Oh my God I am so sorry it has been MONTHS since I last updated please don't kill me! Like I left school (YAY!) and then got COVID, then I had three jobs going on so I had to put this on the back burner for a while. Good news though I have passed my GCSEs! Anyways enough about me sorry and on with what yous all wanted to read...

THIS TIME: MORGAUSE MAKES A RETURN BUT WHERE HAS SHE BEEN? IT'S ARTHUR'S BIRTHDAY BUT IT BECOMES THE WORST DAY OF HIS LIFE. MERLIN TELLS HIS SECRET TO GWEN.

Chapter 13: Birthday Disaster

It was a day before Arthur's birthday and Merlin had plucked up the courage to tell Gwen about his magic. He hadn't really planned how he was going to tell her but he was going to take her to the clearing where he went to speak to Kilgarah so it was out of the way of prying eyes. They had reached the clearing when Gwen had had enough of his silence. "Ok, Merlin. What are we doing here?"

"I need to tell you something and I don't want anyone else to know or see otherwise, yeah, anyway-" Merlin abruptly shut up as Gwen just looked at him waiting for what he was going to say.

"What is it?"

"I have magic." Merlin whispered.

Gwen just laughs. "Ok, ok. That's funny."

"I'm being serious, Gwen. Look," Merlin looked down at his hand as he whispered an incantation causing a little dragon appear in his hand caused from sparks. "See? I know this is hard, I was the one who healed your father when he was sick with the water because I knew how much it would hurt you. I used it to protect Arthur, to protect Camelot. I'm still stupid Merlin."

"Why?" Gwen could only say only to clarify as she saw the confusion in Merlin's eyes. "Why didn't you help Morgana? She would have been-"

"Good? No, whatever I chose to do she would still be how she is now. Morgause isn't even to blame. Before Morgana knew she had magic, she attempted to kill Uther. I tried to stop her before she had second thoughts. Then when Morgana went missing because she spent a year with Morgause? The sleeping spell was Morgana. You must know that she must never know who I am. If she knows then God knows what will happen but it won't be good because without me, Camelot will fall according to prophecy which has been right so far."

"I think I just need time to absorb it Merlin." With that Gwen walks back to Camelot as Merlin lets a few tears fall. Why did this have to be his life?

Arthur's birthday was going great until it wasn't. He'd clearly been poisoned/drugged so it was easier for him to be killed but thanks to his father he was still alive but Uther was mortally wounded. Gaius can't do anything to help so Arthur turns to Merlin to help heal his father in which he says yes eager to show magic was good. Arthur felt he had the duty to tell Agravaine as after all he was his uncle. The latter, however, immediately told Morgana where he was given a cursed necklace to put round Uther's neck to reverse any magic used to cure him. Of course though, Arthur didn't tell his uncle about it being Merlin who was curing his father as he knew Agravaine - or at least thought he knew - that Agravaine was against magic.

Merlin had spent the whole day trying to find the right spell to use for healing the King before he finally found the right spell. He gathered some herbs needed for the spell before heading to Arthur's chambers. He felt like this was wrong as he knew Uther had to die eventually for Arthur to be King and he was ready to be King. He put those thoughts aside though as he knew he had to prove to Arthur that magic could be used for good as even though Arthur hadn't shown it Merlin sensed some doubt over Merlin and being around Merlin he came across nervous. In the Prince's defence, however, he had been taught to hate magic so there was some progress that he wasn't having Merlin, and Morgause, executed.

The spell Merlin used began to work, until it didn't. Killing Uther. Merlin stood in the chambers shocked as Arthur turned to his servant, a cold look in his eyes. "I was wrong to trust you."

"No, Arthur. The spell worked, you saw it work. I don't understand there must have been something on the blade that was used to wound him to prevent healing him by magic." Merlin had tears streaming down his face.

"Gaius would have seen that." Arthur pointed out.

"Not if it was mag..." He trailed off as he saw something around the dead King's neck. "Oh. Arthur look." He pointed to the necklace before taking it off to inspect it.

"What is that?" Arthur tried to reach for it but the Warlock moved away from him inspecting it further.

"A relic of the Old Religion to reverse any healing spell. The question is was it Morgana or Morgause?" The Prince gave him an odd look.

"You said Morgause wouldn't harm my father."

"In her eyes she would have seen it as he'd already been wounded which would have killed him anyway so she wasn't harming him."

"She still killed him."

"We don't know if it was her. She knows that if she ever betrayed me I would kill her. I wouldn't be surprised if it was Morgana though. After all she has help inside Camelot." Merlin clamped his mouth shut as he realised his mistake. "I mean she probably does it's Morgana she probably threatened them into doing her bidding."

"Are you hiding something?"

"Nope. Nothing at all, Sire." Merlin wanted to tell the new King about his uncle but he knew he would need proof, which as of yet he didn't have anything.

"Am I too late?" A voice came from the door. The person panting as if they had ran all the way there. Both men turned in shock to who it was.

She had been keeping an eye on her sister for a while. She had learnt of Uther's mortal injury and Morgana's plan to reverse any healing spell. Unbeknownst to her, the plan had already been executed. Morgause would have been more then happy to watch the tyrant of a King die a painful death but she knew she had to do something. Unfortunately for her, Agravaine saw her on his way to see Morgana to let her know it will be over soon and Uther will be dead, noting who she was (but not quite realising she was just as powerful as Morgana) he started to follow behind her. "You!" He demanded her to stop or at least his tone did.

"What, My Lord?" The blonde turned staring nicely at him. "Have I done something?"

"I think you know. It is not right to treat a member of Camelot's royal family by spying on them."

"No. Nor is it to go behind the King's back to kill him. By teaming up with Morgana who will, in the end, just betray you." Slowly Agravaine unsheathed his sword. Morgause merely smiled in amusement. "And what do you think you are going to do with that? You haven't even done the threatening bit which is the best part." The Lord looked at her startled by her reaction.

"Why waste my time?" He went to swing the sword before Morgause stopped him where he was using magic. "What the hell? I thought someone of your kind would want to see Uther dead. Besides you're too late by the time you make it back to Camelot it will be too late."

"Is that so? Bedyrne us! Astrye us banonweard!" And with that the witch disappeared to Camelot.

"You promised you wouldn't kill Uther!" Merlin shouted.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Merlin, but I didn't do anything. My sister on the other hand did. With help from inside Camelot no less. You know who from." Morgause answered back venomously.

"Sorry." Merlin muttered.

"So, he was right. I am too late."

"How did you know?" Arthur asked her as she took the enchanted necklace in Merlin's hand.

"I've been following Morgana which didn't end well for me because one of the most ruthless people caught me, he's much worse than Uther. But I managed to slip away, maybe killed a few of his army but he'll survive. Unfortunately." Now looking at the High Priestess, she had a gash to her head above her right eyebrow and her wrists were wounded.

"I need to tell everyone he's dead." Arthur spoke quietly, after a few minutes silence and slowly walking out of the room.

"Do you want that looking at? Gaius could have a look for you." Merlin suggested.

"Yes, I'll go now." Morgause smiled slightly before exiting too. Merlin sighed as he looked at the necklace. Arthur was king now, Uther was dead and all he could think about was magic might finally be free. He felt guilty for thinking about it but he couldn't shake the feeling that everything he had worked hard to build was finally coming ahead.

This took a few week to write and I am currently sleep deprived so please excuse any mistakes. Sorry it has been so long since my last update. I'll try to update sooner this time.

NEXT TIME: MORGAUSE MEETS AITHUSA. WE FIND OUT MORE OF WHAT HAPPENED WHILST SHE WAS AWAY. MAGIC IS LEAGALISED MUCH TO SOME PEOPLE'S PROTESTS WHICH PUTS MERLIN AND MORGAUSE ON THEIR TARGET LIST.