maybe a tad of jealousy. That will put sex, specifically with her, on his mind. The fourth dose is going to be more of all that and adding some anger. The anger and extra jealousy will be enough to switch his mind from romantic rendezvous to more forceful means. From there we will just keep increasing the amount of the mixture until it finally drives him over the edge. Once it happens, we'll keep giving him the same quantity until she finally leaves."

"Then what? The whole point of this is for me to have the throne."

Nimueh eyes Morgause to field this question. "Then we conquer. That's the only way you can have the throne, but the wonderful thing about magic is that we can actually win the war without violence. We can take your father and retire him wherever you want. He could spend his golden years in Fiji if you wanted. It sounds like the prime minister is on our side, so she can remain in office. We'll replace everyone in power with either an ally or a magical. The citizens will keep their jobs and keep their lives as is. But magic will once again be welcome in all fields. We will have to have magical law enforcement as well, but we don't want the bigotry and the hatred that's currently in Magic Registration. We will replace them with ones that believe in magic freedom, but also regulation. We'll clean up the streets and repair dilapidated buildings. We'll use those buildings for the homeless. We'll have to put laws together and make announcements. There's so much we'll do. But it will have to be by force. Anything else will be too slow, and the magic community will all have but disappeared. If citizens do not like what we're doing they can leave. They are not forced to stay here and we're not banishing anyone either. They are free to come and go as they please with passports and green cards like any other country. Our foreign policy will not be forcing anything. We will have an equal voice, that's all. Believe it or not, we want peace and prosperity too. Just this time magic is in power."

"What about Arthur? He's basically going to be starting his final year at University a crown prince, then wake up a semester later no longer in line for the throne."

"Sorry, we weren't clear before. The memory of Merlynn will be gone. For this lifetime, it will be as if she never was. All the things she has done and affected will still be in place, sister. Just, when people start to question it, there mind will brush over it, accepting it as what it is. Anything regarding Merlynn will be brushed over. But your group, everyone, will know what has happened with Liberty and anything outside of Merlynn. Throughout the centuries it's clear that Arthur Pendragon doesn't care about power. He only wants ALL his people safe, happy, and free. I have no doubt he will be reasonable, realizing that magic does need to take over. This time he's not saving it for just a lifetime. This time is about saving all of magic's future."

"That's one thing I don't understand. Most people all over the world are accepting of magic. Why would Liberty in the UK hurt magic worldwide?"

Nimueh decides to make Morgana's unique blend of tea and let the blonde finish conversing with the princess. She fetches the necessary vials. The combination should bring the results she needs. There should be anger for the situation, compassion for her people, determination to do what she has to, resignation to make it happen. There. When something triggers those emotions naturally, they'll just be a little more... extreme.

Meanwhile Morgause illustrates the severity of what they're facing. "It will be a slow process, but yes, it will eventually affect us all. See, all magic is connected but if you stop the flow in some of those connections, more of the flow gets pushed through the others. Users will start losing the ability to control their magic. For the powerful ones it will be dangerous. They'll be forced to take something like Liberty or wear restraints for people's safety. Basically Liberty will eventually take away human's ability to control their powers. No studying, no spells, no potions. Nothing will be able to master it. Ironically, Uther's attempt to be rid of magic will be exactly what sets it free. Magic will control the world. But not through people. It won't be a regime like terminator or something. Outside of Merlynn, magic doesn't have a mind, it doesn't have emotions, it doesn't have any of the characteristics that we humans have used through history to build civilizations. It will be complete chaos. Random magic happening, no idea what it will be, no idea how powerful it will be, no idea when it will be. Children could be sitting in class when a room next door explodes. People could be at work in a meeting and suddenly the walls start sprouting flowers. It could be anything. The weather itself could be affected. And I already explained to you that over time the magical population will fall, because it can no longer be born. It really would be the end."

"I don't understand why the Triple Goddess would let magic get so out of hand. I mean in the purge she intervened by creating Merlynn and appointing Arthur the savior. What you're talking about seems worse."

"That's what makes it so awful. In a way, we would have been better off if a law was passed, forcing us all to take Liberty. Then the Triple Goddess could get involved. But since people are taking it happily and willingly, they are in effect, tying her hands. We will have done it to ourselves, and consequences of our own actions, from our own choices, she cannot touch. You know we saw Emrys there today. It was heartbreaking and a perfect metaphor for what we are facing, Magic herself standing off to the side crying and powerless."

Defeat fills the room like a fog. It all sounds so hopeless. But can she really drug her brother to assault her friend?

"Here Morgana, have some tea. Morgause had some when we were discussing this earlier. It helps. It really does."

Morgana accepts the beverage and starts to sip, relishing the smooth warmth down her throat. "Thank you. What do you want me to do?"

Nimueh whispers a spell and waves her hand summoning a tray of five vials, each clearly labeled. "These have already been prepared. They all come with their own droppers, so there is no chance of mixing. He has to have the first dose by the end of the week."

As she fingers one of the vials twirling it in her hands, she can't believe she's even considering this. But the situation is so dire, isn't it? She wouldn't even think about it twice if it weren't this bad. And it is bad, really bad. "And there really is no other way? Merlynn and Arthur I mean?"

"Even if you were to talk to her, her own magic will never stray from its purpose. If she is here, you will never be on the throne. She couldn't even put you on the throne if she wanted to."

"Okay. I'm not saying I'll do it. I'll take these with me, though." Morgana finishes the last of her tea and ascends to her feet. "I need to head home and think."

"You do that. There's nothing else to tell you, so it's all in your hands now."

"If you do decide against it, still let me know, and I'll get going on that bucket list, eh?" Morgause hugs her sister.

"You aren't going to need a bucket list. One way or another we are saving magic." The princess gives her a determined nod and disappears.

The blonde continues staring at the spot her sister just stood. "I hope so."

--

Arthur hates coming here. He doesn't like being even in the vicinity of his father. His room is symbolic of his childhood. A child always scared and intimidated by his father. A child so desperate for affection of any kind or just approval would have sufficed, wouldn't it? A child that was never good enough, never smart enough, never obedient enough. Although that last one, he still has no idea where he went wrong. Well he's done. Done needing approval. Done needing affection. Done needing... love. He's not that scared little boy anymore. He will not be intimidated. He is a grown man, and he is good enough. In fact, according to the magical, he's the greatest there ever was. He's number one. In a list of all monarchy throughout history, Arthur Pendragon is on top. "So if that's not good enough for you, father, fuck you."

Arthur looks at his reflection in the mirror, straightening his tie. He found his mother's journal, one she bequeathed to him before she passed. He couldn't leave it. He was staying here intermittently, sometimes not wanting to drive home after a late night. But ever since his father fell from that pedestal Arthur had him so high on, he can't bear sleeping one wink under the same roof. And he doesn't expect his mother to either. He was an awful husband. Not abusive per se, but... well let's just say he carried his same views of fatherhood into his marriage.

As he stands in the doorway he takes stock of his old room. The bed where he lost his virginity. And then his father yelled at him for losing his virginity. The sofa where he would have a bunch of friends over to play video games. And his father tell him it's a mindless pastime and beneath a royal. The window seat where he gazed at the stars or read his medieval novels. He giggles under his breath at the irony. His favorites were the Arthurian legends. It's amazing how wrong they got it. His father told him King Arthur was a weak king, and he'd never understand how people loved him so. That's right father, you wouldn't understand. So, as he's looming in the doorframe regarding his old bed, sofa, and window seat, he has one thought, "Good riddance." And doesn't look back.

As he's walking down the hall, he hears muttering from his father's office. As he nears, he believes the second voice to his father's is the same man from the last meeting.

"So, it's ready?" His father sounds absolutely giddy.

"Production is under way as we speak. Three months and we'll be ready for the public, sometime before Christmas I'm guessing."

"Oh, and a Happy Christmas it will be. Do you know what this means? No more magic! We'll have it in every obstetricians office, ever midwives practice. Just think of it! This is the last generation of magic users, then it's finally over. If only we can get rid of that bitch, Emrys. Oh well, if she has no people she'll be pointless anyway. Maybe the hatred of magic will be so strong they'll run her out of town. Yes, she can live the rest of her immortal life in a hovel somewhere." And Uther laughs. Laughs! "The UK is just the beginning. I know this will go global, I know it. What about the paperwork, does it say it?"

"Yes, all the forms have it in the fine print. We told them they could choose how long they take it and they can. But unless they read through all the legal jargon, they won't know it's permanent after six months."

He can picture his father's smirk, his belief he's won. Has he?

"We can't help if people don't read it. 'Always read anything you sign,'" he says dropping his voice an octave. "That's what my father always said. What do you say we call the rest of them and celebrate? This deserves more than just a toast between the two of us. The extermination of magic. Ahh, Emrys, you're officially canceled."

"I'll drink to that."

"Amen." Clink. "We can't let Morgana and Arthur know. You saw them down there. They fight for the other side. In fact, I think we should keep this only between the five of us. I'm not confident we have the support of the rest of the council."

"Agreed. We'll get our own rally together."

"For sure. Now, let's call the others."

Arthur hears them readying to leave. He positions himself in a corridor to the left, hidden from sight. As he listens to them moving further away, chuckling and conversing more about their barmy plans, no doubt, he examines everything he just heard. And he knows there's only one thing to do.

--

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

What on Earth? Morgana was just trying to have a relaxing day, needing to clear her mind of everything that's happened. She needs a new perspective, look at it through fresh eyes. Then maybe she can decide what to do. That is if this fool would stop banging on her door.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

What the hell! "Hang on! I'm coming! If you break my door you're going to pay for it." She finally opens the door and Arthur practically falls into her foyer. "Arthur?! What is a matter with you? I may have less security than your place, but I still have them." She helps him back to his feet and leads him to the couch. "Now, do you want to tell me what has you disturbing my relaxing afternoon?"

He is acting kind of insane, banging on her door and falling into it panting and out of breath.

"Bloody hell, did you run all the way here? Hang on, I'll get you some water?"

Morgana's right, he needs to calm down. It's not like they'll resolve this today. He guesses maybe his behavior is just correlating with the gravity of the situation. He's concerned about the magical community, but he is angry, no livid, of how they spoke about Merlynn. If they want to take her down they'll have to go through him first, and Arthur is done playing the polite, obedient, loyal prince. No, he is King Arthur, and he's taking back his title. Yeah, that's all well and good Arthur but how? Short of regicide. Uther's got everything. He's got the law. He's got the supporters. He's got the money. He's got the throne. Hell, he's got the fucking magic users themselves. And just like that, his fired, no nonsense, take no prisoners attitude falls, and he's just as dejected as he was on the way home from Registration, where he practically crawled into his sister's lap for comfort.

"Here you go." She hands him a water bottle. "Now, if you're feeling better and calmed down, tell me what has you banging on my door instead of picking up the phone."

Arthur sagged into the sofa, his posture matching his hope. "I was over at the palace today, getting mum's journal, since I have no desire to sleep there anymore no matter how late it is. It was the last of everything I care about, so there's no reason for me to go there anymore outside of work. Anyway, as I was leaving, I overheard them. It was Uther and that man from Essetir Pharmaceuticals, one of his sidekicks from council. They were talking about Liberty and were all excited about this new development." Arthur pauses at the word. Development. When the whole purpose is to curtail any possibility of development.

"Arthur?" If Morgana wasn't worried before she's going that direction now. Her brother seems listless, like he's lost his spirit.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry. Uh... so this development has to do with putting Liberty in offices of obstetricians and midwives. He wants to give it to pregnant women." He turns to look her in the eyes. "He wants to stop magic from being born, Morgana. He said this was the last generation of magic." He throws his arms out in frustration but let's them flop down in defeat. "He said magic will be exterminated and Merlynn will be canceled."

"What does he mean, canceled? She's immortal, he can't kill her."

"No, but if there's no more magic, she becomes obsolete. Uther says people's hatred will force her to live like a hermit, alone for the rest of her days. Which is what, eternity? She'd be better off if she left the planet, found a new life, somewhere far from here." Arthur is silent for a moment, no coherent thoughts forming, only despair. "He's a monster," he says staring off into nothingness. "He says the UK is only the beginning. They're predicting Liberty will go global."

Morgana is shocked by what she's hearing. It's the same prognosis Morgause and Nimueh predicted. The same disturbing future, or lack there of, as it be. Babies being withheld the beauty of magic, being denied the precious power the Goddess bestows on those chosen to wield it. Shouldn't she intervene now? It was one thing when sorcerers were choosing for themselves, but if future infants aren't being given the choice then isn't that against their free will? Where is the Goddess for them? "When is this supposed to be happening? When is the launch of this part of it?"

"Uh... I don't know... a few months maybe. They said they just started production. Wait a minute! I do remember! They said sometime before Christmas. Yeah, that's it, cause father said it would be a special Happy Christmas," Arthur says with a sneer.

A few months! Maybe the Goddess' intervention is the plan. They will have stopped it before distribution got started. Arthur and Merlynn are the salvation of magic, and they certainly would be fulfilling their destiny. But goddess, is this really the only way? The elimination of all magic or sexual assault of the Emrys by the Once and Future King. She can't help but think they are missing something. Would the Goddess really use such a cruel method, especially against her own daughter? Because that's what she is, isn't she? Formed in the hands of the Triple Goddess herself. No, there has to be another way.

"That's not all Morgana. Apparently there is a nice little "That's not all Morgana. Apparently there is a nice little addendum clause hidden in the fine print. A sorcerer does get to choose how long they receive Liberty, but only for six months. After that the effects are permanent. Unless you actually read all the garbage with a font of one, you won't know until it's too late." Arthur face plants into the cushion. "God, I don't know what to do. I have to stop this, but I don't know how."

"What about Merlynn?"

"Huh?"

"What about Merlynn? What do you think she would do?"

"Same as me. We're in this together, Morgana. Emrys and the Once and Future King, 'forever entwined, forever connected'. We'd both give anything to save magic. Sacrifice anything. Why? Do you have an idea? If you do, please tell me. I'm riding on my last thread of hope, here."

"I don't know. I'm still thinking. Can I change the subject a minute?"

Arthur eyes her suspiciously. "Why?"

"Because this reminded me of something I saw on one of those shows. You know the ones where they ask hypothetical questions and you have to guess what your partner's answer would be? Well, this was one of the questions posed."

"Okaay. All right, I'll bite. What's the question?"

"If you had to choose whether someone you care about would suffer for the greater good and you couldn't tell them, would you have them suffer and save everyone else, or save them and leave everyone else at risk?"

"And you can't talk to them?"

"No. They will never know if you chose for them to suffer or be saved. Also, their suffering guarantees salvation. Saving them doesn't mean demise. It just means you have to risk coming up with another plan and hope it succeeds." There. Let him decide.

"Well, I'd like to think I'd do what was better for everyone, but knowing me I'd be selfish and save the one I love. Huh, that's the answer in itself, isn't it? I just called saving the one I care about selfish. So even I know the right thing to do is save the masses. So, yeah, I guess that's your answer. What would I do? Save the one. What's the right thing? Save everyone." Arthur finds a tennis ball he starts casually bouncing off the wall, unaware of the tailspin he just threw his sister into.

Why does it seem like there are all these signs to pursue this course of action?

Arthur drops and hoists himself up. "You know, Morgana, sometimes we have to do the dirty work to get the job done. And if that someone has to be me, then so be it. Do what's right and damn the consequences." He nudges her with his leg playfully. It's one her most favorite sayings. "I got to go use the loo. Be right back."

As he traipses off to the w.c. suite, the princess eyes her hand bag thoughtfully. All the vials are safely wrapped in silk preventing any breaks. Their salvation is in those bottles. The guarantee. The road of certainty that Arthur, himself, said she should take. A very dark road but a beautiful light at the end. She expects that's it then. Follow the light, right? Isn't that what they say? Well, she has to do what she has to do. She holds the first dose in her hand.

"Hey Arthur, let's go to lunch."

8. I love dark Arthur, but I also love good Arthur. I wanted a story that he was both simultaneously, which meant him being forced to be bad. Because my girl is Magic incarnate, that meant it couldn't be magic or she would detect it. Hence the chemically induced mind-control.

The offense against Merlynn had to be extreme to push her over the edge, but it couldn't be physical torture for two reasons. 1. It had to be virtually out of sight, not inhibiting her functionality in any way. 2. Based on canon, torture really wasn't that much of a deterrent. He would walk through fire to save his King and Merlynn would do the same. Assault of this kind can break someone in irreparable ways that a broken bone never could.