Hello my dears. I would like to thank LISTEN TO US (Guest), UPDATE (Guest), emrysmorgan, . , Covley Hatake, Lady Morgana (Guest), Lunaday12, Mergana Lover (Guest), MerganaForever (Guest), Guardian of the Inheritance, OechsnerC, Meri Ley (Guest), mersan123 and gaylelbf for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those that have followed and favoured since my last update.
So ii am so very sorry for the long absence, I am currently in the process of moving house, which is rather stressful. Anyway I am sorry. Now here is the next chapter, I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
Elyan sat there with his mouth open at the end of his sister's tale. The idea that all she had told him had been going on under everyone's noses, and no one knew? It was mind-blowing. That there had been a war raging with only Merlin fighting against it, and yet Camelot had not fallen. He couldn't get his head around it. It was too much for him to understand, so he pushed it from his mind, deciding to concentrate on only the important points. Merlin had magic and was with Arthur. Morgana had magic and sided with the prince. Surely two magic user's against one would mean a win, right? He could only hope so, for Camelot's sake.
He had just managed to get his mind in order and was about to ask his sister what the plan was next, when they all heard the outer door of the physician's chamber open. All three head turned as one to the closed door that was all that was between them and whoever was on the other side. It made Elyan suddenly hear the sounds that he had been ignoring that had filtered in through the window. The sounds of a battle raging below. That could mean the person on the other side of the door was not a friend. He wasn't about to risk his sisters life on the off chance it wasn't. Therefore he opened his mouth to tell her to hide in the closest, but before he could get the words out other words sounded in the room. Words that were foreign to him and caused the hair to stand up on the back of his neck. He didn't even think before turning to the only magic user in the room to see her hand held out and her eyes flaring gold.
"Morgana? What are you doing?" Gwen whispered over to her friend. Not wanting to speak to loudly in case the person on the other side could hear her, or she would distract Morgana from whatever it was she was doing. Because Gwen didn't think for a minute that whatever spell she was casting was anything other than for their protection.
"I am making it seem as if the door is a solid wall." Morgana replied through gritted teeth as she pushed more of her magic into the spell. Pushing it into the mind of the solider on the other side of the door so he did not even consider that there was another room to search. This was not a spell she had used before, in fact it was one she had only just read in the book in her hand. She was so very glad she had found it.
It felt like forever for those in the room before they heard the outer door open and close again, though in truth in was only a few moments. As soon as she heard the door close and knew the solider was gone Morgana released the glamor spell she had cast, and with a sigh as her eyes returned to their normal green.
"You did it." Gwen said giving her friend a true smile. It was the first time she had really seen Morgana use her magic for protection of others, and it showed her as nothing else would that she truly was on their side. Not that she had any doubts about that, but it felt good seeing in her what she had only ever seen in Merlin.
"We need to go." Morgana replied, but rather than standing, she reached back under the bed. She wanted to make sure she didn't leave anything here that they could use. She felt around in the space below the floor and her hand closed over something that felt like a bottle in a cage, and pulling it out she saw that was exactly what it was. It was a vial holding water. She did not know what significance it had, but she knew if Merlin hid it, it must be important. Therefore she pushed both it and the magic book into her pack. She would make sure Merlin got them. She had to, to protect Camelot.
Morgause was standing in her sister's room, a frown on her face at the fact it was empty. Though she should have probably expected that. She doubted Morgana would forgive her for what she had done. But surely she would understand when she told her why. She needed to find Morgana, then together they could confront Uther. Together they could end his tyranny and start a new age for Camelot. A new age where magic would be free once more. She was just wondering where her sister would run to when she felt her magic. Morgause couldn't stop the smirk that came upon her lips when she realised where it was coming from. Her sister was clever. She would never have thought to look for her there. But while she could hide from her, her magic could not. With that she turned majestically out of the room, heading towards the chambers of the physician and Merlin.
Morgana, Gwen and Elyan were trying to convince Gaius to come with them in the main room of his chambers when the door suddenly opened, only to revel Morgause standing there.
"Sister." She said, her eyes taking in the other in the room but only concentrating on the one that was important to her, important to the future of magic.
As soon as she heard that word Morgana raised the sword she had in her hand. She knew in a fight she had no chance against Morgause, her magic was so much stronger. But it was automatic for her to want to protect her friends, those that trusted her. "Stay back. I will not let you hurt them." She replied her tone coldly regal in fake confidence.
"I do not wish to hurt anyone, Morgana." Morgause responded her eyes softening as she smiled at her sisters protective instincts. She was going to make such a wonderful queen, for all the people of Camelot.
"Then why are you doing this? I thought you believed in Arthur too." Morgana snapped out, not being able to hold back her confusion at Morgause's actions. She just did not understand.
"I did, but he is dead. I am so sorry sister, he was shot with a poisoned arrow. I failed to protect him so I am doing what I must to protect magic." Morgause answered, her hand going out automatically in an attempt to comfort the woman in front of her from the pain she knew she had just caused with her words. She wished she could change that truth, let there be some miraculous way that Arthur would survive, but she knew there was not.
"No. Arthur cannot be dead." Morgana replied her eyes widening at the thought. For a brief moment she found herself feeling the horror at the idea that the one destined to rule over a peaceful Albion was dead, before she remembered who he had left with. Who it was at her brother's side. She knew that the only way Merlin would ever let anything happen to Arthur was if he was already dead. And Merlin could not be dead. Emrys could not be dead.
"I am sorry, but-" Morgause started to say, trying to think of how to get the conversation round to where she knew it needed to be. To what they did next, even if she knew her sister hurt at the loss. They still had things they needed to do. She and Camelot could grieve later for the prince that had gone.
"No. you don't understand. Emrys will not let him die." Morgana interrupted her sword lowering at her impassioned words. She may have so many questions for Merlin, so much confusion about him in her mind, but there was no question of that fact in her mind.
"Emrys?" Morgause whispered her face paling at the name she had heard only spoken in reverence by the druids as they talked of the prophecies. She had never put much store in their magical saviour, but hearing her sister say those words made a pit open up inside of her. Maybe she should have listened to them more, maybe she should have trusted them more, and not dismissed them because they did not want to fight.
"Yes. He is with Arthur, at his side. He is always at his side." Morgana responded simply as if it was a fact similar to night follows day.
At that Morgause staggered back, clutching her throat as if she could already feel the noose her actions had placed around it tighten. "Oh goddess have mercy, what have I done?" She whispered in horror, having to fall into a chair at the table to stop herself from falling down. Emrys was real, and he was with Arthur. It was never her job to protect the prince, he already had Emrys at his side. And she had gone against him, against all of magic.
"Morgause?" Morgana asked worry colouring her tone as she watched her sister's reaction.
"I truly believed he was dead. If I had known I never would have- you must believe me sister. If I had known Arthur lived I would not have done this." Morgause responded looking up at Morgana with a beseeching look, as if she alone could give her the absolution she needed for the horrors she had caused.
"Then stop it. Stop it now, before it is too late." Morgana replied falling to her knees in front of her sister and taking her hands in her own. Maybe there was still a chance to make this right. If Morgause stopped it now, surely it wasn't too late?
At her words Morgause straightened her spine as she smiled sadly down at her younger sister. If only it was that easy. But she had gone past the point of no return when she had led the attack. There was no going back for her. Not now. No now all she could do was make sure it counted. Make sure the death she had inflicted on this kingdom was not in vein.
"It is already far too late, sister. I am sorry, but I have chosen my path, I must now walk it." She said serenely as the knowledge settled on her. Yes this was her role all along. For the son to rise, the father must fall. It seems it has always been her destiny to kill the king, and she accepted the consequences that would come from doing so.
"No. you don't." Morgana argued back desperately. She did not want her family to be torn apart like this. She couldn't take losing someone else.
"I do. I understand now what my role is, and I am willing to give whatever I must for the future you have seen. There is still one thing I must do. But you need to go. Find Arthur, find Emrys and tell him… tell him that he needs to spill the blood from the cup to end this… You are the last High Priestess now, sister, protect and guide our people wisely. I try to keep the warriors from you for as long as I can." And with that Morgause rose from her seat and left, not looking back, even if she wanted to see her sister one more time. Because she knew what she had to do would put an end to any idea that she would survive. But it was no more than she deserved. She had cause death and destruction, she deserved death in return. But she would not allow it to be for nothing. No there was still one obstacle in the path of Arthur becoming king, and he was one she would happily remove.
Morgana turned to the people in the room with her when her sister left, she could see the worry in their eyes but she refused to allow it to enter her own. She did not want to think about what it was Morgause was going to do. She couldn't let herself think about it. So instead she turned my mind to Arthur. He was what mattered now, everything else, she would deal with that when this was over and Camelot was safe once more.
"Gaius, if Arthur is hurt he is going to need you. Will you come with us?" She asked again, it seemed she finally had the perfect incentive to get the physician joining them.
Gaius looked into the face of the woman he hadn't been sure he could trust. Looked into her eyes and was surprised by what he saw. The look in them was so very much like Merlin's before he went into battle to protect his king, when he was determined to protect his friend. There really was only one response he could give to that look. "I will. But do you know where he will be?" He asked. After all it seemed pointless just searching the woods hoping they stumbled across Arthur and Merlin now wasn't it?
"I… no. I do not." Morgana responded surprise in her voice as the idea of not being able to find Arthur had never entered her head. She turned to Gwen wondering if her brother had told her of any places he would go, hoping she had an idea.
And well, Gwen did. Though not of where Arthur would go. "Leon." She said as the idea came to her.
"What?" Morgana asked frowning at why she was saying the knight's name.
"Leon will know, if he survived. He'll know where Arthur is, surely?" Gwen explained herself, looking round the room and into the eyes of each of those present in the hopes they would agree with her.
Morgana smiled. Yes, Gwen was right, and it was the best chance they had. She could only hope he had survived. If he had there was only one place in the castle that he would be. "I will go to the dungeons and look for him. The rest of you go to the forest. If I am not with you by midmorning take this and try and find Merlin." She said thrusting her travel pack at Gwen so she could take the precious magical artefacts it contained to their owner. She just hoped they would help them win.
"I am coming with you, Morgana." Gwen replied stubbornly handing off the pack to her brother who took it before her words even registered in his mind.
"Gwen-" Morgana started to argue. She could not let her friend, the future queen of Camelot, risk herself. Not now.
"No. don't argue because I will not listen. You need someone watching your back." Gwen interrupted already turning towards the door. They were wasting time standing here talking, they needed to find Leon, and with him find Arthur.
"Very well." Morgana sighed. She knew a lost cause when she saw one and trying to change Gwen's mind would not work.
"I will take the pack and make sure it gets to Merlin if you do not return." Gaius interjected, taking the bag from Elyan as he collected his travel medical bag. He was going to need it.
"Thank you, Gaius." Morgana smiled at him. She was glad that there was someone who would be there to find Arthur if she and Gwen did not make it out of the castle.
"Elyan, go with him. Protect him." Gwen said to her brother. After all Gaius was not a fighter, he would need someone at his side to make sure he made it to Arthur. She knew there was a chance her and Morgana would not survive this mission, and someone needed to get word to those that could defeat this latest threat to Camelot.
"What about you?" Elyan asked torn. He wanted to follow his sister to protect her, but he also knew that Gaius would need protection as well.
"We will be fine. We'll have Leon with us. Go." Gwen responded with a smile. After all her brother and she used to play with the knight when they were children. They both knew he would protect her and Morgana with his life if needs be.
"Fine, but you better come met us." Elyan conceded. That was the only goodbye he was going to give her, because he could not entertain the idea that it would be the last.
"We will, I promise." Gwen replied and while they both knew it was empty it was enough to get her brother moving, shuffling Gaius towards the exit.
"Come on." Morgana said, holding the sword out in front of her even if she knew it would do little good. It was instinctive with the weapon in her hands while in danger.
With that Morgana and Gwen made their way carefully through the castle, heading towards the dungeons, where they hoped Leon would be. They refused to consider the idea he was already dead, because they needed him, and he always survived. Leon was the best hope of finding Arthur, and it was all they had.