Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.


Chapter 27 – The Drawing of Darkness


Those crowded into the throne room grew anxious the more they waited. Several hours had passed and they knew that their army would have already engaged the wraiths in battle. Gwen had thought that sending her husband off to war was the worst; however, she'd forgotten about the endless waiting. Princess Anne wasn't the only modern royal whom Gwen had the pleasure of speaking with, once she left her throne she managed to speak with most of them, including Kate whom informed her that George had made a clay sculpture in school that he couldn't wait to show Eleanor on her next visit to Kensington. The discussion allowed her a distraction, but it did not last as long as she'd have liked.

"My Queen!" A voice called out drawing Gwen's attention.

"My Lady!" She returned, spotting The Lady of the Lake who had appeared off to the side of the room. "You are most welcome here, My Lady."

"Thank you. But I fear I will not be staying long. Nor will you."

"And where are we going?" Gwen asked, assuming she would be accompanying The Lady and not just leaving Camelot on her own.

"The battlefield." Gwen could not hide her shock. She had not once set foot on a battlefield and could think of nothing good coming of her doing so now.

"And what, exactly, am I supposed to do once there? I cannot wield a sword, I would be of no use in battle."

"I am afraid I do not have answers for you, My Queen." She admitted. "I was summoned by The Disir with word from The Triple Goddess. All I was told was that as The Once and Future Queen you needed to stand alongside your King for your destinies to be fulfilled. I apologize but I know no more than that save that I have been commanded to not interfere in the battle beyond protecting you from Morgana and her wraiths. Whatever must happen, the rest is up to you, King Arthur, and Emrys." Gwen thought on what The Lady had said and whether she would agree to it or not. Arthur would be furious, no doubt, as would The Knights of The Round Table and Merlin; she would not be surprised if each took it in turn to lecture her should they live through the war. Yet she trusted The Lady, and if The Triple Goddess said it was necessary she was inclined to believe her.

"Alright." She said finally. "Give me one moment." The Lady nodded and Gwen turned to the room at large, all who had been listening in.

"You don't have to do this." Mithian said, coming to her side along with her parents.

"I agree." Her father said. "In fact I forbid it." Gwen smiled softly at him.

"I am the reincarnated High Queen of Britain and we stand in Camelot, where regardless of it being two thousand years later, I still reign as Queen. You can forbid me nothing." Her father looked like he wanted to argue but thought better of it. Gwen gave her parents a quick hug before turning back to Mithian. "If the worst should happen, promise me you will care for my children."

"It won't be necssa-"

"Promise me!" Mithian looked her friend in the eyes and knew that Gwen would not budge until she swore that William and Eleanor would be cared for should she and Arthur not return.

"Alright." She nodded pulling Gwen into a hug. "I swear to care for them if necessary, but it won't be necessary."

"Thank you." Gwen murmured before turning back to The Lady. "I am ready." As much as she would have liked to be able to see her children once more, she knew she would not be able to leave them if she did.

"But we aren't!" Her mother cried in tears. It had been hard for the parents who's sons had gone into battle, and they had seen them train and knew how capable they were; Gwen's parents thought she was committing suicide.

"You cannot stop me. My husband, my friends, my kingdom needs me."

"But-"

"I'm sorry." Gwen knew how hard this was. Although it was her and not her children going into battle, she was still leaving them and knew she may never see them again.

"I'm afraid I must take The High Queen with me." The Lady said. "But I can allow you to see what is happening."

"You sure that wise?" Gwen shot at her, knowing, even if she had never seen one herself aside from in the movies, that a battle was not a pretty thing to watch.

"Yes!" The parents said as one; no matter what they witnessed they knew that not knowing and simply waiting for it to end would be worse.

"Very well, though I will caution you that a real battle is nothing like in the films of this time." When no one voiced any hesitation, The Lady waved her hand and made a crystal ball appear.

"Taking a leaf from Merlin?" Gwen murmured, though The Lady raised an eyebrow.

"More like the other way around. Where do you think Merlin got the idea for a crystal ball in the first place?" The ball sat in the middle of The Round Table and everyone gathered around as the battle began to play in front of them. With everyone distracted, Gwen shot her parents as reassuring a smile as she could before turning to The Lady who nodded and waved her hand, taking them to the battlefield. The Queen was entirely unprepared for the sight that greeted her; if she thought that the battles she had seen in films would be at all similar she was wrong. The sight and sound of dying men was overwhelming, worse than even the sight of the severed body parts of the wraiths that had to yet to re-assemble themselves for the dying men were her people. Unable to help herself, Gwen ran to the nearest man who was still visibly alive and dropped to her knees beside him.

"You're going to be alright." She said and thinking quickly she grabbed the bloody knife beside him and cut a strip off the hem of her gown before tying it around his wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"My Queen?" The soldier sounded very confused. "How are you…? What are you…? You should not be here!" His voice rose as he realized that she wasn't a hallucination and he tried to sit up only for Gwen to push him back down.

"Don't move!"

"It's not safe here! What are you doing here?! I have to get you out!"

"You have to rest!"

"But-"

"No! I am Queen and I am ordering you to rest and stay alive! You have done all you can, and I am not without protection." She motioned to The Lady of the Lake who had not left her side and was in fact using her magic to keep any would be attackers away. The soldier relaxed a little recognizing The Lady and knowing of her power, but he still voiced his concerns.

"You should not be here."

"Perhaps. But I am, and I am not leaving until the destiny of The Once and Future King and Queen is fulfilled."

"The King will not be happy."

"No, I imagine he won't be." She laughed as she finished doing all she could for him. "What is your name?" Although she felt bad for not knowing the names of every man who fought in Camelot's army, there were thousands of them, and aside from a select few, she saw them very infrequently.

"Roland, Your Grace."

"Roland…" She murmured, offering him a smile. "Do what you must to stay alive."

"You ensure my will to live just by being here, Your Grace." His flattery was not uncommon nor was Gwen surprised by his words; it was no secret that all of Camelot was in love with their Queen.

"Flatterer." She chided softly. "I must go. Please…stay alive." She begged as she stood and took off into the heart of the battle, knowing that would be where Arthur was, while The Lady followed close behind. They ended up climbing Badon Hill, The Lady pushing any oncoming wraiths back while Gwen tried not to distract their army with her presence. It was hopeless in some cases and The Lady ended up disobeying The Triple Goddess and protecting some soldiers who would otherwise have died while distracted by Gwen. Nearing the top of the hill, Gwen finally spotted Arthur, The Knights, and Merlin. Morgana was keeping Merlin busy while the wraiths tried to converge around Arthur, who was clearly their target, though The Knights of The Round table were making a valiant effort to stop them. Gwen stayed back, not wanting to distract her husband or friends and watched in fear as the wraiths kept coming. It did not matter how many times they were cut down they still returned to fight again, some missing an arm, or a chunk out of their stomach. The only time the wraiths stayed down was when Arthur, Percival or Leon were the ones delivering the blow; their immortal blades proving to be the wraiths' weakness. However, even though the three possessed weapons capable of defeating this enemy, there were many more wraiths than there were immortal blades and their task was a hard one, made even more so as the wraiths were not mindless, and were forming strategies. Their current one appeared to be to get Arthur alone, having to face too many of them to be able to defeat; a strategy they were able to carry out within minutes of Gwen arriving.

"Give up the sword." One of them commanded of Arthur.

"Give up my only means of defeating you? Right, I'll get right on that." The King laughed sarcastically.

"You don't really have a choice." Another sneered, the seven surrounding him raising their swords threateningly. He did have another choice though, however risky a move it was. At the top of the hill next to Arthur was a stone that had stood there for longer than anyone knew and it was into that stone that Arthur thrust Excalibur.

"Only The High King can pull the sword from that stone. I will never let it fall into your hands." He said, and though he was now all but defenseless Arthur knew he had done the right thing; better he die and the sword remain in the stone forevermore then allow an immortal blade to fall into the hands of the wraiths, or worse Morgana herself. It was hard to tell if the wraiths were disappointed, their decaying faces didn't exactly offer facial expressions, but regardless of what they may be feeling none wasted any time in attacking The King.

"Arthur!" Gwen's cry was automatic and could not be stopped. Although she had initially not wanted to draw attention to herself she was ultimately glad that she did for the blow aimed at her husband's head was stopped as the wraiths became distracted.

"Guinevere...?" Arthur murmured in shock, his eyes going wide at seeing his wife on the battlefield. "Guinevere!" Grabbing Excalibur's hilt, Arthur pulled the sword back out of the stone and took out two wraiths in one swing as he cut a path to his wife; his determination, and the wraiths distraction, giving him the opening he needed.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?!" He roared as he neared her side.

"I brought her, Your Grace." The Lady informed him, though Arthur didn't want to hear it.

"She is The High Queen of Britain, fully capable of saying no and taking responsibility for her own stupidity when she doesn't!" He growled, turning furious eyes on Gwen. That particular look was one Gwen was not used to having directed at her, yet recognized quite well all the same. While they had had their arguments, as all couples did, neither had had reason to be truly furious with the other, except for one occasion: on the day of Camelot's downfall when Arthur had thought Gwen had betrayed him.

"Indeed I am." Gwen agreed, neither trying to diffuse Arthur's anger, nor apologizing for her actions.

"Get out of here. Take her back to Camelot!" The High King commanded.

"I am needed here." Gwen argued.

"Really? You have an immortal blade you suddenly know how to use? Or some other manner of defeating wraiths you forgot to share with the group?" She rolled her eyes at his sarcasm, knowing it to be his coping mechanism when he was afraid.

"You know that is not true."

"Then what could you possibly have to offer on the field of battle?" As they talked he had continued to fight the oncoming wraiths, though it was made easier with The Lady's help.

"I am The Once and Future Queen, it is my destiny to stand beside you and play my part in bringing about a new Golden Age." She reminded him. "The Lady came to me directly from The Disir. The Triple Goddess herself has said that that destiny shall be fulfilled here." Although her explanation did nothing to calm him, Arthur could not fight her any longer. The Triple Goddess was the one being none of them could, or should, ignore, and she had never led them astray before; if she said Gwen was needed here then there was a reason for it.

"I don't know how to protect you here." Were the next words he said, quieter and with fear in his voice.

"That is why I am here, Sire." The Lady spoke once more as she blasted a wraith back with magic; unfortunately not even her power was enough to destroy them.

"I welcome your help." News of The Queen's presence on the battlefield spread quickly and it wasn't long before more wraiths and The Knights both converged on her.

"You should not be here!" Leon chastised as he used his new blade to see to the end of another wraith.

"I've always said The Triple Goddess was a bit barmy, but this is taking things to a new level and you should know better!" Percival added, both knights sounding as if they were scolding a disobedient little sister, which in truth was not far off.

"Oh well." Was all Gwen said as this time Percival dealt with the oncoming enemy. There was one enemy, however, that the First Knights could not hope to defeat and Morgana had used Merlin's distraction to send him flying before turning her sights on Gwen. Using her magic, she sent Leon and Percival flying as well though was quickly met by The Lady who was intent on doing all she could.

"Step aside, My Lady." Morgana ordered. "If not even the great Emrys is a match for me now, what makes you think you stand a chance?" Two thousand years ago Morgana had all but begged The Lady for her help, for she was the most powerful sorceress alive; however, things had changed, and though The Lady's power was still formidable there were certainly beings more powerful than she. Even so, The Lady stood her ground and put up a shield to counter Morgana's attack, though it would not last long and she told Gwen so, urging her to run. Gwen debated, not wanting to leave The Lady, nor knowing where to run to in the middle of a battle, but the choice was taken out of her hands when Percival grabbed her arm and began to lead her away, Leon watching both their backs. When she finally broke through the shield, Morgana wasted no time in using The Lady's current weakened state against her and knocking her out, though she knew it would not last for long. Seeing her prey running quickly away from her, Morgana raised her hand and made a fist, pulling it back as her eyes glowed golden. Her spell saw an invisible force grab Gwen and pull her back, knocking the wind out of her as she fell to the ground. Percival fell with her, for he still held her arm, while Leon turned instantly and raised his sword to protect against attackers. When Percival stood, reaching to help his Queen, Morgana's eyes glowed once more as she sent the two Knights flying backwards.

"Guinevere!" Arthur roared from his spot fighting several wraiths, desperately trying to reach his wife. His cry alerted Morgana to another, even stronger opponent who was approaching, having finally picked himself up after Morgana's last attack. Knowing she had little time before she would be on the defensive once more, Morgana raised her hand and kept Gwen in her sights while she began chanting her next spell.

"Morgana no!" Merlin shouted, recognizing the power building and knowing it could very well be fatal to The High Queen. "She was your friend, your sister! Don't do this!" It was as if Merlin thought there was still a part inside Morgana that could be reached by mere words. The sorceress did falter for but a moment, a falter that was noticeable only to those paying close attention, though it did not stay her hand. What could only be described as pure power left Morgana and sped towards Gwen. Merlin quickly cast a shield but it was too late, the spell hit and The Queen's scream reverberated across the field.

"Guinevere!" Arthur watched as she crumpled to the ground in a dead heap, hoping against hope that she wasn't truly dead. Morgana's triumphant laugh followed him as he cut his way through the wraiths that stood between him and his wife. Merlin arrived but a moment after him, as did Leon and Percival, the latter two who kept the wraiths at bay while their King and the Court Mage assessed The Queen's condition.

"Guinevere! Guinevere, please be alright!" Arthur cried as he pulled her into his arms. "Merlin what is wrong with her?!" Gwen looked to be in a deep sleep, though one far from peaceful.

"She is under a sleeping curse." He said sombrely.

"What, like in a fairy-tale? Do I kiss her to wake her up?"

"No…"

"Then how do I wake her?!"

"You can't-"

"Of course I can!"

"To wake her now could do irreparable damage."

"Merlin, start explaining, and get to the point quickly." Arthur snapped, watching as Gwen moaned in what sounded to be pain.

"She is under a spell called the Sleep of Death. It's a spell that traps a person inside their nightmares, but with real life consequences." As if to prove his point, Gwen gasped and a cut appeared on her cheek, blood seeping from it. "Whatever damage is inflicted in her dreams happens to her in real life; her dreams are literally killing her."

"And if we wake her?"

"Then her nightmares become reality. Whatever her darkest fear is, whatever is driving her nightmares will be real to her when she wakes. I don't mean that monsters will suddenly appear, but if she is dreaming of monsters then she will see them and they will continue to be able to hurt her. Even if we cannot see them, even if we know they are not real, they will be real to her."

"There has to be a way to stop this!"

"There is but it requires a great deal of light magic, more than I possess, and cannot be accomplished while fighting for our lives!" Merlin said as he blasted a wraith who was about to stab Leon in the back.

"Thanks." The Knight muttered as he turned and ran the wraith through.

"Then we need to end this quickly." Arthur insisted. "We must kill Morgan-"

"GWEN!"

oo00oo00oo

While Arthur and Merlin ran towards the fallen Queen, Morgana laughed in triumph at her success. The High Queen was under her spell, one only she knew the cure for, which she would only tell them upon Arthur's surrender before granting them all a quick death and taking the throne of Britain for herself. As these thoughts flittered through her mind, another did as well, one of pure and utter terror at what she had done. Morgana faltered once more, something she had been doing quite a lot of late if she was honest with herself, though this time the feeling would not go away. Usually whenever she was filled with doubt or regret, an overwhelming anger and hatred would overtake her, a voice accompanying it, and squash any such feelings before she had a chance to truly register that they were there, let alone give her a chance to examine them. The voice that told her that it had been Arthur and Guinevere who had betrayed her and took away her birthright had been weakening as of late, allowing her to remember a time before it all, when she lived in Camelot as the beloved daughter, then sister, of The King; a time when she was happy. However, anytime she dwelled too long on that feeling, or began to truly think on her betrayal and why she had done it, the voice returned, as if desperate to keep her from thinking too hard on it. Now, seeing her once friend be attacked from within, as her army of the dead did all they could to destroy Camelot's army, that feeling surfaced once more. Her laughter stopped abruptly and she grabbed her head, falling to her knees at the pain splitting it open, allowing the same voice that always spoke to her in, telling her that this was a good thing, that having The High Queen at her mercy brought her one step closer to her goal. This time, however, Morgana did not give in without a fight. Her worry for Gwen was real, and the voice that had been weakening, continuing to do so now, could not push her worry down so easily. Even so, the voice would not give in so easily either and it was difficult not to give in to it, knowing that the peaceful oblivion awaited her. Focusing on Gwen, Morgana refused to give in to the seductiveness of the voice, promising her power beyond anything if only she defeated The High King and The Immortal Mage.

"Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, Gwen…" She muttered over and over, trying to remember the friendship they once shared. "GWEN!"

The shout drew Arthur and Merlin's attention to Morgana who was not standing triumphant as they had last seen her, but rather who was sitting on the ground, rocking back and forth with her head in her hands.

"What is she doing?" Arthur asked confused.

"I don't know." Merlin said, looking just as confused as Arthur sounded. Morgana's cry did not only draw their attention, however, and the other's who's attention was drawn were not so opposed to using the opening presented to them.

"Sire, forgive me!" Lancelot said, knowing that regardless of Morgana's betrayal her death would hurt Arthur. After knocking back the wraith he was fighting Lancelot raised his sword and charged at Morgana.

"NO!" Merlin cried. Reaching out with his magic he gently pulled the Knight back until he stood beside him.

"Why do you stop me?" Lancelot demanded. "We can end this!"

"Something is not right." He insisted. "Look at her! Does she look a threat to you?" Slowly Lancelot looked to the army of wraiths attacking his fellow knights and to his Queen who lay cursed on the ground.

"Yes!" He said when his gaze finally returned to Merlin. "Do not let your feelings stand in the way Merlin. We know she was once a sister to you, as she was to Arthur and Guinevere, but you cannot let your past together dictate your actions now!"

"As much as I wish it were not true, Lancelot is right." Arthur spoke up. "We cannot allow more men to die if we can stop this. And we must save Guinevere." The King looked quite pained as he said this, though whether it was the thought of killing Morgana, or the patches of blood that continued to appear on his wife as the curse raced through her, they did not know. "There is nothing to forgive, Lancelot. End this!" The Knight moved to do just that but found he could not move, that his feet appeared stuck to the ground. Turning his furious gaze on Merlin, he was met with an unrepentant stare.

"I will not let her die needlessly. But if needed I will kill her myself." His eyes flashing gold with magic, Merlin sent a powerful blast outwards that passed harmlessly through Camelot's army but pushed the wraiths back further than the eye could see. Without hesitating, the warlock then knelt beside Gwen and placed his hand on her forehead, muttering under his breath. His eyes flashed once more and The Queen's breathing became less laboured, her sleep becoming more peaceful.

"What did you do?" Arthur demanded.

"Bought us time. The wraiths will return, and my magic will not hold the curse on Gwen at bay for long, but it will give us time to figure out what is wrong with her." He turned towards Morgana who seemed completely oblivious to the goings on around her as she continued to rock back and forth, muttering to herself. With their enemies pushed back for the time being, Camelot's army re-grouped around their King, cries of shock and despair going through the army as they saw their Queen lying in his arms.

"Search for the wounded!" Percival and Leon took command. "Move those you can into one group to protect them better and offer what aid you can to those too injured to move."

"Leave the dead; there is no more that can be done for them now, though we will honour them when this is over. Be prepared, for the wraiths will return soon!" The men jumped into action, most of them used to helping the wounded on the battlefield, while the modern soldiers followed their lead and offered what assistance they could. This left The Knights of the Round Table, Arthur, Merlin and The Lady of the Lake to deal with Morgana.

"Why do you think she need not die?" Arthur then asked.

"How many people do you see there?" He pointed to Morgana, his friends confusing growing at his question.

"One…?" Was the only logical answer, though if Merlin was asking such a question it was doubtful that the logical answer was the right one.

"I sense two. There are two magical signatures inside Morgana."

"Two? How are there two magical signatures when there is clearly only one person?"

"My guess would be that Morgana's soul joined with another."

"And that makes her innocent?" Bors voiced everyone's scepticism.

"No. But it would explain why she seems to be fighting herself, if the other soul is fighting for control."

"It would also explain The Disir's warning, that all is not as it seemed with Morgana." The Lady added. Merlin nodded at his fellow magic user, remembering the warning she had brought from the mouthpiece of The Triple Goddess the day they had discovered that wraiths may be the army they would face. He had hoped then that The Triple Goddess' warning meant that Morgana was innocent, though he had refused to operate under that assumption without proof, and sensing two souls within her, his hope returned. Pulling himself from this thoughts, Merlin turned his attention to the task at hand and approached Morgana. She seemed entirely unaware of his approach, not flinching nor giving any sign that she saw or heard him, though he stood ready nonetheless in case this was a ruse.

"Morgana?" He ventured, his call not breaking through whatever battle played in her mind. "Morgana?" He called louder, reaching to place a hand on her shoulder. Her head snapped up and he could see the tears that flowed down her face from frightened eyes.

"Merlin…" She murmured before gasping in pain and grabbing her head once more.

"Tell me what's wrong." He implored.

"Hurts…" She grunted. "The voice won't stop!"

"Voice? What voice?"

"It won't let go…won't give up…no peace…anger…hatred…kill…Camelot…mine…" Her ramblings appeared non-sensible, though they added pieces to the puzzle for Merlin and The Lady.

"Are we to believe that she's hearing voices and that they told her to attack Camelot? To betray her friends and family?" Dagonet asked, he and most of The Knights of the Round Table not having known Morgana and so not having that love for her that made them want to believe it could be that simple.

"I suppose it is possible she's mad." Tristan reasoned. "Some illnesses or mental disorders can cause hallucinations that warp a person's reality. Even today we're still learning about them, it is not something that anyone would have known to look for two thousand years ago."

"She is not mad." Merlin said. "She really is hearing voices, ones that are not hallucinations."

"But-"

"Soul magic is some of the trickiest and most dangerous magic known to man." The Lady said. "Depending on its use it can also be some of the darkest magic. I too sense two souls within her. It appears that someone quite powerful has forced their soul into her body and it is now fighting for control."

"Can we get to the point?" Arthur demanded as Gwen's breathing began to speed up once more.

"The point is, her actions may not be her own. If the foreign soul gained control it would push hers down until everything that made Morgana who she is disappeared to be replaced by the foreign soul; it would be as if she is nothing but an empty shell. Like those she enchanted to do her bidding, it would be her body but she is not in control of her actions. The difference though being that for Morgana there's no escape. An enchantment can be lifted or broken and the person will return to normal. Expelling a soul, even a foreign one, is near impossible."

"Near impossible?"

"It is near impossible for if the foreign soul is powerful enough to push the host's soul down then it usually means that the host isn't strong enough to fight it and they will spend the rest of their days locked away inside themselves, with no one the wiser to the change."

"Unless they do something completely out of character, like betray their family…and we believe it." Arthur was near crying at this point, wanting with all his heart to believe that it had not really been his sister who had betrayed them, but someone controlling her.

"Yes." Merlin said dryly. "She's fighting it though. The hold the foreign soul has on her weakened enough for Morgana to break free of its control, but its fighting to regain that control."

"So what do we do?" Leon asked.

"I'm going to lend my magic to help her fight it. She has to be the one to break free, I cannot simply pull the soul from her, but I can offer assistance."

"If she is successful, I will follow and ensure all traces of it are gone." The Lady added. "If Morgana is strong enough to break free, she will never be controlled so again." Merlin nodded his thanks and the two sorcerers kneeled beside Morgana, The Lady standing by while Merlin placed his hands on her shoulders and closed his eyes. Unlike in the movies where such internal battles were quite dramatic and a great show of magic was common, for it would otherwise be boring for the viewer, there was none of that here. In fact, as Arthur and The Knights watched on they couldn't even tell that Merlin was using his magic, or that any battle was taking place. The only indication that anything was happening was the subtle changes in Morgana that they began to see. Her rocking stopped, as did the gasps and moans of pain. Her fingers, which were clenched tightly in her hair loosened and her tears stopped, her facial features morphing from those of pain and sorrow to one of concentration. It was several minutes before anything else happened, though this change did not come from Morgana or Merlin, but from the army that was scattered around the battlefield. A shout had gone up and swords were drawn as the wraiths marched back into view. It was at the first clang of sword against sword that Morgana let out a mighty roar and a black smoke erupted from within her. Both Merlin and The Lady moved quickly, The Lady taking Merlin's place and filling Morgana with her magic while Merlin used his to force the black smoke together and away from anyone else, stopping it from finding a new host. With nothing to possess, a soul could not last long before it passed on, as it should have when its body died rather than staying in the land of the living. The soul let out a terrifying cry as it died, heard only by those with magic, before the smoke disappeared entirely. Drained, Merlin fell to the ground and took several deep breaths.

"That's it?" Percival asked when it seemed he had caught his breath somewhat.

"Ha!" Merlin laughed humourlessly. "It may not have looked impressive, but that was no easy feat. The soul inside Morgana was not only very powerful but had been there for two thousand years."

"I meant is she back?" He asked quietly. "Is she our Morgana again?" Not knowing the answer to that, Merlin turned to look at the woman in question and saw her gazing about in fear and confusion while The Lady sat by her side, a sad smile on her face. Forcing himself to his feet, Merlin stumbled towards Morgana.

"Merlin…"

"How are you, Morgana?"

"I…I don't understand. What…how…?"

"You've been asleep for a very long time." He said with a rare show of tact, not sure how much she would remember while she had been possessed. However, it appeared she remembered it all for her eyes went wide and tears once more flowed freely.

"Oh god!" She spun around quickly and surged forward upon laying eyes on Arthur, who still cradled his Queen in his arms. "GWEN!"


A/N - Big shift with Morgana here. Looks like she wasn't evil after all! I tried to drop hints that things weren't exactly as they seemed without revealing all too early, but not sure how well it came across.

Also I lied, there is now two chapters left. While writing the final chapter I realized it was more than double the length of my usual chapters so split it into two.