Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it. I also wanted to apologise for the rant in the last chapter.
Faintingfancies. Thank you for saying that. I am proud of it, but I still think it could be better. I'm so glad that it was exciting, I wasn't all that happy with how the fight came out. I will have plenty of practising writing fight scenes in this part, so I hope I get better at it. It's great to hear for you again, thank you for keeping up with the story.
Guest. No thank you for sharing the ideas with me, they really helped. I am now looking forward to writing stuff with Arthur, Gwen and the knights, now I have an idea for it.
Guest. Thank you for being understanding. I'm glad you liked the dresses. I had fun picking them out. That is a great way of looking at it, thank you.
I'm not sure which of you commented on the new cover pic, but thanks for noticing. It is great isn't it. We have MaryamT to thank for it.
Dawn ruthless. I'm so pleased that you noticed that. That was what I was going for, showing her, despite herself trusting him a little. After all I think they are both very lonely people, and the other is the only person they could talk to, the only person that would understand. Things are still very strained though. I'm also glad you haven't minded the wait. I hope it will be worth it when there is the pay off.
MaryamT. I'm so glad that you liked the way I used the name. I know it was a bit of a cheat, as it was more a fake name, then a real character. I loved writing that bit, just writing them together is fun. They have a great dynamic. I hope we get some more of them together in the show. The way I see it, they were the closest they each had ever come to really loving someone in that way. That is always going to be important, no matter what else may happen. I have to say I did copy that idea form harry potter. Thank you so much, those are really lovely things to say. When I write I do picture it in my head, as it would be in the show, glad it comes across that way.
I hope that you maybe noticed, that the story now has a cover, poster thing. It was done by MaryamT. So thank you so much.
One last thing. If you can please listen to the song all or nothing by theory of a deadman while reading the first part of this chapter, right after that please listen to holding on and letting go by ross copperman, thank you.
A cold wind blew through the forest surrounding the city of Camelot, but it was still warmer than where she had been spending most of her time recently, so it didn't bother her that much. It shouldn't have taken her so long to make it this far, it was such a short distance. Getting through the crowds of celebrating people, and the effort of returning to her natural form took its toll. If she strained her hearing, she would just be able to hear the cheering coming from the city just behind her. As it stood the twigs cracking under her feet as she walked over them, were the only noises that she heard.
That was until a very familiar voice called out to her. "Leaving so soon princess."
Morgana froze to the spot, as she heard him walking towards her. Her heart was racing so fast she feared it would burst through her chest. Slowly she turned around to face the hero of the day.
"And without a goodbye again. A man could get his feelings hurt." He added trying to be as charming as he could.
"I never took you to be so sensitive." He smiled at her gently teasing. Glad that despite the clear awkwardness of the situation they could still speak naturally with each other.
"It's good to see you." Gwaine stated with utter sincerity.
"You too." Morgana replied just as sincerely, before asking a question that had bothered her. "How did you know."
"Your eyes. No one has eyes like yours." The knight tentatively walked towards the witch. Not wanting to scare her or cause her to become defensive.
Her head shock lightly form side to side. "I'm not the only person to have green eyes."
"No, but you're the only person I know that has that lost , wounded look in their eyes. Like you are constantly searching for something that you can't seem to find." Her eyes had been on him while he spoke, but now fell from him. "Since I answered your question, I think it's only fair you answer one of mine."
She never gave him a chance to ask anything. She was sure she knew what he would ask anyway. "I never meant for this to happen."
"I didn't think you did. You came back after all."
While they had talking he had continued slowly moving toward her. Now he was standing in-front of her, he lifted his hand to rest under her chin, lifting her head up to look at him again. Morgana tried to move her head away, but he didn't let her. With his eyes looking into hers, she felt her defences lowering a little further.
"Gwaine-"
"It's okay Morgana-" Before he could say anymore she moved forward, warping her arms tightly around his waist, resting her head on his strong, secure chest. The knight was taken a little by surprise, but pleased that she was not playing the part of the unfeeling witch. Gwaine gently placed a hand on her back, and the other on the back of her head, where he gently stroked her hair. Morgana founded herself being soothed by the steady beat of Gwaine's heart in her ear. "It's okay." He repeated before pressing a light kiss to the top of her head.
She tensed up holding on to him a little tighter, as she spoke into his chest. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you or anyone to get hurt. I never wanted that. I just…..I don't even know what I was thinking….I wanted to stop it and…."
He took hold of her arm, and slowly pulled apart, so he could look at her. "What were you trying to do." He spoke in a low voice so she didn't feel pushed into answering.
An odd look crossed her eyes, like a wall was being forced up. Blocking out any sign of emotions. "I was trying to stop something from happening that could ruin everything."
Shook, though he tried to hide it showed in his eyes. "What was that."
He watched her struggle to find the words. How could she tell him. She didn't want to damage his friendship with Lancelot. Saying it out loud would also sound more ridiculous than it was to just think about. "It seems so... absurd. I don't know what I was thinking."
"You don't have to tell me." He forced a smile as he spoke.
He took one small step back. Morgana kept her hands resting on his arms now, stopping him from stepping back very far. "I want to tell you. I just, I was wrong, I overreacted over something that could be nothing...and you were almost killed because of it. Because of me"
Moving back, closer to her Gwaine kissed her forehead. "You also protected me."
Lifting his right arm for her to see, he pulled his gauntlet back. Revealing the lace ribbon she had gifted him that morning. Just below that, worn and frayed was the green ribbon she had given him before the tournament he had won. becoming her champion.
"You still wear it." She'd never noticed him wearing.
"Always." He simply replied.
It was not often that Morgana was at a lose for words, but she was now. She didn't know what she could say to that. It seemed to carry such a wait, that one word. without her being aware of it at first Gwaine took hold of her right hand, lifting it he placed a chased kiss to it. Keeping his eyes set on hers, he moved to leave.
"Gwaine." She couldn't just leave things this way. After all this could be the last time she ever saw him, she didn't want it to end this way. "I'm sorry." He now stopped and turned a little to look at her. "I care about you. I just can't be there."
"I understand." The hint of a smile crossed her face. She knew he would understand. "I care about you too. That's why I hope that whatever it is you have to do it is worth it, that it finally brings you happiness." There was a cold tone to his voice that surprised and hurt her. Seeing this he moved back towards her. "I'm not saying this to hurt you. I sincerely hope that you are finally able to find what you want, what will make you happy. For as long as I have known you, you have always been looking for something to make you happy, but I believe that when you do finally get what it is you think you want, it will not being you happiness."
His words hurt, but she knew they came for a place of concern. That was comforting. To know that someone here still cared about her wellbeing. In one fluid movement she closed the distance between them and threw her arms around the knights neck.
"Goodbye Morgana." He whispered into her ear, as he pulling her in closer before pulling away.
She didn't say anything in return, but her eyes met his as he pulled away. There was no malice or anger in his eyes, just concern. She knew that it was for the best. She could not stand to risk him getting hurt because of her.
"Goodbye."
She didn't know if he would hear her or not, it didn't really matter. What was important was that she had said it. She had to let him, all of it go if she was going to move forward. Camelot and the people in it had caused her nothing but pain. Deep down she knew she had done the same to them, but she was still in denial about much of that. Her destiny didn't belong there, it never had. To fulfil her destiny she had to think bigger, beyond the kingdom she grew up in, beyond the throne.
For a while she watched Gwaine walking away from her. When she could stand it no longer and with a deep breath, she lifted up the hem of her dress, so it didn't get snagged on any of the fallen twigs and forest debris. She ran as fast as the heavy dress and uneven terrain would let her. She ran till she came to a large, croaked familiar tree. One that she had climbed as a child, carved her name in. A smile crossed her face, as she circled the tree. Her right hand lightly gliding over the rough bark. Covered by a layer of leaves nestled in the roots of the tree she found a worn brown sack that looked like it only had little space left in it.
Her hand was an inch away from reaching it, picking it up, when a sharp pain shot up her arm. Some unseen force then twisted her arm round till it was held behind her back. Her body was pulled back up to its full height, as she was turned around. The hint of a smile was now well and truly gone from her face, replaced by a cold glare.
"You didn't even say goodbye." Another familiar voice said.
She struggled to pull her arm free. "Let me go Merlin." She ordered having no luck freeing her arm.
"Not till you tell me what is in that sack." Merlin now revealed himself, stepping out from behind another large misshapen tree close by.
"That has nothing to do with you." Her voice losing none of her anger.
He casually began walking over to her. Feeling secure Morgana would not be able to strike at him. "When are you going to learn that it has everything to do with me, if you're going to use whatever is in there to harm Camelot."
He was now getting closer to the sack, she didn't like that. So she gave in. "The contents of the sack don't belong in Camelot, he has no right to them."
"You emptied the vaults of magical artefacts, didn't you." She smiled a real smile at how quickly he understood what she had done and with pride at what she had done. "Why."
"You know maybe if you didn't ask such stupid questions, I might answer." He rolled his eyes, as he moved to stand in-front of her. "First you ask where I've been, then you want to know why I don't have my healing bracelet. Where I got the scar on by shoulder. Now why I want to reclaim objects that should be in the possession of those that know how to use them. That last one answers its self doesn't it."
From some angles he looked like he might have been smiling, as he relaxed his stanch and crossed his arms over his chest. Her face too fell into a smirk, as she quickly moved her free arm to reach out to the sack. While she moved she spoke one word. Merlin uncrossed his arms, and realised Morgana's other arm, as the sack disappeared.
"Where did you send them, the druids, the isle of the blessed." He rapidly questioned.
She grinned as she moved to walk away. "What did I tell you about asking stupid questions. It doesn't concern you."
It was now Merlin's turn to grin, as he pulled out an object from his jacket pocket. "Haven't lost anything have you."
Slowly she turned round to face him. He was holding up the bronze band on the dark string. Her hand, even though she knew it wasn't there, still went up to take hold of the band that was no longer around her neck. Her other hand she held out towards him. "Give that back." She commanded.
"Not till you tell me what it is, and why it is so important. It's not a magical object, but it has something to do with what you're up to." He noticed her chest rising and falling very rabidly. "Don't worry, I'll take your advice. I'm going to stick with this question, I think it will answer the others as-well." He finished with a teasing smile.
Before anger could cross her eyes, they flashed gold. Sending a non-verbal stunning spell towards Merlin. He saw it coming and raised his free hand to block it.
"Why do you care." She spat in irritation.
"The truth." She nodded in answer. "I needed a way to get you to do something for me."
"So taking my property was a way to get my help." He gave slight nod. "You could have asked."
He didn't know if she was being serious or if she was making fun. "I also wanted to know what you are planning." He admitted.
"Well that I'm not going to tell you." She walked steadily towards him. "After all you choose to keep me in the dark about your destiny, planes. I'm just returning the favour."
"What about helping me." He ventured to ask, she had not said anything about not helping him specifically.
She smirked as she crossed her arms over her chest. "And what would the great Emrys need my help with."
The grin that been almost constantly on his face, now spread into a full smile, as he reached into his other pocket, and pulled out a shiny, oddly shaped gold object.
"What is that." Morgana asked as she moved closer. Her eyes locked on the object in his hand.
"Something I got to before you cleared out the vaults." As he spoke her hand reached out to touch the object, but stopped a few inches away.
"You stole it." The faint note of respect in her voice.
"I did say we might be more a little than we want to think, or admit." He answered with clear pride in his voice, that surprised Morgana a little.
"No." she shook her head. "I will never be like her." The tone in her voice was not like her own. "Sorry, I meant you. I will never be like you."
He looked visibly stunned by her words. He didn't let it discourage him. She had still not refused to help him. He took her mocking for what he knew it to be. As her way of protecting herself from allowing herself to become familiar with him again. "This is part of a key."
"A key, is that it." She asked sounding disappointed.
"You think that the objects you have taken will help to bring back the old ways. They are nothing compared to what this key will open up."
"Go on." Morgana encouraged.
He watched her eyes, she was defiantly interested. He had appealed to her curiosity, he now had to pull on her emotions. "You also get to annoy someone you think even less of then me."
"Oh Merlin, there is no one I think less of than you."
"Not even the one that warned me about against trusting you." He spoke in a low voice, as he moved closer to her.
Her eyes widened in shock as she realised who Merlin was talking about. "No, no." Shacking her head she took a step back and turned to walk away.
"Morgana." She didn't stop or turn to face him. "Morgana, what would you give to not be the last of your kind. The last high priestess."
She stopped, and turned only her head to look at him. "I'm not helping him."
"What would you give. To have your sister, mother back. Someone like you. Who you can share all that makes you who you are with." He put the two objects he held back in his pockets, and walked over to her. She didn't seem to be moving away anymore. "Isn't that what you want, to bring back the old ways. Teach the old religion to others."
Morgana moved round to fully face him. "This is not the same thing."
"Your right it's not. There will always be people that are born with magic, people who could be taught. In time, but there is only ever going to be one chance to restore the dragons." He was now in-front of her. He took his part of the key from his pocket and held it out to her. "This key leads to the last dragon egg."
"No." She pushed past him and started to walk away. "You can keep the band." She yelled back without turning round.
"I should have known you wouldn't help. Your to selfish." She stopped, but didn't turn to look at him. He saw her hand clench shut. "You are not the only person that has lost someone important to them. That feels alone. You lash out at everyone that gets in your way. You enjoy hurting them, because you think it repays the pain you feel. It never will Morgana. No matter how much you lash out, hurt people. It will never take away the pain you feel. You have to deal with that yourself."
Quickly she turned to face him. "And you are a masochist. You enjoy feeling pain because after all that you have done, all the people you have stepped on to get what you want. You feel guilty, but the world just seems to let you get away with it. Where others that do one thing wrong, and they lose everything and are forever branded a monster. Pain is the only way you feel your human, because you have lost so much of who you are."
Something stopped her from leaving and him too. After a few seconds that seemed to drag on, their eyes finally caught the others. It took time for either of them to process how deeply they had been read by the other. They felt exposed, but there was also a slight reassurance that someone understood them so well.
"This is important Morgana. It could be a big step towards the future. The kind of future that we both want." She gave a faint nod. "We both said-"
"The truth." She started to move away, but stopped after a few steps. "You have to tell me where we're going."
A smile threatened to cross his face as he hurried over to her to catch up, before she changed her mind. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out her band. When he was by her side he handed it to her. "Thank you."
She took it, and slipped it over her head. "I'm not doing it for you, or him."
She was doing it for a much more important reason. Though it was not something she was pleased about, it did play into her planes.
They walked through the forest to a small town not far from Camelot. Merlin had brought a pack with him, as he was sure they would have to camp out that night. He had also brought Morgana's green cloak. As the sun started to set a little he handed it to her. Though she asked him more about what was going on, he couldn't really tell her much.
A few days before the green knight arrived, there had been another guest to the castle. An old friend of Gaius's. He overheard a conversation they had, about the last dragon egg. When he was finally able to get Gaius to talk about it. He just warned him away from the whole thing. He couldn't let it go through. The dragon, no matter what happened in the past had always been the one person he could talk to about his destiny, the only one that seemed to really understand, after finding his father, he felt a stronger connection, on a more equal footing. It was easier than he thought to get the key part form the vault. Getting Morgana to help was a way to make sure that Gaius's friend, if he was as bad a Gaius said, couldn't do anything to ruin things.
When they arrived at the inn of the town, Morgana pulled up her hood to hide her face. As her vision was compromised, by how low she pulled the hood down, he placed a hand on her back, and guided her through the crowd. He scanned the room looking for Gaius's friend. A loud annoyed yell came from the far end of the room.
Turning to were the sound came from, he saw who he was looking for.
"He's over there. The one with his back to the wall."
She nodded and made her way over to him, Merlin a step behind. Lifting her hood up a little she got her first glance of the famous treasure seeker, Julius Borden. He looked younger than she had expected. That could have something to do with the large grin on his face. Due she was sure to his winning hand in their card game, and the pile of money he was dragging across the table towards him.
As they drew closer, the other men around the table threw their cards down and moved away. Julius lifted up his arms, and let out a small laugh. "Come on, no one man enough for another game."
With the table empty, Morgan quickly moved to sit on the chair to his right. Merlin followed her, and sat across from him. Julius didn't noticed Merlin, he kept his eyes on Morgana. He tilted his head to try and see her face under her hood.
"It would seem not." He grinned and he reached out to take her hand, which rested on the table. "I'm Julius Borden. Though I'm sure a young lady like you would not have heard of me." He lowered his head, and kissed her hand. While he did he tilted up his eyes, so he could see her face more clearly. All he could make out was her eyes.
His stubble was rouge on her hand. Gwaine's had never itched as much when he kissed her. Taking her hand away she pulled her hood back even further, so he could finally see her face. Though it was still hidden form the rest of the people around them.
"The lady Morgana, what are you-"
"I heard about your next adventure. I wanted to offer my help." She offered with a sweet a tone as she could muster.
"Why would you want to help me." He leaned back against the wall, his his hand behind her head. "It isn't really the kind of thing-"
"I can kill you in ne move with a sword, less with magic. I have taken over a kingdom. I can handle anything you can. More importantly you need me."
"Is that right."
She turned her head to Merlin. Who had been silent the whole time. They decided it was best if Morgana did most of the talking. It was common knowledge that she had magic, Merlin didn't trust Julius enough to tell him about himself. He pulled out his part of the gold key, for a second than put it away again.
Julius's eyes seemed to light up when he saw the part of the key. He looked up at Merlin and then back to Morgana. "I was wondering who he was now, I see his importance." His words were almost drowned out by his laughter. A huge grin crossed his face. He clapped his hands together, before calling for three tankards of mead to be brought to the table.
The man behind the bar brought the tankards over. Julius picked one up, and then took hold of another, he then handed over to Morgana. She gave a forced smile of thanks. When she had her hand on the handle, he placed his free hand on top of hers.
"You are a high priestess aren't you." She nodded. "So is he." He gestured with his head towards Merlin, who hadn't moved or spoken. It took her a minute for her to understand. A smirk crossed her face as she nodded.
Merlin didn't have the change to ask what they were talking about, because Julius started to laugh again. He downed his tankard, and Merlin's which he hadn't touched. Then they got up and left.
I hope you liked it, and will read the next part. I should be honest and say that I only saw like the last ten minutes of the episode with the dragon egg last season. So I hope that I got the character of Julius right, or at least didn't make him to out of character. As I haven't watched this episode, if there is anything that you feel is important that I keep in mind, I would love to know.
I'm sure it's boring, but I wanted to remind you again about the TV trope page for this story. A reader started it up for other readers and I just wanted to remind you all. I would add to it, but I have no idea how. So I hope that some of you do. I feel bad, that someone made the page, and no one is adding to it. So I would ask you to. I hope the creator of the page doesn't mind my writing this. There is a link on my profile.
I also wanted to also remind you about the competition. I know that it is asking a lot, I just wanted to do something to celebrate the half-way point. I have come up with three ideas for prizes. The way I see it, the person that gets the most votes has their pick of which prize they want. The runner up can then choose form the remaining two prizes. The third place winner, then has the remaining prize.
The options are. Option one. I will PM you and ask you a question about the story. You will get to decide a part of the story.
Option two. You can ask me any question about the story that you want, and how detailed of an answer you want, subtle or direct.
Option three. You can pick any character, or character relationship and I will give you a spoiler about them.
I know they're not very good, so if you have any better ideas I would love to hear them. As there are three prizes there has to be entry's to go forward. So I said before you can do almost any fan thing you want, fanvid, fanfic and fanart. As long as it is related to this story you can do what you want. I found out that you can't but links in PM's. So if you PM me I can give you my email address. This of course is if you want to take part. This was the only idea I had, but if you can think of anything else to do to mark the half-way point then I would love to hear it.
So thanks again. I look forward to hearing what you have to say about this chapter. Also to see what you come up with for the competition, if you want to take part that is.