Well guys, this is it: the last full chapter of The Sorcerer's Bride. It ended up being a perfect little microcosm of the entire story - supposed to be a lot shorter, but I kept thinking of more and more stuff to say, and more characters kept demanding their turn in the spotlight. I considered cutting some stuff out, but with this being the end I felt like I owed it to you guys and to the story itself not to hold anything back in an effort to rush to the finish, so here it is in its full, unabridged glory. I really hope it lives up to expectations.

Gaius and Alice didn't stir when she entered, and a whispered incantation ensured they would remain asleep no matter how loudly she and Uther shouted at each other. Then she glided on to the sickbay, where the patient's cot was located. Her bare feet made no more noise than a shadow sliding across the floor as she approached the bed, but Uther nevertheless jerked awake, his wide eyes darting everywhere. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

His breath caught in his throat when his former ward came into view, whipping off an overly long black cloak that gave her the appearance of being shrouded in living darkness. The moonlight painted her in monochrome and cast harsh shadows on her face, making her look very much like a witch indeed. "Morgana." To her surprise, he didn't fly into a rage; instead he eyed her with a strange mixture of sadness and pity. "Have you come to finish me off?"

Her inky tresses rippled as she slowly shook her head. "Not tonight, but I cannot allow you to plunge Dagon and Camelot back into needless war and bloodshed."

"There is every need for it!" Uther vehemently retorted. "I blame Merlin and his magic for corrupting you."

"You couldn't be more wrong. Merlin saved me - he helped me see that I wasn't a monster when your misguided teachings would have had me drowning in self-loathing even though I didn't choose my gifts-"

"That's a lie! Whatever he's told you, Morgana, no one who practices magic is forced to do so. It is their innocent victims who have no choice in the matter!"

Morgana shook her head again, this time in self-recrimination, as Uther's words reminded her of what she was there for. She shouldn't have let herself get sidetracked by her impulse to defend Merlin from the king's accusations. "You speak of innocent victims," she said in a much harder voice, "yet I've met many sorcerers here in Dagon, and not one of them has harmed anyone who didn't deserve it except for Alice's predecessor, who became bitter after you murdered his parents during the purge - a dark stain on Camelot's history for which you have never offered any explanation-"

"I do not need to explain myself to you," Uther snarled, cutting her off again. "They all deserved to die!"

"Why? What has any sorcerer ever done to you?" He glared at her, refusing to answer, so she leaned in and touched her index and middle fingers to his lips. "Revelare veritas. Now, tell me about the purge. Was uncontrolled magic really tearing the land apart as you have always claimed?" Nimueh hadn't specified what Uther's dark secret pertained to, so Morgana decided to start by interrogating him on the worst of his deeds that she already knew about.

"No. There were a few village conjurers who let the power they wielded go to their heads and tried to take advantage of their neighbors, but for the most part everyone lived harmoniously together." His eyes widened as he heard himself contradict everything he had preached for the past two decades. "What have you done to me?"

"Then what precipitated the purge?"

Uther tried to clamp his mouth shut but couldn't stop himself from saying, "Ygraine's death."

Morgana frowned, confused. "What does that have to do with it? The queen died giving birth to Arthur, did she not?"

"Magic killed her! It had to be eradicated!"

"Why do you say that? How can you blame magic for Ygraine's death when women die in childbirth every day?"

Uther bit down on his tongue, his face turning red as he fought the enchantment compelling him to speak the truth.

"Tell me!" Morgana insisted, pouring more of her and Merlin's combined power into her spell.

Uther soon buckled under the pressure, and the whole story flooded out of him. "You already know how Ygraine had difficulty conceiving; I could not leave the kingdom without an heir, so Nimueh used magic to quicken the queen's womb, and Arthur was born. Magic requires balance, though - to create a life, a life had to be taken, or so I was told. I never dreamed it would be hers…"

Tears welled up in the king's eyes while Morgana staggered over to the wall and leaned against it, needing the solid wood to steady her. Her mind reeled as she struggled to take in what she'd just heard; Arthur was born of magic, and Uther, the hypocrite, had availed himself of the very thing he despised most - had used it on his own wife - but perhaps the most shocking part of all was that he had enlisted the aid of… "Nimueh?" she asked faintly.

"She was our friend once. Gaius introduced us, and I turned to her after his potions failed to help Ygraine."

Morgana stood up straight again, forcing herself to carry on, to leave no stone unturned. "You turned to her? She did not offer her assistance?"

"No, she refused me for a long time, no matter how I pleaded with her. She knew the spell would result in a death and didn't want that on her conscience. In the end, I could only persuade her by reminding her that many more people would die if the line of succession was broken and the nobles were left to fight over the throne."

"Did Ygraine know how she came to have a child at last?"

"She knew magic had played a part, but not that I had traded another's life for our son's. She would never have agreed to that."

"And you really had no idea whose life would be forfeited to redress the balance of the world?"

"Of course I didn't know, or I could never… Even to save Camelot from chaos, I could never have sacrificed her."

"So you were happy to let someone else die, as long as it was no one you cared for?"

Uther nodded. "I hoped the Old Religion would choose some insignificant peasant; there are so many of them, one less would make no difference. A commoner's life would have been an acceptable price for ensuring the kingdom's future, but not a queen's! Not my wife's!"

Morgana was too appalled and revolted by his callous willingness to throw away the life of one of his own people to speak. When she managed to swallow the bile rising in her throat and find her voice again, she asked, "And Nimueh? Did she have any foreknowledge or control over who the Old Religion chose?"

"She claimed not to, but I wanted to believe she did, that she had tricked me. It wasn't my fault!" Uther said desperately. "Magic is a temptation that must be removed, don't you see? It promises you things that shouldn't be possible, makes you want things… I…I…I told myself I must have been seduced by it, or I would never-"

"Is that true? Remember, Uther, you can no longer lie to me…or to yourself."

"No," he whispered. "Nimueh's magic may have given me the means to alter fate's design, but not the desire. It was so much easier to blame her, though…easier to blame all her kind instead of myself…" He looked up, suddenly agitated again. "You must believe I never wanted this. I would have laid down my own life before allowing harm to come to Ygraine!"

"Yes, I believe you would," Morgana said after studying his tear-streaked face. "But your actions after she was gone… By all accounts, Queen Ygraine was a kind, gentle soul. What do you suppose she would think of all the blood on your hands?"

Her words brought up memories Uther had kept locked away for years - memories of how Ygraine had cared for the common people, how she had greeted the druids when they came into the capital city to trade for supplies and distributed toys and treats to the children, some of whom had been among the first victims of his purge…and at long last, he admitted what he had always known but pretended not to. "She would never have wanted me to avenge her as I did, and she would hate what I've become… Oh God, what have I done?"

Before Morgana's eyes, Uther Pendragon came undone. The wall of lies he'd spent years constructing to shield himself from the truth, that he alone was responsible for Ygraine's death, that his righteous crusade to cleanse the world of evil was nothing more than a deluded attempt to avoid facing his own guilt, crumbled, exposing a broken shell of a man. With the foundation of the hatred he had clung to for so long destroyed, he had nothing left.

"Kill me," he whispered. "Please."

"No. Putting you out of your misery would be a mercy you do not deserve," Morgana said coldly, a quick look into the future having told her that his death was no longer necessary. He would never recover from this. "You will live, Uther Pendragon; for however long you have left until the gods see fit to claim you, you will live with the shame and horror of your deeds, and you will suffer as I and my parents and countless others suffered because of you. I could condemn you to no worse fate."

She murmured a counter-spell to end his compulsive honesty, seeing no reason why anyone else should have to hear his secrets - it could only cause unnecessary pain. Then she snatched up Merlin's cloak, threw it over herself, and departed as silently as she had come, leaving Uther alone with his guilt.

###

Morgana thought no one was any the wiser to her midnight excursion…until Merlin ambushed her as she slipped into their bedchamber. "Merlin! What-"

"Did you kill him?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Don't play coy with me, Morgana! I woke up when I felt you draw on my magic to strengthen a spell you were casting, and I know you were with Uther. I need to know, did you kill him?"

"What if I did?" she snapped, annoyed at his disapproving tone. "He was a threat - one I took care of because nobody else would. So what are you going to do about it?"

"Erase any evidence implicating you, of course."

Morgana had a sharp retort on the tip of her tongue before she realized Merlin wasn't scolding her, that he was in fact offering to help her. "You would do that for me?" she asked incredulously. "Even if you think what I did was wrong?"

"I won't let you be punished on account of him; he isn't worth it. Just don't make a habit of murdering sick people who can't defend themselves, please."

"You don't have to worry about that. It just so happens that I left Uther alive, although by the time I was done with him, he wished for death."

"How-? What did you do?"

"Forced him to face a truth he's spent years denying." She quickly summarized her encounter with Uther and his disturbing revelations. "By the end, he was utterly broken; he won't trouble us any longer. Merlin, the things he did…all because of his selfishness and his twisted pride…"

Merlin hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry you had to hear that…and that you had to do it alone. If you'd asked, I would have been there with you."

"I know, but I went there hoping to uncover something heinous enough to persuade Arthur to let me kill him, and I was afraid you'd try to stop me."

"Of course I would have. Morgana, I never wanted you to have his death on your conscience."

She let out a little sigh of exasperation. "Very noble of you, although you should have known I couldn't stand by and let him destroy everything we've worked for."

"Nor could I - that's why I was going to kill him myself."

Morgana pulled back and stared at him, her mouth hanging open. "You were going to… How?"

"There are slow-acting poisons that mimic the symptoms of other diseases, so I planned to dose him just before he leaves in the morning; that way it wouldn't take effect until they were halfway back to Camelot, and everyone would think he'd caught pneumonia on the trip because of his weakened state. I had to alter the poison's composition first, though, so it could be absorbed through his skin - I couldn't risk Gaius finding it in his stomach during a postmortem examination."

"That's what you were doing yesterday when you ignored me all afternoon?" At his nod, she apologized profusely for the less than complimentary things she had thought about him in her frustration. "I should have known you weren't like the rest of them, clinging to their ideals of honor and loyalty even if it meant allowing a madman to tear Albion apart."

"No, I'd never let that happen, but I have to admit I wasn't thinking of Albion when I first had the idea of giving Uther an undetectable poison."

Morgana arched a quizzical eyebrow. "Oh? What were you thinking of?"

"The only thing that's more important: you. Remember when we first discovered your magic, how frightened you were? I promised to do whatever it took to protect you, and I realized the moment you told me how your mother died that protecting you might mean eliminating him. Of course, I hoped it wouldn't come to that," he added, seeing the thunderstruck look on her face. "You know I would never take anyone's life unless it's absolutely unavoidable."

"Yes, I know very well how you abhor murder, so you can't imagine what it means that you were willing to go to such lengths to protect me from him; I never thought anyone would do that for me. And I'm sure you would have planned the whole thing meticulously, but still, if Gaius somehow figured it out… What about yours and Arthur's destiny?"

Merlin shrugged. "Well, you know I've never been much of a believer in destiny. Uniting Albion would be nice, and we'll try to do it if we can, but it was never my choice. I choose you."

###

At dawn, Gaius found Uther staring blankly up at the ceiling above his bed. The king was still alive and conscious but couldn't be roused, and only ate with strong encouragement from Gaius. "It's called catatonia, sire," he explained to Arthur. "It seems all the stress he's been under recently has proved too much, causing him to withdraw into his own mind."

"Is it permanent?" Arthur asked.

"There's no way of knowing, though I suspect so. I fear even Merlin won't be able to bring him back this time, as I believe his condition to be psychological in origin rather than the result of any physical wound. Sadly, a damaged mind is much harder to repair than an injured brain."

There was sorrow amongst the knights when Arthur informed them of their king's sorry state, but also, among those who had noticed his recent erratic behavior, and especially the select few who knew of his future plans, a certain measure of well-concealed relief. They set to work on the final preparations for their departure at top speed, eager to get home and install Arthur as regent before word got out that Camelot was without a ruler and things became unstable.

###

"What will you do when you're regent?" Gwen asked. While the knights and servants bustled around the courtyard, loading wagons, she and Arthur had seized what would probably be their last moments together for a long time and went on a stroll through the gardens.

"Try to keep things running, I suppose. My father held the throne so long that it'll take time for the people to adjust to a new leader. Once they trust me, though, I'm going to work on changing how magic is seen in Camelot. Under the current treaty, those who aren't deemed dangerous enough to execute are still driven out of their homes, forced to leave their families and everything they've ever known. That isn't right, and I'm going to fix it - and all the other unjust laws too. The way knights are selected, for instance - you and Lancelot are living proof that noble blood doesn't determine a person's abilities. I want to create a Camelot that's a better, fairer place for everyone."

Gwen's answering smile positively glowed. "I'm proud of you, Arthur Pendragon. And…I'll miss you. Maybe I should…"

"No. For now, your place is here. Besides, Camelot won't change overnight, and until it does, this-" He nodded down at their joined hands "-cannot be. Not there, at any rate."

"Then I'll wait for you, until you've changed the world."

"Until then, give me something to remember you by."

Merlin and Morgana arrived just as they stopped under the shade of a lemon tree in bloom for one last kiss. "Should we interrupt?" Morgana asked in a low voice. "Arthur barged in on us often enough."

"As satisfying as it would be, this is the last time they'll see each other, maybe for years."

"Must you always spoil my fun?" Still, she waited until the kissing couple broke apart before clearing her throat to announce their presence. "It's time."

Arthur reluctantly stepped back from Gwen and hugged Morgana; they would farewell each other publically in the courtyard, but this seemed like a better place for a private goodbye between friends. "Believe it or not, I'm actually going to miss you."

"You had better! I imagine Camelot will be frightfully dull without me there to stir up trouble."

"Don't worry about that," Gwen told her. "I think Arthur will stir up plenty of trouble by himself."

At Morgana and Merlin's inquiring looks, Arthur explained his plans while they made their way to the front of the castle. "I just wish you all could be there. The tasks I've set myself won't be easy, and I have to admit that it's nice having…friends."

"Maybe we can be with you, in a way." Merlin took a medium-sized crystal out of his jacket pocket. "This is a scrying crystal; normally it'd be useless to someone without magic, but Morgana and I enchanted it so you'll be able to use it to speak with us - and Gwen, of course."

Arthur carefully tucked it into a pouch on his belt. "Thank you, Merlin." He took a quick look around to make sure they were still out of sight, then pulled the very surprised warlock into a brief hug. "I'll miss you, my friend."

"Uh…thanks. You don't have to miss me, though; you can talk to me any time…" I think I liked Arthur better when he had a huge stick up his backside.

Luckily, they soon reached the courtyard, and Arthur reverted to his familiar stiff, princely persona in front of all those people. In addition to the party from Camelot, Lord Godwyn was also preparing to leave, though not before stopping to wish Uther well. Despite his threatening ravings the day before, Godwyn was genuinely saddened by what had befallen his old friend.

Elena, meanwhile, was saying goodbye to Lancelot, who had come down to see her off. "I hope we meet again, Sir Lancelot."

"I'll do everything in my power to see that we do, your highness; after all, you outraced me during our ride, and I have to redeem my honor."

She laughed. "In the meantime, I'll write to you when I can, and I hope you will do the same."

Lancelot assured her he would. "I also want to thank you, your highness, for giving me a breath of fresh air when I sorely needed one."

"So did you - meeting you again was the best part of this visit, so much better than all those tedious balls! You're the only knight who has ever willingly helped me escape one of those things, not to mention agreeing to race me. And please call me Elena; I have a feeling we're going to be great friends." Leaning down from her saddle, she gave him a swift kiss on the cheek.

"Lancelot seems to be taking the loss of you rather well," Morgana remarked to Gwen, seeing how his face lit up when Elena kissed him. "That didn't take long."

"I'm glad; he's a good man who deserves to find happiness. I have the one I want, so I didn't want him pining over me."

"This is for the best," Morgana agreed, "but it's a shame you and Lancelot have to be separated from the people you want to be with. I don't think I could stand being apart from Merlin so long."

"Well, it's not forever," he said as he joined her and Gwen after officially bidding farewell to the departing royals along with his father, and reached out to take Morgana's hand. Lancelot came over to where they were standing when the horses started moving, and the four waved goodbye to their friends. Arthur and Elena waved back, all of them looking forward to the day when they would meet again.

###

High overhead, Nimueh watched the procession of travelers stream out of the castle gates from her perch on Kilgharrah's back. "Well, High Priestess, I hope you aren't too disappointed that your schemes did not result in Uther's death after all," the Great Dragon rumbled, noticing how her eyes kept returning to the incapacitated king's carriage. "I must admit, I am curious as to why you convinced Morgana only she could defeat him instead of leaving it to Merlin. If you had, the king would soon be dead; as it is, he could linger on for years."

"Because I'm a fool."

Kilgharrah twisted his head around to peer at her. "Ah…you still care too deeply for Merlin to allow him to kill a man in cold blood, do you not?"

"If I do, it must stay between us, dragon! Merlin has made his choice, and as much as it pains me to admit it, the better woman won. I could never be what she is to him, and I fear if I had allowed myself to confront Uther, my anger would have gotten the better of me."

"You have more reason than anyone to hate him," Kilgharrah said sympathetically.

"True, but Prince Arthur is not yet ready to lose his father; had Merlin or I killed Uther now, the prince might have been tempted to idealize his memory, diminish his crimes, but there is little danger of that now. Morgana's solution was…surprisingly elegant."

"Yes… I confess I would have thought her too impetuous to refrain from killing him once she learned his darkest secrets, but she surpassed both our expectations." The dragon glanced over his shoulder at Nimueh again. "I know you have worried that you would find no one worthy to take your place as leader of the Old Religion after Merlin refused to consider taking up the mantle, but perhaps your successor has been under our very noses all along."

Nimueh gave a contemplative nod. "Morgana certainly has the power to become High Priestess, and now I believe she has the discipline as well. She will need much instruction, but not to worry; I still have a few years before the magic preserving my youth begins to fade."

"Indeed you do," Kilgharrah chuckled. "I have no doubt you will be there to see the dawn of the new Albion we have all waited and hoped for."

"Unless Merlin's stubborn insistence on rebelling against destiny gets in the way," Nimueh said with a slight frown. "Sometimes, Kilgharrah, I wonder whether you made a mistake in telling him of the prophecy."

"I have faith that when the time comes, Merlin and Arthur will rise to the occasion - with Morgana and Guinevere by their sides, of course. In fact, I have already seen where the new palace will be built when Dagon and Camelot truly become one and the four reign together as High Kings and Queens of Albion."

"Show me."

Kilgharrah flew the High Priestess to the place of his visions, at the exact midpoint between the two kingdoms' current seats of power - a wild, overgrown place that didn't look like much now (which could also have been said of the people who would one day rule there - an introverted sorcerer who liked books better than people, an arrogant, spoiled prince, a humble maidservant, and a rebellious king's ward angry at a world that saw her as nothing more than a pretty plaything for men to use - before their paths converged and they helped each other become more than they ever could have been alone) - but a place that would be the epicenter of the greatest nation the world had ever seen in the glorious days ahead.

Well, that's it. There's still an epilogue left, but if you want this story to have a nice, uncomplicated, no-strings-attached happy ending, you should probably stop reading here.

Whether you decide to heed my warning or not, I'd like to thank all of you for your support and patience (particularly the latter). This was only supposed to be about 20 chapters long; I had no idea when I started writing that The Sorcerer's Bride would turn into such a long, involved tale, but I'm very proud of what it became. It's been a great experience writing it, and a real pleasure entertaining you all.

For those of you who aren't content to end on a high note with everyone happy and the promise of a great future ahead, the epilogue will be up soon. I don't anticipate it taking very long to write.