Here we go again!

Morgana only managed to teleport so far before her emotions took over and she fell to the ground sobbing in the forest of Dean not far from Camelot's borders. The sun shone through the trees creating a soft shadow of the heartbroken girl dressed in black to gleam on the forest floor. Black was the colour of her robes and black was her emotions. Never before had she felt more betrayed.

Merlin was Emrys, Emrys was Merlin. It all made sense now, she had known that old man from somewhere and now she realised just how much she did know him. Merlin, the loyal dog of the King of Camelot was destined to be her doom, it just didn't seem real. All she could think about were the times when she had reached out to Merlin and Gaius for help and all the times they had refused. Merlin had help, and support, love and acceptance, and instead of sharing it with her, he had given her nothing.

She gripped the tough ground with her nails creating long swipes in the thick dirt. Tears dripped down her face and onto the ground making patches of damp which turned to mud. Merlin, who had appeared so noble, had been plotting against her all this time. Emrys/Merlin was the reason her plans had failed, he was the reason magic wasn't back in Camelot. She cursed the traitor and yelled his name in bitter agony to the sky.

'YOU'RE A TRAITOUR TO YOUR KIND!'

Morgana had moved past angry and into rage and felt it consume her very heart and soul. He was the reason she was alone now, alone with no Morgause to comfort her and promise her retribution. She missed her sister's council, and wondered what she would say if she was here. She would tell her to assess the situation Morgana decided. She forced her mind back to the council room. She was so sure Merlin was going to die, she had watched as the fireballs had hurtled towards Merlin only to be stopped by his own defensive magic only for them to meet and explode in a shower of silver and gold, rebound and hit both of them in turn. What had he done? Had he cast some spell to weaken her? She didn't feel weakened, she checked her store of magic deep within herself and felt the glowing embers that resided within her soul, and it was still strong. So what had he done? It had clearly affected both of them; she recalled the way Merlin had been thrown across the room. But he hadn't seemed surprised by it all, almost as if he knew what was going to happen.

She recalled the sensation of the strange silver and gold magic hitting her. It was as if a feather had been swept across her naked chest, a tingling sensation that stopped almost as soon as it had started. It wasn't a bad feeling, far from it she realised, she wondered if Merlin had felt the same.

A strange longing overcame her then, an ache that spread through her body and put her teeth on edge. A vague feeling came over her as if she was being pulled in another direction, back towards Camelot she realised. She tried to place the strange craving that pulled through her soul. She looked within herself and saw him; tall and thin with a head full of dark black hair so similar to her own colour, eyes as blue as the deepest ocean, and cheekbones that were high and defined that gave his face an ethereal appearance. He didn't look normal, far from it, she could sense it now, he was the very image of magic personified in human form. He was strength and pure explosive, power, he was magic. He was Merlin. The realisation sent another wave of anger through her.

'WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME DEMON!?'

Had he put some kind of love spell on her? No, she realised it went deeper than that, it was if her very magic, her very soul was calling to him, reaching for him, begging her body to go to him, to cling to his arms and never let go. It wasn't just her magic which wanted him, her body ached to touch him, to stroke him, taste him, and cling to the very fibres of his body till she could take no more. Never before had she felt such a desire to be near to someone. She hated him all over again, she did not like to be controlled, she did not like to have her emotions messed with or her actions dictated, that was too much like Uther, and she would be no one's prisoner, least of all to a traitorous so called warlock who bowed down to the Pendragon name and dynasty. She would bow to no one. But oh how she wanted him. Merlin's magic and soul was calling to her.

A near sound of horses came to her senses, breaking her anger and meditation. Arthur would not let her actions this morning go unpunished, he would hunt her, and right now she didn't want to be found. What she wanted was to find Merlin and demand he stop what he was doing to her. A part of herself, a very big part of herself wanted to find him for other reasons she realised, but she couldn't trust her emotions right now. She needed to be far away from Camelot, where she could plan and plot against the one who had ruined her life.

Her very soul called to me. I needed her; I could picture her so clearly, with black hair in waves of silky softness, skin so smooth and perfect, with a full red lips and eyes that flashed between green and gold. Her magic too, so different to my own needed to be mine, it was so free and uncontrolled; I felt my own magic grow at the thought of her own mingling with her own. I was starting to realise what that spell had done, it had made me hopelessly in love with my arch enemy. Yet this was not normal love. This was the very girl destiny had created to be my foe. I could never kill her now I realised, I couldn't live without her. So much had changed since this morning, in hours my whole world had changed, no this was not normal love, this was elemental instinctive and without motive. I hadn't picked her; I hadn't bonded with her, laughed with her, like love should happen. Definitely not normal I decided.

I could feel her presence if I concentrated, it was close in the forest of Dean; she hadn't got far from the council rooms I realised. She was too overcome with anger, confusion and desire. So she was feeling this too, I couldn't decide how she felt about it though. I gathered it wouldn't be good.

'Merlin mate, you okay?' Gwaine asked.

My thoughts turned to him. I was grateful he had defended me, at least he didn't think I was a monster, though how he would react to my new found feelings of Morgana I didn't know, I guess there was no time like the present to explain things to my friend. I wasn't going anywhere, Arthur's magic binding shackles had seen to that.

'No far from it.'

'Look I'm sure his royal Pratness will come round eventually, he just needs some time to adjust.'

'It's not him I'm worried about,' I replied.

'Oh,' Gwaine replied confused 'because you don't seem so calm and relaxed.'

I gave no reply. The ache from the absence of Morgana was starting to develop into a mild pain that stung every part of my body including my magic. Gwaine seemed to realise I was going to give no answer; he changed his tact and became more serious.

'Who are you really Merlin?'

'I am Emrys, the most powerful warlock to walk Albion, I am Dragon Lord to Kilgharrah the great dragon, my one true kin and brother, I am Merlin son of Balinor and Hunith, I am prophesised to protect Arthur and return magic to Albion' I said fairly swiftly. There was a long pause before.

'I see,' Gwaine said in a small voice 'That's a lot to take in.'

'Yes, it was for me too.'

'Why magic though merlin, why here?' Gwaine asked coming close his feet dragging against the cold stone of the dungeon floor.

'I didn't chose my destiny, or my magic Gwaine, it was given to me, I was born like this, I am magic, like the dragons.'

'Born with magic… I've never heard of that before,' Gwaine replied.

'No one has, it shouldn't be possible.'

'Why not?'

'Magic takes time to develop, years of dedication to understanding its force...but for me it's instinctual and ever present like the blood in my veins.'

'So like a life force you could say,' Gwaine said attempting to understand.

'You could say that.'

Another long pause.

'You keep talking about dragons?'

'Yes, a lot of my power comes from dragons, being as I am a dragon lord, like my father before me.'

'You've never spoken of your father before,' Gwaine said. I think he was shocked he was getting so much from me. I bet I seemed like a private person to him, but it was a relief to finally tell someone.

'No, he died shortly after I met him; the only thing he gave me was his inheritance of his gift with the magical creatures that are dragons.'

'I thought they were extinct, Arthur constantly brags about the time he killed one,' Gwaine said, I winced in reply. 'He didn't kill it did he…you sent it away?'

'Guilty,' I replied 'I'm also guilty for releasing it.'

Kilgharrah had killed a lot of people in his thirst for vengeance but I couldn't say I blamed him. I didn't know how I would react if every human and magical person was slaughtered, to be the last of your kind, and walk the earth forever alone without the companionship of your species seemed mind boggling to me, I couldn't imagine it and the pain Kilgharrah must have been in, is still in. Although I liked to think that his friendship and bond with me had replaced some of the loneliness he now felt. I dreamed of the day we could roam the skies together, it wasn't likely to be any time soon.

Gwaine chose not to comment on my reasons for realising him.

'If you can control him then, why not get him to come here and take those shackles of you and escape together?'

'Because I won't earn Arthur's trust that way.'

'No, I suppose not…I don't think he deserves it.'

'He's just confused Gwaine; his best friend doesn't seem too familiar to him right now.'

'How can you just shrug everything off like this?' Gwaine asked.

'Because I have bigger problems.'

'Oh?'

'Morgana,' I replied.

'Oh yeah, what did that bitch do to you?' Gwaine asked rudely and suddenly I felt a rush of anger and a need to defend her.

'DON'T CALL HER THAT!' I screamed at him making him stumble at the anger in my voice, I sighed. 'I'm sorry, something's happened to me.'

My voice seemed small now to my ears, a deep contrast to my yelling before. I was vulnerable I realised, my feelings for morgana made me more vulnerable than ever before. I didn't know whether it was a good thing.

'What's going on Merlin?' Gwaine asked nervously choosing not to retake his place by my side.

'I love her,' I said in a small voice.

'You…love…Her?' Gwaine said. I could hear his thoughts clicking it over and then he came to the conclusion.

'I thought you weren't on her side,' he said his own voice rising now.

'I'm not,' I replied 'I hate her, and I love her at the same time, her magic is calling to me, the very essence of her being is calling to me, I need her Gwaine, I can't live without her.'

Gwaine stared at me as if I had grown two heads. I can't say I blamed him. I had all been about the change in Morgana and how she wasn't the same person but now I was devoted to her in the most personal of ways. I vowed then and there that I would bring her back to the light and wash the darkness out of her.

'What's happened Merlin?' Gwaine asked.

'I don't know, I had vision of last night events in the council rooms…I knew this would happen.'

'You knew this was going to happen yet you let it happen anyway!' Gwaine thundered confused.

'Yes, seeing the future is a terrible gift Gwaine, hell it's not even my gift' I said.

'What do you mean?'

'Morgana is a seer Gwaine, she sees the future, but when a seer is too distressed or incapable of receiving a vision it is passed to the nearest magical person they are bonded to.'

'What do you mean?' Gwaine repeated.

'I mean, that I received Morgana's vision of the events that happened because she was to upset grieving the loss of Morgause.'

'What do you me…?' I cut him off.

'If you say "what do you mean" one more time so help me god.'

'Sorry,' He replied quickly. I let a chuckle escape my lips, even in this crisis Gwaine cheered me up.

'But if you knew this was going to happen why not change it?'

'Because changing the future is a dangerous game with evil consequences, trust me,' I said, his silence said he wouldn't push the subject.

'So you knew you were going to fall in love with the witch?' He asked. I felt that same anger again.

'She's not a witch!' I thundered. Gwaine held his hands up in surrender.

'Sorry, and no I didn't, all I saw was the spell not what it would actually do.'

'So what has it done?' Gwaine asked.

'I'm still not sure, yet all I know is that something has changed since this morning, I can't get Morgana out of my head, my magic, my soul, my body calls for her Gwaine, its singing for her.'

He must have heard the distress in my voice because he overcame his opinions and came back and placed his hand on my shoulder and I couldn't help myself, it was incredibly girly as Arthur would have said but I was craving human contact, I rested my head on his shoulder and sighed.

'I need her Gwaine.'

'Don't worry mate, we'll sort this out, I'm sure Gaius will have some answers.'

I hoped so, the sooner he did, the sooner I could make a plan. I couldn't do anything I realised though with these shackles on. I needed Arthur.

Love is in the air! ... Sort of.