Author's Note: Here we are, finally starting season 2! Sorry for the long delay, some stuff came up that I had to deal with before I could get to writing.

Azar, dear twin, I am so glad to have you back! Dearest Andy thanks again for being my official-unofficial Beta. Girl in the Corner of the Room thanks for the constant push to update, I really needed it when I first started this chapter. Special thanks to CaroltvAddicted and maripd, you lovely twins, it has been great talking to both of you, thanks so much for all of your praise and encouragement! Love you guys!

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

The Curse of Cornelius Sigan

It takes Arthur months to fully heal from his wound inflicted by the Questing Beast and weeks more for him to return to his former health and strength. For the majority of the time, Morgana stays by his side, unintentionally boosting his ego with her doting and attentiveness, but Estella is there to bring him down and keep her cousin leveled. She does not immediately leave again for Caerleon (her family does not allow it), but Elaine does, with Sir Kahedin leading the party that is to see her there safely. Sir Nicholas, Ethan's father, returned from a long stay in Northumbria, where he was visiting his brother Benedict, to Caerleon during this absence of Estella's. He accepts her command by taking the duchess' place as her steward and since the work is being done, Agravaine is kept from showing his brutality.

Merlin attends to his master as he always has – watching out for any dangers, but harmless pranks and loads of bickering always ensues when they are in each other's company (the Ladies are glad they do not get caught in the crossfire). The king comes to visit often enough with news of the kingdom and papers for his son to review, since he has nothing else to do but heal. Gaius occasionally checks in to make certain that the prince is well, but only out of formality; he knows that Arthur is taken care of. Gwen comes to attend to her mistresses who are, more often than not, with the prince. Lancelot is always with her (the king is still in the dark about his presence in the castle).

With the time where they are alone, Estella teaches Morgana how to further advance and use her magic. Morgana has retained all the locked away knowledge, but her powers are still in infancy compared others. However, she learns fast and quickly exceeds expectations. She also makes a surprising discovery, but she and her cousin have discussed it and have put it aside for the time being. As the duchess happily watches her cousin grow in magic, the Le Fay twins observe proudly from afar, and Merlin (in spite of himself) secretly keeps his eyes on Estella.

On the twentieth of March, Camelot celebrates the twenty-third birthday of Duchess Estella. She did not want a fuss, seeing that it has been less than a month since Arthur's almost death, but the prince would not hear of his cousin's birthday being pushed aside on his behalf.

The feast is as lavish as it has always been for any of the royal family's birthdays. Estella is showered with attention, praise, and numerous gifts, accepting the former two, but shucks off the first to Arthur as he is the recuperating prince.

Soon, Spring passes into Summer and birthday celebrations are repeated when Morgana's twenty-first arrives. However, this also prompts change. Now, Morgana is of age to inherit and since she is not just a Lady of Camelot or the Ward or First Lady but the only daughter of Duke Gorlois and the last of the House of Gorlois, this makes her the sole heiress to the duchy of Cornwall. And so, Cornish knights come to Camelot and with them, she rides for Tintagel castle with Estella, Lancelot, and Gwen for her instruction.

Estella goes to supervise while continuing her tuition for Morgana on magic. While Arthur continues to recover and eventually goes back his normal routine of training his knights, going on patrols, guarding Camelot, and so forth.

The Isle of the Blessed has drawn back its offense… for now, but another of Camelot's foe has yet to rise… again.

._._._.

Arthur tosses and turns in his bed. The workers loudly excavating are keeping him awake. He is surprised that no one else in the castle has gone to complain to his father… but then again, he is their king, however Arthur is the crowned prince and he is not going to stand for all the noise when he needs to sleep.

"Merlin!" he yells while getting up and out of bed.

The servant rushes in, "Yes, Sire?"

Arthur drowsily runs his fingers through his ruffled hair, "Are you deaf?"

Merlin pauses to see if he is unable to hear, but the sound of axes against rock echoing refutes the thought, "I wish."

"I want you to go down there and tell them to stop." The prince tells the other boy tiredly.

"But they are working under the king's orders." The dark-haired boy reminds his master.

The golden-haired man nods, while returning to his bed, "Yes, and you're working under mine." Thankfully Merlin quickly leaves, but the workers continue to refuse to cease their racket.

The prince groans in annoyance and fatigue. Really, sometimes his manservant cannot get anything done. And his father truly needs to find some other way to occupy his time, rather than commissioning workers to try to find treasure under Camelot. Arthur suspects that his father is rather bored without his niece or his ward in the castle. He, himself, can relate.

The prince turns onto his stomach and puts his head under the pillows trying to drone out the noise. Feeling envious now of Estella and Morgana, who are probably sound asleep in Tintagel castle, where they have been for the past two months. Hopefully, though, they would return soon. Arthur selfishly wishes that Morgana's training lasts as long as Estella's did, if not longer (although, he does not know that his cousin expanded her stays in Camelot to delay her training). For if Morgana receives the title Duchess of Cornwall quickly, then it is inevitable for her to eventually leave Camelot… permanently.

Now, she is of age so she requires not his father as her guardian and with a wealthy duchy to her name, she could acquire all that she desires and needs. And besides the guardianship, nothing truly ties Morgana to Camelot. Unlike Estella who is Arthur's blood related cousin. Even though she is also Morgana's, Cornwall and Caerleon are closer in distance and history than Camelot to either.

So, Morgana has no ties to Camelot. Except for him… but he did not really count, he is not her brother or betrothed… great now he is thinking about what they actually are to each other (a subject they still have avoided). They know what they feel for each other, but they have not tried to label what they are.

The prince groans again, his head hurting from all the contemplation and the workers that have yet to stop. Somehow, though, his mind seems to relax and the sound appears to have died down. Images from his dreams come to him – the same blurred images that get clearer and clearer with each new moon. This time, however, something is different. The golden-haired boy is missing, but Arthur quickly realizes that he is seeing through the golden-haired boy. As the one girl is dancing with the flower petals, another is approaching him inside the boy. She is smiling, her raven hair caught in the wind and her eyes gleaming gray.

Someone is roughly shaking him. The prince bolts up, somehow he had fallen asleep. Blinking to clear his vision he sees Merlin beside him. Arthur glares at him (besides that fact that his sleep is interrupted, he was about to see – although not completely clear – the face of one of the girls that have been haunting his dreams for months), silently demanding what waking him up is for.

The servant backs away slightly, "Sire, the king commands your presence. The workers found something."

Morgana is restless in her bed on this rainy night. With all Estella's training to control her ever growing magic, she cannot control the nightmares and visions of the future. Gaius' draughts warded them off for a time, but they are no longer effective – have not been for quite a while. She knows about magical healing items and recalls that her mother had a bracelet that she had given to her sister (whom she knows not the whereabouts of and have not asked knowing of her adventurous nature), but Morgana refuses to have any for herself. They would take away her nightmares, but also the visions and despite the terrors they give her, they are helpful. Besides, she wants to prove her strength of endurance and overcome her fears.

Her magic sparks through her as she sees the night sky looming over a burning castle. The moon high and bright with wisps of clouds passing by and flying (seemingly) toward her is a large black bird with blood red eyes and a piercing screech.

The woman shoots up from her bed with a scream, whilst yelling for Gwen. The maidservant comes in and, seeing her distress, runs to her mistress. "What's the matter?" she asks worriedly (she is unaware of the Le Fay secret, so she knows not of the visions), but Morgana only pulls Gwen close and embraces her tightly. "It's alright, it's alright. I'm here. I'm here. There's nothing to be frightened of," she says and shushes Morgana, trying to calm her.

Estella quietly enters the chambers, her cream white nightgown softly brushing against the stone and her long, raven locks covering her back. In one hand she holds a lit candle and the other grips her silk skirt.

"Morgana?" she whispers.

The terrified woman looks pleadingly to her cousin while releasing her friend. "Estella…"

The duchess looks to the maid, "Gwen could please fetch some tea?"

Nodding, "Right away," Getting up from the bed and quickly she leaves the Le Fay women alone.

Estella takes Gwen's place and grasps Morgana's hand while magically lighting all the candles in the room, "What did see?"

Morgana relates exactly what her vision showed her. After she finishes, she asks, "What does it mean?"

Her cousin does not want to say this, but she knows that hiding things and harboring secrets has grave consequences (and she cannot afford them). "It is an omen; the bird is a symbol of what or even possibly whom, I cannot say for certain, but the castle, do you know which castle this one happens to be?"

The younger woman looks to the side, "What other castle is it ever?"

Estella squeezes her fingers, "Then, I think that it is time to return to Camelot."

"But we have only been here for two months; my training will be delayed-"

"As mine was," the older woman matter-of-factly states.

But Morgana catches the spark in her eye, "You did that on purpose."

She smirks while shrugging, "Being a duchess is not everything. Being there to save the people you love is."

By the next afternoon, Morgana, Gwen, and a retinue of Cornish knights are on their way back to Camelot, while Estella – feeling that she has been away from her land for too long – returns to Caerleon with Lancelot.

Estella sighs as she settles into the chair in front of her dressing table. Hefina comes up behind her with a brush and towel starts drying her hair and taking out the tangles in her raven strands.

"Lord Agravaine has taken an uncharacteristic interest in the matters of the council chambers lately," The maid starts.

The duchess sighs again, she could care less about Agravaine and Hefina knows this, "In what way?"

"There were representatives from the kingdom of Gore here for several weeks…"

"Yes," She is impatient to get this conversation over with, "Sir Nicholas informed me of that, but what does this have to do with Agravaine, I was not told that he attended council meetings."

Hefina slowly answers, "He did not attend meetings that Sir Nicholas set, he made his own."

The older woman then smiles slightly, "And being the brilliant girl that you are, you know exactly what was said at this 'meeting', don't you?"

She nods with a hint of a smile on her face, "There was not much said, for I think Lord Agravaine feared being overheard, but I did catch that he had the representatives take portraits of the noble household to Gore."

"I'm tired, Hefina," Estella groans, "Please just tell me what you want to say."

"An arrangement mistress, a marital one between Gore's heirless king and…" She says bluntly.

This prompts the raven-haired woman to laugh, "Well, there is fault in your logic if you will suggest me. As much as Agravaine wants me as far away from him as possible, he would not let me have an extremely advantageous marriage such as the one you are hinting at and that would take away someone who would actually rule Caerleon. He has already said as much. And because of this, I am still unwed. And if you were trying to hint at Elaine, I will say that I do see that as something Agravaine would do, he has always favored her more than me, but I dismay to think of any man wanting such wench for a wife."

Hefina presses her lips tightly together to keep from laughing. A rustle of fabric against stone catches both the women's attention. Putting down the brush and curtsying, the maid addresses the Lady Le Fays. Knowing that they would only come to Estella so blatantly for severe matters, she also quickly dismisses herself from the bedchamber and shuts the doors behind her.

Valeria gives her daughter a sharp look, as she deliberately ignores them and goes to her desk. "Estella, what are doing?"

She innocently looks up through her long, dark lashes, "Writing a letter."

Her mother gives her an incredulous look, "You cannot be as so dim as to not know what will happen in Camelot. Morgana's vision told you."

"She Sees what could happen, it is not always what will come to pass," she states disinterestedly.

Vivienne can see that her younger sister is growing impatient at her daughter's uncharacteristic attitude, so she intercedes, "My dear niece, it is Sigan, he has returned."

Estella lifts a brow, "Forgive me, but I only recall the name, not the history since he is not of my family lineage."

And Valeria, knowing that her child is playing ignorance on purpose, yells, "Cornelius Sigan, one of the most powerful warlocks to every live, now walks the earth again and he shall do as he has promised, raze the city of Camelot to the ground!"

The young woman makes a show of nodding thoughtfully, "Right, the sorcerer who lost his head because of his desire to defeat death and was a threat to Camelot due to his ties with the sorceress Medhir who preserved his soul in that heart shaped crystal that should have stayed in his tomb… correct?"

"Precisely, which is why you should be in Camelot to help stop Sigan, Morgana is not powerful enough to do challenge him on her own," Vivienne asserts vehemently.

"And I am powerful to stand against him on my own?" Estella questions, truly skeptical.

She receives a dry look from her mother, "As dubious as you are, you should know that you would not only have your power, but the magic of your ancestors, as well, since you would be in the presence of someone not meant to be in our time."

The duchess throws out another excuse, "I thought you did not like me intervening."

"You have already done so numerous times and from our lack of chiding you have not deduced our approval or indifference?" Valeria looks quite out of sorts. "For the love of the Goddess, what is wrong with you Estella Le Fay?!"

The duchess stops her writing and looks her mother in the eye without betraying anything, since she and Vivienne have forgotten, just as she wanted them to. "Nothing, mother… but I cannot intercede, not this time." She does not allow her mother or aunt to question her words. "We, the two of you and I, have done most of the work to keep Camelot safe from rogue magic, but now it is Emrys' turn. He must prove his strength and grow toward the image of himself that prophecy has set and that he will strive to reach."

The twins are silent for a long while, mulling over this. Emrys… Merlin, they are the same person, or at least, in a way they are, and yet it is hard for the Le Fays to see it this way. Emrys is a legendary figure meant to be the most powerful of sorcerers the world has ever seen, even more so than Sigan himself. Merlin is Arthur's clumsy manservant who happens to know a lot about magic from his mentor, Gaius. They suppose, though, that they have underestimated the young boy, not only because of his youth and maladroit demeanor, but because of his discretion with his powers. They know not how much he works with his magic, but they are aware that his powers continue to grow, as Morgana's and Estella's does (although the last one is aware of this herself).

Gradually, they begin to see Estella's logic. Valeria offers a small smile and walks to her daughter's side, "My child, when did you get so wise?"

This actually stings her to hear this. "I did not and I am not, it is simply something you have said to me before," she answers with absolute certainty and truth. The mother shakes her head while giving her daughter an affectionate look. Uncomfortable she asks, "Shouldn't the two of you be returning to the Isle?"

"Doing something you shouldn't be, niece?" the oldest Le Fays asks.

It is a taunt, she can tell, so ignoring it, "I would think Nimueh expects you to be with her, seeing that she has been pulling back her offenses since the Questing Beast incident."

"She has gone to visit the Druids," Vivienne explains. "Despite her perseverance, Nimueh is not immune to fatigue and revenge does tire her and now she seeks some respite from it… and it is the 'anniversary'…"

The younger woman nods thoughtfully, her shoulders sagging slight for it is an 'anniversary' for her too, "And Morgause?" It is strange that she just now takes interest in her most elusive cousin. Estella recalls having met Morgana's elder sister only a few times, her own sibling had seen even less of her than their cousin. Nonetheless, she feels the need to ask. If there must be a valid reason at all (for it is just one of those feelings) she blames her curiosity and her want to forget.

Vivienne frowns slightly. Her eldest daughter had left the Isle of the Blessed ever since Nimueh left to attempt to poison Merlin. This is not a strange habit for her. Morgause is one to stray away from home to seek adventure and gain secret allies for the Isle. She is fiercely a follower of Nimueh, vengeful toward Uther and seeking his downfall. Her mother and aunt have not tried to prevent this, they offer their guiding hand, but as is tradition: every Le Fay must choose her own path, nothing and no one should dissuade her but herself.

"Probably having the time of her life in some faraway kingdom, I have not heard from her in weeks, but that is not unusual." Vivienne tells her niece.

It is silent again, the youngest Le Fay has nothing more to say, she desperately wants to be alone. Hefina tentatively enters, "Forgive me, but I have a message for Duchess Estella."

"It is alright, Hefina, we are leaving." The twin Le Fays embrace Estella and make for the secret passageway in the adjourning room.

"What is it?" the duchess questions tiredly.

Hefina chooses her words carefully, "Lord Agravaine has… asked to see you in the morning for an important matter."

"Asked?" her mood shifts and she scoffs, "You mean commanded. Oh, very well, I have no reason to object, but the fact that I hate being in his company. You may go to bed now Hefina, it is late. I will see you in the morning."

The fair-haired woman curtsies, "Good night, mistress."

...

Elaine walks through the darkened corridors of the lower part of the castle with a flaming torch floating beside her. The effort to hold it herself would be wasted since she has magic and she did not want the wood to chafe her hands. She continues to look around. She knows, she felt, she heard, she knows her mother is in Caerleon. But why she will not come to her, Elaine does not know, but she desperately wants to see her.

Turning around again, she comes face-to-face with a light brown-haired, blue-eyed woman, her petite form garbed in black lace, she looked like some sort of outcast sorceress, but then again, she is.

Elaine smiles widely, "Mother."

She twitches a smile, "My dear, Elaine." She does not move to embrace her daughter, nor does Elaine move to do the same either. Niniane's daughter was reared to learn that affection is fleeting and meaningless, holding love in your mind and heart is more than enough, because love makes you weak and vulnerable.

Breathlessly, "Where have you been? It has been over a year since you contacted me."

She gives her daughter a daunting stare, "I did not know that we switched roles – that you are the mother and I the daughter who must answer to you."

Recognizing her error, she immediately starts to try and cover it, "Forgive me mother, I just… I have felt so- I," she cannot say that she missed her, Niniane would consider her feeble and remind her that they are not like the Le Fays, family is what connects people, not what binds them. "-I feel useless, I play with men, I flounce about, dress, and I am tired of being a courtly Lady, when will our vengeance take place? I have already tried on my own, but…"

Too late, she realizes her question sounds almost like a demand, but her mother ignores the tone. "Our ancestor has fulfilled his promise. The Great Sigan has risen again, Elaine."

Her daughter is delighted to hear such news, but confused by her mother's lack of urgency. She has always been prompt to move as fast as can be, "Will we not join him?"

Niniane shakes her head and purses her full lips. "Not until the time is right. We will have our vengeance, my girl. Uther Pendragon and the rest of his family and followers will pay for the crimes they have committed against us, rest assured of that… I must go."

"So soon?" Elaine wanted to ask, but her mother is already gone. As she always has, immediate to leave when she tires of speaking with her daughter, but Elaine is optimist on this one subject, that her mother is simply a busy woman. She will not dote upon her daughter who is no longer a child, but a grown woman who can fend for herself. She keeps telling herself that this neglect makes her more independent, stronger… on some level, she is quite right, but even more so, she is wrong and she does not know it.

"Looks like there's a storm coming," Gwen comments as the retinue of Cornwall enters the citadel of Camelot. Morgana nods absently, apprehension filling her senses, her magic humming at the recognition of another source of magic nearby. Before the younger woman can question the Lady's silence, there is a blood curdling screech sounding through the air. Morgana holds up her arm and stills her company. Almost a second later, the screeches are accompanied by the sound of distressing and fearful citizens. Shadowy, shrieking creatures soar through the skies and start attacking.

The knights around them converge closer to Morgana and Gwen as the Lady yells for them to draw their swords. She then gives her friend her spare sword since the maid did not usually carry a blade. The party then starts galloping toward the castle while evading people who are fleeing the city and striking at any beast that comes their way.

In a matter of minutes they enter the main square, but they have to abandon their horses, it is much easier to dodge assaults from the creatures on foot. While Morgana is surveying the condition of her knights, she does not see one of the gargoyles diving toward her. However, Gwen does and she is quick to leap towards her friend and push her to the ground.

When the creature flies back to the skies, the two women carefully stand up. "Thanks Gwen," Morgana breaths. The younger woman's response is lost as the gargoyles begin to screech even more. The Lady catches sight of a figure on the ground… it is Arthur and one of the creatures is diving straight towards him. "Get Gwen inside!" she orders of one of her knights as she races across the flagstones to get to Arthur.

The beast's mouth is right over the prince's stomach when Morgana reaches him and drags him away. She keeps her eyes on the skies, looking out for more attacks with her sword ready and the rest of her knights grouping around her.

"Morgana…" he pronounces as he struggles to his feet. She is quickly at his side and helping him up, only to be pushed back down by Arthur when another creature comes their way.

...

"My Lady!" the fair-haired maid yells as Estella nearly collapses and falls from the turrets. Hefina and Lancelot hold her up, but the duchess loses consciousness. "We must get her to her chambers." The young woman looks to the flaxen-haired huntsman, "Ethan?"

He roughly shakes his head, "The last time I carried her, she woke up and nearly slit my throat and then threatened to cut off a certain body part and choke me with it." Hefina almost snickers, but "I am not risking either again."

She sends him a glare and turns to the other knight, "Sir Lancelot?"

And the dark-haired man is at a loss. Ethan's comment on Estella is most disturbing and he will admit that it unsettles him, but he cannot risk letting his mistress' condition worsen. Gently, he puts her arm around his shoulders and picks her up, holding her as far from his body as he can while making sure she is not uncomfortable.

He and Hefina make their way to Estella's chambers in the most sectioned off part of the castle. Ethan is ordered by his lover to not follow. They past a balcony where Lady Elaine is standing and she sneers at the sight, but is ignored. Thankfully, no one else sees them and they arrive at the chambers.

The maid pulls back the covers on the bed and Lancelot sets the duchess on the mattress and steps back to let Hefina do her work. She takes off Estella's boots, pulls the covers over her, and then dabs her temples with chamomile water.

Lancelot questions, "Do you know what is wrong?"

"Of course I do, she has not been eating or drinking – ignoring food and water just because they are a 'waste of time' as she likes to say." There is bitterness and reproach laced in the words. "I am sorry, do not think that I am angry at you." He still does not look convinced, she chooses to lighten the mood. "You know you are one of only two men who have been in Estella's bedchambers." The maid laughs at the reddening of the knight's face. "Although, in the other man's case-" She suddenly puts her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide.

Inquisitiveness gets the better of the knight, "Do you mean Gwaine-?"

Roughly, Hefina tugs him by the collar of his midnight blue cloak and his chainmail (she is unwittingly strong), pulling him into the solar and shutting the doors to the adjourning. "Careful when saying that name!" she whispers fiercely. The knight quickly nods and the young woman sighs, "You are curious to know, aren't you?" He is chivalrous enough to look sheepish and almost ashamed. Taking a deep breath, she starts with, "This is to never pass your lips, do you understand, do not ever bring this up to anyone."

Bowing his head, "You have my word."

"Gwaine is- was Estella's paramour. A most passionate lover, I must add. He is the son of Sir Gaheris Lothian. A highly respectable and respected family. Although not very wealthy, the Lothian house was very close to house de Bois. It was speculated that the houses would one day join in marriage and I think that was the plan, but," she swats her hand as if to sweep away her last comments. "Estella and Gwaine were introduced to each other at the age of thirteen. Great friends they apparently became – I was not yet in Estella's service at the time to see it for myself – and the amount of time they spent together led to a lot of gossips. Eventually the gossips became partially true. Estella took Gwaine to her bed and their affair continued for quite some time. I was fifteen when I came to Caerleon. I was shy and quiet, but I was always observing… And if ever I saw the greatest love shining in a man's eyes, it was when Gwaine looked at Estella. I could have sworn they were the loveliest pair, but some… Gwaine's hidden nature and explicit activities came to light. He is a notorious drinker and philanderer, chasing after every woman he laid eyes on… It was also discovered that he begot a child on Lady Elaine. Estella, you could imagine, was devastated. He tried to deny all the blemishes on his reputation but he had no proof to defend him and so much against him. When Elaine's condition could no longer be hidden, Agravaine sent her away for a time, Gwaine was charged with going with her. A year later, however, Elaine returned but he did not. It is assumed that he is raising that child of his out there. Yesterday marks the sixth anniversary of the day he left... Every year since that day, Estella has been like this, defeated and broken beyond repair."

"…Hefina," Lancelot starts, "Why do I sense that there is something more? Like… doubt."

She glumly replies, "It is probably false hope, but I… I want to believe that Gwaine was and is the man I thought him to be, the man Estella so obviously still loves- but I can't, not when he has hurt my friend like this."

The knight looks at the maid with wonderment. The unwavering loyalty Hefina has to Estella reflects the relationship of Gwen Morgana or even Merlin and Arthur's. It seems these three families have the uncanny ability to inspire great devotion. Deciding that he has pried enough, "I will never say a word," he promises.

"Good… now I must attend to my mistress." She goes back in the bedchamber and Lancelot goes to his.

...

Arthur hisses and clenches his fist at Morgana's shoulder. She works as quickly as she can, staunching the blood flowing from the wound and binding the bandages to keep them in place. The Lady glances around and catches sight of Gwen tending to Sir Leon. Relief flows through her knowing that her friend is unharmed.

Uther comes to his son to ensure that he is well and to question the situation. He acknowledges Morgana with a quick nod, too distressed when he hears that his city is falling prey to these unnatural creatures. Uther decides that the only way to keep a few alive is to seal the citadel. But the prince will not hear of it. He forces himself up and letting Morgana help steady him.

"Where are you going?" the king demands.

Arthur grunts, "There are people trapped on the drawbridge."

Uther grabs his son's arm, "I forbid you; it is suicide."

"I'm not leaving them to die." The prince pulls away and walks toward the door, "It's my duty to Camelot and to myself!" The king turns away and Morgana goes to Arthur.

Gwen's "My Lady!" stops her.

"My knights are out there Gwen," she gives as her reason, but her eyes are on Arthur as she follows him out with knights of Camelot right behind her. He does not protest against her coming with him this time, knowing that she feels the same sense of duty as he.

...

Merlin breathes a sigh as the creature explodes into charcoal rubble. He looks around for any sign of Arthur but he is only with the remains of the gargoyle and corpses… or so he thinks. "Who would've believed it? You, a sorcerer, and a powerful one," Sigan declares as he walks out of the mist. The younger warlock does not respond.

"It must hurt so much to be so put upon, so overlooked, when all the while you have such power." Sigan taunts.

Merlin then speaks, "That's the way it has to be."

"Does it?" the older warlock questions. "You're young, Merlin. Look inside yourself. You have yet to discover your true power." He slowly walks closer, "I can help you. Think, Merlin – to have the world appreciate your greatness, to have everyone know you for what you are." Merlin is conflicted now. What he has wanted is to not have to hide, to be himself. "Together we can rule over this land. Arthur will tremble at your voice; he will kneel at your feet."

And with that statement, he makes his decision, "I don't want that."

"You'd rather be a servant?" questions Sigan.

Merlin holds his head high, "Better to serve a good man that to rule with an evil one."

The older warlock inhales sharply, "So be it. If you will not join me, I will become you and your power will be harnessed to my will."

Merlin watches as Cedric's body begins to tremble while he gasps raggedly, seemingly trying, in vain, to breathe. After a few moments, Cedric slowly falls to the ground, his eyes wide open. Merlin shakes with uneasiness as he sees a shining blue, whispering essence – Sigan's soul – draw out of Cedric's body and flow towards him, surrounding him.

"Ic þín sáwol hér beléac, abide þæt ic þé álíese!" Merlin falls to the ground. His breathing is ragged, but in his hand is a heart shaped jewel, glowing blue and pulsing with an aura of life.

Sigan's soul is put back where it belongs and his tomb, along with all his riches, is sealed. Uther has his official greeting with Morgana. She gives him an extemporaneously made story of needing Estella as her sole tutor and since said cousin had to depart for Caerleon, the Lady decided to return to Camelot earlier than planned. Uther chides her for neglecting duty, but he is pleased to have his ward back.

Now, Lady Morgana stands at the window, looking out at the main square as the people of Camelot continue on with their lives. She lost all her Cornish knights to the gargoyle onslaught and she feels guilty for leaving them behind. The Lady wonders how her cousin manages to order men to battle without even a tremble.

"So, was your home not everything you expected it to be?" Morgana doesn't turn around. She stands still as Arthur puts his arm on her shoulder. "Well?"

The Lady sees Merlin walking with Gaius and her senses quiver. "Cornwall is no longer as it was when I was last there…" she sighs, "I think I'm still looking for home, Arthur." He says nothing, only pulls her closer, understanding her unspoken remorse. He, of course, knows the feeling well.

Author's Note: Thanks for reading and please review. If there's anything that you'd like to see in future chapters, let me know, I'll try to put it in. Also, if anyone is interested, this story's prequel Of Legacy and Legend is up (I do recommend reading it because there are ties to this story that may not be mentioned), it is darker than this fic and does not include all the familiar faces you are used to seeing… yet.