Hello my dears. I would like to thank BowTiesAreCool141414, gaylelbf, Guardian of the Inheritance, Nobody659, PrimeMegalodon, sandeezy, Meri Ley (Guest), Gingeraffealene, OechsnerC, SherlockHolmes4884, phhsdj, lauparrillaxrobbie and AndreKl for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.
So I am really sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I had a major block as to where I was taking this story as the previous two chapters changed my whole plan. I have also been doing my corrections for thesis and working full time, so I haven't had much time to write. So very sorry for the wait. But it's over now. Here is the next chapter, I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
Morgana woke the next morning feeling refreshed after her sleep, no dreams had disturbed her slumber, though she was not sure if that was a good thing or not. She still had so many questions going round in her mind, not to mention the repeating loop about Emrys being her destiny and her doom, and Merlin being Merlin Emrys. She did not understand the significance of the name. Did not understand what it meant. And she needed to know.
So she lay there, listening as Gwen made her way around her room doing her morning cores. Listened and tried to think of a way to gain that which she needed. Tried to think of a way to find out about this new name Merlin seemed to have. She had never known him to have a family name before, but he obviously did. Emrys. She had never heard it before. In fact she didn't remembered ever hearing anything about Merlin's father, whom would be the one to give him his family name. Who were the Emrys family? And was there more than just Merlin himself? Was it possible that one of his relations was her doom, rather than him himself? She hoped so. She could cope with him being her destiny if she had too, but she did not think she would survive any more pain he caused her. It already hurt too much. But how to get answers? Oh she knew she could ask Merlin, but that was not going to happen. She would very much prefer is she never had to speak to him again as long as they both lived. Surely Gaius would know, but she doubted he would tell her anything. So who to ask? And in that moment it came to her. There was one person in Camelot who would hopefully know. He did have records of all families hidden within the books and scrolls under his care. Yes she would go ask Geoffrey if he had ever heard of the Emrys family. With that decided she called out to Gwen to help her prepare for the day. She had questions that needed answering.
Merlin hadn't slept well that night. Because even though he knew Morgana was still on their side, it didn't stop the hurt he felt in his heart knowing he had lost the woman he loved. Knowing he had lost what they could have been. And he had no idea how to win her back. He doubted flowers would do the trick this time. Especially not as he had annoyed her to such an extent she had thrown him against a wall. That was never a good sign. But what else could he give her? It was with these thoughts he made his way towards Arthur's room, entering as he always did without knocking. Once he had placed his food down he opened the curtains, letting the sun shine in, though he did not accompany this with his usual rise and shine, instead he said "Arthur, get up, you lazy lump. Its morning."
"Huh? Merlin?" Arthur grumbled blinking open his eyes to frown at his friend. His tone of voice was not the one he was used to hearing in the morning. There was no vile cheerfulness. In fact it sounded rather hollow. That woke Arthur up better than anything else could.
"Who else is it going to be, prat?" Merlin replied trying to force himself not to show how much his heart really wasn't in it.
"Okay. I'm up. Sit. What's wrong?" Arthur asked making his way to the table for his breakfast. It was becoming something of a habit for him to invite the younger man to join him, and it was one he actually rather enjoyed.
"Who said anything was wrong?" Merlin asked doing as he was bid and grapping a roll from the tray before Arthur could stop him. At least he had left his sausages alone.
At that Arthur just looked at him as if to say 'really?'. It took the same amount of time as Arthur eating a third of his plate before Merlin caved into the suppressive silence caused by the prince not removing his eyes from him the whole time.
"Fine. I'm trying to think of a way to get Morgana to forgive me." Merlin mumbled, looking at the roll in his hands which now resembled crumbs instead of food. Great, something else he was going to have to clean up.
"Good luck with that." Arthur responded with a laugh. Morgana could hold a grudge like no one he had ever met, though looking at Merlin he realised that probably wasn't the best thing he could have said. He remembered what he had overheard of the conversation between the lady and his friend, and he knew this was a lot more than him accidently spilling wine on one of her gowns. But he didn't have any answers for the man beside him, he wished he did. "Just give her time, and space. Try talking to her when she's calmed down a bit." He suggested, thinking of the only thing he had.
At that Merlin huffed. "Yeah, good plan." He muttered to himself. Bit late for that he thought, but it wasn't like he could tell Arthur he had made it worse by going to see her the previous evening to make sure she was loyal to him, now was it? Arthur thought of her as he beloved sister.
"She'll come round. She loves you just as much as you love her." Arthur replied, forcing himself to say the words and hoping they were true. Though he wasn't sure after all he had heard, but it was the best he had. The best he could do for his best friend. There was too much between Morgana and Merlin that he didn't know, that he didn't understand to be of any more help. He just hoped they worked it out, before it was too late. "But for now, we have training this morning. And I think you need to work on your footwork." He continued.
Those words caused a groan to escape Merlin's lips. Because he knew what that was code for. Arthur was going to spend most of the morning hitting him with a shape pointy bit of metal, and expect him to protect himself. Fantastic. The perfect way to start the day. Not.
Morgana quietly made her way down towards the library, taking a good look around to make sure her and Geoffrey were alone before she stepped into the room and approached him. This was not a conversation she wanted anyone to overhear, of that she was sure.
"My lady. How can I help you?" Geoffrey asked as he stood from his table once he saw who the footsteps he had heard belonged too. It was not usual for the lady Morgana to venture down to see him, and he was curious.
"Geoffrey. I was hoping you could help me. I heard a strange family name, and I was wondering of its history." Morgana responded, carefully not stating where she had heard it or whom it related to.
"I will do my best, my lady. What is the name?" Geoffrey asked, already moving towards the book of genealogies he held. All family names were held within it, he had no doubt he would find the answers Morgana sought in there.
"Emrys." Morgana responded in a hushed tone. The name caused Geoffrey to still in the action of reaching for the book. That was not a family name. He knew that much. In fact… that is not a name he had heard spoken ever, and only seen written down once.
"Why are you looking for this name?" He asked turning to her with a raised eyebrow. Because if he was not mistaken, and he very rarely was, that name was connected to the druids. The lady Morgana had no business with magic.
"I need to know the family." Morgana responded standing tall even if she wanted to quail under that look. She would not let him intimidate her into stopping her search. She needed answers.
"That name is not a family one but a horrific if I am not mistaken, my lady." Geoffrey answered staidly, not sure if he should say more but sure she would ask. He knew the lady in front of him and he knew she would not give up easily on her quest for the answers she sought.
"A horrific for who?" Morgana asked her eyes widening at the idea that Emrys was some kind of title. It was then she remembered Merlin saying that that was what the druids called him. Was it a sign of status among them? But as far as she knew the druids didn't have a system of hierarchy as she was used to in court. They had their elders and leaders, but they were chosen by the clan, they were not a given at birth. So why…?
"I do not know the details. It comes from the druidic tongue. Best to leave it well alone." Geoffrey replied trying to be stern. They should not be speaking of this. Magic was banned, and all talk of it could get you killed. He did not want to find the end of his long years of service to be at the executor's hand.
"Please, I need to know." Morgana begged, allowing her earnestness to appear in her eyes as tried to persuade her only hope to give her that which she need. Information about Merlin.
"There was a knight, many years ago who was injured and thought dead. The druids found him and nursed him back to health. He spent the winter in one of their camps. He recorded his time with them in a dairy. That is the only place I have ever seen that name." Geoffrey sighed, giving her as much as he was willing to do.
"Does that diary still exist?" Morgana asked her eyes lighting up at the idea that she could find out Merlin's secrets. Find out who Emrys truly was, and what it truly meant.
Geoffrey looked at her a moment debating how to respond to that. He wanted to say no. To send her on her way so that neither of them would be putting themselves in the danger he knew the current topic of conversation was doing. But looking into the hope in her eyes he knew he couldn't lie. The lady had changed since she had returned from being kidnaped for a year, though that was to be expected he knew. But it was more than that. He had seen the way she looked at Merlin, at the boy who lived with his old friend Gaius. The boy who always seemed to be in the right place at the right time to help Arthur prevent the destruction of Camelot from magical foes. He wasn't stupid, and he saw more things than most. He would put money on the boy having magic, not that he would ever tell anyone that. He had also seen how Merlin and Morgana's relationship had changed. When she had returned they were glaring at each other whenever they thought no one saw, but recently, their looks had contained so much more, it was almost as if they loved each other.
He knew the story she was looking for. The druid prophecy of Emrys and the once and future king though he had always dismissed it as fantasy. But he couldn't help but wonder if her changing relationship with Arthur's magical servant was the cause of her sudden interest. What if he was Emrys and Arthur the once and future king? Was it the truly preposterous idea that he had always told himself in the dark of the night?... Or was it possible that it wasn't a story, a fairy-tale as he had always believed. Was it possible that he was seeing it come true? And was he really prepared to give her what she sought in the hopes it was true?
With a sigh he made his decision. "Yes. I will get it for you." And with that he made his way to the back of the stacks, pulling an unassuming leather-bound book from the shelves. Uther had never wanted to destroy the writings of his own knights, and that was the only reason this book had survived the purge.
Returning to Morgana he held it out without a word. He did not need to ask her to keep it secret, he knew she would as soon as she read the words. He just hoped he was doing the right thing for the kingdom he loved.
"Thank you, Geoffrey." Morgana said, taking the book from his hands and folding into her arms, making it look like nothing more than one of the romance stories she would often read when she was younger. And with it in hand she made her way back out of the library, heading back to her chambers so she could read the secrets it held. She just hoped it had the answers she needed.