Author's Note: Thank you once more to Azar443 for being such an incredible FF confidante and twin! Thank you Mercia12591 for your suggestions! Thanks again to my parabatai/editor AndyAiden and Peyton for editing and throwing out ideas, as well. Love you all!
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
The Moment of Truth
Estella finally receives word from Sir Ethan, saying that he has found the man she is searching for. And so, she leaves Camelot once more – not for Caerleon this time – to the borders of Essetir (not that anyone in Camelot knows this… aside from Arthur and Morgana, of course). She rides her horse until the mare cannot go any longer and then they stop for a quick rest.
The duchess chooses this time to bathe and calm her troubled mind. The water is chilling on her pale skin, but she soon is not aware of the temperature as her thoughts flow through her mind and she closes her eyes, sinking under the surface.
When the need for air comes and the flash of a face of a young, dark-haired boy of seventeen flashes in her mind, she rises. Shaking the vision away, she dries herself and then dresses in her breeches, tunic, light chainmail, boots, cloak, and gloves.
After tying her mostly-dried hair back, Estella walks back to her horse, but is taken aback when she sees a tall, dark-haired man next to her mare. Tightening her grip on her sword, she silently walks towards the man. He is tentatively stroking the mare's nose and the horse is calm. The two seem as though they are old friends (and perhaps they are).
When she is close enough, the duchess puts the tip of her sword to the stranger's neck. His relaxed composure instantly stiffens. He removes his hands from the horse and slowly backs away, careful to not get himself marred by the blade.
"I mean no harm," he tries telling the woman, but she is not risking anything.
"Then go back to where ever you came from." The duchess retorts back.
The man seems to relax again as he walks toward the direction that his footprints show that he came. Estella lowers her blade, but keeps it unsheathed as she checks her mare. She doesn't notice that the man is still in her presence until he speaks.
"Well, I do believe that I have died and gone to heaven," Remarks a smooth voice. The woman jerks her head to look back at the man. "For such beauty cannot possibly exist upon the earth."
She is stupefied for a moment, not really by his words but by his face. The man has a tan complexion, softly prominent, high cheekbones, a strong nose, a shadow of a beard, and deep hazel eyes. A stranger at first glance, but she knows it is only because of the years that, of course, bring change. When the man starts to smirk at her expression, she regains some of her composure. "Don't you have somewhere else to be than to bother me?"
The man raises a dark brow and continues to smirk. "What; has no one ever praised your beauty?"
"What do you want?" She curses herself, for her question almost sounds like a plea for mercy.
He starts to walk closer to her. "I suppose first would be your name." That roguish grin that she could recognize anywhere is set upon his face. She doesn't give him what he wants. The duchess simply ignores him and climbs nimbly onto her horse. The man seems frightened that she is leaving. "I'm sorry, I have been discourteous." He makes a show of bowing chivalrously, "Allow me introduce myself. I'm Gwa-."
"Not important," she snaps and urges her horse to run. Estella hears his shouts of protest, but drowns them out of her mind. They were never meant to meet again (in her mind) and yet they have.
Estella shakes her head. She shouldn't be concerned about a chance (fateful) meeting; she has a quest to fulfill and she'll be damned if she lets the wounds an old flame inflicted on her keep her from it.
Merlin's mother, Hunith, walks into the Throne Room and stands before Uther and the court. She pleads to the king to aid save her village, but the king – although sincerely wanting to help – thinks of the thought of his own people first. For an army of Camelot to enter it would be an act of war and he cannot risk this upon Camelot, as he tells the peasant woman.
Arthur looks defeated, while Morgana glares at Uther, silently cursing the fact that Estella once left for Caerleon when Camelot needs her. The Lady moves to help the peasant woman on her feet and escorts Hunith out of the Throne Room.
Gwen and Merlin are in Gwen's house as the maid helps the servant pack for his trip. After stuffing some chainmail into a sack, the woman picks up a sheathed blade and unsheathes it with ease. Gwen hands the sword to Merlin who cautiously reaches for the blade and she sucks in her breath, warning him, and then he grabs the hilt.
Gwen raises her eyebrows at the response Merlin gave her to how the sword feels. She can see the nervousness her friend has for this journey and what he must do. He knows nothing of combat. Gwen herself is not an expert – far from it, but her father is a blacksmith and Morgana and Estella have given her some training, so she can hold her own in fight.
Before Gwen can respond to why she packed him armor, Morgana then opens the door and enters the house, dressed in trousers and a belted tunic, her black locks drawn back from her face. "We're coming with you." She informs him.
Initially, the warlock protests, but he can see that he will not be able to dissuade them from their decision) while looking at the women with pure gratitude. Morgana notices some additional affection on Merlin's part when his blue eyes are on Gwen and this makes her smile.
A few hours later, three of them and Hunith are on the road, riding on horseback toward Ealdor.
It is late in the night. Morgana does not know the time, but she senses a presence (one she knows very well) and a strong (also recognizable) aura in the woods. Opening her green eyes, she sees Merlin walking toward one direction, where presence is, so she decides to go in the direction of the aura with her sword (that is unless she hears him scream or something, then she'll go and save him).
The Lady walks with steady, trained steps – barely making a sound. She can feel the aura's presence becoming stronger.
She hears a crunch on the dead grass behind her. Turning around, she sees familiar, ethereal eyes smiling at her.
The corners of Morgana's lips curve upward. "I knew you would find us."
...
The warlock looks around him, looking around for signs of any threats, frightened out of his wits. Suddenly, he feels the tip of a sword on his back and he stiffens.
"I'd ask you for money, but I know you don't have any," the voice says drily.
Merlin turns around swiftly, "Arthur!"
The prince ducks as Merlin's sword swings near his head. Merlin looks at him with relief and amazement while golden-haired man simply looks annoyed. "Put the sword down, Merlin. You look ridiculous." Arthur takes Merlin's sword and walks toward their camp.
When they arrive, they find Hunith and Gwen awake with a fire. Morgana is missing from the group.
Arthur's eyes dart in every direction as he demands, "Where's Morgana?" slightly panicked.
"I woke up and she was gone," Gwen tells the prince, fear and worry tainting her tone.
Hunith shares an anxious look with her son, as Arthur looks at the ground trying to decipher her tracks in the dirt.
"Don't worry, I'm right here." The missing Lady walks out of the darkness from a direction towards their right. Arthur looks at her with something akin to fury, but before he can say anything, "Glad to see you finally made it." Obviously she knew that he would come.
"Glad to see that you are alive." The prince throws back. "You realize these woods have wild animals and bandits, right?"
She rolls her eyes. "I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself, Arthur." Turning toward the direction she came, "Besides… I had some back up."
From the gloom, three more figures emerge. A tall, slim, raven-haired woman flanked by a tall flaxen-haired man foreign to Merlin and his mother and another brown-haired man, unknown by only the latter.
Arthur's anger dissipates and his face breaks out into a smile, one the woman matches. "Estella!" he exclaims. Looking at the two men, "Sir Ethan," he addresses the flaxen man and "Lancelot" to the other. "I suppose you'll be joining us now," he deduces.
"Saving a village," Estella feigns contemplation, "Sounds much more fun than playing the trophy of Caerleon." The three cousins share their trademark grin at her joke.
Sir Ethan rallies up all the horses and ties them together. The rest of the introductions are made and the eight of them settle around the fire.
"This also gives Lancelot here a chance to be a proper knight if he is to ever be one of Camelot's again," Estella adds with a grin.
"You're going to make Lancelot a knight?" Merlin blurts out. The duchess raises an elegant brow at his slight outburst. The young boy lowers his head, afraid that he had spoken out of turn (he's feared her even more than before since their last conversation) but really the woman was more curious about his tone of voice. It sounded as if he didn't want Lancelot to be knight.
Quickly she answers him. "Yes, one of mine – a knight of Caerleon, it will be a good start for the first peasant knight of Camelot to rise once more." Estella grins again, "It took quite a bit of persuasion to convince him that he is worthy of this 'honor' as he calls it."
The man blushes slightly from his spot next to Ethan, but smiles at his new duchess. Gwen, sitting between Morgana and Hunith, feels a tug at her heart at the sight of that. Merlin sees the slightly hurt and longing look Gwen gives Lancelot and he feels himself returning that expression to the young woman. Everyone else is oblivious as they congratulate Lancelot.
They continue to talk until the maternal side of Hunith nearly demands all the young people to sleep.
In the morning, the company mounts their horses and continues on their way to Ealdor. They arrive to find Kanen and his men raiding the village. Before bandit strikes down a villager, Arthur draws his short sword and throws it past the man's head, hitting the post behind him.
The prince dismounts and starts to fight off the other bandits. Estella and Morgana are close behind Arthur. Merlin rides up and after seeing that his mother is alright and that Lancelot has taken to keeping Gwen from harm (though this bothers him a bit), he starts to fight as best as he knows how.
"Kill them!" Kanen orders his men. In the melee the villagers grab their food and children and rush to shelter while Ethan, Lancelot, Merlin, Estella, Morgana, and Arthur fight the bandits.
Merlin is cornered by one of the men and had he not possessed magic, he would have been dead. Ethan is chopping the men down, while also watching out for Estella who is slashing the enemy with ease.
Morgana cuts down a man and turns looking for her friends in the fray. She sees Arthur fighting a bandit, but another is approaching his backside, ready to strike him. With a new surge of adrenaline, Morgana races from her spot and just as Arthur turns around and the sword is about to strike him, the Lady arrives just in time to parry the first attack and several others, until she gains the upper hand and slashes the bandit across the belly.
All the while, Arthur is watching from behind, clearly impressed by her skills with the sword (he doesn't know about the private training Estella's given Morgana).
Turning around, Morgana grins and prances past Arthur. "Bring back memories of when I used to beat you?"
He's quick to snap, "That never happened." (But of course it's a lie).
Estella frolics behind him and ruffles her cousin's hair, "Sure it didn't," she grins and he scowls at her.
Kanen and his remaining men mount their horses and flee, but not before giving a final threat. "You'll pay for this with your lives! All of you!"
When they are out of sight, Arthur addresses the villagers. However, one particular peasant boy is keen to not listen. Arthur, Hunith, the peasant boy named William, and the rest of the villages debate back and forth on what is to be done about Kanen.
The prince advises the villagers to fight, but William is quick to reproach him. "You just want the honor and glory of battle! That's what drives men like you!" Estella's steely gaze glares at William, had it not been for Ethan and Morgana holding her back she would have full on attack him (no one insults her cousin like that). "Look, if you want to fight, then go home and risk the lives of your own people, not ours!" The boy storms away.
The rest of the villagers ignore him and stand up in support of Arthur's views, willing to follow him.
The next morning, Merlin helps Arthur put his vest on as Morgana approaches while tying the strings of her bracers.
"You still not learned how to dress yourself?" she taunts.
The prince shrugs while straightening his vest. "You don't have a dog and fetch the stick yourself." Then to his servant he quickly says, "No offence, Merlin."
"None taken," He mutters back.
Hunith comes over with a bowl, "Prince Arthur, you didn't finish your breakfast."
"Didn't I?" He sounds sarcastically surprised, but only the two women closest to him can hear it.
"Come on, eat up." Estella tells him, it's almost like when they were children. Estella had been the one to force Arthur to eat what he should even when he didn't want to.
Arthur picks up the spoon and pretends to eat, "Mmmmm."
When Hunith has her back turned, the prince quickly hands the bowl off to his cousin. Turning to Merlin and ordering the supplies they would need. The two noblewomen share a wary before following the two boys outside.
...
Arthur begins training the village men. Merlin is off somewhere with the estranged village boy, Ethan is giving Lancelot a bit of combat lesson, as well, while Estella, Morgana, and Gwen watch the training as they sharpen swords.
Morgana hates to say this, but it is the truth. "There is no way they're going to be able to hold Kanen off."
The duchess examines a sword the maid handed her. "Men aren't the only ones who can fight." She makes a show of twirling the blade skillfully.
Gwen smiles, "The two of you, my Ladies, are proof of that."
Morgana smirks at her friends. "Arthur's probably not going to like that idea."
"Right…" the eldest woman drawls, "Especially since you are suggesting putting yourself in danger, he's going to hate it."
The maid laughs softly at the implication, while her mistress looks at her and the duchess in disbelief. The two do not look apologetic.
...
As expected, the prince does not agree to the idea of the women staying behind to fight. Morgana would have continued to argue if cousin joined her, but Estella is quiet as Arthur walks back to training the men.
"Why didn't you say anything?" the younger woman demands.
"Well since he is not going to listen," the older woman grins, "Then we'll just have to work behind his back."
Morgana's eyes light up and she returns the smile. "I should have guessed. You do love working undercover."
The duchess winks. "Go and find a secluded area for the training to commence, I will recruit." The Lady nods and walks toward the forest.
Estella walks over to Merlin, who is slumped against a wooden fence while watching Gwen with Lancelot. He jumps a bit when he realizes her presence, still uneasy and fearful around her. "Why so melancholy?"
The young boy shakes his head, feigning an indifferent expression, "Nothing."
Rolling her eyes, "Please, warlock, you cannot lie to a Le Fay."
Merlin is initially quiet, shuffling his feet uncomfortably. "Well… I-"
"Found that your feelings toward Gwen are not what they seemed," it is more a statement than a question.
The young man hangs his head in shame – shame for the fact that he was so infatuated by the radiant ward of the king, he forgot to look to the girl who was always there right beside him. Now, that girl has moved on to someone else – someone who gives her the attention she deserves – and he is left behind knowing the feeling of unrequited love, the same she has felt as he kept his eyes on another.
Estella looks at him with a bit of pity, but she's not sorry, this is how it is meant to be, there is someone else for Merlin… though he won't discover this until later. "Take it from someone who has experienced it all, if you and Gwen are meant to be, then she will find her way back to you."
"And if we are not and she doesn't, what then?" the dark-haired boy asks.
Gwen laughs merrily at something Lancelot said and he grins down at her affectionately. Merlin winces slightly at the sight.
The older woman is silent for a moment as she glances at the two comfortably interacting and blatantly flirting. "There are many possible futures, Emrys."
"And what have you seen?" he asks bluntly.
"You have a future together," she tells him, but does not elaborate on it. She feels slightly bad for telling a half truth, so she adds, "There are other people, Merlin. Even if you won't feel for them as you do Gwen. There is someone out there, simply take my word for it."
The last bit sounds like a command and so the subject is dropped. "You can stop this." Estella raises an eyebrow. "You could use your magic to defeat Kanen and prevent all the bloodshed that is likely to occur if we follow through with Arthur's plan."
The woman becomes deathly still and her steely gray eyes cause the younger man to shiver. "Magic is not always the answer. Do try to remember that." She then leaves him as he continues to watch the pair, who are oblivious to his eyes scrutinizing them as they walk towards the woods.
"Are you excited to become a knight of Caerleon?" Gwen asks her companion.
"I really don't know, but I am afraid that I won't live up to the title, my Lady." Lancelot responds.
The young woman laughs lightly. "Lancelot, I'm not a Lady."
"You are to me." He says back.
She's taken aback for a moment, "Uh, well, then you are worthy of being one of Estella's knights and you will be a great one. I have faith in that."
The young man smiles at the maid. "I'm glad you do."
That intense moment they had experienced once before in Gwen's house before Lancelot left to fight the griffin. Unfortunately, the moment is shattered when Merlin calls for them to join the others in Ealdor's common building.
...
"Tomorrow morning, the women and children should gather what belongings they can carry and go to the woods." The prince tells them.
Morgana proclaims, "We're not going anywhere!"
Arthur sighs, "I know you want to help. The women can't stay here. It's too dangerous."
"The women have as much right to fight as the men do!" Morgana adds as Estella steps forward and stands beside her cousin.
"But none of you know how to fight." Arthur reasons.
Estella smirks, "Is that so?"
Realizing what that statement meant as well as the gleam in her eyes, Arthur then rolls his good-naturedly, "Recruiting more secret soldiers?"
"The more of us there are," Estella starts.
"The better chance we stand!" Morgana finishes. "No sacrifice should be in vain."
The village women step forward behind the two noblewomen.
The prince then nods, finally accepting them. "This is your home. If you want to fight to defend it, that's your choice. I'd be honored to stand alongside you. Kanen attacks tomorrow. Kanen's brutal. He fights only to kill, which is why he will never defeat us. Look around. In this circle, we're all equals. You're not fighting because someone's ordering you to, you're fighting for so much more than that. You fight for your homes. You fight for your family. You fight for your friends. You fight for the right to grow crops in peace. And if you fall, you fall fighting for the noblest of causes: fighting for your very right to survive! And when you're old and gray, you'll look back on this day, and you'll know you earned the right to live every day in between! So you fight! For your family! For your friends! For Ealdor!"
The villagers stand with raised swords, chanting, "For Ealdor! Ealdor! Ealdor! Ealdor! Ealdor!"
The following morning, Arthur takes up standing guard himself, leaving before breakfast. After the rest of his company finish eating, they walk outside to survey the day.
Estella comes out of Hunith's house with a bowl and goes to her cousin. "Bring this to Arthur would you, he hasn't eaten yet."
Morgana looks at her quizzically, "Why me? Send Gwen-"
"Gwen is currently preoccupied and stuck in a love triangle," the older woman intercedes as she raises her chin toward the three peasants who have tasted court life. Gwen is walking between Merlin and Lancelot, blatantly trying to seem comfortable in both their presences. While the soon-to-be knight looks uneasy, the manservant looks rather satisfied with the awkwardness.
The younger cousin raises an eyebrow. "Well… I never thought…" she trails off; there is no need for her to finish the sentence anyway. Turning back, "Why don't you bring it to him?"
"Because I must go tell off my huntsman," the duchess glances at Sir Ethan, who is standing behind her at a very close proximity, "I swear he wants to become my shadow."
Morgana chuckles lightly, "But-"
"Go on," Estella hands her the bowl and pushes her toward the direction leading to Arthur.
...
Arthur leans against a tree, senses alert, his mind still doubtful of the turnout of all this. He feels her presence (as usual) before anything else. Estella's trained her well, so her steps are quiet, and he is truly awed by Morgana's advancement in the arts of combat. The Lady approaches him with a bowl.
"I brought you some food." She tells him as she hands the bowl to the prince.
Arthur nods, "Thanks…" He stirs the food a bit, muttering to himself, not finding the food appealing at all.
Morgana gives him a reprimanding look, "Food is scarce for these people, you should at least be thankful that they're sharing any with a spoiled prince like you."
There's edge to her voice, one that Morgana uses when something is personal for her, Arthur recognizes it. "You sound like you are one of them. Morgana you're as spoiled as me, if not more so." He doesn't mean it as an insult, but it is true.
Thankfully she sees that. "You're right, but I haven't always lived in the luxuries of royalty."
Arthur stays quiet. Morgana has rarely spoken of her life before Camelot, the prince knew only what others told him, and that wasn't even much. All he knows of the orphan, ten-year-old Morgana who became his father's ward is that: she is from Cornwall, grew up in Tintagel Castle, and is the daughter of Duke Gorlois and his wife Duchess Vivienne. The Duchess died in a tragic fire before Morgana was even a year old and so the widowed duke showered his only daughter – his only child – with everything she could ever want and all the love he had to give.
The Lady beside him interrupts his thoughts. "I lost my mother when I was but an infant. My father loved her with all his being and losing her hurt him more than any battle wound he's ever sustained. He still had me, so he gave me everything. I wanted for nothing, but the only thing I wanted was him and he was always there. But he was also always afraid that something would happen to me and so he took me everywhere with him." She chuckles lightly, "Everyone told him he was mad for bringing a child to battles, skirmishes, and hunts, especially since I am a girl. But I know that I was always safest when I was with him." Her green eyes now appear far away. "Cornwall is a small duchy and so, many enemies would take the liberty of attacking the villages. Father was their champion, defending them and defeating the adversary and then kneeling to the villagers' needs no matter what it took. He never wanted to be treated as the noble duke amongst them, but as their friend. However they lived and ate and slept, my father would do the same and since I was with him, I would, too." She pauses and takes a deep breath. "So, no, I was never a peasant, but I know them and their hearts. They are just like us, only born into a different life."
They both are silent for a while. Arthur is uncomfortable with the silence, so he begins to eat a bit. Even this is unnerving, though. He puts the bowl down on a boulder. "Your father…" he starts, "sounds even greater of a man through your eyes."
A tender smile stretches onto her lips. "I only speak truthfully of what I saw. I idolized my father no matter what people said about him. He was a man who stood for what he believed in, for honor, justice, and hope for the people."
"Sounds like you," he says with clear admiration and warmth.
Her sea green eyes look up to meet his sky blue ones. It seems that while she was recounting her past, Morgana and Arthur had moved closer to each other. And here they are again, close proximity and dire times, the only thing missing is the sword and Morgana's story seems to have replace that as Morgana tilts her head to him and Arthur, once more, leans his head down slowly. This time there is no Merlin or anyone or anything else to interrupt.
Their eyes close and their lips meet ever so softly and rather tentatively. They've kissed before (just to see what kissing was like), but it was always a quick, clumsy peck upon each other's lips, but this is completely different, there is no awkwardness, only fire and ice. Arthur gently puts his hands on her waist and pushes her against a tree, she responds by wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Pure lightning and fire searing and cooling between them as their tongues dual and they continue to try and get closer.
When the need for air comes, they break apart, but still hold each other close. Arthur presses his forehead against hers while they both pant for air and their eyes slowly open to gaze into each other's depths. The colors are different – just like their hair, their beliefs, their families – and yet the same, shining with want and affection.
But their minds are thinking the same thing: this is not the time or place for this – duty must come first, desire later. Arthur backs away and Morgana straightens up from the tree. They don't speak another word. They don't need to, their eyes say everything.
Unhurriedly, the Lady walks back to the village, conscious of the prince's eyes watching her the entire way.
Merlin slashes at every bandit that comes in sight. However, after every kill, he glances to Gwen to ensure that she is alright. He sees that Lancelot is always at her side.
Before the battle, Gwen had taken Merlin aside to talk about the tension he's had since Lancelot joined them. Somehow her soft words gave him hope that perhaps they still had a chance together. And so he let go of his jealousy and anger to fight for his village.
After he fells another man, the warlock turns around to see his friend Will joining the fight. The two fight side by side. Ethan is still watching after Estella as he hacks bandit after bandit. Arthur fights and keeps watch over Morgana as she does the same for him. Their cousin watches out for both of them while taking down her own opponents with ease.
The villagers keep on fighting as it seems more men are pouring into the village, but soon they gain the upper hand and Kanen's numbers dwindle. A fair few of the cowards even started to retreat while some of the village people chased after them.
Finally, Kanen is the only bandit left in the village. He bellows for Arthur and they face each other in one final dual. Everyone stands aside, watching. While Kanen is strong and nimble on his feet, the prince is stronger and faster. Kanen's too slow with guarding his right side and Arthur uses this to his advantage. He parries an attack, blocks another, and then runs Kanen through. The man falls to the ground, seemingly dead.
The prince notices that Will had joined them and starts walking toward the boy and his servant. With his back turned to his last enemy, he does not see Kanen reach for a crossbow.
But Morgana, though quite a distance away, does see. She quickly grabs a dagger from Estella's hip and throws it at Kanen. The blade slices through the air and hits him, puncturing his jugular. He chokes on his blood and dies a second later with the crossbow in his hand.
And Arthur again is struck by Morgana's skill with weaponry.
"So you're leaving again?"
Merlin nods to Will, "Mother's orders."
The other boy pats his magical friend's shoulder while looking to Estella and Morgana. "Say, what if I come with you. We both could chase after those pretty noblewomen there."
The warlock laughs. "Estella dislikes you Will, well… actually she almost hates you for what you said to her cousin. And Morgana… she's spoken for."
Will is perplexed for a second, but when he sees the prince walk to the Lady and gently puts his hand on her shoulder, the answer is clear. "Ah…"
"And your place is here." Merlin adds, "I need you to look after my mother."
His friend then sighs, knowing that he would say this, "Yeah, alright." They hug each other goodbye, "I'll miss you." And Merlin returns the sentiment.
The seven young people ride out of Ealdor and onto the road toward Camelot. Nothing that happened in the village is discussed just yet – those talks shall be left for later.
When they reach the border, Estella bids her cousins well-wishes and farewells as she, Sir Ethan, and Lancelot continue on along Camelot's border to Caerleon.
"She'll be back sooner than she claims," Morgana says to Arthur.
The prince smiles to the Lady, "Isn't she always?" She returns his expression. When the three figures begin to fade from the horizon, the prince, the ward, and their servants ride toward the citadel.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading and please review.