Dragon Twins

A/N: I am just full of warm happy fuzzies at how much everyone seems to like this story. I'm having a lot of fun rewriting Merlin to my tastes and it thrills me that others seem to like my vision too. Thank you all so much for your support.

Padfootette: Glad you enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun writing it lol.

HPuni101: I can see Arthur being very protective over any woman he chooses to call his own...and we all know how protective Merlin is of those he cares about.

GoldenKeeper2567: I'm honored this is one of your favorites, makes me very happy. There is nothing better as an author than to hear something like that…gives us the warm fuzzies.

Nony (guest): I'm glad you like it so far, Marlena is fun to write and she tends to just go off on her own so I'm just as surprised as my readers when she does something lol. I've read Sparks so I'm aware of her using that nickname, however, I'm only having Morgana alone use that one for her. Anyone who has read other fics I've written will know that I tend to have a lot of nicknames for one character depending on who is talking to them…my Hobbit fics are a prime example. Morgana is the only one who will call her Mara, and probably the only one who could get away with it honestly. I am being very careful to keep my fic different from Sparks, or any other for that matter. That being said, I thank you for the constructive criticism, it's much nicer than another guest who tried to make accusations without having any facts. I am glad you're enjoying the fic though.

Chapter 7 – The Gates of Avalon

Another month passes and all seems quiet and peaceful, in the night Morgana's sleep is disturbed by visions of Arthur drowning as a beautiful blonde woman stands above him and watches with a smile. She shoots up from the bed with a sharp gasp and cries out Arthur's name in fear. She leaves her bed and races down the halls until she reaches his room, opening the door quietly and seeing for herself that he was perfectly all right. She breathes a soft sigh of relief and makes her way back to bed to await her maidservant's arrival. Once the sun rises Gwen checks in on her mistress and, seeing how distressed she is, goes to get Marlena. Marlena takes one look at Morgana and pulls her into a hug, letting Morgana tell her all about her dream.

Later that week Arthur drags Merlin on a hunt and Merlin, bumbling around on purpose, manages to ensure Arthur only manages small game and never gets remotely close to a deer. At one point the literally runs right into Arthur and startles the deer he was about to shoot.

"What is it?"

"You really are a total buffoon, aren't you, Merlin?!"

"I was just asking."

"Who? Me or the deer?! We're supposed to be hunting. It requires speed, stealth and an agile mind."

"So you're able to get by on two out of three, then?"

Merlin freezes as he hears a woman scream, his magic surges inside as it senses a threat but Merlin urges it to settle and stay down. Arthur hears a man pleading and the woman scream again and takes off with his sword drawn, while Merlin follows close behind him.

"What was that?"

"Please! Don't!"

"Quiet."

"Help!"

An older man lays on the ground with a bandit standing over him, sword drawn and ready to run him through, nearby a young woman in a hooded cloak is struggling against three others.

"No, no, I beg you! Mercy!"

"Give us some money!"

"Help me! Help me!"

Arthur uses his crossbow to shoot the one standing over the man and then goes after the others with his sword. Merlin watches as the man goes to the young woman and holds her close, clearly a parental relationship.

"Forbærnen firgenholt."

Merlin mutters a soft spell and a large tree branch falls on top of a bandit trying to attack Arthur from behind. Arthur kills the one in front of him and the last one alive runs off. Arthur looks at the branch and then up at the tree before giving Merlin a secretive wink, showing that he knew exactly who made the branch fall and earning a dopey grin in return.

"Stroke of luck."

"And let that be a lesson to you!"

Merlin yells after the retreating bandit and Arthur gives him a look that speaks volume of how idiotic he thinks the other male is being.

"What? I was covering your back."

"You alright? They didn't hurt you?"

The young woman turns to Arthur and removes her hood, revealing a flowing head of golden hair and a soft fair face.

"No... Thanks to you. I'm Sophia. This is my father."

"Arthur Pendragon... at your service."

Arthur kisses Sophia's hand and Merlin looks a bit disturbed at how utterly fascinated Arthur seems to be with the woman. They head back to the castle and the two strangers are led to stand before Uther. Marlena is standing beside her king, as she usually was with her position. The two strangers eyed her strangely when she stared at them and her eyes flashed golden.

"My name is Aulfric, heir to Tír-Mòr. This is my daughter, Sophia."

"You're a long way from home. What brings you to Camelot?"

"Our home was sacked by raiders, we barely escaped with what few possessions we could carry."

"These are dangerous times. What will you do?"

"We travel west to Caerleon where we have family and, I hope, a new life."

"You must stay here awhile, break your journey. A noble family like yours is always welcome in Camelot."

Arthur stares at Sophia she exits with her father and Marlena's eyes narrow, which does not go unnoticed by either Merlin or Uther. Arthur walks off and Merlin follows him back to his room and the two have a discussion about where to put Sophia.

"Make sure you put her in a decent room."

"The one next door's empty."

"The one next door's fine. Excellent, in fact. Shut up, Merlin."

"What? I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to. I want to make it clear that my intentions towards Sophia are completely honorable. Put her in the room on the other side of the castle. It's warmer, more comfortable."

"Of course. She, er...is very beautiful."

"Yes, she is."

"And if your intentions are honorable…"

"Oh, they are. Most definitely."

"Then what's the problem with her staying next door?"

"There isn't one. You've convinced me. Put her in the room next to mine."

"And your intentions towards my sister…?"

"What? Marlena is my friend Merlin…I would never hurt her."

"Perhaps not intentionally…"

Arthur gives Merlin a long look but Merlin leaves the room, his chest feeling tight in concern but he can't tell Arthur what to do. He fetches some blankets and other essentials and hands them to Sophia as she goes into the room next to Arthur's. Sophia gives him an odd look at how stiff he's acting towards her.

If you need anything, just let me know.

Thank you. Do you not like me Merlin?"

"I have no feelings towards you either way My Lady."

"Then why do you seem so…unhappy with my being here?"

"No reason…goodbye My Lady."

Sophia watches him for a moment and then enters her guest room. Morgana sees her and approaches Merlin, looking anxious and alarmed which immediately gets his attention.

"Who is that?"

"Er, Sophia Tír-Mòr. We rescued her in the woods. Well, Arthur did most of the rescuing."

"She can't stay here."

"The King said that she and her father are welcome in Camelot. Is everything ok?"

"Yes. Thank you. Have you seen Mara?"

"Who?"

"Your sister…"

"Oh…she lets you call her that? I tried that nickname once and she hung me from the rafters of our house by my ankles."

Morgana laughed lightly and ruffled Merlin's hair before walking away, leaving him standing there grinning like a dazed loon. Morgana heads to Gaius and enters just as Gaius takes a flask off of the burner.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you."

"Nonsense, my child. My favorite patient is always welcome."

Gaius kisses her cheek and watches her look around with a concerned, and slightly disturbed look on her face.

"I'm sorry about the mess. Most of it's Merlin's. If I'd known you were coming, I'd have tidied up in here."

"Er, it's not that. It's just...your bench is on fire."

"My bench is on fire? What are you…"

Gaius turns to look behind him and sees that his flask was too close to the burner and caught fire. He grabs a pair of tongs to lift the flask as Morgana brings a bucket of water over for him to put it in.

"My bench is on fire!"

"Here."

"You're always getting me into trouble. What brings you to this dark corner?"

"I had another dream."

"I see."

"I saw Arthur lying under water, drowning, and there was a woman standing over him, watching him die. And she's here in Camelot."

"The mind plays tricks. It borrows from everyday life and plays out its own fantasy."

"But I had this dream before she came to Camelot."

"You must be mistaken."

"No, I know what I saw. It was so real...so vivid. I saw him die, Gaius. She's going to kill him. Marlena believes me, why don't you?"

"These are just dreams, Morgana, nothing more. Are you taking the sleeping draught I made up for you?"

"Oh, it doesn't help."

"Here. Try this. It will induce a deeper sleep."

Gaius hands her a bottle and she sighs softly, a disgruntled and unhappy look on her face. Gaius feels bad for lying to her but he feels it is for her own good, and he decides that he must talk to Marlena about this if Morgana is confiding in her now.

"You've nothing to fear."

"Thank you, Gaius."

"Morgana. Don't bother Uther about this. No need to worry him."

Marlena is in the stables with her horse, Shimmer, that night when she sees Aulfric sneaking out of the castle. She follows him silently, using magic to keep herself hidden, and is highly alarmed by what she finds. Aulfric approaches a man, clearly a bandit, who is extremely angry as he draws his sword. Aulfric tosses the man a small leather pouch and Marlena feels anger well up inside of her.

"You can dispense with the unpleasantries - your payment."

"I want more. My friends are dead because of you."

"Yes. I'm sorry. Such a dreadful waste of life. But, if it's any consolation, you'll see them again soon. má réðe cine týne!"

Aulfric incants a spell and a beam of what looks like lightning shoots from the staff to the bandit, killing him. Marlena follows Aulfric back to the castle and heads straight to Morgana's room to find the other woman sitting up in bed and gasping for air.

"Gana? Are you alright?"

"I had that dream again Mara…Gaius says it's just a dream and I shouldn't worry but…"

"But nothing. Gaius does not know everything. He probably thinks he's helping you by trying to keep you in the dark but I disagree. You're a seer Morgana. You can see in your dreams things that may come to pass. It is a special gift and you should cherish it."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"Should I tell Uther?"

"I think not…not yet anyway. I'm still working on getting him to fully accept magic and he's just not ready yet. Someday he will be I'm sure."

"Then I will follow your advice on this. Thank you Mara…for everything."

"Anytime my friend."

"She tells Morgana of what she saw in the forest and they both agree to keep a closer eye on their guests until they can prove that they are dangerous…because without proof Uther will do nothing. Later that morning Merlin is helping Arthur get ready for the day and looks up in confusion as Arthur picks out an outfit that doesn't seem to fit with his schedule."

"I'm taking Sophia out for a ride today. You know, show her around."

"Where do I come into this?"

"Well, I'm supposed to be on patrol with the guard of my father this morning, so I need you to cover for me."

"What, and lie to the King? No. No way. No, he'll see right through me. He'll have me in the stocks quicker than you can say rotten tomatoes."

"Merlin. I need you to do this for me."

"I am a terrible liar. I start sweating, my- my vision blurs, my- my brain stops working."

"Well, no change there, then. Look, I promised Sophia I'd take her out and if I don't turn up it'll blow my chances."

"You like her, then?"

"Yeah. What's not to like? I want to spend some more time with her, but I need to get my father off my back. I can't order you to lie to the King, but ...you'd be a friend for life if you did."

"Go on, then, you don't want to keep her waiting."

"Thanks, Merlin. I won't forget it."

Arthur noticed the bitterness in Merlin's tone but he shrugged it off and left the room, Merlin scowling at his backside the entire time. He went to the council chamber to face the king as Marlena joined Morgana and Gwen in Morgana's room. They watched Arthur ride out with Sophia and Morgana scowled at the sight.

"You're sure it's her?"

"I could never forget that face."

"You should speak to the King."

"And tell him what? That I can see the future?"

"That would not end well Gwen…the King is not ready for that yet."

"If you think Arthur's life is in danger…"

"You know how he'd react."

"You're his ward, he wouldn't harm you."

"He hates magic more than he cares for me."

"That's not true."

"Would you care to put it to the test?"

"Gana? Remember what I told you? Not yet…but someday…hopefully soon."

"But what else can you do?"

"I'm going to have to try and stop her myself…with Mara's help of course."

"Of Course. I will not allow her to kill him if I can help it."

Back in the council chamber Merlin is standing there as Uther walks in, shifting nervously under the king's scrutiny.

"Where's my son?"

"I'm not sure where he is. I, erm, I think there's been a mistake. But it's not his fault. Arthur's, I mean."

"Stop gibbering and tell me where he is."

"It's probably... No, it's definitely my fault."

"Where is Arthur?"

"He's not here."

"I can see that."

"Arthur wasn't sure of his orders, so he asked me to check with the guards to see if he was riding out this morning and...well...I may have forgotten."

"You forgot?"

"I'm sorry, My Lord. I am sure he would have been here had I told him."

"If this was a time of war, I would have you flogged."

"And since it's not, we'll let it go just this once?"

Merlin ends up being pelted with rotten tomatoes in the stocks and groans unhappily, vowing to make Arthur miserable for this later.

"I forgot how much fun this was."

Arthur and Sophia walk through the trees, speaking softly together. Sophia stopped him and looked into his eyes as she started muttering a spell, only to be interrupted when an arrow misses her head by a mere inch.

"The river's not far. It's just down here."

"Arthur...wait."

"What is it?"

"Túce hwón frec'úre, artur."

"You there! Halt!"

Arthur runs towards the guards, yelling at them for being incompetent, and Sophia stares at the arrow in the tree with a disturbed look on her face.

"Sorry!"

"Sorry?! You nearly shot a crossbow in my face! What do you mean you're sorry?!"

Arthur comes back to her and sees her staring at the arrow before distracting her by picking up her staff to try and hand it back to her…she reacts rather badly to that and it startles Arthur badly.

"You okay?"

"Yes. Thanks to you."

"They were searching for the bandits that attacked you yesterday. Here."

"Don't touch that!"

"I'm sorry. Maybe we should go back."

"It's fine. I- I'm sorry, I was upset. Now, don't let this spoil our day together. We were having such a nice time. Let's go down to the river."

"I'm taking you back to Camelot. Your father would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you."

The two head back to Camelot as Merlin finally makes it back to Gaius' chambers where he and Marlena are in a deeply heated discussion about Morgana.

"She deserves to know the truth Gaius. I will not keep secrets from my friends."

"And if she tells Uther in a fit of anger? What then?"

"She won't. She knows the dangers. I'm working on helping him Gaius but he is very stubborn and his hatred of magic runs very deep."

"Just tread carefully my dear…"

They look up at Merlin and see that he is covered in tomato juice and paste and looks absolutely miserable.

"Have you been playing with your food again?"

"The King put me in the stocks."

"What'd you do this time?"

"Nothing. Honestly, it wasn't my fault. Arthur wanted to get out of going on patrol with Uther and the guard, so I covered for him and took the blame."

"And Arthur was prepared to let you do this?"

"It was his idea."

"And what made him neglect his duties? It must've been something terribly important."

"Sophia."

"The girl from the forest?"

"He wanted to take her out for the day. He is completely besotted."

"But they've only just met."

"I know. I guess it must have been love at first sight."

"Yes. I suppose it must be."

They both heard the chamber door slam and Merlin's smile fell in an instant. Gaius sighed softly and shook his head, wondering just what the blazes had gotten into Arthur to act in such a manner. Gaius leaves the room while Merlin gets himself cleaned up and snoops around Aulfric's chamber only to get caught as he is looking at the man's staff.

"Can I help you?"

"Forgive me. The door was open. I thought someone may have broken in."

"Looks like they have."

"I apologize for imposing on you. It won't happen again."

"Make sure it doesn't."

Arthur and Sophia ride back into the castle and Arthur helps her off of her horse, staring at her for a long moment before they separate.

"You're sure you'll be alright?"

"Yes. Thank you for today. Good night, Arthur."

Sophia runs into Morgana on the stairs and the two have a bit of a stare-down. Morgana nearly hisses at Sophia in her anger at the woman.

"Sorry! Lady Morgana, isn't it? I'm Sophia."

"What are you doing here?"

"My father and I are guests of the King."

"You're lying. I know what you're going to do to him, and I won't let it happen."

"Does Arthur know you feel this way about him? Of course he does. I suspect he's already turned you down."

"I am not in love with Arthur…he's like a brother to me. Don't think you can make a fool out of me."

"I won't have to. You're managing to do that well enough already."

"Stay away from him."

"Or what? Jealousy is such an unattractive trait in a woman."

"I am not jealous…not of you. If anything happens to Arthur, or if your actions cause my friend to be hurt in any way, I will find you…however long it takes."

Sophia enters her chamber and goes to her father, her agitation is mirrored by him as they speak.

"You've not been gone as long as I expected."

"We were interrupted."

"What happened?"

"I was nearly killed. For a moment, I felt what it would be like to die a mortal death. He saved me. Someone so weak, so feeble, saved me! I can't bear to be like this a moment longer."

"You won't have to. Once his heart is yours, the gates of Avalon will open once again for us and we can regain our true form."

"I need a little more time."

"You must hurry. The physician can see us for what we truly are."

"And he is not alone. The Lady Morgana. She fears her powers, but that will not keep her quiet for long."

"Tomorrow, you have to finish the enchantment, otherwise our chance to rid us of these mortal shells will be lost forever."

Morgana ends up in Arthur's chambers and tries to make him see the danger he is in but he is so enchanted that he cannot see it.

"You seem very fond of her."

"You make that sound like a bad thing."

"Not necessarily. I've just never seen you fall under a woman's spell so quickly."

"If you're jealous, Morgana, it's ok to admit it."

"Don't flatter yourself."

"Come on. It wouldn't be the first time now, would it?"

"Arthur, I'm trying to protect you! She isn't what she seems."

"Why? What makes you say that?"

"I just have a feeling. It's difficult to describe. I had a dream. A nightmare."

"You really are very sweet, Morgana."

"Why are you laughing?"

"You! Your feelings, bad dreams. You don't have to make this stuff up. You can tell me the truth. It's obvious you like me."

"Less and less by the second."

"All right. Whatever you say."

"You're intolerable. I just hope I'm wrong about her."

"I'm not worried."

"You should be! The moment you met her you forgot all about Marlena!"

"Marlena is my friend Morgana…I've not forgotten her."

"You seem to have forgotten telling me how much you were in love with her and wanted to court her. Oh now you remember that do you? That woman is dangerous Arthur…Marlena believes my nightmares are visions…that I'm a seer…and I fear she may be right."

Marlena sits with her King for dinner that night and tells him what she saw when she followed Aulfric into the forest the first night they were in Camelot.

"You are certain of what you saw and heard?"

"Yes Majesty…I have no physical proof, unfortunately, but I believe they have ulterior motives and ill intentions. They have magic but it is unlike any I have seen before…it's an angry red color with streaks of blue. Even Gaius isn't sure what that means yet but he is researching it. He said Aulfric's eyes turned red when he caught Gaius looking at his staff…rather the symbols on it…he's researching those too."

"Keep me informed little one. I wish to now of any new developments as soon as you learn of them. If they are a threat to my kingdom I want to know."

"Of course, Majesty."

The next morning Merlin goes to get Arthur ready only to find him already dressed…and he does not like the look of what he's wearing one bit.

"You're dressed!"

"Nothing gets past you, does it, Merlin?"

"What- You're supposed to be wearing these! Your father's bestowing a knighthood on one of your men this morning!"

"I'm giving it a miss."

"Won't the King mind?"

"Not if you, er, cover for me, again. By the way, thanks for yesterday, I heard you ended up in the stocks. Bad luck."

"They were throwing potatoes at me. It's only supposed to be rotten fruit."

"I'm not sure there's any hard-and-fast rules, but if it's any consolation, I think it was worth it."

"What? It went well?"

"Great. Fantastic. She's incredible."

"Don't worry. I'll find a way to get you out of it…though it does reflect poorly for the prince to not be there to see one of his men knighted…"

"Just make sure you don't end up in the stocks this time."

"I won't. I think I'm starting to get the hang of this whole deception lark."

Later, as Melrin is pelted with rotten food yet again, Sophia and Arthur are frolicking in the forest. She once again incants a spell while looking into his eyes and smiles in triumph when his eyes turn red.

"Wai- wait! Careful."

"Don't worry. I will be. túce hwón frec 'úre, artur."

"What are you doing?"

"Þec nom feoh gyse. Cume morðor rice ær. Túce hwón frec úre, artur."

Merlin returns to Gaius, once again covered in rotten food, and Gaius shakes his head in disbelief.

"Not again Merlin, surely?"

"You would think that the appeal of pelting the same person with fruit would wear off after a while, but, oh, no!"

"I heard that Arthur wasn't at the knighting ceremony."

"Yeah, he wanted to make the most of his time left with Sophia."

"So you helped him?"

"I'm his servant, I had to."

"You shouldn't have done that, Merlin. I fear that Sophia may not be all that she seems…and Marlena agrees with me."

"Why?"

"What do you know about seers?"

"Not much. They're supposed to be able to see the future, like prophets."

"It's said to be an innate ability. Those who have it are born that way. Some aren't even aware that what they see is the future. It comes to them in their dreams."

"What's this got to do with Sophia?"

"The night before she and Aulfric came to Camelot, Morgana had a dream. Sophia was in it."

"Before she arrived in Camelot?"

"I've been watching Morgana since she was very young. And though I tried to persuade myself otherwise, I realized that some of the things she said she'd dreamt came to pass. I kept it secret from Uther, of course. The gift of prophecy is too close to the work of magic."

"You think Morgana is a seer?"

"I don't think it. I fear it. Morgana said she dreamt that Sophia killed Arthur."

"Couldn't that have just been a dream? Maybe the- the woman Morgana saw just looked like Sophia."

"That's what I hoped. But Aulfric caught me in Sophia's room and, in a flash of anger, his eyes changed color. They turned red Merlin."

"Who are they?"

"It's not who they are that worries me. It's what they want with Arthur."

Sophia and Arthur end up back in his chambers and she continues enchanting his mind and pulling him under her thrall.

"Our love is strong. You feel the same way, too. If we were ever to be parted…"

"I'd never let that happen."

"You may not have the choice. There are some here who don't want us to be together."

"I'll never let them come between us."

"Because we are in love."

"Because we're in love."

"You must seek permission for us to marry... so that we can be together."

"Till death do us part."

"Túce hwón frec'úre, artur."

"Till death do us part."

Arthur's eyes glow red and Sophia exits, meeting her father just outside. Merlin sees the two part and follows Aulfric.

"He's ready. Tomorrow he'll do what we need him to."

"Good, you have done well. I must go to the elders."

Merlin follows Aulfric to the edge of a large lake near Camelot and watches as the man calls out to the Sidhe and then incants a spell.

"I seek an audience with the Sidhe elders! Do:tiag-sa ar idbairt do denam!"

Fairy-like beings appear over the lake, flying around and swooping low over the water. Merlin stares in awe and uses his magic to slow time down so he can see them better for a moment.

"I come before you to plead for the chance to win passage back to Avalon and a life of immortality!"

"Your punishment for killing another Sidhe is a mortal body and a mortal life. You will never be able to return to Avalon."

"The crime was mine, not my daughter's."

"The gates of Avalon remain closed to your daughter. Unless the soul of a mortal prince be offered up to them."

"Thank you. An immortal life for my daughter is all that I desire, so I promise you the soul of the greatest prince of all. Arthur Pendragon!"

The Sidhe disperse as Aulfric lets out an evil laugh. Merlin races back to the castle and rushes to see Gaius, finding Marlena there with him. He tells them what he saw and heard and Gaius seems mesmerized by the idea.

"Avalon. What you saw at the lake, it's Avalon. It must be."

"What's…?"

"The land of eternal youth. Mortals are only supposed to glimpse it the moment before death."

"Well, I've seen it and I'm still here."

"Extraordinary. What did it look like?"

"Does it matter? They're going to sacrifice Arthur and we don't even know who "they" are yet."

"We do now. I found writing like this on the top of Aulfric's staff. It's Ogham, an ancient script. Abas ocus bithe. Duthectad bithlane. "To hold life and death in your hands." From the writing on his staff and what you saw at the lake, I'm afraid I'm now certain. We're dealing with the Sidhe."

"That does not sound like a good thing."

"They're masters of enchantment."

"You think Arthur's been enchanted?"

"Almost certainly. I'm afraid Morgana's dream is coming true.?"

"I know he has…there is no other explanation for his behavior of late. Skipping a knighting ceremony?! That is not something Arthur would ever do in his right mind."

They are called to the council chambers in the middle of the night and find Arthur standing before Uther with Sophia and her father. Marlena moves to stand beside her king who gives her a fond look. Morgana is sitting on Uther's other side.

"I requested this emergency audience, Father, to discuss a matter of great importance. It cannot have escaped your attention that I and Lady Sophia Tír-Mòr have grown very close."

"Not too close, I hope."

"We're in love. Which is why I come before you today to ask your permission to marry."

Uther laughs but Morgana sees the pained look on Marlena's face at his words. Uther sees Morgana's hand twitch in Marlena's direction and turns to see the distraught look on her face which only makes him more unhappy with what is happening in his court.

"I assume you're joking."

"No. I'm going to marry her."

"But you only met two days ago."

"We're in love."

"In love? We had no idea that you were such a romantic, had we, Morgana?"

"No, he's full of surprises."

Uther's voice is mocking while Morgana's is flat and toneless…which is never a good sign as it indicates that she is beyond angry.

"I'm going to marry her. I don't care what either of you think about it."

"I thought you'd come to ask my permission?"

"Out of courtesy, nothing more."

Arthur takes Sophia's hand and walks toward the door, turning his back on Uther who immediately makes a motion to the guards with a sharp order.

"Guards, door. You've forgotten whose court you're standing in."

"You won't stop me. If I want to marry her, I will."

"Arrest Sophia and Aulfric Tír-Mòr."

The guards step forward and seize the two who both look very alarmed. Arthur immediately protests.

"What are you doing?"

"And inform the executioner his services will be required tomorrow morning."

"You can't do this."

"Yes, I can, and unless you show me some respect, I will!"

Arthur bows his head in respect and Uther motions to the guards, both Morgana and Marlena share a look behind his back.

"Release them. You've got your whole life ahead of you. Sophia is no doubt your first love, but she certainly won't be the only one. Enjoy yourself while you can."

Morgana follows Uther out of the chamber and down the hall, Marlena trailing behind them with a deep frown on her face.

"You're not planning on springing any surprises on me are you, Morgana?"

"Don't you think you should be taking this a bit more seriously?"

"He's young, foolish and in love. Give it a week and he'll be chasing after the next girl that catches his eye."

Morgana notices the wince Marlena gives at Uther's words and gives him a disapproving frown, feeling a bit gratified when he looks a bit guilty.

"Sophia will never let that happen."

"Do you bear a grudge against our guest?"

"There's something about her I don't trust. You've seen the way Arthur changed since she's arrived."

"He's a fool in love."

"She's dangerous."

"Dangerous? To who?"

"Arthur."

"Why do you say that?"

"I just have a sense, a feeling."

"And what has she done to make you have this feeling?"

"Nothing, yet. It's what she's going to do. I don't know how to tell you this."

"Try. Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"I just…I…"

"Morgana is a seer, Majesty."

"She has magic?!"

"No! Being a seer does not mean she has magic. It is a gift from the gods…it means she can see glimpses of possible future events in her dreams."

"Her nightmares…are visions?"

"Not all of them…some are just dreams. In this case…she saw a vision of Sophia drowning Arthur before Sophia ever came to Camelot."

"I see…do what you must to keep my son safe little one. Morgana…come with me to my chamber and we will talk more of this gift. Relax my dear…you're not in any trouble for this I promise you."

Morgana smiles softly and allows Uther to lead her away while Marlena goes to seek out Arthur. She finds Arthur just after Merlin does and listens as Merlin tries to reason with him. She knows it won't help and only magic can end the enchantment on Arthur, but she doesn't know what to do.

"Get out."

"I thought the King was a bit harsh."

"I don't need sympathy, Merlin, especially not from you."

"But I did think he had a point."

"I ordered you to get out. Now leave me!"

"I know what you think you're doing, and I know you think you're in love with Sophia…"

"Who are you to tell me what I'm thinking?"

"I'm your friend."

"No, Merlin, you're my servant."

"You don't know what you're doing. She's cast a spell on you. You're enchanted."

Sophia and her father entered behind Merlin but did not immediately see Marlena as she was leaning on the wall in the corner.

"I told you people would try to keep us apart."

"I know. I won't let that happen."

"Look, don't listen to her, she's controlling you."

"We can elope together. Get away from this place, these people."

"I saw you. I followed him. They're planning to sacrifice you."

Aulfric tried to help his daughter turn Arthur against Merlin, neither noticing Marlena still as her eyes narrowed in increasing anger.

"You let your servant talk to your guests this way?"

"I know what you're going to do, because I followed you to the lake and I heard everything. You have to believe me."

"Don't listen to him, Arthur. Let's go. Let's leave tonight."

"She's going to kill you. Sophia plans to sacrifice you to buy a life of immortality. If you go with her, you'll die."

"It- it doesn't make sense. We're-we're in love."

"They're magical beings! Look at the writing on the staff."

Merlin reaches for Aulfric's staff but Aulfric pulls it away and his eyes glow red. Merlin turns back to Arthur, pointing at Aulfric.

"Look at his eyes. Look at him. Do you believe me now? Arthur, do you see?"

Arthur turns around, his eyes glowing red as well and Merlin takes a step back. Marlena lets out a soft distressed sound and the other two finally realize she is there.

"I see everything."

"Merlin lunges toward Aulfric, attempting to grab the staff, but Aulfric uses it to hit Merlin with a spell.

"Na mben sis!"

Aulfric's spell throws Merlin against the wall and knocks him unconscious. Marlena's rage is instantaneous and powerful as her magic lashes out to protect her twin. Aulfric stares at her with wide eyes and pulls Sophia back from her when she goes to attack.

"No Sophia…she is one of the prophesied ones…can you not feel her power my dear?"

When Marlena bent down to check on Merlin Aulfric used his staff to knock her unconscious as well.

"That wasn't so difficult father."

"We will take her with us…have him carry her."

"What? Why?"

"We can offer her as an extra sacrifice…it will greatly please the Sidhe elders."

"Very well father."

By now it was the early hours of the morning and the world was colored a light gray as it came closer to sunrise. Morgana gasped awake again from another vision, but this time it was different. This vision showed not just Arthur being drowned but also Marlena. Morgana went to her window and saw Sophia and her father leaving with Arthur, who was carrying a clearly unconscious Marlena. She immediately raced down to Gaius in fear for her pseudo-brother and friend.

"He's gone! Arthur's gone with her! She's taken him!"

"Slow down."

"I know you don't believe me, but I'm so sure it's going to happen. My dream's going to come true. I just had another one but this time they killed Marlena too. They just left the castle and Arthur is carrying Marlena…she wasn't moving Gaius."

"I do believe you."

"I've got to tell Uther."

"You can't."

"I've got to do something, if I don't then Arthur will die."

"You can't tell Uther about your dream. If Uther thinks you've got the seers' power, he'll charge you with witchcraft."

"No…he already knows. Marlena and I told him after the council meeting…and he and I had a long talk. He's…ok with it. He knows the visions aren't magic…Marlena assured him of that. He trusts her."

"I'll take care of it, Morgana."

"Where are you going?"

"To find someone who can help."

Morgana watched Gaius leave and waited all of five minutes, if that, before racing to Uther's private chambers. She pounded on the door until he finally answered, the angry look on his face draining away at the distress and tears on her face.

"What has happened my dear?"

"Sophia and her father left the castle with Arthur…and he was carrying Marlena in his arms…she wasn't moving Uther…I'm afraid. I had another vision and this time they killed Arthur and Marlena both. I just know it's about to come true…"

"Go back to your room and I will send for Leon…I'll have him go out after them with his best knights. Everything will be just fine Morgana."

Morgana does as she's told but ends up pacing her room until Gwen eventually joins her and tries to keep her calm. Uther heads to Leon's chamber to personally wake him and explain the situation. Leon is instantly alert and dons his armor before rousing his best knights. Gaius enters Arthur's chamber and rushes to Merlin's side as he is coming around.

"Merlin! What happened to you?"

"Aulfric. Where's Arthur? I have got to go after him. Marlena?! Where is my sister? What's that buzzing noise?"

"Careful, Merlin, you can barely stand up."

"I have to go."

"You can't, not in this state. You owe it to your powers that you survived this at all."

"I'll be fine, they need me."

"Has that buzzing stopped?"

"Yeah."

"Liar."

"I have to go, Gaius. He'll die if I don't."

"The Sidhe are a vicious people. You must be careful."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Gaius gives Merlin a dubious look as he almost walks into the window and points towards the door.

"Merlin? This way."

"Just testing."

Merlin raced through the woods while Sophia and Aulfric spoke on the shores of the lake. Leon and his men were only just getting to the stables and mounting their horses by the time Aulfric began the ritual.

"Go. They are waiting for you."

"I don't understand. You're coming too."

"Only one of us can pass through. This was never meant for me."

"I only wanted this so we could both return to Avalon."

"Your destiny is on a different path to mine. It is my fate to live a mortal life."

"I don't want to leave you."

"You must. Once the ceremony begins you have to go through with it. The elders expect a soul. If they don't get his they will take yours."

"Goodbye. I will never forget you."

Marlena had only just started to come around as Sophia takes Arthur's hand and leads him into the lake, Merlin continues running through the forest to try and reach them.

"Stop…stop this…please…"

"Do not worry…you will be joining him shortly. Right father?"

"Yes."

Aulfric had bound Marlena's hands behind her back as soon as they'd stopped at the lake and now he lifted her up with magic and floated her out to where his daughter stood with Arthur before dropping her into the water. Aulfric quickly began to chant.

"Ia bend dǽdon níwe. Cúðon gare íewe deahl sǽ áre. Sé áre. Ig bæþ deahl sǽ néah. Déaþ ór cwylþ óga him."

Merlin trips in the woods, then keeps running.

"An 'wén. Flíete á. Dómdæg. Déaþ ór cwylþ óga him. An 'wén. Flíete á."

Sophia kisses Arthur before tipping him backwards into the water with a smile on her lips. Marlena uses her magic to try and keep her own head above the water.

"Dómdæg. Déaþ ór cwylþ óga him. An 'wén. Flíete á. Dómdæg. Déaþ ór cwylþ óga him, Arthur Pendragon."

Merlin is still running and he finally arrives, ducking behind a tree as he watches Sophia use her hands to push Marlena below the water's surface while Aulfric continues chanting.

"Ia bend dǽdon níwe. Cúðon gare íewe deahl sǽ néah. Sé áre. Ig bæþ deahl sǽ néah. An 'wén. Flíete á. Dómdæg. Déaþ ór cwylþ óga him."

Merlin sees Sophia's staff on the ground and whispers a spell to make it fly into his hand, which Aulfric thankfully doesn't notice.

"Onbregdan."

Merlin points it at Aulfric and mutters a spell which sends a bolt of light into the man, causing him to explode.

"Swilte, gold beorþ."

Sophia screams and Merlin turns the staff onto her, using the same spell to make her explode as well.

"Father! No! No!"

"Swilte, gold beorþ."

Merlin takes off his jacket and runs into the water just as Leon and his men arrive at the shore. Leon watches Merlin dive under and sheds his armor to follow him into the lake. Merlin surfaces with Arthur in his grip and Leon breathes a sigh of relief, until Merlin's next words make his blood run cold.

"Marlena's still down there!"

Leon nods and goes under until he finds her, pulling her to the surface and swimming for the shore where Merlin is already pulling the water form Arthur's lungs with a murmured spell. Leon lays Marlena next to the prince and Merlin moves to tend to her next. Eventually Leon pulls Marlena onto his horse while Merlin holds onto Arthur as they ride for Camelot at full speed. They are met by Uther, Morgana, Gwen, and Gaius who all looked on with concern as their loved ones were carried inside. Uther had them both placed on Arthur's bed until they woke so that he could watch over both of them, missing the little smile that Morgana and Merlin shared behind his back. When they do wake it is Arthur who comes to first with a loud groan. Merlin and Gaius are immediately there to tend to him.

"Arthur? Arthur?"

"What happened? Where am I?"

"Can you remember anything?"

"Ow! Oh, my head! There was a girl. Sophia, she...I asked my father something about her, I asked him…"

Arthur bolts up in bed and Merlin can't help but tease him a bit. The little twitch of Marlena's lips tells him she's awake and enjoying this as much as he is. Gaius just sits back and observes, joining in with a few comments of his own. Uther stands in the corner and watches with an amused smirk on his lips.

"What was I thinking?"

"Well, we did wonder. Especially when you eloped with her last night."

"I did what?"

"Merlin had to bring you back to Camelot."

"I don't recall any of this."

"Must've been some blow."

"What blow?"

"Well, er, when I caught up with you, I couldn't persuade you to return, you were beyond reason. So I had to make you."

"You managed to knock me out?"

"Yep. With a lump of wood."

"He only did it to bring you back safely."

"No one can know about this. Any of it. Is that understood?"

Merlin and Gaius look at each other and then nod as Arthur falls back on his pillows with a loud groan. Marlena finally loses her battle and laughs, immediately regretting it as it makes her head pound and spin.

"Oh god…that hurts…"

Arthur rolls over and pulls her into his arms, tucking her head against his neck and whispering softly to try and soothe her pain. Uther's smirk turned into a pleased smile before he slipped out of the room. Moments later Morgana and Gwen came in and immediately started fawning over the two patients, mostly Marlena though. Merlin was finally persuaded to tell Arthur what really happened, and Marlena was alarmed by how close they'd both come to death that morning. Later, once Gaius declared them recovered enough, Arthur and Marlena went to see Uther in the council chamber. Uther decides to play ignorant for a moment to tease his son in a rare show of playfulness…it ended up being Merlin that he bantered with which amused everyone.

"When you failed to show up for patrol this morning, I feared you'd eloped with Sophia in a fit of passion."

"I- I wish he had. Because then I wouldn't be stood in front of you feeling like an idiot... Again."

"This is becoming a near daily occurrence for you."

"But there was a mistake. And I would not say it was anyone's fault. Not- not really. Erm, you- you could say it was mine."

"Could somebody tell me what happened?"

"Well…"

"Someone with a brain."

"After Sophia left, I wanted to take my mind off her so I went for a hunt."

Morgana couldn't resist adding in her own opinion while Marlena snickered softly and tried to hold back her laughter.

"And killing things mends a broken heart?"

"No, but it is good fun. Merlin was meant to inform you that I wouldn't be back till later today."

"Have you some kind of mental affliction?"

"Probably."

"I'm looking into it, Sire."

"Well, I hope for our sake you find a cure. Or we'll find ourselves with a food shortage on our hands."

[Merlin chuckles before he realizes what Uther is hinting at and groans loudly. Marlena finally laughs and Merlin just gives her an un-amused look.

"Food shortage…wait…"

Uther chuckles and drops the act, allowing Merlin to relax as he realizes her's not going to be pelted by more rotten food.

"I know everything, Arthur. Marlena informed me of her suspicions about Aulfric and Sophia days ago…and Morgana informed me of her visions last night. I sent Leon and his best men after you and thank the gods I did. I might have lost you both."

Uther pulls Arthur and Marlena both into a hug and Marlena smiles softly, happy that all is back to relative normality in her world. They all sit and chat happily together for a time before going their separate ways. Once in the hall Arthur stops Merlin, Marlena, and Morgana and thanks them.

"I just…I wanted to thank the three of you…for saving my life."

"You're welcome, Arthur."

"It was nothing…just be less of a prat right?"

"Arthur…you're like a brother to me…of course I'm going to help you."

Morgana heads down to Gaius' chambers to speak with him, finding him already hunched over an experiment when she opens the door. Merlin and Marlena enter behind her and Marlena drops onto a bench with a loud groan. Merlin pulls her into his lap and runs his fingers through her hair to soothe her.

"Morgana."

"Gaius…we need to talk."

"Do you need a new draught?"

"No. I've decided to stop taking them. My vision saved their lives. I no longer wish to suppress them. I will, however, take Mara's suggestion and keep a dream journal."

"That…is a good idea actually. Well done Marlena."

"I've seen a few of the druids who do the same with their visions. It helps them keep track of how often they have a particular vision and to remember details that might be lost over time."

"Well then…I shall defer Morgana's vision care to you my dear…you seem to have it well in hand. Anything else though you will come to me yes?"

"Of course Gaius. Marlena is only helping me with this because she has magic…"

"I understand my dear. I really do."

Morgana walked over to where her friend's were sitting and she leaned in to kiss Merlin's cheek, laughing lightly when his face turned as red as the tomatoes he so despised.

"Thank you Merlin…for saving them."

"Anytime…My Lady."

Gaius eyed the two with amusement as Merlin was all-but oblivious to Morgana's flirting. Marlena just giggled softly and gave Morgana a little wink to show she knew what she was doing and approved.

"Alright now…off to bed all of you…especially you two. I'll not have you getting sick on my watch."

They all headed off back to their chambers, Merlin going into Gaius' back room of course while Marlena and Morgana went to their own rooms. Marlena made a detour when a servant sent her to Uther's chamber instead. She found him lounging by his fire and he smiled at her when she entered.

"Come and sit with me little one. I've been thinking of sending you to spend some time with the druids. You've expressed an interest in learning healing magic and I have been told that they are the best at it. Would that interest you little one?"

"Very much so Majesty. Gaius tells me they have the best healers and I would be honored to work with them…to learn from them."

"I will work on arranging it for you then. For now you should go and sleep…you've had a trying time lately."

"Thank you Majesty. You need sleep as well…I hope it is peaceful."

She gives him a quick kiss on the cheek before going to bed. She runs into Sir Leon on the way and stops him for a moment.

"Sir Leon."

"My Lady?"

"I wanted to thank you for pulling me out of the lake. You saved my life."

"Think nothing of it My Lady. I would do it again in a heartbeat. You have brought light and life back to this place."

"Nonetheless…thank you."

"You are most welcome My Lady."

Marlena finally made it to her bed and collapsed onto it, falling asleep almost immediately as her body finally gave out for the day. Morgana wakes up in the middle of the night from another vision, immediately writing down what she saw. She decided to wait until morning to show Marlena because she didn't want to disturb her friend's sleep, lord knew she'd need it if her vision were to actually happen.

A/N: Another chapter done. I tried to put a bit more interaction between Merlin and Morgana in this one. The next chapter is going to be so much fun. I'm going to try to get that one up on Tuesday or Wednesday but I make no promises. I'm also hoping to be able to post at least a chapter a week, but again no promises. Hope you all still like it.