This is basically one long transition chapter/setup for the next one, but if you or anyone you know has ever suffered a nervous breakdown you may find part of it upsetting.

Of course, Morgause wasn't storming the castle at that very moment, so Merlin made Will leave in order to give Morgana some privacy while she dressed. He helped her get ready, but unlike the night before, there were no lingering caresses that set her blood on fire; his mind was clearly elsewhere as he rushed through helping her get her dress on and magically straightened her tangled hair rather than taking the time to brush it again. She understood why - threats to the kingdom naturally took priority over their personal happiness - but she couldn't help feeling disappointed at having so little time to be alone with her new husband.

"This wasn't how I wanted to spend the first day after our wedding either," Merlin commented, reminding her that her emotions were no longer private.

"Of course not," she said quickly, embarrassed at having been caught selfishly wishing they could just barricade themselves in their bedchamber and ignore everything going on outside while their country was in danger. "But you're right to put the kingdom first."

"Just until Morgause is dealt with. Once she's gone, I promise you'll have my undivided attention."

"Let's not waste a minute in dealing with her, then." Morgana grabbed Merlin's hand, and the two of them raced down to the council chambers, arriving just as Balinor, Lancelot, Leon, and the rest of the top military advisers from Dagon and Camelot filed out.

"What's going on?" Merlin asked his father. "Did we miss the meeting?"

"No, the meeting isn't over. We just thought it would be best to give them a moment alone."

"Who?" Morgana wondered.

"See for yourself." Balinor jerked his thumb at the door to the vacated chambers. "Maybe you can calm them down."

Pulling Merlin along by their still-joined hands, Morgana crept into the room and found Arthur and Uther in the middle of a shouting match. "What on earth…?" She had been known to get a bit vocal when disagreeing with Uther sometimes, but Arthur had always been the perfect, dutiful son. Morgana could hardly recall ever seeing him argue with his father, let alone raise his voice to him.

Hearing her startled exclamation, the prince of Camelot turned toward her, red-faced with fury. "Thank goodness you're here, Morgana; I could use your support. Can you please explain to Father why having me sit out our impending battle with the Escetian forces is a bad idea?"

"You don't want Arthur to fight?" she asked incredulously.

"I see no reason to risk the heir to Camelot's throne when I am here and perfectly capable of leading our knights into battle myself," Uther sputtered.

"That makes no sense," Arthur said through gritted teeth. "I've risked my life on several previous occasions, and you've never had a problem with it. You didn't seem to mind this time either until the scout mentioned that our enemy is being led by Queen Morgause. There! - you just flinched when I said her name. Why does this woman frighten you so?"

While Uther blustered indignantly about how he would never be afraid of a mere woman, Arthur looked around and took in the knowing expressions on Morgana's and Merlin's faces. "Neither of you seem surprised to hear this. You know why Father doesn't want me fighting her, don't you? Tell me!"

"Probably because Morgause wants to kill you," Merlin said carefully.

"Me? Why on earth would she want to kill me?"

"Because her ultimate goal is to take over Camelot, and you're in her way."

"That's absurd. Take over Camelot? Even if this woman were able to dispose of my father and me, our people would never bow to a usurper with no legal claim to the throne."

"Well, as a matter of fact," Morgana began, "she has-"

"STOP!" bellowed Uther. "Hold your tongue, girl! I forbid-" He lunged at Morgana, reaching for her throat to choke her into silence before she could speak the truth he had painstakingly hidden for almost thirty years.

Before he could touch her, however, he found himself blasted across the room by a very angry sorcerer. "Try to assault my wife again, Pendragon, and next time I won't be kind enough to give you a soft landing in a padded chair," Merlin growled, raising his hand warningly when the king made a shaky attempt to stand. Uther shrank back into the aforementioned padded chair, looking terrified.

Arthur was appalled. "What the devil is wrong with you, Father? Attacking Morgana! What possessed you to do such a thing?" Part of him wanted to protest Merlin using magic against Uther as well, but the sorcerer was just defending his wife as any man would be expected to do, and since he'd done so by nonlethal means there wasn't much room for objection. Considering what had happened to the last man who had tried to harm Morgana, Arthur supposed Uther had gotten off lightly. At least he wasn't strewn around the room in pieces like Edwin Muirden.

"He doesn't want me to tell you the truth about Morgause," Morgana said from her place behind Merlin, where she had instinctively retreated when Uther lunged at her.

"Which is what, exactly?" Arthur demanded impatiently. "What secret is everyone so desperate to keep from me?" He didn't like it; he was the prince of Camelot, a future king, not some ignorant peasant boy who couldn't be trusted with sensitive information.

A wordless look passed between Merlin and Morgana, in which they decided the blow would be less hurtful coming from her. She took a deep breath before saying as kindly as possible, "Arthur…Morgause is your sister." Despite her effort to break the news gently, Arthur reeled back as if she'd struck him on the head with a hammer, and Uther made a sound like a wounded animal. "She's actually your half-sister," she continued quickly, "as she is mine. She shares your father…and my mother."

"Your mother?" Arthur spoke slowly, as if the words made no sense to him, then rounded on Uther. "Lady Vivienne? Didn't you have her burned as a witch?"

"She was a witch! She must have clouded my judgment with her foul sorcery, or I would never… I loved your mother, Arthur," Uther said desperately. "Ygraine was my heart."

"But you were unhappy with her failure to produce an heir, weren't you?" Morgana asked cuttingly.

Uther had no counterargument, because she was right; he had loved his wife dearly and yet, as the years went by and their efforts to secure Camelot's future by continuing the Pendragon line yielded no results, he began to feel that she was failing him even though he knew it wasn't her fault she was barren. He had never been able to admit it, even to himself, but he might also have resented her a little, because it was her fault he couldn't leave her for another woman who could provide the heir he needed - her fault for being so good and kind and beautiful, and continuing to love him steadfastly in spite of all the troubles they were faced with… She had deserved so much better than him… The king buried his face in his hands and sobbed.

Arthur shot him a disgusted look before quickly turning his face away – everyone always spoke so highly of the late queen that he grew up believing his mother had been perfect, so finding out that his father had been unfaithful to her naturally made him angry, a feeling compounded by the further revelation that Uther's infidelity had resulted in a vengeful illegitimate daughter bent on not only his destruction but that of all those she believed complicit in denying her her birthright. The battle Arthur and his friends were now facing, which was bound to be bloody, could have been averted if only Uther had acknowledged his daughter as a Pendragon, or better yet, kept his hands off his friend's wife in the first place. With all that going through his head, Arthur found it hard to look at the man.

"Merlin, would you be good enough to summon Gaius? My father is obviously indisposed, so I think it's best if we continue this council meeting without him."

###

Gaius administered a sedative, and once it took effect and rendered Uther calm and compliant, Alice, who had been with Gaius when he received Merlin's summons via thought-speak and accompanied him, ushered the king out. "Thank you for taking care of this discreetly, Gaius," Arthur said after his father was out of earshot. "I didn't want to say anything before the wedding because I didn't want to worry Morgana, but I've been concerned about Father this past week. Since he came to Dagon, he's been…different. His fear and suspicion of magic have grown beyond all reason; sometimes it was all I could do to placate him and stop him from causing a scene in the middle of a ball or tournament. I thought he was just affected by being here, where there are so many sorcerers, and he'd be himself again when he's back in Camelot…" He trailed off, not wanting to say that after witnessing Uther's violent reaction to the disclosure of Morgause's true identity - against Morgana of all people, who Uther had always loved like a daughter - he wasn't so sure anymore.

Unfortunately, Gaius didn't have anything encouraging to add. "I'm afraid his behavior in Camelot over the last few months has also been worrisome. After you and Morgana left, sire, he was tormented by doubt over whether you were safe in a kingdom ruled by magic. The fear that he had sent the two people he cares for most in the world into danger preyed on him-"

"But I wrote to him almost every week, telling him we were fine!" Arthur exclaimed. "So did Morgana, sometimes." He glanced at her, and she self-consciously dropped her gaze. It was true that she hadn't written Uther nearly as frequently as Arthur; even before she completely turned against him, she simply hadn't felt the same desire to maintain contact with her guardian.

Then she lifted her chin defiantly. Well, why should I? He isn't my father, and I wasn't going to pretend I didn't mind him sending me away from my home and all was well between us just to soothe his conscience. I won't be made to feel guilty for this!

Merlin reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. You shouldn't. She squeezed back, grateful for his silent support. That was an advantage of their new bond she hadn't considered - he would now be able to tell exactly what she needed without her having to ask for it, something she didn't always know how to do.

Meanwhile, Gaius was still explaining Uther's mental state to Arthur. "Your letters were certainly a comfort to him, but he nevertheless had great difficulty adjusting to your absence; for years now, you and Morgana have been the only family left to him. Loneliness can do strange things to a person's mind, I'm afraid."

"Are you saying my father is going mad?" A fearful look crossed Arthur's face. "Like his father did in his later years?"

"It's a bit early to be making that diagnosis," Gaius said reassuringly. "I have every hope that Uther will improve now that he's seen with his own eyes that Morgana is safe and happy, and you will soon return home with him."

"That's great," Merlin broke in. "Now do you think we can get back to figuring out how we're going to deal with Morgause - you know, the power-mad sorceress who wants to kill us all, whose army will be at our gates by nightfall?"

###

Balinor, Lancelot, Leon, and the rest of the war council came back in - all of them, even Leon, Camelot's most loyal knight, seemed relieved to see that Uther had been removed - and they resumed the grim business of listening to the scout's report. There had originally been several more scouts, but only one had made it back alive. He told a horrifying tale of Morgause leading a band of invincible warriors across the countryside, warriors who were uninterested in looting and pillaging but swept through the villages with a single deadly purpose: to massacre every living thing in their path. They never even stopped to eat or sleep and, worst of all, they wouldn't die. The scout was almost hysterical as he described watching them take what should have been mortal blows, only to get back up and butcher their terrified would-be killers.

Most of the people in the room reacted to this news with grim acceptance - Nimueh had already warned them of this possibility, and while they weren't pleased to hear it confirmed, they were prepared - though there were some uneasy looks cast in Merlin's direction. He hadn't truly succeeded in creating a second Cup of Life - Morgause's soldiers might be undying, but they also seemed to have lost their sense of self and been reduced to mindless automatons, while the real Cup of Life did not affect those who drank from it that way - but he had come close, closer than any of them had really believed despite Nimueh's warnings. Not even his friends could take that completely in stride.

The only one not preoccupied with the astonishing magical feat he'd accomplished was Merlin himself; all he could think about was the countless people who had lost their lives - innocent, defenseless villagers killed for no other reason than that they'd had the bad luck to be in Morgause's path - and how some of them might still be alive if he hadn't made the Escetian army unstoppable. As the future king of Dagon, he was supposed to protect its people, not facilitate their murders. He had failed them in the worst way possible… No, it was worse than that. By aiding the enemy as he had, he'd betrayed them. He kept waiting for someone to bring that up, or better yet to call the guards and have him arrested as a traitor, but no one did.

Of course they won't, Morgana's fierce mental voice interrupted his increasingly dark thoughts. Now please quit wallowing in guilt over something that isn't your fault. I told you before, Merlin, you aren't responsible for anything you did while Morgause controlled your mind.

Still, I should have gone back after you freed me and destroyed what I created for her. If I had done that, all those people would still be alive.

Morgana dismissed that assertion with an impatient shake of her head that looked to everyone not privy to their silent conversation like she was simply flicking her hair out of her face. You couldn't have known she would allow her forces to murder indiscriminately as she made her way here to attack us. I can't imagine what she's thinking myself - conquering kingdoms is pointless if there are no subjects left alive for her to lord over. She shook her head again, this time in puzzlement over her half-sister's illogical actions.

Well, I guess it's too late now to worry about what I should have done. He fell silent then, but she could tell he was still brooding over it; his face was set in a pensive frown that only deepened as he listened to the battle plans being made.

Arthur, being the best fighter out of the select few Kilgharrah had deemed worthy of carrying a dragonsword, would use Excalibur to kill the immortal warriors, and the rest of Dagon's and Camelot's combined forces would try to help him by containing the Escetians so he could eliminate them quickly and efficiently - it was the best plan they had with Kilgharrah adamantly refusing to forge any more swords, and Excalibur would certainly be in the best possible hands, but even so Merlin wasn't sure one sword against an army of thousands would be enough. Even if Arthur did manage to exterminate all the immortals by himself, the loss of life involved would be unacceptable. There was only one way to win this war without unimaginable casualties - by stopping the enchantment driving their enemy at its source - and there was only one person who could do that.

###

"How will you do that?" Morgana demanded after the meeting ended, when she and Merlin were alone again at last and he told her what he planned to do during the battle.

"A person can't sustain magic this powerful very long, so it has to be tied to an object, like the actual Cup of Life, only there's no guarantee that the vessel for this spell is a cup. It could be anything. Anyway, if I can figure out what the vessel is and destroy it, that should solve our problem."

"Where do you expect to find this unknown object?"

"I'd bet anything Morgause will have it with her."

"So you mean to confront her?" Morgana gasped. "Merlin, that's-"

"Reckless? Suicidal? More dangerous than fighting legions of immortals? I'm sure it's all of those things, which is why I didn't bring it up in council - Father would never let me undertake a task like that on my own - but somebody has to do it, and I don't think anyone else can."

"Why not?" she asked angrily. "Why does it have to be you? Why do you always have to take everything on yourself?"

"It's not about honor and glory or any knightly nonsense like that - I'm not going on a quest to rescue twelve princesses from a tower on top of a cursed mountain guarded by a three-eyed ogre."

Morgana just crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, letting him know she wasn't going to be put off by jokes.

"All right, I have to do this because it'll take very powerful magic to undo an enchantment like this. No one but me could create it, so I'm the only one who can end it."

"Then I'll help. I won't be much use when it comes to undoing the enchantment, but I can help you fight Morgause."

"No, Morgana, I want you to stay as far from her as you can. We know how vindictive she is, and you didn't part on the best terms."

"I don't care. You are my husband - where you go, I go." Then, before he could argue further, she pulled him into a heated kiss.

"What are you doing?"

"I know you said I can't have your undivided attention until after this feud with Morgause is resolved, but we could both be dead before the sun rises tomorrow. Please, Merlin, if I only get to spend one day as your wife, let me make the most of it."

His only answer was to kiss her again while magically locking their bedroom door.

###

They emerged, outfitted in their armor, as the sun sank westward, and made their way to a battlement overlooking the courtyard where their kingdom's defenders were gathering. Balinor and Lancelot were heading up the largest formations, and Uther had managed to pull himself together enough to lead the knights of Camelot alongside Leon.

"How many of those men do you think will make it back alive?" a subdued voice asked. Merlin and Morgana looked up as Arthur joined them. "They're all counting on me to end this threat, and I don't even know why. Why did the dragon say I'm the one that has to carry this sword?"

"Because he knows you're worthy of it - you'll use it to defend the innocent and never abuse its power."

"You've always been a great warrior, Arthur," Morgana added, "and someday you'll be a great king. I haven't always been sure of that, knowing what an arrogant prat you used to be, but I am now since you've become the man I always thought you could be." She held up Excalibur in its gleaming scabbard, which she had taken out of its hiding place in her wardrobe earlier. "Are you ready to embrace your destiny?"

With his friends' encouragement, the uncertainty faded from Arthur's face and was replaced with confident resolve. "I am."

As Morgana fastened the scabbard on him, a great shout went up from the knights gathered below. The gates were opening, but the three watching from above were looking farther out, to the darkened eastern horizon. With only the faintest trace of daylight left in the west, night had fallen completely over there, but a dim glow was spreading over the earth in the far distance - the light of innumerable torches borne by the approaching horde.

Arthur ran down to the courtyard to take his place with the army that was now marching through the open castle gates; the other two followed him, Morgana wishing she could have had one last moment alone with Merlin, one last chance to kiss him before they went to meet their fate, but it was too late for that now. The battle was about to begin.

Ooh, the suspense is killing me! Wait, why is it killing me? As the author, I already know the outcome.