A new job

She was scared and wounded. Her dress was a complete mess - torn by thorns of wild flowers and by the branches of the trees. She was bleeding all over her body. The witch had deep bleeding everywhere: on her legs, hands, back. Her hair was also a mess. There was not a single resemblance with the former lady of Camelot. Merlin saw her standing there, in front of the huge gates, waiting for them to open. However, Morgana didn't notice him entering. She just saw the gates opening and she hurried to take that unique chance, hoping that she would be faster than the guards. She was not only unable to get out, but she also bumped into Merlin. Blue eyes met green as his face was over hers and his hand rest on her back – the result of him catching her so she should not fall. Yet Morgana soon recover her posture and suddenly jump on her feet. Merlin laughed.

"Let's go, Morgana" He ordered her. She not only refused to obey his command, but put on her superiority smirk.

"Since when would a poor servant give orders to a lady?" She tried to look superior to him, but in fact she was scared, scared even by Arthur's poor servant.

"You can stay here as long as you want, Morgana, but I doubt that it is really what you want. The guards were strictly requested no to allow anyone to get out of the city. You won't be an exception. So, what's your master plan, Morgana? Stay here and die of hunger or get a cold due to freezing rain or have your wounds infected? Right now, the city needs any help it can get. Instead of staying here and torturing yourself you would better go back and help your own kin to live in a happy world."

"I'm not going to help Emrys." She uttered and there was no way to change her mind.

"Still as stubborn as ever, Morgana? Don't you want magic back? Can't you let go of the past? Why do you hate Emrys so much?" It was a bit funny to speak about himself as if he was someone else, but it wasn't the right time to tell her the truth. Without waiting for another world he caught her in his arms and put her on the horse he had brought with him from Camelot. Morgana had lost a lot of weight during the time due to malnutrition and lack of sleep. Then he sat next to her - all happening so fast that she had no time to jump down- put his left hand over her stomach so her back would lean on his chest while holding the reins with his right hand. Morgana wanted to run, but he was too strong to fight with him and to her surprise she was actually enjoying the moment. However, it didn't prevented the witch from trying to escape from his embrace numerous times during their journey towards the castle.

Finally, they arrived. He guided her towards his room. He could felt her tension. She was like a scared panther in a cage, ready to attack at any moment…

The witch was very tense, indeed, as she did not know what to hope for or to be afraid of. Everything seemed lovely and scary at the same time. The place was full of magic and joy. However, the same power that created that joy scared her. She wasn't ready to meet Emrys.

The room was full of books and papers yet tidy and cozy. She could recognize some of the books. They were full of spells and legends, prophecies and magic creatures. Morgana couldn't help flipping through the pages. Meanwhile, he brought a plate of food and invited her to have a try. The food looked tasty, yet she was afraid to eat. Merlin guessed her fears, even if she did not dare to speak up, and tasted from each dish so she could see it was safe.

"If I were to want you dead, I would have done it before, don't you think? Why would I need to poison you now?" The witch did not answer. Instead she sat down and started to eat. She was really hungry. Merlin let her alone and started to look over the books. Morgana ignored him. The food was really good. She didn't remember the last time she had eaten something so tasty.

Merlin allowed her to enjoy her meal. However, he could see that she hadn't relaxed completely. As one of the lords entered to deliver a report to Merlin, Morgana stopped and watched him with scared cat-like eyes. The fact that she knew Emrys was around was killing her. Merlin gestured to the lord to follow him and they left the room, allowing her to have a decent meal while they could have a private conversation.

Yet, being alone didn't help at all. She had been more relaxed while Merlin was there. Each noise was amplified by her fears. Morgana had always been brave no matter what. She was decided to be brave now, even if the one she would have to face was her mortal enemy and the man that was destined to be her doom.

Morgana had finished her meal and was reading a book when Merlin entered the room.

"Whose room is it?" She asked as sat down on the edge of the bed. She ran her fingers over the bed linen. It felt so soft. It was clearly that its owner had to be a noble.

"This matters little, Morgana. Do not worry, though. No one will disturb you here…. What I want you to do…." He went on after a while. Morgana didn't like the way he said that. Why would she do something for him? She wasn't his servant, after all. "You aren't a noble anymore, Morgana." Merlin had seen her reaction and so he decided to stress Morgana's role and duties from that moment on. "So, you have the same rights, duties and privileges as any other peasant. As a result, you will have to work if you want to eat and have a warm place to stay. You can apply for any job you feel you are eligible for, but you have to take into account that you will have to be good at it. Better than any of these peasants or lords. However, what I want you to do tonight is a quiet easy task."

"What don't you do it yourself if it is so easy?" Morgana couldn't help but threw at him.

"Because I have to handle more difficult ones and I lack the time to do this petty task, too." She smirked at him, but said nothing. Merlin pretended to ignore her reaction and invited her to have a sit at his writing table. To his surprise, Morgana obeyed. Then, he handed her some sheets of paper, ink and something to write. "You will have to copy this." He said as he gave her some other sheets of paper that contained the new laws of the country as well as the punishment for each of the crime written above.

"All of them?!" She exclaimed as she studied them. "That can be done with magic. Isn't anyone capable to do it?"

"Well, yes. It can be done this way. However, I wouldn't know for sure that you have read those laws if I do that way, would I?"

"What if I refuse?" She asked.

"You may lose any chance of being offered a better job. Although, there are many chores that could be done with magic, there are few people that are actually able to use it properly. As a result, they had to be done in the classic way. As I said, you need to work somewhere. If you think that it is of little importance whether it is mopping the floor or writing some pages, then you can do as you wish. The food you eat tonight was mine, but I wouldn't be able to share it with you, any longer. Plus, it won't be fair for those who really work here. Now, it's your decision if you do as you've been told or not." As he said that he went back to his stuffs.

He had used himself to have some reports of the every day's problems and accomplishments brought to him every night so he would be able to find solutions as well as to evaluate the results of his orders. Merlin had never intended to take over the country, but all of his lords refused the crown….And even without a crown, people were listening to his suggestions and obey his orders. So, he was the king, the king of a magic land.

There were many orders to be given and he had done it while meeting with Lord Elster – the one that had disturbed Morgana's dinner – so it was little need to convoke a council for now. So, he would have time to study some of those spell books. To his surprise, Morgana was pretty docile. She wasn't writing a word, but she was carefully reading the papers he had given her. Merlin smiled. It might work after all….

Morgana didn't know what to do. She didn't want to listen to Merlin. What right he had to tell her what to do? Yet, she watched at the door and suddenly she felt alone and afraid. She didn't want to leave the room. The witch was scared of going outside. She hated Merlin, but he was hardly a danger for her, wasn't he? Well, she had some doubt about it. However, he was right. If he were to really want her dead, he would do it openly. He had nothing to fear now, after all. Back then, in Camelot, she was Uther's ward and poison was the only option he had. Here, she had no magic and no status. Killing her was any more dangerous than killing any petty peasant from that land or… "Might it be that the king treated people as equals as Merlin had said?" She thought. There was only a way to find out. She suddenly remembered that Merlin had asked her to copy the laws of the kingdom. If she wanted to find out, she only needed to read the laws. "I'm not going to copy them anyway. So, it's not like I'm listening to his command." She told herself and then she started to study the papers. They were indeed interesting.