I'm SO SO SO SOO SO SOOOO sorry for the HUUUGE delay you have every right to be mad at me guys but HP ended and I'm still lost somewhere in translation lol I hope you're still interested in the story, i know you probably need to re-read the last chapie and i'm so sorry i get so pissed when people do that with fics i follow so i can only apologize for this...

hope you're still interested :)

Enjoy...

Chapter Five –Lady and Champion

Merlin took a huge breath and took the flowers back in his hands, he needed to deliver the flowers and then decide on what to do with his newfound knowledge. He knocked on Morgana's door and when her voice was heard, accepting her visitor, he took yet one more breath and entered her chamber, this time not in secret.

'Merlin, isn't it?' Morgana asked as she rose from her vanity and smiled at him brightly, he gave the best smile he could muster and nodded his head numbly. Morgana waited for a couple of moments more, waiting for him to say something but for some reason the young man was looking at her oddly, she had figured the Camelot men were a bit odd and probably this one was from the oddest. 'So… the flowers are for me?' Morgana finally asked and Merlin seemed to snap out of it and nodded his head again with a shy smile.

'Yes, sorry my lady, they are from the Prince for you.' Merlin said and Morgana smiled and gestured for the man to let the flowers on the table of her chambers.

'Thank you Merlin, tell the prince I appreciate his gesture and thank him, looking forward to show him my gratitude during the ball.' Morgana said and Merlin nodded again and excused himself hastily. Morgana frowned slightly at the man's hasty departure, she had seen him before and he was all relaxed and cool before her presence, could he have heard her conversation with Morgause? No, only magical people can hear someone through magical objects and maybe the young man was just nervous before balls, like she was, or he could be pissed with Arthur commanding his friend to do a servant's job, proving how much of brat the royal heir could be… nevertheless, he had made her feel uncomfortable and uneasy as well, as something was off in the air.

'Her Royal Highness, Princes Morgana of Avalon and Mora.' The man announced the lady and she moved inside the ball room, "escorted" by Alvar who by protocol moved a step behind her. The entire room stopped and stared at the young woman who strolled inside proudly, she looked around her with an aura of superiority and mystery, showing to people how witches do it.

'God have mercy…' Arthur whispered as his eyes drank at her sight. Her hair was up in a lazy bun, allowing locks to cascade on her shoulders; a golden band was around her head as well. Her dress was a weapon, he could feel it killing him as it clung on her body deliciously, her back was bare, showing creamy skin, her arms were bare and even if the front was covered to her neck the fabric rubbed against her delicate form deliciously and the waistband of golden leaves wrapped around her curves provoking. Her makeup was simple yet captivating and her eyes shone the moment they fell upon him.

She first paid her respects to the king, as she was obeyed to, and he kissed her hand, praised her for her beauty, and then allowed her to move along in the ballroom, Guinevere was close by to help her with whatever she would need but Arthur beat everyone to it as he approached first.

'My lady…' he said as he offered his hand, Morgana smirked and took it.

'My Champion,' she said with a small bow.

'Am I allowed to say that you look amazing tonight…' he said as he kissed her hand, Morgana's smirk turned into a smile at the gesture.

'Thank you, my Lord…' Morgana said as the first song started, Arthur kept the hold on her hand. 'I guess it's time for me to pay my respects to my champion?' Morgana wondered lightly and he grinned and nodded as he escorted her to the dance floor. It was a waltz and Arthur felt for the first time thankful to Gaius who had forced both him and Merlin into dancing lessons when they were teenagers…

He kept Morgana's hand with one of his own and the other moved to her waist while her own touched his shoulder, their bodies close in their formal clothes, their eyes locked as they started swaying in the rhythm of the music while the rest gathered around the dance floor and watched the first dance of the night with interest, some flashes were also appeared as photographers were in under Uther's allowance.

Morgana could feel her heart beating faster, this man was watching her just last night, during her ritual where only a satin gown had kept her from being naked before him. She could still remember his hot gaze upon her, in her every move while the silk had danced with her. They kept dancing and swaying together until Arthur placed his hands on her waist and hoisted her, coaxing the audience to clap for the royals. Morgana felt her heart jumping as he set her back down and took her hand again so they could keep up.

Those blue eyes were so sincere, so beautiful, yet she knew, they would have no problem to watch her burn on a spike if something went out of control, her sister was so painfully right, Mora and Avalon were her lands, her blood sang with magic and she had to defend her powers and future against the man that now held her so delicately… who looked at her as if he had never seen someone more beautiful than her in his life. She had to betray him and she had no idea why it felt so hard as she knew him for mare days when her purpose to become Queen of Mora was on for years and she knew sacrifices would be called for.

That thought brought back Merrick's old face in her mind's eyes. How she wished… how she wished to have someone else in Merrick's place, she had to sell herself like a peice of meat, her body for a kingdom… her life for a throne… herself for taking down Arthur…

'I'm glad you didn't summon your love interest from Avalon, after all,' Arthur said slowly, referring to their talk from the precious day only for her to hear and snap her out of her thoughts, he had seen her face darkening and he wanted to see that frown away from between her brows, she looked more beautiful when happy.

'There is no love interest, your highness.' Morgana said honestly and the two looked deep into each other's eyes.

'So you lied to me…' Arthur said and Morgana finally smiled, pushing away the too dark thoughts.

'You presumed there is someone there and to be honest, there are a lot of people who would like to have me as their bride, forgive me if I sound too proud of myself, so basically I played along with what you said…' Morgana answered and Arthur grinned.

'I see, well my lady I hope you didn't lie about your ability to ride a horse because I would hate to see you losing tomorrow…' he said and Morgana frowned playfully as the song ended and they had to get apart as to clap politely for the audience who applauded. As Morgana glanced around her she saw Merlin, Arthur's friend having his eyes stuck on her and she felt uncomfortable again but she tried to brush off the feeling as she focused back on Arthur, however aware now with the younger man's scalding gaze upon her…

Another song started and this time more couples joined at the floor for a new dance, Polka, a happier dance that required the couples to mix with themselves and spin around before they could go back to each other. Arthur and Morgana wanted desperately to keep up talking as they swayed around the couples, they resumed their talk when they reached each other.

'No fear, my Lord, I will make sure I'll give you a run of your treasures…' Morgana said as they span around each other and released away for another sway with others before they could return in the rhythm of the music.

'I can't wait, my lady…' Arthur provoked and Morgana smiled as they kept moving around each other, their hands holding each other before them as they span in a small circle.

'So you came here by youself? I thought you wouldn't be able to dance with me due to your respect to your date…' Morgana said teasingly and Arthur grinned.

'Well given the amount of girls that want to be escorted by me, usually I decide upon my date on the last minute,' Arthur started and Morgana rolled her eyes, he was so full of himself. 'But today I won you in the football match so I thought having a date when you have a prize would be silly…' Arthur went on and Morgana felt outraged, she was no one's prize! And he hadn't won her!

'Well that's so kind of you, my lord, but I had been preparing myself for your absence by my arm so I had thought I would be dancing with your knights…' Morgana stroke again where it obviously hurt, Arthur Pendragon wanted to be considered as the best of the knights since he was their leader and the future king… it was a matter of pride.

'Well my lady… when their leader has won his prize the rest back off… it's like what lions do with the best piece of the meal…' Arthur said cheekily and that made Morgana stop at her tracks in greater outrage.

'You're calling me a piece of meat,-your highness?' she demanded to know, he could push all her buttons and one moment he could be making her shiver to her core and the next she wanted to slap him hard across the face only to give him a backhand right after it.

'It was a simple example, my lady…' Arthur said stoic, they were the only ones having stopped in the middle of the ball room while the rest of couples were struggling to keep up with their dance since they couldn't partner each other rightly with one couple pausing.

'Well the example was perfect since you consider yourself an animal…' Morgana said and was ready to leave but Arthur took her hand, gave a huge fake smile to the reporters who were interested in the small interaction and took her away from the ball room's center and close to the gates that led to the balcony and out to it.

'Release me,' she demanded and he did exactly that, only having her standing before him humming.

'You're the first woman who dares to defy me,' Arthur said honestly, he quiet liked that on her, she was so sensual, headstrong, powerful, demanding and mysterious, a right witch he had to admit as he always imagined them more or less like this, women with many faces.

Morgana gritted her teeth in anger, he was so arrogant, so aloof and he made it worse by the minute with everything he said.

'Glad I can make you see there are human beings out there than can posses vaginas yet they're able to speak for themselves… my lord! I supposed you have no such creatures here in Camelot or in Caerleon…' Morgana snapped, she had forgotten about her plans to make him her friend, all she knew was he was making her furious and tensed all the time.

Arthur looked at her humming image for a moment, she was so fierce, so fistic, he could only imagine how she'd be with a husband of hers that wouldn't allow her something.

'Well it's good to know such creatures will return to their home after awhile…' Arthur pushed harder and Morgana had enough, she was ready to leave, actually moved to leave but he gripped her arm again and brought her back close to him only to grip her other arms as well as to keep her there. 'I'm sorry… that was too much… I'm extremely rude to one of the most important guests Camelot has accepted in years… that was uncalled for…' he said, turning completely his behavior, mostly because he didn't want her away from him, they brought each other to the edge but he wanted her close. Morgana looked fiercely in his eyes.

'Afraid of your dad's disapproving your ways with his guest?' she provoked, still angry with him, his eyes indeed changed, hardened at the mention of his father and in the back of her head, she kept note of this…

'Do not speak of him, not now,' Arthur commanded her, his voice darker, deeper as they stared at each other's eyes, all formality and teasing forgotten, he wasn't even sure why he was holding on her like that, as if she was a part of him, why she had been in his dream last night, why he had felt his body and very core reacting to her every move during the ritual, she was just another pretty thing, very pretty… but just that, he shouldn't allow her affecting him thus.

'Good night, my lord,' Morgana finally said and tried to move away again, she could see he was rather tensed, worried and even afraid of having hurt her too much, she couldn't understand him, one moment he was a total brat the next he was apologizing with those bloody blue eyes looking through her soul.

'Mor-My Lady…' Arthur tried once again as he looked at her still in the eyes. 'I- I'm not very good with women who don't act like puppies around me…' he finally confessed, he wasn't sure why he felt so easy to admit things before her presence, she was a stranger, a foil, she shouldn't be there anyway, he knew she was probably hatching some plan for her sudden visit under Morgause's commands, yet he wanted to show her his better side, a side not many people knew of.

'I'll see you tomorrow morning for our horse ride, my lord… until then, I hope you can muster the courage to justify yourself before a woman who is more than a puppy…' she finally said, coating her voice just with a hint of teasing for him to caught, he did so and smiled at her, finally releasing her arm.

'Be certain I will,' he finally said and kissed her hand before he could release her, she only gave a tiny smile and moved back inside… her heart racing.

OOK i left Merlin's actual actions upon the news of Morgana-Morgause's talk for the next chapie, which i promise will be up soon, especially if you give me an extra push with your reviews, here i wanted Morgana and Arthur at the ball finally, the chapie is a bit small but i wanted to explore their dynamics farther, it rook me like 10 hours to decide what i wanted how i wanted it to be but here it is, hope you liked it

thank you very much for reading, please review :D

CP09